Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket

Chapter Thirty-Six

For crunchie 11

Thrown out to sea

and captized by truth

You can cast your cares on me

When you can't rely on you

I'm lost again and don't know what to do

When I close my eyes

I'm taken back

To better days with you

~ Swan Song, Bury Your Dead

~ (***) ~

Yuki took Rosalie's hand affectionately as they walked down the road. Rosalie blinked for a moment from surprise which made Yuki smile a little. She looked like a girl who never had a boyfriend and suddenly someone had told her that she was the prettiest girl in the universe. Although judging from her anti-social tendencies this was probably true. The lack of a relationship history, he doubted that she was even allowed a boyfriend growing up. It seemed almost natural to him to perform such a gesture when others would deem it appropriate. If some people passed them by they would think them boyfriend and girlfriend but if they knew their real relationship some would think it frownable for him to be holding her hand in such a way. He always liked to think that everyone in their family were close so there was point point worrying about such things but this was what came with being part of the outside world. Before, if things were as they were before, it wouldn't matter at all because they were never going to be able to be a part of it. But now, since they all were more or less 'normal' again it almost meant that they had to begin to abide by their rules. After all, it was what they wanted. To be free. Or was it to be human, he wasn't entirely sure of what they wanted out of lifting the curse. She gave him a look as if there might be something wrong with this but he gave her a reassuring smile. He knew that there was the same feelings coursing through her veins so he knew how to assure her that there was nothing to worry about. It was strange to think that they were so closely related. Studies showed children of twins had more shared genes than 'regular' cousins. Now he was beginning to see how they seemed so close.

There was the question of his girlfriend though... Then again, he knew that Machi would have no problems with him holding a relatives hand. She knew that every time he held another girls hand it was only meant in a maternal way, on the girls part. Yuki seemed to see other women as a mother that he could have had, or a better one than the one which he had been left with. She never had any problems with Tohru holding his hand for goodness sake. She was his number one choice of a mother, she always cooked for him with a smile on her face as if she didn't mind so much because it was her favourite activity of the day. First time he did this in front of her, she turned away and decided to let this slide. Or that was what it seemed like. When he asked her about it later she said it seemed more like he was holding hands with an aunt or mother, which seemed to make sense since he had always seemed to love her in the maternal sense of the word. Although he could see with Rosalie that she wasn't used to holding hands with people either. Then again with her curse, as she liked to call it, he could see why she would be afraid of touching people when you could take someone's life just with a single touch. The idea of it probably frightened her a little bit. He was sure that after the death of her mother she wasn't going to trust herself with being close to another person ever again. He had to admit he knew how that felt. She just had to learn that this wasn't always her fault when she did this. As far as he had seen she had been fine. She was probably worrying over nothing since there had been no rumours about in Europe of any 'mysterious deaths' occurring around the Laurent family, other than the death of her mother. Still she seemed more than edge about it all. She was even a little bit suspicious when he told her that he would walk back home with her.

She insisted that she would be fine with Erik until they both realised that he had gone. Yuki covered his mouth so that she wouldn't be able to see that he was laughing, he could see the anger brewing in her eyes and could only imagine the terrible curses she was currently casting upon Erik. It was rather adorable really, it was like a brother and sister who were always constantly squabbling with one another. If they weren't related he would have been sure that he could easily apply the pulling of the pigtails rule to Erik. There was nothing more obvious than a boy who liked a girl because he loved constantly annoying her and loving it more when it actually worked out as he wanted it to. She narrowed her eyes in the direction she last saw him walking in with an expression on her face as if to suggest that this behaviour wasn't exactly unusual for him but it was still something which rather annoyed her. Rosalie was always wondering when Erik was either going to grow up or stop thinking with his trousers. Either one was fine because she knew hoping for both would be asking a bit much of Erik. He had gone off with that Kimi girl, no doubt...He wanted to walk back with her. He knew that if Momiji was there he would have done so himself or would have ordered someone to walk back with her. He seemed to become more chivalrous than he usually was when he was around Rosalie (making his feelings towards her all the more obvious). He wondered whether Rosalie had seen her in a while. She looked like she was missing someone. She even looked a little bit disappointed when she saw everyone there.

"Are you alright? What are you thinking about?"

She looked at him with a distant look in her eyes. She was about to say something really lame and she knew it...

"I'm happy but I don't know what to do with it."

Lame...

Yuki raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? If you're happy then you're happy. There is nothing to do with an emotion."

She sighed. "I'm just not used to being happy, Yuki. I don't know what I'm supposed to do when I'm happy."

He chuckled. "Just enjoy it. I know how difficult it can be but you don't have to feel guilty about it."

"I know...I just don't know...I still feel like there's something else. Someone else that I'm..."

Yuki wrapped an arm around her and smiled. "Don't worry about it."

"I know you certainly don't have to worry about that."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you mean?"

