A/N: Well guys it's really been a while hasn't it? If you don't follow my profile then you might not have realized why this story suddenly halted in its updates (though it really wasn't consistent before.) For those who don't already know I have a very tight knit way of writing, and most of the time I'll write out an entire stories plot (including what happens in each chapter) before even starting on the writing process. Just Haruhi, being one of my more complex plots, was one of those I had written out. Unfortunately my computer crashed and with it I lost all of my planning and plot, which was a big deal since I had no idea how I was going to actually end the story. I still had a vague idea of what I was going to do but by the time I got the courage to try and write again my skills had fallen considerably.

I tried to fix this by starting another story, but I wasn't ever happy with my work.

I'm sure most of the reader's don't care about why, or what was going on in my life at the time, but I do want to assure you that most of it was justified. I know that I'm still not at a level where I'm happy with my own writing, and though I may have grown in some ways I've fallen in many others, I can only ask that you forgive these details and enjoy the heart and the story that I'm putting out and not just the quality.

The story was planned to end at about twenty chapters, but I'm going to be pushing the story a bit faster than I had intended because I want to see this sequel finished.

To be honest I still don't have a CLUE how the story is going to end, for now, I just hope you'll enjoy the ride along with me until we figure it out.

As always I will forever love you all for your help and support during these times.

Thank you so much and please enjoy the story.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Haruhi…is that you?" A shaky voice called out from the living room. Haruhi's ears twitched as she heard it, quickly getting to attention as she poked her head inside. Sitting with tense shoulders, a face withered with time, sat her soon to be father in law, book in hand, a worried expression crossed over his features.

"Good afternoon sir." She whispered politely, bowing down a quarter or so in respect. Time had not been kind to him over the last couple of years, that cold, almost inhuman creature she had met only a few years ago seemed so distant as she watched the old man. He smiled weakly at her before moving his hand slowly towards him.

"No need to be so formal…come…I wish to speak to you…" He whispered hoarsely. Haruhi slowly nodded, her long brown hair falling over her face as she tenderly stepped toward the man. The room was lit gingerly by candlelight, it's warm and enticing aura playing off of the walls like children on a summer day. A fireplace crackled, breaking the silence, as Haruhi sat in front of the man.

"…Yes?" She asked, already knowing that what he was about to tell her was no normal lecture. Kyouya's father rarely talked unless he was giving advice about financial situations, or planning for the future. She'd seen the man smile once, but even after living in the same house together for nearly a year he had never once talked to her as carelessly as he was now.

"Haruhi…I'm dying." He whispered slowly. Haruhi sat up straight, her long lashes blinking against her cheek with her mouth agape.

"Pardon?" She whimpered out.

"I'm ill Haruhi…very ill…I have been for months…that's why it's so important that I have a son whom I can give the company to…a son that I trust…a son, who I know will take better care of it that I have." He whispered out slowly. The man crossed his arms, intertwining his fingers as his hands shook softly.

"Sir…" Haruhi started out, he laughed before shaking his head, a genuine smile crossing his face as his shaking brown eyes looked down upon her own.

"Call me dad Haruhi…please…" He whispered to her. She gulped a bit before slowly nodding, her mouth opened in an attempt to say the word, but it didn't come out as naturally as she had hoped. Haruhi fought back tears as her lips silently whispered the word she thought she'd never be able to say again-

"Dad…." Her voice broke, but she kept her composure. "W…why are you telling me this?" She asked slowly.

"Why not Kyouya…or your other children…?" Haruhi whispered gently. He bowed his head at that, the turn of his lips slowly moving from a smile to a frown as he let out a heavy sigh, his chest raising and lowering much slower than her own.

"There is so much that I regret in my lifetime Haruhi…but…the thing that truly tugs at my heart the most is the way I treated my family…especially after my beautiful and beloved wife died….without her, I was lost, and cold…and I inflicted that upon my own children…" He bit his lip, leaving a white impression where his teeth had been as he sighed, taking off his glasses while he rubbed his temple.

"…they will never forgive me, I know that…." He continued slowly.

