9) Help her in small ways. You might not do the entire job but it's better than to leave her alone. This makes her feel proud of having you near.

Time flew by so fast. Even after the grave death of Tohru's father, the Sohmas never failed to make her smile.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" Shigure sang loudly.

"Hey, who's in charge of the cake?" Momiji asked.

"What's wrong?" Haru asked him.

"Its says happy anniversary…" he pointed.

"I thought that Ritsu was in charge of the cake…" 

"IS IT WRONG?! GOMENASAI! GOMENASAI!" he screamed.

"Oh boy…" Kyou wrinkled his forehead(?).

"Eh?" Tohru smiled. "It's okay, Ritsu. At least we have a cake."

Tohru and the Sohmas reserved a perfect spot by the lake for Tohru's birthday. Of course, Tohru was so happy.

"I couldn't thank you enough…" she whispered.

"This is also a form of thank you from us." Kagura smiled. "You accepted us as we are right now."

"I just did what I have to do." Tohru smiled. "You guys are my family…"

"That's so sweet!" Shigure said dramatically. "I'm going to write that down!"

"Oe, does anybody want some fishing?" Haru invited.

"OK!!"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Are they fishing?" Akito smiled.

"Yes, sir…"

"Good, now is the time to call her."

"Why now?"

"The others are busy…" he glanced at this servant. "Take her to me."

"Yes…"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"KYOU!!!" Kagura ran towards the lake. Kyou was all soaked and Hiro was laughing at him.

"I thought you know how to fish?"

"Baka… I hate water…" Kyou grumbled.

"Oh, my dear Kyou, here I am! No need to worry!" Kagura wrapped his arms around him. "I'll make you feel all dried up!"

"Nan de—Get your hands off me!!!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"Damn!" Hiro yelped as he fell back on the ground. "The fish got me again."

"It's okay, Hiro-san." Kisa smiled. "We could try again. I would like to help you."

Hiro looked away and blushed. "You don't have to Kisa. I can do it by myself."

"I'm happy to help."

"EVERYBODY! STAY STILL!" Ayame shouted. All of them stopped moving. "I know that you all are very excited to fish and get wet but---"

"But what?" Shigure asked.

"TAKE CARE OF YOUR CLOTHES!!!" he cried. "Don't let them get fish stains or something!"

"AYAME!"

"Everybody seems to be having fun." Momiji smiled.

"Everybody… even THEM." Hatori pointed at Yuki and Tohru amusingly.

"They look so cute together…" Kisa shouted but Haru covered her mouth.

"Ssh, don't call them." He grinned. "I'll get the video camera."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"S-Sohma-kun, it's a big one!" Tohru yelled as she tried to pull the rod.

"It's okay, Honda-san. We can get it." Yuki pulled harder. Soon there was splashes on the water and a huge trout flew in the air. It landed on the ground, just as they fell as well.

Tohru laughed heartily. "That was fun."

"Is it?" Yuki went closer to her. He rested his head on her shoulder.

"Yes, it was my first time… to fish in the lake… " She panted and smiled. "I hope we'll do it again next time."

"Soon?" he asked. He went closer and soon, their noses are touching each other. Tohru giggled lightly.

"I said, I want to fish in the lake again… not to…" she stopped as Yuki gazed at her. She smiled at him. "I wonder what my father will say to you right now… after you disobeyed one of his rules."

"I don't know. What do you think?"

"Well, maybe he'll fire you…"

He giggled. "He can't do that?"

"Why not?"

"Because you won't let him."

Tohru made a confused look. "I don't understand. Why?"

"Because… you love me, Honda-san…" he whispered.

"H-How can you be so sure?"

Yuki laughed gently. "You're stuttering!"

"I am not!"

He gazed at her again. She's blushing! How cute! "Let's ditch the talk, okay? It seems we won't go anywhere by talking." He whispered.

Okaa-san, he changed so fast. First, he was a cold protector who was only after my father's money. She thought as their lips met in a light kiss. Now, he's so dear and kind to me. And he also loved me---

"Honda-san…" he whispered.

"Eh?"

"If you I could stay with you forever, would you learn to love me?"

