Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket

After much delay, here's your chapter folks!

Chapter 33 Unwrapped

"You've given me a gift that no amount of money or length of life can replace,"

Akito's words meant more to her than she ever truly let on, some sort of approval, and thanks from Akito was given to her. Tohru and Yuki left Sohma estate a short while after that, but they knew they'd be back tomorrow to deliver all the Christmas gifts. Tohru hugged Kisa goodbye, shook hands with Hiro, and exchanged a long meaningful stare with Hatori, and just like that they were on their way home again.

They returned home around five o'clock, and Yuki once again abandoned Tohru to find a place to think somewhere in the house, it was getting too dark and cold to stay outside. Tohru started up supper and she hummed along as she made a simple dinner, tomorrow's would seem even more extravagant if she went light tonight. Rice and curry, so simple, but they wouldn't mind.

Tohru left the food to simmer and she wandered around the house, everyone was still hidden about. Tohru went to her room and opened up her closet where her Christmas gifts nearly fell out of the closet on top of her. They fumbled to the floor in a thud and Tohru rubbed the back of her head groaning "Ouch...." Tohru scooped up the gifts and brought them downstairs and arranged them under the tree beside everyone else's. She smiled, her gifts seemed massive compared to everyone else's, she could also recognize, who taped the gifts, like Momiji's covered with bunnies.

Tohru wandered around the house, where is everyone? She turned the corner to a hallway and bumped into Kyo's armful of gifts which she desperately tried to catch a few of them. Kyo watched all his gifts fall towards the floor and Tohru tried to reach a few, and Kyo ran forward to catch a few himself. The two of them ran into each other and they were blinded by a cloud of white smoke! Tohru shrieked, and ended up catching Kyo instead of the gifts. Kyo had a twitch mark on the side of his head and Tohru looked down at him and hung her head

"Oh I'm sorry Kyo, I didn't even see you coming!"

"Aw its okay Tohru..." Kyo told her sighing

Tohru stroked the top of his head and he purred on reaction not even realizing it. Tohru put him up on her shoulder and he let his nails come out far enough to cling to his clothes "Stay up there and I'll put these gifts downstairs."

"Tohru you don't have to..." He started quietly

"Don't worry Kyo, you were on your way to do this anyway, its no trouble at all" Tohru smiled scooping up all his gifts "Seems you did a lot of holiday shopping too Kyo" Tohru reached the bottom of the stairs with the bundle load of gifts and the orange tabby cat was now more of a reddish one. She eased the gifts down beside the tree and went back up to Kyo's room, letting him jump onto the floor and she putting his clothes beside him. She'd never actually been in Momiji and Kyo's room and she walked around it slowly. It wasn't that extraordinary, a bunked bed, matching dressers, closet, desk, mantel. On the mantel was a photograph, old and worn of Kyo and an older man "This your sensei, the one you've talked about?" Tohru asked gently

"Yeah, that's him alright, greatest guy ever,"

"He seems nice, you have a nice smile you know Kyo," Tohru replied gently looking at the photo. Kyo was a few years younger in the shot, and he was grinning ear to ear with Sensei's arm locked around him. Tohru's eyes softened seeing him in this photo "You look so natural and happy with him,"

Kyo wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to such a comment. He was really happy in that photo, and he really liked being around his Sensei. At the same time though, he was happy to be here, mostly because of, well Tohru. She had put an entire new atmosphere and way of life onto him, and even though he resisted it a lot at first, he had grown quite attached to it, and to her. He slowly crept over to her and rubbed at her bare leg and she smiled putting the picture back on the frame and rubbing the top of his head.

"Who knew you were so much more affectionate as a cat?" Tohru laughed softly and scooped him up into her arms again. She sat down on his bottom bunk, lowering her head not to hit the frame and sat scratching the top of his head "You know this is our first Christmas together? It seems like I've been here forever though, it guess it reminds you of how long a year can seem,"

"Really been that short? You've turned all our lives upside down, I don't think I can remember a time before you came," Kyo rolled his eyes "I think I remember it being quieter though..."

