Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ A Bump in the Road ❯ Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone? ( Chapter 6 )

Bump in the Road: Chapter Six

 

A/N: First of all, great thanks to Aoi for all her help beta'ing. This was a rough chapter to write, and turned out to be a little longer than the rest. We want everyone to know that we have absolutely no intention of leaving this fic to fizzle and die out. It's all outlined out, and we're NOT going to desert it. There may be a gap between chapters when RL hits us both hard, but a gap is just a gap. We're glad everyone seems to be enjoying the story, and we hope you continue enjoying it! (There's an extra A/N at the end, by the way.)

 

Chapter Six: Where, Oh, Where Has My Little Dog Gone?

 

Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion
be your tutor: suit the action to the word, the
word to the action, with this special observance
that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature: for any
thing so overdone is from the purpose of playing, whose
end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as
'twere, the mirror up to nature...

 

~Hamlet, III ii

 

Hatori let himself into Shigure's house, kicking off his shoes. The house felt strangely lifeless, but he suspected that had less to do with the children being at school and more to do with the absence of its master.

 

Hatori rubbed his brow wearily and padded into the spotless kitchen to make himself some tea. He knew that Shigure was, technically, a responsible adult, capable of taking care of himself. But there was something wrong with his absence this time.

 

He's probably laughing at how upset we all are.

 

The sentiment rang hollow, no matter how many times Hatori repeated it to himself as he watched the tea steep. Not even Shigure would leave, not under these conditions, not when....

 

I think you envy him a little bit.

 

Hatori winced as Mayuko's voice echoed in his head. God knows why, but I think you envy him. It's silly, Hatori-kun. You're not him.

 

"I know," he said softly. "That's the problem." He couldn't agree with Shigure's tactics in breaking the curse, but at least Shigure had tactics. He was doing something, not simply keeping faithful watch over a time forever frozen in memory. And if Shigure were gone....

 

We'll all still be trapped in the banquet. We might never get another chance.

 

Hatori was still standing in the kitchen when Ayame's footsteps came down the stairwell. The Dragon took a deep breath and turned, steeling himself to prepare for the onslaught of, well, Ayame. But when he turned, he was surprised at the sight of his dramatic friend. For once, Ayame looked as worn as Hatori felt. His silver hair was tied back and braided, and he looked uncharacteristically rumpled. The Snake sent Hatori a tremulous smile as he hovered on the threshold to the kitchen.

 

"'Tori-san," he said, elegant fingers toying with the end of his braid, "you're here. I didn't hear you come in." And then, in a flash, the hesitancy was gone. The wattage of Ayame's smile increased as he crossed the kitchen, enfolding Hatori in a crushing hug. "The children haven't returned yet, but I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see you when they do!" Grasping Hatori's shoulders, Ayame leaned back, beaming.

 

From that distance, the Dragon could see just how red Ayame's eyes were. His delicate skin offered no concealment; Ayame was never very good at hiding his emotions, any of them.

 

"How long have you been back, 'Tori-san?" Before Hatori could answer, Ayame's attention snapped to the countertop. "Is that tea?" He clucked his tongue. "Shame on you, 'Tori-san -- I will make you some of my tea!" With that, he dumped the now-cold, too-bitter tea into the sink. Glad to have a task on which to focus his considerable energy, Ayame moved around the kitchen, setting water on to boil and warming the tetsubin.

 

The Dragon felt nausea settle in his gut, black, tickling tendrils creeping upward to his throat. There was something inherently wrong with the situation; things were not as they should have been, and the world Hatori had always worked so hard to construct and maintain around the limitations of the Curse was now tilting out of control. Inside him was the ingrained compulsion to fix whatever wasn't right, but this was beyond his reach. This was not within his control.

 

Swallowing against the rising bile, he took a few deep breaths in an effort to control the anxiety, affecting the calm demeanor everyone would expect from him.

 

"Has he called?" Hatori asked evenly, knowing the answer. If Shigure had called, if he were home, Ayame would have been delirious with joy; he would have rung Hatori's cell phone every ten minutes with reports on Shigure's well-being. There would be crepe paper and paper lanterns festooned all around the house, inside and out. He probably would have even hired an orchestra for the occasion.

 

The Snake hesitated briefly as he measured out the tea, shaking his head. But when he looked up, that same bright smile was firmly in place; to Hatori's eye, it looked brittle. "However, I have taken it upon myself to prepare our beloved 'Gure-san's room for his imminent return!"

 

Again, crepe paper and lanterns flickered through Hatori's thoughts; he nearly smiled, but couldn't. "Oh?"

 

As it turned out, Ayame had been in the midst of preparing Shigure's room. He'd aired it out, changed the linens--

 

'...I don't want to sleep on that laundry pile you call a bed.'

 

'It's not that bad. Tohru-kun cleaned it off two weeks ago.'

 

--and included everything from a collection of Shigure's favorite novels on the nightstand to a vase of fresh flowers to greet him. The implication was clear: Ayame fully expected Shigure to return before the flowers wilted. The Dragon had a sneaking suspicion that Ayame would replace the flowers before they began to droop.

 

When the tea finished steeping, Ayame poured some into a small cup and presented it to Hatori with a characteristic flourish. On one hand, Hatori half-wished the Snake would stop trying so very hard to pretend that nothing was amiss; on the other, he was thankful for the effort. He accepted the cup, murmuring a soft word of thanks, and took a sip. "Delicious," he murmured.

 

Ayame beamed. "You're very lucky I came down when I did, 'Tori-san; I wanted to see whether Tohru-kun had any cucumber." With gentle fingertips, he patted the reddened patches of skin under his eyes. "It will not do for 'Gure-san to see any sign of distress!"

