Chapter 3: Family Ties

Kat wiped the hair out of her face and slowly got out of bed as not to wake Kyo. She paused to look for her clothes, but noted that most of them were pinned under Kyo. She rummaged through Kyo's drawers and took a shirt and a pair of shorts. She pulled the shirt over her head and tugged on the shorts. She heard a car stop at the driveway and walked into the hall to get a better look at the car. She just made out the emblem on the trunk. A BMW? It's can't be Hatori, he drives a Mercedes. I don't even think the Sohmas own a BMW. Kat heard Kyo's door open and she turned to face him.

"Hey there lazy bones, d'you know what time it is?"

Kyo yawned and wiped some of the sleep from his eyes. "I dunno, around sevenish? Why?"

"No reason. Guess we better get ready for school, huh?"

A short series of knocks brought Shigure into the hall. "Yes yes. I'm coming. Always...just when the bathroom is free..."

He opened the door to find a tall, stern woman in a crimson kimono standing with two men in western suits on the front step. The woman's face was worn with age and her hair was pulled so tight it seemed to take out only some of the wrinkles. The two men were brutish, the type of men you'd expect from an old gangster movie. He looked up to meet her face and he was slightly puzzled.

"Ah, can I help you? Do you need directions?"

The woman in red gave Shigure a disgusted look. "Yes, actually I do believe you can be of some use to me. My name is Anna, Anna Sumisawa-"

Shigure furrowed his eyebrows and cut in, "Sumisawa? That must mean you're Kat's...mother?"

Anna looked at Shigure like he was an insect. She stepped inside followed by the two men. The younger of the two who was to Anna's right closed the door behind them.

"You're a very rude man. If I knew I'd be dealing with such an ass I would've spoken directly with who called me. An Akito Sohma called me personally to tell me that Katrina Sumisawa has been living here for quite a while. Now tell me, is that even remotely true?"

Shigure bit his lip and looked to his feet.

"Um, yes she has been. She's just upstairs, would you like to speak with her?"

Anna's lips parted slightly into a sarcastic smirk.

"Why yes, make yourself useful and fetch the little darling for me."

Shigure turned and scowled at her rude nature and looked up as he was starting to climb the stairs.

Kat was standing, frozen in place at the top of the stairs.

"Y-you! What are you doing here?! How...Why?! You can't make me go back! You can't control me anymore!"

Anna approached the stairs and looked up from the landing. Shigure's eyes shifted from Kat to Anna and he stepped back off the stairs.

"Ah, so I see the tramp has dug her claws into another toy."

Kyo's eyes narrowed and he growled down at Anna, "tramp?! What kind of mother are you?! Haven't you tortured her enough?!"

Anna turned her eyes toward Kyo and smiled.

"I see the little liar has been spinning her web of lies on you now. She makes up tall tales for pity. She's a depraved girl, really. Between cutting herself since she was seven and trying to kill herself more times than I can count, she's been lying to you on top of that. She has always felt that she had to tell these fictional stories to get more attention. You're not the first boy she lied to, in fact you're not the first boy to win her so called affection. You're something like the sixth boy that she's had in her personal life. Now tell me, has she slept with you yet?"

Kat's face twisted into a snarl and she nearly leapt down the stairs.

"You bitch! You liar! Stop it! You don't know anything about my love life! And What the fuck?! You've abused me for years! What about Rei, huh?! I never lied about her! You murdered her in cold blood, your own daughter!!"

Kat's face broke and tears started trailing down her cheeks. She opened her mouth and started to say more, but Anna cut in.

"Stop it. Stop saying that. Just shut your mouth right now!"

Kat glared down a t her.

"Why?! Because it's true?! I'm not going to stop!"

"Stop saying that I'm your mother! I'm not so just stop saying I am!"

Everybody recoiled and raised their eyebrows. "W-what?!"

"I'm not your mother. Do you really think I would have monsters like you with that worthless father of yours?! No, your mother was my sister, Mona. She was a stupid girl, just as worthless if not more than your father. She was ruining everything.

