Sohma Kyo arrived just in time to see his whole family crowding around a stranger – a girl who looked like she just had fainted.

"What the hell-" His words were cut by the cry of his cousin, Ritsu.

"WAAAAAAH!!!!!!!! I'M SO SORRRRRY!!!!!!!! I'M SO SORRY FOR NEARLY KILLING HER WITH SHOCK! I'M SO SORRY FOR CAUSING HER A GREAT TRAUMA THAT WIL HAUNT HER FOR HER ENTIRE LIFE!!! I'M SO SORRY!!!!!!!" yelled the monkey, jumping around.

Shigure hit the animal with his rolled newspaper. "You'll cause Tohru-kun more trauma if you don't stop acting like that."

"AAAAH! I'M SO SORRY! I DON'T WANT HER TO SUFFER TRAUMA BECAUSE OF ME!!!!!! LORD, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE HER SUFFER, GIVE YOUR PUNISHMENT TO ME!!!"


Another slam on the monkey's head, then silence prevailed.

Kyo looked at the girl quizzically. "You can not make me do what Grandpa do to her."

"Stupid cat. She's our visitor." Yuki looked at his cousin with narrowed eyes. "And where have you been?"

"He has been to London to look at the Queen," said Sohma Momiji, following his cousin into the living room. "Pussy cat, Pussy cat!"

"Stop calling me that way!" barked Kyo, fist clenching.

Momiji then noticed the sleeping girl that his cousins were crowding on. "Who is she?"

"Her name is Honda Tohru," said Hatori, eyes grim. "Shigure and Yuki stupidly thinks that bringing home pathetic human sacrifices is just like bringing home a stray cat." A smirk formed on his mouth. "No offense meant, of course."

"Of course," agreed Kyo sarcastically.

"Look, she is our visitor," said Yuki, trying to not lose his patience. "Do not treat her that way."

Kyo shrugged. "I do not care, as long as she does not gives us problems."

"That would be as probable as the north star appearing in the south." Hatori stood up. "Women are pests. If she causes us one problem, no matter how trivial or serious it is, she's out of this house, get it?"

Momiji touched the sleeping girl's face. "Ah, she's so cute."

Shigure nodded. "Definitely cute. And that's what's worrying 'Tori."

"It's nothing like that," said Hatori flatly.

"Yeah right," smirked the writer. "I mean, look at that 'I'm-so-untouchable-so-I-dare-you-touch-me' demeanor. You react that way when we talk about pretty species of the opposite sex-"

"Enough." Hatori stood up. "As the acting head of the Sohma clan, I shall enforce what I said when she makes one stupid mistake here."

"Whatever happened to the democracy and rule of the majority here?" protested Shigure, who had already found attachment to their new border.

"I am the majority," said the clan doctor. "You should be grateful that I allowed you to let her live here. If it was Akito who's here…"

"And he isn't," cut the novelist cheerfully. "Thank you, friend!"

"Talk to my hand," said the doctor grumpily before he left the living room.

At that point, Tohru opened her eyes. "W-Where am I?" she asked weakly.

It was Yuki who first smiled at her. "Hey, you're awake, Honda-san. I'm glad."

"Yeah," nodded Shigure,

"I-I just had a bad dream…that I accidentally embraced someone and then that person turned into a-" Her gaze went next to the monkey who was peering at her curiously. "A-Aiiiieeeeeeee!!!!"

"Oh no, Honda-san, don't faint!" begged Yuki.

"I-I…she…monkey…." Tohru looked like she was hyperventilating.

"Water, water!" called out Kagura, using the hem of her skirt to fan Tohru's face.

"Does she need CPR?" asked Shigure quickly, ready to volunteer.

Kyo looked on, somewhat fascinated by his relatives' reactions.

"Stop crowding around her!" scolded Yuki. He slightly slapped the girl's cheek. "Honda-san? Honda-san?"

She blinked when she felt how hypnotic his purple eyes were up close. She couldn't break contact with them however.

"She'll be fine," said the Sohma cat, eyes narrowed at the scene.

