General Disclaimer: I do not own fruits basket or the characters! I only own my original characters and the plot!

I was asked if Akito is a woman. The discovery of this secret depends on how far you have read. In V. 17, it is revealed that Akito is indeed a woman and is kind of 'on and off' with Shigure. Therefore, Shikito.

Chapter 6: The Box.

"We should have known that running off….could never fix anything."

Tohru never went home. At about eleven o'clock Yuki answered the phone to hear from Hanajima that Tohru would be spending the night at her house. At that moment Kyo had just walked in the door, completely dirty from running around all day and looking quite on the edge of blowing up.

Yuki looked at him, dying to make a smart ass remark that would tick Kyo off even more. But deciding against it, he only informed Kyo that Tohru would be staying with Hanajima.

"Damn!" Kyo had yelled, as he punched the wall then stomped all the way to his room.

Yuki still held the receiver to his ear. He bid goodbye to Hanajima then went off to bed.

That had been at the Sohma House.

At the Hanajima residence, Tohru had shown up looking desperate, and Hanajima took her tear stained hand and lead her inside. She made her some tea and hugged her as she cried, never once pushing her to say what had caused her to be so upset.

Tohru never told Hana why she had come.

That is why it is now Monday morning, and Tohru could be seen with Uo and Hana standing at the lockers and wearing one of Hana's knee length skirts. Uo and Hana were yearning to know what was going on, because Tohru had informed them she did not wish to speak to Kyo.

"Why, Tohru? What did he do to you?" Uo asked, ready to hit Kyo the moment she caught sight of him walking down the hallway.

"It's nothing, really." Tohru tried to cover up her tracks. "Last night, that is…um…" Tohru tried to think of something to tell them.

"Yes, Tohru-kun? Is he the reason you came over?" Hana asked, finally voicing the question that had nagged at her all night.

"Yes, you see, Kyo-kun and I were out walking, and then…." Tohru tried to think of something believable.

"Did he do something inappropriate to you?" Hana asked.

"Did he try to kiss you?" Uo asked, suddenly excited with a fighting energy. "I'll bet he did! Damn Orangey, bet he's perverted!"

Tohru stood gaping at them. But deciding that they would not believe anything else, she went along. "Yes! He uh, tried to hold my…hand" She lied. "Then he kissed me!" She finished quickly, blushing at the fact that she was telling such a lie.

Uo's mouth dropped open and Hana's eyes narrowed.

"No way!"

"I shall have Megumi curse him."

"No! Please, don't!" Tohru begged. "Please, don't mention it, or do anything to him." She looked over their shoulder and tensed up.

The bright orange head was now walking up the hall straight toward them.

"Uh um, I have to go!" Tohru turned and sped off toward the girl's restroom.

"What the hell?" Uo said in disbelief.

"Hey, you two…"

Uo and Hana turned to see Kyo standing behind them. They looked at each other with glimmering eyes, ready to start teasing him.

"Yo, Orangey! Did not think you had it in you!" Uo said grinning. She punched him on the shoulder.

"What are you-?"

"Oh, please. Give her time to collect her thoughts. She's kind of slow." Hana began, placing a disapproving hand on his shoulder. "When you spring such a thing as a kiss on a girl, she must have time to think it over."

"Huh?" Kyo exclaimed, not believing his ears. "What the hell are you guys rambling about?!" He yelled.

"Don't get so mad, Kyon!" Uo said laughing. "Everyone gets turned down once or twice."

"Yes, you must wait to find the right one." Hana added.

Kyo wondered if Tohru lied to them, just so she would be spared telling them the truth.

RIIINNNGGG.

"See ya in class, Orangey!" Uo and Hana walked away.

Kyo waited until the hallway cleared before making his way toward the girl's bathroom. He had seen Tohru dash in there, and so leaned against the wall and waited for her to leave.

