Chapter 12: Break Down

I would have thought that going to get an exam would clear things up for me. To help me figure out when exactly I conceived. Maybe I can rule out Tamaki and be on with my life. I was so wrong.

When Kyoya was kicked out of the room by the doctor I was feeling a bit anxious to get it over with. She took blood and urine samples, did some tests, then she laid me down on the table for the most disturbing sonogram I have ever witnessed let alone have been subjected to.

They don't tell you these things in the movies but when you are early, really early, they have to... go in. The sonogram device was inserted right in and it was probably the most uncomfortable I have ever been but when I saw the screen to my right and the tiny little bean like shape, I forgot everything.

There it was. It was real.

"There now, Ms. Fujioka. From the looks of the stage, you can't be more than-" she clicked the mouse and measured from one end to the other. "Three and a half weeks based on the first day of your last cycle. Though it is small for this stage but I will attribute this to you being a tiny woman."

My skin crawled and I started to panic again. "Can... you can't tell me what day?"

She chuckled and gave me a sly look. "No dear, that would be up to you. Have you been tracking your intercourse encounters?"

I nodded sluggishly and tried like hell to fight my blush.

"Well, then your guess is as good as mine. But for now I have a nutritionist waiting out in the triage to meet with you and your blood test results will be here within a week or two. I'm going to set up another appointment for you to check your progress. Congratulations Ms. Fujioka. I know how long you have waited for this."

And that was that. I drove home after assuring Kyoya that I was fine and insisting that I didn't need anyone to accompany me. I had my own car and would be damned if Kyoya made one of his employees drive it home. As soon as I got there I stayed. I refused to leave the house to go grocery shopping. Not like that was an option anyway. The house had been restocked while I was out and someone cleaned again.

There really wasn't much for me to do. After tossing my keys onto the table beside my front door, I made my way to the bathroom. With all the nausea, the vomit at the clinic and just plain disgust at myself for allowing things to be so complicated, I just wanted to take a nice long bath.

I closed the door behind me and reached over to my bathtub to turn on the faucet. The smell of berries filled my nose when I poured the oils into the water.

Personally I prefer bubbles to these exotic fancy oils that the boys bought for me but I had to use them otherwise they would just sit here and go to waste. Besides who knew how long I would be able to use them. What was even allowed when you were pregnant?

Could I even take baths? I could have sworn I heard my dad say something about that not being a good idea but then again, he was always prone to listening to old wives tales. I know about food restrictions but personal life restrictions. I guess that was something I needed to start thinking about.

I let out a sigh when I sank deep into the water. For once feeling just relaxed, I didn't even worry when my alarm system alerted me to my company. No one but a Circle member or family had access so there was no need to worry. I definitely had no need to worry after hearing Kaoru's voice call out to me.

"I'm in here!" I shouted back from the comfort of my warm tub.

Kaoru pushed the door open and smiled at me. "Now there is a sight."

My face heated up but I did't let him see my reaction. My expression remained impassive when I watched him come into the room and lean against the sink. His hands against the cool marble held him up as he watched me swish the water back and forth.

"How are things back home?" I asked. He shrugged one shoulder and rolled his eyes.

"Annoying as usual. Hika and Dad are trying to fight off the protestors from the software factories. Believe it or not, he is actually producing a dating sim." Kaoru laughed.

I blinked up at him.

That idiot is going to but his business into a hole if he tries to bring so much attention like that. The whole point was to clear our reputations not make them into a joke!

Kao continued to laugh when he saw my appalled expression. I frowned at him but that only seemed to fuel his mirth that is until his eyes shot to his right and to the floor. More accurately to the bin beside my toilet.

He stood up quickly and went straight for it. I hardly registered what he could have spotted to warrant this type of reaction until I saw it in his hands.

I reached out for the stupid white stick that he pulled out of the can, sloshing water all over the floor but he was quick.

"Kaoru!" I warned.

His eyes were wide then he looked at me. Confusion was written on his face. So many questions, why didn't I tell him? Why didn't Hika know? How could I keep this a secret? How long did I know?

"Kaoru." I said again sitting up fully. "Don't."

"Why, Haru?" He asked.

My eyes closed and I bit my lip to keep myself from saying something mean. My defenses were up and who knew what would come out of my mouth. With all the stress I was bound to break. Poor Kao didn't need to bear the brunt of my frustration. Hell, Hikaru didn't even deserve it but I could feel my composure dropping with ever second as he stared at me.

Kaoru stood in front, or rather, beside the tub and looked down on me. He slowly went to his knees, dropping the stick to the floor and completely ignoring the water he threw his arms around me.

I felt myself break. Cracking slowly then fully shattering as the tears and sobs poured out of me. I felt ridiculous, stupid. Completely out of my own character and I just couldn't seem to stop myself.

He stroked my skin and my wet hair, his blue shirt getting completely soaked through. He shushed me and held me. Then placed his lips to my forehead. My hands gripped the front of his shirt.

We said nothing. We just stayed there holding each other while I road out the emotions.


Kaoru

My brother is an idiot.

There wasn't more to say to that. I went to visit him at work, to see if he wanted to go back to Haru's place with me for the night. Then I saw the signs.

All those same people who had been protesting outside our mansion were outside Hitachiin Industries. Only this time their signs were directed to a game. "Courtesans Delight" was printed in bold letters along with the phrases, "ban" and "boycott".

