Never Give Up

By Ginta and Hakakku Fangirl

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. I wish I did, but I don't. Oh well. At least I have my laptop!!!!!!

A/N: Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanza, Happy New Year, and any other holiday that I've forgotten. So, yeah, I've had my computer programs updated and all that fixed, so now maybe I'll be able to update and publish stuff more often, and I'm going to fix what happened when I published that last chapter, just as soon as I publish this one, so, hopefully, it won't mess up again. Okay, I'm done now, so enjoy this new chapter!!! Oh, wait, I'm not…There are several spoilers in just this chapter, including what I'm about to say now: I've decided that I'm just going to keep calling Akito "he" so that I don't have to go into her whole history or anything so that people won't be confused if they haven't read the manga, aren't that far yet. That just kind of takes away from the story, ne? Okay, done now!

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Chapter Eight: Enter Flamboyance

Shigure grit his teeth as Hatori changed his bandages.

The day that he had gone to face Akito and give him the news of Kyo and Tohru's baby, Akito had been so angry that he had smashed a large, white porcelain vase against Shigure's chest.

"I hope he's happy," Hatori said; Shigure just scowled, then winced in discomfort.

Hatsuharu scowled as well, and Yuki nodded.

They had been discussing Kyo, and how they were supposed to get to him. Christmas was in three days and since Kazuma's first call, there hadn't been another one.

"Kyo needs to know, and soon," Shigure said simply. "Tohru is due in a little less than five months now, and she's starting to show." He sighed before continuing. "I don't know how the rest of you feel about all of this, but this I do know: Tohru is going to need all of the help that we can give."

"What do you mean?" Haru asked. "What can we do that doesn't concern Kyo?"

Shigure shrugged his arms back into his kimono as Hatori answered Hatsuharu.

"It's like Shigure just said," he replied. "Tohru is starting to get bigger, and soon she's going to need bigger clothes. Maternity clothes."

"And clothes are expensive," Shigure added. "Especially when you have to buy a whole closet full at one time. And that's not the only thing she'll have to buy."

"She'll need a crib and bedding, a basinet and blankets." Hatori snapped his bag shut. "A baby is expensive, even before its birth."

Yuki sighed. "Miss Honda hasn't been working much lately," he said. "And even if she were, it wouldn't be enough money."

"Exactly." Shigure stood up. "I've already told Tohru that I'm taking her shopping tomorrow; it's a Saturday, so we'll have plenty of time for her to get whatever ahem personal clothes she'll want and need. And-" here, he glance over at Yuki- "I just called Aya a few hours ago, to give him the news. He should be here any minute now."

"WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!" Yuki jumped to his feet and glared at Shigure. "You told Brother about this???"

Shigure raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I did. Why is that such a shock to you? Besides, he would have found out anyway."

"But you know Brother, you know that he'll mention that stupid cat in front of Miss Honda! He'll-"

"Actually, Yuki," Shigure interrupted, "Ayame won't say a word about Kyo, he told me that himself before I could even mention everyone's agreement not to do so in Tohru's presence."

"Really?" Yuki looked incredulous.

Shigure nodded and Hatori smiled slightly.

"I'd think that you would be a bit relieved, Yuki," Hatori said.

"Why's that?" Yuki asked suspiciously. "Don't tell me that Brother is going to make one of his "gallent proposals" and insist upon raising Miss Honda's child as though it were his own."

"No, don't worry about that." Shigure grinned. "But as soon as Aya found out that Tohru hadn't bought any maternity clothes yet, he immediately insisted upon designing and making them himself."

"Really?" Yuki looked surprised.

"Mm-hmm!" Shigure looked pleased and Hatori grinned full out this time.

"He's also already volunteered to make the bedding for the crib, some blankets, baby clothes, that sort of thing," Hatori added. "Although that part is a surprise for Tohru."

Shigure grinned at the look on Yuki's face.

"I didn't know that he could be so thoughtful," he said, making Shigure laugh.

"Yes, well, he and Mine (A/N: It's pronounced Mee-nay) should be here soon," Shigure said, "and I still haven't given Tohru that happily relieving bit of information."

"Where is Tohru, anyway?" Hatsuharu asked.

"Upstairs," Yuki said quickly. "Sleeping."

"Oh, right." Haru stood up. "She takes a nap everyday after school, now, doesn't she?"

Hatori nodded. "Doctor's orders. Besides, according to Shigure, she's not been sleeping well at night."

"She isn't?" Yuki looked up from pouring himself more tea and spilled it. As he cleaned up the hot liquid, he turned to Shigure. "How do you know that?"

"I've been checking in on her while she sleeps," Shigure admitted. "She hasn't been looking too well rested lately, so I decided to make sure she's actually sleeping." He sighed. "But even though she has been sleeping, she hasn't been sleeping well. She's been having nightmares."

"Nightmares?" Yuki sat back down. "Why? What about?"

"I don't know," Shigure admitted.

"The nightmares are most likely just a result of her stress," Hatori said. "I can't think of any other reason."

Yuki nodded. "That would make sense," he admitted. Glancing over at Shigure, he asked, "But what about Akito?"

"What about him?" Hatsuharu scowled.

Shigure, sensing a "Black Haru" moment, quickly cut into the conversation.

"Akito knows, and that's all there is to be said," Shigure said simply. "He can't do anything to the baby, and he knows it; the baby isn't just a Sohma, but a Honda as well. There's nothing at all that Akito can do to hurt either Tohru or the baby."

