Never What It Seems

Chapter 10

By Kaden Cegali

A/N: Ok, so sorry that it took me so long to update this story. But, like I've told the readers of my other fic, the once a week promise is going to have to become a once every two weeks. I'll try to get a chapter in a week, but you'll at least get one every two weeks now. I'm sorry for that, but school has started and its getting harder to post with all the homework. Thanks for understanding. Oh...and this has a bit of an OOC Hatori, but I tried to keep it to a minimum. Well, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Fruits Basket, but I do own Sitara and Devon. That's all...

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Hatori thought of Sitara, debating on how he was going to bring about the change in her. In their relationship. But neither she nor the rest of the Sohmas were helping. If anything, since his revelation, Sitara had become the ultimate ideal woman and the Sohmas, especially Shigure and Ayame, had seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth. The one time he had managed to catch Ayame in his shop, the snake had heard him out and immediately left.

To tell Shigure. I'd bet my life on it. He thought, exasperated. So why the sudden disappearances?

He didn't know, and he was getting tired of it. Sitara hadn't said a word about knowing, so he was pretty sure she didn't. But, it still bothered him. It was like everyone was avoiding him. Even Yuki hadn't come in for his monthly appointment. Hatori sighed. It was clear that he was pretty much on his own.

He walked into his office, still trying to figure out how he was going to deal with Sitara and his problems concerning her. And almost had a heart attack when he saw her and two of the missing Sohmas arguing.

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"I said no! I won't be a part of this anymore. It's almost cruel, Haru. And you tell that to Ayame, or Shigure, or whoever the hell put you up to this!"

Hatsuharu just watched her with his normally calm eyes. He was the laid back one. He wasn't going to argue with her. But, the one next to him sure as hell would.

"Oh shut up, you stupid idiot! No one put us up to this! Besides, this is Hatori we're talking about!" Kyou yelled at her. "And we know that you aren't exactly indifferent towards him. So? What's the problem? Why the hell can't you keep this up? Why can't you just tell him? I was originally against this whole thing, but now that I've seen that Hatori's been kinda happy, I want him to really be."

"And he will be with you, Sitara-san," Haru put in when Kyou didn't seem to want to say it.

Sitara looked at them both. She couldn't tell them that the only reason she hadn't talked to Hatori about anything was because of her job. And the fact that she was looking up information to unveil the family secret. Not that she wanted to anymore. Every time she worked up the nerve to start writing her report, she chickened out at the last minute. She couldn't bring herself to betray these people. Well, not including Ayame and Shigure, she couldn't betray them.

The two of them had made her life a living hell since she had stopped pestering Hatori about Kana and every little thing that came around. She was almost ready to cut their heads off and offer them to Hatori in apology, but she knew that wouldn't do any good. If anything, that would actually make him angrier. So, she had refrained from it.

Of course, her current behavior didn't seem to be helping. It was as if her acting nice was making Hatori even more restless. She didn't know how she could tell. He didn't really act different. But, there was something about the way he moved when she was around, or the way he spoke when they were having a conversation that made her think that she was unnerving him or making him angry. Not like she was trying. In fact, since their little talk, she had been on her best behavior. Of course, she wasn't really used to being nice and obedient. She wasn't in the habit of doing that. Maybe she was doing it wrong. Either way, something wasn't right about him.

"I doubt that he would be with me. I'm not his type, I'm sure."

Haru shook his head, but before he could say anything, Kyou burst in. "You really are an idiot! Hatori's type has got nothing to do with it. And, if you haven't noticed, he hasn't shunned you or anything. Believe me, that's what he does when he doesn't like you. He only talks to you when he needs to. Has he done that for you?"

She shook her head. Haru smiled at her. "You know it's true, Sitara-san. Hatori-san doesn't act like he normally does around you. He's calmer, and dare I say happier. Except when you start acting creepy nice. Then he gets a little agitated."

