CHAPTER 2!

"No!" Akito cried, Yuki almost jumped out of his skin at the sudden outburst, his foot sliding onto the brake and he turned to face Akito with shock written on his face as he almost ran the red light.

"What now?" Yuki asked, his voice a little shaken.

Akito merely looked out the window and stared at the passing cars for the rest of the drive, her eyes not really seeing. She didn't feel like explaining to Yuki what had happened and why Kureno was in the hospital. Her voice was low when she responded, distinctly hearing the words "I don't know" escaping her lips as she lowered her head against the window, trying to hide the hot tear that slid down her cheek. Knowing that if her Rat saw her cry, her power over him would seem superficial... non-existent. She couldn't bear to lose that power.

"We're almost to the Main House..." Yuki responded, his left hand stroking softly at the slightly shaking shoulder in the seat next to him. "I'll put you to bed..."

"No." Akito responded sharply, he former strength found again as she sat back up straight.

Yuki merely shook his head and eased the car into the narrow drive of the main house, parking carefully between Hatori's car and the Main House's car. Shutting off the engine Yuki turned to Akito and smiled softly. It was obviously a practiced smile, invented for such purposes as to sate Akito's lust for positive attention, but somehow the head of the Sohma family didn't really care. She reached out childishly and Yuki pulled her across the seat into his arms, cupping her cheek softly in his cool palm. The girl curled carefully around Yuki and he slid carefully out of the car, nudging the door closed with his hip, the keys carefully stowed into his pocket.

"Yuki…" Akito whispered, the sound coming out more like a question.

"Shh." Yuki responded almost automatically.

As he approached the house there were a few questioning looks from the maid airing out Akito's room, her eyes searching over Yuki and the docile form draped around the Rat. Yuki shook his head and the woman scurried away from the window to open the doors for him, the wood sliding almost soundless over the runner as Yuki crossed the threshold into the darkness of the house. At the moment he didn't care about the shoes he was wearing, and the maid didn't remind him to remove them as the temperamental woman in Yuki's arms stared in superiority at her and she bowed in response.

"Get changed," Yuki whispered, lowering her to her feet outsider her bedroom and he returned to the door to drop his shoes and returned to the room, Akito standing quietly in her bed kimono facing the opposite direction.

"Yuki." Akito acknowledged softly, her voice barely rising about the whisper it had been before.

"Yes?"

"There is something… I should show you."

Yuki narrowed his eyes warily at Akito, who still stood facing the open window, she crossed the room and slid the window shut with a loud clack before turning to face Yuki at last. Her arms dangled at her sides for a few moments before raising to untie the kimono, and Yuki paled slightly at the thought of what lie underneath, because to him Akito was still the same tyrannical man he had always been. It wasn't even a possibility for Akito to be anything else but a him, a male… there were no implications that he was anything but that… a he.

"You don't have to…" Yuki protested, lifting a hand to send a message that it wasn't necessary.

Akito shook her head and shrugged the kimono over he shoulders, dipping low until it finally dropped to the floor and Yuki almost gasped… almost. Where there should have been a penis… was nothing but a curve between thighs to something else entirely. A soft curve that was impossible to see with the clothing choice lined its way up to a pair of small, but satisfactory breasts that matched her skin. Yuki's jaw had dropped at the sight of what was nowhere near to a man as he had expected. Finding out for the first time that the man he had feared for a lifetime was in fact… a woman.

"You're…" Yuki breathed, his outstretched hand now falling to his side limply and of no use. The woman before him turned to the side and leaned to pick up her kimono, something else caught Yuki's eyes. Almost imperceptible from a front view of the woman was a bump, one that was abundantly clear from the side, it was a soft curve outward from her abdomen and he took a step forward towards Akito.

"A woman?" Akito continued for him, grasping the neck of the cotton material in her hands and pulling it up to hide her femininity. With a whoosh of fabric the kimono was returned to her body and the wearer was tying it back in place.

"Yes… that too…" Yuki managed, he found that he couldn't move his feet and the woman came across the room to his side.

"Too?" Akito questioned with a scrutinizing look on her face.

