Chapter 12 Broken

That night Shinta slept with Tohru. She slept quietly with the dream of finally being a real family. Little Shinta had agreed to try to get along with Yuki. She hoped one day he would love Yuki like a father. After all, Yuki would be able to hold him unlike Tohru had been able too.

In the morning she awoke and left the bed without waking Shinta. She made a large breakfast and called Yuki to see how things had gone with the family.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Yuki hadn't been able to sleep at all the night before. He was too busy with Shigure, Kisa, and Kyo trying to make plans on how to finally ask Tohru something he had wanted to do for more than four years.

Shigure teased Yuki about all the nights the rat had snuck out of his room to go and sleep with Tohru. Yuki ignored the dog's comments until he brought up the three silver packets that had been hidden under his bed. Yuki turned bright red at this. After the others had stopped laughing, he quietly informed them that he still had them in his room.

They all jumped when the phone rang. Kyo's cat ears popped out as he nearly hit the ceiling when he jumped. Yuki ignored him and went to answer the phone.

"Moshi-moshi?"

"Is Yuki Sohma there please?"

It was Tohru! "Hai. Hello Mommy."

He could hear Tohru blushing over the phone.

"I was wondering if you would like to come over for breakfast? It's nothing much, but I just thought."

"Of course. Would you like anyone else to come with?"

"Of course! Bring all of them. Of course I'll have to make more food, but it's not a problem Yuki. I love you! See you soon!'

"I love you Tohru. Good bye."

The others looked at him when he turned away from the phone. "Tohru wants us all to come for breakfast. You guys can meet Shinta then."

*~*~*~*~*~*

For the next half an hour Tohru rushed around the kitchen making a feast. Shinta merely sat and watched her from the kitchen table.

"Who's coming over Mommy?"

Tohru smiled at him, "Some very special friends of Mommy's. Remember the story I told you?"

Shinta jumped up happily, "The cursed animals?!"

"Yes. Hopefully all of them."

Just then the buzzer from the front door went off. "That's them!"

Shinta said he would let them in and ran downstairs to open the door for them. He was finally about to meet someone like him!

Yuki led the pack of 12 cursed Sohmas. Shinta even gave him a hug, he was so happy!

The group went upstairs and found the small table set for all of them.

"Ahh! The smell of Tohru-kun's cooking! I thought I would never get to smell that again!" Shigure cried out the moment he entered the apartment with tears in his eyes.

Tohru giggled at Shigure and greeted them all.

"Everyone, this is Shinta," Tohru introduced him.

"The rooster?" Momiji asked.

Tohru nodded, "Do you want to show them Shinta?"

Shinta nodded this time and gave his mother a hug. A puff of smoke appeared and there sat a small rooster in Shinta's place.

"Oh Tohru.." Momiji started, but Tohru just smiled.

"He's my baby. I'll always love him," she said picking up Shinta and holding him close. In a moment another puff of smoke appeared as he changed back.

When he finished putting his clothes back on he asked, "Mommy, can I see the other animals?"

The other cursed Sohmas quickly agreed to show the small boy.

"This is Ayame, he's Yuki's other brother, and he's the snake."

Poof!

"And this is Hatori. He's a doctor and watches over the family. He's the dragon, hand me a cup of water honey."

Poof!

"I'm Haru. I'm the cow."

Poof!

"And I'm Hiro, I'm the sheep."

"And Kyo. He's the cat."

Poof! Poof!

"But Mommy, the cat's not really a part of the zodiac."

Kyo hissed.

"Of course he is honey. He just missed out on the party."

"I'm sorry Kyo-Kyo," Shinta said then hugged the cat.

"Ah! Tohru!"

She only giggled, and moved on to the next member.

"This is Shigure, he's the dog."

Poof!

"And of course, Ritsu. He's the monkey."

Poof!

"Kyaa! He's so cute Mommy!"

Ritsu laughed at the small boy.

"I'm Kisa, and I'm the tiger."