 

On the contrary, Hatori thought darkly, I think that may be exactly what he needs to see.

 

The Snake was cutting cucumber rounds for his eyes (four of them, offering two to Hatori, despite the fact that the latter didn't want or need them) when a familiar female voice called out, "Taidaima!"

 

"Tohru-kun!" Ayame sang, cutting two more cucumber rounds. "We're in the kitchen!"

 

When Tohru walked in, she was followed not only by Yuki and Kyou, but Momiji and Hatsuharu as well. Hatori frowned internally; he hadn't wanted news of Shigure's disappearance to spread so far that Akito heard about it. But then, it was unlikely the Dragon would have been able to keep the news from Momiji for very long, and both the Ox and Rabbit were certainly trustworthy. As long as they were the only Juunishi who knew the circumstances, the situation should be containable.

 

Containable, he sighed inwardly. He was used to hiding the truth from outsiders, but this -- this was completely different. They were defying Akito. The first thing they should have done upon realizing that Shigure was missing was notify Akito. But that option was not a viable one. He felt the Dragon's spirit struggle within him, but Hatori held firm -- he had to. It was for the best. And if Akito found out... well, Akito just wouldn't find out.

 

Ironically, this was a situation he would have much preferred seeing Shigure take by the horns. It was one thing to treat Akito in a general capacity, but quite another to hide the truth regarding Shigure's disappearance. In this unpleasantly unique arena, Hatori felt inexperienced and unqualified, and he hated it.

 

When Yuki and Kyou came into the kitchen, Hatori saw identical expressions of dismay cross their faces when they saw the Snake. He'd expected as much; dealing with Ayame took a great deal of energy, and at that moment he sorely doubted that either Kyou or Yuki had enough energy to do anything of the sort.

 

Perhaps predictably, the Snake turned to face his brother, a torrent of words tumbling from his lips. "Yuki! Allow me to comfort you in this moment of--"

 

"Not now, Ayame," Hatori said, quietly. Ayame glanced at him before falling silent -- something the doctor hadn't been sure his friend was capable of doing on his best days. Nodding a little, he sent Ayame a small, fleeting smile before taking another sip of his tea.

 

"H-Hatori-san," Tohru began hesitantly. She looked around the kitchen with wide, hopeful eyes. "Have you and Ayame-san..." She paused, gnawing lightly on her bottom lip. "Have you found Shigure-san?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Honda-kun. Neither of us has heard from him."

"...Oh," she replied, her shoulders drooping as she looked down at her hands.

 

"Damn it," Kyou muttered. Frowning, he sent a sidelong glance Tohru's way. For a long moment, it looked as if he might reach out and reassure her, but then Ayame spoke, shattering the silence and sending Kyou's hand falling limply by his side.

"I'm certain he'll be fine, Tohru-kun!" the Snake chirped. "'Gure-san is not one to simply vanish into the background!" Ayame's arm swooped in a wide arc as he turned gracefully, sending his braid swinging with the quasi-pirouette.

Yuki crossed his arms, pressing his lips into a thin line as he looked between Hatori and Tohru, effectively ignoring his brother, who had by that point turned back to the sliced cucumber rounds, picking them up and leaving the room quickly. The Dragon watched him go, his brows knitting into a frown. He'd made an effort to reassure the youngsters, but between Shigure's disappearance and the unseasonably cold weather, Hatori didn't blame him for slipping out. He was probably going up to Shigure's room for a bit of rest .

 

Yuki's voice pulled his attention back to the fore. "What do we do now?"

"I think we should sit down." And, without waiting for the rest of them, Hatori walked into the living room and took a seat at the kotatsu. As the younger Juunishi filed in, he fixed his gaze on the Cat, who took a seat on the floor, leaning against one wall. He was frowning, but it was difficult to tell if that was because he was in pain, or simply because he was Kyou. "How are you feeling, Kyou?"

 

Kyou hesitated sheepishly, glancing at Tohru before muttering a curt, "Fine."

 

But Tohru had already heard the exchange and was smiling broadly at Hatori, despite her obvious worry. "Kyou-kun has been very good about taking his medication!" she said brightly, which made the Cat blush deeply.

 

"Medication for what?" Yuki asked quietly, his tone carefully neutral.

"I said I'm fine." There was a growling edge to the Cat's words.

 

Hatori turned to Yuki, gauging him; if the Rat didn't know what damage he'd inflicted, he was about to find out. "Kyou somehow managed to crack a rib," he said evenly.

A beat of silence passed. Yuki's eyes widened as he looked at Hatori and back to Kyou. He opened his mouth to say something when Kyou's voice, sharp with pain and fatigue, cut him off. "I fell off the roof."

Garnet eyes met lavender, and the Dragon saw an entire conversation telegraphed across the kotatsu in seconds:

 

You didn't fall off the roof.

 

Shut up.

 

You know you didn't fall off the roof. Why are you lying about it?

 

SHUT UP.

 

Yuki shot him an accusatory glare, which Kyou met with characteristic defiance, and the tension in the room grew until Hatsuharu's mild voice shattered it.

 

"I've never known you to fall off the roof, Kyou," he said quietly.

"Well, I have," he retorted hotly. "Twice."

Hatori's eyes stayed on Yuki. The Rat pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes, never looking away from the Cat. It was clear he made a conscious decision not to say anymore -- as long as they had an audience.

 

Interesting.

 

The Dragon cleared his throat pointedly and watched as the younger Juunishi settled down. "As you all know, we still haven't heard anything from Shigure. No one's seen him." He cast a look around the table. "I assume nothing's changed."

 

A soft murmur went around the table before Yuki cleared his throat to speak. "We've searched the roads around the house. He's nowhere around here."

