"Kyoya I'm sorry." Haruhi murmurs, lying down on their bed.
"Haruhi you're only human it's not your fault you're sick." He smirks leaning over the bed and kissing her softly.
"It's not that Kyoya…I'm scared."
"Why? You'll recover from whatever this is."
"Kyoya…my symptoms are the same as when my mother was sick and passed away."
"What? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I wasn't sure until about twenty minutes ago, when I started coughing up blood." She cries. "I don't know what I have, but I'm positive it's the same thing my mother had."
At first he just sits there and looks at her and then he crawls into the bed and sits her up so he can hug her tightly. "I won't let you leave me Haruhi, you will survive this."
"…you promise?" She asks tears still streaming down her face, as she hugs him back tightly.
"I promise."
Kyoya wakes up startled. The papers lying around on his desk fly off in every direction. 'I can't believe that was two months ago.' He groans, before pushing his glasses back up in place. 'Two months and she's still sick in bed.' A postcard from Tamaki catches his eye on the corner of his desk. 'Maybe I should call the others and tell them, since I don't seem to know what I'm doing anymore.' He muses and subconsciously picks up the postcard and his phone. 'She doesn't seem to be any worse, but she's definitely no better.'
"Father," he hears from the door. Looking up he sees his two five-year old children staring at him.
"Tatsuo…Kotoko, is something wrong?"
"Please don't."
"Don't do what Kotoko?" He asks.
"Call our uncles." Tatsuo answers. "Mother is still really sick. The last thing she needs is them worrying about her and causing her stress."
He blinks and put the phone back down. "…You're right she doesn't, when did the two of you get to be so smart?"
"We're your kids." Kotoko answers simply. "Is mother going to be okay?"
"Your mother is going to be just fine." He assures them.
"You promise?"
"Yes Kotoko I promise, now it's getting late the two of you should go to bed."
"Yes father." They reply and bow slightly, before leaving his study.
'Great, now that's two promises I'm no longer sure I can keep.' He sighs deeply and gets up to pick the papers off of the floor.
"Tatsuo, can I sleep with you tonight?" Kotoko asks later, as they stand outside of his room.
"Of course, I'm not going to make you sleep alone." He replies taking her hand. "Since we both have doctor's appointments tomorrow."
"Icky."
"What are you so worried about? We both know you're healthier than I am." He points out.
"Doesn't mean I like having to go." She groans. He only sighs and they make their way into his room to get some rest.
"Father…how was mother this morning?" Tatsuo asks on their way back to the house after their appointment the next day, not to their surprise both of them were in perfect health.
"She was still asleep when we left." Kyoya replies staring out the window, as in deep thought.
"Oh" Tatsuo murmurs, before leaning back in his seat and allowing Kotoko to grip his hand tightly.
The rest of the ride home was silent, with no one really knowing what to say without upsetting the others. When they reach the manor Kyoya steps out first. "I have to go finish something up in the office, try not to bother your mother."
"Yes father." They reply watching him disappear quickly.
"Is something bothering him Tatsuo?" Kotoko asks.
"He's just worried about mother Kotoko don't worry." He assures her, as they step out of the car and walk up to the steps.
"…I want to see mother."
"Kotoko you heard father we can't bother her."
"Please? If she's still asleep I promise not to make any noise and wake her. I just want to see her."
"It has been over a week since we got to see her hasn't it." He muses. "…All right go ahead, but I'm not going to cover for you if you get caught."
"You know I was going to go with or without your permission."
"I know, but at least this way I know what you're doing."
"Yes, but can't I argue that because you gave me permission it actually is your fault?"
"…Are you going to go in and see her or not?" He asks changing the subject, as they reach their parents room.
"Yes." She smiles and kisses him on the cheek. "Thank you Tatsuo." She murmurs, before disappearing into the room and closing the door behind her.
Sighing deeply and having nothing better to do he leans up against the wall and waits for her to come back out. He keeps one eye on his father's study down the hall in case he decides to come out and his other on the passing help to make sure none of them walks inside. He suddenly hears a door close to his left and breathes a sigh of relief when he realizes it was probably just the wind. He goes back to leaning against the wall when he hears a blood curdling scream from the bedroom so loud he's sure the gardeners outside could've heard it.
