DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Ouran High School Host Club nor do I own its characters! They all belong to the wonderful Bisco Hatori! I only own this story plot! And the song, I'm With You, belongs to the one and only Avril Levigne!

I'm With You

~Chapter 9~

Tamaki, the Host club observed, was the most depressed they'd ever seen him. Actually, he was even more depressed than they could all ever imagine! And, seeing this, made them feel just as down in the dumps as he did. But, to be strong for their host king, they didn't show it and tried to help the young man out of his rut.

Kyoya sighed, slipping his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he peered down at his notes. He observed them as he assessed the present situation the club was in.

Tamaki was very depressed because of the disappearance of Haruhi. This had happened a couple months ago. Each day that she wasn't found created more of a cloudy and unhappy aura surrounding the usually rambunctious young lad. And slowly, he slipped into depression.

Well, with Tamaki, it wasn't really depression. He was still able to smile and laugh; just not as much. Obviously the customers have noticed and this only increased the business. But, since this would usually make Kyoya a very happy man- what with all the business coming in- Kyoya couldn't help but worry. The fact that all the girls were fawning over the unhappy host didn't help Tamaki's condition. The said young man always felt even more down in the dumps whenever he'd been asked what was wrong and how he was feeling. Kyoya, being the clever man he is, knew that it was completely unnecessary for those certain questions. They knew how he felt, but it seemed as if they didn't know what else to say other than that and other comforting words and phrases.

Kyoya sighed as he assessed his notes even further, trailing his eyes down the sheets of paper. Haruhi hadn't shown up anywhere. And if she was alive, he didn't know. He was worried, to say the least, for the young girl that had, somehow, been able to worm her way into every host's heart. He didn't believe that she was a goner. He knew that she was out there, somewhere. She was intelligent enough to survive on her own. He had complete faith in her. But, still, he's worried for her.

As soon as all of their customers had emptied the club room and all necessities were cleaned up, Kyoya called a meeting and everyone gathered around him, sitting on expensive couches.

Kyoya got right to the point, "Tamaki, do you think you had anything to do with her leaving?"

Obviously knowing who he was talking about, Tamaki gave his most honest answer: "…I-I don't know…"

Kyoya sighed, "Did you do anything before she left?"

"W-we talked… and then after, I tried to smile at her while I was crying."

Kyoya gave him an incredulous look. "You were crying," he stated.

Tamaki nodded.

"And you tried to smile."

"Yes."

"Show me, how did you smile?"

Tamaki tried to imitate the smile he gave Haruhi that fateful night; and since he was just as down in the dumps as then, he was able to imitate it perfectly. Kyoya resisted the urge to smack his forehead into his palm.

"You idiot, that's why she left!" Kyoya seethed, whacking the back of Tamaki's head.

Tamaki whimpered. "W-what…?"

"That smile," Kyoya growled, trying to control his temper, "is why she left. You should have just kept on crying. You shouldn't have even tried to smile."

Finally, Kyoya was able to get a hold on his feelings. Turning to the whole club, he continued. "I have done quite a lot of research on Haruhi both when she was present up until now. It seems that she's been lied to, hurt, anything bad you can think of, throughout her whole life. I've spoken with all the foster parents she's lived with and learned that she's been scarred left and right. They didn't care about her. Only at first did they ever show any affection towards her. She never became close with anyone."

Tamaki looked down at his lap and tried not to cry.

"When you found Haruhi, Tamaki, she put so much trust in you; in us. We were her first, real, family she's had since her parents' deaths. So, when she saw your smile," Kyoya flashed Tamaki and irritated glance, "she immediately thought it was fake and fled. I believe she thought that we were lying her the whole time we were with her."

"So, it's his fault" Hikaru and Kaoru growled, towering over a cowering Tamaki. Tamaki could practically see the flames in the background as the twins' eyes flashed dangerously.

"I-I thought that I should smile to make her feel better…"

"You should know better than I, Tamaki, that you cannot possibly smile as you cry. It always looks pitiful and full of lies."

Tamaki whimpered. "It is my fault! I'm such an idiot…"

"But," Kyoya cut Tamaki out of his self pity, "I will make sure that Haruhi is found."

