Author's Note: Everyone give a big round of applause to big book worm from FFNet and Neonlite17 from MediaMiner who very kindly volunteered to beta this mess! Be especially thankful because it is unlikely that my stuff would be readable without heavy betaing :)

Quick Vocabulary:

Ika-yaki: Grilled squid. Shigure's favorite dish :)

Fukubashi: wealthy bridge

Tennyo: "celestial maiden", similar to angels in that they reside in the heavens except that they lack wings and fly with the aid of special wispy robes or shawls called "hagoromo"

Kuronabe: black pot (as in "The pot calling the kettle black.")

Chapter Summary: The boys really need to stop talking to each other without Tohru there. Maybe duct tape would work?

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya/HAKUSENSHA - TV TOKYO - NAS - Fruba Project. Butterfly is mine.

Warning: Rated R for language, implied rape, torture, and adult situations.

Chapter 15: Taking Care of Business

Taking care of business every day
Taking care of business every way
I've been taking care of business, it's all mine
Taking care of business and working overtime

- Bachman-Turner Overdrive, "Taking Care of Business"

Tohru sees Yuki in the hallway almost as soon as she leaves the bedroom. Before he can say anything and before she loses her courage she blurts out her answer.

"I can't, Yuki! I won't put either of you over the other one! I love you both so much- please don't make me do this…."

All of the accumulated stress and anxiety of the last year finally catches up to Tohru. She slides to the floor, burying her head in her knees.

Yuki almost immediately sits down behind her, cradling her against his chest as he kisses the top of her head. "Tohru… Darling…. Oh gods, I've made a complete mess of this…. You don't have to choose anyone, darling…"

Tohru's head snaps up in shock. She is even more shocked to see Kyou standing in front of them and not looking murderous.

"Told you she wouldn't go for it, nezumi."

The hell!?!

"That's because I fucked up! I didn't explain anything to her before I asked!"

"You mean you proposed to her before you explained…. What the FUCK were you thinking!?!"

Um…. I'm confused…. Oh...Wait a minute.... Tohru- remember that little conversation we had about not letting the boys talk to one another? Well, I think that we may need to tape their mouths shut when they leave our sight.

"I panicked! I was running out of time and I just spoke without thinking!"

Kyou groans and runs his fingers through his hair. He sounds more resigned than angry. "So it's up to me to clean up your mess eh, nezumi? Never mind."

Kyou kneels in front of Tohru and tilts her chin up so that she is looking him directly in the eyes. "I never thought that I would say this, but the kuso nezumi isn't nearly as big of an asshole as you probably think he is right now. He is an idiot but that's only to be expected."

Yuki is obviously upset because he doesn't even try to correct Kyou's jibe and instead keeps pressing light kisses to Tohru's hair. Kyou continues speaking while Tohru tries to figure out what's going on.

Don't even bother, sweetie. I'm sure that there is some bizarre, yet completely logical to them, reason that they thought that Yuki needed to propose to you. If you try to guess we're both going to have a splitting headache.

'I'm starting to think you might be right about taping their mouths shut.'

Kyou bluntly snaps Tohru out of her thoughts. "Tohru- have you ever thought about having children?"

Well, that was unexpected.

Tohru takes a minute to get herself under control. She has thought about children.

Tohru wouldn't let herself think about family while Akito was hurting her. Now that it seems to have stopped, she has allowed herself to have small hopes for one day having a baby. She had never expected the boys to be the ones to bring it up.

"I… Yes, I… I want to have children."

Yuki's entire body seems to relax against hers, as if he had been holding his breath until she answered. Kyou on the other hand tenses even more.

"Have you considered what having children would mean?"

Tohru blinks in confusion. "We have money… and we seem to be doing okay with our businesses…. Is there something else?"

Kyou sighs and speaks very slowly. "What about our living conditions?"

"I don't understand…."

"Damn it, Tohru! How are people going to react to a kid with a family composed of Mom and the two guys she's fucking!?!"

Tohru shrinks back and Yuki pulls her farther into his arms, as if to shield her from Kyou's anger. She won't let herself hide though. This is too important to back down.

"Why would anyone need to know?"

Kyou paces and Tohru is disturbed by the anger and frustration radiating off of him.

Sweetie- it's not you.

'Oh.'

"Are you really that naïve, love? We've both made out with you in the restaurant- many times. Everyone there knows that you're with both of us- we even had to get rid of a few of the staff who had a problem with it. Now that Yamashita's supervising you in the kitchen… well let's just say our affection is a lot more public than it was when it stayed in the back office."

