I have a correction to make because I made the error of thinking that Lyon was in the south of France. However, upon looking at a map, it's actually in east central France. Oops. But technically, Lyon is still south in relation to Paris, so…

Anyways, please excuse this mistake, and hopefully this chapter makes up for it. Also, I'm sorry for the very long delay (almost a month?). I think I'll put a warning here for OOCness because I can never be too sure how they'll act.

Thanks for reading!

Word came to Haruhi through the phone late at night with no apologies for waking her from her slumbers.

"Fujioka Haruhi?" came a rough male voice.

"…Yes?" she weakly replied.

"We've confirmed the boys' location. They're in France."

"Ah, France…" Then it hit her. "FRANCE?"

"Yes, unfortunately, we have yet to determine exactly where, but rest assured that we will let you know."

"Um…yes," she said, fully awake now. "Of course."

I'm very assured that you'll let me know. Especially if it's just after midnight.

The man hung up without another word. Haruhi fell asleep without another thought.

--

Halfway around the world, Tamaki was leading Kyouya (yes, this time it was Tamaki being the tour guide) to another sight. They were now in the Medieval Quarter of Lyon.

Kyouya, thoroughly tired and stressed, felt near to his physical limit.

Unfortunately, Tamaki was the complete opposite, bursting with energy and vigor. He dragged his sleepy friend down the cobbled streets, pointing to shops and buildings every now and then, which in turn led to renewed memories of his past.

"And this…" he said, "was where I almost got lost…"

Thump.

He turned around.

Kyouya had reached his limit. He fell down in a not-very-dramatic way, and promptly said, "When I wake up, remind me to kill you…"

"What! Why would I remind you to kill me? Kyouya? Kyouya!"

"Just a few minutes…"

Looking at his friend, Tamaki tried to think of the nearest inn that he was familiar with. Of all places they had to go, it was somewhere where he usually got lost!

The sight of a slumped body on the sidewalk began to attract stares, so Tamaki quickly grabbed his friend and slung him over his shoulder.

Now they were attracting more stares.

But Tamaki paid no heed to the attention (because he's used to it), and he continued down the streets, looking for a place to stay.

He found a pension.

It was small and situated between two large stores so it gave off a squished appearance.

Hoping that Kyouya was too tired to care where they were staying, Tamaki opened the front door and stepped in.

The small bell hitched onto the door chimed, and a middle-aged woman greeted them.

"A room, please," Tamaki said in French. He motioned towards Kyouya. "My friend is tired."

"Of course," the woman warmly replied. "We have an open room on the second floor, so if you please…"

She led them upstairs and they turned right. It was the first room.

A key was placed around a necklace chain she was wearing. The key fit, and Tamaki and Kyouya were ushered inside.

"Should you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask," the woman said before leaving.

Tamaki placed Kyouya on one of the beds. Thankfully, there were two.

He looked tired. He really did. His breathing was even, and thankfully, it didn't seem like he had a fever.

Watching his friend, Tamaki couldn't help but once again feel regretful of his decision. Because of this, Kyouya would go down too.

Because of him, they would go to jail.

Because of him, he wouldn't get to use a kotatsu again.

Because of him, Kyouya would never get married, and Tamaki wouldn't get the chance to be his best man!

Tomorrow, when Kyouya was better, they would have to begin to set up their shop. Kyouya had told him that they would have to travel because they couldn't stay in one place.

It was only through sheer will that Tamaki did not say he wanted to go home. Because if he wanted to go home, it meant that they were giving up.

There was no end to it.

But!

Tamaki held his head up. It would do no good to be down. Tomorrow, he resolved, he would take Kyouya out to a bouchon (1)!

--

"Your assistance has been requested," the man said over the phone. "You should know the reason."

"Yes, that's true that I do know…but," she said. "I cannot do that."

"Have you forgotten your obligation? Your debts?" he reminded her.

"O-of course not! I would never, especially when–"

"Exactly. Do as I say, and not only will you see him again, but also all of your family's debts will be gone. You have my word."