"I like the chaos here, it keeps things interesting, who'd want a boring life anyway?" Tohru smiled. She stopped petting him to roll over on the bed leaving Kyo to stand on the bed

"What are you doing?" He asked her confused and irritated as she laid on the bed and looked up at the bunk above him.

"I want see what you see the first minute you open your eyes, and the first thing you see when you close them," Tohru looked at his ceiling "You see a lot of black, you should put something there you really like, that way, you'll be happy when you sleep and happen when you wake up," Tohru traced her fingers along the top of his ceiling, aka the bottom of Momiji's bunk bed.

"Sometimes I really do think you're crazy you know that Tohru? I mean who really cares what the first thing or the last thing I see is? Doesn't it matter what I'm thinking about, that's what's important?" He scratched his head confused

"I guess it isn't that important..." Tohru trailed off thinking about it "I'm just curious I guess," there was then a puff of white smoke and Tohru screamed covering her eyes before she could see anything.

Kyo threw on his clothes relatively quickly, but he stood in the center of his room looking at her, her hands over her eyes, just lying there on his bed. He crept onto the bed, the bed sagging from their combined weight, he crawled over until he loomed above her, looking down at her,

"Tohru...its okay now..." he told her gently. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him silently. She didn't want to say anything and she just stared up at his face and orange hair, "Every minute that I close my eyes, or open them up again, I think about this house. This house, that's filled with all these people, who might actually care about me, and in this house is, is you Tohru, and I know, that you care,"

Tohru smiled softly, she still was at a loss for words. He allowed his hand to stroke her cheek just once still gazing down into her eyes "Before you came along, this house was a wreck, we fought, never cleaned, it made me feel like I didn't even matter, that if I disappeared off the face of this earth, no one would notice it for a second. But...I was wrong," Kyo looked away slightly "You made me, appreciate them more, and open up to them more....I guess what I'm trying to say is, thanks Squirt," Their faces were so close...

"Every morning, I see this house, and every night, I leave it to dream. After mom died, I felt really alone, even my grandfather's house felt lonely and distant. But everyone here, Shigure, Haru, Momiji, Yuki, you, you've all made me feel like I was part of a family again. Every time I close my eyes, I see everyone...but the first one I see...."

"TOHRU? KYO? Come on Shigure wants us to all eat together and stuff!" Momiji called up the stairs to them. Kyo looked back down at her, and Tohru let out her breath in a relieved sigh. Kyo smiled down at her and hopped off the bed, taking her hand and pulling her up

"Let's go Squirt, before Twirpy comes looking for us with the national guard"

Kyo walked down the stairs and Tohru followed a few strides behind him. He let his hands linger in his pockets, but he was still wondering about what Tohru hadn't finished saying Every time I close my eyes, I see everyone...but the first one I see.... Who Tohru, who do you see?

Tohru and Kyo sat down at the table for dinner, and Yuki eyed them suspiciously, wondering why they entered at the same time, saying nothing. He took a sip of his water and Tohru started to serve the food.

"I'm sorry its so simple, I just have something extra special for tomorrow"

Shigure grinned "Don't worry at all Tohru, by any means serve us anything you like, anything is better then our disgraceful food." With that, everyone laughed, and everyone ate. It was a happy night, surrounded by happy smiles, and gentler voices. Everyone went to bed, and Tohru stared up at her ceiling. "The first thing I see...the last thing I see...both are one in the same,"

CHRISTMAS DAY

Even on Christmas Day Tohru woke up bright and early. She rose from her bed, brushed her hair, and threw on her baby blue bathrobe. She wandered down the stairs and looked at all the gifts, a few more than yesterday, most likely Shigure's and she smiled. She turned on the tea kettle and sat down on the sofa quietly until Momiji came running down the stairs looking at all the gifts

"IT'S CHRISTMAS TOHRU ITS CHRISTMAS!" Momiji thundered up the stairs again and she giggled as he ran into each room telling everyone to wake up. Shigure walked into the room as Tohru began to poor the tea

"I'm afraid he does this every year Tohru, its his favorite holiday," Shigure told her gently

"Oh its alright Shigure, I used to be the same way, mom would moan I never let her sleep." Tohru smiled and handing him a cup and he kissed her cheek.

