There was a pounding on my door. It was annoying. It was like someone was beating on my head.

How much did I drink last night? I wondered, knowing how I like to throw some down to dull the pain. Wait, don't have any of that stuff. I'm trying to sober up.

Then headache was just from the hammering I got last night from Big - n - ugly. The knocking got louder.

"Crucified Christ," I grumbled, dragging myself out of bed. I hurt all over and there were blood stains on my sheets and clothes. I was too tired to clean up last night.

"Rikku!" came a familiar voice. That was Tamaki.

I froze, my heart pounding. What are they doing here? My mind was racing. How did they even find my house? Kyoya... I couldn't let them see me how I was. I didn't want to see them at all.

How long had I been asleep? Shouldn't those idiots be in school? They could pound out there all day. I wasn't going to answer them.

I stumbled back to my my bathroom and jumped in the shower. The hot water took some of the ache out of my tired muscles. I climbed out, steam billowing around me. Nothing better than a hot shower.
The knocking was still going on. Why wasn't someone shooing them away? Useless landlord.

I disposed of my blood caked clothes and pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and a Black Hearts tee-shirt. There was still knocking. Man, they were persistent.

I bandaged myself up and took some Tylenol. Those guys just weren't going to quit. How much longer until they just figured I wasn't home?

"We know you're in there, Rikku!" the twins said loudly.
"Answer the door!" Kaoru said.
"Or we're kicking it in!" Hikaru finished.

I couldn't afford a new door and door frame. I hurried to answer it. Just in time too. Mori had his leg raised to kick it in. Did they have no common sense among them? I sighed, pushing Mori's leg down.

"Jeez," I said looking at the ground. "You would've thought when I didn't answer that I didn't want visitors."

Tamaki nearly tackled me over. I yelped, shoving myself from his grasp, falling to the floor.

I looked up. They all looked mortified - even the usual stone faced Mori and Kyoya. I knew I looked terrible but they didn't have to stare.

"I'll make some tea," I said getting to my feet. "Take your shoes off."

They did as I instructed. Not so talkative anymore. They sat at my kitchen table. I brought the tea in and sat with them.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, not wasting anytime on formalities.

"We were worried after you didn't come to school today, Ri - chan," Honey said in a small voice.

"Especially after what happened," the twins threw in.

"Well did it ever occur to you that I just didn't feel well?" I cried. "I can take care of myself! I don't need your help! Or sympathy!"

I may have over reacted a tad. Just a smidge.

"We just wanted to make sure you're okay," Tamaki said. Even he was serious.

"I'm fine," I spat. "I just... I'm just sore and tired okay? I just needed to sleep yesterday off. Once you finish your tea... I'd like for you to leave."

I got up and left, heading for my room.

I don't need their help. I'm just fine on my own. I thought angrily. I slid down into the floor.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Kyoya said through the door.

I didn't answer. I heard all of them leave. Crucified Christ, what had I gotten myself into?

~~Mori's P.O.V.~~

Something about this whole thing is wrong, I thought as Mitskuni and I rode in the limo back to our respective homes. I just can't get it out of my head.

The image of Rikku, someone who was almost smaller than my cousin, beaten up and bruised, gazing up at us in pain and fear... it was drilling into my head and it wouldn't leave.

"Takeshi," Mitskuni said, his legs dangling above the floor of the car. "Are you thinking about Ri – chan?"

"Ah," I confirmed.

"Me too," he said, staring down at his feet. "I can't help but wonder if she's in real big trouble."

He was probably right. That made me crazy.

"I wish we could just get her to tell us," he admitted.

A plan instantly cooked up in my head but I couldn't tell Mitskuni. Not that I wanted to keep secrets from him... It was just something that I needed to do alone.

~~Rikku's P.O.V.~~

I woke to knocking again. I hadn't realized that I'd fallen asleep sitting in front of my bedroom door. I sat up and stretched a little before standing and stumbling to the door.

I pulled it open, thinking it may have been Bo, but I was surprised to find Mori – without Honey. Today was just full of surprises.

"M-Mori - sempai," I stammered, moving so he could come in. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't answer but I really wasn't expecting one. I shut the door.

"Would you like some tea or something?" I asked. I really hated tea but kept in the house for visitors.

"No," he said. "I want to know what happened to you."

Of course that's what the whole visit was about. I hesitated. It was one thing to tell the host club but another to tell Mori. I liked him more than the rest of the guys in the host club. He was sort of normal, which was a big deal in the Host Club. He didn't really seem that into hosting. I guessed that it was mostly conditional to be around Honey.

"Rikku," he pressed.

I looked up at him. He was standing really close to me. Close enough so I could smell him. He smelled good too. Kinda like Bod Really Ripped Abs and a ting of sweat.

I gasped and looked back down to hide my sudden embarrassment. Once I gathered my brains, I looked back up at him. "Okay," I said seriously. "But if I tell you, you have to pinky promise not to tell anyone."

I held up my pinky. Mori linked his pinky with mine, looking only slightly confused.

"This pinky promise is legit. Break this pinky promise and I'll break your pinky - promise." I told him seriously.

"Deal," he agreed.

I took a big breath and filled him in.