AN: Hello again! We should be getting back into more regular updating, with a week or so between each chapter. I had originally planned a certain number of chapters, but it's looking like we'll end up with more than I thought by the time this fic is done!

Imallama: I'm glad you like it! I was thinking Annie too, actually, though all the musicals you suggested are great.

wealththeow1: Oh Kyoya, so blind to his own emotions. I feel like everyone just kinda freaked out and was like 'whoa this went really bad maybe we should think before we mess with people'.

LunarFanGoddess: Ahaha, they're a tricky bunch. Now if only Kyoya would wisen up, they wouldn't have to go to such extreme measures...

bmg20: I love bonding, I just want everyone to be friends. Also, Sweeny Todd is sooo good, maybe I'll have them watch the movie version?

RedRose21: OOOooooH! I love Phantom, and it is on Broadway right now, I think it's actually touring!

Angel234: Ehehehe, sneaky Hitachiin twins. I really really like the idea of a party, I was actually thinking it too. I want to work that in soon, so keep an eye out!

Amethystgirly: Wicked is so good oh my gosh, now I really want to include it! I'll figure something out and fit it in.

Ena sat at her dining table, nursing a mug of coffee. She'd woken up late, a more and more common occurrence, and it was throwing her off. Sunlight filtered through the window, shining right into her eyes and she had to squint to see. A logical move would be to go shut the curtains, but Ena was in such a weird limbo that standing up did not seem like a possibility. She was trying to figure out what to do about the Host Club.

It had been three days since the Fourth and everyone was still recovering. Having to leave early had been sucky for the whole group, but it was better than sitting in the rain all afternoon. Ena had had to call Lucy and Megan afterwards and apologize profusely for bailing on them and promise them that they'd hang out some other time. Since the festival, everyone was obviously feeling weird and Ena needed to do something to snap them all out of it.

So, she sat at her dining table, directly in the path of the sun, squinting at a blank piece of paper that was supposed to be filled with brilliant ideas to entertain the Club. Thus far, nothing amazing had hit her. In fact, Ena had no idea was she was going to do to help everyone get back on their feet. Something big, most likely, and dramatic. Maybe a change in scenery would help, they could go visit somewhere? But where...

Then it hit her, the big, dramatic idea that would be just the thing. Ena hopped up, already plotting how to make it work, and refilled her mug with coffee. She pulled out another cup, pouring some black coffee into it and walked to the door. Using her foot to turn the knob and her hip to close the door behind her, Ena made her way down the dorm hall. She knocked on one of the doors with her elbow and stepped back expectantly.

The door opened a sliver, revealing an angry looking face.

"Good morning!" Ena tried to appear more cheery than she was feeling. "I brought coffee."

Kyoya glanced down at the mug, then back at her face. It looked like he was contemplating taking the coffee and then slamming the door in her face. Fortunately for Ena, his manners got the better of him, and Kyoya opened the door wider so she could step inside. Ena smiled and stepped through the crack, handing over the mug to the tired looking man. While he took a chug, Ena grabbed the opportunity to study Kyoya's room.

The dining table had been turned into a giant desk, filled with monitors and paperwork, and Kyoya's laptop in the center of it all. The rest of the room was immaculate, the kitchen looked unused and the bed even more so. A pile of blankets and pillows on the couch hinted the Kyoya spent more of his nights there than the actual bed.

Ena took a seat at the table/desk and crossed one leg over the other. Maybe it had been a little rash to charge over here in the morning, armed with nothing but a cup of coffee. She hadn't even changed out of her pajamas, still wearing the oversized tee and shorts combo she always wore to bed. Kyoya was in his pjs as well, though, but he looked a little more put together in his blue pinstripe two piece and robe.

When Kyoya had finished off a good portion of the coffee, he took a seat next to her, giving her an assessing look.

Ena returned it easily, having grown used the mind games the man had a tendency of playing. "When did you get to bed last night?"

"I turned in around three." In Kyoya's voice was that false politeness he always used when he was lying, like he could charm his way past the truth.

"Really?" Ena narrowed her eyes.

Kyoya sighed, leaning back in his chair. "No, I went to bed at five and even then I didn't fall asleep until six."

