A/N: Hi, friends! Ok. This is totally one of those cute, friendshipy, fluffy chapters and I'm totally here for it. And I love it so much. And I giggled like an idiot at the end, so…Stick around. Love you! x

I've known Haruhi for a while now. Day in and day out, I am a fly on the wall of that girl's life. If I've learned anything about her in the short time we've been friends, it's how desperate this poor creature was for a day off. At the very least, Haruhi deserves a cut of the host club profits. I bet I could talk Kyoya into that. He's managed to keep my night job a secret. I'm sure he'd at least hear me out. I met up with her in front of a big, beautiful white building I knew all too well. It's time I let Haruhi in on my version of church.

"Hi, Rei," Haruhi flagged me down outside.

"Hi," I threw my arms around my best friend, "This has to be better than whatever bullshit Tamaki was putting you through, right?"

"God, yes," she let out a heavy sigh of relief, "By the way, happy birthday, Rei."

"Thank you," I brought her inside, "If it were any other day, Tamaki wouldn't have let you go so easily. You know that, right?"

"Absolutely not," she agreed, "So, what are we doing here?"

"You, my friend," I poked her shoulder, "are finally getting a day off."

"I'll take it."

"Good." Then, it dawned on me. And my heart went all kinds of pitter patter, "You've never seen my power at work before, have you, Haruhi?"

"I don't think so," she thought back, "Why?"

"There's a first time for everything." I walked up to the front counter. And it was the same receptionist that's been afraid of me since I walked in here toward the end of the summer, "Excuse me…"

"Oh!" she squeaked, "Miss Mendoza!"

"Hi."

"I'm so sorry, ma'am," the poor thing cringed, bracing herself for the potential beating that may ensue. Jesus Christ, was I that bad? Regardless, a little power never hurt anyone, "But Rosco's currently with a client. I can't exactly stop them. Please forgive me!"

"That's alright," I settled her, "No worries. I get it. I'm not Rosco's only client. There's no need to throw yourself in the grinder, honey. It's fine."

"Thank you," she let out a sigh of relief.

It sucks that Rosco's busy. I could really use a good massage. Although, another idea popped into my head, "What about Maxwell? What's his schedule look like?"

"I'm not sure…" she checked the appointment book on her computer, "I think he might actually have an appointment in the next hour or so."

"I'll gladly push it back for her." And there he was. God himself. One would think I'd be used to Maxwell by now, but damn, he still catches me off guard, "Hi, sweetie."

"Maxwell!" I threw my arms around him.

"How are you?" he squeezed me tight. And suddenly, I felt like a baby again, "I missed having you here."

"I missed you, too." I'm so fucking happy right now. I have not one single care in the world. I don't even care that Rosco's got someone on the table right now. Everything is right in the world.

"Rei…" a little blood trickled out of Haruhi's nose. Even she wasn't immune to Maxwell's spell. No one is. She gave my arm a little pull, "Rei…"

"Yeah?" I knew exactly what she was about to tell me. I had a feeling.

"Rei…" Haruhi was rendered completely speechless and I loved it.

"I know," I kept my voice down, "He had the same effect on me when I first saw him, too. He's fucking gorgeous, right?"

"You could say that…" Hey! She hasn't lost the ability to speak! Proud of you, Haruhi.

"So, Reila," Maxwell quickly regained my attention. I love you, Haruhi, but when the gods speak, you listen, "What can I do for you today?"

"I'm going to wait for Rosco to finish up," I told him, nudging Haruhi forward, "But my friend could use a little bit of love. But be gentle with her. She's beyond exhausted and her boyfriend's a handful. Do what you will with that."

"YOUR WHAT?" Haruhi's heart stopped, glaring a hole through me.

"Excitable one, isn't she?" Maxwell awed, pulling her face toward him. And just like that, Haruhi got lost in those beautiful, hypnotic brown eyes of his. It's impossible not to. And he definitely had her under his spell, "You're adorable."

And now, she also had plenty of color in her cheeks, "Rei…Is this a prank?"

"Nope," I shook my head.

"Are you sure?" Haruhi twitched, "Did you and Tamaki-senpai body swap? Because this smells like something he'd cook up with Hikaru and Kaoru."

"No pranks," I promised, pulling her aside, "No body swaps. I told you, Haruhi. You get a day off. And trust me. If you want a religious experience, he's a religious experience."

"Why don't you come with me?" Maxwell took her hand, "We can talk for a little while, can't we?"