"Kotoko," he cries running quickly into the room to see his sister on her knees next to their parent's bed. Tears were pouring down her face and she was covering her mouth to stop herself from making a horrible chocking sound that happens when she cries heavily. "Kotoko what is it? What's wrong?" He asks running quickly over to her and kneeling in front of her.
"M…mother," is all she manages to choke out and points to the bed.
He slowly gets up and turns around to see his mother seemingly asleep in the bed. Looking again at Kotoko, who doesn't seem to be anywhere near stopping her crying, he takes a deep breath and crawls onto the bed towards her. Moving his mother's hair out of her face he curls up closer and immediately pales. She didn't seem to be breathing. A scream works its way up his throat, but he holds on to it knowing he has to be strong for Kotoko, who seems to be falling apart.
He is about to get off the bed, when Kyoya runs into the room. "Kotoko, what's wrong?
"It's mother." Tatsuo answers. "She doesn't appear to be breathing." He sees his father visibly pale and tells him to get off the bed, before rushing over to take a look at her. Tatsuo kneels down next to Kotoko again and hugs her tightly. "Kotoko wanted to see her and when she came into the room she saw mother like that and-"
"She's breathing."
"Really?"
"Yes, but barely I need to take her to the hospital." He replies reaching for the phone on the bedside table. Sitting down close to Haruhi he starts playing with her hair, while talking to the person on the other end.
"Kotoko did you hear that? Mother is going to be just fine." Tatsuo assures a still crying Kotoko. "Right?" He asks his father, who had just hung up.
"…Yes your mother will be fine." He replies without looking at him. Tatsuo catches the slightest hint of uncertainty in his voice and his eyes. "I know the two of you will be restless until we come back home, so I've arranged a car to take you to the hospital later after Kotoko has calmed down a bit."
'Yeah I guess having Kotoko going to the hospital like this won't help anything.' Tatsuo muses, as he watches his father pick up his mother gently and walk over to the door.
He pauses for a moment. "Kotoko I want to thank you for checking up on your mother. Had you not...she may have died." He tells her warmly. "I'll see you both at the hospital later," before leaving the room.
"I'm sorry Tatsuo." Kotoko tells him, as her tears finally seem to have stopped. "For scaring you. I know you probably had a bad feeling and that's why you came back to the room."
"I never left. I was right outside when you screamed."
"You really are an overly protective brother." She laughs weakly and clutching his shirt even tighter.
"I refuse to let anything happen to you." He states. They sit there for a few moments, before he takes her hand and helps her up. "C'mon you need to wash up before we head to the hospital again."
"Twice in one day…that's new." She sighs.
"This time we're only going for support."
"I still don't like hospitals. They smell icky. You would think with all of the cleaning products it would smell better." She argues.
"I'm not going to argue with you on that one." He laughs. "And I hope once mother is better that we don't have to go as often as we have been."
"Agreed," she smiles at him, as they walk out of the room. "I'll meet you downstairs in about ten minutes."
"All right, just promise me you're not going to go cry." He asks, as she starts walking down the hall to her room.
"I promise." She calls back. Sighing inwardly he watches her step into her room. He turns around and walks the opposite way towards the stairs.
"Oh come on Kyoya I didn't mean it that way, if anything that was more like a compliment." Yuuichi was telling his brother, as the two of them stand by Haruhi's hospital bed, where she was once again asleep.
"How is telling me that my wife is lucky to still be alive a compliment?" Kyoya snaps.
"I meant she has an incredible will to live, most people would've died by now."
"Again, you're really not helping."
"Kyoya, if she's survived this for this long then she's going to be just fine. There's really nothing anyone can do except wait until this passes." Yuuichi sighs looking again at his sister-in-law's file.
"So you still have no idea what it is she has?"
"No, but Ranka's confirmed this is the same illness his wife had before she died. I'm starting to think it's hereditary. Haruhi, it seems, is simply strong enough to get through this."
