Hello! Hello to one and all! Well here you go, the third chapter. Take five seconds to review! It always encourages the author ; ) OK with that over with let the reign of chaos begin once more!
This story is dedicated to all those who reviewed and especially bakaneko.
Without your e-mails this would've been put on hold for a lot longer! -
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the idea of this story and the
character Lian.
When Family Comes Calling:
Secrets Coming Closer To The Light
The next morning things returned to normal in the Souma home. Well, as normal as it ever got.
For the next few days, Kyo continued to transverse the stairs with Lian, even though she protested that she could walk just fine thank you very much. Of course that idea ended with the first and last time Kyo had let her try the stairs. Lian probably would've broken her neck if he hadn't grabbed her to him as she started to fall when her leg sent a shooting pain of warning. Needless to say after that her protests of being able to walk fell on deaf ears.
Hatori came each day to check on her and to his surprise Lian's leg was healing quite rapidly. During those days the residents of the house had discovered that Lian had no affect on the rest of them as well.
With Yuki it had been an accident. Tohru had dropped her book bag just beside the bed where Lian lay and Yuki unfortunately found it the hard way, with his feet. He had stumbled forward and Lian caught him before he went sprawling to the ground. Of course Kyo came in just at that moment seeing what looked like Yuki hugging Lian. For some unknown reason in his mind this pissed Kyo off and the two went at it like, well, cat and mouse. That ended with the usual conclusion that the mouse won.
To test the theory of Lian not affecting all of them they decided to take a risk and have Shigure bring her downstairs one day. Once more a cursed male of the Souma clan did not change when held by the strange girl.
The more they discovered the more frustrated the Souma men became. During all this none of them noticed the sad worried looks Tohru gave them as they would sit together and ponder what it all could mean.
Tohru pretty much knew why her cousin did not affect the others, but that was not her secret to share.
On the fourth day of Lian's stay Hatori came down from examining Lian and motioned everyone to follow him into the living room.
Before he could say anything Tohru said worriedly "Hatori-san is something wrong with Lian? I thought she was healing just fine."
Hatori gave the upset girl in front of him one of his rare smiles while saying "no Tohru, Lian's perfectly fine. In fact except for a rapidly healing scar the pain should be gone as long as she doesn't over do it for the next three or four days."
Tohru gave a sigh of relief, which was short lived as Hatori continued in a grimmer tone. "It's a good thing she is almost well since Akito is starting to get suspicious. If he finds out about her he will want to see Lian."
Shigure looked at the family doctor with mild surprise "you haven't told Akito about Lian yet?"
Hatori just shook his head while looking at Tohru. They all realized if Lian found out about the curse Akito might have both the girls memories wiped.
Tohru looked a little downcast at the news but then she gave a weak smile "I knew it wouldn't last like this for long, but at least I'll get to see her at school."
Shigure smiled gently at Tohru "I wish she could stay, but who knows what Akito might do to you two."
Suddenly a hard voice came from the doorway "Then let me worry about it."
Everyone turned to look at Lian with shock as she stood there leaning in theopen hall.
Lian slowly walked forward into the room, her intense gaze never wavering from the group of people in front of her. As she passed through a panel of sunlight her eyes took on a predator like gleam and her hair glowed as if were made of fire. Muscles shifted slightly underneath her skin as she seemed to glide and stalk instead of walk forward. Once she passed out of the sunlight she seemed like the same girl that they had all known before, except that now the haunting vision of a predator was completely etched into their memories.
She turned her emerald gaze to her cousin she asked "Tohru could I handle it?"
To the men's surprise Tohru tilted her head seeming to think about what Lian had asked instead of wanting to know what she had meant. After a moment Tohru shook her head slightly while smiling gently "you might react badly. Not that would be wrong or anything but they are hard to understand sometimes and I don't want anyone hurt.. I mean not that you would hurt anyone but"
Lian sighed and gave Tohru a rueful smile cutting the other girl off in mid rant "then I guess I'd better find a place soon, ne?"
Tohru lowered her head sniffling and nodded her head.
