(Thank you all for your wonderful support of me during my time of need. It is hard to get inspired to write, or maintain focus on your plot, when you're having a rough time in your life, but because I appear to have at least a few fans, I cannot let you down. So, I have returned, and will continue this story. It may be slow going, because I am in the last four weeks of school, and have finals to study for, and papers to write. Thank you again for your support. The characters in Fruits Basket do not belong to me. And I'm sorry if Shigure seems a little out of character here, I was being bugged to write him in…but I had no clue how to make him act in this scenario. So I made him feel guilty because he wasn't there to prevent the rape.)

Akito stood there in the shadows, a cruel smile played across his lips, "Is the foul creature upset that the girl was raped? The one person in our family to actually be foolish enough to care about him…and now she has been destroyed…this is almost better than what I had planned…"

Yuki and Haru stared at him, as near to glaring as they dared. Yuki's eyes widened in surprise at the next figure to enter the room. Head hung low, his shaggy black locks hanging in front of his eyes, Shigure was nothing remotely resembling the happy go lucky pup he usually was.

'Come to think of it,' Yuki thought to himself as he watched the novelist enter, 'Shigure has been missing this whole time….I never really paused to wonder where he had gone.'

Shigure looked up, not even glancing at the head of the family. Just looking at Yuki, his eyes were large and sad, truly a puppy dog face. Akito turned to face Shigure.

"And thank you Shigure, for coming to visit with me….after all…I couldn't have left you here to interfere with my plans…" Once again the dog's gaze fell to the floor. He too had been used in this plot. Invited to Akito's home so that they could discuss Tohru's continuing to stay there. That was the story he had been told at least. But they hadn't really discussed that much at all. Instead Akito had found small topics to skip around and bide his time. Then, Hatori had come in, needing urgently to speak to Shigure about a matter at the house.

Akito insisted that he too be filled in on what had happened, though he suspected he already knew. He was surprised to hear that the boar had been the victim instead, and that Haru had actually gone so far as to rape her. Hearing that Kyou had been in hiding while the doctor was there. Hearing the story of how upset the vile creature had seemed. These stories intrigued him, and he insisted on being taken to the house with Shigure. Since his health was not in too bad of a condition at the moment, Hatori had allowed it.

Kyou heard voices coming from another room. He didn't want to lay Kagura down, in fear of her waking and going into another of her screaming frenzies, but he had no choice. He gently laid the girl back on the bed, her eyes snapped open and she saw him hovering over her and screamed. She screamed as loud as she could.

Yuki raced from the room, Akito watched him go, a look of indignance on his face at having been walked, or rather run, out on. Then he ambled after the rat. Kyou was back against the wall, his hair on end because the scream had caught him off guard. Kagura sat huddled in a corner, no longer screaming, instead sobbing and rocking slightly back and forth.

Akito stood in Kyou's doorway, gleefully taking in the scene. "She can't even stand to see you…can she, creature."

Kyou turned and his eyes widened at the sight of Akito. "You. You really…You.

I…" Kyou couldn't find words to express his hatred for the family head right then. "Why!" that was all he managed to get out that made any sense at all.

"Oh, she was not the intended victim" Akito said rather casually. "It is quite an intriguing outcome, though. You've lost the only one who ever cared."

Tohru had been standing in the background. She had been ever since they were in Yuki's room. But she wasn't going to listen to Akito say these things any longer, "That's…not true" She said softly, knowing how painful it could be invoke the man's wrath, weak though he was. "I care, about Kyou. I care about all the-"

"Shut up!" Akito shouted cutting her off. "Be quite! You know nothing about us! Nothing! How can you possibly care? How could you care?"

Akito's tirade sent Kagura curling into herself, a quivering little girl.

((Sorry this is so short. It was all I could come up with for the moment.))