Me: The OHSHC cast is busy with wedding prep, so I will do the disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC and original plotline, but I do own this story and any OC's invented.

oooooo

It was a week until the wedding, and Haruhi walked down the steps with a trouble on her mind. When she reached the bottom of the steps, her fiancé came over to her and knew instantly there is something heavy on her mind. Smiling, he gave a kiss on her forehead.

"What are you thinking about?" he smiled.

"You might think this is a bizarre request…" Haruhi hung her head in shame.

"Nonsense, there is no bizarre request. Just tell me, it doesn't hurt," Kaoru reassured Haruhi.

"Well, I had this really nice math teacher who knew about my abuse. She was like my mom after my mother died. I saw her on the day I collapsed here, and I thought she was really worried about me so…" Haruhi trailed off.

"So, you want to see her?" Kaoru nodded, smiling a little.

"Yeah…she must be worried to death," Haruhi smiled at her fiancé.

Kaoru smiled and said, "See? That wasn't a weird request. Of course we can go. Do you know her address? We can go tomorrow if you wish."

Haruhi, having photographic memory, took out a sheet of paper and said, "This is her house address." Holding it in front of Kaoru's face for him to read.

Kaoru took it, nodding and turned to Haruhi, "Kind of odd that you would remember or even know her address."

"Yeah, well, when my dad would lock me out of my house, she had her doors open for me to come and eat with her family and spend nights there," Haruhi said sheepishly, "she let me in anytime of the day I asked, so I naturally memorized her address."

Kaoru was angered that Haruhi's father would have the nerves to throw her out of his house on several occasions, but happy that she had a place to run to when she was cold and hungry.

Hugging her tightly, he knew the value the lady must have to Haruhi and whispered to her, "We will go tomorrow at noon."

Haruhi hugged him tighter in joy and inwardly beamed. She will get to see Mrs. Harumi again! She wondered what she did about her father. Knowing her teacher is a bold lady, she would've done some court issues and thrown him in jail by now.

She broke the hug and smiled at Kaoru and said, "Thank you."

Kaoru smiled and smoothed back her hair and said, "Anything for you, butterfly."

Azumi came around the corner, and said, "Come back here, midget!"

Haruhi made a confused face and then sarcastically spoke, "Look at that, I have been demoted from adorable little sister to an annoying midget."

Kaoru laughed at Haruhi's comment, and Azumi raised an eyebrow.

"You should laugh more often."

Kaoru's face drained of color, "Huh?"

"It's an order from me. Now Haruhi, we have to fit you in one of these super cute high heels that I found on sale!" Azumi held up the heels she was talking about and Haruhi face palmed.

"Six inch high heels. Oh joy," she mumbled into her palm.

Kaoru said, "Now I know why she was wobbling down the stairs."

"Aw come on! I thought she can handle these kind," Azumi made big eyes.

Haruhi muttered, "Give me a stone to hit my head with."

Kaoru inwardly chuckled and turned to Azumi saying, "Try three inch. Six inch is too much for her."

Azumi puffed out her cheeks and said, "Fine."

Haruhi felt relieved and Kaoru felt a little better. A huge silence enveloped the place, and Azumi was looking at the shoes like she wanted to split it in half with her powers. After a huge pregnant pause, she responded by hitching up her gown and running out of the room saying, "But I am going to keep them, and don't stop me!"

"I won't, Azu-nee!" Haruhi called over her shoulder.

Suddenly she yawned and realized it was night. Kaoru came and said, "Come now, you have to get some rest. Tomorrow we are going to see her around noon, right?"

"But how are you going to come? You will be half asleep when we will be there."

Kaoru realized she was night. Haruhi giggled and said, "You want to go and see her now? She stays up late grading papers, anyways."

Kaoru thought this over and said, "Are you sure? You aren't sleepy, right?"

Haruhi shook her head and said, "I tend to yawn a lot."

Kaoru chuckled and said, "All right. I will call for a driver to take us there. Wait a moment." With that, Kaoru walked out of the room and went to make a phone call.

Haruhi sat on a Victorian couch and reflected how lucky she was, to have a kind teacher even though her class mates and father and relatives hated her. She has a kind 'sister' and a kind-hearted family took her in. And now, she loves Kaoru for who he is and doesn't care, should he be a mortal or a vampire.

A hand stroked her head, and she looked up, to see her fiancé smiling at her.

"The limo is here."

"You have limos? What do they look like?" Haruhi raised an eyebrow.

Kaoru sweat dropped. Even if Haruhi never rode one, he thought she would have a rough idea of what a limo was.

"You'll see, Haruhi," he offered his hand to Haruhi.

Haruhi took it and they went outside and she saw what a limo really was. Sweat dropping she said, "I think a car would've done."

"No, a limo is necessary," Kaoru said. She didn't even know what a limo was.

Haruhi rolled her eyes at that and Kaoru chuckled at Haruhi's childishness. Seating them in the car, he handed a note to the driver, and said, "Take us to the written address."

