As always I own nothing but my ideas.
Walking into the elementary school holding Ai's hand we saw a tall, thin woman in a conservative suit. Apparently the superintendent called over to let her know that we were coming. Nodding at her she smiled in her understanding and turned and walked up the stairs behind her. Bending down and turning slightly I picked up Ai without losing stride and without getting too far behind the long legged woman in front of us. Going up the stairs the woman's dress shoes made soft echoing sounds in the empty halls and stairwell. Towards the end of the hall on the left of the stairs was large waiting area with a window that looked over the part of the grounds that all three buildings shared.
Staring out the window for several minutes I hear Ai climbing into a chair and fidgeting around in an unfamiliar dress. A rustling skirt sound that I had gotten very familiar with during my time at Ouran. Hearing the echo of someone's shoes coming towards me I don't turn around I just stand there and contemplate how my life wound up here and hoping that things continue to go my way … for me and my daughter's sakes. Hearing someone stop and then clear their throat a few feet away from me I turn and see that the superintendent followed us over. Smiling slightly I turn quickly towards the sounds of someone else quickly walking towards us. I signaled to Ai to get off the chair I started to fully realize that neither of us had or will have a "normal" upbringing.
I didn't know whether or not the person that would now be in charge of Ai's education knew anything of our background but I knew Tamaki's father wouldn't betray my trust – not after confirming what he'd already suspected. After a little chit chat between these men they both turned and looked at me. Ai's testing time had officially begun. The first test for someone her age was to test for separation anxiety. Kneeling down in front of Ai I gave her a hug and in a language that wouldn't be grasped if overheard I told her to good and that I'd see her during host time that afternoon. Letting go and standing back up I nodded at the men before us and asked the superintendent "what next?"
Telling my daughter to come with him Ai turned and looked at me. I told her to go with Mr. Kimura. Trust with strange men would not come easily for either us – but it was something that we could both work on. Nodding her she turned towards him and started walking without hesitation and not turning back to look at me. Standing and watching my daughter walk away I wasn't sure whether I could trust the security here; whether I trusted them to keep my daughter – my family – safe. "That won't be counted against her," saying that he turned and walked away.
Sighing softly I knew had hours to kill before hosting time began and wondered what I would do all day. When a woman in heels stopped next to me holding a clip board and told me to follow her. I guess Ai wasn't the only one going through interviews today. Sighing once again I prepared for the bulk of the rest day going into interviews and tests that I had already gone through with my acceptance. By the time hosting time was getting near I was slightly horse from talking so much and not at all surprised how much over lapped what my acceptance and Ai's acceptance processes were like.
Ai was waiting in the same area and on the same chair as that morning when I was finally done with my part of her acceptance. Jumping off the chair she ran over to me and I picked her up. She latched on and then I started the walk over to the high school and the music room that had become so familiar and comforting at the same time. Bouncing Ai a bit as I jogged up the stairs to the third floor and heading to the left I continued to bounce Ai a bit just to hear a giggle I knew would stop sooner rather than later. Entering the music room I noticed that Kyoya was already there and typing away at his computer and quirking an eyebrow at me turned back to typing. Putting Ai down on a chair in an area that I normally hosted at I went into the back room and filled the water warmer and turned it on. Collecting five tea trays I put a tea pot on each one and then put a different number of cups and saucers depending on which host or hosts it would go with. Grabbing tea balls and filling them with the tea flavor of the day I put one in each tea pot. Grabbing five smaller trays and putting the correlating number of snack plates and necessities and then going in and putting treats and sweets on a small platter with each getting a pair of tongs and a cake server.
Hearing the rest of the guys come into the music room I turned and started toward the main part of the room. When I heard Ai call someone stupid and then the twins sound like they were both going to break a rib from laughing so hard. Shaking my head I cocked my head toward Kyoya and asked "Do I want to know?"
"He called her granddaughter." That simply and I knew it was Tamaki. Shaking my head again I barely heard the door open and saw the incoming flood of female class mates. Sighing I turned and went back into the back room. Getting the service cart from the corner, filled up the tea pots with hot water and put them on cart. Once the cart was full I distributed them to the right tables and then put the cart back into the back room. When I arrived back at my table my first group of girls were interacting with my daughter I smiled seeing Ai acting like a typical little girl.
Going to my chair that Ai was currently occupying I picked her up and put her on lap. The barely three year old girl was still being stared at by more than the girls around me but girls that were visiting other hosts as well. "Ok everyone has a starring problem today … nice to know." After saying that a few stopped starring but others continued on and some that had stopped starring still didn't stop looking. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to bring her here. Maybe it would have been better if I'd taken her to our new home. Well at least to the Ootori compound. Hearing the door to the music room open I turned, if only to get a small reprieve from the stairs, and saw all of my fraternal siblings in the doorway. Giving Jamie the evil eye I got up with Ai in my arms and went towards the brothers that were so much like me in appearance.
My brothers couldn't stop staring at me with Ai. I guess it was still possible to shock even those that had grown up in the Isle. "So what did Jamie tell you?" starting to hear grumbles laced with shock and anger I shook my head and headed into the back. Unfortunately we weren't to have the few minutes of privacy that I thought we needed. Instead all the guys that I had grown close over the past several months piled in after us. Sighing I knew I wasn't going to be able to get them to leave us alone. Hmm … so easy how that terminology changes; just last week "us" was the other hosts and I and yet today my life had reverted back to "us" and "them." This wasn't what I wanted when I contacted Jamie for aid!
I found it weird that the other hosts followed my brothers and I into the back because they already knew about Ai. Maybe they just couldn't get used to the fact that I' a mother. Either way what I had to say wouldn't be said in Japanese; while fully knowing that we weren't supposed to speak the ancient language off the Isle I couldn't not speak the language that I was born into. Quirking an eyebrow and looking at the hosts I began speaking in a language that I needed to stop speaking in front of them.
"I'm only going to tell you this once. Ai is three and really I don't need to explain what that means. No you aren't the only ones from the Isle that know about her. No I'm not going to tell you who else knows. No I'm not going to tell you who the father is. No I'm not going to tell you much about that point in my life. Going beyond that there really isn't all that much to say but this: you endanger my daughter and we will have more than words."
After saying that I walked towards my brothers and as they parted I saw the expressions of the host members. Soon to be men and yet known of them scare. Hmm … maybe I really am in a place that I can stay; a place that hopefully I won't have to hide for much longer. Looking at each host looking them in the eyes one by one I started to wonder if it was smart calling for aid. I'd known that in all likelihood that Jamie would help. I just hadn't realized that when I'd done that he would endanger all of us. Seeing the "other" guys standing in the doorway and seeing some of the guests starting to come to the door I knew we made a striking image. The host's backs – thankfully blocking most of the view – than me and then six more that looked exactly like me.
Sighing and looking down I saw my daughter walking towards me and making her way through the crowd that was forming at the door. Smiling a little as she came to stand in front of me and hold her arms up and then rather bluntly said in the ancient language "up." Maybe I'd started teaching her to young. But how do you explain to a three year old that it isn't ok to speak a language that she had grown up hearing me speak or mutter all her life? How can I deny her that bit of heritage that I can give her without feeling as though I'm endangering her?!