….I'm speechless. I really am. This is so much more than I ever expected from this fic. You, my readers, are amazing people who are my inspiration. I'm being entirely serious when I say: thank you so much; this is more than I could have even dreamed for.

Big thanks to uyay! You should go check her out (after you're done with this chapter, of course). ;) Thanks uyay! You are awesome!

Disclaimer: I got the medical information from TheSurvivalDoctor on YouTube. Don't ask questions, just read the chapter.


Chapter 9

Mori woke up slowly, as if waking from a perfect dream. When he opened his eyes and his mind cleared, he felt relaxed and refreshed. Haruhi shifted in his arms as he took a deep breath.

Mori looked down at her and smiled. Her head was on his chest and she was still sleeping, showing no signs of waking up anytime soon. Mori laid his head back down but knew he wouldn't fall back asleep. He shifted Haruhi off of his body and sat up, looking around.

The twins were sleeping on the couch, arms around each other. Hikaru was sitting upright with Kaoru leaning on him, resting his head on Hikaru's shoulder. Both were sleeping soundly.

Deciding upon getting up, Mori got to his knees and leaned down to pick up Haruhi around the back and her knees. She sighed and Mori held his breath and thought, Please don't wake up. Please don't wake up.

Haruhi settled against Mori and stopped squirming. Mori carefully placed her against Hikaru and stood up straight. Usually, he would be reluctant to put Haruhi next to anyone, but as far as he could tell, Hikaru and Kaoru were plotting for him to get together with Haruhi so they (probably) wouldn't take her sleeping next to them the wrong way.

Mori took one last glance before he headed towards the kitchen. In the kitchen, he poured himself a glass of water and stood at the window. He took a sip and looked out at the garden. The sun shone through the trees in the garden, colors from the sunrise coloring the garden.

It's so beautiful, he thought to himself.

Mori exited the house and walked across to the garden. He sat on a bench in front of a bird bath and admired the way the sunlight shone through the trees. I could meditate here. Perhaps I should. Mori focused his breathing until it was near silent. He was just about to close his eyes when he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. The movement was really a shadow of a man. On guard, Mori watched inconspicuously as it moved out of the garden.

Mori stood and followed the man silently. The man was clothed in all black and hid his face from the camera positions. He moved quickly, quietly, and efficiently. Mori followed the man in black towards the house. For a brief moment, Mori worried the man that cast the shadow would enter the house before he turned back towards the back porch.

Mori contemplated going for help or getting Mitsukuni but decided against it reasoning that by the time he got help, the shadow man would be gone. So, stealthily, Mori crept on the porch thinking hard about how to alert either his cousin or Haruhi.

As Mori sneaked past the table, he realized the man had disappeared. A surge of adrenaline flowed through Mori and his trained ears heard a small sound behind him. He spun and found himself face to face with the man. He was wearing a black ski mask but some of brown hair poked out from the bottom. His blue eyes pierced out from behind the mask, cold and calculating. Just by looking into his eyes, Mori could tell this man would not hesitate to kill him.

The man struck first. He aimed a punch towards Mori's jaw. Mori blocked it with the back of his palm and returned the punch. The man dodged the punch and immediately followed with a jab to the stomach. Mori took the hit, thinking it wouldn't be too hard but was surprised when he realized it had more power than he expected. He stumbled backwards, struggling for breath.

As he stumbled backward, he came to a halt against another solid man, also clothed in black clothes. The second man punched a specific spot on Mori's left shoulder, weakening it, before he pushed Mori forcefully on the ground.

Mori felt his shoulder pop out of socket and groaned in pain. Ignoring the pain, he stood up and crouched in a fighting stance in front of the two men. Those two hits mean nothing. I was just off guard but now I'm ready for them and expect their hits.

"Who are you?" Mori growled to them.

Neither man answered. Instead, the first man stepped closer and brought back his fist to punch but first, Mori sent a quick, aimed jab to his sternum immediately followed with a knee to the gut, effectively sending the man to the ground. The second man attacked from Mori's left side and Mori blocked his wild, solid punch. Pain shot through Mori's left shoulder, reminding him of the out of socket joint but Mori ignored it and put his hands on the attacker's shoulders. The attacker did the same. Using his hands, Mori quickly forced the attacker's head down and raised his right knee to make contact with his face. The attacker's nose broke when the knee hit his face.

Mori released the man and the man staggered from the hit and went down on one knee. The first man was rising again and Mori took him by the collar. Again, he growled, "Who are you?"

The man sneered in his face. "We're hired help to get the girl."

"Haruhi?" Mori asked, anger filling him.

The second man rose and stood in front of Mori and the first man. He spoke with a Russian accent. "This is more than we were paid for. Let's get out of here."

The first man punched Mori in his injured shoulder and Mori let go of the first man. As Mori knelt to the ground, clutching at his searing shoulder, the two men took off, heading towards the main gates of the Haninozuka property.

I could catch up with them, Mori thought as he watched them sprint away. But I need to find Haruhi and warn her of them. I can't let her or Honey be in harm's way.

….~….

"Haruhi!" Mori shouted from the door. "Wake up!"

Haruhi groggily opened her eyes and felt the body beside her stretch as well. "Mori?" she slurred, still half awake.

Mori suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her to a standing position. "We have to move now," he said seriously.

"What's wrong?" Haruhi asked, suddenly awake.

Hikaru and Kaoru stood up from the couch, Kaoru's hand on Hikaru's arm. Kaoru asked, "What happened, Mori-senpai?"

