Chapter 5: Stealth Mode Activated

Disclaimer: I don't own the franchise, but if I did, I would 100% go completely overboard with my newfound power.

~o~

It was a normal day in Haruhi Fujioka's neighborhood. The sun was shining, fluffy clouds floated serenely through the air, and civilians went good naturedly about their errands. But if anyone looked closely, they might notice the men in dark uniforms standing in strategic locations around the block, the small cameras in the bushes, or the nondescript sedan with tinted windows parked in the shade…

"Red Devil One, reporting. Everything is prepared for our end of the operation." The transmitter clicked as Hikaru's voice cut off.

"Cupcake Warrior is in position! We're ready when you are, boss!"

Kyoya lifted his radio to his lips from inside the air conditioned car. "It occurs to me we shouldn't have let Tamaki choose our code names." Static screeched over the speaker as Tamaki broke in.

"I told you to refer to me as 'King'! You have to use the code names for a secret operation! Now are you ready or not, Demon Lord Hades?"

Kyoya Ootori rolled his eyes. "Yes, I have a visual on all of you. I'll monitor your progress, along with any possible complications." He paused for a moment, and spoke into the radio again. "Give it your best efforts, everyone. This may well be our last chance."

"Right!"

Tamaki was up first. He strode gorgeously into the apartment complex, sweeping back his flawless golden hair to better show off his sapphire blue eyes. He wore a fitted suit of navy blue, complete with diamond cufflinks, an Armani tie, and shoes more expensive than an average car. The Prince held a bouquet of a hundred pristine white roses arranged with white baby's breath and delicate violet ferns. The fronds were draped with strings of seed pearls.

He walked straight to the small management building near the complex with a prize winning smile and unrealistic amounts of natural charisma. His job was simple. Flirt with the landlady in order to get a key to Haruhi's apartment. They'd met briefly during Tamaki's first visit, and he'd won her over with ease.

Personally, Tamaki didn't think they needed so many back up plans and alternate options. After all, his good looks were guaranteed to open any door he desired, no matter how difficult the situation…

A stocky middle aged man sat behind the desk in the management office. He glared at Tamaki with deep set eyes, his voice thick with suspicion. "Wadda you want?" he said gruffly, folding his burly arms covered in hair.

Tamaki recovered from his surprise quickly. "Why hello, good sir, I was wondering if the landlady was in. I need to have a private word with her."

The balding man's forehead furrowed deeply. "You mean my wife? She's out today. Either get on with it, or get moving." He eyed the massive flower bouquet. "Those ain't for her, right? You trying to take my woman?"

"No, no, of course not!" Tamaki floundered, taken aback. "Actually, these are for you!" The landlord stared at him with silent judgement, looking a bit disgusted. "To give to her!" Tamaki added hurriedly, holding out the bouquet. "For you, to give to her! Consider this a token of my appreciation for all your hard work as an apartment manager!"

The man's thick eyebrows went up, and his tone became lighter as he took the flowers. "Oh. Well thank you, I'm sure she'll like them. Not sure about all this frou-frou crap, but they'll do. Now what can I do for you?"

Tamaki leaned one elbow against the counter, showing off his best dazzling smile. "I need a key to the Fujioka residence. I'm a good friend of Haruhi, here to pick up a book I left here the other day. But alas, I misplaced my key! I'm sure you understand."

"No can do," the landlord said, taking a huge bite out of a powdered donut. "Ranka says there's a pervert on the loose who might try to gain access. I'm supposed to kick them to the curb." He gave Tamaki a shrewd look, as if just noticing his facial features. "Actually, he kinda looks like you. I've got a photograph and everything. You some kind of pervert?"

"What? Of course not, don't be ridiculous!" Tamaki stammered, standing up straight. "I am a normal father, and by no means a pervert!"

"You look a little young to be a father," the landlord grumbled, pulling a picture from his desk. It showed Tamaki lying unconscious on the floor after Ranka had beat him half to death with his purse the previous day. "Hey, this is you! You're gonna have to stay here so the authorities can work this out."

"What? No, you don't understand! I-I was framed! Framed, I tell you!"

