At what price,love?

Chapter 32

"What do you mean your grandmother has ordered Haruhi back to Japan?"

"What right does she have to order me anywhere?" Haruhi said. "Give me that phone!"

She grabbed for the phone and Kyoya let her have it, but not before he put it on speaker so they could all hear it.

"I don't know. I just know it's not a good idea to refuse her," Tamaki sounded miserable. "If it helps at all, I think she may let Haruhi off."

"Or she may just want to watch her face as she destroys her," Kyoya said coldly.

"That's possible too. She is like that."

"Don't go Haru," Hikaru said.

"Stay here, we'll protect you" Kaoru backed him up.

"I don't think so," Honey said. "I don't think you can. Madame Suoh doesn't need Haru-chan to be there to destroy her. She may enjoy it more but she can do it regardless. Running from a battle will not stop it." He turned to Haruhi. "You need to face her in person."

"Hn," Mori concurred.

"Isn't this my call?" Haruhi said. "Why do you guys think you get to make this decision for me?"

"Do you want to make this decision on you own?" Kaoru asked.

"Um... not really."

The twins merely looked at her. Oh my god, even the twins are thinking more clearly than me. I must be more scared than I thought. "Kyoya?" She said weakly.

He rubbed his chin in unconscious imitation of his father. He might be out of his depth when it came to romance and love, but he had been weaned on interpersonal power politics. "Tamaki, tell your grandmother that out of the deep respect she feels for the Suoh family and gratitude for their generous scholarship, Haruhi will be pleased to meet with your grandmother at the date and place of her choosing. Your grandmother will of course be paying for all the changes to the travel plans."

"Pay?" Tamaki said.

"One does not inconvenience an Ootori - or even a future Ootori - without recompense. But then your grandmother knows that."

"Pay for what?" Haruhi asked. The last thing she wanted was to somehow find herself in debt to that old lady.

"Airlines charge a fee for changing flights, there may be cancellation fees in San Francisco ..."

"Alright," Tamaki said. "I'll cover any of Haruhi's expenses."

"No, your grandmother will cover them. And everybody else's. Mine, the rest of the club's and our security teams'."

"Kyoya, she called me family... I mean, she was mad and it kind of slipped out, but..."

Kyoya considered. "If you don't want to annoy your grandmother, tell her personal secretary and let the secretary tell her." Kyoya had made the mistake of thinking Haruhi could defend herself against these kind of vicious games once. He would not do so again.

~oOo~

Well, that was interesting. From the one side of the conversation Shizue had heard, feelings for that girl had made her short-sighted, impulsive grandson attempt to formulate a strategy without relying on his friend to do it for him. In opposition to his friend, in fact. And it was nothing short of charming that his friend thought he could take Shizue Suoh in a social battle. And all for this girl. This girl with no money, position, or connections. It might be worth looking into to see what effect she had on the other children at Ouran. The girl herself was worth nothing, but her influence on the boys around her might be very valuable indeed.