Tohru wonders how she could possibly have missed all of this. After her experience with Maki, she hadn't thought anything of being affectionate with the boys in the restaurant. Maki had even offered to have her involved in the kitchen and Tohru had developed a much friendlier relationship with her and Akane. Tohru had allowed herself to hope that because there were no obvious problems with the staff, there wouldn't be any problems with anyone else. This willful optimism that everything would work out seems to have blinded her to how her relationship would appear to outsiders. Tohru had never let herself think about how other people might be upset that she had a relationship with both of the boys. It had certainly never occurred to her how that might affect a child.

On the other hand, he'd be the kid with the "cool mom" when he hit high school.

'Really not helping.'

"But how could we not cause problems for a child? I'm not going to choose one of you over the other!"

Kyou looks almost defeated as he turns towards her.

"You don't have to. We've all been living together for four years now- one more year and you will be considered common law marriage with either of us. It's legally recognized and it would mean that you wouldn't be lying if you said you were married. For some reason, people would probably be more understanding if you were cheating on your husband with his cousin than if you were just in a relationship with both of us."

Yuki speaks up for the first time. "That's what I was trying to ask you today. I wanted to know if you would allow me to be your public husband."

"Why you and not Kyou?"

Um… That may not have been the best thing to say….

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, Tohru wished that she could take them back. She can practically feel Yuki freezing up behind her.

Strangely, Kyou only looks more tired and defeated. "I spend all day with you Tohru because I do all my bookwork from the restaurant- nobody except the staff sees us together. I don't have any clients other than you and the nezumi. Nezumi does. When you visit him at work his partners see you and so do his clients. If he has to go to an event, people will see you together. It makes more sense that he becomes your common law husband…."

Kyou takes a deep breath. "I can't do this right now." He turns from Tohru and heads to his old room, closing the door behind him.

Yuki moves away from Tohru and they both stand up. When Tohru turns to face him, she swallows hard. Kyou is obviously in pain that it is Yuki who will get to be her husband. That pain is nothing compared to the blue-black halo blocking Yuki from her sight.

He didn't just propose to you without an explanation because he messed up.

'What do you mean?'

Tohru tries to ignore the suspicions that have been going through her mind since the ill-fated proposal.

Look at him! The boy's terrified you don't love him! And what would be the best way to test that?

'Oh please no.'

Tohru prays that Butterfly is wrong, but Yuki is obviously devastated. Tohru hates being tested, but Yuki's pain is tearing her inside. She tentatively places her hand on his shoulder, only to see him flinch away from her touch and leave the hallway. Apparently the test is over.

Looks like you failed.

-###-

Yuki is down the stairs and out of sight by the time Tohru realizes what has happened.

Don't let him walk off right now, sweetie. Believe me, this is not something that will be solved by waiting.

'You're right.'

Tohru runs down the stairs to grab Yuki's arm just before he is about to walk out the front door.

"Please don't go."

Yuki shrugs off her hand.

"Why should I stay?"

Wow. He's really messed up about this.

"I love you! Why can't you believe me?"

"Because you always pick the neko over me! Because you're only with me out of pity!"

They stare at each other, breathing heavily. Raw emotions fill the space between them, auras swirling with blues, blacks and reds. Tohru realizes that if she doesn't do something there will be no convincing Yuki and there will be no second chances. Tohru is filled with a new desperation and purpose.

'Butterfly- please join our minds together.'

What makes you think that I can do that?

'Please don't play with me. I've felt Yuki's animal before. I know that our minds can touch.'

There are consequences-

'I. Don't. Care.'

As you wish.

As soon as Tohru feels the brush of Yuki's mind she releases the floodgate of her emotions- all the love, affection, lust she feels for Yuki pushed into his mind. He staggers backwards, eyes wide as she sinks to her knees under the weight of the effort.

Tohru closes her eyes, trying to clear the vertigo. When she opens them Yuki is kneeling in front of her his expression open and defenseless.

"You love me?"

"I love you."

Tohru sways forward and to her horror and embarrassment, she starts throwing up in the entrance way, nearly on top of Yuki. Yuki doesn't seem to be disgusted though. He holds her hair back from her face and places one of his cool hands against her burning forehead. When she's finished, he silently cleans up the mess before helping her up and taking her to the bathroom.

As Tohru washes her face she watches Yuki in the bathroom mirror.

"Why is it so hard for you to believe that I love you?"

Yuki comes up behind her and rests his head on her shoulder as he puts his arms around her waist.