Yuki chuckled. "I'm sure you'll find out soon."

Rosalie decided to let it drop and shook her head showing her submission to giving up on the topic. Yuki was amused by this and continued to laugh at her for the rest of the time that they walked to her house. She looked up as they got closer and saw that the lights were still on.

"If they're still awake on my account then they're more ridiculous than I thought." She murmured.

"Won't they be waiting for Erik too?" Yuki asked.

"Oh no one cares much for him." She replied dismissively.

And she said that with a straight face...

Yuki turned back to his cousin and noticed that she was beginning to shiver all over. He reached out to touch her and saw that she was shivering all over.

"Rosalie? Are you alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Just cold. I best be getting inside." She looked over her shoulder as she walked towards her house and waved.

"It's been good to see you, Yuki!"

He waved back. "You too!"

She closed the door behind her and leaned against it for a moment clutching her stomach. What's going on with me? What's this sudden-

"Hey you!"

She found Erik's face thrust against her own to such a proximity that she was sure that she could count the freckles on his face. She didn't even know that he had any...

"How did you get here so fast?" She growled.

"Now, now why did you take so long? You do remember Yuki is your cousin don't you?" He teased.

"That's digusting."

"No that's-"

"I thought I heard voices." Erik and Rosalie turned their heads upwards to see Hilda at the top of the stairs. "You're friend's here by the way."

"Who?"

"Rosalie?"

Satomi appeared behind Hilda who blushed when Hilda winked at her. Was she...? Was that why she...? Oh God...Well at least there was Hilda here to ensnare her now...

"I hope you're not too disappointed." Erik commented.

"SHUT UP ERIK!"

"Why do you both have to be so loud?" William asked suddenly appearing near them which always made Erik and Rosalie jump.

"Where did you come from?" She demanded.

"From the living room." He snapped. "You should go to bed, you have classes tomorrow."

Erik threw his head back. "WHY?"

~ (***) ~

Yuri awoke so suddenly in the dead of night some would have thought it was a heart attack which would have awakened someone so suddenly. Yuri gripped on the place where it hurt and inhaled and exhaled deeply for a few minutes. Or maybe an eerie sound from the darkness. Sometimes one heard so many things from that place but then again someone had to be burdened with this tiresome task. Some thought it was Rosalie who had more responsibilities which was true to a certain extent but at the same time, Yuri had more responsibilities and dealt with more things than others probably thought. More than Rosalie thought especially. She remembered the last look which she gave her before she left. There was a look of defiance in her expression that was more than clear enough but there was something else. She was almost looking at her as if she was some petty, pathetic creature which she was leaving behind. She almost saw the ghost of a smirk, not a smile but a smirk. There was something scornful about it as well. It was like Yuri had won so many battles but in spite of this Rosalie had won the war. Which war she wasn't entirely sure of, but she looked like she had won, just. Yuri shook her head knowing that she wasn't going to get away that easily. She would have to do more than cross a continent to get away from her. Anyway, there were more pressing matters at hand.

Something was wrong. Yuri could feel it, there was no denying it when someone could feel it in their bones, it like knowing there was warm blood running through your veins. It was something which was so urgent that it woke Yuri from the deep slumbers of sleeping. There were never any troubles with getting to sleep so the reason why Yuri was awakened so suddenly was rather strange. There were never any problems with being able to sleep but recently Yuri had been awoken so often that she beginning to wonder whether she should call William back from Japan in order to see what was wrong. But he was needed there. If Faron couldn't be depended on, at least William would know what to do if something went array. As loyal as Faron was he was like a dog. No a love-sick puppy thinking patience was going to be the best way to get his Princess. She sneered at the thought of it and clicked her tongue. She had done more than enough to damage his idea of love. She had used him so much to relinquish her own desires that there was probably going to be nothing left of him if Rosalie ever got him. She remembered watching her sometimes as she walked about the Main House. She would just walk down a corridor and turn heads. She had to be aware of it. No one could be oblivious to her affects on others and how spiteful she was about it as well. There was something about Rosalie...Yuri always knew it the looks that she cast that there was a look of indifference and defiance in those looks. There was something else going on with her as well.

