Thank you everyone for your reviews and adding me and this story to your lists, I love you all so here is a new chapter at ninja speed... sort of... If ninjas wrote fanfic I think this is the speed they would update... I feel so ninja-ish... also I GOT 345... I LOVE YOU GUYS YOU'VE MADE MY DAY!

Hikaru speech, Kaoru speech, twins together speech. 'thoughts.'

Haruhi heaved the box of kitchen supplies onto her hip with a pained groan. The pain was beginning to ease but lifting heavy boxes was not doing her any favours, especially when all she really wanted to do was crawl under her duvet in her new room with a hot water bottle on her back and tummy. She desperately tried not to wince as she heard the crash from the front room.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, you evil doppelgangers, be careful with my precious daughter's belongings!"

"Hey boss, don't blame us!"

"Yeah, it's not our fault you can't catch."

"Hey, Hikaru..."

"Yes Kaoru?"

"You know what this mean?"

"Punishment game."

Haruhi popped her head around the door.

"No punishment games!"

"Haruhi, my daughter, you care!"

"Well of course I care Tamaki senpai, I've only just moved in, I'd rather we didn't have to find a new place to live before we've unpacked."

She watched as he fizzled into the corner, snivelling to himself about evil twins, corruption and angry daughters. She couldn't help chuckling at his antics. Her gaze travelled to Mori senpai and Honey senpai who were happily finishing the wallpapering (how they did it so quick she had no idea but she was very grateful, what took them two hours work would have taken her and her dad half a day.). Her travelling eyes caught the eyes of her boyfriend as he was lifting another box. They both blushed (much to their equal embarrassment) and quickly turned away.

Haruhi left and returned to the kitchen, fighting the heat in her face.

"What's wrong Haru-chan?"

Haruhi lost no dignity when she released a terrified squeak at the sight of her diminutive senpai sat on the counter.

"How did you even get in here?"

"The door Haru-chan. Why are you and Kyo-chan acting so odd?"

"It doesn't matter senpai."

"Haruhi, do I need to... have words with him?"

"What? Oh, no...God, no. Promise you won't tell the others."

He nodded solemnly, his blonde locks bouncing under his feverous nodding. Haruhi sighed and thought back to yesterday evenings events.

(Flash back)

Kyoya froze in the doorway, one hand still on the doorknob the other adjusting his glasses. There, on one of the couches, was a moving bundle of duvets. The general aura of the room was... sinister, and every step further in was making it worse. He swallowed convulsively before shaking himself off, Ootori's did not get scared, especially of something as trivial as an aura.

"Haruhi? Are you here."

The pile shifted and an almost inhumane groan echoed in the spacious room. A ruffled head appeared from within the mountainous pile of downy goodness.

"Kyoya? I'm not feeling so good."

All the medical training he had ever had kicked into gear.

"Why? What are your symptoms? Where is the pain?"

Haruhi's pasty face would have flushed but she was too mortified. She just wanted to retreat back into her cosy fort... and die... that would be good. She stubbornly shook her head and went to disappear but he crossed the room and held her chin up with his finger.

"Answer me. This is important."

"Kyoya... My stomach hurt."

He tenderly brushed her hair off her forehead, concern filling his grey eyes.

"Which side Haruhi? You haven't had your appendix removed have you?"

"It's not my appendix."

He sat next to her on the couch. She reluctantly swivelled to face him, her chin resting on her chest, she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye, this was more embarrassing than when she had to tell her dad that she had... had the visit.

"You don't know that."

"I do."

"How?"

"Because...I... That is...I get this problem once a month."

The moment of realisation in his eyes would have been funny if it wasn't such a horrifying situation for her too. Kyoya felt uncomfortable but one look at his suffering girlfriend made him put aside his discomfort. He had come to try and reconcile but this was more important.

She stiffened up when she felt his hand on the back of her head. He gently manoeuvred (pulled) he head to rest in his lap. He stroked her hair with one hand and waited for her to get comfortable, his other rubbed her back taking care to not lift the covers and make her cold.

They sat in companionable silence for a while, content with each other's company. She almost began to doze off until she heard his voice rumbling above her.

"I'm sorry. For earlier, I'm sorry."

