Thursday afternoon, Haruhi sat curled up on the sofa in Kyoya's office, taking notes from a book about international law. She frowned when she received a text alert from her phone. "If that's Rene or the twins again about my plans for this weekend, I will find a way to make their lives miserable until Christmas," she fumed as she set down her pen and picked up her phone.

***Class cancelled Friday am. Court date. Work on international/foreign law essays***

Suppressing the urge to squeal and grin, Haruhi schooled her expression into one of disappointment before she called out softly, "Hey, Kyoya?"

Without looking up from his computer screen, he absentmindedly replied, "Yes, Haruhi?"

"Um, how difficult would it be to change our plans for the trip to Hong Kong this weekend?" she asked as she scrunched up her nose and bit her bottom lip.

Shifting his attention from the computer screen to Haruhi, Kyoya replied, "Since we're using one of my charter planes and staying in one of my secure properties, it wouldn't take much to change it." He contemplated her expression before asking, "Was that text about something that will delay our departure?"

No longer able to hide her glee, Haruhi shook her head and said happily, "Just the opposite, actually. Class tomorrow is cancelled. Could we leave tonight?" She leaned forward with her elbows resting on her knees and her chin on her fists.

"You can turn off the puppy dog eyes," Kyoya commented. "How long will it take you to get ready?"

"About as long as it will take Tachibana and Atsuhiro to come pick us up," she shot back with a smirk. Haruhi stood up, walked around the desk, and settled gently into his lap. She whispered, "I can't wait to spend some time alone with you where I don't have to worry about your brothers showing up to spoil our plans—whatever they may be. Especially since your birthday is this weekend and I wouldn't put it past them to try to spring a surprise party on you."

Nuzzling her ear, Kyoya whispered back, "I like the way you think. Give me fifteen minutes to finish what I'm working on. Then I'll call Tachibana about the change of plans. It's a good thing his wife and daughter are away for a school trip."

OHSHC

Hikaru and Kaoru sat on the sofa in Rene and Kyoya's apartment, waiting for Rene to return from the kitchen with bottles of water. "Has Haruhi responded to your texts yet, Rene?" Kaoru called.

"Not yet," Rene responded from the kitchen. "She's probably buried in some book for an essay she's writing." He stepped into the living room and tossed Hikaru and Kaoru each a bottle of water.

Hikaru smirked. "She hasn't responded to ours either. We'll probably have to pry her out of her books and then hide them for the weekend if we want her to spend time with us."

"No kidding," Kaoru responded. "We'll probably have to hide Kyoya's laptop, too." He snapped his fingers. "Hey, Rene? Could you do that right now?"

Shaking his head, Rene muttered, "No, he has it with him at his office. You'd think he wouldn't need it since he as a sweet three-monitor set-up there."

Snorting, Hikaru stated, "It's not a laptop, it's an appendage."

After taking a swig of water, Rene asked, "Should we tell Haruhi about the surprise party? Maybe she's ignoring our texts because she thinks we're just bored."

The trio exchanged a look. In unison, they chorused, "Nah!"

Kaoru waved a hand dismissively. "She'd just tell Kyoya and ruin all our fun."

OHSHC

Tachibana smiled to himself as he watched Kyoya and Haruhi curled up together watching a movie and debating the authenticity of the romantic interlude being depicted.

"This looks like something from Rene's mind theater," Haruhi commented. "Does he really think insulting her intelligence and independence is actually going to make her swoon and throw herself into his arms?"

Ever the devil's advocate, Kyoya murmured in her ear, "Can you tell me that you wouldn't fall for a man who arrived in the nick of time to lend you aid?"

She turned in his arms. "I might…if he didn't insult my intelligence the first time he opened his mouth and then proceed to treat me like a helpless, vapid piece of eye-candy."

Chuckling, Kyoya kissed her lightly. "You mean like Rene did after he found out you were female? Or how he reacted when you put on a bathing suit at the Aqua Garden?"

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "Yes, just like he expected me to blush timidly, cling to him for protection over the littlest thing, and swoon to feed his ego." She paused before continuing. "You have to admit, he did grow a lot during that first year I was with the Host Club. Though there were times I felt like beating him…I'd say senseless, but he was usually already there when he was acting like that."

