Disclaimer: Fruits Basket and its characters are the property of their respective owners. This piece is not for profitable purposes.

Chapter 23: A Family Event – Part I

As we walk out of the matinee showing we had gone to see together, Tohru's cell phone begins to ring. We stop and she takes her hand from mine as she searches for the phone in her purse. When she finds it, she looks to me and smiles before answering.

"Hello."

I hear a voice say, "Toh-ru!"

"Momiji-kun! How are you?" she answers.

"Great, Toh-ru! I'm calling to invite you."
In a confused tone, she says, "Invite me?"

"Yep! All the Sohmas haven't been together in a while, so I decided to have a Super Fantastic Sohma Celebration!"

Her facial expression displaying surprise, she responds, "My goodness!"

"Wait until you hear about it, Toh-ru! My father says that we can use my family's home in the woods. Listen, Toh-ru, it has trees, a lake, and even a place where you can start a fire and roast marshmallows, you'll love it!"

Sounding anxious, she says, "Are – are you sure, Momiji-kun, I…"

"Of course, of course! Toh-ru is a very important part of the Sohma family. You have to come!"

Her expression becomes thoughtful before she says, "It, it would be nice to spend time with everyone, I enjoy learning more and more about the Sohmas."

His voice sounding both excited and hopeful, he asks, "You'll come then, Toh-ru?"

She smiles as she replies, "I'd love too, Momiji-kun."

"Great! I'll e-mail you the directions. It'll be next Sunday at 10:00."

"It sounds like it will be wonderful, thank you so much for inviting me."

"You bet! I'll see you then, Toh-ru!"

"Yes, certainly. Good bye, Momiji-kun."

She presses the button to end the conversation and then looks toward me with a broad smile.

"How kind of the Sohmas to invite me to a family event."

I take hold of her free hand and say, "You've been a very important part of the Sohma family for so long. We're all happy and grateful that you've returned to us."

She smiles at me again before placing her cell phone back in her purse.

I look at my watch once more as I pull up to her apartment building. I step outside of my car and walk towards the door to their apartment. After I knock, I hear voices inside.

"I'll be back later today, Hana-chan, Uo-chan."

"Of course, Tohru-kun, have a nice time."

"Enjoy, Tohru!"

"Thank you. I'm off then!"

"Good bye, Tohru-kun."

"So long, Tohru."

The door opens and I see Tohru wearing a beige turtleneck sweater, jeans, and sneakers. In her hair are the bows that she wore with her high school uniform. She closes the door behind her and steps closer to me.

"Good morning, Tohru, it's nice to see you."

She smiles as she says, "Thank you, Yuki, it's good to see you, too."

"Thank you," I answer with a smile.

We walk together to the car and I open the door for her and help her in before returning to my side and starting the car.

After a quiet but pleasant trip, we arrive at Momiji's family's home. We step out of the car, and I am glad to see her surprised and delighted expression.

She looks to me and says, "Isn't this amazing, Yuki? A beautiful forest and home."

I nod my head and smile in response. Still enchanted, she moves closer to me and we hold hands as we walk to the door.

I ring the bell and, after a few moments, Momiji appears at the door and shouts, "Welcome, Toh-ru, Yuki!"

"Thank you, Momiji-kun."

"Thank you, Momiji."

He waves his hand as he says, "No problem, no problem. Come inside!"

We follow his request and remove our shoes before joining our hands once more. I scan the area and see the Sohmas of the Juunishi and Shishou. I am surprised, though, when I see one person there – Kyo. Having heard our names and noticed our entrance, he looks to us. Although his face remains placid, I can see in his eyes a swirling of emotions – all unpleasant. He quickly turns away, surprising Kagura, who looks to where his view had just previously been. A mix of feelings plays across her face as she decides what to do next.

Having made a decision, she steps forward and says, "Yun-chan, Tohru!"

The eyes of all the Sohmas except Kyo become fixed upon us.