[Disclaimer] Fruits Basket is not mine; so don't bother asking me for it.


Chapter VII

"Hatori." Akito was watching the Sohma family doctor through half- lidded, mildly glazed eyes. "Yuki is leaving to visit Honda-kun next week. He will be needing a ride to the airport."

Hatori worriedly glanced at Akito with his usual calm and cool gaze. What the family head just told him shocked him more than he would ever let on. This was the first he'd heard of Yuki going all the way to America to visit Tohru. How could it have been kept such a secret? Tohru hadn't mentioned it in any of her letters, which he received about twice a month. Akito hadn't mentioned it before now. Yuki hadn't mentioned it to him, and he would need a ride to the airport. Surely Shigure, his childhood best friend, knew about this, and he hadn't even mentioned it to him. Traveling abroad was not something that you planned only a week in advance.

"I understand," Hatori said quietly, keeping his thoughts to himself. There must have been a reason that no one had told him till now, but hell if he knew what that reason was. "I'll call Yuki later and find out when he needs to be at the airport."

"There's no need for that. Here is a copy of his itinerary." Akito held out a piece of paper, apparently annoyed at the fact that the Hatori seemed so calm. News of this magnitude should have fazed the doctor more so than it seemed to have.

Hatori took the folded piece of paper and placed it in his doctor's bag, making a mental note to call Yuki anyway. He finished the leader's regular checkup, noting on his clipboard that Akito seemed to be having a little trouble breathing today.

"Tohru will be joining us for the next New Year's celebration. She doesn't know it yet, but she will be sitting in on the banquet as well."

Taken aback at this news, Hatori could only stare at Akito but only for a slight moment. "A... Akito?"

"She will be joining us this year," Akito said calmly, though his eyes told another story. He was obviously pleased with himself at for astounding the doctor practically to speechlessness.

Hatori recomposed himself as quickly as he could. "I see. What brought you to this decision?" Adding as a side note, "not that it's any of my concern."

With a gracefully cruel smirk but as calm a voice as ever, Akito nonchalantly stated, "An announcement will be made regarding her, and it's only appropriate that she be present for it."

"I see." Hatori put his stethoscope and clipboard into his bag in the same place they came out of. Calmly, "If there is nothing else? I do have other patients to attend to this afternoon." He stood and turned to leave. Pausing for a moment at the door to make sure there was nothing else Akito wanted to shock him with today, he walked out of the room, and quietly shut the door behind him.

As Hatori walked out of the room, he heard Akito chuckling. He knew Akito amused himself with saying and doing things to hurt and shock the entire spectrum of zodiac cursed members of the Sohma family, but Yuki in particular. What could Akito be thinking? What could he be doing? First, he was letting Yuki go to visit Tohru, willingly at that. Second, he was going to summon Tohru, a non-Sohma, to the New Years celebration this year and have her attend the banquet. The banquet was something that even the non-cursed Sohma family members could not attend, not even Kyo, the one cursed by the cat. What the hell was going on in Akito's head? What was he planning?

Quietly, Hatori walked out of the main house, and headed towards his own home and office. Akito had given him too much to think about. He decided that Akito had officially gone off his rocker, and that worried him greatly. Yuki obviously didn't know that Akito was going to summon Tohru to The Banquet. An outsider attending the banquet is something that wouldn't be kept secret for very long at all if anyone else knew about it. He couldn't say anything to anyone. The word would spread like wildfire, and Akito knew it. Obviously he needed to tell someone though, and who better than the cold doctor who didn't say much to anyone about anything to begin with. He took patient confidentiality very seriously, even if it was something that wasn't about a patient.

Once home, he went to the phone after noting that Yuki should be home from school. Today was his last day of finals, and he would be leaving for a visit to the United States of America and Tohru Honda in 5 days. Even though he had Yuki's itinerary, he wanted to get the information from Yuki, himself. It only seemed appropriate. He dialed Shigure's number and waited for an answer.

"Sohma, Shigure."

"Shigure, is Yuki there?"

