Hi guys! Here's the next chapter of the story! **CHAPTER HAS BEEN REWRITTEN SO DON'T BE ALARMED IF YOU'RE READING SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU'VE READ BEFORE**
Tohru was buried under her ruffled, pink covers, afraid of stepping foot outside her bedroom. She wanted to stay in bed forever, running away from the reality that held a dreaded secret of hers: she was most definitely pregnant. She wished she could maintain her positive and happy attitude but her mind just felt clouded over with negative thoughts.
Mom, please help me get through this day thought the Onigiri. She planned to talk with Hatori about how this could've happened to her exactly and she needed all the courage she could get.
The brunette pushed the covers off and began to get ready for the rest of the day. Just act normal thought the girl, exchanging her yellow pajama top for a blue floral patterned blouse. She quickly slipped out of her matching yellow pajama pants and grabbed her favorite white skirt. The rice ball fixed her signature blue ribbons into her silky brown hair and headed downstairs.
Tohru was surprised to find Kyo and Yuki working together to make breakfast. Kyo, in a flowery apron, was trying his best to make pancakes while Yuki blended together a fruit smoothie.
"Wow," breathed Tohru in awe, her mood lifting. She couldn't contain her smile as she watched them work. It felt good to smile again. "You guys are doing great without my help!"
At the sound of her energetic voice, both the rat and the cat turned to face her.
I'm glad she's looking a lot better than she did yesterday thought the handsome prince. He hated seeing Tohru sad.
"Good morning, Miss Honda. Please sit down and let us take care of your breakfast. We'll also take care of all of your chores so please just relax today."
"N-no! It's fine! I can handle everything on my own," said the brunette, not wanting to give any more trouble to the Sohmas. "I'm really grateful for all of this... but is there a reason why you guys are doing this for me?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Honda, but I overheard your conversation with Kyo," admitted the guilty rat. "It was wrong of me to listen in on you two. I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Yuki-kun," said the rice ball, her blue eyes revealing a hint sadness. "I should've told you when I told Kyo-kun. It was unfair to you so I'm glad you were able to find out or I might not have had the courage to tell you."
Yuki smiled, relieved that Tohru was slowly coming back to her old self. He had noticed that she'd been acting strangely yesterday and was worried that she wouldn't go back to her usually sunny disposition.
"There's no need to apologize," said the rat, handing Tohru utensils for her meal. "but I hope you know that we are more than happy to help you with your situation. Please don't think that you have to face this pregnancy alone. We're here for you, Miss Honda."
The pancake chef gagged as he heard Yuki. The damn rat is so damn sappy it's disgusting thought the cat, but in reality he was just jealous. He took the spatula and picked up a couple of pancakes, then he proceeded to slam them onto the plate. The rat's smile disappeared and turned into a glare towards Kyo.
Kyo gave Yuki a smirk and continued to slam each pancake onto the plate, making the rice ball flinch each time.
"Are you trying to provoke me, cat?"
"Maybe," said Kyo, excited for another match with Yuki. "What 'cha gonna do?"
"Please don't fight!" pleaded Tohru. The boys paused, shot murderous looks at each other, and abided by the wishes of the brunette.
It's not good that they're fighting like this, but I'm glad things are starting to go back to normal, thought Tohru while receiving a plate of Kyo's now crushed pancakes. The brunette tried to enjoy the special treatment she was receiving but she couldn't help feeling burdensome to the Sohmas.
Tohru's stomach filled with the butterflies as she got ready to leave for the main Sohma estate.
"You'll do fine, Tohru," she whispered to herself. This was the day where everything would be made official. She hoped that a visit to Hatori would clear many remaining mysteries for her.
She stared at the girl in the mirror of her vanity(yet another object Shigure insisted on buying, much to Tohru's disapproval). Something about the girl in the mirror was different. The innocence and purity in her eyes were replaced by a cloudy dullness. What would Mom think of me? She felt a strong sense of shame and guilt for losing her purity so easily. And I don't even know who the child's father is.
Just one day ago, Tohru wasn't worrying about taking care of a child or who her child's father was. She was worrying about what to make for dinner, how to make the reserved Yuki open up, how to break the Sohma curse, how to make the orange cat smile, and how she could repay the Sohmas for their hospitality towards her.
But now, she could only worry about one thing and she felt that she was being extremely selfish for throwing all of her other worries aside.
Tohru sighed. "It seems like no matter how many bad consequences there are, I can't think about giving up on you, Aka-chan."
With one last look in the mirror, Tohru headed downstairs to say good-bye to the cat and rat.
"Are you sure you don't want us to follow you, Miss Honda?" inquired Yuki. He knew the dark secrets of the Sohma estate and he didn't feel safe sending Tohru to a building where Akito resided. "I would feel safer accompanying you to Hatori's office."
"It's alright, Yuki-kun. I've already received enough help and I think I can do this on my own. It has to be on my own."
"But, Honda-san-"
"I'll be okay, I promise! My mom is watching over me so you don't have to worry," said the brunette, giving the prince one of her heart-warming smiles.