She snuggled closer into him, feeling a weight lift. She couldn't help the smile that pulled at the corners of her mouth. She leant up and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before reclaiming her lap shaped pillow.

"Thank you Kyoya, I'm sorry too."

His heart clenched from the warmth that filled his chest. Once upon a time if he'd had warmth in his chest he would have got one of his family doctors to take a look at him, now he relished it. He pressed a kiss to her temple then settled back into his seat, grabbing a book from the table next to the arm of the settee.

Haruhi finished her retelling of last night's events and turned to find her wide eyed senpai staring at her with a grin that could only be described as downright mischievous.

"What is it Honey se-"

"Haru-chan and Kyo-chan are so cute! You are as cute as Usa-chan... Why did you need to apologise though?"

"We'd just had a silly fight but it's all sorted now."

"Good. I'm going to go back and help Takashi now. Would you like to cuddle Usa-chan? Nope, ok, see ya."

"Yep, thank you for the help."

She shook her head to try and rid herself of thoughts about how bizarre that little exchange was and grabbed a freshly unpacked glass, filled it with cold water and went out of the back door into the garden.

"Dad?"

Ranka promptly fell out of the tree that he had scaled to trim.

"Haruhi, you are a life saver."

She passed him the glass and looked around the garden. He had left most of the wild flowers but they had been pushed back so that instead of taking up the entirety of the space they bordered it nicely. Their newfound space was looking lovely and fresh, Ranka had done a good job of weeding and mowing their lawn. All that really remained was the hacking at the tree he was doing now, it needed to be cut back so it could become more beautiful than it already was... And the garden around the front...that also needed doing.

"What do you think?"

Haruhi smiled and looked at her dad happily; his own self satisfied grin was huge as he looked at both his hard work and his daughter's obvious pleasure at their new home.

"I love it dad. It's our very own meadow."

He looked around and noted the similarities to this place and where they used to go on holiday when Haruhi was little. It was surprisingly close.

"Yeah, this place sure is something. I think... I know we're going to be happy here. Have you talked to Lizzie?"

"Not yet. I think we should wait till it looks more habitable and then ask her to move in."

"Yeah I guess."

His pout made it clear that he didn't agree.

"Put yourself in her position, would you move in with so much still to worry about like mould etc?"

"No, as always you're right Haruhi... Now please go back inside, I love your company and I am grateful for the boys help but I fear for our furniture with the blonde cretin in there unsupervised."

As if on cue there was a loud crash that sounded suspiciously like glass... or plates... or valuables breaking and a high pitched shriek which could only be Tamaki. Haruhi patted her dad on the back before heading back inside; happily pretending that she couldn't see his eye twitching.

Thankfully nothing had broken... although how that was possible Haruhi would never know.

Four days later and finally their new home was done. One of the perks of having excitable friends was that once they were set on doing a job they did it quickly and obsessively, they even made a game from it. From a bonny house that needed a lot of work to a beautiful, perfect, clean and damn near finished home. Mori-senpai's refreshing fixing skills had re-emerged and he had worked quickly and efficiently on the issues with the thatching and the floorboards and imperfections with the walls. Honey-senpai turned out to be a dab hand with a scraper and wall paper, getting it off and on before Haruhi could get the steamer working properly, he didn't want the help anyway (she had a horrible feeling he was trying to use it as some form of training that he could show his brother later... she thought it best not to ask just in case.)

The twin's genius with fashion translated incredibly to interior design, each picking a floor to work on and managing to create cohesion through separation. Once they found out which bedroom Haruhi wanted they worked together (Both wanting to do it so to the fighting before it began Haruhi asked them both to have a look), she had to say that her room was her favourite of the whole house. Lush purples and cream and silver highlights made the spacious room look even bigger. The dark wood of her desk, bookshelf and wardrobe looked amazing and her bed was probably her favourite. It was a double, and yet didn't take up too much room, the duvet cover was a dark purple with a silver swirling pattern on it that when you looked at it from a far looked like a cherry blossom. Overall the room earned them both a delighted peck on the cheek and extra tight hug... and Kyoya the need for a new pen because his had tragically broken in an unrelated squeezing accident.

