Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran

When she felt herself come to she had a pounding headache. She lifted her head and looked around, assessing the situation. She looked down to find her knees were bruised and scraped bloody, her arms were shacked to the wall, and her head felt like someone was drilling into it. "Haruhi?" Tamaki called. She looked around, searching for the origin of the voice. There was too much light so she shut her eyes. "Haruhi?" He called again.

"I swear." Hikaru said.

"If they hurt her." Kaoru continued.

"We'll kill them." Hikaru snarled.

"Here" Mori called.

"Haruhi." Honey called in his sticky sweet voice.

"Is she okay?" Kyoya asked.

"I'm good guys." She mumbled. She stopped talking because she was afraid that if she opened her mouth again she would either puke or her head would explode.

"No. You're not." Mori said. His pressed his long arms through the bars reaching for her. He almost reached her too, but came up just a little bit short. Soon Honey's chubby little face was pressed against the bars.

"Wow." Honey murmured. Soon enough Hikaru, Kaoru, Kyoya, Mori, and Tamaki had their faces pressed against the bars too, craning to get a look at her. All of their eyes went wide.

"What?" Haruhi asked.

"You're pretty beat up." Hikaru said.

"I hadn't noticed." She said sarcastically. She looked down at herself again. Her light blue shorts and tank top were dirty and did nothing to protect her from the chill in the air.

"Food's here my little piglets." Hissed a voice from down the hall. It was the fat man, he was sporting a new black eye but other than that showed no signs of the fight.

"Why are you doing this?" Tamaki asked. Haruhi noted that none of them had visible injuries.

"He's the deal kittens." Hissed a cool voice from the opposite end of the hall. It was daytime now, that's why it was so bright Haruhi decided. The fat man dropped a tray in front of each of the three cells before lurching back to his lantern lit table. "You have no hope for escape. I've contacted each of your parents. The only reason I didn't let my friend bloody you up was because your parents asked to see you. As you were sleeping I figured you wouldn't be opposed to me snapping a few pictures." Hissed the eerie voice.

"And what's keeping us from escaping again?" Kyoya asked.

"Well let's see..." The voice paused. It was a mock thoughtful moment just to piss off his victims. "Do you remember the gas?" He asked. Tamaki nodded slowly. "Well I suppose by now you've figured out how I knew when to use it. Cameras and microphones everywhere. Every time you try to escape I'll have your little pet punished." He hissed with a manic laugh. Then with a snap of his fingers he summoned his fat lug who lumbered over. He backhanded Haruhi's face, making her head flip painfully to one side. She spit out some of the blood that was now pooling in her mouth.

"Stop!" Tamaki screamed as the hand came down again against the other cheek.

"We're going to kill you!" One of the twins snarled. She grinned up at her attacker who had stopped now. He was looking down at her in amusement. She spit blood into his face and laughed as if she'd gone insane. She cackled, head thrown back despite the pain before going instantly silent, turning back to her attacker who was wiping blood out of his face from her spit. It was completely silent except for her ragged breathing. She forcer herself on her toes to bet as close to his face as she could. He still towered over her easily. Her face was grim, no longer grinning like a lunatic.

"That the best you got?" She sneered. He raised his hand again and she shut her eyes and forced another lunatic cackle that nearly overtook the sound of another snap, waiting for the blow that never came. She opened her eyes as her head lolled forward, sneering at the fat lug. He looked furious but his hand fell. "Obey thy master." She scoffed. This time the snap didn't stop him. She felt his fist connect with her stomach smashing her painfully into the wall she was chained to. She felt his fist hit her face then again on the other side. It was pulling her slowly to each side, back and forth like the gentle rocking of a boat. What the idiot didn't know what that each time he hit her, the cuffs on her wrists from the chains binding her to the wall bit into her wrists. It felt good. It felt right. She heard Tamaki's frantic screams. She was aware of the twin's never-ending death threats. She heard Honey crying and Mori snarling. She even knew the exact expression Kyoya would be wearing. She knew because she paid attention. She knew them because she loved them. She knew this would make them angry but it made her feel better. The pain, it grounded her, so she let out a manic laugh and for once, she didn't care. She didn't care about making sure the others were happy. She didn't care about what her dad would think. She just focused on the pain and laughed. His blows got harder, probably because of the laughter, before they softened and then stopped. Her head lolled to the side. She was too tired to keep it up for him to wail on anymore. "Do you feel better?" She asked. Her voice was sweet and caring. The voice she used when she was working. He grunted in satisfaction. "You can keep going if it makes you feel better." She said. She knew what each of her boys reactions would be. Honey would look confused and scared. Mori would look murderous, or more so than usual. The twins would be completely insane by now. Tamaki would look deranged. Kyoya would look angry. Kyoya, angry, his stony features almost never changed so seeing him angry would be fascinating. She forced all her energy into pushing her head up. Then when that task was completer she forced her bruised and blackened eyes open as far as they would go. He looked furious. His property, the girl he owned, was damaged. Kyoya didn't like it when people touched his things, let alone smashed his property. Haruhi let her head fall again and her eyes shut. "Only if it makes you feel better though." She murmured. There was a snap.

