Huzzah I am back from the dead! Fear me! Fear me! Lol, hopefully everyone had a great break, I'm sure the december was a holiday season for most, but I could be wrong. I'm back at school, and now that I'm settled I can focus a little more. I have a lot of classes this semester, plus my articles for the school paper, and my website I'm trying to start up, so the updates may be a little irregular, but I will try.
Disclaimer: don't own anything, but my oc's and their drama.
Other Disclaimer: Fruit cakes are for decoration not eating.
Chapter Twenty One Most wonderful time of the year
Kagame was smiling. Natasumi glared crossing her arms as she raised a single well styled eyebrow at her oldest daughter.
"Kagame." She started, "Why did you hand the limo driver a piece of paper before we all piled into the limo?"
"Ahhh, because I wanted to give him my secret-secret love note." Kagame answered
"Mr. Yin is 35 and happily married darling, your going to have to try better than that." Natasumi warned
Kagame flicked her head to right and the left as she shifted in her seat. The twins smiled at her as Ayumi stared at her sister.
"Kagame, what's going on?" Ayumi prompted as their mother cleared her throat.
"Nothing." Kagame flicked her hair, "What do you think is going on? Can't I have a love affair with a married man?"
"You would be more likely to marry Cho." Sho and Jun answered, "At least he would loyal."
"Oh you did not just go there." Kagame hissed as her brothers stuck their tounges out.
"Oi, mama hasn't had any drinks yet, so no pulling each others heads off until I get my hands on the first bottle, then you can kill each other."Natasumi yawned,"Kagame who was hosting this party?"
She glanced out the window, quickly at the lines of cars in the snow, or rather waiting limos, camera's, what-
"Kagame!" She yelled as her oldest daughter yelped flinging open the passenger door and throwing herself into the cold snow.
"I love you mom, see you inside." Kagame yelled from the snow as she picked herself up, and running forward toward the crowd that had gathered out front as she could hear her mothers screech fill the night air,
"KAGAME! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU YOU WILL BE DEAD! DEADER THAN A RAT IN A WATER BUCKET! FEAR MY WRATH NAIVEE CHILD!"
Natasumi leaned back into the limo, shutting the door as her other three children stared at her, "Mom-" Ayumi started before she shut her mouth with a snap.
"You think we're at an ex's house?" the twins whispered to each other.
"NO!" Natasumi fumed, as she took a deep breath, "We are at my mother's house."
"GRANDMAS!" the three yelled together, as the limo screeched once more to a halt to let the children out to forge through the ice and the snow.
"GRANDMA! GRANDMA!" they screamed as Natasumi looked on disapproving from her spot from inside the limo. Oh yes, Grandma's house. The one woman she hated, and hadn't seen, hadn't seen until his death, that was eight years ago.
She rubbed her forehead, Kagame just loved to rile her up didn't she. Just had to mettle in her mother's affairs didn't she.
"Madame? Will you be joining your children or should I take you home?"
"No. I will be joining my children, one way or another." she answered, waiting another moment in the car as she sighed and pushed open the door. Her mother's country house, as they liked to call it, was lit up in its entire wonderful splendor with its wreaths, its Christmas lights, and the icicles hanging off the roof.
She glared, wrinkled her nose and shoved through the paparazzi that had flooded the doorway.
"Natasumi does this mean that you will inherit the family fortune?"
"Natasumi how does it feel to be the last daughter of the famous thourghbred family? Leaders in the races?"
She stopped, as she grabbed the reported by his collar, "Listen buddy, how does a fist to your face feel?"
"Natty, stop being so mean to the nice reporters, come inside dear."
She turned slowly, seeing her the dreaded voice, scold her like she was stealing cookies again.
"Mother." she forced the smile, throwing the reporter back, "How have you been?"
"Fine. Your daughter has grown. Where is the other one? I know you had one more." She smiled, the prim old woman. Natasumi felt like she was in a stand off as she stared at her mother, "She's at school mother. A schooldance. I'm not sure if she'll be attending tonight."