"Damn." Ena took a sip. "You know, if you went bed a little earlier and didn't sleep on your couch, you might be less grumpy in the mornings. It's not very healthy, either way."

"I'm sure you didn't come here to discuss my sleeping patterns, so how about we skip past the pleasantries."

Ena deflated, leaning back in her chair. "Yeah, yeah okay. I'm sure you've noticed that everyone's been acting strange lately."

"No more than usual..."

Ena blinked, trying to figure out if he was serious. In retrospect, Kyoya had been locked up in his room since the festival. There were deep bags under his dark eyes, just another hint at his lack of sleep in the past few days. His hair was messed up and he look less put together than Ena had originally thought. She had to remind herself that Kyoya was very good at putting up a mask, giving the world a preconceived version of himself rather than the real thing.

"Have you been paying attention to your friends at all?" Ena really wanted to ask if he was okay, but it seemed safer to go about it carefully.

Kyoya sighed rubbing a hand over his eyes. "Not really, I've been...preoccupied."

"Work really getting to you?"

He didn't reply, instead taking a sip of coffee. Ena wanted to push, but maybe it was best to let him be.

"Okay, I'll sum it up for you. Haruhi and Tamaki have been distant, and Haruhi seems to be less patient with him than usual. The twins have been clingy as hell, everytime I leave my room they want to hang out. I don't mind but all they want to do is play video games and bicker, which I can only take so much of. And I haven't seen Honey and Mori at all in the last few days."

"And you have been locked up in here since the Fourth, doing your very important business things that you can't let anyone help with." Ena gestured to the desk and the paperwork covering it all. "So, everyone's been being weird and I had a crazy, brilliant idea to help shock everyone out of it."

Kyoya had been listening silently the whole time, perhaps surprised at the behavior of the Club. "I don't know, a crazy idea may not be what we need right now. Maybe everyone just needs some time and space."

"I've given them time and space and it's not done anything." Ena insisted. "Besides, wasn't the Host Club formed on a crazy idea? I"ve got it all figured out, I just need help with the logistics."

Kyoya sighed, pushing his glasses further up his nose. He gave Ena another assessing look. She tried to look confident and sincere, but probably just looked like she was holding back a sneeze. He chuckled at her attempt, and then heaved an exasperated, but strangely fond, groan.

"Alright, tell me this plan of yours.

After a day spent scheming, everything was set. Kyoya had prepared reservations for everything in advance, which had really been Ena's hope when she approached him. She kinda just let him at it, knowing that he'd book what was necessary. Ena took care of arranging the places they needed to go, activities to do and such, so that they had plenty of things ready for them to do if anyone got bored. Now that everything was planned, all they had to do was get the Host Club to agree on it all.

Ena decided to invite the Club over to her dorm for dinner. She'd ask them all then, after they'd eaten and see how they felt about the plan. Everything her and Kyoya had booked was refundable, so if they decided as a group they weren't up for it, they could scrap the whole thing.

The teen went door to door, seeing if everyone would come over that night. Although they were all feeling weird, no one could turn their nose at dinner with the Club, so of course everyone agreed. Ena hurried back to her dorm, checking through her fridge for something to make. Luckily, because no one had been around, Ena had gone grocery shopping the day before and had plenty of food.

She turned on some music off her computer, threw on an apron and got to work. While boiling water and peeling potatoes, Ena went through the plan in her head. It would work, right? All she had to do was convince everyone to go along with it, and it would all work out. Ena returned her thoughts to the task at hand, trying to make sure everything turned out just right. It wouldn't turn out well if the Club had to eat burnt chicken before agreeing to her plot.

Soon it was six thirty and Ena had everything on the table. A huge bowl of mashed potatoes sat next to the plate of sesame chicken. There were also steamed vegetables, and though Kaoru hadn't really stuck to the vegetarian thing, Ena had made him a soy patty in the same style as the chicken. It all smelled amazing, the scent leaking out through the window Ena had opened to get some air flow through the hot kitchen.

Everyone arrived at once, all taking their places at the table and greeting their host. Ena got drinks together, and made sure all the member's plates were full with food. Dinner was a quiet affair, slightly tense but still relaxed enough to be comfortable. Small talk was exchanged and light jokes, and soon everyone had finished their meals.