"Thank you Flower, and Merry Christmas," he smiled and she grinned

"Merry Christmas to you too Shigure," Shigure sat down on the sofa with his tea as the boys trouped down the stairs all looking tired except for Momiji who was bouncing off the walls "Merry Christmas Momiji!" Tohru bent down and kissed his cheek and he grinned and blushed

"Aww gees Tohru Merry Christmas to you too!"

"Of course I did, you're just too adorable!" Tohru laughed as she handed the other boys their drinks. All of them wishing they were as innocent as him so he could get a kiss from Tohru. Tohru sat down on the couch beside Shigure and smiled "So, do you wanna open the first gift Momiji?"

'Oh can I Tohru?" Momiji's eyes widened with excitement, he looked to Shigure for approval, and Shigure nodded. "All right!" Tohru handed him her present and he smiled "So this one is from Tohru..." He undid the ribbon quietly wondering what is was. He opened the top of the box to find three things inside; a box of Churros, which seemed to be a tradition now, a stuffed bunny that looked just like him, and his new music cd "Oh Tohru its wonderful!" he grinned "Thank you so much!"

Tohru just smiled and rubbed his messy blonde bed hair and laughed "Merry Christmas Momiji, I'm glad you like it," Tohru decided to be the one to pass out all her gifts. Tohru handed a box to each of them, but saved Kyo's for later, he told her that a few days ago, to save his for later, he wasn't one for that emotional crap, but she understood.

Haru opened up his and got his new bike helmet, in complete awe of it and he smiled and her and laughed "Thanks Tohru! I can't believe you even thought to get me one!" Deep inside the helmet was another star, not Clarity, but this one said Will. He smiled to himself

In Yuki's box were five different varieties of seeds, and three new books on how to take better care of your garden the natural way. Shigure's gift was the many ties she bought in Chapter 9, and inside of it, was her book, the one she had written all her songs and stories in. Everyone was almost a little too stunned for words, every gift hitting them in somehow or someway.

There was a small silence, a silence with grace, but soon after Momiji grabbed his gift and handed it to Tohru "Momiji you didn't have to get me anything,"

"Come on Tohru its Christmas! Take it just this one time!" He smiled as she unlaced the ribbon. Inside his box was a photograph of Momiji and Tohru, sitting together under a large oak tree, it was the kind of painting that looked like a photograph, and she smiled running her hand over it. It had been a long time ago, this photo/picture, one of the first days she had lived with them.

"Thank you Momiji...this means a lot to me," Tohru smiled at him trying not to cry from the emotions. Haru was the next to hand her a gift, from the help of Ginta, the two days that Tohru had been at the bar and Haru had been there too, he had gotten photographs of her on stage, she shone in a whole new light in the photographs, and she wanted to cry again, the collage about the size of a computer monitor, big, but not something that had to be hung and she looked to Haru "Thank you Haru, really, thank you, this must've taken a lot of work,"

Yuki was the next in line for the gift giving and he handed her his. His was a small envelope, but inside was trip for her and her friends to the hot springs for a week off, it was actually large enough for the whole family, but she of all people deserved a break. "Use this and relax for once, take some time off like you deserve,"

Shigure was last, finally, and he smiled. "Now, I must say, I didn't think anyone could ever really top the birthday gift with the adoption papers, especially since the adoption had more complications than normal families. But I talked to Akito, and in the spring, he said he will give you one final test, and then after that, the white gloves will be off completely. I knew that also wasn't a materialistic gift, so I got you something else too flower," He handed her a small box. Inside the box was a small glass rose and she gasped at its beauty, "You're just like the rose, beautiful, dangerous, and something that will never wilt away, even if time does"

