Four Seasons

Ch 13

Well, here we are again... sigh amazing how soon it comes up, your just lounging or relaxing and the boom! there it is. Can you believe we're to ch 13 and nothing big has happened? Well, thats not nessasarily true...

Big suprises this chapter, I hope y'all like it! Please read and review! Please? puppy dog eyes

They had finished eating their dinner and everyone was now full and in better spirits, but that might just have been from the wine and alcohol. Ellie and Gure couldn't keep their eyes off of each other and Ayame couldn't stop talking, Hari had to keep hitting him over the head.

When the bill had come and been paid, charged to the main house of course, the group gathered their things and exited the restaurant to walk back to Shigure's house. The engaged couple, for one, couldn't wait to tell the other occupants about their wonderful news.

Sara jumped off the park bench and sat down next to her older brother, handing the binoculars to him. "Your turn." She informed him, causing her brother to scowl and stand up.

The youngest of the group came over and lay down on the bench, resting his head in her lap. "Are we ever going to find Lizzie?" He asked, gazing up at Sara with wide brown eyes. She smiled at him and began running her hand through his short brown locks. "Of course we will Petey, we're very very close."

From above them their older brother declared, "I think I see her." Petey quickly sat up and Sara scrambled up to stand next to the elder on the bench. "Are you sure Andy?"

He nodded and handed her the binoculars, "look straight ahead to the street then slightly to the left," Andy instructed, then continued as his sister followed those instructions. "I'm pretty sure; her hair's greyer and longer, and she's definitely taller and older-looking, but it's Lizzie."

Down on the path Petey rolled his eyes. "Of course she's taller and older-looking Andy, she is older. It has been fifteen-ish years."

Andy glared down at his brother but was interrupted when from replying when Sara exclaimed, "I see her, I see her! Oh my gosh it's really Lizzie!"

"Told you so." Andy muttered, but was ignored as Sara jumped off the bench and handed the binoculars back to him. She scooped Petey up into a hug and then Andy joined in.

They stood that way until Sara broke away and kissed her brothers on the cheek. "Let's go find our sister!" She announced, tears shining in her eyes. Andy and Petey nodded, and they all left the park holding hands with each other.

Ellie was walking down the street mildly arguing with Gure about when their wedding should be, she wanted winter, when she heard her childhood name being called behind her.

Worried, she stopped and turned around to search the crowd. Shigure stopped next to her and followed her gaze, "Ellie? What's wrong?" He asked curiously, his hands resting on her shoulders. Ellie shook her head, "I, I thought I heard," she turned to look up at him, "Did you hear someone calling my name?" She asked hopefully.

Shigure shook his head. "No, but don't worry. You're probably just tired from all the excitement of today." He gently tugged her hand, getting her to start walking again. "I wouldn't blame you," the dog teased, leaning down to whisper on her ear, "learning you're getting married can be,"

He stopped as Ellie spun around again to study the crowd behind them, her head knocking against his nose. "Ow!" Shigure exclaimed, rubbing his nose. "Ellie?" He asked hesitantly, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder.

She turned again, eyes wide with confusion, "It was closer this time," Ellie murmured, then at his lost expression she asked, "You can hear it, can't you? Someone calling 'Lizzie'?"

Shigure shook his head and opened his mouth to answer when someone jumped onto Ellie's back and a brown-haired teen was looking at him over her shoulder. He started in surprise and stepped away, calling for his cousins to stop.

Meanwhile Beth's mouth was halfway open as she unlinked the hands around her neck to spin around in surprise. Standing in front of her was a nineteen-year-old version of the little boy she remembered. "Petey?" Beth asked surprised, looking over this familiar stranger. He still had that unruly brown hair and playful brown eyes.

The teen smiled at her, "Hiya!" He said, making a peace sign with his fingers. She laughed and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, squeezing her brother tightly. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and Beth opened her eyes to see a red-haired woman standing over her brother's shoulder.

Startled, Beth let go of Petey to stare at the woman. "S-Sara?" She asked hesitantly, then laughed delightedly when the woman nodded then enveloped each other in a hug. "Oh Sara." Beth whispered, leaning her head on her sister's shoulder.

"Hey, don't I get a hug?" A masculine voice asked from beside her and Beth turned her head to see the last missing member of their family standing there. At her expression the man chuckled and greeted her, "Hi Lizzie, it's been awhile."

