Chapter 20: Secret...

Princess Sango

A week still has passed, and Sachiko was still wondering what the big secret was. Akito's grip on her had loosened and she was soon able to hang out for a small amount of time outside of school. Sachiko was just getting out of school and Yuki and Ayame were waiting for her, "Dad, Uncle Yuki what are you doing here?"

Ayame and Yuki looked at each other before smiling at her, "We think you're ready for it now. Come on Sachiko, we're taking you somewhere." She smiled and ran up in between them. They walked a long ways away, until they came up to the small shrine. Sachiko knew what this place was, and she looked up at them confused.

Ayame placed a hand on Sachiko's shoulder and steered her way towards Kyoko and Tohru's grave. It was already cleaned, and food was laid out as offerings towards the spirits. Sachiko looked confused, but then Ayame reminded her, "Today is your siblings birthday, today is also Tohru's death date."

Sachiko bit her lip and kneeled before the two graves. She placed her hands gently on the two cold slabs and felt the engraved characters under her fingers. "Mom, grandma Kyoko…"

Yuki kneeled next to her, and Ayame sat down on the other side, opening up a picnic basket and laying out a bunch of food. "Come on, let's eat a little."

Sachiko wasn't surprised, because her mother had done this with her before she was dead. She smiled and picked out an onigiri to eat, "So what's this big secret?" She nibbled around the center.

Yuki shifted nervously, and Ayame bit his lip, Yuki was the first to speak up, "It's about our family. Sachiko, this goes way back to before you were born, but your mother, myself, and Ayame thought it would be best to tell you when you were fourteen. You see…"

Sachiko cut him short, "I first want to know one thing, is this what you almost told me when I was six? When mom was first pregnant with the twins that day?"

Ayame smiled, "Yes, which was when we were going to tell you, because we wanted you to be able to cope with Tohru with it all. Anyway, let Yuki finish it, because it's hard enough on both of us."

Sachiko nodded and switched her attention to Yuki, "Hai Uncle Yuki?"

Yuki winced and whispered, "I'm your real father Sachiko."

Sachiko dropped the rest of her onigiri on the floor, "No way…but why wouldn't I be living with you instead of Ayame?"

Yuki looked her in the eyes, "Tohru and I were going to raise you ourselves, but Akito told me that I had to break it off with her." Tears stung in the corner of his eyes, "I loved your mother, as much as Ayame did…but the curse won't allow me to disobey the orders of Akito. There was another catch; I had nightmares before you were born, about wanting to kill you. I couldn't allow that, but that's what the curse wanted me to do. That alone was reason enough for distance, but only in the beginning. Tohru, moved in with Ayame after you were born, but I was allowed back after you were three, and my curse was able to mellow out."

Ayame smiled sadly and walked up to the slab where Tohru's name was written, "Tohru wanted the best for both of you. I wished the same, so I took on Yuki's role as father, and we switched the places around. Yuki could come and see you anytime, but it was painful on everyone involved, including you. Akito threatened many times to tell you, but for some reason we were able to persuade him away. Which means you have many half siblings Sachiko, and we wish you won't treat them any differently than you did last time."

Sachiko looked at Yuki's eyes and smiled softly; she stood up and walked up to her mother's grave next to Ayame, "Mom, she told me I had a lot of mixed history, but never what. I'm glad you told me, because now I can full appreciate my own family." A light wind ruffled her hair, sending it flying, "I still will honor both of you like my fathers it only seems right. Ayame raised me, but Yuki was the one who helped give life to me. Is that okay? Can I call you both dad, and Kagura mom?"

Yuki came up behind her and hugged her close, "When you left, I wished to go back and restart everything. I wished to tell you everything, and have things normal again. You're my child, and the last symbol of Tohru's and mines love. She left a diary you know, but I didn't find out about it till I woke up from that two years coma. I had lost everything, but not everything."

Sachiko turned to face him, and her eyes were wet with small tears, "Dad…mom, Ayame, and you were protecting me. I understand, but let me have some time to process everything right now. Besides, I need to get back to my room…"

Ayame shook his head, "Iie, we have talked to Akito, he has agreed to let you out tonight. You'll be back in your old room tonight."

