AN: Wow guys! I didn't expect the response to this story that I got. You guys rock! I'm glad you like the last chapter more than I did. A couple of 'thank you' shout-outs: lovelypink84 for being by first reviewer, and FoolsTutor (I would have responded via PM, but there wasn't a login!). I'm glad that you picked that up about Kyouya. One thing I like to pride myself on is taking a basic, general idea and doing something a little different with it :)

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

The Ouran Hostess

Chapter Two

The room was silent for a full five seconds as the young men and Haruhi were left speechless. But once Tamaki came out of his shock, his brain kicked into over-drive. "Kyouya!" He shouted as he grabbed his best friend's shoulders. "Can you believe it? Someone has actually asked to join out club!" He turned back to face Kagome with shining eyes. "Of course you can…wait, Kyouya?" Tamaki questioned as he lost a little steam. "We've never had anyone ask to join before. Do we have any guidelines in place for something like this?"

Kyouya placed on hand on his hip as he regarded the blonde president. "No, we don't," he answered flatly. "With the exception of Haruhi who joined to work off a debt, all of us have been with the club since it was established and you recruited us. Though since we run independently from the school, we can establish whatever guidelines we like."

Glancing towards each other with slightly worried expressions, the Hitachiin twins shared an unspoken concern. "But boss," Hikaru began only to have Kaoru finish the thought, "Kagome is a girl and this is a host club; we cater to girls."

Kagome watched as the group seemed to consider this point, but she tensed when she realized that Kyouya seemed to be sizing her up. She could see an idea take hold with him as his eyes shifted from appraising to thoughtful and a single delicate brow arched slightly.

"It may not be such a terrible idea," Kyouya stated slowly. Once he had the other's attention, he continued, "It's true that Miss Higurashi is a girl, but that might be quite advantageous. If she were to join the club there would be someone more relatable for our clients to chat with as they await their appointments with their usual requests. And if we were to go one step further, she may even begin to build her own client list. The club would be able to expand to include the male student body. Not only would this increase our budget for events, but it would very likely put a dent in the number of boys who complain to the school board about our activities."

Tamaki seemed to seriously consider the points made as he studied Kagome with a subdued expression. "Kagome," he addressed calmly. "Why do you want to join the Host Club?"

"I…" Kagome had to think about her answer for a moment. Why did she want to join this club? She had just met the members and she didn't even know all of their names yet. And of all things, they were a host club. The idea sounded ridiculous. But as she looked at the teens around her she could tell that they weren't like any of the other clubs. It wasn't about the number of members that their club had or power plays. They were hesitant to let her be one of them because they were a family, and you don't allow just anyone to be part of your family.

Taking a breath, Kagome spoke again, "I don't know anyone at this school. When I transferred here I had to leave my friends and family behind. I've visited other clubs, but none of them seem to go beyond just club activities. I can tell that all of you are much closer than that. Don't get me wrong, I can completely understand if you don't want some stranger to start hanging around, but I would like the opportunity to get to know you so that we can hopefully become friends."

Tamaki's eyes had begun to water as his lip trembled at Kagome's words. But before he could say a word, two identical coughs came from behind Haruhi. "Boss," the twins said together before Kaoru picked up, "What about Haruhi's situation?"

This made the blonde president stand a little straighter as he considered the new piece of information. "Men!" He called. "Join me over here for a meeting," he ordered as he walked several feet away with his head held high. The boys quickly followed their leader leaving Kagome and Haruhi sitting on the couch to watch them talk in hushed tones.

Kagome looked at her companion as she asked, "Aren't you going to join them in their meeting?"

"Nah," Haruhi said as she leaned back into the couch and ran a hand over her face. "I really don't want to hear whatever they're saying about me."

Laughing lightly at the teen's quiet annoyance, Kagome decided to strike up a conversation. "So you joined the club to work off a debt?" She asked.

Haruhi glanced towards the guys who were occasionally throwing looks in the couch's direction before rolling her eyes and looking back to Kagome. "Yeah," she answered. "I'm an honor student here on a scholarship. I ran across the Host Club when I was looking for a place to study one day, but I accidentally broke a vase that they were planning to auction off. At first I was working off the debt by running their errands, but then they decided to make me a host." She shrugged at Kagome's surprised look. "It was annoying at first and they're usually idiots," she said as she waved a hand towards the boys, "but they're good guys and they grow on you."