"Andy!" She exclaimed and wrapped him in her hug along with Sara, then pulled Petey in as well.

They stood there for a few minutes, hugging each other as if one of them would disappear again. Shigure stood off to the side, observing this off occurrence and exchanging confused looks with Hari and Aya.

Soon the siblings broke apart, smiling and laughing. Beth wiped the tears from her eyes, "It's so good to see you all again. I-I really missed you."

Petey grinned. "Of course you did, we're your family. I highly doubt you had forgotten about us."

"Oo, who's a big boy using such big words?" Sara teased, causing Petey to frown and cross his arms. Andy and Beth laughed.

Shigure stepped forward and leaned over Beth's shoulder, whispering in her ear, "Ellie, who are these people?" She turned back to smile happily at him. "Oh Gure, you wouldn't believe how happy I am!" Beth declared, clapping her hands.

"Well I'm glad you're happy Ellie." He loosely wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rested his chin on the back of her head. "But perhaps you would be so kind as to introduce me to these people who have made you happier then I ever could." Shigure said playfully, causing Ellie to laugh.

"Oh Gure, you do make me happy, very, very happy. But I haven't seen these three for fifteen years." Ellie explained, kissing him on the cheek.

Shigure began tickling his fiancé, causing Ellie to giggle madly.

"Gure, stop it!"

He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "Not until you introduce us." Through her laughter Ellie managed to say, "Alright, alright! I will!" Shigure immediately stopped and grabbed her by the arms to steady her. She turned around in his grip. "You are so mean."

"I know." He agreed and began poking her in the back. Ellie sighed at his childish tactics and said, "Call Hari and Aya over here, I don't want to do this more then once." She turned back to face her siblings as Hatori and Ayame walked over to them.

"Lizzie, who was that?" Sara asked curiously, staring at Shigure and then Hari and Aya as they stopped behind the dog.

Beth sighed. "I'm getting to it Sara." She ran a hand through her hair. "This'll be fun." She whispered to herself.

"Lizzie?" Petey asked worriedly, tilting his head. Beth smiled, "I'm alright Petey, just a little tired."

Andy smirked. "I'm going to fall asleep on my feet if you don't hurry up Liz." Beth glared at him, hands on her hips. "Okay, okay I'll start." She announced defeated. "The guy with the black hair, brown eyes and wearing a robe, don't ask," she quickly told them, "is my fiancé, Shigure Sohma."

Her siblings stared at her with wide-eyes, causing Beth to wince. "Your fiancé?" She blurted. "You're engaged?"

Beth nodded hesitantly making them gape, "Yep, official since this morning." When they didn't comment further she continued. "Behind Shigure, the guy with dark brown hair and bangs covering his left eye is Hatori. Next to him with the long white hair is Ayame," she paused, "and no, he's actually a guy."

Petey gaped at her. "Are you serious? Cause he look a lot like a she." He argued, looking at the snake from behind Andy.

Beth laughed. "I'm serious, he's really a guy." She turned around to face the Sohma's. "Aya, my brothers and sister think you're a woman." Ellie called to the snake who dramatically put a hand to his forehead and another over his heart.

"Alas is me, I am doomed to forever be named as a woman!" Aya exclaimed, and pretended to swoon in sadness until Hari thwacked him over the head. Then the snake quickly leapt back to his feet. "Hari!" He complained.

"Quite the dramatist, isn't he?" Andy said from behind her. Beth jumped and turned. "Huh?" She asked confused. Her brother stepped up beside her. "Ayame, he's very dramatic isn't he?" He repeated smiling.

"You understand Japanese?" Beth asked surprised, looking between her brother and the currently ranting Ayame, who was ranting to Hatori, who was looking like he wanted to be anywhere else.

Andy nodded. "Yeah, I took a course at college. I'm not fluent at all, I just know a few things."

Beth lit her lip. "Uh huh." She smiled. "Well you seem to be doing well so far."

"Thanks." Andy commented, hugging her. She smiled then called back to her friends, "Hari, will you please shut Aya up?"

Hatori nodded and thwacked Aya over the head, then held his hand over the snake's mouth to stop him from talking. Beth sighed happily. "Thank goodness."

