And here's the second to last chapter! Hope you enjoyed this story so far. It is nearing it's end, unfortunately...

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I find it amazing that your life really does flash before your eyes when you're at deaths door. It's almost intriguing, in a way.

I'm being serious when I say that! It might sound macabre and all, but I really did see a flash of everything that has ever happened in my life, just before it all went black. And when I say everything, I mean everything.

I saw Haruhi Suzumiya, from the first day I met her in North High, and when she made her infamous introduction to the class. I saw myself being dragged down a hallway, before being forced into extortion by Haruhi when she had asked me to assist her in creating a club. I saw myself going into the SOS Brigade clubroom for the first time.

I saw the massive, glowing blue giants, Koizumi and his esper abilities, Nagato-san trying to convey her status as an alien, Asakura-san attempting to kill me, and I saw myself listening to Mikuru-chan as she explained herself as a time traveler.

After that, everything seemed to remain more or less a big blur. I was able to make out some faint memories, like our stay at Keiichi-san's island, or the baseball game we played against the Kamighara Pirates, but most of my memories were blank and empty.

So death was coming to me now. I should sound more afraid. Actually, I should sound much more afraid. But truthfully, it's always been in my nature to converse such matters in the solitude of my thoughts. So I guess I can sound more reasonable to myself even though I'm actually scared at the fact that I'm about to die.

But truth be told, the only real fear that I find myself droning on the most is the fact that I may never see Haruhi Suzumiya again. I might never see her dazzling expression, her beautiful visage, or her clearly athletic body. I will never hear the words "SOS Brigade" come out her mouth, nor will I hear her go on about time travelers, espers and aliens. I won't see her forcibly changing Mikuru-chan, nor will I be given another order by her.

Could she truly survive without me? I don't know what actually goes on in Suzumiya-san's mind, but something tells me that she needs me at least a little more than she actually puts out.

And you know, there are some things I should probably admit to myself during this time of peace. For example, I now know that I clearly feel more for Suzumiya-san than I myself put out. I don't know if these feelings of infatuation are really genuine, but they certainly have become prominent enough in my mind to allow recognizing them.

If I could sigh, I would. There's nothing left for me except for a bleak afterlife now, if that even exists. All I can hear are my own thoughts, as everything is as pitch black as a moonless night, and all of my senses feel like they've been turned off and thrown away.

I feel like a vegetable that can think. I hope I don't have to stay in this state forever, because this is seriously becoming torture. Where's the light at the end of the tunnel? I want to get out of this boring blackness!

Ugh, I'm sounding like Haruhi. But I guess joking about all of this is the only way to cope with it. I'd like to see you try and take in the concept of death so easily.

So where is this death already? I've been thinking in this nothingness for the past few minutes. Well, it could be hours. Either way, this is taking forever!

What's that? A light? It's getting brighter. I can see it. It's coming closer.

Where's my body? I can see this light, but really nothing else. God, it's bright. It looks like the sun is speeding towards me. And it's almost here. Guess this is the end then. This is the time where I go wherever people go when they die. I wonder what it's like….

I'll be finding out soon enough. The light has finally reached me.

Wow, it really is bright. In fact, it's hurting my eyes a little. What's all this color? It's all gray and green. Is this what the afterlife is supposed to look like?

Wait, this isn't an afterlife. I'm somewhere else, and I don't think it's any sort of heaven. My eyelids are struggling to open, as if held shut by some sort of super glue. I can begin to feel the muscles in my body starting up, and tingling sensations are beginning to pop up all over my skin.

Finally, I am able to force open my eyes. I guess I'm not so dead after all. Unless the things I am seeing in front of me are part of either some big dream.

I didn't know exactly where I was at first, but by the fact I was in a spacious green and gray room, surrounded by medical equipment, and IV stuck in my arm, and breathing tube going right up into my nose, I could only begin to assume one thing.

