Disclaimer: Don't own. Just ivy and co.
A/n: thanks for the review and yes I heart paul and smitty being around. They make me laugh.
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"What did he mean by 'again?" Ian inquired as Hatori pulled out of the driveway.
Ivy gave him an apologetic look but Shigure cut in before she could explain. "Let's turn on some tunes. I hate the silence." He leaned across Ayame and switched the knob for the Cd player. What came out of the speakers made everyone flinch.
"…GREEN ALIGATORS AND LONG NECK GEESE
SOME HUMPTY BACK CAMELS AND SOME CHIMPANSESE…"
"My ears! My ears!" Paul cried from the trunk.
"Shigure, turn it off." Akaya pleaded, "Or put something else in."
"Here" Ivy said handing her cousin a cd with the words 'Ivy's tunes…dawg' on it.
"I think I'll take my chances with Haa-san's music." Ayame piped up, he was being unusually quiet for Ayame at this time of night.
"Don't be silly," Ivy returned leaning over the front seat in an attempt to put the cd in, "my mix is so much better than the Irish Rovers. Ouch! Hatori why the hell did you do that for?"
Hatori retracted his hand that just slapped his sister's and said with out letting his eyes off the road, "Let Shigure put it in. Sit back."
"When did you become all ultra conservative?" She wondered slightly affronted as she sat back.
"Since I grew up with you three." Hatori replied calmly as Shigure put in the mix.
The first track began to play and they could hear Paul whoop and holler as a high-spirited country tune began playing. "Now this is my stuff!" He called to them slightly muffled from the trunk.
"Cause I'm a redneck woman, I ain't no high class broad," The three girls sang along loudly out the car windows.
"How far is it again to the tattoo parlor?" Shigure wondered over the hootenanny. He was always one to be wacky and zany but this was bordering on completely zonked or being deprived of sleep for three days. Bottom line, as Shigure-y as he was this was not his style.
"And I say 'hey ya'll and hee-haw'" Ayame yelled joining in with the girls.
Hatori took a deep breath and replied at length, "Not close enough."
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Tohru closed the door as Hatori's car pulled away. She stepped inside with the intent of tiding up.
Kyo sat on the couch, looking as unapproachable and as weary as ever.
"That went well," Tohru said as she bent down to pick up the blanket Yuki was using.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Ivy's still engaged, isn't she?"
"Exactly my point."
"You don't think Ivy has a right to be happy?" Tohru wondered folding the blanket. When Kyo did not reply Tohru decided that she had better change the subject slightly. "I like Ivy, at first I was all like, 'I dunno' but now that I've spent some time with her I really like her. It's too bad she's not a member of the Zodiac. Though I can hardly think of what animal she could be. I'd kind of see her as one of those marsupial things they have in Australlia…or a penguin."
"Knock it off. I'm not in the mood to hear you ramble." Kyo snapped, "And I have no energy to yell."
Tohru blinked taken aback then decided that she should clean the house. After all she was the housekeeper.
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"NO!" Hatori said firmly to Ivy as they stood in the waiting room of the tattoo parlor.
"What?" Ivy snapped back, "Incase you haven't noticed, Hatori, I'm all grown up and quite capable of making my own choices."
The doctor shook his head.
"If you go through with this, I won't drive you home." Hatori threatened flatly.
"What? You know I'm right pleased that you are trying to play the uber-ultra over protective brother, but give me one good reason why I shouldn't get this tattoo."
"Uber-ultra?" He questioned.
"Answer my question, Hatori." Ivy demanded
Shigure who was watching this scene with the guys and Margo, (Akaya was getting her tattoo) leaned closer to Ian and whispered into Ian's ear, "Ah, and to think you got all that and more. But don't worry Ian, Ivy is holding back the full brunt of her rage for when she's not in public."
Ian gave Shigure a grave glance and replied, "You're not intimidating me in the slightest, you know."
Meanwhile, Ivy was still awaiting her brother's answer.
"Did you look at the tattoo artist, Ivy?" Ayame questioned butting in, "He looks like his name should be Hell Spaz and he should have a hog in the back, and I don't mean the animal."
As he said this the tattoo artist walked into the room and upon hearing this he put his hand on Ayame's shoulder and said gruffly after turning him around, " That's MR. Hell Spaz to you."
Ayame gave Hatori and Ivy a terrified look beseeching them to save him. Ivy was laughing into her knuckles and finally Hatori sighed and said the first excuse he could think of.
"Forgive my girlfriend, Mr. Hellspaz." Hatori began, "She's being rather saucy tonight."
Hellspaz gave Ayame a judging look as Ivy began turning red from surpressed laughter. Shigure walked over to her and whispered something about her looking like a lobster, which only made her double over from a renewed fit of giggles that she dared not let out.
"Your lucky you're cute." Hellspaz decided speaking to Ayame.
The tailor began to protest his disgust for the greasy man but Hatori but a hand on his cousin's mouth. Hellspaz winked at the pair of them. "I like the saucy ones too." He observed then turned to Ivy, "You next?"
Hatori gave Ivy a warning glance but she ignored it. "Yes, I'm getting the same design as the girl before me." Hellspaz nodded and led Ivy into the room where Ian and Hatori both followed uninvited for emotional support.
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Tohru walked up stairs leaving Kyo to his own musings. She was lost in her own. She had no clue why Kyo and Shigure reacted like that.