Sachiko squealed and hugged her fathers close, "You are so nice! Let's get going."

"Wait, Sachiko-chan…" Yuki called out.

She turned around slightly and smiled, "Hai otousan?"

Yuki relaxed then, "Never mind, I think I just heard everything I needed to hear."

Sachiko walked back up to him and smiled, "I guess you've been waiting awhile to hear that. Fourteen years, and I don't blame any of you." She grabbed both their hands, "Let's go!"

Yuki's POV…

I watched her grab my hand, and remembered the warmth of Tohru's, that day when I had come to get her from her family's house. She had grabbed Kyo's and my own hand, she had been crying also. Sachiko's eyes were wet, but they were three different kinds of tears. She was crying tears for all of us it seemed, but I suddenly felt at ease, hearing her say otousan to me, making me happy. I still wish she would say it again. Ayame was calm about all this, but me, I was a nervous wreck. I squeezed her hand lightly, as if to tell her everything was okay but in actuality, it was me who was trying to find out if this was really happening.

Ayame's POV…

I watched everything, just stood back. This was Yuki and Sachiko's moment, I was only stuck in the middle. When she told me she would still like to call me father, I was elated. She hadn't forgotten me, and she still acknowledged everyone's feelings. Sachiko was so much like Tohru, but different in her own way. She loved everyone, but the horrors of the Sohma cat had taken the toll on her. He noticed it, how she had joy in the simplest things now. He felt her warmth of her hand in his and felt Tohru again, as if she was watching this. He also thought he felt Kyoko's presence as well, watching with her daughter. Ayame turned his head around, and thought he caught a glimpse of his onigiri, smiling as she ate an onigiri Yuki and himself had made together.

Normal POV…

Sachiko felt like she wanted to cry her heart out, because everything that has happened was because of her birth. If she wasn't born, then mom would probably still be here today. She knew some things she can't change, but the least she could do was accept the fact that she now had two dads. She wanted her birth dad to tell her everything, about mom and what their relationship was like, she wanted Ayame to tell her what her siblings were like. They were all half-siblings. Which meant she was the oldest, Ai was second, Kazuki third, and then the twins.

When they got to Yuki's house, Ai and Kazuki were waiting. Yuki smiled, and told them to go ahead and start walking to Ayame's house with him. "Sachiko, I would like to have a word with you in private."

Sachiko nodded and followed Yuki inside, brushing past Ai and Kazuki. Kagura sat there, writing something out, and I ran up to her and hugged her close, "Kagura!"

Kagura turned around and her face lightened, "Wow, you have grown!" She hugged me, in greeting and looked over me.

"Kagura, she now knows."

Kagura's face darkened slightly before a smile turned back, "Anytime you need anything, we're here Sachiko-chan."

Sachiko cocked her head to the side, "You didn't like the fact that I was Yuki's child, I could tell by the way your face dropped. Kagura, I told Yuki that I accepted the fact that he is my father, but I'd like to call you mom also. You gave birth to my half-siblings, and you raised me before I was taken away."

Kagura smiled sadly, "I didn't like that fact, but I loved Yuki and I loved Tohru. I figured, I could learn to love you also. I did Sachiko, I really did. Of course you may call me mom."

Sachiko hugged her close, and felt reassured then and there. "Alright then, let's go mom."

Kagura smiled and looked forward to where Yuki was standing, watching them work it out. Happily, the three walked out the door together, as if they were moving forward.

At the birthday party…

Kyo and Tohru were both running around with a bunch of other Sohma kids that seemed to have sprouted out in her absence. To her it was since when did Hatori have kids, Shigure, Kisa and Hiro? This was an overload for her, and she watched the small one's start running around. Hatori was the only one who saw her sometimes, but he never said so much as a word to her because Akito's presence was always there.

Hatori came up to Sachiko and hugged his cousin, "You seem to be better."

