Chapter 17's finally up, reviewers! (-dances like a crazy person-) Hey, be glad I don't start a mosh pit in the parenthesis, that could get pretty wild. XD Anyway, not much to say about this one,e xcept that thisi isn't like the trip they take in the tenth volume of the Fruits Basket Manga. First of all, it's winter for them. Second, just... no. XD Oh god, New Years is approaching! God, what're we going to do? (-ponders-)

You know what I hate that I randomly feel like complaining about? How some characters aren't processed on this website, like the stars for example, or any of the arrows. It really saddens me. God, I'm just a sad, sad person. XD Hey, look! The time has come again for you to read! Ivy out!

KS:

Kaye smiled knowingly and thought of ways to get them together without the two nimrods messing it up. She thought throughout Science and History all the way through English Literature, the last period of the day.

Kaye had always been good at reading and had excelled in her American Reading classes, and so knew this would be a boring class to no ends. She thought all throughout class and when she was asked a question, rather than in her native language, Kaye had answered in full English.

She had finally deducted a way, but had to spend even more time on trying to get it to work out. When the bell rang for then end of the day, Kaye straggled with the last of the class, still thinking.

Kaye finally caught up with Kyo, Yuki and Tohru, waving goodbye to Haru and Momiji. She joined in the waving and waited for someone to start talking.

"So, Kaye, how was your first day of tenth grade?" Tohru asked, and the others tuned in, looking forward to her answer.

"Boring, I've already been through tenth grade and up." She sighed nonchalantly. "I was even planning on going to college in America, BC actually, and I got homesick, ne!"

Tohru looked amazed and Kyo began to yell at his twin for bragging. She laughed and started to tease her brother mercilessly, poking and teasing. "Wow! You must be really smart then!" Tohru said, eyes glazed over in awe.

"Well, everything but math that is, I suck at that!" Kaye said, scratching her head modestly.

Tohru was still in awe as they walked home, Kyo and Yuki arguing every once in a while and Kaye knocking her brother out when he started to get too rough. When they finally got home, Shigure was there waiting for them.

"Say, I have an idea!" he said as the four neared him, "Why don't we take a nice little trip to the lake house?"

Kaye looked so elated that Kyo nearly forgot to ask why he wanted to go so much. Yuki, however, remembered quite clearly why he wished to leave last time.

"Shigure, does this have to do with your editor?" Yuki asked, walking around Shigure and into the hall, kicking off his shoes.

"Er… no, why would you think that?" he asked, laughing suspiciously.

Kaye walked elatedly into the hall, nearly forgetting to kick off her shoes. Shigure looked at Kaye and instantly came up with an idea.

"Well, you see kids, I had this idea when Kaye came back and just hadn't had the time to give it to her! I really would like you guys to come along, but if not me and Kaye could go alone…" Shigure smiled sheepishly and Kaye looked dazed, but still elated.

"Wow! I haven't been there in forever!" Kaye speculated herself at the lake house.

It didn't take long for Kaye to unknowingly break down Kyo, and even Yuki. They both knew that Tohru would worry at first, but then eventually decide to tag along after persuasion.

"How will we get there, Shigure? How will we get there!" Kaye asked, hands forming paws as she hopped around the room like a hyper little cat, little fangs pushing over her lips.

"Ah ha, well, it seems like we should use the same driving accommodations as last time, ne?" he said, sticking a finger in the air knowingly. "I'll go call Hatori- and maybe Aaya could come too! Lighten up the mood you kn-"

Shigure was cut off as Yuki glared daggers at him, enough to scare any man to wetting himself then run crying. "Or… not…" Shigure said worriedly, slowly replacing the phone into its cradle.

Yuki then took control and nabbed the phone before Shigure got any more life-threatening ideas.

"What about school tomorrow?" Tohru asked, the thought suddenly occurring to her.

"Well, it's only Friday, just skip it- say there was a disease or something." Shigure said, and Kaye nodded.

"You've never skipped school before? I used to do it all the time and go to that wicked arcade in America, oh my God that place was so freaking awesome!" Kaye got stars in her eyes as she thought of America.

Kyo had gone upstairs, shortly followed by Tohru as she went to go pack, unable to resist Kaye's adorable, hopeful face. Kyo had gone up so he wouldn't have to hear any arguments upon the mentioning of Aaya.

Kaye ran up the stairs to go and pack, skipping every other step. She stuffed random outfits into a large suitcase, took a backpack and filled it with books, manga, and a laptop. She grabbed her MP3 player and her guitar and smoky amp and ran down the stairs.

IS:

Once they were all packed up and Hatori was parked in the drive way they piled into the car. Kaye sat on Kyo's lap to spare Tohru from having to. It didn't matter, however. Yuki and Kyo were nearly silent the whole ride, foreheads glued to the windows. Tohru was in mild conversation with Hatori and Shigure which Kaye would join in on occasionally, but for the majority of the time she was stuck deep in contemplation herself.

It seemed as though Tohru had definitely taken up a space in her heart. She was desperate to find some way to get her and Axel alone to talk, no matter what the costs. Well, maybe there were some things she was risking, like Yuki getting hurt, or worse, Kyo. The more she thought about it the more their stubbornness irked her. Both of them were very strong. If they had something to say, why didn't they?

