Seeking Solace
Looking for the Way

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"So how did you like going to the junior highschool, Uo-chan?" Tohru asked. After the school day was over, Uotani, Hanajima and Tohru had gathered in the locker room.

"Eh, it was alright, I guess. I got stuck with this hyper active girl, gah, she didn't sit still for more than 2 seconds at a time." Uotani sighed. "Reminds me of why I hated going to school when I was younger. Too many annoying people."

"Isn't that still the case, Arisa?" As Hana said that, the Princesses walked by, loudly giggling about frivolous matters.

Uotani laughed. "You know, you're right. If it weren't for you two, I bet I'd have been insane by now."

Tohru closed her locker. "Well, I think I've got everything I need. I've got to get going so I wont be late for work. I'm working until midnight tonight."

"That's later than usual, isn't it?" Uotani asked her. "Yuki will come and pick you up so you wont have to walk home in the night, won't he? Or Kyou?"

A confused look came across Tohru's face. "Huh? Why would they do that? I barely know the Prince, and I don't think I've ever even spoken to Kyou."

"Hm." Only that small sound was emitted from Hanajima.

"I see." Uotani raised an eyebrow and exchanged glances with Hana.

There was a few seconds of awkward silence, but Tohru broke it. "Well, sorry guys, but I've got to go. See you tomorrow!" She smiled, and with a wave, she was off on her way.

"Mystifying." Hana said simply.

Once she knew that Tohru was out hearing's reach, Uotani voiced her confusion. "What's up with Tohru? She seemed to be getting so close with those two, but now...she has cut all ties to them."

"So it seems. I hope that nothing is wrong between them."

"Yeah," Uotani agreed. "If they've done anything to hurt Tohru, they'll be hearing from me." Her right hand met her left in a fist. "I wonder why she wont tell us what is wrong?"

Hanajima closed her eyes in thought, turning away. "Maybe she can't tell us...something is definitely different about her electrical signals. With Kyou and Yuki too, I believe. Are you busy right now?"

"Yeah, sorry. I've got to go to work at four o'clock. You have something in mind, Saki?"

"Maybe," Hanajima began mysteriously. "We can't get Tohru to tell us what the matter is, so why don't we go to the source? Sohma Yuki and Sohma Kyou."

"Sounds like you've got a plan." Uotani grinned.

"It's simple enough. I will call you later with my findings." Hana's lips slightly curved, forming a serious smile.

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"I'll be sure to get the research completed before the next meeting. Goodbye." Yuki called out as he left the student council meeting room on the second floor. It was five minutes past four o'clock, and their meeting had already been adjourned. Yuki walked through the doorway and was face to face with Hanajima, who was leaning against the wall right beside the door. He nearly collided with her, but luckily stopped himself before there would be any reason for a transformation.

"S-Saki-chan." Yuki backed up a few steps. "I wasn't expecting to see you here, especially at this time of day."

"I've been waiting for you," she began. "I knew you would be here."

"Oh?"

The raven-haired girl stepped forward from the wall. "I just have a few questions for you, that is all." Her eyes seemed to be alive with fire, but that may have been Yuki's imagination. In the past, both Yuki and Kyou had spent several lunch hours with Saki Hanajima and Arisa Uotani in order to spend more time with Tohru, but Yuki had never really felt comfortable around either of them. Especially with Hanajima, whose stoic demeanor frightened him to this very day. Uotani simply reminded him of Kyou too much, and having both of them around at the same time made him feel a little overwhelmed.

Yuki found his mind wandering for a few seconds, but he pulled himself out of his thoughts. "Sure, Saki-san. I'll do the best I can."

"I must ask, has something happened between you and Tohru-chan? She never speaks of you, and you have not eaten lunch with us for a long time."

Yuki's jaw dropped open in surprise. When Hatori erased Tohru's memories, he also had to arrange for anyone who would remember Tohru ever living with the Sohmas to have their memories erased as well. Hanajima still knew. How could she know? Could Hatori's powers not work on the gifted psychic?

"Er, well, I have been very busy, what with all the events that are in planning for the school." Yuki explained, hoping that Hanajima would leave him alone. "I ...haven't had a lot of time for Tohru, so she probably just doesn't have any reason to speak of me." He couldn't think straight. "Or maybe we have grown apart."

Hanajima paced around him slowly in a circle as she spoke. "But... how could the two of you, you and Kyou, live in the same house with Tohru and never speak with her?"

"I..." Yuki couldn't think as fast as the psychic could talk. Tohru had confessed to Hana and Uo that she was living at the Sohma's after she had been there for several days. If Hanajima's memories were erased, then she should have still believed she was at her grandfather's house. There was no way he could tell them that she was back living outdoors in a tent once again. His mind raced, but he couldn't think of any words to say.