Hatori nodded. "I've checked the hospitals and the...." He paused, coughing softly. "...And the morgues. The good news is nothing's checked out." Off to his side, he saw that Tohru had paled slightly and was looking down at her hands, her fingers picking at each other. Hatori swallowed. "He's not there, Honda-kun," he said again.

 

Tohru only nodded. Momiji reached out, placed one hand over hers and gave her a comforting pat, sending her a warm, reassuring smile. Hatori cleared his throat, recapturing their attention.

 

"As good as this news is, it leads us to... the less desirable conclusion. If he's not injured as a human -- "

"He's a dog. Still," Yuki interjected, his tone flat.

Pursing his lips, Hatori nodded. "Precisely."

"They could have just not found him yet," Hatsuharu ventured.

 

The Dragon gave a stern shake of his head. "We're not thinking like that, Hatsuharu."

"Besides," Yuki said, looking at the Ox, "he was on his way home from the grocery store. It's a straight trip from here to the market. He's ... he's nowhere around. No matter what form he's in, there's no trace of him."

 

"Exactly," Hatori replied. "So, what we need to do next is--" A firm knock at the front door cut off his words and every head turned in the direction of the noise. In a moment Tohru was on her feet, hurrying towards the door. Hatori didn't have the heart to point out to her that if it were Shigure, he wouldn't be knocking at his own front door.

On some level, even Tohru realized that Shigure wouldn't have bothered knocking, but the sound had sent her hope soaring. Her steps were quick and light as she approached the door, pulling it open with a sharp jerk, sure, absolutely certain that Shigure-san would be on the other side of the door.

 

But when Tohru opened the front door, it wasn't Shigure-san standing before her. Instead, Tohru found Shiraki-sensei on the stoop, fidgeting awkwardly.

 

She blinked once, then twice, her mouth working silently. "Shiraki-sensei?"

 

"Honda," her teacher replied with a nod, still looking uncomfortable.

"Ah... Sh-Shiraki-sensei, it's..." Tohru paused, letting out a short, nervous laugh. "It's such a... surprise to see you!" What on earth could she be doing here? Oh, no! Does she want to speak with Shigure-san? Is it because Kyou-kun and Yuki-kun have been fighting? No, it can't be -- they don't fight at school very much anymore. Maybe something's wrong with our grades and she needs to speak with him? What if she finds out Shigure-san isn't HERE?! "I-is something wrong, Shiraki-sensei?" Oh, no! Maybe she noticed I wasn't paying attention in class today!

Shiraki-sensei didn't reply right away, and when she spoke, her words came slowly, carefully. "I, ah, I'm here because your--"

A deep voice from somewhere over Tohru's left shoulder interrupted her and made Tohru's attention swerve. "Mayuko. You made it."

 

Tohru jumped, moving aside, her eyes widening. "Hatori-san!" She looked back and forth between her teacher and the tall, quiet doctor, and after a moment she realized that Shiraki-sensei was... blushing?

 

"Ah...Hatori-kun," she said, sending the Dragon a warm, shy smile that transformed her features completely. After a moment she looked around, asking, "Is he back?"

 

"No, not yet."

 

The smile faded, and she sighed. "How're you holding up?"

"I'm managing," he replied, ushering her in. "Thank you for coming." Hatori closed the door and finally saw Tohru looking between the two of them. "I'm sorry, Honda-kun, I should have warned you."

Tohru blinked once, twice. "...Warned me?"

"That I asked Mayuko to help. She... knows Shigure."

Several seconds passed before Tohru spoke -- her thoughts were streaming out in every possible direction. "...Oh," she said, finally. She watched in silence as Shiraki-sensei slipped out of her shoes and set down her bag, still heavy with school books and student papers.

 

And then something strange happened.

 

As Shiraki-sensei straightened, Hatori reached out, touching her arm lightly. "I do appreciate this," he said quietly, his eyes warming slightly as he regarded her.

"I'm glad to help." She smiled for a moment before her lips twisted wryly. "Besides, if he was hiding anywhere around here, he would've popped out by now just to annoy me."

"That did occur to me," he deadpanned.

 

Tohru took a small step back, unable to shake the feeling that she was intruding. When Hatori-san's fingers lingered just a moment too long against Shiraki-sensei's wrist, Tohru was sure she was intruding. And yet, the smile that passed between them was one that Tohru had never seen on the Doctor before, and another flutter of hope, a tiny one, rose in her chest.

"So," Shiraki-sensei was saying, "have I missed much?"

"We were just deciding what to do next," he replied, hesitating a bare moment before sliding his hand into hers.

 

It was at that moment that Tohru decided it would be an excellent idea to make some tea and hurried to the kitchen.

 

 

Hatori was hyper-aware of Mayuko's hand in his as he led her back to the living room. Her skin was warm against his, and despite the comfort her presence brought him, they'd been keeping their slowly-developing relationship a secret for so long, the idea of anyone in the family seeing them made the Dragon's stomach twist anxiously. When they walked into the living room, the reactions were varied, if nothing else. Hatsuharu appeared only mildly surprise, while Yuki's face reflected quiet shock and Kyou's eyes bugged. Momiji, who had been privy to the secret, merely smiled and waved.

 

I appear to be making a habit of defying Kami-sama, he thought wryly.

 

Hatori cleared his throat and glanced around the room. "I assume all of you know Shiraki Mayuko." Greetings of varying volumes came from around the table and Hatori coughed softly. "And you, in turn, have been unfortunate to meet all of them."

 

"What the HELL?" Kyou burst out, sputtering.

 

"Mayuko is an old friend of mine and Ayame's. And Shigure's." He paused. "Somewhat."

