Disclaimer - I do not own Ouran High School Host Club. That honour belongs to Hatori Bisco.

I hope you enjoy this story. I really appreciate my reviewers. Sorry if the story seems slow.

Takashi, after standing motionless for a few moments from shock, raced after Haruhi but by the time he made it to the end of the corridor, he couldn't see her fleeing figure anymore. He searched for a minute longer but he couldn't find her and so retraced his steps. He had something to take care of. Steeling himself, he strode to the club room – to the place he just knew she'd been running from.

He entered the room, vaguely aware of his friends following him, and all he saw was Tamaki standing in the middle of the room, bent over and rubbing his right knee.

Tamaki.

Of course it was him.

The twins had entered behind Takashi but now they pushed to the front and stood across from each other and around Tamaki. Kyoya stood a little apart from them and was looking at a schoolbag Takashi recognised as Haruhi's. Hunny had moved so that he flanked Tamaki from the back.

Tamaki was deftly surrounded, something done unconsciously by the other hosts.

"Tamaki."

Takashi's deep voice startled Tamaki and straightened him so he stood tall. "Hello, everyone. What are you doing here? I didn't think the meeting would be over so soon."

"Neither did we," Hikaru said shortly.

The twins, Kyoya and Hunny all looked at Takashi and he immediately understood. They were going to let him lead the interrogation.

He nodded to show he understood and then stared at the blond king of the host club with dark, angry and suspicious eyes. "Why did Haruhi run from you, Tamaki?"

Tamaki smiled a bright, uncaring smile. "Whatever are you talking about, Mori-senpai?"

"She was here. We all saw her running away and you are the only one in here. So what did you do to make her run away, clearly terrified?"

"Oh, Mori-senpai," he whined, "what could I have done? I'm a gentlemen and I could never do anything bad to any woman. Evidently, my princess is upset. Oh, I know." He snapped his fingers and wailed, "Maybe the yakuza's after her! Just before she left she got a phone call and it made her very upset. Maybe that's why she ran. Maybe she has urgent business to take care of – if she doesn't go to them, they'll kill her father. Oh, we must save her!" His usual over-the-top delusions and rants lacked real concern and sincerity so he ceased. He gave Takashi a considering look. "If you're so worried about Haruhi, why didn't you go after her? She's not very fast. I'd think you would be able to catch her easily."

"I tried," Takashi snapped angrily. "I was shocked by her sudden and panicked appearance and by the time I got moving, I'd lost her. And she was moving quite fast – much faster than I would have thought her capable of. Still, you're right, I should have been able to catch her. She must have hidden in an empty room or something." He stopped, stunned by how many words he'd spoken. It was, to say the least, extremely uncharacteristic of him to speak at all, let alone make what amounted to a speech.

"Hmm." Tamaki raised an eyebrow. "Well, I don't know why Haruhi was upset. Her father really could have gotten in trouble or even fallen ill. Her apartment could have burnt down. Why do you assume I am the cause of her, what was it, fear?"

Because I don't trust you, Takashi thought. Because she's been different ever since she broke up with you and she's hiding something.

And I know you're hiding something too.

"Just a feeling," he said instead.

"A feeling," Tamaki repeated, a sneer briefly crossing his lips before it was gone and his usual princely, joyful expression was on his face.

Kyoya's eyes narrowed behind his glasses. He'd seen the fleeting sneer and the bad feeling in his stomach grew.

Who was this person standing before him? It wasn't the Tamaki he knew. There was something mocking – cruel maybe – about him and it wasn't something Kyoya was used to in Tamaki.

He cleared his throat and walked over to place his hand on Takashi's shoulder, seeing the big man's anger and the suspicious looks he was directing at Tamaki. "Come, let's go. Oh, and Tamaki, that doesn't include you," he said casually, looking at Tamaki. "I forgot to tell you when we first arrived as I was slightly distracted so forgive me. The Chairman wishes to see you. I don't know why, I'm afraid. You'll have to find out for yourself. Better hurry. The Chairman doesn't like to be kept waiting, even by his own son." He tried a half-hearted smirk. "Maybe especially by his own son."

Tamaki pouted but moved to follow his father's directive. He said over his shoulder, "Tell Haruhi I said hi and that I hope she feels better. I'm sure she'll be happy that I'm thinking of her even though, unfortunately, I can't be there. Au revoir, mes amis." He opened the door and slipped from the room.

The hosts listened as Tamaki's footsteps moved away from the club room. After they had faded completely, there was a tentative silence.

"What the hell's going on?" Takashi suddenly exploded, shocking – and scaring – the others. He trembled violently and clenched his fists, fighting to control himself. He'd been fighting this anger for a long time now and it was getting harder to hold it in. "Both of them are acting strangely." His eyes were fierce as he turned to each of his friends in turn. "What's going on with them?"

"I don't know," Kyoya admitted, "but I do know what you mean, Mori-senpai." He pushed his glasses aside and rubbed his forehead. "We can all see the changes and, as hard as it may seem to accept, I don't trust Tamaki anymore. None of us do, in fact. I'm…worried…that he may have done something to Haruhi." He shook his head. "I almost can't believe it. How the hell could that idiot change so much? What's happened to him? He loves Haruhi, of that I am sure, but what has he done to her?"

And that was what scared them all.

What exactly had their king done to their princess?

She was scared, jumpy almost, and they'd never seen her that way outside of when there was a storm.

They believed Tamaki to be the cause of that fear and it was tearing them apart inside.

Tamaki – the quintessential gentlemen, the man they had once thought any woman would be safe with – was now the person they suspected deep down of somehow hurting Haruhi, the girl he had long-loved, even if he hadn't known it at first.

They had to get Haruhi to tell them what was wrong.

Only then could they help her.

Only then could they know if they needed to take drastic action against a certain blond idiot host.

Hope you enjoyed this. More should be coming soon.

Please review and tell me how I can improve and what you like and everything.