"This is bad..but fixable." Yoshiro Kyouya's father said after getting a report from Kiyoshi that Kyouya was to meet Nika's father in prison the next day.
"What would you like me to do sir?" Kiyoshi asked with a slight twinge of fear in his voice.
"Escort yourself out. You've done your job, now its time for me to do mine." Yoshiro said turning his back on Kiyoshi as he twined his fingers together in his lap.
As Kiyoshi left Yoshiro's office he was passed by a large intimidating older man in a black suit who didn't even give him any notice.
"Mr. Ootori you called for me." Yoshiro's private guard said with a bow as he entered his office closing the door for privacy.
"It had been brought to my attention that my son did not heed my warning. It seems that Kyouya see's something more in Ms. Cho then a chance to sow his oats, and if he is to inherit my company then I cannot allow him to continue with a commoner, and if he hopes to remain wealthy I cannot allow him to stay with Ms. Cho. Do you understand?" Yoshiro asked.
"Understood Mr. Ootori. When do you want Ms. Cho eliminated?" The guard asked with a twisted grin.
"Silly man, I don't want such a precious toy eliminated…I have plans for her." Yoshiro chuckled darkly.
"So what shall you have me do?" The guard asked puzzled.
"Bring the car around. There's an old friend I should visit." Yoshiro said with a grin.
"As you wish sir." The guard said as he turned to leave.
"Oh and have the anniversary flowers been delivered yet?" Yoshiro asked.
"Yes sir, on time as usual." The guard said as he left.
"Good, good, now I can kill two birds with one stone." Yoshiro said to himself as he stood up and grabbed his coat grabbing an old rag doll with him as he left his office.
Meanwhile Nika put on her red hooded coat and walked home happily from work whistling to herself as she looked up at the full moon which reminded her of the first time she met Kyouya.
"He really had been good to me." She thought to herself as she turned into the alley and went up the stairs to her apartment.
What she saw next removed any good mood she would have for the rest of the night.
There in front of her door like some sick reminder, rested three roses. One black, one pink and yellow and one red.
Nika stomped on them crushing them as she felt tears about to erupt from her eyes.
"Black is for regrets, pink&yellow is for waiting or aging, and red is for passion. It seems it means they regret not waiting for your passion." Is what the florist had said the first time she had received those flowers a year after the incident.
"It's been 8 years and that bastard won't let me forget it." Nika said through clenched teeth as she opened her door after thoroughly making the roses unrecognizable.
Nika took off her coat and looked at the calendar in her bedroom wall.
"8 years today." Nika said sadly as she undressed and prepared to get into the shower.
"No! Please don't! Daddy!!! Daddy!! Help me!" Came Nika's 8 year old voice screaming in her head as she turned the water to scolding hot.
She felt so dirty just thinking about what had happened then. She thought she had moved on and left it in the past but the bastard wouldn't let her.
"I'm not crazy!! It wasn't daddy! It was a monster, a monster!"
Nika now broke down crying in the shower. Her back hit against the wall and she slid down holding her head in her hands as the tears flowed down and water hit her body trying to burn away the pain and filth she felt right then.
Nika stayed in the shower for an hour trying to regain her composure. When she stepped out she put on a t shirt and pajama pants as she dried her hair feeling numb and empty.
"I wish kashi-kun was here right now. He always makes me feel better." Nika thought as she grabbed some ice-cream from the fridge where she had put up the picture of Kyouya in the outfit she had made him wear on their second date.
"I don't see why he was complaining, he looks damn good in a ripped t shirt and rocker jeans." Nika said happily with a smile.
An hour later Nika's phone rang and she picked it up hoping it was Kyouya who called every now and then to make dates.
"Hello Nika?" Came officer Taka's sad voice.
"What's wrong officer Taka? Is my father ok?" Nika asked, her brows furrowed in worry.
"…." There was silence which made Nika even more worried.
"I guess there is no easy way to say this." Taka sighed which made Nika sit down with the worst possible thoughts going through her head.
"Minoru killed himself a half hour ago, but don't worry Nika were going to investigate this to the best of our abilities. I knew your father and he would never do that to you. Nika?...Nika?" Taka asked only to meet a deadline.
Nika had dropped the phone the words " killed himself" running through her head as she stood stock still in shock.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" Nika screamed as she fell onto her knees tears running from her eyes.
Nika banged the floor in wild abandonment as if it could bring her father back to life.
"Why would he do this to me? why?" Nika asked herself through sobs as the image of her mother being hit by a truck on graduation day went through her head.
Nika stayed immobile for what felt like hours when in reality it was only minutes before she ran out of tears and knew she needed to talk to someone.
Nika got up and called Suka only to receive a busy signal which was a sign that Suka was on a hot date.
As the tone buzzed in her ear she realized that now her father was dead she was actually alone. This realization made her feel a bit dizzy as she leaned forward her head smacking the wall with a dull thud. Nika looked to her right dazed and noticed a card taped to the wall with a heart on it.
Nika grabbed the card and put on her coat heading out the door only stopping momentarily to stare at the dark reminders that were crushed and scrambled on her porch.
"Mr. Ootori you didn't need to bother yourself by making that I would of gladly have done it for you." Kyouyas butler gently chided only receiving a wave of the hand from Kyouya.
"I refuse to comply to the stereo type that all rich sons are lazy." Kyouya said as he finished scarfing down his sandwich and walked out to the main hall.
The door bell rang as Kyouya passed it and the butler scurried over to open it only to be shooed away by Kyouya.
"It's late why don't you call it a night." Kyouya said as he grabbed the door thinking it was most likely Tamaki coming over to annoy.
When he opened the door he saw a red hooded figure that had their head down soaking wet. Kyouya saw some tresses of light brown hair which he knew was Nika's and smiled warmly.
"If your little red riding hood, then I must be the big bad wolf." Kyouya said leaning against the door frame.
Nika lifted her head and looked at Kyouya she didn't entirely know why she was here at his door, or even remember running there. All she knew was her eyes were sore from crying and that she was out of breathe.
Kyouya saw Nika's puffy and red eyes from obvious crying and the fact that she was soaking wet as a sign something terrible was wrong. He snapped his fingers and a pair of butlers and maids appeared behind him.
"Please prepare a change of clothes for Ms. Nika. We will be in my room where we will not be disturbed until I say so." Kyouya ordered getting an efficient "Yes sir!" from them before they left to carry out his bidding.
"What's wrong?" Kyouya asked as he gently pulled Nika in from the rain.
Nika didn't register at first what he had said. She was content on staring up at him feeling completely numb again until she realized he was waiting for an answer.
"…he's …"Nika barely whispered out as she felt herself falling forward from exhaustion.
Kyouya instantly lifted her up bridal style and carried her upstairs to his room where he knew there would be peace for them to talk when she was conscious. The whole time only one thought went through his head.
"Whoever did this to her will pay!"
(a/n: hi everybody sorry for the long chapter but I wanted to end it the right way. I feel so bad for Nika and it's not really going to get any better after this. I just hope the hints I left in past chapters and this one are letting people know how Kyouya and Nika are connected.) zell-chan