"Why does Hatori keep doing that?" Andy asked curiously, watching the Sohma's. "That's the only way to shut him up, that works of course. Gure's almost as bad but I have enough of a leash on him that he doesn't get out of hand very often." Beth commented, smirking. "Oh, and since you're wondering, they're cousins. Second cousins I think."

Andy turned. "Second cousins? The Sohma family's that big?" Beth nodded. "Mm hmm. Oh wait," she hit her forehead with her hand, "I still have to introduce you guys, and it's getting late."

She turned to the unruly Sohma's and clapped her hands to get their attention. "Sohma's A, S and H ten-shun!" Beth called loudly, causing Shigure and Aya to stand straight attentively while Hatori arched an eyebrow at her.

"Wow." Andy commented surprised.

"Wonderful, now we need to finish up before Andy falls asleep on his feet." Beth observed, causing Andy to scowl at her and Hatori to glance thoughtfully at him.

"Lizzie, I'm ti-ired!" Petey whined, as if he were ten years younger then he really was. Sara rolled her eyes and pulled Petey back to her, covering his mouth with another hand.

"Alright, quick intro's then. Gure, Aya, Hari, my brother Andrew, we call him Andy, my sister Sara," Beth laughed as Petey wriggled out of Sara's grip and ran up to hug her from behind. "And the one currently attached to my is my little brother Peter, but we call him Petey."

Andy smiled, "Nice to meet you." He said in Japanese, causing the Sohma's to look surprised. Aya launched himself at Sara and began talking quickly. "Oh my, you have to let me make your dress for the wedding my dear girl. She will be your bridesmaid of course Beth."

Ellie, who was alternatively talking with Andy and Hari, turned at her name. "Huh?"

Aya rolled his eyes at her. "Your sister Sara will be your bridesmaid, correct?"

"Oh." Ellie nodded. "Uh huh."

"Mii will be sorely disappointed." Shigure teased from where he and Petey had been having a staring contest.

"Oh no! Mii!" Beth clapped her hands over her mouth. "I totally forgot about her!"

"Who's Mii?" Andy asked his hectic sister.

"Well you'll have to invite her to the wedding to make up for it Ellie." The dog suggested as he straightened up. Ellie sighed. "Oh poor, poor Mii."

Sara looked overwhelmed from where Aya was still talking to her in Japanese and she couldn't understand a word of it. "Lizzie, what's he saying?"

Beth turned and smiled at the expression on her sisters face. "He's talking about you being the bridesmaid at our wedding and that he'll make your dress." Sara looked back at Aya who was looking eagerly at her. "Can you make him stop?"

"Sure." Beth walked over behind Aya and lightly cuffed him on the back of the head. "Aya, stop it. We don't even know when the wedding's going to be or anything else about it." Ayame turned and pouted. "But Be-eth!" He whined, then stopped when she flicked him on the nose. "Ow!" Beth smiled. "No whining, that doesn't help." She turned to Sara. "There you go, he should stay quiet now. But if I were you, I would go rescue Petey." Sara hugged her and took off towards Petey.

"Liz, we should start heading to wherever you live." Andy recommended, pointing up the street where very few people were.

Beth nodded, "Alright, I," she put a hand to her forehead and held out a hand to steady herself. "Not again," the girl commented as she fell to the ground in a faint.

Everyone moved to stand in a circle around her and watch. After she didn't move in a few minutes they began to worry.

"She's faking." Petey commented, then looked around when no one else spoke, "right?"

Hatori shook his head. "No, I don't think so." He kneeled down next to Beth and listened to her breathing. "Shigure, Beth said 'not again' right before she fell, has this happened before?"

"No, not that I remember. And Ellie's never said anything." Shigure responded, shaking his head and looking worried. "And we all know how good your memory is." Hari commented, causing Gure to scowl.

"Will she be okay?" Andy asked, kneeling down as well. Hatori looked up at him, "I think so, she just needs more rest." They both looked down at Beth before Hatori said, "We should get going, can you carry her?"

Andy nodded, "Yes, but can't you," He began to ask, but the older man shook his head. "No, you have to." Beth's brother sighed, "Alright, but can you help me?"

"Yes, wait a minute." Hatori turned back to his cousins. "You two go back to Shigure's house, and take Peter and Sara with you."

"But Hari," Shigure began to protest, looking desperately at Beth. "It's okay Shigure, Beth will be fine. Andy and I will bring her with us." The dog sighed, "Okay, but make sure Ellie's okay." He turned to talk to Aya and then they set off with Peter and Sara following them.

