Thank you all for being patient! Sorry, but the muses are currently fighting me, along with my schedule. *sigh* But oh well. I wanted to get one more chapter in before school started...and chapters probably become even more fickle. Ugh.

On a lighter note, big thanks to uyay for being my beta and putting up with my weirdness and slowness!

...~...

Haruhi woke up with a feeling of dread. It took less than a second for her to remember where she was and how she got there. The panic she was familiar with now set in once again and she sighed. Beside her, Mori stirred. She turned to look at him and forced a smile. His eyes blinked open and focused on Haruhi.

"Morning," he said.

"Morning," she replied.

Mori squeezed Haruhi with his arm and Haruhi settled her head on his chest. This was the only comfortable position that didn't jostle Haruhi's arm. They had slept beside each other on the floor in an attempt to remain close. They remained silent for several minutes, drinking in the presence of each other, until Mori spoke.

"Now what?"

Haruhi sighed. "I don't know. Kurai will probably be back soon."

Mori's grip tightened on Haruhi. He said nothing but Haruhi knew exactly what was going on in his head.

"Takashi-" she started.

"I won't let him take you."

"You have to. Otherwise-"

"I'll fight him."

"You can't," Haruhi replied sadly.

"Why not?" Mori snapped back.

Haruhi sat up from Mori's embrace. "If you get injured…or worse…while trying to fight, then what kind of help is that?"

Mori's expression softened and he sat up beside Haruhi. Gently, he took her hand. "Haruhi," he started. He squeezed her hand in a comforting manner. "I would give my life for you. Without hesitation."

Haruhi pushed back at the tears threatening to form in her eyes. "I have something to ask of you, Takashi."

"What?"

"Don't fight him."

Mori's face was disbelieving. "Wh-"

"Hear me out," she interrupted. When Mori paused and nodded for her to continue, she went on. "If you fight him, he'll probably kill you or beat you unconscious. So, you should forfeit to him, stay alive, - stay conscious - and go for help when we leave."

Haruhi was silent as she watched Mori's reaction, waiting for him to talk. He shook his head slowly and said, "Haruhi, I can't not fight. I can't just let him take you."

"You aren't, can't you see? This is the best idea if we both want to be alive and safe after all this is done."

Mori buried his head in his hands. He couldn't believe it but she was convincing him. "How will I know where he takes you?"

"I'll leave a clue. A word scratched in the ground, a note, something that you can figure out. Take it to the club and the police." Haruhi smiled sadly. "Then come save me."

"But what if this doesn't work? What if you-"

Haruhi cupped Mori's cheek and said quietly, "I know you won't ever give up. That's all I need to know. I trust you, Takashi. You will do all you can and probably a little more. So please," Haruhi pleaded. "Trust me." She traced her thumb over the side of his face.

Mori leaned into the touch and said nothing for a long time. Finally, after making up his mind, he sighed and said, "I will find you again and I will save you."

Haruhi heard the unspoken words. He would hurt Kurai for what he had done to her, to both of them.

…..~…

About an hour later, the pair heard footsteps outside their door. A moment later, the door open and Kurai's grinning face appeared in the doorway. "Hello! Are you guys ready?"

Haruhi looked up at Kurai from her sitting position on the floor. "What do you want from us now?"

Kurai tsked. "Come on now. I'd never ask anything of you that you don't secretly want to do."

Mori growled and opened his mouth to say something, but Haruhi shot him a look. Haruhi repeated, "What do you want?"

Kurai grinned, the smile not really fitting his face. "It's time to go, sweetie."

Mori turned to Haruhi with a look of horror. "Now?" He whispered.

Haruhi purposely made an effort not to look at Mori. "And you'll let him live?" she asked.

Kurai glanced at Mori and took out a pocketknife from his front pocket. He flicked it open and approached Mori slowly. Mori remained absolutely still. He could see Haruhi pleading with her eyes for Mori not to provoke him. Kurai trailed the tip of the blade along his shoulder towards his neck, leaving a trail of blood as he went.

"You know," Kurai said as he stopped cutting Mori and paused to admire the blood on the blade. "It is quite surprising how mellow a man becomes when the woman he loves is put in danger. Wouldn't you agree, Morinozuka-san?"

