Chapter 3: When the Phone Rings

Disclaimer: Looks around. Pulls out pockets. Nothing but lint. I do not own Fruits Basket.

A/N: I apologize to everyone who has been waiting for updates. Unfortunately my computer died. It had been having lots of problems so I had to order another one. Again I apologize. On with the fic.

Sleep avoided Kisa Sohma that night as she lay squished between her two cousins. She was sixteen. Sixteen years old and her twenty-something year old cousins thought she needed to be taken care of. It was ridiculous.

She wasn't the same scarred little girl she had been four years ago. No one saw that though. Her mother still gave her an eight o'clock bedtime. Her room was decorated with stuffed animals. The louder she proclaimed that she wasn't a little girl the more mother held on to the image.

Things had changed in the past four years. The curse had been broken. Several of the junishi had moved away from Sohma House.

Ayame and Mine had moved to the world's fashion capital, New York City, after getting married.

Yuki, Kyo and Tohru still lived with Shigure. Yuki had moved out for a time but then found himself oddly enough missing his two strange cousins and the little riceball. Tohru was like a sister to him. Shigure with his perverted sense of humor and scheming mind was one of the few people that Yuki genuinely liked. As for Kyo, Yuki would never tell the stupid cat that he considered him an equal and oddly enough a brother.

Ritsu had surprised everyone be proclaiming his desire to study in Africa. It was first assertive move he had ever made in his life and everyone had been in shock.

Hari was still employed at Sohma House as the regular doctor. He was seeing Mayu quite regularly and was happier than most people thought him capable of. Of course, he was even happier when Aya didn't call him at three o'clock in the morning.

Kagura had decided to go to Australia for vacation two summers ago and had liked it so much that she stayed.

Rin had been having a rough time. For the past few years she had been shuffled through mental institutions. The stress had gone to her head and there was nothing anyone could do to stop her destructive behavior. The only one who still regularly visited Rin was Hiro since he was the only on Rin allowed to see her.

Akito had changed the most dramatically. Tired of being alone, she had spent time traveling and making a life for herself. She often spent time in the Sohma House gardens remembering and trying to regain her fragile self-esteem.

Hiro being the youngest Sohma still lived with his family in Sohma House. He had grown tall with his eyes still his most prominent feature. Over the years he and Kisa had grow apart. Maybe it was because he had realized he would never love him like he loved her or maybe it was because he felt responsible for Rin being hospitalized.

Momiji and Haru shared an apartment on the other side of town. The former bunny boy had grown into a dashing young man. He was training to be a violinist. Haru hadn't changed much. He still wore the same black clothing and earrings he always had. Despite his curse being broken, Haru still had a black side. He rarely got angry and when he did the consequences were never good. He was at the university studying. He hated it with a passion but he knew it was something he had to do. After all not everyone could teach martial arts like Kyo.

No one ever heard from Kureno. After his relationship with Arisa had failed he just faded out. His calm presence was missed by almost everyone with the exception of Shigure.

As far as Kisa knew none of her cousins cared if she lived or died. They just saw her as Kisa, the quiet person who sat in the background.

-

Hatori Sohma could not sleep. Haru had been so angrily when he had called earlier. Hatori wasn't a fool. He had known for months that something was happening to his younger cousin but had been waiting for her to come to him.

He should've done something sooner. Maybe then…

No, he couldn't blame himself for not realizing what was going. He could be grateful, however, that it had been Yuki and Haru who had found Kisa.

Yuki had good judgment. Sometimes it surprised Hatori how calm Yuki was compared to the ever flamboyant Ayame. Yuki would know what to do with Kisa. He would take care of the little tigress and keep her safe. He would be a calm presence.

Haru was a different matter. He would be pissed off and livid. If it had been anyone else Haru would've called Hatori and then excused himself. This was Kisa and when it came to Kisa, Haru couldn't be expected to keep calm.

Hatori sat there so deep in thought that he was surprised when gentle arms hugged him from behind.

"Are you going to bed?"

He turned slowly to look at Mayu. As much as he wanted to sleep with her wrapped up in his arms he couldn't.

"I'll be there once I've made some phone calls. Don't wait up," he said as he softly placed a kiss on her cheek.

-

"Who the hell is calling now?" Kyo demanded.

It was two o'clock in the morning. Yuki hadn't come home and hadn't bothered to call. Kyo could've cared less but Tohru had been worried. (Kyo-kun, what if he was hit by a car? He could be lying in his own blood, hurt and we couldn't do anything for him. What if something happened? He could be lost out there. He didn't even say where he was going.)

As much as he tried to reassure her that everything was alright, Kyo felt that something was off. He made her tea and carried her to her room after she passed out on the couch.

Kyo was somewhat grateful for the silence and Tohru being sound asleep. He would never admit that Yuki's odd behavior had him worried. So if anyone asked, he was staying up so he could beat the crap out of rat-boy for making Tohru freak out.

Kyo was about to pick up the phone when he heard the gentle padding of Shigure's feet.

"Hari, missed me so much you couldn't sleep even with the lovely Mayu around? No, I'm not busy at eight in the morning. Kyo and Tohru? Tohru has the day off but Kyo's teaching a class. Of course, I can ask him to cancel but what's going on? Hari, you sound—No, Yuki didn't call. Kisa, did what? She is alright? Of course Hari. We'll be there."

