Chapter Eight: Kidnapped!

Tohru sat at her desk organizing the latest files that had been given to her by Hideto Sohma. As she was doing this he came out of his office with a kind smile on his face.

"Miss Honda do you have a moment?" he asked.

"Of course Mr. Sohma" she said with a bow of her head, "What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to thank you for what you did for Momo yesterday. My wife told me that you were the one who found her and brought her home. Not to mention you helped her with her scrape too. I am truly grateful."

"Oh it's no big deal" Tohru replied with a smile, "I was only too happy to help her. Especially since she is your daughter."

"Thank you," he repeated, "You are really kind. I love my children very much. Momiji and Momo are both very precious to me."

"Mhm. I understand" she nodded, "Momiji told me all about Momo so I already knew about her."

"I see" Hideto frowned sadly, "He told you about that huh?"

"Yes" she replied.

"I am not surprised. After all he really does trust you a lot. Well all I really wanted was to thank you Miss Honda, and keep up the good work!"

"Yes sir" she bowed again, "It was my pleasure."

He nodded with a grin and then walked back into his office.

(Next Scene)

Momiji stopped for the traffic as he stopped in front of his father's building. Since school had let out early he was anticipating seeing Tohru during her lunch break. He had experienced another dream the night before and he couldn't wait to tell her. He took the elevator up to the top floor and found her kneeling down at the filing cabinet.

"Hey Tohru" he replied with a cheerful grin.

"Momiji" she said in surprise as she stood back up, "What are you doing here?"

"I came by to see you since school let out early. Have you had lunch yet?"

"No" she shook her head, "Your father just left for his. I was going to go after he came back."

"Oh hewon't mind if you take your break now. I know my papa. So let me treat you to lunch."

"Oh Momiji that's not necessary" she shook her head.

"It's really no trouble, after all we're practically family. As soon as you marry Kyo that is," he grinned.

"Well okay" she agreed, "There is something I want to talk to you about."

"Really? Me too. Okay. You get your things and I'll meet you down in the lobby."

"Okay" she nodded as he rushed to the elevator with a big smile on his face.

Tohru picked up her purse.

"I'd better do this sooner then later," she thought.

(Next Scene)

Momiji grabbed the tray and walked over to the table where Tohru was waiting. He placed the food down and then sat across from her.

"So Tohru" Momiji replied as he took a bite of French fry, "What was it you wanted to tell me? As if I couldn't guess?" he grinned, "Did you have another dream?"

"Well yes" she nodded, "But that is not what I wanted to talk to you about."

Momiji stared at her with concern in his eyes.

"This sounds serious."

"It's not really serious" she shook her head, "It's important though. Momiji did you know that someone has been following you lately?"

"Oh do you mean those fan club girls?"

"Fan club girls? What are you talking about?" she looked at him quizzically.

"Well after Yuki left they decided to change the clubs name to The Prince Momiji Club."

"Oh I see" she smiled slightly, "So you have been having trouble just like Yuki did then?"

"Yea" he sighed, "It's a real pain. Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

"Not exactly" she shook her head again, "It is a girl who has been following you though. I found her around the archives the other day when I locked up. She had scraped her knee so I patched her up and then I walked her home."

Momiji suddenly interrupted with a loud sigh.

"It was Momo wasn't it?"

"Yes" Tohru nodded, "How did you know?"

"Just a guess. She watched me play the violin before remember. How long has she been watching me?"

"She says it's been several months, but lately almost every week."

"I see" he nodded sadly, "Did she say why?"

"Yes" Tohru smiled, "It was actually kind of interesting what she told me. She used a word I hadn't expected such a small girl to say."

"What's that?"

"She said she wasn't sure why but for some reason she had the compulsion to do it."

"Compulsion? She used that big of a word? My little sister?"

"Uh huh. I hope I was right in telling you this Momiji. I didn't want to upset you."

"It's okay Tohru" he smiled slightly, "I am glad you told me. It feels kind of nice knowing that she wonders about me."

"What are you going to do? Will you confront her?"

"No" he shook his head, "She can continue to watch me from afar if she wants just like I have toward her and mama. If one day we do meet face-to-face I don't know what I will do, but until then I will keep it just the way it is. After all I don't want to stir up trouble for Papa do I?"

Tohru stared at Momiji's mature reaction and truly felt the love he felt for his family.

