Disclaimer:  I do not own or claim to own any characters in the series Fruits Basket!  Kane and Hiroshi (father of Kane, forgot to claim, him lol. He's dead) are my characters.

Chapter 3:  Meetings

            Kane stared at the man before her, his pale skin the only light that was in the darkened room.  He paced the room before finally leaning next to a round shaped window.  She looked out the window watching the sunset, waiting nervously for him to speak.  She had been about 10 when she met him, and he seemed to not have changed at all.  His hair was cut to the bottom of his neck, an inky black just like his eyes. 

            "I see you have grown since we last met.  Your hair is longer now, very long and you are taller." He said smoothly, his eyes gazing into hers from so far away.

            She felt her spine tingle and tore her eyes away from his and looked down at the floor and then moved to shadow engulfed figure in the hallway. 

            "I'm very happy to see you again, Akito-kun." She said biting her tongue as she looked up at him again. 

            She found herself moving from the doorway and seating herself on the tatami despite the feeling in her stomach. 

            "Are you really, I was under the impression that no one really liked coming into this room, are you one of the exceptions?" Akito asked his voice rising slightly as he walked over to her.

            "I do not know what the others think since I'm not here…"she said after some time, "but I can sincerely say that this room doesn't bother me at all."

            Akito sat on a pillow across from her, a thoughtful expression on his face. 

            "Sincerely, hmm...I see.  I didn't know that you could speak, other than a silly 'gomen' now and then from you.  From what I gathered, you are a nurse or at least trained as one?"

            "Hai, I've trained but I have not really practiced because…it was not my real wish to pursuit it." Kane said her voice faltering.

            "Hold your thought, I'm thirsty." he turned and signaled the figure in the doorway shut the screen and left. "Kureno will be up shortly with some tea."

            He leaned back on a larger pillow and gazed at her as he waited for Kureno. An unsettling silence soon came between them; Kane found herself staring at the floor.  Minutes seemed to turn into hours, her palms were sweaty and her neck hairs were standing on end.  Akito's eyes never left her body, taking note of the way she shifted sometimes in her blue jean dress.  Sincerely, eh, look at the way the fear is building within her from the silence, he thought happily as he shifted himself slightly closer to her.  The screen slid open and in stepped a man with short brown hair and eyes, he wore a dark grey kimono with a black obi.  In his hands he carried a perfectly balanced tray of tea and some small snacks.  He set it down gingerly in front of Akito, who afterward gently caressed his face as Kureno whispered something in his ears.

            "Very good Kureno, I'll be sure to meet you later once I've had my rest.  Remember; do not forget the rest of today's schedule."  He said his voice softening with every word.

            Kureno bowed and left without glancing at the white haired girl he passed.  Akito poured himself a cup of tea.

            "Now, where were we…ah, yes…you confirmed with me about your nurse training and about your wish to not pursue it.  Well, as head of the family I decide what you do, and you will pursue a career as a nurse.  You will be Hatori's new assistant."  He said before sipping his tea.

            "But…that doesn't make s-sense," she stammered, "I-I just told you I received training but I lack the experience and desire to pursue it."

            "No you don't understand, you must think I'm incredibly stupid.  You have lived all of your pathetic life in a hospital.  You have received training as a nurse, and I repeat have lived in a hospital and you are now trying to lie and tell me you have not practiced it at all!!"  He rose and looked down at her, fury present the dark depths of his eyes.

            He walked away from her and turned hurling the hot cup of tea at her.  It landed next to her hand; glass scattered and flew cutting her arm as the tea burned her hand.  She jerked her hand back with a small cry of pain and clutched it close to her chest.  Akito walked around the glass and grabbed her hair pulling it unmercifully, as he knelt close to her.

            "You will be a nurse; you will help Hatori in his office and with the care of me!  You see, you will-like the others do as I say.  I'm the cursed head of the family and as long as I live you are bound to me!!!"  His grip tightening as he put his other hand on her bleeding arm. "Do you understand me?"

            "Hai." She said through clenched teeth. 

"You have disgusted me today, so you will be living with Shigure.  He will know how to take care of you.  Now leave and take care of that arm." He squeezed her arm before letting her go slowly. 

            She grabbed a napkin from the plate and wiped the blood off of his open hand before standing to leave.  The screen door opened a final time and she found herself in a lit hallway, her eyes watered at the pain in her arm but she refused to cry choosing to walk back the way she came.  As she walked she noticed her suitcase further down the hall and grabbed it pausing as the screen door slid open and Momiji ran out and into her.  With another cry she and Momiji crashed into the floor.  He quickly pulled himself away from her while apologized and then she heard a small gasp.

            She felt a small hand on her arm and she turned to see Kisa looking at her palely.

            "It's alright really; it's just a few scratches…nothing really."  Kane said gently as she pulled her arm away from Kisa.

            She stood up and Momiji looked at her sadly as if he knew exactly what had happened.  He took her non-bloody hand and led her down the hall with Kisa to the bathroom.

            "I'm not surprised that Akito did this." Momiji said as he watched Kane pull out the tiny bits of glass from a few of the cuts.

