Chapter 4

~~~~

Damsel in Distress

~~~~

"Well!" Shigure started as everyone sat down for lunch after Kyo and Haru finished their fight for the time being. "We have the majority of the Mabudachi trio," (AN: sp? I watched the majority of FB in dub, then the rest with no sound ^^;;) he said, putting an arm around Hatori's shoulders. "And their damsel in distress," added, putting his other arm around Kai's shoulders. "Now all we need is----"

"Don't---say---his---name," Yuki growled with a brooding air.

"What's the matter, Yuki-San?" Kai asked.

"Aya is Yuki's older brother by ten years," Shigure explained.

"Oh, I should have noticed that."

"I told you not to say his name," Yuki growled with an even more brooding air.

"I should go get the rice balls," Tohru said, noticing everyone was finished. "I guess it's good that we made extra, ne, Kai-San?"

"'Gure-San!" a disturbingly sing-song voice that was apparently right on cue said as its owner walked in. "How are you, dear cousin? The door was...gaping open, so I let myself in!" Ayame explained, spreading his arms, accidentally knocking Tohru into Kyo.

Anji snapped out of his nap to the sound of a small explosion. That smell... Cat.

"Kyo-Kun?" Tohru asked, looking at her friend whose hackles were visibly up.

"Anji-Chan, that's Kyo-San!" Kai exclaimed.

"Oh, dear," Ayame exclaimed. "I'm so clumsy...Oh, Kai-Chan, how have you been?" he asked, sitting ext to his friend giving her a friendly hug.

"Dumb cat," Yuki mumbled. "Can't even dodge a falling girl."

The dog slowly walked up to the flabbergasted cat, sniffed him for a little bit, and promptly fell back asleep.

"Oh!" Tohru exclaimed. "The rice balls!" she added, walking out.

"Oh, THIS is Anji?" Ayame asked, pointing to the sleeping dog.

"Hai, Aya-Chan," Kai said with a nod. (AN: it fits him, ne?)

"Oh, he's precious!"

"You should have seen him when he was a puppy, he could fit in your palm, he was so tiny."

"Now he's as tall as Momiji-Kun," Shigure pointed out to the side.

"Even though he's really big, he's really sweet!" Momiji exclaimed, turning around and patting the dog on his head.

Kyo glared at the ridiculously huge dog. "Dumb mutt."

Everyone turned around when Kyo turned back into Kyo. He glared and grabbed his clothes, and walked out of the room.

"Now who's the dumb mutt?" Haru asked, taking a sip of his tea.

~~~~

"Okay, lunch is over, we have to get back now," Hatori declared.

"Aw, do we have to, Ha'ri??" Momiji whined. "Kai-Chan was about to teach me how to play go fish!"

"Maybe some other time, Momiji-Kun," Kai said, patting his head. "If Hatori-San says you have to leave it must be for a good reason."

"And I only got to have two rice balls!" he continued.

"We can make some more the next time you come over, Momiji-Kun," Tohru explained

"Okay! Nice meeting you, Kai-Chan!" he practically sang as he ran outside to wait for Hatori and Haru.

Haru bowed. "Pleasure to meet you, Kai-San."

"It was nice seeing you again, Kai-San," Hatori said as he followed his younger companions out the door.

"Oh, I'd love to stay and chat with you more, 'Gure-San, Kai-Chan, but duty calls at the shop!" Ayame chimed in.

"Hatori's the only one with a license, ne?" Kai asked.

"Oh, no, whatever gave you that idea?"

"He's flashing his headlights at you," Yuki said, lifting an eyebrow.

"Why, he shouldn't be doing that, it's broad daylight outside!"

Kyo leaned over to look out of the hole in the door. "Now Momiji's pounding on the horn."

"Oh, but I'm having so much fun!" Aya whined.

"Now, Haru's leaning on the horn and..." Yuki started but couldn't finish.

Kyo let out a guffaw. "And winking at you, baka nezumi!" With that, he fell to the floor, laughing.

"I suppose I really must get going then," Aya lamented as Hatori walked out of the car and dragged him out of Shigure's house by the collar. He grabbed the doorframe one last time to peek in. "Ja, Kai-Chan!"

"Ja, Aya-Chan!"