"Ok…" Not like she was going to say no anyway. For the most part, Haruhi and I were immune to the host club and their charms. And that's what made us such good friends. We understood each other. We could sympathize with the other's plight. But I feared for the day if any of the boys ever met Maxwell. They'd be begging for him to teach them his ways. Something tells me that Maxwell's kind of charm can't ever be taught. It's like Daddy always said. That's something that already needs to be there. And then, it's built upon. And ultimately, that's what scored him Mama. And if they didn't fall for his charms, they weren't worth his time. Case in point, Victoria. Fuck her.

As Haruhi followed Maxwell like a cartoon dog followed the smell of a freshly baked pie, I sat and waited for Rosco to kick whoever he had on his table out and make everything all better for me. I might have made a little bit of a monster with that one, but she'll be fine. I'm sure Maxwell won't do anything drastic with her. At least I hope not for her sake. Because I know Tamaki would beat my ass black and blue for something like that. Heaven forbid Daddy's little girl doesn't ask for his approval. Then again, Haruhi's never asked for Tamaki's approval. He just gives it blindly.

"I thought I heard commotion out here." And there's the voice I wanted to hear. Without a second thought, I jumped into Rosco's arms, happy as hell to see him again, "Hi, baby! I'm sorry. I had a new client I needed to take care of first. I didn't think you'd be coming in today, but I'm glad to see you. I didn't even know you were going to be in town."

"It's been a long couple weeks, Rosco," I buried my face in his shoulder, "I've never needed you more."

"Then, let's go get you taken care of, ok?" he kissed my cheek, "It'll be alright."

"Good."

"I'm surprised you're in here alone," Rosco noticed, "I would've thought you'd try to drag your boyfriend in here again."

"It's been a shitshow lately," I vented, "And I'm sure that's going to show."

"And that's ok," he put me back on the floor, "Come on. Table's still warm."

"Bless you." And then…I'm sure Rosco's new client just walked out. Because it would be just like the asshole to do this to me, "Kyoya?"

"Hello, Rei," Kyoya greeted me, readjusting spots on his jacket, "Funny running into you here."

"You stole my Rosco from me?" I was in no mood to deal with pleasantries. I might kill him. Nothing quite like shedding blood on my birthday. Wouldn't be the first time. Probably won't be the last.

"He's not yours," he pointed out, "He works here. He's going to have a client list. Especially if he does the kind of job he did on me with everyone else."

"I am kind of hers," Rosco bit his lip, "I'm sort of on the official family payroll. Have been since she came in here with her mom."

"How was I supposed to know that?" Kyoya backed off. But only a little.

"Because you know everything, Kyoya," I growled, "You pride yourself on that shit."

"Reila…" Kyoya pulled me aside, just as pissed off as I was. Wait, why the hell would he have a reason to get pissed at me? What did I do? I'm not the one that stole Rosco from me, "You're not the only one that gets stressed and sore. You know what I deal with on a day to day basis. When I woke up this morning, I practically had Tamaki scratching at the door, begging me to take him out. I figured throwing Haruhi at him for the day would keep him busy. I needed a little break from that. So, excuse me for taking Rosco from you. But you're going to have to learn to share that one because I could see myself making him a regular stop the next time I'm in town. Especially if the rest of the host club decides to tag along."

"About that…" I winced, "Tamaki doesn't exactly have Haruhi to play with right now."

"Why's that, Rei?" Kyoya had a very prominent vein in his forehead. It kind of reminded me of Ritsu and it made me smile inside, "What's been going on while I've been off the grid?"

"Well…" Why do I have a feeling I was about to be torn a new asshole? And since when do I give a shit about Kyoya taking me over his knee? He doesn't scare me. He's the only one in the host club with any shit on me, but I can handle a little booboo with the others. I can get Tamaki and the twins to shut up pretty easily, I should be fine, "I stole Haruhi from Tamaki. She's here, too."

"So, Tamaki's left in New York unattended?" Kyoya worried, "Do you at least know where he is?"

"Can't say I do," I shook my head, "And that's not even the worst of it."

"What's been going on while I've been off the grid, Reila?" If I didn't know any better, I'd think shadows and darkness were manifesting around Kyoya. Ok. Now, I'm a little nervous.

"When I last saw Hikaru and Kaoru," I went on, "And they weren't standing over my bed…They're at Veronica's while she's working on my dress for tonight."

"And?"

"And they might have caught a little bit of a contact high," I bit my lip, "So, in simple terms, they're both high off their asses right now. We've already established that I have no fucking clue where Tamaki is. I don't worry about Honey and Mori. They can manage themselves. Last I heard anything from Ritsu, he's at my house, probably sniffing all my shit in my closet for the sake of feeling something. And…I'm here. So…"

"I turn my back for one hour," Kyoya growled, ready to kill someone, "One hour was all I asked for. And I couldn't even have that without something going wrong."

"How the fuck should I have known I was babysitting today?!" I squeaked, "Usually, those kinds of things need to be coordinated beforehand, not just fucking dropped in my lap!"

