Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
AU to the furuba universe...more so here than in the first 7 chapters. It's Sierra's second year in Japan with her estranged family. Things just don't seem the same since Haru left, but life still manages to go on...and not necessarily in a good way. Kind of a hodge-podge chapter with a few questions answered and many that remain. Done in near record time too...for me anyway. ^^ Please enjoy. Comments always welcome. 

Chapter 11 - Living on the Edge

No freakin' way!

Not again!

I can't be late.

Three days in a row?!

No. No. No. No. No.

"Sei-chan? Are you almost done in the bathroom?"

"Almost!"

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Freakin' shit!

"If you're feeling unwell, I can call Ha-san."

"NO!" EEP! That was far too loud. "No, Shigure-otoji. I'm all right. Just...taking longer than expected this morning is all."

Oh crap!

"Well, if you don't hurry, you'll be late for school."

I'm late for something already! Freakin' holy crap!

"I'm hurrying."

Usually I'm good about counting the days of my monthly cycle. Usually I'm dead on...or off by a day. And here it is, three days past due. There were logical explanations, sure. School had been stressful with mid-terms fast approaching. That could do it. And since I'd joined the archery club, I'd been much more active. That could've done it too. I managed to keep myself so busy that when it came to my cycle, I'd totally lost track.

Then there was the farewell gift from Haru....

Holy freakin' shit, no!

I rushed through the bathroom, dressing and gathering my things. I gave myself one last look in the mirror. My hair was combed, my face washed and my teeth brushed clean. In a blur I opened the door and rushed into my room.

"Sei-chan?"

"I'm going to be late," I reiterated his earlier comment.

And I was.

By ten whole minutes.

Standing in the hall was actually...a relief. It was only my first offense, but tardiness was not acceptable. So out in the hallway I stood as class began without me. I tried to listen to the lesson, but all I could do was think about the fact that I was three days late for my period.

'Okay, calm down,' I had to keep telling myself. 'It's been over a month since Haru left. This would've happened last month, right?'

Then it dawned on me that my cycle had ended the day before Haru had come over.

I opened my mouth to curse out loud, but clamped a hand over it to stop myself.

'Well, I'm not sick. No morning sickness. That's good. Still...what if...?'

"Sohma-san."

Surprise! EEP! "Uh...hai?"

"You may return to your seat."

I offered the teacher a shaky smile. She had torn me straight out of my thoughts. "Ah...arigato gozaimasu."

Sakura leaned over to whisper to me as I sat down, "Are you all right? You don't look well."

"I'm fine," I assured her. "Just tired."

I got that same question all day long. And I gave out the same answer. I was tired just saying I was tired. Sheesh...maybe I WAS pregnant.

But the nice, white stick told me I wasn't.

I picked up a home pregnancy test on my way from school. I'm certain I was a bright red when I paid for it, but thankfully the clerk said nothing. She seemed so out of it I'm pretty sure she never noticed. I immediately took over the bathroom when I got home, cooked dinner, then checked the results. The little circle thing had turned this weird shade of blue.

It would've been pink had I been pregnant.

Crisis one averted! Go me!

On to crisis number two...get through my end of the week meeting with Akito.

He'd been a real bear since Haru up and left. He constantly complained about the jyuunishi and how they were leaving him all alone. How they would love to see him suffer and die. Talk about depressing. Of course there was little I could do to appease him besides sit with him and lightly stroke his ego.

"You'll stay with me, won't you Sierra?"

I nodded, sipping my tea.

"Who needs those other rotten bastards anyway?" Akito questioned.

I shrugged. "Apparently you do."

And apparently, I said that out loud. Uh-oh.

Akito's eyes narrowed over his teacup. "What do you mean?"

"They're family," I reasoned. "And you're dying. Certainly you do not wish to be alone in your final moments. You want someone to mourn your passing, ne?"

Meanwhile, in the back of my mind, I'm praying, 'Please don't be mad. Please don't be mad. Please don't be mad.'

Akito sighed, sitting his teacup in his lap and staring out of the window. "No one will mourn my passing."

"I will." Well, I meant it at the time.

"Why?"

"Because you're family."

A small smile curved his lips. It looked like an honest smile, but since I'd seen so few from him I couldn't rightly tell. "Then...I am glad."

Aside from his moodiness, Akito had gone back to being nice to me ever since Haru's necklace went missing. I really had no idea what the necklace I wore meant to him, but apparently it was important. I mean, it IS a family heirloom. Akito's mother wore it, and Hatori's grandmother before that. According to Kureno it has a long family history. But he knows only a little.

