Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Baskets or any of the characters involved in it. I merely wish to portray my own ideas through the characters. Meaning: I no own, so you no sue.

Author's Notes: Sorry this took so long to get out but I worked a lot of extra hours this week so it took a bit longer. But I only have one note, in this Chapter Rei talks about Shigure calling her casually or informally. You usually don't use someone's first name with any suffix unless you know them well, like a friend or otherwise people might think you're rude. Anyway that's all and I hope you enjoy!

Wish for you on a shooting star

Chapter 14: "The Plot Thickens (Finally!)

Hatori finally made it back to the main house with some new information on Tohru and about the mysterious symbol that had created such a problem for them. He arrived back in time to see Akito throwing yet another of the big books at a wall. "Why can't we find anything?!" Shigure held back in the corner with the book he was reading a minute ago still in his hands while trying to think of an answer that Akito would like. It was then that he spotted Hatori.

"Hari! You've returned," he said with a bit of relief. "So how is our flower doing?"

"She'll be fine. They think they may be able to take the tube out of her chest tonight."

"That's good news, she'll be home soon enough, ne?"

"Yes, and I was able to get help with translating that symbol we keep coming across." This seemed to get Akito's attention.

"Really? How?"

"I ran into the nurse who helped Tohru and Kagura before and found out she knows some ancient Chinese and was able to figure out the symbol. She says it stands for the year of the cat."

"But Hari…well…there is no year of the cat. How can there be a symbol for it?"

"It was from one of the many legends and she said it was created to show a lack of the year."

"Well I guess that's why it's not used much and probably why no one knew of it," Shigure stated with an air of intelligence about him. "She's smart and cute! What a find!" And then his perverted side took over again.

"Anyway," interrupted Hatori. "I think we may be able to make a bit more sense of some of the books."

"Actually we found a book, we think it may have the story of how we came to be cursed in it and maybe how to break it. We found and borrowed it from some old temple that our miko was able to help us find. But…"

"But," questioned Hatori.

"But it's all in old Chinese so it's no damn good," growled Akito.

"Well why don't we have Hatori's little friend from the hospital help us. We already have a miko helping us, why not a nurse?"

"Shigure that would be asking too much and telling too many out-"

"Get her," interrupted Akito in his quiet but powerful voice. "I don't care who you have to drag here, even if it's Buddah himself, to find a way to break this curse. Get her here now!" Hatori was about to protest but the look in Akito's eyes told him to keep his comments to himself.

"Yes Akito." He turned and left the room going to the phone. 'Well why shouldn't Akito be a bit pushy with all of this. This was their chance, for all of them, to finally be free of this damn curse. And a chance for Akito to have a real life, or a life at all. Everyone saw it; he was getting weaker with each passing month. No one was sure how much longer he would hold out, but with Akito's cure now just out of reach of his grasp he could see why he was so snappy. He looked down at the phone book and dialed the number to the hospital to find out that Rei had already left. He fished around in his pocket a moment later to pull out a folded up piece of paper. He felt a bit of heat rise to his face at the thought of her smiling face but it was pushed to the back of his mind as he dialed her number. It was five rings and he was about to hang up when someone answered.

"Moshi Moshi," said a very tired panting voice on the other end of the line.

"Umm…this Hatori-san, are you ok?"

"Huh," she said finally catching her breath. "Oh yes, sorry, I was just walking up to my door when I heard the phone start to ring so I had to hurry and run in the house to catch it. Sorry." She felt like kicking herself with how stupid she sounded. 'I sound like a high school girl talking to the prince of the school!'

"I'm sorry to have troubled you-"

"Oh no it's fine! So how is your family?"

"My family? Oh well actually that's what I was calling about. I know you are busy and you have work and your own life. But my family could really use your help, I know it sounds odd, but it's true. I was wondering if you could come over this afternoon to discus this further if you wouldn't mind."

"I don't really see how I could be of help. But if you feel that I could I would like to come over. But…"

"But what?"

"I don't know where you live."

Hatori reentered the room with Akito now laying against the doorframe leading outside as he usually would during the day.

"I invited her over for lunch to discuss helping us. What exactly should we tell her," asked Hatori.

"Tell her the truth, about our curse and if she wants to help she can, if not erase her memories about lunch and let her leave."

"But what if she does help us, will her memories be erased afterwards as well?"

"Maybe, if we find a way to break the curse we won't really care who knows now will we if we don't transform anymore? It's all up to her."

"Hai, I'll go make some lunch up then. How many should I make it for?"
"Just the tow of you." Hatori was a bit shocked, but didn't show it.

"You don't want to join us?"

"I don't want to deal with her unless she decides to help us."

"Hai, Akito." He turned and left with room leaving Akito with the birds that usually accompanied him on days such as these.

"Am I at the right place," Rei asked herself as she looked down at the little piece of paper with the address on it and back to the name Sohma on the doorway. "This place is huge, it's like a mansion." She took a deep breath to get a hold of herself as she knocked on the door and waited as she heard feet approaching. She put her best smile on and waited to greet Hatori as the door opened. Her smile fell as she met with the man who had asked her to try on a maid's uniform at the hospital.