"That's sweet in its own strange way," Kagome smiled.

"So Kyouya-senpai said you were from a shrine family," Haruhi said as she watched Kagome nod. "Except for me, all of the kids here come from super-rich families. I don't mean to sound rude, but how did you afford the tuition?"

It was Kagome's turn to shrug lightly as she gave a small hum. "An old acquaintance with no heir of his own decided to bring me in as his successor. I'm not supposed to say much about it yet, though. Apparently there's a lot of paperwork to get in order before he can make it official and "announce me to society" or something like that," she answered as she waved a hand in the air as though to dismiss the idea. "I'm not supposed to talk about it because he wants to avoid tabloids and rumors until it can be announced."

"That makes sense, I guess," Haruhi said with a thoughtful glance towards the ceiling.

The two sat in silence for a moment and Kagome observed the figure next to her who seemed to be lost in thought. Haruhi was about the same size as Kagome—extremely petite for a boy. But Kagome's head tilted to the side and her brows drew together as she took a closer look. It was very subtle unless you were really looking, but the hints of femininity were definitely there. The soft line of Haruhi's jaw, the large eyes, and there was just the slightest curve underneath the upper part of the school uniform's blazer. Chewing her lip for a moment, Kagome decided to plow ahead. "Haruhi," she began carefully. "Please don't take this the wrong way or anything, but…why are you wearing the boy's uniform?"

All of the air seemed to be sucked out of the room for a moment. Each boy from the huddled meeting turned to look at the pair seated on the couch. For Haruhi's part, she only chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head and said, "So you can tell, huh?"

Kagome laughed as well, relieved that no offence had been taken, as she said, "Yes, but I would be lying if I said it didn't take a minute to figure out. So why do you dress like a boy?"

The male members of the Host Club watched and listened as Haruhi relaxed completely as she told Kagome all of the details of her position within the club. Kagome listened with rapt attention, nodding and laughing and occasionally asking a question. All of the boys blinked as they realized that for the first time in a while, Haruhi looked like any other girl chatting with a girlfriend. And it was this thought—the thought of Haruhi having a female companion that was aware of her gender—that solidified Tamaki's decision.

With long strides, Tamaki came to stand before the two girls with one hand propped on his hip and the other pointing at Kagome. "You will be The Host Club's first official Hostess!" He said as though he was giving an order rather than granting permission.

As the other members came to stand around the couches again, Kyouya dryly remarked, "And we add another commoner to our ranks."

"Commoner?" Kagome asked incredulously.

Haruhi spared Kyouya a quick glare before saying, "Don't pay any attention to that. It won't be the last time you hear it. Like I said, they're mostly idiots, but you'll get used to it."

Kagome lifted a brow before deciding to let it go. She was the one who had asked to join their club, after all. She was about to speak again when the chiming of the school's clock caught everyone's attention. Looking out the windows, the room's occupants realized that the sun was already well into its descent.

Haruhi groaned, "I should have been home a long time ago. I still have to cook dinner and finish my homework for tomorrow."

"Us too," the twins said slightly disappointed. The day had actually been interesting.

Seeing the other members nod in agreement, Tamaki announced, "Alright then, seeing as we've gone past our usual club hours, we will pick this up tomorrow." Turning to look at their newest member, Tamaki continued, "Kagome, you will come to the clubroom tomorrow with Haruhi, Hikaru, and Kaoru. You will receive your hostess training then."

When Kagome happily agreed, Tamaki officially dismissed the Host Club for the day. As everyone left the music room, Hikaru and Kaoru flanked Kagome and Haruhi to drape an arm over each girl's shoulders. While Hikaru did it out of flirtatious habit, Kaoru did it to mirror his older brother and also steady Kagome who still had the occasional dizzy spell. As the club made their way to the school's gates, the four first-years chatted amongst themselves and Kagome was finally beginning to feel like she had friends again.

