Author's Note: Hey everybody! So, here is the last chapter of "I'll Be Standing There By You." An epilogue will be put up in a few more days, and I am currently writing a sequel. Something in this chapter inspired me to continue on with a new idea. I hope you all enjoy the chapter, stick around for the epilogue, and continue on with the second story titled "Empty Spaces". Also, here's a shameless plug, I've finished working on my Young Adult supernatural thriller novel, and if any of you like Stephenie Meyers, Cassandra Clare, L.J. Smith, and Nancy Holder you may be interested. Please visit my website at: w w w . E A r d e l l . c o m (delete the spaces) to take a peek at what I work on when I'm not writing fan fiction. :)

Chapter 17

"Feeling and knowing you hear me, it keeps me alive"—Mariah Carey and Boys II Men.

Yuki wasn't surprised that Kyo was quiet. He leaned against the passenger side door, pressing his face against the window and staring out into the night. Yuki kept the radio off, not knowing if Kyo wanted music or not. Yuki figured if he did, he'd turn it on himself. A light, misting rain coated the windows. Yuki turned the windshield wipers on low; the gentle skidding noises of the rubber tipped blades sliding against the glass every few seconds and the sound of warm air rushing through the car's vents were soothing. If Yuki wasn't careful, he might doze off.

It would be another 45 minutes until they reached Tokyo, and Master Kazuma had called twice. The first call was a "Where are you?" inquiry, the second call was "Don't stay outside too long, it's cold and raining!" Hatori hadn't called, but he'd been in the background for Kazuma's second call, and Yuki had heard his muttered "idiots." In Yuki's defense, it hadn't been raining when they'd set out. He was sure he'd seen an umbrella under the backseat, but if not, Kyo's sweatshirt had a hood.

"I've never seen my mother's grave."

Yuki glanced over at Kyo. The redhead still stared out the window.

"Never? But what about after her funeral?"

Kyo shook his head. "My dad went nuts and started yelling about how it was all my fault before we got to the gravesite. I ran away. No one found me until that night. I don't even know if they really looked. I didn't go that far."

Yuki was quiet. He hadn't been at that funeral, but he remembered the talk. Older family members had whispered about Kyo's bad manners and how it was to be expected for the demon child to behave that way. No one said a word about how terrible Kyo's father had been. Some of them were even in agreement that Kyo's mother had killed herself because she couldn't handle being the mother of a monster. Yuki clenched the steering wheel.

"I'm sorry, Kyo."

"It's fine. Tohru says—she said—that it's all in the past. There's nothing I can do to change it now, so why let it get me down." Kyo traced a figure on the window with his index finger. "She always looked at what was right in front of her. But still, I think I should go see my mom, too, one day. Tohru wanted us to go. She said she wanted to meet her, like meeting a big chunk of rock was meeting my mom."

"And then I realized I didn't have any pictures. I don't have any pictures of my mom, or any of her stuff. My dad wouldn't let me have anything. I don't even think I remember what she looked like, not really. That made Tohru cry. Isn't that something else? She cried and I didn't—over my mom."

"She wanted to find my mom's family for me. She even started tracking them down. I found out my mom grew up in America. My grandparents divorced and she stayed with her mom. She didn't come to Japan to meet her dad, my grandpa, until she was 18. I didn't want to bug them, but Tohru had these plans to go meet them, my mom's family. That was—that was last year, too."

Yuki blinked away the heaviness behind his eyes. "Then let's do it, this year."

Kyo turned away from the window. "You'll come with me?"

"Yeah, what fun would it be for you to go by yourself?" Yuki said. "We'll finish Tohru's research and we'll follow her plans. She'd want that..." and I think you need that.

"What about your job, Yuki? You've been here for almost 2 months. Your boss might like you, but that's pushing it. You can't keep taking extended vacations."

Yuki shrugged. "If it becomes too much of a problem, I'll find another job. There's this small business, a bakery, with an outstanding reputation that I think is going to become a gold mine in the future. I want to invest in that."

Kyo laughed and coughed. Shaking his head, he said, "You'd quit your corporate job to manage The Rice Ball full time? What would Machi think about that?"