"I'm not around very much, Tohru and I know that I'm… not the easiest person to love. When I asked you to marry me, I thought… I thought that if you loved me you would have found some way to agree. I know it's stupid but I was so scared that the only reason you were with me was because you felt sorry for me and you thought neko and I were a package deal."

"You don't think that anymore, do you?"

"No."

Tohru turns in his arms to lay her head against his chest, trying to absorb his steady heart-beat into her body.

"I love you."

"I know, darling."

"No more tests, Yuki."

"No more tests."

They shuffle out of the bathroom, arms still around one another and head back down the hallway. Tohru is the one who opens the door to Kyou's old room, Yuki's arms still around her waist. Kyou is sitting on his bed, staring blankly at the wall.

"Why are you so scared about having a child?"

That certainly wasn't how Tohru had planned on opening the conversation and she senses a little bit of Butterfly interference.

Kyou snaps out of his trance and turns towards Tohru. "How do you know that I'm not just upset that I don't get to be your husband?"

"You might be. But I think that you also know that it doesn't make a difference to how I'll treat you and how much I care about you. You only really got upset after I said that I wanted children."

Kyou slumps forward, his head in his hands.

"I'm not good enough to be a father."

"Why?"

Kyou jerks up again, staring at her in surprise.

"Because… because…"

Tohru leans back against Yuki's chest and closes her eyes. She's far too exhausted to be anything but direct. "If you don't want to have children, I won't force either of you into it. I do want children. I want children with you two as the fathers. I want little babies with your hair and Yuki's eyes that I can watch grow up into beautiful adults. Whether or not you want children, my birth control runs out at the end of this month so if you don't want children we're going to have to find a way to get me a new prescription. But if you do want children… Well we could turn the guest bedroom into a nursery-"

"You had me at 'I do want children.'"

Tohru opens her eyes- Kyou has moved so that he is standing right in front of her.

"Are you sure?"

"If you think that I'm good enough to be a father…. I trust you."

Tohru leans forward to pull him into a hug.

Yuki's voice is curiously flat. "I think that because I'm going to act as husband, you should be the one who signs the birth certificate for the first child."

Kyou looks up in obvious surprise and gratitude. "Thank-you. Both of you. I need a little time to think- I'm a bit overwhelmed."

Tohru waits until Kyou's footsteps have faded in the hallway before she turns to face Yuki.

"Are you upset that Kyou will sign as our first child's father?"

"No."

Well break out the ice-skating demons- he's being honest.

"If I have you, I don't care about anything else." Tohru can see the vulnerability in his eyes.

"You have me."

-###-

Tohru shifts uncomfortably as Akane expertly adjusts her dress and hair. Maki raises an eyebrow as Akane does something to the back of Tohru's dress and Tohru becomes even more concerned. This is Yuki's first big client dinner and she doesn't want to do anything that might embarrass him or his partners. Yuki has been particularly excited about this client because he would be able to use some plants and designs that are far too expensive for his normal customers. Both he and Tohru had decided that they needed new clothes for the party to try and give the best possible impression. The boys had initially been horrified when Akane and Maki had offered to dress her for the event. It was only after Akane had promised to return her 'without spikes or additional body piercings' that they grudgingly let her go shopping with the two women.

They were just jealous that they won't get to see the hot fem-sex.

'Hot fem-sex?'

Oh come on- do you really think that Akane bitches that much about men because she's secretly dying for a good cock to prove her wrong? She's sending signals sweetie!

'You know, I used to think that you were evil. Now I know that you're just crazy. And desperate.'

Hey! You try having a sex drive and no body and see how you like it!

"All done."

Well- let's see the damage.

"It's beautiful."

Akane beams as Tohru stares into the mirror in stunned surprise. She's not pretty but whatever Akane has done to her hair and make up has made her look mature and elegant- exactly what she needs for tonight's meeting. Tohru turns to smile at both Akane and Maki. She realizes how lucky she is that both of these women have been so accepting of her unusual relationship with the boys, and so willing to be friendly anyways.

Akane has been very direct about her opinions. She thinks that Tohru is "sticking it to the male establishment pigs" by showing that "women can run multiple men just as well as… men". Akane is very 'vocal' in her support and Tohru has discovered that she has somehow made a loyal, although strange friend. Maki is more of a puzzle. She seems to have accepted Tohru after the singing incident, but she has never really explained why she changed her mind and Tohru just accepts that she has. After all, she has offered peace and even invited Tohru into the kitchen so Tohru has no real reason to be suspicious.

Any chick who gets her kicks by watching you go at it, has to have something in mind.