Tohru looked at him. She opened her mouth reply but no words could come out. She knew what he meant. He wants to marry her soon. "Sohma-kun, I---"

"If I'm rushing you then please don't answer." He said quickly.

"Sohma-kun, what I'm trying to say is that… we just met a few days ago and…" she laughed. "What are you…"

"I know… I just can't take it. But I'm not rushing you." He looked away. "I'm giving you time… if you need it."

Tohru jumped from her place as she heard her cell phone rang. "Excuse me, I have to take this call." She stood up and walked away.

Yuki stared at her. She's so beautiful but his cold heart denied her once. I won't lose her again. She understands my feelings about her. All she needs is time… then that is what I'll give her.

"Yuki…" Momiji whispered behind him. "You're blushing…"

"Did you get that?" Kagura asked.

"Yep, I got it all on tape." Kyou waved the video camera. "Let's watch it later when we get back."

"NO WAY!" Yuki stood up and barged at Kyou. "Baka neko, give me the tape."

"Sorry, no pests are allowed to hold it, kuso nezumi." He grinned as he passed it to Shigure.

"It's not for kids, Yuki." The novelists laughed.

"I'M NOT A KID!!!" They kept on passing it until it reached to Ritsu.

Yuki stared at his older cousin. "Ritsu, give me the tape."

"Uh…" Ritsu thought worriedly.

"If you won't," Yuki raised his fists. "I won't be easy on you."

"No RITSU! DON'T GIVE IT TO HIM!!!" Ayame shouted.

"I'M SORRY TO DISAPPOINT YOU, YUKI! GOMENASAI! GOMENASAI! I'LL GIVE THE TAPE. JUST FORGIVE ME!!!" he cried out. In a swift move, Hatori snatched the tape away from him.

"You're ruining the fun, Ritsu." He grinned. "It's bad for your health, Yuki. Just leave to me and I'll investigate this… 'problem'" he laughed.

"HATORI!!!" Yuki yelled as he tried to reach it from his cousin. Unfortunately, the doctor was taller than him and faster.

"Go ahead and try to reach it Yuki!!!" Haru yelled. He stared at the others. "Who has a camera?"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

While the Sohmas are having fun picking on Yuki, Tohru was at a farther place as possible, since the voice on her phone instructed her to do so.

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

"Your life, Honda Tohru…"

"Who are you?! Why are you---"

"Run to the forest now. Don't look back. Don't leave trail marks. Don't let them see you. Don't call anybody with this phone." The voice continued. "Once you made a mistake, my master won't be easy on you or your other friends."

"Master? You mean, Akito-san? He's planning to kill them?" Tohru cried. "He's heartless!"

"He will do whatever it takes just to get his hands on you." The voice answered. "So, is it clear? DO you have any questions?"

"If I will go to Akito alone and successfully, he won't hurt the others, right?"

"That's right."

But still, she didn't feel right. "But what if he doesn't keep his word?"

"All that you can do is follow his orders. Believe me, even I don't know what he's planning."

"How will I know who's Akito? It might be a decoy." She asked nervously.

"Akito desperately wants to meet you in person." The voice became sharper. "He's too curious why an orphan like you can take away 11 trusted people that works under him."

"May I ask who you are?" she asked

"…what if I refuse?"

"Please, whoever you are, if Akito is a man of his word, I suggest that you should guard the others, in case Akito sends his men to kill them." She replied.

The voice chuckled. "Yuki… wiped  off already half of his men. I'm the only one left behind."

"…oh…"

"and besides, why should you worry about them? They were trained to defend themselves." It continued. "But you are about to witness the head of the assassins. You have no experience of self-defense. Why aren't you worrying about yourself instead?"

"Because…" she searched for an answer. "They're… my family…"

"I won't be fooled by a thoughtless perception of life."

"They cared for me and they protected me at all costs." She smiled at her own answer. "I… would like to end this all. I don't want them to die because of me."

"I see." The voice sounded amused. "Go in the forest now, before they would notice that you're not there." Then he hung up.

Tohru dropped the phone an covered her face. She was about to die and she herself didn't know the reason.

