Well I'm sorry I didn't update for so long but I really didn't have any inspiration so I kinda couldn't. Shrugs Anyway I got two pm/e-mails in one day asking me if I was going to continue and telling me how much they loved my story so – being the sucker that I am, I couldn't simply ignore them and not at least try to update.

Red To Black Berry

Chapter Seven;

To Be Swept Off Your Feet

Past

He walked into the living room to see Yuki had sat down on the couch and had his head in his hands. "He could be anywhere, and I can't help him." Yuki sighed.

Shuichi absent mindedly opened the package and flipped it upside down. With a slight jingle the object fell out and into his hands. He glanced at it before looking up suddenly. "I know where Tohma is."

Yuki blinked up at him. "What? Where?"

"Tohma's in France."

Present

Tohma Seguchi tapped his arm rest impatiently as he waited for the plane to land. The flight had not been pretty – people had recognized him and insisted on autographs. The food sucked – first class or not, and of course he wouldn't necessarily have needed to eat on the plane anyway had he thought to have something before boarding the flight. But not today he had forgotten that. The trip started around two thirty but at the moment it was closer to after noon then morning and he had gotten no sleep the previous night.

The plane jolted to a stop and Tohma stood up after removing his seat belt and grabbed his small carry on bag. He was off the plane five minutes later and on his cell phone calling for a cab. Another minute of search found him at the food court where he bought lunch and sat down to eat it in a timely manner before searching for the outside and thus his taxi.

Sitting in the backseat of the cab he took a deep breathe as the man up front asked him where he was headed. "You wouldn't by any chance know where Adrienne Bane Bastian lives, would you?" He asked.

"Of course, she lives at the Bastian manor. Are you headed over that way?" The man questioned.

"No I need to speak with Miss Bastian so I need to find her house." He answered easily.

"Good luck with that. It's really hard making it inside, at least that's what rumor has it. They say it's almost impossible to make it past the front gate – let alone any talk to the people inside." The driver stated and Tohma felt the urge to groan and the situation he had put himself in.

"Either way that's my destination, I can't exactly change that." He said. An hour later they pulled up to the largest house Tohma had ever seen in person and he was dropped at the gate. Staring up at the gate he took several steps forward and began to look for a lock not seeing one he looked higher, lower, to the right, to the left. Nothing, there wasn't a lock, not anywhere.

Taking a long look at himself, the ground, the gate, the house, the gate, himself, and then the gate again Tohma slowly slipped off his suit jacket and stuffed it into his small bag. The gate was made of long, black, cold iron bars that had no slots or paneling to encourage climbing. But since Tohma was out of options, that was exactly what he was going to try and do. He took at deep breath, and ran.

Jumping at the gate he got about half way up and immediately began to grasp frantically at the bars as he "climbed" up the gate. A minute later he had fallen back down and was sitting on his ass still outside the gate. He took another deep breath and tried to resist the urge to scream before standing back up. He pulled his shoes off and stuffed them as well into his carry on bag before running at the gate again. This time he made it slightly higher then before and instead of climbing he swung back and forth from one bar to the other slowly getting higher and higher. A minute later he was holding on to the only intersecting bar on the top half of the gate and pushing himself up and over before he dropped.

Gasping for breath Tohma Seguchi smiled in victory as he sat on the inside of the gate to the Bastian manor. With his overnight bag on his back he made the trek up to the door and grabbing the knocker he asked for entrance. A few moments later the door was answered by a tall man who after taking in his appearance looked thoroughly amused. Shaking his head he asked, "What business do you have here?"

"I would like to talk to Adrienne Bane Bastian please." Tohma replied and the man paused for a moment before answering.

"Your name please," He requested.

"Tohma Seguchi," He replied and the man shook his head.

"Lady Adrienne has said that in the event that you would come here even if you did make it past the gate, I nor anyone else was to let you inside. I'm sorry Mr. Seguchi but I can't give you an audience with Lady Bastian." Tohma closed his eyes and his forehead wrinkled at the news and so the man added one more thing. "However as house rules dictate I can't kick you out unless you have done something specific on these grounds so if you can find your own way into the house you could speak with the Lady that way." He smiled at Tohma then pointed to his left – Tohma's right before closing the door. Looking right Tohma began to walk.

After walking for a minute or so he spotted a clematis that lead to a balcony and smiling again he reached up and began to climb. The wood was thin and so he suspected it could break easily but it had held up an extraordinarily large plant so he wasn't too worried. On the up side he really didn't weigh very much so it really shouldn't be a problem making it over the siding of the balcony. He made it half way up and thought he felt the clematis tipping but after a brief moment of staying still it was fine and he soon made it to the top.

