Hello again! Some reviewers really took there time for the last chapter! But I've taken my time writing this chapter so I guess it evens out.

This chapter title "Where to Began" is the title of a Bowling for Soup song. Recently I've been listening to their CD over and over. Is it weird that almost all my favorite groups are boy bands?

- A-san

CHAPTER 11: Where to Began

"Shinju, can you translate for Koharu please?" Hatori asked as he sat down on one of the luxurious green couches in his huge office. It really did pay off to be a Sohma sometimes.

"Sure thing Uncle Hatori!" Shinju smiled at him and he had to laugh. Even when things weren't so well she was just as optimistic as Tohru.

"Please explain what you remember before you fell." He inquired. Shinju nodded as Koharu's hands began to move rapidly in her other language.

"Umm… tell me if I get this wrong Ko, I think she said most of what I already told you. We were walking to school like on any other day, and she wasn't feeling any different then normal, then she had a dream.." Here Shinju stopped to look at Koharu who began to move her hands rapidly again.

"It was a dream, it was a memory." There Shinju stopped

"I memory about…?" Hatori prodded. Not much got this ten-year-old tongue-tied or gave her such a look on her face.

"It was about her first family, before we found her. It was about her brother, and her mom. Then she woke up on the ground."

Hatori sighed, "Koharu, How much do you remember about your first family?"

"A bit, I dream of them all the time." Shinju answered for her.

"Well, Koharu, its normal for you to think about them, even if you don't talk about it much. They are still your family."

Shinju jumped up at this and yelled, "NO! they aren't her family! WE'RE her family!"

"Shinju! Please! Of course your my family!" Koharu signed as she grabbed Shinju's arm and pulled her onto her lap to hug her. "Don't worry, I love you, mom and da, I wont leave you."

"I know… but still… Ko…" Shinju was crying. She may act big, but she was still a little girl, and one with a hard life. She was the cursed Sohma, just as eternally doomed as her predecessor Akito.

Hatori went over to Shinju and gave her a pat on the head, then said, "I think that's good for today, if I have other questions I can get your mother or father to translate. Now you should go to school, even if you missed the first few periods, I'll arrange for a car to take you in, and I'll call the school, okay?"

Both girls nodded.

Two hours later, 6th period

Koharu sat at her desk, listening to Ms. Kithara talk about science. The class was quiet, and most people were listening to the teacher, or else spacing out. The talk was dull. A fly was buzzing around the classroom.

It didn't take long for another memory to emerge.

She was seven this time, it was summer, literally weeks before the trip. Her mother was holding the new baby boy, Jadric. Her six year old brother played tag with her four year old brother. For some reason she couldn't remember their names, but she saw them clearly, both with wavy dirt blond hair, and large gap toothed grins. The memory was perfect in every aspect.

"Koshie! Hide me!" her six year old brother cried, diving behind her so the other little boy couldn't find him. "Help me Koshie, Help me!" his voice echoed through her mind as her dream began to fade.

Koharu woke up to find herself sweating and gasping for breath, her whole body shook.

"Ms. Sohma, are you alright?" Called Ms. Kithara's commanding voice from somewhere away. "Koharu?" it was so hard to focus, maybe if she just closed her eyes for a moment… "Koharu!" was the last she heard as she fell to the floor.

Same time, Shinju's school

The bell rang over head as Shinju packed up her things, getting ready for the twenty minute recess break. Minahara, Suzuki, and Kiri ran over to her to talk before art class. Shinju was always popular like her father, but with much more of her mothers friendly, hopeful, and honest qualities.

"Hey, Shinju, why were you late today?" Zuki asked, "Everyone was worried you wouldn't show up for the student council meeting during 5th."

"I swear, when you didn't show up for homeroom Kazuki looked so sad. Your so lucky! All the cute boys always like you!" Kiri added

"So where were you?" Mina pressed.

"Oh, my sis was sick, so I went with her to the hospital." Was all Koharu got in before her admirers/friends continued to ask questions.

"You have a older sister right?" Kiri asked, then without waiting for an answer continued, "Everyone knows how helpful you are to her, her being mute and all. So is she okay?"

Koharu smiled, she liked her friends, but none of them were really close, there was a reason she was so close to her sister. Unlike her father, she found her sibling wonderful to confide in.

"Yah, Ko's fine, or she should be, but don't worry about that." She said, knowing that loud Kiri would probably forget, but quiet and sensitive Zuki probably would worry.

"Hey Shinju!" a male voice called. Shinju turned around to see Kazuki running toward her. Kazuki was one of Hana and Hotsuharu's five sons and three daughters. (AN: They've been having a little fun huh? Well now the secrets out, they'll be more with them latter, Arisa too.)

Kiri was definitely right about one thing, Kazuki was very cute, even if he was nine months younger then her. He had a naturally handsome face, black eyes, and choppy white and black hair, a good mix between his two parents. Everyone girl in their grade liked Kazuki, but also knew he liked Shinju.

"Girls, you don't mind if I take Shinju away for a minute do you?" He inquired politely. All the girls nodded and giggled.

"Kazu, if you keep doing stuff like that more rumors will be spread about us." Shinju said, the perfect look of exasperation on her face.

He smiled at her warmly, "Oh you just like to complain, now I really do want to talk to you I private, is under the tree in the yard okay?" Shinju nodded, so off they went.

After they were out of sight of other students, Shinju rapped her arms tightly around her second (or is it third?) cousin.

"Oh god, I'm so worried about Ko!" She cried into his shoulder. He put his arms around her.

"I was afraid of this, look Shinju, Koharu's gonna be fine, don't worry about it." He smiled down at her, "And you thought me talking to you caused rumors." Shinju laughed as she pulled away from him, her heart racing. Kazu may be a family friend and relative, but she was just as effected by his charm as everyone else.

"Sohma Shinju, please come to the office now." A voice called over the school loud speaker. As she turned to leave, Kazu grabbed her hand and pulled her back into a last hug. They both held on tight. Kazu knew Shinju's curse all to well, as his father was the cow, and he knew how hard a time she was having, so he did make a perfect friend.

When they pulled away Shinju straightened her self up, waved goodbye to Kazu, and headed for the office, not quiet sure why she was going, but praying it wasn't a family matter.

Tohru's teaching school

"Mrs. Honda-Sohma, there's a call for you from your daughter Koharu." The office aide informed Tohru as she prepared for her next class. She immediately dropped what she was doing and headed off to the office at a trot.

"Hello, this is Tohru." She said into the receiver panting from the run over to the office.

"Hello Mrs. Honda-Sohma, Your daughter Koharu collapsed five minutes ago in English class, we called the ambulance and it should be here shortly. If there is a doctor you would like to take her to we really need you here."

"Oh my! I'll be right there!" Tohru yelled into the receiver as she hung up the phone and ran to grab her coat.

End Of Chapter

this WOULD have been posted two days ago if my stupid internet didn't break down…