Notes:

1) Thank you to CloudyBlueSkies for my first review.

2) Thank you to Lady of Blatant Sarcasm for being the first to tell me who she's hoping will win Sayuri's affection and for her continueing support!

3) This chapter isn't as thrilling as the past ones, and I realize that. It's kinda just setting everything up for later chapters. Be patient and we'll get back to the good stuff next chapter! Chaper 5: The Engagement will be up on 2/27! But until then... there will be a mini half chapter coming out soon!

~Chapter 4~

Back in elementary school weekends were a blessing. They were two days without school where you could go play with friends and not have to think about anything serious. Those were the days for picnics in the park, swimming in pools and trips overseas to go sightseeing.

In middle school weekends sometimes consisted of an hour or two of homework but for the most part they were still free. But boys has cooties and so girls played house and had tea parties with lsat season's china set and left the boys to master the sports that parents had flown in the best instructors from every country to teach to them.

By the time you reach high school you learned the truth. Weekends were still a blessing, still a time for having fun with friends but now you could see that it was just a way to keep your attention for another week. Even worse was when you wanted to go back to school and couldn't because it was the weekend. Like when you just wanted to get something over with and, like a bandaid, just ripped it off and hoped the stinging didn't last too long.

That was exactly how Sayuri felt. She had made such a fool of herself at the party on friday that she could barely look at herself in the mirrior. Not like she ever really could before but now it was worse. She had yelled at Kyoya Ootori and the Hitachiin brothers. Their families held quite a bit of influence that she didn't want turned against her own. Not that they could actually do too much damage on their own but with even just one more family pitted against hers... Things could get ugly fast.

Slipping on a pair of headphones Sayuri turned to her favorite playlist on her iPod. Beautiful instramental music was one of her favorite things to listen to. She'd always been smart academically and socially adept but music was never something that came easily to her. She'd tried her hand at everything from the piano to the guitar but she lacked any talent whatsoever. It wasn't that she couldn't read the music, she just couldn't get it from her brain to her fingers.

The Sunday morning sky was cloudy, only allowing the sun to peak out behind the white fluffy clouds on rare occasions. It wasn't supossed to rain today, but it might sprinkle a bit. Not that she really cared. She planned on staying in bed all day just as she had the day before, only leaving to go to the bathroom and take a shower. She'd even had Kiku bring food up to her. Michiko might've come to bug her if she hadn't been in her own happy little world where she was to marry her crush after both graduated high school.

The sisters had talked late into the night about Michiko's engagement and Sayuri's lack of one. Michiko had been a bit sad at first to learn her older sister wasn't also marrying a Haninozuka. The thought of them forever being in the exact same family was strangely appealing to her while Sayuri found it scary. She loved her sister more than life but that didn't mean she wanted to live with her forever or even marry into the same family.

Michiko was convinced being married was a dream come true. She wanted to be the perfect wife who took care of the kids and supported her husband with lavish parties and by making deals with the wives of other rich husbands. She'd never wanted to run a business or make executive decisions that could make her millions of dollars. Then again she was the one who excelled at languages and music. She'd make a perfect wife for anyone when she was older.

"Especially Yasuchika. Our nicknames are so similar! We were meant to be together! Chika and Chiko!" Though she had smiled and laughed with her sister she was worried one day she'd regret it. what if her crush on him died and she ended up falling in love with someone else entirely? What would she do then?

It had been at Michiko's age that Sayuri had first been engaged to Kazukiyo. Even at that young age she knew she had no desire to make a life with him. His father was a politician and she did not want to be a politician's wife. Being rich already made her every move scrutinized by everyone around her. If Kazukiyo had followed in his father's footsteps, and he was being pushed to do so, her life would become public knowledge to even commoners. Who could live with that pressure?

Even worse was that she knew she could never love him and he'd never love her. Now older she knew that asking for love was asking too much but back then she was convinced a life was pointless without love. She was under the silly notion you couldn't be happy without it.

"How foolish..." she murmured into her pillow. The life of an aristocrat meant you married who you were told to and learned to get along with them. If you fell in love with them you were a rarity and extreamly lucky. A prime example were her own parents.