"Come in from the cold dear." She insisted as she grabbed her arm steering her up the steps as her long gown dragged over the marble. Her mother was dressed in a prim tightly fit dress with her signature fox fur wrapped around her shoulders her steely grey hair wrapped tightly against her had.
"I need a drink." Natasumi muttered wrenching her arm from her mother's grip.
"Young woman you are still representing our family name-"
"No. This changes nothing." She hissed as she turned back to the crowd that was staring, "Hello. I'm Natasumi, I'm afraid I only know some of you."
The people eased back into the conversation, but Kagame watched from a distance.
"Hey Kagame why does mom hate grandma?" Ayumi asked glancing up at her older sister.
"Ayumi our mother is a fickle creature and grandmother is her sire." She muttered, sipping down another glass of champagne, "You know all that Manga you like to read? Well think of it of the princess that married the commoner who was brave and strong, but she had to leave everything behind only to have him die when she had her children."
"Oh." Ayumi nodded, stuffing a piece of cake into her mouth, "Grandpa's nice."
"Grand dad is nice to everyone who ain't on the hit list." Kagame muttered again.
"What?" Ayumi asked
"Nothing hun. No more skeletons coming out of a our closet for now okay." Kagame smiled, "Go get him to pull out his fiddle, these people need a distraction before Godzilla breaks out and tears apart Tokyo."
"Okay." Ayumi started moving away from her sister in her short pink gown "By the way when was Mikan going to get here?"
"Oh soon enough." She answered with a flick of her hair, texting away to Kyoya.
"AHHHH! YOUR KIDNAPPING ME AND GOING TO EAT MY SOUL AREN"T YOU!"
"What?" Kyoya asked confused as Mikan rolled into a ball upon the seat, laying her head on Haruhi's lap, "I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die."
"Mikan are you okay?" Haruhi cocked her head at her friend.
"I don't know where I am, who I am, who are you? where are we? why are their so many people?" Mikan began to wheeze.
Kyoya sighed, luckily Tamaki was not riding in this limo, but he was sure the King was having his own problems with the ride.
"I won't serve more drinks. I won't serve more drinks. I won't serve more drinks." Mikan muttered over and over and over again.
"Shhh you won't have to." Haruhi promised arkwardly patting the top of her head, "This is your party."
"No my party was small, tiny. Like us and maybe a few other people and my family, not this." Mikan yelled, slamming her face against the window, "SO MANY CARS! SO MANY PEOPLE!"
"You weren't told how many people were invited?" Kyoya asked, "This will be an interesting evening indeed"
"DAMN YOU SHADOW KING! DAMN YOU TO HECK!" Mikan yelled thumping her fists against his chest.
"Mikan every time you hit me, you only dig your grave deeper."
'GOOD!" she screamed, as she began to naw on his arm and Haruhi sighed, "Is there anyway I can get a ride home?"
"I will lower your debt by a tenth if you keep Mikan sane through tonight." Kyoya told her as he pried off the shaking puppy who had returned to the floor of the limo.
"PEOPLE! PEOPLE!" she began to mutter again as Kyoya nudged her with a toe.
"Poor puppy." he muttered half-heartedly as the limo pulled to a stop and the door was opened.
"Come along puppy." He urged stepping over her folded body into the snow and the crowd that was still filtering in. Haruhi had managed to usher Mikan out of the car, as the puppy clung to her friend, they looked like an odd couple.
"Come on Mikan, you're supposed to enjoy this party." Haruhi told her, "Look there are the twins."
Mikan glanced as the rest of the host club, was enjoying the lime light, almost two much as the twins shoved each other over to get their pictures taken as Tamaki seemed to be lapping it up more than a thirsty horse in the mid day sun of a desert.
"Mikan we didn't know you were famous." Hunny cried as he waved at camera's and reporters .
"Mikan?" Haruhi asked, but the pink headed girl had grown quiet.
"Lets get inside." She ordered as she didn't stop to pay attention to the people taking photos. Haruhi could barely catch the questions the reporters were shouting after her, "Mikan-san how does it feel to be back on the stage after your last accident?"
"Mikan-san is it true you were thrown out of your last production?"