"Ah, hello Rei-chan."

"Don't call me so informally," she yelled very angry for being talked to so casually like they were friends. "Is Hatori-san here."

"You yell at me for calling you so casually but then you call Ha-san so casually as well."

"He gave me permission," she mumbled as her face became heated.

"Oh really now," he said in a teasing manner. "You should feel privileged he doesn't let many outside the family call him as such." She looked up a little surprised. 'Should I really trust what he says? He is kind of a pervert. Then again Hatori doesn't seem like one who would let just anyone call him so casually.' She felt a blush creeping on her face again but suppressed it.

"Well is this where he lives?"

"Yes, he is expecting you," he said in a mischievous tone as he opened the door wider for her. "Come in, come in." She followed him, albeit a bit reluctantly. She followed him down many hallways and passed many rooms. After a few minutes she was afraid he was leading her to some dark area of the house and was going to…She tried to keep her mind from wandering while also trying to keep her heart from busting out of her chest in fear. 'He wouldn't do that; he's a pervert, but a rapist? And Hatori wouldn't have invited me over if someone dangerous like that was here.' She nodded determined that nothing bad was going to happen to her. And then she tripped and fell…on top of Shigure. Grey smoke seemed to come out of nowhere as she heard a soft 'poof' sound and felt an odd movement under her. She sat up just in time to see a black dog's head pop out of Shigure's Yukatta.

"Oh dear this wasn't supposed to happen yet," said the black dog. Her eyes turned to the size of dish plates.

"W-what?" The black dog looked up at her and sighed.

"It's me Shigure," he said looking up and actually enjoying the frightened look on her face.

"The dog…talked…to me." With that she promptly fainted. It was at this time Hatori came around the corner and came face to face with a stressed out and passed out nurse and black dog at her side.

"Shigure," he said approaching the dog and looking down at him. "Why?"

"It was an accident." He got a disbelieving look. "Seriously, she tripped and fell on me."

He sighed but asked, "Did she know it was you?"

"Well…I kind of told her it was me, and then she fainted."

"Why did you tell her it was you," he said seeming somewhat disgruntled.

"Well you were going to tell her anyway."

"Yes but at least then she wouldn't have fainted," he said getting more annoyed. With another poof Shigure became his normal naked self again and about this time Rei also started coming around at hearing Hatori's voice.

"Hatori-san?" She wiped the sleep from her eyes, looked at the site of a naked man in front of her and screamed. "Pervert!" She took her purse off her hip and started hitting Shigure with it.

"Rei-san, please stop, let us explain."

Shigure took a long sip of his tea as he sat between the two other people at the table and watched their reactions. 'Rei-chan seems to be taking this well so far. I wonder if she will help us.'

"So do you understand our situation as of right now?"

"So you're telling me your entire family is cursed?"

"Well the whole family is cursed in the matter of we don't know where the next cursed child will be born but there are only fourteen cursed people in the family," answered Shigure.

"Fourteen, but aren't there only twelve members of the zodiac?"

"Yes," answered Hatori. "But we also have a member of our family who is cursed by the spirit of the cat." A look of recognition came over her face.

"So that's why you had that book with you at the hospital?"

"Yes," he answered again. "And the fourteenth member of this cursed family is someone who, well I guess you can say takes the brunt of the curse. It is actually much worse then what I've told you but one member of the family is born to take the brunt of it and so becomes very ill and has been known to have a shortened life span because of this."

"Oh so that's your sick relative?"

"Hai," said Shigure speaking up after finishing the last of his tea.

"Shigure, maybe Rei-san and I could talk alone," he said.

"You mean you don't want my company," Shigure said sounding sad and acting overdramatic as usual.

"Yes," both Rei and Hatori answered at the same time and looked a bit shocked. Shigure couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

"I'll leave the two of you alone then," he said in a very dramatic tone again. "Don't do anything I would do, Ha-san." And with that he left the two alone.

"He is quite the character," said Hatori.

"I'll say." A quiet silence fell between the two for a few moments while they sipped their tea. "So, Hatori-san, you said you needed my help for something?"

"Yes, you know of the curse and how we cannot be hugged." She nodded in understanding. "Well in the last few days we have come to find out the young man cursed by the cat has been able to hug one certain female for a few months now and she is not related to us in anyway." Rei showed a small look of surprise. "We think that he may have found a loophole in the curse or maybe even a way to break it. But we've been cursed so long no one knows how we even became cursed let alone how to break it. But recently we have come to acquire a book that may tell us, but it's in ancient Chinese…"

"I see now. You would like me to translate it for you. Am I correct," she asked staring him in the eye.

"Correct."

"What will you do if I refuse?"

"I will be forced to erase your memory of any of this information I have told you."

"E-erase my memory," she asked seemingly frightened.

"Yes, but only of this conversation and your run in with Shigure, you'll remember this afternoon, our talk earlier. Just not this." She seemed a bit less frightened with his answer but still seemed on edge.