I was in a hospital, and I was clearly in medical care. The patient robe I was wearing wasn't all that comfortable, and I felt like reaching to pull it off. But as I tried to do so, I felt my stomach begin to churn with an intense pain. I groaned slightly, looking down to see what the cause of this sudden discomfort was. Beside me, I could hear the steady beeping sound that was monitoring my heart rate. I was alive, it seems.

I noticed first that I had been heavily bandaged where my piercing wound was. Asakura-san had probably caused me more damage than I previously thought, and it was probably a wonder that I survived in the first place. Still, I was feeling a little confused, and my head was throbbing slightly. How exactly did I get here again?

"You shouldn't try to move, idiot. You're just going to worsen the injury."

I didn't have to turn to see who had said that. The voice was unmistakable to me, as it had been permanently etched in my brain from the first day I had heard it. I had heard it some time ago, but it still remained in my head like a prehistoric marking. Of all the voices of people that have ever been a part of my life, I swear to you that Haruhi Suzumiya's would remain the most recognizable out of all of them. Her tone, manner or speaking, and the general aura she radiates when she says most anything, are too unique to belong to anyone else.

I weakly turned to my side, and I could see that Haruhi was in fact next to me. She was sitting in a gray metal fold-up chair, the kind that Nagato-san usually sits in whenever she is reading her latest novel.

The face Suzumiya-san was wearing could be interpreted in many different ways. She was sitting in a somewhat relaxed position, but her face showed hints of worry, annoyance, and even anxiousness. When I had finally noticed her, she looked back at me with determined eyes that pierced the soul.

We looked at each other for a few moments, taking the time to gaze in the orbs of the other person. Haruhi's eyes were something one could easily get lost in, as they had an almost amber shine that could have been mistaken for the light of the sun. Suzumiya-san was staring back at me, and I wondered what she was thinking. I had a feeling she might be admiring something about me, but I couldn't put a finger on exactly what. Finally, the Brigade Chief angrily broke the silence between us, getting up from her chair as she spoke.

"You're such a moron, Kyon! You could have gotten yourself killed back there! Do you hear me? Killed! I should have left you there to just die for how stupid you acted!"

The way Suzumiya-san was shouting at me implied that she was probably feeling a mixture of rage and worry, but something was telling me that she was trying to express something else. She was certainly loud enough that she could have attracted the attention of any member of the hospital staff that was walking down the hallway nearby.

Now that I think about it, I wonder how the hell she managed to get me all this medical care without causing such a big fuss. Knowing Suzumiya-san, I should probably guess that she found a way to persuade even the paramedics to listen to her rant about the cause of my injury. I don't know how she managed to do it, and frankly, I don't think I want to know. I think I should just be glad that I'm alive right now. I looked back at Haruhi, who didn't change the angered expression on her face. Her delicate hands were clenched into tight fists, as if she was getting the urge to punch me in the face.

"I'm sorry." I said, with the most sincere voice I could muster.

"I didn't want to see you get hurt."

Haruhi's response wasn't what I expected. Her eyes began to well up tears, and I could see she was probably focusing on thinking of what she wanted to say to me next. What was there for her to say?

Even though I had initially forgotten about it, I began to feel the dreaded déjà vu beginning to return. The amnesia was still apparent, and many of my memories felt disjointed and incomplete. I would have sighed, but I was aching too much to do so.

"You're worried the hell out of me, you idiot! Don't you ever do something that stupid again, or I'm going to give you a penalty that'll last till the end of high school! Do you understand, Kyon?" Suzumiya-san shouted through her tears, and she took the time to get right up in my face. In fact, she had both of her hands gripping me by the shoulder, and she was staring into my eyes, her own amber orbs filled with the usual piercing glare.

It wasn't hard to tell that Haruhi was expressing caring and worry towards me, although it was in her own stubborn way. I couldn't help but feel sad as I looked at her face. She was trying her best to hold in the tears, but she just couldn't stop them from coming out.

I was waiting for her to just beginning sobbing in my arms already.

