Chapter 9 - The sohma family secret....

Only about two hours later did the rain pick up just as predicted. Tohru walked around the main hall nervously, dusting idly while thinking about her last encounter with Kyo. Why did he suddenly yell at her? Did she say something wrong? She was a complete idiot to make Kyo so upset he'd thrown her out of the house. She was so startled she nearly tripped back into the main house.

The girl closed her eyes while wiping the table just slightly slower. She hoped that Kyo and herself could be friends. He did after all take her in. She wanted to make it up to Kyo, but she wouldn't even want to talk to herself knowing that she made Kyo that upset! She clutched the rag with both hands while scrunching up her face in dismay.

"Tohru-kun, are you alright?"

Tohru turned over her shoulder surprised to see Shigure standing there, arms behind his back leaning over her. He looked quite comfortable in his everyday dark-blue yukata. She thought he was in Ayame's room playing some card game with the king. Maybe he lost? She turned around and began furiously rubbing the table.

"Y-yes! I'm doing perfectly fine! Why ask, Shigure-san? Eh hehe?"

"Hm... you seem to have something on your mind. You have been dusting the same table for the past ten minutes."

Tohru stopped scrubbing and sagged her shoulders. "Is that how long you've been in the room? I didn't even notice, I'm sorry..."

Shigure waved a hand at her. "Please, you give me too much credit!"

"It makes you sound like a stalker..." Haru muttered as he walked barefoot across the hallway behind the pair and into the TV room. Shigure sweatdropped as Tohru just gave a slight smile.

"Anyway," Shigure turned back to Tohru opening his arms in a fatherly way, "do you care to tell Shigure-otosan? Hm? As one of the elders of this house I have an open ear if you care to tell me anything, Tohru-kun."

She almost smiled at his playful tone but couldn't shake off the previous events with Kyo. Tohru sighed and turned her attention to a small vase of Daisies on the coffee table. "It's just... is there something I'm doing wrong, Shigure-san? Something I should know not to do in this house? No one laid any rules for me and I'm afraid to make anyone in your family feel upset by my presence. I promise as soon as I finish paying my debt I'll leave, but while I'm still here..." Tohru looked down holding the dust rag close to her apron.

After a moment Shigure ran a hand through his rather messy black hair. "There are things about our family I don't think are very important at the moment, but if you're refering to Kyo-kun when you say 'making anyone feel upset', don't mind him. He's just a late bloomer." Shigure clasped a hand over his mouth as if giving away a terrific secret.

"A late bloomer?"

"Ah, forget I said anything. But to reassure you, there is absolutely nothing that you're doing that is wrong. I feel as if this family is actually beginning to hold better since you walked or rather fell through our doors." Tohru laughed at the rather embarassing entrance she'd made when she first came to their home. Seeing her giggle put Shigure into better spirits already. Yuki was right, a smile suited her more than a frown.

He sat next to Tohru on the couch while placing his hands on his knees. "I've never seen Ri-chan stand so calm for over twenty minutes while in the presence of other people. You have a calming effect on him. Hi-kun is actually letting you help him with his school work--a mirricle on it's own since the boy thinks he knows everything-- and that is a major improvement on his part. No, Tohru-kun, you are doing nothing wrong. I promise."

"Then why is it as soon as I mentioned how Ayame-san told me that Kyo-kun stopped living in here with you all, Kyo-kun go so... angry?" She had a mental flashback of Kyo's angry voice bellowing at her to leave immediately. But when she turned around to stare him in the face and give him his food, a flash of sorrow crossed his features. What was it that was making him so angry, angry enough to make him sad?

Shigure looked out the window not responding to Tohru's question. He didn't know what to tell her. He gave Tohru a short bow. "I think I've said enough today. 'Tori-san might give me a lecture. Excuse me." Shigure walked past Tohru, leaving the girl full of more questions. It seemed as much as she'd come to learn of each of the Sohma boys individually, there was still so much she didn't know about them. Shigure could be so full of flirtacious body language one moment and act as a serious adult the next. He said there were some things about their family that was a secret. He also said that Kyo was a late bloomer. There was still so much she wanted to know but didn't know where to get the answers.

She sat alone for a while thinking to herself before glancing at the clock. It was way past eight and she didn't want to wallow in her negative thoughts anymore. It was better to be positive right?

