DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OURAN IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM
When Kaoru and Haruhi got back to their apartment Kaoru stopped just inside the doorway looking around.
"Something wrong Kaoru?" asked Haruhi.
"It just seems to quite here without the girls around," said Kaoru sadly.
"Yeah I noticed that too," said Haruhi, "Well what do you want to do now?" Kaoru thought about it for a moment.
"You know what I'm going to do?" he said, "I'm going to look into buying a pony."
"A pony?" asked Haruhi.
"Yeah one for Li Ming and also look into putting one on stand by just in case Xing Xing wants one. It'll be their official welcome home present once we get them back."
"And if Xing Xing doesn't want a pony?" asked Haruhi.
"I'll get her a puppy, any kind she wants," said Kaoru walking off to his office. Haruhi fallowed and could hear Kaoru talking on the phone with someone discussing buying a pony and putting another on a stand by.
"Thank you," said Kaoru after a while, "I'll be up at some point next week with both ponies' potential owners for them to pick out which ones they'd like."
"You sure sound confident that we're getting the girls back," said Haruhi.
"I like to remain optimistic," said Kaoru, "Why; do you think we're not going to get them back?"
"Well the fact that you're not the birth father and some of the deeds you've done over the years might not be the best thing to present to a judge when you're in the middle of a custody hearing," Haruhi admitted. "Miss Junan is going to do her best to really make those two arguments stick."
"You think so?" asked Kaoru, "Even when there's so much on the mother?"
"You saw how she acts. She's not afraid to play the damsel in distress card to the fullest," Haruhi pointed out.
Kaoru gave off a sigh of frustration.
"So we're going to lose?" he asked.
"I didn't say that either," said Haruhi, "I'm just saying she also has a fair shot at this point."
"Damn bitch," Kaoru muttered.
"Looks, let's try to focus on something else for the time being," Haruhi suggested.
"Like what?" asked Kaoru.
"Well maybe we should try focusing on the wedding?" asked Haruhi.
"Oh yeah, that's a good idea," said Kaoru. He reached into his desk and pulled out a sketch book, "Do you see one you like?" he asked handing her the book. On each page was a different unique and original wedding dress.
"Kaoru I didn't realize you were still sketching," said Haruhi.
"Well I have done some sketches here and there over the past three years," Kaoru admitted, "but these were actually from before we broke up. Back when I first decided I wanted to marry you."
"Oh," said Haruhi.
"But now that you mention it, maybe I should start sketching again," said Kaoru, "I mean I have to make sure that the girls look pretty as our flower girls right?"
Haruhi smiled at Kaoru's continuous optimism.
"Sure, you go right ahead," she said as she flipped through the book Kaoru had given her to find her wedding dress.
However the mood was soon interrupted by the sound of Kaoru's phone.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Hi it's me," said Qi on the other line.
"Did you need something?" Kaoru asked as calmly as he could.
"Do you have some sort of stuff puppy dog?" Qi asked sounding annoyed.
"Mattox, Mattox!" Kaoru heard Xing Xing shout from the other end.
"Mattox, what kind of weird name is that?" asked Qi.
"It's English, it means son of a mad dog," said Kaoru.
"Where did you get up an idea for a name like that?" Qi asked the girl.
"I suggested it," said Kaoru, "Anyway do you want me to bring it over?"
"Yes it's the only way she'll shut up!" snarled Qi.
"Alright, alright, but I get to spend some time with them!" Kaoru insisted.
"Fine, just bring the dog!" Qi said before hanging up.
"Was that Qi?" asked Haruhi.
"Yeah, apparently she wants up to bring her Xing Xing's stuffed dog," said Kaoru as he hurried out to the girls' room. He found the puppy easily under Xing Xing's bed.
"I'm surprise she called asking for something like that," said Haruhi.
"Do you think she's up to something?" asked Kaoru.
"We should be careful at the least," Haruhi advised.
"I'll try," Kaoru promised as the group finally started to head out. As they did, Haruhi realized she still had the sketch book of wedding dresses in hand. She tucked it into her pocket for safe keeping.
Kyoya's guard was sitting in the hotel lobby reading a news paper when Kaoru and Haruhi got to there.
"Has she tired anything since she's gotten back?" Kaoru asked him.
"No," said the guard without looking up from his paper, "She hasn't been back down since she returned with the girls."
"Good to know," said Kaoru.
When they got to Qi's room they could still hear Xing Xing shouting.
"If you don't shut up I'll smack you again!" they heard Qi shout.
"Huh?!" said both Kaoru and Haruhi.
"You didn't hit me! You hit Li Ming!" Xing Xing shouted back.
"Hey!" Kaoru shouted as he started pounding on the door. The door was quickly opened.
"Did you bring the dog?" Qi asked immediately.
"What did you do to the girls?" asked Kaoru.
"Nothing, where's the dog?" asked Qi.
"You said we'd get to see them!" Kaoru reminded her.