Kyoya drew a line through Tamaki's name on his clipboard, listening in with the wire under the Prince's tie. He spoke into the radio. "Red Devil One, Red Devil Two, you're up. Tamaki is currently…distracting the building manager, so you have a small window. I trust you won't need much time?"

"Don't worry, we've got this. We've been picking locks since we were four!"

"But which of us is Red Devil One, and which is Red Devil Two?" another voice on the radio said. "Can you tell us apart?"

The twins walked into the apartment complex as if they belonged, ignoring the calls for help from the building managers office. They wore nondescript dark clothing, and matching baseball hats. When they reached Haruhi's building number on the second floor, Hikaru yawned, leaning against the doorframe while Kaoru crouched down to the lock.

After a long sixty seconds, Hikaru spoke. "You're taking too long. Hurry it up, will you?"

"I'm trying," Kaoru said between gritted teeth, his forehead creased with concentration. "One of the pins is stuck!"

"So unstick it," Hikaru suggested. "It can't be that hard." He discreetly tried to open the window next to the front door, only to find it locked. Meanwhile, Tamaki escaped the management office, bolting down the street. The landlord shouted, following after him on foot.

"Do you want to try?" Kaoru demanded, holding the pick and the tension wrench steady.

"Fine, maybe I will!" Hikaru shot back, taking over from his brother without releasing the pressure on the tension wrench. "I can't believe you're having this much trouble on a deadbolt."

Kaoru watched him fiddle with the pins for a while. "You're applying too much pressure to the tension wrench, you need to loosen it."

"If I loosen it, the previous pins will fall!" Hikaru shot back, focusing all his attention on the lock.

"If it's too tight, you won't be able to push up the last pins!"

"I know what I'm doing! It was me who broke into dad's office, wasn't it?"

"Be more gentle with it!"

The thin metal of the tension wrench snapped, and the knob clicked as all the pins fell back into place. The twins swore loudly and creatively, and Kyoya struck off their names with a flick of his pen.

"Silent Samurai, you're up next. Cupcake Warrior, you go too. The back of the building is clear of civilians, and it looks like the landlord should be returning shortly. It seems 'King' was able to escape."

Mori spoke into the radio clipped to his electrician's uniform. "Understood." The tall boy picked up his toolbox, headed towards the management building on foot.

"I'm all ready here!" Honey announced via his walkie-talkie, stretching out his arms and legs. He breathed deep, centering himself. He leapt to grab the lowest branch of the elm tree behind the complex, swinging himself up into the canopy.

The landlord lumbered back into the apartment's management building alone, grumbling under his breath. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the tall man standing in his office, wearing a non-descript grey jumper emblazoned with the logo of a large electricians company. "Hey," Mori intoned, nodding slightly.

"Something wrong with the power? I ain't heard nothing."

"It's an internal issue between the alternator and the switch," Mori said by way of explanation, though he had no idea what he was actually saying. "I'll need access to some of the wiring, and I'll be on my way."

"You people never call ahead, do ya?" the landlord complained, pulling out a large wad of papers from his desk. "You with Corporate Electric? Fine, fine, I'll get you squared away. What apartments are affected by this issue?"

"The second floor."

"Why just the second floor?"

"Probably blown fusing in an apartment."

"How did that happen?"

Mori shrugged. The landlord looked at him shrewdly. "You don't talk much, do ya? I like that. Let me get my keys."

Kyoya spoke over his handset, typing on the computer in the seat next to him with one hand to adjust the cameras. "Silent Samurai is on route. We may not need you after all, Cupcake Warrior."

Mori walked behind the landlord sedately. His eyes widened when they walked straight past the stairs to the second floor, instead walking to a plain metal door around the corner. The landlord unlocked it with his keyset, revealing a small room with several breaker boxes, a plethora of wires, and a backup generator. "Here you go! Everything you need for the electrical systems will be in here. Fix whatever you need to. I'll leave you to it."

He walked away, leaving Mori to stare into the electrical room blankly.

The Shadow King sighed. "It would seem I spoke too soon. Silent Samurai, stay there for the time being, and try to look busy. In a few minutes, inform the landlord the problem lies in the wiring of apartment 203. Perhaps the family overloaded a socket, causing damage to the main system. Just make it sound plausible, and don't give too many details. For now, Cupcake Warrior will attempt to access the apartment."