"Machi knows a good investment when she sees one and she loves Maizuru and its distance from her family," Yuki said. "We could live here or anywhere really. The Rice Ball will have multiple locations, remember? I'm excited about it like I've never been excited about anything that has to do with stocks and bonds. This is… something I need."

Yuki felt Kyo's eyes on him. He was looking at him the same way he had in the kitchen a few days ago when he tried to make rice pudding. "Well, then yeah, you should do it. Do it and do it good."

Yuki smiled, enjoying the companionable silence the rest of the way.

(~*~)

The cemetery was locked by the time they arrived. Yuki pulled at the iron door and shook his head. "I'm sorry Kyo. I didn't even think about the cemetery being closed."

Kyo had the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his hair and ears and stood blowing his breath into his hands. "I did." He moved closer to Yuki. "The gate may be locked, but the fence isn't hard to climb."

"Are you serious?" Yuki demanded. He gazed into the dark cemetery, the misting rain created ominous fog between the tombstones. "I… we…."

"You scared, Rat?" Kyo asked.

"N—no!" Yes. "It's just—illegal!"

Kyo chuckled. "It's okay if you're scared. I just wanted to see if you'd do it. Wait out here. I just—I needed someone along for the ride."

Yuki gasped. There was no way Kyo was going in there by himself. What would Tohru do? Tohru wasn't the bravest when it came to scary things, but she had confronted Kyo's vengeful cat form. But then again, she'd also known the vengeful cat, underneath all its ugliness, was still Kyo. Would Tohru be willing to break into a cemetery at night?

For Kyo she would.

"I'm coming, Cat," Yuki said.

"Good, hold this flashlight on the gate so I can see the rungs better." Kyo pulled a small flashlight from the pocket of his sweatshirt and handed it to Yuki. Yuki took the light and shone it on the gate, looking over his shoulders for patrol men. This was just great. They were committing a crime with their car in the parking lot. If they got busted and ran away, the police would have the car. It was a very good thing he was considering the entrepreneur route; criminal records and job applications just didn't mix well these days.

Kyo scrambled up and over the gate in record time, dropping to the cement walkway on the other side with a soft thump. "Pass the light through the gate and I'll hold it for you."

Yuki handed over the flashlight and sighed, looking up at the tall black iron he was expected to scale. He'd never win an award for his climbing skills, but he'd somehow gotten up and over the gate while managing not to tear holes in clothing. Kyo patted his shoulder and shone the flashlight into the cemetery, the small beam cutting a narrow path through the darkness.

"Didn't know rats could climb," Kyo said.

"Shut up, Cat." Yuki couldn't keep the grin out of his voice. Breaking and entering was bad, being in a cemetery at night was creepy, but dammit if he wasn't filled with delicious delight at breaking the law. He felt giddy, like he'd had a shot of whiskey and chased it with a pixie stick. If they didn't get thrown in jail after this, maybe they could go out and toilet paper some houses. Kakeru had a nice place about 30 minutes away from there.

Yuki followed Kyo. His cousin was surefooted and quick as he weaved around headstones. He must have memorized a map of this place.

The night was quiet, the rain barely audible and the sounds of nocturnal critters hardly there. The pattering of their sneakers on the pavement was loud to Yuki's ears, and he couldn't help but look left and right for security. The muscles in his legs twitched, ready to run at the first sign of danger. Adrenaline pumped through his veins.

Kyo slowed to a stop and Yuki nearly crashed into him. He looked forward and sobered at the sight of Ms. Kyoko's head stone. It was acceptable for Tohru's name to have been added to Ms. Kyoko's headstone and her remains placed inside with Ms. Kyoko's, but Kyo had wanted Tohru to have her own. So a few paces behind Ms. Kyoko's resting place was Tohru's resting place. Yuki crept behind Kyo, eyes drinking in the sight of Tohru's tomb. The headstone was in the shape of a kitchen island and atop it was a beautifully crafted stone basket filled with wax fruit. Stuffed rabbits, and sheep, and tigers, and dogs, and chickens, and cows, and pigs and horses were placed around the basket. Yuki heard a soft clink, and saw Kyo placing the mug he'd drunk out of earlier onto the stone table. He turned it so that the cartoon cat and mouse faced them. "Now, she has a cat and mouse, too."

He sat on his knees and bowed his head, pressing his hands against the tomb. "I'm sorry I wasn't here when they brought you. I'm sorry I couldn't fill your urn."

