The next day at school, Marie didn't show up. Kaoru thought she was sick, but when he asked Tamaki about it, he stated that she never returned home from her study time at Kyouya's. The blond was obviously worried about his cousin and so Kaoru offered to help him look for her. Tamaki's smile was forced and weary. To Kaoru, it was obvious that their King had been up all night worrying about Marie.

"Don't worry, Boss. We'll find her." The younger twin said, placing a hand on Tamaki's shoulder.

"Yeah. I just hope she's okay."

-Page Break-

Marie was sitting on a swing, looking at the sky and thinking. She couldn't go home, couldn't bear to face Tamaki and her uncle after what Kyouya did.

"Eleven o'clock. Tamaki and Uncle will be at school. I'll just go home and pack a bag and leave before anyone notices me."

So Marie made the short walk to the Suouh mansion and climbed up the trellis that led to her window. Quietly, she opened it and climbed into the room, careful not to make much noise. Swiftly, she put as much clothes into a duffle bag as she watched the door that led to her room. It was locked, but Marie had taken to watching doors any ways.

"I should probably write a note," she thought, before sighing and sitting at her desk.

She wrote two letters, one to her uncle and one to Tamaki, each expressing that she was fine but needed some time to think about things. It was around three in the afternoon by the time Marie completed her tasks and left the mansion as silently as she had entered it. Without so much as a backward glace, Marie began to walk. With no destination in mind, she let her feet guide her as her mind wandered. She still harbored feelings for Kyouya, that much was certain in the girl's heart. But she knew also that she couldn't be with the violent person he became with one little word from his father. She had always been taught, in the days before her parents' passing, to be self-reliant and assertive. To give no one the chance to harm her and thus she would always have control in situations. But Marie was too trusting, that much was evident, since she had returned to Kyouya after the first time he hit her; again after the second; the third, the fourth, and so on until the final one where he had simply taken her without her willingness.

"No," Marie said, "No, I won't go back there, either in my thoughts or physically. I just won't. I said I was done with crying over him and I am."

Dark hit earlier than Marie had thought. Deciding that it would be a good idea to call someone, Kaoru or Mori maybe, she pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket but to her dismay it was dead. Looking around at her surroundings, she noticed an attractive, though modest, two-story house, most of the lights were on and so Marie ventured a guess to say that someone was home and that they most likely had a phone that she could use. Taking a deep breathe, Marie made her way to the front and knocked before she could run off. What happened next was entirely unexpected but not unpleasant. When the door opened, Marie looked up and locked eyes with familiar golden orbs.

"Marie?"

"K-Kaoru?"

KRRR: I'm the most horrible person on the face of the planet.

Kyouya: Yes, you are.

KRRR: Shut up! *shoves in a box* Now then, I'm very sorry for the extended delay but finals slaughtered my brain…..yeaup. So I hope you enjoyed it! Please R&R!