"Who knows" Momiji grinned, "Maybe we will solve the Zodiac curse and then I can reveal to Mama and Momo who I really am."

"Maybe" Tohru nodded in agreement.

(Next Scene)

Kyo brushed the hair from his face as he finished up another class. He took a sip of water from his glass as he spotted Kazuma leaving the dojo.

"I'll see you later tonight Master!" he called, "I have one more class and then I should be over!"

"Okay" Kazuma said with a nod as he walked out the door.

Suddenly Kyo's cell phone rang from his bag. On the second ring he picked it up.

"Hello."

"Hey it's me" Tohru's voice came over the speaker.

"Hey sweetie what's up?" he asked cheerfully.

"Nothing. I am leaving work early today so I am on my way over to the main house. I just wanted to check in with you. What are you doing?"

"I just finished up a class. I have another one and then I am going to head over to Masters. Listen you be careful okay and call me if you need me."

"I will" she agreed nodding into her own cell phone, "What time is dinner tonight?"

"Around six. So I will see you then."

"Okay. I love you Kyo."

"I love you too" he smiled as he clicked the phone off and walked back into the dojo for his final class of the day.

(Next Scene)

Tohru clicked her cell phone off and gazed lovingly at it. It had been a joint present from Shigure for Christmas so they could keep in contact with each other. On them they could keep track of what the other was doing at certain parts of the day. Tohru stared straight ahead and headed in the direction of the main house.

Meanwhile across town, Tai Ushida stared at the clock on his desk and began to pack up with a huge grin on his face.

"One more hour" he thought, "And then the plan will be executed. I certainly hope Sohma keeps his end of the deal or he will have hell to pay."

Back at the main gates Rei Sohma looked at his watch and then stared straight ahead with a grin of his own as he saw Tohru approach the main gate.

"It's time," he whispered to himself walking over, "Miss Honda!" he called.

Tohru turned around slowly and saw Rei approach her. She gazed back at him with surprised eyes.

"Mr. Sohma?" she replied confused.

"I was wondering" he said earnestly, "Do you think that I could have a moment of your time?"

She hesitated at first but then nodded simply and walked forward. Rei grinned but not so much as to give away what he was going to do. He remembered his earlier conversation with Tai Ushida in his office only days before.

"Tohru is a very naive person" Tai replied, "But she has a heart of gold. If you play on that emotion you will easily convince her to go with you. And what better emotion to use then her feelings for that son of yours? Wouldn't you say?"

Rei looked Tohru directly in the eye.

"I know that I don't have the right to ask," he said, "But I wanted to talk to you about Kyo."

(Next Scene)

Kyo finished off his last class and said goodbye to his final students.

"Good bye Master Kyo" one of the boys said as he and his friend were leaving.

"Bye" Kyo waved with a grin, "Good job today! And be safe going home!"

"We will" they both nodded as he grabbed his bag.

Kyo said goodbye to Kunimitsu who said he would see him later and then walked out of the dojo heading for the direction of Kazuma's house. When he arrived he opened the door and entered in.

"Master I'm here!" he called.

When no answer came Kyo slightly frowned as he took off his shoes. Then he moved toward the sitting room.

"Master! Master!" he called again as he entered into the room, finally spotting him, "Master?" he rushed over and felt his pulse since he was lying on the floor unconscious, "Master what happened?"

From out of the shadows two men appeared. Kyo spotted them and rose slowly, angrily clenching his fists.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked angrily.

(Next Scene)

"You want to talk to me about Kyo?" Tohru replied, "What is it you want to know?"

"Well first of all I found out that the two of you are getting married" Rei said with a sad face.

"How did you find that out?" she asked.

"That's not important" he replied, "But what is important is that since I found out I have felt very guilty for the way things turned out with me and Kyo. I mean I behaved so badly the last time I saw him" he lowered his head, his bangs falling over her eyes.

"Really Mr. Sohma?" Tohru said sympathetically, "Do you really feel that way?"

"Yes" he nodded, "And I want to make amends to both of you. For all my bad behavior in the past. Of course it will be difficult to convince Kyo of that, so I was kind of hoping that you could help me in some way."

"How can I help you?"

"You are the closest person to him, so you can reach him in ways that I can't. I was hoping you could talk to him."

"Well I don't know what kind of help I will be Mr. Sohma" Tohru nodded, "But I do want to help."