            He looked at Kisa who had pulled out a small handkerchief decorated with flowers.  Momiji reached over and turned on the water adjusting it so that it wasn't too cold while Kane smiled and put her arm under it.  She rinsed out the small cuts and allowed the water to dry off.

            "What is going on here?" came Hiro's voice as he began to ramble on about being the seeker which meant for them to hide and not abandon him.

            He walked in and saw the small cuts and scratches and understood quickly what exactly had happened.  He watched as Kisa handed her handkerchief to Kane who politely refused it going to search for gauze in the cabinets instead.  She found some along with some medical tape and bandaged her arm.  Unfortunately, there wasn't enough and with the help of Momiji, Kisa's handkerchief was tied to her arm. 

            "Thank you."  Kane said hugging each of them.

            "So where are you going to stay?"  Momiji asked cheerily trying to change the mood as they walked out into the night.

            "Well, since I ticked off Akito, he's sending me to Shigure's house."  She said looking up at the star filled sky. Spirits, it's beautiful out here, she thought before Momiji and Kisa began to dance happily.

            "You get to me Shigure, Yuki, Kyo and most of all Tohru!"  They both cheered.

            "Kane." A voice called from behind her.

            She turned and saw Hatori, smoking a cigarette by the car. 

            "Get in, I've been instructed to drive you there." He said coolly.

            She waved good-bye to the kids and walked toward the car; she opened the passenger door and got in but not before Momiji rushed up to Hatori.

            "I want to go too.  Tohru is definitely going to be home tonight and I haven't seen her in a while so let me go too!  I'll sleep over and be really good!" Momiji pleaded.

            Hatori nodded and Momiji ran to the passenger seat and pulled Kane to the back, happily waving good-bye to Kisa and Hiro who were now retreating back into the large house.  Momiji had begun once more talking about Tohru, claiming how pretty and nice she was.

            "If Tohru were a princess, then I'd be her prince!" He said with a sigh.

            Kane couldn't help but laugh a little at this was very happy to find herself walking up the steps beside Hatori.  He went to knock on the door when he saw from the corner of his eye her bandaged arm.  He let out a small sigh and turned to her lifting her arm.

            "What happened? Wait don't tell me." He said as he undid the bandages and looked at the small cuts and scratches.  "Good, their just shallow so you won't suffer any physical scarring." 

            "I know."  Kane said gently pulling away from him a part of her wished he would acknowledge fully that he remembered her.  Bring up something from the past; she felt a small dull ache.  Did anyone besides Akito really remember her?!  She rewrapped her arm as Hatori knocked on the door.  Momiji fidgeted slightly, he began knocking on the door himself until a teenaged boy with orange hell answered the door, his red eyes glaring at Momiji.

            "Aw, what the hell do you want?" He asked angrily eyeing Hatori.

            Hatori stepped aside and allowed Kane to show herself, Shigure emerged from the hall and pushed Kyo to the side.  Gleefully pulling Kane and Hatori in, while Momiji charged passed them and into Yuki.

            "Hey, where's Tohru? Awwww…she's not working late again is she? Or is she in the kitchen, he leapt off of Yuki and ran down the hall turning into the living room."

            Kyo got up and angrily muttered before roughly shoving past Shigure toward the hall pausing to listen as Shigure began speaking.

            "Ah, how it breaks my heart to see him so angry but what's this?  Could this be the lovely cub from our past Ha-san? The silent angel that I have dreamt of on occasion?"  He mused gently grasping her hand as he moved intimately closer.

            There was a quick movement and soon Shigure lay at the floor, Yuki and Kyo stood next to him.

            "I apologize for that hentai baka, it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss – um, forgive me.  I never caught your name."  Yuki said his voice as soft as velvet,  violet eyes meeting, green gold ones. 

            Kane felt herself blush even more as he waited for her answer but before she could speak, a voice called from the door.

            "Everyone, I'm so sorry that I'm late.  I was working and I-oh, we have a guest, I hope I didn't interrupt anything." Tohru called as she entered the house.

            "No, you didn't interrupt anything.  The woman was about to tell us her name."  Kyo called from his spot next to the now recovered Shigure.

            "Ah, my spirits have rose, my health fully regained now that my lovely wife has returned home!"  Shigure sang as he pulled Tohru into a hug.

            Tohru blushed and once again Shigure found himself face to face with his floor.

            "You touch her again, you sick pervert and I'll kill you."  Kyo spat as he rolled the sleeves of his black shirt up.

            Yuki looked mildly amused by the scene, Hatori had now lit a cigarette, Momiji had now begun whining loudly about everyone hogging Tohru, Tohru was trying to calm Kyo by pulling him away from Shigure.  The noise that was now all around her was too much.  She couldn't stand it and her head began to hurt, she dropped her suitcase and began massaging her temples.  The throbbing in her arm had gone down a bit and she began to feel the long lost familiar sensations of the transformation coming about her. No, not now…they can't see how ugly I am! She tried to step back but had tripped over Tohru's bags and she fell backwards, as she fell her mother's face floated into view serene and beautiful and then suddenly her thin lips were pulled back and her eyes had taken a wild look, you did this on purpose you disgusting animal, turn back and put your mask on you ugly bitch.  How could I have such a little demon for child, look at you a bundle of fucking fur…you think that's normal?  How could anyone love you?! Tears filled her eyes as her bottom connected with the floor and the familiar white smoke rose around her engulfing her with a soft poof as she transformed.  Everyone stopped talking and watched as the smoke wafted outside and left the medium-sized snowy white tiger behind.

