A/N: So! I got here a little late. I know. But it's been a morning and I just got out of the shower a few minutes ago. I got two updates I post on Thursdays and three websites to post them to and a new season of Castlevania I want to watch, but I can't because fucking Bubble Guppies is permanently on my living room TV. Alright...Now that I have that out of my system, here. Have a new chapter. Love you! x

Jersey…Why did it have to be Jersey? Look, New York City is a large place. Tamaki could've gotten lost in ANY of the five boroughs and I would've been fine with that. That's home. That's where I'm comfortable. But oh, no. Tamaki Suoh is a special kind of dumbass that takes one wrong train and ends up in the bowels of Hell and that means me having to set foot in fucking New Jersey! Happy birthday, Rei. Enjoy the unplanned trip to Jersey. He owes me. He fucking owes me so big. This is definitely the rest of the school year off from the fucking host club owed.

"Rei?" Haruhi checked on me as we sat on the train, my skin crawling and my stomach turning, "Are you ok? I'd be worried if you had a voodoo doll on you right now and you have that look in your eye that Kyoya-senpai gets when Tamaki-senpai does something stupid."

"Because Tamaki did do something stupid," I growled, "Jersey…Fucking Jersey…I would rather have walked into the Bronx before Daddy fixed everything than go into Jersey for Tamaki's stupidity. I understand. If you're not used to the New York City subway system, it can be confusing as shit. Maybe because I grew up with it and it's permanently engraved into my brain, I'm not seeing it the way someone else would, but it's not that difficult once you learn where everything goes. And now, I'm stuck on a train with my best friend on my birthday on the way to FUCKING JERSEY. Needless to say, I'm a little pissed. Trust me, Haruhi. If you were local, you'd understand."

"Ok…" Haruhi knew better than to poke at the very, very angry bear sitting next to her. If someone looks at me cross eyed right now, they're going to meet the business end of my fucking knife, "It'll be alright, though. We'll find Tamaki-senpai and get out. That should be easy enough, right?"

"God, I hope so." Because an emergency trip to Hoboken was not on my list of things to do today. And if I don't punch Tamaki today, it'll be a good day. If I do punch Tamaki today, it'll still be a good day, but it might strain some relationships.

When the train stopped, I swear to God, the air dropped ten degrees. Yep. We're here. Welcome to New Jersey. Do not enjoy your stay. I know I won't. Now, if I were Tamaki Suoh stuck in the Hoboken subway station, where would I be? Well…I don't know where I'd be, but I know the best way I could bait him out. Even though it felt kind of scummy to do, it's the quickest way for us to get the hell out of here and back to the comforts of home.

"Hey, Haruhi…" I made sure to say her name just loud enough, "Where do you think Tamaki could be?"

"I don't know," Haruhi took a good look around at everyone, "It probably won't be that hard. Senpai's going to stand out in a crowd. He always does."

"I hope he knows the ass beating that's coming to him because of this bullshit," I snapped, "TAMAKI!"

"Rei!" Oh, thank God. I never thought I'd be so happy to see Tamaki in my life. Yet, simultaneously horribly enraged and homicidal. And before he could throw his arms around me in gratitude, he caught sight of his sun and his stars, "HARUHI!"

Jesus Christ, Tamaki. Have some shame. Jersey dicks are watching. Not to mention, I thought he was going to snap poor little Haruhi in half, "I missed you, too, Senpai…"

"Tamaki, I hope you know I fucking hate you right now," I glared a hole through him.

"But…Haruhi…" Tamaki put his hand to her glowing little cheek, "You're…You're so cute…"

"Not a day goes by where you don't call me cute," Haruhi tried wiggling out of his arms, but he wasn't having it.

"But…" he still wasn't sure what it was about her, but I could see it in his eyes. Tamaki was having a difficulty processing exactly what happened with her, "You're…So soft…So…Ethereal."

And I was in no mood to deal with it. The funny aspect of it dissipated when I had to actually come here. Then, it stopped being funny for me, "Alright, Tamaki. You can gush over your girlfriend later. We have bigger problems here."

"What happened?" Tamaki wondered.

"YOU MADE ME COME TO FUCKING NEW JERSEY!" And if he's not careful, I'm taking his ass to the fucking Narrows later.

And I knew that was going to piss someone off somewhere. Some big mother fucker decided to step up, "The fuck did you just say?!"

"You fucking heard me, you Jersey prick!" I was not dealing with it today.

"Fuck you!"

"Fuck you, too!" I grabbed my asshole friend and my good friend before this could get messy.

"That's right, sweetheart!" Asshole yelled after me, "Run back home!"

"MY FUCKING PLEASURE!"

I fucking hate going to Jersey.

"Rei…" Tamaki latched himself onto my arm, "I'm scared."

"And I need a shower," I glared into the back of my seat, "But I don't think they make water hot enough. The shit I do for you, Tamaki. The shit I do for you."

