The Sohma Institute
By Lady of the Ink
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that . . .I hope. I do own this story, and all the plot twists it contains.
Chapter Thirty
The End and a New Beginning
Tohru had been a bundle of nerves as she and the four Sohma males bunched into the elevator on the twelfth floor. Even though the conveyance was most likely monitored, they had had no choice but to use it. There were no stairways that opened onto the floor; they all went right past as though it weren't even there. Tohru could only guess that sealing them off was only one of the many changes that had been effected when the floor was put to its current use.
A suffocating sensation had settled over her as the shiny metal doors dinged closed. If their tenseness was any indication, the others were feeling the same way. Her mind immediately filled with all the things that could go wrong, from the plausible - like someone noticing them getting on and shutting the elevator down with them in it - to the implausible - like the cables snapping and them all plummeting to the bottom of the shaft just as freedom was within their grasp. As soon as she banished one with rational thought and deep breathing, another would come to take its place.
Although they were only traveling down two floors, the ride seemed to take an eternity. Tohru found herself almost shaking with impatience and anxiety as she waited for the doors to open so they could get out. She hoped the rest of the journey would be less tense once they were no longer closed in or completely dependant on a machine.
Her breath did come much easier once they all began making their way down the stairs, although she was still on edge. They were on the tenth floor, and she knew the others were counting the landings as carefully as she was in order to make sure they stopped on the right one. They didn't want to be in the open any more than was absolutely necessary in order to avoid detection.
The first sign that something wasn't right came as they reached the first floor. According to the plan, Rin and Kagura, having gotten rid of the guards, should have met up with each other and continued on to the door to the stairs. One of them was supposed to be waiting on the inside, out of sight, while the other kept a look out on the outside.
The landing was deserted.
Tohru felt her throat closing as panic set in. She had been counting on someone else taking over the lead once they reached this point. While she knew the direct path to get to and from the twelfth floor, the rest of the building was little more than a mystery to her. She knew only the most basic details about their intended course. If she were to try and get them through an unguarded exit on her own, she had the sinking feeling she would get them all lost and, as a result, caught.
All it took was one look at the four expectant faces turning her way for Tohru to get herself under control. It wasn't easy, and she had the fingernails indentations in her palms to prove it, but she did it because she had to. It was just as dangerous for them all to be standing still in one place as it was to venture onward without their scouts. It would be risky, yes, but it was better to try and fail than not to try at all. It had been one of Kagura's most passionate comments when she had addressed them all during their meeting to deal with their last minute reservations.
"That's what this entire plan hinges on; moving forward. Once we start, we'll have no choice but to finish. I know it seems like a lot of work and a lot of chances, but once we divide the jobs up between all of us, it'll be easier." She stopped to take a deep breath, showing that for all her calm words, she was as anxious as the rest of them. "Once we get them out and away to somewhere that Akito can't find them, all we have to do is level our ultimatum and wait to see how they take it. If it goes like we're all hoping, there will be some adjustment time and then things will go, if not back to normal, at least to something much more acceptable than now."
Kagura had taken a moment to look each of them in the eye. Since she had come up with the majority of the plan, they had all turned to her as the leader. Even Minna, older by more than a decade, had proven a willing follower. Kagura had shouldered the burden without complaint and with an eagerness bordering on fanaticism. Tohru had gotten the feeling that she was doing it as much to prove something to herself as she was to better the lives of her cousins. While she didn't think the older girl's reasons were selfish, she couldn't help but worry about the amount of pressure she seemed to placing on herself.
But now wasn't the time to be thinking about anyone but those standing next to her, Tohru reminded herself harshly. She had a decision to make and it had to be done right away. Closing her eyes in the hopes for clearer thoughts, she plotted a course of action. With a decisive nod to herself, she opened her eyes and faced the Sohmas.
"Kagura or Rin were supposed to meet us here, but they must have gotten held up. I'm going to peek out and see if I can see them or anyone else. The four of you have to wait here until I come back for you, okay?"
