Author's note: I usually refuse to do this, but I have to respond to one of the recent reviews I got - the one where the person tells me to 'get to the point or end it.' I have to ask...what exactly do you think the point is? What the end is? Fuck, I don't even know how it's ending yet. Have you not realized this is not a short story or a novella? Haruhi still has two more years of high school ahead of her as well as college. Ranka is terminally ill. We have a bunch of teenagers who are just starting to learn who they are, to spread their wings and to experiment with the world outside their own front doors. I never, ever write a scene unless it has a purpose in the grand scheme of things, no matter how small. If anyone reading this has ever attempted or experienced your own journey of self-discovery, you know it is not easy, quick, or painless. Therefore, why would I shortchange the characters and push for a resolution or a conclusion that isn't even close to being prepared? Anyone familiar with my work will know I don't write short stories - I write novel-length tales (disclaimer: I don't count my one-shots or smaller works; those are more my brain's way of spring cleaning so I can find the hiding places of my real story parts). And no one is forcing you to read. As I've said before, I write for me. Like it? Awesome! Don't like it? There's a 'back' button on your browser for a reason. And there's a whole wide internet out there that would be more than happy to pander to someone such as yourself who obviously doesn't have a great grasp of spelling or punctuation. Go wild.

/end rant

Okay. That being said, everyone else - enjoy the chapter! *smile*

Carrie stayed for quite a while, even going so far as to head to the store and bring back some more beer and the ingredients for homemade pizza. As such, it was a very relaxed duo that was camping out in the living room, munching and drinking and chatting. After she'd signed the custody papers they had, by unspoken agreement, chosen to not discuss any of the negative issues that loomed over the horizon. Instead they were reminiscing – old friends, fun times, that kind of thing. Eventually conversation turned back around to Haruhi, but it was less in the 'impending doom' sort of way and more in the 'what will her life be like?' vein. Carrie, kicked back in the chair, leveled a grin at Ranka where he sat on the futon.

"So, have you ever just sat down and imagined her future?" she questioned. He nodded.

"All the time. I think it's a parent thing."

"Wouldn't know," she shrugged. "Was never a parent."

"It's amazing. Terrifying, wonderful, makes you wonder every single day if you're doing things right or if you're going to end up paying for therapy bills later."

"Seems to me Haru would be more likely to pay your therapy bills than the other way around." They both laughed at that. "Still, let's say you could paint her future for her. What would you have it be?"

"Happy. Fulfilling. Stable job as an attorney, loving husband and kids if she wanted. Maybe a pet or two. You know – good stuff." He sighed and finished off a piece of pizza. "And I've no doubt she'll get there. She's as driven and determined and intelligent as Kotoko ever was. Maybe more so. Hell, she got herself into Ouran on her own. And she manages to put up with the most stubborn, aggravating, entertaining and impendingly successful group of boys I think I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. She'll be just fine."

"Yeah, having met the four that I did, I'd say if she can handle that she can handle anything." Carrie grabbed herself another slice of pizza, taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing and speaking. "So...if you had to lay odds on any one of Haru's boys to win her heart, who would it be?" The okama looked pensive for a little while, running things in his head. Finally, though, he answered.

"You know, it's odd. I can see Haruhi with any one of them...but I can't see them as having separate lives. It just seems...odd...to think of them all as not being a group, does that make sense?" Carrie didn't respond as the question was obviously rhetorical. "I mean, okay, if I break it down...well, I'd have to start with Suoh."

"He's the flamboyant blond, right?" she asked. Ranka nodded.

"Flamboyant, tactless, childlike in his own way – yeah, that's him all right. To his credit, though, he's also incredibly generous and sweet, and eager to please. He's the type of person that likes to make sure everyone is happy. He's a good kid, really – and he does love my daughter. He's a very romantic, very openly caring person. I know he'd treat her right. They all would, in their own way." Carrie could tell Ranka had thought about this a lot, but as she knew he had few really close friends she figured he'd never had a chance to really talk about it, so she encouraged him with her own comments.

"So, Suoh – what's his first name again? I forget."

"Tamaki."

"Right. Why do you call him by his family name when you don't do that for the rest of them?" She was honestly curious and he grinned.

"Like I said, he reminds me of me. And I remember what I was like. So I have to give him a hard time." She just shook her head, chuckling. "But he would go out of his way to make sure Haruhi was happy and didn't want for anything. He'd probably annoy the hell out of her, but then he'd use those huge purple puppy-dog eyes and she'd sigh and give in."

"He has purple eyes?" Carrie said disbelievingly.

"Yep. They're a...well, a violet-blue might be the best way to describe them. With his blond hair and fair skin, he really is a stunning young man. He'd look absolutely amazing as a woman." He reached for another piece of pizza. "He's half French, half Japanese, according to Kyoya-kun, and spent a lot of his early years in France with his mother. I think that's what makes him so different...so open and welcoming to everything. He loves to try new things, meet new people."