"If she wants to be hit, hit her again." Hissed the voice. Haruhi sighed. The fist wound up, preparing for impact.

"I said only if it makes you feel better." She said as the fist rocketed towards her face. She slipped out of the chains holding her to the wall, using the blood that was now coating her hands and wrists to make an easy getaway. There was a sickening crack as his fist connected with the hard rock wall. He howled and she slipped past him. She ripped the keys off his belt silently before she slipped into the cell with the twins, closest to their hopeful escape. She pushed the keys into her pocket as Hikaru enveloped her in a hug. He silently moved her to one corner. Kaoru stood protectively between the two and the bars of the cell.

"You idiot!" Hikaru snarled at her as she curled up in the corner with him hovering over her protectively. His furious eyes were watching her carefully.

"Not now Hikaru." Kaoru said as a fat face pressed against the bars. There was another snap.

"Leave her. I want to see how this plays out." Hissed the voice. He angrily stalked off. The twins hurried over to her tilting her head this way and that. She held back comments on how painful it was. Their doting seemed to make them feel better so she allowed it. She wanted nothing more in the world than for her boys to be happy.

"Well for starters," Kaoru began. His mischievous voice made Haruhi wince internally. "These are the worst underwear I could have imagined you in."

"And what will we do with your hair?" Hikaru added weakly. She felt fingers run along her jaw line lightly.

"Stop looking at her in her underwear you two!" Tamaki yelled.

"Are you mad at me?" Haruhi asked. She felt lips near her ear. Warm breath gently tickling her.

"I bet you can't," Kaoru whispered as Hikaru took up the same position against her other ear.

"Tell us apart now." Hikaru whispered.

"Stop messing around." She sighed.

"Yes we're mad." Hikaru snarled.

"Now tell us. You can't figure it out can you?" Kaoru sneered.

"Hikaru's on my left and Kaoru's on my right." She said smoothly as she put her hand gently on each of their heads. She felt their soft orange hair. She'd felt it before, but it was soft and perfectly styled then. Now it was tangled and matted. Even without their different parted hair, with her eyes shut, she could tell them apart. She heard a frustrated huff as they sat back.

"How do you..." Kaoru hissed.

"Do that?" Hikaru finished.

"Kazoku." She whispered. She heard them shift and figured they must be looking at each other, confused at her unhelpful answer. Before they could say or do anything she got up and slipped out of the cell.

"Haruhi come back." They hissed. Before any more gas could be used she slipped into Kyoya and Tamaki's cell.

"Hi Sempi." She said weakly. She waited for him to envelop her in an over protective hug, but again, her expectations were denied. She felt the cool touch of Kyoya on her face, gentle and surprisingly caring. "He's sulking isn't he?" She said with a bitter laugh.

"Not sulking." Tamaki said in his I'm-pouting-in-the-corner-and-growing-mushrooms voice.

"Yes he's sulking." Kyoya said as he guided her over to sit against a wall. She felt warmth from next to her so she figured Kyoya sat her down next to Tamaki. "Those two idiots." Kyoya hissed as she heard a rip. Tamaki gasped.

"That was my shirt." Tamaki wailed.

"And now it's not." Kyoya responded as she felt his cool hands begin to tie make-shift bandages around her arms and knees.

"Are you mad at me?" She asked. Silence. Perhaps they didn't know which one she was talking to...except she knew they did. "Kyoya?" She asked feeling his shift next to her.

"Under the circumstances-" He began.

"No." She cut in. "Not under the circumstances. Are you mad or not?"

"Yes." He said coolly. Haruhi nodded.

"And you Tamaki?" She pressed.

"Yes Haruhi-" Tamaki began in his lecturing tone of voice before she cut him off too.

"Good." She said. She got up and before they could stop her, because she knew they would try, she slipped into the next cell with Honey and Mori.

"Before you can ask, I'm not mad at you." Honey said in his childish voice.

"I figured you'd be the only one." Haruhi whispered as she slid down against one of the cool rock walls. "And you Mori Sempi?" She asked. Silence. She felt them sit on either side of her. Honey on her right and Mori on her left. "Are you mad at me?" She pressed. Silence.

"I'm sure he's not either." Honey said.

