Summary: Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, Shigure, Haru and Momiji get the chance of a lifetime as they are whisked away on a four-day trip on The Orient Express! But all trouble breaks loose as some one is killed and a detective-type crime sweep pursues…
"A TRAIN RIDE TO REMEMBER"
CHAPTER 2
"Akito…?" gasped Yuki
"Oh, well hello there," said Akito lazily, looking at Yuki and the others "I was wondering who would be joining me in this compartment"
"Erm…" started Tohru
Akito looked at her. He had the deepest disgust at looking at her. But then he smiled
"I was wondering, who's come on this trip with you?" asked Akito, looking at Tohru
"Oh… erm… me, Momiji, Kyo, Yuki, Haru and Shigure-" Tohru said
"Where's Shigure?" asked Akito "He's not with you?"
"He had to sit by himself" said Tohru "We had seats reserved in both compartments 74 and 75"
"Well, why don't you sit by yourself?" he told Tohru "I want to sit with my family"
"Miss Honda gave us this trip as a present for White Day" said Yuki "I think she deserves to sit with us. Maybe you should go?"
"I think not," said Akito "The people in compartment 74 are not to my liking"
"Well, make them to your liking and go away and let Shigure it in here" Yuki said, firmly
"Your cheek will earn you more of what you shall we say-like-" said Akito
Yuki looked drawn back, but got more confidence "What? You're gonna do it right here? In front of all these people? I think not"
"Oh, don't worry, I have a –special- place for that" said Akito, coolly
Shigure popped his head in to complain that the people in compartment 74 were total hypochondriacs and that they all said sorry to every thing (A/N: remind you of anyone? .: AHEM :. Tohru)
"Erm, could we please have an agenda in which we all swap and take it in turns? Because I hate those… Akito? What are you doing here?" said Shigure taken aback
"I have decided to take a break, since that you know I am going to die, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip" said Akito, picking up a leaflet that read:
'ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME TRIP
Be on The Orient Express! Only $1000 a ticket or special prices of 6 tickets for $5000! Don't be caught without a photo of your exciting trip! Take ALL the family, especially train enthusiasts, they'll love it! And don't forget to visit the gift shop on the train, where you'll find a great selection of Orient Express merchandise'
Then there was a big picture of a smiling family in front of the enormous train. And another of a boy with a couple of souvenirs he'd obviously gotten from the train gift-shop.
"It seemed like such a good idea to get away from that family," said Akito stretching in his seat, getting comfortable
"But that's abusing responsibilities, Akito" said Haru, getting mad
"Ah, ah, ah." Said Akito "I wouldn't lose me temper if I were you, Haru"
"Haru, it's OK," said Tohru "I can understand that… Akito… wishes to be with his family, I'll, just go in the other compartment"
"NO! Miss Honda!" shouted Yuki, "You treated us to this! This is your gift to us; I say Akito goes! Who else agrees?"
Everyone put his or her hand up, including Shigure. Tohru dared not, just in case Akito got mad. But, by now people in the carriage had poked their head out to see what all the fuss was, some even making up their own version of events.
"I heard that girl there-"
"Where?"
"In the school uniform"
"Oh yeah"
"Well, that guy in the compartment is breaking up with her and her family's defending her and telling that guy not to"
"Really?"
"Oh, is that a fact!" shouted Haru
"No! Haru! No!" shouted Tohru 'They just had to bring out Black Haru' she thought
Tohru sighed and turned round only to bump into Akito who was now leaving the compartment in defeat, but to Tohru's horror, Akito turned into his Zodiac animal, the…
"Rooster?" said Tohru, trying not to laugh, but then she remembered no one knew about the Sohma curse so she grabbed Akito and ran into compartment 74
"Sorry about that" said Tohru blushing slightly "Oh, my, I forgot your clothes!"
She ran out to get his clothes, got them and turned back to go in, but he'd gone
'Oh god! He's gonna be running up and down this train, NAKED!' Tohru thought, and she hated that thought, but then she remembered
"Black Haru!" she said
She turned round to see Haru, beating the crap out of a terrified passenger, but as she looked closer, this passenger was a kid; he only looked about 15. He was cowering in the corner, near the door, Haru shouting comments at him such as-
"Think that's what happened huh?"
"Guess what? You're not even close!"
Then Haru swung to hit him, Tohru screamed, and Haru looked round to see Tohru, tears in her eyes, she couldn't believe what she just saw. This was the perfect time for the beaten passenger to run, but he stayed there, his mousy-brown hair swaying from the open window (A/N: This is not Hiro or any other member of the zodiac) of the door, leading off the now speeding train. Haru changed back almost immediately back to White Haru and found, to his surprise, a terrified passenger on the floor
"Oh no" he whispered "Come on, get up, I'll take you to the first aid block" he added in his normal tone, holding his hand out to the passenger
The passenger looked thunderstruck, this guy who had just been beating him up, was being nice to him?
"Y-y-y-you leave m-me alone!" he shouted, his voice shaky, he tried to run off, but Haru grabbed him and gave him a fire-man's lift out, Tohru followed him
"Everyone!" she called
"Yeah?" they chorused
"Look for Akito, he changed into his zodiac animal, he's around here… somewhere!" she called
And with that, she followed Haru
'This isn't the trip I was hoping for' she thought
She looked up at the kid, to see him screaming and shouting, hitting Haru in the back and sides, trying to make Haru let go. He seemed to have gotten more confidence now, as his voice wasn't trembling as much
"P-please, put me down!" he called, crying
Haru did as the kid said; Tohru could tell that Haru was upset. This was the first person he'd beaten up who he didn't know; his eyes were red and puffy
"OK, I'm sorry," said Haru looking into the kid's eyes "I didn't mean to hit you-"
"Repeatedly" said the kid
"Yeah, repeatedly" said Haru laughing a little "But I'm really sorry, if you could forgive me?"
The kid thought about it a little, he gave a shy, little smile and said: "O-o-ok!"
But Haru wasn't expecting the kid to hug him, but Haru hugged him back
Tohru was crying her eyes out now 'This is so sweet' she thought
"Come on let's get you fixed up" asked Haru, smiling "What's your name anyway?"
"It's Jeimii," he said (A/N: Jeimii is Japanese for Jamie)
Haru gasped "YOU!"
(A/N: Check in for the next chapter to see why Haru knows Jeimii!)