Our name smeared because of her reputation as a punk street racer. On top of it she was a whore. And then she met your father. And she got pregnant with you freaks. I couldn't stand it. And she was so happy. She expected everyone to be happy for her. Oh and when you were born we made sure she was miserable. We took you and your sister from the nursery and kept you away from the world. I mean, your mother and father would have rejected you anyway. They were both junkies and they would've just dumped you when they got sick of you. She thought you were hideous. We did you a favor. Your mother was naturally unstable, but she went and threw herself off a bridge. And your father didn't care enough to come look for you. He abandoned you, went off to find a new whore and more drugs. So we took care of him."

Kat collapsed to the floor and brought her hands to her face.

"My mom, my real mom...killed herself? And my dad just abandoned us? No, you're lying! They wouldn't do that! You're a fucking liar! You're a sick, sadistic bitch!"

"And you're a whore like your mother. You're also insane. You need to be committed, so you can be safe."

Kat twisted her face to look at Kyo. "Please tell me you don't believe her. Please say you trust me. That you know I wouldn't lie to you. I wouldn't lie to you. I may have some skeletons in my closet, but if you ask I'll tell you. Yes I've dated a few people, but what matters is that I'm dating you now."

Kat reached up for Kyo's hand, but he moved it away from hers. Kat's eyes teared and her eyes dropped to the floor. The older of the two men had began to climb the stairs toward Kat. He made towards Kat and reached for her arm. Kat pulled her arm back and knocked the man down the stairs. Anna stepped aside nonchalantly and stared up at Kat again. Kat glared down at her and then looked at Kyo for help. He was staring away from her.

"Such rash behavior Kat, just come back with us and this doesn't have to turn into a free-for-all."

"No, I'm not going back. I don't have to go back with you." Kat got to her feet and wiped her face.

"Oh, but everyone's waiting for you." Kat looked at Anna with a puzzled glare.

"What are you talking about?!"

"All the rest of the fre- I mean people from your father's side of the family. They're in Okinawa now. They want you to live with them."

Kat narrowed her eyes. What if it's true? Can I really be happy with people I've never met? But what if it's just another lie to get me home, to get rid of me. Wouldn't be the first time. Kat flashed back to a memory of when she was twelve. Her hair was matted with blood from a gash in her temple. Her eyes were purple and bruised, and her cheeks swollen with pained tears. Her left arm was in a sling and her right side was bleeding in a steady flow. Kat snapped back to the present. She lashed out and slammed the older man back down the stairs.

"Leave me the fuck alone! I don't believe you! Just get out of my life! You don't belong here!"

"Neither do you. You belong in Okinawa with your own family."

"I have no family!" Kat snarled back.

Anna frowned, "well it doesn't matter anyway. You're coming with us whether you like it or not."

Kat was about to snap back when the door burst open.

"Good morning Sohma family! How is the happy family to-" Torrents stopped and stared around.

"Ok, what's with the funeral faces? And who's the human handbag?" Torrents raised an eyebrow and looked back and forth between everybody.

Anna gave Torrents a look of death. "Who the hell are you?"

Torrents scowled, "hey! I asked you first!"

Hatori closed the door and put his hand on Torrents' shoulder.

Hatori looked at Anna, then at Shigure, and then at Kat. "What exactly is going on here?"

Shigure who was wiggling around and wincing, whined, "Kat's aunt - go home - no, never - argue lots - then Torrents. Need to... bathroom!"

Shigure zipped down the hall towards the bathroom.

Hatori blinked and shook his head. "Right. So you're Kat's aunt. And you want her to go back with you to Okinawa, but she doesn't want anything to do with you. You had a big argument, but it was interrupted when Torrents showed up. Ok."

Everyone looked at Hatori strangely.

"I've known him a long time and he always talks like that. Listen, why don't we talk about this like reasonable adults over breakfast?"

Everyone scowled and found themselves at the table five minutes later. They all quietly fumed over their breakfasts.

"Now let's talk like adults." Hatori turned to Anna.

"My name is Dr. Hatori Sohma. Your name is?"

Anna scowled through her tea. She put her cup down and glared at Hatori.

"My name is Anna Sumisawa. I am the family head of the Sumisawas. And as such, I have say over anything concerning this family."

