Disclaimer: I do not own "Ouran High School Host Club" or any of the characters in this wonderful manga/anime in any way.

A New Family

Previously in chapter fifty three: The end results of the day… a continuance for the next day. Haruhi had expected as much, but Kyoya was only more frustrated than he had been all day. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He would only have to make it through the week. Surely that weekend, with the excitement that weddings bring would allow him to finally get that comfortable feeling back with Haruhi. After leaving the court house, Haruhi had Kyoya drop her off directly at the apartment. She would prepare alone, because she was confident in Kyoya's testimony. He would not need to prepare.

Chapter Fifty Four

As the day before, Kyoya picked up Haruhi bright and early to take her to the court house. Unlike the day before, however, this day would be full of stupid stunts and underhanded tricks. Kyoya's fidelity to his wife was questioned, as were his morals. Pictures showing Kyoya with different women while his wife was pregnant along with news clippings showing him attending social functions were forefront of the attack. Repeatedly Haruhi had to raise objections, indicating that they were here for a custody battle, not a divorce.

When it was her turn to present, Haruhi stuck to the simple facts. She reminded the court that Kyoya's wife had no issues with him, but instead had taken her own life due to post-partum depression. Mitsumi's death certificate was presented in evidence. No evidence had been presented to show any neglect or abuse. The child protective agency's report with findings of a healthy home for the child were also presented showing that Mitsumi's mother was the one who had called it in. And almost as a last thought, in order to protect Kyoya's reputation, Haruhi asked that the pictures that were pulled up showing Kyoya with other women to be blown up larger, then she pointed out Mitsumi in the background of each and every photo that was used. Lastly, before final arguments, Haruhi pulled out the finishing touches. The letters and journals in Mitsumi's own hand that told how her parents lacked adequate parenting skills, having left there daughter with severe issues when it came to love. The letters to Kanae that told of how Kyoya was a perfect father to the baby. They may have also told of how Kyoya and Mitsumi had problems in their marriage, but it was always followed by comments of how devoted he was to his daughter.

It was all that she could do to keep from sighing as the judge took a recess to make his decision. Haruhi was glad that they had given final arguments. The end was near. As they left the courtroom to wait, Mitsumi's mother approached Kyoya. "Why did you kill my baby? Why?"

"I didn't kill her. I did everything I could for her. I had the best damn psychologist looking after her, and maids around 24 hours a day to met her every need and desire. The only thing that I couldn't provide her was something between the two of us. It's not something that I will discuss with you here in public. I lived up to my husbandly duties to the best of my ability. I did not kill her. And I won't have you take away my daughter to allow you a second chance to keep from screwing up another one. I won't allow it. I will provide everything for my daughter that you didn't for yours. My daughter will have a home where she is loved, and a father who is more concerned with her health and well being than he is with making a dime. My daughter won't be thrown off in attempts to protect my failing corporation. Most importantly, my daughter will know for a fact, proven every single day of her life, that her father loves her more than life itself. Your daughter knew that her father didn't love her, and that fueled her depression. I will never allow you to drag my daughter down like you did to her mother. Never. Don't misunderstand me, however. I am not refusing to allow you to see her, to spend time with her. But you will never take her from me. Not now, not ever. I just hope that you can get over what ever is stopping you from coming to see her. I would like her to know her family from her mother's side. So far, the only one she has seen since her mother has passed is her Aunt Kanae. Not her grandparents who live a short 20 minute ride away. That's pretty sad if you ask me." Kyoya walked out past Mitsumi's mother without another word, followed by Haruhi.

Haruhi pulled Kyoya into a room designated for lawyer client discussions that afforded them some privacy. His façade had dropped and he was seething. "Kyoya, please calm down. It will be over soon. Remember, this isn't about her or her daughter. It's about your daughter… your family. You need to calm down." He dropped into one of the chairs and slammed his fists into the table. Haruhi stepped behind him and hugged his shoulders. "It's almost over."

"No it's not. It won't ever be over. She won't ever let go unless I give her my daughter. She is convinced that I took her daughter from her and she won't be happy until she does the same to me. She believes that I took her happiness from her and now she wants nothing more than to do the same thing to me." He put his head in his hands. Haruhi had never seen him this rattled or this close to breaking down in front of the public.

"Kyoya, tell me something. Do you trust me? When it comes to your daughter, do you trust me?"

"You know I trust you with anything."

