The crowd applauded as the petite bridegroom pulled his flustered bride towards him for an enthusiastic kiss, then grabbed her hand and ran off down the aisle shouting "Let's go get some cake!"

"I'll go up and talk to him right after he finishes talking to that lady." Kaori examined the leaves the plant next to her, poor thing – it looked like it could use some water. Maybe she should go find a server? "Then after that I'll go talk with him, right after he finishes talking to that man."

The crowd around her was in full 'mingling' mode. Dinner, toasts, and dancing would come later – for now people were milling around chatting as servers passed among them with drinks and appetizers. Kaori had been hiding (no, not hiding – resting) in an alcove for the last fifteen minutes, trying to work up the nerve to at least talk with the man of her dreams. She was failing. "If only he didn't look so good in that tuxedo…"

"So, are you just going to stand here stalking my brother all night?"

A familiar young man stepped in front of her, blocking her view and she looked up into the smiling face of her younger, shorter, slimmer, and less handsome 'totally-not-related-legally-or-biologically' cousin.

"Why does everyone think I stalk him?"

"Oh, I'm sure there's at least one person who doesn't" Satoshi muttered glancing at his brother. "I'm not sure, maybe it's all the peering around corners and peeking through bushes that gives people the wrong impression. Seriously, though, you should just go up and talk with him."

"I will…. In a bit" she slumped back against the wall, negating years of etiquette training.

He gave a low laugh. For years he'd watched her as she cast longing looks in his brother's direction. Onii-san wasn't much better; he was always glancing at her with a concerned look. What could you do when one person was too shy and the other too reserved? This might be the last time they could sort out whatever it was between them, but someone needed to give them a push. Might as well be him.

"If you're too shy, little cousin, I can help" said Satoshi cheerfully, grabbing at her arm and heading out across the floor. "Onii-san, look who I found!"

"Okay! Stop!" Kaori disentangled herself and giggled. His teasing had snapped her out of her timidity. "I'll go. I'll go. By the way, I'm disowning you for this!"

"We aren't related anyway. Go on." Satoshi gave her a gentle nudge and smiled at her back as she started across the floor. His good deed done for the night, he set off to find Yasuchika.

Kaori slowly walked across the crowded room. Her new orthotic was practically bionic and did a lot of self-balancing for her, but without her crutch she still needed to be careful. Leaving it at home had been a small act of vanity – with the full skirt on her dress nobody who didn't already know her would be able to tell there was anything different. She wanted this night to be perfect, and that meant no people looking at her with pity or revulsion, no insincere smiles or muttering behind hands, no look of shame in her father's eyes over his flawed daughter.

"I can do this. I'll just go up and say 'Hello, Takashi, how have you been? No, wait. That's too informal – Takashi-san is better, right? More adult. Okay then. 'Hello Takashi-san..."

She paused to allow some people to cross in front of her; a busy ballroom was as dangerous as an obstacle course. He was now less than five meters away, his back partially turned to her. She steadily walked closer.

"It'll be simple. 'Hello, Takashi-san, how have you been?' I can do this. 'Hello Taka- Aaaah!"

An inattentive guest bumped into her from behind right at the moment all her weight was on her weak leg. She stumbled, went flying straight at her target, and once again fell into his arms.

Out of the corner of his eye, Mori had seen a blur of pink, white, and gold hurtling towards him. In an instant, he evaluated the potential threat, put down his glass on the tray of a passing waiter, and caught the tumbling woman in his arms. "Are you alright?" he inquired, starting to set her back on her feet. He looked down and found himself staring into familiar chocolate-brown eyes.

"Hi Taka-chan, remember me?" she smiled up at him and his heart stopped.

Six years ago one summer…

"So, Mitsu-chan has always liked sweets, he was just pretending to please his otou-san?" asked the feminine voice from above his head.

The three of them were arrayed around what had become their tree over the last five years. Mitsukuni was curled up in a ball napping, Usa-chan cuddled in his arms. Kaori was, per usual, up on the lowest branch, back against the trunk with her right leg along the branch and left leg dangling. He lounged on his side to the left of her, idly playing with a blade of grass and keeping a watchful eye in case she overbalanced.

