Hey guys, Aislinn Silver here. This is my first Ouran fic so I hope you like it. I don't have a set updating schedule so I can't really give you a time frame for how this story is going to go. There is emotional abuse in this story so if you don't like that kind of thing; this is not the story for you. This will be in Haruhi's POV.

If anyone wants to beta this story, I'm all for it. I can't stand spelling and grammar mistakes and I would like to have someone who wants to look for them. If you would like to beta this, please let me know and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

For the record, I have no problem with flames as long as they are constructive. Do not just write a review about how much you hate this story without explaining why. Also, if you have questions feel free to PM me and I will answer you ASAP.

That's all I have to say right now, for questions, before you ask, read the bottom AN.

Haruhi walked to the front door as her father closed the door behind him. He was two hours later than usual and she had started to worry about him. His face was drawn tight and she could see his body shaking. She walked up to him and hugged his legs.

"Otoo-chan, you're late, what's wrong?"

Ryoji bent to pick her up and hugged her tight. Haruhi could barely breathe but she let him hold her because she knew that he was sad. He stroked her hair and muttered softly into her shirt as he rocked her back and forth. After a few minutes, he looked at her and his eyes were dead. Ryoji's eyes were always full of life and a childlike innocence that Haruhi loved to see. Her father was a child in an adult's body and it was a trait that her mother absolutely cherished. To see that innocence gone all of a sudden was a shock and Haruhi knew that something was very wrong.

"Haru–chan, there's something I have to tell you."The weight behind his words was palpable. Haruhi knew that what he was about to say was very important and that she would have to listen close. Haruhi may have been four years old, but she knew that what he was about to tell her would be bad.

"It's okaa-san; she's… she's…"

She kissed his cheek in support, Otoo-chan always stuttered when he knew that something would upset her. She grew more and more worried as he continued to stutter to the point where his words became unintelligible and even more tears fell from his eyes.

"Dad, what happened, where's Mom?"

He immediately broke into sobs. He was still muttering under his breath and Haruhi felt her stomach drop. She had never seen her father cry before and the sight was heart wrenching. He pulled her even closer and placed his hand on her cheek. He stroked her cheekbones with his thumb and moved the hair out of her face. He was trying to prolong this. He didn't want to have to tell his daughter the terrible news. He didn't want to watch all of the happiness drain from her eyes. He didn't want to watch the child-like innocence she had shatter right in front of him. He wanted to shield his little girl from everything but he knew that right now was the one time he could not protect her from the harsh world. After this moment, Haruhi was going to have to grow up fast and her life as she knows it will be forever altered. At the tender age of four, Haruhi was going to experience something many people four times her age have yet to experience.

She was going to experience loss.

He forced her to meet his pained gaze and watched her carefully for a few moments. When he found what he was looking for, he opened his mouth,

"Sweetheart, Mommy is dead."There it was. He could never take back that moment. This would be the last time that the Fujioka family was completely happy without a care in the world. This would be the last time that he would hear Haruhi laugh carelessly because she had been untainted by the cruelty in this world. His little girl would never be the same again.

She stared at him for what felt like an eternity but was merely a few seconds as the words played in her head.

Mommy's dead.

No more waking her up for breakfast in bed. No more early morning kisses before she went to work. No more showing up at her job for lunch because she missed her. No more dinners together as a family. No more of her singing as she cleaned up on the weekends. All of it was gone, ripped from her tiny little hands before she could truly appreciate it.

She looked up at him, hoping this was some kind of cruel joke and that in a few minutes Okaa-chan would walk in the door, scoop her up and sing her favorite song while she danced on her feet in the living room.

One look in her father's eyes and she knew that he was completely serious. She was expecting to cry, but all she felt was numb. She felt a part of her shrivel up and die but she couldn't cry. She felt no emotion, just an emptiness that she knew, even at her age, would never be completely filled. She tried to search for something, anything that would make her have a normal reaction to the death of her mother but nothing came. She looked at her father and couldn't help but feel guilty. Here he was crying his eyes out and she couldn't shed a single tear. What kind of a daughter is she? She hugged him and said in a voice that was completely devoid of emotion,

"I guess it's just me and you now Otoo-chan."