Giving up her thoughts on why Kyo would be so cross with her, she threw the dust rag into the laundry-shoot and walked into the TV room to find Hatsuharu and Momiji laying on the couches channel surfing. Momiji sat up on his knees and gave a wave to Tohru.

"Tohruuuu!"

Haru plugged one ear as the boy practially screamed bloody-murder into his ear. "God, the girl knows her name, Momiji. You don't have to yell at her everytime you see her."

Momiji put both of her hands on top of his mouth. "Oh, okay."

Tohru smiled and sat next to Haru. "What are you watching?"

"Nothing really. There isn't anything on TV."

Tap tap tap

The sudden noice made Tohru jerk around in search of it's origin. "Um... what was...?"

"Oh, that's the tree branch hitting the window. See, see?" Momiji said pointing at the window. "Wow, it really looks like it's going to be a bad storm." The boy turned to Haru. "Haru, should we go tell Kyo to lock the gates now? They might fly open like last time."

"Last time?" Tohru asked to no one in particular.

Momiji grinned catching Tohru in his net so easily. "Yes, last time no one went to lock the gates on a bad storm like this. Even though trying to push those doors open is really tough, the wind seems to just blow them open without a problem." Momiji closed his eyes. "Last time, the doors swung open into the street. The doors don't normally open all the way, just enough for people to slip in and out, but on that particular stormy night, the doors opened fully, blocking the streets. A red car was driving down the road trying to get home. The driver could barely see as it was when suddenly WHAM!" Momiji clapped his hands startling Tohru. "The driver crashed right into the gate door! In the morning we saw that the driver only had minor injuries and we were thankful that nothing serious happened... but still," the boy gave Tohru a mischevious look, "would we be that lucky next time?"

Lightning flashed, lighting up the entire room and highlighting Tohru's terrified eyes. "That's horrible!"

"Yes, and that is why Kyo needs to go close the doors right away."

Tohru jumped out of her seat already heading to the back door. "I'll go tell Kyo-kun right away! Poor driver-san, I won't let it happen again!" She rambled to herself as she disappeared from the room.

Haru turned off the TV and put his feet up on the table. "You're a horrible liar, Momiji. The gate doors don't even reach the street when fully open."

Momiji crossed his legs and stuck his tounge out. "I want Tohru to be happy. And I want Kyo to be happy. A little lie that might get them closer won't hurt."

"Are you conspiring with Ayame-san and Shigure-oniichan?"

"Nope, just doing this out of my own will." Momiji looked out the window suddenly quite passive.

Haru sat up from his slouched position. "What's up."

"Nothing it's just... I hope that Tohru accepts our family secret." Momiji looked down to his lap. "If Tohru does what I hope she does, she could possibly find out. I just don't want..." the boy looked to the blank television screen as if waiting for his answers. "I don't want the same thing that happened to Ha'ri to happen to Kyo. But then again I don't want anyone to be alone because of our secret."

"Even if it only applies to Kyo now?"

"I just don't want her to run away from us because of it." The blond turned towards Haru. "Do you think she will?"

"But the consequences..."

"I know, but there's always that chance she won't run away like Kana."

There was a thick silence englufing the room after that. Everyone knew about the difficulty that Hatori faced andHaru himself did not want to see such a sight ever again. A sight that would tear even the blackest soul apart. Haru only braved the thought that Tohru was nothing like that woman.

Tohru Honda would be different.

After a moment Haru shrugged whispering,"I don't know... I don't know how any normal person would handle something so strange like a boy changing into a cat."


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Tohru slammed the back door closed as the wind pushed her along with it, forcing the door to slam harder than it needed to. She began trudging towards Kyo's house forgetting about his earlier burst of anger and worrying more about another victim to the gate doors. Her own mother died in a car accident and she would do anything to prevent another loss, even to a complete stranger.

Tohru stopped halfway on the path and looked up to the light inside Kyo's abode. But what if he really did not want to see her? He said he'd rather not have her anywhere near him. She would hate to invade his space again.

A sudden thought crossed her mind and a slight smile graced her lips. She turned to her right, veering off her path and heading straight to one of the smaller gates and tugged on the iron handles to close the gate and lock it. She would just do Kyo's job! He hated the rain anyway right?