Kyoya kissed her lightly and stroked her cheek. "I have to admit, I'm glad you're not the clingy, swooning type. I prefer an intellectual equal for a good discussion or debate. And it doesn't hurt that you're beautiful and can hold your own in a fight—physical or mental."

Their conversation was interrupted by an announcement over the intercom. "We will be arriving in Hong Kong in fifteen minutes. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing."

Extracting herself from Kyoya's arms with a kiss and a caress, Haruhi moved back to her seat and belted in. Kyoya followed her and did the same.

OHSHC

Estee looked up from the cassoulet she was putting the finishing touches on before slipping it into the oven. "Hey, Hikaru, where are Rene, Haruhi, and Kyoya?"

From his seat on the sofa, he shrugged and replied, "I don't know. Rene assured me yesterday that he would make sure they came. I haven't heard or seen any of them all day." He pulled out his phone. "I'll send Rene a text and ask if they're on their way." Before he could pull up Rene's contact information, there was a knock on the door.

"That's probably them. I'll get it," Kaoru called as he placed the last plate on the dining room table.

Kaoru had barely opened the door when Rene pushed is way in, waving his arms and ranting. "Kyoya didn't come home last night. That's just not like him. Where could he be? What if something happened?"

Coco laid a hand on his shoulder, startling him out of his freak-out. "Have you checked with Haruhi?"

"I knocked and knocked on her apartment door, but there was no answer. I asked security and they admitted that they hadn't seen her in the last day or so."

While Kaoru and Coco were dealing with Rene, Hikaru called Kyoya's cell and then Haruhi's. Both went straight to voicemail. "That strange," he thought. "They didn't ring at all. Either their phones are off or they're in use."

Estee came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Is there a problem?"

"Kyoya and Haruhi appear to be missing," Hikaru responded. He thought for a moment. "Maybe Fuyumi invited them to Hinansho. I'll give her a call."

"Or Kairi made something for Kyoya and they went to pick it up," Rene offered. He pulled out his phone and called the front desk at Hinansho. "Hey, Chiharu, are Kyoya or Haruhi at Hinansho?"

"No, I haven't seen them in weeks," Chiharu replied. "I thought you guys would have plans for his birthday this weekend."

"We do, but we can't find those two." Rene huffed, then added, "Thanks anyway. Could you call me if you see them?"

"I can do that. Wait just a minute." Chiharu covered the phone muffling her conversation. After a moment, she came back and said, "Sorry about that. Chisato was walking by, so I asked if she had seen them, but she hasn't."

Rene sounded disheartened as he murmured, "Well, thanks for checking. See you later." He ended the call and stared at the phone in his hand. "Where could they be? Did something happen to them?"

Hikaru ended his call and reported, "Fuyumi took the kids to Tokyo Disney for the weekend. She called Kyoya yesterday to wish him happy birthday because she was going to be busy."

Estee leaned against the wall watching the others scramble to locate the missing couple. She shook her head in amusement. "Maybe they just ran away for the weekend because Kyoya suspected we would throw him a surprise party."

The other four stared at Estee, contemplating the conclusion she had come to. They looked at each other, nodding in agreement.

Rene was nodding with the others when his expression changed to one of distress. "What if they ran off to get married?"

"Nah," the twins declared in unison. Then Kaoru said pensively, "Or would they?"

OHSHC

Kyoya carried the dinner dishes to the kitchen as Tachibana and Haruhi moved to the living room to discuss her security arrangements. Tachibana settled into the armchair while Haruhi curled up on the sofa. "My contact, Chan Ka Kui, will be sending over his colleague, Annie Tsui. She will meet us at the restaurant tomorrow morning for a breakfast meeting. Her usual assignment is Li Hiu's grandniece, Truly Lin, an up-and-coming singer."

"Won't Truly Lin be needing her tomorrow? I'd hate to interfere with her schedule," Haruhi interrupted.

"Truly Lin will be debuting at her great-uncle's restaurant tomorrow night, so she will be spending the day at home relaxing," Tachibana assured her. "Annie Tsui is well practiced at remaining unobtrusive so she is available to accompany you places that Kyoya and I cannot."

"Like the ladies' room," Haruhi confirmed with a nod.

