Author's Interjection

omg, that was THE LONGEST OUTAGE EVER! Now that the site is back online PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS/COMMENTS (good or bad!). my heart nearly broke when i woke up today and saw nothing.

sorry it's taken me so long, but it was taking a while for the ending to gel... obviously i'm having the same issues with the kyoya/assignment story, but i'm hoping feedback on this will help me with ideas.

oh, and sorry for the jumping around of tenses, povs, etc... but i'm not a professional, just a day dreamer =) thanks for reading.

*e

Chapter 15 - Dreams

Izumi was crying...but the layout of the room was logical and precise. Even without having seen their baggage or their clothes being unpacked, she knew where everything would be. She was glad Takashi brought a duffle bag. She stuffed it full of underwear and socks. Without realizing it, she mostly packed Takashi's clothes knowing she could just borrow them in a pinch.

She turned and saw the service help waiting to grab her bags. "Come Mistress, Master Morinozuka waits, there an exit off the side..." One grabbed her bags and another grabbed her hand and they ran. There was a Bently waiting outside trunk popped open, door ajar.

They drove without speaking, mostly because Reiko was texting Izumi and everyone else was texting Takashi. Izumi answered both phones, still trying not to cry.

The phones were finally quiet after minutes of furious texting. "Izumi," Takashi spoke, in a deep solemn voice even more stoic than when they first met. "It's okay. Focus on Haruhi. She needs you right now."

Izumi just nodded... at least she thinks she did.

Takashi flew down the highway and they finally arrived at the hospital. Tamaki and Haruhi wanted to do an at home birth, but at the last second Haruhi changed her mind and was transported to a private wing of an Ootori hospital.

There was arguing going on as they approached closer. Izumi looked at Takashi and wanted to take his hand for reassurance, be although he was calm on the outside, he made no move to take her hand.

Izumi ran on and Reiko ran up to meet her.

"Get him out of there Izumi! He won't listen?"

She looked over Reiko's shoulder and saw Tamaki pushing in and out of the door. She looked over and saw Ranka and Tamaki's parents arguing. Tamaki's mom crying, his grandmother in a rage. She saw the host club in the corner, some scared, others shocked and enjoying the entertainment.

Izumi and Reiko ran towards Tamaki...

"GET OUT TAMAKI!" Haruhi screamed... then screamed again.

"Sir, we're going to have to ask you to get out..."

"BUT I'M THE FATHER!"

"GET OUT!"

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU HARUHI!"

"Sir, you're upsetting the patient, please..."

[more shouting]

"Reiko?"

"Since they got here... I don't know..." she looked on the verge of tears.

Izumi stepped in front of Tamaki and pulled the curtain closed.

"What the?" Tamaki snapped and charged into the room, which looked like he was about to charge Izumi.

Takashi jumped up, but Izumi cocked her hand back and slapped Tamaki hard across the face. "Pull yourself together, Tamaki!"

He blinked, rubbed his cheek, and looked down at Izumi, who responded by shoving him out of the room.

"Are you trying to kill your baby?"

Tamaki started to freak out... well his eyes went wide and Izumi took a pre-emptive step and slapped him hard across the other cheek.

"You are stressing Haruhi so much that she's screaming off the top of her lungs because you won't listen to her." Izumi started crying. "Tamaki, this isn't about you."

The entire waiting area was quiet. Hairs standing on end, pin drop type of tense silence.

"Reiko, go." Reiko ran into the room to be with Haruhi. "Tamaki, please. At lease be calm enough so we can figure out why she's upset. You know if you stress her out too much her, the baby, or both may be injured...maybe even permanently. Please, don't … don't do this."

Tamaki looked from the door to Izumi and started crying. His parents ran up, but he, surprisingly, pushed them away and walked to the corner to "look out the window."

"I'll go talk to him," Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses.

Izumi looked back at the soon-to-be grandparents, shrugged, and ran into the room. Reiko met her at the door and took Izumi's hand in hers. "Izumi, only you would understand. Out of all of us, only you." Reiko kissed her on the cheek and hugged her hard. "Please, please, be there for her. No one else can. You'll understand..." And Reiko walked out and into Mitskuni's arms to cry quietly. The door closed and Izumi turned, went around the curtain she pulled on Tamaki, and saw Haruhi emotional, cords coming out, wincing in pain.

