Chapter 3

Bright Morning Light

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

Shigure sighed. "Kyo, could you please not shout? It's giving me a headache."

All that was lacking was for smoke to pour out of Kyo's ears. "I'LL SHOUT IF I FEEL LIKE IT, YOU STUPID MUTT!" The orange-haired boy turned back towards Tohru who was having the bandage on her cheek changed by Hatori. "NEXT TIME YOU'D BETTER HAVE US WITH YOU OR−"

"That's quite enough, Kyo," Hatori's cool, calm voice broke in. "I believe Miss Honda is quite aware of how dangerous it is to walk home alone at night." The Sohma doctor began putting his things away, and glanced back at Tohru. "I hope you've learned something from this little escapade."

Tohru hung her head. "Yes. I'm sorry for putting you to so much trouble."

"Aw, don't be sad, Tohru!" a cheerful little voice chimed in. "Hari's just worried and reminding you to be careful." A head of tousled blond hair popped into view. "Though you could try to be a little nicer about it," the little boy added, his light brown eyes reproachful. Hatori said nothing, simply continued packing.

"Thanks, Momiji," said Tohru, a smile coming across her face. She couldn't help but smile when Momiji was around because he was always so happy and cheerful, even though he'd been through a lot of hard times in his life.

Kyo looked like he was about to explode, but somehow managed to hold it in, turning away from Tohru and grumbling to himself.

"I am really sorry," said Tohru, feeling awful. "I didn't mean to worry any of you. I didn't think anything like that was going to happen. I've walked home alone before with no trouble."

"But we should stay on the safe side from now on, Miss Honda," said Yuki, crouching down next to her. Though his voice was quiet, his violet eyes showed his concern. "We don't want anything to happen to you."

Tohru smiled. "Thanks, Yuki."

Kisa just held onto Tohru, squeezing her as tight as she could, saying, "Sissy," over and over again, as if trying to assure herself that her adopted big sister was ok. Tohru looked down at the little golden-haired girl affectionately, holding her tightly. Yes, I did have a close call, she thought, and I will be more careful. I was very lucky to have Tsuru looking out for me.

Suddenly, there was a polite knock on the door, and Tohru hurriedly jumped to her feet. "Oh, that must be Tsuru-san!" she cried, racing to the door.

Hatori cocked an eye towards Shigure. "Tsuru-san?"

Shigure looked sheepish. "Apparently she's the lady who helped Tohru last night. She even walked her home, and asked if she could come see how Tohru was doing today. I didn't really see the harm in it."

"You rarely do," Hatori replied, suppressing the urge to throttle his old school friend. Momiji had found out about the near-fiasco when Tohru's two friends Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima and told Hatori, thinking it to be amazing fun, but for Hatori it only proved how precariously perched their secret was. The slightest mishap could reveal them all.

Tohru's laughter floated into the room and a more mature female voice answered in soft, unintelligible tones.

"Everyone, this is Tsuru Odoriko-san! She's the one who helped me last night!" cried Tohru, bouncing into the room, holding the taller woman's hand. "Tsuru-san, these are my friends the Sohmas! This is Shigure-san, Hatori-sensei, Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, Momiji-kun, and Kisa-chan."

Tsuru bowed politely. "I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance," she said. "Tohru-kun has told me so much about all of you, and how much she enjoys living with you."

Shigure looked like he was going to either faint or drool, and even Yuki and Kyo appeared slightly startled, as if they couldn't imagine such an elegant and polished looking woman driving off five boys. Tsuru was wearing the same style clothing as she had the day Tohru had met her, only this time the robe was dark blue rather than green and she had more of her hair caught up in a bun rather than hanging loose down her back.

Momiji bounded forward, eyes wide and eager. "You're Tsuru-san, Tohru's new friend!"

Tsuru straightened and smiled. "Yes, and you must be Momiji. You took Tohru to the hot springs for White Day."

The blond boy could barely contain himself. "You do know us! Hooray! I'm so glad; I don't get to meet too many of Tohru's friends."

"Really?" Tsuru said curiously.

"Yeah, I see them at school sometimes, but Kisa, Hatori, and me, we all live at the main house most of the time, but we come visit Tohru here, especially if she gets sick or hurt."

"I know your company always helps Tohru get better much faster," said Tsuru. "You should come more often to keep her out of trouble." This time there was a glint of wicked humor in her eye.

Kisa peeked around Tohru's skirt, gripping the older girl's clothing as she stared at the stranger. Tsuru saw the little girl and knelt to be closer to her level. "You must be Kisa-chan," she said gently, "Tohru's little sister."

"Are you Sissy's big sister?" Kisa asked.

Tsuru blinked, then a slow smile spread across her face, one that made her eyes seem to glow with light. "No, I'm afraid not, Kisa. But I can be an aunt, if you'd like."

Kisa stared. "You want to be my aunt?"