"I wasn't even allowed to say goodbye…" she cried. She walked slowly towards the forest. "Gomenasai, Sohma-kun. Even you would be there for me, I couldn't… stay with you forever…" She kept on walking until the trees covered the daylight and her path was as dark as night, even if the sun is high up the sky.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Yuki stopped moving. After the Sohmas made fool of him and all of them laughed hysterically, he realized that he haven't heard Tohru's laugh.

"Where's Honda-san?" he stood up and looked around him. "She's not here."

"Relax, loverboy!" Kyou giggled. "You just scared her back there."

"I'm serious! Where is she?" he asked angrily.

"She won't be back." A voice came. A hooded person dressed in a midnight black cape went towards them. Yuki grabbed his sword.

"You're one of those hired assassins!" he yelled. "Who are you?"

"It was her own free will," the stranger slowly took off his hood and revealed his face in front of the Sohmas. "to face her death, Yuki." He grinned evilly.

Yuki nearly dropped his sword once he saw his opponent's face. "Sensei…"

Hatori stared at the assassin. Kazuma, he thought deeply. Are you sent here to stall Yuki… or to kill us all?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Tohru stared at the person in front of her. He was dressed in a pale black kimono and reached out his hand for a bird to rest on it. He smiled evilly at her, which gave her the chills.

"Akito-san…"

"Honda Tohru-san…" he whispered. "We finally met…"

The wind was going wild in the forest. They just stood there as the first drop of rain fell. Tohru sighed as she faced the leader of the Sohma clan, who was said to be dangerous. Yuki told her once that he looked weak and futile but Hatori mentioned to her that he was full of surprises and very mysterious, which made her feel curious of who he really is.

"It's going to rain," he whispered again. "Come with me to the hut, Tohru-san. We'll talk over things there."

Tohru nodded as she followed him. It was true that she was defenseless but he sounded like he was also. Okaa-san, all I need is faith. I can get through this, she said to herself. There's nothing to be afraid of. Death is maybe the end of life but it's not an obstacle. It wasn't made to scare people.

"What's wrong, Tohru-san?" Akito asked mysteriously. "Cold?"

"No…" she whispered.

Suddenly, Akito stabbed her quickly in the stomach, causing her to cry out in pain. He cupped her face firmly and caught her lips in a bruising kiss. She felt so terrible as Akito tried to twist the knife, making the wound bigger.

He cut off the kiss and buried his face on her shoulder. "I don't take no for an answer, Tohru-san. That's why anything I want… is what I get." He bit abruptly on her skin. "Now, I want you."

"Akito-san…"

"Before you die, I'll play with you for a while. As you heard before, you're too good to be killed." He grinned as he kept on biting her skin, creating red marks all over her neck. "I hope Yuki doesn't mind me playing with you for a while."

"Please…" she begged and tried to push him away.

"Don't worry. Like Yuki, I won't take you lightly either." He threw her to the floor and started to kick her mercilessly.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Yuki ran quickly towards the forest. After what he heard what Kazuma said, he had no time to talk or to discuss anything

***Flashback***

"I'm ready, sensei." Yuki said as he raised his sword.

Kazuma chuckled. "I'm not here to battle you, Yuki. I'm here to tell you about something."

"What?"

"It was Tohru's will to see Akito…" he began. "…and face her death."

"That can't be true!!!" Yuki yelled at his own teacher. "Tohru wouldn't---"

"She didn't want you to get involve." He explained. "And she also wanted to end all this."

Yuki lowered his weapon and stared at him. "She can't…do this…"

"She sacrifice her life for all of you, especially you, Yuki." He pointed out. "She was out of words to tell so… this might be the only way to show her love for you…"

*************

He fastened his pace, after he thought all of that.

Honda-san, please hang on. Don't die yet. He thought determinedly. I'm coming. Just hang on. I'm here to be with you. You can't just…

============

LOL~! Three more chapters and it's done! (Actually, instead of a two-part epilogue, I was thinking of shrinking it into one.) Once this is finished, I'm going to write another Yukiru! LOL~! Please see it soon. I'm really so inspired this summer ^^