Kyoya took a second to calm himself down, but I could tell. He still seethed inside, "I need to go do damage control. Can you at least make sure things here go well?"

"It's not like things are totally off the rails, Kyoya," I settled him, "We know where Hikaru and Kaoru are. They're somewhere safe where they can come down from whatever the hell Veronica was smoking today. They're sleeping as far as I know. Honey and Mori are a phone call away. It's just Tamaki that's in the wind."

"It's just Tamaki that's in the wind," he rolled his eyes, "Yeah. And I'm the one that has to go looking for him."

"Good luck," I nudged him out the door. The second he was gone, I jumped on Rosco's back, "And I'm going to go lay on your table for a while."

"My pleasure," Rosco carried me back to his room. My eternal happy place, "He's a bundle of joy, isn't he?"

"Who, Kyoya?" I wondered, "He's got a lot on his plate. I do see what he deals with on a daily basis. If it were me in his position, I would've been pissed, too. I can't blame him."

"Do you want me turn around," he asked, "or should I leave the room entirely?"

"Just turn around," I already had my shoes off and my pants weren't too far behind. I can't believe I've been home this long and I have yet to visit Rosco. It's a damn shame. Because I needed a little time on his table. And I gladly got back on it and made myself comfortable, "Alright. You're good."

"So, rumor has it," Rosco began kneading at the knots in my lower back. He knew my spots. And goddamn, he knew how to take care of them. And whatever oils he was using today needed to be in my bathroom in bulk, "You've been a shitstorm lately. What's happened that I should know about?"

"Oh, Rosco…" I sighed out, "To say it's been a shitstorm is putting it incredibly gently."

If there was one person I could vent to in this world that I didn't share blood with that I knew wouldn't judge, it's Rosco. I know I said Kyoya knew everything, which was still completely and totally true, but Rosco truly knew everything. Rosco knew shit that could very easily get him killed. Rosco knew some of the innerworkings of the family that even some of the family didn't know about. But I knew he could keep a secret. I could trust him. If it came down to it, no one would ever think to come to him for information. Although, if there's ever a leak, I know who to point a finger at.

As Rosco kept working the misery and stress and tension out of my muscles, I ended up nodding off. Just a little. That might be the other reason why I come here. No matter what, Rosco can always put me to sleep. And…Well…That hasn't exactly been coming easy to me lately. Not after all the bullshit I've been forced to deal with. My possible early takeover of the family (and not in the way I'd want it). Ritsu's bullshit. Ryoichi's bullshit rolling over into Ritsu's bullshit. The job I had to take to protect Ritsu from Ryoichi's bullshit. And even then, it still happened. And Rosco knew all of it. I needed to vent. And dammit, if Rosco wasn't a hell of an ear to vent to.

"Rei…" Rosco nudged me a little while later, "Reila…It's time to wake up, sweetheart. Your hour's up and I have more people coming in today."

"I don't want to," I groaned, "Don't make me move."

"I know," he helped me up, "But I can send someone to get you coffee it you want me to."

"Tea, actually," I told him, "I want some green tea."

"Stock green tea?" Rosco looked at me strange, "That doesn't sound like you, Rei. You feeling ok?"

"Passionfruit green tea," I corrected myself, "And starfruit, too, if you can. Thank you, Rosco."

"You're very welcome," he kissed the top of my head, "Is this all for today or should I see if I can get you a nail tech, too?"

"I'm alright," I let him go, "Besides, I need my highlights touched up instead."

"Ok," Rosco sent me on my way.

"Wait," I stopped him, "How much do I owe you?"

"Don't worry about it," he let it go, "It's your birthday, baby. I'm not going to charge you today."

"I love you, Rosco," I threw my arms around him, "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Rei," Rosco held me tight, "Now, go on."

"My pleasure." It's going to suck going back to Japan knowing I'm leaving Rosco here. But I needed to go make sure Maxwell didn't completely render Haruhi catatonic. Although, I had a feeling she was going to be a little out of sorts when she gets up from his chair. I told her it'd be a religious experience. And it's not like I'm going to lie to her like that, "Hey, Haruhi? Are you alive?"

"Uh-huh…" she called out meekly. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she either just got laid or had some of Veronica's weed, too, "I'm ok."

She's so content. I don't want to have to take her out of this beautiful, blissful bubble. Now, I understood how Rosco must have felt. I didn't want to do this, Haruhi, but it has to be done, "Hey, Maxwell?"

"Yes, Reila?" Maxwell chimed in the way that only Maxwell could. I love him.

"While we're here," I asked, "And while Haruhi's in a possible coma, do you think you could touch up my highlights?"

