Chapter 11

(Author's note: I'm so sorry for the late update. I was out of the country for most of September and returned to a pile of work at the office. It took awhile to catch up. OK I'll shut up now.)

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket and its characters are the property of Natsuki Takaya

The master of the house was on a rampage. Servants and family members unlucky enough to cross Akito's path felt the full brunt of his wrath. Many silently cursed Shigure that night.

The Jyuunishi steered cleared of Akito for now. The older members were at the dog's house trying to come up with a plan. Yuki and Kyo were tasked with keeping Tohru busy so she wouldn't overhear the Mabudachi trio. Everyone felt she would put the kibosh to any schemes against Akito. She didn't like hurting anyone.

So it was that Tohru found herself on the roof with the rat and the cat looking at the stars. She'd already helped Yuki weed his secret base. And she didn't have to cook since Shigure ordered food at a local restaurant.

She gazed at the sky wishing her mother was here to give her advice. What Akito did scared her but she couldn't get rid of the feeling that he wasn't acting like himself when he kissed her. The Akito she knew never showed an interest in her before.

Yuki fought to keep calm. After what the dragon told him, the teen felt murderous toward the clan leader. Shigure was right, he thought. They needed to keep Honda-san away from the head of the family. He decided he would go against Akito for her sake. Like the dog, he didn't think Akito's solution would break the curse. And he would rather remain a rat forever than see her married to that man.

Kyo wanted to kick open the door to Shigure's study and demand what the plan was to keep Tohru safe. But here he was, wasting time with that damn Yuki on the roof. Why couldn't the rat go to his room or his precious garden? He glowered at an oblivious Yuki.

Downstairs in the study, the three older Sohmas hatched a scheme.

"Tohru-kun must be kept away from Akito-san at all costs. I propose we take turns hiding her so he wouldn't know where she is,'' Ayame said with a toss of his silver mane.

"I obviously can't keep her with me since I deal with Akito everyday,'' Hatori said.

"Don't feel left out Haa-san. The others will more than make up for your absence. Of course I know how you really want to be alone with Tohru-kun,'' Shigure said with a wink.

"Even now you can joke."

Shigure shrugged and whipped out a desk calendar.

"Thank goodness it's summer break. Let's schedule who will be responsible for Tohru-kun on what day."

Ayame struck a pose and turned to Shigure.

"I'll offer to protect Tohru-kun first Gure-san. She and Yuki can spend the day with me tomorrow."

"Wouldn't Akito-san easily find her at your shop Aya?"

"What makes you think we'll be at my fabulous shop all day? My artistic creations have found a wide audience. Romance isn't dead in this country. It's what drives men's dreams. I should know..."

Hatori interrupted before the snake launched into another tale of his magnificence.

"Who will it be after Ayame?"

The schedule was drawn up and Tohru's would-be protectors notified by a solemn Hatori. Ayame wanted to be the one who called everyone but was voted down by his two cousins. He pouted and tried to horn in on the phone conversations until Shigure clapped a hand over his mouth. The dog didn't let go until Hatori got off the line with Hatsuharu.

"Now how do we deal with Akito? I expect he will strike back at all of us."

Hatori nodded, took a drag off his cigarette and released it slowly.

"He'll cut us off financially. He may even try to hurt the younger ones. Are you prepared for this?,'' the dragon asked.

Shigure gave his cousins a bleak smile.

"There's no turning back. The curse will be broken but not his way. I can handle losing financial support from the main house. I have money stashed away. It will be enough for me, Tohru-kun and the boys to disappear if need be."

"How will you break the curse Gure-san?"

"I don't know yet. But we have to hide Tohru-kun until I find a way."

"Come up with a backup plan since I don't expect we'll be able to hide her for long. And we must warn the parents of the other Jyuunishi. They need to prepare for anything Akito might do,'' Hatori said as he stood up. "I must return to the main house before he suspects anything."

The meeting broke up soon after. Left alone, Shigure logged on the Internet and bought four tickets to Los Angeles using one of his pseudonyms. Then he dialed the old bookseller's number.

"Hirose-san, it's Shigure. I might need your help soon. Is your cabin available? A lady friend and I need to get away. No no, it's nothing criminal."

Shigure ended the call and leaned back in his chair. He closed his eyes and sighed. There was no going back now.

"Do your best Akito-san,'' he softly said.

Hatori spent the rest of the evening relaying his concerns about Akito to the parents of the younger Jyuunishi. Most of them refused to believe their young leader would hurt his kin. Only Kisa's mother agreed with Hatori. Rin's parents knew what Akito was capable of but didn't much care.

Akito woke up screaming again. In his dream, the ghost dragged him away from the old castle and threw him in a pit. He woke up before he landed at the bottom. Akito ran a shaking hand over his face. He couldn't go on like this night after night.

Tohru Honda. I need her to stop the curse, he thought. I don't want to die like this.

He willed himself back to sleep. The pit swallowed his dream self. It seemed like he was falling forever before several hands caught him.

"I can help you if you'll help me,'' a voice murmured in his ear. "Unless you want to join us forever in this pit."

"Who are you?"

"I was once like you. We were all once like you. We ruled the Sohmas. But in the end, she came for all of us."

"Don't I share the same fate as you?"

"You have within your grasp the key to ending the curse."

"Tohru Honda?"

"She is Maya's kin."

"What do you want from me?"

"To share your body."

"What!"

"You let me in before Akito-san. Who do you think gave you the courage to kiss her? I did."

"I... I don't know about this."

The hands let go and Akito fell deeper into the pit. Fear gripped him.

"Nooooo! Help me!"

He was caught again and suddenly heaved out of the pit. He heard the voice in his head this time.

"Don't you want the girl? Why should you suffer if she can end your pain? Aren't you the head of the family? Your word is law. Take what you want and to hell with the rest of them. She belongs to you."

Akito slowly opened his eyes. He gave her a home when she didn't have one. He let her stay with Shigure, Yuki and that monster when he could have ordered her memories be erased. Tohru Honda owed him plenty. It was time to collect.