Tohru wiped the tears from her eyes and laughed and the rest of the Sohma boys went around exchanging gifts, from shirts to food to cat nip to movies. Tohru never stopped smiling, and she would think of Kyoko every now and then, but she knew, that Kyoko would be happy too. At around ten o'clock Shigure told everyone to go and get changed so they could go over to Sohma Estate. It seemed the boys were all in alternating turtlenecks and sweaters, but Tohru didn't say anything but smiled. Decided to actually wear jeans, in what was too cold for dresses. She wore dark blue jeans and a light pink top underneath her jacket.

Tohru was the first to hit the intercom to hear Kisa and Hiro scream Merry Christmas at them and open the gate both of them jumping into her. I don't think Hiro even minded being a sheep while Tohru brushed herself off "Merry Christmas to you too Kisa, and you too Hiro" Tohru smiled and tickled Hiro's fluffy wool stomach and he laughed and squirmed. They walked into the courtyard where their outdoor tree was standing tall and proud from the children's decorations. Hatori was standing beside the tree with a cigarette, he was allowed, it was holiday, but when he saw them he threw it to the ground and put it out. He ate a breath mint, and today, although he'd deny it later, he had on a real smile. "Merry Christmas Hatori!"

Tohru pulled out the huge santa bag that she had used to carry all the gifts here, and she stuck practically her whole arm in to reveal a gift and handed it to Kisa "This one is yours...this one's for Hiro...this one's for Hatori....and this one is for Akito...." Tohru stacked her gifts up in a nice pile beside the bag and she grinned, Hiro was still a sheep, but he remained snuggley warm beside Tohru.

Kisa opened her gift first, and she folded the paper as she went along, neat and tidy, adorable every second of it. Kisa's gift from Tohru was an adorable stuffed tiger. The tiger was big, so big you could sleep on it like a giant pillow. Kisa screamed with joy and hugged Tohru and everyone smiled. The process was mostly the same with every gift, minus the hugs from the guys. Tohru was starting to wonder about Akito, and she left to go and find him. She knocked on the door of his study one more time and he called her to enter.

"Merry Christmas Akito" Tohru told him as she stepped inside.

"Merry Christmas...I've been watching you Tohru, you and them, you all seem to have a lot of smiling, when I'm not there"

"Akito that's not fair!" Tohru told him gently walking over to him and standing by his chair. "You're a changed person Akito, now is the time to go out there and show them that! They'll never know you any differently if you hide away. I know you're different...."

"They would be happier if I wasn't there, they've lived a lot of their lives in fear,"

"SO for what little life they have left now, give them time to live without the fear!" Tohru told him this time with a little more emotion. "People can't forgive if they hide from each other,"

Akito just sat there in his chair, looking out the window at the rest of the Sohmas. Though he did not say it aloud, there was a sinking feeling in his heart, the feeling of wanting to be out there, but knowing he couldn't because of all he did.

"Akito....people forgive....I forgave you...." Tohru whispered in a weak voice "If we don't forgive...we live the world alone...and no one wants that..." She sat down in his lap and locked her arms around him "Don't live the rest of your life alone like this, I can't bare to see it"

Why? Why did Akito always feel so weak when it came to this girl? This little girl who could barely begin to understand what he felt or knew, why was she so different, why was she so forgiving? This girl he had planned to hurt, and had hurt, in almost every way possible. This girl had forgiven him.

"Why?" He asked weakly holding her in his arms "Why are you doing all this? Why are you forgiving me?"

"Because....no one deserves to be alone...." Tohru buried her face against his neck "....being alone, no one can bare it, people say they want to be alone, its not true, it breaks hearts, it makes people sad. You should be out there, they're your family, you have a family, I lost mine, you'll never know how important they are until they're snatched away from you, then, its too late. Don't make that same mistake"

"Where's Tohru?" Haru asked "She's been gone for a while,"

"I believe she's inside, talking with master Akito," Hatori told them

"Why does she always go to him like this?"Yuki asked rather angry "After all he's done, why does she...." Yuki's fists were shaking thinking about it

"Well, I do believe Tohru wants to help him," Shigure began handing a cigarette to Hatori while he smoked on his own.