"Mikan-san is the pink hair part of your rebellion act?"
Kyoya pushed them both along, as the reported recognized him and shouted the same barrage of questions, "What are your plans for the future?" "Does your father intend on taking more risks in this market?"
Haruhi watched in awe as they all just smiled and waved, with the exception of Mikan and Mori who both seemed uncomfortable in the crowd, with Mori having his usual stoic expression and Mikan shoving through as if there was no more tomorrow.
Mikan only seemed to relax once she was inside the grand house as Haruhi could only stare. It reminded her of the inside of Ouran, but it was a house. She had never seen a house like it, she only had speculated how the rich spent their money.
"Ah Mikan this house is wonderful!" Tamaki complimented
"Eh it could be better." The twins huffed, "We've seen bigger."
"DO NOT INSULT THE PUPPIES HOUSE! WE ARE GUESTS!" Tamaki demanded as Mikan only slapped a hand to her face.
"Why? Why? It was going to be a quiet party. A nice small quiet party, no cameras, no reporters, just me and my friends." She sighed again.
"Mikan honey. How are you?"
Mikan glanced at her mother as they exchanged a quick private glance, but she forced a smile, 'Great. Great. This is a bigger venue than what I was expecting."
"I know Kagame and I believe it is Kyoya-correct." Natasumi turned to address the tall shadow king, "Planned it. It was a wonderful surpise."
"MIkan is this your mother?" A tall blonde asked as he tugged Mikan's arm.
She stepped to the side quickly, "Yes. Mom, Tamaki Suoh. Tamaki my mother, Natsumi Tanaka."
"Pleasure to meet you Ms. Tanaka." Tamaki said quickly kissing her hand and bowing as she raised an amused eyebrow.
"The pleasure is all mine. I believe your father has left for the evening, but I can see where you receive your eloquence."
"Thank you ma'm." He answered politely, "And let me introduce the rest of our friends."
"Honey, Mori . Kyoya, Haruhi, and Hikaru and Karou." Mikan interjected pointing to each of the boys as she named them not allowing for Tamaki to go on in a lengthy introduction.
"Hikaru! Karou!" Natsumi greeted rushing forward to give them a quick hug, "How is your mother? She didn't come tonight. What's all that about?"
"She has a show to get ready for." They answered, "We send her apologies."
"Psh. Tell her I'll have her over for dinner to make up for it then." She shrugged as she turned to greet Kyoya again, "I can't tell you how surprised I am you were able to plan such a venue?"
"I hope it hasn't troubled you." He answered, "Your daughter did request that I help her."
"Oh did she." Natasumi replied, "No matter. I love it anways, a wonderful gift." as she moved on to Honey and Mori.
"Mori. I don't believe your parents came tonight. Though I did see your mother Honey."
"Is she still here?" The small boy asked.
"I'm not sure." She admitted as she smiled and waved her hands, "Off with the lot of you. Through the doors is all the dancing and down the hall are food and drink."
"Fatty tuna Haruhi." MIkan teased punching a brunet in the shoulder.
"Oh I'm sorry. I forgot you Haruhi." Natusmi smacked her forehead, "Duh. Your father came for a short while as well. Such lovely thighs, I dare say he looked stunning in that dress."
The boy felt his cheeks flush as she only smiled wider, "Kagame had a wonderful time with him of course, trading beauty tips. And of course there is plenty of fatty tuna if you would like it."
"Maybe later." He started as Mikan tugged on his arm, "Come on they're playing a reel."
"What's a reel?" Honey asked, "Do you eat it?'
"That's an eel." Mikan corrected, "No this is dancing." as she paused wide open the tall oak doors laughing as the music picked up again as her grand dad bellowed a hello to "MIKAN AND COMPANY!"
"That's my Granddad." Mikan told them as the members stared at her, unsure of what to do as they gathered behind her like ducklings behind a mother. The grand hall was enoerumas. It had to be in order to fit the tree with fitted with gold and silver ornaments and ribbing, and the small band off to the sides, not to mention all dancers who were comfortably packed in with plenty of elbow room to spare.