Tohru's gaze then went to Kyo, and lingered there.

"What?!" the neko growled.

"Ano…you…you remind me of something." She shook her head, blushing. "I don't know."

"He reminds you of a cat litter?" said Momiji seconds before he received the glare of doom from Kyo.

"A cat! A cat, oh lovely Christ!" gushed Tohru, clapping her hands in delight. "Y-Your eyes! Wild and fierce, just like a cat! Of course!" At the back of her mind, she remembered her young self wishing to have a pet cat, but her mother was allergic to felines.

The Sohmas, on the other hand, looked at each other. Of all the things that could make their new border calm down…

…it was Kyo?!

"By the way, since you already know about the Juunishi curse, then it's only right for us to come clean to you." Shigure gestured to his relatives. "Tohru-kun, meet the Sohma family."

Tohru blinked.

"So, what can you say?" asked the novelist cautiously.

"Um…is the Sohma with two m's or one?"

Everyone sweatdropped.

"I can't believe it!" said Kagura as she cleaned up the mess Yuki did in the kitchen. "She doesn't know we're vampires! I thought our clan is already well-known in their town?"

Kyo looked at the onigiri who was seated in between Ayame and Shigure. Momiji was on Tohru's lap. They were all watching another horror flick. "It's not like she's the type to know."

Right on cue, Tohru screamed. "Don't go in there! There's a ghost in there!!!"

Yuki leaned on the counter, sighing. "So what do we do? Should we tell her anyway?"

"No," said the nezumi abruptly.

"Eh? Why?" asked Kagura, mystified.

"I don't want to scare her away," said Yuki, arms crossed.

"Hmm?"

"Besides…she has nowhere else to go," said the mouse, glancing at Tohru, hugging herself. "She seems like such a nice girl."

"Uh-oh," said Kagura.

"What?" asked Yuki, annoyed.

"Remember what Akito told us? We must not get emotionally-involved with her. She's not like us, you know," said the boar.

"I'm aware of that!" said Yuki defensively.

"Dakedo…" Kagura then blinked when she heard the poof sound and the smoke.

In the living room was a dog sitting on the floor, and Tohru apologizing panickedly.

"I'm sorry! It's just that I forgot that I can't hug you, but everytime I get scared, I hug the person next to me-"

"It's alright, Tohru-kun. I'm all yours to hug!" laughed the inu.

"Stop that, you perverted old man!" screamed Kyo from the kitchen.

"But what do we do once Akito returns from his trip?" asked Kagura.

"We'll cross the bridge when we get there," said Yuki, frowning.

"If you say so." Kagura then sighed. "Momiji, where's the one hundred yen you promised to give today?"

The German looked at Kagura, then grinned sheepishly. "Um, I didn't earn enough. Will fifty yen do?"

"What do you do for a living?" asked Tohru curiously.

"I sing! I dance! I perform!" His eyes were shining. "I'm a star!"

"A vaudeville wanna-be," said Kyo, rolling his eyes.

"Wow, that's so cool!" gushed Tohru. "Maybe next time, I can come with you and watch you perform!"

"Ok!" agreed the hare heartily. "Can you sing too, Tohru?"

"Eh?" She blushed. "Iie!"

"Come on, let's hear it!" coaxed Ayame. "Darling, your voice is that of an angel's envy when you speak. What more when you put melody into it. Come on, sing for us!"

"Oh, alright, but only a few lines, ok?"

The Sohmas nodded.

"Totemo ureshikatta yo…kimi ga warai kakede ta..subete o tokasu hou emi de.." sang Tohru softly. She paused, blushing. "Um…actually, that's a little song I'm making, but I haven't finished it yet. It's not very good."

Yuki grinned. "Maybe you'll be inspired to finish it while you're staying here with us."

"Yeah!" agreed Kagura, grinning too.

She nodded.

Okaasan, my fortune wasn't so bad. I met this wonderful family…the Sohmas. Although their Juunishi curse is a little shocking, I do not feel afraid anymore.

Not when I know how warm their hearts really are.

tsuzuku