"I did, didn't I?" Qi muttered bitterly. She moved over a bit to show the girls sitting on the bed holding hands. Xing Xing looked really mad while Li Ming looked like she had been crying. "There you see them, now give me the dog and go!"
"Not so fast!" said Kaoru as he walked into the room.
"Hey you can't simply barge in here!" Qi warned.
"Are you okay?" Kaoru asked as he knelt down in front of them.
Xing Xing responded by reaching over and hugging Kaoru.
"Oh there, there," Kaoru comforted her.
"Did something happen?" Haruhi asked trying to sound nice and friendly.
"She wouldn't shut up after I came home. She kept screeching and screeching about wanting to go with you!" Qi explained frustrated, "I had no choice so I called you asking for the dog to shut her up!"
"Was that all that happened?" Kaoru asked as he stood up holding Xing Xing in his arms.
"That's all you have to worry about!" Qi snapped.
"Look maybe we can work out some sort of deal where, I don't know, Kaoru just watch the girls while you're off trying to make your life better. You can come and see them anytime and if you do make that good of a break we can work out something else like a joint custody agreement or something?" Haruhi tried to suggest. Qi looked like she was really considering that option.
"You mean you wouldn't take them away from me fully?" she asked.
"No, if you're will to cooperate with us," Haruhi tried to assure her, "I mean Li Ming loves you so much and I'm sure Xing Xing has some love for you too."
"I don't know about Xing Xing," said Qi looking at her daughter who was still being held by Kaoru.
"I love Momma," said Li Ming walking over to her mother and hugging her. Haruhi could clearly see that she had a red cheek.
"Qi, no one's saying you don't love the girls," she started to say.
"I am," Kaoru muttered.
"Ahem," Haruhi cleared her voice, "But it never hurts to ask for help. Can't you let us help you if only for a little? We actually love these girls too."
"Well," Qi said again thinking about what it was that Haruhi had said.
"Love Momma and Haru," said Li Ming as she walked over and hugged Haruhi. As she did, she accidentally made the notebook fall from Haruhi's coat pocket. Qi quickly snatched it up.
"What's this?" she asked.
"It's nothing, it's for me," said Haruhi trying to take it back.
"Wedding dresses huh?" said Qi looking through it, "I take it these are meant for you to marry him?"
"Well kind of," said Haruhi, "We are still getting married." Qi looked like she wanted to cry.
"I don't come out on top in this do I?" she said, "If you marry him and keep the girls for whenever and however long I need to be gone, you'll be the one they look to as the mother, the good mother!"
"Haru is good Mommy!" Xing Xing shouted. Qi clenched her fist in rage before snatching up Li Ming in her arms.
"You want to make a deal? Fine let's make a deal!" she said, "You can keep that ungrateful brat and I'll just keep the good one!"
"Qi don't do this now!" Haruhi tried to coax the woman to clam down.
"Don't you tell me to calm down!" Qi snapped. She surprised everyone as she backed over to her purse and fished out a gun. Both Haruhi and Kaoru backed off immediately.
"Where did you get that?" Kaoru asked as he also tried to shield Xing Xing.
"None of your business!" Qi snapped, "I have to have some sort of protection!"
"Qi please don't do anything rash!" Haruhi said as calmly as she could, "You don't risk hurting the girls!"
"You mean just girl!" said Qi, "You have the one you want! I'll be just fine with Li Ming and she'll be just fine with me!" She kept the gun up as she slowly moved out of the motel room, "Don't you dare try fallowing me, you or that stupid guard downstairs! I don't want to hurt anyone but you're not giving me much of a choice!"
She started moving down the hallway towards the elevator.
"Li Ming?" said Xing Xing with worry.
"Xing Xing, stay here with Haru," said Kaoru handing the little girl to Haruhi, "I'll go get Li Ming back."
He moved as fast as he could out of the room and after Qi who was already in the elevator with Li Ming.
"Qi come on stop this!" Kaoru tried calling after her.
"You have one, you don't need the other!" said Qi right as the door closed.
Kaoru bolted down the stairs going two at a time and dashing into the lobby.
"Has she been down here yet?!" he shouted at the guard. The guard quickly stood up.
"Who sir, Is the lady on the move?" he asked.
The minute he said that, the elevator opened and out walked Qi still holding Li Ming.
"Don't try anything!" she warned still holding the gun. Kaoru noticed the guard reaching for his own.
"No don't, she has one of the girls!" he pleaded running over to the guard and throwing himself in between him and Qi.
Qi took advantage of that and raced out with Li Ming.
"Hold it!" the guard shouted running after her.
"Don't do anything that might hurt Li Ming!" Kaoru shouted at him as he too raced out.
To his and the guard surprise there was a car already waiting for Qi that she ran into with Li Ming and immediately took off.
"She planned this whole thing didn't she?" Kaoru asked out loud, "that little bitch!"