A/N: Here is chapter four! I really hope I don't disappoint anyone. The chapter ended up taking a different turn then I originally anticipated so it came out shorter than I thought it would. I'm also sorry that it has taken me so long to update. School keeps me rather busy and what not. Now, I know this one has not been edited like it should have either so, please be warned they may be errors and I will do what I can to correct them at a later time. For now, I believe I've kept you waiting long enough . Enjoy!

Chapter Four: Family Confessions

"Haruhi, I feel that this may be a bit rude of me," Emiko began setting down her tea cup "but you don't seem very much like the other boys."

"Well, Tamaki-sempai really gets into it. I'm just…"

"No, that's not what I mean," Emiko giggled. "It's just that, well, you seem more feminine. It's almost as if you were, a girl."

Kyoya's hands stilled on the keyboard as Tamaki's ears perked. The twins were near Haruhi in an instant trying to hide their fear and shock.

"What? Did I say something funny?" Emiko asked.

The twins were busy trying to hide Haruhi, ignoring Emiko in the process. While this would have normally upset her, she actually found it rather amusing and laughed quietly. She couldn't help it.

"What are you talking about? Haruhi a girl? N-no way!" one of the twins blurted out as they pulled Haruhi away, much to the brunette's displeasure.

"Um," Emi giggled. "I didn't say he was. I just said…"

She watched, trying to hold back the giggles as the twin boys ignored her and Haruhi's protests and dragged the brown haired host clear across the room. Tamaki came around Emi's other side and took her injured hand in his. She winced slightly as before snapping her neck toward him. She was very thankful for having restraint because it took most of hers to not sending him flying after Haruhi. She wasn't used to so much attention anymore, especially when it came to someone touching an injury…that is someone other than Takashi or Ben.

"I-I'm sorry to interrupt your time with our 'Natural Rookie,'" Tamaki said, gently kissing the top of her hand as he tried to keep his composure "but it seems that he…um…he…"

"Haruhi had opted to run some errands and take care of some chores for us today," Kyoya interrupted from his computer. "And Hikaru and Kaoru were…politely reminding him."

"Huh, I see," she giggled. "Then maybe I should lend a hand. After all, I did pull him from his chores."

"Ah a princess with a true heart of gold!" Tamaki exclaimed. "How kind, how sweet of you to offer to help one of your hosts! We, who are suppose to cater to you and give you aide if you should so ask. I am truly touched by your well intentions! If you truly wish to help, who am I to stand in your way?"

She couldn't help but laugh at his over the top act. One moment he was floundering for an excuse and the next he was praising her like nothing was wrong. It was so…entertaining! It was so easy to get swept up into his charisma and be taken away by his energy.

"Tama-chan, Emi-chan can't help do work," Mitsukuni replied as he bounded over and leaned over the back of the couch.

Tamaki looked over at the upper classman with a blank, confused stare. Mitsukuni simply smiled.

"Emi-chan's hurt and I don't want her to over stress her arm."

While his smile was very innocent and his statement was very simple, she could tell there was a hint of bitterness behind it. He was still pretty upset about her keeping secrets and she was far from being off the hook. She tried not to slump against the couch in shame. Tamaki, in the mean time, seemed to come back to his senses.

"Oh, right of course. You shouldn't feel an obligation to help, especially when you're hurt princess. Please, enjoy your visit," he said giving her a small bow. "I'm afraid, I must return to my other guests."

"Go right ahead. I would hate for you to disappoint your other guests just because I'm Mitsukuni's cousin," she smiled.

"A true heart of gold!" Tamaki cried one last time before disappearing.

"You can come sit with me, Emi-chan," Mitsukuni smiled tugging on her arm.

She forced a smile and nodded before following him to the table he had been sitting at with Takashi. She couldn't really say she was surprised that Mitsukuni was keeping her close, but it was different from when she was with Ben. Once Mitsukuni and Takashi were sure she was safe and she was telling them everything, they would lighten up. They weren't keeping her on a short leash. They were sticking close for her own protection. Not like Ben. Ben stuck close to her for the control he had over her.

Emi quickly pushed the thoughts from her mind. She didn't want to think about Ben, her situation, or anything else the slightest bit negative. Instead, she wanted to just have fun with her cousin. She could feel herself relax as she talked with Mitsukuni and his guests. It felt much more natural to her. It was almost like she had friends again. It was such a nice change of pace. She silently prayed that it would never end.