Yuki knelt beside him, sitting back on his heels and studying the intricate carving of Tohru's name on the silver plaque at the base of the tomb.

Tohru Sohma.

"You'll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile"—Nat King Cole.

The moisture from the pavement dampened the knees of his jeans and chilled his body. Tiny droplets of rain clung to his neck and trickled down the collar of his shirt. It wouldn't be a good idea to stay out here much longer, but Yuki didn't want to rush Kyo. The ex-Cat was still in the same position with his hands pressed to the tombstone as if he was communing with Tohru.

Yuki touched the cold stone as well, willing any sensation to wash over his body, but all he felt was rock. Tohru wasn't in this place. She'd been in the kitchen. She would probably be in the garden, if Yuki took the time to enjoy his work there; Tohru was where her family lived. Yuki removed his hands from the stone and touched Kyo's damp shoulder.

"Kyo, I think it's time to go," he whispered.

"Just a little longer? I want to see if I can feel her," Kyo said, "if she's here."

"She isn't," Yuki said gently. "Tohru wouldn't wait around in a cemetery. If you need her, Tohru will come to you."

"I need her now," Kyo said. He pulled away from the stone and raised his head.

"She's with you," Yuki said. "She's right," Yuki poked Kyo's forehead as Kyo had so often done to Tohru, "here. This cemetery is only where her bones are."

Kyo sniffled. "Yeah. I guess I was hoping for a connection or something here. I thought—" He shrugged and let out a puff of air. "I just needed to know. She's not here." He sneezed against the fabric of his coat sleeve and sniffed juicily. "We can go."

Yuki stood then reached down to help Kyo up. Kyo leaned on him for a moment, before pushing away. He let out another powerful sneeze and dug around in his pockets, probably for tissue.

"I think there's tissue in the car…."

Yuki's eyes went wide as a thick yellow beam of light cut across the pavement toward them and Kyo cursed softly. "Behind the headstone!"

Kyo, quick as a cat, ducked behind Tohru's tomb and Yuki followed as footsteps accompanied the oncoming flashlight's beam.

"No use hiding. I saw you two!" The voice was cranky and male. "Come out from behind there."

Yuki looked to Kyo who was stuffing their own flashlight in his pocket. Yuki mouthed, "What do we do?"

Kyo's nose twitched once, twice, then, "Aachoo! Aachoo!"

"Gotcha!" A man in a black cap that read "Security" peered at them over the tombstone, shining his flashlight on their heads. "Stand up."

Yuki's heart was racing. They were caught. He was going to jail. He was going to have a criminal record. He stood up slowly, raising his hands above his head like a suspect. Kyo stood up, too, rolling his eyes at Yuki.

The officer was a few inches shorter than Yuki and middle-aged with wide cheeks. He wore tan slacks and a black windbreaker zipped to his throat. He ran the flashlight up and down the length of Yuki and Kyo's bodies, lingering on their faces; then grumbled, "Damn kids."

Damn kids?

"Come on, let's call your parents."

Call our parents?

"Our parents, but we…."

"Shut up, Yuki," Kyo hissed in his ear. Yuki frowned at Kyo in confusion. This man thought they were juveniles. What was going to happen when he tried to call Yuki's parents' house and they told him that Yuki was 23 years old. People got prison time for lying to the law.

Yuki and Kyo followed the man as he moved over the grounds, letting his flashlight lead the way.

"Kyo, what are you…."

"Let me handle this," Kyo said.

Near the gate at the rear of the graveyard was a very small brick building. The gold plate on the black metal door said: Security. The man fumbled for the right key on the key ring dangling from his belt and let them all inside. The door swung into an office with two square desks loaded with notebooks and planners. There were several small televisions mounted to the blank walls. Three of them showed different angles of the cemetery and one of them showed what looked to be the same silly drama Yuki had seen on TV right after Tohru's funeral. A fish tank glowed in one corner and the smell of tuna and crackers perfumed the air. The security guard moved behind one of the desks, and sat down. He studied Yuki and Kyo with obvious annoyance and distaste.

"What are your names?"

"Sohma," Kyo said.

"First names?"

"Kyo and Yuki," Kyo said. "Look, we…."