"Doctor?"

"She's not ready yet. She's got a few more hours...if you can keep her calm." She added softly. Izumi watched the doctor disappear behind the curtain and looked around the room. Everyone was a female.

"Haruhi?" Izumi took a soft hand towel and dried the beads of sweat off of Haruhi's forehead. She slowly opened her eyes, the look of sadness, so deep. "Babes? What's wrong? Is the baby okay?" She nodded weakly.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

Haruhi didn't say anything, but she just breathed, slowly. Wincing when a contraction came. Izumi didn't push for an answer, so she kept waiting. After a few minutes, Izumi took Haruhi's hand, brushed her hair gently and hummed softly.

Haruhi pulled Izumi's hand to her face and started to cry.

"Mom..."

Izumi stopped humming and leaned in closer as she barely heard her the first time.

"I want my mom." Her breath staggered.

"I want my mom with me!" She bawled. Through garbled cries, Haruhi basically explained that her mom has missed every milestone in her life. Her first boyfriend, her first dance, her first kiss... her marriage, and now her child.

"You have Tamaki's mom...and Ranka..."

"Not the same. It's not the same. I want my mom...or no one..."

"Oh honey," Izumi folded Haruhi into her arms, "Oh honey, I know...I know..." And she did.

"Before it was like... it was okay. But with Tamaki, it was so different. It was so over the top, so non stop. Even...even the damn wedding...it was all Tamaki." Izumi grabbed tissues for Haruhi to blow her nose.

"Even the sex!"

"Umm..."

"I just...I just want my mom. I love my dad, I love Tamaki, but I want my mom." Haruhi buried her head into Izumi's shirt. "My mom is never going to see anything. I mean...I can't share wedding stories with her. I didn't have her to help me at my wedding... My baby will never meet her. Will never know her. For the rest of my life, for the rest of my child's life, my mom won't be around."

Izumi was crying now. She may not have fully understood her panicked response when Takashi proposed, but now she did. Haruhi was saying everything she felt. Everything she knew was going to happen, Haruhi already went through. Except, Izumi doesn't even have a father to share it with.

This isn't about me. This is about Haruhi...We can figure out Takashi later...

"Haruhi?" She said gently stroking her hair. "Do you really want Tamaki to stay out of the room."

Haruhi hesitated. "Yes... at least for the birth. I absolutely don't want his parents in the room. Not if my mom can't be here... but I just...I always imagined it would be my mom helping me through my delivery...with my nervous husband pacing outside... But now I don't have any of it. Everyone is mad, I don't have my mom..." Haruhi started crying again.

"Shhhh...Just stay here and breathe. I'll talk to Tamaki. At least, if he wants, at least let him come in and wish you luck." Haruhi rolled over.

Well, it's not a "no."Izumi got up and headed toward the door.

Everyone jumped when they heard the door click. The host club settled back down when they saw it was Izumi. Tamaki's father and grandmother ran up to Izumi, but she put her hand up, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Regardless, tears feel. When Tamaki's grandmother pressed, Ranka stepped in and pulled her away.

Izumi looked around and found Tamaki in the corner. Kyoya patted him on the shoulder and walked away, giving them privacy.

"Tamaki?" He did not turn to look at her. Izumi looked up and saw that everyone was trying their hardest to not eavesdrop. "I am very, very sorry for slapping you; however, you deserved it."

"That's an American apology," he snapped back.

"Tamaki... please..."

"WHY can't I be in there with my OWN CHILD! IT'S MY RIGHT!" Izumi shrank back as Tamaki yelled in her face.

She gently put her hand on his shoulder. "Please Tamaki. I'm going to try to explain this to you. But you have to put your anger aside. Just long enough for the expl-"

"What can you explain to me to make this all better?" His words were bitter, but it was more pained than anything. Here Tamaki was, the selfless lover, completely devoted to his wife, and she kicked him out of he delivery room...kicking and screaming. Hisheart was broken too.

