Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in the Host Club, except for Brittany.

TRIGGER WARNING!

This chapter contains scenes that may cause triggering feelings. I strongly advise anyone who may be triggered by the passage below, NOT to read it. If you choose to skip ahead, I have marked the end of the passage differently than usual, so you should be able to easily skip over the passage below. I don't want any of you to be potentially harmed by my writing, so please don't take this warning lightly. The passage starts below:

(Brittany's POV: December 29th, 9:57 AM JST)
I had somehow made my way to a small, empty park in the midst of the emotional whirlwind I was experiencing. I didn't pay attention to my surroundings as I sank on to a park bench, a new round of tears blurring my vision.

I wiped at the wetness on my cheeks uncaring, hiccupping as I continued to sob. It seemed endless by now.

He had planned everything. All our dates and outings had been planned out recorded just so the club could make another buck. My hands clenched into fists, yet again, at the realization.

He didn't care about me in that way, in the way I had blindly cared about him. He only thought of me as something he could use to make an easy buck; I was just some thing he would tolerate for the rest of his life to please his father! I meant absolutely nothing to him!

My anger melted at that thought. My mind turned back on the dates and the personal things I told him, and especially, the trip to New York.

My stomach felt nauseous and twisted in knots at the same time. Anxiety washed over me as my stomach lurched, and my heart fluttered at the mere thought of the New York trip.

He had properly proposed that first night. It had been the best day, romantic and honest on my end. He had been a true gentleman, and had even thought of my feelings on the arranged marriage situation, giving me a ring he knew I'd love.

It had snowed as he proposed, I remembered, sobbing and hiccupping. He had put his heart out, had gotten down on one knee, had showed how he cared through all his planning to make sure the moment was perfect.

And now I realized it was all fake. He had probably filmed his proposal too. I bit back my disgust. The care, the sincerity, even the recent tolerance of Sam was fake. His feelings toward me were nothing but wishful thinking on my part. He was just in it for the money.

My stomach heaved again, but I ignored it, bitterly peering down at the snow surrounding my feet.

Because for once, I thought he'd be different from the boys that tried to date me. I had actually let myself blindly think he was genuine in his feelings. I believed he cared and had fallen in love with me as I had him.

Was this really how he saw me? Just as a way to make more money? An expendable pawn in the one thing that mattered most in his life: earning millions for the club? I bit my lower lip, nearly breaking skin.

He didn't care when I became a hostess, bringing in the males of the academy, widening the audience the Host Club catered to. He didn't care about me or my feelings when he saw the opportunity to exploit our dates to increase sales.

It was all for the end goal to impress his father. My temper boiled, and I gripped tighter to myself, my arms now wrapped around me and my fingernails digging into some of my old scars.

My cutting addiction flared to the front of my mind in the clutter of raging thoughts. As if in a daze, I drafted to a convenience store and bought a pack of razors.

My mind felt separated from my now numb body, and I dimly noted I was back on that bench in the snow-covered park. I had stopped shivering underneath my long-sleeved shirt and jeans, but goosebumps did rise on my arms as I rolled up my sleeves.

I bit my lip when making the first cut; I hadn't done this since I met Sam and Emily, that event being over a year ago now. Silent tears stole down my cheeks as I continued making tentative cuts.

Sam had known right off the bat that something was off about Kyoya. She had told me plenty of times to tread lightly because he seemed too calculating to be capable of real emotions. Emily had been weary of Kyoya only because Sam was extremely cold around him, but had still worried about my feelings when Kyoya and I had begun to go out more.

Mackenzie was cautious around the Vice President because of his harsh gaze and the sharp, unforgiving air around his person. She skirted around him, avoided eye contact, and maintained a safe distance of 50 feet away from him at all times.

I was useless for not noticing their reactions to him. Too stupid to see the truth that lay beneath. I was naïve and a hopeless case for thinking he loved me.

The blade dug deep into me as my thoughts continued to rage around my head. I began to slice deep horizontal lines across the visible, blue veins. Blood quickly rushed out, and I felt light-headed immediately.

Dully, I wondered if Sam felt this way when she had blacked out. Disconnected, detached from herself, and unaware of anything else around her.

All too quickly, the world darkened around the edges, quickly fading completely away.

(######)
(Author's POV: The Ootori Mansion – 10:14 AM JST)
Kyoya was stretched out on his bed, facing up with his glasses next to his head and a frown etched on to his face. Even with his steely eyes closed, the two officers entering the room were fearful of the boy. Rumor was, the youngest Ootori was never happy when woken up.

One of the officers cleared his throat loudly, hoping it was enough to wake the boy, but no such luck. He was doomed to wake the boy another way.

Inching forward, the officer reach out and shook Kyoya awake. The teen's eyes glared lasers at the officer as he sat up.

The second officer by the door left in a hurry upon witnessing that glare, and the first officer wished he could follow, but he stood his ground, fearfully.

"What."

"Uh….." The officer cleared his throat and straightened. "We've located Ms. Brittany, sir."

Immediately, Kyoya's demeanor changed. He shot out of bed, hands grabbing the officer's shirt collar, eyes wide with concern and worry. "What?!"

The officer sputtered out nonsense, surprise stealing away his words.