"And I'm Kagura, Kyo's wife. I'm the boar."

"Why don't they wanna change too Mommy?"

"They can't honey, without a boy to hug them. Remember the story?"

"Of yeah. Only non-cursed members can make them change!"

"That's right."

Slowly as the animals changed back the amount of room in the small apartment began to increase.

"Arigatoo everyone. You have no idea how much it means for you all to finally be back."

"Thank you!" Shinta cried and he hugged them all. It felt good to finally be able to hug someone.

"Let's eat! I'm starving!" Kyo shouted.

They all squeezed around the small table and ate all the wonderful food that Tohru had made for them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After they had all eaten their fill the zodiac members chatted in the living room. Uncle Ayame, Uncle Shigure, and Uncle Hatori played with Shinta on the floor. Yuki decided to help Tohru with the dishes.

Tohru couldn't stop smiling. It was just like before she had left.

"Thank you so much Yuki. You have no idea how much this means to me, or how much it means to Shinta. He's never known anyone like him."

"No, thank you Tohru. For coming back to me. And for finally giving me a real family."

Tohru went slightly red.

"So what did you tell him that made him change his mind about me? He hugged me when he answered the door."

"I told him the story of what happened, and how it wasn't your fault that we were alone for all those years. And that you would never take his place."

"I love you Tohru."

"I love you Yuki."

The two quickly kissed, then when they blushed and turned back to the dishes (it really was like before she left, Tohru thought) Ritsu came into the kitchen.

"Umm.. Tohru?"

"Yes Ritsu?" Tohru asked, turning to him. "Did you want something else to eat? Or something to drink? I can make some tea if you like."

"No, I just wanted to say. To say that I'm sorry for hating you all these years. I always thought you had it so easy, you could leave the Sohmas if you wanted to. I thought that you really didn't care about us at all. That deep down you really couldn't deal with the curse like you said you could. I always thought that your life was so much better than my own, that maybe you were trying to take the family away from me.

"I was wrong though. You had it harder than I ever could. You've been alone for so long, and now for the last four years you've had to raise a cursed zodiac member. That can't be easy at all. I still remember what happened to Momiji. But I guess I finally see that you do care about our family, and that you can accept what we are. I'm sorry for hating you Tohru. Will you please forgive me and be my friend too?"

"Oh of course Ritsu! I can't blame you for not liking me. I guess to you it must look like I have things better than the rest of you. I'm sorry if there was anything I did to make you think that."

Yuki couldn't believe his luck! Ritsu-Ritsu liked Tohru! But could it be true? Was the curse broken now?

"Tohru, can I ask you a favor please," Yuki asked.

"Of course Yuki. Anything."

Yuki took her hand and pulled her into the living room. "Shinta, will you come here for a moment?"

Shigure and Hatori gave Yuki a questioning look, but Yuki ignored them.

"Yes Yuki?" Shinta asked him.

"Will you give Mommy a hug for me?"

Shinta slightly frowned, but did as he was asked. Shinta and Tohru hugged. Mother and child.

There as a silent pause as the two hugged. Yuki held his breath.

Nothing. No puff of smoke. No rooster.

Tohru jumped up. "What happened?!?! Shinta are you all right?"

Shigure and Hatori grinned widely.

Yuki ran over and hugged Ritsu. 'You did it!" Then he ran and pulled Tohru into his arms. "Thank you so much Tohru! You did it!"

Yuki didn't change into a mouse.

"What did I do?"

"You, and Ritsu. You broke the curse!"

"What?"

Shigure and Hatori explained to everyone about the journal they had found. It said that if all of the cursed animals could come to love and care about one person outside of the family who knew of the curse that the curse would be broken. Tohru was that person, but Ritsu was the last person to care about Tohru.

"I love you Tohru! I love you Shinta!"

Shinta didn't quite understand what had happened, but knew his mommy would tell him later. All he knew at the moment was that he could actually hug his mommy. And that was just what he did.