"Yet, we really have no idea what it is?"
"I'm afraid not, we've ran multiple tests that I hope we can use later on to help people with whatever this is." Yuuichi sighs deeply closing the file. "And I hope for your sake this isn't hereditary. The last thing we need is your own children to get sick."
"If anything I won't let them catch this." Kyoya murmurs.
Yuuichi sighs. "I don't think even you can stop them from catching whatever this is, but knowing you you'll do everything to make sure they don't.
"Oh come off it, once your son is born you'll understand what I mean."
"Yes its funny isn't it? I'm the oldest son, yet I'm the last to be having a child."
"Well if it helps Akito-niisan and Misaki were the first." Kyoya points out.
"Yes, but you and Haruhi would've been had you not waited two years."
"Yes and we both at the time just recently graduated from high school. We wanted to get ahead in our studies, before we thought about kids."
"Understandable, after all our 'vacationing' lawyer is still the best one we have." He smirks.
"Haruhi hasn't let any of us down yet." Kyoya sighs. "And thank you for keeping her illness a secret. It's best if people don't know and simply think she's on vacation by herself."
"It's not a problem; you of all people know the Ootori's are the best at keeping secrets." Yuuichi laughs. "Besides you know everyone in the family wants her to get better, not just because she's one hell of a lawyer."
"I know…and thanks."
"You must really be worried if you're actually thanking me." He smirks. "Either that, or you're losing it."
"Thanks so much for your concern." Kyoya jokes bitterly. "I'm fine, just grateful that Kotoko found her mother when she did."
"Oh yes, speaking of Kotoko." Yuuichi notes taking out a small bottle of pills and tossing them to Kyoya. "I want her to take one of those every night for the next week or so."
"What are they?"
"You said Kotoko was the one who found Haruhi not breathing right? Those are a type of calming pills to make sure she sleeps peacefully." Yuuichi explains, as Kyoya opens the bottle. "The last thing that girl needs is nightmares about watching her mother die."
"You're actually concerned? You?" Kyoya asks surprised.
"She is my niece."
"I suppose that counts for something."
"Kyoya, you know I…" Yuuichi is cut off by Akito walking into the room.
"Is Haruhi all right? I just got the notice in my office." He asks.
"She's fine Akito." Yuuichi sighs. "I'm going to go get her release papers."
"Are you sure she should be leaving the hospital?" Akito asks, as Yuuichi walks out of the room and he walks over to take a look at Haruhi.
"If she wakes up and finds out she's in a hospital there will be hell to pay." Kyoya states. "She's scared she'll become some sort of test subject because her disease isn't…well normal."
"Didn't Nii-san run some tests on her though?"
"Yes, but he's also letting her go. She won't be too angry at me for that, as long as she stays at home while she's recovering from…well whatever this is."
"She's married to an owner of a hospital and a doctor, yet she can't stand hospitals?" Akito laughs, but shuts up with a glare from Kyoya. "Anyways, I passed by the waiting room and saw Tatsuo and Kotoko."
"Did Kotoko seem all right?"
"I think so, but she wouldn't let Tatsuo go. It looked more like Tatsuo was guarding her, rather than just being there for support."
"…I'm going to go get them, can you keep an eye on Haruhi for me?"
"I'm not going anywhere." He promises. "After all I still owe Haruhi a lot don't I?" Kyoya only nods lightly, takes another look at Haruhi, and walks out of the room.
"Excuse me ma'am, are my sister and I allowed to wait in that room even if we don't have an appointment with anyone?" Tatsuo asks the lady at the desk when the two of them reach the hospital their mother is currently in.
"Of course, but where are your parents?" The lady asks, only causing Kotoko to cling tighter to him.
"…They're in here somewhere. Our father is going to pick us up, after he finds out if mother is going to be all right." He replies simply.
"Oh my I'm so sorry."
"Mother is going to be just fine." Tatsuo states angrily.
"Of course she is, after all this is the best hospital in Tokyo." She smiles at them. Tatsuo only stares at her for almost a full minute, until finally nodding and leading Kotoko into the waiting room.