"Well come on. I didn't serve three hours at a party not to dance." She huffed turning to face them as the other couples moved on to the floor.
"But this isn't dancing." Kyoya gestured to the people jumping, spinning round.
"Nah. This is make up your own shit to the beat of the music." She answered, as she grabbed a red hair boy who seemed to be also watching from the sidelines.
"Dance with me." She ordered as he smiled spinning with her round and round in circles as they held hands.
"Well come on." Tamaki shrugged after a minute brushing back his hair, "Join in. There's plenty of girls our age." as he quickly made his way to a blushing girl who accepted his hand and they joined in the dance.
"Whoa." Tamaki yelled as he felt his head spin, as Mikan laughed grabbing a hold of him and spinning round, before switching onto another boy and then another.
"Isn't this fun?' She asked Kyoya when they found themselves partnered who answered her breathlessly.
"Yes. I've never danced like this before." He answered taking another deep gasp for air.
"I love it," Mikan smiled spinning faster as he wrestled his way out of her grip and only to find himself in the hands of another girl, who seemed all to happy to bounce around. He passed her off to Honey whose partner clawed onto him, moving a little slower, making it easier, before she was taken away by another boy. He was going to be lucky if he wasn't dead by the end of this.
"Hanging in their Kyoya." Kagame asked him as she spun him at a much slower pace as the other couples moved like a blur around him.
"Yes. Thanks for the coffee."
"Figured you need it." She answered, "Mikan said you look tiered and ragged. How did you love plan go?'
"Quite well. I even invited them." He nodded to a couple that seemed to be laughing holding hard onto each other.
"Oh. How sweet." Kagame crooned, "Do you have your wife picked out yet?'
He rolled his eyes, "That's more tradition and doesn't always happen. They were decided, because they got along and the match would be good."
"Right." She nodded, "My plan worked out well, if I do say so myself. My mom and Grannie are at least acknowledging each other, few terse words."
"What are your grandparents involved in?" he asked as Kagame moved over to the side to make it easier to talk.
"Horses." She answered, "They breed champions out in Montana. My gran met my dad at a race and fell in love. They live between Japan, America, and uh Italy."
"Ah. That's were the passion comes from." He commented as she nodded.
"Born and bred on horse blood." She answered, "Now the deal with my parents, just to keep you caught up since I know you'll find out sooner or later is my mom was rich, fell in love with a 'commoner', her mom disproved wanting to stick with tradition. They fell out of contact. Granddad could give a rat's ass about the whole thing as long as whomever my mom married would provide for her. Long story short, this is the first time my mom has gotten to see my grandma. Amazing isn't it? Crazy things parents do."
He understood that more than she knew, "At least they're talking again."
"I did one step better. We're having Christmas at our house." She smiled, "They can hate each other with glances and exchange harsh words behind closed doors."
"Impressive." He nodded, "Are you happy with the outcome of the party?"
"Yep. I don't know any of these people, but they all seem nice enough." She shrugged, as she turned to watch the other members continue to dance, "I'm sure you'll about this for awhile from Tamaki."
"I plan for it." He answered, "Do you have any coffee?"
"Of course." She smiled as she led him around the edge of the dance hall, and outside down the hall where the refreshments were.
Only Mori sat on the side lines clapping along to the music, preferring to watch as even Haruhi was spun around by various girls who seemed eager to join in with the hot boys as the songs switched between fast and faster. He counted at least ten songs as the one by one each of the members stumbled to the sidelines.
"How can she keep going?" The twins asked amazed as they hung onto each other stumbling to the door.
"I don't know." Haruhi huffed following them needing badly to sit down as her ankle killed her. She had almost forgotten that she had twisted several hours prior. She wasn't sure if her feet had even touched the floor during all the dances, the girls had kept her spinning.
Even Honey followed with Tamaki who seemed woozy, "Need food." Honey complained.
"Need water." Tamaki answered his cry as they went for the refreshments down the hall.
"Are you having fun dears?" a voice asked as Tamaki stopped to turn around.
He glanced at the small old woman in her a tight black long sleeved dress and a fur collar, "I do hope you still have your feet."
