The Ferris wheel creaked into motion, dark steel glinting in the afternoon light. Kaoru sat back on the bench, watching from afar as Miyo—his fiancé—waved from the top most carriage, sitting with her mother. He hated heights, wouldn't even offer to sit with her even in the name of love, but Miyo understood. She was good like that.

He waved back, a big grin drawn over his face, and sipped on his iced coffee. Children ran in front of him, screaming at the tops of their tiny lungs, some carrying balloons, others dragging torn down bunting across the grassy fields.

"I have to say, I thought English fairs were a bore, but I guess they're the same wherever you go."

His future father-in-law, Ian Fielding, sat down next to him, stretching his short legs.

Miyo had been adopted from a young age to the Fieldings from Japan, but they often visited her home country. It was on one of these visits, two summers ago, that Kaoru thought he fell in love. He wasn't so sure now, as he was with most things, but Miyo was better than most.

"We should visit one," said Kaoru in his polished English. "I was thinking of visiting soon, perhaps in the coming month? Just to get to know the home Miyo grew up in."

"Sure, sure," said Fielding, barely paying attention. "Let's get this holiday out the way first."

"Holiday?" asked Kaoru.

Miyo and her mother stepped off the Ferris wheel from afar, adjusting themselves back on solid ground.

"Yes, this little stint we're having now."

Kaoru held his tongue. It was not wise to argue back, as he'd seen previously. He didn't appreciate that visiting Japan—where Miyo's roots were—was called a 'stint', but Fielding could be like that. Perhaps it was a typical English thing.

Or maybe he's just a jerk.

Kaoru shook his head before Miyo approached, jumping up to peck her cheek.

"You think this is bad," said Miyo, grinning at him. "You'd be a complete nightmare on a rollercoaster."

"At least I don't scream when there's a tiny spider in the corner of the room."

She hit his shoulder before they fell into step together, Kaoru holding her close, his hands running through her long dark hair.

"How's your friend? The one you baby-sat for," she asked.

They stood outside an ice cream vendor, just behind a gaggle of young teenagers.

"She's… good. At least, I think she is."

"Maybe you should call her," said Miyo as she pointed to the picture of a triple scoop. "Oh, vanilla, passionfruit, and mango please. But really, Kaoru, having a child isn't an easy thing, especially if she's single. You should check in on her."

Kaoru hadn't told her that Haruhi's apartment was broken into while he babysat Yumiko with Hikaru. He hadn't told her that was why he had the bruises on his face, nor the fact that her father was called in as a witness to Kyouya's trial.

Somehow, he'd managed to hide this all from his fiancé. Once again guilt tapped away at his thoughts. Did he truly love Miyo if he kept secrets?

"Kaoru? You haven't said anything. You want some ice cream?"

He took a small plastic spoon from the vendor and picked at the vanilla scoop.

"You're right. I should call her."

"Oh, and next time I'll come. I'm great with kids," said Miyo with a soft smile.

"Sure!" The words came out before he could stop them. "I've known Haruhi since school. She'd love to meet you."

As Miyo chatted about children and babies, a hand pinched his elbow. Fielding tried to pull Kaoru away from Miyo. He excused himself from her, drawing closer to Fielding in the shade of the ice cream vendor's vehicle.

"I hope you're not getting my Miyo mixed up in all this," he said, mouth a firm line. "I spent a long time protecting her from the worst things this world has to offer. She's been through enough as a child."

"I haven't even mentioned—"

"She wants to meet your friend? The lawyer, in the trial? Whose house was broken into?"

Kaoru folded his arms. "Haruhi's my friend above everything else."

"It doesn't matter. It's a murder trial—you know that. I won't have Miyo involved in any of this."

Kaoru stepped back, soft mud squelching beneath his shoes. "Is there something else you're not telling me?"

For the briefest of moments they held each other's gaze, taut and weighted with words unsaid, before Fielding broke the silence. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about. Now come, the girls are waiting for us." He marched back into the sunlight, calling out loudly to his wife.

Sure, thought Kaoru. Wouldn't want anything to ruin your little 'stint'.