She continued. "Also, Kyou isn't involved with student council, so he wouldn't have those extra activities to take up his time." She stopped pacing once she was directly in front of him again. He avoided looking at her eyes, which looked empty. It was as if she were looking right into his soul. "Sohma Yuki, please tell me that you have done nothing to hurt Tohru. Both Arisa and I are very worried."

"I can tell you for sure that I have never done anything to hurt Tohru. I would never." Yuki said, it was the only thing that he could say. As soon as the name 'Arisa' registered into his brain, he knew that her remembering couldn't have been because of Hanajima's psychic powers, since the Yankee knew as well.

"Sohma-san." Hanajima said in her dead-pan voice. "I do not wish for Tohru to be hurt, she is very special to us. We will protect her to the best of our ability. If you have something else you wish to explain, come to one of us." She stepped back, and with a slight bow, she walked down the hallway with her black cape fluttering behind her.

"She is very special to me too." Yuki agreed, whispering after she had already left. He was still in a daze. He had to get out of there, he had to go home and talk to Shigure.

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"Shigure!" Yuki's voice pierced through the air of their small home. He had barely stepped in the door when he saw the grouchy face of Kyou, who was relaxing on the floor in their family room. He didn't not look pleased about the interruption in his cat-nap.

"Can't you look for him before you disturb the entire neighbourhood?" he rolled over and faced the wall, trying to resume his sleep. "Kuso nezumi...if only I weren't too lazy to head to the roof." What little bit of tolerance Kyou had gained from being under Tohru's watchful eyes had disappeared during her extended absence.

"Baka neko...you know there aren't any houses around here. There are just fields of Sohma property surrounding this place." And Tohru's little tent.

Kyou was not too lazy to jump and retort, "Hey! You know what I mean! I challen-" He stopped himself mid-word when he noticed he was yelling at an empty room. Yuki had left the room and was heading towards Shigure's study. "Arrgh, don't walk away from a battle!"

Shigure was typing away at his computer when Yuki burst in. "Shigure! I've got to talk to you. It's urgent."

"Ah, Yuki, I didn't hear you come in." Shigure set down his pen and nibbled on a cookie, totally oblivious to Yuki's urgency.

"Really, come into the kitchen, I need to talk to you. It's really important!"

"Yuki, Yuki!" Shigure held his hand to his forehead in fake shock. I slave away in this room day after day in order to feed and clothe you, and my efforts go unapplauded. Must I stop my writing? Must I..." He made a highly unrealistic sobbing sound. "Oh, I can't go on!"

"Shigure! I'm serious!"

Shigure looked up with a grin plastered across his face. His smile faded when he saw Yuki's grave expression. "Well, I guess I'm coming then, ne?"

They walked into the kitchen. Kyou, who had followed Yuki to launch his attack against him, could also see that Yuki was distressed. He decided to call off the fight, grabbed the carton of milk, and joined them at the table. There were no objections, so he sat.

"So what's the trouble, Yuki-kun?" Shigure began.

"I was talking to Saki today. She knows about us. About how Tohru spent several weeks living with us. She and Arisa have not forgotten."

"What?!" Kyou couldn't help it. "Then why hasn't Tohru asked us about..anything? If her two best friends can remember...wouldn't she know by now?"

"My guess is that they aren't bothering Tohru about it. Or maybe...Tohru doesn't care about us."

"I highly doubt our little flower would ever think that, you both know her better than that." Shigure declared in attempt to lighten the mood. Kyou gave him a warning glance, but said nothing. "But you know, I'm not the right person to ask about this. I know as much as you do about this. You'll need Hatori, but I know that he's been really busy with treating Akito lately. It'd have to be an emergency to get him away from the main house."

"Isn't this considered to be an emergency situation? They could be telling countless people, for all we know." Yuki said, exasperated.

"Not when Akito could be coming down with a cold, you know how weak he can get. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got work to do. If I don't get this done soon, I won't have enough time to scheme new ideas for teasing Mit-chan!" Shigure stood up and headed for his study.

Kyou sighed. "What are we supposed to do about this?"

Yuki took a few minutes to think. "An emergency situation, hm? I've got an idea."

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Author Notes:
Third chapter; Uploaded April 30th 2003.
Thanks to all the kind reviewers! I love you all lots! *happy grin* I hope you like this chapter, I rather enjoyed writing the confrontation between Hana and Yuki. Go Hana for wanting to protect Tohru ^.^
I do not own the rights to any of the characters mentioned in this fan fiction.

Language Translations:
Kuso Nezumi - Damn Mouse
Baka Neko - Stupid Cat
Ne - Right