"That was great Ena-chan!" Honey exclaimed as she cleared plates.

"Thanks Honey, I'm glad you enjoyed. That's another one of my mom's recipies, although my dad makes the best mashed potatoes in the world to go with it."

"How are the different from the regular ones?" Haruhi asked, not rudely, but genuinely curious.

"He puts some sour cream in them, and a bit of cheese. And some secret ingredient he refuses to tell us about, but they're always amazing." Ena sighed, suddenly more than a little homesick.

"When you say your dad, you mean...?" Kaoru trailed off.

"My stepdad, yeah. I generally just call him that because he's been there since I was pretty young."

"When did your parents split up?" Hikaru asked, as nosy as ever.

Kaoru looked like he was about to jab his brother for being rude, but Ena shook her head. This was an alright topic of conversation, not the most fun, but better than the weird silences the group had been having for the last few days.

"I was about three. I barely remember when my mom and biological dad split up, but apparently it was really bad. We actually lived out here, at the time, and I stayed with Mémé while they were working things out in court."

"Is your grandma from your dad's side?" Haruhi questioned, seemingly interested in the conversation. In fact, everyone looked intrigued.

"Yeah, she is." Ena nodded. "Things are...not great between her and my mom. She sort of sided with my dad on the whole thing, wanting him to have most of the custody, and she wasn't happy when my mom moved us out to Oregon."

"That sounds kind of rough." Kaoru acknowledged.

Ena shrugged, fiddling with her fingers. "Well, I was only three, so I don't remember much of it. And Richard was in the picture pretty soon after. My mom and him were in college together, so when they meet up after everything had happened things kinda just clicked."

"Where does your little brother fit into all of this?" Mori asked after a beat of silence from the group.

"He's my half brother, actually. My mom and Richard had him when I was six, a while after they got married. But I've never considered Henry anything other than my little brother. I grew up with him, and have always been there as his sister so, yeah..."

Ena trailed off awkwardly as silence fell. Everyone seemed to be mulling over what the teen had told them. This quiet was so unlike the strange stillness of the last few days that Ena couldn't help but be glad the conversation had taken a turn. Maybe distracting everyone with stories about herself would also help.

The oven timer went off and the Club was pulled out of their reverie.

"I almost forgot!" Ena hopped up, running over to the kitchen and pulling on some oven mitts. "I threw together some brownies earlier, they should be done now."

Ena took them out of the oven carefully before sliding off her mitts. She stuck a toothpick in the center, pleased to see that it came out clean.

"Does anybody want some?" Ena asked over her shoulder as she pulled out a knife.

There was a chorus of agreements all around and Ena started dishing out the treats. She found some ice cream in the freezer and gave it to everyone who wanted it before sitting down and trying it out herself.

"These are delicious! Is it a family recipe?" Tamaki exclaimed.

"Actually, it's a box mix. I usually make my own, but I didn't have time to today."

"What is a box mix, Ena-chan?" Honey asked, eating his third.

"You buy a box from the store, with the dry ingredients mix, and then you put water, vegetable oil and an egg in it and you throw it in the oven." The teen explained.

Several of the boys had to cover their mouths to avoid spitting out the chocolate treats. Haruhi continued to eat, unaffected.

"Come on guys, I make stuff like this all the time. Surely you've had a box mix before?" Haruhi rolled her eyes.

"I don't see anything wrong with it." Kyoya agreed. "It still tastes fine, it's just like commoner's coffee, right?"

That seemed to reassure the masses and everyone ate their brownies without complaint. Although, Ena made the note to ask Haruhi what the hell 'commoner's coffee' is.

Ena was halfway through cleaning up for the second time that night when Honey and Mori stood up to leave.

"Wait, don't go yet!" Ena panicked, running up in front of the door to block their way.

Mori gave her a questioning look and Honey was just plain confused. The rest of the Club also appeared surprised by her outburst. Surprised and expectant.

Great way to start this off. Ena thought frustratedly.

"Um, I wasn't exactly...that is to say..." Ena tried to find the words. "I had a reason for asking everyone over for dinner. Would you mind staying for a bit longer?"

"Of course Ena-chan, all you have to do it ask!" Honey nodded, grasping her hand for a moment before sitting back down at the table.