I did. I needed a shower like it was nobody's business. I'm a little girl from Brooklyn. I feel so dirty. This was not something I wanted to do today. I didn't want to do it ever, but here we are. The second we crossed state lines, I could feel it. I felt a weight off my shoulders while Tamaki still marveled over Maxwell's work. Even though that asshole undid all of Rosco's work on me. I just wanted to get home at this point. I didn't even care. I knew my shower waited for me and that's all that mattered. I left Haruhi and Tamaki at their hotel (because I didn't need to see Tamaki's fucking face until tonight) and went back to the beautiful penthouse that overlooked all of Brooklyn.

When I walked in, I didn't make eye contact with anyone. I didn't want to. I knew my uncles were in the living room. I knew Daddy was in the kitchen. And I made a fucking beeline to my bedroom. Not a word came out of my mouth. It didn't need to. And when I got to my bedroom, my Adonis boyfriend was stretched out on my bed, playing with his phone. Even the sight of Meditrina wasn't enough to put me in my happy place.

"Hey, ba…"

SLAM!

I needed the hottest fucking water my shower was capable of producing. I'm in a bitchy mood, on the verge of killing someone, and fresh out of fucking Jersey. If I got out of this day without punching someone, I'll be doing well, all things considering. Although, the gentle knocking at my bathroom door was enough to set me off in that special way that only I had, "WHAT?"

"Um…Rei?" Ritsu's voice was soft…and possibly a little frightened. I couldn't blame him. I'd be scared of me right now, too, if I were him. He's kind of in the radiation zone of this explosion, "You ok?"

"No," I took a couple deep breaths just to calm myself down. I didn't need to blow up on Ritsu like that. He didn't deserve it, "No…I just need a long, hot shower and I'll be ok again."

"Alright," he let me have that one, "You want some company?"

"Please…" Like I was going to say no to that. Look at him. It's impossible. Even when I was full on pissed at him, I still wanted to jump that one last time before I told him to fully fuck off. I let Ritsu into my bathroom and without a second thought, he pulled into his arms. He knew. He got it, "I didn't mean to get pissed at you…It's been a long, stressful day already."

"You want to talk about it?" Ritsu asked, bringing me into the shower.

"Not really," I laid my head in his shoulder, "I almost threw fucking hands with a Jersey prick at the station."

"I'm sorry, baby," he kissed my forehead, "It'll be alright. We'll take a shower and it'll be ok. I'm sorry you had to go all the way to New Jersey today, but it'll be ok. Promise. Once we get to the party tonight, we'll…"

"SHIT!" I squeaked, "I STILL HAVE TO GO BACK TO VERONICA'S!"

I needed a solid brick wall to ram my head into. But I already had a headache. I didn't need to make it worse. Instead, I sat on the floor of my shower, letting the hot water burn the skin on my back. The heat was nice. The burning sensation was kind of pleasant, too. A little pain never failed to put me back to rights. It was enough to snap me out of my head for a minute or two. And then, I had Ritsu on the floor with me. It's a good thing I didn't totally kick him to the curb. Because this would really suck to do without him.

"You want me call Veronica?" he offered.

"Will you?" I cuddled into him.

"Yeah," Ritsu gave me one last kiss before getting out, "Jersey really got to you today, didn't it?"

"Among other things," I admitted, "But yes. It's all Jersey's fault."

"I'm going to go call Veronica," he told me, "I'll be right back. Ok?"

"Ok," I leaned against the shower wall, "Thank you, Ritsu."

"Don't thank me yet," Ritsu shot me down, "Because I think you should get one of your birthday presents a little early."

"My dad's in the kitchen and my uncles are in the living room," I pointed out, "They're all very protective. I think Daddy still suppresses what happened in Spain. I don't think that'd be the wisest decision to do here. Wait until we find another coat closet."

"I love you, Reila," he gushed, "But I wasn't talking about sex. I got you a present and it just came in this morning shortly after I got back."

"Oh…" I mean, I wouldn't have said no to the sex either, but I'm sure whatever Ritsu got for me will do, too, "So, what'd you get me?"

"You'll see…" Those were dangerous words coming out of that boy. I loved him and for the most part, I trusted him and his judgment, but that didn't mean I couldn't still worry. Just a little. I didn't care at this point. I was out of New Jersey. I had my man taking care of my business. And I had the top layer of my skin being burned off. I couldn't complain. Happy birthday to me.

When I got out of the shower, I already started to feel a million times better. I wrapped myself in a towel from under the sink and laid on my bed. In the worst of ways, I just wanted to shut my eyes and nap until it was time for the party to start. That's all. I've been on my feet for most of the day. I've been forced into shit I didn't want to deal with. I've had to take the fucking subway to…! No. I'm going to block that part out for the sake of my own mental health. I deserve better.

But if we're being honest here, I'm fucking exhausted. It's like the culmination of everything I've been dealing with since I touched down at JFK had suddenly hit me. Between Daddy and the Bronx, Ritsu and Ryoichi, the host club showing up out of nowhere…A part of me wanted nothing more than a break from everything. Maybe that's what tonight can be. At least I sure as fuck hope so. I just want things to go back to the way they were. I know I'm never going to have quiet. And I don't want quiet. I like my loud, energetic, fast paced world. I have never had a problem with that. But if I were to have the opportunity to go back with Abuelita for a while, I wouldn't say no.

