AUTHORS NOTE: I am aware that my chapters are rather long comparatively to other fanfiction's; if this is an issue please say so.

Thank you for the reviews thus far, your interest in my story helps keep it going.

Tell me what you like, what you don't ect.

Blessings.

-

Like it, love it, hate it, whatever. Just enjoy it. (Rin on the Rox)

Chapter 6

-

Yuuki sat silently in the car as it pulled into the Ootori estate.

The house was the biggest she had ever seen.

Ever.

She already felt awkward moving in with people she didn't know, but it was even worse when they were powerful, elite, rich people. Even though she had lived in a house like that, there were no relationships to go on and she was pretty sure her foyer was only half the size.

It was late when they got in, most of the household was doing their own thing in the silence of mid-evening.

Someone carried Yuuki's bags in, she didn't know who. There were no saddles to unload, no smell of leather. Just empty riding gloves and a cold jacket.

It was odd settling into a place without having first settled Zero.

Yuuki sat on her bed, her cast dangling off the bed and her other foot tucked behind her. In her hands she held a riding helmet covered in black velvet. There was a chunk of fabric missing on the back where she had landed. The girl traced the hole, even though she couldn't remember the moment it had happened.

She swore, but this time in German.

"Why is it that you always swear in other languages?" Kyoya was standing in the doorway

Yuuki put the helmet down "Why is it that you always understand what I'm saying in other languages?"

"German and English are studied at Ouran" they were two of his favourite subjects, but she didn't need to know that

"You learn curse words in language studies?"

"Not...technically" he smiled "Is everything alright"

"Yeah" Yuuki looked around, her room was on the first story, thankfully "I'm so sorry"

Kyoya frowned "Why?"

"I'm invading your privacy and your home and you're paying my school fees..." she pulled the sling off her arm so that she could get ready for a shower

"We did say that you becoming indebted to me was quite the possibility" he always spoke as if he was looking for profit in something, almost greedy in his mannerisms.

"Quite" Yuuki picked up her helmet and put it down again.

Kyoya took it from the edge of her bed and sat down, the item in his lap.

"What happened the first time you fell off?" he asked curiously

Yuuki knew form what Haruhi had told her that Kyoya didn't ask personal questions, he googled them instead or hacked into security networks. Obviously it hadn't worked in this case.

"Why?"

"I'm interested"

Yuuki sighed "First time the horse pigrooted because I gave mixed signals"

"And the second?"

She ignored him "You know about the third, the side saddle, the fourth was a barrel race, the fifth was when Zero went through a jump not over it, the sixth you were there for"

"What happened the second time"

Yuuki stood, wondering why he wanted to know "I have to shower"

"Yuuki, you're in my house" he said it as if she owed him something, as if, because she had invaded his private life he could invade her personal one.

She looked at the floor and ran her thumbnail under her pointer finger

"Your dad said something about your mom and you didn't want to talk about falling the other day"

"Observant" she said softly "If you really want to know...um...it was at a local gymkhana, at night at the end of the day, before the fireworks. I was six. My mother was taking me around on her horse. And...uh...someone's car misfired. Her horse didn't like loud noises at all, it wasn't properly broken yet. It reared up and...um...bolted. My mom could ride but I was in front of her and she couldn't do much except tell me to pull hard right. So I did but there was a rode direct right and neither of us had seen it. We were going that fast."

Yuuki stopped "Why do you want to know this?"

Kyoya pushed his glasses up, emotion wasn't registering on his face "Because I can't hack into your database, please continue"

The girl ignored his comment, Haruhi had been right "Well...were just going to cross the road and go into a big field on the other side but it was winter and the horse slipped. There was a big truck coming at us and when the horse fell I was thrown off the road into a ditch, it landed on my mother and crushed her. Um. Her foot got stuck in the stirrup and the horse was freaking out in the trucks headlights...so it didn't move out of the way, it just stood there...the truck had too much momentum going and didn't stop in time, even though the driver had full breaks on. They both disappeared under it before anyone could do anything. She might have already been dead by the time she was run over. All you could hear was the tyres screaming on the road." She looked at her hands "I guess freak accidents run in the family."