"I don't think you had to freak out like that. That young boy was only trying to reassure his sister." Another woman at the desk was laughing.
"I know, but it kind of just slipped out. That boy is extremely intimidating." She sighs deeply and leans back in her chair. "…Now that I think about don't those two remind you of someone?"
"Not really, but it's pretty clear they're twins."
"Obviously." She growls. "I meant don't they look familiar? I wonder what family they belong too."
"I was more surprised at the fact that a young boy like that was asking for permission to sit in the waiting room." The other comments.
"He's scared for his mother, and is trying to stay strong for his sister. I'm sure he's just not thinking too clearly at the moment."
"He looks five years old." The other argues.
"He also seems very smart for his age and…crap get up." She remarks quickly.
"What is it?"
"Akito-sama's coming over." She hisses quickly and the other woman quicky gets up and bows just as Akito passes the desk. She breathes a sigh of relief, but is cut short as Akito stops short and looks into the waiting room.
"The two black-haired twins, did they just get here?" He asks not turning around.
"Yes sir they asked if they could wait in there until their father came to pick them up." She answers. They watch him pale and murmur something about it being true and walk off.
"That was odd; do you think he knows them?" She asks.
"Who knows, but they must be pretty well known kids." The other remarks and sits back down.
About ten minutes pass and they both see Kyoya walking towards them. 'What in the world? Usually we never see any of the owners.' She thinks getting up and bowing, as he only nods and opens the door to the waiting room.
Tatsuo, Kotoko c'mon we're going home."
"Yes father." They reply getting up and following him out.
"Is mother coming home with us?" Tatsuo asks, still not letting go of Kotoko's hand.
"Yes, but I'm going to go with her in another car." He replies. "The last thing we need is for her to wake up."
"Because she'll think you're taking her to the hospital?"
"Yes, and you know how she feels about them."
"As long as she'll be okay it's fine." Tatsuo breathes a sigh of relief and they both follow their father out of the hospital, leaving behind two surprised receptionists.
"Tatsuo, what are you doing awake?" Kyoya asks walking into the kitchen at almost midnight to find his son drinking a cup of tea.
"Kotoko finally fell asleep." He replies. "And I couldn't."
"Are you two sleeping together again?" He asks getting a glass of water and sitting down opposite of his son at the counter.
"Yes in her room tonight. She was so tired from today she took one of the pills you gave her earlier and fell onto her bed refusing to move." He sighs.
"Weren't you the one who told us that you would never sleep in a girl's room if you could help it?" Kyoya smirks.
"Other girls sure, but Kotoko's room is so similar to mine it doesn't bother me."
"By other girls I assume you mean Hanako and other girls in your preschool?"
"Yes I don't understand how they all can be so…happy and carefree."
"Tatsuo, you are going to have to deal with girls like that probably your entire life." Kyoya points out.
"I know and I really don't like it. Why can't at least some of them act like Kotoko and mother? Then I actually wouldn't mind going to preschool."
"Tatsuo, you only go for five hours a day and you know most of the children in there, how bad can it really be?"
"I'm not saying it's bad, I just don't understand why they can't seem to act like heirs to major corporations."
"You are going to have to deal with people acting like that for a long time Tatsuo, but I'm sure you'll learn to tolerate their behavior." Kyoya sighs. "And you know there are people like your mother and sister out there, but you really shouldn't be looking for them."
"I know."
They sit there in silence for a few minutes and Kyoya finally makes an attempt to talk again. "Tatsuo…about today-"
"I told Kotoko to go ahead and see mother. It was my fault she was in there." He immediately tries to take the blame.
Kyoya blinks. "No, this isn't about that." He sees Tatsuo breathe a sigh of relief and continues. "I was more curious at your behavior today, you seemed to refuse to let Kotoko out of your sight, and your mother had a brush with death today, yet you don't seem to be…visibly upset."
"If allow myself to get upset Kotoko will break down and I refuse to let that happen." Tatsuo states simply.
"So you're saying you aren't upset?"
"No, I'm simply going by your promise to us yesterday that mother will be fine. I trust you to keep your word, so I refuse to let myself break down."