"A lot of things make more sense now. I mean, he did always grab the biggest slice – plus there were all those tea parties. And the stuffed animals. I just thought he didn't like to lose."

"He doesn't. But, mostly it was the cake."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence. He watched her leg swing back and forth like a metronome. "She's fidgeting. I wonder what she has on her mind?" He rolled over on his back and stared at the sky through the leaves. She'd tell him eventually, she always did. As predicted, after a couple more minutes she broke the silence.

"Taka-chan, do you like Ouran?"

So, it was about school? He didn't have strong feelings about the school one way or the other, school was school – but he liked his Kendo team, Mitsukuni was there, and since the beginning of second year he'd started to have a lot of fun with his new club. All-in-all he guessed he did like it.

"Yeah."

The leg was still swinging. "Must be something serious."

"Papa says I can start attending school next year."

"That's good!" He smiled. She'd been fighting to go to school with her peers for two years, but her father had stubbornly insisted on tutors. "She doesn't sound as excited as I thought she'd be."

"He says there's this school for people with disabilities in New Zealand that would be good for me. All the clubs and activities are accessible and the other kids would be understanding." He could hear the bitterness in her voice, especially on the words accessible and understanding. Her tone brightened with forced optimism. "I'm sure it will be fun, at least I could have some friends…."

He had been raised to be respectful of his elders, and of the Haninozuka family, but he thought her father was an idiot. Why couldn't he see how much his over-protectiveness hurt her and undermined her confidence?

"I don't want you to go." He was surprised at the thought. Of course, she was one of his favorite relatives and he didn't think New Zealand was the right place for her. Anyone would find that depressing. Still, he wouldn't tell her what to do; too many people did that already.

"What do you want to do, Kaori-chan?"

"I…. I just don't want to be special anymore. I don't see why I should be treated differently than anyone else just because of this." She thumped her right leg in emphasis.

"At Ouran, there would be a lot of activities you couldn't participate in."

"But there would be a lot more I could, right? And how will I know what I can't do if I don't get the chance to try? I'm getting stronger all the time, in a few years I may not even need the crutch."

"People can be cruel to those who are different."

"That's true anywhere. Kids in New Zealand would be the same – being disabled doesn't make you any meaner or nicer than anyone else."

"Sounds like you've figured out what you want to do."

She turned so both legs were dangling off the same side and smiled down at him. "Yes. I'm going to go to Ouran!" Her eyes glowed with anticipation of the upcoming battle; her father wouldn't know what hit him.

He stood up, she was still so small that even up in the tree her eyes were just level with his. He reached out and patted her on the head, giving her a gentle smile.

"Good girl. Do your best."

One of the many Haninozuka retainers appeared over the hill that lay in the direction of the main house. "Kaori-chan" he shouted, "your father is here."

"Coming!" she called back.

He grasped Kaori's waist to lift her down from the branch. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a childish kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks Taka-chan!"

He flushed a little in embarrassment as he always did and set her down. He was oddly pleased that she wasn't yet too grown up for such things. Grabbing her crutch, she made her way off. At the top of the hill she turned to wave, shouting "See you in April!" then disappeared over the ridge.

"Are you worried about her, Takashi?" He turned to see Mitsukuni, with Usa-chan in his arms, hanging upside down from Kaori's branch. He wondered how much of the conversation his friend had overheard.

"No, she's strong."

"I think so too. Do you think Kyouya-chan would let her visit the host club so we can have cake together?"

"…." The thought of how the Vice President would react to the request was too frightening to put into words.

"I guess you're right," sighed Mitsukuni, "But we'll get to see her all the time. She'll be okay, Takashi, Chika-chan and Satoshi-chan will watch out for her."

That was the last time he talked with her.

"Taka-chan? So much for dignified adult!" If he didn't remember her at least now he'd never forget her. Kaori felt her face warm and tried to mentally will away the blush she knew was there.