~~~~

The next day, when Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki got home from school, Kai took out her easel and starting a project she needed to do in about three weeks. Deadlines were created only to torment her.

"Hello, Kai-San," Shigure cheerfully said, walking up. "Oh, I hope I'm not intruding."

"Oh, no, I can do two things at once, Shigure-San," she explained, taking out a pencil.
The two launched into conversation, Kai working on her project, and Shigure, standing in the doorway.

"Oh, I just remembered!" Tohru exclaimed running in...to Shigure.

Kai turned around to see his dog form. Tohru blinked as her friend's eyes brightened.

"You're so adorable! You're half the size of Anji!!" she squealed throwing her arms around the small black dog.

'This must be the first time Kai-San has seen Shigure-San in his dog form,' Tohru thought with a smile. 'At least her reaction was positive...'

Kai face-faulted as Shigure turned back to himself, and she still had her arms around him.

"Ano...gomen ne, Shigure-San, I get carried away when it comes to dogs," Kai apologized, letting go.

"Sh-Shigure-San?" Tohru asked, confused. "Are you crying...?"

"I think you're adorable too, Kai-San!!" he exclaimed, returning the hug.

Tohru and Kai both face-faulted.

"Why wasn't I expecting that??"

"Oh!" Tohru exclaimed, shielding her eyes as Shigure got dressed. "I forgot. I was talking with Hana-Chan and Uo-Chan today, and they said they wanted to sleep over again. Is it okay if they spend tomorrow night?"

"Ano...as long as Hana doesn't read my novels, I'm fine with it, Tohru-Kun."

"Do you mind, Kai-San?"

"I don't mind. I'd like to get to know your friends, Tohru-San."

~~~~

"Hm," Kyo pondered aloud. "I wonder why you get along so well with people, but it's the opposite with dogs."

Shigure had suggested he and Yuki walk Anji when they got home from school. But, Anji wouldn't budge when Yuki held the leash. Which was kind of strange after the dog's first reaction to Kyo's cat form.

"Shut up, you don't know what you're talking about, baka neko."

"Kuso nezumi."

As the two argued, Anji sat on the trail and refused to budge. "What is it, boy?" Kyo asked.

"Oh, right, like you know what he's saying," Yuki drawled sarcastically.

"Yuki, Kyo," Haru's voice came from a side of the forking trail. "Thank God you two stopped right there, if you had any further we would have lost you."

"Hey, you're pretty smart for a mutt," Kyo admitted, patting the dog's head.

"He's laughing at me," Yuki growled.

"Oh, right, like you know what he's saying," Kyo mocked.

"Um, Kyo...Yuki...back to the subject at hand please?" Haru interjected.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Kyo hollered.

"Kisa said she wants to spend a little time with Tohru and meet Kai," he explained, letting his small cousin walk forward.

"I've already got my things packed, so you don't have to worry..." the orange-haired girl said timidly. "Who's dog is that?"

"This is Kai-San's dog," Yuki explained.

"His name's Anji. And he's cooler than the rat will EVER be."

Haru rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Later." With that he walked back the way he came.

"He looks really nice," Kisa pointed out as she walked down the path to Shigure's house with her two older cousins. "What's Kai-San like?"

"Actually, she's a lot like Honda-San, come to think of it," Yuki mused.

"I don't know how I would describe her, but I like her dog," Kyo concluded with a nod.

~~~~

(AN: poor, poor, poor Shigure's house in general. Hana. Uo. Kisa. Ano...I don't think Tohru's room is big enough. Eh, we'll figure something out. @_@ TK-San, I love your story! ~^_^~ and it's okay if you didn't get Akito's age right, I don't like him anyway. Poor Aki-Chan. Oh! Sorry, poor Ghost. **shakes head** you know, only people who have read the story would have gotten that...)