I wish she would smile like that all the time, thought the rat. The usually ditzy and cheerful girl had changed in just a day and Yuki already missed smiling side of Tohru.
"Alright," agreed the reluctant rat. "Please be home before it gets dark, Miss Honda."
Tohru nodded eagerly. Then, she looked around for a missing orange-haired boy. "Where's Kyo?"
Yuki aura suddenly changed into a very cold aura at the sound of his cousin's name. "I'm not sure. He said he'd be out."
"Oh, alright. I'll see you soon. Bye, Yuki-kun!"
With that, Tohru left her safe haven to go to the estate.
"Finally here! Wow, it's very beautiful," exclaimed the ribbon-haired girl. The sun shone right in the center of the estate, which was the main house. It was a lot different from visiting in the winter, which also had its own loveliness.
"Honda-san!" called a deep male voice. A tall figure waved from a distance.
"Oh, Hatori-san!" Tohru jogged over to the tall man.
Hatori pointed to a small, square building. "That's my office. We can talk about whatever you'd like in there."
After a few minutes of walking in silence, Tohru and Hatori arrived at the building and entered in to the air-conditioned room.
"Ah, it's so nice," said Tohru, fanning herself. "It's very hot outside but this room makes it all better."
Hatori nodded in agreement. "Would you like anything to drink?"
"No, thank you."
Hatori started to prepare hot water for his tea. "So, Honda-san, what brings you here to my office?"
"Well," started the jittery rice ball. "I was wondering if there were any cases of zodiac members having children with non-zodiac members."
Why such a random question? wondered the dragon zodiac. He cleared his throat. "Well, I know of three cases where such a thing has occurred. You know Kazuma-san, right?"
Tohru nodded.
"His grandfather possessed the spirit of the cat zodiac. He married a non-zodiac member and was able to have a child naturally."
The rice ball was confused. "But how does that work with the zodiac curse?"
The tea kettle started to emit a squealing noise. Hatori turned off the stove. "It's a mystery to me as well, but I do have somewhat of a theory. Lust, passion, and love is the key to temporarily breaking the curse. If this somehow proves to be true, it could hold the key to breaking the Sohma curse forever, but then again, I could be wrong."
"What were the other two cases?"
"There's one from over 20 years ago. A woman who was the sheep of the zodiac, fell in love with a regular man and they were able to have a child," explained Hatori while pouring hot water into his tea cup. "Unfortunately, the child did not survive past age one due to a rare disease."
Tohru gasped. "That's so sad," cried Tohru, protectively reaching for her own abdomen. She quickly realized her mistake and her hands retreated. Hatori caught a quick glimpse of her little slip.
"Honda-san, is there a reason why you're suddenly asking me these questions?" The dragon zodiac dropped the tea bag into his cup.
Just tell him, Tohru! He'll help you. You can do it! thought the rice ball. Oh, no, oh, no, I can't do this. Why am I so nervous?
The brunette sighed and looked at the floor, unable to spill what was on her mind. However, Hatori had a general idea of what was going on.
"Honda-san," he began, taking a sip of his tea. "are you pregnant?"
Tohru gave a small nod. The feeling of becoming a mother was sinking in.
Hatori hid his surprise quite well. "Is the father of the child either Yuki or Kyo?"
Tohru's blue eyes met with Hatori's dark ones.
"I-I don't know," admitted Tohru. "I don't even remember being alone with either of them, so I'm not sure when I got pregnant."
"I see. Do you have relationships with other men outside of Yuki and Kyo?"
"N-no! I am always around Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun or my other friends."
"So you don't remember when or how you got pregnant?"
The hopeless rice ball nodded.
"Perhaps you had consumed alcohol at the time of the, er, incident."
But I've never had a sip of alcohol in my life! thought Tohru.
"Yuki or Kyo haven't mentioned anything to you about the incident?"
Tohru shook her head, embarrassed and ashamed. "What am I gonna do, Hatori-san? I don't even know the father of my child."
"Well, based on the information we have now, it is entirely possible that the father is either Yuki or Kyo. However, neither one of them seem to have any memory of this happening. It could be the effects of strong alcohol, but I'm afraid I can't be much help to you until after the child is born. DNA testing could be done to find out after birth, but other than that, you'll have to rely on your memory, Honda-san."
"Alright, then I'll try my best to remember! Although it was an accident, it looks like I'll just have to make the best of it!" exclaimed the enthusiastic Onigiri who was regaining her regular personality.
Hatori let out a quiet laugh. She's very much like Kana... I wish her luck on this journey thought Hatori.
"So you'll keep the baby? Have you considered other options?" asked Hatori, wondering how Akito would feel about the situation.
"Of course, I definitely have to keep the baby. It was my responsibility and even though it wasn't planned, I am still happy that I am able to have a child of my own. Mom would've wanted me to keep it. Things happen for a reason, right?"
