I'm sorry! I know it's been a while and I'm sorry! Thanks to my wonderful reviewers: KnowledgeandImagination, exploding korean, Miri-chan, kayjaylew, TohruandYukiforever, JamesBirdsong, sparklybutterfly42, Tokioo, The Character's Death, KusajishiFukutaicho, Nkaura-Ruta-La, Sophia Lena Duchannes Riddle, Michelle Potter-Black, 1Hell of a Monster, and AssassinedAngel.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or its characters therein. All rights go to Natsuki Takaya.

"Has he come out yet?" Shigure asked the Sohma staff member standing by the door of Akito's room. Akito had locked herself into her room the morning Yuki had been discovered frozen outside the door. Well, one form of his body anyway. Akito had gone into a raging fit, breaking everything and screaming at anyone who approached. She forced blame on everyone but herself, accusing them of not letting him inside from the cold. The truth was that Akito had informed everyone that no one was allowed in the rooms near the door she'd locked Yuki out of. No one had known why and no one had questioned her. When Shigure had found the small child asleep, still guarding that section of the house, he'd carried her to bed and thought nothing of it. No one had bothered to ask where Yuki was since there were days that no one saw him and it never surprised anyone to never glimpse Akito's younger companion.

The woman shook her head, saying, "Not yet, Shigure-san."

"I thought as much." Shigure leaned against the wall and made a small motion with his hands. "You can go if you like. I'll stay here for a while." The woman nodded and left Shigure with his thoughts.

When Yuki's frozen clothing and rat body had been discovered … it had caused a bit of an uproar. The whole Sohma estate was still whispering and gossiping and lamenting it. From what Shigure could see though, none but Akito seemed to be truly mourning Yuki's death. They seemed regretful at best; indifferent to Yuki's humanity and mourning only who he was as part of the Zodiac. That was just fate, though, wasn't it? In the end, that was all anyone really knew about Yuki. He kept to himself so much, that no one had been much aware of him. Or had it been that everyone simply ignored him; in hopes to not notice his suffering and feel guilty?

No one had known that small forgotten child. Akito probably knew him best and she was the one who had locked him out in the cold and inadvertently killed him. "What a sad pathetic existence," he muttered, wondering to himself what it must have been like for someone so young to live such an exalted and yet overlooked life.

OoOoO

The next morning Yuki had followed Tohru to school, much to her delight. "I don't have any friends in class," she whispered to him as they entered the classroom. "So I'm really happy you came with me today." The other children were milling around, talking and laughing while they took their seats. Yuki couldn't understand how someone as caring as Tohru didn't have friends with so many people around her.

"Why don't you have any friends here?" Yuki asked, standing by the desk where she was neatly laying out her pencils and erasers.

Tohru didn't look at him and kept organizing her school supplies on the desk. Slowly, she whispered, "They think my name is weird. They say that girls shouldn't be called 'Tohru' and that my parents must have wanted a boy instead of me." Then Tohru looked back up at him and smiled. "But it's okay now, Yuki-kun. Because I have you!"

Yuki couldn't respond right away and looked into her happy and trusting eyes. He knew what he wanted to say; that he wasn't lonely anymore either now that he had her. But it had only been a little more than a day and he couldn't bring himself to admit something so precious out loud. Words were dangerous, vulnerable, and a risk. Even if only she heard him, old habits pressed upon him and he couldn't say what he wanted to. Instead he said something different. "I like your name. I think it sounds nice."

Tohru's face lit up and she smiled. "Really? I'm happy that you think so!"

Yuki smiled, happy to have made someone else (and especially her) happy. He wanted her to be happy and he'd do everything he could so that she could keep that smile with her and never have to lose it. Was it okay? Was it okay to want that when he'd known her for such a short time? He didn't know for sure, but watching her throughout the school day as she tried her best and listened and interacted with others made him happy. It made him happy to see her happy.

Just before lunch, the students were finishing up the math portion of the day and Yuki could tell Tohru wasn't having an easy time. He very nearly had tried to help her, but had stopped himself, remembering how every teacher he'd ever had had always reminded them that they weren't supposed to talk in class. Somehow he still felt as if he should follow that rule even though Tohru would be the only one to hear him. He didn't like watching her struggle when he found the answer so easily.