Seeing this Lian sighed and went over to her downcast cousin hugging her "Tohru, I am here to stay. I no longer have to wander to find my place. The rules have been explained and I have settled everything from the past."
Tohru nodded still not quite bringing her head fully up.
"Hey" Lian said as she chucked Tohru under the chin smiling softly. "Pretty soon you'll be seeing so much of me that you'll start to get sick of the sight."
Tohru had to chuckle at that and she brushed away the beginning of her tears. Then Lian realized one second too late that her cousin was extremely happy and she should've prepared herself. Tohru gave a happy cry and tackled Lian in an enthusiastic hug. The two fell to the floor giggling and as they lay there, if one caught the look on the others face, they would begin cracking up once more.
The four men in the room just looked at each other clueless on what to do with the girls.
Finally Shigure interrupted the two with a not so subtle "Ahem!"
Immediately the two stopped and turned Cerulean blue and dark Emerald green eyes to the men in front of them.
Shigure had to take a moment to find his scattered wits when the two young women had looked at him.
Once more, without knowing it the two had made a breath taking scene. Both of them lying on the floor, in the sunlight, with their long earthen and russet hair spread out and mixing together, created a very fetching picture.
Shigure once more cleared his throat, not to get their attention, which he had, but to make sure his voice didn't squeak when he began speaking to them.
"Lian, if you would like, I could bring back the ads with rooms to rent for you."
Lian's face lit up and she went over to hug Shigure saying "that would be such a big help! Thank you Shigure!"
Hatori's eyes about popped from their sockets when he saw Lian hug Shigure with no consequences. The others seeing his reaction realized that they had never told the family
doctor Lian's strange affect with them. Then, before anyone could react, Lian had let go of Shigure and quickly hugged Hatori. Once again a male Souma that came in contact with her did not change.
Lian let go of the now doubly stunned doctor and got unsteadily to her feet. Giving a warm smile she then bowed to all in the room. "Thank you all for everything. It's good to know my cousin found such caring people to be with."
Lian smiled lovingly to her cousin "I can now see she deserves all of you as much as you all deserve her."
Turning to everyone again Lian brightly said "when I get my new place I'll invite everyone over for a party, ne?"
Lian then bowed, slightly wincing at the small pain that told her she had over done things, and turned towards the stairs. To everyone's surprise Kyo began muttering and stalked towards the door that Lian had just gone through. Straining their ears they managed to hear Lian give a squeak in surprise and protests with Kyo's footsteps stomping up the stairs.
Hatori turned an accusing glare on Shigure saying "why didn't you tell me about that little detail?
Shigure gave a look that he thought looked like complete innocence before replying "what little detail?"
Clearly holding his temper Hatori ground out "the little detail, that Lian can come in contact with us without activating the curse."
Shigure's face brightened as if just realizing something "Oh that little detail!" His face turned serious "I didn't think it was important."
Hatori opened his mouth to give a scathing retort when Kyo stomped back into the room muttering about how stupid and stubborn some red-heads could be.
Kyo looked up to see everyone giving him a look of amusement, even Hatori. Kyo just gave an embarrassed snarl, spun back around out of the room, and went stomping straight back up to his room.
Hatori's small smile faded as he turned to confront Shigure again. His plans on getting some answers went south when he saw the stubborn amusement in Shigure's eyes. The doctor sighed in defeat. Hatori simply picked up his bag and bid everyone a good day while his mind was actively contemplating what he had just discovered.
The rest of the day went pretty quietly. Kyo and Yuki only had one fight that day and that was because Yuki kept smirking at Kyo. Tohru did some laundry and other chores aided by her cousin until Shigure brought Lian the ads, in which the girl began rummaging through immediately.
Curiously Shigure saw that Lian was only circling houses for rent or sale and not rooms or apartments.
As Shigure walked away he thought to himself "surely Lian couldn't be serious about the houses? I mean how could a typical high school teen afford a house?"
Shigure sighed and shook his head ruefully "but Lian isn't a typical teenager is she?"
Ok peoples there's the end of chapter 3. Sorry it seemed so normal.Please
encourage me to write by reviewing! See ya!