Chapter 11 Beautiful Prince, Return to Me

Tohru couldn't believe that she had just told Shinta the one thing she would never get to tell him.

Shinta's eyes started to water as he looked at Yuki. But as Yuki went to comfort him he ran away and slammed to the door to his room.

"But. What did we just do?"

Tohru felt like crying herself. "We did what we had to do. I think he's just scared. I mean he's never known about you until just a few days ago."

"I know. Maybe I should just go. I need to talk with the family anyway, about my taking the place as clan head."

"I would like to go with you."

"I know, but you need to stay here with Shinta. He needs you right now."

Tohru nodded, and then a tear fell from her eye. Yuki brushed it away. "Yuki."

"Yes Tohru?"

"I love you."

"And I love you. I'll call you later tonight. Please try to talk to Ritsu."

Tohru nodded again and said goodbye to Yuki as he left."

*~*~*~*~*~*

During the car ride back to the Main House Yuki called Shigure and told him to get the family together. He had to set things right, once and for all.

He stormed into the Main House like he owned the place and headed to the dining room where the rest of the family was waiting.

"Yuki. What's going on?"

"Shut up Kyo!"

The cat cowered towards Kagura as Yuki took a seat at the head of the table.

"I want you all to listen well."

A few of the Sohmas nodded but most stayed quiet.

"I will agree to take this position that you have offered to me. However, there will be some changes that take place if I do accept this. Is that understood?"

More nods. "You should tell them what they are Yuki," Shigure said. He would never be afraid of Yuki no matter how angry the rat acted. He knew that something had happened with Tohru to get him upset.

"First and for most we will completely and totally be rid of the ban against marrying non-family members. We will be allowed to marry whomever we wish, and be allowed to love whomever we want to. Before you will be allowed to marry them though we must explain the curse to them so that they understand just what it means to become a Sohma. Is that understood?"

A couple of the family members that had most likely been seeing someone behind Akito's back smiled.

"Does this mean you're going to marry nee-chan, Yuki?" Kisa asked.

Yuki smiled at her and she jumped for joy.

"I am tired of there being fear within this family," Yuki smiled again at the rest of the family this time, "I just want us to be happy. So, will you still have me as clan head?"

Hatori smiled for the first time in a while, "Yuki, that's the reason we picked you. We knew that you would only want us to be happy."

Yuki dismissed the family after thanking them, but asked Shigure, Hatori, Ritsu, and Kyo to stay.

"What is it Yuki? Is there something on your mind?" Hatori asked.

"I have something I need to tell you all, but I'm not read for the rest of the family to know. It's about Tohru."

Ritsu seemed slightly annoyed at this reason for being kept so long.

Yuki took a deep breath before continuing. "Tohru and I. We-We have a son."

Silence.

"A son? But how? Akito would never!"

"Akito never knew. Tohru told me that it was her goodbye present to me, but because of it she got something that she could remember me always."

"And is he? Cursed I mean?" Ritsu now asked.

"Yes. Shinta Honda is cursed by the year of the rooster."

"So, Tohru has never been able to hold her own son?" Kyo asked.

"No. But that has never stopped her from holding him for that single moment. She has explained to him as well as she could have about the curse and what it means."

They all talked for a while longer. As they spoke something seemed to soften in Ritsu's eyes. Maybe he was starting to stop hating Tohru, Yuki hoped.

Hatori asked Kyo and Ritsu to leave so that they may talk about family matters. As the two left they told Yuki that they were sorry, and congratulations.

"That was a good idea, telling Ritsu. I think he's starting to see that things aren't as easy for Tohru as he seems to think it is. But why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"I didn't think it was right, telling you all before he himself knew."

"Does that mean you told him tonight?"

"Yes. Tohru thought it was best to tell him." He sighed. "It could have gone better though."

"You must understand how he's feeling though, Yuki. For four years he's only known his mother and her friends. She probably never told him that he had a father out there somewhere. For all he knows you left her. Also he's never had to share her with another man before. It must be horrible for him."

"I know. Tohru said that she was going to talk to him. But I want to make this clear that I don't want to break this curse simply because I want to have a normal relationship with Tohru. Of course I want that, but she swears to me that she would love me no matter what. I want to break it so that she can hold her son. So that she can love him completely, and he can know what it feels like to have every bit of a mother's love."

*~*~*~*~*

"Shinta? Shinta, honey, are you all right?" Tohru asked as she slowly opened the door to his room. The small boy was on the bed crying into his pillow.

"Oh baby!" Tohru went over and sat next to him and petted his hair softly. "Please tell me why you're so upset."

He sat up and looked at her with big teary eyes. "Because he left you Mommy. I don't want him to come back. You're mine, all mine."

"Shhh now sweet one. Yuki didn't leave me; it wasn't his fault that we were alone. I'll tell you a story if you stop crying, all right?"

Shinta nodded and Tohru began the story she had tried so hard to forget.

"A long time ago there was a girl. This girl had no family, but didn't want to get in the way so she lived in the woods. One day she found a small house. This house was that of a beautiful prince that went to her school. The prince and his cousins invited her to live with them so long as she cooked and cleaned. The girl agreed to this and moved in with the three cousins. Not more than a few days had she lived there that she found out the family that they came from had a curse placed upon them by an evil witch. Only certain members of the family faced the full affect of the curse. If someone of the opposite sex that wasn't cursed hugged these members they would turn into one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.

"The girl was trusted with the secret and never told a soul. As she spent more time with the family she began to love each member of the family more and more. However she cared the most for that beautiful prince who took her into their home. One hot summer day she found out that he felt the same and they were very happy. Of course they had to keep their love a secret because the family had a very evil man that was head of their clan. He would hurt people who told the secret and erase the memories of those people who learned of the curse. Time passed and the girl and the prince fell more and more in love. Finally one day their secret love came out and the evil head of the family was angry that they had gone behind his back.

"The girl told the prince that she had to talk to the evil clan head and see if he would let them be together. After all, he had let her live with the family and keep their secret. The evil clan head would have none of her pleas. She was given the choice of either leaving the family with her memories and never returning, or being able to stay near the family, but having all memories of living and loving them gone. She could not bear to lose her memories of all the wonderful times she had had with the family, so she decided that she would leave the next day. That night she stayed with the prince that she loved so much. She awoke early the next morning and left him a letter telling him what had happened before she left him forever.

"Of course she was blessed by the night with a son. He was as beautiful as the prince, but he too was cursed like the rest of the family. The girl had learned long ago that often times parents of the cursed children would reject them, so she swore to love him as much as she could. Then, four years later the evil clan head died and the girl was able to return to the family and finally be happy."

"Did they get married?"

Tohru smiled at him, "Not yet my young prince. Not yet."

"So, he didn't leave you?"

"Not at all. And I don't want you to ever think that Yuki will take your place. You are my baby and I will always love you."