Lol...here's the 3rd chapter! Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket

Chapter 3

"Kyo-kun! I found you!" Lakukeshi smiled and laughed triumphantly.

"WHAT! Oh! Whoa…" Kyo, taken by surprise, nearly fell off the roof.

Lakukeshi crawled over to him and looked at the trees and other foliage. "It's so pretty!" She said, closing her eyes and basking in the warmth of the sun's brilliant rays.

"Yeah…it is…" Kyo's eyes softened for a moment, and his face turned a light pink. Turning away so Lakukeshi wouldn't see him blushing, Kyo caught sight of Yuki. "Look…there's that stupid rat…" Kyo pointed. Lately, Lakukeshi seemed to be spending more and more time with Yuki. He hated to admit it, but he was growing more jealous every passing day.

Tohru had been going out with Hatsuharu for quite some time now. In fact, under her influence, he was not turning into Black Haru quite as much. They were usually playing with Momiji (who was growing more spoiled by Tohru every passing moment). At first, Kyo and Yuki hadn't known what to make of this, but now Tohru and Hatsuharu were so close it was normal to see them together. Ever since Lakukeshi had come to the Sohma household, both Yuki and Kyo had found themselves gradually attracted to her. She wasn't a replacement for Tohru or anything, but Lakukeshi had a quality of her own.

"Oh! You're right!" Lakukeshi jumped up and waved frantically at Yuki. "Yuki-kun!"

Yuki looked up, and waved back. Then he saw Kyo. His calm face twisted into a scowl, but then quickly changed whenever Lakukeshi called,

"Yuki-kun! Are you planting anything new?"

He smiled. When Lakukeshi had first arrived, she had been beaten, cut, and her clothes were in tatters. They had quickly taken her in, and Hatori had arrived to doctor her back to health. It really was amazing, that Lakukeshi could still manage to be so cheerful after all of her abuse.

"Strawberries. I'm planting strawberries." He smiled.

The sun shone brightly, and Lakukeshi's smiling face was illuminated in brightness as she said,

"Strawberries? I love strawberries!"

A little while later after spending some time with Kyo on the roof, Lakukeshi walked into the house to help Tohru make lunch.

"Tohru-kun! What are we making today?"

Tohru looked up from cutting leeks. "Miso with leeks! But Kyo-kun doesn't like leeks, so just make him miso soup."

Lakukeshi nodded, and they set to work. Rolling up her sleeves, her arms were the very picture of old bruises and scars. Lakukeshi caught Tohru looking at them and smiled. "Don't worry. They're mostly healing."

Tohru nodded, but inwardly she wondered how could such a nice person like Lakukeshi have such a mean uncle to abuse her like that? Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Lakukeshi paused, and then said cheerfully, "I'll get it!"

Wondering who it could be, Lakukeshi opened the door and happily said,

"Hello! Welco—''

She never finished. A hand flashed out and struck her hard, making her fall over and skid across the floor. Immediately memories washed over her.

Her uncle holding an empty beer bottle…

His alcoholic breath in her ear…

The pain of the scars so long ago…

Eyes wide, Lakukeshi stared up at the person that she had escaped from; the very person she thought she would never see again—her uncle.

"AGH!" Lakukeshi screamed as her uncle raised a broken beer bottle glass and swung.

"You thought you could run away, huh? You WENCH!" her uncle's angry bellows echoed in her mind.

Tears flowing, she raised her hands to protect herself as her uncle swung again. Shaking, she saw fresh blood oozing out of a new cut on her right hand.

"You stupid good-for-nothing girl!" her uncle yelled again and slapped her across the face. Crying, Lakukeshi huddled in a ball as her uncle struck her once more.

Just then, Yuki and Kyo ran down the stairs, alerted by Lakukeshi's screaming. Eyes wide, Yuki ran toward Lakukeshi's uncle, but Kyo got there first.

"Wha—!" Lakukeshi's uncle said as Kyo sent him sprawling with a kick.

"Never…ever…come back again!" Kyo's eyes narrowed in anger and he threw Lakukeshi's uncle out of the door. His footsteps could be heard receding rapidly away from the house. Turning back around, Kyo saw that Lakukeshi was standing, wobbly on her feet. She stumbled and fell into Kyo's arms.

Hugging the transformed cat tightly, her tears flowed freely. Never had anyone tried to help her, not even her own mother, who had eventually ran away, leaving her daughter behind. No one had cared or even made an effort…until Kyo.

Yuki stood nearby, smiling sadly as he watched the cat wipe away some of Lakukeshi's tears with a paw. All of a sudden, Tohru came running, still holding the knife.

Seeing Lakukeshi so battered, Tohru totally freaked out and started screaming and waving her arms, which unfortunately still held the knife. Waving it around crazily, she shrieked, "AH! Lakukeshi-kun! Are you OK!"

Lakukeshi gave a choked giggle at the sight of Tohru waving around the knife frantically with Yuki backed up against the wall, eyeing the knife. Hugging the cat a last time, she set him down gently. Finally…finally, she had found people who cared. Looking at the cut on her hand, she smiled. Just like the cut, she was hurt and bled, but also like the cut, she would heal.

Yes…like the cut, she would heal, and become together once more.