"Ha-san, my old friend. How are you doing? Really, you should call more often. I know you're busy, but you really must make more time for your old friends, you know." Shigure had a dog-eared grin on his face when he heard his friend's voice on the line. It was uncommon for Hatori to call unless it was at Akito's request. This thought had him frowning instantly.

"Is Akito ok? Nothing has happened, has it?" Shigure blurt out as quickly as a breath.

"Nothing. Akito is fine. I was calling to talk to Yuki." Hatori pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the headache that he usual got when he talked to Shigure, coming on slowly. "Although, since I have you on the phone, why didn't you tell me that Yuki was going to visit Tohru-kun this summer?"

Shigure's eyes narrowed questioningly at Hatori's question. "How did you find out about that?"

"Akito told me that I Yuki would be needing a ride to the airport."

"Umm, Ha'ri, how did Akito know Yuki was going to America? I knew he'd find out, but I hadn't told him, and you know that Yuki definitely wouldn't have told him. Yuki didn't even want him to know." Shigure calmly waited for an answer, though the answer made it's way into his mind before the doctor made his answer.

"I don't know. I thought you were the on..."

"Tohru!" "Tohru."

They answered the question simultaneous.

Shigure sighed calmly. "I don't think Yuki knows that Tohru told Akito. I'm sure he would have said something about not telling Akito in one of his letters to her."

"This is odd indeed. Well, enough of this consternation. Is Yuki home from school yet?" Hatori sighed.

"Not yet. It would be better if I had him call you to ask for a ride anyway. If you told him, he would know that Akito knows of his plans."

"You're right Shigure... for once."

This compliment had Shigure practically rolling on the floor with laughter. "Ah, Hatori! You finally admit defeat! I'm in shock and awe! Alright, I'll have Yuki call you sometime this evening."

Hatori hung the phone back on the receiver, shaking his head. 'If you only knew, Shigure. If you only knew."

Feeling the ever-present Shigure headache begin to subside, he walked back to his office with a sigh, and began working on some patient reports.

Several hours later, as he was dumping the empty bento dinner into the trashcan, his phone rang. Knowing it was Yuki, he answered. "Sohma, Hatori."

"Hatori, this is Yuki."

"Yuki! To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" He already knew the answer but wanted to indulge the young man's need for secrecy.

"Actually Hatori, I wanted to ask a favor," Yuki said coolly despite the bullets he was sweating on the other end of the phone.

Hatori knew this was difficult for Yuki, if only for the fact that he didn't want Akito to know despite that he did already. Yuki didn't know that though.

"Sure, you can ask, Yuki." Hatori smiled inwardly, leaving his cool demeanor on so that Yuki wouldn't learn of his previous knowledge.

"I was wondering if..." Yuki started slowly, "you might be able to give me a ride to the airport on Wednesday."

"I'm sure that I can, but may I ask why you would need a ride to the airport?" He asked with his usual calm voice.

"Well..." Yuki seemed hesitant to answer, but Hatori waited for his full response. "I'm going to visit Honda-kun for a couple weeks and please don't tell Akito!" He blurt out in one quick breath.

"I don't think it will be a problem Yuki, but I will need to check my schedule and make any changes with conflicting appointments. You'll have to give me the information so I know what time to pick you up from Shigure's," he said with a covert smile. An audible sigh of relief escaped Yuki's lips as he gave his older cousin the flight information.

"Alright then, I'll make sure to pick you up in plenty of time, and also not to schedule anything extra on your return date."

"Thank you, Hatori."

"You're welcome, Yuki. I'll see you Wednesday morning." He smiled as he hung up the phone.

Hatori knew Yuki's main reason for going to see Tohru. As a matter of fact, most of his cousin's knew, though it was never spoken about freely. He suspected that even Akito knew Yuki's main objective for this visit. That thought caused Hatori worry. Why would Akito let him go if he knew Yuki's plan? His brow furrowed at the thought. Again, his thoughts returned to Akito's earlier comments regarding Tohru. What was the devil's plan?