"Save it. I'm tired of you kids sneaking in here to take stuff off the graves. I'm glad I caught some of you," the guard said, then yawned. He pulled opened one of his desk drawers and produced a cell phone. He dropped it onto the desk. "Call your parents; then pass the phone over to me."

Yuki glared at Kyo as Kyo took the phone and began dialing. Who was he calling?

"Hey Dad—it's Kyo. No, no it's not…."

"Give me the phone." The security guard jerked the phone from Kyo's fingers. "Mr. Sohma, I presume. I've got your boys here, Kyo and Yuki. I'm Officer Yagi, security…."

"Kyo, who did you call?" Yuki whispered.

"Shigure," Kyo said. Yuki blinked. Shigure? Why would Kyo call Shigure of all people?—then he thought about it. Shigure, the master of deceit and deflection, quick on the uptake and quicker to spin a tale of nonsense that dumber people often believed.

"Yes sir, and I am so sorry to disturb you with this. It really is a shame how disrespectful today's youth can be. Don't worry. I'll hold them and bring them out to you when you get here. Thank you for being responsible," Officer Yagi was saying. He clicked the "Call End" button on his touch screen and turned a glare on Yuki and Kyo.

"Your parents are on their way to get you, and your father did not sound pleased. You're going to be in for some serious punishment. You ought to be ashamed," Officer Yagi said, "but I bet you're not."

Kyo shrugged and Yuki followed his lead. Were they really getting away with this?

"Go on and sit down over there." Yagi gestured to a set of foldable chairs in the corner across from the fish tank. "I ought to make you two clean up in here."

Yuki sank into a hard chair and Kyo sat next to him. He frowned at his cousin's shivers. He shrugged off his coat and offered it to Kyo. Kyo blinked at him. "You're not cold?"

Yuki shook his head. The office was warm, and his frozen knees were starting to thaw. Kyo pulled Yuki's coat over his shoulders like a blanket and leaned back in the chair, letting the back of his head rest against the paneled wall. "That guy said our parents, plural. Do you think Shigure will bring Akito?"

Yuki scowled. He hoped not. Wouldn't that be awkward? "I just can't believe we're not going to jail. I don't have my wallet. If he'd asked for ID, I'd be in trouble."

Kyo snorted. "I don't have mine either." His runny red eyes twinkled and Yuki was semi-bewildered to note that Kyo was glowing, as Tohru had said he did when he was content or being himself.

"Are you having fun?" Yuki asked.

Kyo's shoulders shook as he held in laughter. "Can you believe what's happening?"

"You're having fun." Yuki smacked Kyo's leg.

"I just keep imagining Rice Ball's face; if she was here, she'd be in tears," Kyo said, his voice warm and mirthful. "She would be apologizing and offering to clean this place and bake cookies. She'd call me terrible for laughing. She'd send this guy cards every Christmas and on his birthday. "

Kyo pulled Yuki's coat over his face as he giggled.

Officer Yagi glared in their direction. "You kids think this is funny?"

"No sir," Yuki said. "Not at all. My… my brother's just…" crazy? "…sick."

Kyo continued to shake, but Yuki no longer heard giggles. He touched Kyo's arm. "Kyo?"

"Not now." His voice was shaky.

"Okay." Yuki said, he took his hand off Kyo's arm and wound it around his shoulders. He listened to Kyo's congested breaths catch in his chest as he grieved. "Okay."

(~*~)

It took 30 minutes for Shigure to arrive, and 10 for Officer Yagi to march Yuki and Kyo through the graveyard to the gate where Shigure leaned against his car, arms folded over his chest. Yuki almost laughed at the fact that his older cousin wore his business suit and reading glasses. He really looked the part of a responsible father coming to collect his delinquent children. The motor of the car purred, the headlights were still on, shining their light on Kyo's car in the parking lot.

"Good evening Mr. Sohma." Officer Yagi shook Shigure's hand and Shigure bowed to him apologizing for his bad sons.

Kyo rolled his eyes. "The dumb dog's laying it on rather thick, don't you think?"

Yuki elbowed him.

Yuki and Kyo watched Officer Yagi carry on a casual conversation with Shigure, ignoring the fact that it was still raining and the night was getting chillier by the minute. Yuki's breath was becoming visible in the fog, and Kyo still had his coat.

