Disclaimer: Fanfiction: A genre of writing in which the writer creates a unique plot-line using characters that have been created by another person. The fanfiction cannot be used for monetary gain because the characters belong to another writer. Furubu (Fruitsbasket) belongs to Natsuki Takaya, along with all the associated characters. Enjoy.

Chapter 17: Stealing Home and Pop Flies

On the trip home, Tohru was unusually quiet. Beginning to worry, Hatori looked over. "Are you okay?"

Tohru blushed and looked out her window.

"Are you sure? You really are acting strange."

Tohru took so long to answer than Hatori was almost worried.

"Can I ask you a question?"

He exhaled in relief. "Sure."

"Of a personal nature?"

"Yes."

"Um…" her fiery face turned to look at him, but she didn't make eye contact. "If I was to get pregnant by a Sohma, would my child be a Sohma?"

Hatori had NOT been prepared for that. An oncoming truck honking at him caused him to jerk the wheel throwing them back into the correct lane. "Dammit…what?"

"If I slept with a…"

Hatori interrupted her. "Stop. Akito didn't damage my hearing. I just can't believe what I heard." He pulled over at the first convenient location and threw the car in 'park' before turning to face her. "You aren't sleeping with Kyo or Yuki are you?"

Her face turned even redder. "NO!" She mumbled something.

"What?"

"I was just curious." She stared hard out of her side window, wishing she were invisible.

"You've never been curious before, why now?" She was still trying to come up with a good explanation when the car horn went off, a single long continuous honk. Tohru whipped around to see Hatori's head on the top of the steering wheel, his chest pushing the horn in.

"Hatori-san…" She reached a hand out to him and tapped his shoulder. He sat back up but continued to stare out the front windshield.

"You saw us last night." It wasn't a question, it needed no reply. "This question is a direct result of what you saw isn't it?" He turned his head as she nodded. "You know, if Akito finds out about Rio, she will suffer for it."

"As would you." She grasped her hands together. "I have been keeping Sohma secrets since day one, do you not trust me?"

He blinked. Although she seemed so young and immature, she had proven herself to act older than those her same age. "I trust you." He reached over and ruffled her hair, causing her to giggle. "So, do you really want an answer to your question?"

She blushed again, but nodded.

"If a Sohma and a regular person get together and create another life, unless one of the zodiac was currently unclaimed, they would not have to worry. However, Sohmas tend to stay in the same families. So as an example, if Ritsu died and the monkey was not claimed, and you got pregnant with Kyo's baby, you MIGHT have a child that embodied the spirit of the monkey. Maybe not. Your chances of having a Sohma offspring are less with Kyo than with Yuki." He shook his head. I can't believe I'm having this discussion with the onigiri.

"Why Yuki and not Kyo?" Although she was about to spontaneously combust from embarrassment, she wanted to understand.

"Because his family has two Sohmas, and the cat is cursed and the other signs tend to shy from that family line."

"Oh." She looked back out of the window again, not turning to look at him until he chuckled.

"What am I going to do with this younger group of people, you have no respect for the proprieties." He put the car back in 'drive' and started back down the road.

"Gomen! I didn't mean to be disrespectful or improper."

"Oh Tohru, I'm just humored by you, not offended. I'm glad you asked rather than walk unaware into a relationship with one of them. Craftily he looked over at her. "So, if you HAD to choose, who would it be?"

She blinked twice before answering. "I don't think I could choose between them. I think Saki is interested in Kyo, I would never take him from her. I guess that would leave me with Yuki."

"And is that such a bad choice?"

She thought back to the times he gave her a ribbon for her hair, searched her out to apologize for his attitude, planted strawberries just for her, and even tried to get the snake-Ayame skinned for climbing up her dress searching for warmth. "No, he's a perfect choice."

Hatori hummed, it helped relieve him of the nicotine withdraws he'd been dealing with since Rio took away his smokes and told him that she didn't want to be licking the inside of any ashtray. He thought her reasoning was completely sound and valid; but facts didn't negate the shakes he was suffering. "I agree. So, are you going to consummate your relationship with Yuki tonight?"

"WHAT?" Her chin was practically sitting in her lap.

"Because if you were thinking about it, we'd need to stop for condoms. I'm afraid I've used all of the ones I carry." And a couple of Rio's in addition.

Blushing furiously, she fought to maintain eye contact. "Uh, I don't think I need any condoms right now."

He loved needling her. "Oh, I see. Going to go ahead and get pregnant now while all of the signs are currently in use."

She was about to freak out when she noticed the devilish gleam in his eye. "You're teasing me, right?"

He smiled again, and Tohru made a mental note that 'vacationing' was good for him. "Yes, just teasing. Take your time, hell, marry a normal man and forget about all of us." He looked wistful for an instant. "It'd be a LOT easier than dealing with all of the problems that are part of being with a Sohma."

Tohru, never one to catch a hint, looked at him. "It appeared to me that Rio found a very suitable way of dealing with 'all of the problems' of being with a Sohma."