"Yes, Hitachiin-sama," the monotone voice came and a hand took the slip of paper with the address on it.

The car began to move and Haruhi looked out the window, as the still scenery became blurred as the car took off for the destination.

I wonder, if she remembers me? I wonder if she remembers my pain? Haruhi wondered, and Kaoru noticed this, and put his hand on Haruhi's making her face him.

"What are you thinking about?" he softly asked her.

"If she will remember me after three years," Haruhi looked him in the eyes.

"You know, three years isn't enough time to forget someone," Kaoru told his fiancé.

Haruhi nodded, "True. But most of the people who knew me hated me back then and by now, I am just a speckle of their memory. I wonder if she turned into one of those people."

Kaoru then knew what she meant. If a person you hate disappears from your life, it doesn't take long in order to forget them. You want to forget that person and then it becomes natural. And then a life without that person becomes natural. It becomes reality, and Haruhi was pinpointing that out, that nobody really liked her before.

It angered him to think that his fiancé would be so indifferent about it. How could she? She suffered near death experiences and then when she got better, she acted as if nothing happened. She was too kind, she was a person with a heart of gold.

The car, after a few minutes, came to a stop.

"We're here, Hitachiin-sama," the driver called.

Kaoru nodded his head and got out of the car before escorting his fiancé as well. Going up the steps, they landed up on the address that Haruhi wrote.

"Well, this is it. Do you want to ring the doorbell?" Kaoru double checked the written address.

Haruhi nodded and after a few tense moments, she boldly reached out and pressed the golden button.

"Coming!" a voice rang.

"It sounds sort of…" Kaoru trailed off.

"Depressed? I think I know why," Haruhi nodded.

The door swung open to see Mrs. Harumi in her formal attire with her hair messed up. When she saw Kaoru she wondered if teenagers these days even have orange hair.

When her eyes landed on Haruhi, her eyes became the size of saucers and she pulled the girl in a huge bear hug.

"Haruhi! Where have you been all these years?!" she exclaimed. She motioned the two to come in after she broke the hug.

Closing the door, she looked at Haruhi with expectant eyes.

"It's a long story," Haruhi fiddled her fingers.

"And I have eternity to spend. Let's go to the living room, shall we?" Mrs. Harumi motioned to her living room.

The three walked over to the living room and Haruhi's eyes widened. It was a mess.

"Why is it filled with papers?" Haruhi rose an eyebrow.

"Court and legal papers. Your father is in jail," Mrs. Harumi nodded her head.

"I knew it!" Haruhi bumped her fist in her palm.

"Knew what?" Kaoru asked.

"I knew that by know, some legal action would've been done," Haruhi mentally praised herself.

"Well not knew it, you know it. You know me inside out, Haruhi. Take a seat," Mrs. Harumi said.

Haruhi and Kaoru sat down and Haruhi was about to open her mouth for explanation, but then Kaoru beat her to it.

"On the day you two last saw each other, she left for home. She said that she aimed to go home, but got lost because her physical condition was terrible. Instead of getting home, she collapsed in front of my family's mansion. We took her in and healed her, and she willingly stayed. We are sorry if we kept you in the dark. I should've arranged to send you a letter informing you of her whereabouts," Kaoru apologized.

Mrs. Harumi was glad Haruhi was in a good condition. She said, "Don't worry about the possible dangers of her father coming back. I had him put in jail and his possessions are sold, due to court decisions, and the place where they lived, Haruhi and her mother's possessions and legal documents are under Haruhi's name, whenever she needs them."

Haruhi sadly looked at the ground.

"He's in jail, huh?" she asked.

"He could've caused more harm had he been free, sweetheart," Mrs. Harumi looked sadly at Haruhi.

"I know, it's just…" Haruhi looked at some portraits of Mrs. Harumi's family.

"I know," Mrs. Harumi understood.

"He wanted mother all for himself. He never showed it, but when mom was alive, he wanted mom to forget me, like there was no child in the household," Haruhi looked back at the ground.

Looking up she said, "I was just wanting to help so that…"

"One day you all could be a happy family? Like my family portraits?" Mrs. Harumi smiled.

"Yeah," Haruhi smiled.

"But if you look at that last one over there," Mrs. Harumi pointed at a grand portrait that was in the corner of the room. Haruhi followed her finger.

"You are a part of it, too," Mrs. Harumi finished.

Haruhi smiled. She was right. Next to the three children was Haruhi smiling and having an arm around the children, who were fighting over who gets to be next to her. The children loved her very much, to the point that they wanted her with them all the time.

"Yeah, you're right," Haruhi smiled.

"So, who're you?" Mrs. Harumi raised an eyebrow at Kaoru.

Oh yeah, forgot to introduce him, Haruhi sweat dropped, oh well.

