Hey y'all! Sorry it took SO long to update. I sort of hit a brick wall with ideas, so now we're at a place where I need to really think to figure out the next step. We'll find out the legend of the panther in next chapter or the one after. And sorry this is sorta short, I'm typing at 3:30 am cuz I couldn't sleep. So, enjoy! R&R!

Chapter 13: Somewhere Only we know

Mateo's P.O.V

As soon as Ayame stepped on the noise maker Kyo and Momiji were shoving us out the door, Momiji frantically signing Rei, afraid to use his voice. His fingers moved so fast that I couldn't read them. But Rei could. She nodded briskly, and then planted a quick kiss on Kyo's cheek, her eyes scared. She grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the darkness of the backyard. I looked back once, only to see Momiji and Kyo had gone. They had rushed back into the house probably.

"Rei, where are we going?" I whispered not quite sure if it was okay to talk. She shook her head and made a shushing gesture. Clearly talking still wasn't an option. Only after we seemed as if we reached a forest, did she stop. She pointed toward a tall willow tree that seemed rather out of place considering we were surrounded by oaks and pines.

"What?" I questioned her, sensing it was safe to use my normal voice.

'Climb.' She signaled. I stared at her. No way in heck was I climbing that thing. It was majorly tall and didn't look safe. She sighed, her shoulders hunched slightly.

"No way am I gonna climb that." I hissed. She rolled her eyes. She gave the tree a once over and I almost thought I saw a nostalgic look in her eyes. She shook her head slightly as if waking from a dream. Then, she turned to me.

'It's easy. Just watch.' She pranced over to a log that lay near the base of the tree. She crouched in an almost predatory stance, and then leaped upward, grabbing the lowest branch and swinging herself up, her eyes complacent. She looked as if she scaled trees every day.

She gave a smug grin and nodded to me. 'Now you.'

"Rei, I can't climb, and certainly can't do that." Her patience seemed to be wearing thin. Her constant glances in the direction of her new home showed me that she wasn't sure if we were truly safe.

'Just take a running start, grab the branch, and I'll pull you up.' I groaned. I stepped onto the log and ran. I leaped and managed to grasp the branch. Rei pulled me up; her arms were more toned than I thought they'd be. Then again, if she did this thing every day then they should be stronger. We were both sitting on the lowest branch of the tree. Rei was soon wriggling up another two branches. I watched her in amazement. She held out a delicate hand and pulled me up so we were both way above ground.

"Where did you learn to climb like that?" She bit her lip.

'I didn't. I just…knew.' Great. That made perfect sense.

Rei's P.O.V

I had always been able to climb trees as quickly as I just had. I guess it was just the instinct of a panther. But I wasn't about to tell Mateo that. Although, at the rate things were going, we'd probably have to end up telling him, and then Hatori would erase his memories. I felt a jab of pain in my chest. He was one of my best friends now. I didn't want him to forget me. That would hurt.

Mateo kept glancing between the house, the ground, and me. He was in a total fog about what was going on. Well, maybe not. He was smart. He'd probably realized that something was off about our family. Ok, maybe a lot of things. And he'd seen our reactions to Akito. I felt a cold blanket fall over me. Akito. He was still in there with the rest of my family, I could hear him (enhanced senses via my panther transformation-a lot of the others have good hearing too) chewing out Kyo, asking him where I was.

"You took my sister you lying piece of filth!" I winced as that reached my ears. Akito wouldn't like that at all. I just hoped he didn't take it out on Kisa or Tohru. Yuki and Kyo may hate each other but they could back each other up when necessary. Kisa and Tohru were both vulnerable to Akito, no matter how much they tried to hide it.

Mateo was looking at me with a questioning look. I shook my head and mimed the words: 'Don't say anything, I'm trying to listen.' He looked dubious as he shrugged and stared up at the branches over our heads. I could now hear Akito getting into his dangerous mode. There was a good and bad thing about this place. Momiji had told me to hide in the forest. But no one knew this tree was my special hiding place; not even Kyo. So if Akito tried to force the truth out of him, he could give the honest answer that he didn't know. But that wouldn't stop Akito; he'd think they were all lying. Maybe Hatori and Shigure could talk him into leaving.