Up and over the marble of the balcony with relative ease he found himself facing large glass windows with drapes mostly covering them. He pushed the drapes aside and lifted the handle, pushing the tiny doors open he let himself inside. He walked down the long hall way that seemed to curve and he found that in fact, it did. At the other end of the hall was a staircase and yet more hall. The staircase started a few floors below and after passing the level he was on it kept going up another few floors. Tohma expected that each floor that didn't have landings off the staircase were only accessible through the floor landing below it. He was almost positive however that Adrienne's room was on one of the very last landings or higher so he took the main stair way.

The stairs were stone and so it was inevitable that his shoes would make sound on them as he walked and he wasn't surprised to see a person standing at the top leaning against the railing. At first he thought it was Adrienne but after a mere second realized it couldn't be her. The women waiting for him was several years younger than Adrienne, Adrienne was nineteen where this girl was probably only fifteen. It was an easy mistake to make however, as they looked very similar.

She had the same Alabaster skin, same aristocratic features, the same red eyes and lips; but there were differences too. This woman's hair more resembled fresh spilt blood then Adrienne's own newly poured red wine. Her body hadn't matured yet, but he could tell that it was well on its way. Her breasts were smaller and her dress style was different, instead of the sleek and elegant dresses that Adrienne preferred this young woman wore designer boot cut jeans and a form fit t-shirt with a foot wide bell sleeves. He could tell she had on goth boots and her dramatic eye makeup was flawless and really supported her look – and her looks – but that was a different matter. She was beautiful and if Tohma didn't know it was impossible he would have thought this girl was Adrienne's daughter.

"What business do you have with my sister?" The young woman asked and Tohma wasn't surprised with the relation.

"I'm afraid that I have upset her and I wish to apologize and make amends." He said sincerely and she looked and him skeptically for a moment before it seemed as if suddenly something dawned on her.

"I thought you had a wife." She answered and Tohma signed once again and hung his head for a second as he lifted it her replied.

"Not any more. I sent the divorce papers last night and hopped on a plane some time early this morning. I don't remember the time." He replied and the girl gave him a pitying look.

"A word of advice," He nodded for her to continue. "Marry her quickly." He looked at her shocked and she giggled slightly. "Her boy friends don't last long – I don't want to go into it so you'll have to ask Shuichi if you want to know the full story. Adrienne's three doors to your right and up that staircase, once you reach that floor its easy enough to find." She disappeared a minute later and Tohma began his search again.

The third door on the right contained, as he had expected, a staircase. At the top of said stare case was a room and another staircase. He chose the room. He didn't knock as he didn't suppose that would go over well and he didn't want to give her the chance to lock the door. He opened the door to find a large room covered and draped with – not silk as he had assumed – but furs. It was obvious that they were all fake and Tohma knew that the only reason for that was Adrienne didn't want to sleep in the same room as dead animal skins. He would bet that they were warm and soft though and they were everywhere. They even covered the floor and so he took his shoes off before entering.

He found Adrienne bent over a desk tending to a poinsettia and it suddenly occurred to him that the staircase out side that he hadn't taken might lead to a roof green house. "What's your sister's name?" He asked and Adrienne spun around. She was staring at him with wide eyes.

"How did you get in here?" She asked and he could see she look thoroughly distressed.

"Your butler hinted that I should break in and pointed me in a direction. Your sister was even kinder, along with more specific directions on how to get to your room she also gave me a peace of advice for free." He walked toward her slowly and she rose and shifted to the side before backing up. It took him only a moment to realize what was behind her and he lunged forward before she could make her move. He would not let her escape into the bathroom she would talk to him.

"Let me go!" She screamed as he pinned her to a wall and pressed her into it. "Why are you here?!?" Adrienne looked as if she were going to cry and Tohma knew that if she had something in her hands she would be throwing it at him if she could.

"I wanted to see you, we need to talk." He said slowly trying to calm her with his tone, it clearly wasn't working.

"What could we possibly have to talk about – you have Mika. I was the fool for falling for a man who was already taken, this is my problem and you needn't be concerned with it. Leave me." Tohma pulled her away from the wall and somehow managed to stumble backward onto her bed and there he simply held her for several minutes. After a moment of struggling she seemed to calm and finally Tohma spoke.