Hatori nodded his agreement.

"It would be a lot different if Tohru were a Sohma," he said. "In fact, it would have been a lot different if Shigure had told Akito sooner, for that matter."

"What do you mean?" Yuki asked sharply.

"If I had told Akito right away instead of waiting for four months, then Akito may very well have had a very strong say in what would happen to this baby," Shigure said. "But now that Tohru is nearing her fifth month of being 'in a delicate condition,' so to speak, there really isn't much that Akito can do, even if he is the head of the family."

"What do you mean, sensei?" Haru looked up at Shigure from studying his nails, a new nervous habit that he had recently developed.

"I mean, now that Tohru is halfway along, more people know about it. Of course," Shigure admitted, "Akito had probably guessed that it would only be Hatori, Yuki, and I, at least of the Sohmas. But how do you think that would look if anyone else were to have known?" he asked, "if Akito had decided to force an abortion on Tohru when she was already so far along?"

"Not only that," Hatori said, "but while some doctors will perform an abortion all the way up to the point of labor, I refuse to do so. I refuse to perform abortions at all. Besides, seeing how Tohru is already in her second trimester, it would just cause even more stress on her body, more so than an abortion earlier on would have done."

Shigure nodded. "And you have to admit, Tohru's body is very delicate. Of course, it's delicate in a very cute and feminine way-"

"Shigure!" Yuki scowled.

"Sensei, you sound like a dirty old man," Hatsuharu commented lazily, bored. "I'm surprised you haven't been arrested yet."

Shigure laughed.

"Oh, you youngsters of little faith!" he sighed. "Do you really think that? You act as though I only adore our sweet little Tohru so much because she's a pretty high school girl, is that it?" Shigure sighed again. "Is that honestly all that you think of me? How cruel!'

Hatori rolled his eyes slightly.

"I think that what Shigure means is that Tohru, although now nearly eighteen, still has a very small body, not quite as mature as it should be at her age. Her hips are still quite narrow, and she's just a very small person."

Yuki sighed and nodded.

"I guess that is true," he admitted.

"Aha!" Shigure grinned triumphantly. "I knew it! I knew that you had noticed!"

"Shigure, shut up!" Yuki yelled.

"Ha'ri, Yuki is being mean!" Shigure whimpered with another smirk.

"Shut up!"

"Mmm…What's going on?"

"Huh?"

The four "men" looked up as Tohru entered the room, rubbing sleep out of her eyes with her palms.

"Miss Honda!" Yuki jumped up, looking apologetic. "Did we wake you up?"

"Mm, no." Tohru glanced around. "Oh! Hatori! Hatsuharu! I didn't know that you were here! I'm so sorry, if I had know, I would have gotten up sooner!"

Hatsuharu grinned at her and stood up, shaking his head, before going into the kitchen; Hatori stood up as well, and took Tohru by the hand, leading her around the table to sit down. As soon as she had, Haru came back from the kitchen with another cup and filled it with tea before handing it to Tohru.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Shigure smiled at her.

"Wonderful news-" he started, but was interrupted by the shoji sliding open with a bang.

"Greetings, everyone!"

Apple green eyes and a blindingly white smile flashed at everyone in the room, and long, silver hair was tossed back over a scarlet velvet shoulder.

"I hope you haven't been cheating on me…Shigure."

"Never could I be unfaithful to you…Aya."

"Oh, Shigure! The nights have been so cold and long without you!"

"Never fear, Aya. Tonight you'll sleep with me."

Shigure and Ayame grinned.

"Alright!"

Lol, sorries, but I just couldn't resist!!! Okay, so, lot's of dialogue, hardly anything other than just sitting around and talking. Alright, you know the drill: REVIEW!!!!!

Okay, and now that I have your attention, I would actually like to say something that has nothing to do with fan fictions, or anything else to do with this story, although it does relate to this chapter: Abortion. If this is a touchy subject for you, then just skip ahead to the review part or the next chapter, or whatever it is that you do after reading my anecdotes. (I also think that right now would be a good time to point out that I'm a Theatre major, I write/deliver speeches, and I'm a fifth-year college level in literature, writing, and research, so I can make a very vivid point. I will try to stay as brief and as scientifically to the point as is possible for me when speaking of this subject. Thank you (btw, since I have told you all of this, reporting this chapter as abuse for stating these facts (because that is all they are, facts, not my opinion) is pointless, as I have put up this disclaimer/warning as to what I am about to say. Therefore, I am perfectly within my right to say all of this:

Every day in America, 365 days a year, at least three thousand, five hundred (3,500) babies are surgically aborted in the womb.

At only EIGHT WEEKS IN THE WOMB---WHEN MOST WOMEN FIRST REALIZE THAT THEY ARE PREGNANT---, the baby can already kick, grab, smile, and feel pain.

An abortion is done in several ways, the most common being the fetus either burned alive and destroyed with chemicals, or torn apart by metal hooks.

Statistics from female rape victims say that an abortion DOES NOT TAKE AWAY THE TRAUMA OF RAPE.

An abortion has NEVER saved a woman's life.

In America, it is legal to abort a baby at any point during the nine months of pregnancy.

It is even legal to kill the baby during labor, WHILE THE BABY IS BEING BORN, as long as the baby's head is still inside the mother.

Okay, now I will share with you my opinion:

Thank you, for taking the time to read these facts. I hope that now you will all see an abortion as I do, as the taking of life from one defenseless in their entirety.