She pulled the two doors with all her might almost slipping in the mud as her arms gave out. She caught her grip anyway, her vision beginning to cloud over as rain pelets smacked her in the face. It stung, like getting pelted by miniture pebbles in the face. But she wouldn't give up now! She finally got the doors together and pulled the latch over the handles so it would not flop around in the gusts of wind.

She trotted to the opposite end of the grounds and sighed in relief to see that the second smaller gate was already closed and only needed to be locked. She pushed the lock through the handles and was about to go for the main gate when a white flash struck across the sky. She screamed in fright and ran frantically for the largest gate. Following the lightning was a 'boom' of thunder, rattling the poor girl down to her bones. Another flash crossed the black sky, this time making an awful crackling noise as if the lightning had struck a tree.

She was so stupid to be out in a storm like this! But she had to do what she was set out to do!

CRACK CRACK BOOOM

"AHH HAHHHHHH!" TOhru screamed, her piercing voice echoing off the walls surrounding the house. She was utterly petrified and suddenly her rain hat flew off her head, her hair fluttering around wildly making her vision even worse. The rain hurt, the water slightly cool down her neck, and the gusts of wind whipping her hair in her face.

"T-Tohru?"

She spun at the voice. It wasn't even loud compared to everything around her, but she heard it clear as a bell. There Kyo was standing with his own black rain coat on with his head tilted to the side. The sudden sight of Kyo made Tohru suddenly at ease. "K-Kyo-kun!"

Earlier after he yelled at her, Kyo had been broading at the table about going back into the main house and apologizing to the housekeeper when he heard the gates knocking loudly in anguish to the livid winds. He figured no one would go out and close the damn doors and he for one did not feel like hearing the constant slamming of gates. He put on his rain gear and headed for the door.

Just as he opened the door a bright flash of lightning flew in the heavens and he heard her scream. Her bone chilling scream. With flightly feet, he didn't even bother to close the door as he ran out into the rain and toward the gate where he saw that familiar yellow rain coat. Her hat flew away and Tohru already lost her grip on the door handle as she struggled to hang on.

"Tohru, what are you doing out here? Get back in the house!" Kyo said a bit louder now knocked out of his stupor.

"I-I know you d-don't like the r-rain!" She blurted out her eyes closed at the moment.

"To hell with the rain! At least it doesn't make me scared! Please just get--"

CRRRACK A BOOM

"KYO-KUN!" Tohru instantly launched herself into Kyo's arms, the other boy catching her as she gripped him tightly, the lightning-flash scaring Tohru and muffling a rather more subdue boom.

She felt to the floor with a thump and she scraped her elbows on the cement. She was startled for one thing. She glanced under her chest to see she was holding a puddle of blackness. She lifted it up while trying to tame her wild locks of hair to see it was Kyo's raincoat! She peered inside. And it was his clothes!

Suddenly she felt movement on her lower stomach, seeing that she was practically smashing some kind of moving object. She scrambled to sit upright as she pulled from underneath the wet clothes a cat.

A cat?

Her eyebrows furrowed together as she started to sway back and fourth. "But how can that be? Kyo-kun was just here a moment ago and now here I'm holding a... a neko-chan? Ehh...?" Her eyes began to swirl and the orange cat looked away.

"Now you know..."

"Eh?"

"You know my secret."

"It talks... too?" There was a low rumble in the skies as Tohru suddenly caught herself short on breath. She almost went crossed eyed as she began falling to the ground. "I'm sorry... Kyo-kun." In the distance Kyo and Tohru could hear foot steps coming closer.

"Tohru-kun! Kyo-kun!"

"Tohru-san!"

"Kyonkichi!"

Tohru fell over embracing the small cat as her world was rendered in complete darkness. She heard the random voices approaching her, as she and Kyo blanked out. The figures fell to her side, worry and surprise written all over their faces.

"'Tori-san, what do we do?" Shigure asked worried.

Hatori's eyes were filled with apprehension as well. He shook the feeling down and gave orders. "Bring her to her room and call Mine-san to change her clothes, we will figure out what to do from there. Ayame, help me close this gate."

"Can do."

The three men carried off their tasks, two handing the gate and one running back into the house with a soaked woman in his arms as five heads watched the entire scene from the windows with shocked features. Each of them with the same thought running through their minds.

'What will happen now?'

To be continued...

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