Still, that was a tricky situation as well. 'Maybe I'm just making assumptions? But maybe I'm not… it would definitely be a conflicting situation… and Tohru wouldn't be able to choose, that's for sure… She loves everyone equally…'

But STILL, what if that was incorrect, too? Tohru had said she hated seeing Axle upset… what if she favored him? Nah… not after what he did.

Kaye shook her head vigorously and rubbed her temples, the confusion of the conversation starting up a small tension headache. She felt Kyo shift beneath her but she didn't hear what he said, if anything. In a matter of seconds she was absorbed in more thoughts about Tohru's boy situation.

They arrived at the lake about an hour after and Kaye raced inside with her guitar strapped to her back and her amp held close to her chest. She'd had a break through in the car about a half an hour earlier and it had nearly eaten her alive to not have been able to play it right away, or at least write it down. She found a room, claimed it as hers knowing she'd have to share with Tohru, plugged in what was necessary and sang to a bunch of sewn together rifts.

'What was I supposed to do?

You wouldn't have resisted her either

Should've known just what to do

Guess I just missed my cue

Scheming from afar

My secret wishes full-aligned

I renounce all my scars

Find out everyone is blind

There'll always be somewhere for her

With me

You see

It's only instinct to want to

Shield her

From you

Because everyone can see you want her too

It's only instinct for you'

Yay, she had a verse down! She hadn't thought up anything else in the car. She went over it a few times, jotting it down just as Tohru walked in.

"You sure adjusted fast," she called from the doorway with a little laugh. She moved over to one of the twin beds in the room and set her bag on top. "What're you writing?"

"Oh nothing," Kaye covered, shoving her notebook underneath the twin bed closest to her. She set her guitar gently on top, sick of having to tune and retune it every time she reached for it. 'Need to be more careful with the damned thing, or get it locked', she mused. "Listen Tohru," Kaye muttered, crawling over and sliding the door shut nonchalantly, "I've been thinking about the Axle situation and I think I have a plan." Tohru perked up and Kaye shared her evil plan of attack. It was a simple matter of distracting Kira. She'd just tell Kyo and Yuki they were staying to study, and then send them on errands. Either way, that would be the easiest part.

"You'll have to brief him as well," Tohru added. "If he's not expecting it, he might act out."

"Or if he doesn't suspect I'm watching," Kaye replied with a smirk. "Don't worry Tohru, he's not going to do anything. We'll make sure this gets straightened out, okay?" Tohru smiled at the younger girl warmly, so thankful to have her blessing, and her help in this situation.

For the next hour or so Kaye gave Tohru a brief guitar lesson, teaching her the eight main chords: E, E minor, A, A minor, C, G, D, and D minor. She was clumsy at first, but was a quick learner, and determined. They had mastered switching from G to E minor in the opening rift of Pearl Jam's 'Last Kiss', one of the easiest songs to start out on, when Kaye decided if Tohru was going to be a rocks star, she had to look the part. "Oh, I couldn't wear these…" she'd objected, but Kaye of course got her way. Kyo opened the door not long after the transformation was complete and Kaye was standing back to admire her artwork.

His cheeks quickly dusted with a feverish flamingo disease and he averted his eyes as he muttered that dinner would be done shortly. 'I suppose Ha'ri made it then.' Kaye observed that her brother seemed in a hurry to leave the room. "Hey Kyo," she called just before his head disappeared, "Don't you think Tohru pulls off this look a little too well? I'm pretty jealous."

With permission to look now Kyo spared another glance at Tohru. Her hair was styled naturally, something she never did, with all her hair lying down straight instead of her usually semi-up style. Kaye had done her makeup, expertly applying the black eyeliner and mascara, adding a bit of shadow for effect. She had on one of Kaye's tight baby dolls, this one red with I 3 NERDS written across the chest. A short black shirt followed next, decorated with safety pins, black fishnet tights, and a pair of black Converses with red stitching. He blinked a few times, scarcely believing Tohru would agree to even the thought of putting herself in such an outfit… but he didn't look away. Instead, he smirked. "Playing dress up?"

Tohru looked away, pulling the guitar that had been strapped about her shoulders up over her head. She grabbed her other clothes and headed towards the entrance of the door. "I should help them set the table…" As she passed him Kyo stood aside to let her through, watching as she walked hurriedly down the hall toward the bathroom to change.

"Did you have to embarrass her?" Kaye asked, hands on her hips.

"I… I didn't mean to… You're right though." Kaye perked up. "Real… un-Tohru-like, but it was… a good look for her… I guess," he added quickly, walked away. Kaye smirked and fell backward onto her bed, giggling. They were so pitiful.

"You kids really didn't get a chance to get out yet now did you?" Shigure brought up during dinner, stuffing a mouthful of ramen in his mouth. They hadn't wanted to disturb Kaye and Tohru so Hatori had cooked. Low and behold, his specialty.

"Oh, but we can go out tomorrow, right?" Tohru asked, looking around the table. Yuki smiled and nodded to her.

Hatori cleared his throat. "It's not much warmer here than at home, so I'd suggest you all bundle up," he advised. "I don't think anyone wants to be catching cold on their vacation."

"And we all know you don't feel like treating us on your vacation," Kaye added, laughing. Her half-father curled up the side of his mouth, and went back to eating his ramen.