"That's not true…" Haruhi whispered sadly. How many years had he been living with this guilt? How scared was he, knowing that he would be going to the grave without anyone to truly mourn for him? Haruhi flinched, sitting up on her knees as she placed her hand gently on his arm.

"Your children- …we…love you very much dad…" she whispered softly. He looked up, his eyes, now riddled with bags and crow's feet, watered in the dark as he attempted to smile for the young girl. He reached out and rubbed her head slowly, her hair twisting into his fingers as he laughed weakly.

"You're a good girl Haruhi…" He whispered slowly.

"You remind me of my own wife when I was younger…she was a feisty thing, just like you…Fuyumi, she was just like her, body and soul…when she was growing up, I couldn't handle seeing her mother in her…I…I suppose I feared that she would end up the same way…I scolded her for things I shouldn't have, suppressed parts of her I should have accepted…and in the end, instead of allowing her a place by my side I pushed her off into a family life…I thought…I thought she'd be happy there…" He stopped and shook his head.

"….No….no I knew she wouldn't be happy with a life like that…but, I thought it was safer, I thought…as long as she didn't get hurt, as long as I didn't get hurt…it was all justified." His eyes glazed over, obviously relishing in some lifelong secret he'd been holding in. Haruhi could only watch him, a bit terrified, as his skinny and unhealthy body shook against the chair.

"I was so cruel to them…so cruel…" He whimpered. Haruhi jumped off where she sat, quickly wrapping her arms around the old man as she held his head into her shoulder, her eyes staring up at the ceiling to hold back her own sadness.

Did all parents feel this way about their children?

"It's ok dad….it's ok…." Haruhi replied feebly, not even confident enough in her own answer to console him.

"Mr. Ootori there you are!"

A maid shuffled into the room as she gently grabbed onto the crippled man's arms, lifting him up as she threw one of his arms around her shoulder. She smiled politely down at Haruhi as she ducked down a little bit to get a better grip on the man.

"Thank you for keeping him company Haruhi." She whispered.

"It was no trouble…" Haruhi answered gently. She watched as the two started to head out of the now cold and abandoned room. The old man looked back, his eyes wavering, and his body now falling limp against the small maid, but something was there she had never seen before, a glimmer, a spark…

Hope.

"Haruhi…" he uttered "I am so happy to be able to call you my daughter."

Haruhi smiled at him and nodded politely, watching the maid hobble away with him, leaving her to sit with her thoughts. Haruhi fell back into one of the chairs and groaned, rubbing her temple, she could hear the harsh rain pounding outside, and her heartbeat started to quicken along with it.

What was she doing…?

Hikaru was engaged…and so was she…if Mr. Ootori found out that she had been planning on leaving Kyouya the whole time, it would kill him she was just sure of it, let alone to find out that his son was gay and had been hiding it from him for years now.

One thing was for sure, something had to change.

"It seems that my father really likes you."

Haruhi nearly jumped out of her skin as a voice like thunder pounded against the walls of the room and into her ears. She slowly lifted her eyes, still as confused and full of doubt, towards the man speaking towards her. She held back a growl and shot her glare towards the floor in an attempt to be polite.

"Hello Shigure." She whispered under her breath.

He smiled and sat down next to her, neatly folding his hands across his lap as he leaned back into the cushions. She twisted uncomfortably and tried to look anywhere but at him, he had been giving her the creeps ever since he arrived and a situation like this wasn't helping.

"Father seems to be in a rather delicate state of mind wouldn't you say?" He asked smoothly, glancing down at the girl as she twitched. Haruhi laughed nervously and shuffled her hands across her lap as she shrugged.

"He's getting older, I'm sure he just has a lot to think about."

"Indeed I suppose he does." Shigure crossed a leg over his knee as he let out a small groan, showing that he was thinking something. Haruhi kept her eye level low and clenched onto the couch tightly, waiting for a moment to strike or run away.

"It's funny though-" Shigure announced just as she was about to get up "-at how he seems to console in you instead of his own son, which he supposedly trust enough to leave his entire life's work with."

Haruhi flinched and tightened her grip on the couch, her eyebrows knitting together in fury as she fought to keep herself calm.