Mori ground his teeth and resisted the urge to stand up and fight. Even though he was a champion, Mori reasoned Kurai wouldn't come in here without some form of protection. Plus if he failed….it would mean certain death for him and unthinkable torture for Haruhi.

"A renounced kendo champion brought to his knees. Where did all of your dignity go?"

"I still have mine," Mori snapped. "You're the man without his dignity."

Kurai's eyes flashed with amusement. "And so the chained man speaks!" Kurai shouted sarcastically. "Continue, please. I'm dying to know what you think of me." Kurai tapped the flat end of the blade on Mori's cheek and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Just remember the fate of that pretty little lady over there is in your chained hands."

Haruhi's eyes flickered back and forth between Kurai and Mori. Even though she appeared to be calm and in control, Mori could tell she was freaking out. He shook his head and then bowed it, his entire existence screaming at him for ceding to the monster.

Kurai laughed. "Well then. Since the hero has nothing left to say, my dearest," Kurai said as he headed to Haruhi, "we must be off." Kurai picked Haruhi off the ground by her hair and dragged her out the open door, Haruhi screaming and struggling. He paused at the door and straightened Haruhi. Once she was standing, he slapped her and said, "Do not fight me, do you understand?" When Haruhi only nodded, he shouted, "Do you understand!"

"Yes," Haruhi answered quietly.

Kurai smugly smiled and turned back to see Mori's seething face. "See? She's already understanding her role," he said cheerfully. "Now, Morinozuka-san, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret."

Kurai shoved Haruhi down the hallway. Mori stood up with every intention of tackling Kurai, but a dart hit the side of his neck before he had even taken a step. Immediately, he fell to the ground. Kurai walked to Mori as he was rapidly losing consciousness. Distantly, he thought he heard some yelling his name. "Mom?" he slurred.

Kurai squatted down beside him and lightly slapped his face. "See?" he said mockingly. "The secret is that in real life, heroes don't win. They die their heroic death and the world moves on."

Kurai stood up and headed toward the door. Summoning the last of his strength and consciousness, he turned and saw Kurai holding Haruhi as she struggled to get to him. Just before he left go, he realized the person screaming had been Haruhi.

Then he descended into the darkness.

…..~…..

As Kurai led her down the hall, Haruhi felt an empty feeling. Numbness, almost. After Kurai had dragged her away from the room where Mori's body was, all the fight left her. It crossed her mind that there was nothing left to struggle for.

Kurai had won. He had broken her.

"It's your fault you know," he said as they reached the end of the hallway. "You were foolish enough to believe that I wouldn't go back on my word. You wanted to believe something so bad, you deluded yourself into thinking it would actually happen."

Haruhi remained silent. What did she have now? The Host Club? No, that meant nothing without Mori. Mori's only chance of living involved someone finding him. The only people that could was the host club but they were probably still trying to find out where they were. Haruhi shook her head. Ihave to believe in them. They are Takashi's only chance. Beyond that, they would have to find Haruhi to know what happened to him. It's not the time to give up.

"Now what?" she asked meekly.

Kurai opened the door and turned back to Haruhi. He gently tucked a strand of her messy hair behind her ear, which Haruhi forced herself not to flinch at. "Now my sweet, we live happily ever after."

Haruhi tried to calm the waves of nausea and nervousness rising up from Kurai's closeness. "But how?"

"First," he said, leading her outside. "We remove your roots from this town." Then he leaned down and whispered in her ear. After he finished, he leaned back and saw the shocked expression on her face. "Oh come on. You know it will be fun."

Kurai glared at Haruhi, daring her to give a negative response. "Y-yeah," Haruhi stuttered unsurely.

Kurai, obviously pleased at Haruhi's surrender, smiled. "And then perhaps we could celebrate," he said placing his hand on her back as he drawed out the last word with a sadistic grin.

Haruhi nodded mutely as she struggled to unnoticably get a card out of her pocket.

"Now come on. We gotta get moving to start our new life." Kurai grabbed Haruhi's arm forcefully and dragged her out of the door. Haruhi let go of the card and watched it drop to the ground, glimpsing it for a second before Kurai slammed the door.

...~...

Additionally, don't hate me. :P Review?