Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Karing For Kisa ❯ The Naming ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimers: I have no money. Please don't sue.

 

Warnings: Extreme OOC Akito, because I drugged him. One swear word, cause it's true.

 

Thanks a million to Masqued, my awesome beta.

 

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Chapter 3: The Naming

 

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The anxious group waited outside the door to Akito's rooms, each of them displaying various nervous habits. Tohru fussed over the girl, worry evident in her every action. Yuki stood staring out the window at the end of the long hallway, attempting to battle the fear of the head of the Sohma family that crept and lingered in his mind. Shigure paced a wide path, thinking of ways to convince Akito not to harm the child and let them care for her; he'd even begun to nibble on his fingernails idly, deep in thought. It was only Haru and Kyo appeared to be unaffected by their surroundings because, in truth, Kyo was freaking confused as to why exactly he was there; he hadn't been the one to find the kid. The only reason he could muster was that he had seen her transform from one form to the next. Haru, on the other hand was worried about what was going to happen to the girl. In Haru's mind there wasn't really anything that she had done wrong, so the only possible danger he could think of was that Akito might take her away; and he definitely couldn't let that happen.

 

The door clicked open, and everyone turned as one to see Hatori emerge from the darkened room pushing the door from his way as he did so.

 

“You can go in now.” At this, the group moved nearly as one in the direction of the darkened room, but was halted as Hatori held his hand up in protest and added hastily “I must warn you though, he may not act the way you expect him to. I have started… medicating … him to try and control him more” his voice lingered for a moment on the word `medicating', then continued; “They are mostly sedatives, and we've concealed the matter well enough so that he is not aware of the medication that hones his temper to a more controllable state. In his mind, the medication is to subdue an incurable disease.” Hatori explained to them, and placed his hands into his pockets after having used them to explain his small speech.

 

About time they started drugging the bastard. Kyo thought as he followed Shigure into what he considered to be the equivalent of hell for most Sohma family members; or really anyone, for that matter.

 

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Akito sat looking quite like a king on his throne, gazing listlessly out at the sakura trees that lined the pathways. Usually coldly assessing and calculating dark eyes seemed to be glazed over with a less frightening emotion as he turned his gaze to the entering group. “Show me the child.” He requested in a voice that noticeably lacked harshness.

 

Still fearful of this new Akito, Tohru obeyed, drawing the girl nearer to the fierce looking man. Bright eyes looked bravely into Akito's, a tiny hand clutching the older girl's for safety.

 

“Hatsuharu, you found her as a tiger?” Spoke Akito in his regular coldness.

 

“Yes. She transformed into a human after dinner last night.” Haru responded.

 

“And you all saw her as both a tiger and a human?”

 

“Yes.” Shigure was the one that answered this question. “I left the room to help Ayame-san with something, and was alerted to the change by Kyo-kun's shouts of surprise.”

 

“Does she have a name?”

 

“Kisa.” Haru responded, naming her quickly. The others turned to look at him in surprise; they all knew that she didn't have a name.

 

“Did she tell you that this was her name?”

 

“No, she can't speak. ” Haru hesitated, and then continued. “But she needed a name, so I gave her one.” Haru said, knowing he should defend his actions.

 

“I see. Kisa it is then.” Akito snapped his fingers. “Hatori.” The dragon stepped out of the shadows near by the door. “Search her memories. Tell me how old she is.”

 

Tohru interrupted before Hatori could begin. “She said that she thinks she's four years old.”

 

Akito's eyes turned sharply to Tohru. “She said? I was told that she couldn't speak.”

 

“I spoke with her while she was still a tiger. Both of us being from the cat family, we could understand each other's…meows.” Kyo spoke up. There was no need to suddenly have an angry Akito on their hands when everything was going so well.

 

“That would make sense. You may continue now, Hatori.”

 

“This won't hurt.” He told the newly named Kisa to comfort her as well as the group around her. He put a hand on her forehead and closed his eyes. A tense moment later he reopened his eyes slowly. “She's four years old. She was correct in guessing that. I couldn't pick up a birth date, though.” He reported to Akito.

 

“Four years? Hmm. We will have to do some checking to determine which of the Sohma's are her parents. Or just parent.” Akito turned his eyes to Shigure. “Shigure, you are to take her in for now. If things change, we will find a different guardian.”

 

Hatsuharu stepped forward, taking Kisa's other hand in his own. “I want to be the one responsible for her care.” He announced to the `leader' of the family. Akito's gaze seemed to be one of amazement as he looked at Hatsuharu, but considering the medicine he took, the troop of people couldn't be sure.

 

“You wish to care for a child when you are still one yourself? That might not be wise on your part, Hatsuharu-kun.”