Kyoya had helped, Haruhi thought, she was pretty sure he helped. She had definitely seen him unpacking a box at one point and she knew that Mori had asked him to help with the fitting of the carpet... Mostly Kyoya had acted as the supplier, the others told him what they needed to make their job happen and he called to have it arranged. The twins were the main line of his work, needing paint and fabric and swashed and art supplies so they could make designs to show Ranka (Haruhi had wanted to see too but they told her it was a surprise, even going so far as shredding one of their pictures, covering it in sauce and telling Tamaki that it was commoners noodles... and the idiot ate it.)

Tamaki... did little bits of everything. The twins nearly killed him when he accidently painted one of Ranka's bedroom walls 'Opal Cream' instead of 'Summer Snow Dream' so he was forbidden from touching anything else again. He would have helped Mori but the older boy preferred working alone. When he helped Honey stripping wallpaper he accidently took off one of the sheets that Honey had just put up and, in his panicked attempt to fix his blunder, had managed to take a chunk out of the wall with the corner of his scraper. Mori promptly fixed it. Tamaki found himself relegated to the garden, he daren't even try help Kyoya, which Ranka was not happy about at first. Then Haruhi pointed out that it would mean Tamaki wouldn't be in the house and that Ranka could personally supervise him, a task the older man undertook with relish. Plus it helped that it turned out that Tamaki was really good at gardening, he followed Ranka's instructions of which plants had to go and he followed the twins design for what plants needed to go when for the garden to look the best it could. As it turned out Tamaki actually had a bit of a green thumb and not only was the garden no worse for wear when he had finished, it actually looked quite nice.

Haruhi had paid for their services by providing help and food when she could... although she had a sneaking suspicion, the great bear himself wielding a pen and a black book to make for the most terrifying weapon combination yet, that her debt had crept (rocketed) up. All in all it had been a fantastic few days, despite her reserve about having the host club help they had done a phenomenal job!

But the best news had arrived this morning.

Flashback.

"Haruhi?"

"Yes dad?"

"Come here for a second."

Haruhi made her way down the stairs and into the front room where several cases were stood and besides them was...

"Lizzie!"

Haruhi flung herself at her cousin, who caught her with ease (years of practice) and spun her around in a small circle.

"You're moving in!"

"Yep, Uncle Ra-Ra rang last night and here we are!"

"This is so cool."

"It's 'cause the windows open."

She hit Lizzie's arm playfully and grabbed her bags.

"Come on I'll show you the rooms."

She gave a whirlwind tour which consisted of "This is my room, this is the bathroom, this is your room, this can be Anthony's room... Is he coming?"

"Yeah he is, he's just gone-"

"For trouble I know."

"Actually he's gone for a tour of the neighbourhood... also trouble."

They giggled and sat on the steps.

"Oh my God I can't believe it, I'm so happy."

"I know I can tell. Let's see your room again."

Haruhi led her to her door. Lizzie walked in and looked around appreciatively.

"This is very nice; your friend's have good taste."

"I'll tell them you said that, do you like your room?"

"I love it, I love the blues and the cream-"

"Amber Frost."

"What?"

"The colour is called 'Amber Frost' trust me when I say something like that was almost a matter of life and death a few days ago."

"It sounds like a tacky stripper name."

The girls couldn't help the explosion of laughter as thoughts of Amber Frost filled their heads.

"Oh, sad thing in that one wasn't even the worst."

"I dread to think."

Lizzie had since gone out, something about letting her landlord know that she didn't need the flat anymore. Haruhi was finishing unpacking the last of their stuff when Anthony came in.

"Hi, you must be Haruhi, I'm Anthony."

"Hi, Lizzie popped out for a bit."

"I know, I saw her on my way back. This is a beautiful home you've got here."

Haruhi smiled at him, he was a really pleasant man, the sort of guy you could just relax around, which was probably why Lizzie liked him so much.

"Thank you, we like it. It's really great to finally meet you, I've heard so much about you."

"Same here. I feel like I've known you for years."

Lizzie was leaving the landlord's office when it arrived. The big black limo with the Ootori crest. She was stuck on the balcony with nowhere to hide, within touching distance of her old flat but with no way to get in since she'd just handed her keys over. She pulled her bobble out, shook her hair down and around her face and hurriedly walked away.

