Author's Notes: Thank you for those who reviewed, especially to Kaoru4 and xxfirebubblesxx who reviewed first. Do note that in this story, Tohru is green eyed. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is not mine, however, the plot line is.

The Pet Shop

Alyssa in Wonderland

One: Happy Birthday

Our story begins on a breezy, autumn day, nearing dusk. The sidewalks of the town were littered by groups of dried amber leaves only to scatter apart from each other when the wind picked up. They danced up into the sky traveling through out the peaceful small town. Children out of school loitered about hand in hand giggling as the leaves whispered nothings into their ear. Passing the children, the leaves swayed to the right encircling a pair of old couples hand in hand. The couple shivered and smiled at each other as the chill passed them and proceeded onwards to their destination. Picking up its rhythm the wind led the leaves to the town's old shrine.

The leaves fell onto the ground, waiting, waiting, waiting…

"Hey! Tohru! Don't forget to clean the chalkboard thoroughly! I don't want Mr. Hisaishi yelling at me for a lousy job!"

A brunette with peculiar green eyes looked back at her two classmates and nodded with a smile, "Don't worry, Motoko, I'll do my best to clean it."

The girl named Motoko leaned against the classroom door. She smiled smugly and replied, "I don't want a single chalk dust on that or anywhere near it."

"Yes, Motoko." Tohru replied, still wearing a smile on her face.

"See that you can." Motoko said as her accomplice, Minami approached her. Tohru looked at the rag in her hand and bent down to soak it in water, humming gleefully to herself. She felt eyes stare at the side of her head and heard an awfully loud whisper from Minami, "Is she always that pathetic?" She asked Motoko.

"She'll do anything to be friends with someone." Motoko replied, not even bothering to whisper, "I guess orphans always have issues." Tohru Honda grated her nerves to no end. The green-eyed girl had bewitched both men and women in Motoko's town with her beauty and kindness. Motoko was bent on having the green-eyed beauty crack.

The classroom doors clattered shut leaving Tohru to herself to another afternoon after school cleaning up. The smile on her face slowly faded as she wiped the chalkboard. Looking out the classroom windows, she saw that it was nearing dusk already. She didn't mind though, no one was going to wait for her at home. It was true, she was an orphan of sort. Her parents were both deceased. Her father, she did not know very well and her mother had died last year from a car accident. She had relatives, relatives that did not want anything to do with her due to her mother's past gang lifestyle. Only her grandfather took notice of her and visited. However, those visits had started to lessen due to her grandfather's failing health.

Finished with her cleaning, Tohru faced the world again with a smile on her lips. Be strong in times of suffering, that's what her mother taught her and this she would do. Tohru made her way to her part time job, however, had one more stop to visit.

He stretched. He yawned. He rolled about his futon and finally sat up. His usually neat silver hair was disheveled as he groggily looked about for the time. Ah! There it was! What did that say? The bright red digits blared at his eyes causing him to blink a few times. Five…in the morning? He squinted, five…PM?!

He abruptly got up cursing, "Shigure! I told you to wake me up!"

"I'm not your personal servant, Yuki!" A voice from down the stairs hollered back. Yuki rolled his eyes as he quickly put on a black suit. Looking at the mirror he fixed his hair quickly, and made his way down stairs, the pet shop.

"Then what's your use here, Shigure?" Yuki asked.

"I'm here for you to sell me to some unfortunate woman."

Yuki turned around and grinned at Shigure. Yuki pulled on his black sports jacket and walked towards Shigure. "I know. Look after the store will you? I'll be back soon." Yuki said patting Shigure on the head.

"Cut that out! I'm older than you by ten thousand years!" The dark gray dog barked at him. "Anyway, where are you going? Do you realize what time it is, young man?" Shigure asked licking his paw.

"I'm going to go find a woman to devour—what else?" Yuki asked with a shrug and left the house.

Shigure shrugged, "She'd better be a young one like Kyo's!" He said to himself.

Yuki looked about. The stars were beginning to appear in the sky. The town he appeared in looked peaceful enough. It would be no problem to be forgotten in this sort of place. The streets were almost empty as children started to get back in the house. He looked around again, "Great. There's no women around—"

Oops!

He spoke to soon!

In front him stood a shrine. The leaves crunched under his feet as the wind began to stir. He prepared himself mentally, alright, time to do some business! He approached her carefully.

"Excuse me," He started, but it seemed like he had scared her. Her eyes held unshed tears and it she looked like she was caught doing something wrong. Yuki stared at her and backed off.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said.

Back off? Did he just back off?

"It's alright." The girl replied regaining her composure.

Not in the thousands of years had he lived did he back off from a woman, especially a vulnerable one like this! Quite frankly, it angered him.

"Do you have to hog the shrine, miss?" He said bitingly.

The girl looked offended, however stayed polite, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that I was hogging the shrine."

"You were."

"W-well, do as you please. I'll be leaving now." She said and started to walk away.

The wind picked up and Yuki sighed feeling slightly guilty, "Shrines are for people in need of a miracle. You're one of them, why apologize?" He asked.

The girl stopped walking and looked back with a smile, "Maybe you need a miracle more than me, sir. That's why I apologized for keeping God's time focused on me for too long." She replied.

Yuki stared after the girl, "Strange girl…she'll never make it in life in one piece." He whispered to himself deciding that tonight's hunt was a failure.

After finishing her part time job at Hanajima's Florals, Tohru made her way home. She would have felt a little better if it weren't for the man that had been rude to her at the shrine earlier. He shouldn't have scared her like that and acted so...so...arrogant!

"Why didn't I speak up? I always do that, even with Motoko..." She told herself.

Seeing an old apartment complex, Tohru sighed feeling weary and wanting nothing but sleep. Opening her apartment door, she almost stumbled across a box.

"Odd, I don't remember putting that there." She said to herself bending down to see what's inside

She opened the lid and she gasped in surprise. Under the box's lid was a note that read, Happy seventeenth birthday, Tohru.

"Grandpa must have sent you." She said smiling happily. She had almost forgotten that today was her birthday! She looked at it and wondered, "What shall I call you…? Ah! I got it! Mr. Cat!"

"Meowr." Replied the orange cat, staring at her with big eyes.

Author's Notes: Please review and tell me what you think!