Well, here's the promised chapter 7. I'm happy that you liked the last chapter cause I have fun writing it. Sooo funny, when I was typing, I had to stop sometimes to laugh. Oh, and this chapter, I don't know who Haru and Momiji's teacher is so I'm going to make up a person okay? And anyone else in their class. Well, I'm gonna try to do a whole episode today and see how it works out. It will be long, but I don't want it to be too long. Anyways, please review and let me know what you think. Onwards, O Entertained Ones!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket but I do own Yukiko.

- means a flashback
-- means a scene change

Innocence
Chapter 7
A Chance Encounter

"Can you remember where you saw it last?" Yukiko heard vaguely as she walked down the hall trying to find someone who could help her to her class. It was her first day of school and she was wearing a uniform that looked like Tohru's. Her father took her to school this morning with Momiji, Haru. Shigure had left earlier than them saying he had to go see someone. She soon lost them when they went off looking for the other Sohmas. Yukiko figured that she would run into one of them sooner or later.

She was wearing her hair down and Tohru offered to curl it into orderly spirals for her first day of school. Her uniform matched Momiji's own and she was wearing the long-sleeved shirt. She was wearing a pair of short white socks with her brown shoes. She had on a cute hat that Momiji insisted she wore on her first day. It was a pale silver to match her eyes and matched one that he usually wore.

"Start by looking there… We'll keep an eye out for it, too," Yukiko stopped at the familiar voice as she drew closer to it. Looking up, Yukiko saw Yuki talking to a boy and a girl. "What's your name and class?" Yukiko stopped a few meters away to listen.

"I'm Arimori Satomi! Fifteen years old!" Yukiko heard before she blocked the annoying girls out. They were currently fawning over Yuki and crowding around him. Deciding to cut in and save Yuki, Yukiko started running down the hall towards him.

"Yuki!" Yukiko called before she smashed into him with a hug. She was grateful to finally find someone she knew in this big school. He gave the books he was holding to the boy next to him before slightly hugging her back. Yukiko ignored the girls' outrageous accusations behind her and looked up at Yuki's smiling face.

"Hello, Yukiko. Where is Hatori?" Yuki asked as she let go of him.

"I got lost so I thought that I would look for someone. Can you help me?" Yuki asked as she bounced on her heels.

"Of course. Let me put these books up real quick and then we'll go," Yuki replied walking into the room with the books.

While Yuki put the books away, she remembered a scene that she thought was humorous from this morning.

-

"Yes, well, Hatsuharu and Momiji… they're like younger brothers to me," Shigure said while eating breakfast. Yukiko was sitting next to him and watching him. "And of course I definitely have to be there for my young niece." He added smiling cheerfully down at Yukiko. She grinned back up at him in response before turning back to her food. "So naturally, I will have to attend the entrance ceremony. It's only right that I should be there to support them on such an important day."

Yukiko noticed everyone looking at Shigure with suspicious expressions. Shigure must have noticed it also.

"Okay, why are you all staring at me like that?" Shigure asked. "I hope you're not thinking I only want to go look at all of the pretty high-school girls? Tsk, tsk, tsk… Oh, my word. You youngsters of little faith."

"Uncle Shigure? Why would you want to go look at them?" Yukiko asked curiously.

"Not you too… Well don't worry you're prettier than them anyways," Shigure said carelessly.

"You sicko!" Kyo screamed jumping up. Yuki scooted Yukiko over next to him while glaring at Shigure.

"What? I didn't mean anything by that," Shigure said pouting at the accusations.

-

Yukiko giggled slightly as she remembered the outraged look on Kyo's face.

"What's funny?" Yuki asked, apparently finished with his task.

"Nothing at all. Let's go find the others now," Yukiko said pulling on Yuki's wrist to go down the hall.

"Yukiko," Yuki started while stopping her progress down the hall. She looked up at him waiting for what he was going to say. "I believe they may be that way." He pointed down the hall behind them.

"Oh right!" Yukiko agreed before dragging him the other way laughing. They soon came upon the group including: Momiji, Hatsuharu, Tohru, and Kyo. They seemed to be fighting about something.

"What the… Momiji, what in the world are you wearing?" Yuki asked as they walked up to the group. He was interrupted by Momiji pouncing happily on Yukiko.