"No. I'm sorry, but I cannot," she said defiantly. "I've been a traitor for long enough."

"So you don't mind to see him suffer? The media has been talking about it. It's bad publicity, and especially so for your–"

"No," she said. "I can't do that to Tamaki. I can't. Even if it is for his own safety."

"Then," he said. "The consequences should be of no surprise to you then."

There was a pause on the other end. He added, "And, even if you do not cooperate, there are…other methods that I could use. Especially since Tamaki is in France."

"Tamaki? France?" she cried out. "No. He's not. What lies are you saying? He cannot be in France. It's…it's impossible!"

"Impossible as it may seem, the truth is the truth," he said with finality. "I'll say it one last time: this is for the best. This is the least harmful way. This is the best for everyone; for both of our families. You will not regret this decision."

"I…" She hesitated. "I just…wanted the best for him. I've been such a horrible person."

"There is no reason for you to feel that way. Think of this as redemption. You will be freed of your sins, and you will see Tamaki once again."

"I…I…" She felt the situation weighing in on her. She felt the pressure crushing her body. She felt no redemption. She was a sinner in her mind, and she would always be that. She knew what she would be getting into, and she wanted to hurt herself for it, but nonetheless, she said, "I agree. I agree to this."

"Good," the Ohtori patriarch replied. "That was a very good decision you made."

--

Kyouya woke up with a start. He looked at the covers. He looked at the bed and around the room.

Where was he?

Rubbing his eyes for a clearer view, he vaguely remembered collapsing on the street, having reached his limit. His recollections after that were sketchy, but somehow, he had ended up in this room.

"Kyouya!" Tamaki's familiar voice entered. "You're awake!"

He slipped on his glasses. "Where are we?"

"A pension," Tamaki answered. "You kind of, er, crashed in the street, so I carried you here! And you've slept ever since."

"Really?" he said. "What about you?"

"Oh, me? I'm fine. I was too excited to sleep, so I went out and bought you – this!"

Tamaki held up a bag full of baguettes. "I figured you'd be hungry since you didn't eat last night. See?" He smiled. "We can leave today unless you're still tired."

"I'm fine," Kyouya quickly said. "We can leave right now."

"Ah – but, the food!"

"We'll eat it later," he said, putting on his jacket. "We should leave now. The sooner the better."

"Kyou-ya!"

--

"You have the number that I've given you now," Ohtori Yoshio said. "Call this number tonight."

"Whose number is it, if I may ask," Haruhi asked a bit nervously.

The man replied in a manner that made it impossible for her to not feel suspicious. "You'll find out."

--

Tamaki and Kyouya leased a building. It was well hidden, but still contained a lot of room.

Taking out a pen, Kyouya wrote out the supplies that they would need. "Okay, now, we need to buy this"– he pointed at the list –"preferably as soon as possible.

"Once we get the parts and machines working, it's actually quite simple. All we'll have to do is run it."

"But, where will we buy the parts?" Tamaki eyed the list. It was full of complicated sounding items.

Kyouya smirked. "I have this number here," he said, "that will get everything ready for us. All we have to do is pay. Really, this is quite simple."

Tamaki looked more visibly relaxed. "Okay. That's good. How long do you think it'll take before we print the first printing?"

"If it goes according to my plans," Kyouya replied. "We'll be millionaires twice over by next week. Then, we leave for another country. Stay there, and come back. So, take your pick, Tamaki. Where do you want to go? Spain or Germany?"

"How about Spain?" he said. "I've always wanted to go to El Prado."

--

"Hello? My name is Fujioka Haruhi. I was told to call this number…" she said.

"Ah, yes, I've been expecting you," replied a woman's voice. "I know your situation. Please, call me Anne-Sophie."

"Well, okay, Anne-Sophie-san. I have a question for you though. I'm not exactly sure why I'm supposed to call you. Perhaps you could explain?"

"That's why I'm talking to you, dear girl. It's a long story though."

"It's okay," Haruhi replied. "I have time."