If I didn't have school to go to and a boyfriend to protect, I probably would. A couple months in Spain would do wonders for the soul. But in just a few months anyway, I'd be on break again and I could spend those couple months in Spain. Where things were bright and vibrant and beautiful in some places and that peace and quiet I was in desperate need of in others. That sounded perfect. That being said, I'd still rather die than be forced into the suburbs.

In my five minute power nap, I felt an arm around me. And I knew exactly who it was. There was no mistaking him. However, because I'm me, I felt like fucking with him a little bit, "If this is either Hikaru or Kaoru again, we're going to have words. And I'm throwing both your asses to Ritsu."

"Excuse me?" Ritsu held me a little closer, "I got arms the size of drain pipes and those two are both a couple pool noodles. How the hell could you mistake me for either one of them?"

"I didn't," I smirked a bit, "I knew it was you."

"Love you, too, Rei," he kissed my cheek, "You ok?"

"I will be," I cuddled into him, "At least I think I will anyway. Eventually."

"Here," Ritsu reached for a gift bag on the other side of my bed, "Veronica's on her way. Hikaru and Kaoru just woke up, so she said she was going to get them something to eat first."

"Munchies."

"What?"

"What else?" I nudged him along, "What's in the bag?"

"I told you I'd give you one of your presents a little early," Ritsu handed me the bag, "Happy birthday, baby. And if it makes you feel any better, that present had to go through customs."

"Customs?" I perked up, "Someone loves me."

"Duh."

And when I peeked in the bag, I saw just how much that someone loved me. I damn near started crying right then and there. But I managed to pull myself together. And a bottle of Hibiki the same age as me out of the bag. After the shit day I've had, nothing would take the edge of better, "Ritsu, you do love me."

"Of course, I do," Ritsu pulled my face closer to his, getting his well deserved thank you kiss, "I know you, Rei. I know what you like. And I know what's going to give you those warm, fuzzy feelings that put you in a good place. You've been through absolute hell lately. I'm not sure how long, but even if it's just for tonight, I want to make you ok again. Not to mention, I really fucked up and figured getting you drunk enough to forget that would be a good idea in my favor."

"Love you, too, asshole," I still couldn't believe this bottle was in my hands. I haven't had Hibiki in so long. Was it when we were in Osaka? Was that the last time? I wasn't sure, but I didn't care.

"Shall we crack it open?" he suggested.

"Oh, abso-fucking-lutely," I cracked the seal on it, never hearing such a beautiful sound in the world, and happily took the first drink, damn near having an orgasm right there, "Oh, Ritsu, you do love me."

"I know I love you," Ritsu grabbed the bottle, taking his due drink, "Fuck, I missed you…"

"So did I," I admitted, lovingly staring at my whiskey.

"And…" he put it on my nightstand, "I missed you, too."

"I bet I missed you more," I teased him.

"I highly doubt that," Ritsu kissed my forehead, "The last time you saw me before you came here, you wanted me dead, Rei. I don't think you missed me all that much."

"You're right," I confirmed, my head on his chest, "But…Even when our friends got here, I'd occasionally think of you. And I think that was my heart's way of saying a bitch made a mistake leaving you in Japan."

"What do you say?" he nuzzled his face in my neck, "After the party, we go home? Tear the whole thing down?"

"You know me, Ritsu," I smiled, "I'm not going to say no. And if that means putting a stop to what Ryoichi's done, then I'll be more than happy to. But party first. Let me have my birthday. Ok?"

"My pleasure."

Knock, knock.

"Reila!" I knew that voice anywhere, "Are you naked?"

"No!" I lied through my teeth, running into my closet still in my towel. I needed something quick to throw on. And it's times like these where I'm grateful for some of the dresses I had that I could throw on quick. Once I had clothes on, I grabbed the door, "Hi, Veronica."

"I brought your dress," Veronica threw it on the bed next to Ritsu, "Hold on…Was I interrupting something? Were you two having a moment?"

"Talking about plans for when we get back to Tokyo," I brushed her off, "No worries."

"Ok," she pulled up the chair from the corner, "The top might look a little different than when you last saw it. I had to put some extra panels in."

"Wait…" I froze, "What?"

"Yeah," Veronica elaborated, "I had to let the top out a little. Your chest measurements changed a little and you weren't going to fit in the top as well as you'd think you would."

"YES!" I screeched, "FUCKING FINALLY!"

"Jesus Christ, Rei…" Ritsu gasped, regaining his footing a bit, "You gave me a fucking heart attack! What are you getting so excited about?"

"Rei's finally hitting puberty," Veronica clarified while I did the biggest fucking happy dance.

"It's about goddamn time!" If I had more room in my bedroom, I'd be doing cartwheels. Oh, fuck yeah! What a time to be alive! And with those few words, Veronica turned my whole damn day around. And now, it's time to celebrate.