Her father just stood still is shock. He had prepared himself for tears. He was prepared to help her start to put herself back together after she fell apart. He was not prepared for the maturity her voice held. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was as though his four year old daughter just aged twenty years instantly. His arms tightened around her and he buried his face in her neck. This was only the beginning. His little girl has already snapped out of her childish fantasy and has now understood the corruption the world held. She will never be able to be without a care in the world ever again. His daughter's eyes will not have the innocence of a child anymore. They will be filled with the pain and struggle of someone who lost someone they hold dear and have no way of ever getting them back. Haruhi learned a very important lesson that night. She learned that you don't always get your way. Sometimes life is hard and you have to learn to get through it, perhaps not unscathed, but alive and willing to get up, dust yourself off, and move on. He looked at her and prepared himself for the future. It was his job now to raise his little girl into a woman that Kotoko would be proud of. He would make sure that she was happy.

"Hai, Haru-chan, it's just us now."

Haruhi woke to her alarm clock ringing. She had the same dream every night since that night. Since she heard the news, she had never shed a tear. She preferred to take that grief and put it into something more productive, school and work. She was top of her class and it was her academic success that got her a scholarship to Ouran Academy, one of the best schools in Japan. Today was her first day of school and she would make sure that she remained top of her class. She had to make her mother proud. She wanted to make everyone proud.

She got up and took a shower being sure to thoroughly wash her hair, the one physical sign of her grief. She decided that as a tribute to her mother she would never cut her hair. Her mother's hair was long, beautiful, and absolutely feminine, just as she herself was. She was known for her great taste in fashion and her impeccable makeup. She made sure to look her absolute best at every given opportunity. Haruhi was not very feminine but her hair was the one bit of femininity she and her father allowed. It made her feel close to her mother in some small way. It was the one thing she made sure was taken very good care of. She made sure it was pristine. She put on her clothes, a baggy long sleeved shirt, men's trousers, and her loafers. She knew she dressed like a man and she didn't care. Her mother dressed like a woman and it was the reason for her death. As she brushed her hair she looked at her face in the mirror. She looked just like her mother but one couldn't tell because she absolutely refused to wear makeup. Her lips were chapped, her eyes were muddy and cheeks still held the childish roundness as opposed to her mother's hollow cheeks. Her only saving grace was her long luxurious brown hair. It reached the bottom of her behind in flowing curls. However, she hid this by wrapping it in a bun every day. No one knew how long her hair was and that was how she planned to keep it. She would not suffer the same fate as her mother.

She wrapped up her hair and secured it with a pin. She looked absolutely androgynous. And that's exactly how she wanted it. There was no way that anyone would find her even mildly attractive. She would not have to worry about whether someone would hit on her or try to ask her on a date. She didn't want to be attractive. She didn't want to be noticed. She didn't want to turn heads as she walked down the street. She wanted to fade into the background. She wanted to repulse men.

She made her way to the kitchen and smiled as she saw her father's outfit. He was feminine enough for the both of them. Once her mother died, he insisted on wearing her clothes and perfume to stay close to her as a way of coping. He got a job at a transvestite bar so that he wouldn't have to change his clothes for work and quickly grew into a female in a man's body. Sometimes he was teased for it but he never let it bother him. He knew that Kotoko would have never had a problem with it as she deeply loved him as a person. In the end that was all that mattered. Haruhi happened to love it as it showed that he was gaining back his enthusiasm for life. If this was the way he wanted to show it then so be it. Today he was wearing her mother's favorite blouse. It was a blush pink color and it wrapped around the waist and tied on the side in a very feminine bow. His skirt was white and stopped at the knee and he wore her mother's favorite pair of pink five inch heels. He wore red lipstick and a bit of eyeliner to complete the look. He also grew out his hair and it now reached his lower back and fell in curls just as Haruhi's did. Today it was loose and bounced around with him as he cooked breakfast.