'Well, even if she does, she's been very nice to me so be nice to her.'

Really nice?

'No.'

Damn. You're learning.

The buzz of the intercom in Akane's apartment startles Tohru out of her conversation. Maki moves to the door and tosses Tohru her purse.

"Well, let's go knock out the Ice Prince."

Akane snorts. "If he lifts his eyes above her breasts, I'll kiss him myself."

Ignoring her sudden flare of jealousy, Tohru suddenly realizes that whatever Akane did to her dress gave her a lot more chest than she would normally have.

To Tohru's combined amusement and frustration, Akane wins her bet. Yuki doesn't even seem to notice when the other women leave as he stares at her chest all the way to the car. Finally Tohru's amusement wins out.

"Yuki- my eyes are up here."

Tohru has never seen anyone turn that red.

"I-I-I'm so sorry…."

Tohru reaches out to pull him towards her.

"Don't be."

As Yuki leans in to kiss her, she playfully backs up and shakes her head.

"Ah, ah. Don't smudge the makeup."

Yuki glares at her and almost whines in reply. "Do we have to go to the party?"

Tohru reaches up to pat him on the head. "There, there- if you're a good boy we can have lots of fun afterwards."

-###-

Most of Tohru's happiness is gone by the time they leave the car with the valet and walk up to the entrance of the huge mansion. Yuki gives her shoulder a squeeze and drops a reassuring kiss on the top of her head. "Everything's going to be fine. We just need to stay for a few hours and quietly leave."

'Then why do I have such a funny feeling in my stomach?'

That might be me. I really didn't like that Ika-yaki that we had for supper. I don't know how Shigure could stomach the stuff.

'You know, this isn't helpful.'

Alright, alright. I'll be good.

Yuki's arm is around her waist now, and Tohru tries to settle her feelings of uneasiness as he rings the doorbell.

Tohru blinks at the person who opens the door. She is very afraid to open her mouth because she is honestly not sure if she is dealing with a man or a woman.

Yuki nods his head, his arm still around Tohru's waist. "Fukubashi-san. Thank you for inviting us to your party. I would like to present my wife, Himura Tohru. Tohru, this is Fukubashi Akira."

The slender figure in the doorway stretches and slinks forward. "I'm delighted to finally meet the mysterious Tohru-san. I've heard about you from every man in Himura-san's firm. I was starting to think that you were merely a legend or a mythical tennyo." Here he pauses, reaching out to hold Tohru's hand before pressing a kiss to her palm. He looks up at her from his bowed position. "I can see that I wasn't far wrong."

Tohru is more than a little uncomfortable with the dark, almost mocking look in the strange man's eyes. She instinctively leans a little further into Yuki's embrace. "I am very glad to meet you Fukubashi-san. Yuki has been very enthusiastic about your project."

"Such formality from one so beautiful- my heart is sore. But please, come in and meet my friends."

How can someone who looks so much like a woman pull off being such a sleaze of a man?

'I'm sure he's just being friendly.'

Very shortly, Tohru has to agree with Butterfly's assessment that 'Fukubashi is about as friendly as a piranha.' When she and Yuki enter the main entertainment room, she immediately feels about three years old and two inches high. Suddenly, what had seemed like a very pretty, sophisticated outfit with Maki and Akane appears plain and countrified.

Yuki and Tohru stand in the entranceway, watching the expertly made-up and dressed guests show off jewelry that is probably worth more than Tohru's restaurant. Yuki gently squeezes her waist and Tohru takes a deep breath. She is about to move forward when she catches a languid wave from Fukubashi. He hails them over to where he is talking to a particularly well-dressed man with a very unpleasant expression.

Fukubashi slings an arm over the man's shoulders. "I would like you to meet my dear friend, Kuronabe Jun. These beautiful people are that brilliant landscaper Himura Yuki and his wife Tohru-san." Duty done, Fukubashi retreats to the wall to watch their interactions with hooded, mocking eyes.

Kuronabe's gaze travels Tohru from her toes all the way up. "Ah yes, the man with the large stick in his ass. But you- your name sounds very familiar. Have we met?"

Yuki interjects through gritted teeth. "Perhaps you are familiar with my wife's restaurant? It is very popular for its traditional menu."

Kuronabe's eyes linger on Tohru's chest. She suddenly feels very, very exposed. "Perhaps that's it. I'm sure I'll remember eventually."

Can I please strike him blind?

'Maybe later. After Yuki gets his contract.'

You know, I think that that's the first time you've agreed with me about something like that.