Or he won't talk about it.

Postcards from Tohru kept coming. There was a lull where I didn't receive any and I was kind of worried, but she explained that she had been busy with schoolwork and that things seemed almost overwhelming. I wrote her back telling her I missed her and I wanted to see her again if at all possible. I was certain my uncle and my cousins would be thrilled as well. Her latest postcard said in response:

"I'll keep it in mind. I miss you too. And Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun. Please give them my best. My best to Shigure-san as well. Take care!"

I received a package the next day. From Tohru. Curious, I had it partially opened before I got it back into the house. Shigure glanced up from his paper to see what I was doing.

"A package from home?" he inquired.

I nodded, ripping the top open as I sat across from him at the table.

"What's in it?"

"I don't know yet."

Sitting his paper aside, he leaned close to the table. "I smell cookies."

I smiled. "You would. Wait...I think...."

As I opened the box I realized my uncle was correct. The smell of cookies strongly wafted from the open box. Upon examination, there were bags upon bags of cookies. Homemade, no mistake. Gods I really miss Tohru. My cookies never tasted as good as hers, no matter how many times she helped.

"I didn't know your mother baked."

"She doesn't," I replied. "These are from Tohru."

"Ah! Sweet Tohru-kun, sending me goodies."

"Actually, the box was addressed to me."

"Chocolate chip. Strawberry. Oh, and look! Peanut butter, my favorite!"

Needless to say, the cookies disappeared in no time. But I did manage to save a few for Yuki and Kyo. Yuki thanked me with a small smile and a squeeze that could've passed for a hug, but didn't really. Kyo sniffed at the bag cautiously when I handed it to him through the bars of his prison. How did you stand it, Kyo-kun?!

"They smell good," he said cautiously.

"What?! You don't trust me when I say they're from Tohru?" I asked the question jokingly, but kept my voice low.

He smiled, one of the few I'd seen since his last major beating from Akito. "Nope, these are definitely from Tohru." He snickered at me, opening the bag to take out a chocolate chip cookie. "If you'd made these, they'd smell all burnt on the bottom." He showed me the bottom of the cookie, which wasn't burnt at all.

I held back a laugh. "Hey!"

"How's Tohru doing?" Kyo's voice seemed to change, get deeper -- sadder -- whenever he talked about Tohru.

"She's doing well," I told him. "I'm trying to convince her to come back for a visit."

"You do realize Akito will never let that happen."

I shrugged. "Who says he has to know?" I had no intention of telling him...or my uncle.

Kyo shook his head. "Don't think that just because you're on his good side, he'll make exceptions for you." His voice sounded almost condescending. It hurt. Big time.

"Do you know why he's all nice to me?" I tried to hide my sadness from my voice, but I was only half successful. "Because I certainly don't."

"I have no clue," he replied, biting into the cookie. "But it's better than being on his bad side." He motioned to a bruise on his left cheek "I guarantee that."

My frown deepened. "Kyo-kun?"

"Hmm?"

I had a hundred questions to ask, but at that very moment, my mind went blank. I tried to come up with something, but failed. "It's nothing. Never mind."

"Sei?"

"Yeah?"

"If you don't hurry, you'll be late for your appointment."

"Oh crap!"

I ran across the compound, not saying good-bye to Kyo. It was habit...the not saying goodbye part. To me, saying good-bye meant I'd never get to see or speak with him again, which I didn't want to believe to be true. I did the same with Yuki as well.

And speaking of Yuki....

He was coming out of small room in the back of the house when I arrived at Akito's quarters for our late afternoon tea. Strange that I had never noticed that door there before. But what was stranger yet was the fact that Yuki...well didn't really look like Yuki. His hair was too messed up, his clothing in such disarray. His eyes were blank, the violet a very dull lilac. His lips were locked tightly together and his entire body shuddered when he walked.

"Ah, Sei-chan. Konnichiwa."

I had expected the voice to be Yuki's. Instead, it was Akito who spoke. He stepped out of the room behind Yuki, a small smile on his face.

"Ah...kon-ni-chi-wa," I replied with a small bow. But even with my head lowered, my eyes remained on my cousin as he walked towards his room.

"You're early today," Akito commented. Apparently, Yuki's condition did not concern him much, if at all.

"Not by much," I replied, watching until Yuki reached his room. The young man didn't even look back as he opened the door and stepped inside.

"Shall I call for tea then?"

I nodded, allowing Akito to grasp my elbow and lead me into his room. His grasp was firm, but not forceful. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I entered his room and I couldn't stop wondering what had happened to Yuki. Perhaps all the things I'd heard before had been true.