"I am Kaoru Hitachiin, nice to meet you," he stuck out a hand, but kind of got disappointed when she didn't shake it. Drawing it back, she was nowhere satisfied with that inadequate information.

"And?" she said, not at all impressed.

"What else do you need to know?" Kaoru raised an eyebrow. What does the lady need to know other than a name?

"What is your relationship with Haruhi?" Mrs. Harumi asked.

"I don't even know your name. When you opened the door you pulled her in a hug. There were no introductions," Kaoru pinpointed another fact.

"My apologies. My name is Kana Harumi, but you are allowed to refer to me as Mrs. Harumi. I am her math teacher from tenth grade and had been a second mother to her when her abusive moron of a dad kicks her continuously of his house," she said, "And you?"

Kaoru now knew what she wanted. A full introduction with a connection to Haruhi.

"I am Kaoru Hitachiin, and I am Haruhi's fiancé," Kaoru said.

Mrs. Harumi stood stone still for a moment. Then she broke out into a bitter laugh and said, "Don't make me laugh."

"What?" Kaoru's face drained of color.

"Who knows when you will turn into her father? Drunk, spent and abused?" she glared at Kaoru.

"W-Wait, it's not that," Haruhi tried to cut in.

"How do I know you're any different?" Mrs. Harumi pieced the air with her venomous comebacks.

"Because I know," Kaoru said.

A pregnant pause filled the air, and Mrs. Harumi sat perfectly still.

"I know, that I am different. When I saw her, she was broken, and didn't have the will to speak. As she grew more trusting of my family, I fell in love with her. I didn't know how she felt, but I thought she would be disgusted if I fell in love with her. For some reason, I just kept quiet until she bluntly told me that she loved me. We both love each other, Mrs. Harumi," Kaoru took Haruhi's hand in his and Haruhi flashed him a smile.

Mrs. Harumi felt something warm bloom in her. She always felt cold these years. Her family was fine, and getting along with her husband was fine, but Haruhi was different.

Haruhi's abuse and torture brought out more maternal instincts from her and she spent a lot of health and time putting her father in jail for a long time until nobody even remembered. But she felt happy, so happy that Haruhi was cared for, all this time.

Gently smiling she said, "All right."

Haruhi beamed and Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief.

"But…" she trailed off, and Kaoru tensed up.

"But…what?" Kaoru asked, clearly confused and a hint of mortified expression.

"If you abuse her or even harm her once, I will take her back and not return her to you," Mrs. Harumi pointed an accusing finger at Kaoru.

What about the time Kaoru lost control of himself? Haruhi thought.

Best not to mention it, a voice said.

Haruhi, as alarmed as she was, calmly looked Kaoru, who looked at her with recognition.

Kaoru relaxed and then Mrs. Harumi abruptly stood up.

"Hot cocoa?" she asked.

When the pair made no noise, Mrs. Harumi took this as a yes.

"Oh, by the way," Haruhi handed her a velvet envelope.

Mrs. Harumi eyed it suspiciously before opening it. When she did, she warmly smiled, "Getting married on December 25th?"

"It was the day I first met her," Kaoru smiled. (A/N: Just go with the flow. I know schools let out earlier, but this makes it more momentous.)

"My whole family will be there," she smiled.

"I know it is on an inconvenient day. Christmas," Haruhi looked nervous.

"Nonsense. I will be there," Mrs. Harumi swatted her hand, "In fact, I will mark my calendar."

"Thank you," Haruhi smiled.

Making a big red circle, Mrs. Harumi looked at the pair, and said, "You two will be staying for dinner. No but's."

Kaoru opened his mouth to say otherwise, but Haruhi smiled at him and said, "You will like what she makes."

Kaoru smiled. If this makes Haruhi happy, then he is happy as well.

oooooo

[Five hours later…]

After the kids were tucked in and the husband went up to his bedroom, Haruhi looked at Mrs. Harumi and said, "The address is on there so you can visit me anytime you wish."

"That is wonderful, darling. You sure you don't want to stay the night?" Mrs. Harumi sent Haruhi a pleading look.

"I would love to, but my sister-in-law will have my neck if I try to skip preparations," Haruhi muttered under her breath.

Mrs. Harumi and Kaoru caught this and laughed.

"All right, all right, stay safe and I will be there for the wedding! The children said yes! I doubt they really are sleeping," she chuckled.

Haruhi laughed and said, "Then go check up on them. And tell them not to stay up too late or else they will end up on the 'naughty' list."

"True!" Mrs. Harumi laughed.

Taking Kaoru's hand, she walked down the steps, to the limo that was waiting for them.

"Drive us home," Kaoru told the driver.

Smiling at his fiancé, he said, "You happy now?"

"Very," Haruhi nodded, "I am happy she is safe."

"That is a priority, your happiness," Kaoru took her hand in both of is.

Haruhi smiled.

Squeezing her hand, he whispered, "Forever?"

"Forever," Haruhi confirmed, and touched their foreheads together.

Forever…