A little note for clarification

This will be a mixture of the (2001) and (2019) anime "Fruit Basket". I do not own either anime, but I do own my own original characters and plot.
Do not use my characters or my own plot without asking me first. I will not use honorifics, because my knowledge is not diverse just yet and I do not want to be disrespectful towards Japanese culture.

Background Information

Makoto Hayashi is the husband of Yukiko Hayashi (Maiden: Katsunuma), and the brother-in-law to Kyoko Katsunuma (age 15).
Makoto works hard and is often leaving behind his wife, while also paying for Kyoko's expenses, whether is be school, clothes, or even food. The only clash is that Kyoko and Makoto dislike each other, but get along for Yukiko's sake.
Kyoko is the younger sister to Yukiko and is always staying over the Hayashi house and looking after her sister.

Makoto has brown hair and dark eyes.
Yukiko has blonde hair and purple eyes.
Kyoko has strawberry blonde hair that looks more towards orange, with purple eyes that matches her older sister's.

Chapter One: Finding Father Sohma

Yukiko sighed as she rubbed her growing belly, a small smile graced her face as a small, dark-headed child nearby. Thoughts of what her own child fluttered to her mind before the little boy's head knocked into her side, causing the woman to drop her bag filled with the day's purchases. "Oh, I'm sorry little one," Yukiko said as she helped the little boy up.

"I'm sorry, too!" Smiled the child as he picked up the bag and handed it to the woman, "here's your bag, miss!"

Yukiko smiled back as she took the back and ruffled the boy's dark locks, "thank you, little one. What is your name? My name is Yukiko Hayashi."

"I'm Akito Sohma! I'm here shopping with my father!" The boy looked around to show the woman, but suddenly dropped his head, as if he just remembered he was alone, "but I got lost. I don't know where he is."

Feeling pity, Yukiko took the child's hand, "that's okay. We can look for him together, little one. I saw you came from this direction," the woman then turned to the older woman who was selling her a book of names, "thank you for the book, have a good day."

The older woman returned the smile before turning her attention to another customer. The duo soon turned the corner and began walking around the small shops and vendors, "your belly is really big, do you have a baby in there, too?"

Giggling at the child's bluntness, Yukiko nodded, "yes. I'm just seven months, almost eight. Is your mommy having a baby too? You're going to be a big brother?"

Shaking his head, Akito answered, "no, but I saw Kagura's mama before Kagura came. She got really big too! Father said that she came early just like Hatori! I wasn't born early."

Yukiko only nodded as she listened to the little boy explain his family dynamics and who everyone was to him. The blonde could really see how each member was dear to Akito as the sun began to rise a little higher. Soon, Akito started to slow down, prompting Yukiko to initiate a break and they sat by the fountain of the cool water. "Are you okay, Akito? Are your feet tired?"

"Yeah, 'm sorry, miss," Akito's eyes filled with sadness, "we still haven't found him."

Yukiko only gave a small smile as she hugged the small boy, "don't worry, Akito. Your father is looking everywhere for you."

"Akito!"

The duo turned their heads to see a group of boys running up towards the younger boy, "Akito!"

Yukiko saw Akito's face brighten as he waved towards the boys, "Hatori!"

The boys huffed for air before eyeing the woman, the one with the long grayish hair, "who's this?"

"This is Mrs. Hayashi! She was helping me find father," Akito then turned to the woman with a bright smile, "this is Ayame and Shigure," the boy pointed to the grayish hair boy and the other boy who's grin was blinding, "and this is Hatori! The one I was telling you about," he pointed to the tallest boy who held a slight scowl.

Yukiko helped Akito up as she waved to the boys, "hello, my name is Yukiko Hayashi. Akito's father must have sent you to get him."

"Yeah," Ayame smiled, "wow your hair is really blonde! Are you a Sohma too?"

Hatori elbowed the boy, causing him to groan in protest, "she said her name was Hayashi, idiot. Come on, Akito, let's go." The boys stood arm's length from the woman, waiting for Akito to join them.

"Okay!" Akito said as he turned to the woman, hugging her tightly, "thank you, miss! I hope I see you again!"

"Awe, I hope so, too. I come here every week, same time and day. Maybe we'll come across each other," Yukiko explained as Akito skipped towards the boys.

"Shigure! Carry me!" Akito demanded, making Yukiko shake her head fondly before turning to leave.

"What? No! Walk like the rest of us!"

"But I'm special! And tired!" Turning the street, their voices began to fade as small cramps flared in her back.

Yukiko breathed heavily as she made it up to her apartment, upon seeing her little sister, a frown creased her face, "Kyoko, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at school? You know how I feel about skipping."

The girl scoffed as she got up, taking the older's bag as Yukiko opened the door to their cool apartment, "it was half-day. Calm down, sis."

