Reviews answered by Umi-chan because Kyou-chan was too tired!

Animeprincess1452: Jack wasn't originally meant to become such a big character… or at least not until the sequel but oh well.

GirlWaterShaman: Yeah sorry, I wrote that chapter and was kind of in a hurry so everything about that chapter was a little rushed.

Fallen Angel: You're not the first to not like the whole Midori/Haru pairing thing.

Spirit of the Dead: Yeah, the whole idea of Midori developing a crush on Haru was pretty sudden and a little rushed so that's why it kind of sucked.

Konie Hime: Then again, I think I might like to have Akito as a teacher…

Kashuneko: What's so confusing about Jack? Like I said earlier, the Midori and Haru relationship was rushed and therefore not very good in quality.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Burnt chocolate is bad for you

"Stir, stir, stir, my arm better not fall off! Stir, stir, stir, I hope this cooking pays off!" Midori sang while we mixed up the ingredients for the chocolate.

"That's a funny song." I laughed and smiled.

"Yeah, I made it up when I was little. I've never really liked cooking even though I'm pretty good at it. But when it's for a special occasion or a special someone… I don't tend to mind." She explained and tasted the melted chocolate.

"Ah, I see." I gave her a wink because I bet it's a certain rat boy who's making her act this way. "If I was home I'd just buy some chocolate, this takes too long." I looked down at my first attempt at making the stuff and it… well… it died a slow painful death in a fire.

We were using a homemade chocolate recipe that Midori had secretly borrowed from Tohru, because despite what she and I would admit to anyone else, Tohru was the best cook we knew.

"I think I'll make some chocolates too." Saki walked into the kitchen and tied back her hair before putting on an apron. "I've gotten out of the habit of making chocolate for Tohru on Valentines Day."

"Oh hey, I think we made one too many." I scratched my head and counted again. "One for Aki, one for Yuki, one for Tohru and that leaves an extra chocolate heart, not including the chocolates you and I made for each other."

I poked the two chocolates I had made, they weren't exactly the best looking things in the world and they probably tasted burned. I hope Aki won't mind.

Midori started blushing and she sounded as if she had suddenly gotten a cold. "Oh I think I'll just give that one to another Sohma… like Hatsuharu for example!"

"Okay, well I guess." I just shrugged, thinking nothing of it but I think Saki knew something I didn't with the look she gave Midori. Sometimes I really wished I could see everything Saki did, with her being psychic and all.

It had been about two months since I had come to live with the Sohma's. Two months I had been going to Japanese school.

Two months I had been avoiding Akito.

Akito had given me a small one-bedroom wing off of his main house. It was like a small apartment with a kitchen, a bath, toilet, and a tiny living room on the bottom floor and my bedroom on the top.

It was all fine and dandy for about a week, until I made a discovery. Akito's window to his bedroom was about ten feet from mine, and there was a tree growing in between so there would be no problem climbing through it and getting into my room. That's just kind of creeped me out.

I hadn't seen Jack since the episode where he dragged Aki out of the classroom. I asked Aki about him one day when he was taking me to school and he just laughed and said he'd taken care of it. How he had done so, I have no clue about…

Midori wrapped her Chocolate up in a box and said she'd be back in a little bit and she giddily walked out of the room. I looked down at my pathetic chocolate.

Well, maybe if I put it in a nice box it wouldn't look so bad?

I went up to the huge gate that led to the Sohma mansion. I looked around hoping someone would miraculously appear and open it for me but naturally, no one did.

I took the box of chocolate and shoved it into my backpack. Throwing my hair up over my shoulder and straitening out my jacket I went to the nearest tree by the wall.

"No one beats Pohli Uotani in a game of challenges!" I stated to the tree and began to climb it. Some random little boy appeared and looked up at me in wonder. I threw a pencil at him and he just cried. With him out of the way I shinnied up the next branch that was growing close to the edge.

Now let me tell you something, climbing a tree in a mini skirt is no easy task.