An hour later, Haruhi was fully aware of the real situation. The real motives. The true identities. And of all people, she hadn't expected to speak with Suoh's mother.

Mother!

She sounded very kind, very patient over the phone.

Haruhi wondered what amount of strength it took to be like that.

"A flight has been arranged for you to France," Tamaki's mother said. "The ticket has been paid for, and it's tomorrow. I was told that you're on break, so it shouldn't be a problem."

They know my school schedule? "Yes," she said. "It's no problem at all."

--

By the next week, Tamaki and Kyouya had managed to put the machines together. For two teenager boys with no previous experience in mechanics, this was an impressive accomplishment.

Tamaki wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Whew, that's finally over with."

"Well, as long as that is done," Kyouya said, "we can print."

"So," Tamaki said, reading the instructions manual, "according to this, we have to work this lever, and it'll work by itself."

"Exactly. It should take about three to four hours for it to be processed, but it will be worth it."

Kyouya flipped through a folder of notes. "Now all we have to do is to wait," he said. "Can you do that, Tamaki?"

The blonde looked at his friend. "Of course," he said. "I can do that."

--

Haruhi shifted uncomfortably in her first-class seat.

Really, she hadn't known that she would be in first class. Of course she had assumed that she would fly economy, but then she realized her mistake.

These were rich people that she was dealing with. They probably wouldn't know any other.

The seat was a bit too cushiony, the features on her personal television a bit too many.

She was a fish out of water, as clichéd as it sounded.

The food, however, she liked.

It was something that was presumably French, but it tasted good, which was all that mattered.

It turned out that Tamaki's mother came from family that had once owned several businesses that worked for Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization.

The family businesses, over the years, accumulated debts that remained unpaid, and they all closed. Hence the reason why Anne-Sophie became unable to pay for medical fees and bills.

Though it was not open to the public, or Interpol, she was still privy to most of the information provided by these former business. Information that not even the Ohtori family could access.

She was made a deal with Ohtori Yoshio: give the information that he wanted and in return, her family debts would be paid off, and she would be able to see her son Tamaki again.

Anne-Sophie was truthful during her conversation with Haruhi, and they had debated on the true intentions of Ohtori patriarch, whom they had both agreed was a "creepy man who smiled for all the wrong reasons."

The accession of the plane was smooth, but maybe that was because this was Haruhi's first time on a plane.

Her ears felt like they were going to pop off, but fortunately, the nice woman in the next seat gave her a piece of gum.

As she chewed, the pain in her ears lessened.

She followed the other passengers as they got off the plane, and learned at the baggage claim that she had the smallest suitcase of all the other first-class passengers.

Not much surprise there though.

In the past year, Haruhi had learned to not be surprised by too many things.

A tall man holding a sign reading 'Haruhi Fujioka' stood at the gate where people could meet the plane passengers.

"Are you the–" Haruhi began.

But the man swiftly turned to exit the automatic doors. Haruhi hastened her step to follow him. She was led to the outside curb where cabs and cars were parked.

The car they went to was an obscure 1999 Peugeot 206.

That was what the man had informed her, and what she had accepted to be true. Haruhi was never one who was interested in cars.

The backdoor of the car opened, and a blonde woman stepped out.

"Ah, Haruhi-san," she said, "how are you?"

"And you must be Anne-Sophie-san," Haruhi replied.

"I apologize for the car, but one can only do with what they have."

"It's no problem for me, I assure you," she said. "Cars don't matter too much."

Haruhi suspected that the man, who was also the driver, flinched, but she chose to ignore it. She listened to the woman talk.

"Now, Haruhi-san," she said. "There's only so much time and so much energy in this life that we have. So I want to ask you something."

"Of course."

"Why are you doing this?"

Haruhi froze. Why was she doing this? Her internship had turned out to be so different from what she'd imagined. Jounouchi-san, from the Criminal Investigation Bureau, had probably forgotten about it. She hadn't heard from her ever since the internship supposedly "ended."

What was her drive? What did she possibly have to gain from something like this? A nice point to make in her résumé? (I chased down two con artists who were making fake checks, stealing millions of yen.)