If you have ever been stalked by a trawling car you may be aware how freaky it can be, with no way to know if you're imagining it or if you are being followed... If you are being stalked by a trawling limo then you are not only well aware that it's following you but that you create a fucking hilarious picture for any passersby who, would have helped if you were being followed by a car, are content to point, stare and laugh. It is difficult to outpace something that can move as slow as it wants and still manage to be several feet in front of and behind you at the same time. All Lizzie needed to do was keep the backdoors away from her so that the contents wouldn't decide to get out and come at her like that.

Unfortunately the 'contents' had gotten impatient. Akito slipped out of the back with the utmost grace, an impressive feat considering the vehicle was moving, and had managed to catch up to her slightly. He could catch the faintest hints of her perfume as her hair swayed as she "walked" away from him. He was a little ashamed to admit that the sight and smell of her made his mouth water slightly. He ached to hold her, crush her to him and never let her go but her speed and the glint of the cheap tin ring on her finger held him back.

Lizzie kept powering ahead, she could feel a presence close behind her and she was ashamed to admit that she was terrified. Then she started thinking, not five days ago she decided that she was going to put all this behind her and be professional. Speed walking away from whichever demon this was hardly classes as professional. With the most reluctant sigh she could muster she stopped walking, didn't turn, just stopped in the middle of the path.

Akito stopped behind her and convulsively swallowed, after three years he was finally going to see her face to face and not just from a blurred secret camera picture. Would she be as happy to see him as he was now? Would she kiss him like he longed to do? Or would she still be upset? Would she be angry with him? Would she give him a chance?

"What do you want?"

His jaw opened and shut for a moment before his mind caught up. He took a steadying (uneven) breath.

"I just... I want to talk to you."

Lizzie felt like she had been punched in the stomach, she had suspected it would be him but she had hoped that she was wrong.

"What do you want to talk about?"

Why wouldn't she look at him? He needed to see her.

"Look at me," She still stood, shoulders squared, facing the opposite way, "Please, Elizabeth, please look at me."

She merely turned to the side, not facing him but he could at least see more of her. She looked as beautiful as she ever had, if anything she was more beautiful than she had three years ago. She looked steadfastly at his limo, under normal circumstances it would upset him but e supposed after everything it was more than fair, at least she had moved a little. He was tempted to stand in front of her but he wouldn't push her.

"What do you want Mr. Ootori?"

"Please don't."

"Don't what sir?"

He could feel his insides turn to ice. She couldn't be serious; he could deal with anger and tears but not this, not indifference.

"I need to talk to you Lizzie. It's been too long. I've missed you so much." She said nothing, "I looked everywhere for you. I'm sorry, Lizzie I am so, so sorry. I love you Lizzie, I never stopped loving you. Please come back to me, please, give me a chance. I was wrong, I was so wrong. Lizzie? Please say something."

Throughout his speech Lizzie found herself biting the inside of her lip, anything to stop the tears that were trying so hard to force their way out. She turned to face him and saw love in his eyes and in that moment all she wanted to do was reach out and cup his cheek and run her fingers through his hair like she used to, but to imagine even for a second that he love her, that three years of her life had been stolen from her for a lie, she had thought he loved her before and look what happened, quite frankly the look in his eyes made her feel sick.

It was all too little too late.

Too much time had passed; there was too much pain for her to simply lay her heart on the line again. After everything that happened she swore, she swore to herself and everything that she held dear that she would never become that weak again. She would never go back to him, she couldn't, she had too much to lose. Besides, what changed his mind? The Ootori's never did anything unless it benefitted them in some way.

"Given the nature of our respective companies budding partnership I think it would be best if we forgot all previous association."

"What?" He couldn't help the nervous laughter that he released. It was another little embarrassing habit that his father declared was not befitting of an Ootori.

"I don't think acknowledging our previous...-"

"Relationship."

"Association would be conducive in a professional environment. I think that for the sake of the partnership we shouldn't have any out of office communication."

"I don't give a shit about any partnership. Lizzie, I love you-"

"That's not what you said before."

Akito reared back as if she'd slapped him, she finally turned to face him fully. Her eyes were cold as she looked him up and down, one hand knocked her hair from her face before they both raised and folded over her chest. She was the very picture of power.