Sachiko smiled, "Hai, genki desu. He doesn't hurt me too much, not anymore anyway. Who's your wife?"

Hatori sighed, "It's not easy, but I was with Kanna again, but Akito made me erase her memory again. That was a five years ago, it's painful, knowing she doesn't remember me or Sachio, my son. Guess you can tell that by the name." Sachiko laughed, and the little boy must have heard his name as he walked up to Hatori and looked up at him expectantly. Hatori picked him up and ruffled his hair, "Sachio, this is your cousin Sachiko."

Sachio smiled and waved a hand shyly in greeting, "Hello."

Sachiko took in his soft features, the handsome features which are known among most Sohma men. She smiled at him, "Hi there, it's nice meeting you. Enjoying the party?" Sachio nodded before being put down by his father and being shooed to go play with the others. "He's cute. So you want to fill me in with who Shigure's are?"

"Mayu's, Kanna's friend, they aren't formally married, but legally they are, understand? Akito doesn't know too much about Shigure anymore. They had twins also, they're seven. The boy's name is Yasuo and the girl is Yoko. They're rascals sometimes," Hatori answered and then looked around for anymore kids she didn't know. "You must be wondering about Kisa and Hiro, well let's see, they have one child and that's a girl…Her name is Nozomi, she's six."

Sachiko tried to spot some of them, but couldn't. It was impossible to tell who was who. "So was everyone busy while I was gone?"

Hatori whacked her head lightly, "Not everyone, but yes, we did have some reproduction. Do I need to have Kagura come and explain it to you?"

Sachiko blushed and shook her head before saying she had to go see what her siblings were up to. Coming up behind the group of kids, Sachiko grabbed Tohru who shrieked with delight. "Sister, you scared me!"

Sachiko laughed and held her close to her chest, "Tohru, you're so light!" Tohru squirmed and she placed her down, "So are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

Tohru smiled and pointed to a girl who had long orange hair and deep brown eyes, "This is Nozomi," then she pointed to Sachio, and then to another girl, who's dark brown hair and eyes were the same as Shigure's. "This is Yoko and the boy is her twin, Yasuo." Yasuo looked more like the mother in this case, but his eyes were still brown.

Shigure came out of no where and poked Sachiko's sides, "So you having fun staring at the kids?"

"Not nice!" Sachiko stated before walking away from the group, and saw Hana and Uo sitting in a corner talking. Coming up to them she smiled, "Hey."

Uo smiled, "Well if it isn't our Yankee kid! For awhile there I though I'd have to teach your sister instead of you!" She hugged her close, "Oh, you're growing up to be more and more like your mother!"

Hana smiled politely, "Uo, you're going to squish her!"

Uo let Sachiko go but was still smiling, "We were doing color analogies. We know you're mom's pink, we think Yuki's more of a blue, so you're like a fuchsia!"

Sachiko smiled and Hana continued, "You're half siblings aren't too hard to place. Ayame's a vibrant color, like orange, but I don't know what the end result of pink and orange would be…"

Sachiko giggled, "Everything seems better, like I've just woken up from a deep sleep. It's great to be back…well almost." They nodded and hugged her again before Ayame called everyone for cake.

After the party…

Everyone was gone except for the remaining family. The news had just been broken to them all. Yuki and Sachiko were sitting close together, as the kids stared at the older people. Ai spoke up, "Well, I'm tired, I'll just go to bed and deal with it later. Come on Kazuki, say goodnight to Sister Sachiko."

Kazuki smiled and bid her goodnight, before Ai started shoving everyone out the door. When the only three were left, they all went to bed. Sachiko went into her room and saw the zodiac paintings on the wall. When she was old enough to know the zodiac curse, she whished the paintings on the zodiac animals be done in her room like they were in her mother's. Leaning under the cat, she felt at home. The bed was still blue and she climbed in and felt warmth and familiarity that she's been craving for so long. Falling asleep, she was happy that day, and she could feel her mother's essence there also.

TBC…

Sachio- Fortunately born

Yasuo- Peaceful One

Yoko- Positive

Nozomi- Hope