Author's Notes

Well no reviews in the last chapters, which makes me wonder if anyone cares about this. I mean, I am writing for fun, but seeing nearly 1000 views and only 5 reviews...well that makes me feel awful...

Thanks to my beta I do have pretty much the story completely planned out, so chances are fairly good this will be a long story, full of Celtic and Japanese legends.

So remember, reviews are your friends, even if the first page of the prologue is so short. And I know, Kyo isn't snarling like our darling usually is, but rest assured, his antagonist will be returning to make our Kyo's blood boil...


Disclaimer's and such

Finally have read the manga's except the latest, volume 17, so that absolutlely sweet play will be added in some form (Giggles about Hana in black as Cinderella...)

Now, still don't own Fruits Basket, otherwise more shirtless Hatori and Shigure would be in there (They are close enough to my age range for it to be okay to drool over...)

So now on with the chapter...in this Yuki is introduced...and we get back to the comment at the beginning about the babysitting material...hehehe...


Chapter 8

A few weeks went by in a flash, at least that was how it felt for Natasha. Hatori would have won the bet about how long it would take for the boys to let her out of their sight, as it was nearly the end of the week before she finally came into Ayame's store and began her work as his apprentice. Both Mine and him grinned at the sight of the woman, that came into the offices. She had her hair down, tied at the edges and was allowed to free fall down her back. She wore a business jacket, but one of the shortest skirts he had ever seen, with slits on the side, allowing her to move, without it riding up. The edge of the skirt just fell mid-thigh, with the slits going up the leg, but not along the side. When you looked at her, she looked all woman, and one not to be messed with.

In her heels, she was the same height of Ayame, which was fine with him. Smiling at her, he motioned her to her desk, that he had prepared for her. Even though she had not actually been in the office, she had been working with him, since the day of the photo shoot. Now having her patterns created, from the sketches she had done on her tablet laptop, and had sent to him that early part of the week, she began to look at the fabric that he had, in order to see what would be suitable. She had sketched a different kind of outfit then Ayame normally made, blending Western and Eastern together. She had made a sleeveless shirt, that was part petal, part Mandarin collar, with small toggles of buttons of fabric that ran along the edge of the opening, which was on a diagonal. Underneath was the seam that was in the princess style, which allowed a cleaner fit, that would follow the body closer. It had an opening at the bottom, leading from the left side hip, grazing down the lower half of the hips, with a tulip like ending, that had a snap at it. Underneath, it had a lightweight skirt, that had a fluted edge, so that it would swirl and move, as the woman moved. Ayame was in heaven, when he saw the sketch of it.

"My darling blossom, it is just perfect..." Ayame gushed at her, holding her cheek in his hand

"Thank you Ayame. And thank you for bringing me here" she said looking at him, with a slight tear

"Now, now little princess, no tears. Today is a joyous day, and it should not be wasted on weeping. Besides, you have those two handsome, strapping men at home!" he said, with a huge grin on his face

"I should have realized that you all had a plan for me, when you wouldn't tell me where I was staying." she said with a slight grin

"If I knew anything my darling little Celt, is that those boys would have never allowed you to be staying with anyone else." he said wisely

"So is anyone ever going to tell me where Yuki is?" she asked him, trying to catch him off-guard

"My little blossom, you just don't give up do you?" he asked, pulling away from her, and looking at her, with a soft expression. Aging had been good to him, as he still looked 20, even though he was nearly 40, and with puppy-dog eyes, he looked at her. "Fine then, come with me." he said turning swiftly from her, and headed to the back of the shop, where his own apartments were. This was something that she had not wanted to be apart of, but she had to know where her friend was. Unlike her adopted sister Tohru, Natasha had been on council with Yuki, and thanks to her connection to Kyo and Haru, had not been targetted by the Yuki fan club. Though she remembered how she took care of the Kyo and Haru one. Oh, she had heard the whispers of the mean girls in the washroom, when they didn't think she was there, calling her whore and slut, but as Kyo pointed out, they hadn't done anything, so it was just words. Thinking back, as she walked up the stairs leading to Ayame's apartment, it was one of the other reasons why she did not make love to them. Doing so, would make it true.

At school, they had kept it to just making out, leaving the heavier stuff that they did, for in private. If they had found out that, teasing and name calling would not have been the only things they would have done. She remembered the one day, just before graduation, the Yuki Fanclub caught Tohru and almost began to beat her, for being with Yuki, until Tasha had caught them. The boys may have been studying a form of Jujitsu martial arts, but she had studied the art of Fan fighting, and she always carried her fan with her. That day, she used it on those girls, and they never bothered her sister again. Instead they attempted to bother her, but they had seen Black Haru too many times, to bother.

"Are you sure you want to do this Natasha?" Ayame asked as they reached the stair leading to where Yuki was

"Yes, I need to see him." she said not sure why he was so hesitant

"Very well my dearest little Celt" he said as he opened the door and let her in. He then closed the door behind her, and left her and Yuki alone. He was just sitting in a solitary bed inside, his hair nearly to his waist, and he stared vacantly out the window

"Yuki?" she said almost timidly

He turned at her voice, and smiled, his beautiful violet eyes almost sparkling, but he did not speak

"I am here my friend. What has happened to you?" she said in a near whisper as she came over to the bed and sat down beside him. Very gently, she brought a hand to his cheek, cupping it softly, as Tohru's tears fell

"My Nezumi...my beloved.." Tohru's spirit whispered past Natasha's mouth

At that Yuki's eyes widened, as he looked at his best friend, and could not believe that his pet name that Tohru would call him, slipped past her lips

"She is in here, with me. She is not dead Yuki" Natasha said softly, as tears began to fall down his cheeks.

"T...o.h...r...u" he said in a broken voice, one that had not been used in nearly ten years

"Come here Yuki" Natasha said, opening her arms, and allowing him to fall into her arms sobbing.

"Tohru...TOHRU..." he sobbed, saying the only word that mattered to him

"That's it, let it out Yuki..." Natasha said stroking his back, as he hugged her to him.

"I've been so alone..." he whispered into her shoulder as he was sobbing uncontrollably

"You have never been alone 'Ki" Natasha said using her own pet name of Yuki

"My world was Tohru, I could never be with anyone else...I should have died with her, why didn't I die?" he wailed softly. Natasha then heard Ayame behind them, and she lifted her head to see him with tears in his eyes

"Because my little brother, I would not let you die. I love you Yuki-chan, and you are not allowed to die." he said quietly

"Thank you nii-san for taking care of me." Yuki said in a hoarse voice, still gravelly from dis-use

"We all love you Yuki. Now, I need to take care of Seijiro. Mine is looking after a wealthy client of ours." Ayame said and turned from them, nearly bouncing

"Who is Seijiro?" Yuki said, his voice getting a bit stronger

"Your nephew. He's absolutely adorable, and looks so much like you" she said, about the small child that Mine and Ayame had born nearly 8 years before.

"I have a nephew?" he said perplexed

"Yes you do, he is in the other room if you want to see him." she said about the boy that had been kept from his uncle

"I do." he said getting up, and flashing her a dazzling smile that had earned him his reputation as the Prince

Grinning at her friend, she turned and walked out the door, towards the room with the child


End of chapter Author's Notes

No celtic references this chapter, just a few japanese

Nezumi - Mouse/Rat and of course what Yuki's Zodiac is

Nii-San - Older brother

Chan - Referring normally to a girl, however can be used with a male, if they are VERY VERY close, otherwise you will seriously piss them off

Taken from a wonderful website dictionary Dot lunaescence Dot com where you can find a lot of info on the Japanese culture and terminology