The door clicks and they stand frozen in time.
One by one they leave the room, heading home. Thoughts of their dearest friend in their minds.
The Next Morning.
A heavy object lands on Haruhi and she grunts.
A small whine is heard and she smiles in her groggy state.
"Mom! Wake up!" the whine in his voice sounds slightly familiar.
He starts to bounce and she laughs and sits up, "Alright I'm up, what is it?"
He smiles and then the smile fades into a serious look, "The guards caught some rats."
She lifts her eyebrow up at her son's statement and she feels an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had a feeling who these rats were and she didn't like it.
Akira hops off the huge bed and leaves her bedroom.
Haruhi sighs as she gets up, her maid walking over.
Her maids name is Layla, her blonde hair in a braided up do with the dark blue maids outfit. She smiles at her mistress, "Morning Haruhi." She bows.
Haruhi smiles, "What time is it?"
"Only ten."
Haruhi mumbles something about murder and stands up in her white lace underwear and matching bra. She pulled on the light pink tank top with lacing around the top and the gray jean shorts.
She sits in front of the vanity mirror in the room and Layla comes over and starts to brush her hair while Haruhi wipes her face down with a face wipe.
Placing on some mascara that's makes her eyes pop and chap stick and waits for Layla to finish with her hair. When it's done it hangs past her shoulders to her mid back laying straight, leaving her bangs to frame her face.
"Thank you Layla, its lovely."
"You know I love to play with your hair, but I think there is a matter for you to take care of." She giggles.
Haruhi sighs and nods leaving Layla in the room to make the bed.
She walks down the hallway of the large house, the big windows letting in the sunlight.
After some events she decided her son and herself needed a change.
So she bought a house. It wasn't a mansion but it was bigger than most.
With Six bedrooms, each having a bathroom and a huge back yard.
The house has an iron gate in the front and is the only way in unless you somehow climb the old brick walls that surround the rest of the house.
The walls have vines growing on them and Haruhi left them because they add a softness to the Victorian style house.
She reaches the foyer to see the guards holding six familiar people.
After becoming known she needed security to protect her son and herself, so she hired eight of the best trained men and women to do just that, and now she's glad she did.
Haruhi descends the stair case holding onto the railing with one hand as she speaks, "Really? It's only ten."
This draws the attention of the men and their reactions vary from surprise to embarrassment.
Kyoya clears his throat and Haruhi glares.
The six guards release the men and one steps forward as the others line up in front of Haruhi bowing low, "M'Lady." The old hosts look on in either awe or surprise.
The one that stepped forward speaks, "They were caught sneaking onto the premises but held no threat from what we could tell."
Haruhi smiles gently, "No need for such formalities, thank you."
The all smiled at her and left. Haruhi sighs and sinks in a nearby chair.
Akira stands in front of his mom and glares, "Why are you here so early?"
Tamaki steps forward, "We wanted to see you guys!"
Akira scoffs making Mori and Kyoya raise their eyebrows, "Idiot."
Surprisingly to Haruhi Tamaki smiles kindly instead of going off to a corner to mope, "Why is that?"
Akira looks him dead in the eyes, "If mom wanted to see you why didn't she introduce herself as Haruhi at the meeting? Instead she chose to hide that fact."
Haruhi patted his head. The twins stepped forward; Kaoru spoke first, "Definitely Haruhi's kid."
Hikaru nodded, "What did he mean yesterday Haruhi?" the looks on the hosts faces were one of concern and sincerity.
Haruhi stood up and walked into the kitchen, it was big like the rest of the house but it was open and cozy. "It's nothing; do you guys want any tea?"
The sat at the counter and watched Haruhi prepare some tea, after handing each host a cup.
Hunny broke the silence first, "Haruhi this may be a bit personal but where is Akira's father?"
Haruhi stumbled a bit letting the cup shatter on the ground as hot tea burnt her palm. She let out a yelp of pain.
Mori stood and with his quick reflexes lifted Haruhi and placed her in a chair next to Honey.
One of the few maids in the house came to clean up the mess. Haruhi looked to find the redheaded maid bend down to clean the broken glass, "Please be careful Yuki."