Yuuki shrugged.

Kyoya was silent "Who's car was it"

"My dad said he would never buy a Toyota again, he didn't care about the towing capacity"

The girl opened a bag that had been left on the desk in her room. She pulled a laptop out and opened a news site, the headline for a few days before was:

Like mother, like daughter: The horse world comes close to losing another great

"It's my dad's favourite website"

"Your mother was an Olympian?" Kyoya read the article

Yuuki nodded

"So you're going to Beijing was a compensation of sorts?"

The girl made a clicking noise "yeah"

"So..." Yuuki could see his mind working "After your mother died, your father bought you Zero so that you could finish the legacy she had started. You were already good so the talent just took off while everything you should have been got left behind and held onto like your mother"

"Thank you Dr Phil"

"I'm sorry" he actually sounded it "you're just very hard to get information about"

"Apparently" pause "thank you for letting me stay here" Yuuki sniffed and rubbed her left shoulder, it felt better.

Kyoya took her hand off the shoulder and pulled the fabric of her shirt down over it. The area had a light blue tinge to it, surrounded by the milky skin of a girl whose mother had been English. He ran a thumb over the shoulder, Yuuki pulled away.

"That hurts, what are you doing?"

"I think don't think you need to wear the sling anymore"

"You're not a doctor" she was upset and tired and had a temper that was hard to start but snappy once it began

"Not yet. You're not a psychologist and yet you read people like an open book. We share that talent"

"It's not a talent. People watching is a hobby." There was a long pause "That sounded really creepy"

"It did" Kyoya smiled and walked to the door "sleep in tomorrow"

Yuuki didn't know how to feel after that ordeal.

She had spoken about her mother to someone for the first time in ever. And it had left a raw patch inside like that which had been left after she had died, like after her father had abused her for not winning her first competition, like when Zero had been taken away.

Like when Kyoya had smiled at her for the first time.

It was like someone had scrubbed part of her away and not bothered to put anything to help heal the abused area. It healed by itself and scared, blocking the entrance into various places of her being.

Yet at the same time...she felt lighter. As if excess baggage had been dropped if not forgotten.

-

That night Yuuki dreamed about horse floats, truck drivers and a mysterious pair of glasses.

-

The next morning Yuuki woke up and didn't know where she was.

The events of the day before hit her like a tonne of bricks and she rolled out of bed, her cast hitting the floor with a thunk.

She walked past her sling and straight into the bathroom.

The girl had slept in, the time was now seven thirty on Saturday morning and she felt useless.

Saturday mornings from six till eight were dedicated to Zero and now they had been dedicated to sleep.

Yuuki looked in the mirror and cringed. She had cried to sleep for the first time in years.

The overload of stress, fatigue and emotion had been too much.

Her hair was like a haystack, fortunately the only blemish on her face was a pillow line where the fabric had creased and imprinted on her skin. The abused shoulder still had a bluish tinge with a few black patches and she could move it with little stiffness. Kyoya might have been right after all.

Yuuki showered and then dressed casually. She pulled on a white long sleeved shirt and grabbed the brown bomber jacket that Tamaki had given her. It smelled like leather and that gave her comfort.

The only thing that fit over the massive cast and wasn't dirty was a pair of white track pants.

She pinned her damp fringe back with a clip and then couldn't think of anything else to do.

So, the girl sat and wondered if exploring the house was a bad thing. She decided against it and opened the sliding door on the windowed side of her room and escaped into the morning. Her crutch sunk deep into the dewy grass.

Looking back Yuuki saw that almost the whole side of the house that her room was on was made out of glass. She wondered why, but when she looked at the view she understood.

The Ootori house looked at over a massive estate upon which oak, maple and cherry blossoms all hung naked against the oncoming winter.

Yuuki stood beneath one of the oaks and stared at the view, past the estate Ouran could be seen and beyond that the hills which you had to drive over to get to her estate.

She sighed and noticed that her breath became fog, winter had officially started.

