There was the screeching of brakes, a loud car horn that seized the heart and sounded throughout the body. The breath whooshed out of Haruhi, and she screwed her eyes shut in a panic.

Most people generally did not appreciate being woken up with the sound of yelling, regardless of the reason. Kyouya pinched the bride of his nose and clamped his mouth shut in an attempt to remain calm. But then, his over-dramatic friend, in the middle of his (unnecessary) rampage, said something that caught Kyouya's ear.

South Africa.

He was not startled. Kyouya did not get startled so easily. A better word, Kyouya thought with a sigh as he grudgingly retrieved his glasses, is mildly caught off guard.

"I did not realize word of my refusal would get out so fast," Kyouya confessed.

There was a long moment of silence, in which Kyouya was so very sorely tempted to hang up the phone. But then Tamaki, who WAS very much startled, answered.

"HUH?"

"Did you not just tell me that you had found out?" Kyouya grunted, leaning against his pillows drowsily. Ahhh, he never seemed to get enough sleep. Not enough sleep for dealing with this, anyway.

Then came the half-brained babbling, and eventually Kyouya got so pissed that he hung up for real. He set the cell phone down on the blanket, as if giving Tamaki a few minutes to compose himself. Sure enough, Tamaki soon called again, sounding much calmer, if not a bit sulky.

"Alright, now let's see if we're on the same page," Kyouya said, a little too evenly, considering his current state of temper. "You heard that my father had offered me a business deal, correct?"

"Yes!" Tamaki exclaimed.

Kyouya winced at his loud voice. "And you heard that the deal involved me going to South Africa?"

"Yes, yes!"

"And then I turned my father down—"

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Tamaki whined. Then he gasped, as if he just realized something. "But Haruhi! Haruhi thinks you're leaving! She's trying to find you right now!"

That made Kyouya blink. "Haruhi's with you?"

"She was. But then she got a phone call telling us that you were leaving for South Africa." Tamaki paused before continuing a little uneasily. "Kyouya . . . the person calling said he was Tachibana, but . . . it didn't sound like Tachibana at all. Tachibana has such a deep, gruff voice, and the person calling didn't sound like that at all."

Someone was claiming to be Tachibana? But why?

"Then where is Haruhi now?" Kyouya asked, trying to ignore the way his voice rose.

"She's running over to the train station. The person told us that you were going to fly out of Kyotouwazawa."

" . . . Kyotouwazawa?"

"Mm-hmm!"

If it was possible to punch people via cell phones, Kyouya would have just done so with sweet relish. "Idiot. That doesn't exist. Are you making things up?"

"NO, NO, NO! He said KYOTOUWAZAWA! I'm sure of it!" Tamaki protested. "Uhh, or maybe it was Kyotuzazawa. Or Kotoi Wazua. Or—"

"Never mind, it doesn't matter!" Kyouya snapped. He half-fell out of bed and looked around for something to wear. "Just go find Haruhi and stop her. I don't like the sound of this."

"Kyouya," Tamaki said just before Kyouya could hang up.

"What?"

"What's been going on with you? You do realize we're friends, don't we?"

Kyouya didn't answer for the longest time. Then he angrily snatched up a pair of pants.

"If we're friends, you can tell me anything."

"It doesn't involve you," Kyouya retorted.

He expected Tamaki to get angry as well, but the blond was surprisingly cool. "You should have seen the way Haruhi ran after you," he said softly. "Do you like her, Kyouya? Because . . . because I think it's pretty clear that she cares a lot about you."

"I . . ."

"I love Haruhi, but that's not the point at the moment. Haruhi likes you, and maybe you like her back. Or maybe you only played along and used her. But now Haruhi is in trouble, which would mean—"

Kyouya hung up. The phone slipped from his fingers and crashed beside his feet. He did not want his friend to voice the same line of thought that Kyouya had also been thinking.

Which would mean that it was my fault . . . it was my fault for allowing her to get involved with me.

And then Kyouya realized what Tamaki had said. Friends. Tamaki confessed that he loved Haruhi, but he also said that he and Kyouya were still friends. Never once had he breathed the word "rivals."

