Don't you remember

Thank you very much for the reviews. Currently the story is on hold while I work on a scene that is giving me great difficulty. Once I figure it out, I will complete the story.


Beta's are Jocelyn and Doug




Chapter Eight



A few weeks went by in a flash, at least that was how it felt for Natasha. Hatori would have won the bet about how long it would take for the boys to let her out of their sight, as it was nearly the end of the week before she finally came into Ayame's store and began her work as his apprentice. Both Mine and him grinned at the sight of the woman, that came into the offices. She had her hair down, tied at the edges and was allowed to free fall down her back. She wore a business jacket, but one of the shortest skirts he had ever seen, with slits on the side, allowing her to move, without it riding up. The edge of the skirt just fell mid-thigh, with the slits going up the leg, but not along the side. When you looked at her, she looked all woman, and one not to be messed with.


In her heels, she was the same height of Ayame, which was fine with him. Smiling at her, he motioned her to her desk, that he had prepared for her. Even though she had not actually been in the office, she had been working with him, since the day of the photo shoot. Now having her patterns created, from the sketches she had done on her tablet laptop, and had sent to him that early part of the week, she began to look at the fabric that he had, in order to see what would be suitable. She had sketched a different kind of outfit then Ayame normally made, blending Western and Eastern together. She had made a sleeveless shirt, that was part petal, part Mandarin collar, with small toggles of buttons of fabric that ran along the edge of the opening, which was on a diagonal. Underneath was the seam that was in the princess style, which allowed a cleaner fit, that would follow the body closer. It had an opening at the bottom, leading from the left side hip, grazing down the lower half of the hips, with a tulip like ending, that had a snap at it. Underneath, it had a lightweight skirt, that had a fluted edge, so that it would swirl and move, as the woman moved. Ayame was in heaven, when he saw the sketch of it.


"My darling blossom, it is just perfect..." Ayame gushed at her, holding her cheek in his hand


"Thank you Ayame. And thank you for bringing me here" she said looking at him, with a slight tear


"Now, now little princess, no tears. Today is a joyous day, and it should not be wasted on weeping. Besides, you have those two handsome, strapping men at home!" he said, with a huge grin on his face


"I should have realized that you all had a plan for me, when you wouldn't tell me where I was staying." she said with a slight grin


"If I knew anything my darling little Celt, is that those boys would have never allowed you to be staying with anyone else." he said wisely


"So is anyone ever going to tell me where Yuki is?" she asked him, trying to catch him off-guard


"My little blossom, you just don't give up do you?" he asked, pulling away from her, and looking at her, with a soft expression. Aging had been good to him, as he still looked 20, even though he was nearly 40, and with puppy-dog eyes, he looked at her. "Fine then, come with me." he said turning swiftly from her, and headed to the back of the shop, where his own apartments were. This was something that she had not wanted to be apart of, but she had to know where her friend was. Unlike her adopted sister Tohru, Natasha had been on council with Yuki, and thanks to her connection to Kyo and Haru, had not been targetted by the Yuki fan club. Though she remembered how she took care of the Kyo and Haru one. Oh, she had heard the whispers of the mean girls in the washroom, when they didn't think she was there, calling her whore and slut, but as Kyo pointed out, they hadn't done anything, so it was just words. Thinking back, as she walked up the stairs leading to Ayame's apartment, it was one of the other reasons why she did not make love to them. Doing so, would make it true.


At school, they had kept it to just making out, leaving the heavier stuff that they did, for in private. If they had found out that, teasing and name calling would not have been the only things they would have done. She remembered the one day, just before graduation, the Yuki Fanclub caught Tohru and almost began to beat her, for being with Yuki, until Tasha had caught them. The boys may have been studying a form of Jujitsu martial arts, but she had studied the art of Fan fighting, and she always carried her fan with her. That day, she used it on those girls, and they never bothered her sister again. Instead they attempted to bother her, but they had seen Black Haru too many times, to bother.


"Are you sure you want to do this Natasha?" Ayame asked as they reached the stair leading to where Yuki was


"Yes, I need to see him." she said not sure why he was so hesitant


"Very well my dearest little Celt" he said as he opened the door and let her in. He then closed the door behind her, and left her and Yuki alone. He was just sitting in a solitary bed inside, his hair nearly to his waist, and he stared vacantly out the window


"Yuki?" she said almost timidly


He turned at her voice, and smiled, his beautiful violet eyes almost sparkling, but he did not speak


"I am here my friend. What has happened to you?" she said in a near whisper as she came over to the bed and sat down beside him. Very gently, she brought a hand to his cheek, cupping it softly, as Tohru's tears fell


"My Nezumi...my beloved.." Tohru's spirit whispered past Natasha's mouth


At that Yuki's eyes widened, as he looked at his best friend, and could not believe that his pet name that Tohru would call him, slipped past her lips


"She is in here, with me. She is not dead Yuki" Natasha said softly, as tears began to fall down his cheeks.


"T...o.h...r........u" he said in a broken voice, one that had not been used in nearly ten years


"Come here Yuki" Natasha said, opening her arms, and allowing him to fall into her arms sobbing.


"Tohru....TOHRU....." he sobbed, saying the only word that mattered to him


"That's it, let it out Yuki...." Natasha said stroking his back, as he hugged her to him.


"I've been so alone..." he whispered into her shoulder as he was sobbing uncontrollably


"You have never been alone 'Ki" Natasha said using her own pet name of Yuki


"My world was Tohru, I could never be with anyone else...I should have died with her, why didn't I die?" he wailed softly. Natasha then heard Ayame behind them, and she lifted her head to see him with tears in his eyes


"Because my little brother, I would not let you die. I love you Yuki-chan, and you are not allowed to die." he said quietly


"Thank you nii-san for taking care of me." Yuki said in a hoarse voice, still gravelly from dis-use


"We all love you Yuki. Now, I need to take care of Seijiro. Mine is looking after a wealthy client of ours." Ayame said and turned from them, nearly bouncing

"Who is Seijiro?" Yuki said, his voice getting a bit stronger


"Your nephew. He's absolutely adorable, and looks so much like you" she said, about the small child that Mine and Ayame had born nearly 8 years before.


"I have a nephew?" he said perplexed


"Yes you do, he is in the other room if you want to see him." she said about the boy that had been kept from his uncle


"I do." he said getting up, and flashing her a dazzling smile that had earned him his reputation as the Prince


Grinning at her friend, she turned and walked out the door, toward the room with the child




Just for safety sake - Terms




mo mhúirnín bán means My fair darling

Tá grá agam duit which means I love you.

Aruné which means Darling

Acushla which means Pulse of the Heart.

Beloved is Grádág for female and Grádén for male