Yukiko gave a nod before they both walked in, taking their shoes off, before the blonde sat down in her comfortable chair as the other put away the groceries. "Well, Makoto won't be home until much later. Are you hungry? I was going to make some lunch."

"Nah, the school fed us before kicking us out. If you're hungry I'll make a little something," came the younger's response before a gasp sounded. Foots rushing towards the sitting room with a book in her hands, "Sis! I'm going to have a nephew?" she demanded, waving the book around in the air.

Yukiko grabbed the book, laughing at the excitement, "I don't know. But Makoto and I have decided to get some ideas for names. I bought another book for girl names in there, too. You seem impatient, just like when you were a little girl, some things never changed." The teen puffed out her cheeks before grumpily returning back to the kitchen. Yukiko decided to extend the olive branch, "after you're done come help me find some nice names."

"I already have a name if it's a boy," Kyoko accepted the branch, her tone teasing the name.

"Please tell me it's a nice name."

"It is! Kyo Hayashi."

"That's just your name shortened!"

Laughing, Kyoko came in, "okay, how about for a girl, Kyoka."

"Again, that is just your name!" Yukiko exclaimed as the teenager burst out in tears of laughter.

"Oh, come on, sis! They are good names!"

Yukiko just shook her head as she opened the book, "I was thinking of nice, individualized names for my baby. Beside's, I was already thinking of the name Tohru for a boy, but I'm not really sure. Makoto doesn't really care for the name."

Another scoff came from the teenager, "yeah yeah, but you're carrying the brat. Besides, the bastard is never here, so it ain't like he'll ever have to say its name."

Yukiko glared at the teenager, making the girl scoff again and return back to the kitchen, "I'm making lunch," before the slamming of cabinets and curses rolled into the room. Another sigh came from the pregnant woman as another bout of cramps crawled up her back, causing a hiss before it suddenly disappeared. Shaking her head, she decided to open the book and skim the names.

When night rolled around, Kyoko apologized for her attitude earlier by cooking dinner and staying in with her sister as Makoto will be working later tonight than usual. "Thank you for cooking, Kyoko! It's really good," praised Yukiko.

"No problem, besides I'm not cruel to make my pregnant sister do labor," this caused the girls to giggle before Yukiko retold what happened at the market place today. "I swear, you're gonna be a natural mom, but that brat should watch where he's going! What if he rammed into your stomach?" Kyoko countered back, making the blonde roll her violet eyes.

"You are too much of a worrywart, Kyoko. He was maybe three or four, and the sweetest little boy ever. Maybe I could see him again next week, or something. He also told the funniest story," Yukiko finished her meal, before grabbing the plates, ignoring Kyoko's protests, and began to wash the dishes.

Sighing, Kyoko instead asked, "what story? Don't tell me he bored you with the peach story."

Laughing, Yukiko shook her head, "no it was actually a really sad story. One that I remember from a long time ago, you probably remember me telling you the story."

"What story?" Kyoko demanded, getting frustrated. The older one just giggled and blew some subs at the teen.

"About the Zodiac Banquet."

"Oh, yeah. Wasn't it about how God hosted a big party for his favorite animals? I haven't heard it in so long," Kyoko said, her anger rushing out of her body, a smile crawled on her face at the happy memories. When Kyoko was younger she would crawl in her big sister's bed, and her sister would tell her the wildest stories while either a storm raged on outside their window, or outside their door.

Yukiko hummed before the retold the story, "It was the end of the darkness when God told his precious animals that a celebration was in order, he told the fox and the rat to let everyone know that he will be hosting a banquet to usher a new era of peace and light for ages to come. He wrote letters to be given out, and warned them to not be late. The fox, overjoyed, ran to deliver the letters to all the animals with the rat, but when soon they came to the cat's house, the fox became too tired and fell asleep while the rat hopped off the fox's head and ran inside. 'Cat! Cat!' he called to his best friend, 'there is going to be a banquet the day after tomorrow! The fox was going to give you the letter, but became too tired. Don't be late!' The cat trusted the fox and the rat, as the three were best friends. The next day, all the animals went to the big banquet, with the rat riding on top of the ox's head and leading the group. They had so much fun, all but the foolish cat who slept in, dreaming of the banquet that would never come."

"You never told me what happened to the fox, we don't have the year of the fox!"

"I don't know, a lot of people say that the fox was never in the story, but I remember there being a fox. Maybe the fox left the banquet to find the cat? I remember I used to call you my little fox," laughed Yukiko who wiped her hands on a nearby rag, already finished with the kitchen. A yawn escaped her, "I always wanted to be the cat, I feel so bad for it. Could you imagine how lonely and hurt the poor thing felt?"

"It was the damn cat's fault for being tricked," Kyoko said, her voice flat, but Yukiko could feel the anger bubbling up.

Yukiko stared at her sister, before slowly walking away. She was ready for bed, and felt that the gang-life will call her sister once more. Tomorrow, before school, Yukiko would clean the wounds and bandage the worst of it.