"Not any more," When Adrienne went to cut in he hushed her. "I don't have Mika anymore." She stilled abruptly and waited for him to continue. "I left Mika last night, the divorce papers arrived and will be finalized in a few weeks. I never really loved Mika, it was an arranged marriage and we were just very good friends in reality. Now this is my problem, why? Because Adrienne Bane Bastian, I am thoroughly and completely in love with you. Now what are we going to do about this?"

She looked up at him with a watery smile and Tohma found he could hardly breathe at how utterly…well breath taking she was. She lifted her arm and her finger pointed at herself. "Amore?" She said and he nodded.

"In Japan we say," And he poked her nose softly. "Koi." She giggled and lunged at him even though she was already in her arms. "Adrienne I know this is sudden and the divorce isn't finalized yet but…will you marry me?" She blinked at him for a few minutes and then tried to hide her smile and failed miserably.

"You really did talk to my sister didn't you? Did she tell you the whole story?" He shook his head and she laughed.

"She said she didn't want to get into it and that I should ask Shuichi if I wanted to know." Tohma smiled at how happy she was and disregarded the fact that she hadn't answered the question.

"My sister's name is Cstell and yes, Tohma Seguchi I'll marry you. Besides I rather fancy the sound of it. Adrienne Seguchi. Its something I can work with." She smiled lovingly at him and Tohma was ecstatic.

♫

♪

♫

"I hope everyone will like you." Tohma said as they walked down the hallway ignoring the fact that Cstell was standing next to the staircase waiting for them. "I know Shuichi likes you and I wouldn't expect Mika to like you – if she did I would have to assume you were in fact a goddess – but Eiri and Noriko and Ryuichi, it would be nice if we could all get along and act civilly." Adrienne smiled and nodded but glanced forward just in time to see Cstell's eyes widen and her little sister leap.

"Shit!" Adrienne screeched and tried to push Tohma out of the way to no avail. Her sister latched onto her new fiancé and held fast.

"Did you say Ryuichi? Like Ryuichi Sakuma? Like the hottest man alive Ryuichi Sakuma?" Tohma nodded bemusedly and Cstell's eyes got huge. "YOU KNOW HIM?!?" Tohma nodded. "Ohmygodyouhavetointroduceme!" Tohma nodded once more and she stilled. "Really?" A nod. "Like really really?" Another nod. "Like really really really-" Tohma cut her off.

"Yes I'll really introduce you to him. Your going to meet him at the wedding in a month. Your going to be the Maid of Honor? Ryuichi will probably be a Grooms Man. But may I ask how you got to be a fan of his?" Tohma was curious to this as he didn't think Nittle Grasper was very big in other countries.

"Oh well I've only been home for a few days. I was going to an all girls school in America and I randomly ended up with a ticket to one of his concerts a few years back. I figured it couldn't be horrible so I went." Cstell answered and Adrienne added her two cents.

"And she fell in love with him. She only learned Japanese because she found out about Nittle Grasper. She wanted to understand his lyrics so she stole my Nittle Grasper CDs and the few Ryuichi Sakuma posters Shuichi had left behind and stole off to her room after scheduling a Japanese class." Adrienne rolled her eyes.

"Yeah she didn't have much in the way of Ryuichi Sakuma posters but she had just about every Tohma Seguchi poster she could get her hands on." Adrienne was scarlet and Tohma couldn't contain his grin. "I can't believe I didn't recognize you before! Tohma Seguchi, I mean I'd seen you on the Nittle Grasper videos so many times its funny I didn't realize it was you."

Cstell looked at the both of them and finally said in a wheedling voice. "Sooo…when are we going to Japan?" Tohma could see it now. Ryuichi was in for one hell of a surprise. She seemed to be one of those fans that you couldn't get rid of and the fact that she was about to practically become Ryu's family would make it even harder to get away. He also had no doubt that Shuichi and Eiri would be showing up soon but that was a different story entirely. Let the games begin, again.

Well there you go I finally got around to finishing my update. I started this chapter a while back and just never got around to updating it. I really don't have an excuse. I wanted to write this chapter a long time ago and when I finally got the chance I never could get around to it. So cookies will be easy on this one.

Five cookies for each vote – simple right?!?

Should Eiri, Ryuichi, or Shuichi be Tohma's Best Man?

Should Cstell or Shuichi be Adrienne's Maid of Honor?

A suggestion on who else is should be one of the Bride's Maids?

Should I have Mika show up and try to ruin the wedding?

Should I have another story that's a Ryuichi/Cstell fic?

Should I have Tatsuha show up and try to compete with Cstell for Ryuichi?

Your Fucked Up Authoress, Kuro Tenka.