(Chapter Seven: Day After)

The next morning Tohru stretched as she rose from her bed. Lying next to her curled up in a little ball, was Kyoko, who when Tohru petted her gently raised her sleepy head and wagged her tail.

"Good morning Kyoko" Tohru replied sweetly.

"Meow" Kyoko responded stretching herself as Tohru got up from the bed and walked over to the closet.

Tohru looked around the room as she got dressed and noticed that Rin was still sound asleep in her bed. So she quietly tiptoed out of the room and walked downstairs where Hatsuharu was sitting on the couch once more reading his book.

"Good morning Hatsuharu" she said with a smile.

"Oh" he looked up and smiled back as he sat up, "Good morning Tohru. Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year" she replied back, "Where is everyone this morning?"

"I think that most of them are sleeping right now," Haru said as he stood up and stretched, "Kagura went with Kisa to the main house today to fetch Hiro."

"That's good" Tohru nodded, "Well then I guess I'll go make breakfast," she replied as she walked into the kitchen, Hatsuharu right behind her.

"You and Kyo got in awful late this morning" Haru commented.

Mhm" she nodded again, "We stayed to watch the sunrise."

"Cool. I'll bet he'll sleep the day away though" Haru scratched the back of his head, "Then again he's not like Yuki. Can I help you with anything?"

"No not at all" Tohru shook her head, "You go back and read your book Hatsuharu."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm. Go on now. I'll take care of this."

"Okay" he agreed with a smile, "Got to say it. Kyo's a real lucky man to have such a resilient girlfriend. Helpful around the house and an excellent cook to boot."

"Ahem" someone angrily cleared their voice from behind him.

Hatsuharu jumped around to the front and saw Kyo staring at him with a frown on his face.

"Oh good morning Kyo" Haru grinned sheepishly placing his hand behind his head, "Did you sleep well?"

"You're starting to sound like Shigure Haru" Kyo replied, "Just knock it off."

Hatsuharu nodded and slid back into the sitting room, cautiously walking past Kyo. Kyo merely shook his head and walked into the kitchen with a smile, wrapping his arms around Tohru as he embraced her from behind.

"Oh" she blushed a little, "Good morning Kyo."

"Good morning" he said back.

"Did you get enough sleep?"

"Yea. What are you doing?" he looked at the countertop that was filled with ingredients.

"Making breakfast for everyone. I'm just about done."

"You don't have to do this you know."

"I know" she nodded, "I like doing it. Why don't you go join Hatsuharu and I'll be in a minute."

"Okay" Kyo yawned slightly and walked out of the kitchen.

Just as he walked back into the sitting room, Kagura, Kisa, and Hiro came in the door and Momiji came downstairs.

"Good morning Kyo!" Kagura replied in her singsong voice, which still unnerved Kyo to hear it.

"Uh good morning" he grimaced as he sat down on the floor.

"Where's Sissy this morning?" Kisa asked looking around her as Hiro flopped into an armchair with a grimace on his face.

"Yea where is Tohru?" Momiji added.

"She's in the kitchen making breakfast" Haru replied as Kyo began lifting his weights one at a time.

"Oh do you think we should go help her?" Momiji asked.

"No need to" Tohru appeared with a tray, carrying it over to the sitting table, "It's all ready."

Everyone came over and sat down. At that moment Yuki came down the steps looking sleepy as usual.

"Good morning Yuki" Tohru smiled as he walked over, "You're just in time."

"Oh" he looked over at her and smiled back, "Good morning Miss Honda."

Everyone passed around the food and soon they were all enjoying the delicious meal. Momiji took a sip of tea and then turned to Tohru.

"So Tohru" he replied, "What do you want to do today?"

"Hmm?"

"Well we have two more days. So what do you want to do?"

"Oh I don't know" she shook her head looking at everyone.

"Sissy" Kisa spoke up making everyone raise their eyes from their dishes since it was still quite a rare thing when she did speak, "I was wondering do you think we could go to the lake again?"

"Yea" Tohru nodded, "Why not Kisa. We should do that. And this time Hiro can join us."

"Huh?" he turned slightly red, "What are you dragging me into this for?" he stared angrily at Tohru.

"Please Hiro" Kisa looked at him sweetly.

"Okay" Hiro consented still a little bit angry.

"Yea!" Momiji cheered, "What about you guys? Yuki? Haru?"

"I'm sorry Momiji" Yuki shook his head, "I still have a lot of work to catch up on. It's not easy being Student Council President you know."

