I AM SO SORRY PEOPLE.

All of you are allowed to skin me alive, squeeze lemon juice all over me and then roll me in salt. Oh, and after that please R&R (:

Brooks Mansion; Canada, the year before

Haruhi's POV

"I do not see why you want to go back to Japan so badly, Tamora." I flinched when grandpapa called me by my first name. He knew that I preferred being called Tammy or Haruhi and I think this was his way of trying to make a statement.

"I've told you, grandpapa. I want to be with dad." Sheesh, we've gone over this so many times that I'm pretty sure I could talk to myself in the exact same words.

"He visits very often. Why are you still insistent on going back?" I felt like laughing. This was getting so predictable.

Here I was, in front of his ridiculously large desk -- which I have fitted with some rather interesting stuff over the years, ( I was bored, there's not much to do here except breaking things then putting them back together.) -- having the same argument with him that we've been having for the past few months. For some reason, every time he called me in here it rained. Maybe it was some kind of sign. Or maybe it was just God's joke to make me jumpy and uncomfortable in front of grandpapa. I didn't mind the rain. In fact, I loved standing outside when it drizzled. It was the thunder and lightning that accompanied it that I hated. And right now, it looked like today there was going to be one hell of a storm.

Grandpapa never understood my fear of the killer weather.

Another reason why I wanted to be home; Dad had soundproofed a room for me when he realized that my fear wasn't something psychological or easy to get rid of. Of course, seeing as grandpapa never understood the fear, he thought it was silly to soundproof a room no matter how many times I locked myself in the wardrobe, hid under my bed or tried to suffocate myself with several layers of pillows.

He was telling me something and though I was lost in my head, it doesn't take much to figure out what he was talking about.

"I've told you every time before, grandpapa. I don't like the weather here, I miss my house back home, I just want to go home. Why are you so insistent that I stay here?" His lips tightened like it always did when I said I preferred Japan to here. I wonder why he'd make me defend myself when he knew I was going to answer this way and upset him.

"You know I don't like that Ootori runt." He murmured and turned to face the gigantic windows. Wind and the rain was pattering hard against it. I tried hard to ignore it and concentrated on the back of grandpapa's chair. "I don't love him that way, grandpapa." He didn't say anything as the wind grew louder.

"There was a reason I stopped those letters to him." This time he turned to look at me easily feigning innocence. I rolled my eyes. His acting had never managed to fool me. The same went for dad and Nii-san. I pushed that thought out of my mind. This wasn't the time to think of him. "You read them all. And because I say I love him, it does not mean it can't be in a more platonic way dear grandpapa." I said drily.

He connected the tips of his fingers and looked at me through them. I looked back at him, feverishly hoping he would agree. Although all the attempts before were failures, I wanted to go back so badly that I couldn't help hoping.

"You are not to make contact with that Ootori boy." He finally declared. I tried to keep the twitch of my lips from turning into a full blown grin. He looked at me sternly but I'd swear his eyes were smiling. "You hear me Tamora? I will let you go back to that country since you are missing your father so much but I do not want that Ootori runt knowing that you have gone back there. In fact, tell no one at all. I do not want this to get out. Or else the whole world would know that I have a soft spot for my granddaughter." He said the last sentence almost to himself. I giggled.

"I promise grandpapa. In fact, I'll disguise myself as a girl who's disguising myself as a boy. I'll even change the colour of my hair and change my history." I was getting excited. Grandpapa looked at me puzzled.

"You've thought this through, haven't you?" I smiled at him sheepishly. "You can't blame a girl for hoping, grandpapa." He burst out laughing when I said that.

"Get out of here you conniving twit. Go pack your bags, I will have the jet waiting for you in two hours. The car will be downstairs in an hour and a half. If you're even a minute late –"

"I won't be able to go. I know, I know, grandpapa." I walked around the desk and hugged him. "I love you, grandpapa. I'll come visit." I straightened up and walked out. As the door was closing behind me I heard my name. I turned to him, "Yes grandpapa?"

"Say goodbye to your grandmother before you leave." His voice was soft when he spoke of her. Obviously, I wasn't the only one he had a soft spot for.

"I will, grandpapa." I shut the door quietly behind me and ran up to my room.