The twins stared at their debating senpais. They looked so… serious. They didn't think that their boss could be so… like this.

At least Honey and Mori-senpai are acting normal, they thought in unison.

Currently, Mori is comforting a crying Honey, patting his head and offering cake to cheer him up. The twins panicked when they saw Honey reject the cake. So, they turned back to their own thoughts, throwing glances at each other.

"Boss was stupid for doing that" Hikaru pouted to Kaoru, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I wish Haruhi was here" Kaoru answered.

"I miss her" they whimpered simultaneously.

"Who'd know where she is?" Hikaru asked.

"She doesn't have any connections from her past, does she?" Kaoru wondered aloud.

The two thought about the information Tamaki had told the club about Haruhi's past a while ago. He'd said if for Haruhi since she didn't feel like writing it down. The only time she pitched in was when Tamaki got a part of the story wrong. But, they'd still learned about her past.

It was as if a light-bulb flickered on in the twins' heads. Immediately, they shot up out of their seats, surprising the other hosts into confusion.

"Arai!" they screamed simultaneously.

"We should ask," Hikaru said.

"Arai where she is!" Kaoru finished for him.

"Maybe he knows where Haruhi's at!"

Tamaki's eyes widened. "How come I never thought of that?"

"Then it's settled then," Kyoya said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"We're going to find Haru-chan?" Honey asked, sniffling.

"Yeah," Mori said, nodding his head, a relieved smile playing on his lips.

Kyoya grabbed out his phone and pressed his speed dial. Holding the receiver up to his ear, he waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello. This is Kyoya Ootori. I'd like to know where we can find a foster child named Arai?"

Kyoya was irritated. How long should it take to find a freaking person in freaking Japan? All he knows is that it shouldn't take this long. Yes, he only got a last name, for the kid is in the foster services, but he gave age and description. He should have gotten the list of possible candidates already!

Grumbling, Kyoya gracefully walked into the club room. Tamaki, Honey-senpai, and Mori-senpai were already waiting. All they were was the twins and their meeting would commence.

Kyoya sat down at the meeting table and sighed, opening his laptop and checking his e-mail. Just as the twins came in, Kyoya gasped in excitement, though, the action is very unlike the said teen. In what was practically a second, all of the hosts crowded around him, staring expectantly at his laptop.

"Look, look! It's the results for Arai!" Honey exclaimed, gaining his playful child-like happiness he had before Haruhi left.

Scrolling down the list, all eyes were trying to pick out the most eligible candidate that was to be the Arai they were looking for. They clicked onto profiles and looked at the history of each teen, trying to find who exactly may be the Arai they were looking for.

"Check that one," Kaoru said, pointing to a boy with similar features that Haruhi herself had written down for them.

Kyoya complied and scrolled down the pictures that were posted. As they searched, a familiar head of brown hair caught his eyes. Narrowing his dark orbs, he clicked on the picture which caught his attention. What they saw next made Kyoya smirk in satisfaction: a smiling Arai with a laughing, younger version of Haruhi.

Kyoya's smirk got wider when the men behind him started to celebrate. "We got him."

They finally located him. He's actually living with a foster family that had kept him for years now. And they were right at their door.

Tamaki was ecstatic. He was practically jumping off the walls of the limo. He couldn't contain his happiness. He'd finally see Haruhi again. She'd never be away from him. And if she tried (oh he really hoped she wouldn't), he'd never ever let her go.

Tamaki was the first to get out, practically pushing his way to be the first to step on the sidewalk of Karuizawa. The rest of the club followed, practically running towards the door of the house Arai resides in.

Swift knocks led to pounding feet. Pounding feet led to a muffled, "be right there!" And the muffled words led to the door opening, revealing just the boy they were looking for.

"Arai!" Honey exclaimed, giving Arai a big, Honey-like hug.

Confusion was written all over said boy's face. "D-do I know you…?"

Kyoya pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and smirked. "Actually, you don't. But we know you."

Arai shot a confused look to the bespectacled teen.

"You see, someone precious to us went missing a while ago. We've been trying to look for her all this time and we were led to you." Kyoya took out a photo from his folder and handed it to Arai. "So, please tell us, do you know where we can find Miss Haruhi Fujioka?"