The raven-haired woman nodded. "I've never had any nieces or nephews of my own."

"No little girls or boys?"

Something flickered across Tsuru's face, an emotion too fleeting to be identified, but then the calm, gentle smile was back. "Nope, no little girls or boys."

The little golden-haired girl looked up at Tohru, who nodded, then shyly approached Tsuru, who opened her arms, allowing Kisa to hug her.

Tohru smiled, happy to see that Tsuru and Kisa had bonded so well and so quickly. "I'll bring us all some tea," she said, heading for the kitchen.

Yuki watched Tohru leave the room, and then turned his attention back to their guest. "Thank you very much for helping Miss Honda yesterday."

Tsuru's green eyes met his violet ones. "No need to thank me, I'm only sorry I couldn't help her sooner."

"How did you meet Miss Honda?" Yuki asked.

"She came into my store on her way to work about a week before school ended," Tsuru explained. "We started chatting while looking at books and she told me some stories about the Sohmas, how you had taken her in when she had nowhere else to go and have cared for her ever since, just as if she was a blood relative. I admire that kind of devotion and Tohru's unconditional love towards this family." She smiled. "Such a thing is very rare in this world and something to be cherished."

"So you just met Tohru and started stalking her?" Kyo demanded.

"Kyo!" cried Shigure. "Apologize to the nice lady!" Shaking his head, he muttered under his breath, "And you're always calling me a pervert."

Tsuru shook her head, carefully getting to her feet so she wouldn't dislodge Kisa. "No, it's quite alright. Kyo-kun is just being protective." The woman's calm green gaze caught Kyo's defiant red one. "It's understandable," she said slowly. "You don't know me and I don't know you. You don't know my intentions or motives, you don't know who I am or where I come from, and you don't know if I'm a threat to you or to Tohru-kun." Her gaze bored into Kyo. "Words are cheap while actions speak. I can talk all I want, but until I prove to you that I mean Tohru no harm, you are not going to trust me."

Kyo shifted uncomfortably, trying to avoid those searching green eyes. "Well," he said awkwardly, "you seem ok. But don't you forget that if anything happens to Tohru, you'll answer to me!"

Yuki rolled his eyes. "And how much of a threat is that?"

"You got something to say to me, Rat-boy?" Kyo yelled, turning on his arch enemy.

The other boy just sighed. "I do apologize for Kyo's rude behavior, Miss Odoriko," said Yuki.

"He just likes Tohru," Momiji chimed in.

"I do not!" Kyo yelled, thwacking Momiji over the head.

"Whaaaaaaa!" Momiji wailed. "Tsuru, Kyo's hitting me!"

"You're not making a very good impression on our lovely guest," Shigure mourned in a sing-song voice.

Hatori just leaned back against the wall and sighed, looking skyward as if to say, Why me?

"Tea's ready!" cried Tohru as she reentered a room of chaos. She blinked, looking around for Tsuru. "Oh, um…"

Tsuru was standing there, Kisa holding her legs, one hand covering her mouth, shaking.

"Tsuru, are you ok?" Tohru asked, concerned.

But when the woman looked at Tohru, her eyes were sparkling with laughter. She lowered her hand, her laughter breaking forth in a shimmering wave which effectively silenced the quarreling. Tsuru raised a hand, trying to speak through her laughter.

"I do apologize," she finally managed, "but it was so funny…exactly like Tohru described." Her mirth was now under control but still tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Smiling with relief, Tohru set the tea tray down and invited everyone to sit. Shigure chatted with Tsuru, who deftly countered his attempts to flirt with her. Momiji often interrupted with comments or questions of his own, and each time Tsuru listened patiently, giving each word her utmost attention. Yuki added his own questions to the conversation, such as where she worked, if she liked it, and hobbies.

"I've worked a lot of places," Tsuru said thoughtfully, sipping her tea. "I started washing dishes and mopping floors in a restaurant when I was thirteen. After my foster mother died, I worked at a fabric store, a tea house, and then a bath house. I still work at the bath house, but it's become more of a part-time evening job since I opened my bookstore, The Paper Crane."

"Doesn't it get kinda boring, shut up in a store all day?" Momiji asked.

"Not really," Tsuru replied. "I spent most of my childhood in the library reading, so I think the bookstore is a good place for me." She smiled. "It's actually rather soothing, hidden away from the hustle of the rest of the world. I get enough of that at the bath house."

"That would be busy," said Tohru. "Which bath house do you work at? Is it a Sohma bath house?"

Tsuru shook her head thoughtfully. "As far as I know, it isn't Sohma owned," she said. "It's been run by the Issui family for as long as I can remember."

"The Issui bath house?" said Yuki, looking surprised.

"I've never heard of it, is it a nice place?" asked Tohru.

