Hello to all my reviewers! Please don't be upset… but this is the last chapter of "You're My Strawberry". Sorry, but I wanted a fixed, sensible ending that I knew I could pull off. Well, I hope this ending will be good enough! It's Pie's turn to say the disclaimer!

Pie: There is a zero percent chance of her ever owning Tokyo Mew Mew.

Me: You're almost as mean as Zakuro!

Pie: Zakuro is zero percent 'mean' as you say. She is simply 100 percent straight forward.

Me: Cut it out with the percents, so I can write the darn chapter!

Pie: You get angered 50 percent quicker than most individuals…

Me: Why you… yipes! I better get started.

Chapter 7- My Strawberry

'Every time I'm with Ryou, I turn into a cat… Why…? Why does it still happen…?'

Ichigo walked down the lonely street as the cold air nipped at her pink cheeks. She sighed, "It happened last night too… Well… at least he wasn't angry with me…"

It was late. Originally, she had been walking home after work, but her feet led her instead to the park. She sat down on a swing, hoping to come to a conclusion. She stayed like that for a while, and didn't even notice when someone she knew walked right up to her.

"Ichigo! What are you doing out here!"

Momomiya blinked and stared up at the tall person.

"Ryou?" she asked, as if she barely recognized him.

The blonde shouted, "Ichigo, I just got a call at the café from your parents! They asked me why you weren't home yet! When I had to say that you'd left a while ago, do you know how worried they got!"

He pulled her up from the swing and into his arms yelling, "Do you have any idea how worried I was!"

"I'm sorry, Ryou… I just… just… oh, what good is an excuse anyway?" she said emotionlessly as Shirogane released her.

"Ichigo, are… are you all right?" he asked, concern written on his face.

Turning to smile at him, the cat girl reassured, "Yeah, I'm fine! I've just been thinking about stuff. That's all."

Ryou was about to disagree, but her bright smile forced him to accept her answer. He kissed her softly in understanding, and when two cat ears appeared on her head, he laughed a little.

Ichigo giggled in return, momentarily believing that the cat genes weren't SO bad to have, even though she no longer needed them.

"Thanks for worrying. I appreciate it. Will you walk me home?"

"No way," Ryou said.

"What!" Ichigo yelped.

He chuckled, "You're so fun to tease. C'mon, I'm walking you home."

Momomiya grumbled, "You are SO MEAN! Always teasing…"

Ryou grabbed her chin and replied, "You know you love it."

"Ryou, do you want me to turn into a cat again?" she asked accusingly.

"Maybe… Why? What's wrong with that?"

She mumbled while walking away, "Nothing…"

"Hold it," he ordered, grabbing her arm. "It really does bother you, doesn't it? That you still turn into a cat when you get excited?"

"I have to get home, Ryou…" she said, attempting to change the subject.

Ryou refused to give up, so he persisted, "Does it really bother you? Yes or no."

Turning to face him, she screamed, "Of course it does! I can never be a normal girl like THIS!"

Clearly annoyed, he retorted, "So that's what this is all about? Being normal? Don't you think being normal is overrated! I'm not normal, but you don't hear me complaining!"

"That's different!" Ichigo justified, "YOU can CHOOSE whether or not to become a cat! I can't! Because my transformation happens when I'm surprised or excited, I always have to worry about people seeing it! I HATE IT!"

Shirogane almost commented rudely out of anger, but he stopped to look in Ichigo's eyes for a moment. In them he saw a side of her that he'd never seen before. Uncertainty, helplessness, but most of all… was fear mixed in with them? Was she really afraid of being stuck with cat genes for the rest of her life?

His expression softened considerably, and he hugged Ichigo tightly.

"It'll be okay… we'll get through this…"

"Ryou…?" she squeaked.

The older teen pulled away just enough to place his hands on either side of the red head's face to lock his eyes on hers.

"Ryou, wh-what are you…!" she trailed off, staring into his deep blue orbs.

"Ichigo… I love you."

Dark pink pools widened, and Momomiya had to stifle a gasp. Sure they had sort of been an item for a while, but Ichigo hadn't ever expected him to ever really open up to her, and in such a way. Ryou was, after all, a very reserved person, especially when it came to how he felt.

He clutched her to his chest again and repeated, "Do you hear me, Ichigo? I LOVE YOU!"

Finally finding her voice, Ichigo asked, "R-really...?"

Ryou rested his head atop hers replying, "Only you… no one else…"

Tears of happiness streamed down Ichigo's face as she exclaimed, "I love you, too!"

Ichigo walked through the café doors with a broad smile on her face. Not even the lecture her parents gave her for getting home late had lowered her spirits.

'But it was really long…' she sighed inwardly.

Then a hand tapped her on the shoulder.

"Eep!" she squealed, jumping in surprise.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Ichigo!" Lettuce apologized sincerely.

"I-it's okay… what is it?"

Mint, who was watching, almost did a double take. She questioned in bewilderment, "Wait a sec! Ichigo! Your ears didn't pop out!"

"Huh?"

Reaching up, Ichigo felt the top of her head. Amazed, she declared, "You're right! I can't believe it! I don't have cat ears anymore! They're gone!"

Ichigo began announcing the good news to her other friends.

Standing in a corner so no one could see, Ryou was smiling for Ichigo, but it was a sad smile. Noiselessly, he slipped out of the café, in hopes that he would not be noticed.

Realizing someone was missing, Ichigo asked, "Ryou? Where's Ryou? Did… did he leave?"

Ignoring everyone's answers, she ran out of the café in search of the one she loved more than anyone.

'But… why would he just leave like that…?' she pondered.

Momomiya eventually came to the bridge at the park, where she noticed a lone person leaning on the rail.

"Ryou!" she called loudly to receive his attention as she raced toward him, "Why'd you leave in such a hurry?"

"Needed to think…" he breathed.

Ichigo wondered, "Well, did you here? I didn't turn into a cat when Lettuce scared me earlier. I guess that means that my cat genes are gone."

"Yeah, I know…"

She questioned, "Um… Ryou, is something wrong? You seem kind of down…"

Ryou lifted his head up, "Do you really wanna know…?"

"Well, yeah…" she answered.

He sighed, "Honestly… I was hoping that you'd have those genes… forever…"

"What? But, Ryou, you know that I-"

"I'm not finished. The reason I wanted it was so that you and I would have that one thing in common… I know it's selfish to feel this way, but I can't help it…I left because you just looked so happy and I didn't want to ruin that..." he explained.

Ichigo immediately saddened and said, "Oh… Ryou…"

Suddenly a puff of smoke appeared where Ichigo was standing. When it cleared…

"Meow!" she exclaimed, "I thought I wasn't a cat anymore!"

Ryou picked up Neko Ichigo and proclaimed, "Ichigo! You're a cat!"

"But how? Just because I thought that it would be okay to be a cat because you are one too? That doesn't make sen-!"

"Actually, Ichigo, it does make sense! Just now, you wanted to be a cat because I'm one too! Now you can choose whether to become a cat or not! Like me! This is great! Try changing back."

"O-okay… hmmm…It's not working!" she cried.

Shirogane chuckled, "But you still can't change back on your own. You're so codependent…"

He gave her a light peck on the lips, and soon Ichigo was human again.

She beamed, "At least now I can control when I transform! And we will always have that ability in common!"

"Y-yeah!"

Awww! I managed to keep Ichigo a kitty! Yay! And she still has to be kissed to become human again! Heehee! Well, that's it! Thanks again to ALL of my reviewers! I couldn't have done it without you!