Haruhi held her forehead as she stared at her reflection in the blank computer screen. Her father was right—the long hair made her look much like her mother. She wondered if Kotoko Fujioka would be proud of her daughter, running her own firm independently. Haruhi rarely ached for her mother—she died when she was so young—but in those few minutes she could have sworn she saw her mother's face reflected back at her.

Her father had begged her not to go to work.

"Surely the office will understand if you take a week off!" he said that morning over breakfast.

"Dad, I can't do that. I am the office," she replied before giving both him and Yumiko a quick peck on the cheek as she left. Something about her dad being at home gave her small comfort, as if a solid and good force had entered her life. Someone she could rely on. "And remember," she had called from the door, "any weird things happen, call the police right away. They know what happened."

It was irresponsible, she knew, to leave Yumiko alone again in the same apartment that was broken into, but Haruhi didn't know where else to go. She couldn't afford to rent out a hotel room indefinitely and her father had already sold his place.

She stared at the computer as it booted up before a quiet knock on the door disrupted her thoughts.

"Uhm, Haruhi? Sorry, I know you only just got back…" her secretary trailed off, still hovering at the door. She glanced over her shoulder and blushed.

Haruhi sighed and massaged her forehead. "Who is it this time?"

"He said he went to school with you…"

"Just send him in."

Her secretary waved the stranger over, the red on her cheeks blooming across her whole face as the man walked past.

Hikaru strode into the office, smiling genuinely at the secretary, before she bustled off with wide eyes. He closed the door and realised Haruhi was staring at him with curiosity.

"Think she has a crush on you, you know."

Hikaru laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I can usually tell."

"How're you feeling?" said Haruhi as she clicked into her desktop screen.

"Fine, fine. No other injuries. Kaoru's fine too. I just wanted to check, you know, see that you were—"

"Fine?" she asked brightly. "We're all doing absolutely, perfectly… fine." She sighed on the last word, almost letting the stress get the better of her. "My dad's staying over."

Hikaru blinked a little. "Oh, really? Wow, I haven't seen him since…"

"Since you all followed me home once and wanted to see how a 'commoner' lived?" she said sharply before raising an eyebrow.

He grinned nervously, taking his turn to blush. "Hey look, that wasn't my idea!"

She smiled before leaning across the desk on her elbow. "Why are you really here?"

"I told you, I wanted to see how you were."

Haruhi shook her head before getting up and adjusting the blinds. Warm sunlight flooded the office, bathing the walls in yellow. As she opened a window, a cool breeze cut through the stuffy atmosphere. "Come on Hikaru. I'm not stupid. I know it's the end of the month."

He laughed out loud, almost like a bark. It was a deal they made that felt like a lifetime ago. He'd clumsily proposed to her in front of Kyouya before she turned him down in the gentlest manner. And then in true, practical, Haruhi-fashion, she gave him a deadline till the end of the month. It was as if she wanted to quell the boy inside him that craved for an answer immediately.

She didn't really love him. She couldn't have.

But why, thought Hikaru, are you acting like such a child?

They all cared for Haruhi, but only he was being such a sullen boy about it.

Hikaru shook his head. "I'm sorry. For bringing this to you when you're in the middle of all this…" he waved his hand around the office. "Just forget everything I said, it's not important. I'll leave you now."

As his hand touched the door handle she called out to him.

"Wait."

His heart leapt, as if all his dreams and fantasies would really come alive in that one moment.

"There is something you can help me with."

He nodded fervently. "Absolutely, anything. What do you need?"

"A place to stay."

There were two things Kaoru would do when things got too much. First, he would walk. Just the motion of his legs, the action of doing something felt better than sitting around and stewing in thoughts. And Kaoru had been walking a lot recently.

He took a shortcut through the city, crossing schools and government buildings, banks and big businesses.

Miyo knew about his frequent walks. He'd let her know before he left and she'd squeeze his hand with a smile. He knew what that squeeze meant. I'm right here, when you need me. She was good like that.

Fielding's words throbbed in his mind like an ugly, open wound. Kaoru was sure he never liked him, but something else lurked beneath his prim English exterior. He wasn't sure he wanted to uncover it.

He followed no particular path before he found himself standing outside the gates of a compound. He reached for a swipe card in his pocket, inserting it into the reader, before the gates opened slowly.