Blinking at the line of limousines and town cars, Kagome shrugged as she waved goodbye to Hunny and Mori. She could hear the twins arguing with Tamaki about who was going to give Haruhi a ride home, but she watched curiously as Kyouya dismissed his driver after a short conversation and came to stand beside Tamaki. The two dark-haired teens quietly watched Hikaru, Kaoru, and Tamaki argue over Haruhi's head until Kagome's curiosity got the best of her. "Why did you send your driver away, Kyouya-senpai?"

Kyouya glanced down at the girl who was standing a couple of feet away from him before he answered in a bored voice, "I'll be going home with Tamaki this evening. There were several club matters that we were unable to discuss but need to be addressed."

"Am I one of those "club matters" that need to be discussed?" She asked frankly.

"Yes," he replied with no hesitation.

'At least he doesn't beat around the bush,' Kagome thought as the twins finally beat out Tamaki and grinned victoriously while tugging Haruhi towards their limo.

For his part, Kyouya was directing a pouting Tamaki towards his own car as Kagome bid her farewells and began walking down the sidewalk. Tamaki instantly forgot his defeat and called after his club's newest member. "Aren't you going to wait for your car, Kagome?"

Stopping to look over her shoulder, Kagome said, "Oh, I don't have a car. I don't live far, so I walk between home and school."

Tamaki and the twins seemed appalled at the idea that Kagome was forced to walk home. "You poor thing!" Tamaki cried as he broke away from Kyouya and enveloped a stunned Kagome in a hug. "All of your money must have been invested into our fine school and now you don't have any left for something as basic as transportation," he lamented on Kagome's behalf as his imagination quickly ran away with him.

"Um, Tamaki-senpai, that's not it. It's really not a big deal—" Kagome tried to reassure the blonde before she was cut off again.

"I cannot allow such a delicate young lady to walk home unprotected. Come! Kyouya and I will give you a ride," Tamaki decided as he grabbed Kagome's hand and pulled her along behind him.

Kagome was at a loss for words. Was Tamaki always like this? What had she gotten herself into when she asked to be part of their club? "Tamaki-senpai," she tried again as they reached the door of the limousine. "I really don't mind walking, I do it all the time."

"You won't be able to talk him out of it," Kyouya's smooth voice called from within the darkened car. "You might as well get in and accept the ride."

Sighing deeply, Kagome allowed herself to be ushered into one of the plush leather seats. Once Tamaki was also inside and the door was shut, Kagome told the driver where she lived and reclined into her seat. Awkward was a good word to describe the atmosphere inside the limo. Kagome fidgeted nervously as Kyouya sat ignoring all other occupants as he jotted down notes in his notebook after doing some calculations on a small calculator and Tamaki smiled at her brightly. 'They seem really close, but they're like night and day,' she thought.

She glanced around the interior before turning to look out the rear window and saying, "I think Hikaru, Kaoru, and Haruhi are following us."

"What?" Tamaki cried as he whipped around to glare at the following car. Apparently he was still sore that they had been the ones to give Haruhi a ride home that day.

"I'm sure Haruhi is thrilled about this little detour," Kyouya quipped sarcastically from his seat.

Since Kagome only lived a few streets away from the school it wasn't long at all until the cars stopped in front of the small manor she called home. When the door was opened Tamaki's driver offered his hand to help her out of the limousine. Stepping out after her, Tamaki looked over Kagome's home with gleeful eyes. The exterior was much more traditional than any of the other club members' homes!

As Kagome walked up to the large iron gate she entered a five-digit code on a number pad and watched as the gates slid open. Turning back to look at the expectant face of the club president, Kagome laughed nervously before asking, "Would you like to come inside Tamaki-senpai?"

"How gracious of you to ask, Kagome!" Tamaki cheered before instructing his driver to pull into the rounded driveway in front of the manor. As the two limousines pulled into the driveway and the gate shut, Tamaki followed Kagome up the walkway to the front door.

Kagome unlocked the door as the others exited their vehicles and held the door open as she stepped inside and offered them entrance. As Kyouya tried to temper Tamaki's fussing over the fusion of western and eastern décor, the twins and Haruhi held back to speak with Kagome as she shut the door.

"This is bigger than I thought that it would be since you're from a commoner family," Hikaru casually said before Haruhi's elbow connected with his ribs.

"It's still a lot smaller than our estate though," Kaoru added as he glanced around the entrance hallway.