"That idiot's as hopeless as ever," Kyouya muttered, and he was almost tempted to smile.

But then he remembered Haruhi. He grabbed a jacket and hurried out the room, not before first retrieving his cell phone.

"Ah! Kyouya, where are you going so early in the day?" Fuyumi cried as he raced past her.

"Nowhere," he said tersely, not even sparing a glance at his sister as he flipped open his cell and dialed a number. Tachibana picked up on the second ring.

"Yes, young master?"

"Tachibana-san, I need a car ready for me. Immediately."

"Yes sir."

"And by any chance, have you made a call to a young woman by the name of Haruhi Fujioka?"

"Fujioka . . . I am not sure I know who you are talking about."

Kyouya gritted his teeth and turned sharply into one of their living rooms, which lead to the garage. "That's acceptable. I can now eliminate one—"

"Good morning, little brother."

Kyouya stopped dead in his tracks. It had been dark in the living room, so he had presumed it empty. But now, slowly and stiffly turning around, Kyouya saw that one of the arm chairs occupied his oldest brother, Yuichi. He could just barely see the glint of Yuichi's wide-toothed smile in the dim light.

"Where's the rush, Kyouya? That's not like you. You look so frantic."

Kyouya set his mouth in a hard line. "Tachibana-san, that car better be ready or else," he said darkly, and then he softly shut his phone. He faced his brother, all senses alert. "What do you want, Yuichi?"

Yuichi ignored the question, chuckling instead. "So little brother, I heard that you turned down our father's offer. I was just curious as to why. Your behavior's been so strange of late. The old Kyouya was entirely too ambitious to turn down such a chance."

This is wasting time, Kyouya thought edgily, longing to reach the door just across the room, the one just behind Yuichi.

"I'm glad to see you displaying such concern," Kyouya said coolly. "However, it should not matter. After all, you were the one who Father originally wanted to go to South Africa. Are you not pleased?"

Yuichi put on an act of mock consideration. Then he shrugged and said, "No."

Kyouya narrowed his eyes and started walking again. "Well, that is no concern of mine. If you excuse me, I have somewhere I have to—"

Yuichi stood right in front of Kyouya, blocking his path. Once more Kyouya stopped, and as he looked up into the eyes of his older brother, everything seemed to fall into place. Kyouya opened his mouth and spoke in a low voice.

"What have you done with Haruhi?"

Inhaling once. Inhaling again. Haruhi opened her eyes and lowered her arms from her face. A car had stopped just inches from her body.

The driver blew its horn again, making Haruhi jump. "Get out of the way! Are you crazy?" the middle-aged man yelled, sticking his head out the window.

Haruhi bowed hastily and apologized before racing off again. But the shock was catching up with her, and she had to stop momentarily to catch her breath. Her heartbeat was so wild that it nearly hurt her chest. She leaned against a building, feeling the terrible tremble of her body.

"What am I doing?" Haruhi moaned between gasps.

But she didn't linger long. She caught a glimpse of her watch, and though she had never been a runner or physically active at all, she forced her feet to a sprint once more. She didn't let herself think, because she knew she would only talk herself out of it. Only the number of blocks remaining, which she chanted with desperate determination, was allowed to echo in her mind.

"I wonder, do you perhaps not know who you are?" Yuichi asked, and his tone of voice suggested that he was still playing with Kyouya.

"What sort of question is that?" Kyouya countered. He was nearly bursting with impatience, but he forced himself to stand still and meet his brother's eyes coolly. At this point, acting any more flustered would only serve to amuse Yuichi further. So he matched the sarcastic attitude and said, "I am Kyouya, the—"

"Third son of the great Otoori family."

Kyouya stayed silent. At the other end of the room, Fuyumi wandered in. She noticed the two and quickly hid herself, listening.

"And as the third son, you are to stay the third son. Never moving above expectations, but never daring to fall below them either. Understand? Your life has already been predetermined, and you will never have any say in any matter."

"Move out of the way." From within the shadows, Fuyumi shivered at the chilliness in Kyouya's voice.