She noticed the hints of protest forming on Yuki and Kyou's faces and cut them off with a raised hand. "I have an excuse to be wandering around out there; you don't." While she didn't want to cause any more worry than they were already feeling, Tohru knew she needed to cover the just-in-case scenario. "If I'm not back in two minutes, you'll need to try and find your own way out. Your best chance is to find Rin or Kagura and follow their lead." Without waiting for a response, she slipped out the door.
Tohru knew that she needed to act casual in case she was being watched. It was almost as difficult as the waiting had been. She had to force herself not to allow her shoulders to hunch forward or her eyes to dart nervously. Matching her steps to her breathing, she made slow progress down the hall and around the corner.
She soon came to be in an open area that she had never seen before. Closer inspection revealed the reason why. The space was several feet and a turn past where she usually boarded the elevator for her trips to and from the twelfth floor. If it hadn't been for Kagura's description, garnered after a brief tour conducted by Kureno just after she began her visits, Tohru knew she would have become lost quite easily. As it was, she quickly found her way to the hall leading to the service entrance by the garage.
It took less than a minute for her to plot the path and ascertain that it was free from people. For the first time since leaving the twelfth floor, Tohru found herself entertaining the thought that everything was going to turn out okay. That feeling lasted through collecting the Sohmas, leading them down the hall, and sliding through the door into the delivery area. She was almost smiling as they neared the final corner . . .until the sound of voices reached their ears.
All five of them immediately flattened themselves against the wall, scrunching down to become as small and unnoticeable as possible. It was only after a few tense moments where they didn't dare to move, or even breath, that they realized the voices had continued unabated.
Momiji was the closest to the corner. Using his hands, he mimed someone peeking around a wall before shooting Tohru a questioning look. At her slow nod of agreement, he pressed one hand against the wall and inched forward until he had an unobstructed view. She saw his eyes widen before he pulled back.
"It's Kagura!" he whispered excitedly in a voice that barely carried to her ears. He moved as though to step into view, but Kyou's hand on his arm stopped him.
"Don't be stupid!" he hissed. "Did you see if there's anyone around? Or even who she's talking to?" As Momiji shook his head no, the older boy sighed in exasperation. "So look again and find out before you screw this up!"
Momiji did as instructed, but not without a pout of annoyance. Resuming his earlier position, he leaned his body at an angle to get a better view. Something he saw must have startled him, because he caught his breath and jerked suddenly. Tohru watched in horror as the hand that Momiji had used to brace himself with began to slide. Her own hands reached toward him, but she knew she was too far away to do any good. She could only play the part of a silent witness as he twisted to regain his balance and wound up slamming his shoulder into the wall in the process.
The voices from the other room stopped abruptly and Tohru watched as Momiji bit his lower lip in misery, Kyou grimaced and Yuki allowed his eyes to flutter closed. Only Haru's face remained unchanging, as blank as it ever was. He might have been just as upset as the others on the inside, but none of that showed one his face. There was something about his stoic expression that helped Tohru keep her own calm. It gave her the ability to imagine that he wasn't worried, and so she shouldn't be either.
Drawing strength from her illusion, she concentrated when she normally would have wanted to panic. She listened intently but there were no footsteps running towards them or voices calling out questions. The room was almost eerily silent.
Kyou was the first to notice the same thing. Pushing Momiji to the side, and none too gently, he threw a darting glance around the corner with all the finesse of a seasoned spy. Whatever he saw seemed to catch him as off guard and he repeated the action, as though to make sure he weren't seeing things.
Before Tohru could question him on it, a hand settled onto her arm. She jumped, but managed not to make a sound. Wide-eyed, she turned to see Rin standing just beside her.
"What are you standing around for?" she asked in a hushed voice. "You should be heading outside by now!" Tohru floundered for a moment, still surprised at Rin's sudden appearance. She was saved from having to answer by Momiji.
"Kagura's still in there, and there's a security guard with her." His answer brought four heads swiveling in his direction. Only Kyou remained unmoving, apparently having seen the same thing for himself when he'd stolen his glance.
