Chapter... 18? See, I don't know because my laptop broke, which is why Updates will slow to whenever I can get on my mother's computer and until my laptop will be fixed. AND I CAN'T CONNECT TO THE INTERNET PROPERLY YET so I can't check which chapter this is, AND my plot outline I spent HOURS writing so I didn't get lost is on MY laptop and not my Mum's. –Silent fury at myself for not putting it all on a pen drive or something- I miss my laptop... –sniff-

Anyway, did I explain the song at the end of the last chapter? I think I did. If I didn't I'll post it next chapter – because I don't have my soundtrack document wth all the details on it for me. All my resources... –cry- Let this be a lesson to back up all your work!

I own nothing (YouTube – there is a reference, or John and Edward included), not even my resources – but I do own my OCs, Rose, Alexander, Becca, Lilly, and their back ground and families. I also own this plotline.

SIGH. Life is hard.

--

Rose plugged herself into her iPod dejectedly as she watched them talk. Her father rested his hand on her foes shoulder proudly, squeezing it supportively. Blasting John and Edward YouTube rips into her ears, she muted the sound of their talks, ignoring the flash of gold in Alexander's tight fist. Folding herself into a small ball almost, knees to her chest, arms wrapped around them, face half buried in her folds of body, she fought tears determinedly – reasoning with herself, she had decided before she became included in this little chat that she had cried enough now, and had been caught twice by Hikaru, and didn't want him to see her cry again. Ever. She watched their lips mouth soundless words of approval of their new found plan, and she could see the glint in Alexander's eye, flashing with the knowledge he had a back up that Rose would never refuse with, her father oblivious to that one fact.

Her father turned to her, smile disappearing. Wordlessly, he reached out and tugged the earplugs from her ears.

"Insolent girl. Stop listening to that rubbish and pay attention." He snapped, and she looked away, not wanting him to see how much his patronizing tone effected her. "You should be grateful we're doing this- you have a chance to redeem yourself after getting that irresponsible hooligan as a boyfriend. What was aspiration again?"

"He wants to take over his mother's fashion design business with his brother Kaoru. They're good; some of their designs are..." She was interrupted by a short laugh as her father turned away, uninterested.

"How... feminine of them."He chucked shortly. Rose's face flushed with anger.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot that you don't understand art and design very well."She criticised openly, moving her legs from their folded position to cross them in front of her, balanced neatly on the sofa with her arms pressed downward defiantly. Her father's eyes narrowed.

"What a bad influence your new friends are on you. You've become such a back talking common little girl. Complete with tantrums. How kind of them." She bit her lip, inwardly screaming at his patronizing tone and snide comments.

"At least I'm not a money hungry bastard who takes out his anger about losing the only person he really loved on his daughter." She mumbled under her breath, sure to use Japanese so he wouldn't understand. Alexander raised an eyebrow warningly, and she silenced.

"Well, at least your Japanese has improved."Her father commented dryly. She cringed. "Anyway, have you prepared?"

"Yes. I have warned the school, and my last event is the night before we leave."Rose said coolly, standing to leave. "I don't see why you would need me here any longer."

"No. I have all I need to know – all I wanted was knowledge of the school if I'm honest."He smirked "I wouldn't trust you with any other information. Heard from Lilly recently?"

Rose's breath hitched, and she looked away, her demeanour momentarily hit.

"... No. You know I haven't. Have either of you?"

She stared hard at Alexander, whose face was the image of innocence.

"Actually, I brought it up because she's gone missing. I thought you might have been concealing her somewhere within this building."

She gasped slightly, knowing exactly what had happened, and the realization there really was nothing to save her now hitting her like a brick. Quickly rearranging her view, she shook her head.

"N-no. Her location remains a mystery to me."She mumbled, before putting her hand to a head, almost holding herself upright. "Excuse me."She pushed through them, reaching for the door, before she felt someone grip her wrist, pulling her back.

"One more thing."Alexander's snakelike smile haunted her, as he tightened the grip on her. "Will you marry me?"As Rose had classed as the inevitable, he offered the gold glint in his fist to her, the gold ring shining against his pale cold hand, catching in the light.

"I suppose I have no choice." She hissed, Alexander immediately understanding her reason for the Japanese. He grinned cruelly. "After all, if I say no, you'll kill her, right? You cold blooded bastard."

"You've made me the happiest man alive." He commented dryly, a perfect imitation of her father's patronizing tone. He slid the ring over her finger harshly, twisting it, as if sealing it to her finger. "No taking it off this time, okay?"

"Whatever."She finally managed to pull her wrist free, and slammed the door behind her in repulsion. She immediately took her phone out, with every intention of ringing Hikaru, running for the door, but as she was about to press the small green button that would call him, her finger froze.