"French/Japanese? That's an...unusual mix," she murmured.

"Yeah. Something about his father falling in love with his mother while out of the country on business...I don't know the whole story, really, just bits and pieces."

"Okay, so who's next on your list?" she asked. He thought for a moment, then smiled.

"It would have to be Ootori Kyoya. He really is such a delight. Handsome, as they all are, but there's something...more...with him."

"So he's the third Ootori son," she mused. "Must be tough – his father runs that zaibatsu with an iron grip. Not much room for a spare, not when he has two older brothers ahead of him in the line of succession. " Ranka just grinned.

"I believe that Kyoya has more up his sleeves than any of his family or friends really knows," he said with certainty. She raised an eyebrow and he nodded. "That is one seriously calculating young man. He's the one in control of the finances of the Host Club – and they do turn a tidy profit...though I guess to those 'rich bastards' it's barely pocket change."

"Rich bastards? Ryo, I'm shocked!" she chuckled, and he laughed as well.

"That's what Haruhi calls them, though she says it with fondness."

"So tell me more about this Kyoya," Carrie commanded gently. The redhead leaned back against the arm of the couch as he answered.

"He's far more kind than the others give him credit for. In fact, as soon as the boys had 'recruited' Haruhi to the Host Club, he got in touch with me. We spoke over the phone for well over three hours, and he's kept me updated several times a week – more than I can say for my daughter," he grumbled. Carrie hid a smile. "And I know for a fact he loves her as well – he as much as admitted it, though I know he didn't plan to. Kyoya would challenge her. He knows that Haruhi isn't the type of person who is happy to just slide through life – they're very well suited in that way. It would be a good match, honestly. He would always encourage her to strive to better herself, and I think she would temper his tendency to be overly serious."

"So Tamaki is romantic, Kyoya is responsible. Who next?" The American shifted, draping her legs over the arm of the chair and taking a swig from her bottle.

"The twins. Without a doubt."

"They are a couple of rascals, I'll give them that. They seem to really get a rise out of teasing Haru."

"That they do," he laughed. "She says they are her best friends. Coming from Haruhi, that's not a comment to take lightly. So even though she complains and grumbles, I know better than to believe she's unhappy when they drag her off here or there or wherever."

"They really are identical, aren't they?"

"In appearance, yes. But, as Haruhi pointed out to me, once you learn their personalities it's remarkably easy to tell them apart." He laughed. "Just don't tell them I said that. They seem to thrive on their joint anonymity." Across from him his friend mimed zipping her lips shut. "You know, for all they are very different people, I can't ever picture them as being apart. Something just seems very...wrong, somehow...when I think of them separating. That is one duo I think will never be far from one another, not if they live to be a hundred."

"So what are they like? Besides mischievous and flirtatious, that is." Her voice was amused and he laughed.

"They are that, definitely. They're...they're the fun ones. Hikaru and Kaoru seem to always be able to pull Haruhi out of whatever mood she's in when she gets too solemn. For all she claims they aggravate her, I know she treasures the time they spend together. But as to future...it's weird, but I can see her with both of them easier than I can see her with either one of them." His voice was as certain as it was quiet. Carrie blinked at him.

"And you would be okay with that?"

"I think," he sighed, "if Haruhi was okay with it, I would be. Hikaru is the impulsive one, Kaoru is the mellow one, and Haruhi is far too serious for her own good most of the time. She needs them. They complete her in a way I could never have imagined. And if I were to envision a life for her with either one of them, it would have to be with both of them. Otherwise it would be...incomplete. Like working for months on a puzzle only to realize you're missing a third of the pieces. I don't think any of them would be happy if one of them were left out."

"That's...really weird. You know that, right? I mean, Japan isn't the most tolerant or open of countries."

"I know," he said softly. "But that's just how it seems to me."

"Okay. So they're the fun ones. What about the tall one and the short kid?" Ranka burst out laughing.

"Not sure if you know it, but Honey – the 'short kid' – is actually the oldest of the bunch." He watched as she nearly choked on her pizza.

"You're kidding!" He shook his head. "Well, damn! And he's adorable, too."

"That he is. And according to my little girl he's the best listener she's ever met." Ranka's expression was playful. "Of course, this was also accompanied by her calling him Mitsukuni for the first time in my hearing, and a blush bright enough to light up a room, but hey, I'm not making assumptions." Carrie just laughed, nodding.

"I got the feeling he's very protective of her. He called off the twins when they were teasing and tormenting her when they came over for lunch. Never thought I'd see a look that dangerous in the eyes of someone so...so..."

"Cute?"

"Yes! Exactly. I mean, for a brief minute I was very glad I wasn't the one he was glaring at."

