Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, but everyone knows I should I mean come on! I rock right? Lol

Chapter 2

"Hey Kazuma, how about you and Kagura come over to the estate for dinner? I'm sure the others will be very happy to see you!"

Kagura couldn't hear Kyo and Tohru branching off into a conversation with Kazuma as she fell farther into the shadows of the hallway. "This can't be real...I won't allow it."

"Come now Kagura, wouldn't it be nice to see all your cousins again?" Kazuma asked gently.

Kagura was rushed back to reality, picked up her head and unclenched her fists, "I think it would be very nice to see the rest of the family again. I haven't seen them all since the new years party. Kyo you left early that night without saying goodbye, I was worried."

Kyo rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, stupid Runt was left at home all by herself. Damn Rat was worried that she'd left the windows open and some strange predator might've gotten in. The wimp didn't want to leave because it was 'too cold outside'."

"Come on enough that story!" Tohru urged, noticing how upset Kagura was getting, "Let's get going now so I'll have enough time to cook dinner!"

Kazuma urged Kagura out the door and together those two followed Kyo and Tohru.

"Kyo what do you think we should make in honor of our guests?" Tohru asked going over a list of ideas in her head.

"No leeks that's for sure," Kyo grumbled, "Salmon riceballs would be nice."

Tohru laughed, "You silly that's what you like, we're making dinner for the tasting pleasure of our guests!"

Kazuma chuckled, "Same old Kyo. Always loved fish and hated leeks. We used to eat rice balls all the time on the mountain, right Kyo?"

Kyo lifted his head and a bright smile formed on his face, "That's right Shisho! We used to catch everything ourselves except for the rice. That was one of the highest points of my life!" Kyo was always into stories of his master and Tohru was happy to see him so fervent about it.

Kagura was rather quiet on the trip to Shigure's house. Her eyes wandered out to the scenery, the lovely blossoms on the trees and the new lush leaves that were growing in. It would be summer soon, everything would get a little warmer, just the right kind of heat for swimming. She sighed in forlorn, how could she have let Kyo slip away so easily?

"Kagura? Hey Kagura we're here!" Tohru called, breaking her yet again out of another trance.

Haru and Momiji were on the front porch, Haru on his usual porch swing reading, and Momiji who had been playing with a pinwheel. "TorTor's come back!" Momiji called taking his pinwheel and ran up to Tohru, "And you've brought friends!"

Haru smiled too, "Hey Kagura," He bowed to his master, "Hey master Kazuma."

"Hey Haru, Hey Momiji!" Kagura hugged each of them, the curse not taking affect when two cursed people embraced. Kazuma pat Momiji's head while Kazuma and Haru met each fist to fist, their usual gesture.

"Kyo took me to the dojo today so I invited Kazuma and Kagura here for dinner," Tohru smiled.

"IS that the voice of my flower returning?" Shigure called pulling open the front door, his eyes finding Kazuma and Kagura, "Well it seems there's a party outside no one told me about!"

Tohru laughed, "I hope you don't mind, I invited Kagura and Kazuma to dinner after we visited the dojo today."

"Family is always welcome here Tohru, don't you fret," He smiled and rubbed his daughter's hair.

"Where's Yuki?" Tohru asked eagerly, "I"m sure he'd love to see his master and Kagura again!"

"What is with all the commotion?" Yuki asked as he walked out the still opened front door with a yawn, he stopped short seeing Kazuma, now feeling wide awake, "Greetings Master!" Yuki bowed quickly.

"And I don't get a hello?" Kagura shot in return for Yuki's bow.

Yuki lifted his head back up, "Oh Miss Kagura, how nice to see you as well."

"Well, now that everyone's caught up, how about we get inside so Tohru can start on our delicious dinner," Shigure implied aloud and everyone made their way inside.

Tohru served everyone a cup of tea in the den and then she went off to cook in the kitchen, faint humming could be heard as she started to chop vegetables.

Kazuma took a sip of his tea and smiled, "So Shigure, I guess I've been locked away in my dojo for far too long. How did little Tohru's adoption come to be?"

Shigure smiled and put down his tea, "Ah are you envious of my great fortune?" he laughed lightly, "Tohru has lived with us for little over a year now, nearly two I'd figure. There's a lot of little reasons she was allowed to be adopted...but I think what really happened was Akito forced her into an awkward position. She could either go on a music tour with the band she worked with, or stay with the Sohmas and be adopted. You don't know Tohru that well, but she always wants to do what's best for the people around her. She thought, or at least what her mind thought, was that if she stayed with us Akito's hatred would grow and such. Tohru also knew that her bands opportunity only came once in a lifetime."

