A/N-Thanks----To Josh- I'm so glad I have a super nice friend to say super nice things to me:-)

To Cienna- Still working on our Yuki angst, don't worry! Glad you came back!

To Yukie-chan- I'm glad you like my ideas- Thanks for sticking with me!

To Calen- Well, thank you, but how could I possibly let the angst get too heavy, with you trying to distract me all the time. I put more Kyo in this chapter just for you. There's more Kyo here than Yuki! And yes….everyone….you have Calen to partially thank for this story….she introduced me to Fruits basket!

To Yume Maxwell-Yuy- Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it. Hope you come back!

A/N- I didn't get as far in this chapter as I wanted to, but it's still the longest one yet, and I'll update soon! Now, onto the Story!

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A Shadow Reborn- Chapter Five

Hatori followed Shigure into the Sohma House's dining room. When they sat down, he launched into an explanation for his visit, before a loud thump upstairs made them both direct their attention towards the ceiling. A series of crashes and shouted threats followed. Then a door slammed, and Kyo was heard clomping angrily down the stairs, still shouting "Ribenji donkusai, hiretsukan!" and with barely a glance towards Hatori, he stormed outside. Hatori looked at Shigure.

"Go on," Shigure said, and grinned like an idiot.

"Oh. Right…. Well, like I was saying, I haven't talked to Ayame since this morning, before he left for Tokyo. Did he tell you why he left?"

Shigure shook his head, looking thoughtful. "I didn't even know he'd gone. I guess he didn't even tell Yuki."

"No. As matter of fact, that's also what I wanted to talk to you about. Since Ayame left…which I still can't believe he did…" -Shigure saw Hatori was displeased with this, so he let him continue. - "I'm going to go with Yuki, unless he gets back before the end of the week."

"You're going with him to see Akito?

"Assuming it will take Ayame more than six days to get back. And that's assuming he comes back at all."

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You're his guardian now.

A pretty crappy one, thought Ayame as the train creaked an jostled its way towards Tokyo. I suck at this. I'm no guardian.

Ayame sat alone in his train compartment, wondering if he was doing the right thing. He couldn't blame Hatori for getting mad at him for leaving, but this was the best idea he could come up with for helping Yuki. He pulled out his wallet and took out a folded and crinkled letter, faded with the passing of over four years. He sat back to re-read the note, though he had it practically memorized.

Dear Ayame-

I hope you and Yuki are doing very well with Akito at the Main House. I miss you both very much, and I can't wait to see you in a few years, when Akito allows me to come visit you. I don't quite know how to tell you this, but I have bad news. Your father seems to have had a change of mind where I am concerned. I'm not sure why. He left yesterday, and he sends his love to you two. He was flying to Kyoto, but I do not know where he went from there.

You may already know all of this- I asked him to stop by the Main House to say a last good-bye to you and your brother. I hope he came. If not, please tell Yuki for me- I would rather him not learn of this through a letter; he may not understand. And you've always been such a good brother to him. I'm sorry for all of this.

Ayame remembered reading the letter for the first time, so many years ago. He had sat in disbelief, then re-read it again. Their father had not come to the Main House.

PS- I think it's only fair for to tell you- I'm having slight difficulties getting along as well financially without him, so I'm moving to an apartment. Do not worry about me. Since my address is being changed, I'm sending this to you through the Aoyama Post Office. If you ever need me, you can send me a letter through them.

Ayame leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Needing" her was an understatement, now. He was desperate to keep Yuki away from Akito, and if anyone was strong enough to get him away from the Main House for good, it was their mother. Hell, it'd even be legal. One thing was for sure- Hatori was right. Another encounter with Akito could be disastrous for Yuki, so the sooner they got back from Tokyo, the better.

Again, I love you both and miss you more each day. I can't wait until I can finally see how you two have grown up. ~ Mother

The train slowed towards Ayame's stop, and he folded the letter and returned it to his wallet. How am I ever going to explain to her all that's happened? All I let happen to Yuki? She's going to be so disappointed in me.

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"You know, if you're so sick of getting beaten, why don't you just stop attacking me?"

"Shut up. Let's fight."