I didn't know I meant that much to her. In fact, I didn't know I meant that much to anyone. Damn, this is all feeling familiar again. I keep getting this feeling in my lower stomach every time I look at Haruhi. And no, it's not from the injury I've got there.

It's love, is what it is. There is no denying it or avoiding it. Somewhere in my psyche, I am in love with Haruhi Suzumiya. I'm in love with the very girl who has pushed me around, ordered me to do things like her personal soldier, and embarrassed me time and time again.

A girl who believes that espers, time travelers and aliens are waiting around ever corner. The same girl who is surrounded by one of each, and still is she completely ignorant of that very fact. This is Haruhi Suzumiya, the Brigade Chief and eccentric girl I've come to know.

"You actually give a damn about me. I'm touched. But I can't help but wonder….what is this all for? Why are you so worried?" I asked Suzumiya-san, who had been in the process of wiping away what was left of her tears.

She looked back at me, her eyes lighting up in surprise. It seemed like she was hesitating to answer my question. I was eager for a response, so I just spat out another question as quickly as the first.

"What is it? Am I too valuable as a member?"

I blinked, and I clearly could see that Suzumiya-san was now beginning to blush. Her skin began to turn a peach color, and a red tinge appeared soon after. Her arms were still on my shoulders, and our faces were still close. Haruhi's face was always something to admire. She was probably the most beautiful girl in North High. I should probably tell her that sometime.

Haruhi continued to remain silent, and I was beginning to become impatient.

"Spit it out!" I said in an impatient tone, and it's safe to say that what happened next completely caught me off guard.

Haruhi's hands had suddenly moved away from my shoulders, and they both latched onto my cheeks. I could feel myself blushing at her touch. Haruhi blinked again at me, her eyes gazing into mine, even though they looked unsure. She closed them a moment later, and moved her now relaxed face towards mine faster than I could register.

Our lips locked only a second later. It was like an assault on my mouth, as Suzumiya-san had forced her way to my lips. I could taste something familiar as she kissed me, and the feelings of déjà vu undoubtedly surfaced again.

I must admit that this was a moment that I could have asked for as a gift from the gods. Haruhi's kiss was truly something heavenly, and every passing second felt like another moment of liquid ecstasy. Her tenacity was clearly showing, as she was kissing me deeply. Her eyes remained closed as she held me by the cheeks, and I could feel my heart beating faster with each second that came and went. This was certainly something else entirely. It was real, and it didn't have blue giants destroying buildings in the background to ruin it.

After what seemed like an eternity, Haruhi pulled away. She was breathing heavily, as if she had recently run a marathon. Her kiss had been deep. And my mind was spinning because of it.

"Wow…" I said in an astonished voice. My brain was still trying to wrap itself around the fact that Suzumiya-san's kiss had been so perfect.

"You're important enough, Kyon. And you're not too bad of a kisser either." Suzumiya-san replied, sounding a bit more playful with the last part. I couldn't help but crack a smile, and I could already feel warmth returning to my body.

The aura Suzumiya-san radiated was something else….

Even still, the amnesia and déjà vu were continuing to plague me like a misbegotten virus. They were both eating away at my resolve, and I knew that it would simply drive me crazy sooner or later. I don't think it would take long for me to go mad from all this.

I looked back at Suzumiya-san, who still had the remnants of a blush on her face. Did she remember the whole thing with Asakura-san? My own memories were faint of the situation, to tell the truth. I can only guess she remembered some of it at least, as she was the one who got me to this hospital in the first place. What effect was this going to have on reality?

Damn this amnesia! Why can't I just make it everything the way it was again? No amnesia and Haruhi could just forge-

Wait a second! My mind began racing through possibilities. I had a sudden revelation.

I could convince her. If I made it subtle enough, I could convince Haruhi to turn things back to the way they were. I did it once, so I can do it again! I looked back at her, a content look on my face.