"Akito-sama I'm afraid Rei isn't here." Shigure said in an attempt to appease the mighty God of the Zodiac. "We really don't know where she is. But believe me, if I do see her, you'll be the first to know." He had known that if he said "we" instead of "I" Akito would go on the offensive. He would know that Kyo would never give up his baby sister. So Shigure was subtly guarding the others from the potential wrath of Akito.

"Very well," came the calm cool voice of the Sohma family head. "I shall take my leave. But I do want you to visit me Yuki. It's been so long." I shuddered, causing Mateo to turn around and squeeze my hand gently, a soft reminder that I wasn't alone.

"Akito-sama, I hope you find what you're looking for." Shigure was lying through his teeth, but Akito must not have noticed.

I could hear Akito's footsteps leaving the house. I held my breath as I waited to hear the sound of his car pulling out.

"Hatori, you may stay here for a while longer if you wish. Come back soon though, I may be in need of your services." Mateo looked stunned as I did. He had guessed this wasn't the typical behavior of the dark young man.

"Thank you Akito-sama. Merry Christmas." The others joined in the chorus of Merry Christmas, and "best wishes!" I sighed in relief. He was leaving.

Kisa's P.O.V

I was terrified. Akito had always told me that no one would be friend because of the strange color of my eyes. He'd told me that no one cared. Once I ran away and met Tohru, I knew he was wrong. Haru had held me in his lap for hours while Yuki stood in the doorway muttering encouraging words. No one had seemed to mind my silence. I'd followed Tohru like a shadow. So when I finally went back to school, things were hard, but I knew I had family and friends that loved me.

I knew Hiro blamed himself for not standing up for me. Even after a hundred reassurances from me, he still believed that it was his fault. But soon we became even closer, and I knew that he really cared for me. And I really cared for him.

In a way, I think my week or two of silence at Shigure's house had prepared everyone for Rei's appearance. They didn't mind her silence. And she at least communicated in her own way. I had only hand gestures and hugs to explain my feelings and thoughts. I just hoped that Rei and Mateo were safe now. When I'd coughed from behind the couch, Hiro had placed himself between me and Akito. But our lord and master didn't seem to care. He spared us a glance of amusement. His eyes were sharp and he knew that some more people were in the room. But he'd waited it out. He liked to make us nervous; he liked to make us sweat.

Kyo's P.O.V

When we all wished Akito a Merry Christmas, I could feel the steel blade of rage and fear disappearing from my throat. As soon as we heard the car engine start, the entire house seemed to let out a sigh of relief. Haru was the first to speak up, his voice low and the words hiding his real meanings.

"Are the birds out of the yard?" Momiji spoke before I could.

"Yup. They flew off."

"Good." The silence in the house was deafening. I could feel something in my gut twist. While Akito's car seemed to have left, I knew something was wrong. I needed to find Rei. But that forest was huge, and it's not like I could go around yelling my sister's name.

Mateo' P.O.V

God, this family had a huge fear of that guy. He didn't look more than a year or two older than Yuki. So what gives? Why are they all so terrified? Sure, he's kinda creepy, but he was just looking for a friend right? And then I remembered Kyo muttering that she'd escaped the Sohma main house, not left on permission, she wasn't allowed to leave. I glanced at Rei. It didn't take a genius to know that Rei was the one who'd run away. But Momiji and Kyo had shoved us out back before I knew what was going on. I could suddenly hear a crunch of feet on snow. Not good.

Rei's P.O.V

I could hear the crunching before Mateo. I grabbed his hand and gave him the signal

'Don't move a muscle. Don't move, don't talk, and don't breathe. He'll hear you.'

I held my breath, waiting for Akito to come closer. How did he know I'd come this direction? I had brushed our footprints over with a bunch of pine needles so it isn't like he could follow the tracks. And he didn't have advanced skills like us, because he wasn't necessarily a actual member of the Zodiac. So how in the name of god did he think to look back here?

I heard the voice I'd learn to fear more than anything in the world. The calm dangerous voice of Akito was ringing through the forest. Even the trees shivered as if his voice shook their roots.

"Come out Rei. I know you're here. So come out and play with me."