"The bath house's official name is the Tanoshii Niwa Antai, or the Enjoyable Garden of Tranquility," Yuki explained. "It has a long and well-established reputation as one of the largest and most opulent and luxurious bath houses in Japan. Not only are there hot springs and bathing pools, but dining, performances of theater and dance, and any other manner of pampering you can think of are also included."

"Wow," said Tohru, suitably impressed.

Tsuru just grinned. "It doesn't seem that luxurious when you're crawling around in the plumbing system to stop a leak or scrubbing ten days worth of soap scum off a tub," she said. "People tend to forget all the behind the scenes work that goes on to make it that nice."

"I think you'd be excellent as one of the lovely massagers with scented oils," said Shigure, staring off into space at his fantasy.

"I was for a while," said Tsuru. "That was after the plumbing and scrubbing. Sometimes I still do that, but with my work hours limited to the evening, that doesn't happen too often."

"So what do you like to do when you're not working at the bath house or the bookstore, Miss Odoriko?" asked Yuki.

Tsuru sipped her tea thoughtfully. "Mostly reading," she said after a moment. "Almost any book will do, though I prefer older novels, histories and researching legends. I also play some musical instruments and mess around with calligraphy and water colors, although I'm not very good at it. I'm hopeless at gardening, but love climbing trees, especially in cherry-blossom season. Oh, and I raise dragons."

Tohru stared. "You raise dragons?" she squeaked. "That's amazing! What are they like? Where do you keep them? How on earth do you feed them?"

The raven-haired woman laughed. "Quiet easily," she said. "Since they are still little, I keep them in an aquarium tank at home. Dragons aren't full grown until they reach one hundred, and I know I won't be alive long enough to see that."

"She keeps seahorses as pets," said Shigure, not quite sure how to react to that news, though he did wink at Hatori, who simply glared at him.

"That's so cute!" cried Tohru, clapping her hands together.

Another smile crept across Tsuru's face. "I told you I enjoy old legends. But, I'm afraid our conversation will have to keep for another time. I have to get back to the shop."

"Oh, of course!" said Tohru, jumping to her feet. "I'm sorry to have kept you so long!"

"Not at all, Tohru," answered Tsuru, rising in one graceful motion. "I enjoyed this visit very much." She bowed deeply to the other Sohmas. "I am so glad to have met all of you. Thank you very much for letting me come and I do apologize if I was intruding at all."

"No, no, the pleasure was all ours, right, Hari?" Shigure assured her while elbowing his friend.

"Indeed," Hatori said, inclining his head slightly.

"Ah, don't be so stiff!" chuckled Shigure. "Don't mind Hatori, he's always like this."

Tsuru smiled. "No, of course I don't mind."

"Will you come back and visit again?" asked Momiji.

"Yes, please?" added Kisa.

"Well, that's up to your uncles Shigure-san and Hatori-sensei," said Tsuru. "I'm not family, so I don't want to be intrusive."

Shigure patted the air with his hands. "No, no, you're welcome back anytime!" Hatori said, "We'll see," in a noncomittal tone, watching the woman carefully.

"Hooray!" cried Momiji, jumping for joy. "Maybe you can come visit Kisa, Hari, and me at Sohma House!"

The smile seemed to freeze on the woman's face. For a moment, something like fear flashed in her green eyes. Then it was gone, though her smile still looked a little forced. "I do not think that would be the best idea, little one."

"Why not?"

"Well," said Tsuru softly, "I doubt Hatori-sensei will approve of a near-stranger wandering around your family compound. And…I have a feeling that there is someone there who would be displeased to see me. Very displeased."

A slight chill seemed to wind through the room, and though no one put a name to it, all the Sohmas knew what it was. Then the shadow passed, and Tsuru seemed like her bright, smiling self again. "Farewell for now, then. Oh, before I go, you left some...things at the shop last time, Tohru. I brought them with me."

"Thank you, Tsuru-san!" said Tohru. "I'll take them up to my room. Thank you so much."

Tsuru smiled kindly at the young girl, green eyes warm. "Not at all. And Tohru?"

The girl looked at her friend curiously.

Tsuru's voice was soft. "You have such a wonderful family, Tohru. I'm so happy for you." And with another bow to the Sohmas, she was gone.

---

Author's Note: Since Tohru was making introductions, and Tsuru doesn't know the Sohmas very well yet, I included the more formal terms of address. Adult members of the Sohma family have the suffix san, such as "Shigure-san" for "Mr" or "Ms," although Hatori is called "Hatori-sensei" by Tsuru at first since he's a doctor. The teens have the suffix "kun" for both males and females, and the girls who are close friends or young children have "chan" attached. These might pop up in later chapters, depending on how familiar Tsuru becomes with the characters, but overall, I try to keep them to a minimum because I find them distracting. Yuki does refer to Tohru as "Miss Honda" rather than "Honda-san," simply because I like the sound of it. Again, I'm kind of following the anime more than the manga.