The wind was gentle but it was of the sort that got through jackets. The girl turned back to the house and the warmth it provided.

Yuuki remembered how on winter mornings she would groom Zero for much longer than necessary because of the warmth he emitted.

She missed him.

Back inside her room, Yuuki began to rummage for her sketch pad.

Her father had said that art was a waste of time; she had been raised to agree with him but did it anyway – a sort of youthful act of rebellion.

According to her family, sketching was not a talent; it was a waste of a good mind. You got dumber as you drew. That was the theory.

Yuuki flipped the pad open and drew the view she had seen from beneath the oak tree. After one hour it was complete and she left it on her bed to set.

Her stomach rumbled, Yuuki didn't want to leave her room in case she disturbed anyone, she already felt like an invasion.

Her stomach did it again. The girl opened her door and ventured into the hall way. She made her way down it only to find a private sitting room that lead onto a massive swimming pool.

In the opposite direction was the foyer.

Yuuki's cast made little tapping noises on the tiled floor and she wished it had a mute button.

Finally she found the kitchen, there was a young woman inside dressed in green.

Her hair was black but it waved unlike that of her brothers.

"Good morning" she said cheerily "You must be Kyoya's friend, I'm Fuyumi his sister"

Yuuki bowed slightly "Good morning. Thank you for having me stay"

"Oh, don't thank me. I don't live here" Fuyumi said "I'm just visiting with my husband" she was always smiling "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I bit" Yuuki hobbled over to the girl.

"What do you want?"

"Whatever is easiest"

"That's not very helpful" Fuyumi said with a smile

Yuuki leant against the kitchen counter. The room was huge with huge windows and appliances that looked like they shouldn't have been invented yet. Even so, there were vintage touches here and there that made it less of a show room and more of a home.

Kyoya's sister began cutting some fruit and asked Yuuki to help.

After a minute of silence they began talking and although Yuuki was shy around people she didn't know, the pair were soon deep in conversation.

"Looks like you'll never leave now" a man walked into the kitchen groggily and pulled open the fridge.

He had glasses on and a haircut like Mori's. The eldest Ootori left the room with a bowl of cereal.

"They only eat together on weekday mornings" Fuyumi said with a wistful grin "all because the weekend is the only time they can sleep as late as they want and not get ratted on for being lazy"

"And I thought I had slept late" Yuuki mumbled

Fuyumi smiled, or maybe it was that she hadn't stopped smiling, Yuuki couldn't really tell.

-

At midday, Fuyumi decided it was time to wake Kyoya up, Yuuki didn't like the idea but the other girl assured her that it would be fun. She led her new friend through the house and through a door at the end of one of the many corridors.

At first Yuuki thought it was a lounge, there were two long white couches and an exceptionally large television in the room alongside a lengthy dresser. The whole far wall was glass.

To the left there was a set of stairs that led up to another room that opened above the void of the lower level.

Fuyumi waited patiently while Yuuki got up the stairs as silently as she could.

The second level was composed of one exceptionally large bed and a sleeping form within it.

Yuuki stared at the two storied room in amazement, the whole bedroom was three times as big as hers at home.

Kyoya's glasses sat on the bedside table and his dark hair was the only visible part of him.

Fuyumi clapped once and then sat next to her brother's shoulder. Yuuki stayed at the top of the stairs.

"Wake up little brother. The day is half over" Kyoya's sister cooed mischievously

A low growl emitted from under the covers.

"Your guest has been up since seven thirty" she continued "and you weren't there to entertain her"

Fuyumi pulled the cover down a bit and her brother turned to glare at her.

"Low blood pressure demon lord" she hissed in retaliation "someone's not a morning person"

"Then don't wake me while its morning" was the groggy reply

"It's not morning Kyoya" Fuyumi ushered Yuuki over.

The girl made her way to her new friend's side unsurely. She felt like she was invading a private moment and wanted to give the sibling pair some space.

"Come on Kyoya, don't you want to go out someplace today?"