"Honda," the teacher called. "Why don't you answer this one?"

Tohru looked up nervously, as if hoping that she hadn't actually been called on. "Me?"

"Yes, you." The teacher turned to the board and pointed to the problem, with an expectant smile. "Twelve times six. Can you do it?"

Tohru stood up, embarrassed and clasping her hands behind her back. "I… um… sixty…eight? Sixty-eight?"

Yuki saw her face flush when some of the other kids started laughing behind their hands. Yuki looked around the classroom, their hidden giggles making him angry. Who were they to laugh at her? She was trying, wasn't she? "Seventy-two," he said suddenly. "The answer is seventy-two." Tohru turned to look at him, not understanding. But she stuttered out the answer that he'd given her, twisting her fingers together nervously.

"That's correct! Good job!"

Tohru's eyes met Yuki's again and they exchanged a smile as she sat back down in her seat. Yuki was pleased; Tohru was happy and her classmates had stopped laughing at her. Didn't they realize how rude they were being? So what if she hadn't known the answer? He'd have liked to see one of them try and answer that question correctly right away without first thinking about it. Did they always laugh at her like that? The thought made him sad. Surely, they didn't always laugh like this, right? That would be too cruel. People had questioned his somewhat odd hair and eye color and he'd silently accepted it without further comment. It had hurt though, and he wondered if that was one of the reasons his classmates hadn't wanted to associate with him and had more than often than not excluded him.

Suffice to say, it bothered him to know that Tohru was treated in a similar way. Class let out shortly and Yuki waited for Tohru to put her books in her bag and then followed her outside. "Do they laugh like that often?" he asked.

Tohru's hands gripped her school bag's straps. "I guess so. I'm not very smart though, so they have reasons to." She looked down at the pavement. "That's why I was so happy that you came with me today to school, Yuki-kun. Since none of the kids like me, it's nice to have a friend." Yuki tried to respond but Tohru suddenly broke into a run. "Okaa-san!" Kyoko waved at the school gate and Yuki watched Tohru as she ran straight into her mother's arms.

Kyoko lifted her daughter up and spun her around once. "I got off work early today and thought you and Yuki-kun might like to go to the playground to play. Would you like that?"

Tohru nodded enthusiastically as her mother picked her up and set her on top of her shoulders. "Off we go then! We're on an adventure!"

Yuki stared up, amazed by the love that Kyoko showed her daughter. How could it be that there were parents like this and then parents like his and the other Sohmas? What was different? Had he done something wrong? Was it his fault that his parents were so uncaring? Hadn't Akito suggested similar things to him?

At the park Yuki followed Tohru as she ran around the playground equipment. She was so happy and carefree. Even after all that teasing she was happy. He hoped she never lost that. It would be such a shame if that light went out. Picturing her as sad, upset, or hurt made him want to protect her. He wanted to protect her and her happiness. It was rare for him to have ever felt the childlike happiness that she seemed to live with. Well, at least not in life – only once. And now, again, with her. Whatever gift fate had given him, he would appreciate it. Even if he couldn't physically feel anything, he could feel happiness when he was with her. He could feel it expanding inside his chest and growing.

"Yuki-kun!" Tohru called, holding out her hand. "Come race me on the double slides!"

Yuki smiled and joined her at the top of the two short slides; he'd never raced anyone before. He'd never played on a playground at all, come to think of it. "Should we go on the count of three, Honda-san?"

Tohru had been reaching for the bar above the top of the slide, but stopped when he said her name. "Why do you call me Honda-san, Yuki-kun?"

"It's… your name?"

It wasn't the answer she had been looking for and she shook her head. "No, I mean, why won't you call me 'Tohru'?" She wanted him to be comfortable with her and "Honda-san" sounded so formal. "People call Okaa-san 'Honda-san' but I'm just Tohru."

Yuki had been brought up in such a formal environment that it had seemed natural to him. He didn't want to explain that though, and instead hesitantly stuttered out, "Tohru-kun?"