"I'm afraid I have to decline too" Haru replied, "I really want to finish that book of Shigure's. No hard feelings."

"Mnm" Momiji shook his head, "How about you Kagura?"

"No" Kagura said, "I'm going to see my mom this afternoon. I would love to go with you guys, but Mom and I hardly get to spend time together since I am in college."

"Then you go Kagura" Tohru replied with a smile, "We'll be all right."

"Thank you Tohru. Speaking of which" she stood up from the table with her dishes, "I got to get going" she walked into the kitchen.

"So that leaves just Tohru, Kisa, Hiro and myself. What about you Kyo?"

"No way" Kyo shook his head, "I have already seen the lake way too many times. Besides I was gonna go for a run. That's okay right Tohru?" he turned to her.

"Of course" she nodded with a smile, "That's okay Kyo. You don't have to come with us."

"Okay" Kyo smiled as Kyoko jumped onto the table right in front of Yuki.

"Uh Miss Honda" Yuki replied as he moved away from the table with his bowl of rice and chopsticks.

"Kyoko" Tohru scolded when she saw her, "Bad kitty."

"I'll get her" Kyo said amused as he picked her up, "There there now. Did that mean old rat scare you?"

"Very funny stupid cat" Yuki replied angrily, "Would you get it away please" he insisted as Kyo rolled his eyes and Haru and Momiji looked on quite amused themselves.

Kyo placed Kyoko on the floor and gave her a little tap in the rump so she would head into the kitchen.

"Happy now?" Kyo said with a smirk on his face as he walked over the door to get his tennis shoes on.

Yuki glared at him as he finished his breakfast and the others cleared the table. Kyo smirked at him one last time and then walked out the door, saying goodbye to Tohru in the process with a gentle kiss on the cheek.

(Next Scene)

Hatori strolled along the halls of the main house and headed for a large room at the end of the main hallway. He knocked once on the door and Kureno answered.

"Hello Kureno" Hatori said, "Good morning. I came to see if Akito's doing all right."

"Um actually" Kureno replied, "He's not here at the moment."

"What?"

"He left for a walk not too long ago."

"A walk?"

"He does that sometimes. He left for one last night too, after we had left the party. He came back an hour later."

"I see. Well if he's going for a walk, then I guess he's all right" Hatori turned around but then turned his head slightly around once more, "Kureno. Shigure, Ayame and I were all thinking about going to the hot baths behind the house. Why don't you join us?"

"I wish I could Hatori" Kureno nodded with a slight smile, "But I should be here when Akito comes back. But thanks for the offer" he added as Hatori had his back turned once more.

"No problem" Hatori replied as he departed.

Kureno sighed as he closed the door and walled back over to the piece of floor he had been sitting on and sat down once more, wondering just when Akito would return.

(Next Scene)

Tohru enjoyed the lake even more then the first two times she had seen it. The four of them all gazed at the nature all around them, and even Hiro had to admit that it was a lot of fun, even with that stupid girl around. Tohru had told Kisa earlier that day that coming to the lake was always special for her, because when she was young her mother and her had never been to one, because they couldn't afford it. As they walked back to the house, Momiji walked next to her and turned to her with a quizzical look in his eye.

"But Tohru aren't your grandparents wealthy?"

"Mhm" she nodded not noticing the candidness of the question, "But when I was growing up, mom and her folks didn't get along very well. They had a terrible argument and my mom stopped speaking to them. Now I talk to them all the time."

Hiro listened in as he held onto Kisa's hand, feeling for the first time somewhat sorry for the strange girl.

"That's good Tohru" Momiji said with a smile.

"Yes" she nodded, "Oh look at these flowers" she replied to herself kneeling down as Momiji ran in front of Hiro and Kisa making both of them stop and then continue on their way.

"Come on Sissy!" Kisa called back to her as they walked.

"I'll be right there!" Tohru answered as she gathered some of the flowers in a bouquet.

As Momiji ran he could hear creaking from the woods and stopped abruptly looking around him. Then a rustling from a nearby tree startled him and he looked in the direction of it. From behind the tree stepped Akito, staring directly into Momiji's eyes as he could only stare back in frozen surprise.

"Akito?" he managed to say as Akito smiled menacingly back at him.

(To be continued..)

Authors Note: Another two-parter! I hope you enjoyed the first half, but the second half is going to give you more chills I assure you.

Next Part: Akito appears and now he is going to get his answer from Tohru, no matter who tries to stop him. Find out what happens!