'I don't like this party. And Fukubashi-san- there's something very strange about his aura.'

You're right, sweetie. I'd watch your back here.

Yuki seems to be having similar ideas to Butterfly. He steers Tohru away from Kuronabe and towards the wall. "Since my wife is a chef she very much wishes to see your kitchen, Fukubashi-san."

The man smoothly rises from his position against the wall and gestures towards a descending staircase near the far side of the room. "Please Himura-san, there is no need for such formality, but your wife is very welcome to speak to my chef."

Tohru chances a glance up at Yuki. His eyes are hard and wary. "Thank you for your kindness, Fukubashi-san." Yuki's knuckles are white as he steers Tohru towards the back of the room.

Tohru almost immediately breathes easier when they reach the large, modern kitchen in Fukubashi's basement. A man maybe five years older than Tohru is busily directing a herd of helpers putting together various artfully designed appetizers.

He looks over at the two of them and grins. "Get lost on your way to the dungeon? Damn- Fukubashi doesn't normally start the kinky stuff until after midnight."

Yuki cocks an eyebrow. "How do you know that we won't get you in trouble with your boss for being so rude to the guests?"

"You must be new here- I can't get in trouble for telling the truth. Besides it was an honest mistake. With her boobs and your ass you're obviously entertainment. And if you want to report me for that- well Fukubashi's heard a lot worse."

I like him!

Tohru glances up- Yuki looks like he can't tell whether to be offended or amused. Obviously deciding that silence is the best policy, he reaches for one of the cocktail glasses on the counter.

"I wouldn't touch any of the drinks if I were you. Fukubashi's friends often add strange things to them for fun."

Yuki withdraws his hand, and Tohru is almost immediately thirsty.

"Umm… sir… could I get a glass of water?"

The chef puts down the appetizer that he is working on and pulls an unopened bottle of water from the fridge before pouring a glass. His smile is almost kind as he hands her the cup.

"You're far too cute for a place like this- your boyfriend should have known better than to bring you here."

Obviously Yuki has had enough because he possessively wraps his arm around Tohru's waist and steers her towards the door. "Don't worry- I'm planning on solving that mistake as soon as possible."

Tohru is slightly grateful to get away from the strange chef but she feels unaccountably nervous when they reach the staircase.

"Do we have to go back up?"

"I'm afraid so, darling. But it's only for another hour or so- then they'll all be too drunk to notice that we've left."

Tohru stands at the top of the stairs, trying to work her courage to enter this… pit.

What are you so scared of, sweetie? Who says you need to interact with these assholes? Yuki's looking at you like you're dessert, so why don't you stand in a corner and flirt er... 'talk' with your husband?

'You know, that's not a bad idea.'

Tohru gently pulls Yuki over to an empty corner and starts to tell him about her week. Within minutes, the tension lines in his face are gone and he's smiling again. It is like they are the only people in the room. Yuki is laughing and playing with her hair, while Tohru gestures wildly with her glass of water. "...and then Akane-chan said, 'You fool- you're supposed to kill the fish before you cook it. Fresh fish is one thing but having it flopping on our kitchen floor is not good for business!'"

Yuki suddenly pulls her into his chest and presses a heated kiss to her forehead. "Gods, I love you Tohru. Ten more minutes and I swear we're leaving before I do something that will really scandalize these snobs." The look he gives her is a perfect combination of lust, love and mischief. Tohru feels her own body heating up in response. She attempts to move back a little, but Yuki tightens his grip. "Don't move just yet, please." Tohru isn't quite sure what he is talking about. She presses against him to see if she's somehow hurt him. This doesn't have quite the reaction she expected- his hips jerk forward and a small moan escapes his mouth.

Well that's a fairly big reason to stay still.

Suddenly feeling mischievous herself, Tohru traces a finger down his cheek. "If I move, can we leave faster?" Yuki groans above her. "You are really not helping, darling." Then they hear a voice that works like a bucket of cold water. "Himura-san, why don't you bring your lovely wife and come meet some more of my friends?"

Yuki's arm is like a steel band around her waist as they go over to the circle of rich young things and their dates. Kuronabe turns when they arrive, looking very much like a predator scenting blood. "You know, Himura-san, we've been hearing the most interesting rumors since we got to this town. For such a sleepy little place, it seems that some very shocking things go on here."