"I am." Mori said at last. It was both a lie and the truth. He slipped his hand into hers and leaned in close to whisper something in her ear. "You know why." He said before helping her stand. She forced her eyes open to look at him as she pressed the keys into his hand silently before releasing it at last. He looked murderous but nodded resolutely. He thought the same way she did; he would help her with this plan. And with that she slipped out of the cell and bolted toward the fat man. He was leaning back in his chair as she leapt on him. She punched him as hard as she could in the face, over and over again. She used one hand to pull her tank top up far enough to cover her nose and mouth, holding it there with one hand while smashing his face in with the other he sputtered for a moment as the noxious gas filled the air and reached for his gas mask. She grabbed it first and pulled it over her face before hopping off him. She turned around to see her boys working. Mori had Honey on his shoulders. He was already unlocking the twin's cells with Tamaki and Kyoya behind him. They had pulled their shirts up to cover their faces except Tamaki who was clutching her discarded shirt to his face. It looked so small and dainty in his hands, pressed against his face. She ran after them as they rushed through the arch and through it into the open air. They ran and ran until their legs ached, never once looking back. Not even aware that they were short one member. When they at last collapsed into the snow they finally became aware of their missing host.

"Haruhi." Tamaki murmured. He was looking back the way they'd come, following their trail in the snow. He looked so broken, so defeated. He rounded on Mori. "You knew." Tamaki snarled. Mori didn't deny it. Soon they were surrounding him except for Honey who was still lying in the snow.

"She wanted to stay." He said at last. They looked doubtful and furious.

"Oh yeah?" Hikaru growled dryly.

"She wanted to stay?" Kaoru snarled sarcastically.

"That wasn't a decision for her to make." Tamaki said.

"She did it to protect us." Kyoya said. The three rounded on him.

"We're supposed to protect her." Hikaru said.

"Not the other way around." Kaoru added.

"She's just a girl!" Tamaki shouted.

"That word she said to you two?" Kyoya said turning to the twins.

"Kazoku or something right?" Kaoru said. Kyoya nodded.

"What's it mean?" Hikaru pressed.

"It translates to Family." Kyoya said. The three sets of eyes widened as they finally understood.

"She loves us." Mori said.

"So she sacrificed herself for us." Kyoya added.

"What if that's not how-" Kaoru began.

"We want to be loved?" Hikaru asked.

"Family doesn't always mean siblings." Tamaki said eyeing Kyoya hopefully.

"She loved us all. And not as brothers." Kyoya confirmed.

"Why didn't she-" Kaoru asked sadly.

"Tell us?" Hikaru finished.

"She did." Tamaki said. With everything she did for them. She didn't tell them though, she showed them. "Like the way she could tell you two apart, or the way she would take care of us. She bought us food and she made sure we were happy."

"She never thought of herself." Kyoya added.

"Only of us." Mori said.

"Because we meant more to her..." Kaoru said.

"Then herself." Hikaru finished.

"It's not fair!" Tamaki yelled.

"If she wanted us to be happy-" Hikaru began.

"Why didn't she just tell us?" Kaoru finished.

"Some girls have high self esteem, some have low. Haruhi's the kind of girl who has no self esteem at all. She probably thought that it was better for us to be with other people. She figured we would be happy in our own lives and relationships." Kyoya explained.

"It's better to be a friend than nothing at all." Honey said appearing next to Mori.

"Fear of rejection." Mori agreed nodding.

"I'd say more along the lines of..." Kyoya paused, thinking about the late Mrs. Fujioka. "Fear of loss." They all understood at last. She had been so alone her whole life; taking care of her dad was what she lived for. She dealt with the loss of her mother all by herself. Dealt with her fear of thunderstorms all by herself, she did everything in life alone, went through all her troubles and trauma alone. "Understandable." Kyoya added and the others nodded.

"But why was it good we were mad at her?" Tamaki asked thinking of the bitter smile on Haruhi's bruised face when he and Kyoya said they were, in fact, mad at her.

"Made it easier." Mori said. There was silence. They made it easier for her to sacrifice herself for them. They knew deep down inside that she would have done it anyway but maybe, just maybe, if they had said no, she would be with them, safe, out of the clutches of whomever it was that kidnapped them.

"We have to go back for her." Tamaki declared. Mori, Honey, Kaoru, and Hikaru nodded.

"We will." Kyoya said looking around at them. "Once we talk to our parents. We can get them to send in tactical units. People better equipped to do this kind of thing."

"By the time they get here she could be..." Tamaki stopped himself. He couldn't say it. Dead.

"We won't let that happen." Kyoya said. Tamaki looked angry, furious even, but nodded. The twins looked at him aghast. Mori looked resigned and Honey just looked confused. Kyoya began walking with purpose as if he knew his destination. They walked until nightfall when they arrived at a village. Kyoya forced Tamaki to flirt their way into some woman's home where they each took turns calling their parents.