            "Gomen, gomen…don't look!"  cried Kane as she turned and bounded down the hall.

            She couldn't shake the look of shock from their faces but was it disgust?  Had she broken the rule again?  She continued down the hall, tears clouding her vision, she never saw the small wooden table in the dining room before she collided into it with a loud crash.

            Tohru stood and looked at the retreating form of the tiger, she thought it was so beautiful.  She had never seen a white tiger before, especially one as sad and scared as Kane.  She ran after her, Yuki and Kyo at her side.  They wore worried expressions as they ran, and their faces grew even grimmer as they heard the loud crash.

            What the hell's wrong with that lady, Kyo thought as he stopped in the entrance of the doorway.

            Shigure rose and dragged Hatori with him toward the dining room, Momiji had already run ahead of them.

            "Why would she run away?"  Shigure asked more to himself than allowed.  He hoped that she wasn't psycho.  He looked over at Hatori who seemed to have been deep in thought.  They spotted Tohru holding the limp tiger's paw.  Apparently their new guest had crashed into the table knocking her out and wrecking it in the process.  He was shocked; he had never seen her act so weird since they were kids.  She had never spoken and had always seemed so hesitant to play.

            Hatori's brows furrowed in thought, he knelt next to the fallen tiger, removing his coat and placing it by his side.  He attempted to lift her and soon Yuki moved to his side to help.  She wasn't heavy but he didn't want to move her to much alone, he always felt a tingly sensation whenever he touched her.  This was why he was glad that she decided to stay away from him, either out of not remembering him or because of any fear.  There was another cloud of smoke and he quickly picked up his coat and covered her with it as everyone turned away.  What had she gone through all these years, no one really liked transforming but none were scared after they did.  What had caused this fear?  He wondered as he took out a smell penlight and focused the beam on to her now opening eyes.  He told her to follow the beam. 

            Kane felt something trickling down the side of her head and lifted a hand slowly to touch it.  She pulled I away and stared at the small patch of blood.  She sat up with one arm tugging at the coat; the bandages on her arm were gone now revealing the cuts on her arm.  Hatori told Tohru to go find some bandages and for Yuki to get some water.  Kyo went and got her things while Momiji talked soothingly to Kane.  Shigure watched this scene from the doorway, not daring to move as his thoughts traveled to the past.  She was always so afraid of her parents…and seemed so happy here, especially with the old cursed cat. Our grandfather, the only light in his life.  What did they do to her whenever she wasn't here?" Shigure and Hatori thought (not at the same time but the general idea).  He made a mental note to contact Ayame who had kept some correspondence with her over the years.  He was thankful for his snake-friend, he was always able to find him anything he needed to know, another mental note was made to get Ayame a gift.

            Kane finally came out of her mind, and found she was shivering and looking at the broken table.  An alarm raised inside did she break that?  She looked up to see worried faces; she didn't want to worry them.  She looked at her freshly bandaged arm and felt to touch her head but was stopped by a warm hand, Hatori's hand.

            "I wouldn't do that."  He said his lips turned up in an attempt to form a smile.

            "You gave us quite a scare Kane."  Yuki's gentle voice said from her side.

            "Yeah, what the hell is wrong with you? You transformed, big deal, it's done so many times here." Kyo said a faint blush in his cheeks as Tohru turned to look at him.

            "You could transform as long as no one outside the family sees you, it's okay."  Momiji said hugging her arm.

            "Gomen, for the table…and for frightening you, it was not my intent.  It's just that…" she felt her cheeks burning under so many stares, "its just tha-"

            "It's quite alright," Shigure found himself say, "You must be tired, if Tohru doesn't mind you will be sharing a room together."

            "No, no I wouldn't mind. In fact it will be great to share my room with a Sohma!"  Tohru said happily, picking up Kane's clothing and handing it to the woman. 

            Hatori rose and passed Shigure telling him he would arrive tomorrow afternoon to pick up Momiji and left.  Yuki and Kyo left to their rooms dragging Momiji with them.  Shigure looked at Kane making sure she was okay before leaving.

            "I'm sure you will like it here." Tohru said standing up giving Kane her hand. 

            Kane grasped Tohru's hand and stood she put Hatori's coat to the side and pulled her clothes back on.  Tohru walked into the kitchen and returned after a few minutes with a small plate of onigiri.

            "Are you hungry?" Tohru said holding out the plate for Kane.

            Kane nodded and took one of the onigiri; she smiled at Tohru before walking down the hallway and up the stairs.

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Whew, I finally finished chapter three!!  I'm really really tired now and I hope you all enjoy this chapter!!  I look forward to seeing your reviews, peace! ^-^;