Tohru is confused. She isn't sure where Kuronabe is going with this, but she suspects that it isn't going to be good. "Imagine my surprise to find that my dear friend's uptight landscaper is a participant in a ménage-à-trois with a little country girl and some kind of relative." Yuki is holding Tohru so tightly that she is afraid that she won't be able to breathe. "Oh, there's no need to look at me like that. I'm sure you country types have nothing better to do. She is a pretty little thing- why don't we swap off for the night?" He gestures to the tall, busty woman leaning on his arm.

Fukubashi looks amused. "I'd be happy to borrow you outright, Tohru-san, if Kuronabe isn't your type."

Tohru's glass falls to the floor.

Yuki's voice is as cold as his name. "I appreciate your invitation to this party, Fukubashi-san, but I don't think that we will be doing business together. My wife and I are going home now. We need some fresh air."

With that he sweeps Tohru to the front entrance, not pausing until he grabs both their jackets. He pulls his on and buttons it in quick, angry motions. "Yuki?" Tohru puts a hand on his arm and he pulls her against him so tightly that Tohru can feel his heart beating. Tohru and Yuki stand there, holding each other in the front entrance. Tohru's words are muffled by Yuki's jacket. "I'm so sorry, Yuki. I never meant to make you lose accounts because of our relationship."

While I may have enjoyed the show, what exactly is it that you're sorry for, sweetie? That you didn't go home with one of the guys with the open-dick policy?

Yuki tilts her chin up. "I would rather never work again than listen to those bastards insult you. I am truly sorry for bringing you here tonight. I love you more than anything and those assholes can go to hell."

They both freeze when they hear the faint sound of clapping behind them. Fukubashi is standing in the doorway, a slight smile on his face. "I'm a little jealous. That's the best performance I've ever seen at any of my parties and there is absolutely no chance that it will be repeated. I am sorry about those assholes, but I hope that you will give this bastard another shot at employing you. The contract is yours if you want it, Himura-san."

Yuki tenses, and Tohru can tell that he is about to tell the other man exactly where he can put his contract. "Please don't Yuki. It's a good contract and it will give you a chance to try all of those techniques and plants that you wanted to use."

Then she turns to Fukubashi. For one perfect moment, Butterfly and Tohru blend as one person. "I may not be smart or strong, but if you ever insult my husband again I will find a way to make you pay. And that is a promise."

As she turns and drags Yuki out the front door, she is followed by the faint sound of laughter. "Little spitfire- I really wish that you had taken me up on my offer."

-###-

Fukubashi did give Yuki the contract and he also recommended Yuki to several of his wealthy friends. Yuki's business, never slow to start with, was almost overloaded. However Tohru can't forget the malicious look on Tokunabe's face as he offered to trade. No matter how much she wants it, is it really fair to try to bring a child into their unusual situation? A situation that only exists because of her selfishness. Tohru has no illusions- the boys are good catches by anyone's standards. If they were free they could have their choice of anyone they wanted. If she'd chosen between them-

You'd all be miserable. Never forget it. However you've screwed up in your life, staying with both of the boys wasn't a mistake. No matter how you feel, they need you and even if you had rejected them they would have still needed you.

Whatever the boys' feelings, they certainly went all out in the effort to make sure that she got pregnant. Tohru hadn't thought that it had been possible to have more sex than they were already having and she was a little disturbed to be proven wrong. Now as she sits in the bathroom, staring at the test in front of her, she can only be impressed by their thoroughness.

"Tohru- are you all right in there?"

"Do you need any help…? You aren't sick are you!?!"

Tohru gets up and opens the door, almost glowing with the force of her happiness as she holds the test up to the boys. "I'm not sick at all."

-###-

Reviewer Responses

Quick Author's Note: I know that it's probably a little late in the game for this, but if you don't want to be spoiled at all for later chapters it isn't a good idea to read the reviewer responses. Most spoilers are kind of vague (I mark the ones that are slightly less vague) but they are there. –Written in horror by Anaphalis after re-reading several chapters of reviewer responses-

bookworm0492: Oh my goodness- I go from threats of puppy dog eyes to cannibalism to chain saws! –Whimpers- A second extension? I feel special :) I hope that this chapter resolved everything to your satisfaction- I really don't want to be cut into little pieces- it would be so much harder to write that way :0 Good to hear from you again!

manga girl: Well, hopefully this chapter answered your questions about the marriage proposal :) Those boys aren't exactly the world's best communicators :) I'm very glad that you're enjoying the story and I appreciate you taking the time to review again!

inuyasha-girly-2007: I'm really glad that you're enjoying the story and I hope that you enjoy the next chapter as well. Thanks for taking the time to review!