Kyoya shook the man, his frown deeply etched on his face. "Where is she! Tell me!"

The officer finally got out the name of the hospital, his hands shaking in the presence of the Shadow King's anger. Kyoya pushed away the man and stormed out, the only anger left aimed at himself.

She needed to be safe, he told himself. Otherwise…..; he didn't know what would happen if she wasn't, but she had to be. Kyoya had never felt emotions like this before.

(Mackenzie's POV: The Suoh Mansion – 10:47 AM JST)
To be honest, with how attentive Tamaki is, I expected him to be on the other side of the door when I came in to put snacks in the kitchen for Sam and Emily. When he wasn't I felt slightly confused and uneasy, but continued on to my room to unpack and put away what I had bought.

The silence was jarring now. After spending so much time with the Host King, I had unknowingly become accustom to his constant chattering and brass presence.

But diligently, I put everything away, tucking presents for my family in an empty dresser drawer for a later date.

Time passed slowly, and when I was done, I sat on the lavish couch in the living room, facing the gigantic television set, and waited for someone to arrive.

I sighed, turning the television on, knowing it'd be a while for them to come back. Sam was in the hospital, getting prepared for her surgery, so she wasn't coming back for a few days for recovery. And while Emily was only at the twins' house, I knew they would keep her there for as long as possible.

I jumped in my seat when my phone began to ring. Muting the tv, I picked up my phone.

"Hello-?" His voice came through the speaker loudly before I could even finish talking.

"Princess! Mackenzie! Where are you?! Are you okay?! I'm so, so sorry, we completely forgot to call you!"

I was tempted to cringe away from the loud sound vibrating in my ear, but I didn't in favor of focusing on his words. He was still talking words incoherent in his frenzy.

"—Wait, wait. Tamaki, slow down and explain what's happening. I can't underst-"

"Brittany's in the hospital! She was brought in a while ago and we forgot to inform you in the chaos of it…." His words grew further apart and his tone died down from frenzied and excited.

I felt hurt at the fact that my friends had forgotten me again, but it was immediately overshadowed by the fact that Brittany was in the hospital. She wouldn't have been there unless she was visiting Sam.

It didn't sound like she was visiting.

"Tamaki," I said slowly, bracing myself for the worst. "What happened to her?"

It felt like an eternity before he answered; the static and noise on the other side of the phone stretching out until Tamaki said the words made the world plummet from underneath me.

"She tried committing suicide…."

It was all a blur after that, really. I vaguely remember dropping my phone and somehow making it outside to the car, pushing away servants as I went.

Getting in and putting the key in the ignition, I noted somehow I had gotten the keys without realizing what I was doing. The thought quickly vanished from my head, however. My only goal now was to get to the hospital as fast as I could.

Barely remembering to put the car in reverse, the car squealed out of the driveway and on to the road, the vehicle sputtering backwards once more before I jerked the gear back into drive.

I hit the gas, hard.

Flying down countless streets and skirting around numerous cars, honking at anyone and everyone as I went, a small part of me was worried I'd get pulled over.

I didn't have a license, Japanese or American. I had failed my driving test three times so far. No matter how much I studied for it, I always failed to do something right.

The other car came out of nowhere. Straight into mine, well, the Suoh's. A head on collision, and in my haste to get to the hospital, I had forgotten my seat belt.

I sailed through the windshield, my head crashing into the opposite car's windshield but not going through.

(######)
(Author's POV – Hospital)
Tamaki had been pacing the length of the emergency room multiple times since he had first arrived. Emily had given up trying to get him to stop, so had most of the nurses, but she watched to make sure he didn't get himself worked up too much. Or, at least, more worked up than he already was.

"Senpai, don't you think you should sit down?" Haruhi asked, doubtful he'll listen but feeling like she needed to try anyway.

"Where is she?!" He exploded, not even hearing the younger girl. He regarded the door, looking past the crowd surging in and out. "She, just, stopped talking after I told her, and now, she could be anywhere and I wouldn't even know!"

He paced some more. Emily sighed, leaning her head on Kaoru's shoulder. The boy slid an arm around her shoulders, gently kissing the top of his head. On her other side, Honey frowned and hugged her, Emily lifting her arm to lay it on the older's back.

It was silent in their corner of the room, no one willing to say anything that might upset Emily.

More paramedics rushed in, rolling in someone on a gurney. No one in the group paid attention to them; it had been going on all morning and was nothing new. That is, not until Tamaki cried out, pushing forward to meet them.

"Mackenzie!" He ignored the paramedics and nurses talking to him, some trying to get him away from the gurney. "Princess, what happened?" Tears gathered in his eyes, and one nurse finally managed to pull him away, leaving the gurney, and it's occupant, to be rolled into another room.

New shock ran through the group, and Emily joined in with Tamaki, crying now from worry over two of her dearest friends getting hurt.

I hope everyone enjoyed the update, though it wasn't a very happy chapter. The next one will be better, but not the best, as past chapters have been.

I'm really excited because this is the third to last chapter, so we only have two more chapters after this! Yay! Story's almost done!

Anyway, besides that, please leave comments, questions, and/or reviews in the section provided. I love hearing from everyone, even if it's criticism. Hope everyone has an awesome day/night!

-Poison Ivy