"I see...so she chose you over that opportunity?" He asked looking down at his cup.

Shigure shook his head, "Our poor Flower, she went with the band first. She left, honestly only a few days ago, early in the morning for the train station. She was all ready to go, but she said she just couldn't. She didn't want to leave the family she had just learned to love."

Kazuma smiled, "How sweet."

Shigure nodded, "Tohru went through a lot last year, since the moment of her mother's death, it hasn't been easy for her. She's smiled through it all, but she's had a lot of injuries and unbearable pains brought to her."

Kagura listened intently, "Anyone can get over physical injuries. I mean, fighters do all the time!" She interjected, not having much sympathy for her.

"Fighting is different Kagura," Yuki answered.

"How so, they're still wounds, why does it matter how you got them?" She asked back angrily.

"Because her injuries could have easily killed her!" Yuki shot back.

"Kagura?" Momiji called out quietly, "Tohru isn't a fighter. She wants everyone to be happy. She's like the sunshine, when the sun gets hurt, it becomes all black and blue, then all the sun can do is shine darkness."

"Tohru fell from a bridge and swept down a river, she had to be taken to a hospital by a helicopter for hurting her lungs. When she went to Akito, he abused her, tied her town and hit her, that's what Hiro told me. Akito tried to strangle her, and even threw her into a wall..." Haru continued.

"And then there was Kyo..." Yuki looked down. Kyo looked down too.

Kagura looked to Kyo, "What happened?"

Kyo cringed, "Akito took off my bracelet," Kyo waited for Kagura's gasp to pass, "And I ended up hurting Yuki, but Tohru got it worse. She was trying to calm me down, and I..."

Yuki's eyes opened timidly, he had been expected a catastrophic hurt, and found there was no harm to him but the previous wound. He looked ahead, expecting to see a vicious Kyo ready to retaliate, or maybe he was inches from his face. Instead, Kyo's face was staring down at his sanguinolent hands. No, Kyo wasn't looking down at his hands, but what was below them, resting quietly on the sand. Yuki looked down too and took in a sharp breath.

There she was lying on the ground. There was a cut on her side, just above her hip. The pieces were slowly coming together about what just happened. Kyo had started the attack and Yuki had closed his eyes because of the lightning. At that same moment Tohru had run out into the line of fire, and screamed upon the impact of his assault.

"I really ended up hurting her..." Kyo whispered finally, "You wouldn't think that from that perky girl in the other room."

Kagura was quiet now, she had just witnessed how easily this family had defended her. How Yuki, Momiji, Haru, and even her beloved Kyo had defended this girl.

"Hey Everyone, dinner's ready!" Tohru called from the other room.

The boys rose from their seats, and Kagura followed reluctantly. Tohru had made a very nice spread for a short amount of time. There were fried vegetables and meats, kabob, steamed rice of course, and a large mountain of rice balls.

"Wow...it all looks so good," Kagura exclaimed, even she was impressed.

"Not only does it look lovely," Shigure took in a mouthful of rice, "But it tastes lovely too!"

Kagura watched as the others dug in. Kazuma beside her began to eat quietly, he seemed happy with the food too. Kagura looked down at her plate of assorted treats, with her chopsticks she picked up a clump of duck and took a bite. "Oh wow...it is good."

"Told ya," Kyo responded proudly as he grabbed a piece of salmon with his chopsticks.

The rest of dinner went by quickly, a happier atmosphere when bellies were full. Even Kagura enjoyed herself as the boys joked about and noted happier times. Kagura did watch Tohru tentatively as she cleared the plates and served more tea before retreating back to the dinner dishes. She watched too, Kyo get up from his seat and wander over to the sink and start to whisper to her as he began to help her.

Shigure of course insisted that Kazuma and Kagura stay the night, time to spend with their relatives and it only made sense when the hallway clock chimed ten. Kazuma walked out onto the back porch to stare at the evening stars. "Kagura?" He looked to the bench and saw Kagura sitting where Haru had been earlier, curled up hugging her knees. "What's wrong Kagura?"

Kagura sighed, "Oh Kazuma, I just don't understand. How could Kyo have fallen for someone as simple and plain as Tohru?"

Kazuma smiled and sat down beside her, "A human life lasts such a small amount of time. But human minds are limitless, like space and the stars," Kazuma gestured to the sky with his hand, "The only person who understands Kyo one hundred percent would be Kyo."