Honey leapt to another branch, climbing higher. His voice crackled over the radio. "I have a clear path to the balcony. I'm going in!"

The martial artist balanced himself in a crouch on the wide branch of the elm tree. He stilled his mind and ran along the branch, pushing off at just the right angle. He soared over the railing, and rolled on impact with the balcony of Haruhi's apartment. "I've made contact! The door is unlocked!"

"Talk about lax security, who doesn't lock the back door of their second story apartment?" Hikaru scoffed over the radio.

Honey slid the door open carefully, padding silently onto the tatami floor mats. The apartment was dark, with shades pulled over the windows. It smelled odd, almost musky.

His foot landed on a tail. Furious yowling filled the air as the family cat attacked Honey with a vengeance. "Sorry, kitty cat, it was an accident!" Honey apologized, backing away from the hissing creature trying to eat his pant leg. He hadn't known Haruhi even owned a cat!

As he backed away, he tripped on another cat. His hand caught the cord of the blinds on his way down, spilling sunlight into the oddly unfamiliar room.

"We have a problem!" Honey's voice said through the radio. The twins and Tamaki had joined Kyoya in the back of the car down the road, and they winced at the sounds coming over the line. "I think this is the wrong apartment! Wah, there's like thirty cats in here! Good kitty, good kitty, shhhh, quiet down! Ow-! They're everywhere! I don't think I'm gonna make it out!"

The line went dead, nothing but static coming through.

Tamaki spoke first. "He was a brave man. One of the best I've ever known."

"Poor Honey-senpai," Kaoru said, wincing in sympathy.

"Done in by cats. What a terrible way to go," Hikaru agreed.

Manly tears filled Tamaki's eyes, and his voice was thick with emotion as he grabbed the radio from Kyoya. "Silent Samurai, it's all up to you now! Don't let our fallen comrade's sacrifice be in vain! We believe in you!"

Mori nodded silently in response, walking with new determination back to the landlord's office.

"No can do," the gruff man said firmly. "I need the resident's permission to grant access to any outsider, and to provide written notice of such a visit at least twenty four hours in advance. I'm afraid I'll have to call you back later. Leave a card, and I'll get back to you tomorrow."

Mori walked back to the dark sedan, joining the despondent Host Club in the back. It was starting to get cramped.

"Does this mean the entire operation is a failure?" Kaoru asked, his voice rising with panic.

"We need a new plan, that's for sure!" Hikaru said, frustration beginning to seep into his tone.

Meanwhile, Honey made it back to the car. He was covered in scratches and leaves, apparently having escaped via the trees. His big brown eyes were hollow and traumatized. "Taka-chan, they were everywhere! I didn't know what to do!"

Mori patted Honey's head. "You did your best," he assured the smaller boy, who began to cry in earnest.

Kyoya alone seemed unaffected. He slipped his laptop into a case and stowed his notebook. "Tachibana, I'll need a distraction. Please call the landlords office, and enquire about any available apartments as a potential buyer. Ask questions about stores in the area to keep him looking at the map behind his desk."

His driver nodded once, removing a sleek silver cell phone from his suit pocket.

"You five," Kyoya said, addressing the Host Club which had somehow managed to cram itself into the back of his car. "Come with me, and try to act natural." He got out of the car, leaving his laptop behind. Wondering what he was up to, the members of the club followed him.

The Shadow King led them right past the office, where the landlord was deeply engrossed in a conversation with Tachibana, facing the wall. Next they went up the stairs, until all six of them were outside apartment 203.

Kyoya put a key into the lock, and opened the door. He walked inside, gesturing for the others to follow. Tamaki's mouth dropped open, and Hikaru had to slap his hand over the King's mouth before he could shout. Kaoru shushed the club leader, pulling everyone inside.

Once the door closed behind them, Tamaki grabbed Kyoya's shoulders, his voice a furious whisper of betrayal. "Why didn't you tell us you had a key? Did you have that the entire time? Answer me, you demon lord!"

"You never asked," Kyoya said dispassionately, as Tamaki shook him. "I would have mentioned it during our break in planning session, but you were all dead set on trying your own approaches. I have to say, watching your failed attempts at espionage was highly entertaining."