Haru leaned over to Momiji. "You didn't say," he murmured.

 

Momiji held a finger to his lips, whispering, "It's a secret."

 

Haru nodded solemnly, looking again at the teacher and the Dragon. "I understand."

 

"So... What, she knows?" Kyou said, eyes narrowed and arms folded.

"She knows that Shigure is missing," Hatori replied evenly.

"Is that all?" Yuki asked.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence that seemed to stretch out for days as Mayuko and Hatori exchanged a meaningful glance. "...And the rest of it."

 

After an embarrassing encounter in his car after a date, Hatori had found himself tossed into yet another bathtub. The experience with Mayuko had been different, of course, because she was different, but it had served to strengthen the bond between them, making the shift from friendship to something more a bit smoother. And once Shigure and Ayame learned that she knew, well, it was downhill from there. He'd been more concerned about Shigure learning the truth, but so far the Dog had kept quiet about the truth of the situation.

Another awkward silence followed. Mayuko coughed delicately. "Anyway, how's the hunt going?"

 

At this point, Tohru came back into the room, carrying a tray laden with a teapot and cups. Busily, she poured and served the ginseng blend before sitting down again, taking a spot near Kyou.

 

"We were just discussing where to widen the search," Hatori answered, sipping at his tea. "While I've got it on my list to call Animal Control and check with them, there are still hundreds of pet stores and veterinarian's clinics in Tokyo."

Yuki nodded. "Do you think if we split up and looked...?"

"That's the best thing I can think of to do," Hatori replied, ignoring Kyou's groan. "We can call some of them, but even if we eliminate those which don't have a large black dog in their records...."

Mayuko tilted her head, a thoughtful frown at her lips as she toyed with the teacup. "...What if someone found him?"

"That'd be interesting," Haru murmured.

But Kyou shook his head. "They'd probably just turn him over to a shelter."

Yuki nodded, resting his elbow against the table and propping his chin in his palm. "Not many people have room for a dog that size."

"Especially in Tokyo. Now, we can still hope that he's in an environment where he can transform back safely and call us, but if he is in one of those places, that's not likely." Hatori got to his feet and walked to the kitchen, coming back a short while later with a thick sheaf of paper. He knelt again. "This is a listing of all of the pet stores and veterinary clinics within a ten mile radius of the house. There's no point in looking outside this ring until... well, it becomes necessary."

Mayuko tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Do you think it's possible to let those places know we're looking for a big black dog? That way, if one comes in, someone could be notified?"

"Don't people usually put up signs and things?" Haru asked, drinking from his cup. "Lost, family pet? Maybe we should do that."

"Yes, Hatsuharu. That's how people normally go about it."

"We could do both," Momiji chimed in. "We could put up posters AND ask someone to call us if someone turns in Shii-chan."

The Ox nodded. "We could give them a copy." He frowned thoughtfully. "Do we have a picture of him like that?"

Hatori said nothing for a moment. "...I might. I'm sure Ayame does." Then the Dragon took a deep breath and expelled it, turning his teacup around in a slow circle on the table. "That takes care of the searching. Unfortunately... we need to keep Akito from noticing anything unusual. It helps that Shigure has already separated himself so much from the main house, but Akito still wants to see him a great deal and, as you all know, is prone to demanding Shigure's attention randomly."

 

With the mention of the god, a somber cloud settled over the collected Juunishi. Without a word, Mayuko took the sheaf of paper out of Hatori's hand and left the living room, ostensibly in search of a phone.

Withdrawing a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, he pulled one out and lit it, inhaling deeply before blowing out a cloud of smoke. "I've arranged with Mit-chan for a... cover story of sorts, that she's sent Shigure out of town for a bit of research for a week or so. However, I'd like to avoid using that until it's absolutely necessary." He looked around the kotatsu; all of the younger Juunishi were avoiding his gaze. He knew what he was asking -- what they were doing. Defying the god -- hiding the truth behind the whereabouts of one of her favorite Juunishi -- was a dangerous game.

"She... agreed?" Yuki said slowly.

Hatori nodded before adding, wryly, "I promised her I would help the next few times she needed to get a manuscript from Shigure. I also recommended a good doctor who can help her with her chronic ulcer."

 

Frowning faintly, the Rat spoke again. "How much does she know about the situation?"

Hatori lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Only that he's missing without any explanation. Luckily, Shigure doing such a thing is not implausible." He took another drag on the cigarette and blew out the smoke. "I also told her that he hadn't told us when he'd be back. She found that slightly less believable, but... we need to keep Akito distracted until..." He gestured with the lit cigarette. "Until we can't anymore."

"Does Kureno know anything yet?" Kyou asked.

Hatori shook his head. "I told him that Shigure was... unavailable. And that Akito needed to be kept from asking questions." He grimaced. "He said he'd try, but he's not... good at resisting Akito's demands. Of course, none of us are, really." No one said a word, and even Hatori's eyes were trained on the ribboning stream of smoke twining upwards from his burning cigarette. "So," he said finally, "we can count on Kureno's help, for what that's worth. And I've already taken steps to secure the next few days. He's been complaining of feeling poorly due to the weather." The doctor shifted uncomfortably and looked away, faintly embarrassed. "I... gave him some sedatives and suggested he get a lot of rest."

 

"I'm sure we'll find him, Hatori-san," Tohru said firmly. "With all of us looking, we'll definitely find Shigure-san." She punctuated her words with an authoritative nod and, for a moment, it was impossible not to believe her.

 

Hatori couldn't help the small smile. "I know we will, Honda-kun."

After a moment, the Ox cleared his throat. "When he's feeling better..." he trailed off, twisting a silver ring around one of his fingers. "I'll spend time with him. He always likes that."