To say Arai was surprised was an understatement. Actually, he believed that his emotions won't be able to be described with words at all. All he could do was take the picture out of the teen's hand and look at it. That was indeed Haruhi. He wondered how they knew her.

Arai squinted his eyes to remember the conversation he and Haruhi had a while back when he first found her in the park at his district. She had said she ran all the way from Ouran that morning- well, more like wrote (she was crying too much to speak)- and was crying her eyes out from all that had happened back there. She had also written that she had befriended a group of boys and she thought their friendship was real but she wasn't sure anymore…. Or something along those lines. Honestly, Arai didn't really understand the conversation all that much. But, whenever he tried to bring it up again, Haruhi would give him a sad smile and say, 'I'd rather not talk about it.'

Arai looked up to the teenage boys in front of him. They were along the right ages that Haruhi had described while she was sobbing in histerics. But… how does he know that these were the right guys.

He thought hard. Haruhi did say names. But what were they…

The host club watched Arai's expression light up as if they were turning on a light bulb. They tried not to jump when Arai suddenly lifted up his head and pointed an accusing finger at every member there.

"Who here," Arai asked, lowering his finger and raising an eyebrow, "is Tamaki?"

Tamaki gulped. H-how did he know his name?

Tamaki lifted his hand up as if to acknowledge that he was correct in naming the person (which, really he is).

Arai nodded. "Okay, I believe you."

The host club blinked. "Believe what?" Tamaki, Kaoru, Hikaru, and Honey questioned.

"You know Haruhi," Arai said. And then came the sad smile, "I'm sorry, but she's already left. You could have caught her if you were here yesterday. She left about this time."

The host club gaped at the young man as he blinked. Kyoya was the first to snap out of it:

"Do you have any idea where we might find her?"

"I'm sorry," he shook his head, "no."

It was quiet. Not one sound was made. It was as if nature were affected by the new information the Ouran High School Host Club had received.

Tamaki's heart dropped. He couldn't believe it. He wanted Haruhi back. He wanted to find her; and once he did, he'd wrap her in his arms and kiss the living- wait what?

Tamaki resisted the urge to slap himself. What was he thinking? Is he going crazy or something? An image of what he was about to think flashed in his mind, tinting his cheeks in a light shade of pink. Y-yeah… he decided not to go there.

Tamaki shook his head and turned around, huffing in defiance. Being the first to get to the door, he was the first to walk down the sidewalk.

"Where are you going, boss?" The twins asked, question marks practically appearing above his head.

"If we just stand around, we'll never find Haruhi!" Tamaki's reply came out shaking. But it still sounded strong. He turned around and gave his friends a strong, determined look, "I'm not giving up on her."

He turned back around and marched towards the limo.

If he turned around, he would have seen his friends smiling; smiling in approval, determination, and happiness for their Host Club King. They were glad that he wasn't giving up.

They all ran to the limo, giving Arai a wave (who confusedly waved back). And they were off, discussing where they thought Haruhi to be at.

Determination filled Tamaki's senses. He'd get her back; no matter what.

~Chapter 9 End~

…so… I hope that explained a few things. I tried my best to clear out confusion. So, I'll just reply to your reviews if you didn't catch it. Here you go:

Oh, and thank you all for reviewing. Sorry I'm unable to write you names. I just don't have the time right now. :(

I thank you all for the support. And just to let you all know, this story will be finished soon. I'm sorry. But I'm glad that you all like this story. SO, please, give me a review! And, for all those phantom readers out there, if you review and never had before (I'd know cause you'd say so in your review), I'll give you a faster update. I'll give you it… if I can? Or, maybe, I'd just promise a sequel. It'd be a oneshot. But, if you do review, that's what you all get. This goes on until the last chapter is posted. You only have until a week after I posted the last chapter in order to get a sequel. Then, you'd have to wait a while for the sequel to get out. Yeah, I know, I'm mean, but I just wanna put it out there. So, yeah. :o

Anywho, thanks! I appreciate it! :D

~xXPaintingRealityXx logging off :D