"Once again, I thank you for calling me first, Officer Yagi. I know exactly how to deal with them. You boys come on. We're going home."

Yuki blinked. Officer Yagi was walking away, but not without delivering a parting glare at Yuki and Kyo. Yuki stifled the urge to stick his tongue out at the man. Hah, fooled you!

Shigure waited for Officer Yagi's form to diminish and vanish into the graveyard before he began to laugh. He doubled over and slapped his knees. "Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho! Why don't you law breakers get in the car for a few minutes to warm up and talk."

Yuki shook his head at Shigure's antics. Kyo wore an amused smirk. Shigure opened the back door and made a grand gesture for them to enter. Then he walked around to the driver's side door.

Yuki sighed and crawled into the car, followed by Kyo. He sighed at the blast of hot air that immediately drove the chill from his bones. He scooted over so that Kyo could pull his legs inside. It wasn't until the rear door slammed that he noticed another body in the car besides Kyo's. A slender shape with dark, layered hair sat in the passenger seat. The head turned and Yuki faltered. Akito.

"Do you want me to turn up the heat?" Akito asked in a soft voice.

"Uh, no, it's okay. I'm fine. Uh, Kyo, do you want more heat?"

Kyo shook his head.

Yuki glanced through the driver's side window to see Shigure leaning on the hood of the car, lighting a cigarette. Oh the dirty dog had tricked them.

Awkward silence filled the car.

"I…" Akito began. It was so strange hearing the voice that used to bring him nightmares coming out of the mouth of a woman. "I'm so sorry about Tohru, Kyo."

Kyo rubbed his palms together and shut his eyes. His mouth was pressed in a firm, straight line.

"It's so horrible what happened. I wanted you two to be so happy. You—you deserve happiness after—after the childhood you had. I, I feel sick to my stomach when I think about it. I was a very sick person in the past. I'm getting better. I'm seeing a doctor, a psychiatrist, and I'm a lot better. I wanted to come and show you and Tohru and you, too, Yuki, but I was afraid and I kept putting it off and now it's too late." Akito's voice trembled. "You'll never forgive me, will you?"

Yuki couldn't bring himself to look at Akito. He didn't want to see those big, dark eyes fixated on him or full of tears. His mind's eye saw the mean boy Akito had been, towering over him and hitting him with switches or telling him he was useless.

Tohru said be nice, but being nice was easier said than done.

"It's okay if you don't," Akito said. "I understand. I don't know that I'd forgive me. In fact, I don't and my doctor says that I have to, to really get better. But how can I? My family hates me."

"Shigure doesn't hate you," Yuki said.

"But you do," Akito said.

Yuki squeezed his eyes shut, reaching deep inside for a response to that. He knew what Tohru would tell him to say, but what did he feel? Did he hate Akito? When he was a child he did, but as an adult, now that Akito was insignificant and held no power over him? Now that Akito was apologizing and begging for forgiveness?

"I don't know how I feel about you," Yuki said. He opened his eyes and glanced at Kyo, who rocked back and forth, concentrating on Akito's headrest.

Akito nodded sadly at Yuki; then asked, "Do you hate me, Kyo?"

A slow, passionless smile crossed Kyo's lips, one that hurt Yuki to see. He looked like one of those plastic dolls for girls with the vapid eyes and empty smiles. "I don't think I care enough about you to hate you anymore, but I don't love you."

Akito nodded. "I understand."

There was awkward silence again broken only by Kyo's coughing. Yuki winced at the length of the fit. He reached over to touch Kyo's cheek; the fever was back. They needed to go.

Akito turned to face the back, peering over his seat at Kyo with a concerned frown. "Are you all right?"

"Would you be?" Kyo's voice was gravelly. He cleared his throat and reached for the door handle. "Tohru loved you, and maybe... maybe one day, we can try again. But not now." He opened the door and got out of the car. "Pass me the keys to my car if you want to stay in here longer, Yuki."
Yuki shook his head. He crawled out after Kyo, but not before pausing at Akito's chair. He looked his old nemesis in the eyes, not so shocked to find them different, changed. There was no insanity or cruelty in their depths, no desperation or manic anger, merely worry and a great sadness. Yuki let his hand rest on the top of the chair, close enough to Akito's face to feel warm from her body. "That goes for me, too. One day, we'll start over. Maybe I want to know this new person you are."

