A/N: Well I wasn't going to update this story until next week, but as I was working on Always Assuming, I kept thinking about this story, so you get two days in a row of updating. Kyoya has something up his sleeve, but so does his father. What is going on? Who is going to win in the end? You have to read to find out.

PS… Since my headache is slowly getting better, I am working on more writing, so there shouldn't be as many huge gaps in between updates (fingers crossed). Thank you everyone that sent me messages, thoughts, and prayers. I really appreciate it.

Chapter 25 – Picking Sides

"He called and left a message," a voice spoke into a receiver, updating the man on the other end of current events.

Smirking, Yoshio Ootori said, "You know what to do." Hanging up the phone, he released a small chuckle and glanced at the picture on his desk. It was of him and his sons, and behind that one stood one of the whole family and one of just his wife and daughter. Focusing on the image of his youngest son, he shook his head, "You are going to have to do better than that, Kyoya. Calling Haruhi's father is predictable."

Something. His son had something planned, and while at one point in time he believed he could predict every movement his youngest anticipated making, that was no longer the case. However, just because he couldn't predict everything, doesn't mean he couldn't predict a few things – like calling Ranka. The question was, what was his son going to do next? What was were his plans? Yoshio knew Kyoya had no intention of attending the omiai quietly and obediently, like his other children would, and yet, he also knew that Kyoya would do what he could to make sure his father understood he was no longer under his control. The patriarch relished this moment, anticipating what his son would do and how he would do it, watching his son plan and execute, and in the end, enjoying the whole game of cat and mouse. Who would win? Yoshio was the original Shadow King, as was his son's nick name, so he had a few things up his sleeves and his son needed to understand that he was still in charge.

A knock at the door interrupted his musings and he ordered, "Enter."

Yuuichi walked into the office, not quite understanding why he was there in the first place. He knew this had something to do with his youngest brother – that fact was hard to miss when he got an earful from Akito ranting about how their brother was stubborn and spoiled and didn't care about the family – and yet, he wasn't sure why he was needed. To him, Kyoya was being true to himself and he hadn't changed much since high school. It wasn't that he was stubborn or spoiled, and the eldest son didn't believe the youngest didn't care about the family; it was more about finding his own path for his own life and the family not necessarily agreeing with it. He could remember the first day he met Haruhi. Yuuichi always felt that there was a special bond between her and his youngest brother, and he had been right. When it was announced that Kyoya and Haruhi were dating, Akito seemed shocked, jealous, and a bit livid; however, Yuuichi supported the couple and applauded them. In their circle it was hard to find someone that you truly connected with, and sometimes he believed he and his own wife had finally connected because they had been together for years in an arranged marriage. Haruhi was smart, pretty, had a good head on her shoulders, and could keep a rowdy group of six teens/men in line better than a drill sergeant in the U.S. Army… and that was saying something when it came to the hosts. When he had heard that the couple had broken up, and then found out the story behind it, he wanted to slap his brother and knock some sense into him. And he did. Passing by Kyoya in the hall, he had smacked the back of his head and told him that he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. Apparently, his brother had finally realized that as well and had taken off to California, and Yuuichi silently applauded from the background as his father and Akito started to panic.

So what was he doing here now? Yuuichi wasn't exactly sure. "Father, you called for me?"

Steepling his fingers, Yoshio nodded, "Yes, I have an important task for you to complete."

"What do you need me to do?" His curiosity was piqued.

"On that table is a plane ticket to California and a briefcase. I need you to meet with Haruhi. Inside the case, you will find detailed instructions on what you are to do. I cannot trust this task with Akito since he is likely to be less diplomatic than you would be."

"Why are you sending me? Why aren't you going yourself?

"Since I ordered your brother back to Japan, the odds that she would refuse to meet with me are high. I need you to talk with her as my representative."

"Why not let them figure this out on their own? You approved of her once, and from what I hear, she has only grown in stature."

"She has, however, your brother needs to learn a very important lesson. He told me to pick his bride, and I intend to do just that. I will not have him or her to usurp what I have been planning."

"Father…"

"Yuuichi!" Yoshio raised his voice and hit his desk, "I am still the head of this family and you will do what I say. Do you understand?"

How he wished he had an ounce of his brother's defiance and strength, the ability to stand up to their father; and yet, if he didn't go, their father would send someone else. At least if he met with Haruhi, he could help his brother without Yoshio knowing what he was doing. Bowing, Yuuichi calmly agreed, "Hai. I will go and meet with Haruhi Fujioka in California."

