Kanoi: Oh my god you guys! I am SO sorry this took so long! There really is no excuse good enough to excuse over a year without an update. All I can say is that my first year of college gave me not much time to write between studying and a social life, then my personal life became riddled with drama which resulted in me being extremely depressed for several months, and I just could not think of what to write. Still, I apologize profusely.

Hikaru: Why don't you just shut up already and give them the update? You're already making them wait long enough.

Kanoi: Right! On with the fic!

Kaoru: Since she's so frazzled, I might as well go ahead and do the disclaimer. Kanoi does not own Ouran High School Host Club. Don't sue.

Benio was uncomfortable. She had never much cared for vampires, but in just a few moments she would be in the presence of several. There was very little in this world that could make her seek the company of such beasts. She doubted even her prince could make her. However, this was not for her prince. Actually, she was quite sure it would be considered directly disobeying her prince, but this was worth that. This was for Haruhi.

Éclair watched the woman sitting across from her. Éclair had honestly never thought she would see the day she would be working with Amakusa Benio, especially against Arai. Éclair had always worked closely with the Ouran prince, and as much as she disliked Benio she knew the captainess was steadfastly loyal to the prince as well.

As the vampires began to think about it, she began to wonder why she was doing all this. Before the might Tamaki had called for her, she had never even met Arai's fiancée. Benio betraying Arai in this way at least made sense. It was a rather well-known fact within the castle that Benio was in love with the duchess. But what reason did Éclair have to be involved as she was? None.

The carriage stopped, and Éclair focused once more on her traveling partner.

"We have arrived, Captain Amakusa."

Butterflies filled Benio's stomach. It was a feeling the normally bold woman was not used to, but somehow she could not help being nervous. What if the woman they had found was not Haruhi? After all, Éclair had never met Haruhi. Of course there were portraits of the duchess that the High Vampiress must have seen, but she could still be mistaken.

Benio stepped out of the carriage behind Éclair. The two women made their way up the walk to the gothic mansion.

!#$%^&**()

Kyoya had taken the job of waiting on Éclair to arrive with the captainess. He was perhaps the only one with the patience and calm demeanor for such a task. (except perhaps Mori, but where ever Mori went, so did Hani). Éclair had a nasty habit of being fashionably late or coming and going as she pleased that tended to drive everyone else insane anyway. Best to keep them busy with other tasks, especially Tamaki.

Kyoya had barely seen his blonde lover since Haruhi's appearance. At first, the genius had felt overwhelming jealousy toward the young duchess. The feeling had since faded, though not completely. Kyoya had simply accepted the fact something drew Tamaki toward the woman. Kyoya was not giving up of course; he simply saw no reason to become emotional. After all, a love affair between Tamaki and Haruhi could never end well. Besides, he understood how Tamaki could be drawn to the woman; Kyoya was too. It was why he had begun researching mates more thoroughly. Could there be a case of three people being mate to one another? Kyoya doubted it, figures he was probably just curious die to the mystery around Haruhi's situation. Still, the research kept him busy while he waited on Éclair.

Soon enough, the elegant vampiress appeared in the doorway, the captainess in toe.

"Good evening, Kyoya," Éclair greeted, "may I introduce to you Captainess Amakusa Benio"

Kyoya strode over to the two women. He took Benio's calloused hand and knelt before her.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Captainess," Kyoya said with a charming smile.

Benio grimaced in disgust and yanked her hand away before the vampire could place a cold kiss to it.

"Where is Lady Haruhi?" Benio demanded.

Kyoya stood, apparently unfazed by the woman's curtness, and responded, "In the parlor."

"And Nekozawa?" Éclair questioned.

"In the kitchen, preparing an antidote. Hikaru is watching him."

!#$%^&*()

Nekozawa was beginning to hate his lot in life. First, he's stick serving Ayakanoji. Now he was stuck serving a group of eccentric vampires (though in Nekozawa's vast experience in the dark arts, he had learned most all undead were more than a little quirky). What the mage disliked most was how these vampires were treating him- like a criminal. It wasn't as if he had known what the poison was going to be used for, and even if he had he still wouldn't have had a choice in making it.