The man finally sat up, he was grumpy. He turned his gaze on his sister, she didn't flinch – obviously she had been exposed to the morning monster before. When Kyoya looked at Yuuki, his expression softened for a moment before he fell back down onto his pillows.

His eyes without the protection of glasses were grey like an approaching storm.

"You are the worst sister in the world" he hissed

"Love you too" Fuyumi put her brother's glasses on his chest and stood up.

Kyoya was wearing a black flannel, buttoned up against the cold. Even so, Yuuki was uncomfortable seeing anyone in their pyjamas, even her own brother.

"Okay. Fine. I'm awake" Kyoya swung his legs over the side of the bed and caught his glasses as they fell from their sitting place.

His sister clapped in victory and skipped down the stairs without warning.

Yuuki watched her leave before turning back to the victim "I'm sorry...she dragged me here"

"How early did you wake up? I thought you were going to sleep in" he was still grumpy

"I did" she began

"What time"

"Seven thirty"

"And you feel sorry for my biological children" he muttered before stumbling sleepily through a door across from the stairs, presumably the bathroom.

Yuuki waited on the bottom story for him. When Kyoya emerged, fully dressed and untousled he made a comment about the lack of sling on his friends arm.

"It's not really sore"

"Told you"

"Yeah, yeah whatever"

Kyoya smiled and pushed his glasses up "Don't get your hopes up about the cast though"

Yuuki scowled at him "Wasn't planning on it"

"Well" he said exhaling "the only thing planned for today is homework"

The girl made a face

"You need help?"

Yuuki headed for the door, Kyoya followed "Will that profit you?"

"I never do anything unless it profits me"

Even as he said it, Yuuki knew it was just a masquerade. Kyoya was compassionate deep down, whether he realised it or not.

-

An hour later the pair were around the table on the first story of Kyoya's bedroom pouring over a maths text book.

"I don't get it" Yuuki threw her pen down and sighed "will you ever use trigonometry again? It's not exactly dinner conversation"

"Focus Yuuki" Kyoya turned back a page in the text book "what don't you understand?"

"Which formula to use"

"SOHCAHTOA"

Yuuki stared at her friend as if he had spoken in gibberish.

He laughed "S-OH, C-AH, T-OA"

"Oh, I thought you were talking about Sakatah's just then"

"You could learn it Some Old Hags Cant Always Hide Their Old Age"

The girl laughed "Who taught you that?"

"Math teacher"

"Was he...flamboyant?"

"Very"

They both smiled and turned back to their studies.

Before five they had both discovered that Yuuki was good at philosophy, psychology and languages.

"I think we both now know that you don't suck at everything" Kyoya closed his book
Yuuki leaned back, she desperately wanted to bend her left leg "I think we both know that could speak other languages before"

"Which is a talent"

"Which is a learnt ability. It's not a talent"

"Enough philosophy"

Yuuki stared at him but couldn't catch his eye; the light was shining awkwardly in his glasses.

Kyoya sighed "You don't see yourself like others do, you have potential and yet you blocked it off"

"Let me guess, I'm unique" she replied sarcastically

"Just like everybody else"

"Mmm"

"You'll never take over the family business with that attitude"

Yuuki sat up "I was disowned, remember?"

"Not yet"

"Do I want the business?"

"Do you?"

The girl hopped to her feet and then collapsed on the couch "I don't know. I have no idea about business, I would have to hire a manager or sell it. I'm pretty sure that the Cunxin Company isn't actually run by the Cunxin's. My father is too busy breeding horses"

Kyoya pushed his glasses up characteristically "Your family breeds horses?"

"We own the stud from which the Japanese businessmen buy their race horses"

This was news to the Ootori who absorbed the information "You could sell the agricultural business and then keep the stud. I'm sure you'd be good at that"

"Who could I sell it to?"

"My father was very interested when I told him about yesterday's events"

Yuuki snapped to attention "So that's why I'm here? So you can blackmail my father into selling his business?"

"No"

"Yes"

The girl stood up and stormed as fast as she could, which wasn't very, towards the door.

"Where are you going Yuuki?"

She paused and turned to face him "You were using me to get my business?"

