Don't give it a hand, offer it a soul
Honey, make this easy.
Leave it to the land, this is what it knows
Honey, that's how it sleeps.

Don't let it in with no intention to keep it
Jesus Christ, don't be kind to it.
Honey don't feed it, it will come back.

It Will Come Back - Hozier


PART ONE: GENESIS

Chapter 03: Bonding


Haruhi's dreams have been strange lately. She can't remember much from them most nights, only blood and pain and an ache deep in her chest she doesn't understand that sticks with her throughout her day. The oddest thing about them, however, is that they don't feel like they belong to her.

A crash sounds from Haruhi's room, and she nearly chops her finger off. That can't be a good sign.

"Haruhi?" Her dad yells from the bathroom. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine!" Haruhi yells back, turning down the heat on the stove and running to check her room.

Kana is on the floor, picking up Haruhi's pens and the cup she keeps them in while a small blue bird marches back and forth across Haruhi's desk flapping its wings. It stops to try pushing over one of Haruhi's textbooks, but soon gives up when it can't.

"You promised no more animals," Haruhi sighs, catching Kana's and the bird's attention.

Honestly, she shouldn't even be surprised. It's been a little over a week since she took Kana in, and during that time she's found the girl with three rats, two dogs, more cats than she could possibly count and a wide variety of colorful birds. She doesn't understand how all of these animals keep getting into her room, especially since they're on the second floor.

With loud chirps and fast chatter, the bird takes to the air and starts flying circles around Haruhi, clearly not at all happy with her presence. If it was brave enough, it'd probably be trying to peck her eyes out right now. The difference between their size must be too intimidating for it as it keeps adjusting its distance from her.

A soft, high pitched whistle echoes in the room and the bird stops it's "attack." It land's on Kana's shoulder, rubbing its cheek against her neck and trilling.

Haruhi opens the window and turns to Kana with a raised brow and crossed arms. The girl stares at the bird, pressing her forehead against it as if she's trying to communicate something to it before thrusting her hand away from her and watching the creature fly away. Haruhi double checks her lock and draws her curtains closed. She's not sure how much good it will do, but it makes her feel better.

When she turns back around, Kana is kneeling on the floor by the bedroom door. Her head is bent so she can peek out of the crevice, and Haruhi can hear her father humming as he gets ready for work. For some odd reason, Kana tries not to leave Haruhi's room when Ranka is home. It's a quirk Haruhi doesn't really get, especially since the few times the two have crossed paths, Ranka has been incapable of seeing Kana. It's actually quite disconcerting to watch. If Haruhi didn't know better, she'd start believing Kana was just a vivid hallucination.

It isn't until his call of "Bye, Sweetie! I'll be back later!" that Kana stands back up and steps into the hallway. She sticks her head around the corner then makes a beeline for the bathroom.

Haruhi hears the shower start and sighs. She gathers a towel and clothes and leaves them outside the bathroom door for the girl, knowing the water will stop in exactly five minutes.

There's so much Haruhi doesn't know about Kana. When someone can only communicate through writing, it somehow makes it harder to interrogate them, apparently. Not only that, but Kana's literacy is also quite lacking. It's difficult for them to hold a conversation for any length of time. Still, they've tried, and what Haruhi has learned from the small bits of information Kana's been willing to give her grants her a feeling of accomplishment.

From what Haruhi can understand from her writing, Kana is more or less sixteen, she doesn't know where she's from, she doesn't know how she got here and she doesn't have anywhere to return to.

Haruhi makes her way into the kitchen. The water stops, and Haruhi hears the bathroom door open and close. Hopefully, Kana is using the towel Haruhi left for her and won't drip all over the floor again.

It doesn't take long for the girl to join her, and when Haruhi sets down a plate in front of her, Kana scarfs down her food so fast it's a wonder she doesn't choke. That in and of itself is a bit of an improvement since she refused to eat in front of Haruhi only a couple days ago. When she's finished, Kana settles into the living room and turns on the TV. She's developed a strong fascination with the device, though Haruhi can't tell if it's because she finds the thing amazing or concerning.

This is the quiet routine they've somehow slipped into. Despite its comfort, Haruhi knows this peace can't last. The new term starts in a few days, and she knows Kana can't stay here by herself all day. There are too many things that could go wrong.

Haruhi doesn't know what she'd do if her dad accidentally came home and could suddenly Kana, or if she came home one day to find Kana missing.

All of the terrible possibilities aren't something Haruhi wants to dwell on, so it comes as a relief when Kana motions for her to sit beside her so Haruhi can explain all the things the girl doesn't understand happening on the small screen in front of her.

Their peace is destined to be even more short-lived then Haruhi anticipates.


Everything shifts when, an hour after her father goes to work the next day, Kana suddenly stiffens beside Haruhi. Her forehead starts beading sweat and her hands clench her borrowed t-shirt.

"What's wr-" Haruhi starts to ask, only to be interrupted by a loud knocking at the door.

Kana's lips thin, but she doesn't stop Haruhi as she gets up to check who is at the door. She peers through the peep-hole and suppresses a groan.

The Host Club is here.

"It's just some of my friends," Haruhi reassures Kana. "I'll ask them to leave, okay?"

The girl doesn't respond, but her face is starting to turn red.

Haruhi frowns, a feeling of dread settling in the pit of her stomach, and opens the door just a crack. She's greeted by a chorus of "Haruhi!" and before she can say anything, her door is being forced open. The boys start talking over each other, and Haruhi can only catch a few words here or there.

"Not answering-"

"-worried about-"

"Straight to voicemail-"

"Kidnapping-"

From the corner of her eye, Haruhi can see Kana doubling over herself, and she's struck with an odd sense of panic. None of the Hosts have noticed Kana, they all seem to be just as incapable of seeing her as Ranka, but Haruhi can't shake the feeling that she needs to get them to leave.

And fast.

"SHUT UP!" She yells, and the boys all jump back in surprise. "I can't understand what you're saying. Why are you guys here?"

"Daddy's been so worried about you, Haruhi!" Tamaki wails, throwing himself at the girl.

"You weren't answering your phone." Hikaru starts. "It kept going to voicemail,"

"So we called Kyoya-senpai." Kaoru finishes.

"Ranka-san was also not answering my phone calls," Kyoya adds. "I thought it best for us to investigate in person."

It only occurs to Haruhi now that she hasn't seen her cellphone in quite some time. Not since…

She glances back to where Kana is, and to her shock, the girl is right next to her, almost close enough to touch. Her eyes are clouded over and her entire body is flushed as she pants heavily.

"Haru-chan? What's wrong?" Honey asks, but before Haruhi can say anything, Kana collapses, falling forward and knocking into Kaoru.

It must feel very odd, to have a person appear out of thin air in front of you. It's only natural for someone to freak out in that kind of situation.

Tamaki and Hikaru yell, and Mori swoops up Honey while Kyoya takes out his cell phone.

Kaoru, however, does nothing but catch the girl falling into him. He examines her for a second, before turning to Haruhi with wide eyes.

"Who is this?" He asks.

Then faints.

And that's when everyone really starts freaking out.


Hello. There will be another short chapter after this one either later tonight or tomorrow depending on how fast I edit it,

Thank you again DarkSideOfWonderland for reviewing and to everyone else for reading.