Kagome smiled a little unsurely as she said, "Well this is the home that my guardian typically uses when he has to stay in the city for several days or more. His main estate is much farther away."

"I see," said Kyouya as he pulled Tamaki back to the rest of the group. "And who exactly did you say your guardian was?"

"I didn't," Kagome answered with a tight smile. While he hadn't been outwardly rude or insulting, Kagome found that Kyouya's direct yet apathetic way of speaking to her was beginning to wear her patience thin. "Like I told Haruhi earlier, I'm not allowed to talk about my guardian specifically until I'm formally announced as his heir and introduced into society."

"So Kagome," Tamaki began as he took notice of the quiet house. "Where is the house staff? Is it normal for no one to greet you when you get home?"

Kagome smiled at the confused blonde before she clarified, "There is no house staff." When the others, with the exception of Haruhi, looked at her as thought the concept was completely foreign, she continued, "I didn't want to be waited on, so I said that I didn't want any servants or cooks or drivers. That's why I don't have a car. I'm perfectly able to take care of myself; I cook, do my own laundry, and clean up whatever messes I make. I think a maid does come once or twice a week to change linens and dust the rooms that I don't use, but that's about it."

While the others needed a moment for the knowledge that Kagome lived with no servants to sink in, Haruhi was concerned with another fact. "Do you mean you live in this big house completely alone?"

"Not completely," Kagome beamed. "I have Kirara."

The twins snapped back into the conversation before the older boys as they asked, "Who's Kirara?"

Kagome moved to speak before she stopped herself, held up a single finger, and stepped past the entryway and into the larger foyer. She glanced into the adjoining rooms before placing a hand on her hip and whistling lightly. Things were quiet for a moment, but then the soft tinkling of a bell was heard echoing down from the stairway to the second floor. Soon enough a small cream-colored cat with black markings and a fluffy tail came bounding down the steps before leaping happily into Kagome's arms.

Laughing as the cat rubbed against her cheek, Kagome carried Kirara over her new friends. "This is Kirara," she introduced. "Kirara, these are my new friends from school."

As Tamaki instantly began cooing over the small cat, Kyouya shook his head. Why bother telling the cat who they were? It was a cat. It wasn't like it would understand or remember.

"So it's just you and your cat?" Hikaru asked as he watched Kagome hand Kirara over to Tamaki.

Nodding, Kagome added, "My family has been to visit me a couple of times since I moved in here, though. And I'm going to try to visit them whenever I'm able." When Kagome turned back to speak with Tamaki and play with Kirara, the other hosts looked to one another as they realized that Kagome may just fit in perfectly with their group of reformed outcasts.

After a short tour of the house and a few skillfully hedged questions on Kagome's part, she showed the other club members to the door when Haruhi announced that she needed to head home. Kagome waved from the front steps of her home as the others drove away before she went back inside to start cooking her supper.

The limousine bound for the Suoh family's second estate was quiet for several minutes until Tamaki broke the silence. "Mommy?" He called softly as he watched the scenery pass by through the tinted window.

Kyouya suppressed a small chuckle at the strange term of endearment his best friend had taken to calling him before answering, "Yes, Daddy?"

"I think Kagome will make a good sister for my little girl," Tamaki said with a soft smile as he thought of the lonely girl who hopefully wouldn't be alone for much longer.

"Yes," Kyouya agreed as he flipped through several pages of his notebook that were filled with student information. Settling his gaze on the photo of a blue-eyed, raven-haired girl, he said, "I believe that Kagome will make a very good addition to the family."

AN: Oh my gosh you guys! I've gotten several more reviews while I was writing this chapter, and I have to say that you guys are really awesome! I'm so glad you like the first chapter (especially since I was so worried about it!). I'm finding Tamaki a little tricky to characterize since he tends to be all over the place. I like keeping people in character, so if you think I start deviating from anyone be sure to let me know! Though I will say that it might take a couple of chapters to get everyone nice and rounded out, and after some one-on-one time with Kagome the hosts will have their more in-depth personalities come to light. I've always struggled with dialogue and interactions with large groups. Okay, enough rambling from me. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and put this story on alert or your favorites! Be sure to keep letting me know what you think. Thanks for reading!