But Yuki firmly denied any of it.

I went to see him after my "date" with Akito. He answered the door with a smile and ushered me inside. He was wearing different clothes, his hair combed neatly into place. He walked with confidence and talked as if he hadn't had the chance in ages. So different from the person I'd seen only an hour before.

"Yuki...about earlier...?"

"Eh? Did something happen earlier?" He eyed me curiously. "Akito didn't do anything to you while you were with him--?"

"No, no. My meeting with Akito went fine," I assured him. And it had. Akito acted like nothing at all had happened. "It's just...I saw you with him earlier."

Yuki looked bewildered. "I haven't seen Akito since I came home from school...around lunchtime."

It was my turn to be surprised. "Yuki...."

"I sat with him for a few minutes, then came back to my room to study." He sounded so certain that if that image of him hadn't been burned in my memory, I'd have believed him.

"Maybe that was it," I replied, unsure if I should push the subject. Maybe Yuki just didn't remember about earlier. Yuki's earlier image swirled through my mind, tiny screams filling my head. No, something had happened. Something Yuki didn't WANT to remember. "I think Akito brought it up in conversation."

That last part was a total lie. I had asked Akito what he and Yuki had been doing in that "secret" room. Akito waved it off like it was nothing.

"We were talking," he said calmly, sipping his tea. "I haven't talked to Yuki in a few days."

It was the Cheshire Cat smile that gave him away.

I left the main house, wanting to go home and talk to my uncle about what I had seen. It wasn't until I entered the house -- which seemed eeriely quiet for so late in the afternoon -- that I decided against it. Would it have done any good, I still wonder. Or would it have only sped up the inevitable?

"Shigure-otoji?" I called.

"Hai?"

He sounded so close it scared me. I jumped, my head snapping in the direction of his voice. My uncle was sitting in the living room in his usual yukata. He held the evening paper tightly in his grasp. Funny that I didn't realize the end table lamp was lit. He must've been reading something of great interest. Normally he just flips right on through.

I was so taken by surprise, I asked the first thing that came to mind, "Ah! What would you like me to make for supper?"

He frowned at me. "I've already ordered out."

I returned his frown. "Oh."

"Did you forget I was ordering out tonight? It is my night to supply supper after all."

"Gomen nasai," I said. "I forgot."

He folded the paper neatly and placed it in his lap. "Are you okay, Sei-chan? Are you ill?"

If I only had a nickel for every time....

"No. I'm fine." I secured my bookbag in hand and headed for the stairs. "Did you want me to go pick up dinner?"

Shigure shook his head. "I paid extra for delivery." Talk about lazy!

"I'll be upstairs then, finishing some homework."

"Sei-chan?"

I paused on the second step. "Hai?"

Shigure paused, as if he'd forgotten what he was going to say. Now THERE'S something that doesn't happen every day. "Your mother called earlier today. You should call her back after supper."

"Hai."

Dinner was delivered almost half an hour after I got home. We ate in silence, my uncle and I. I don't think we even looked at each other. It felt kind of odd, sitting at the table like so. One of us was always talkative, even if we went on about nothing. I couldn't shake the image of Yuki. My uncle must've been deep in thought as well.

I cleaned up the table when we were finished. Shigure excused himself to his study and told me to come get him if needed. I straightened up the living room, started a load of laundry, then decided to return my mother's phone call. I sat on the counter in the kitchen, cell phone headpiece secured in my ear with the phone in my lap. Someone answered on the second ring.

"Hello?" The voice was gruff and not one I recognized. Well I had dialed my mother's work number. Perhaps he was working in the shop...or something.

"May I speak to Mrs. Sohma please?"

"Who is it, Harold?"

"Don't know," Harold replied. "Some kid asking for you, sounds like."

"Oh my, give me the phone, please."

"You never mentioned any kids."

"Just give me the phone, please."

There seemed to be a small arguement on the other end. I tuned it out in favor of staring at the tiled floor. I think I finally came back to myself when I heard my mother's voice on the phone.

"Sierra, dear. Is that you?"

"Sorry, mom. Did I call at a bad time?"

"No, no, dear. I just have some business to take care of. It can wait a little while. Right, Harold?"

"Whatever."

"So, how are things going for you in Japan? You sounded a little down the last time we talked."

"Things are going well. Found out today that I passed all my mid-terms."

"That's wonderful, dear," she exclaimed. In a lower voice I heard her whisper, "Not now, Harold."