 

The "he" to whom Haru was referring needed no specification. Hatori regarded his younger cousin gravely, but said nothing.

 

A fleeting half-smile passed the Haru's lips. "It's a good thing you drugged him, Hatori-nii. It'll take me that long to talk Rin into it." He glanced at Yuki, who was staring at his hands. "That way you can go out and look, Yuki."

"You don't have to, Hatsuharu," Hatori said quietly.

 

But Haru would not be deterred. "If we're trying to delay him... if I skip scho--" And then, remembering that a teacher was nearby, he stopped suddenly and looked around. He cleared his throat and went on. "If I skip school for a few days to stay with Akito..." he shrugged. "Hopefully that'll make him happy enough that he won't want to see Sensei." He frowned thoughtfully. "Rin's going to be pretty mad at me, though."

Kyou snorted. "Oh, like that'll be a change."

"She's been pretty good lately," Haru replied solemnly. After a moment, he tilted his head. "What about Kagura-nee? And Kisa and Hiro?"

Yuki was already shaking his head. "It might be better if ... they didn't know?" He glanced at Hatori for confirmation.

The Dragon took a final pull on the cigarette before stubbing it out in an ashtray. "We can't all go haring off to look for Shigure."

"It would only raise Akito's suspicions," Yuki said, nodding slowly. "And if Ritsu knew..." He trailed off, shuddering. Kyou and Hatori both grimaced at the thought of the Monkey's reaction -- overreaction -- to the situation.

"...I might be able to get some kids from Shishou's dojo to help," Kyou volunteered.

Haru tilted his head, eyeing Kyou for a long moment. "Is that a good idea?"

The Cat shrugged, and then winced at the movement. "I'm just gonna say it's a family pet."

"And I'm sure Uo-chan and Hana-chan would be more than happy to help!" Tohru chirped.

Yuki rested his elbows on the table, sighing thoughtfully. "We lose so much of the day being in school. Hopefully we'll find him before the weekend is out."

 

Nodding, Hatori looked askance at the Rabbit. "We can take turns making phone calls during clinic hours, and forestalling Akito."

Momiji nodded authoritatively. "You can count on me!"

Hatori pulled another cigarette from the pack and lit it. "I think that covers our greatest concern."

Yuki nodded at the open doorway. "The list you gave Shiraki-sensei -- is that the only copy?"

 

"For now," Hatori replied. "I thought it would be easiest to divide one list up amongst us." As he said this, he pushed himself to his feet and headed for the doorway, where he paused. "Momiji, you and Hatsuharu should return to the main house before it gets too late. I'll bring your portions of the list when I return tonight." After a moment's hesitation, Hatori disappeared into the hall, where he found Mayuko sitting on the floor, the telephone wedged against her shoulder. She had the sheaf in her lap and held a pencil in her hand. As he got closer, she looked up and smiled.

 

"I think we're done with the family business," he said quietly.

"Excellent, I--" In a fraction of a second, her attention went back to the voice on the telephone. "Yes, I was holding." There was a pause, and she nodded. "That's right. A large, black dog." There was another, longer pause and her eyebrow arched. "How old? I... don't know -- full grown, I guess." She was quiet again and looked suddenly crestfallen. "Thanks anyway," she said, hanging up with a sigh.

"It's so hard to estimate our ages in our other forms," he said quietly.

She rubbed her hands over her face. "I'm pretty sure dogs don't live till thirty, either."

"Not normally."

She handed him the list and got to her feet. "Got through about the first fifteen places. It's not much, but..."

 

"Every bit helps, Mayuko," he replied, looking over the list. Most of the entries were marked with X's, one or two with stars, and some with question marks.

 

She saw the puzzlement on his face and laughed. "The X's are for places that don't have any large black dogs, the stars are for places that do, and the question marks are for the places I have to call back."

Hatori nodded, glancing through the list. "I'll divide the rest up amongst us."

Mayu sighed a little, scowling and crossing her arms over her chest. "You'd better kick his ass when he does come back. I might just do it for you."

"I believe Kyou has claimed first right," he replied gravely.

Folding her arms, she tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. "Hmph. I've been wanting to do it a lot longer."

"Perhaps the two of you could take turns," he said with a small smile.

Her gaze softened as she reached up, brushing his bangs back with her fingertips. "I just see how worried this has you, and I hate it."

Hatori closed his eyes against the feather-light caress. The tips of her fingers brushed the bridge of his nose, then his cheek. "He's so..." He trailed off, blowing out a breath. "He balances us, in a strange way."

"In a very strange way," she muttered.

Hatsuharu and Momiji chose that precise moment to come out into the front hall. Neither boy paid particular attention to the couple standing in the corridor. Hatsuharu looked particularly placid. "Momiji and I are heading home now, Hatori-nii."

The Dragon nodded. "Thank you for your help, Hatsuharu. Momiji, I'll see you later tonight."

 

The Rabbit beamed and nodded, waving before he trotted out the door with a, "Ja ne!" Haru, however, remained, looking back and forth between Mayuko and Hatori for several seconds before his face lit into a startlingly sweet smile.

"I'm glad you're happy again, Hatori-nii." And then he was gone.

Blinking suddenly, Hatori started, a slight blush warming his cheeks. Mayu stood beside him, looking away, her cheeks growing uncomfortably hot as she pushed imaginary strands of hair behind her ear.

 

When both boys were gone, he looked at her and sighed a little. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay." She sent him a rueful smile. "We've been keeping it so... secret, I'm not used to anyone noticing."