Hatori wondered whether or not fate or destiny were real. If things happen for a reason, thought the dragon. then why does it seem like destiny hates the Sohmas. Were we all part of a plan to suffer? The world is such a cruel place.
Tohru glanced outside the window. "It's getting dark! I promised Yuki-kun I'd be home by now!" She scrambled to leave the office. "Thank you for your time! Goodbye, Hatori-san!" With that, the Onigiri dashed out of Hatori's office.
Hatori smiled. Tohru will make a great mother.
In the dark, a certain brunette was walking back home, lonely and terrified. She had heard some reports about this neighborhood and there were talks of gangs meeting up here.
Mom is keeping me safe. There's no need to worry. Don't think about it, just walk.
She heard a crash behind her. Her walking pace sped up. Then, she heard distant laughter.
"H-hello? Is anyone there?" called out Tohru, her face pale from panic. She felt someone grab her shoulder.
The Onigiri whimpered, paralyzed by terror.
"Relax," said a familiar voice. "It's just me, Kyo."
"Kyo-kun!" The rice ball turned around and embraced the lean, orange-haired boy out of relief. There was a puff of smoke and the boy had transformed into an orange cat.
"HEY! WATCH IT!" yelled the furious cat.
"Kyo-kun! I'm so sorry, I totally forgot for a moment because I was just so scared that there was a gang behind me and I thought you were a thug grabbing my shoulder so I was so relieved to see you that I couldn't help but hug you," blabbed the panicky and nervous brunette. The rice ball looked down at the orange cat in her arms. "I'm really sorry, Kyo-kun."
"Damn it. It's fine, whatever. Just be careful next time. AND DON'T WALK ALONE IN STREETS LIKE THIS IN THE DARK!" scolded Kyo, grouchy from being turned into a cat. "I mean, if you're pregnant, you should take better care of you body."
He's right, thought the brunette. I'm being so careless with my body...
"Thank you, Kyo-kun, for worrying about me," said the appreciative girl.
"Yeah, don't mention it," mumbled the blushing cat. "And pick up my clothes! That's my favorite shirt."
Tohru reached down to grab the cat's favorite black t-shirt and green cargo pants.
"Let's go home, already," commanded the cat. "I'll be here to keep you safe so just go."
Tohru smiled at the embarrassed cat and the Onigiri and cat zodiac went back home.
"So, Miss Honda, how was your visit to Hatori's?" asked the rat upon Tohru's arrival. "Did you find out anything more about the baby?"
"Yeah, hurry up and tell us," said the impatient orange-haired boy. He had turned back from a cat not too long ago.
Tohru looked at both boys anxiously. Should I tell them that they could possibly be the father?
"I found out that... it is possible for a zodiac member to have a child with a non-zodiac member," said the girl, her face crimson.
The rat caught on immediately, shocked at the new revelation. "I see... so it's possible that I... we-"
"What's possible?" asked the clueless cat. "Tell me what's going on!"
"Either of us could be the father of Tohru's baby, you idiot!" yelled the rat, losing his temper. He looked at Tohru apologetically. "I'm sorry for my outburst, Honda-san, it's just that the insensitive cat is very oblivious sometimes. And I promise we'll help you raise the child."
"Who's gonna be a father of whose baby?" asked a voice no other than Shigure's.
"Oh, Shigure you're home!" said the rice ball.
"How's my sweet little flower, Tohru, doing?" asked the 29 year old. "I missed my little housewife's cooking so much while I was out at the writer's convention!"
"Don't call her your housewife, damn it!"
Shigure chuckled. "You're still the same old Kyo after three weeks. Now, what's this about being the father of a baby?"
The rice ball, rat, and cat exchanged looks, causing Shigure to be even more suspicious.
Yuki gave a reassuring nod to Tohru.
"W-well, Shigure-san, I'm p-pregnant," admitted the humiliated rice ball.
"WHO SOILED MY PERFECT FLOWER?" yelled Shigure dramatically with hand motions. Kyo and Yuki both looked at each other at smacked Shigure. "Well, it can't be Yuki or Kyo, right? The curse and all."
"Actually," started the rat. "we've just learned today that it is entirely possible for one of us to be the father of Tohru's baby."
"WHAT?" Shigure placed his hand on his forehead. "You guys are still so young... what will the main house say?"
"YOU CAN'T TELL THE MAIN HOUSE!" yelled the rat and cat at the same time.
"I'm just so shocked... Tohru, are you alright? Did Yuki or Kyo persuade you into sleeping with them? Please be honest!"
The cat and the rat glared at Shigure.
"Oh, n-n-no! Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun would never do that!" assured the flustered Tohru. "But I'll get to the bottom of this. I'll be alright, Shigure-san. Please don't worry about me."
Shigure sensed Tohru's gloominess. "Well, if my perfect flower says so," said Shigure trying to lighten everyone's mood. "I'll only allow the child on one condition. I play midwifeeeee!"
The 29 year old got hit in the head once more.
A/N: **This is a rewritten chapter, completely different from the original, so don't be alarmed**