fruitbasketrocks: I think it was a bit of a shock for poor Tohru as well- I can imagine Butterfly sitting there and going coughDumbassescough. Thanks for the New Years wishes and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

A Panda from CTY: There were definitely parts of Team America that I enjoyed although I could have done without being forced to watch the projectile vomiting scene four times in a row :) I'm glad that you're happy with the plotty goodness 'cause it only gets more complicated from here on in, baby ;) I love Momiji too, but I'm not going to say what's happening with the other Sohmas. You're just going to have to wait I'm afraid. Because I'm evil. Always a pleasure to hear from you and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

whatthehell: Strangely enough, it was actually only two weeks between updates last time, although I know that the holidays can often seem a lot longer :) I hope this was fast enough, because I don't think that your cats would appreciate you throwing them at me :) Thanks for taking the time to review!

Kupo: Yeah- As much as I love Kyoko, I think that she does get a bit repetitive after awhile :) I hope that you've forgiven Yuki, although I agree that they still have a lot that they need to sort out in terms of their own fears and insecurities. I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter and I appreciate you taking the time to review again!

gadez: Ahhh… Angsty drama goodness! Don't worry- I'm completely incapable of writing strict angst- I think it's a genetic disorder that induces giggling if I try to write Very Seriously for too long :) Thanks for reviewing again and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

AmuberuMukku: I've always felt an affinity for certain animals (whether that's kooky or not I'm not sure) so I completely sympathize with the draw of butterflies. Personally I've always felt that butterflies are very interesting both symbolically and biologically. If you are serious about letting me see your butterfly design (and I hope that you are- it sounds beautiful), my e-mail address is available on my FFNet profile and I'd love to hear from you. I'm sure that you're underestimating your ability as a writer- I have a problem in that I have a bit of a split writing personality that bounces between humor/perviness and angst/drama. Sometimes this works and sometimes this really doesn't work (I have some early writing that makes me cringe by the end of the first paragraph). I'm very glad that you are enjoying the story- I have learned a lot by writing this and I am grateful that other people are enjoying something that I've had so much fun writing. As always, a pleasure to hear from you and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

big book worm: I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter and I really appreciate you taking on the job of beta. I swear I don't understand what I'm writing half the time and I have nothing but admiration for you for wading through the unbeta'd mess :) Yamashita? –makes innocent eyes- Why on earth would she seem suspicious? –walks off whistling- Great to hear from you again and I hope that you can still stand to look at the chapter!

Taran-Wanderer: I actually found this a terribly tricky chapter to write because I had to flash through the three years from Butterfly's New Year without jarring everyone too badly. I think I may have succeeded, in that respect at least, a little too well because I'm not sure that I made it obvious enough that three years had gone by by the time Tohru was having her conversation with her Mom. I'm really happy that you enjoyed the chapter though and it's always a pleasure to hear from you!

NekoInuyasha13: Don't worry about the reviewing! I certainly don't expect everyone to want to review every single chapter! Of course I'm always happy to hear from people and hold fun review conversations but I'm honestly just happy when people enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoy writing it. That being said, I really appreciate you taking the time to review and I'm delighted that you enjoyed my very long last chapter. I really hope that you continue to enjoy the story!

wolfchild: Ah yes, the evil cliffie. BWAA HA HA! Er… anyways I hope that your sanity held out long enough for this chapter and that the new chapter didn't succeed in driving you insane (I know that there were a few moments where I thought that it was going to drive me insane :) Thanks for reviewing again!

MaNgA-bOy-LoVeR: I definitely think that Butterfly has had an effect on Tohru. Whether it is a good effect or not, well…. :) Don't worry- Tohru isn't entirely sure what the boys are talking about either, but I promise that it will all become clear in time :) The part that Tohru did understand was that Yuki overheard Shigure talking about some kind of cure for the curse (and the possible origin of the curse) and it might involve Tohru…. I hope that helps! Thank you for taking the time to review- I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

Clover: You know, I think that you were the closest to guessing the solution to the problem out of anyone who reviewed :) –Hands out special puzzle-solver award- That was especially good because I think that I managed to confuse nearly everyone really, really badly :) Keep up the good thinking and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

makala seri: Just to let you know- you're all scary :) The image of perverted Shigure getting together with perverted Butterfly nearly blew my perverted brain :) –Whimper- Make the pictures stop, Mommy! Thanks a lot. Always a pleasure to hear from you and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

Lady Mokodane: I'm really happy that you got a good laugh out of the story- I spend a lot of my time sniggering while I'm remembering Butterfly's real life counterpart for inspiration…. There is still a ways to go before the ending (twelve chapters I think?), so there are still a few more twists to come :0 Thanks for reviewing and I hope that you enjoy the rest of the story!