"Why would she, want to help, that monster?" Yuki asked in his rage

"As Tohru understands and believes in us, she is called to believe in him." Hatori told him blandly "It be wise of you not to waste energy on such pitiless things"

"That man will hurt her, I'm telling you I can feel it!" Yuki barked

"Why don't you place your faith in Tohru instead of Akito? This is her destiny, she's a healer, the way every person she meets she changes them in the best possible way," Hatori added blowing out a ring of smoke

Tohru appeared from the home and she smiled. Her hands where behind her, pulling someone behind her, and much to Yuki's complete rage was Akito. He looked, healthier, sad, like a lost puppy, but Tohru looked back to him and smiled. She pulled him all the way to the group and she stood beside him, and he wrapped his arm around her like she was his protection

"Hello everyone...Merry Christmas," He told them quietly, his eyes towards the floor feeling embarrassed, what was he doing? How did he let Tohru talk him into this?

"Hello Akito," Shigure waved smiling "Good holidays too you too, its nice to see you up and around again," Shigure felt uncomfortable, but as an adult, he didn't mind it. Little Hiro and Kisa were surprised and looked at Tohru, but Tohru's eyes told them they'd be okay, for now.

"Hello Mr. Akito sir!" Kisa and Hiro told him standing before him. Akito, his eyes softened more and he reached out and rubbed Kisa's head gently, Hiro watching him all the time, not forgetting what he did.

"Hello to you too Kisa, and you too Hiro. You've both grown a lot." he squatted down so he was at their level "I'm sorry you too, I know I've been a very bad man," he whispered "but I want to make it up to you, Tohru says she will help me, if you'll give me the chance"

Hiro glared at Akito, that hostility present, but, he couldn't help but remember, how Tohru had given this entire family a chance. Even Akito deserved one. Kisa took Hiro's hand and squeezed it and smiled at him. Kisa was willing to forgive, even after he had hurt her, maybe it was a girl thing.

"We forgive you Akito," Kisa told him quietly and she hugged him gently, Akito was startled, the only person he ever really had hugged was Tohru, but he let his arms enclose around her for a minute before she jumped away again back to Hiro with a smile "Merry Christmas!"

Hiro nodded finally "Merry Christmas sir."

Akito smiled and from his pocket pulled out a roll of bills "No, this is not a bribe, I feel guilty for not getting you two gifts. Tohru's told me you've both been really good kids. I want you to use this and get yourselves something nice."

Kisa nodded and took the money folding it up and putting it in her kimono "Thank you Akito! We'll make sure to get something really nice to share!" Kisa grinned

Akito stood back up straight and he rubbed their heads again. Hiro and Kisa picked up the stuffed tiger and ran off to play with it. The rest of the Sohmas, watched in awe, and tension waiting. Akito started to cough again, and Tohru ran up to him and supported him

"I think its time you return to the indoors Akito sir," Hatori told him gently and Tohru nodded

"Yes Hatori, of course," Akito told him and he smiled down at Tohru. He looked back to the Sohma boys, minus Kyo and smiled "I hope you all enjoy the rest of your holidays."

"We will, and thank you for coming out to speak with us Akito' Shigure told him kindly.

Tohru and Hatori helped him back inside, and Momiji let out an exasperated gasp "Whoa, that was a weird encounter, but...Tohru really seems to believe in him....and even though, he's not completely better...he seems...gentler....I really do think....that he was kind to Kisa and Hiro"

"Yeah, Tohru's changing him...slowly..." Haru rubbed the back of his head watching them leave

"It's all a lie," Yuki growled "He's trying to trick us all, he's trying to fool us so he can get to us when our guard is down"

The Sohma family waited outside by the gate for Tohru, and she walked down the pathway towards it when Kyo jumped down from his ledge on the roof. He wasn't really supposed to be inside the Sohma Estate's territory, but he always relaxed on the roofs anyway.