 

"Hatsuharu is alarmingly perceptive about certain things." There was an awkward pause before Hatori coughed softly. "We should get back in there." He took her hand again, this time with more confidence, and led her back into the living room where Yuki, Kyou and Tohru all sat around the kotatsu. The Dragon's keen eyes also caught Kyou keeping a close watch on Tohru as she cleared away the extra teacups and carried them into the kitchen. Tohru, of course, was largely oblivious to the keen garnet gaze that followed her movements.

 

For her part, Tohru was glad -- relieved, really -- that everyone was willing to come together like this and search for Shigure-san. As worried as Tohru was about her ersatz guardian, she'd been able to find comfort in everyone's willingness to work together.

 

Their collective optimism gave her hope.

 

After refreshing the tea, she sat down again, sighing a little at the kotatsu's warmth. She glanced at Kyou, frowning a little at the way he seemed to be sitting so still. His movements were stilted and cautious, and she could only imagine how much pain he must be in. For Kyou to admit weakness was one thing, but now he didn't seem able to hide it, and that only worried her more.

 

"...Hey." His quiet, husky voice cut through her thoughts, and she gave him a warm smile.

 

"How are you feeling?"

 

He started to shrug but stopped. "Hurts a little."

 

Tohru frowned, looking down at her hands. When she looked up again, her eye caught the digital numbers on the VCR across the room. Upon realizing what time it was, she gasped. "Kyou-kun! I haven't given you your medicine yet tonight!"

Kyou looked at her, and for a moment it almost looked as if he was going to laugh. "It's okay," he said, controlling the smile that wanted to twitch across his mouth. Tohru, however, wasn't listening; she was digging into the pocket of her skirt, withdrawing a small brown bottle and presenting it to him.

 

"You carry those around with you everywhere?" he asked, taking the bottle from her hands. When she nodded, he only rolled his eyes, tapping two tablets out into his hand and dry-swallowing them before handing the bottle back to her.

"All right," Hatori said, taking several sheets of paper out of the sheaf and handing it to Mayuko, who did the same. "Divide these numbers up among you. I'll make sure that Momiji and Hatsuharu get theirs."

 

The sheets made the rounds, going from Mayuko to Yuki, who looked through the sheets with a thoughtful frown before saying, "We'll all work on these."

 

Hatori nodded, then shot a look at Kyou. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Feels like it's gonna rain," he grunted. A beat of silence passed, and he blew out an exhausted breath. "I think I'm gonna go lie down." He got up, stiffly, and winced.

 

Tohru worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "Do you need anything, Kyou-kun?"

 

He looked down at her with a half-smile. "Nah. Just waiting for the stuff to kick in."

 

Tohru smiled back, but it was a worried smile. He nodded a little before leaving the room. Moments later, they all heard his slow footfalls as he climbed the stairs. Soon all was silent. Hatori blew out a deep breath and rubbed his hand across his forehead.

 

"You okay?" Mayuko asked softly, placing a hesitant hand against his arm. He nodded, but only after pulling yet another cigarette out from the battered, nearly-depleted pack.

 

He lit it, inhaling and exhaling slowly. "...How are you, Yuki?"

 

The Rat didn't answer right away. "I really thought he would have come back by now."

 

Hatori nodded. "Despite Shigure's behavior in the past, this isn't like him -- we should have heard from him by now. I can only assume that something is actually wrong."

Yuki drummed his fingers on the tabletop. "I want to start looking as soon as we can. The sooner we start, the sooner we find him and put an end to this."

 

"I agree." The Dragon took another deep drag on the cigarette. "...Yuki," he said on the exhale.

 

"Yes?"

"I'd rather you looked for Shigure than... anything else."

"...I understand."

 

A few moments of thoughtful silence passed before Mayuko spoke up. "You know, while I don't condone missing class as a rule, given that this is a family emergency..." She let her words trail off temptingly.

 

Yuki gaped at his teacher, blinking in shock, while Hatori schooled his chuckle into a cough.

 

She arched an eyebrow at him. "As long as Honda-kun collects your work and Kyou's," she said, gesturing vaguely at the ceiling. "But so help me, if there's nothing wrong with Shigure and this is one big joke..."

 

"I think it's safe to say there will be a line for that," Hatori said darkly.

 

"A long line," Yuki muttered.

 

***

 

The hazy warmth that had settled on the canine Sohma dissipated slightly with the faraway sound of a door opening and closing. Shigure blinked awake, his disorientation compounded by the long shadows in the room. It took a second or two, and when he did remember, his head collapsed back against the pillow with a soft groan. He hadn't planned on falling asleep quite that soundly. He lay there for a moment, one ear flicking as he listened; someone was moving around in one of the other rooms. The refrigerator door opened and closed, and the sound of muted footsteps met his ears.

 

Hime-chan was home from work. Damn it.

 

He yawned widely and lifted his head from the pillow, giving it a slight shake to clear it. The ache in his ribs had abated somewhat, and Shigure knew better than to think that the fuzziness in his head and his markedly decreased discomfort were a happy coincidence. Indignation warred with relief for a short moment -- if he wasn't in pain, then the situation was already improved.

 

Moving slowly from the bed, Shigure settled himself on all four legs, making sure he was stable on at least three of those legs before limping out of the bedroom. He was halfway down the corridor that led to the living room when he heard a faint tapping nearby. Stopping, he tilted his head, listening. Poking his head into an adjacent room and nosing the door open, he found his benefactress in a home office, sitting at a low desk, working diligently on a computer. He walked into the room, joining her, and lowered himself down onto his haunches. A quick scan of her desk revealed no telephone, so he shifted his gaze and watched her instead.