"Great" he grinned, "Do you know where he is now?"

"Right now he is probably at Master Kazuma's place I imagine."

"Good. We can go there now then" he took her hand gently.

"Oh wait" she stopped him, "Right now. I don't know if I can. I mean I had plans this afternoon."

"But it's really important that I tell him this right now Miss Honda. Surely the other thing can wait."

"Well, I agree that what you want to do is much more important. Okay" she nodded, "I'll go with you now Mr. Sohma but let me call my friend that I was supposed to meet first to let him know" she took out her cell.

"But Miss Honda" he placed his hand over the cell phone and her hand at the same time, "Surely you can call your friend once we get over Kazuma's place. I really want to get this over with."

"Well" Tohru said a bit hesitant putting the phone away, "I guess that will be no problem. Do you know the way there?"

"Yes" he nodded with a grin, "My car is right over here" he led her to the car and helped her in, "Seatbelts please" he grinned menacingly to himself as he walked over to the drivers side.

(Next Scene)

"I'll say it again" Kyo repeated, "Who the hell are you? What did you do to my Master?"

The two men said nothing as Kyo pulled out his cell phone. One of them rushed him and punched him in the stomach while the other ran behind his back and hit him from behind. Kyo crumbled to the ground, the cell phone falling out of his hand. The two men grinned as they carried him out of the house and threw him in the back of a caged truck. One of them placed handcuffs around his hands. Then he closed the cage and climbed into the truck as the other started the engine.

Meanwhile at Sohma house Momiji waited impatiently for Tohru to show up. He began to pace the area near the main gate. As it opened he realized that Tohru wasn't the one who arrived, but Yuki.

"Yuki?" he said in surprise.

"What's going on Momiji?" Yuki asked, "What are you doing here? I thought that you would be at the Zodiac archives with Miss Honda?"

"I would be but Tohru never showed up."

"What?"

"I've been waiting for her all this time."

"That's not like her not to show up. Maybe she stopped by the dojo first. Do you know her cell phone number?"

"No. Only Kyo has that number."

"What about his then? If she's there he can tell us?"

"I'm afraid there is only one person who does have that number" Momiji replied taking off with Yuki right behind him.

(Next Scene)

Hatsuharu was playing the piano when he heard the doorbell ring. He stood up and walked over to the door to open.

"Momiji? Yuki?" he said in surprise.

"Haru" Yuki replied as they entered in, "Do you have Kyo's cell phone number?"

"Yea" Haru nodded, "What's up?" he asked placing his hands on his hips.

"We need to call him. Something's wrong" Yuki replied urgently.

(Next Scene)

Something was indeed and Tohru felt it. She looked at Rei who was concentrating on the road.

"Um Mr. Sohma I don't know if you know this but this isn't the way to the dojo."

"I know," he said back not looking at her.

"But I thought that was where you wanted to go?" she asked surprised and with a bit of fear.

"We're taking a little detour."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Don't ask too many questions? I don't like it. I just wanted to talk to you a little bit more, before we went over there."

"Then won't you at least let me call my friends" she replied, "They'll be worried about me" she pulled out her cell phone.

"Out of the question" he shook his head angrily, "And if you are going to be a problem, I'll find other ways to shut you up" he looked at her seriously.

"Huh?" her eyes became wide, "Mr. Sohma I want out" she said grabbing the doorknob and pulling at it, "Stop the car!"

"I said" he placed his hands on the back of her neck making her pass out, "Out of the question" he said as she slumped down into her seat.

He grabbed her cell phone off the seat, opened the window and threw it out as he headed up a road towards the country.

(Next Scene)

Haru grimaced as he heard the phone ring over and over. Then he stopped the call and redialed.

"That's weird" he replied, "He always answers on the second ring. I'll try again."

At Kazuma's house the cell phone rang over and over as the older man stirred a little trying to regain consciousness.

(Till Next Time)

Authors Note: Okay Book Sixteen is done! Onto Seventeen! Rei and Tai are finally exacting their revenge!

Next Time on Rice-Balls in a Fruits Basket:

Book Seventeen: Rescue Mission

Yuki, Hatsuharu, and Momiji race to save Kyo and Tohru from the dastardly plan of Tai Ushida and Rei Sohma. Through it all they are gonna finally find out how the curse came to be. See what happens next time!