"YURI!" I yelled down the stairs. I heard someone clattering up the stairs and smiled as he came to a halt in front of my room, putting his weight on his knees as he fought to catch his breath. I flung my arms around his neck before he could straighten up. "Grandpapa said yes! We can go back! See, I told you that plan would come in useful one day!" I was babbling but I couldn't care less. I had to work to keep my excitement low just now but now I just wanted to let it go or else I'd be jumping around in the jet.

"That's…great….could you…let go now?" He panted. I was probably clinging onto him too hard. I let go immediately. He stood up straight and I grinned up into his downturned face. "How long do we have?" He asked.

"Well, from right now we have about an hour and a quarter. I don't think we'll actually need all that time since most of our things are back in Japan."

"That's true." Suddenly, he started laughing. I gave him a quizzical look. "What?"

"You're so excited that you completely forgot that it's pouring outside." He snickered. I smacked his arm. "You had to remind me! Now if I cower behind you all the way it'll be your own fault." He stopped laughing and smiled at me.

"Honey, I'm used to you doing that. I even remember when you clung to my neck so hard I could barely breathe." I grinned sheepishly and looked away. Yuri and I grew up together. He was the one who gave me the nickname Tammy. "Well, go pack whatever it is you want to take along. We don't have all day."

I nodded and went to the walk-in closet in my room and started pulling random clothes off hangers and throwing them onto a suitcase Yuri had brought out. I laid everything out and packed them into the suitcase neatly. I then walked around my room picking up things I wanted to take along and spent quite some time arranging them in the suitcase carefully. When I was satisfied that I had all I wanted in there, I zipped the suitcase up and left it next to my bedroom door.

I then picked up a framed picture of dad, mum, Ranka and myself. I was three in this picture. I took the picture out of the frame and slipped it into a notebook that I would be carrying in a shoulder bag. I looked around the room a last time to see if I left anything behind then went to the third floor. I knocked softly on the door and opened it before I got an answer. The knock was just a habit I have.

The room was dim. The only source of light was the floor to ceiling windows that were partly covered by thick curtains. I moved to the bed at the far end of the room, right next to the windows. "Grandmama?" I whispered. I found it kinda weird. She didn't mind noise but somehow everyone who came in here whispered. She turned to look at me. Sometimes I wondered why she was lying in bed. Her eyes were always so alive. They were smiling now.

"Yes dear?"

"Grandpapa said yes." I grinned from ear to ear.

"That's wonderful! See, I told you he would wear down one day." She giggled and pushed herself up on the bed. I piled a few pillows behind her. She held my hands. "Now, what restrictions did he put on you?" I smiled. Typical of grandmama. She knew grandpapa so well.

"I'm not allowed to let anyone know I'm back there. Just those I can trust. And I'm supposed to change my identity." She nodded and focused on something behind me for a while. "I suppose that makes sense. Your grandfather has always been cautious. I hope you're not angry at him for that." She shot me a worried look. I shoke my head. She let out a relieved sigh and squeezed my hands before letting them go and dropping her hands next to her on the bed. "You should get going now then my dear. I'm sure he gave you less than two hours to be ready and waiting at the door. And knowing that man, he'll think of any way to keep you here. Which means if you are late to the door, he will use it as an excuse to keep you here." I laughed. She knew him very well. I kissed her cheek and smiled down at her.

"I'll miss you, grandmama. I'll write you both as often as I can."

"I'll hold you to that dear. Is Yuri going with you?" I nodded. "Good. Tell him he has my blessings. And so do you." I nodded again and left, closing the door quietly.

The two of us were waiting outside five minutes before time with grandpapa. When the car stopped in front of us, I turned to him and hugged him. "Thank you, grandpapa. This means the world to me. Take care of yourself and grandmama and make sure to eat. Remember, Yuri and I won't be here to barge into your office and force food into you." He laughed and ruffled my hair. "I will try to remember that I am actually human. Yuri, you make sure you take care of her. If she so much as gets a papercut and I hear of it, you will be in a lot of trouble."

Yuri gave him a mock salute. "Yessir!" and got a smack on his shoulder for that. They hugged and then we climbed into the car. I waved to grandpapa before the car turned around the corner and I lost sight of him. I could barely contain my excitement as we left. I knew I'd be able to see Nii-san.

After all, I promised him. And I always keep my promises.