DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OURAN IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM

"Bonjour Haruhi!" said Marie on Saturday as Haruhi met the two in front of a coffee shop.

"Mistress Sorte," said an elderly looking woman wearing glasses who was standing next to her.

"Uh I mean hello Haruhi," said Marie timidly.

"Hi," said Haruhi walking up to the ladies.

"Haruhi, this is my…," Mari started to say.

"Miss Paulette Resserre, I serve Miss Sorte as her personal servant and translator, though I don't see why I need to serve as a translator seeing as how her brother and sister don't need one, right Miss Sorte," said Ms. Resserre.

Marie looked down ashamed.

"Oui," she said.

"Miss Sorte!" said Ms. Resserre.

"I mean, yes," said Marie.

Haruhi looked at the woman who was looking at Mari sternly like a teacher who was dealing with a student who was goofing off in class and poor Marie was looking timid about the whole thing.

"Well uh shall we go?" asked Haruhi as the three of the women walked down the street.

"Yes me, I mean thank you again for spending the day with me," said Marie.

"It's no big deal, and you know if it's easier for you to talk in French you can," said Haruhi.

"No, that's not going to happen," said Ms. Resserre, "She's going to try and talk as much as she can in Japanese no matter what, right Miss Sorte?"

"Oui, yes madam," said Marie.

"Oh honestly your father wouldn't had to of worried about this with your brother and sister! They are the smarter ones after all," said Ms. Resserre.

Haruhi could hear Marie give off a sad sigh as the three of them walked down the street.

"Oh this is adorable!" said Marie when they came to a toy store that had several baskets of toys set up out front. She held a small spotted stuffed puppy dog.

"I shall get one for your babies Haruhi," said Marie.

"Oh no, you don't have to do that," said Haruhi.

"Oh pl, pla…," Marie tried to say.

"Please?" said Haruhi.

"Yes please let me get something for your babies? Tamaki talks about them all the time and they sound so wonda…," said Marie.

"Wonderful," said Haruhi.

"Ah wonderful," said Marie, "They sound so wonderful, so, please, let me get them both something."

Haruhi looked at Marie and saw she looked a lot happier then before.

"Okay," said Haruhi.

"Oh mer, I mean thank you," said Marie, "I'll see if I can find another toy as well."

Haruhi looked over at Ms. Resserre who was busy looking at some of the other various toys, obviously not interested in them. She didn't understand why she was being so hard on Marie about learning the language especially since this was her first time in Japan, and she even said she was suppose to be Marie's translator. Many foreign rich people had one, why was it so bad that Marie had one as well?

"Oh Haruhi here, what do you think?" asked Marie holding up a dog similar to one she had found earlier except it was all black and had a white spot on it's back.

"Cute," said Haruhi.

"Oh good, I'm glad you like them! Ms. Resserre?" said Marie.

"Yes madam?" said Ms. Resserre walking over to them.

Marie held up the dogs.

"For the little ones," she said.

"Very well, I shall find the clerk," said Ms. Resserre as she took the dogs and walked into the store.

"She said she'd help with dealing with any clerk I may want to buy from since I still don't know all of the, oh I can't remember how to say that word!" said Marie.

"Language?" said Haruhi.

"Is that it, language?" said Marie.

Haruhi nodded her head.

"Then yes because I still don't know most of the language," said Marie.

"You know it's nothing to be ashamed about if you don't know how to speak Japanese that well yet, this is your first time visiting here after all," said Haruhi.

"Oh you're are very kind Haruhi but unfortunately you're wrong," said Marie looking down ashamed. "My father expects me and my brother and sister to always be good at what it is we do, whether it's playing a music instrument or learning a foreign language. My brother and sister have always been good at what they've done while unfortunately have only ever been good at playing my flute."

"You play the flute?" said Haruhi.

"Yes," said Marie, "When we were little, sometimes Tamaki and I would sit and play our instruments together and then when we thought it sounded good we'd go and play for his mother. Looking back now, I think she may not have en, en…"

"Enjoy," said Haruhi.