"Just be brave." Tohru told herself, looking in the mirror over the sink. "You have to go home soon, so…"

Tohru had time to think about what Vanessa said. Even though she had witnessed Kyo shake Angelo's hand, she could not shake the feeling that something did not add up. Something tells me it may have been some sort of … set up. Tohru tried to make sense of the scene.

She took a deep breath walked out of the door, hoping that Sensei would not be too angry that she was late. She made her way down the hall, sliding her hand over the smooth lockers, wishing that there was someway to rewind time.

"Hey, you!"

Tohru was stopped by Kyo's arm blocking her way. She looked up at him and turned to walk the other way, but he just placed his hand and her other side, keeping her in front of him.

"Don't run from me." Kyo said firmly, thinking of how to make her listen.

"Kyo-kun, please…" Tohru begged. "I don't want to talk right now."

Kyo ignored her words. "I don't know what happened yesterday, but I did not tell anyone."

Tohru looked away from him, searching the hallway for any sign of life other than Kyo and her.

"You have to believe me, Tohru." Kyo tried to convince her. "I would never repeat what you said. What kind of person do you think I am?"

Tohru looked him in the eyes, fully convinced that he was telling her the truth. Though she believed him, she did not want to talk about anything at school. She took one step toward him and slowly stood on tip toe, trying to reach his face.

Kyo's eyes widened as she inched closer. He was completely distracted by her eyes; she had never looked at him that way before….. Like she wanted to be close to him. He leaned in toward her, wondering what he was doing and if she was feeling the same thing. His stomach performed a circus as he noticed the color rise in her cheeks.

She suddenly threw her arms out to try to hug him around the waist, but he caught her by the wrists and stopped her before she could cause him to transform.

"No, not this time." He said as he pinned her arms down to her side, trying to regain his composure and stop the butterflies going wild. "I had a feeling you would do that."

Tohru sighed, upset that Kyo had caught on. "Please just let me go. We need to go to class!" She tried to pull her wrists away from him.

Kyo mentally kicked himself for being so stupid as to fall for her distraction. He gritted his teeth and let her go.

Tohru took a step away from him, to ensure some distance as to not be cornered again. "Kyo-kun, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that, I don't know what I-"

"Let's talk at home." Kyo interrupted her, not wanting to here anymore. "Just promise me that we can talk at home."

Tohru nodded. "Okay, I promise."

Kyo did not look at her as they walked away in opposite directions. He was pretty upset that he fell for her trick. Was she taking advantage of his emotions? That would be so cruel; he did not know if he could look at her the same.

Tohru wanted to hide under a rock and die. She could not believe herself, trying to kiss him like that! She had only thought that by moving close to him she might freak him out and cause him to drop his guard, and then she could hug him and leave him as a Cat, unable to chase her. But she had gotten carried away at how he began to lean in toward her, and she almost did kiss him. Luckily she remembered her plan at the last moment; otherwise things could have grown complicated if they had gotten any closer.

"Can you believe that?"

Uo and Hana had hidden behind a wall and seen the entire thing. They were completely shocked at how the two had behaved.

"I cannot believe he didn't let her hug him. " Hana whispered. "Tohru said he kissed her last night."

"I know." Uo began, not approving of the romantic association of the two. "Maybe she lied, maybe she was the one who made a move."

"Perhaps." Hana said as the two left their spot and headed for class. "Or she could just be lying to us about everything."

"I'll have the chicken."

Angelo and Vanessa sat in a restaurant ordering lunch and watching a man with short black hair closely. The restaurant was one of the upper class ones, where business lunches were held and the biggest names dined. The waiter walked away with their orders, leaving them to converse.

"Do you really think he's a man?" Vanessa asked, looking across the room.

"No. But he says he is, so I suppose he must be." Angelo took a drink of his wine. "But it does not matter, as long as he's keen on hearing Tohru Honda's dirty little secret, then we have nothing to worry about."

Vanessa nodded in agreement. "You told me he's the Head of his Family, but what is his real association with the girl?"

Angelo set down his glass. "A little birdie told me that the girl knows some sort of family secret, and is therefore allowed to live with the three men."