"That's me!" Tohru said happily. He smiled quietly, enjoying how her name had felt and sounded. It felt like he was closer to her. Closer. These simple daily things he experienced with her, things he'd never experienced until now… they gave him so much joy. Racing down slides, sitting with her while she ate lunch in school, watching her and her mother together. He felt complete. That apartment and the people in it had become exactly what he'd dreamed of.

Loving parents, a home no one would want to leave, a happy home, a warm place, with everyone smiling.

He'd found it. Maybe he couldn't touch it. Maybe he couldn't truly exist there. But he was a part of it, and it was more than he'd ever imagined could become possible. Yuki watched Tohru and Kyoko, the joy warming his heart growing. Kyoko was laughing, fixing Tohru's hair so it wasn't wasn't lopsided like it had been after running around the playground. "There you go!" Kyoko said, giving her daughter's hair one last tweak. She stood up, taking Tohru's hand and then said, "Let's go, Yuki-kun. We've got to get home and fix up something for dinner."

He nodded, wishing he could hold onto Kyoko's other hand the way Tohru could. He wanted to. He knew he couldn't, but as they walked back to the apartment, Yuki watched Kyoko's free hand as it swung back and forth. When Tohru wasn't looking, he quietly reached out his own hand, wanting to at least try. Even if he knew he couldn't, he wanted to try. His fingertips flowed right through her hand as he knew they would but—

Tires screeched on the pavement, glass shattered, and then there was a thud. The onlookers gasped and screamed, some running forward to try and help.

"Someone call an ambulance! Is the driver okay?"

Eyes widening, Yuki pulled his hand away from Kyoko's, staring up at her. What… what had that been? The scene had been blurred and only the sounds had been clear. He reached out his hand again, trying to touch her once more, this time shutting his eyes tightly. Whatever it was, it had sounded bad, he didn't want it to be Kyoko. He didn't want her to be hurt. The sounds were back, but he concentrated, terrified that it was Kyoko; it couldn't be her.

Blood on the pavement; so much blood. And the woman lying there, her orange-dyed hair stained with crimson was slowly dying, her life fading...

"No!" Yuki yanked his hand away, not wanting to see any more of that horrible scene. "Not her! That's not fair!" Yuki shook his head, refusing to believe it even as the tears began to flow. Kyoko couldn't die! What would happen to Tohru? What would happen to that loving home? "Not her, not her, not her," Yuki repeated, shaking his head.

Tohru let go of Kyoko's hand and ran back to her friend, worried. "Yuki-kun? What's wrong?" Why was he looking at her like that? Why was he crying? She reached out to him, wanting to comfort him.

Tohru, a grown-up Tohru in a high school uniform, knelt by a hospital bed crying. But there was no beeping to indicate a heartbeat. There was no life in Kyoko's still body.

Yuki stumbled backwards, covering his face with his hands and screaming. "Make it stop! Someone make it stop!" He couldn't understand and he didn't know what to do. Kyoko couldn't die. Tohru loved her mother too much; they needed eachother. Yuki clutched his knees to his chest, not wanting to believe any of it. That couldn't be in their future. Not these precious people. Not them.

"Okaa-san, something's wrong. Yuki-kun's hurt, I think!" Tohru pulled her mother back to Yuki who was now clutching his ears there on the sidewalk repeating something to himself over and over again. Tohru got down on her knees next to him, at a loss.

Unsure, Kyoko got down too and leaned forward, knowing that Tohru was counting on her to fix whatever the problem was. "Hey, kiddo," she said softly. "Whatever hurts, whatever's wrong, it'll get better. We'll go home and then we'll try again, okay? Things are going to be okay."

But they weren't. Yuki knew something and he couldn't just forget it and move on. He couldn't look at either of them; they were fragile beings and he knew how they were going to break and shatter. What could he do? He wouldn't let them shatter. He wouldn't.

Poor Yun. I just won't let him be happy. I give him a family and then threaten to take it away. Anyway, what did you think? I'm sorry it took so long and I hope it was worth the wait. Was it? I hope you enjoyed it, either way. Review? Please?