"I saw what you did," he told her gently "Do you really trust him?"

"I believe in him, I believe he can change. But he won't, until he believes in himself," Tohru told him gently.

"Then I'll keep believing in you," he told her gently. From behind his back he handed her his gift, small, but not that tiny, with a small red bow on it. "Merry Christmas Tohru," Tohru smiled and Kyo waited for her to open it. She tore of the bow, and lifted up the case, and found a locket inside of it. She opened it up, on the left side was a picture of Kyoko, and on the right, was a picture of him and her, a picture that Shigure had taken of them for the photo album. He took the chain from her after she held up her hair, and clipped it around her neck. "Tohru, I want to protect you, from every harm possible,"

Tohru smiled and squeezed his hand. She would have hugged him, but then the others would have known, and their tradition of exchanging gifts for each other separately, was a sort of, secret; besides, she didn't want to make Yuki angry. Kyo smiled softly and rested his head atop of hers "You be careful Squirt, he has a way of playing games with people,"

"I will Kyo," Tohru told him and he left his resting place to look down at her who was holding up his gift. "Merry Christmas Kyo," He took the box and he smiled looking down at her, she was so innocent it almost drove him crazy.

"TOHRU, KYO, LETS GET GOING!" They heard Shigure call and Tohru pouted

"I'll open it when we get home later tonight okay? Just you and me" Kyo told her laughing at her face

"Promise Kyo?" She asked him ingeniously

"Yup. Lets go already," He ruffled her hair and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the entrance. Kyo managed to slip Tohru's gift into his inner jacket pocket, and Tohru did not mind freely wearing the necklace. Tohru walked up in the front with Shigure and smiled taking his hand, it truly was the scene of a father with his daughter, Haru edged his way over to Kyo and looked at him

"Did she like it?" Haru asked nudging him in the side, Kyo laughed and nudged him back

"Of course she did Cow," He whispered, "Thanks for the help,"

"Doesn't take much to make scans of photos, you're just computer impaired," Haru laughed

"What are you two whispering about?" Momiji jumped up between the two of them

"Nothing Momiji, nothing at all," Haru told him gently scooping the twirp up and putting him on his shoulders "Feel any taller Shortie?"

"Hey, Tohru says I'm not that short, I'm practically her height!" Momiji protested

They laughed the whole way home. When they did get home Tohru ran to the kitchen to start preparing their two dinners. The boys mostly hung out watching Christmas specials of movies from when Shigure was a boy, those shows that just have to be on every year, like Frosty the Snowman.

At exactly 6 o'clock Tohru called everyone in for dinner, and everyone was amazed at what they saw. Everything you could have imagined was there, traditional Japanese food, to traditional American Christmas meals. Everyone sat, but everyone was almost too afraid to touch it, it looked too good to touch

"I didn't know what you all wanted to eat, so I made a little of everything, is that okay?" Tohru looked at them all nervously from her seat beside Shigure

"My goodness Flower, you surely have outdone yourself this time," Shigure smiled looking at her "It looks almost too good to eat," but his stomach growled telling him otherwise "Like I said, almost, but not completely" He laughed

Thanks to Shigure they all ate, ate their fill, and there were still leftovers that Tohru stored in the fridge. By the end of cleaning up the table and everything it was ten at night and Tohru stretched in the kitchen. See mom, I had a great Christmas, even if I miss you every second of every day, I moved on, I have the Sohmas, they'll protect me.

Tohru crept up the stairs to get some long deserved sleep, passing by Kyo's room. In Kyo's room, her gift remained unwrapped in his hand in his bed, only because, he had been so tired he fell asleep before he opened it, but as he slept, there was still, a happy smile on his face, dreaming about Tohru.