"In fact I believe what you said was 'I don't want you, and I don't think I ever did...You are nothing to me but fun. That is it, no more or less. It was never meant to last forever just until I got bored'. That's what you said to me. Well guess what, I don't care anymore. I'm here to do a job, no more, no less, and once my business with the Ootori Medical Group is finished I will be quite happy to never see you again."

His knees almost gave beneath him; there was nothing behind her eyes but cold fury. His mouth was as dry as a bone and he struggled to speak with his thick tongue.

"You... you don't mean that."

"I always mean what I say, something we apparently don't have in common."

She turned and began to walk away from him which finally kicked his stalling brain into gear. He sped after her yelling as he went.

"I know you Elizabeth, you love me as much as I love you."

"You don't know me that well then do you Mr. Ootori."

"Stop that, my name is Akito."

"Not to me Mr. Ootori."

The light caught her ring and it was like a rag to a bull. He couldn't help himself, he reached forward and snatched her wrist up, hurling her backwards into him. He almost slammed her against the wall as he pinned her by the shoulders. He was so angry, so hurt and so happy all at once (It didn't matter what she said, so long as he had her in his sight he could try and right his wrongs) and the mixture of emotions was messing with his head.

"Who is he? He can't think that much of you if that cheap piece of tat all he gives you!"

"It doesn't matter that it's cheap, he gives me something much more important than expensive jewellery."

"And what's that?"

"Love. He loves me Akito and I love him."

He smashed his lips to her before she could draw breath. An almost feral groan escaped him as he pressed himself tightly against her and to his delight her hands came up to grip his hair and shirt but even better than that she kissed back.

'What am I doing? I shouldn't be kissing back. Come on Lizzie, be strong. He'll only hurt you. I love him so much, this isn't fair.'

He pulled away and leant his forehead against hers, his warm ragged breath washed across her face in a wave of comfort.

"No-one will ever love you as much as I do, he will never love you like I do, never make you feel like this."

He leant in to kiss her again but she turned her head, he contented himself to pepper hot kisses on her neck, unaware that her anger levels were beginning to pick up again, he buried himself in her hair and laughed.

"Never leave me again Lizzie, I can sort out any fallout from him, I can get rid of him, it can be just us now."

"Just us?"

"Oh God yes, nothing else matters. Just us forever."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome... although I'd like to know what for so that I can do it again."

"You don't need to; thank you for reminding me why we can never be together again. Get off me."

Again the blow to his stomach and pride, he was not above begging. He clung to her as tight as he could without hurting her and pressed his face closer to her neck, relishing her warmth and scent.

"No, no please. I can't..."

"Can't what?"

"Lose you, I can't lose you."

"You lost me years ago. Get off me Mr. Ootori... Akito please let me go."

With all the reluctance in the world he complied, he stood with as little distance as he could but making sure no part of them touched.

"We were young Akito. I know it doesn't sound like it but I am over it, I'm over you. I just want to get on with my life, my common, plain little life." She lied, more than happy at how convincing she sounded if the look on his face was anything to go by. If she didn't know any better she would say that he looked genuinely upset, but she didn't trust him. She couldn't trust him.

"I'm not going to give up on you."

"Do you know what, I would be surprised if you did. After all an Ootori always gets what he wants, right?"

"Right." He either missed the mocking tone of her voice or he ignored it.

"Well, you're in for a losing battle Mr. Ootori."

She pushed off from the wall and brushed past him and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

"To be with my family."

"I love you."

"No you don't."

She walked away; he stood and watched her till he couldn't see her anymore. His fingers brushed his lips, enjoying the lingering tingle. He could still smell her perfume and feel the warmth of her through his suit. It didn't take him long to get back to the limo and get home, all the while with thoughts of big brown eyes running through his head.

He was determined as he sat down. He would win; he would prove he loved her and that she wasn't over him. No trivial thing like a fiancé would stop him, he had the proof of what he meant to her, no one kisses somebody like that if they had no feelings for them. She was a sight for sore eyes, he felt deflated and elated at the same time, to see her in so much pain and so angry with him was horrific but to see her... that was utter bliss.

Despite all that he was in tears by the time that he got home, he spent an hour sat in the library mulling over everything. The negatives seeming so much bigger than the positives, so much lost time, she was with someone else... she pretty much told him she hated him. Hearing her saying his parting words made them a thousand times worse. She seemed so certain when she said it was a losing battle, maybe he was underestimating this other man.