"Probably a good thing. You know, Kyoya mentioned that he's not allowed to perform martial arts in public anymore, by order of the Japanese government."

"Why on earth?" his guest asked, confused.

"Because apparently he is the reigning national champion, and Japan is worried that if other countries saw him fight they would be concerned that Japan is harboring a secret weapon, and it could incite open conflict."

"You're shitting me," she said blandly. He just looked at her, and her eyes widened in absolute shock. "You're not, are you? You're dead serious."

"Completely. And his cousin Mori, the tall one, is no slouch either. He's a kendo master, even though he's still a teenager." He sipped his drink. Carrie let out a low whistle.

"Holy hell. They seemed so nice and sweet and well behaved."

"They are. They're also among the deadliest people walking the earth at the moment. So it's no wonder I have no qualms about letting Haruhi hang out with them."

"So of the two, who would you put your money on?" she asked.

"It would be a tough call. Honey absolutely adores her, and though he usually hides it behind a cute cuddly facade, there is no doubt in my mind that it's not a brotherly affection he feels for her. But he seems to sit back and observe a lot. I'm pretty sure he knows how the rest of them feel and is just waiting for one of them to make their move. More than anything, he wants all of his friends happy and safe, so if Haruhi ended up with one of the others – or, hell, someone else entirely – he'd never let it be seen that he was anything but happy for them."

"That's a very mature way to see the world. I never would have expected it."

"It is, but then, he's more mature than most of his peers. Despite appearances."

"So what about Mori?" she queried.

"Mori is...well, he's a bit of an enigma to me. He's really quiet, really shy – but equally as fierce and protective if it comes down to it. He is totally devoted to his cousin. But he has the type of personality that it works with. I think it would be...weird...if he were as talkative as the others. And he and Haruhi have a bit of a special rapport. She truly appreciates his quiet nature – he's happy to let her be herself."

"Such a hard choice for her – if she decides to choose any of them at all," she mused quietly. Ranka stretched his legs out across the couch cushions.

"Yeah – but she's got her whole life ahead of her. I have no doubt my little girl will do exactly as she wants. She usually does," he added with a smile. Finishing his beer and snagging the last piece of his pizza, conversation shifted to more general topics as the two caught up on their day-to-day lives, just enjoying the opportunity to sit and chat like they hadn't in a very long time.

Dinner was – thankfully – prepared by Mori and Honey that night. In the presence of food cooked by someone who actually knew what they were doing, even Tamaki had to admit that he needed a lot more practice. The fire-grilled salmon and steamed vegetables were done to perfection and everyone enjoyed the meal immensely. Afterward they sat on the beach, talking about their day and the impressions and thoughts they'd had during their skiing excursion. Tamaki was flattered when unanimous accord voted that day's activities as some of the best ideas he'd ever had. By the time they'd wound the conversation down the sun had set and it was deemed time to call it a night.

Kyoya and Tamaki made their way to their cabin, but once inside the brunette spoke, halting the blond in his tracks.

"You had wanted to speak with the twins, correct?" Tamaki, shirt already half unbuttoned, looked up at his companion.

"Yes, I did. Why?" he asked. Kyoya shrugged.

"It just seems to me that now might be a suitable time to do so, while they're in a good mood and still riding the pleasant emotions of the day."

"You're right," Tamaki said. He leaned over and brushed a quick kiss over his lover's lips. "I'll go do that now. I might not get a better chance this weekend." He turned and, buttoning his shirt with one hand, opened the door and stepped out. Kyoya waited until he heard the boy's footsteps fade before pulling out his laptop and firing it up. Now he just had to wait for his own visitor and the unpleasant discussion they were about to have.

In their cabin, Honey watched discreetly through the window. He saw a flash of blond hair and then the rest of Tamaki came into view, walking past their building in the direction of the twins'. Turning, Honey looked at his cousin.

"Tama-chan is headed out now, so I'm going to wait a few minutes and go talk to Kyo-chan."

"Hn."

"You should go visit Haru-chan."

"What?" Not many people could claim to shock Mori, but the blond senior was one of them. He smiled.

"I can go talk to Kyo-chan alone. Haru-chan is probably wondering who's coming to visit her tonight. And besides," he said, his look turning sly, "I know you've wondered if you'd ever have time to talk to her by yourself. So now's your chance." He saw the thankful look in the depths of Mori's eyes at the same time that they heard the murmur of the twins' voices, then Tamaki's, and then a door shutting. After glancing out the window to make sure that the Host King wasn't still outside, Honey opened their door.

"Okay, Takashi, I'm off. Tell Haruhi I said hi, and don't forget to take her the plate of dinner we set aside for her. I know she loves salmon." With that the blond bounced out the front door. After a moment's quiet deliberation Mori retrieved the covered plate of food and headed out to go see the girl that had been so very prevalent in his thoughts lately.