"You noticed that, too, then?" both Sitara and Kyou said at the same time. They looked at each other, then away. They didn't exactly get along all the time, though she wasn't sure why. Maybe because they were so alike.

Haru continued to look at them, amused. "If you've noticed it, then why don't you act like yourself, Sitara-san?"

"Because she's a coward and doesn't think he'll like her," Kyou volunteered, earning a slap across his head. He turned on Sitara, who still had her hand raised. "What the hell was that for!"

"You insulted me! What do you think that was for? Besides, you know nothing of my circumstances, so don't even act like you do."

"Then why don't you tell them to us, Sitara-san?" Haru asked kindly.

She turned away, not sure whether she should or not. She didn't want them to attack her, and she knew that Haru would turn black if he knew how much she was paid to reveal their secret. Even the cow would get mad at that. And she really didn't want to deal with the two most violent Sohmas of the group.

"It's complicated," she said lamely.

Kyou snorted. "That's bull and you know it."

She sighed. "You really want to know the reason that I can't be with Hatori? Really? Because I'm not really a Sohma." There. She had said it. See how they dealt with that.

Surprisingly, neither seemed very surprised. And that surprised the hell out of her. Haru spoke up first. "Sitara-san, we've known that for a while. Shigure knows some people who can get information quick. What else is there to tell? We know that's not it."

"Yeah. Why did you come here in the first place and impersonate a Sohma?"

"For business reasons that I'm about to be fired for in a few days," she said, having already determined that she wasn't going to do anything about the curse. Devon would have to get over it. So would his clients, whoever they were.

Haru shrugged, but Kyou looked like he still wanted to argue with her about it. Just as he opened his mouth, the door opened and Hatori walked in. Both boys stood and began walking out as soon as they saw the doctor.

"Hold it right there, you two." Neither stopped. "Kyou. Tell Yuki to come to his appointment as soon as possible, or I will track him down."

That stopped the cat. "Like hell I will! I am not going to talk to that rat. I'd as soon as see him dead than do th-"

"I'll tell him, Hatori-san," Haru said, having stopped as well.

Hatori nodded. "Thank you, Haru. You two can go now."

They left before the word were out of his mouth. Sitara watched as Hatori dealt with them and as he turned towards her. He looked determined about something.

Crap.

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Hatori had absolutely no clue how he was going to do this. He had had it planned out, but now that he was here, he couldn't figure out exactly why he was there. He looked down at her, and everything came back. Sort of.

But how do I tell her? he thought.

"Hatori-san? Is there something wrong?" she asked, and he could tell that she was back into her sickeningly nice mood.

"Just stop," he said, his voice tired.

Sita raised an eyebrow at him. "Stop what?"

Hatori didn't know how to tell her to stop being nice, mainly because he was sure that that wouldn't sound right. Who in their right told people to be mean? He shook his head at her confused expression. He had to do this.

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Sita watched him, becoming more confused by the second. But he didn't seem to be acting any different. And he didn't look any different. Just the things that were coming out of his mouth were different. She stood and walked up to him, reaching out her hand. But, instead of backing away, as she had thought, he just stood there.

"What's wrong, Hatori-san?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.

Hatori looked at her. "Sitara-san, would you like to have dinner tonight?"

She dropped her hand in shock. That was the last thing she had expected him to say. Ever. But, she had heard him right. Inwardly, her heart soared, but alongside that joy came the pain of knowing that she shouldn't. If he ever found out what the others knew and what she did, he would shun her. Probably even tell Akito, which would get her killed faster than anything else. If there was one thing she had learned in the two weeks she had been here, it was that Akito was a man to fear.

I shouldn't. What if he finds out?

/So what if he finds out? You can at least have some fun before your cover is blown./ A voice pointed out.

She considered it thoroughly before answering. Hatori was already looking disheartened, as if he knew that she would turn him down. But how could she?

"Sure, Hatori-san. That sounds great. I'll meet you here at six."