Vanessa cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, that is interesting." She eyed the man across the room in envy. "I suppose we all have our skeleton filled closets."

Angelo nodded. "Yes, and I was also told that he does not care too much for her. I believe the birdie's exact words were 'He is quite jealous of her because of her good nature.' Bullshit."

"Where was her good nature when she knocked your brother's face off?" Vanessa said sarcastically. "Forgotten momentarily?"

"I really don't care why this guy hates her." Angelo said thorough gritted teeth. "As long as he can ruin her, I'll be happy."

The two prepared to leave as they watched the man get up to leave the restaurant.

As they made their way for the door, Angelo added an after thought. "Who knows, if his temper is as violent as I was told, we may never have to get our hands dirty."

Vanessa smirked as the two approached the man getting into his limo. They stopped at the open door and smiled heartedly.

"Akito Sohma-san?" Vanessa asked sweetly.

"Yes?" Akito answered in her best male voice.

Angelo pulled a picture of Tohru out of his pocket and held it up for Akito to see.

"Do you know this girl?"

Prince Yuki Sohma sat in the student council room, bored out of his mind at the ramblings of Kakeru.

"We have to be united!" Kakeru yelled excitedly. "The school defense force!"

"Would you stop your ridiculous rambling and concentrate!?" Kimi said in a melodramatic tone.

Oh boy, this is so irritating. Yuki thought to himself.

"Ooh! Yun-Yun! Did you see the new girl today?" Kimi exclaimed, grabbing hold of the desk that contained Yuki. "She's really pretty! And she's a second year!"

Yuki sighed. He was not very interested in some new girl. He had not once run into Tohru that day, and school was already half way through.

"No way! Is she hot?" Kakeru asked, somehow more excited than before.

"She's some sort of Latin. She has- oh! There she is now!" Kimi exclaimed, pointing out into the hallway.

Kakeru leapt up and grabbed Yuki by the arm. "Come on, Yun-Yun!" He pulled Yuki clear off his feet.

Before he could hit Kakeru he was dragged into the hall so hard that he almost crashed right into her.

"Oh!" She exclaimed in a girly voice, moving aside as to avoid a collision.

Kakeru bowed instantly. "Hello! I am-"

"An idiot." Yuki interrupted him. "Pointing to the council room and silently demanding him away.

"Aw! Come on Yun-Yun!" Kakeru complained. "I want to meet her too!"

Yuki pushed him inside the council room and shut the door.

"Uh, excuse me; are you the school President?" The girl asked in the same girly voice.

Yuki looked at her for a moment. She had long curly black hair and round dark brown eyes. She was about as tall as Tohru, and about the same body build. Most girly voice sounded irritating to Yuki, but hers was more genuine. He could feel a vibe of sincerity.

"Yes, that's me." Yuki answered finally. "And you are?"

She bowed respectively. "My name is Catalyna Lorenzo. Pleased to meet you Sohma-Senpai."

Yuki was surprised at how well-mannered she was. She seemed as kind as Tohru. "Wait, Senpai?" He repeated. "But are you not a second year too?"

Catalyna blinked. "Yes, but you are more knowledgably of this school than I am. Besides, you are older than I am." She blushed in embarrassment.

Yuki looked confused so she continued.

"This morning I was being lead by Motoko-Senpai, the third year, and she knew everything about you. She told me how old you are and so I just thought I'd call you Senpai!" She explained rather quickly.

"Oh." Yuki said, now understanding what may have happened. "Did she tell you to call me that?" He asked. "Because you don't have to."

"Oh." She looked relieved. "Uh, are you sure?" She asked uneasy.

"Yes, I'm positive." Yuki nodded and smiled. "And which would you prefer?"

Catalyna blinked in confusion. "Prefer?"

"I can call you Lorenzo-san or Catalyna-san." He explained. "Which do you prefer?"

"Uh…" She thought for a moment. "Would it be inappropriate to call me by my first name only?" She asked innocently.