"Exactly." Tachibana relaxed, leaning back into the chair. "Thank you for not fighting me on this, Haruhi."

Smiling, she replied, "My time spent near Kobe last summer and the attack on Misuzu reinforced the wisdom of back-up, even though I can handle most threats myself."

Kyoya joined her on the sofa, pulling her into his lap. "Any plans for this evening? Or shall we just dissect another movie together?"

Running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, Haruhi hummed as she thought. He closed his eyes and relaxed under her ministrations. "What does our day look like tomorrow? I know we have the breakfast meeting with Annie Tsui and dinner with Li Hiu and his grandniece. What does the middle look like?"

Chuckling, Kyoya replied, "After breakfast, we will head to Li Hiu's office. You have an appointment with his lead lawyer for his local cases while I tour the companies." Her presence was distracting so he shifted her to sit next to him on the sofa so he could concentrate. "Then we will have a catered lunch in the conference room with the heads of the three companies he is managing for me. You will spend the afternoon in his international law department, while I have a strategy meeting."

"Well," Haruhi said teasingly as she ran her hands down his chest, "since we have such a serious day tomorrow, how about we see if there is some American sit-com on we can ridicule?"

Tachibana stood up and stretched. "You two have fun, but don't stay up too late."

"Yes, Dad," Kyoya called after him playfully.

OHSHC

Rene picked at his food as he sat at the dining table with Estee, Hikaru, Coco, and Kaoru. "I hope nothing has happened to otou-san and okaa-san." He sighed as he slowly dissected the cassoulet and rearranged the bits on his plate.

"Is there something wrong with dinner?" Estee asked, concerned by Rene's picking and poking at the meal she made.

Looking at Estee, Rene shrugged. "I guess I'm just worried about Kyoya and Haruhi. Where could they be?"

Hikaru spoke up, "I have an idea. I'll call the Security Office at Hinansho. Tachibana always knows Kyoya's whereabouts." Rene visibly relaxed as Hikaru pulled out his phone. After a brief pause, Hikaru said, "Good evening, Aijima. Is Tachibana available?"

"I'm sorry, Hikaru. Tachibana is out of country right now," Aijima informed him. "Kyoya had a business meeting and Haruhi accompanied him to do some research for a homework assignment."

"Thanks," Hikaru murmured as he ended the call, looking perplexed.

"So, what did he say?" Kaoru prompted, looking at his twin with concern.

Absentmindedly, he slipped his phone back into his pocket before he replied. "Tachibana, Kyoya, and Haruhi are out of country."

"You mean they ditched us?!" Coco demanded.

Frowning disapprovingly at her sister, Estee commented, "We didn't exactly ask them about their plans, now did we?"

"You know what?" Kaoru said. "We can still have a fun weekend, even if we're not celebrating Kyoya's birthday."

Coco reached over and squeezed his arm in a hug. "That's right, we can."

After a moment's thought, Rene murmured, "You know, I don't want to be a fifth-wheel. In this case I would literally be the fifth wheel. I think I'll head to Hinansho and spend some time with Chisato."

Estee touched his hand. "You don't have to go, you know."

"Yeah, I know," he responded with a bright smile. "I'll just let you guys have fun here and I'll go have fun with Chisato."

OHSHC

Policewoman Annie Tsui sat unobtrusively in the corner of the conference room watching Haruhi converse with Li Hui's lead lawyer, Tai Yu. "I anticipated being bored today, but Haruhi has a way of asking very thought-provoking questions. It's hard to believe how young she is. I have learned a great deal about law from a different perspective that may prove useful in the future."

After hours of discussing Chinese law with Tai Yu, Haruhi looked down at the notebook she had filled with notes. "I should have more than enough to write my essay for class. It's fascinating how much is the same and what is different. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to answer my questions."

Tai Yu commented, "You have been a delight to talk to, as well as providing intriguing insights. The time has flown by. It's nearly time for you to leave for your lunch meeting."

Checking the time, Haruhi started packing her notebook and pens in her satchel. "I can't thank you enough for all your time. It has been quite enlightening and enjoyable."

"If you don't mind my asking," Tai Yu said almost hesitantly. "How did you learn to speak Cantonese so well?"