"I remember you, Kaori-chan." Mori smiled as he set her back on her feet. He was surprised at how happy he felt that she was talking with him. Well, why wouldn't he – she'd been a dear childhood friend and he'd missed her company all those years she had held back from approaching him.

Of course he had seen her hanging around since she'd entered middle school. He'd have had to be blind not to notice. It was obvious her unusual shyness was due to a crush on one of the hosts. It hadn't taken long to figure out who it was.

"I should make her happy and ask Tamaki to dance with her tonight." That thought caused an unexpected twinge in his chest. He mentally shook it away. At least her crush on Tamaki was safe; nothing would part him from Haruhi. It's not like she liked Kyouya or (he shuddered) one of the twins.

He was starting to get an unusual feeling – like he was looking at a trick picture and his head was insisting it was of two faces while his eyes insisted it was a vase. Why did he care so much that Tamaki was 'safe.'

"I'm here, I'm talking to him, I should just make the best of it" Kaori thought. She cast around for a good topic, when in doubt there was one subject that was appropriate. "Wasn't it a wonderful wedding, Taka-chan?"

He relaxed as her conversation flowed over him. So many people took his reticence for either lack of interest or shyness and they were always trying to attract his attention or draw him out of his shell. Kaori simply talked or was quiet, inviting him to comment without demanding it. Unsurprisingly, she'd loved everything so far – she even had something nice to say about the black and purple goth-lolita bridesmaids dresses.

Getting carried away, Kaori started hugging his arm, squeezing it against her as she chattered excitedly. He smiled down at her, then blushed and looked away in embarrassment when he was unexpectedly confronted with the fact that she was no longer an eleven-year-old kid. He surreptitiously began to pull his arm away and put a little distance between them.

"Her father shouldn't have let her wear that dress. You can see… things." His eyes narrowed a bit and his lip turned down in a faint frown. He firmly reminded himself that she wasn't his younger sister; she wasn't even his cousin, so he had no right to object to her wardrobe. For some reason, that thought caused his frown to deepen.

Kaori noticed his expression and her voice trailed off. "Did I say something wrong? Oh, no – I'm probably babbling too much again. Maybe I'll just pretend someone is waving at me from across the room."

She was saved by a cheerful voice dripping with flowers. "Kaori-chan, you made it!" Mitsu-chan swooped in from out of nowhere, grabbed Kaori in a hug and spun her around. "You have to come meet Rei-chan! Takashi – you can talk with Kaori later." He began pulling her off to meet his bride. Kaori waved an apologetic good-bye as she was drug off into the crowd.

Mori raised his hand back in a half-hearted wave back, wondering why he was sorry to see her go.

A/N: Standard disclaimer: any resemblance to characters, living or dead, owned by Bisco Hatori are entirely intentional and due to my admiration of her work but should not be taken as an intent to claim ownership.

It is really hard to write dialogue for Mori. I do a first draft then go through and strip out as many extraneous words as possible. Thankfully I get to cheat by showing his thoughts.

Please send reviews; I have to bribe my Beta Reader with pizza to get him to read the romantic gooey parts. This is an unofficial outtake just for him:

Kaori: Braaains!

Mori: I love you too! (hug) Ouch!... Braaains!

Honey: No fair, you guys are playing zombie apocalypse without me. (puts arms in out in front) Braaainssss! – this is fun!

Usa-chan: Caaarroooots!

Tamaki: No! No! No! Where is the passion? Where is the elegance? There is absolutely nothing romantic about zombies. MOMMMY – make that guy go away!

Kyouya to Beta Reader: I'm afraid I need to ask you to leave, you are disturbing our customers. Please don't make me call my security team.

Haruhi (thoughts): Hmmm, I wonder if dad would like some horumonyaki for dinner tonight

Me to Beta Reader: Satisfied? Now go read the kissing scene I just wrote!

Hikaru & Kaoru: Hey, author-lady, are we going to show up in this thing at all?

Me: Great, now you're all here. One of you, make yourself useful and get me a drink the rest of you go away so I can edit Chapter 3….