"WHY YOU-"

"Shhh," Hikaru hissed, smacking Tamaki's arm. "Quiet down! You want to get caught now? Save it for later, we have a job to do!"

Tamaki made a visible effort to contain himself, glaring furiously at Kyoya. "Alright men, spread out! Find the Morgan Dollar as quickly as possible! We only have an hour left before Ranka is due home from his shift! Remember, failure is not an option!"

They spread out, searching the Fujioka apartment as carefully as they could. But the Morgan Dollar wasn't in any of the more obvious locations, and little by little, the members of the filthy rich elite started to get distracted by unusual trinkets of the commoner's lifestyle…

"Wow, check it out!" Honey said, poking the screen of the TV after searching the drawer adjacent to it. "The screen is actually curved! I don't think I've seen a television that wasn't a flat screen. I wonder if the picture is distorted?"

"Probably not," Mori intoned, reaching the higher shelves with ease as he searched.

"Is this supposed to be a coffee maker?" Hikaru asked, peering at the simplistic machine. "It only has one setting. How are you supposed to make caramel frappuccinos? There's not even a slot for flavor packs."

"Maybe they don't even know what a frappuccino is, Hikaru!" Kaoru gasped.

"Personally, I'm more interested in these supermarket coupons," Kyoya murmured, flipping through the printed pages. "It would seem I'm seriously overpaying for school supplies."

But despite their distractions, after another quarter hour of careful search, they found nothing.

Tamaki finished searching through the desk in the main room. He walked into Haruhi's bedroom, and found the twins already rifling through the top drawer of her dresser. Hikaru held up a tank top. "I'm amazed Haruhi can fit all her clothes in one dresser."

"We have an entire walk in closet at our place," Kaoru agreed, sifting through socks. "And that's just for suits."

"What do you two think you're doing?" Tamaki demanded, keeping his voice down. "Those are Haruhi's personal belongings! That's a violation of her privacy!"

Hikaru looked over his shoulder to give him a patronizing look. "I think we passed that point a long time ago. Besides, what if the Morgan Dollar is in here?"

"Oh, what have we here?" Kaoru said wickedly, holding up a pair of leopard print panties decorated with a cute pink bow. Hikaru's eyebrows shot up, and he whistled long and low.

"Put those back!" Tamaki hissed, his face blossoming to a bright tomato red. "Kaoru! Put those back this instant!"

"Haruhi is more daring than I realized. I never would've guessed," Hikaru said, seeming impressed. Tamaki's face had gone a bright cherry red. He snatched the underwear from Kaoru and threw it back into the drawer.

"This has gone too far! I'm aborting the mission now!"

He went quiet at the sound of a key in the front door. Everyone heard it, and froze in place. They met eyes, and silent communication passed between them. The six trespassers bolted into Haruhi's room, just barely sliding the door shut before someone else entered the apartment.

"Who is it?" Kaoru whispered, trying to peer through the crack in the door.

"Haruhi!" Hikaru reported, getting a better view. "Why is she home early? This isn't good, everyone hide!"

Haruhi set down her keys on a table, slinging her bag off her shoulder. Meanwhile, the Host Club hid silently in her room, concealing themselves as much as possible. She blinked, looking around the apartment as if noticing subtle differences in the way it usually looked.

She walked towards the door of the bedroom, and opened it. She flicked on the lights.

"You guys know I can see you, right?" the honor student deadpanned, folding her arms. "This apartment isn't big enough to hide in."

Honey was mostly hidden in the laundry hamper, the twins had attempted to fit under the too short bed, Tamaki was halfway hidden by the dresser, and Kyoya was seated in the darkest corner of the room. Mori stood behind a lamp, being too tall to hide anywhere.

Tamaki broke his statue impression first. "Why, Haruhi, how nice to run into you! We just happened to stop by, to surprise you! You're home early I see!"

"Drop the act, the landlord called me after two suspicious people tried to get access in one afternoon," Haruhi said, clearly not buying it. "I left study hall early. What are you guys doing in my dad's room?"