Yuki smiled and nodded. Haruhi has only a few maids to tend to the house since it stays fairly clean and she makes sure that each one is treated fairly.
Kyoya was handed a first aid kit by Layla and he stood to kneel in front of Haruhi.
He held up his hand and Haruhi let him examine her burn, "It's fine, it isn't even very bad."
Kyoya had a smug look, "So did you want to answer Hunny's question?"
Hunny placed a hand on her knee, "Please Haru-chan."
"Don't call me that!" Snapping at Hunny stunned the group, even the maids who rarely hear her yell.
Haruhi stared hard out of a window as she felt the sun kiss her skin, Six and a half years since me and the twins graduated from high school, since I last saw any of you. You all act like when we met up again that it would all go back to normal, like nothing had changed."
Kyoya finished wrapping her hand and stepped back, a look of genuine hurt and guilt on his face.
Mori reached out but hesitated a few inches from her shoulder. He let his hand drop to his side as he stared at the precious person in front of him, how could he let the distance between them happen?
The twins shared Mori's thoughts and grabbed each other's hand in support.
Tamaki let his bangs cover his eyes and Honey did the same.
She spoke again, her voice hallow, "I might as well tell you or I'll never be left alone."
Haruhi stood to lean against the wall by the large window letting the warmth of the sun comfort her, "A year after not hearing from any of you I pushed myself into my studies that I finished early and started to work for the firm I now own."
She took a deep breath, "One night I needed a break so a coworker and I went out for drinks and I met a guy, he was sweet and we ended up dating for a while and that's how Akira came to be. Not planned or anything but it turned out to well at first."
"His name is Keita." Haruhi petted Akira's hair.
"It was all great but then I got promoted and he went into these moods. He was working in a sales management firm and was having a rough time so seeing me do well angered him. When Akira was two and I got handed over the company he was furious. Before we would fight, yelling loudly and sometimes it would escalate more."
She looked down to Akira and smiled, "Go play outside alright?" he looked unhappy with leaving his mom with the old hosts but nodding in understanding.
He left the room and the door clicked shut.
She looked to the hosts and they waited for her to continue and when she didn't Kyoya spoke up, "Escalated how exactly?" he sounded venomous.
She looked at the rest and they all looked angry at the thought of Haruhi in harm's way.
She continued, "Physically. Slapping, punching. A few kicks here and there. I didn't fight back, if I did he said he would go after Akira and I had to protect him." Tears pooled in her eyes.
"I had to be strong for him, I'm his mom, so whatever it took or needed to be done I would take it. Even if it meant-." Her voice faded.
Hunny's murderous gaze landed on Haruhi and it turned pleading and withdrawn, "Please don't tell me he-." Tears pooled in his eyes, hoping it wasn't what he thought.
Hikaru looked confused, as did Kaoru.
Mori looked on with wide eyes in understanding. Kyoya had wide eyes and clenched his teeth.
When Hunny didn't finish Tamaki spoke, his voice shaking, "He forced himself on you?"
Haruhi nodded, "Whatever it took." She repeated.
"After another year with Keita and working the company it grew to what it was now and that was the breaking point. I came home to Keita holding onto Akira with a broken beer bottle in his hands. Akira had a cut on his arm and it was bleeding. He threatened to kill him, his own son because of greed and jealousy."
Haruhi's face was furious, "So when he went to swipe at Akira I covered him and earned a scar in the process."
Haruhi turned and moved her hair, on the back of her shoulder blade was a ragged scar only four inches peeking from underneath the tank top. "Our neighbors called the police and he was taken away and sent to serve for four years."
Hikaru stood and placed a hand on her shoulder, she didn't realize she was shaking.
Haruhi stepped back to look at him as he spoke, "Why didn't Ranka do anything? He must have noticed all of this."
The hosts all looked on with guilt and sadness at her. They all wanted to embrace her, comfort her, anything.
Haruhi shook her head, "He never did because…"
Sorry guys, but I just had to cut it there! Don't kill me or you'll never know what happened. Review!