"Now tell me this," Yuichi continued, still ignoring him. "As the third son, why are you seeking happiness that is not rightfully yours?"

"I said move out of the way." Kyouya attempted to shove past his brother, but Yuichi shoved right back.

"Why are you plotting to surpass your brothers, possibly even your father?"

"I have done no such thing. Everything I do supports the family, as has been asked of me."

Yuichi smiled crookedly. He made a big show of going through his pockets until he retrieved his cell phone. He held it in front of Kyouya's face, and Kyouya could see his father's number already dialed, just waiting for someone to press the TALK button.

"Then it's not too late, Kyouya. Call our father and tell him you have changed your mind. He may be slightly displeased at your capriciousness, but that will not matter in the end, as long as you are 'supporting the family,' as you put it. You may not inherit the family business as I will, but you shall help the Otoori name gain a foothold in another continent, acting as a stepping stone for future generations. Financially, the first few years will be difficult. But I am sure that Father had hinted to you about the powerful Whitton family, who control much of South African business, having a daughter close to your age. With your incredibly social skills, you could potentially woo the daughter and use the tie with the Whittons to benefit the new firm. But of course, I am probably insulting you by telling you this. You probably had already figured that all out, knowing your intelligence. It's already part of the plan, isn't it?"

Instead of answering, Kyouya only glared. As his fists clenched by his sides, he could feel his composure trickling away.

Yuichi clicked his teeth and shook his head, but Kyouya could see the bastard still smiling that sick, satisfied smile. "It is as I predicted," he sighed. "No, don't bother denying it. I had known for several years about your insatiable desire for power. I knew that you slowly trying to acquire the means to take over the family. Perhaps due to the company you are keeping. And for several years, I have kept an eye on you, waiting for you to slip up and reveal a weak link that I can exploit. And I have now found it, thanks to the miracle of teenage hormones."

Kyouya snarled and lunged for him, seizing his collar. Panicking, Fuyumi emerged from her hiding spot and called Kyouya's name. The two boys barely paid her any attention, although Kyouya did manage to restrain from hitting Yuichi. Instead, he shook his brother and demanded, "Where is Haruhi? What have you done to her?" Yuichi only smiled at him, and Kyouya narrowed his eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Yuichi responded, yelling for the first time in the conversation. "Someone needs to knock you down before you get too out of control!"

"Kyouya, Yuichi," Fuyumi pleaded, hovering nearby. "Stop this! Kyouya, stop it I say. There's no time—!"

"Haruhi has absolutely nothing to do with this!" Kyouya cried.

"It doesn't matter. I could care less. But you have been getting your way for far too long. And Father even lets you get away with it. He may not say it, but he has been looking on you with great favor. Too much favor. I won't let you destroy what's rightfully mine in the family. Why should you get all the power, prestige, and be allowed to court whomever you wish? Why should you be the only one in our family allowed to be happy? You worthless, ungrateful little—"

Kyouya punched him. Caught off-guard, Yuichi went tumbling back, tripping over the low, coffee table. China went flying and smashed into the ground. While Yuichi was still down, Kyouya pinned him and punched him again. But Yuichi retaliated, knocking Kyouya over. Fuyumi was screaming at them, but it was just a distant voice as the two brothers went at each other.

A watch alarm cut through the noise, sounding almost twice as loud as normal. Yuichi went limp at the sound of it, and Kyouya also froze, stunned. Fuyumi might still have been yelling at Kyouya, tugging at him, but all he heard was the grim, serious toll of the watch. His brother's watch. Yuichi's lip was split. There was no smiling for him now. But all the same, he spat out a little blood and locked eyes with Kyouya, his own burning with black-flamed victory.

"It is done," Yuichi mumbled. "You are too late now."

I'm going to be too late! Haruhi panicked.

But finally, the train station was in sight. Haruhi would have let out a relieved breath, but she had none to spare. Summoning the last of her energy, she rounded the corner and barreled into the station.

It was crowded, even for noontime-standards. Haruhi let herself gasp for air as she gained her bearings. What am I going to do? I don't even have a ticket! she thought hopelessly. But then she shook her head. No, wait—Tachibana said he would take care of it for me. But does that mean someone is going to be here to hand me it? It doesn't seem likely.