Security let me pass without issue and I drove right up to the front of the building. Someone else can park it for all I cared.

When I found Hikaru he was in the middle of a discussion with a few of the programers I had met the last time we were here. They waved at me and I greeted them in return before throwing Hikaru one of my best glares.

He rolled his eyes at me but came over anyway after dismissing the employees.

"What?" He asked, feigning innocence.

"Don't give me that crap. What the hell is this 'Courtesans Delight'?" I snapped at him. "Don't we have enough trouble without adding fuel to their fire." I pointed outside when I said this and he looked.

The thought of the protestors didn't seem to bother him. Instead he shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you were all for it. I mean, I DID bring it up with Haru and you at the same time."

"As a joke! Are you stupid?" I snapped.

"It's not stupid." He snapped back. His eyes narrowed at me as if there was something I was missing. The face that he gives when I should know exactly what he's thinking but for some reason I was not playing along.

"Then what? It doesn't make any sense." I pushed passed him and went to his work space. I stared at his story boards and flipped through pages of scenario and dialogue.

Hika sighed and threw himself down into a chair, spinning it around as he leaned back. "Once this gets cleared up people are gonna still be taking, speculating. When this game is out, people will have something to talk about. No it doesn't feature Haru and the girls but the scenario is the same. That way if they try to use her or the others girls lives as basis for their morality claims, the rest of the world can see that as an attack on our game and not on real life."

I frowned, tossed the papers down. "You really think people are gonna fall for that?"

You can't blame me for being skeptical. After all I was the best at plotting schemes. Hikaru just had the great ideas... even if some of them were, well, not so brilliant.

"Come on Kaoru! Think about it. The game could be the basis for the slander. People are stupid, don't you remember that? We have always said so. Even with her we thought that everyone else must have some sort of brain damage. When did you change?"

When you think about it that way, Hika had a point.

We had several more exchanges but more on how to implement certain scenes and how to make the viewer sympathize with the characters.

I don't know what got into me but I ended up finding the humor in the situation by the time I left and made my way to Haru's place. Without my brother.

Finding Haru in the bath, at peace and gorgeously naked, was the highlight of my day. She was a sight that I missed.

The girl of my dreams and the only girl I will ever love. Too bad I had to share her but then again, it wasn't so bad. We came to terms and I will always cherish the time I get to spend with her. Regardless of whether it's as a friend or lover.

When I spotted the pregnancy test in her trash can, I zoned out. She hadn't told me about her progress in ages so it was only natural for me to snatch it and when she fought back I got excited. It was always fun to play keep away with my little soggy Haruhi.

Though when I saw the positive sign, my brain stopped. I was shocked. Shocked she hadn't shouted it out or called us or ….anything for that matter. I stared at her, confused for maybe five to ten seconds before I saw her face contort with emotion.

Oh shit.

Without even thinking about my clothes, or the fact that the water would completely destroy my brand new shirt, I threw myself down beside the tub and pulled her into my arms.

Haru never ever showed this type of emotion. Even if she was sad she usually maintained a gloomy exterior but never broke down this fast. That was when it clicked. She was not going to be herself, she really was pregnant.

"Shh Haru, It's gonna be ok." I said after several minutes of her sobbing and my comforting.

She said nothing, just continued to melt down. I frowned, then sighed.

Bracing myself to stand, I reached deeper into the bathtub to wrap my arms around her body and pulled her out. I snagged a towel with the arm that wasn't bearing all of her weight and she held on while I made our way to her room.

Her eyes wouldn't meet mine when I placed her down on her feet and started drying her off. I had to take the towel to her hair and hold her face in place for her to finally look my way. It took a few more moments before she attempted eye contact.

"There," I said, smiling at her. "Finally got you to your room, lets see if we can make it to the bed."

She chocked out a laugh through those tears and let her gaze fall to the floor.

"Sorry I didn't tell you guys." She muttered. "I'm..."

I held up my hands to stop her. "You're not yourself. I totally get that. Come on, it's been a long day. Let's get to bed."

She nodded at me and let me lead her to the welcoming comfort of her bed. I stripped off my shirt, totally ruined by now but that didn't matter in the least to me. Then the rest of my clothes. I missed spending time with nothing but skin contact between us and I am sure that she feels the same way. At least when I climbed in beside her and spooned up behind her she didn't retreat or say anything to make me leave. I smiled and snuggled closer, holding my Haru as close as possible while she let a few more sniffles out before finally settling to sleep.


Elsewhere...

The slapping of papers hit a table so loud in the extravagant living room of the Eclair mansion. A beautiful yet perturbed woman reclined back in her seat staring at the man before her.

"What is this?" She asked bringing a pair of spectacle like opera glasses to her face and glancing down dismissively at the pages before her.

"You are in way over your head. They are striking back. Many of the publications are backing out and writing retractions to avoid lawsuits that will inevitably c zz destroy them. They will be able to link all of this back to you if you are not careful."

The woman rolled her eyes and smirked. "I don't think they will. First they will have to convince the publications to reveal their sources. Since the source in question doesn't exist who will they be able to link to the information. I said I would destroy the Ouran Circle. I will destroy them, starting with their little harlots."

The man scoffed and pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

Her smile curled up. "You will just have to wait and see."

A/N: The story will be slow going and I apologize for that. Turns out that Haruhi and I have something in common right now and my symptom is lack of motivation and the need to sleep about as much as I need to throw up.