"How?"

"It's a talent," he said wanting to stay as far away from the word 'gift' as possible. 'How could this ever be considered a gift?'

"If I decide to help you then what?"

"Then we will see the house head, the sick relative. He said he didn't want to talk to you about the details unless you agreed."

"I see then." She sat in silence before drinking the last of her tea. "I agree then."

"Are you sure about this?" Without meeting his eyes she replied.

"As certain as I can be."

"Fine, I'll see him now and inform him of your willingness and I'm sure he will explain to you your new circumstances." He got up and left the room quietly leaving Rei to her thoughts. 'Do I have any idea what I'm getting myself into? No. Do I have any real reason to trust these people? No. I have no logical reason to trust or help them, so why am I doing this?' Hatori reentered the room and she felt herself smile. 'Oh yeah, now I remember.'

"He would like to speak with you in our den." He got up and left the room again with her close behind.

"Hatori-san," she spoke up her voice echoing a bit in the empty hallway.

"Yes," he asked still continuing his pace.

"You're a cursed member correct?" He got an odd look on his face but replied.

"Yes, why do you ask?" 'I wonder, which one he is? Is he an Ox like me?' She couldn't help what she did next.

"Gomen, Hatori-san." He was about to turn around and ask what she meant when he felt two strong arms wrap around him and before he could do anything he heard the poof and smoke filled his vision. Rei looked down and didn't see anything. 'Maybe he's a smaller animal, like the rat?' She picked his shirt up a bit and gasped as she saw a tiny sea horse gasping on the ground. "Oh my god! Oh my god! What do I do? I'm so sorry! Crap, where's some water?" She looked down at him for some kind of answer, when another poof came and she blushed a deep crimson before turning away. She heard the rustling of cloths and finally heard a response.

"You can turn around now."

"I'M SOO SORRY HATORI-SAN! I know I shouldn't have done that but I just really wanted to know what animal you are and there weren't any sea horses in the zodiac or anything so I thought you would be ok if I changed you and I-" She was cut off by his finger on her lips.

"It's ok, you didn't know. And it's not a sea horse, I'm the dragon." She gave him a confused look but quickly shrugged it off.

"But are you sure your ok," she asked stepping very close to him.

"I'm fine," he said giving her a soft smile. One of the few ever to grace his face in so long. He wasn't exactly sure why he did it, but it just felt right. "Come on, Akito will probably be mad we kept him waiting." She nodded feeling her face heat up. 'That smile, I didn't think it would have such an effect on me.' They finally came to a stop in front of a room to which Hatori slid the door open for her and she entered. She saw Shigure once again in the corner putting some books back in boxes while there was another young man. He was sitting in the doorway leading outside leaning against the frame with little birds chirping and flying around him. Rei was startled from her observation by Hatori shutting the door to which the young man turned to face her.

"So, you must be one brave young woman to be helping people you don't know with something you're not even involved in." The sharpness in his tone had her taken aback and she decided to keep quiet. "You will call into work this week and say you have a sprained ankle and can't come for two weeks while it heals. In the meantime you will live here with us. You may return home for cloths but we have spare rooms and food here for you. After you come back tonight you will not leave unless told to. You will stay here and decipher this damn book and report to us everyday on your progress and keep us informed. You have free roam of the grounds and house but I want you spending most of your time on the book." He then tossed the book in question at her feet. "Go home, gather what you will and return and Hatori will show you your room. Now go." She looked ready to say something but the look he gave her stopped her tongue and she just bowed and left with Hatori behind her. He was walking her back towards the door when she stopped.

"Are you all right Rei? I know he can be a bit harsh and such."

"Well actually, what about my cats?"

"Cats?" He thought back to earlier that day and the kitten she had brought Tohru. "I know I can't have them here with all of the birds, but what will I do?" She looked about ready to cry.

"They can go home with Shigure."

"What? But he's the dog," she yelled.

"Yes but Tohru is living with him at his home currently and she loves cats, she would take good care of them. That and I think they'd like some of the other company there."

"What do you mean," she asked.

"The young man who is cursed with the cat also lives there."

"Sohma, Kyo," she asked. He looked at her a bit shocked.

"How did you know?"

"I figured once you told me Tohru was living with Shigure the two young men with her did two, the way they acted together, kind of like a family. And out of the two boys, I think Kyo-san would strike me more as the cat."

"And Yuki?"

"He's cursed too?" Hatori nodded.

"I really can't see him as anything," she said sweat dropping.

"He is the rat."

"Wait, but if he transforms when my cats are around-"

"Don't worry, it's only temporary. We can make sure if he accidentally transforms at home whoever did it will stay with him until he changes back." She nodded dumbly still unsure of what was going on. She looked back up at Hatori from behind. 'Maybe living here won't be all that bad,' she thought as another blush crawled back onto her face.

Autrhor's Note: Yay I finally got some plot back in the story! Yay! And hopefully I'll finally be able to reveal my big secret! Anyway until later! Hope you enjoyed!