Chapter Ten
Professor: Still don't own it. *sigh*
"So wait, tell me how you know your sister is in trouble?" Uo asked as they drove down the road.
"Code words. I mean, come on, why else would someone use the word 'peachy' these days?" Faith pointed out.
"Fair enough," Uo conceded the point, "but you two have code words?"
"Yep," Faith nodded, "We went to a lot of self defense classes back home. One of them talked about common code words people use in emergencies. Like calling 911 and ordering a pizza. April and I decided to have our own codes after that, just in case."
"Care to translate what you said then?"
"'Peachy' means she's in trouble and needs help. I asked her if she needed anything. That could range from weapons to cops to a distraction. She said that she wanted a soda. That means she needs an escape route. I gave her twenty minutes before I got there before she was to try to do it herself."
Uo was silent a moment. Then, "Impressive, but do you really think she needs rescuing from 'Prince Yuki' and his family?"
"Hey, for all I know, they're all in danger." Faith stepped on the gas, going at least 10 over the limit now, "But if that's who we have to fight, you really want to leave Tohru there with her?"
Hana and Uo exchanged a glance.
"Step on it some more, would you Moo-chan? What are you, a turtle?"
Faith just smirked.
Faith had seven minutes to get here or April was busting out, screw the consequences.
Her nerves were not helped by the fact that everyone was nervous of Shigure by now. But the Sohmas weren't stopping him. For some strange reason, they agreed that Faith had to come here. And Tohru was so nervous that she couldn't focus on anything.
That left April on her own unless Faith got here.
Shigure had gotten through to Hatori and was spending quite a bit of time on the phone. He was discussing everything that Faith had told them about her research.
Shigure also kept trying to get Hatori to come earlier then tonight. Why, April didn't know, but she didn't really want to find out.
The name Akito was also repeated multiple times. April no longer had a clue if they were telling the head of the family or not.
Tohru fluttered around the room, dusting things she had already cleaned. Kyo sat broodingly while Yuki was attempting, and failing, to read a book. Only Haru was not to be seen, somewhere upstairs. April was happy for the break from his constant presence and wasn't the least bit guilty about calling him clingy. He deserved it after stealing her phone. She was literally watching the clock though.
Five minutes.
Something nagged at the back of April's mind about Haru. she felt like she had heard someone say something, something that was really important but maybe she didn't see it at the time.
She really hated this feeling.
Four minutes.
Mentally, she traced her steps the past week, ever since she had met Black Haru. Repeated everything anyone had said as best she could remember.
Black Haru, Rin, the clinginess, last night…
Her eyes widened in shock as she made the connection.
Just in time too. a car was racing up the driveway with two minutes to spare. April smirked as she heard the racing engine.
No one ever said Faith was known for her subtlety.
"Sensei!" Haru yelled as he raced downstairs.
"Is she gonna ram my house?!" Shigure screamed, not caring that it was right into Hatori's ear over the phone.
The others watched out the window in shock as April prepared to run.
The silver car swerved at the last possible moment, skidding to a halt in front of the house, the passenger door facing them.
Shigure breathed a sigh of relief at the damage that was avoided. Although it didn't last very long as three very angry girls suddenly burst from the car.
"What are Uo-chan and Hana-chan dong here?" Tohru asked.
"Rescuing you as well as me I'm guessing," April answered, making the rest of them turn to her in shock.
As her sister and their friends burst through the front door, she smiled at them, "And I think I should help them."
With that, she pushed Tohru right into Yuki and Kyo, causing two puffs of smoke. Faith slammed her fist into Shigure's face while Haru was left to Uo and Hana.
Needless to say, he didn't last very long.
April rushed to help Tohru up, kicking away the orange cat that was Kyo.
"Hey, get back here!" he tried yelling after them, but April didn't care. She ran to the door, dragging Tohru behind her, ignoring the frightened squeak from Yuki as she almost stepped on him.
The other girls were right on their trail and in moments they were speeding away in a car. An orange cat yelled at them from the door before being enveloped in another batch of smoke. They turned the corner and lost sight of the house.
"What was that?!" Uo screamed from the back seat, "The Prince and Carrot Top just turned into freaking animals!"
"They're cursed!" April yelled back at her, "They're members of the Chinese Zodiac!"
"What?!"
"Poor Tohru, living with cursed men," Hana started coddling the confused brunette.
"Wait, did you know?!" Uo looked at her two oldest friends.
Tohru nodded, "I'm sorry Uo-chan! But they told me not to tell!"
Uo sighed, "It's ok. I'm not angry. But this is freaking confusing!"
"I'm not surprised," Hana murmured, "The Sohmas always had animalistic waves."
"That's not really my main concern right now." April piped up again, "Although you all are taking the news rather well.'
"You sent us to research the Chinese zodiac," Faith reminded her, "That was kind of preparation."
"Oh, yeah. By the way, before I forget," April reached over and smacked her sister upside the head.
"Ow!" Faith yelled, the car swerving over the (luckily) deserted road as she glared at her younger sister, "What was that for?!"
"I asked for an escape plan, not a rescue mission!"
"A rescue mission was the escape plan!"
"That doesn't make sense!"
"Well I'd love to see what you can come up with within twenty minutes!"
"You've researched escape plans dummy!"
"Doesn't mean I've ever come up with one!"
"That's the worst excuse I've ever-"
"Shut up!" Uo yelled, interrupting their fight, "We have more important things to worry about then escape plans right now!"
The sisters glare at each other and Uo before huffing in agreement.
"Fine, but you're getting a proper lesson when this is all over." April said.
"Agreed." Faith nodded her head once.
"So what now?" Uo asked them, unsurprisingly the most vocal of those in the backseat.
"First, we find a place to rest, then we play catch up and figure out our next move." Faith answered, then asked, "Any suggestions on where?"
"They know we are with you," Hana spoke up, "Our houses are out of the question."
"The school?"
Faith shook her head, "Too obvious. Is there a park nearby?"
"Yeah, but we'd be in the open." Uo scoffed.
"Just an idea," Faith scoffed right back at her, "What about your guys' work?"
"My place is closed," Uo explained, "And Tohru's is owned by a Sohma. It'd be redundant."
"We could try my love's…" Hna murmured.
Uo sighed, "Hana, you aren't actually dating him! And besides, that Carrot Top's dad."
"Woah, you're with Kyo's dad?!" Faith looked at her in shock, "When did that happen?!"
Hana blushed, covering the bottom half of her face with her long fingers and turning away from Faith's gaze.
"No," April spoke up turning her head softly from side to side, "We'll go where they least expect us."
"Right back to their house when they leave looking for us?" Uo asked, only a little sarcasm in her voice.
"Close, we'll go to the Sohma Main House."
"What?! Why?!" most of the other voices yelled at her.
"Because, it'll be the last place they look, therefore, the safest place to be. And besides…"
The look on her face hardened as Kyo's words came back to her.
'Nothing's an accident in this family.'
"I think it's time I met this Akito."