"You promised," Harold whispered back.

"Later."

"Mom?"

"So what else has been happening with you dear?"

"Not much," I answered. "I got a few more postcards from Tohru."

"Is she well?"

"Yes. She even sent me a package of cookies...which uncle thoroughly decimated in less than a day."

"AH!"

That sounded...strange. "Mom, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, dear." She sounded far too out of breath to be okay. As a matter of fact, her breathing sounded more like panting.

"Harold, stop," she whispered urgently.

"You like it, admit it," he replied gruffly.

Oh kami! My mother was having an affair.

"That's disgusting," I said out loud.

"It's not what it sounds like, dear."

Like hell. "I'll call back later." I stopped myself from adding "mom" to the end of the sentence.

"Wait, Sierra--!"

I hung up before she could even explain. Although I did receive a box full of gifts from her a week later. More clothes for the Goodwill. Thanks mom.

I wonder if dad ever found out.

That was more than a year ago and as far as I know my parents are still married. At least they were when I went home to celebrate their wedding anniversary two weeks ago. Things seemed happy and normal enough. Still, I haven't told him. It's none of my business really. And in less than two days, I won't remember it to tell him.

I don't even know if I'll remember him.

I sat on the kitchen counter for kami only knows how long. It was late when Shigure came in for a glass of water and found me crying. He asked me what was wrong but I couldn't answer. I didn't want to. I just shook my head, grabbed onto his arm and cried.

"Sei-chan?"

I think I passed out on my uncle. Cried myself to sleep or something like that.

The next couple of days flew by and before I knew it two weeks had passed. I received another postcard from Tohru wishing me a happy birthday. Momiji, Kisa and Hiro had a surprise party for me, too. I tried to enjoy it as much as I could. Yuki attended...but Kyo was still locked up in his cage. There was no surprise gift from Akito either. He simply gave me a kiss on my forehead and wished me a happy birthday. I was relieved.

All too soon summer turned to fall. Again I wish I could say it was fun and exciting, but not really. Survived the cultural festival at school...and a trip to the beach house with Shigure, Hatori and Ayame. Oh THAT was hilarious. Boring...but hilarious.

Life seemed to continue on as normal, or what passed for it at the time.

With one exception.

It was a Friday in early October. The day of my regular meeting with Akito. School had been a real bear and I wanted to get out as soon as possible. I ran ahead of Momiji, in hopes that the sooner I got to the Honke, the sooner my day could end. What I found when I got there astounded me.

"Sierra, I will not ask you again."

I took the usual path to Akito's rooms. Walking down the hall, I noticed it was brighter than usual. And the door to the "secret" room had been left wide open. I heard a short yelp down the hall and what sounded like a loud CRACK!

My slow footsteps became hurried. I ran for the door, another yelp echoing out into the hallway. It felt like I was moving in slow motion, but I finally made it to the door. I had to cover my mouth with my own hand to keep from screaming.

"Please leave the room."

The room itself was lit only by the daylight in the hall. Through the darkness I could make out a tall figure standing in the middle of the room. It wasn't until I heard its voice that I knew it was Akito. My name was whispered somewhere else in the room. A question. A plea. I didn't want to believe it, but the voice sounded much like Yuki.

Then through the darkness, my eyes found him.

"Do not make me hurt you."

My cousin was huddled in a corner, his head bowed and hands over his face. His bare back faced me. As a matter of fact, he had been stripped of everything except his underwear. I took two steps into the room, then three, four, five. I'm not sure how long it took me to get to him, but I had reached him just in time to feel a stinging blow on my right shoulder. I bit my bottom lip to keep from crying out. I could feel the whelt forming on my shoulder, feel the blood trickling into the fabric of my school uniform. It was then I realized, with some trepidation, what that crack sound had been.

CRACK!

A whip.

"I do not want to hurt you, Sei-chan."

"Please leave," Yuki whispered to me.

CRACK!

"Get out!"

"NO!"

My outburst had drawn the attention of several housemembers, including Kureno and Hatori. I heard them running and calling, even when they reached the room. All the while I screamed at Akito. What was he doing? What had Yuki done to deserve such treatment? Why was he answering my questions with silence? Just what the hell was going on?!

"Kureno, remove her. Hatori, see to her injury," Akito ordered the two older jyuunishi.

"I'm not leaving the room until you've explained yourself," I retorted, shielding Yuki's body with my own in case he sruck with the whip again.

"I need explain nothing," Akito replied haughtily.

"Like hell you don't," I said, angered by his apparent calm and control of the situation.