"I'm not fighting you now, Kyo. It's after midnight, and you have way too much energy. I'm going to bed." Yuki walked into his room, shutting his door behind him.

"Hey! Get back here and fight like a man, you son of a-"

"'Night, Kyo!" called Yuki as he locked his door.

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Kyo was raiding the kitchen that night at three o'clock; It was not unusual for him to sometimes eat all night, then sleep all day. That and the fact that Yuki had made dinner that night, so Kyo refused to eat it. Now, as he looked into the refrigerator with relish, the large container of leftovers caught his eye. He pried open the lid and looked into it. Its contents looked like nothing more than a big mess of green stuff and brown stuff and more green stuff and….fish?? They didn't tell me they were having fish tonight!

Whatever the dish was called, it smelled edible, so Kyo pulled out a fork from the drawer, forgetting his boycott of Yuki's cooking, and tried some of the unidentified food….The rest was gone in thirty seconds. Che, that was actually good. Who knew that ahou could actually cook fish without destroying it? Kyo looked around for a clue as to what it was, still chewing an enormous mouthful… Yuki couldn't have possibly made this in his own. He spotted an open recipe book on the counter; It was turned to page seventeen- How to Make Fish Salad. Kyo skimmed through the ingredients. Lettuce, bacon bits, rice crackers, seaweed, and-

"LEEK?" Kyo sputtered and spit out the remnants of food from his mouth. That hiretsukan! Putting leek in fish salad! This was obviously one of Yuki's evil schemes against him. Leaving toxic crap like that out where anyone could get to it!

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In the middle of the night, Yuki woke up with a gasp and a small cry, springing upright in his bed. He had lost some of the dream as soon as he woke up, but had a recollection of something hold him down, and someone smashing his face into the wooden floor until the blood smeared, and stung the opened flesh across his face. He could taste the salty bitterness as his own blood was rubbed into his mouth.

The blood had seemed so real…. Whatever the dream was, it made Yuki feel unnerved and sick to his stomach. He groaned and rolled out of bed.

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Kyo was on his way upstairs when he heard Yuki's door open, followed by irregular, unsteady footsteps. Yuki disappeared into the bathroom, and Kyo cringed from the stairs as he heard his cousin throwing up.

Probably too much leek, he thought sullenly.

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It had been over three days since Ayame had arrived in Tokyo- that gave him less than two days to get back to the Sohma House, if he was going to be there for his brother at the end of the week. But there had been no sign of Ayame's mother so far. None of the apartments he had searched housed her name, or records of her.

Now Ayame was thumbing through the phone book. He went to the "A" section; maybe the Post Office she had mentioned would know something. Aoyama Almshouse, Aoyama Elementary School, Aoyama Hospital, Aoyama Orphanage, Aoyama Temple…Had the Post Office closed already? Frustrated, Ayame slammed the phone directory shut, then sighed and reopened it. He tried calling any of his mothers' friends, but apparently she had dropped out of touch with them all shortly their father left her. I can't believe I'm calling random women to see if they know where my own mother is.

Ayame was getting desperate the next day as he called one of their oldest neighbors. She was absolutely shocked to hear from him. "You mean you hadn't spoken to your mother since you moved away?!"

"Um, not in person, no."

"You don't know anything about what's happened to her?"

"Well, I know she was connected to Aoyama; that's…pretty much it."

"Right. The poorhouse."

"No, the old post office."

"Honey, there never was any Aoyama Post Office."

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No Post Office? "But, um, my mother sent me this letter a few years ago from the Aoyama Post Office….I have it here." Ayame took it out and flipped it over to look at the return address…

Aoyama.

"Ayame, I think you and I need to have a talk about your mother, then I…I can take you to her. Can we meet tomorrow?"

Ayame hesitated. If he stayed in Tokyo an extra day, he couldn't be back in time to take Yuki to see Akito, and Hatori would have to do it. But isn't this why he had come? His mother could still help.

"Alright."

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A/N- Well, that's it for this chapter. We'll finally get to Akito in Chapter Six, I promise. This one just took me a long time to write.

Please Review for me?? I don't have this story entirely planned out, so let me know what you want to see happen!