There was a moment of silence as Rin absorbed the new information. She shook her head. "There isn't time to waste. Minna's waiting and a guard could come in here at any time. We'll go out another way." She spoke in an authorities tone, brooking no arguments. She had already turned and started to walk away when Tohru managed to speak up.
"But . . .Kagura . . ."
"Can handle herself. Come on!" With a firm grip on Tohru's arm, Rin led the group back the way they had come. Haru found his way to Rin's other side while Yuki and Momiji were directly behind them. Kyou brought up the rear, keeping a careful watch behind them with glances thrown over his shoulder every few moments.
As they neared the security guards' booth, Tohru unconsciously started to slow her steps. Rin continued to propel her forward. "There's no one there. It was empty when I came in, the door unlocked. That's why I was late. It seemed too easy and I wanted to check it out."
Even knowing that, Tohru couldn't keep herself from looking over every inch of the small booth and the hall surrounding it as they passed. The reception area was equally deserted, and their footsteps were the only sound that reached her ears. She noticed that they all walked a bit faster as they neared the door, much like a child quickening their pace down a shadowy hall when the lit up bedroom came into view. In that one moment when you're almost free from the darkness, the fear manages to catch up with you.
By the time they reached the end of the lobby, they were all running. Five pairs of hands reached out to slam open the doors and five bodies burst through the doorway with the urgency of a runner crossing the finish line. There was only a moment of pause as they scoured the area, looking for Minna and the car she'd promised to have running and ready to go. The quick honk of a horn brought their attention to a van parked right across from them. The driver's window lowered and they saw Minna's smiling and tearful face framed in it.
Tohru barely heard Momiji's cry of joy as they all continued forward. Now that the end was in sight, the immediate urgency of the situation had fled. They all looked at each other with smiles and even a little bit of relief-born laughter. Although they weren't entirely out of the woods, they all wanted to take that moment to savor the first taste of freedom. There was a sense of calmness around them, as though the air itself were welcoming them back. Their steps slowed until they were walking again . . .until an indistinct yell caught all their attention.
Kagura came racing out of the garage entrance, moving so quickly her dark hair flew straight out behind her like a banner. The reason for her speed became clear as two men in uniforms came into view, obviously chasing her.
As Kagura neared the road, she began shouting instruction, adding gestures to make sure they all understood. "Everybody, go! Now! Split up!" Instead of heading for the car, she turned and continued down the sidewalk, racing past the darkened storefronts and office buildings that lined the street. Just before she was out of sight, she cut a quick left, vanishing down an alley.
One of the security guards was following her down the street but the other had stopped just in front of the building. His eyes had slowly come to rest on the group standing by the road. Although he couldn't possibly know the specifics of what was going on, he could obviously tell when someone was doing something they shouldn't be. A determined expression came over his face and he started in their direction.
Rin began pushing and shoving at the four Sohma boys, striving to get them into the car as fast as she could. With little concern for seatbelts or safety, they tumbled over one another, twisting so that they'd all fit. It only took one look for Tohru to see that there wouldn't be enough room for her to squeeze in as well. The boys took up the entire backseat, and Minna was crammed into the front along with several pieces of luggage. If there had been more time, she was sure they would have managed, but that was one commodity that had run out of.
Rin seemed to come to the same conclusion at the same moment. Their eyes met and a small smile tipped the taller girl's lips. Slamming the door closed, banged her fist against the side and yelled, "Go!" Without waiting to see if Minna obeyed, she took off, her long legs quickly covering ground. Running right past the guard, she shouted something that had him turning on his heel and chasing after her.
From the corner of her eye, Tohru saw movement in the back of the van. She knew that as long as she remained there, Minna and the others would as well. If she wanted them to get away, she was going to have go first. Shooting an encouraging smile through the window, Tohru did an about-face and began to run. She had no solid destination in mind, just the simple and clear thought that it was time for her to put the Sohmas behind her, both literally and figuratively. The sidewalk in front of the Institute would be their parting ground as they went their separate ways.
Her days at the Sohma Institute were over.