He turned around and scooped Haruhi into a strong hug that revealed his true gender. That was the one thing that did not change about her dad. He hugged as though he never knew when he was going to see you again. This was probably due to Kotoko's death but he gave the best hugs so Haruhi never complained. He insisted on hugging her every morning before she left and every night when she got home. When she asked him about it, he said that he wanted to make sure that she knew he loved her everyday so that it something happened, he wouldn't have to worry as much.

"Good morning sweetheart I made your favorite!"

Haruhi couldn't fight the smile on her face. Her father's enthusiasm for life never failed to make her happy. He still missed his wife, that much was obvious, but he has moved to a place where he can enjoy life again and Haruhi was so glad that he has a reason to smile again. He fell into a deep depression after her mother died and she had to force him to eat and give him pills so that he could sleep. He didn't get back on his feet for another six months but jumped into gear when he realized that he had to take care of Haruhi by himself.

"Thanks Oto-chan."

He smiled and patted her head as she sat down across from him to eat.

"So, are you ready for your first day at Ouran Academy?"

"More than ready."

He put his hand on top of hers, "I know you will do well with your studies, that's not what I'm worried about. I know you like being by yourself but I want you to make a few friends this year, Haruhi. I worry about you." Haruhi had always been a bit of a loner and while he knew that she was social when necessary. He also knew that Haruhi was a bit too independent and he wanted to know that she had some quality friends that would watch out for her when he was not able to.

She squeezed his hand in reassurance. "Don't, I will be fine. You raised me well."

She stood up and grabbed her bag, "I better get going, I want to get there a little early."

He stood immediately and pulled her into another bone-crushing hug. "Be careful on your way home Haru-chan. I can't lose you." He kissed her hair.

She smiled at him, "I promise."

When she got to the school, she couldn't believe her eyes. It was stunning. The building was a light pink with gold accents throughout. There were seven floors and more windows than she could count. In the front, there was a fountain that poured into a large pond. Water lilies rested on the water that reflected the sun. The landscaping was impeccable and there was not a wilted plant to be seen. She could see where the money was spent and immediately understood why this school was so expensive. On top of its beauty, Ouran Academy had one of the best education programs in Japan. She wanted to become a lawyer and this school was prestigious enough to get her into a respectable college. As she walked through the halls, she perused the artwork on the walls and the fine materials used. This school was fit for royalty, and it was fitting that the richest people attended this school. She felt honored in a way that she was able to attend such a school, where money was no option and where poverty was merely a concept that was understood, not experienced. When she walked through the door, she spotted the teacher, a young man with a kind face, and walked toward him.

"Hello, sir, I'm Haruhi Fujioka. I'm a new-"

"Oh yes Ms. Fujioka, the honor student. I'm glad to meet you. I'm Mr. Ukitake. If you would please have a seat next to the Hitachiin twins."

She made her way to the twins and when she sat down; they turned toward her with sinister smiles on their faces.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, we are the Hitachiin twins. This is Hikaru and I am Kaoru." She immediately noticed that the only difference between them was the part in their hair. They both had bronze hair that was long and unruly. It curled slightly around their ears. Their skin was pale but very well taken care of. They were tall but thin and their eyes were an unusual yellow gold that reminded her of a cat. Their teeth were pristine but their smiles were mischievous. All in all they were quite attractive but she could sense that they were most definitely troublemakers.

"Ohayo, I'm Haruhi Fujioka."

Their smile grew wider as they looked her up and down. "Well Haru-chan, we simply must ask why you insisted on dressing like a man today. Do you enjoy looking like a lesbian?"

Their ability to talk in perfect harmony only made the insult seem more severe. However, Haruhi took it in stride and smoothly replied, "That's not important Hitachiin-san. Isn't it the inside that counts?"

They immediately laughed and wrapped their arms around her shoulder; Hikaru tisked, "Oh Haru-chan, surely you know that only ugly people believe that. It's us pretty people that know it's a load of crap. Beauty is a force and only those who have it realize just how important it really it."

Kaoru frowned as he took in her frumpy appearance, "Exactly. You know you actually have the potential to be gorgeous in a cute and simple way, but you hide everything with your terrible clothing and horrible upkeep. Are those lips chapped? That is absolutely unacceptable. I cannot believe you wore such a baggy sweater, are you trying to hide your feminine physique?"