Smiling, Haruhi pulled out her portfolio and rummaged through the business cards. Pulling one out with a triumphant look, she handed it to him. "Ataru Matoba taught me. She and Oto Edogawa developed an immersion course that is quite extraordinary. They have versions for English, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Japanese. They were formerly with the Translation Corp, but started their own business several years ago."

He accepted the card, smiling broadly. "If you are an example of their results, I shall have to look into their services."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Li Hiu's secretary opened it and stuck her head in. "I have been sent to escort Haruhi to the lunch meeting."

Tai Yu bowed to Haruhi. "I am glad that I was able to be of assistance to you."

Haruhi returned the bow. "You were very helpful. Please enjoy the rest of your day."

Although the secretary seemed to be waiting impatiently, Tai Yu commented, "Please don't be put off by Ying Mu's brusque manner this afternoon. He just completed delicate negotiations with some rather rude American lawyers. You just be yourself and he'll be quite willing to answer your questions and tell you anything you want to know about international law."

"I will bear that in mind," Haruhi replied, smiling gratefully as she followed the secretary.

OHSHC

When they arrived at the restaurant, Haruhi looked down at her hands as she stowed her satchel before exiting the car. She turned to the policewoman accompanying them, held out her hands, and said, "If you don't mind, I need to freshen up before we are seated. I'd hate to smudge the linens with my inky fingers."

"Of course, Miss," Annie Tsui bowed her head in acknowledgement as they entered the waiting area. "Please allow me to confer with your head of security." She approached Tachibana and inclined her head toward the ladies' room.

He responded by scrutinizing the area, evaluating any potential threats before nodding permission.

Annie Tsui entered the ladies' room first, glancing around to evaluate the space before waving Haruhi in. The door had barely swung closed when six men burst out of a hidden alcove and grabbed the two ladies.

Haruhi slipped through the arms of the man who grabbed her, hooked her foot around his ankle, and pulled him off-balance so that he hit his head on the sink and knocked himself out. She spun away, dodged the grabbing hands of another, and reached for the door handle.

The policewoman used her training to take down two of their attackers before a weaselly-faced man forced a cloth over her face smelling of ether or chloroform and she sagged in his arms.

Out of the corner of her eye, Haruhi saw Annie Tsui collapse and a man heft her over his shoulder to lay her in the corner. When the same man approached her with a cloth in his hand, Haruhi put the pieces together, realizing that the policewoman was not dead or injured, but drugged.

Using several techniques Takashi and Mitsukuni taught her, Haruhi nearly made it to the door. She had her hand on the knob when the first man who grabbed her pushed himself up on his hands and knees. Blood streamed down his face as he growled and enclosed her ankle in his ham-sized hand.

"Don't hurt her," the weaselly-faced man warned as he walked up and gently placed the cloth over Haruhi's face. "The Boss said no damage. Remember, she's supposed premiere at his club tomorrow night."

Looking around and shaking his head, the weaselly-faced man said, "Boss said she wouldn't have her bodyguard today, otherwise he would have sent more men." Eyeing the other five, he sighed, "I guess I'll carry her since we don't want to get blood on her."

"What about her?" one of them asked, jerking a thumb in the direction of the policewoman.

"Leave her. We'll be long gone before she wakes up." The group filed out through the hidden alcove and disappeared.

Kyoya looked at Tachibana and raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "Haruhi certainly is taking a long time. That's very unlike her."

"Agreed." Tachibana stood and walked over to the ladies' room door. He knocked and called out, "Haruhi? Annie Tsui? Is everything okay?"

Annie Tsui pulled the door open, stumbled out, croaking, "Some men ambushed us and took Haruhi. We fought but they used some sort of anesthesia. I need to call this in."

Tachibana stormed in and looked around, quickly noting the blood on the sink and floor, the false wall leaning sideways to expose the previously hidden alcove. He turned and caught Kyoya by the shoulders as he was about to charge in the direction it was assumed Haruhi had been taken.

Kyoya looked at him with a snarl on his lips. "Let me go!"

"It leads to the alley where they obviously had a vehicle waiting." Tachibana continued to hold his shoulders.

Slumping, Kyoya whispered, "Why did they take her? I can't lose her."