What was its relevance to her dream? To becoming a criminal lawyer, what did it mean? Haruhi wanted to think that this was just the first test, an obstacle that she had to cross to prove whether she had what it took. The guts. Determination. Perseverance.

Anne-Sophie watched the changing expressions on the younger woman's face. She smiled. "Oh, we're here," she announced. "Haruhi-san."

"Huh?" Haruhi's head jerked up; she had been occupied in her own thoughts. The side door was already open, and Haruhi scrambled to get out.

They went inside where they served themselves with tea, and talked. Nothing about the case, of course, just a regular conversation.

Haruhi was never asked to answer Anne-Sophie's question, and they never brought on the topic again. Haruhi got the feeling that it had been meant for herself, and for that, she found herself respecting the woman.

It was a mutual relationship of respect they shared with each other.

--

"I think I've found it!" Haruhi called out. "Lyon!"

Anne-Sophie entered the room with Hachibee the dog in tow. The dog jumped on her, and she lightly chided the dog. "Not now, Hachibee." Turning towards Haruhi, she asked, "Ah, so that's where it is…"

"Yes, I found their address, too. It's amazing how much access to police information you have, Anne-Sophie-san."

"Family business." The woman waved it away. "But Lyon. I never imagined – was it intentional?"

"What was intentional?"

Anne-Sophie smiled. "Why, Lyon is the central headquarters for Interpol. It's where I lived for most of my life."

"Oh." Haruhi turned towards back the computer screen. "But, this also means that we'll – or I'll – have to confront them soon, won't I?"

Anne-Sophie handed her a cup of water. "Unfortunately, I cannot give you words of advice because I've never been in a situation like this myself. But, I want to let you know that I admire your courage very much." She paused. "I know that I've been a coward for most of my life."

"What are you saying?" Haruhi asked. Truthfully, she added, "I think you can be admired for many reasons yourself, Anne-Sophie-san."

"Really?" she asked. She looked at Haruhi as if wanting to add more. She paused. Opened her mouth. Stopped. Repeat. "Actually…Haruhi-san," she finally said, "I've always wanted to ask you something…"

"What is it?"

"Kyoto…is it true that it's Japan's wonderland?"

Haruhi gapped. Kyoto? Japan's wonderland? "Anne-Sophie-san…I think you might…"

And five minutes of frantic clarification and banged heads (Haruhi's) on the table later, Anne-Sophie was beginning to see the truth.

"I see…" she sadly said. "So Kyoto isn't Japan's wonderland. So that also means that Goryokaku, Shisa, and Namahage aren't in Kyoto…"

She looks so disappointed. "But, um…" Haruhi tried, "Kyoto is still a wonderful cultural and sightseeing city."

"Yes! Of course! Now I know something new; that's great!" she beamed. "Oh! Would you like some more tea?"

And she's recovered really fast too. "I'm fine. Thank you very much for what you've done so far. Especially since you have a frail body, too," she said.

"It's because I've moved here, Haruhi-san. Nature truly is beautiful when you see it in person rather than from a distance. But I'm talking too much now," she said. "Now, we have to continue working, right?"

"Right."

--

The machine hummed.

The machine buzzed.

The machine worked its magic, and money was flowing out.

"Kyouya," Tamaki noticed. "It's dollars, not yen." He held up a hundred dollar bill.

"Dollars is easier to exchange. It'll be less suspicious too, probably."

"I see."

They organized the money in piles, the stacks growing higher and higher.

They kept counting and piling, the money count eventually reached one million.

And that was when a knock came on the door.

A long chapter with a cliffhanger.

(1) bouchon - A type of restaurant found in Lyon that serves traditional Lyonnaise cuisine. In case you were wondering.

Well, hopefully it turned out okay. Again, sorry for the delay. I'll make sure the next chapter gets up faster. This chapter might have a lot of grammatical errors, so if you can point out any, that'd really help. I'll probably re-edit this some time or another.

Thanks for reading, and reviews are appreciated!