As they assaulted her with insults and criticized her appearance down to the bone, Haruhi couldn't help but smile. Even though the twins were directly insulting her, she could tell that they didn't mean any harm and that they were just naturally blunt, no nonsense people. Besides, she meant what she had said. Her appearance means nothing to her. She didn't want attention and she would ensure that she will never get it. She would never end up like her mother. She could see herself becoming friends with these twins.

"I don't care about my looks. That's not what I came here for. I am worried about my studies."

They sent each other a look and shrugged. Then they turned to face her, with smiles on their faces.

"We like you."

Class began and as the teacher went through the lesson, Haruhi smiled to herself. She could get used to this. Her mother would be so proud of her. She promised herself that she would not lose focus and that she will not let anything get in the way of her education as she had to make her mother proud. She couldn't let her or her father down.

The work was more challenging than she expected but it was still fairly simple for her. She had always been an intelligent girl but she was never arrogant about it. She quietly became top of her class and would help anyone who asked her for assistance. She saw her intellect as a gift, not something to hold over anyone's head.

She took notes and kept her focus. She would make sure she did her best.

The rest of school was pretty uneventful but she felt even surer about her decision to go to Ouran Academy. This school will definitely help her in her master plan of getting into a prestigious college. Hikaru and Kaoru spent the rest of class pointing out the problems with her appearance and all she could do was laugh. They begged her to let them give her a makeover and she adamantly refused. They sulked for a while and went right back to criticizing her outfit. It was amazing the amount of things they found wrong with it from the fabric to the cut even to the thread count. Haruhi had never put much though into her clothing and to know that some people would know so much about it was a bit of a shock to her.

When the final bell rang, Haruhi stood and began gathering her things. The twins walked up to her and smiled.

"Haru-chan, you should come to the host club meeting with us. It's a lot of fun and you look like you could use a bit of fun, and some moisturizer."

She smiled slightly, "As amazing as that sounds, I have to work."

They frowned and tilted their heads to the side. "What do you mean work? Are your parents making you take over the company or something?"

She laughed, "No, I'm not rich. I got into this school on a scholarship and in order to help make ends meet, I work at a café."

Their eyes lit up, "What café? We'll get the host club to visit!"

"It's called Café Au Lait"

"Ooh French! We'll be there."

They quickly dashed out of the classroom.

Haruhi shook her head; these two are going to be the death of her.

Haruhi carefully squeezed the frosting into the shape of a perfect heart on the cake. She loved her job as it paid well and gave her the opportunity to withdraw within herself. She kept an eye on the pans on the burner while she created her next masterpiece. She was a gifted cook and she loved to get feedback on a particular dish. She had started working at Café Au Lait when she was fourteen to help her father pay the bills. It started as merely a way to make money, but she grew to actually love her job. She moved a stray piece of hair out of her eyes and began dishing the food as the waitresses came to deliver them.

All of the people she worked with were kind-hearted and all around great people. They treated her like a little sister, as all of them were several years older than her, and made sure that she didn't push herself too hard. When business slowed down, they made her go on break and eat dinner.

As she made her way to one of the tables, she spotted Hikaru and Kaoru with three other people. One was small and very adorable. He looked like a little kid. He had blonde hair and gold eyes but they were darker than the twins. He was smiling constantly and seemed like a bubbly kind of guy. Next to him was a tall boy with dark hair and dark eyes. His skin was tanned and he seemed very stoic in nature. The other was pale with dark hair and eyes. He wore glasses and seemed to be bored as he typed away at his laptop. All of them were very good looking and the entire table was garnering a lot of female attention. Even the waitresses were caught in their charms. Just before Haruhi sat down, Hikaru looked up and noticed her.

"Haru-chan! Come sit with us!"

She slowly made her way to the table and Kaoru pulled her to sit in between him and Hikaru.

"Haru-chan this is Mitskune Haninozuka, Takashi Morinozuka, and Kyoya Ootori. Sempais, this is our classmate Haruhi Fujioka." He referred to the blonde, the stoic one, and the one wearing glasses respectively.