She couldn't.

Not yet, at least.

Flipping through her address book, she arrived upon Haruhi's home number.

Brring

Brring.

She was out the door, signalling for one of the family cars to roll around to the front.

"Hello?"

Rose smiled at her friend's voice – she needed a friend right now.

"Haruhi, can I come over? I know it's sudden, b-but I need to talk to s-someone, a-and..."

"Sure. I've been meaning to ask you something anyway."Even Haruhi's blunt voice and dry statements were a comfort right now. She slipped into the expensive black car, thanking her friend joyously. "Just warning you, Tamaki is here at the moment."

"That's fine. In fact, that's great – I was going to ask his advice anyway." Rose leant forward and instructed the driver to go to the apartment block. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

"No, he just came round to attempt to persuade me to wear this ridiculous dress for the back to school ball."

She laughed slightly. "That's what I wanted to ask you about actually, you have much more appropriate taste than the twins and Tamaki put together..."

"Relax, I already covered you. I have a lovely silver dress with your name on it. I'll help you get ready again if you like."

"Please do, the twins would make me look as provocative as possible."

The car rolled to a stop.

"I'm here now, so we'll continue this conversation inside." Rose almost laughed at the squeals of 'those bastards aren't going anywhere near my princess' from Tamaki. She hung up before she could reply, and told the driver to return to the estate and not to tell anyone of her whereabouts.

-

"So what's up?" Haruhi asked bluntly, passing Rose a small tea cup filled with a pungent smelling aroma. She sipped it, before smiling softly into the drink.

"Earl Grey? That's an English blend." She mumbled softly into the smoke coloured drink. Tamaki raised an eyebrow.

"Rose?"

She stared into the drink intently, as if it held the answer to her problems, until she saw a small drop of clear liquid drop into the tea, sending ripples through the tea cup slowly. She raised a hand to her face. Tears. She wiped them quickly, mumbling an apology.

"I am engaged to be wed." She finally announced. Jaws dropped.

"Did Hikaru propose?!?" Tamaki (densely) squealed.

"Don't be retarded." Haruhi glared at him tactfully. "Um... Did he?" Rose laughed in a bittersweet sort of way.

"No. Hikaru doesn't know anything about this." Rose explained emotionlessly, eyes resting on her cup. "I'm to be married in England, two weeks from tomorrow."

"So soon." Tamaki murmured.

"That's why I wanted your advice Tamaki." She finally looked up, meeting his violet gaze. "Hik... The twins told me that you'd been in this situation before. Where you had to marry someone in order to see your mother? Well, Alexander... he kidnapped Lilly." Like the ripples of the tea against the cup, a flow of simultaneous gasps went through Haruhi and Tamaki. "And if I don't marry him, not only will I never see her again, he'll k-kill her." She visibly winced when she said it aloud.

Silence flooded the room.

"She's the only family I have that really cares about me." She finished lamely, looking for some sort of reassurance she was doing the right thing by marrying Alexander. "There's nothing I can do..."

Haruhi and Tamaki remained silent for a painfully long moment. It was only interrupted by Rose's phone bursting into a Jedward packed song.

She fumbled with it for a moment, before the colour drained from her face.

"Hello Hika." She muttered into it softly, Tamaki's eyes meeting hers. "No, I can't today... Not feeling too well." She coughed for emphasis. "Yeah. I'm gonna get some rest... okay." Suddenly she scrunched her eyes tight for a brief second. "... Love you too." Tamaki gave her a sympathetic nod. As she hung up the phone, she put her head in her hands for a moment, eyes shut tight. She felt someone's hand on her shoulder, and she looked up.

Tamaki smiled supportively.

"I know. I know exactly how you feel." He said softly. "And... I know that doesn't make it any easier for you, but... I think when Hikaru knows that it's for Lilly's life, he won't be angry. He won't be at all blaming towards you. He'll just..." He paused for a moment, concern for his 'son' flooding his eyes. "Well, it'll break his heart."

Rose remained silent as he spoke, before tears flooded her eyes. Haruhi stood, feeling strangely nostalgic.

"I think you should tell him." She announced, causing the two Europeans to look across at her interestedly. "Imagine if he found out some other way, and didn't get the full story – you're already becoming a mini celebrity for all your modelling with the Hitachiin Fashion industry. It'll be all over the news soon enough, and I'm quite sure the blackmail won't be included." Rose nodded slowly.

"You're right. I've no doubt in my mind he'll call again in around twenty seconds anyway, so I'll ask him to meet me somewhere or something-!" Her eyes widened, and she inhaled sharply in a micro second.

"What?" Tamaki demanded. "What is it?"