Yuki's cheeks turned pink. "No. But just because we are not too familiar with each other…"

"Well I would prefer that you use my first name only, but if you must use one then it makes no difference which." She smiled.

"Where are you from anyway?" Yuki asked outright.

"I'm from North America." She said happily. "Japan is such a nice change!"

North America? He thought to himself, wondering how strange it must be to be so far away from home.

"Uh, Sohma-san, I don't know my way around very well." Catalyna said awkwardly. "Would you mind showing me?"

Kyo never attended school that day. Instead, after leaving Tohru, he had gone straight home in hopes of gathering himself before facing her again. But even more than gathering himself, Kyo had a more important reason for leaving school. He had remembered something he had failed to find while hiding in her closet.

The Box.

The anonymous package that Tohru had received at the end of the previous week still lay hidden somewhere, and Kyo intended to use the time she was at school to find it.

After telling Kyo her secret Tohru stopped locking her room, and so Kyo had been in there the entire morning searching for where she could have hidden the box. He had already examined her closet again, this time searching the top shelves and every crevice he could find. The box had failed to be found under the bed, behind her dresser, in all four corners of her room, and beneath a pile of laundry next to her door.

After angrily tearing through every room in the house, Kyo headed outside for fresh air. He had been searching for nearly five hours without a break or a moment to really think.

Kyo walked a little ways into the trees planted on the property, trying to clear his mind and think of any clever place it could be. He leaned against a tree and looked up, seeing a bird chirping happily.

He leaned back to far and felt the wood suddenly give way.

"What the hell?" He exclaimed rather loud, turning around to examine the tree.

There was a hole in the trunk that had been strategically covered in loose bark and wood, making it completely invisible to anyone who would not touch it. Thinking that the box could possibly be in here, Kyo tore the bark out viciously, throwing it aside and completely ruining the clever hiding spot.

Kyo gasped. There it was in the tree, tapped up and really battered.

He looked around; making sure that the stupid Dog was no where near. Seeing the cost clear he pulled the box out and set it on the ground.

"Scissors…"

Kyo ran in the house and quickly grabbed a pair of scissors. After finding a pair he ran back to the box so fast that he skinned his knees landing in front of it.

He quickly cut open the seal, praying that there was a severed head inside. He opened the flaps and with shaking hands ripped through the tissue.

Kyo stared at the contents in confusion.

"I believe he's okay. He's outside at this moment."

Shigure held the receiver to his ear, speaking with Shishou about Kyo's strange behavior.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but he seemed very scared when we last spoke." Shishou said from the other line. "Are you sure you haven't noticed anything strange?"

Shigure smirked into the phone. "No, they've all just been playing like good little high school children."

Shigure turned at the sound of the front door sliding open.

"I'm home."

Tohru slid her shoes off at the entrance, noticing Shigure on the phone and keeping quiet respectfully.

Shigure put the phone on the hook and turned to Tohru. "Hello, Tohru-kun. You actually came home."

Tohru nodded. "I'm sorry Shigure-san; I only spent the night at a friend's house." She bowed. "I will make an extra special dinner tonight to apologize."

"Oh, there's no need, but if you can, then yes please!" Shigure clapped his hands together in fake enthusiasm that Tohru failed to notice.

"Yes, of course!" She turned to walk away. "Uh, wait Shigure-san? Would you happen to know where Kyo-kun is?"

Shigure pointed toward the trees.

"Thank you!" She said as she trotted out of the door and looked around.

"Kyo-kun?" She called out to the trees.

She walked around the house to the backyard and called out his name again. "Kyo-kun?"

"Tohru…"

She turned to see Kyo staring at her. He held something under his arm and looked like he was at a loss for words.

"Kyo-kun, are you alright?"

Kyo shook his head and showed her the objects under his arm.

Tohru grew wide eyed as Kyo held up the picture of her mom and a man, the man that Tohru had left dead.

Kyo could see that he had busted her in a lie.

"Did you….know him?"

A/N: Dun dun dun! Oh man what is Tohru hiding? Keep reading to find out!

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