"Thank you, enjoy as much as we thought she did, but she was always a rather nice lady whom I liked very much. I realize now it must have been hard for her being a "mistress" with a child born out of wedlock. Everyone in our community would talk kindly to her to her face but there were times I would hear my mother and other ladies of the community talking bad about her behind her back. Tamaki was the same way of course. All of the children would be try to be nice to him to his face but every once and a while, one of them would say something mean that would just get him upset. Of course, they would do the same thing to me since I was not as smart as my brother or sister. They would say something like how dumb I am or how I cannot do anything right likely brother and sister. I guess that is how Tamaki and I became friends. I was usually the one that would come to his defense if someone said something bad to him or he'd come to my defense if they teased me about being stupid," said Marie.

"Oh I see," said Haruhi, "But you know maybe it just takes you a little bit longer to learn something. That doesn't mean you're stupid. I mean you just told me all of that stuff about you and Tamaki with out having to ask how to say a word."

Marie's eyes opened wide!

"You're right I did!" said Marie.

"Did what?" said Ms. Resserre walking out to them with the bag of toys.

"I was able to talk to Haruhi with out her having to need help to say a word!" said Marie.

"So, your brother and sister could do that back when they were still children, and not just Japanese either might I add!" said Ms. Resserre holding her nose up in the air as she walked down the street, "Come along."

Marie sighed sadly before looking down ashamed.

"She's right," she said.

"Oh don't let her get you down," said Haruhi, "Being smart isn't everything. I think you have something even more important, a good heart."

Marie looked up at her.

"It obvious you had since you were always there to help make Tamaki feel better when ever he was down," said Haruhi.

"You think so?" said Marie.

"Yeah, I thought you were a nice girl the first time I met you," said Haruhi.

"Oh," said Marie smiling, "Tamaki was right about you, you are an amazing person Haruhi!"

Haruhi smile at her.

"He told you about me?" she said.

Oh yes, he told much about you and your other friends," said Marie.

"Well what all did he say?" asked Haruhi.

"Well uh…," Marie started to say.

"Miss Sorte, come along this instant!" shouted Ms. Resserre from down the street.

Haruhi and Mari both looked down the street to see Ms. Resserre waiting for them tapping her foot mad.

"We should go," said Marie as she and Haruhi hurried to catch up with her.

"Um Haruhi, would it be all right if you and I hanged out next weekend as well?" asked Marie.

"Sure we can," said Haruhi.

"Oh thank you, thank you very much I cannot wait!" said Marie.

"Hmm what do you know she managed to remember to say thank you in Japanese rather then French," said Ms. Resserre.

Haruhi looked over at Ms. Resserre.

"You know you could stand to be a little bit nicer to her. Just because she didn't learn a foreign language as easy as her brother and sister did doesn't mean she's not smart. Not everyone can be the best at something," she said.

"Ha, you obviously don't know the Sorte Family that well do you?" said Ms. Resserre.

"No, but that still doesn't give you the right to talk down to Marie like that just because she can't learn foreign languages as well as her brother and sister. If you ask me she has some great qualities of her own like playing the flute or being a real kind hearted person, and sometimes kindness can mean a lot more then being smart in my opinion," said Haruhi.

"Hmm well you go ahead and keep your opinions while I worry about making sure the Sorte Family doesn't get impressed by their dimwitted youngest daughter," said Ms. Resserre.

"If you think Marie is an embarrassment, you are gravely mistaken because I like her just the way she is and I see no problem with her," said Haruhi.

"Hmm you must be as dumb witted as her then," said Ms. Resserre.

"Ms. Resserre, that was uncalled for!" said Marie walking up to the lady. She immediately started to yell at the women in French. Ms. Resserre looked and sounded mad as she responded in French as well. Haruhi just stood there for a moment watching them argue before Ms. Resserre turned and looked at her.

"I apologize Miss Fujioka, I may have said something I shouldn't have," she said, thought it sounded like she was struggling to say it.

"Thank you," said Haruhi.

"I apologize as well Haruhi, if it wasn't for the fact that I do kind of still need a translator, I'd send her back to France!" said Marie.

"Well too bad you can't," said Ms. Resserre.

"Maybe she should," said Haruhi, "If you ask me she's doing fine on her own, granted she's still needs a little bit of help, Tamaki and I can always help her."

Ms. Resserre sneered at her.

"All right I'll make you deal, if you two can go out next weekend alone and not need help talking to each other, I'll go back to France the next day," she said.

"Deal," said Marie and Haruhi.

"Are you sure about this Haruhi?" asked Marie in a whisper.

"I think we'll be just fine," said Haruhi.