Saki Nakamura was the only daughter of Omori and Yoko Nakamura. The day after she was born her marriage to Yuudai Sakamoto, the second son of a wealthy polician was set in stone. By taking her last name her parents let him into the world of Nakamura Industry. He had a head for business and helped make the company what it was today. But he had to share control of the company with his wife, a wife he had never been able to love or even get along with outside of the company. They fought for years until Saki became pregnant.

For the next nine months they managed to put all of the differences aside. Saki moved into the family's second home and Yuudai granted her every wish. But when the baby girl was born the fighting started immediately. Both parents had come from pure Japanese lines but the baby had the strangest eyes, eyes that couldn't have come from either of their gene pools.

Though it was not great secret that Yuudai had taken on a misstress of two of his own for Saki to have was a scandelous affair. Not only was the man found and his small business shut down but Yudai made sure he'd never be able to return to Japan. So engraged at the Yuudai's hypocracy Saki threatened to go to the press with not only his affair but her own and the child that had come from it unless he recognized the child as his own. Instead of bringing scandel upon the family he conceeded and claimed Sayuri as his.

For the next year he and his wife were rarely ever seen together unless the company demanded it. The only other times were when he visited her rooms in the main house to try again for a child, this time a male who he could raise and groom into the heir of the Nakamura company. Instead Saki got pregnant with a girl again. While out on maternity leave Yuudai began his power stuggle to take sole control of the company.

Her pregnancy was hard and after the birth of their second child the doctors sadly informed her that she would no longer be able to give birth without serious dangers to her own health.

Sick from her difficult prenancy with Michiko, Saki took a leave from company business for a few months to raise her girls. Those few months were all Yuudai needed to seize full control of the company from her. Her only influence now was through her own parents. She was permanantly moved intot he second house with Sayuri while a nany was brought in to live in the first house to raise Michiko. Things continued as they had before where Yuudai only visited Saki in hopes for a son. For four more years he hoped against all hope before his prayers were answered. He would have his son.

But the doctors hadn't given their warning lightly. Saki was a slight woman and the third pregnancy was too much for her. A week after she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy she passed away. Not left with a choice Yuudai brought his eldest daughter to live with him.

Whether some divine retribution or just a horrible twist of fate the beautiful baby boy, Yuudai's pride and joy, caught an illness and died soon after.

Sayuri could still remember the months that had followed after her father had heard the news of the death of his only son. Her father could only be consoled by Michiko's presence. Even seeing Sayuri and her eyes that reminded him of the woman he had grown to hate and blame for the death of his only son sent him into a rage so great he would even occasionally yell at her. At first she didn't understand why she made him so angry by just existing. One day her only friend besides Michiko, her maid Kiku, explained everything to her.

So striken with guilt she immediately went to appoligize to her father, hoping he'd understand she never meant to upset him. More than anything she hoped he'd accept and love her as her mother had. But it was still to early. In his rage at seeing her and hearing an appology he didn't want he threw her through the window of his office.

Realizing what he'd done he called their personal doctors and made sure she had the best treatment available. He also made sure his mistake never got out to the public. The offical story was that she'd been thrown by a horse, her left arm broken when it stepped on it. But no story could cover up her nre feelings for her father. She knew now that he'd never really accept her. The most she could do was not get in his way and try to make him at least tolerate her presence.

Out of the hospital's safety she avoided her father as much as possible. When avoidance was impossible she kept her eyes averted. He seemed almost okay with her when he didn't have to see those eyes. For years she did whatever she could to please him until she could no longer live with the decisions he made for her life.

Funny, that was the day she realized just how much like her father she was. She had similar issues with anger and she would do anything to keep control of the Nakamura industry.

Rolling over onto her back Sayuri stared at the canopy above her bed. Never would she have a marriage like her mother's. Then again, at the rate she was going she'd never be married. All she needed to do was find someone she could live with. Preferably someone who understood that she'd never let anyone take her birthright from her.

Good luck finding someone like that at Ouran.