Haruhi lightly bowed her head. "It's nice to meet you Haninozuka-sempai, Morinozuka-sempai, Ootori-sempai."

Mitskune smiles and jumps across the table to hug Haruhi. "Nonsense, call my Honey," He pointed to Takashi, "and call him Mori!" He started giggling and rolling around on her stomach.

Hikaru and Kaoru smiled, "He's like a little kid. You get used to it."

Honey pouted and jumped into Mori's lap.

"So, you're the honor student." Kyoya stated rather than asked.

Haruhi nodded. "How does everyone know that?"

"Oh I didn't know, I just noticed your attire and that you work in this hovel and figured that no one who could afford Ouran's tuition would work here so I figure you had to be the student who received scholarships."

His observation was more of an insult but Haruhi didn't let it bother her. She knew that she would meet some less than pleasant people going to a school of rich people and she had prepared for this.

"Well, yes, it's true. I was accepted into Ouran through scholarships."

Kyoya smiled slightly and the twins glared at him.

"Don't be an ass Kyoya. Haru-chan is super smart! Don't insult her."

"I was not insulting her. I'm merely making an observation."

"Tell that to the boss."

Haruhi raised her eyebrows in question. "Who is the boss?"

The twins' eyes lit up, "He's the leader of the Host Club. He's the most popular host. He's also the top guy in school. He is top of his class, top of the lacrosse, track, and gymnastics team, the most talented of the music group, the lead soloist in the choir, president of the art club, and he runs half of his family's business. Basically, everyone adores him. He's the prince."

"Of what?"

Their smiles grew larger, "Everything."

Haruhi came home at dark. Her father was cooking dinner. When she closed the door, she was immediately bombarded with a strong hug.

"Tadaima Otoo-chan."

His hold tightened, "Okaeri, princess."

After he let go, his attention went back to the pans on the stove.

"How was your first day at Ouran Academy?"

Haruhi laughed a bit, "Interesting."

He plated up the food and they ate dinner together. This was the only time during the day besides breakfast that they got to spend together on weekdays and both of them deeply cherished it. There were no distractions and they were able to talk about what happened that day and vent any feelings that may have arisen. Her father was her best friend and she loved the time that they got to spend together because it was so little during the week. He worked the night shift so he normally left before she went to bed. However, he insisted on getting up before her to cook breakfast and dinner even though she told him it wasn't necessary. He said that it made him feel useful. Anyway it was nice to have someone to come home to that was actually interested in how her day went.

Ryoji smiled. "I'm glad that you seem happy about your decision to go there. I was worried you were going to have a hard time fitting in since you weren't rich."

Haruhi shook her head. "No, everyone seemed pretty accommodating. I think I'm going to like it there."

He smiled, "I'm glad. All I want is for you to be happy."

After dinner, Ryoji insisted on cleaning up so Haruhi went upstairs, did her homework, and got ready for bed. Today was a bit rough, but she knew that tomorrow would be better. She would see what this Host Club was about and hopefully meet the Prince.

She got into bed and fell asleep thinking about what tomorrow would bring.

Questions I Know Are Going To Be Asked:

What happened to Haruhi's Mother?: I can't tell you yet, you have to keep reading to find out.

Why does Haruhi not want to be feminine?: This relates to her mother's death and once again, I can't tell you that. Read more and find out.

Haruhi's father's reaction?: This seems strange I know, but this was his way of staying close to Kotoko. He wears her clothes and perfume and makeup to feel closer to her. He knows that these things touched her and that makes him feel close to her. It was his way of coping with her death and it is part of the story.

Why did they grow out their hair?: Haruhi did it as a tribute to her mother. Her mother had very long hair and in order to honor her memory Haruhi refuses to cut hers. She lets it grow longer to remind her of her mother as she used to have short hair. This will not change so anyone who is attached to Haruhi's short hairdo, it's not gonna happen. This is also the one thing that Haruhi allows to be somewhat feminine.

Haruhi's father grew out his hair to make himself appear more feminine as well as a tribute to Kotoko. Basically for the same reasons as Haruhi.

If you have any questions that this doesn't answer feel free to PM or ask through a review.