"Haruhi!"

Haruhi whirled around and caught a glimpse of a stranger in a suit. But he was waving his arms and gesturing wildly towards one of the trains. Platform 8. Without another thought, Haruhi sprinted towards it. She nearly ran over a squat lady who was loaded down with several bags. Haruhi didn't even bother apologizing before resuming her run. I'll just have to trust that he's already paid. But then her heart jumped up into her throat. There were two men who looked suspiciously like police officers, and they were guarding the entrance of the train at Platform 8. Dismay slowed her down momentarily, but then she heard the train let out a whistle. It was about to leave.

"No!" Haruhi gasped out, reaching. The guards heard her and glanced her way. They were surprised to see the scrawny girl sprinting towards them. At the last minute, they tried to block her way, but she ducked under their arms. She half expected them to drag her right back outside, maybe even arrest her for not showing her ticket. But they were distracted when someone shouted her name again.

"Tachibana?" she said breathlessly.

The door shut. Haruhi hurriedly grabbed a pole as the train lurched forward. She stole one last glance at the two guards. They were unnervingly calm, watching her expressionlessly as she slipped out of view. How strange . . . or maybe Tachibana really did get to them after all?

She did not dwell on the thought for long. She collapsed on a bench, all of her exhaustion crashing down on her at once. For a while, all she did was breathe and work at getting her heartbeat back to a more normal pace. But after a few minutes, Haruhi leaned her head back and closed her eyes, the slightest smile on her lips. I did it. All that's left is to wait, and then I'll see Kyouya again. Haruhi was trembling again, this time with utter relief and pleasure. Everything will be fine now.

And the train rumbled out of the station and into the unknown.

The alarm finally stopped. Kyouya stared wide-eyed at nothing in particular, not quite believing it.

"Give it up, Kyouya," Yuichi said, coolly prying himself free of Kyouya's grip. "It's over now. The train has just left, and Haruhi is on it. My men made sure of that. She'll ride inside train for—oh, I don't even know how long—until she realizes that there's been some mistake. That's she gone too far, or that the train had made a mistake. But it will be too late. She'll wind up in the middle of nowhere. That's what she gets for trying to be a hero, and that's what you get for being so pathetically illusioned."

Kyouya slowly stood and let Yuichi. Yuichi took a moment to fix his tie. All the while, a sense of helplessness was nagging at Kyouya. Yuichi had only been baiting him to distract him and make him lose time. Now it was too late and—

"No," Kyouya said firmly.

Yuichi cocked an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

Kyouya clenched his teeth and raised his fist, but his anger evaporated when he saw his older brother actually flinch. Kyouya lowered his hands, feeling strangely tired. It wasn't worth it. Too much time had been lost as it was.

"Fuyumi," Kyouya muttered slowly. "Look after this cowardly bastard, and call me if he does tries to pull anything else."

"But where are you going?" Fuyumi asked, her face pale as Kyouya strode purposely towards the door.

"Where else?" Kyouya half-snapped. "I'm going to find Haruhi."

And the door slammed shut behind him.

A/N: Phew! This chapter just did NOT want to be written. That, and I swear I've been burried under school work for the past two weeks or so. So I apologize for the incredibly long wait. I also apologize for the little tease in the beginning. Someone reviewed to me saying how awful it would be if Haruhi got in a car accident . . . so I couldn't resist. That was cruel of me. ^^

This could be either really great news or terrible, depressing news. If everything goes according to plan, there should be only two chapters left. I've come so far. It's been a trip. As always, I thank all of my readers, especially my readers that take the time to review. Love ya lots!

I also finally got around to reading the final chapter in Ouran Host Club. Okay, so maybe I've started to warm up to TamaHaru now. But I'll still always be a KyouHaru and HikaHaru fangirl at heart. That being said, I refuse to acknowledge certain "events" from the final chapter. My poor fangirl heart couldn't take it. (I'm sure you know what I'm talking about if you've read it. The conversation between Kyouya and Honey? Yeah, I don't buy it. NOT ONE BIT! :D )