Now everyone was staring at Ena, and Kyoya was making a face as if to say, "go on."

"Okay, uh...so. I know we've all been feeling a little weird since the Fourth of July."

It looked like a few parties were going to protest but she held up her hand and it stopped.

"Let's not argue about it. It's not even what I wanted to talk about, actually. I was thinking earlier today of something we could do to get back on our feet and I came up with a kind of crazy idea. I've planned it out with Kyoya, everything is set up, all you have to do it agree to go."

Haruhi plaintively rose a hand.

"Yes Haruhi?"

"Pardon, but you haven't actually said where it is we're going."

"Oh." Of course, that's kind of important. "We'll, I was think of taking a field trip to New York City."

And all hell broke loose.

That is to say, everyone started talking at once. Which was really typical Host Club behavior at that point. Once Ena and Kyoya managed to shut them all up, it wasn't difficult to see that everyone was on board. Ena thanked what ever powers were out there trying to help her for the Club's cooperation.

They had two nights booked at what ever fancy place Kyoya had arranged for, meaning three days in the city in total. The four hour drive to the island was nothing to sniff at and Ena was trying to get mentally prepared for being behind the wheel for that long. Thankfully, Mori approached her and told her he'd have no trouble taking over, seeing as he was mostly comfortable driving in the States.

The Club spent the next day packing and knocking on Ena's door every few minutes, asking what they would need. Ena and Kyoya kept most of their plans a surprise, hoping to keep the Club in suspense and thus focus them on the trip rather than what was bothering them all. Ena had to tell Hikaru four times that yes, he would need a swimsuit and no, pants were not optional.

Eventually, after Ena interrogated everyone and made sure they all had what they needed, they were ready to go. Ena had planned for them to leave the next morning, so they all went out to dinner together and then got to bed early. Even without the long drive, Ena was sure that the trip to New York would be, chaotic. It was best to make sure everyone was well rested in preparation for the drive.

When Ena woke up the next morning, she was unsurprised to hear the sounds of the Host Club bustling about on the other side of her door. They'd been up for a while, most likely, even though Ena had repeatedly told everyone that they were leaving at nine at the earliest. She stumbled through her morning routine, trying to look a little less like a zombie and more like a human. Coffee helped, as always, and a hot shower.

With her hair pulled up in a sloppy bun and comfortable travel clothes on, Ena eventually journeyed out of her room. the Host Club was sitting around in the hallway, talking quietly amongst themselves. If Ena was a little less tired and a little more attentive, she would notice the strange looks she was being given, but she wasn't in the state to take note of much anything.

"Is everybody ready?" Ena, a duffel bag hanging over her shoulder.

"Yes!"

"Alright, let's get loaded into the van."

Mori helped Ena stow everything into the skybox, the rest of it fitting snugly into the trunk. Ena thanked the tall man and climbed behind the wheel. Kyoya gave her a little nod as she got buckled, and she gave him a small smile. Hopefully all of this would work out how they had hoped.

"Are we all comfortable?" Ena glanced in her rearview mirrors, checking on everyone.

A chorus of yes's came from the backseat and Ena relaxed slightly.

"Just to let you know, this ride is four hours long. If anyone ever needs to stop to use the bathroom or get food or whatever, just let me know and I find somewhere to pull over, alright?"

The Host Club nodded and Ena turned on the van.

"Alright, let's do this."

The first hour of the ride was fairly pleasant. Everyone was in a good mood, telling jokes and playing car games. Ena taught everyone the Geography game, something she used to do with her family on road trips. Someone had to name a place, and the next person would name another place starting with the same letter the first place ended with. That went on for a while, only stopping when the boys grew bored.

As the group pulled over at a rest station, Ena check the map pulled up on her phone. They were making good time, and with Kyoya as her navigator they hadn't run into any traffic or problems. The sun was shining but it wasn't too hot, and the Host Club seemed to be enjoying themselves. Everyone was slowly coming back to their normal selves, less restrained and more energetic as a whole. Everything seemed to be going to plan.

They made it as far as Middletown, CT, before the drama began. Somehow, Hikaru and Tamaki had ended up next to each other in the very back and started a poke war. At first, it was harmless, only the quiet sound of them bickering reached Ena and she decided it wasn't too big of a deal. However, when the bickering became screeching, she got a bit annoyed.