"Do you promise to listen?"

"I promise I won't walk away," he ground his teeth.

Wow. I've never seen him like this at all. Never this angry...never this hurt. I wonder if Haruhi has? Does Takashi have a side like this?

Izumi pressed her back into the cold window, hoping that, maybe the cold would give her courage? She took a deep breath to steady herself, her voice... "Tamaki..." God what do I say? She took another breath. "She wants her mom." Shit...Izumi's composure broke and she cried quietly. She slid to the floor and buried her face into her knees.

Tamaki looked down at her. "Her mom?"

"Oh Tamaki," Izumi cried more, "Don't you understand, she's lonely. She wants her mom. This is the last major mother-daughter milestone in a girl's life and it will pass without her mom."

Tamaki staggered back a bit as the realization washed over him. "But, Izumi," he leaned down. "That's no reason for her to be alone."

"If you say that, you don't get it. It's not about her being alone. It's about her mom not being here. Her dream was to give birth with her mom helping her and for her husband to be pacing in the waiting room. This is the last…. This is it."

"This is what?"

"After this, her mom is really dead. No more dreams. And don't you dare say 'Her mom's been dead.' It's just hard for Haruhi. She's going to be a mom without hermom."

Tamaki already understood, but Izumi was still crying. Tamaki pulled Izumi up and hugged her. "Thank you."

"You can go...into the room and talk with her. She's okay now. You... you were just too angry to listen. Just listen to her okay?"

Tamaki nodded and went into the room. Everyones eyes unconsciously went to Izumi, who now was aware that their private conversation wasn't so private. Thankfully Reiko came and put her arms around Izumi and hugged her.

"Stupid hormones...I can't stop crying."

"Shhhhhh...It's okay. You did good. I knew you'd be able to help."

Oh god just tell her... tell her Takashi proposed... she'd understand. Tell her...

But she didn't. And Haruhi didn't kick Tamaki out the second time. She let him stay. Hours later, Haurhi gave birth to a girl. They named her Kotoko, after her mother. Her second name was Genevieve, but the French pronunciation of course (not the American). So Kotoko Genevieve Fujioka Suoh was born.

The Doctor demanded that everyone disband to give Haruhi the much needed rest she deserved. "Come back tomorrow or just wait until she's discharged," was the advice that the doctor gave to Tamaki.

So Tamaki banned anyone from holding Kotoko until they were home. But they could look in the nursery as much as they wanted.

The elders stayed, but the host club went home. Exhausted. The twins were excited to let their mother and Mei know that she gave birth to a baby girl. Outfits were in order. Kyoya left after speaking (and thanking) the staff... and warning security that they better not miss one step. Mitskuni and Reiko left with Takashi and Izumi.

Izumi was glad that they were leaving with someone, made the conversation less awkward. "So where were you guys when you got the text?"

Izumi stiffened.

"Kyoya's family has a new onsen. We were staying there for a test service run."

"Oh that's sounds lovely!" Reiko chimed in.

"Yay! Are you going back?"

"Yes, the car isn't ours and most of our stuff is there."

"But Takashi, are you going to be okay with the drive back? I mean... it'll be the break of dawn by the time you get back."

They walked out the front doors to find their cars waiting for them.

"Master Morinozuka, I'll be driving you back to the Onsen." He held the door open for Izumi and Takashi to climb in.

"Well that's taken care of!" Mistkuni said relieved. "I don't have to worry about you. But Takashi, call me later, when you get back home."

Takashi turned and watched Mitskuni get in his limo with Reiko. Can he tell? Of course he can tell something's off.

Author's Interjection

Thank you DorugaruAtisuto for your comment, I wouldn't have realized I spelled Kotoko's middle name wrong.

Genevieve French vs American pronunication: (JAHN vee ev) and (JEN eh VEEV)

Capital letters are syllables that emphasized.

JAHN - Like "John" and "Sean" blended together. The J is really soft, like Seahn

vee - like bee, but with a v

ev - like the "ev" sound in disheveled.

JEN - as in Jennifer

eh - as in meh

VEEV - like the "eve" as in believe, but with a v at the start