Thanks for the reviews everyone! Aren't I nice to be updating on my birthday? And about the comment on romance: sorry, but I'll be adding in a tiny bit just to add some more depth into it. I hope you still will like the story! Thanks everyone and I'll try to keep on updating as much as possible!

Disclaimer: Now, if I owned Fruits Basket, I would have named it: Kyou is Very Yummy. So maybe it's a good thing I don't own it.

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~~Peace of Mind~~

Kyou's tone had changed a bit with Mari after he saw her hold the butterfly. He watched over her more carefully and gave up much of his free time to be with her. Shigure noticed Kyou's change of heart first.

One night, while Shigure was helping Mari with her bath, he asked her, "Mari, what do you think of Kyou?"

"Kyou?" Mari fiddled with the bath cloth that Shigure had handed her. "I love him almost as much as I love you daddy."

To hear that, it relaxed, yet pained Shigure. It relaxed him to know that Mari trusted Kyou and that Kyou would always be there for her, but it pained him to know that Mari had found another fatherly figure in her life. He knew what her mother had put her through by keeping her separate from the rest of the world because she was so ashamed by Mari being cursed the cat, so he figured it would be natural for Mari to reach out towards other people. But he hoped that the other person would never replace him.

Mari splashed her father with water and started to have a giggling fit, oblivious to the fact that her father was in such a deep train of thought. Shigure wiped the dripping water off his face with a muttered "My, my, my" and then a sudden attack of water on Mari.

Outside the bath room door, Tohru heard the sudden outburst of laughter between the father and daughter and smiled to herself. She put away the final bit of laundry for the night when she turned to find Kyou standing right next to her. She put on a blushed smile as Kyou asked her if she would join him on the roof.

On the roof, Tohru rested her head against Kyou's shoulder as they sat in silence. Kyou placed his hand near the tips of her hair and began stroking them. Words were hardly ever said between the two, but just by sitting together like this, they didn't need words to express what they were feeling.

With Shigure putting Mari to bed and Kyou off with Tohru, Yuki felt alone. It was the same feeling that he got whenever he saw Honda-san with Kyou. The feeling that he had lost the greatest battle between him and that stupid cat-the battle that can never be redone. But Yuki knew better than to let that bother him; he stood up from the table, straightened his jacket, and walked up the stairs to find Shigure humming a melody to Mari, who was nearly fast asleep. Yuki stood by the doorway and smiled to himself to see Shigure act the way that he had a few years before; before he was separated from his daughter.

"Shigure is really gentle," Yuki thought to himself. "The split from his wife and daughter really caused him to change. That must be why he was so willing to let Honda-san come live with us-he wanted to try to fill up the gap that was left in his heart." Yuki looked up to find Shigure looking right back at him. Yuki's eyes widen and slightly bowed to show is apology, but Shigure stood up and walked over to Yuki.

"Yuki, was there something you wanted to ask me?"

"Oh no, nothing. I guess I just wasn't aware that I was staring." Yuki started to walk away, and to his surprise find Shigure still walking after him.

"What is it now?"

"Why do you look at Mari that way Yuki?"

"What way?"

"With pain in your eyes?"

Yuki stopped to look at Shigure, who had leaned slightly against the wall. Yuki had no answer to the question he was just asked. He never even knew that he was looking at her like that.

"No answer then?"

"I don't know. You should really mind your own business Shigure." Yuki turned around to continue walking, but he stopped himself. Looked back at Shigure with narrow eyes, studying the man, trying to see what he was trying to say.

"Pain in my eyes?"

Shigure nodded.

Yuki studied the man once more and then realized what Shigure was trying to get out of him. Shigure saw the sudden awareness in Yuki's eyes and then spoke.

"Don't degrade yourself Yuki over these situations. I know you feel at a lost right now since Kyou has found two new people in his life. But don't worry Yuki. You're in all our hearts and you'll never leave."

Yuki clenched his fists and Shigure expect him to launch an attack on him, but instead, Yuki started to talk in a low voice that was nearly a whisper.

"That's not all. Mari got a second chance. She got to come back to you and she's starting over. I'll never be able to do that. Akito's ghost is always following and he won't let me forget what he did to me."

Shigure walked towards the young rat and placed his hand on the boy's cheek. "But you can have your second chance. You're day will come Yuki Sohma. It will eventually come to all of us." Shigure dropped his hand and walked down the hall and left Yuki lost in his own mixed up whirlpool of thoughts.

~~Next Day~~

In the mid-afternoon, Tohru realized that she was out of the items that she needed to prepare that night's dinner, so she planned a quick dash to the market. While she was taking off her apron, Kyou wandered into the kitchen.

"Kyou-kun? Do you think that you and the others would mind to have dinner a bit later tonight?"

"Hmm?"

"I have to run down to the market. It will only take a second."