Whatever Tamaki had been about to say died on his lips. He looked with horror towards the dresser containing the panties. "Your…your DAD'S ROOM?!" he screeched, recoiling with physical disgust.

"I touched them!" Kaoru wailed, the twins having just made it out from under the bed. He thrashed as if in actual pain, as Hikaru leaned heavily on the mattress for support. "I can never use these hands again!"

"I can't unsee it…the image is branded into my brain forever!" Hikaru sobbed, covering his eyes with an arm. "Someone get me some bleach to pour into my eyes!"

Kyoya sighed, rising to his feet as the three troublemakers of the club writhed in agony, falling to the ground. "Why don't we talk in the main room?" he suggested, surprisingly calm for someone who had just gotten caught trespassing. "I believe we owe you an explanation."

It took a few minutes to calm down the traumatized trio enough to move them into the other room. They stared sightlessly at nothing, like soldiers who couldn't stop seeing the horrific images of war, quite possibly scarred for life. Haruhi followed Kyoya's lead, and ignored them.

"So what's really going on? You guys have been acting strangely all week. I want the truth, or I'll never speak to any of you again, clear?"

Tamaki flinched, this threat bringing him partly back to life. "Haruhi, there is a perfectly rational explanation for all of this, I swear! You see, it all started when…"

He trailed off, seeing her glare and pursed lips, because beneath the anger, a touch of true hurt and betrayal shone in her warm chocolate eyes.

Tamaki sighed, abandoning the story he'd been about to tell. "It was all my fault. These five just went along with my plans. Let me start from the beginning."

It took some time to finish the tale, from start to finish. Once Tamaki finally fell silent, Haruhi looked down, processing what she'd been told.

"So this is all about the coins Takumi-senpai gave me?"

"Yes," Tamaki admitted, closing his eyes with resignation. The normally rambunctious Host Club was downcast, awaiting her judgement. "Actually, one of them is extremely valuable. With the funds from selling it, you could be free of your debt to the Host Club forever. I know our actions are inexcusable. I truly hope you can forgive us."

Haruhi blinked. "I already knew the Morgan Dollar was valuable. I've looked into getting it sold to a museum overseas," she said matter off factly, and Tamaki blanched in shock. "My dad is getting the final appraisal done today."

"Haruhi…you're really leaving us?" Tamaki breathed, with an expression like he'd been stabbed out of the blue and hadn't fully registered the pain yet. Mori and Honey were both silent with shock.

Hikaru gritted his teeth, standing up suddenly. "Fine. I guess this whole thing has been pointless then, hasn't it? Well I never wanted you around anyways, you hear me? Who would want to spend time with a bland girl like you?!"

Kaoru stood as well, grabbing his brother's arm before he could storm off. "Hikaru," he protested, worry coloring his words. His brother wouldn't look at him, his shoulders shaking.

"Let go of me, Kaoru!"

"All of you, sit down!" Haruhi demanded, slamming her hands down on the table. She glared at the twins, her tone brooking no argument. "I'm not going anywhere, I'm donating the money to our charity project!"

Hikaru whirled, his gold eyes wide with shock, mirroring the expression on Kaoru's face. "You are?"

"Of course I am!" Haruhi retorted angrily. "I promised myself I would work off my debt honestly, without taking a handout from someone else! Takumi-senpai was wasting money like a typical, ridiculous rich kid, so I decided to use the funds to help children who are actually in need! Do either of you have a problem with that?"

The Host Club stared at her for a long moment. Honey-senpai broke first, flinging himself across the table to hug the brown haired girl. "Haru-chan!" he wailed, hugging her tightly. "Don't ever scare us like that again!"

Haruhi sighed with exasperation. "I really don't know what I'm going to do with you guys. I am going to pay off my debt eventually you know. Why would you feel like you had to pull so many ridiculous stunts? Even if I wasn't in the Host Club, we'd still see each other around school."

"It wouldn't be the same," the twins said simultaneously, a little subdued. It didn't last long. They looked up mischievously, poking at Haruhi's cheeks with a matching set of wicked grins. "Sooo. You like us after all, don't you? You secretly enjoy being a member of our Host Club. Admit it!"