"Mmmhmmm…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "That wasn't exactly what I was talking about; but yes, there are multiple ways to overcome that problem." He turned and looked at her with a very serious glare. "And I'll be drawn and quartered before I show you any more of them." They both laughed and finished the drive in companionable discussion.

ssssss

Saki was waiting for the boys when they left the compound later that morning. She was wearing black jeans and a black poet's shirt, tightly laced up the back with frilly sleeves hanging over her hands. They both walked over to find out what was happening.

Kyo spoke first. "Hey Hana-chan. You stalking us or what?"

"As delicate as ever," Yuki muttered. Saki heard him and smiled.

"I need to talk with Yuki for a moment." Kyo started to walk off, but she snagged the edge of his sleeve. "But don't leave, I'm really here to see you."

Kyo glared, his figurative ears lying back on his head. "You can't have both of us, I refuse to share with him!" Yuki reached over and smacked the back of his head. "Oww! What was that for?"

Yuki glared. "For being a baka. Go stand near that tree and wait for me to finish talking with Hana-chan so you two can hang out." He pointed at a very large maidenhead tree, its fan-shaped leaves providing abundant shade. He turned back to Saki. "So, what do you need to discuss with me?"

"Uotani. She's almost helpless, we can't leave things as they are. Haru is used to being lost, plus he's a boy. Uo-chan is going to get hurt, or worse, if this keeps on."

He crossed his arms over his chest and thought for a second. "I have a plan, but it will take all of us."

Waving at Kyo to join them, he told them his plan. Two minutes later, Kyo and Saki walked into the Sohma household while Yuki headed over to Uotani's apartment.

Uotani was not a happy camper. It had rained on her tent, and the mosquitoes were out in full force. Or at least that's what she would have thought if she were an outdoorsy type. What she did know was that she'd been living the life of the perpetually lost since Friday evening, and it sucked. When someone knocked on her door, she was tempted not to answer it.

"Answer the door Uo-chan, it's Yuki." Well, that was a good way to light a fire under her feet.

Throwing open the door, she glared at him. "It'd better be good."

"As good as Friday night."

"I'll bite."

"I know how to fix you, you just need to trust me." She turned and grabbed her keys without a second thought. "Yuki, if you'll fix me, I'd follow you to Hamlin."

ssssss

Haru was having a slightly harder time falling into place. "You want me to go with you shopping, for groceries?" Saki was acting all evasive, Kyo looked very overtaxed at this request, and Haru didn't believe anything those two were saying. "Why don't you tell me the truth for once."

Kyo started to talk, but Saki interrupted him. "He wants the truth, let's tell him the truth." Kyo nodded. "Uo-chan is getting lost wherever she goes. This is a direct result of something you two did Friday night." She acknowledged his blush and continued. "She got lost in a bad part of town last night and I cannot find her. I enlisted Kyo and Yuki's help to find her; but I really need your sense of direction." Kyo gave her an I thought we were going to tell the TRUTH look, but Saki shook her head.

Haru had thrown on a jacket and grabbed his cell phone before they could finish their non-verbal communication. Walking to the door, he looked back. "Well…are you coming or are you going to sit there and pick your noses all day?"

They walked toward the gate. "Pick my nose?" Kyo looked at Haru, who was unperturbed about everything except finding Arisa Uotani. "Couldn't you come up with a better thing to say than that?"

Saki laid a hand on his arm and shook her head. Haru noticed and grinned. "So, you two sleeping together yet?"

"WHAT?" Both of them instinctively took two steps away from each other and stopped, looking at Haru.

He walked up to them. "You should, you are both freaks and I think you would make a great couple. Now come on, we have to find Arisa-chan!" He started walking again, but Saki touched his sleeve, shocking him slightly. "What gives you the right to call her Arisa?"

"Well, I think when you sleep with a woman, and don't pay her for it, you get the right to call her by her first name. Besides, I'll be damned if I call my lover by her last name."

"Your lover, as in not a one-night-stand?"

Haru blushed. "I hadn't planned on it being a one time thing. In fact, I hadn't planned at all, I was Black Haru at the time. But, I've had feelings towards her for quite some time, and was just trying to determine how best to approach her. I wish we hadn't gotten into that street brawl, I wish…" they suddenly had to strain to hear him "I could fix a lot of things that didn't happen correctly." He kicked a rock, not watching where it went. "But Black Haru got hold of her first, and she'll probably never allow me the chance to show her that I can also be caring and gentle. I'm not all macho punk."

"Coulda fooled me," Kyo muttered, earning a lightly shocking smack from Saki. "Ow!"

"Did you mean it?" A tall blonde walked around the corner of the gate.

"Uotani!"

"Uo-chan!"

"Arisa?"

A/N: Internet is good. Internet is my friend. Food poisoning is not. I apologize for not posting last night, but I couldn't get away from the porcelain temple to post. I hope everyone had a GREAT week, and I will post again at my regularly scheduled time this week. -TK