"Yes. Thank you." Tamaki bowed, "You daughter knows how to put on a party."
"Thank you." The woman answered smiling, "Go dear. You look ready to collapse."
Tamaki thanked her again, running to catch up with the other members who were already enjoying themselves on refreshments.
"Aw no fatty tuna!" the twins teased Haruhi who shrugged, trying other food, and sipping on water as she collapsed onto a couch sighing and rubbing her ankle.
"Cake." Honey cried munching away as the twins ate their own plate of food. Everyone's stomach empty, even after filling up on the other food. No one seemed to notice that Mikan was missing.
She had remained on the dance floor of those left in the host club as she slowly lost her sweater and then her hair became loose falling onto her shoulders. She excused herself stumbled over to him flushed and out of breath, but happy.
"Mori. Come on. You haven't danced once. And no that one time with Honey does not count."
She had seen him spin Honey round and round, until he had been stolen away by an older girl who seemed to want to try it. Honey had been all to happy to oblige, leaving him to stand happily on the had thrown her hair into a quick tight bun, jabbing pins into her skull with skill and speed, he was sure she probably could kill someone if she had to with them. He found himself suddenly being dragged onto the floor.
He stared down at her as she grabbed his hands, "Come on. Who's a good boy? Whose a good boy?"
He rolled his eyes, walking with her the rest of the way onto the dance floor that was rather devoid of couples.
"One last song. And then we'll have to give it a rest." Her grand father called, "You the people decide? Do we want a fast one? Or a slooooow one?"
"Slow!." Came the collective moan of couples who had been worn out by the consecutive fast songs, as they jumped, and spin.
"You got lucky." Mikan smiled up at him as she positioned her hands and the waltz began, "Very lucky. I really wanted to spin around and around."
He didn't say anything again as he craned his neck to look down at her, she collapsed again his chest for a minute as she took a deep breath.
He yawned himself, rubbing his eyes, as the song went on and on, and their feet moved slowly to the beat. He wasn't sure if they could consider it dancing, more just flowing slowly over the dance floor, trying not to bump into the other dancers.
"Whoops. I'm falling asleep on you." She started lifting her head up and shaking it, "Okay let's get in the swing of things, one ,two, three."
He led as they turned around and around slowly circling, as she swayed easily with the beat as her feet moved in time with his steps, until at the song ended as she yawned again.
"Lets go sit for a minute. My feet are killing me." She told him, letting go of his hands as she made her way to the two big doors and out into the hall. ,
He silently was relieved to leave the dance floor, his own feet sore from the night's activities as they both gladly sank into a small velvet couch where the slim pickings of food remained on the white lien covered tables and only a few people now stayed to chat.
She was so tiered kicking off her shoes, as he sat beside her petting her hair softly as she laid her head against his leg letting her legs hang off the side. She smiled to herself yawning once more. It had to be at least one in the morning.
She closed her eyes, falling asleep to him petting her hair.
Mori stayed awake as Honey stumbled in alert as always, "Come on Takashi. We need to go home, everybody else already left, and Mikan's mother is waiting for her."
He nodded, as he shook her shoulder, she simply mumbled something.
"You can carry her." Honey told him, "I'm still wide-" he yawned, "Awake."
He got up stretching and cracking his neck before bending down and picking her up. Her head simply lolled this way or that, feeling more like he had a dead corpse in his arms then a sleeping girl as her mouth gaped open and her hair messily fell into her face.
"Silly puppy." Honey laughed as Mori walked out with him to the grand hall way with its white marble, and oak doors with wreaths hung everywhere. Ms. Tanaka stood by the front door shrugging on her coat as she spotted him, gesturing for him to come over.
"Thank you Mori. I'm afraid all my other children caught rides back to our house." She hiccupped, "Excuse me. Could you please bring her to the car?" She asked as she yawned,
He nodded as Honey shrugged on his own coat, holding Mori's as they followed Ms. Tanaka out the large front door, down the front steps to the last two limos that waited out in the driveway.
