Disclaimer : No, I don't own Fruits Basket simply for the reason that Takaya-sensei thought of it first. But one can still dream!

"Oh, look what our beautiful flower has left for us!"

"Must you always refer to Miss Honda with such a perverse undertone?"

"Yeah, shut up Shigure!"

The sun had just begun to set as the three male members of the Sohma household sat down for dinner. Tonight they were having stew that Tohru had made that same morning before heading off to school and then to work. And as usual, it was delicious.

"So, which one of you two will be picking our dear sweet Tohru up from work tonight?" Shigure inquired. "If you are too busy I'd be happy to do it! You know how I love evening strolls through the city with all the neon lights and the smell of smog and don't forget-----" he trailed off.

'Geez,' thought Yuki as he rose to clear the table after the three had finished.

"That would be me," Kyo stated. "Like we'd let you near Tohru alone! Anyway, I'm gonna go ahead and go. Tohru should be done by the time I get there."

Shigure rose from the table, smoothing his robe. "Just try to control your hormones, Kyo! We wouldn't want you upseting Tohru!"

'Damn Shigure,' Kyo thought as he slid on his shoes and pulled the screen shut.

"It's alright, Tohru. It's nothing to get so upset over. Just study some more and retake the test this Saturday."

Momiji and Tohru came walking out of the SoMA building. Tohru was in tears as she told Momiji about a test she failed, the second one this term. Neither one of them noticed Kyo standing over by the window of a nearby store, waiting for Tohru.

"I know, Momiji. It's just.....this is the second one this term! The first one was bad enough, but I thought it was just a fluke. But now this. Mom would be so disappointed. And Yuki and Kyo and Uo and Hana-----"

"Won't think any less of you," Momiji interrupted. "Tell ya what. Go home and get some sleep and after school tomorrow we can all get together and play another game of badminton! OK?!"

"Ok," said Tohru wiping her eyes. "Kyo is picking me up tonight, so I better stop crying like a silly little baby. He gets angry with me when I do."

Kyo halted. He had started walking toward the pair when he saw them exit the building, but Tohru's last comment caused him to stop. As he did, Momiji noticed him and smiled.

"Seeing you cry does upset him, but he isn't angry at you," he said keeping eye contact with Kyo. "He gets angry at himself......and the curse. You see, Tohru, Kyo and Yuki care about you very much. And when they see you upset, they want to make you feel better. Yuki somehow always knows what to say. But Kyo.... he has trouble saying what he feels sometimes. So when he sees you hurting, he wishes he could just hold you tight and let you know it's all ok. But he can't.... because of the curse. And that is why he gets so angry."

At hearing this, Kyo felt as if Momiji had looked straight through him, reading his thoughts. The rabbit was right. Kyo wanted so badly to hold Tohru in his arms when she was upset, to let her know it was all going to be fine. But he couldn't do that. Nor could he spew poetry like that damn rat. The truth was, seeing Tohru cry didn't make him angry, it made him feel helpless.

"Oh look Tohru! Kyo is here!" Momiji broke eye contact with the orange headed Sohma and turned to Tohru who was wiping the last few drops of water from her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm here," said Kyo as he continued toward the pair. "And I'm tired. So can we go already?"

"OK!" said Tohru cheerfully. "Bye Momiji!!!!!!" And the two started toward home.
The walk home was a typical one. Tohru rambled on about whether Kyo, Yuki, and Shigure had eaten and whether the dinner she made was acceptable. It always was, of course, but that never stopped her. After inquiring after various members of the Sohma family, and even going so far as to ask if Mii ( Shigure's editor ) was doing alright, Tohru remembered Momiji's suggestion about the following day. She looked into Kyo's eyes and smiled.

"Hey Kyo, what do you say to another game of badminton after school tomorrow with the other Sohmas?"

"Sure. Hell, it gives me another shot at beating that damn rat into the ground at something!"

Tohru smiled.

'Phew', thought Kyo. 'She must be feeling better. I won't say anything about the test since she seemed so upset over it. Huh?'

Kyo's thoughts were interrupted by the site of Tohru zipping back in forth in front of him, swinging an invisible racket at an invisible birdie.

"Hyaaa! Hyaaa! Hyaa!" she mumbled to herself.

'Heh heh...' thought Kyo. His thoughts were yet again interrupted by a sudden "Hyaaa---AH!!!!" and the sight of Tohru tripping over the curb.

Kyo lunged foward. "Watch out!" He yelled as his arms wrapped around her waist.

POOF!

Tohru was now on the ground, with a bright orange cat staring her straight in the face with a look of concern.

"He...he....heeheehee!" Tohru burst into giggles. "I'm sorry! It's just....I've done it again!"

Kyo's looked changed from worry to relief as Tohru continued to giggle.

'Phew, she's ok at least.' Kyo started to climb down from Tohru onto the street when he heard the voice.

"Hey beautiful. Whatcha doin' all alone on such a cold night? Come here and let me warm you up!" The figure closed in on Tohru, who had stopped laughing and instead held a look of fear on her face. What should she do? What COULD she do? She wasn't a physically strong person, and now she had changed Kyo into a cat, so what could he do except........................... THAT?

Kyo's cat form lept at the dark figure, hissing with claws bared. 'Don't touch her, you bastard!' He thought. To say it out loud would have for sure sent the creep running in surprise, but it would also compromise the Sohma secret.

With a quick fling the man sent Kyo backwards and away from himself. "Damn cat!!" he said. He reached into his jacket.

And pulled out a gun.

Tohru, who had been watching the whole scene in terror was the first to see the weapon. She saw as the man aimed his firearm at Kyo's cat form and suddenly she felt her body move on its own.

"Kyo!!"

BANG!
Shigure and Yuki sat around the kotatsu watching television. For the past half hour, Yuki had been checking his watch, then the door, then his watch again. Being the rat allowed him to sense things, and something did not seem right....

"Calm down, Yuki. I'm sure they are fine. Maybe they stopped somewhere on the way. Or maybe Kyo decided to take Tohru out on a date!"

Yuki was too burdened with worry to notice the dog's comments. He loved Miss Honda too, and on a normal day he would have responded to such a remark. But.......

"Something's wrong, Shigure." he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I can feel it....." His cousin looked up.

"I'm sure they're fine." Shigure said calmly. But deep down inside, he felt the same way. Call it writer's intuition. The air seemed colder. Something had happened. But he had to keep Yuki calm, in case it was all just nothing. In case Kyo and Tohru had just stopped for ice cream or groceries. "You worry too much Yuki. If it gets to be too late, we can go out and look for them. But a half hour isn't much to be concerned about." he said, bowing his head. 'I hope'.
Hope you like it so far. If I get enough reviews I will continue!