"Tamaki, Hikaru, can we tone it down please?" Ena first went for the kill them with kindness technique.

"Sorry Ena!" Tamaki called, elbowing Hikaru, who just huffed.

The van was quiet for about five minutes when they started it up again. Ena glanced in her mirror, trying to make eye contact with Haruhi to get her to make them stop, but the girl was nose deep in a book and oblivious to the world. Next, Ena tried to communicate telepathically with Kyoya, who would tell them off normally, but he too was distracted, busy texting on his phone.

"Boys." Ena called out, this time with a warning in her voice.

"He started it!"

"Did not!"

"Well," Ena cut them off, "I'm ending it. I really don't want you two fighting all the way to New York."

"But-"

"Nope! Start up again, and I'll kick you out of the car and you can walk there." Ena narrowed her eyes at the two, glaring at them in the mirror.

They shut up for a moment, before Ena heard Hikaru whispering.

"Someone's PMSing."

"I swear to God, Hikaru, I will stop this van and leave your misogynistic ass in a ditch." Ena growled. "What happened to the guy who told us Tamaki didn't know he was 'perpetuating stereotypes' at the start of the summer?"

"Sorry, that was...uncalled for." Hikaru looked sheepish. "I just thought-"

"What?"

"That it would explain why you've been avoiding us!" He shouted and then slammed his mouth shut.

"How have I been avoiding you?" Ena gestured with one hand, before returning it to the wheel when Kyoya gave her a look.

"You've been locked up in your room since the Fourth and we've barely seen you at all!" HIkaru crossed his arms indignantly.

"No-"

"Actually, Ena," Haruhi piped up, putting down her book, "you have been kind of distant."

Ena paused, thinking. Really? She had thought everyone had been being weird towards her. But maybe it was the other way around. Ena hadn't been trying to avoid anyone, she just had a lot to think about the past few days. Maybe she'd been so caught up in trying to figure out what was wrong with everyone, Ena didn't even notice that she was the one acting weird.

"Oh." She blinked, things becoming a bit clearer. "I have been?"

"That what I've been trying to say." Hikaru scowled, shaking his head. "Kaoru and I have been trying to get you to snap out of it, but you just kept running back to your room."

"What about everyone else?" Ena glanced in the mirror at the Host Club.

"I thought it would be best to give you some space until you were feeling better." Haruhi explained.
"I managed to convince everyone but the twins to leave you be."

"Oh." Ena repeated, staring blankly at the road ahead of her. "That makes a lot of sense, actually."

Resisting the temptation to bang her head against the steering wheel, Ena sighed and slouched into her chair.

"So you're telling me, that I came up with this whole crazy idea and forced Kyoya to help me arrange it, in order to help fix a problem that wasn't really there?"

"Basically." Everyone nodded.

"Well crap." Ena felt a lot like hiding in a hole. "I'm an idiot."

"No you're not Ena-chan!" Honey insisted. "You just forgot to talk to us, that's all."

"Yeah." Mori agreed.

Ena thought back to the panic attack she'd had at the fair. That drama was also the result of her not being very good at communicating her feelings. And afterwards, even when Honey and Mori had assured her that she wasn't burdening them, Ena had held back.

"I seem to be pretty good at that." She laughed sadly. "I guess I'm just used to being the person who helps everybody else all the time."

"Take it from me," Kaoru spoke up, "thinking you have to bear everyone else's burdens only leads to more problems."

"Yeah, you're right." Ena rubbed at her face, one hand staying on the wheel. "So this was all pointless, huh?"

"Not at all." Kaoru objected. "I'm sure we'll all enjoy the trip, it just won't be exactly what you planned it to be."

Ena thought a moment. "I think I can handle that."

The drive returned to it pleasant state after all that was cleared up. They hit a little traffic heading in, but soon the Host Club was over the bridge and heading straight into New York City. They were all glued to the windows, staring and point out different landmarks. Ena was happy they were all so excited, but found herself tied up in trying to get them to their hotel and not crash the van.

Soon, they pulled up in front of a swanky looking place near downtown. Ena stared up at it and was pretty sure she didn't want to know how much it had cost to book their rooms. A vallet ran out, and a bell boy, one taking their car to the secure parking and the other taking their bags inside. Kyoya walked up to the front desk and got their keys before leading them all to a spacious elevator.