"But what about Tohru? I see how they look at each other...it's like they're on a whole other level when it comes to each other. They can read the words in each others' eyes before they even make the thoughts into words. Why could she get through to him even when I've loved him for years?" She asked quietly.

Kazuma smiled again, "I'm sorry I cannot give you the answer you want to hear Kagura, but maybe Kyo wasn't meant to be with you. Since the start, you had instantly attached yourself to him, indulged yourself entirely to him, in doing that you didn't leave much mystery, or any real opportunity for him to know you at his own pace. You wanted to alter his mind so he could just see you. I believe it's foolish for a person to even try to deliberately affect another person's mind."

Kagura shook her head, "I don't understand..."

Kazuma ran his hand through her soft auburn colored hair, "It's alright dear. There are things we aren't meant to understand, that's why love is mysterious," He rose himself from the bench and after taking a few steps turned around to look at Kagura, "Kagura, instead of disliking Tohru for taking Kyo away, why don't you be friends with her? I'm sure a lovely girl like Tohru would be more than happy to invite a new friend into her circle. She's a compassionate girl, you could learn a lot from her." Kagura walked back inside and slid under the blanket left for her on the couch. She stared at the ceiling until finally she found her dreams.

Tohru crept past Kagura in the early hours of the morning, trying to get breakfast started for everyone. Kagura's eyes opened quickly as she saw Tohru disappear into the kitchen. She followed to see her pull down some dishes, "Tohru?"

Tohru turned around and smiled, "I'm sorry," She responded in a whisper, "I should have warned you about my early hours. Please forgive me. I always wake up early to make the boys breakfast, and since I knew we had special company I wanted to make something extra nice."

"It's okay, I'm a light sleeper," Kagura replied lightly, "Do you...umm...want help?"

Tohru smiled, "You don't have to Kagura, I'd feel horrible making a guest do my work."

"You're not making me, I'm asking," Kagura smiled weakly.

"Okay then. Can you just grab some flour from the pantry."

Kagura did as she was told, and listened to the sound of Tohru humming. There was something soothing in her voice, something that made all the bottled up stress melt slowly like thawing snow. Kagura brought over the tin of flour and stood aside for a moment, looking over at the refrigerator that was covered head to toe with photographs. Although Kagura was jealous, she saw that Tohru wasn't really in a lot of the photos, "Where are you in all these Tohru?"

"Hmm?" Tohru looked up from her whisking, "Oh I'm behind the camera. I love taking photos, so I can preserve the faces of those I love forever."

"But don't you want to be in those photos with them?" Kagura asked in a low voice.

"Sure I guess I do, but someone has to hold the camera right?" She giggled as she poured some flour into a dish with the already beaten eggs and other materials, "What about you, I'm sure you've got millions of pictures of all the Sohmas."

"Yeah..." Kagura answered weakly, "So what are you making?"

Tohru smiled, "I figured pancakes were alright. I've made a few different types; plain for Yuki, chocolate chips for Momiji and Haru, Apple slices for Shigure, and for Kyo..."

"Blueberries," Kagura finished for her.

"That's right!" Tohru smiled, "I'm glad someone is as close to Kyo as me. Kyo told me that you usually beat him up after screaming about him," Tohru giggled, "I'm glad he has someone like you."

"Someone like me?" Kagura asked confused.

Tohru nodded, "Even though he tells you to go away, he never will know how nice it is, to have someone constantly nagging at you. You keep him in line, and he knows it too. He knows someone's always got his back in the end, and you'll still adore him with every mistake he makes. I admire your devotion to him," She added flipping a pancake.

"But aren't you the same way?" She asked weakly.

Tohru shrugged, "I will love all the Sohmas until the bitter end, no regrets for their flaws, and no sympathy for mistakes. Humans are meant to make mistakes, it defines our character," She beamed, "I've only been around for a short while, but you've been part of his life for a long while. Don't ever think of yourself as inferior to anyone else. We each have a special spot in someone else's heart. No one can take that away."

She looked down at the floor and smiled, "Thanks Tohru, I can see why he trusts you."

"Why is that?" Tohru asked blindly.

"Kyo always had, concerns, with who he was. He has to beat the Rat to be part of the Zodiac, he has to be an esteemed person to prove he isn't just a worthless cat. He has to prove to Akito and a lot of the Sohmas that he isn't worthless. You...don't care what he thinks he has to do, or what his logic is. You just know, that he's the one who you fell in love with."

Tohru smiled and handed Kagura a plate, "Breakfast is ready."

"Are you so sure you have to go now, you two have only been here for such a short while!" Shigure pleaded as Kagura and Kazuma prepared to leave.