"Good bye mother, dad." She called over her shoulder as the elderly man waved good-bye.
"See you tomorrow morning." her father called as the huge door slammed shut. They made their way in to the stillness of the night, as the lamps lit up their path the driveway.
The driver quickly opened the door as she climbed in side and then waited for Mori to lean in to set her inside. Natsumi clicked on her seat belt as Mikan lolled her head to the left, still sound asleep.
"Good night Mori and Honey!" She waved as he shut the door, as Honey waved good-bye.
They staggered away into the light snow that had fallen clambering into his own limo as honey held onto his hand and she gave the go ahead, "Home please."
The limo pulled out swiftly as she watched the scenery roll by in a snowy blurr.
"Did you have a nice night Ma'm?" the driver asked after a moment.
"Yes. Thank you for waiting. I hope I didn't keep you from family." She answered
"No ma'm." The drive answered swiftly as they lapsed into silence, a light Christmas tune played over the radio.
It really was the most magical time of the year, she thought happily to herself. She had actually been able to stand to be in the same room with her mother, once she had a few glasses of expensive champagne, her father's fiddle tunes held a lively beat that kept the night moving, the reporters had faded away after the people had stop coming, and she had been able to relax. She promised herself she would shelter them from that kind of attention, the kind she had grown up with. Mikan had been unlucky, but the rest she had managed to keep out of the news, despite Kagame's occasional wild stunt. She pushed it from her mind, it was a night to be happy and thankful, not to worry.
She smiled to herself, again, thinking of tomorrow morning, the smell of cinnamon buns and opening presents. Of course she would take treats to the horses, which want their own gifts for all their toil. They lived like kings though and they knew it.
The limo pulled to a stop as she got out of the car, shaking Mikan awake, who mumbled and un hooked her seat belt as she clambered out of the car and through the front door.
"Good night." Natsumi called the driver turned off the engine, getting into his own waiting car that was parked a little way away.
"Good night Ma'm. Merry Christmas." He answered.
"Merry Christmas." She echoed pushing open the front door and locking it behind her. She sighed deep relief as she chucked off her heels, her arches were going to kill tomorrow. She simply assumed Mikan had made it to her own room as she turned up the stairs throwing open the door.
She flipped on the light switch. So it wasn't her room per say, but there were so many rooms in the house, she was too tired to bothered trying to find and it had a night gown in the drawer that would fit. She slipped off the dress trading it for the boxer shorts and over sized t-shirt, before turning on a side lamp, and then turning off the main light. She climbed into the big bed as she flipped off the light laying her head down as she quickly fell asleep.
Mikan however found herself awake. She had been having the weirdest dream about Mori , something about him being the nutcracker and they had been dancing together on the stage under the hot stage lights and honey as the sugar plum fairy. She shook her head lying back down as her head filled with various thoughts in a swirl like a whirlwind.
The was weird, she thought to herself as she suddenly realized she was still in her party dress, Why am I in my dress?
She climbed out of bed, as she quickly discarded the dress and shrugged into a tang top and boxers climbing to be warm under her covers as her feet slid under Cho who growled.
"Sorry boy.' She yawned as the little dog laid his back down yawning. That had been so much fun. Dancing. She must have danced at least with ten different boys, total strangers, before the twins got a hold of her and then Honey each spinning her round and round. She even got to waltz, well a very sloppy version. Her poor feet ached so bad she couldn't really enjoy it.
"One, two, three-" She counted to herself as she laid her head down drifting off into sleep.
hmmm, so yes it has taken me a long time, but this chapter required editing after I realized Mikan's initial reaction would have been all wrong. Hopefully you who are loyal to my story have not lost hope. Well I would have, but hopefully you have better hope than I do. Feels good to have this chapter up and now this story arch is finished comes the next one. Wahoo for new years! I have a semi-filler chapter to do next, not sure I will take a vote all those in favor of all seven christmases and all those in favor of focus on Mikan's which ties into a few, poll in my profile.
Oh and see that little button at the bottom, just a nice reminder people still like my story and I'm not wasting my finger strentgh. Come on one little click is all it takes! Support your writers!