"I love him."

He sobbed. Hearing her say that she loved another man was the worst pain he had felt since they had parted ways. How could he fight love? He felt confident that she still loved him but... What if he was wrong? What if she didn't? What if she loved that other guy more than him? She was quite clear about what she expected from him, professionalism followed by permanent absence. He didn't notice his father enter and take a seat beside him as he continued to let three years of pain rush to the surface without holding it back as he usually did. What if she disappeared again? What if, what if what if, what if? Whizzing round and round and round his head, he itched to go to his room and get hammered but he didn't have the energy to stand.

"What's wrong?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"All right then." He stood over his father who remained seated looking as calm and pristine as always, which served to enrage Akito more. "I have spent the last three years trying to track down the girl who I pushed away for you because I thought if I could get the control I could support her and give her the life she deserved but that went to shit because she disappeared. Now she's back, I saw her and I talked to her and she's engaged and she hates me and I've lost her."

"You are an idiot."

"You think I don't know that? I should never have let her go."

"That isn't what I meant you imbecilic, impulsive fool. Do none of my children have a brain between them; do none of you know how to communicate with me?"

"What are you-"

"For once I would like the time and effort I spend thinking things through to not be wasted by the, I say again, impulsive nature of my children. You will sit and you will tell me exactly what you said and did to that girl and I can work out what I need to do to fix this."

The wind firmly ripped from his self-righteous sails, Akito sank back down into his seat and told his silently fuming father everything from the beginning. He didn't even mind the sting in his cheek from the slap (some would even call the slap deserved) as his father outlined the plan to fix his 'little mishap'.

Lizzie was exhausted by the time she got back to the cottage, she slipped her ring off her finger and into her pocket as usual, but not before examining it thoroughly. It was genuinely one of the most precious things she owned. She remembered the day Anthony gave her it; he won it from one of those stupid claw machines at the seaside, one of their first trips out. She remembered how they laughed as he dropped down to one knee.

"Well, I may as well give this to you... It's not my size but I reckon it'll fit your man hands."

"That is one of the most romantic things I have ever heard."

"That is tragic, now help me up before I realise how much this filthy floor is hurting my knee... also, I'm pretty sure I knelt on an open ketchup packet."

"Now that is tragic."

It had been such a good day, they had spent hours walking and playing on the beach, it had been the first time she had really had fun, a few months after the event. He had given her it partly as a joke and partly to stop the nasty glares of the judgemental women in the village they lived in when they walked down the street. She didn't care that it was 'cheap', she didn't care that if she left it on too long it turned her finger an odd greenish colour, it was so precious too her. It was her shiny security blanket.

She looked in the window at Ranka stirring a pot (She prayed it was full of one of Haruhi's concoctions, Uncle Ra-Ra's dishes were too touch-n- go.) She could see Anthony in the kitchen with him talking amiably. She could see what she assumed was Haruhi's head bobbing up and down as she did a ducking run around the room, probably some sort of bug... please not a spider, she could deal with a moth but the eight legged cretins had to go.

She opened the door on the warmth and the light and the laughter and instantly felt better. No more thoughts of the past, that was all where it belonged, behind her.

She wouldn't have to see Akito again; her meeting was with Mr. Ootori senior, with luck she would be in and out without much bother. Then her life would be simple again.

Just then her arms were filled.

"Mummy!"

She smiled down at the sticky faced infant. She brushed aside the long brown hair to look at the dark grey eyes of her beautiful little girl. Haruhi came dashing into the hall with a damp face cloth, that explained the odd run, it would take more speed than that to catch this little bugger. Lizzie lifted her up so her little monster was balanced on her hip in her embrace whilst sneakily taking the face cloth from her flustered cousin.

"Hello Trouble."

Then she attacked, her weapon of choice a flannel.

Well, I hope you liked that guys... Did anyone call it? I did... Oh wait... I don't count. One of my friends called it because she knows most of the pet names I use in general and recognised trouble... I hope you like this one.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I have had such a lovely day today because of you guys. =D Honestly, it means a lot to me that you would take the time to review or add me and my story to your lists. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Wp2 xx