"Gladly." I needed to fight the urge to swoon with every fiber of my being. One of us had to be strong here and Haruhi was a limp noodle. Although, I will say this. The light streaks of blonde in her hair were nice. Subtle, but nice.

"Hey, Rei…" Haruhi could hardly talk, but dammit, she managed, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Haruhi," I giggled a bit, finding an empty chair, "I told you so."

"I had that coming." Yep. This girl has reached a state of enlightenment that could only be described as nirvana. We thought it'd never be achievable, but here we are. Tamaki could be driving her absolutely nuts while the twins set small fires in the background and she would not give a single fuck right now. Good. That's what we were aiming for. If sending her to Maxwell made her like this, I was afraid to ever send her to see Rosco. Rosco would put her in an actual fucking coma.

"She's sweet, Reila," Maxwell awed, "A friend of yours, I'm assuming?"

"My best friend, actually," I clarified, "She's overworked and underappreciated and needed a day."

"Thank you, Rei," Haruhi melted, still draped over her chair, "This was a good idea. This was a very good idea."

"You're welcome." Although, her thanks were totally unnecessary. She's more than earned today. I don't know what Tamaki was doing with her when I called, but she's definitely earned this, "When we leave here, we need to go see Veronica. Is that ok?"

"That's fine," she allowed. I have a feeling I could tell her I wanted to throw her off the top of a building right now and that'd be fine, too.

Ring, ring!

Huh…I wasn't expecting a phone call. I dug in my bag and saw a familiar face on the screen, "Would you look at that?"

"Your boyfriend or mine?" Haruhi wondered.

"Yours!" I slid my finger across the screen, "Hi, Tamaki! How are you?"

"Rei, I'm scared," his voice shook on the other end.

"Jesucristo…" I mumbled to myself, "Dónde estás?"

"What…?"

"Where are you, Tamaki?" I rolled my eyes. Even Maxwell's spell wasn't doing its job, "Kyoya's worried sick about you and Haruhi's off in La La Land."

"I don't know," Tamaki's voice broke, "They all talk weird…Kind of like some of the people in your neighborhood, but not quite. Like…There's a different twinge to it. And they all look like they want me dead."

"Are you in the Narrows?" I wondered. That'd be the only place I could think of where someone would want Tamaki dead. But he'd be totally safe. No one in the Narrows acts without my orders. And Tamaki would be relatively safe there.

"No," he assumed, "I don't think so. This doesn't look like the Narrows. I almost wish I was there more than here."

"Wait a minute," my heart stopped. And a little bit of joy started to creep in. No. No fucking way this happened. Not today of all days. Is Rei getting a win today? Because this is starting to feel like a win, "Tamaki…Have you gotten on a train today?"

"Yeah…Why?"

YES! I couldn't help myself. I laughed my ass off for at least a minute straight. Someone up there was finally throwing Rei a bone. God fucking bless, "Oh, Jesus Christ, I knew it would happen! It was only a matter of time! Stay there, Tamaki. I'll come get you soon, ok? Until then, stay at whatever station you may be at and try not to make eye contact with anyone."

"Ok…"

Click.

"I'm so fucking happy right now," I giggled some more.

"Is everything ok?" Haruhi started to snap out of her blissful cloud.

"I need to call Ritsu," I could hardly contain myself. And I knew damn well Ritsu would laugh at this as much as I am, "Don't worry, Haruhi. Everything's fine. It will be anyway."

"Hey, baby," Ritsu answered, only making this better for me, "What's up?"

"Oh, Ritsu," I sighed out, "God just gave me the greatest birthday present I could've possibly asked for."

"What's that?"

"Are you sitting down?" I asked.

"I'm actually laying on your bed," he told me, "Why?"

"Tamaki's stuck in Jersey," I couldn't wipe the smile off my face if I wanted to, "I'm so fucking happy right now. I could cry."

"Is he really?" Ritsu laughed with me, "That's fucking fantastic…You always did say he'd end up Jersey's problem."

"And now," I swooned, "He's Jersey's problem."

"But…" he brought me back down to earth, "You're not going to leave him there by himself, are you?"

"No," my conscience took over, "I couldn't do that. I may have my days where I can't stand the little shit, but even Tamaki doesn't fully deserve Jersey. I'm about to go get him shortly."

"Ok," Ritsu let me go, "Good luck and Godspeed."

"Thanks…"

The second I got off the phone with Ritsu, Maxwell, bless him, rinsed my hair and I left with Haruhi in tow. And once we hit pavement, Maxwell's witchcraft broke and Haruhi came back to reality, "So, where do we go now?"

As a little girl that grew up in Brooklyn all her life, I was about to feel so dirty for this. And Tamaki fucking owed me, "We need to go to New Jersey…"