I had dressed up especially for today, wearing a light yellow flowered spaghetti strap dress that was really short. Instead of my usual black boots I wore a pair of white sandals that lace up my legs. To say the least, I'm freezing my ass off out here. At least I remembered to wear a coat.

I stretched my hand over towards the wall but it was just out of my reach, so I climbed further down the branch. My fingertips brushed the walls top but barely. So I scooted a little further and my hand gripped the roof tiles.

"Gotcha!" I grabbed it with both hands just in time to hear the branch snapping under my weight. "Oh shit." I laughed and then the branch broke.

Next thing I know I'm practically crying and hanging on for dear life. I kicked my legs hard and tried to pull myself up and over but, hmm it didn't work that well.

"What are you doing?"

"Falling." I replied and let go.

"What?!" I dropped and fell onto who ever it was that was so stupid enough to stand behind me.

I sat there a moment just getting the air back into my lungs before realizing some one was behind me. I looked up into their face that was leaning over mine for apparently I had my head in their lap.

"Akito?!" I jerked up and buried my face in my hands. He put his elbow against my back and leaned on it.

"What were you trying to do? Get killed or something?" He was breathing heavily like he had just run a marathon.

"I couldn't figure out how to get inside. I thought I could climb the wall." I rubbed the spot where I had hit the ground. He started coughing and he let his arm slide down around my waist. He slowly leaned against me with his full weight and continued to cough.

His whole body began to shake and eventually I looked over my shoulder at his quivering form. "Hey, are you ok?" I started to shift around and he fell onto my chest coughing.

Whoa there boy, that's private property.

My throat started to tighten because Aki kept coughing... and coughing... and he wouldn't stop! Gack! What should I do?!

Finally, I stood up and supported Akito on my shoulder and kicked on the gate until it gave way. Let me think now... Hatori is a doctor! I should try and find him!

Akito finally just stopped walking and completely fell against me.

"Aki?!" I cried out as we fell to the ground. He looked up at me,

"Take… me home."

I nodded and together we stood and hobbled towards his house. We constantly had to stop because of his coughing though. I led him inside and laid him down on the couch throwing my jacket over him for the house was freezing.

I raced to find a phone and when I found one I realized I didn't even know Hatori's number. So I did the next best thing…

I called Shigure's house.

"SHIGURE!?" I shouted into the phone when he answered it.

"No, this is Hatori. There is no need to yell at me." Hatori said in his dry way.

"HATORI! AKITO'S SICK AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! HE'S COUGHING AND COUGHING AND COUGHING AND HE WON'T STOP! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!" I gasped for air and Hatori didn't answer for awhile, he was probably trying to figure out what I had said.

"First of all calm down, second, I want you to give him a hot cup of tea and…" he went on for about 5 minutes straight about what I should do for him but I was so panicky, it didn't really stay in my brain that long. "But I'll be there in a half an hour." And he hung up.

I, on the other hand, turned to look at Akito's coughing form.

So much for a nice Valentines Day…

I unlaced my shoes and pulled on a pair of slippers I found by the door. Slowly, I walked over to the couch and Akito who was lying on it.

"Aki? Are you ok?" I reached to touch his shoulder but his whole body shook gently as he nodded his head and tried to smile.

"Yes, I'm fine…" He coughed a little more and sat up allowing me to sit down next to him.

"Aki-" I started but stopped because he was lying his head back down on my lap.

"Let me just sit here a little while till Hatori comes." He smiled and entwined his fingers with mine. Gently he pulled my hand to his face and rubbed it on his cheek.

"Your hands are so soft," He moved it over his face and licked my palm lightly, "So perfect. You want to know a secret?" He put a hand on my head and pulled me down so that my ear was right above his mouth.

After a while he whispered, "I like you a lot…"

Ok so maybe it wasn't such a bad day after all.

TO BE CONTINUED

Umi-chan: If this chapter sucked it's because Kyou-chan was really tired while writing it and it was really late when I was editing it.