"Sierra?" Hatori said my name calmly, but firmly. He took a step towards me, but I backed away.

"I'm not leaving."

"Kureno," Akito repeated his earlier order. "Remove her from the room. NOW!"

I barely saw the man move. I had no idea he was so fast. I managed to evade his first advance, but I stepped back to far, nearly falling over my beaten cousin. Kureno reached for me again and this time I couldn't evade. I still put up a fight though. I punched him a good one in the stomach, which I actually feel bad for since I have no real hard feelings towards him. I clawed at his arms, I kicked at his legs. The man obviously had some kind of martial arts training to be able to avoid or at least ignore some of my moves. I can honestly say now that I was impressed.

But at that very moment, I was just pissed.

"Let go! Chotto...chotto matte!"

"It's best if you don't fight me," Kureno said, his voice low.

Yet I did fight him. Tooth and nail. Kicking and screaming. He had to force both my hands behind my back and drag me -- almost literally -- from the room. I kept on screaming, squirming in hopes of getting free. The maids covered their mouths, watching with horrified eyes as Kureno led me down the hallway. It wasn't until I saw Hatori leave the room, closing the door behind him, that I stopped all together. I let the tears that had welled up in my eyes fall, but kept my head bowed so the others wouldn't see. I wept silently, allowing Kureno to lead me away from the yelps and screams that came from behind the closed door.

"I don't think she needs to be dragged like that anymore," Hatori informed Kureno.

My hands were released, but without the guidance, without the support, I merely sagged against the nearest wall. I dug my fingernails into the woodwork, causing small pieces to stick in my skin as I slowly sunk to the ground. It hurt, but I hardly noticed. Hatori, however, did, and cursed under his breath.

"Kureno, please help me walk her back to my office."

"Hai."

I don't remember getting there, but I do remember lying in one of the beds while Hatori stitched up the swollen whelt on my shoulder. All the while, Kureno pulled the splinters out of my fingers. Oh they were a bloody mess...my fingers I mean. While most of the injuries came from the splinters, I also broke several nails, tearing them away from the skin. Yes, not pleasant. It wasn't until the tears began to subside that I actually felt the pain. OUCH!

"Sierra?"

"It's just...inhuman...."

"...."

"How could...you...? Why...didn't you...?" I stated between sobs as Hatori walked me to the door of his office. "I...don't...want to...talk...about it."

He sighed. "I'll walk you home."

"I can walk by myself," I muttered unhappily.

But no sooner had I taken a step out the door, I fell flat on my face. I had used my hands to break my fall, which was a big mistake. OWIE! My injuries flared, burned from the inside out. Getting up meant using my shoulder, and that hurt like hell, too.

Hatori grabbed my right arm with both hands, one on my wrist, the other on my elbow. He helped me to stand, lending me support as we walked down the steps. I looked up at him briefly and he offered me a small smile that looked rather sad.

"I'll walk you home," he repeated.

"Arigato," I breathed into the wind.

"Ha-san?!"

Shigure looked surprised when Hatori walked into the house, a miserable, wretched looking me following behind him. "Caring uncle" appeared out of no where, as he was on me in seconds. Was I all right? What had happened? Why were my hands all bandaged? Had I been drinking?! I muttered to him that I was okay, that it had been an accident and excused myself to go upstairs to my room where, one again, I cried myself to sleep.

I was relieved when Shigure told me to go back to bed the next morning. I was to rest during the weekend and skip school on Monday. Hatori's orders. Strangely enough my uncle waited on me hand and foot until Hatori came to check on me Sunday night. Not that I didn't appreaciate it at all, it was just...weird.

"Your shoulder looks like it's healing all right. Let me see your hands."

I wish I could say my emotions had well improved, but I think they had gotten worse. CArefully Hatori re-examined my hands, then re-bandaged them. The prognosis: I was to go back to school on Wednesday, but he told me not to see Akito on Friday. It was Akito's order to me. No problem. I had no desire to face him. Ever again.

And just what would I say to Yuki? Was he okay? Was he still alive?

So many things were going wrong. Tohru was sent away. Haru up and left. Kyo seemed resigned to his fate. My mother was having an affair. And Yuki, the one person I looked up to like an older brother, was being beaten and kami only knows what else. What I once considered to be plain and normal was suddenly being ripped apart at the seams.

Again.

Do not be afraid to turn your eyes away from this text, dear reader. Do not be afraid to put it down and walk away. Far away from the Sohma clan and the life that lies ahead of you.

I only wish I could have done the same.

~TO BE CONTINUED~