 

“I take full responsibility for my actions. I am the one that found her, I thought to name her when no one else did, I want to make sure that she is safe at all times. I will care for her as if she were my own child. I won't abandon her when she needs someone to be her strength, I will protect her at all costs, and I will offer her the unconditional love that every child needs, wants, and deserves.” He replied with determination, never taking his eyes off of Akito throughout the entire speech.

 

The room was silent at his proclamation. Tohru was gazing at the two of them with tears spilling from her eyes. Shigure looked as if he might also cry at any moment. Even Kyo was silently agreeing to everything his cousin said, amazed at the utter determination that could be heard in the ox's voice. Tears were also silently running down Yuki's face. He wished that someone had shown him that much love and affection when he had been younger; even if it had only been for a short while, it would have given him something to cling to in the worst moments.

 

Akito could only blink with astonishment at his relative. He wasn't used to being stood up too, and if he had been any where near his normal self, he would have had the teen dealt with,

 

“All right. I can see that you will not be swayed in your decision. I believe that leaving her in your care will be the best thing for her.” He turned his attention back to the Dragon. “Hatori, she will need a birth certificate, and all other necessary provisions. Make sure to handle it. He said, clearly his parting words to the guests.

 

They all bowed formally in respect and filed out of the room. Yuki gave a huge sigh of relief as they left the room and walked down the stairs heading for the dragon's office. He hadn't even needed to speak and Akito had actually ignored his presence in the room. Haru turned back to look at Yuki, knowing what the sigh was for. “I like him better drugged too.” He said with a small grin.

 

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Hatori entered his office, the troop following slowly, and began searching through filing cabinets for the appropriate forms.

 

“You'll just have to tell me what you do know about her. We can make up a birthday for her.” He took a seat behind his large, neatly organized desk, and grabbed a pen. “Name?”

 

“Sohma Kisa.” Haru answered.

 

“Ah. Date of birth?”

 

“Um. April? Or maybe June?” Haru wondered.

 

“I got the impression that she might have been born around then. April is a nice month.”

 

“Yeah. April 22 sounds good.” Haru said picking a random date. He looked down at Kisa, who had decided to perch on his lap. “What do you think? Would you like your birthday to be in April?”

 

Tilting her head to the side, she thought about it, before looking into his eyes and nodding `yes.'

 

“Okay. April 22, 2001. Hair colour?”

 

“Honey Brown.”

 

“Eye Colour?”

 

“Brown.”

 

“Blood type? Hmm. I'll have to take samples, test for diseases, we'll find out blood type then.” He paused to look at the rest of the chart.

 

“Height. Might as well measure you now.” Hatori stood to his feet and lifted Kisa off of the ox's lap. “Stand here against the wall please.” Kisa did as she was directed and waited while Hatori measured her. Making a notation of her height on her chart, he then told her to: “Step onto the scale, please.” He moved the weights, checked the balance and the numbers before making another note. Helping her up onto his exam table, the doctor then proceeded to do all that was procedure in a usual check-up with a doctor checking her eyes, ears, throat, reflexes (very sharp), etc. Then he pulled out a needle.

 

Looking with fear at the sharp object held in the dragon's hand, Kisa let out a small whimper.

 

“Nothing to fear. I'll be very careful not to hurt you. Hatsuharu, come hold her hand.” Haru moved to do so.

 

Biting her lip and squeezing Haru's hand as hard as she could, Kisa tried to ignore the needle piercing her baby soft flesh. When she noticed her dark crimson blood filling the tube, she hid her face in Haru's strong chest. He brought his free arm up around her back and stroked the light strands of her hair, making gentle shushing noises into the top of her head. In a few seconds it was all over.

 

“There. That wasn't so bad, was it?”

 

Kisa shook her head quickly in enthusiastic disagreement with her family's doctor. She never wanted to have to do that again.

 

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Ayame greeted them at the door, glad to see that the tiger was still with them. “So, how did it go?”

 

“It went much better than we expected it too. Hatori has started drugging Akito to control his evilness.” Shigure answered, giving his lover a kiss on the cheek as he walked into the house.

 

“And Haru now has custody of Kisa.” Tohru informed the snake.

 

“Really? That's great! And what a pretty name! You named her did you?”

 

“Yes.” Haru answered. “I feel like this is the best thing to do. Ensure she is safe and cared for by doing it myself.”

 

“Ah, so young and yet so mature!” Ayame praised with a warm smile.

 

Kyo, Haru and Yuki just gave him odd looks, before ignoring the stupidity on display and went to find out what Tohru was making in the kitchen, her little shadow by her side.

 

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