Sadly, the end of the day came much too fast. Before she knew it, Emiko was waving goodbye to the other guests and heading toward the car she would be sharing with Takashi. She had been staying with him the past few days. Given her situation, they both agreed it would be better rather than send her home with the injuries. Her parents were only too happy to comply. After all, it was a nice change of pace to see her hang out with someone other than her boyfriend.

Anyway, she gave Mitsukuni a hug, saying goodbye with a smile. She was ready to go home and rest. It had certainly been a long and tiring day for her.

"Don't be silly, Emi-chan," Mitsukuni smiled. "We're not saying goodbye yet. We still have to talk."

She cringed slightly.

"W-what do you mean?" she replied hesitantly.

"We have a lot to catch up on," he replied. "So I'm coming over Takashi's house and spending the night. It'll be just like a big sleep over!"

She shied away from her cousin slightly. She knew she couldn't avoid the topic of Ben forever, but she had hoped she would have at least a little more time before she would have to tell Mitsukuni everything. Luck did not appear to be on her side.

"Now?" she asked.

"Now," he replied, his child-like smile gone.

Though his face was serious, the concern was still crystal clear in his brown eyes. She sighed and let her head hang slightly before nodding. Takashi usher her into the limo before he and Mitsukuni climbed in after her. For a while, it was silent. She tried not to let her nerves wreck havoc, but it was hard. Part of her wanted to put off the confrontation for as long as possible, but part of her just wanted to get everything out in the open. Maybe she would feel a sense of freedom or release once she did. Still, it would not be easy regardless of the result.

The car was still quiet when they pulled in front of Takashi's house. Emiko kept her head slightly bent as she followed her cousins into the house. They gathered in one of the rooms that was usually reserved for the rare home meeting. Takashi asked that some tea would be brought to them before sitting next to Emi. Mitsukuni sat on her other side. Gently, he took her good hand in his and gave it a tight squeeze.

"What happened, Emiko?" he asked softly.

She locked her eyes on her hands. Where was she supposed to start? What was she suppose to say? She had spent so the past two months living in fear and mostly isolation. She had rarely been allowed to do anything that Ben didn't give her permission to do. Besides, talking about how he treated her had been strictly taboo. No one was supposed to know. She didn't want to think about what would happen when he found her. Still, she was with Takashi and Mitsukuni. Could he really hurt her when they were there to protect her? Could she really keep it secret from Mitsukuni any longer?

"Emiko," Takashi said softly.

She took a deep breath.

"I...I don't know where to begin," she whispered at last.

"Let's start at the beginning. I thought you were going to break up with Ben two months ago," Mitsukuni began to help prompt her.

"I should have when you met him, I know," she whispered. "But I...I really thought I could fix things, talk it out. I thought that if he really cared we would be able to work it out and it was nothing I couldn't handle."

"But…" Mitsukuni pressed when she paused.

"But…i-it didn't work," she replied, her voice shaking slightly. "Every time I tried to talk to him, to stand up and say he was wrong, it…it got worse. He starting hitting harder, leaving bruises. I tried; I really did try to break it off. I deserved better and wouldn't let myself be pushed around, but…"

She took a deep breath to steady herself. She could feel the tears sting her eyes as she remembered the first time she had tried to break it off with Ben. How helpless she felt. She was useless, she couldn't stop him, she couldn't fight back. Anytime she would try, he got more violent. He had kept her pinned to keep her from using her martial arts as he had beat her, threw her into walls and desks, kicked her until she coughed up blood. She had never been so completely defeated before in her life. It was humiliating…which in retrospect was probably partially why she had put off telling Mitsukuni and even Takashi for so long. It made her a disgrace to the Haninozuka family. She had made excuses. She had been attacked from behind, she fell, she was part of a hit and run. Not exactly honorable ways to get hurt, but easier than admitting she had been severely beaten by a man who had little to no training compared to her.

"But?" Mitsukuni pressed when the silence dragged on.

He wasn't trying to be pushing or demanding. He just needed to know who had been hurting his cousin. She was family and family is always protected by family. He wouldn't let whoever it was get away with hurting her and changing her. He got the feeling the Takashi knew more than he had let on, but that was also part of Takashi's charm. He could keep secrets and acted almost like a silent body guard. It was easy to confide in him. Still, Mitsukuni wished he had been clued in to what was going on earlier. Maybe if he had, Emi wouldn't be in such sad shape.