"No, I said I wasn't. You got to stay here because my father has begun to finally respect my judgement"

"And my money"

"Don't say it like that" they were both getting angry

Yuuki leaned against the doorway "The Ootori group is always seeking to expand its empire right? Well, buy an international agricultural firm and you've expanded all around the world"

"Yes, but..."

"And you would do that by blackmailing someone"

Kyoya didn't stand up "I had no intention of buying your family business Yuuki. A few years ago I bought my family business from a French buyer and gave it back to my father. We were in a tight spot. Since then, that company has not liked the Ootori group at all and they are not enemies anyone wants. I was going to suggest you sell it to them."

Yuuki paused for a moment "So you're going to use me to heal an old business relationship"

There was a long pause "Jehosephat! You bought your father's business?"

What Kyoya had said finally sunk in.

He nodded

"Why?"

"Like I said, we were in a bad spot. I am the third son and there was no way I would ever inherit the business unless I proved myself. So, I bought the business before the French could and signed all managing rights over to him"

"How did you afford that?"

"You have your own account right?"

"Yes"

"Well, I have my own. Like I said, I don't do anything for anything less than profit. I wasn't using you Yuuki, just trying to get you out of a bad spot yourself"

The girl looked at the floor "I'm sorry"

Kyoya stood up and walked over to her. He was much taller than she was and Yuuki wouldn't meet his gaze.

He slid his fingers under her chin and lifted her face to stare at his "Me too"

Yuuki got a fright at his touch; she didn't know what to do with it. Anything intimate, even hugging a relative, was uncommon ground to her. Her reaction was to move her head out of his hand and bow slightly before hobbling down to her room.

-

Yuuki sat on her bed in as cross legged manner as her cast would allow. She thought about Zero.

She wondered where he was. If her father had sold him. Put him down.

Her eyes flew open at that thought.

The girl stumbled across her room to the desk and pulled a mobile out of her laptop case. She dialled urgently and waited as the phone rang.

"Hello?"

It was her brother.

"Mako?"

"Yuuki?"

"Yes"

"Why are you calling?"

"I want to know what happened to Zero"

"Yuuki..."

"Please Mako. I know you never liked me, but you owe me as much as a brother"

"I owe you nothing"

There was silence as neither of them spoke. Yuuki bit her lip.

"Wait a minute"

"Okay"

A few seconds later, "Alright"

"Please tell me what's going on"

"Father cant disown you, it seems there is discrepancy within the council, apparently you dishonouring us weren't good enough of a reason. One of the powerful families won't allow it."

"I didn't mean to fall off"

"I know"

"What's happened to Zero?"

"Father is selling him. To the highest bidder. The auction is going to take place in the last week of winter"

Yuuki couldn't think of anything to say for a moment, she just nodded slowly in understanding

"I didn't...it was an accident"

"I know. I'm sorry Yuuki." He didn't sound it. "I have to go"

He hung up and Yuuki leaned against her desk.

-

There was a line of moisture down her face, a tear got caught in her lips. When she inhaled her breath shook. The girls hands gently shut the mobile and cradled it in her hands.

Five minutes later, it rang.

-

"Hello?"

"Yuuki"

"Mako?"

"Say goodbye"

"Wha..."

There was a snuffling noise on the other end of the line.

"Zero?"

The snuffling got louder.

"Hey boy"

A snort. Yuuki could picture his ears flicking curiously towards the phone, his proud neck arched in surprise.

The girl laughed monosyllabically "Hey there handsome boy"

"Be good hey?" she would never ride him again.

She didn't know how long it would be before she ever rode again

"You behave. I'll see you in London 2012, on the t.v. You better win gold for us"

She began to leak quiet, gentle tears.

Her sprit pouring out and splattering on the floor. "Goodbye boy"

There was a curious nickering on the other end of the phone

"Goodbye Zero"

There was a short pause as her brother reclaimed the phone "Goodbye Yuuki"

-

And then nothing except a continuous beeping.

Like a heart monitor, only, without a heart.

-

.....

Reviews much appreciated.