Mori pulled Haruhi towards the stairs. "We have to get going. I'll explain later," he instructed simply. "Follow me."

"But Mori," Haruhi started, resisting Mori.

Mori stooped down and picked up Haruhi with his right arm. "Now," he growled and started to head for the stairs.

Hikaru and Kaoru followed Mori without argument. Haruhi squirmed inside of Mori's arms before Mori held her tighter, sending an obvious signal to tell her to stop struggling. Mori climbed the stairs two at a time, and then jogged down the hall before reaching Honey's door.

"Mitsukuni!" Mori shouted, kicking at the door. He held his injured arm close to his side, still reluctant to use it.

When no reply was made, Mori leaned down and dropped Haruhi. He opened the door with his right arm and immediately raced to Honey's bed. Honey opened his eyes and blinked up at Mori. "Takashi?" he asked, sensing Mori's anxiousness. "What's wrong?"

"We need to move." Mori scooped Honey up and ran back out the door.

Hikaru, Kaoru, and Haruhi followed Mori as he jogged down the hallway. "Will you explain what we are doing?" Hikaru asked again.

"I will once we're in the weight room," Mori answered as he turned down a hallway.

Haruhi grabbed Mori's left arm and demanded, "Why are you acting so weird? What happened?" Mori groaned when Haruhi pulled on his arm and her face immediately went from angry to worried. "Mori, are you injured?"

"Just wait until we get to the weight room," he grunted out. "Then I'll explain."

Haruhi nodded and Mori led the way again. They reached a door and Mori turned in it. Haruhi looked around and saw several pieces of exercise equipment. There were also several weight racks scattered across the medium sized room. There was only one entrance, the one they came through.

Mori placed Honey on the ground and shut the door and bolted it shut. He then dragged a weight rack over in front of the door and turned around to look at his friends.

"They're back."

"They?" the twins asked.

Mori ran a hand through his hair. "Haruhi's stalker. Or rather, his hired help."

Haruhi glanced at the door nervously, though she tried to hide it. "What happened?" she asked.

Mori took a deep breath and pressed his injured arm closer to his body, cradling it. He explained, "After I woke up, I headed out to the garden. Out there, I spotted a man and followed him around to the back porch. There, he ambushed me with the aid of another man. They injured me…" Mori gestured to his arm. "And then ran off, saying that they weren't paid to fight me."

"Where'd they run to?" Honey asked.

"Towards the gate but I wasn't sure, so I got all of you and ran here," Mori answered.

The twins glanced at each other and asked, "Where are we exactly?"

"The weight-lifting room."

"Why did you bring us here?"

Mori pointed at the door. "One entrance and solid walls."

The twins nodded and Hikaru asked, "Now what?"

Mori shrugged and Haruhi approached Mori, poking at his left arm. "Dislocated?" she asked. Mori nodded reluctantly. "Can I help fix it?"

Mori looked at her while holding his arm. Slowly, he nodded. "Mitsukuni," he said. "Can you watch the door?"

Honey nodded and said, "Of course."

Haruhi looked around and pointed at a bench. "Can you lay there?" Haruhi asked Mori. Mori nodded and Haruhi turned to Hikaru. "Hikaru, can you help me?"

"Of course," Hikaru answered, following Haruhi and Mori over to the bench.

Mori laid on the bench and Haruhi told Hikaru, "Hold Mori so he doesn't move towards me."

"Where?" Hikaru asked.

"Around the waist," Haruhi answered distractedly as she tapped Mori's side so he'd move over.

"What-" Hikaru started.

Haruhi interrupted, "If you're uncomfortable with it, I could always get Kaoru."

Hikaru shook his head, taken back. "I'm fine."

Haruhi nodded and warned, "Mori, this is going to hurt...a lot. Are you ready?" Mori nodded. "Okay, I'm going to go really slow so I don't break your bones or hurt any muscles, okay?" Again, Mori nodded.

Haruhi took Mori's hand and slowly brought it back towards her. Mori grunted in pain and Hikaru asked, "You okay, senpai?"

Mori nodded and Haruhi continued and Mori's arm was fully extended. "You're doing great, Mori. Now, it's going to get a little painful."

"Only now?" Mori grunted out with a small smile.

Haruhi smiled sadly back at him. "I'm so sorry, Mori."

Mori nodded and said, "It's fine. I just wish I had caught the guys who wanted to hurt you." He winced as Haruhi continued to pull out his arm.

"I'm just happy you're alive," Haruhi replied simply.

Haruhi continued to pull out the arm, gently until Mori groaned and said, "It popped back in."

Mori sat up on the table and said, "Thanks Haruhi. Hikaru."

Hikaru bowed his head and returned to his brother and Honey, leaving Mori and Haruhi alone.

Mori held his shoulder gingerly and asked, "Where'd you learn that?"

Haruhi smiled, "Survivalist shows."

"Survivalist shows?" Mori asked. "Didn't know you watched them."

"I don't. I've watched one when there was nothing else on TV."

"Huh."

"So what now?" Haruhi asked, glancing at the barricaded door. She couldn't imagine any of her friends getting hurt by her stalker. She watched as Hikaru and Kaoru talked quietly to each other while Honey monitored the door intently.

Mori followed her gaze and said, "Wait them out."

...

Guest replies:

-Guest: MoriHaru is one of my favorites (if not my favorite) pairing! (Hence the story and many little drabbles of them! Thank you so much! It means a lot to me for your support (and everyone's)!

-Guest: Suspense is the best! Unless you're on the reader's end, then it's enjoyable but hateable at the same time. From my perspective it's quite fun. MMWWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!