"Yukiko! There you are! We lost you and looked all over," Momiji gushed.

"I found Yuki," Yukiko stated trying to loosen Momiji's grip. Haru floated over to Yuki and grasped his shirt. Yukiko walked over to Kyo while the others talked about Yuki's work.

"Hi Kyo!" Yukiko exclaimed beaming.

"Hey," Kyo said simply not looking at her. Yukiko was about to say something else when their attention was grabbed by Momiji.

"Hey, listen! Listen!" Momiji said waving his arms around. "I'm really not supposed to goof around too much when I'm here… 'Cause if I do, it'll be too easy for me to crash into girls! Well except for Yukiko," He added pulling the girl near him. "So, I'm gonna try to play it cool at school!"

"How the hell can you call wearin' a dress cool!" Kyo screamed.

"But I match Yukiko! We can be twins!" Momiji exclaimed happily.

"What does that have to do with wearing the girls' uniform?" asked Kyo again.

"A valid point, Kyo Sohma, Class 2-D!" said a voice from behind them. They turned to see a geeky looking guy with two girls on either side. "And while I find that orange head of yours disagreeable, I will ignore it for the moment. What I cannot ignore, is a boy who would wear a girl's uniform to school! This goes beyond outrageous!"

Yukiko ignored him while he ranted and looked out the window watching everyone chatting with others.

"I can tell already that you're going to be a problem student. And the same goes for you, Hatsuharu and Yukiko Sohma!" the guy said bringing Yukiko back to reality at her name. "I will not tolerate that white hair! Or those gaudy necklaces! Or your green hair, young missy!" He pointed to Yukiko's long curly hair.

"President Takei… it's their natural color," Yuki said trying to prevent a fight.

"Oh Yuki, so nice to see you…" Takei interrupted. "But natural color! I can see that his hairline is black!"

"Yes, that's natural too…" Yuki said once more.

"That's ridiculous, I don't believe it," Takei said. Yukiko was tiring of this guy. She wanted to find her class so she knew where it was, not be accused of dying her hair.

"And I suppose wearing this dress is natural for you, Momiji Sohma!" Takei kept talking as Yukiko noticed Haru cleaning out his ear. He looked unexpectedly calm for someone who was just wrongfully accused. "Have you no pride as a man! You had best change your ways, and your clothes!"

Yukiko stopped listening once again as she noticed something out the window. Down under one of the walkways, a man stood there. She couldn't tell from being so far away, but it looked like he wasn't much older than Yuki. Turning her eyes back onto the scene behind her, she noticed that Haru was now calmly talking to Takei, but he was doing it quite rudely.

Yukiko didn't really pay attention to what Haru was saying to Takei, she was wondering who that person could be. He wasn't wearing the uniform to the school, so he should be a visitor. Yukiko was interrupted from her musings as Momiji offered her a lollipop. She took it but didn't notice that the guy from the window glanced up at their window before returning to what he was doing. She stood next to Momiji, happily licking her lollipop, as Haru dragged the school's president away.

Haru came back out a couple of minutes later and the president ran away screaming.

"So, who the hell were those people anyway?" Momiji asked.

"Beats the hell outta me," Haru replied.

"I don't like them very much. Well, um… Haru? What did you show him?" Yukiko asked watching Haru still in his black persona.

"Why don't you come with me and see for yourself?" Haru asked pulling her closer to him suggestively. After Haru got this out, Yuki and Kyo hit him on the head.

"Um… So how did he?" Tohru asked.

"Never mind… Don't worry about it, Miss Honda…" Yuki replied turning towards Yukiko. "Are you alright?"

"Of course," Yukiko said before pulling her lollipop out of her pocket and sticking it in her mouth. "It didn't break." Kyo looked at her like she was crazy.

"Oh hey, there's the bell," Tohru announced as the bell did in fact ring throughout the school.

"Guess we better get to our classrooms, huh?" Momiji asked.

"Oh yea, I remembered. Yukiko doesn't know where it is, can you take her?" Yuki asked Momiji and Haru.

"Sure!" Momiji said ready to drag the girl down the hall as he was used to doing.

"Oh yeah… If you'd like, maybe after school I could introduce you to my friends!" Tohru suggested.

"I'd love to meet your friends!" Momiji said excitedly.