The second thing Kaoru would do when things got too much was visit his brother.

"Sorry, it's a bit messy… I don't let anyone else in here really."

Hikaru tripped over a stool into his living room which was much larger than Haruhi's office. There were books and magazines strewn about, with clothes and food containers thrown into the mix.

Haruhi stood by the archway leading into the hall with Yumiko in her arms, a suitcase by her foot.

A shout thundered from the bathroom. "Haruhi! DID YOU SEE THE SIZE OF THIS BATH!"

"Ignore my dad," she muttered. "He's been used to living on a budget recently."

Hikaru shook his head and smiled. "I've been at my parents' house with Kaoru and his in-laws recently, so it's fine."

She placed Yumiko on the floor and gently pinched her nose. Down the hall, Ryoji left the bathroom, audibly amazed at Hikaru's hallway lighting. Yumiko babbled her way towards him and gripped his lower leg.

"Thanks, Hikaru. I mean it." She smiled at him before he blushed. "Bet you didn't think this would happen at the end of the month."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Your place isn't safe anyway. I don't know why you stayed there so long after what… what happened."

Her gaze trailed towards the wide window, staring out at the blue sky framed by trees blooming with cherry blossoms in the communal garden. "Sometimes I wish none of this ever happened," she muttered before snapping herself out of it. "Right, I have to pay you rent, so how much—"

"Don't be daft," said Hikaru. "I'm not taking any money from you."

"We can't stay here for free!"

He pouted for a moment. "Maybe you can be in debt to me…"

"Ha ha, very funny," she said and walked over to him, whacking him on the arm. "I'm serious."

"So am I," he said, gently holding her hand before she could pull away. "Stay here as long as you want."

They stood like that for a moment too long. Haruhi was sure that everything else in the world would fall away.

The front door clicked open.

"Hikaru, let's order out again, I'm starving!"

When Kaoru walked into the living room, Haruhi was the first to snatch her hand away.

The four of them sat on the squashy sofas, a box of ramen for each. Yumiko had fallen asleep on the end of the sofa, her little feet perched on Haruhi's lap.

"You know, you're really looking the part of a mother," said Kaoru. "Always frantic."

"I dunno, could be the murder trial hanging over my shoulder. But sure, the kid too."

Kaoru blushed before Haruhi laughed, trying to ease the tension.

"So Kaoru, Haruhi tells me you're getting married!" said Ryoji. "What, my girl wasn't good enough for you?"

"Dad…"

This time Kaoru laughed, placing his box down on the coffee table. "You're all invited, of course. Just when we set the date."

"And when will that be?" asked Haruhi.

He licked his lips and reached for a can of soda. "Not sure yet."

"Oh dear… trouble brewing in paradise?" said Ryoji.

"Dad!"

Kaoru held his hands up. "No no, just a bit difficult what with her family from England and us being over here."

"Wasn't Miyo's dad in the trial?" said Hikaru. It was the first time he spoke up since they started eating, quietly observing everyone. Kaoru was sure something had happened before he walked in, but he could grill his brother on that later. He didn't want his heart to get hurt, again.

Haruhi bolted upright. "Ian Fielding? The witness?"

Kaoru hesitated over his words, hearing the threat throb in his mind again. "Yes."

"I thought he was rather conveniently placed in the trial, though I had no idea he was your…"

"Ass-in-law," said Kaoru. When no one laughed, he cleared his throat.

"Wow, that bad?" said Ryoji.

Kaoru shrugged and grinned. "Can't have it all, can you?"

But Haruhi narrowed her eyes.

"What was he really doing, that morning, in Cho's neighbourhood? It's nowhere near you guys."

Kaoru licked his lips once again, feeling himself drawn between lines of loyalty. Before he could speak, Yumiko awoke in a cry, searching for the warm arms of a mother. Haruhi lifted her and paced across the hallway, just out of sight of the others.

"So what's your lovely Miyo like?" said Ryoji, wiping his fingers on a napkin.

"Great, she's just great. A really understanding person, it's hard to find someone like that," he said absently.

"Sounds like she'll be with you through thick and thin," said Ryoji.

Kaoru nodded, tilting his head towards the window. "Yeah. She's good like that."