"But he didn't want to let me go. He…he told me that he owned me," she whispered. "He would never let me go…alive…not without a fight."

Her words hit him and hit him hard. Mitsukuni could hardly believe that someone had made his cousin so afraid. It was even worse that they had forced themselves into ruling over her so to speak. He clenched his free hand into a tight fist. This…this Ben character had no idea who he had hurt or who he was dealing with. If he ever tried to come near Emi-chan again, he wouldn't be walking. If Mitsukuni didn't knock him off his feet, Takashi sure would.

"Why didn't you tell us?" the blonde boy asked. "You didn't have to…"

"I couldn't," she said shaking her head. "Despite his threats, I was embarrassed about what happened. I'm a Haninozuka! I should not have my ass kicked by a boy who has little to no training. I should've been able to fight him off. I should've been able to stop him. I should've stood up for myself. I shouldn't have been so weak. I should've…"

Tears trickled down her cheeks and splashed on her and Mitsukuni's hand. She felt so embarrassed, but couldn't stop them. Two months of built up embarrassment, self-loathing, fear, pain, sadness, and uncertainty were pouring out. Since the door had been opened, there was no closing it until it had all worked itself out.

"Don't think like that Emi-chan!" Mitsukuni said wrapping his arms around her, his child-like tone seeping through. "You're not at fault. You're a good person. That's why you didn't want to fight. You're not weak. You're not an embarrassment. You're hurt."

She shook her head as she continued to cry on her cousin's shoulder. She didn't bother to try stopping the tears. She had already made a fool of herself. She might as well finish the show. Mitsukuni rubbed her back and whispered soothing phrases. It killed him to see her so upset. She was usually so cheerful and energetic, like him. This Ben guy had slowly chiseling away at that. It wasn't fair. They had to fix it.

"Emi, how long has this been going on?" Mitsukuni asked softly when her crying had finally slowed.

She shook her head. She didn't want to admit to how long she had allowed herself to be put through such torture or how bad she had really been hurt.

"Emi-chan, how long has this been going on? Please tell me."

She shook her head again. She hadn't even told him about the daily beatings and scolding, how she couldn't stand up to Ben because every time he reminded her of her place which was always below him. She thought back to when Takashi had answered her phone and felt the tears well up again. Next time she saw Ben, she was sure to be in for another beating that landed her in the hospital. That was, after all, her punishment for not being compliant. Could her cousins really protect her?"

"Emiko, it's time to come clean," Takashi said softly.

She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to take a few breathes. Takashi was right. She was already coming clean on so much, she might as well admit to how long she had been accepting her "punishments."

"Two months," she whispered, her voice muffled slightly by her cousin's shirt.

"Two months?" Mitsukuni repeated in shock.

Suddenly, a lot of things began to click for him. He hadn't seen her much over the last two months because she was always with this Ben character. She always had an excuse not to see him because she was ashamed of her situation. She had been suffering under his very nose for two months and he had never known. He gripped her tightly.

"No more," he said.

She looked up at him confused and surprised. Her cheeks were stained with tears which smeared her make-up. The bruise from her last encounter with Ben poked its ugly dark brown and blue face through her make-up making it stand out even more on her pale cheeks. Mitsukuni fought back the rush of anger. Knowing that Ben was probably the one that sprained her wrist was bad enough. The bruise on her face almost pushed him over the edge. Mitsukuni wouldn't tolerate it any longer.

"No more lies. No more secrets. No more hiding," he continued. "No more worrying. No more having to live in fear. No more Ben. You're safe now. Takashi and I will take care of you. If this Ben wants to get to you, he'll have to get through us first."

He gave her his usual child-like grin.

"We'll protect you, Emi-chan. I promise!"

The tears welled up in her eyes again. She buried her face in Mitsukuni's shirt and let them fall. He held her and rubbed her back in slow, soothing circles. She felt Takashi join by putting his hand on her back. Mitsukuni's words rang through her mind. For the first time in two long months, she felt safe.

And thus ends chapter four! I hope you enjoyed! Tell me what you think! Reviews are loved, but I can't force you to leave them. Again, I aplogize for the delay and I hope you enjoyed! The next chapter will be posted when I finish it. :)

-Rinoa-san -