Yuri could sense it. Some other her predecessors wouldn't have given it a second thought and would have gone back to sleep but not her. They had let such things slip on the odd occasion but she was was never going to do such a thing. She was going to prove to them all that she was going to be worthy of the place where she sat. She knew the only reason why she was being punished was because of the sins of the mother and father. They were the sinners but she was sin and therefore the one who had been purged in the fire over and over again until she perished but she was never going to perish. She was going to live on to the day when she would prove to them all that she was strong enough for the role which she had been given. She knew something was wrong and she was going to find out what it was. She knew with what Rosalie had probably been up to lately that this wasn't something just to shrug off and ignore. Rosalie thought that by moving to another continent she was going to escape her but she knew the greatest secret that this family held and she knew that because of that secret that she was never going to escape her. She could feel her drift away from her and to another soul and she knew she wasn't going to let her. But this was something else. Something much more worrying for all of them. That was what she would want her to do. It was the same feeling one had when...No that wasn't going to happen. She wasn't going to let it happen. That couldn't happen...Could it? It was like when you heard a noise outside. It was something you should be suspicious of but at the same time you wanted to dismissive of something. Something was coursing through Yuri's body, something which was...It was discomforting. Rosalie was feeling it too. She didn't know this but that was because she didn't know the truth and really she could see why her father hid the secret from her. She knew it would completely destroy her or if not it was something which would change her world completely, maybe it would even bring her back to her. But Yuri wasn't willing to risk that chance. She couldn't let anything bad happen to Rosalie. There was something in both their souls telling them that something was coming. Something which was going to end something. It was the end of an era.

Surely it wasn't the end of...No Rosalie can't die...I won't let that happen...

There would be nothing worse than the death of Rosalie Laurent. In more ways than one. She just had no idea...

"Yuri?"

There was a maid at the door looking at Yuri with a look of concern always mixed with the slight fear of the mere presence of the head of the Laurent family.

"Is there something the matter?"

Yuri smiled at this woman's diligence. "No. I'm fine thank you. Although I suppose I should call William..."

The old woman blinked. "The family doctor?"

Yuri sighed. Sometimes one had to wonder whether any of these servants had more than a couple of brain cells. She liked someone who diligently did as she commanded without question which made them easy servants. She liked the fact that she had someone to serve her, to tend upon her every need but sometimes she wished for someone who was a little more intelligent. It made things a lot more faster rather than wasting time asking the most stupid questions with the most obvious answers. Then again at least this woman had the excuse of being a bit old now. She needed omeone who she didn't need to take five minutes with in order to get something done, which made her consider whether it was about time for this woman to be sent away despite the fact of being in the family for so many decades. Faron knew exactly what she wanted with a mere glance. Although he wasn't here. He was away from here doing her will. It was funny, it was almost like he was an empty vessel with no thoughts of his own. He just did as he commanded. Yuri wasn't even sure whether Rosalie needed someone like that. She seemed like someone who could command a small legion if she put her mind to it. The problem was you couldn't simply push her in a certain direction. She knew her own mind all too well. And she was too stubborn. Faron never questioned it. He simply nodded and went straight to the telephone to call him. Whether or not she said William or family doctor. Surely when the family doctor was mentioned then they automatically meant William? It was one of the first things that you knew about when you worked for the Laurent family so that you knew who to call when something happened and you needed medical assistance. She had been ill for a great number of years and therefore always needed William to more or less be at her side whether physically or in spirit.

"Yes. I feel...I wonder if I'm coming down with something. I'd also like to know how the little ones are getting on in Japan."

Yuri almost sounded like a father of the family despite being the same age as Rosalie Laurent. The exact same age, if she delved any more into it she would have known the secret by now. Yuri was aware of the great disappointment on the day of the new head of the family's birth but it was something which could never be helped. One would hope that Yuri had lived to this expectation. Yuri had been able to be a patriarch, a father to this family, no matter how disobedient the flock were. You just wanted to protect them. There were so many complexities of this family and their abilities. Especially Rosalie's. There were so many unexpected things which could happen with her, so many things she would never be able to understand unless she was willing to let someone help her. Someone like Yuri. If she did something which was something seemingly harmless could endanger not only her life but also the rest of the family's also. The same went for Yuri also. It was funny along with their gifts and age there were many other similarities between Rosalie Laurent and the head of the family...

~ (***) ~

Dear Reader,

If you're reading this I am probably dead. No, I am definitely dead. I am only writing this now so that I can have enough time to write everything that needs to be written down and that I can have enough time between when you come back and when I leave. I don't want to be around for you to be able to question me of what I am writing to you now because frankly I think this is more than enough. I suppose I'm only writing this because I have this feeling in my gut that its all coming to an end soon. I wish that it wouldn't have come this soon. After coming so far and finally been close to freedom as I could possibly get it seems that I was only supposed to experience that for a while. I still turn my eye to those recent days when I have been most happy. That I know now, is what has made this all worth it. At least if its all going to come to an end soon then at least I am in a place where I am most happy. It's better to have been able to return home rather than die in a place where it is dark and cold and have no one to turn to which gives you any sense of comfort. I remember when my predecessor told me when he knew when he was dying. I'm glad I was able to hold his hand in the end. Even when he spoke of nothing but apologies but I like to think that I was something of a comfort to him in that final hour. He deserved that much considering the amount of suffering in his life. Maybe at least I wouldn't have to endure that much. I know I'm just making presumptions but I am quite certain this may be the end considering what he told me. He felt lost but at the same time he felt like he had been found again. He had been running from death for so long. Death was supposed to scare us more than anything but when it finds you its like you're greeting an old friend...