"I do not!" Haruhi deadpanned immediately, smacking away their hands. "And stop that, will you?" The twin's smiles only grew wider. "Did you guys really think we wouldn't be friends if I paid off my debt?"

"W-well, the thought had crossed our minds," Tamaki stuttered, looking embarrassed.

"I'm all for you paying back your debt, but I have to admit your natural charm would be difficult to replace in our club," Kyoya admitted, shrugging nonchalantly.

"We'd miss you," Mori said, his gaze steady.

"Well you were worried over nothing!" Haruhi retorted. She sighed, taking a moment to collect herself. "Of course we would still be friends. You guys drive me crazy, but you're a part of my life now…and I can honestly say I don't hate having you around."

Tears welled up in the twins eyes at this speech, which for Haruhi, was basically a confession of love. "Haruhi!" Kaoru wailed, hugging her tightly. "We don't hate you either!"

"We'll all be friends forever, even if we have to deal with Tamaki for the rest of our lives!" Hikaru promised, his voice thick with emotion as he joined the hug. "But I still think he's the most annoying human being on the planet!" Honey held her tightly around the waist, saying her name over and over again.

"Alright, that's enough, let me go!" Haruhi complained, trying to free herself from the group hug. It didn't work. Tamaki joined as well, and she resigned herself to her fate.

Mori stood up as well, standing in front of her. But instead of embracing her like the others, he put his hand on her head, without saying a word. Haruhi's eyes widened slightly, and she smiled fondly at him.

"While this is all very touching, I feel I should point out that Ranka will be home soon," Kyoya pointed out, still seated across the table. "And if he finds Tamaki here, we may have to arrange for a funeral."

The hug broke apart at this sobering reminder. "You really still think of us as friends?" Honey asked, looking up at her worriedly, needing one final verification.

"Yeah, I still do," Haruhi affirmed, a half smile on her lips. She remembered all the horrible things Tamaki had done in the past week, and her stare turned icy as she faced him. "Well. Most of you."

The Prince looked like he'd been shot, lightning flashing behind him as he held out a hand to her despairingly. The twins smiled brightly, linking arms without seeming to notice Tamaki's agony. "Well, that settles that!" they said in unison, without a care in the world. "Sorry we caused such a mess, but we're glad everything is cleared up now!"

Haruhi's sudden scorching glare had them backpedaling. "Oh, just because we're friends doesn't mean I'm not still mad at you guys! What were you thinking, breaking into my house and pulling all this crap? Go home, we'll talk tomorrow at club!"

~o~

The next club was uneventful and almost peaceful; just another normal day, without even a theme to spice things up. The members of the Host Club wore their pale blue school uniforms, chatting with the pretty girls at their tables. Haruhi had attracted a few more regulars, cutting down her debt bit by bit, and her contentment shone like the sun, though she still gave the boys of the club the cold shoulder.

The twins weren't having it. They had been on Haruhi's bad side for less than a day, and were already demanding to be set free.

Haruhi stood with an apology to her guests to get more tea, and the twins ambushed her at the refill station. "You guys again," Haruhi said coldly, annoyed but unsurprised.

"Forgive us!" the twins demanded, in a tone which was decidedly not apologetic.

"Enough is enough, we said we were sorry!"

"So why don't you forgive us, and come hang out with us after school!"

"We are hanging out after school," Haruhi pointed out. "And this is the twenty third time you've apologized today!"

"So say we're forgiven, and we'll stop annoying you," Hikaru suggested.

"It will be easier on all of us," Kaoru agreed.

"Say it!" they demanded in unison, and Haruhi turned away, muttering under her breath about 'having to deal with toddlers'.

The twins sat back down haughtily, crossing their arms. Kyoya looked up idly at them. "Still no luck with Haruhi?"

"Nope. We've tried everything! We even picked her up for school so we could apologize first thing in the morning!" Kaoru complained.

"Well, maybe our new photo collection will soften her up a bit," Kyoya said, snapping his notebook closed. "Are the preparations ready?"

"Finished them last night!" the twins confirmed. "Let's give it a shot!"

Tamaki stood, silencing the chatter amongst the clubroom. "Thank you all for coming to the Host Club this fine day. We've prepared a surprise for you all today. Please enjoy our newest photo collection." He swept back the velvet curtains, uncovering a display case filled with pictures.