"Then trust me. I am not going to let anything happen to your daughter… to your family. I will do everything in my power to protect your happiness, if you will let me." She gently kissed his cheek and then pulled back from him to sit in a chair next to him. Kyoya regained his composure as quickly as he had lost it.

"I do trust you, Haruhi… with my life. That's why I trust you with my daughter. I know that you will do everything to protect her. The stress is just getting to me. I'm sorry. It just kills me to know what they did to their own daughter, and then here they are trying to take my daughter to let history repeat itself. It's too much." His voice dropped to nearly a whisper, "I may not have loved her, but she didn't deserve them as parents. No one does. My god Haruhi, don't let me do that to my children. Don't let me do what my father did to me either, please."

"I won't. I won't let it happen. We will make sure that they grow up happy." She reached out and touched his cheek to emphasize the point. It wouldn't be until hours later as he lay in bed that night reviewing the day before he realized what she said. It would keep him up most of the night wondering if she had meant it the way he hoped she did, or if it was just a spur of the moment comment.

It was only a matter of a few more minutes before they were notified that the judge was ready to make his ruling. As he spoke, he chastised Mitsumi's parents for bringing such a petty law suit and told them that their resources would be better spent in helping their daughter's widower raise their precious granddaughter. He added that even if they had proven that Kyoya was immoral, that was not a legal reason to take his child away from him. After he ruled in Kyoya's favor and closed the case, he asked Kyoya to come up to his bench. "I heard what was said after I left the bench earlier. I hope that you are truthful when you say that you won't to keep them from their granddaughter. And my condolences on your loss."

"Thank you sir. No I won't keep them from my daughter. I do want her to know who her mother was. Even if I do remarry and she has a step-mother who loves my daughter as if she was her own, that doesn't change who carried my daughter for 9 months, who loved her more than her own life." With that, the court was cleared and Kyoya went home to hug his daughter. Haruhi snuck in a hug or two as well, grateful that she would still get to be in the precious child's life.

Kyoya lay in bed going over the events of the day and his near public breakdown. He had known all along that he had made the right decision to have Haruhi by his side representing him when it came to this case. If it had been anyone else, they probably would have let Kyoya flounder. Or if they had pulled him aside, they certainly wouldn't have been able to support him the way she did. What was it she said? What was the clincher that brought me back to being able to deal? Oh yeah. I asked her to make sure that I didn't do that to my daughter and she said that she…WAIT! What did she say? No wait, back up even further than that… what did I say and how did she respond? Let me see… Mitsumi's parents, I said that she didn't deserve them. No one did. Then I asked Haruhi to make sure that I never did that to my… I said children… not daughter, not child… I said children. I asked Haruhi to not let me do that to my children. I also asked her to not let me do what my father did to me. I can't believe that I asked Haruhi to not let me treat my CHILDREN that way. Will I ever get so lucky as to have more? Eh, but it was then that I was able to collect myself. I was able to go on after that. After Haruhi … Haruhi said… she said that we would make sure that they grew up happy. We? No. No. No. Kyoya don't get your hopes up too soon. Haruhi hardly even lets you kiss her yet. But… she did say that after the second date… and isn't our second date supposed to be the wedding this weekend?

He sat bolt upright in his bed, eyes wide with disbelief. This weekend. Our second date is this weekend. And there is no longer the infernal baseless court appearance hanging over our heads. He relaxed and laid back down. I wonder what her excuse will be this time. She claims she cares about me, but was she really waiting until after the court case before we started dating in public? Will she turn me down if I ask her out to dinner next week? And let's face it, when she left this evening, she behaved just like she did every other evening when she left, barely even letting me kiss her cheek as I put her in the car to take her home. Am I setting myself up for more pain? I know I love her. I have no doubt in my feelings for her. I have known for a long time… maybe not as long as I should have known, but that's the past. I thought that I was able to convince her that my feelings were truly my own, and not because my father wanted me to marry her like back in our college days. But she still doesn't seem to act like… wait, how does she act? Didn't she act this same way with that one boyfriend she was dating, the one that… the one that she gave her virginity to? The one that she slept with because of me, or so she claims? No Kyoya! Just wait until she gets here tomorrow and ask her then. Or will she be here tomorrow? I mean, she won the case that I had her working on; will she even bother coming here tomorrow? Oh to hell with it all. I have to get some sleep. If I don't see her tomorrow, I will call her. I am still paying both her and her firm to keep her in my employ for about two more weeks. I had a long day, I need my rest. I will deal with it tomorrow.