Yuki was clearly at a loss for words, and had he possessed use of his own vocal cords… he still didn't know what would have come out. The likelihood stood that it would be something garbled, or something that would anger the small woman now resting her head carefully on Yuki's shoulder.

"…. Pregnant?" Yuki finally managed to whisper and the woman stepped back away from him to stare darkly at him.

"Tell no one." Akito ordered, her body resuming its straightened and practiced indifference.

"Its… his isn't it." Yuki continued, staring now at her stomach.

"Kureno?"

The Rat nodded and blinked slowly, feeling a draft of cold air coming from Akito's direction as the woman nodded carefully. She was silent as she went to open the window once more and stare out into the main estate.

A car pulled silently in behind the estate's car and the engine was shut off, Shigure stepped out of the driver's side and Tohru out of the passengers.

"So why did you insist on coming?" Shigure questioned for about the millionth time that day.

"I-I… I just wanted to come along." Tohru offered weakly, her eyes wide and slightly worried.

Shigure sighed at her and closed his car door, as he reached the door he heard the other door close and turned to cock an eyebrow at the girl but she wasn't there anymore and he glanced around with wary eyes until he saw her ducking behind a house and he smiled knowingly. She was going to Hatori's house, it was mildly expected of her. After all… as clumsy and unpolished as the girl was she was caring above anyone else.

"Ahh… Now which way is it?" Tohru whimpered, looking quickly around and blanching at the sight of the identical houses, "I'm lost again!"

"Honda… san?" The voice was soft behind her and she whirled around half-expecting Shigure to be bent and staring in a teasing manner behind her. She was pleasantly surprised at the sight of Hatori staring carefully at her, and she bowed so fast that she almost fell over.

"Hatori-san!" Tohru cried, her smile wider than he remembered, "I was just… looking for you…"

"Are you sick?" Hatori asked automatically, and she shook her head fiercely.

"You left so suddenly I thought maybe… something was…"

Both stood there staring at each other for a moment before Tohru began to laugh nervously and Hatori thrust a hand into his hair before returning his green gaze to her. He motioned for her to follow him and she did as beckoned, not losing step with the older man as she did so. As soon as the door was closed she sighed wearily.

"I knew it was around here…" Tohru explained softly, her hands working carefully at her shoes and she looked up at Hatori who had already shed his footwear and was standing now on the polished wooden floor, "Its just so big… in here…"

The man nodded and stuck his hands into his pockets as she fought with her one remaining shoe; she was startled slightly by his thoughtful silence. As the shoe flew off she tumbled onto the wooden floor and groaned slightly before laughing easily at her clumsiness and she rubbed where her knee had impacted.

"Honda-san…" Hatori said at last, his voice strained slightly, she blinked questioningly up at him and then rose to stand at her full height. Her attempt to seem somewhat composed failed as she slid a little forward when her stockings didn't agree with the floor.

"Yes?' Tohru responded softly, the embarrassment of her behavior still fresh in the blush on her face.

"You came to… check on me?"

The girl nodded and grinned at him, she looked around the entrance hall and frowned at the bareness of the room. She then smiled back at him and bowed a little lower than she had before.

"I hate to impose." Tohru fumbled, seeing the slight frown at the edge of his lips.

Hatori shook his head started towards the kitchen with the intent of seeming somewhat hospitable, but she headed him off and placed her hands on her hips and stared up at him.

"I would like to make you tea…" Tohru whispered, her eyes lowering slightly but not losing their reservation.

"If you insist." Hatori responded, almost bitterly but not without a soft stare to urge her to do as she pleased.

Her eyes glowed in determination as she raised a fist into the air and disappeared into the modest kitchen, she was daunted faintly by the fact that she had no clue where anything was kept. She felt the movement of another behind her and the teapot was dangled almost teasingly next to her, she turned and stuck her tongue out playfully. Hatori was take slightly aback by the gesture but softened again as she took the teapot without complaint and began to boil the water.

"I didn't announce my arrival… so I feel like I owe you." Tohru explained, her eyes carefully on the teapot.

"You don't have to make tea…" Hatori pointed out, his eyes closing and then opening to find the bubbly girl standing with a look akin to determination gracing her eyes.