Hatori sighed and rubbed his forehead. Everyone's eyes turned to him. He was acting very un-Hatori like. He took his hand away and put his hands to the table.

"Now I can see where you want to bring Kat back to Okinawa so you can have her among the rest of your household. But I'm afraid there are a few people at this table who aren't about to let her go so easily."

Torrents threw her arms around Kat and squeezed her.

Tohru frowned and chimed, "Kat is a really nice person and I can't imagine her not being here."

Anna had her permanent scowl on her face and looked back to Hatori. Kat looked over at Kyo who avoided making eye contact with her.

"Maybe we should discuss all of this while they're at school. After all, if they don't get a move on, they'll be late."

Anna fumed and replied, "fine, we'll have a discussion, and then after they get back the decision will be final."

"Done."

Kat got up and trudged downstairs to the basement followed closely by Torrents. Kat waited for her to clear the door, and then she kicked the door so hard it smashed into its' frame and splintered badly. Torrents plopped down on Kat's bed and yawned.

"I fucking hate her, y'know?"

Kat yelled pulling her tattered school uniform out of her drawer. It looked like she had attacked it with scissors, and it had marker doodles all over it.

"She's ruined my life from day one and she lives to make me miserable!"

Kat stripped off Kyo's shirt, picked up a tank top, and slid it on as replacement for a bra. Torrents didn't flinch or blink at all, she wasn't offended in the slightest seeing as how she used to do the same thing... in front of her guy friends. Torrents did take the time to notice all of Kat's scars. That has to suck.

"And to make things worse, she's fucked up every single relationship I've had. And now she's fucked my relationship with Kyo, y'know?"

Kat pulled on her shirt. "It just really pisses me off." She tugged on her skirt over Kyo's boxers and slid her shoes on.

All Torrents had to say was, "yup, I know the feeling. Don't worry about it. If he loves ya, it'll be fine. He'll forgive you."

Kat looked at Torrents. "And what if he doesn't?"

"Then you're a single hot female in a world of sexy single guys!" Torrents laughed.

Kat smirked slightly and pulled on her sex bracelets, bangles, and cuffs. She wrapped her spiked collar around her neck and fastened it.

"Maybe you're right."

"Maybe? You question me?"

Kat followed Tohru, Uo, and Hana into the classroom and took her normal seat next to the now brooding Kyo.

"Hi?"

Kyo raised his hand and inch and just stared at the far wall. Kat bit her lip and slumped against her desk. She listened to the teacher drone on and on for about ten minutes and then fell asleep. When she woke up, the teacher was standing by her desk.

She looked up and grinned. "Yo!"

For sleeping in class, she earned an after school cleanup detention. She stared at the clock for another ten minutes until the bell rang for lunch. Kat wandered down to the school courtyard where mostly everyone ate their lunch.

During lunch, Kat plugged her attention into her new iP od. She had gotten it on a recent shopping expedition with Kyo when they checked out the new mall. Kat looked across the courtyard to where Kyo usually sat and noted that he not only had deserted the courtyard for the roof , but there was also a girl sitting in his place. She had soft orange hair and eyes like molten gold. She was wearing the school uniform, of course, but she was wearing a cuff on her wrist and bangles as well. She had thin purple-framed reading glasses on, and she was reading a novel while nibbling on a sandwich. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, but Kat could tell her hair was longer than her own tangled mess. Kat got up and wandered over towards her. On her way, she saw Vi, flinched at the memory of her nightmare, and hesitantly waved.

Kat plopped down in front of her and peered over her book at her. "Hey. You're new here aren't ya?"

The girl blinked and looked up at Kat, searching her face for a minute. She pulled off her glasses and slid them into her bag and put her book away.

"Yah, actually I am."

Kat looked at her for a minute raising her eyebrows.

"Huh? Do I have a piece of food on my face?"

Kat laughed and shook her head, "no, what's your name new girl?"

The girl blinked and brushed her back, "oh! my name is Zoe London."

"I see, is that where you're from originally?"

"No, actually I'm from Dublin," Zoe said timidly.