Kae Noel: I am very glad that you are enjoying the story and I wouldn't worry- Butterfly has me chained to my laptop until I completely finish this thing! Thanks for taking the time to review!

Akai: It makes my split writing personality happy to bounce between action and romance, so I'm glad that you're enjoying it :) I don't suppose that there's any way I could see the background that you made? It sounds fantastic and if you are at all willing to let me see it, could you e-mail me at the address in my profile? I so want that as my new background- I can just see the reaction of my poor supervisor :) Thanks for reviewing- I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Kyolover91: Actually I don't like cliffies that much either- I kind of think that they're a bit of a cop out :) And I'm really hypocritical for ending my last chapter on one, so I hope that this chapter will make you forgive me :) Thanks for taking the time to review again!

Panthera: I'm really honored that this is your first Fruits Basket story and that you're enjoying it- there are a lot of good writers in Fruits Basket fanfiction, including some of the people who've kindly taken the time to review "The Butterfly Effect". If you have the time I strongly suggest checking out some of the other stories :) I'm really pleased that you guessed that one of them was going to propose- I had hoped that it wasn't going to be coming totally out of left field. Thanks for taking the time to review and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

anah midale: I'm very happy that you're enjoying the story and I appreciated you taking the time to review :) I hope that you enjoy the rest of the story as well!

dark angel kyo: I'm very glad that you decided to give the story a chance in spite of the three-way relationship. Although I have my own perspective on the relationship that I think fits Tohru, I know that lot of people disagree and I am always honored when they decide to give my story a chance anyways. I really appreciate your thoughtful comment on including more of the boys' perspectives in the story. Strangely enough, the entire story is strictly from Tohru's point of view. Any view of the boys or any of the other characters is only as Tohru sees them or interprets their actions. I do have reasons for doing it this way, but I don't think that they're going to be obvious until near the end of the story. Thank you for reviewing!

Deathdreamerofneverlove: Glad you're enjoying the story and I hope that this was a fast enough update! Thanks for reviewing!

Kitsuyei: Well, Yuki isn't quite as much of an ass as it might have seemed, but he's also very insecure. You'd think with the amount of sex he's getting that his brain would be too overloaded with pleasure chemicals to care. Ah well, it just wouldn't be Fruits Basket without a little angst. Always good to hear from you and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

Fire Phoenix: I'm glad that you thought that Tohru's introspection was realistic- I wasn't sure if I had crossed the line into melodrama (actually I was pretty sure that I had crossed the line, burned the bridge and jumped up and down on its grave). I think that this three-way relationship really lends itself to exposing insecurities and I think that they all still have a long ways to go…. Good call on the breakdown! It was a baby breakdown, but I think that it still qualifies :) I think Butterfly's going to have to come up with a new strategy to get what it wants- wonder how that's going to work ;) ? Great to hear from you again and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

for sale: I'm glad that you think that the story's in-character- a lot of my paranoid author angst centers around how far I can push the situation before everyone starts seeming wildly out-of-character :) I agree that the Butterfly has had a long-term not-so-subtle effect on Tohru, but a big part of the reason I was writing the story was because I thought that there was a lot more to her underneath than what actually showed up in the manga/anime. One of the things I was hoping would come across in the story is that Butterfly isn't actually changing Tohru- just getting her to express parts of herself that she'd blocked off/ never used. –rubs neck sheepishly- Sorry- you just made such a good point that it made me go all introspective and stuff :) I really enjoyed reading your review and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story!

Lalala: Well, it looks like Kyou did know about the proposal, but it did sound a little like Yuki wanted Tohru to himself :) Thanks for taking the time to review!

MelissaMarie: You know, one of the things that surprised me the most about this story was the number of people who agree with Butterfly. I had expected that Butterfly's er… 'interesting' mind was going to scare people, not start a cult of Pervy Butterfly Minions. I'm so proud ;) I've really enjoyed writing this and it has been a major learning experience for me. I'm very happy that you're enjoying the story although sometimes I think that the plot is going to eat me alive before I ever make it to Ch.27 :) Thank you for taking the time to review and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

baka-onna2003: Ah the curse. I think everyone had thought that I'd forgotten about it :) Don't worry- there will be lots of plotty, curse-related goodness, but there are a couple of other things to get through first ;) I hope that the new chapter amuses you- I appreciated you taking the time to review!

Updated 01-12-05