Shigure turned from the phone to find a pair of red eyes staring at him. "Kyo, you better sit down."

-

The words were just now sinking in. His best friend had been slowly killing herself.

Hiro had been jostled awake by his father. Hatori was on the phone. The former sheep wondered if wanting to commit murder would be considered a sin considering that he hadn't had a decent night's sleep in two weeks. His little sister found it hilarious to jump on his bed while he was sleeping. Damn Shigure for suggesting ways that Hinata could get her ni-san's attention.

Grouchy and in desperate need of sleep, he had complained as he answered the phone and then Hari's words had hit him.

Kisa was in trouble. Guilt consumed him. He needed to talk to the one person in the world that understood him. His hand drifted towards the phone as he dialed the number without even looking.

"This is Hiro Sohma I would like to speak to a patient. I know it's late but it's an emergency."

-

Rin frowned deeply. She wasn't crazy as was popularly believed. She liked being in institutions because it was easier. Institutions were enclosed spaces. Everything that came in and out was monitored. Everything that happened was controlled. The outside world on the other hand was full of insanity and equally insane people. No, Rin preferred living in a world where she could choose who she interacted with.

She had always felt alone among the Sohmas. At one point Haru had been her rock but she crushed his heart into fragments. They didn't belong together. It was Hiro's call that made her realize that she wasn't the only one who couldn't handle the strain of being a Sohma.

Isuzu Sohma was tired of hiding. She checked herself out and prepared to go to the clinic. Hiro needed her and she wasn't going to let the one person who loved her down.

-

The mad dash to the airport had begun. Ayame hated flying. There was something about having to trust a man-made plane to keep you from dying that he just didn't like. Snake liked to feel the ground beneath them.

He had been planning to come home for a relaxing visit away from the New York fashion would. He was going to spend time with Shigure and Hari reminiscencing. A trio reunion had been in the making much to Hari's disgust. (Nonsense, Tori-san you know that you've missed my delightful company. How can I miss you Aya when you call me everyday? Ha-san is so mean.)

He had been excited. He would be spending time with Yuki. Instead he was flying home in order to help out.

He had hoped that at least one of the zodiac members would be well-adjusted. With Kisa's new problem he was forced to admit that the curse had left a scar across the souls of the former junishi.

-

The former goddess didn't know how to take the news. She cried lone tears for the former tigress. It was her personal failure that she couldn't help her family. She didn't hear the faint brushing of leaves or the sound of footsteps or the increase in volume of the birds' singing.

"It's not you're fault."

Her eyes snapped up immediately at the sound of the familiar voice. She hadn't seen him in four years but stil she knew him beter than anyone else.

"Hari called me," he said answereing the unspoken question. "I wanted him to know where I was in case something happened."

"Are you going to the clinic tomorrow?" she asked her voice almost breaking.

He nodded as he offered her a hand to get up. Nothing was said as they entered Sohma House neither one imprisoned by any curse other than the ones of their own making.

-

She was so angry. The flight from Australia didn't calm her anger. The drive to Shigure's house only made her angrier.

She called Kisa at least once a week. Why hadn't her cousin chosen to confide in her? Why did she find out about this from Hari?

She grabbed her bag and matched into Shigure's house. She tried to walk but she was too upset.

Shigure heard the crunching of one of his walls. His house was going to suffer for the next few weeks. He can see the migraines coming his way.

"Hello Kagura."

-

He was trying very hard not t utter apologies to everyone he met. The words, "I'm sorry," however, were refusing to remain trapped. He had apologized to the stewardess for her bringing him the wrong food. He had apologized to the clerk at the car rental place for needing a car immediately. He had apologized to his parents with visiting without calling.

Ritsu had a sinking feeling that he would even apologize to Kisa for caring.

-

Momiji was noticeably upset. He was angry at everyone who spoke to him. He never yelled at people but on his way to the clinic he couldn't handle it. He even swore at the other drivers.

It had to be Kisa. Kisa was the nicest of his cousins after Hatori. She often came over to visit Momiji and Haru. Her gentle conversation and understanding ways always lifted Momiji's spirits.

His relationship with Momo was broken and damaged almost beyond repair. His sister barely knew him and didn't spend much time with him even when they had moved past some hurdles. The aching pain of the failed relationship only lessened in Kisa's presence.

Kisa had filled that vacant spot in his life. She was his little sister in all the ways that mattered. What if he didn't get a chance to tell her that?

-

Kisa's eyes drooped. Telling her mother the truth had been painful. Her mother's eyes had widened and she had excused herself after Kisa's confession.

Kisa was reminded of four years ago when she sealed off her words. Her mother couldn't handle it and had let Kisa stay with Shigure. It was abandonment. It had gotten too hard to be there for Kisa and her mother had just left her.

She was going to have to do this alone. Why didn't anyone give a damn about her? Why did her mother have to have that sad look? All she wanted was for someone to hug and tell her it would be okay. She needed to know that someone loved her. She turned away prepared to run when a strong arm grabbed her.

Arms wrapped around her pulling into a hardened chest. She wept and Haru just held her while Yuki grabbed her hand and squeezed gently.

"You're not alone," Haru whispered quietly in her ear.

Yuki nodded his grey eyes telling her that it would be alright.

To be continued…