Ena pulled him aside just outside the door. "This isn't what I meant when I said find somewhere for us to stay!"

"What did you expect?" Kyoya rose an eyebrow. "I wasn't going to book somewhere where we didn't have access to all the finest amenities."

Haruhi overheard and rolled her eyes with Ena. "Rich people."

"Believe it."

They rode up dozens of floors until they reached their level. Kyoya guided them to the rooms he'd booked, four of them altogether. For the sake of propriety, the girls were sharing and were the twins and the cousins. Tamaki and Kyoya shared the last room. Unsurprisingly, they were decked out with a huge TV, plush queen beds, and even a kitchenette. Ena and Haruhi shared another look.

"Rich people." They agreed.

All of the rooms were actually connected by doors, so they could pass between any of the rooms. Haruhi took the liberty of locking both of them. Ena agreed, before dropping her duffel on the bed by the window. She approached it, drawing back the curtains and gazing out of the skyline. Ena gasped at the sight.

"That's a hell of a view." Ena motioned for the young teen to join her.

"Wow." Haruhi took in the skyscrapers. "Gotta hand it to Kyoya-senpai."

"Just don't tell him, it'll go to his head." Ena winked.

Haruhi chuckled lightly. "You're probably right."

Ena glanced out the window again, before heaving a sigh. Haruhi gave her a concerned look, and placed a hand on her shoulder. Her 'are you alright?' was unspoken, but still heard.

"I'm okay, I just feel kinda guilty for dragging you all out here."

"Don't be." Haruhi shook her head. "Like Kaoru said, we'll all enjoy it."

Ena gave the girl a grateful smile. "Well, I hope so."

"I'm sure of it." Haruhi looked determined. "Knowing you and Kyoya-senpai, it'll be awesome."

Ena laughed then. "I mean, we did plan some pretty cool things."

"Good. We'll need all the distractions in the world to keep that lot busy."

Ena glanced at the walls, where she could heard the twins pestering Tamaki already.

"Yeah." She agreed. "You're right."

Haruhi walked over to her bed, pulling her little purse over her shoulder. "Should we tell them we're ready?"

"May as well." Ena nodded.

Haruhi went to unlock the door to the twins room. It fell open as soon as she twisted the handle, Hikaru and Kaoru falling over Tamaki. All of them had been sitting behind the door apparently.

"Were you guys listening?" Haruhi rose an unimpressed brow.

"Maybe." Hikaru smirked. "Who knows."

"The fact that you had your ears on the door is a pretty big give away." Ena crossed her arms.

"Well..." Hikaru trailed off. "Your face!"

"Nice comeback, nerd." Ena rolled her eyes, grabbing her bag. "Are you all ready to go?"

"Yes!"

"Ena-chan!" Honey bounded into the girl's room. "We're ready too!"

Mori nodded in agreement, trailing after the little college student.

As if summoned, Kyoya emerged from his room a moment later. Checking something on his phone before looking up at everyone else.

"Our first reservation is ready for us." Kyoya informed the group. "I've also hired a car to chauffeur us while we're here."

"Why?" Ena felt a little hurt. "I can drive."

"It makes more sense for someone who is familiar with the city to drive us." Kyoya expressed, before softening imperceptibly. "Besides, I figured you would be more comfortable letting someone else drive for a change."

"I guess..." Ena turned a little red. "That's fine. Thank you."

"AWWWW SO SWEET!" Tamaki cooed.

"Shut it Tono!" Hikaru smacked him over the head. "Why'd you have to ruin it?"

Ena was more than a little red at that point and Kyoya looked ruffled. Haruhi rolled her eyes at the pair, and then her boyfriend, before linking her arm with Ena's.

"Let's just go get some lunch."

AN: NEW YORK WOO! I've actually been there before, although I was really young. Thank you all for your great musical suggestions, I had a hard time choosing between them all. I've decided to go with Annie, just because it's a classic and I think the boys will get a kick out of the 'poor girl is taken in by the wealthy' plot line.

Time for your review question! How do you see the trip turning out? Will it be a fun, exciting visit or a drama filled one? Let me know!