Chapter 21: Storms and Rainbows

Princess Sango

Tohru woke up in the middle of the night, thunder screaming in her ear. Looking out the window, she saw the flashes penetrating the curtains. Kyo tugged her closer to him in his sleep, murmuring to himself. The only thing that separated him and her was the protruding belly. After a month of living here, she went to the doctor to find out she had been three months along. She wished Yuki had known; that way he could calculate when the baby was born.

Wriggling away from Kyo, she sat up and looked at the shielded window. Yuki had been the one to help her through the desolate nights without Kyo, and now history had its cruel way of reminding her that history always repeats itself, even in different circumstances. She stroked her stomach and smiled softly, Kyo hadn't known what to do with himself at first. He tried to cook (and failed), clean (failed, again), and watch Kyon (success). Now he had the sole job of making sure Kyon was taken care of and picking up small messes. Tohru ended up getting a maid for the bigger things.

There family was okay and that was all that mattered. "Tohru…are you not feeling well tonight?" Kyo whispered. Tohru turned to him and kissed him softly before retreating. "I'm guessing you're okay then?" He sat up and looked at her. She was beautiful, the pregnant glow was befitting for his onigiri. Pulling her hair out of her face he cupped her face and kissed her. She didn't resist and clung closer to him, wanting the comfort they could provide each other.

Kyo pulled away then and kissed her stomach, "How are you tonight? Did you wake your mom up?"

Tohru giggled, "It's just the thunder that woke me up Kyo. I'm fine, really."

"It's just…you had a painful-faraway look in your eyes. What were you thinking about Tohru?" Kyo pulled her close again and gazed into her eyes.

"I was thinking of Yuki…and how much he should be here. It's just a repeat of history, you know?" Tohru intertwined their fingers and leaned against Kyo, "One day though…we'll be together, the five of us. The kids will go to school and we'll be together cleaning the house, making lunch, or doing something random and crazy…Gardening, karate, swimming, anything! I can't think about right now, because everything could change in a blink of an eye. My parents died and I never knew until after. High school went by so fast and as soon as we're free I'm pregnant and my friends are in college. Six years went by and I loved you, Yuki, and Kyon with all my heart. Now I'm pregnant with Yuki's child and it's just the four of us."

Tohru smiled up at Kyo, "I wouldn't trade it for the world though. To know I have someone who loves me versus no one…that is the true gift. I have people who depend on me and other's who I can depend on. It's a life I'm very thankful for living Kyo."

Kyo smiled sadly, he understood. The nights that got him by in that little shack was the thought of returning to a loving family. He squeezed her hand, "I'm thankful that you let me in. I mean, not many women would be too happy to share me with another man no less! You bore me a son and you're about to give birth to a beautiful little girl. Tohru, it's me who should be thanking you."

Tohru looked at the man, she loved him and every time he spoke she remembered why. He knew how to complete her; Kyo had a way of being passionate and strong. They both had scars from their teenage and childhood years, but together they could fight them and conquer all. "Let's go to sleep, we promised Kyon that we'd take him somewhere fun. We need to rest now if we're going to do that tomorrow." She pulled away and they reclaimed their pillows and snuggled before falling asleep in their comforting caresses and words.

Kyon looked out the window, thunder used to scare him sometimes. It wasn't a fear he had told anyone, but Yuki had caught him once.

"Kyon, what are you doing under the bed?" Yuki lifted the sheet as flash and noise made him shrink back under the bed. Yuki looked out at the weather before holding his hand out to Kyon, "You needn't be afraid of lightning storms. It'll only last an hour at the most. Come on out, nothing is going to hurt you."

Kyon looked at Yuki before crawling out. All he wanted to do though was hide back under there. Before the next bout of lightning, Yuki held Kyon close and pulled him to the window, "Nothing is going to hurt you. It's just a warning to let everyone know to find shelter. You're in a house, lightning can't hurt you." Lightning flashed before his eyes and Kyon struggled to turn away but Yuki stayed firm, "You're safe, nothing can harm you Kyon. Also, remember those rainbows you like to see in the morning? If it weren't for the storm, there wouldn't be any rainbows. It's that way in life even; you can't have a rainbow without a storm. Remember that."

Yuki put down Kyon and stepped away. A bout of thunder came again and Kyon looked at it. Yuki was right, and he turned to him smiling, "Thanks dad! You're the best! I love you!"

Kyon was five at the time. Placing a hand on the window he watched the flash again, "Where are you daddy? Is this a life storm? When will the rainbow come?" Snuggling back under the covers he thought about Yuki. He hadn't heard from him in a half a year almost! It seemed like forever since he was able to talk to him. No one would talk about his daddy either and they would get upset when he asked. Soon he just stopped asking and directed his questions towards his mom's growing stomach.

A fear of forgetting his daddy though, made him work harder to remember. His parents had left a photo by his nightstand of the four of them out on a picnic. It was the only photo that he had of Yuki, something physical and concrete to remember him by. Looking at it, he remembered his dad's face and voice. "Daddy, where are you? Are you coming here soon?" He asked out loud before drifting off to sleep.

Yuki sat on the couch snacking and reading. He had picked up the habits on his nights and days off to reading Shigure's novels. It was a pastime that helped him forget about his daily struggle. The curse hadn't broken and nothing had triggered the need for it to break. He thought about his family, about his child about to be born without him there. His heart ached but the curse held him back. Yuki was furious; he had every right to be with Tohru, Kyo, and Kyon! Had Yuki not been through enough to be released? Taking care of Kyon when Kyo could not, helping Tohru when no one else wanted to, taking the beating for the sins of others, what had Yuki not done? Why was he still being punished?

Throwing the book across the room he got angry. An anger that he never knew he possessed had overcome him. He had done enough, why was he not free? Was he supposed to bare everything alone? The anger and sadness welled up within him; he could help Tohru through a pregnancy! Yuki could do anything, cook, garden, support and raise a family. Why was he still cursed to be alone? Yuki let out a scream of anger and pain, why? Why was any of this fair?

Shigure came in at that moment and looked at his younger cousin, "Yuki…?"

"It's not fair Shigure! I'm stuck here when I should be there! Have I not protected my family? Have I not done everything in my power to lead a normal life? I got beat up and tortured by Akito and then torn away from my family!" Yuki raged, it was so abnormal, this anger. He glared at Shigure and at everything in the room. It was like those ghosts on the first day they left, taunting him with remembrance and to forget. Before another thought could be processed he passed out.

Shigure caught his cousin before he could fall, "Yuki, you've done everything right…"

TBC…