 

Hime-chan wore an expression of deep concentration as she typed lightly at a computer, her fingers moving rapidly over the keys. Nearly a full minute passed before she felt the weight of his gaze and looked up with a start. "God, you're quiet when you want to be, aren't you?" She shook her head, chuckling ruefully before reaching down and giving his ears a rub. After a few seconds of this, she turned attention again to the computer screen.

 

This time Shigure followed her gaze and blinked. Lines upon lines of computer code graced the monitor. Several browser windows were open as well as two or three email windows. He glanced back at hime-chan in time to see her scowl at the screen and slouch forward, resting her elbows on the desk, blowing long dark bangs out of her eyes. She straightened, arching her back as she rubbed at her face.

 

"Looking at it all day didn't make a damned bit of difference. Tonight should be no exception." Her hand slid down to her neck, massaging it, before sliding down to her shoulder, where she rubbed, grimacing. "Ugh. I'm too young for arthritis," she muttered darkly.

 

This led Shigure to wonder how old his hostess was. He looked up at her, deciding that she probably wasn't quite thirty.

 

Hime-chan stood and twisted at the waist, cracking her back before looking down at Shigure. "Well, Sleeping Beauty, did you have a nice rest?" she asked, stretching again; numerous pops and cracks followed. She leaned down, running a hand over his head and down to his neck. "You still look a little dopey. Sorry about that. Feeling better?"

 

As much as I hate to admit it, I am. He sighed. The whole day, wasted. Physically he was feeling... well, he still felt like hell, but maybe one of the lesser levels now. But, still -- he wasn't anywhere closer to finding a telephone. He shot a hopeful glance at her computer; he could probably find an opportunity to send Hatori an email, but Shigure was technically challenged on his best days. Mit-chan had been after him for months to consider a website, but he had steadfastly declined.

 

"I don't know about you," his benefactress was saying as she walked slowly to the door, "but I could go for a long soak in a hot bath right about now." She reached behind her, rubbing at the small of her back and grimacing again. "Come on. You shouldn't be up anyway -- let's get you horizontal, Kuroi-chan."

 

The Dog's gaze snapped up at that, and he blinked once. You really don't have any idea what you're implying, do you, hime-chan? Snorting a silent, mirthless laugh, Shigure walked slowly from the office, following her with slow, wincing steps. He was trying valiantly not to dwell on the fact that another day was gone, but his attempts were met with limited success.

 

I have to get home. I have deadlines; I have responsibilities. I have to make sure Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun don't demolish the house!

 

Two average teenage boys could do a fair bit of structural damage in a remarkably short period of time, but Yuki and Kyou were far above average when it came to their talent for destruction. And if Ha-kun showed up in that time - and went black?

 

Who was he kidding? His home had probably already been reduced to matchsticks and rubble by now.

 

The Sohma suddenly wanted -- no, needed -- to lie down. Actually, what he wanted was a cigarette, but his nose told him hime-chan wasn't a smoker, so he was going to have to do without. He followed his hostess into the bedroom, and as she padded into the adjoining bathroom, he eased himself back onto her bed. Settling down with a sigh, he closed his eyes. He needed -- needed to get in touch with Ha-san. He absolutely, positively had to get home.

 

One eye went to the bathroom door; he could hear the sounds of running water and Chopin within. The temptation was there, certainly; he could easily say something to her. The shock would be astronomical, of course, but at least it was a way to get home - either by her own hand or by walking out in the middle of the hysterical fit that was bound to follow. Ha-san would then do what he did best, and bang, happy ending.

 

Exhaling softly, Shigure gritted his teeth against the twinge of discomfort that came as he eased off the bed. Perhaps resting was the wiser thing to do at the moment, but if getting home meant suffering pain, Sohma Shigure was willing to undergo such an inconvenience. Walking carefully, he crossed the room and pressed his nose against the bathroom door. It was open only a fraction of an inch, but it was just enough.

 

The door slid open silently; hime-chan hadn't heard it over the combination of running water and classical music. Shigure sat, watching her for a moment, gauging her. After a moment or two, the dark head jerked up suddenly, as if she'd seen something out of the corner of her eye. She started a bit at the sight of him sitting there and shook her head, letting out a sheepish chuckle.

 

“Lonely?” she asked, lowering one hand into the deep tub, testing the temperature of the water.

 

You have no idea. He lifted himself to his feet and went further in, his claws clicking on the tile floor. Sitting again, he peered up at her. You're a reasonable woman. And I can tell you want to take me home. I don't belong here. You don't even want a dog hanging around, do you? Of course not. You have your little house, your reckless, irresponsible boyfriend, and your job, which - from the look of things -takes up more time than you can possibly devote to the care and feeding of an animal. Particularly the care and feeding of an animal that REALLY ISN'T ONE. So, please -I'll lead you there, I'll wear a leash, whatever it takes - I don't care. So let's just discuss this like rational adults, okay?

 

At this point, hime-chan blew out a silent sigh and reached over to turn off the water.

 

That's it, he thought, steeling himself. Here we go - the moment of truth.

 

But any words he might have spoken were cut short by a warm hand against his head, gentle, searching fingers wandering behind his ears to scratch gently.

 

“You miss your family, don't you?” Her thumb rubbed slowly at a smooth spot between his eyes. “I can only imagine. Children to play with—”

 

--They might actually say I'm the child...

 

“—balls to fetch... I bet they miss you.” She gave him a small, sad smile. “They're looking for you - I'm sure of it. They're scouring the streets for you, Kuroi-chan. I know I'd be worried sick if you were my dog.”

 

Her words came as something of a surprise to the dog. His eyes closed reflexively against the soft touch across his head, and with the slow, soothing words, he felt a sudden, traitorous surge of emotion warm his chest. With an effort, he tamped it down. No. NO. I am not a dog. I am not a pet. I am a grown man, and I...