"You... He... Li- Oh crap, listen, you can't tell anyone what I told you. You know, about the black mail. He said if I told anyone... Especially if I told... Oh crap oh crap oh crap..." She panicked, restlessly jumping up, splashing her shirt with the earl grey tea.

"Okay, relax!" Haruhi grabbed her shoulders, holding her still. Rose's face was still white with trepidation. "We'll stay quiet about the kidnap. Right Tamaki?"

"Sure." Tamaki nodded in confirmation, and Rose relaxed slightly. "But that means Hikaru will think that you want to marry him... He's going to be furious."

Rose was quiet for a moment.

"I know."

On cue, her phone blasted out the off tune but highly entertaining voices of the Grimes Brothers.

"Hey Hika. No, you don't need to come over; I'm just going to sleep it off."

--

"You sure? ... Alright. I'll talk to you later. Love you." Hikaru snapped the phone shut, and turned to Kaoru. "Looks like she's not ready to talk about it."

"She'll be ready when she's ready. I guess she just needs some space with this..." Kaoru shrugged, reaching across for the remote, which Hikaru quickly snatched, grinning mischievously at him twin, who rolled his eyes and made himself comfortable. The elder of the two flicked between channels, nothing of interest catching his eye. Kaoru disrupted the comfortable buzz of the television by his phone bleeping . He avoid Hikaru's inquisitive gaz as he checked his text inbox – a message from Kyoya. He hummed nervously, tapping the touch screen with his finger.

Go to channel 83, Celebrity News Round. There is something you and Hikaru need to see. –Ootori.

"Oddly formal of him. Signing with his last name." Hikaru giggled, reading over his brother's shoulder. Kaoru shrugged awkwardly, taking the remote and pressing eight and three in quick succession.

-... The latest model to shoot to fame, Miss Rosemarie Cooper, is but in her second year of high school, and her father, David Cooper, the English Japanese Ambassador, says her studies have always mainly revolved around Music, Dance and Drama.

"... Rose is famous now?" Hikaru tilted his head. "Wow, cool."

However young she still may be, she's already been engaged once, and now is Re-engaged it seems, after a recent press conference from David Cooper himself. Subtitles will be shown as Cooper only speaks English.

"I am announcing the re-enstated wedding between Alexander Knife, and my Daughter, Rosemarie Cooper. It is to my understanding that the quarrel that caused them to split previously has been resolved, so from through their own choice, they have decided to marry. The wedding will be very soon, the original date intended from the previous engagement..."

"... Hikaru?" Kaoru reached across, placing a hand concernedly on his brother's shoulder. Hikaru stayed silent, eyes scanning the subtitles as David continued to ramble on about the wedding. It was in two weeks. It was in England.

And everything had been finalized.

...

"DAMNIT!" He cursed, knocking some form of furniture over in fury as he jumped up and stored out of the room, dialling furiously.

--

"He's calling again?" Haruhi raised an eyebrow. "Dedicated..." Rose glanced at the ID.

"No, this time it's... Kaoru." Rose blinked in surprise. She answered, and was greeted by screams of fury.

"You're MARRYING HIM?! After EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED?! Hikaru just stormed off, I haven't a clue where he is, and you... You just... "

In frustration, Rose hung up. She couldn't face this sort of thing right now.

"It'll be tough, but... It's a human life." Tamaki said softly.

"It's not just a human life. It's Lilly. And Lilly is more than just a human life." Rose mumbled softly, curling into the same ball she had when she had watched the moving lips of her father and fiancée. "I just wish I could explain..."

--

"Busy. Fuck that." Hikaru snarled, jamming it in his pocket and continued to beat a trail in the hall with his forceful steps towards the door. "What the fuck are you doing? I thought..." he stopped, before leaning against the wall, head lolling back. "I thought you loved me..."

'Did she though?' His head pounded as a theory became evident in his mind. 'Maybe, just maybe, she loved him all along. And she was so hurt after what happened, she was on the rebound or something, and made herself fall for me.' His eyes shut tightly, a sudden pain aching in his chest

--

Becca sent Rose a text, which only had a single number on it. The number fourteen.

--

And there we go. We all know now.

The song is 'Kiss the Rain' by Yiruma. Just in case something else happens and I can't see this chapter again, I'll explain it.

It's lyricless, completely instrumental. (I'm aware lyricless isn't a word). It shows how there isn't words that describe the emotion and feelings each character is going though at the moment through this one event.

It's also in a major tonality (to those less knowledgeable in Musical Terms, a happier, more positive key) but at this same timesoundssad. So, even though it's something that should make people happy, a wedding, lalala, true love thing, it's still a very upsetting experience for everyone.

Make sense? Yes? Good.

I'll be gone now. Review with sympathy for my sad times.