He really didn't see the need to be watched. They thought he would contact Ayakanoji- yeah right! He hated the woman. Besides, she wouldn't help him, just have him killed for "failing her." The woman was far too violent for any proper lady. Why couldn't she be more like her sister Kanako? Nekozawa prayed Kirimi never turned out like his mistress. He may have to become violent himself if she did.

Hikaru watched the mage brewing up the so-called "antidote". Damn thing smelled disgusting. The scent was starting to make him sick, as if he didn't already have enough trouble concentrating on this task. The vampire would much rather be with his brother , and he couldn't help thinking that this would be a lot more bearable if Kaoru was with him, but Kyoya had said they couldn't work together- something about nothing would get accomplished. That was probably true, but it didn't stop Hikaru from being irritated with Kyoya. Personally, Hikaru couldn't wait for Haruhi to get her memory back and go home. She had messed up the dynamic of his home and put a serious damper on his sex life.

!#$%^&*()

Kaoru was beginning to find he had mixed feelings on the amnesic duchess. True, she had completely upset the dynamic of the household, and true, she was unwittingly stealing away the unbeating heart of their lord, but there was just something about her that made Kaoru unable to hate her. He simply just couldn't put his finger on just what that something was, however. Perhaps it was that she was so unaware of just what she was doing, and while he did feel bad for Kyoya, he just couldn't hate the girl as Hikaru did.

"Haru! Haru!" Hani called excitedly, grabbing the woman's attention away from Tamaki as he jumped up to sit next to heron the couch.

Mori smiled, at least as close to a smile as Mori ever got, as he watched his small companion chatter away to the duchess. Hani had taken an immediate liking to Haruhi, and anyone Hani liked, Mori liked as well, though Mori has no qualms about Haruhi on his own anyway. She was a nice enough girl from what Mori had noticed, though he had admittedly seen very little of her. Tamaki loved to monopolize the woman's time.

Pushed against the arm of the couch, Tamaki pouted. He was being squashed and ignored by Haruhi. He didn't quite enjoy sharing her. More and more he found himself spending all his time with Haruhi. At first, he had been unable to place just what he was feeling for her, but then it had occurred to him! She was like a daughter! Not that he had ever been a father, but surely it was similar.

Despite her smile and her happy demeanor, Haruhi was nervous. Soon, she would recover her memory, perhaps even know just what had happened to her to cause this in the first place. True, she had been poisoned, but what were the circumstances? Not even Nekozawa had known the intricacies. What would it feel like to suddenly remember so much?

The door opening broke through Haruhi's trance. Kyoya and Hikaru entered first, Nekozawa between them. The sight of the sorcerer made Tamaki stiffen beside Haruhi, and she briefly wondered just why the vampire High Lord was so terrified of the dark mage. Next through the door was Éclair, though she did not have Renge with her as she normally did. Instead, she was with a woman Haruhi did not recognize but felt she knew. The door closed.

Nekozawa approached Haruhi, in his hands a vial of purple liquid.

"Duchess Fujioka, this should return your memory once you drink it," the black mage told her, extending the vial out to her. She stared at it.

"Don't worry, Haruhi, he knows better than to try anything foolish," Kyoya said, dark, eerie smile in place. A chill went down Haruhi's spine. She didn't wish to think to long on what these vampires had threatened him with.

With shaking hands, Haruhi took the vial, staring intently at it. Time seemed to slow for her, and those around her did not exist. This was it, but… What if they had been wrong? If she was not who they thought he was? Pushing down the concerns and anxieties running rampant through her mind, Haruhi pulled the stopper from the vial and threw back the potion. Without even having time to register the taste of the liquid, her head began to swim. It felt like static filled her brain, and she began to find it hard to stand for dizziness. Then, there was nothing but the dark.

Hikaru: That's it!? You make us wait over a year and only give us filler!?

Kanoi: I'm sorry! It was necessary for plot and it was already started from forever ago andandand!!! WWWWAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!

Hikaru & Kaoru: …

Kaoru: You made her cry…

Hikaru: Uh… let's just leave…