'I understand why Hatori was upset, Mom.' Tohru thought, 'He seems protective of Ivy in a way. I guess all brothers do that. But why did they take her into the kitchen like that? There is more to Ivy than she lets on, Mom. I think there is another reason why Ivy left on tour. Its odd, every time I feel I know a lot about the Sohma's someone new arrives and they all have their own secrets and I have to dig them up. I guess its nice to have a secret worth telling…'
"Miss Honda?" Yuki's inquires brought Tohru back to reality though she did give a small jump when she noticed Yuki behind her.
"Yuki, you scared me." She confessed.
"Forgive me, is it safe to come down? Is my brother gone?" He questioned quietly.
"Yes, but you should be getting some rest, Hatori said your not up to par yet." Tohru advised.
Yuki nodded and inquired on why she was upstairs. "Oh!" Tohru exclaimed caught off guard, "Shigure said that Ivy is spending the night again and well, it seems wrong for her to be sleeping on the couch so I though I'd look for a cot."
Yuki gave the rare genuine smile he seemed to reserve for her, "Check in the spare attic room. Be careful though, it's used for storage and Shigure doesn't even know what all is up there."
Tohru nodded, "Right." She agreed cheerily.
Yuki paused and regarded her silently for a moment. "Miss Honda," he finally said, "Is something bothering you?"
The housekeeper paused then gave a recount of her dentist visit. Yuki took all of this in and finally nodded. "Don't worry Miss Honda we will do the best we can to keep the house running and help you on a speedy recovery."
Tohru smiled grateful for everything the Sohmas were doing for her.
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"Ouch Ouch! Pain Pain!" Ivy half whimpered half sung as the inked needle pertruded into the small of her back. As soon as the words of discomfort escaped her mouth, Ian and Hatori grew more alert.
"How sanitary is this whole procedure?" Hatori asked the tattoo artist. It was obvious he was in the medical profession.
"What do you mean to question the cleanliness of the procedure?" Ivy whimpered lying on her stomach.
"Nothing," he returned striding swiftly to her and stroking her hair in the same way he used to do when they were children.
Ivy was quiet only taking sharp intakes of breath as the needle moved about her back. At length she said in a whimper, " Wow, Hatori, your shoes are very dirty."
"Hush." Hatori half-scolded in retaliation, "Or you'll make Hellspaz screw up and you'll end up having a deformed fiddler silhouette."
Ivy gave out a worried squeak and bid in the same half-singing tone, "Hand! Hand!"
Both men extended their hands but Ivy took hold of Ian's. Feeling a little foolish Hatori retracted his hand and stuffed it into his pocket. The nerve of that "brave young suitor", getting to Ivy before he did. The twins always comforted and looked out for each other, that was what twins did. When Hatori erased Kana's memories, Ivy was there moments after, embracing him. The two did not say a word, they knew what the other felt. It was a twin thing. And he was there for Ivy that night when… Hatori's musings were cut short when Ian's eyes met his. In that moment Hatori knew he could relax in his duties of comforting his sister when needed. That was Ian's job now…
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"ACHOO!" Tohru sneezed as dust flew from the just opened door. She rubbed her nose and looked around in awe. Shigure had every thing under the sun up in his attic room. Tohru spied old bikes, a dressing dummy, boxes upon boxes labled "rough drafts" and old pictures of what Tohru assumed were Sohmas, long dead.
"Wow, Mom," She muttered as she passed an old copy of a Richard Simmon's tape, "There must be so many memories up here." She stopped at a tarp covered item hoping that was the cot. In another cloud of dust, Tohru took it off only to find six jerkey makers stacked atop each other.
Then it caught her eye, it was a medium sized box sitting on a dusty table by a window. The setting sun cast golden rays upon it catching the dust particles floating gently down as if they were performing. As if in a trance Tohru walked up to the box and lifted the lid. Inside sat a white photo album covered in satin and pearls. On the cover silver lettering spelled out "Ivy and Katashi Sohma November 17" in elegant writing.
'So this is what Ayame was talking about when he said "again"' Tohru thought. She was so entranced with the book that she didn't hear footsteps ascend the stairs. She didn't even hear some one walk up behind her. So it was no surprise that she jumped five feet up when Kyo's voice demanded harshly, "Put it back." His tone was low, angry and dangerous but Tohru was more curious than frightened.
"What is this, a wedding album?" She inquired.
"Put it back." Kyo repeated, "Now. There are things that should remain in the shadows. Don't make me ask you again."
Frightened to the gills, Tohru complied and after a moment under Kyo's angry gaze she explained she was looking for the cot for Ivy.
"The cot is in the hall closet up against the wall." Kyo explained his tone back to his usual tone.
"Right, silly me!" Tohru exclaimed brightly hiding her fear. She only heard Kyo that upset once and it was when Kagura almost let slip Kyo's biggest secret. Needless to say, she was shaken up and as she walked away from that curious box, Tohru's mind was more abuzz than before.
Fin ( for now)
A/N: Yes I know what a horrible time to stop! But don't worry! I'm making it into a series so keep your eyes peeled. As of now I have a related one shot fic entitled "In guise of a pirate" read it if you like… it'll clear up on the jerky makers that appeared in this chapter. Expect the next installment with in a week if all goes well. Ivy will see Haru for the first time in two years, we'll learn what's in the "album" Tohru found, Momiji will endure trials and everyone will learn what Tohru's like on medication. Thanks for all reviews in all Fruits Basket stories. Hope to see your reviews in my latter works!
Sincerely,
YOO-HOO luverw/legs!