Tamaki smiled. "Ladies, I give you the first ever Host Club baby collection!" The guests oohed, gathering around the display with obvious pleasure. Each member of the club had donated several photographs from their infancy, with Haruhi's pictures excluded.

"Oh, the twins were so cute when they were little! Look, they have matching hats!"

"Tamaki is smiling as always. It looks like he's having so much fun!"

"Kyoya-senpai, you even wore suits back then?"

"Look, baby Honey is wearing a dress!"

Haruhi stood slightly behind the crowd of girls, a slight smile making its way to her lips despite herself. One of her regulars turned to her. "Haruhi, are you going to add some of your photos too?" This caught the attention of several other guests, who looked at her expectantly.

Haruhi sighed internally at their hopefully expressions. "Sure," she agreed, and their faces lit up like the sun. "I guess I don't mind." Everyone had already seen her photos anyways. She smiled in bemusement at how easy it was to make people happy in this club. Maybe…just maybe, the Host Club wasn't so bad after all.

Truth be told, Haruhi knew she'd forgive them for their over the top reactions this past week. It was just like them to pull such crazy stunts. And as much as they annoyed her, Haruhi truly had come to care about the club, and the members in it. Sometimes, she even had fun here, despite herself.

The twins stood by her side, looking at her face expectantly as guests milled around the embarrassing baby photos they'd all donated. The other boys of the club watched her as well, waiting for her reaction.

Haruhi sighed.

"Fine. I forgive you guys. Just don't pull anything like this again, got it?"

"We promise!" the twins exclaimed, hugging her tightly from both sides, their voices too sincere to be completely trustworthy.

Haruhi just hoped that whatever crazy thing happened next wouldn't revolve around her.

Later, as they cleaned up from the day's event, Tamaki burst into the room, his expression frantic. "Kyoya! We have a situation! It's an emergency!"

The twins looked up, the sound of Tamaki's pain sparking their interest. "Oh? What happened?"

"I signed up for the beauty pageant of Ouran, and I can't back out now!"

Haruhi looked at him doubtfully. "That seems like something you'd enjoy. What's the problem?"

Tamaki held out the flier, pointing at the fine print at the bottom. "It's a women's only contest!" he exclaimed with true panic. "I'll have to perform in a ball gown!"

The twins laughed uproariously, barely able to breathe through their hilarity. Kyoya took the flier, appraising the fine print with growing incredulity. "How did your application even get accepted?" he wondered. "You'd think something like that would have been caught in screening."

"I don't know!" Tamaki wailed, panic written in every line of his face. "You have to help me, I can't face the entire school in a dress! My flawless reputation will be ruined!"

"What reputation? I think this is right up your alley," Haruhi wondered honestly, sending an arrow straight through Tamaki's heart.

Hikaru slapped the Prince on the shoulder, still fighting back laughter. "No help for it boss, you've gotta go through with it!"

"We'll take lots of pictures!" Kaoru promised, his voice shaking with mirth. "Maybe you could ask Haruhi's dad for advice on cross dressing!"

"If he doesn't kill you first," Mori added in a serious voice.

"Personally I think this is a great marketing opportunity for the club," Kyoya said coolly. He smiled sincerely. "Of course, I'd be glad to use my connections to get you off the registry. For a price, that is."

Honey beamed up at the blond Prince of the Host Club. "I think you'd be a pretty girl!"

Haruhi couldn't help it. She laughed, at the ridiculous things which happened around these boys, at the thought of Tamaki in a dress, and most of all because she knew her school days would never be boring again. The Host Club stared at her in astonishment.

For all her talk, Haruhi Fujioka really would miss this.

~Finale~

~o~

Authors Note: Thank you for reading, everyone! I had fun writing this, so I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading it! If you liked what you read, please let me know in a review. Thanks again! :D

oOo

For anyone interested, the violet fern mentioned is the Burgundy Lace Japanese Painted Fern. I couldn't really do it justice in the story without distracting from the plot. The leaves start out as a deep purple with silver accents, and lighten in summer to silvery pink with dark red veins. It is very pretty, and I recommend checking it out.

Until next time,

~Little Miss Firebright