Andy watched as they disappeared down the street. "He really cares about her." He observed quietly.

"Hmm?" Hatori questioned from where he was checking Beth's pulse. The younger turned, "Your cousin, Shigure, he really cares about Lizzie."

Hatori looked surprised. "Of course he does, they're in love." He frowned, "We'll just see how far that goes. You should have seen them in the restaurant tonight," he shook his head, "they couldn't keep their eyes off of each other."

"Cute," Andy commented, "do you need help?" He asked as Hari took both of Beth's arms and tried to pull her to her feet. "Yes." Hatori answered and Andy walked over to stand astride of Beth in a squat.

"Wrap her arms around my neck." Andy instructed and Hari took her arms again and gently sat the girl up until she was sitting against he brother and her hands were gently clasped around his neck. "Okay, I'll just stand up," Andy explained as he rose to his feet, his arms out for balance, "then wrap her legs around and we're off." He commented as he pulled his sisters legs around his sides then began walking.

Hatori picked up Aya's forgotten bag and followed Andy until they were walking matching stride for stride. They walked in silence for a while until Hari asked, "How do you know Japanese?"

Andy glanced over. "I took a few classes at college, but I'm nowhere as good as Lizzie." Hatori nodded. "Can I ask you a question?" The dragon, seahorse, vaguely waved a hand. "Are you, Shigure and Ayame really cousins?"

"Yes, but not first cousins, second or third I believe." Hari agreed then continued at his companion's unbelieving expression, "The Sohma family is very large. I believe there are even some fourth cousins among us."

"And you're the doctor of the family?" Andy asked curiously. Hatori nodded, "Yes, the family doctor, the only doctor of the Sohma family." Beth's brother became wide-eyed. "You mean you have to take care of all those people?" Hari nodded.

Andy opened his mouth to ask something, but said confidingly. "If I ask you something about Lizzie, do you promise not to tell her?" Hatori nodded. "Of course."

Andy sighed gratefully, "Thanks. Now what I want to know is if she's been acting oddly lately or withdrawn, because she picked up the habit during our childhood and I don't know if she's grown out of it. I would think that since she's getting married some of those memories would come back and then Lizzie would act oddly afterwards."

"Because of your curse." Hari commented, looking over at him. Andy gasped, "You know?" He shifted nervously, trying to be worried and not drop his sister at the same time.

Hatori noticed this and said reassuringly, "There's no need for that, I'm the only Sohma who knows of it."

"B-but Lizzie should," he muttered to himself, "she should have erased your memory." The dragon laughed, "she tried, but she couldn't. In response to my good faith Beth did a favor for me." Andy looked surprised and opened his mouth to ask. "I won't tell you what it was, I'm sorry." He stopped and turned. "We turn here."

Andy paused then ran to catch up with Hatori. "The Sohma main house is located in a forest?" He asked skeptically. Hatori laughed, "No, the main house is on Twigg Avenue (I have no clue…) we're going to Shigure's house. He lives away from the rest of the family."

"Why?" Andy asked curiously, looking over. "No one really knows, it seems that one day he just became tired of living with our family." Hatori sighed. "I don't really blame him, our family isn't the best."

"I can't easily relate to that, none of us has had the best childhood." Andy agreed, shifting Lizzie on his back. "Beth said something like that earlier." Hatori looked up at the path, "we're nearly there, it's just down the hill slightly."

"I'm fine, Lizzie isn't heavy. Actually she's quite light." Andy commented, kicking a rock out of his way. "She hasn't been eating very much. I should write out a list of food for meals and give it to Tohru." Hatori added thoughtfully.

They continued walking in silence, both pondering their own worries when Shigure's house came into view in the clearing below them.

"Woah."

Well there it is... yes, Beth's sibs have appeared! Happy happy happy! Oh, I forgot to say this before, the words that were italisized were spoken in English. Just fyi.. Im soooooo sorry I forgot to tell you guys!

On a lighter note (;p) I put the bio of myself up in my profile, so if anyone's interested you can look. Also, there's updated news, pics from Japan and a linkto my homepage. Please check it out!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed:

Kitkit, Yanikei, Tuki, NoCare and hiddenstars

Thanks so very much!

Don't forget to review! puppy dog eyes PLEASE?

See ya next chapter!

-mijichan