"…You are extremely protective of her aren't you?" He sighs.
"She is my younger sister."
"By twelve minutes."
"Meaning she's twelve minutes younger than me. I have to protect her."
"What do you mean though when you say protect?" Kyoya asks really not understanding what he's talking about. Being the youngest son and having to grow up on his own he really doesn't understand the feeling of wanting to protect ones sibling. Fuyumi was more like a mother to him and by the time he entered high school she was married, so her own husband was able to do all the protecting for her.
"Father I really don't know. All I know is that I don't want Kotoko hurt in any way. I want her to feel comfortable enough to come to me if something does happen to her and you and mother can't help, or she's too afraid to tell you." He explains. "I don't know, maybe this is just a twin thing."
"I doubt that, but I was the youngest son and your mother was an only child. I guess we just don't understand the concept." Kyoya sighs. "…Kotoko was crying earlier wasn't she? In our room."
"Yes she was terrified today." Tatsuo brings up. "When I heard her scream I really thought something happened to her and I panicked. When I first ran into your room I was relieved that she was all right, but when I saw her…I never want to see that look on her face ever again."
"Understandable."
"I'm not kidding."
"Neither am I." Kyoya tells him. "I know the feeling trust me. Your mother has scared me more times than I like to remember. It's gotten to the point if she goes anywhere I want a bodyguard next to her at all times."
"But you love mother in a different way then I love Kotoko."
"You're right, but we both seem to have the need to want to protect them."
"I guess." Tatsuo muses for a moment and gets up. "I guess I should go check on her and go to bed."
"You aren't going to sleep with her?" Kyoya asks.
"Of course I am she'll throw a fit in the morning if I don't."
'He's got a point there.' Kyoya thinks knowing how easily his daughter could wrap her finger around anyone. 'So she even has her brother trapped.'
"Father."
"What is it Tatsuo?" He asks turning to see his son at the door.
"…She doesn't control me, but I still won't allow anything to happen to her. She's my younger twin sister, but she's also my best friend."
'It's frightening to know that he can read people so easily already.' Kyoya sighs inwardly. "So you're saying it's your duty to protect her?"
"No, it's my responsibility."
"She would be angry if she heard you say that."
"Which is why, I'm asking you to please not tell her."
"…If you plan to do this for a long time, just promise me you won't do anything stupid." Kyoya sighs. "I hope you realize if Kotoko loses you, your mother and I will have a hard time keeping her going." 'The last thing I need him to do is act like his mother in those kinds of situations.'
"I'll promise if you do." He states simply.
"When did you become acting like me?" Kyoya smirks. "Fine I promise not to tell Kotoko anything, now go on up to bed."
"Thanks." He smiles. "And you seem to keep forgetting father. I am your son after all," before leaving the kitchen.
Kyoya sighs deeply thinking about the conversation he just had. 'Honestly he should not be able to come up with all of that at his age.' Getting up he picks up both cups and sets them in the sink. 'It's his responsibility to protect her huh? Haruhi when you are feeling better this is definitely something you will want to hear.' He laughs inwardly, before walking out of the kitchen and heading upstairs with a...different type of information.
Three weeks later the family was overjoyed when Haruhi was cleared by Yuuichi that she was healthy again, just really weak. Haruhi felt terrible for scaring the three of them so much, but was overjoyed that she was finally able to overcome a sickness that even her own mother wasn't able to beat. Kyoya was relieved that after everything he was able to keep both of the promises he had made to his family and that Haruhi was all right. Tatsuo and Kotoko both refused to sleep in their own beds the week their mother was better and both now knew that they could trust their father to keep a promise with them.
Hello again I finally got time to finish one of my one-shots. I'm really not trying to get you all to believe that what Tatsuo said about protecting one's little sister is true. I just figured it fit his personality, after all they are twins and I don't think anyone would be in a great state of mind if they found their mother almost dead, especially at five years old. I'm still writing more one-shots on 'The Missing Piece' I promise and again if you have any ideas just send them to me. I hope you liked the first one. xD