Akito's pale cheeks colored slightly and she nodded solemnly, a small smile touching her lips. "Thank you, Yuki. Now, please get Kyo out of the rain."

Yuki patted the leather of the seat and exited the car. He closed the door and placed a hand on Kyo's back. Shigure peered at them over the top of the car. "Hatori will be waiting for you two. He called me after you left for this place. He knew you'd get into trouble, but he actually thought you'd get picked up by the cops. This is even better."

Yuki flushed. "Hatori knew the cemetery was going to be closed?"

Shigure puffed on his cigarette and chuckled. "He wanted copies of your mug shots for the mantle."

Kyo snorted. "As if I'd let him keep those pictures." Kyo smirked at Yuki. "Those would be for your scrapbook." He laughed and coughed, doubling over. Yuki patted his back.

"It's time to go home," Yuki said. Shigure came around to them, hugging Yuki, then Kyo, lingering for a few extra moments.

"Take care of each other," Shigure said. "I miss our little family, and I hope you both will visit the house." He hugged Kyo again, touching a hand to his cheek. "Now get out of here, or Hatori will kill us all."

"Thank you, Shigure," Yuki said. He placed both hands on Kyo's shoulders, and they walked in the direction of Kyo's car.

"Can you believe that no good Hatori?" Kyo said as he buckled his seatbelt. "He wanted us to get locked up. He was counting on it."

"Which means Master Kazuma felt the same; he didn't warn us either," Yuki said. "I bet they're laughing right now, those bastards."

Kyo choked. "Yuki, your language."

Yuki blushed a bit. "Well, it's true."
"Tohru would scold you," Kyo said.

"She'd scold you, too, for being in the rain with a cold," Yuki said, buckling his own seatbelt.

"She'd scold you more for letting me be in the rain with a cold," Kyo said. He turned on the heat and aimed two of the vents at himself. Sniffling, he gazed at Yuki, his features a careful mask. "Hey Rat?"

"Yes?" Yuki started the car completely, and flicked on the headlight and windshield wipers.

"I know you're doing all this to make me feel better, and I like that you're doing it, but… you got a life outside of all this." Kyo placed his fingers on a vent, splaying them wide. "I feel okay right now, and maybe I'll feel okay tomorrow, but I don't know when I'm gonna just be all right, all the time. And I don't want you wasting time here until I am."

"I'm not wasting time…."
"Have you gone out at all since you've been here? Did you go to the movies with Machi or take her dancing? Do you call your friends?"

"Kyo…."

"Don't die because I did," Kyo said.

What? "Kyo, you're not…."

"That's how I feel deep down: dead, but I'm not gonna stay this way," Kyo said, nodding his head at no one in particular. "I can't. There's too much to do. I want to do everything Tohru wanted to do, and then I want to do what she wanted me to do."

"And then what about what you want to do because you want to do it?" Yuki pressed.

"After I do everything on those lists, maybe I'll be fine, and when I'm fine, maybe I'll have plenty things that I want to do for the hell of it, too. Right now, though? Right now, my head's blank. I don't remember what it's like to do things without her input or her by my side. I have to relearn how."

Yuki ran his fingers over the leather gearshift but didn't put the car in "drive". "And you want to relearn on your own?"

"I think I have to relearn on my own."

"Okay," Yuki said after a beat. "So, you're kicking me out?"

"No!" Kyo's head jerked in Yuki's direction. "No, you can stay; stay as long as you want, just... don't stop your life for it. Come visit, come with me to meet my grandma, I want… I want you to be my friend."

"I am your friend," Yuki said firmly. "And we're going to play this by ear, okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, okay," Kyo said. He reclined in his chair, closing his eyes. A smile quirked his lips.

"What?"

"A mug shot really would have been a great way to kick off a scrapbook, but I think your girl Machi might have had that one framed."

Yuki tossed back his head and laughed; then shifted the car out of neutral.

"Hatori really is a bastard."

Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey. "One Sweet Day." Fantasy. Sony, 1995.

Author's Note: So, what's the verdict? Like it? Hate it? Don't care about it either way? Well, any way you liked it let me know! Please review!