"Very good. Now go. You leave tomorrow. I have already arranged for other doctors to oversee your patients until you return."

"Hai father!" Bowing again, the eldest Ootori son grabbed the briefcase and left the office with every intention of defying his father behind his back.

The moment the door was closed, Yoshio smirked again, "Kyoya won't know what hit him."

Elsewhere in the Ootori mansion…

Sneezing, Kyoya knew somehow that his father was talking about him, and that was fine. Yoshio could plan and be as conniving as he wanted to be, but in the end he would fail. Oh Kyoya planned to show up to the omiai, but he wasn't going to come alone. He also planned to have everything ready so that when everything happened, he wouldn't be stuck in limbo.

Money may not buy happiness, but it did serve its purpose. By the time Haruhi returned from the States, he would have a place to live and a few other matters dealt with. No one would separate them again… no one would be able to, and he almost dared his father to try something.

Glancing up from his computer when he heard the door to his room open, he asked, "Do you have a report from the bodyguard?"

"Hai, Kyoya-sama," Tachibana stated. He wanted to smile, but knew that would be unbecoming a personal guard for the Ootori. Instead he held it in and silently applauded the change that had come over his charge since making the decision to pursue Haruhi once again. Kyoya was more lively, focused, and happy. The morose man who had accepted his unwanted fate no longer existed, and the bodyguard hoped he never had to see that man again.

"Is Haruhi alright?"

"Hai. There was a little trouble with one student, a Brandon Gordon. The guard in charge of her at the time took care of the problem without her knowledge." He paused a moment and studied the other man before asking, "May I be frank?"

"Yes."

"She is going to be mad at you for giving her a team of bodyguards without her knowledge."

"I know, but the same person was the reason I gave her the detail in the first place. She can be mad at me all she wants, but I will not have her harmed."

"Understood."

"Tachibana?"

"Hai!"

"What have you heard about my father's dealings?"

"He just met with Yuuichi-sama, but other than that, I have not been informed of anything."

"If you hear of anything…"

"I will be sure to inform you immediately."

"I also need you to prepare a car. We are going to a bar tonight."

Allowing a small smile to appear on his lips, Tachibana nodded, "As you wish." He left when he was dismissed. It may cost him his job, but he would support Kyoya as much as he could.

Kyoya stared at his computer, not really seeing anything that appeared on the screen and sighed. He felt like he was about to wage a war and he was fighting blindly. The only thing he could do was cut his father off at every imaginable pass, and if that didn't work, well he had something the size of a nuclear bomb in his back pocket… and he was prepared to use it.

Later that night, Kyoya entered a familiar bar and found the redhead he sought pouring drinks. He wasted no time in walking up to the bar and stating his intentions, "Ranka, I want to marry Haruhi."

"Of course you do. She is a one in a million and so adorable!" Ranka gushed, smiling as he thought about his daughter. His expression turned serious, "But how do I know you aren't just going to leave her high and dry again?" Knuckles cracking, a dark murderous aura appeared around him.

"As I stated before, I have wronged her, but I love her and want to spend the rest of my life making it up to her. She has accepted me back into her life and honestly, I am only here as a formality. I have every intention of spending the rest of our lives on earth together with her."

"I can't dissuade you?"

"No sir."

"Does she know of your intentions?"

"She does."

"And how does she feel about it?"

"She wants the same thing."

"If you can convince her, you have my permission, but what about your father? I heard that you were engaged to someone else already."

"I am. Haruhi."

"No, I heard it was a partner's daughter or something. What about that?"

"I have no intention of following my father's path. I will make my own. Your daughter and Tamaki taught me how."

Grinning, the father said, "All I ask is that you make her happy, and that you deal with your father properly before you subject my little girl to any more pain. I don't want you to tell me you're engaged to Haruhi today and find out you married someone else tomorrow. You need to settle this because if not, someone else has already approached me for Haruhi's hand."

"Who?"

"I'm not telling," Ranka teased in a sing song voice before turning away to deal with another customer.

"I'll make her happy," Kyoya spoke loud enough for the Fujioka patriarch to hear and then left the bar. He would do anything and everything in his power to make sure his father did not win.

Smiling at the empty space, Ranka muttered under his breath, "Make sure you do."