"Here. I'll go with ya."

"Oh! But you don't have to. I won't be gone long."

"Nah. I need the fresh air."

"If you insist."

Mari also happened to wander into the kitchen. "Where are you guyses going?"

"Oh, Mari. Kyou-kun and I are going to the market. We'll be back soon."

"Can I come? I promise I won't be pest! I'll walk the whole way, both ways! Plwese!"

Tohru, unable to say no to Mari, nodded and Mari let out a happy "Yeah!" and ran down the hall to tell Shigure. Shigure stuck his head out of his office and nodded his approval. The trio was off.

Along the way to the market, Mari chattered happily about the new doll that Shigure had bought her. It was a simple doll with deep purple eyes and dark, jet-black hair, but Mari cherished it like it was the most precious thing she ever owned. Tohru conversed with Mari most of the way, feeling as if this young girl was like a younger sister that she never had. Kyou walked along side with him, seemingly lost in thought, but smiling to himself when Mari stumbled across a word that she either completely mispronounced or got mixed up with another word.

At the market, Tohru walked ahead of the other two, grabbing exactly what she needed to she could get home faster and finish making dinner. Kyou stayed with Mari, who was fascinated with the fish tank and was pressing her face against it, trying to figure out why the fish would rather live in there rather in a lake.

"Kyou? Why do the fish want to live in this small place?"

"It's really not their choice. They've been picked to be placed in there because people want to buy them to eat them."

"How come they get picked? Is it a lucky number contest? Or do they play a hand game?"

Kyou placed his hand on top of Mari's head. "We get to pick which ones get to go into the tank," Kyou started, then realized he better come up with a good answer so Mari doesn't start her question spree again. "We pick the ones that seem like they would make the best food."

"So if a giant came and wanted pick people to eat, he would pick the ones he would like to eat bestest?"

"That's some girl you got there." The middle-age woman behind the fish counter motioned towards Mari. "She's full of questions. That's good." She studied Mari a bit more and then looked over at Kyou. "She's got what it takes to make it in this world." The lady handed Mari a piece of candy. "There you go sweetie."

"Oh, thank you lady!" Mari bowed at the lady and soon was enjoying the tangy treat.

Kyou nodded towards the lady. "Thank you." He let out a sigh of relief. "That'll keep her quiet for awhile."

The lady stuck her face close to Kyou's and he quickly pulled his away with this eyebrows raised in annoyance. "What?"

"Aren't you a little young to have a kid? You two look too much alike to be siblings."

Kyou's eyebrow started to quiver and he tried to keep his anger down. "Hey there lady. Don't go making all these assumptions about me. She happens to be my cousin's daughter and I'm just took her out get some fresh air."

The lady laughed. "Hey kid. Don't get so offended. I just recognized that look in your eyes while you where watching her. I've got a child myself." The lady once again came near Kyou's face. "She looks up to you greatly, kid. I hope you realize that. So do you wanna buy a fish for dinner?"

Kyou was about to launch at out the lady, and then Tohru popped up. "I'm finished."

Kyou gave the lady one last evil look and then turned to grab Mari's free hand. She was still eating the candy.

At home that evening, Kyou laid near the table, thinking. Of course, Mari saw it as an invitation to lay down next him. Kyou gave Mari this little look and Mari giggled. He started tickling the girl and soon both of them were laughing hysterically. Shigure watched from behind a sliding door. He sighed and shook his head.

"My, my Shigure," he said to himself. "Looks like you're getting old."

Mari got up and wandered over to her father. "Daddy? Do you want to play dolls with me?" She was holding her precious new doll in her hand.

"I'd love to baby." Shigure sat with Mari as she pulled out he doll container. "Have you named your new doll yet?"

Mari smiled brightly at her father. "Yep! Guess what her name is!"

"Banana?"

"Nope!"

"Saru?" (A/N: that's monkey in Japanese. I have no idea how I know that.)

"Guess again!"

"I have no idea. I'm all guessed out."

"Kyuri!"

"Kyuri?"

"Yep! I love cucumbers!"

Shigure laughed at his little girl. "Kyuri huh? Well, I guess it's time for Kyuri to get to know everyone else them."

"Yes. I think she needs to get to know them too!"

So for the rest of the evening, Shigure and Mari played dolls. Shigure laughed along side with his daughter and felt as if his life was starting to finally be placed all back together. His heart was feeling full again and he was starting to truly enjoy life once again. He had finally found his state of peace and he was given his second chance at life.

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There you all go. I hope you like the next installment. The whole doll named ting was inspired by my five-year cousin who named her doll Giraffe because she likes them so much. Mari named her doll cucumber. That is just to great. I'm so happy about that name. Kyuri. Oh, good news! I kinda made this outline-like thing during extra time during biology and now I kinda know where the story is going! Thanks again everyone!