Haruhi gazed back at me, and I watched her begin to slowly lean forward. Before I knew it, she was resting her head against my chest. I could feel strands of her long brown hair tickle my nose. It felt like she was listening to my heart beat. This was certainly comforting.

"Listen, Haruhi…..don't you miss it all?" I began to say, although in a soft voice because of how close I was speaking into Suzumiya-san's ears. I felt her hair rustle a bit, and her hands were making themselves comfortable on my chest. She was using it as a pillow by this point, her voice slightly muffled as she responded to my question.

"Miss what?"

"The Brigade. Our usual mishaps. You know, everything the way it was. Stuff that doesn't involve me getting injured." I replied, and my eyes were beginning to feel slightly heavy. I do admit that I'm starting to feel a bit tired.

"Nothing's changed, Kyon. I don't get what you're talking about."

Damn. What do I have to do to get through to her? I can't give up on this yet yet. I will get the message to her, even if it's indirectly.

"Do you think tomorrow's going to turn out better? You think everything will be okay tomorrow?" I asked her sincerely, still reveling in the fact that she continued to rest her head on my chest. I had to admit that I was enjoying the warm aura she was exuding. If I didn't know better, it almost felt like that my stomach wound was already beginning to heal.

Haruhi brought her face up to look at me, blinking her amber eyes. Slowly but surely, a smile began to emerge on her face. She spoke sweetly, in a voice that I never thought she had.

"It will. It's going to be better. In fact, I think it's going to turn out great."

Wow. That voice completely knocked down anything that Asahina-san could come up with. That voice didn't sound like Haruhi at all. I let out another smile as I felt Suzumiya-san's head begin to rest on my chest again.

This wasn't so bad after all. I could feel myself yawn.

I guess I was wrong about Suzumiya-san. She's not as bad as I try and make her sound. Perhaps there really is more to her than meets the eye. Maybe I just need to spend some time trying to crack it out of her. Yeah, I should do that. Who knows how far I could get with Suzumiya-san.

I was about to say something else to her, until I heard the way she was breathing. I raised an eyebrow at she what I realized she was doing.

She was now asleep on my chest. Her posture had become relaxed and was leaning towards me, and her breathing came out in short calm intervals. She certainly was a sleeping beauty, if you ask me. I'm surprised she found my chest comfortable enough to sleep on.

I yawned once again, and I felt my eyes becoming very heavy this time around.

Well, there are surprisingly quite a few pluses to today. I didn't die today. I got another chance to live, Asakura-san is seemingly gone, and I even got to kiss Suzumiya-san at the end of it all. I never thought she actually felt that way about me. I never thought anyone did. Well, she didn't go all mushy on me, but that kiss she decided to give me said something.

I guess I need to toss away my reasonable side and all set rules I believe make up the world. There's no way to be reasonable in an unreasonable universe, or omniverse, if you want to get technical. Haruhi Suzumiya fully dictates what goes on in this world. It is under her jurisdiction to decide what happens next. If it was under mine, chances are it would all be normal and boring. Haruhi just makes everything exciting and crazy.

You know, even with all this amnesia, I'm getting a feeling that maybe I'll just get through it all.

As I began to drift into a peaceful sleep, I had but two things on my mind. I was smiling to myself about how lucky I was to be here with Suzumiya-san, and I was also thanking her as God for sparing my life. I could have grinned at this if I wasn't so tired.

And there we slept. Haruhi Suzumiya was resting her head on my chest, sleeping soundly, and I was probably snoring up a storm as I peacefully lay in the hospital bed.

As I was about to fall into the blackness of sleep, I silently thanked Haruhi one last time. This time around, I wasn't descending into a blackness of death, but the usual blackout that came with falling asleep. I guess I got lucky once again…

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And the epilogue come next! As a note, I will say now that yet another story shall be written once this one finishes! I can come up with ideas forever, especially considering the amount of readers I have. So be excited for whatever will come next! When I figure out a plot, of course. :)