"I'm sorry Shigure, but I have a dojo to run," Kazuma laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. He wandered over to Yuki and Haru and patted both of their heads, "Keep up the good work you too, I'm so proud of what men you're growing up to be."

"Hai!" Both of them replied with smiles.

Kazuma looked down at Momiji and smiled, kneeling down to look at him, "Well Momiji, I must say it was a pleasure to see you again."

"You're not mad then?" Momiji asked eagerly.

"Mad? Oh whatever for Momiji?" Kazuma laughed gently.

"For not being a fighter! I know you trained Kagura, Yuki, Kyo, and Haru but I'm the only one who's not a fighter. I thought...you'd be upset with me."

Kazuma's smile grew to a sincere one as he rubbed Momiji's hair, "It's good to have peaceful people in this world. You understand those ruffians, and you can take care of Tohru."

Momiji smiled, "Alright! Then I will do my best to understand the people that you train!"

Kazuma laughed again, "That's a good kid," He rose from his spot and looked at Kyo. Kyo of course was sad to see his sensei leave him so soon, but there was still a smile on his face, "You know you're welcome back at the dojo anytime you want Kyo."

Kyo grinned, "Thanks, but I've found my place here," He wrapped his arm around Tohru who instantly flustered.

Kazuma smiled and rested his hand on Tohru's cheek, "You really are a gem. Don't let anyone ever take away that glow in your eyes."

Tohru nodded, "Sure. It was very nice to meet you Kazuma."

Kazuma smiled again, "Take care of my boy alright?"

Tohru smiled and nodded, "I'll take care of all the Sohmas, no matter what."

Kagura was the next to approach the boys, giving each of them a friendly hug. When she got to Tohru and Kyo an awkward silence drifted through. She turned to Tohru, "Kazuma was right, it's much easier to be friendly with you that get worked up over what we've lost or could not have. Take care of Kyo, and if I hear you did anything to upset him you know I'll be back in a heartbeat!" She added proudly.

Tohru laughed, "Don't worry, you're welcome here whether or not I mess things up."

Kagura smiled and looked up at Kyo, Kyo's face stern yet gulped looking down at Kagura, "You take care of this girl Kyo. I know you for the savage that you are."

With that both Kagura and Kazuma disappeared into the forest that led back to the city.

"Well that was an eventful day," Shigure announced stretching, "I'm happy to say Kagura didn't break any of my doors!"

"That's cause she broke a few at the dojo," Tohru pipped and the others fell over, "Though, I really like Kagura. She has limitless spirit. I envy her freeness when it comes to her emotions. She's like a bird that can soar any sky."

"Ooh that sounds like a great theme for my new novel!" Shigure pulled out a pen and notepad, "An author's work is never done!" With that he scurried off back to his office.

The others disappeared inside as well, there was still last minute homework to start and starting to review for their finals that were in two weeks. Tohru sat down on the front porch swing and sighed. Kyo leaned up against one of the pillars to the building and look at her, "Why you sighing?"

Tohru shook her head, "I just wonder how...how Clarity is doing that's all. I'm afraid of what will happen, if they come to get me, the curse, that sort of mix might be bad. Finals are in two weeks and I need to do really well on them."

"You don't need to worry about that stuff. Your band adores you. They won't be mad. And finals, you'll do fine on. You study more than anyone else I've ever seen!" Kyo told her, "Yuki will help you too, just like last year."

Tohru smiled, "I want summer to be here."

"Same here, sick of school," Kyo growled, Staring up at the clouds.

Tohru laughed, "I just want to spend time with you." Kyo looked away from the clouds and down at her, blush flying to his cheeks, "All this year, everything happened really fast. Fast, rapid, like on impulse. I was going from a hospital to home to somewhere else and all over again. I mean...I'm sorry I shouldn't be complaining," Tohru shook the thoughts from her head and ran her hand through her hair.

"No...don't stop," Kyo interrupted, "I want you...to tell me...how you're really feeling," He told her bashfully, "If that's really how you're feeling, that's what I want to know," he walked over and sat down beside her, "I want to spend a lot more time with you too. Don't worry, just another week of class, then finals, then we're free."

Tohru rested her head against his shoulder and sighed, "I hope I can last that long."

"Tohru?"

Tohru turned around to see Yuki at the door, "Yes Yuki?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's a phone call for you," He held the wireless phone out to her.

Tohru got up from her chair and grabbed the phone, "Hello, Tohru speaking."

"Miss me there, little Tohru?"