"It's just easier to talk to me because I don't hold a grudge against him; he loves Kyouya and trust Kyouya more than you could possibly understand." Haruhi hissed. Shigure smirked and nodded.

"I suppose…though that is rather hard to prove seeing as how he only started being kind to him since you came along." He glanced sideways at the woman as she snapped her head up at him.

"What are you implying?"

"Oh nothing Haruhi, nothing…just thinking to myself is all I suppose." He whispered with a giddy smile. It didn't suit him. He was up to something and she knew it. Haruhi stood up fiercely, unable to handle the pressure of his presence any longer.

"Look Shigure I really don't like it when people beat around the bush, so if you came here to tell me something than just spit it out already!" She yelled.

"Such a temper…I like that." He laughed out. Haruhi shook her head in disgust before stomping out towards the door. She turned the handle and was about to step away when she heard his voice, cold and condescending, call out to her.

"I found out something interesting about my brother you know." Shigure was smiling to himself, obviously teasing her with more questions than answers. Haruhi slowly turned and closed the door behind her with a gentle click.

"…what sort of something?" She asked.

"Oh, it's just on the tip of my tongue…now let's see…it had something to do with that illegitimate friend of his, Tamaki was it?"

Haruhi stood frozen cold as Shigure's eye's glinted with evil. He slowly pushed himself up and walked toward her, his hand extending as he ran his fingers down her cheek softly. She flinched and turned away, her breath quickening.

"But you know that it's more than that don't you Haruhi? They're far more than just 'friends' aren't they?" He smiled happily before pinching her cheek.

Haruhi gulped and looked at the wall, blocking him out as much as possible.

"I, of course, was rather surprised when I found out that my own brother way gay…imagine how shocked I was to hear that he had a fiancé as well…" Shigure moved his hand down to her jaw and swiped her face to look into his own eyes.

"Is this some kind of ploy? Some kind of game to get the company? You planned this didn't you, Kyouya had this planned all along to steal what was rightfully mine didn't he!" Shigure was no longer smiling, his face had twisted into odd proportions as he yelled at Haruhi, she tried not to flinch as she reached her hand down to open up the door. He slammed his hand down on her arm, keeping her from safety.

"Are you two in this together? Or are you just some low class gold digger who made a deal to cheat with whoever you both damn please?" Shigure screamed. Haruhi stomped her foot down quickly as she shook her head.

"It's nothing like that!" She yelled out, her heart beating faster and faster inside of her chest.

"Then Kyouya planned this?" Shigure shook her, demanding answers as she yelped and tried to move from his arms. He threw her down onto the couch and she scrambled to get away, but he grabbed onto her. He pressed her harshly into the wall adjacent of the door and tilted her chin harshly so that her head hit against the divider.

"Well, tell me! What is Kyouya planning?"

A clap of thunder ran throughout the entire home as Haruhi flinched, tears flowing from her eyes as she screamed, the sound nearly pushing her over the edge as she threw her face in to her hands.

"HIKARU!" Haruhi screamed out, hoping, praying that the boy would be able to help her. Slowly Shigure's hands weakened on her body as he laughed a laugh that made her feel even more terrified than she had been before.

"…Hikaru?" He asked tilting his head. Haruhi's bright orbs shot wide as she suddenly shook her head, reaching her hand out pleadingly as he started to back away to the door.

"Hikaru Hikaru Hikaru, now why does that name sound so familiar?" He mused playfully.

"N-no, Hikaru- h-he, he doesn't have anything to do with this." She yelled out. Shigure smirked and raised a brow.

"Oh he doesn't? Well then…what I'm about to say next won't affect him in the least." Shigure said with a small shrug. Haruhi flinched and straightened herself so that she was a bit taller against this- demon.

"…what do you mean?" She whispered.

"I'm the rightful owner of this company Haruhi…and if you value any of your friends lives, you're going to help me get it." He whispered. Haruhi raised a brow curiously as she circled away from him while he stepped forward.

"You're not willing to kill your own brother." She hissed out. He smirked and shrugged gently.