Still...when alone she still hoped she'd find someone she could love. Someone who'd understnad her and still want to be with her. Someone who could mean the world to her. But love was never so simple. Love meant fighting and bickering. Love meant heated arguments when the other hurt you so badly you couldn't breath. Love even meant giving up everything for that person.

Love was over rated.

But what about unconditional love? What about someone who would love you no matter what?

As if struck by lightning Sayuri jumped out of bed. She had been stuck by the greatest idea she'd ever had! She could have her cake and eat it too! But first she needed to get dressed. She grabbed the first thing she pulled out of her casual closet, a black dress and brown belt. As she pulled the dress on over her head she texted Kiku to have a car brought around immediately. The last thing on her mind was makeup but with a minute to kill she did brush her hair out. Then grabbing her matching brown hat and wallet she was running out the door.

The car was pulling up as she ran out the front door but she couldn't even wait for it to stop before she opened up the door and jumped in. "Take me downtown. Just drive until I tell you to stop." Though not far away every minute seemed to take forever in her excitement. Like a child, she had her face pressed against the glass on the look out. Up and down the streets they drove, back and forth for nearly an hour before she saw what she was looking for. "Stop! Hurry, stop! Let me out here!" The driver told her to wait until they found a parking spot but when he had to stop at a red light she let herself out of the car anyways.

She had found it! The Suzuran Pet Shop! Who needed a man when you could have an adoring pet who would love you forever? And she didn't want some expensive, pure-breed. No, she wanted a pet like her. Inside she looked around and for a second was disapointed by how small the place was. But of course it was. Commoners couldn't affored to have shops much larger.

Starting at the front of the store she looked at birds and mice of all shapes and sizes. But she didn't want a bird, or a rodent. She wanted a cat. All of the cute little bundles of fur were towards the back of the shop. She could barely contain herself when she saw the first one, a small tabby. But then there was the white one who looked like snow. Or the one that looked like a miniature cow with it's black spots!

"See one you like?" the old lady who owned the shop asked.

"They're all so cute I just can't decide!" Sayuri exclaimed.

Chuckling, the old lady put her arm on Sayuri's and gently lead her away. "Then maybe you're not looking for a cat, but a dog instead." Gently she took her to where puppies of all shapes and sizes sat sleeping or playing. One even started barking as she approached. "If you're looking for a pet then you should know which one belongs with you when you see it."

One by one she examined them. The small dogs yapped at her when she approached them and she easily knew she couldn't have one of them. And the ones sleeping were cute but not quite right. Then there wsa the dog who hadn't stopped barking at her. When she bent down to get a better view it started growling at her. "It's okay,I wont hurt you." As she reach out a hand the shop keeper said something but Sayuri couldn't stop staring plue eyes so pale they were white. They were so eerie like hers but remarkably beautiful. Maybe this was- "He bit me!" she shrieked pulling her hand back.

"I tried to tell you."

Again Sayuri held her hand out to him and again he snapped at her. This time she was ready and when he did she pulled her hand back. "Bad puppy," she scolded. He didn't seem to want to listen. So again she held her hand but let him bite her this time. It didn't hurt so much as shock her. His little teeth were sharp but he didn't yet have the strength to do any real damage. His paws were huge even though he was already one of the larger dogs. Under his sleek black coat she saw a solid frame that would one day support a huge dog. The only part of him that wasn't fierce was a large white spot on the back of his neck. It made him seem strangely vulnerable. "I'll take him."

The old woman seemed skeptical. "If that's what you want..." And he was what she wanted. Soon she was out the door, puppy in a traveling cage and the basic necessities for keeping any dog. When the driver saw her he just shook his head at her but didn't saw anything. The whole car ride was spent thinking of a name for her new pet. It had to be something strong that described him.

Back home she had Kiku order a dog bed and so many toys he'd never get bored. She also shook her head at Sayuri but did as she asked. Up in her room Sayuri finally let her new puppy out. Fearless, the little thing charged around sniffing everything. Nothing scared it, even when it knocked into vanity and knocked over her eyeliner nearly on top of itself.

Laughing, Sayuri went to pick up her puppy. For the first time that day it didn't try to bite her. It just looked up at her and she knew exactly what to name him.

"Welcome home, Gaki."