"Good! They'll be so happy! We'll come find you again later, okay?" Tohru asked walking off to her class.

"Um, actually… Yuki, Kyo! I have something I need to tell you. Could you stay for a minute?" asked Momiji before they could leave. Tohru left and the boys stayed behind.

"So… what do you want to tell us? This sure as hell better be important," Kyo ranted unhappily.

"Uh-huh," Momiji nodded sadly. Yukiko heard him say something about a guy being at the school.

"Yukiko! Let's go find Tohru and Hatori!" Yuki said.

"Why?" Yukiko wondered. She found no reason to skip class to find them. She would see them later. Maybe it had something to do with this guy.

"Not right now, come on," Yuki said pulling her along as quickly as he could hoping to find Tohru. They ran out onto the pathway that Yukiko saw the man on earlier.

Coming to a halt they saw Tohru and the same guy Yukiko noticed. Tohru looked a bit frightened and Yukiko wondered why.

Yuki pushed her slightly behind him as he walked up to Tohru and the guy.

"Akito!" Yuki warned. The guy turned to them and Yukiko could feel Yuki trembling in front of her. She knew that name though. Akito, the reason her mother had to flee to Europe. The reason why her mother and father weren't together right now.

"There you are… I've missed you, Yuki…" Akito said and Yukiko peaked around Yuki too look at that smooth voice's owner. "It feels like such a long time since we last saw each other, doesn't it?" Yuki pushed Yukiko further behind him as Akito drew closer. He wasn't supposed to let Akito find out about her. He shouldn't have brought her with him, why did he? Oh yea, he was going to leave her with Hatori and keep her safe with him.

"What did you do…?" Yuki asked still shocked.

"You look so grown up now. And I think you've even gotten taller…" Akito said ignoring Yuki's question.

"What did you do?" Yuki asked slower and less shaky. "Tell me, what did you do to Miss Honda!"

"Nothing at all… We were simply introducing ourselves," Akito said barely glancing at Yuki's side. "Which brings me to a point, who is that hiding behind you? I don't believe I know her."

"None of your business," Yuki replied trying to draw Akito's attention back on himself.

"Ah ah, Yuki. You can't hide anything from me," Akito said. "Now that I have you here Yuki, there is something I've been dying to ask you…" He brought his hand to Yuki's face. "Why did you skip the New Year's banquet? Why would you think to do such a thing? I've been quite tolerant lately, have I not? And the fact that you would do something like that… You should know, it hurts me deeply. Perhaps… I need to take some time to re-educate you… In that little room. The one I keep especially for you…"

Yukiko gasped. She heard every word that Akito said to Yuki. She looked up to see Yuki shaking more than ever. And to his left… Akito was staring straight down at Yukiko as he talked to Yuki. He had a sadistic grin on his face and noticed her looking at him.

"Wha!" Yukiko cried out as she felt herself being pulled by her forearm. Akito had grabbed her arm and dragged her out from behind Yuki. Akito took a few steps back from Yuki with Yukiko still in his grasp. She stood in front of him while he petted her hair to further taunt Yuki.

"Stop!" Yuki yelled watching Akito. He was afraid what Akito would do if he knew the truth about Yukiko and her father.

"Who is she, Yuki? If you don't feel like telling me, then don't. I have a good guess anyways. She does look familiar though doesn't she," Akito said as he still held Yukiko up to him. "Like… a… little… dragon…" With every word he said, Akito's grin grew wider and his grip stronger.

"No," Yuki said as he watched pain etch itself slightly on Yukiko's face.

"No? Somehow Yuki, I don't believe that was the answer I was looking for," Akito drawled. "Why don't you tell me, sweet… Yukiko?"

Yuki and Yukiko both gasped. How did he know her name?

"Ah, I do believe I can research very thoroughly if I wish," Akito said in response to their frightened looks. "And I assume that Hatori will be… reprimanded… for not thinking to tell me."

Tohru watched Yuki's face and knew that something was wrong. Without thinking, she pushed Akito away from Yukiko. She looked up in shock at what she had done and made up an excuse.

"Oh, I uh… I'm sorry… It's just that… I think we need to be getting back to class now… We're really late…" Tohru trailed off at her lame excuse.

