Chapter 3- A Storm of Confessions!

As the small group of Sohma's pile into Hatori's car, Kyo couldn't help but question them on what happened. "So, what did Akito want from Haruhi?" He looked back and forth between all the distressed faces.

"Nothing we can't handle at a later time." Is all Shigure dons to answer.

That got Kyo mad. Why would the idiot dog not say what happened? He looks to the girls, but they are whispering something to each other. He has no choice but to turn to the rat.

"Spill, what happened?"

"Stupid cat, can't you tell this isn't the time or place to be talking about this. It's Akito, so considering all the stuff he does, let's just say we got out with all limbs attached. Isn't that a good thing?"

Kyo huffs while looking out the window to the sky, growing gray engulfs them. No wonder he's on edge. With his sister having to visit the most wretched person on earth and now rain, it couldn't be helped that he wants to pick a fight. But his energy is quickly evaporating with the oncoming storm.

As Hatori drives away, everyone displaces to wherever they need to be. With a sigh Kyo heads to his room. As he reaches the top of the stairs a clap of thunder shakes the house and rain starts pounding on the shingles.

Good thing we got home before it started. Kyo thinks as he makes a pitstop to the bathroom. Bright light envelopes the small bath, followed by more thunder. His ears perk up and he turns back to the hallway. Another noise is intertwined with the sound. It is small, but he swears he heard it. Going into the hallway he waits for another round to go off. When it does, he hears it again. A squeak. It's coming from Haruhi's bedroom. Kyo goes over and bangs on the door. He hears her squeal again.

"Haruhi, is everything okay?"

"Yes, I-It's perfectly alright. I'm fine."

Kyo grinds his teeth irately. It was obviously not alright. He could hear her fear in her voice. Another boom wracked the house as he threw open the door. Looking around he couldn't see Haruhi anywhere. He then saw a mound under the sheets of the bed against the wall. Going on his knees, he lifts the bedspread to find his sister curled up in a fetal position, tucked between the wall and pillows. She made a fortress for herself out of fear.

Haruhi stares at Kyo for a second with wide bloodshot eyes, but when the dark room illuminates with light, she quickly shuts them, preparing for the inevitable roar that follows. Jumping on the bed, Kyo slides in next to her and holds her in his arms.

She is shaking but not crying. Which is good, then why is she afraid of thunder? What happened when she was with Dad? Kyo thinks as he pulls the bedspread back over them to drown out the light and sound. He whispers to her comforts that fall on deaf ears.

The storm keeps raging. It seems like it will go on all night. Somewhere along the line Haruhi stops shaking but she still never let's go.

"Thank you." She whispers to him.

"Please. Please tell me what's wrong. Tell me what's happened to you since you left with Dad. Why did he send you back? Where is he now? Tell me what happened today with Akito too." He hated being this weak, especially when she needed him to be strong right now. But he couldn't help it, he also couldn't make himself stop. "And why are you afraid of thunder? Did Dad do something to you? Did Akito?" When he said Akito's name Haruhi shuddered.

"It's nothing I can't deal with on my own." She replies, "But-"

Kyo didn't let her finish. "Like I said earlier, you aren't alone. You don't have to do everything on your own. Why do you think you have to in the first place?"

"When I left, Dad didn't take me with him. He gave me to his colleague from work, never to be heard of again. Which is more than I deserved. They took care of me. They loved me and eventually became my new family. But right after I thought of them as my family, Kotoko, my new mother, died. I thought that this was fate telling me I didn't deserve to have a new family. That I was destined to destroy every relationship I had with someone. I cried the whole day of Mom's funeral and the following day I didn't eat. I think that was the first time I cried since we were a family.

After, I focused on my studies to become a lawyer. Ryoji, my new dad, decided to work as a professional crossdresser and entertainer at an Okama bar. Because of this, he was always out late and was barely home." She pulled back and sat up. Her hair fell over her face, masking what Kyo is sure is tears. "And now, I was pulled away from that life. Akito today said I could stay at my school, thanks to Tohru that is, she convinced him somehow. But I will no longer be Haruhi, I can never be her again. I will have to tell everyone at school who I am. That scares me to death. But I don't want to lose the friends I made because I am a Sohma."

Feeling her sadness like a sharp edge, Kyo grabs Haruhi, pulling her into the crook of his neck. "It'll be okay. I promise we'll set this right; you'll see your father again."

After a while Haruhi settles down. "Yeah. Yeah, your right." She looks him in the eyes, "and you? What happened to you when I left."

Kyo stares at the royal purple comforter, he starts to trace the flower imprint. "Nothing really. After Mom's funeral no one wanted to take me in. But, Kazuma did. He taught me martial arts and we even trained in the mountains for a while. Then I came back and started to live with Shigure and the rest. That's it."

Haruhi gives another sad smile. Kyo thinks back throughout the last couple days, he can't seem to remember her with a true smile on her face.

"So," Haruhi smirks, "what's up with you and Tohru?"