"I lived there almost my whole life until now. But my family decided to travel here to Japan."

"Wow. You must be out of your element here then." Kat smirked a bit.

"A little. It's got me a bit rish pish if you get my drift." Zoe sighed.

"R-rish pish? What does that mean?"

"Oh, sorry. Bit of irish slang... I'm frustrated. It's hard to adjust to the change from Dublin to here."

Kat nodded chewing on her fingertips. "Yeah, I get where you're coming from. I relocated a bunch since I was about 7."

Zoe looked over Kat's face and tilted her head to the side.

"My family is not the greatest. So I ran away and made my way around. It's lucky that I've survived this long. I thought for sure I'd be dead by now. "

Zoe blinked and shook her head. "That 's a bit sperible."

Kat stared at her for a second and nodded along. "Yeah... Oh my name's Kat by the way. Kat Sumisawa."

"Course ya are. I've seen your face 'fore. On a magazine cover or sumtin' like that."

Kat thought for a second and scratched her head. "Suppose they have put my mug on a few covers for racing. That was a while ago though..."

Kat looked back to Zoe and smiled. "Well it was nice talking to you. I gotta go find my boyfriend now. He's in a mood today."

Zoe nodded and smiled. "Course. Good luck in your search."

"I'll catch you around the school or if you want I can meet you somewhere and show you the city? Aw crap, scratch that. I got myself a detention today. Maybe another day."

"That'd be nice."

Kat flicked thumbs up at her and wandered back into the school. She'd have to get a translator for talking to Zoe. Girl was confusing. She climbed the four levels of stairs to the roof and pushed the door open with a sigh. She scanned the roof and found no sign of Kyo then remembered the ladder next to the door. She climbed the ladder and peered over the top. Kyo was laying with his back to the ladder. Kat guessed he was fuming silently.

"You really need a better hiding spot. I can find you waaay too easily."

Kyo jumped about 6 inches and turned to face Kat. "What do you want?"

Kat raised an eyebrow, "well, if you're gonna be like that..."

He sighed and sat up.

"I'm sorry, you're aunt just kind of dropped an atomic bomb this morning. I mean honestly, how many people have you gone out with?"

Kat blinked and climbed onto the top of the building. She sat down and began thumbing her fingers in the process of counting.

"You have to count? "

"What? It's been a little while since I have."

Kat went back to counting, checking the numbers on her fingers.

"10?"

"10?! Is that including me?"

"Uhh.. 11."

"Jeez. How many of those people have you slept with?"

"Do you count girls into that number?"

Kyo's face dropped. "Are you telling me that part of that 10 is girls too?"

"Well yeah. Wouldn't you? But do you count girls when you ask that question since there's no dick?"

"Yeah count them too."

"Eight."

"Including me?"

"Nine."

"You slept with nine people?"

"I used protection. You make it sound like I'm a whore or something."

"Well you slept with nine people! How is that even possible? I thought you transformed when you get hugged?"

"I never hugged them. You just do it certain ways."

Kyo looked away from her. "Ugh.. I have to get to class. I can't deal with this now."

Kyo got up and dropped down to her lower roof. Kat got up and jumped after him.

"Hey! Don't just walk away from me! What the fuck Kyo?"

Kyo opened the door and went inside leaving Kat on the roof cursing after him. Kat slammed her foot into door a few times before finally opening it and going inside. She climbed back downstairs to her next class and scrambled for her normal seat before the teacher came in. She turned around to face Kyo who sat behind her.

"How long are you gonna be like this? Cuz this is probably the last day you're gonna see me alive if my aunt takes me back to Okinawa. If I even get that far. She might just take me out back and shoot me like cattle."

Kyo stared at her briefly before he looked down and began picking at the desk. Kat scoffed and turned around as she dug into her pockets for a pen and some scrap paper.