"I understand… Sorry to keep you," Akito said. "I suppose I should be getting back to Shigure and the others as well… they must be worried by now… Yuki, I do hope you enjoy this new school year, and I would be very happy if you paid me a visit sometime soon." He walked off after saying this and Yuki looked like he was going to pass out.

Yukiko stood there in complete alarm.

'How… How did he know?' she thought before her knees collapsed and she fell to the ground.

"Yukiko!" Tohru gasped and brought Yuki back to reality.

--

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Tohru asked once they had gotten Yukiko back to her classroom.

"Yes, thank you. See you guys later," Yukiko said before walking into the classroom. She was obviously late as every head turned to stare at her in the room. She walked slowly up to the teacher who was a middle-aged lady. She looked very nice in her tan dress suit. She also had shoulder length copper hair and green eyes.

"Ah, here is Miss Sohma now," the teacher said as Yukiko walked over to her. "Seeing as it is your first day, I'll let you off with a warning for now. I'm Miss Chino. Welcome to my class." She bowed to Yukiko who mimicked her movements still in shock of what happened earlier.

"Thank you," Yukiko replied. Miss Chino looked around the room for an empty desk and pointed to one, thankfully, between Haru and Momiji.

"There's one. Why don't you sit there for now?" Miss Chino asked as Yukiko went to sit down. When Yukiko sat down, Miss Chino started to explain everything about her class.

"What happened?" Haru whispered to her from her left. She shook her head in reply and kept her attention on the teacher.

"I'll tell you later," Yukiko finally answered before getting out a book to read as per teacher's instruction.

--

After school, everyone was gathered to play a game with Tohru's friends. Yukiko still hadn't told Haru and Momiji what happened but she didn't really want to.

"Rock… Paper… Scissors…" everyone said as they tried to decide teams. Tohru's friends were really nice and were happy to meet another girl to be added in their group. They took to her as much as they did Tohru as she was younger and needed their "protection."

"So, then… We've picked teams, but what now? What are the rules?" Yuki asked stopping Kyo's and Uo's fight.

"Huh? What are you talking' about?" Uo asked turning to him.

"Rules are useless in badminton," Hana said. "You hit the birdie as hard as you can. Your opponent will try to do the same. If you must call it a rule, then the first person to collapse from exhaustion loses…" She explained as everyone sweatdropped at what she said.

They got into their teams and went to the different sides. Yukiko got picked on Hana, Kyo, and Haru's team. Yuki, Momiji, Tohru, and Uo were on the other side.

"Okay, all set!" Momiji exclaimed. Yukiko was standing up front next to Kyo with Haru behind her and Hana behind Kyo.

"Yuki! Are you ready to play now?" Yukiko asked from her side of the net. Yuki nodded slightly in response.

"Here it comes!" Uo said as she hit the birdie onto the other side. Yukiko giggled as she ran to hit it onto the other side to be caught by Yuki opposite of her.

--

"Do you know what he had to say about Tohru? He said she was ugly," Shigure said as he was sitting with Hatori on his back porch. "Yes, while we were riding home in the car today… It's understandable, I guess. With as long as Yuki suffered Akito's mental abuse, it's only natural he'd carry some scars. You know, he also told me that he met Yukiko."

Hatori turned to Shigure quickly in alarm.

"What did he say?" Hatori asked.

"Not much, it seems that he already knew about her and he was happy to see her. He didn't mention anything about her mother though. I don't think he's too mad at you seeing as you didn't know. I'm just afraid that he might turn it against her," Shigure explained. Hatori relaxed slightly hoping that Shigure's concern wasn't right.

"She'll be fine, don't worry Hatori," Shigure said in hopes to soothe the tense dragon. "And getting back on subject, despite what he said, Tohru is very cute… in a sweet way…"

"For some reason… when you say that, it reeks of something illegal, 'Uncle Shigure!'" Hatori said looking at the too innocent Shigure.

"Heh heh," Shigure laughed nervously backing away from Hatori slightly.

"You better not be saying anything like that about Yukiko," Hatori warned before continuing to smoke his cigarette.

Shigure mastered his innocent look, but not before remembering a certain incident from this morning at breakfast. He backed further away from Hatori hoping that the other man could not read minds.

--

Bwahaha. Had to add that again. It was too funny not to. Anyways, hope you liked this chapter as much as I did. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks to anyone who reviewed for previous chapters.

Love, Archer