OHSHC

Sitting up on the sofa, Haruhi reached up and rubbed her head. "Ow! What happened?" The memories of the scene in the ladies' room came back and she scowled around the room. She didn't see Annie Tsui anywhere, but the six men who had attacked were dressing wounds from the fight. Only the weaselly-faced man had escaped injury. "Probably because he drugged us like a coward."

Noticing Haruhi sit up and look around, the weaselly-faced man walked over and assured her, "Don't worry, Truly Lin. No one is going to hurt you. The Boss will be here soon to explain everything. Too bad you won't be premiering at your great-uncle's restaurant tonight."

Haruhi assimilated the information and realized it was a case of mistaken identity. As she pondered her options in the situation, her stomach started to growl. "So, who's going to make dinner?"

The six men stared at her in awe—or maybe fear.

Rolling her eyes, Haruhi stood up and walked into the kitchen. She rummaged through the refrigerator, cupboards, and drawers, pulling out items and sitting them on the counter. "Not a lot here to work with, but that just reminds me of home growing up," she muttered to herself. "Mom's beef soup recipe should work. I'll just have to substitute noodles for the rice."

She filled a pan with water, seasoned it, and put it on to heat. Next, she washed the vegetables and reached for a knife to prepare the meat and vegetables for the soup.

"Oh no you don't," the man who had hit his head on the sink said, emptying the wood block of all the knives.

Planting her fists on her hips, she scowled at him. "Then you get over here and chop this meat and these vegetables."

He shook his head, calling over his shoulder, "Hey, Tang. You're the knife expert. Get over here and cut these things up."

Tang sauntered over, pulling out his knife and commenting arrogantly, "Spenser gave me a few pointers when we last worked together because he said my kitchen knife skills were barely adequate. They're not on par with his but this shouldn't be a challenge."

Fifteen minutes later, Tang was sporting three bandages on his fingers. The meat pieces were far from uniform in size, looking like a blind man had randomly hacked about on a steak. Haruhi was thoroughly unimpressed as he mauled the last piece of meat.

When he reached for the vegetables to start cutting them up, Haruhi couldn't stand it any longer. She grabbed the knife from his hand and ordered him out of the kitchen. "I refuse to allow you to poison us with cross contamination." Huffing at the pile of meat pieces, she quickly and efficiently cut them to more uniform size. Once that was done, she slid the pieces from the cutting board into the pot and stirred it gently.

After thoroughly washing the knife and cutting board, Haruhi returned to the counter to start cutting up the vegetables. When Tang reached to reclaim his knife, she glared at him, raising an eyebrow. "You may have it back when I am done. I don't know who this Spenser is, but in my opinion, your knife skills are less than adequate."

Stung by her criticism and cowed by her attitude, Tang retreated to a corner, muttering to himself, "Who does she think she is? Elliot said my knife skills were adequate." The other men in the apartment were stunned at the drama they had just witnessed.

Ignoring all of them, Haruhi returned to the vegetables and they were ready in short order to be added to the pot as well. Then she once again washed the knife and cutting board thoroughly. Haruhi flicked the knife into the corner where Tang was muttering to himself and it stuck in the floor right at the tip of Tang's shoe. He just stared at it and continued muttering to himself.

After tasting the broth and adjusting the seasoning, Haruhi started to rummage through the cupboards, pulling out bowls and cups to set the table.

She had just put water on for tea and was about to add the noodles to the soup when the door opened and a man walked in, announcing, "Truly Lin, my dear, I have saved you from singing in that dive of your great uncle's. You will begin singing at my club tomorrow night. Will you marry me now?"

Slipping the noodles into the pot and stirring, Haruhi responded in a flat tone, "Not Truly Lin. My singing scares people. And I seriously doubt my fiancé, Kyoya Hinan, would allow you to marry me."

The Boss's jaw dropped. He surveyed the apartment with a scowl and demanded, "What did you do?"

The weaselly-faced man protested, "We picked her up at the restaurant just like you told us. You said her bodyguard…" His voice tapered off as he finally registered what Haruhi said. "Please tell me you did not just say Kyoya Hinan is your fiancé."

"Sorry. Can't." Haruhi grabbed another bowl and cup from the cupboard and set them on the table noisily. Staring the Boss in the eye, she declared, "Right now, dinner is ready and I'm hungry. Everyone to the table…NOW."