Kyo,

Listen. I would've told you earlier about all of my past girlfriends and boyfriends, but I never got a chance. Will you please give me the chance to explain now? I never meant for you to find out this way. And If this is last time I ever see you I at least want you to know that you're the person I care about now. Can you forgive me for my past? There's a reason they call it that. I could use your support since I don't know the outcome of Hatori

and my aunt's conversation. I've got detention after school, of course. If you want to hang out and wait for me we can at least walk home together. Please let me know you still somewhat care? I love you, in case you forgot. - Kat

Kat folded the note quickly, tossed the note onto Kyo's desk when his back was turned, and leaned forward. Kyo picked it up and unfolded it under his desk reading it quickly while glancing up to watch for the teacher. He pulled a pen out of his pocket and scribbled something down on the paper. He re-folded the note and poked Kat. She took the note from his hand and brought the note under her desk. She unfolded the note to read what he wrote.

Kat,

You know I love you. Even if I'm pissed off. I've got detention too as always. We'll talk then. - Kyo

It wasn't much, but it was what Kat could get for now. She tucked the note into her pocket and leaned forward on her desk. Her eyes drooped after a few minutes and she leaned her head into her arms. After about 20 minutes, the bell rang rousing Kat from her sleep and brought her to her feet. She leaned on Kyo as they walked out the door.

"Y'know, I hate detention. It's fucking pointless. They just make us clean. They're too lazy to hire a janitorial staff."

"Tell me about it. Well, let's just get it done quickly and we'll get out of here."

Kat and Kyo met up with the detention monitor and got their cleaning supplies. They started at the end of the hall with the objective to make it to the other end of the hallway.

"So tell me about what happened. Like why you're here and not with one of your ex-girlfriends or ex-boyfriends. "

"Well, it's because my aunt always tracked me down and either scared or hurt them enough to keep them away from me."

Kyo grimaced and turned away.

"You're not going to let her scare you off, right Kyo?

He turned and leaned on the mop he was holding.

"What do you think? I'm not threatened by a woman like her."

Kat smiled and kissed him.

"I knew you'd turn out to be reasonable."

The hours passed quickly, and before long the floor was clean. Kat and Kyo returned the supplies to the closet and checked in with the monitor. The monitor signed off on their detentions and let them go. Kat pulled Kyo down the stairs sighing.

"What if I have to go back? This'll probably be the last time you see me. Want to make a memory?"

Kat grinned at Kyo suggestively. Kyo raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't your aunt waiting back at the house? D'you really think she'll give us twenty minutes to fuck?"

"I wasn't planning on waiting that long."

Kat pulled Kyo into the woods on the property and dragged him further back where no one could see them. She pulled at his pants and grinned.

"Now, you'll have to cum in the grass today, I don't have any tissues on me."

Kyo laughed and pulled off Kat's shirt. Kat peeled Kyo's shirt off of him before undoing his pants. She pulled his dick out of his boxers and stroked it while he slipped his boxers off of Kat. He left her skirt on so it wouldn't take any longer. Plus he thought it was kind of hot. Kat pushed him down on the grass and straddled him. She pushed him inside and started rocking against him. Kyo moaned and grabbed her hips to push deeper inside her. Kat moaned and rocked against him faster. She wrapped her arms around his shoulder and brought him up to a sitting position. He rocked against Kat slowly urging moans out of her. He rocked against her faster and caused her to climax as his started to build. He let it climb until he couldn't take it so he put Kat down just in time to cum in the grass.

"That seemed like a close call, huh?"

"It kinda snuck up on me."

Kat smiled before pulling on the pair of Kyo's boxers she'd worn to school. She tugged her shirt back on as she looked over Kyo's toned body.

"God , if I leave I'm really gonna miss that..." She thought watching him dress.

Kyo stared at her for a minute after he got all of his clothes on again before she snapped out of her daze.

"I suppose we have to go back now?"

Kyo frowned and hugged her. One thing he really loved about her was that he could hug her. He squeezed her tight, not wanting to let go. She made the short time he had until he was confined worth while.

"Kyo...I can't...breathe... Squeezing... too hard..."

Kyo let go of her reluctantly.

"Sorry. Just didn't want to miss the chance to do that."

Kat and Kyo walked the rest of the way in silence. He gripped her hand tightly worrying about her fate. They opened the door and walked into the dining room, knowing that's where everyone would be. Hatori looked up grimly and looked down again. Kat's heart sank. She was going back to hell.