 

Here, hime-chan stood, stretching. She stepped over him, crossing into the small datsuiba, shedding her work clothes like a snakeskin, and the surge of emotion Shigure had been battling up until that point was replaced with an entirely different kind of feeling. He watched as she folded her clothes, setting them on a shelf before pulling her hair up into a loose ponytail. She turned, crossing the room again, her steps carefully avoiding the dog. Akemi stepped into the tub slowly, sinking down into the steaming water with a relieved sigh.

 

“What are we going to do, you and I?” she asked, lolling her head to the side and regarding him with a lazy expression. “Gotta get those flyers posted this weekend.” Her brows drew together in thought, and she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, apparently turning something over in her mind before letting out a sudden yawn. After a moment she closed her eyes, reaching out of the tub and running a warm, wet hand over Shigure's head.

 

Shigure rested his head on the tub's high rim, smothering his sigh. I'm sorry, hime-chan. I wish we could wait for them to find me, but I just don't have that kind of time.

 

After her bath, Shigure followed hime-chan to her bedroom, where he crawled onto her bed as she changed into goldfish-print novelty pajamas. She lay down on top of the covers, plucking a dog-eared novel from her nightstand and putting on a pair of reading glasses. She settled against the pillows, curling onto her side as she read.

 

Shigure watched for a moment or two as her eyes scanned the text. The Dog shifted slightly, settling alongside the woman, absently wondering if she'd eaten dinner yet. He wasn't particularly hungry - he'd done nothing but sleep all day. But if she'd been up since dawn and worked all day, she should probably have something to eat, if she hadn't already.

 

He shook his head briskly, exhaling a soft huff that might have sounded almost like a chuckle. Tohru-kun's rubbing off on me, I think.

 

Since it was evident that he wasn't going to get to a phone before morning, Shigure rested his head against the pillow. He pushed the burgeoning worries about Tohru-kun, Kyou-kun, and Yuki-kun from his mind, as well as any concerns he might have had about the structural integrity of his house. Tomorrow was another day, and he'd figure something out by then. Though he had plenty to worry about already, the problem of deadlines was an issue that was slowly prodding its way from the back of his mind to the forefront. Mit-chan was bound to be coming around for his chapters by the end of the next week. They were nearly done, of course, but he preferred to stay ahead of Mit-chan, and if he wasn't around, he couldn't write, and if he couldn't write, he couldn't very well stay ahead.

 

The Dog took one last look at the dark-haired woman before letting his eyes slide shut. His mind had only just drifted off to his latest effort, mentally outlining the remaining chapters, when he realized something, something important. Shigure's eyes snapped open again, going directly to hime-chan's hands and the novel she held.

 

She was reading one of his books.

 

The ache in his body and the worries about his home and work evaporated momentarily in a flush of pleasure. He eased forward, placing his weight on his uninjured forepaw as he tried to peer at the pages, in order to get an idea of where she was in the plot. It wasn't one of his best efforts, but had been well-received - Shigure glanced at her face, trying to gauge whether she was enjoying it or not, but there was no way to tell. She seemed engaged, but...

 

He looked back at the book, his eyes scanning the text. Ah, good, good - she's made it this far. Past the slow point, at least, so she must like it despite—

 

Her voice interrupted his thoughts. “...Kuroi? The hell?”

 

Shigure looked up suddenly, realizing belatedly that he'd been reading over her shoulder, nosing closer and closer to the book - his own reading glasses were far from reach at the moment. In the process, his head had come to block the book completely. And now she was watching him, equal parts puzzlement and amusement in her gaze.

 

He blinked at her, looking back at the book, his mind scrambling for an explanation before he realized he couldn't give one. Absolved of this responsibility, Shigure fixed his biggest canine grin on the woman before leaning over and licking the side of her face from chin to temple. Her laughter was immediate as she backed away playfully, dropping the book. Smiling to himself, he carefully leaned over for another try, but was pushed back -- gently.

 

Hime-chan was wiping at her face with the cuff of her sleeve, shaking her head and smiling at him. “Weirdo.”

 

And who am I to argue that? His tongue lolled out of his maw as he panted, inordinately pleased with himself.

 

Rolling onto her back, she brought her hand to his head, smoothing the black fur. “You're feeling better, aren't you?”

 

Well, I'm certainly not feeling worse... He closed his eyes and tilted his head against her hand. Tomorrow. He'd call home tomorrow. All Shigure needed to do was get a hold of Ha-san -- between the two of them, they'd figure out a way to get him back where he belonged with as little trouble as possible. For now he allowed himself to enjoy the slow, soothing hand as it glided across his head and down his back, ever mindful of the bandages. His body had not yet let him forget about the abuse it had undergone, and every time he moved too quickly or breathed too deeply, his ribs protested. But this -- this certainly didn't feel bad, by any stretch of the imagination.

 

Taking her book up in one hand, hime-chan resituated herself against the pillows. She continued to pet a slow line from the top of Shigure's head all the way down his back. He lay back down, snuffling softly, closing his eyes at the light touch. He was barely aware of the soft flipping of pages as she made her way through the novel - a bit more clumsily with only one hand, he was sure. Between the soothing ministrations and the warm leg pressed against him, Shigure soon succumbed to slumber.

 

 

A/N: Anyone who might be wondering -- we realize Mayuko doesn't know about the family curse in canon. However, as we tried to explain at the start, the fic is set after the anime, and has a lot of manga spoilers. We figured it was logical that Mayuko would find out about the curse if she and Hatori were involved for any length of time. But we didn't want to put too much emphasis on the finding-out, because, as far as the fic is concerned, the "how" isn't quite as important. :)