Tang crept out of his corner, hiding his knife, and taking the seat as far away from Haruhi as possible. The others cautiously made their way to the table as well.

Haruhi had filled half the bowls when there was a knock on the door. Tang jumped up and squeaked, "I'll get it." As soon as he opened the door, he regretted it.

In a voice that could bring on the next ice age, Kyoya growled, "I'm here to retrieve my fiancée," as he pushed his way into the apartment followed by Tachibana. Seeing Haruhi unharmed and calmly dishing soup into bowls cooled Kyoya's anger slightly.

Smiling at him, Haruhi said, "Kyoya, have you two had dinner yet? I made my mom's beef soup."

Tachibana worked hard to hide a smile as Kyoya visibly softened. "We have not eaten. Are you sure there's enough to go around? You know how much I love your mom's soup." Kyoya followed her into the kitchen while Tachibana stood guard over the seven men at the table who were whispering nervously among themselves, "We are so dead. We kidnapped Kyoya Hinan's fiancée."

Haruhi placed the pot back on the stove and went to the cupboard for more bowls and cups. After filling the two bowls, she handed them to Kyoya. "Put these on the table. I'll be there in a minute to pour the tea."

After Haruhi poured the tea, she took the seat next to Kyoya and looked up questioningly at Tachibana. Marginally satisfied that the men would not try anything, Tachibana sat next to Haruhi on the opposite side from Kyoya.

Haruhi started eating hungrily. After a moment, she noticed that no one else was eating. "Come on. It's actually quite good." She sipped her tea before returning to her soup.

Kyoya chuckled and leaned over to kiss her cheek before he started to eat. Tachibana watched them fondly as he tried the soup.

Observing the trio warily, the others started to eat, making noises of appreciation at the flavor.

They were almost finished with dinner when there was banging on the door accompanied by, "This is the police." Haruhi calmly rose and opened the door. "Annie Tsui, good to see you are okay," she greeted.

The policewoman raised an eyebrow at Haruhi's casual greeting. She was about to comment when all seven of the men involved in Haruhi's kidnapping rushed up, holding out their wrists.

"Please arrest us. Don't let him kill us for taking his fiancée by mistake," the Boss murmured nervously as he watched the expression on Kyoya's face.

Tachibana spoke up, "I suggest we get out of the way and allow the police to wrap up this matter." He gestured for Kyoya and Haruhi to precede him. He nodded to Chan Ka Kui as they left.

*****BONUS SCENE FOR MY BETA*****

In a bar in Boston, the Leverage crew was meeting to discuss their next case. Elliot's email dinged. He chuckled after reading the message.

"What's so funny?" Sophie asked.

"It's from Tang, an associate from Hong Kong. He's complaining to me that he just had a run-in with a little bit of a girl named Haruhi Fujioka, the fiancée of some guy named Kyoya Hinan, who declared his knife skills as 'less than adequate' and took his knife away." Elliot shook his head.

Hardison perked up at the name 'Kyoya Hinan.' His fingers flew over his keyboard, pulling up multiple files onto the display. He let out a low whistle.

"Something interesting, Hardison?" Nathan asked, his brow wrinkled in concern.

He waggled a hand back-and-forth quickly before returning it to the keyboard. "Kyoya Hinan was formerly Kyoya Otori, third son of Yoshio Otori. The Otoris are one of the top five wealthiest and most politically connected families in Japan."

Parker leaned her chin on her hand. "So, he was an Otori from one of the top five families and now—somehow—he's a Hinan?"

Shaking his head, Hardison replied, "He wasn't just 'an Otori,' he was 'The Otori.' At twelve, he bought an airplane and started K12 Charters just to prove he could do it. At seventeen, he bought the Otori Group to block a hostile takeover by Tonnerre Holdings."

"So why would he leave such prestige for the obscurity of the Hinan family?" Sophie pondered.

Nathan read one of the files being displayed. "It appears the Hinan family have been making quite a name for themselves in Japan—taking down corrupt officials, crooked companies, and the like."

Elliot leaned back and put his boots on the table. "Sounds like they're doing about the same thing we are. I say leave them to it. We have more than enough to do here in the good old U. S. of A."

"I agree," Nathan said. "Now let's get back to work."

12