"You underestimate the intolerance in my family Haruhi. My father may be dying but he still has his pride, how do you think he'd react if I revealed to him Kyouya's little secret? Perhaps death would be too harsh of a punishment, but my father is a cunning man, I'm sure he could think of something far worse rather easily."

Haruhi moved her arms to cover her chest as she shook, how long had Shigure been planning this?

"As far as Hikaru goes I really can't touch him, though, I wonder how his fiancé would react after finding out he's been sleeping with the local mutt?" Shigure asked calmly, tilting his head a bit. Haruhi growled under her breath and threw out her hand quickly to slap his cheek, he caught it in the air however and squeezed her skin tightly.

"A-ah!" Haruhi turned her head quickly as pain shot up her arm. Her teeth clamped down on her lip as she quivered, falling at his own physical power.

"What…do you want from me?" Haruhi asked angrily. Shigure smirked to himself before laughing.

"All I want from you Miss Haruhi, is your hand in marriage."

Hikaru shuddered as he sat with Kaoru, a bad feeling running up and down his spine. He grabbed onto his phone quickly and browsed through the text and missed calls. Nothing. Usually Haruhi would be able to talk to him by now. He sighed and hit the call button for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. He pulled the phone up to his ear and listened carefully to the dial tone.

One ring. Two. Three. Four. Five.

"Haruhi…please pick up." Hikaru whispered, his eyes shot open in joy as he heard something click, but closed once more in disappointment as he realized he had only reached her voicemail. With a low sigh he threw his phone onto his bed and leaned back against the wall.

"Maybe she's doing homework or something" Kaoru suggested, looking through one of their own photo albums. Hikaru shrugged before looking out their large glass pane windows, the thunder was striking like mad, as if trying to warn him of the impending doom on the horizon.

"I don't know…I've got a bad feeling Kaoru" Hikaru whispered softly , more to himself than at his brother. Kaoru glanced over before placing his hand over the worried teenagers. He smiled gently before patting his leg.

"It'll be alright Hikaru, tomorrow we'll go to school and you'll feel silly for ever worrying about it."

Hikaru nodded a bit, though he wasn't convinced. Slowly he stood up and marched over to their large closet, throwing open the doors to one of the many compartments. Kaoru watched curiously as Hikaru tossed shirts here and there before grabbing a long jacket.

"I'm going over there, just to make sure." He whispered. Kaoru jumped up and ran over to his brother, blocking his way to the door as he shook his head.

"Hikaru today isn't one of the safe days, someone could see you." He warned. Hikaru nodded and rubbed his temple.

"I know Kaoru but I really have a bad feeling about this, I'll just check in to see if she's ok, I'll be really quick, there's nothing wrong about a friend checking in on a friend right?" He persuaded. Kaoru scrunched up his nose in annoyance and reached out to stop his brother.

"There is when those two are secretly dating even though they're both engaged, and ONE of those said engages is bat shit CRAZY!" Kaoru yelled. Hikaru sighed before tilting his head, placing his hand gently upon his brother's shoulder.

"…then you go. There's nothing between you two, and I don't Haley would care if you two were in contact right?" Hikaru asked tilting his head some. Kaoru blinked for a bit before stepping back.

"You mean you want to switch places?" He asked. Hikaru shook his head quickly.

"No…I doubt Hannah's so dense she hasn't at least noticed a few differences about us yet…namely how I have this aura that I want to fucking kill her every time we're in the same room together..." Hikaru growled just at the thought before calming himself down. He slipped off his jacket and handed it to Kaoru.

"No…I mean…you go…as Kaoru…just…check up on her…please?" He asked softly. Kaoru could only stare at his brother in disbelief before letting out a heavy sigh, slipping on the jacket over his arms.

"Alright but you're gonna feel really silly sending me all the way across town just for her to be completely fine." Kaoru insulted. Hikaru smiled softly before nodding.

"I'd rather feel silly than be right Kaoru…so….please, bring back good news, and make me feel like a fool."

Kaoru smirked and threw open the door to their room, slipping the hood over his thick head of hair.

"Oh please Hikaru, you do that enough yourself, you don't need any help."