Two in one day! YAY! I am so into this. Please forgive me for putting off my other fic! ^_^ Love ya all!


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Without You
By: FayeValentine00 (Sarah-chan)
Chapter 3


At ten o'clock that night, we all decided to head back out to the water so the men and women spilt up and Kagura and I were able to talk to each other in peace and quiet. We sat far away from the wall that separated the men and women's side and then I turned to Kagura with a smile.


"I'm so happy for you and Kyo! I hope that you guys are really happy."


"Oh, we are! Kyo might seem angry all the time when Yun-chan and the others are around but when we're alone, he's different."


"That's great." My mind wandered for a moment back to the time when I lived at Shigure's house. Life then had seemed so simple and full of joy. Now I just felt worn down. What had happened? As soon as I asked myself that question, I already knew the answer. I'd left the Sohma home. That's exactly what had happened.


"Tohru, are you alright?" Kagura's question pulled me from my thoughts and I tried my best to forget my thoughts and look up to her with a reassuring smile.


"Y-Yes. I'm fine! I was just thinking."


"Do you realize how much they miss you?"


"Huh?"


"Shigure, Yuki and Kyo. ... Not to mention the rest of the family. They were lost when you left. I tried to go over to Shigure's home more often and help with the cooking and cleaning but it wasn't the same. Your presence and smile made that house into a home."


"No, Kagura. You give me too much credit. I was a burden on them for far too long! I can't allow them to take care of me forever."


"You were never a burden, Tohru. Don't you see that!?" She gave me a firm, determined look. "You made a group of people who all just happened to share the same name and curse into family.


"But..."


"Wait. ... Before you speak again, listen to me." I looked up at Kagura in amazement. She'd matured a lot over the years and had even become a little less violent. She'd really become like a big sister and I was thankful to have her here with me again. Maybe she'd be able to help me with my workplace issues.


"Okay. I'll listen."


"Yuki has been lost without you. He's been miserable even since you left. I think today was the first day I've even seem him smile since that day. He doesn't talk to anyone and Shigure even made Hatori come over to make sure that he wasn't getting ill."


"Is he okay?!" My mind was racing. Why was Yuki so upset! I thought of him everyday but there was no way that Yuki could be thinking about me that often as well.


"He was fine but he hasn't been the same at all since you left."


"Maybe I can talk to him."


"Yeah but ... but." She broke off and looked at me strangely a moment before speaking again in a softer voice. "What's bothering you?"


"N-Nothing. I'm fine."


"You got a distant look in your eyes just a moment ago and it worried me. You don't look relaxed at all, even though we are all together again. I've never seen you like this before. ... Is there anything I can do to help?"


"Well, ... Ummm ... It's just..." Tears began to form in the corners of my eyes and I couldn't find the words to speak.


"Tohru?..." Kagura whispered my name softly in concern when she realized how really upset I was. She looked confused but instead of speaking, she just took me in her arms and hugged me tightly.


"I'm not very happy in Tokyo." I confessed softly as Kagura tried to soothe me by running her fingers lightly through my hair.


"What's wrong?"


After taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I told her about the busy life of Tokyo, my tiny apartment, and even about my boss, Mr. Fujisawa. When I finished my story, Kagura pulled me away and wiped the tears from my eyes. She looked at me firmly but spoke with empathy.


"Tohru, come home."


"I can't. ... I have to be able to live on my own. They can't be expected to take care of me forever."


"But, what about your boss?!" She looked at me with mild panic in her eyes.


"I don't know but I'll have to figure out something."


"We have to tell the boys!"


"No!! You can't!!" I threw my hands up quickly and looked at Kagura pleadingly. "They will only get upset!"


"But Tohru---" She started to speak but I cut her off.


"Please, Kagura."


She didn't speak for a moment and gave me a firm expression before she slumped her shoulders in defeat. "Fine, I will not tell then while you are here but once you are back in Tokyo, the promise is off."


I wanted to argue with her but that stubborn look in her eyes told me that I'd lose no matter what so I simply nodded my head in agreement.


"Tohru, please be careful."


I nodded and gave Kagura a big hug when she looked at me with heavy concern. "I promise."



The next morning, I woke up early and was happy to see that no one else was awake yet. I quietly got dressed while trying not to wake Kagura and then made my way downstairs to the kitchen. When I saw that the coast was clear, I let myself inside and went to work at making the best breakfast that I could come up with since it'd been so long since I'd cooked for anyone other then myself.


As I was doing the finishing touches, I heard two sets of thundering foot steps come down the hall and stop just inside the kitchen doorway. When I turned around to greet Yuki and Kyo, I had a big smile on my face.


"Am I still dreaming?" Yuki asked me with a shocked expression on his face.


"If you are dreaming, so am I." Kyo spoke with an equally shocked expression.


I laughed lightly at my two friends who looked so happy. "You're not dreaming. I wanted to make you breakfast since I have to go back to Tokyo this afternoon."


Both men seemed to frown in thought for a moment when I mentioned returning to Tokyo so I quickly changed the subject.
"Will you help me set the table?"


"Yes." Both men agreed in unison.



20 minutes later, Momiji, Kagura, Yuki, Kyo and I sat down for breakfast. We spoke excitedly about what we'd been doing for the last several months. It was fun and I hadn't laughed so hard in a long time.


"Momiji, Kyo, Yuki, Kagura! Are you home?!" Shigure's voice suddenly rang out from the front portion of the building.


"Why are you yelling? Why don't you just go look?" I heard Hatori's voice softly through the wall and it was obvious that Shigure must have been trying his patience for the entire trip.


"We're in here!" Momiji called out to the men loudly.


"Hey, who's car was in the parking lot?" Shigure asked the moment that he appeared in the doorway.


"It's mine." I jumped to my feel with a big smile on my face.


Hatori had walked into view by then and they both looked at me in shock.


"Tohru! I thought I smelled your wonderful cooking!" Shigure's face seemed to light up with happiness.


"Don't lie." Hatori muttered to Shigure before turning to me with a soft expression. "How are you?"


"I'm great. It's so nice to see you! I made some extra food just in case you came. Are you hungry?"


"You're so wonderful, Tohru! I'm starving. Hatori refused to stop the entire trip."


"You ate before we left." Hatori rolled his eyes before sitting down next to Momiji and turning to me again with a pleasant expression. "I'd love some food. Thank you."


"Okay!" I ran into the kitchen and brought out the two extra plates of food that I'd prepared for the older men.


After eating, everyone sat around the table talking. I felt like I was home again. Everyone seemed really interested in my life in Tokyo so I gave then the softer, happy version of my life there, instead of the truth. I noticed Kagura's expression as I spoke and I knew that she was biting her tongue but it couldn't be helped. I didn't want any of the men to worry about me. I just had to make them think that everything was alright. Then it would all be okay, right?



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Next Chapter - Good-byes and the return to Tokyo