A/N: sequel, chapter two. cuz 3 ppl reviewed at least, and it really was very mean of me to leave you guys hanging with that whole "zero's dead" thing. i'm so cruel. you love me.

:]


Broken Links

"How?" The word from Yuki's lips is almost too quiet for Suzue to hear.

Suzue resists the urge to launch herself across the clearing at the young female vampire. Cold air lightly stings her face. She doesn't want to explain, but the words slip out. Must be a pureblood thing.

"He was a Level E, if you recall." Suzue's voice is snappish and harsh. "He was managing it, but we both knew he couldn't keep it under control forever. We just didn't know it would be so...violent. One night..." She stops, overwhelmed. She clears her throat. "One night..."

Aimi takes her mother's hand. At some point, Suzue had put her down.

"It's okay, Mommy," Aimi says. She squeezes her hand. "Do you want me to tell them? Is it too hard for you?"

Suzue wipes at her eyes. She needs to be strong, for Aimi. Aimi has seen her fall apart too many times over this. She can't lose it now.

"One night, he lost control," she continues, licking her chapped lips. The scars on her body burn at the memory. The feeling as he tore deeply into her skin...She shudders despite herself.

Yuki watches her, fresh tears in her eyes. "What did he do to you?" she asks haltingly.

Suzue's shaking fingers unbutton her coat. Her fingers grasp the hem of her shirt.

"Turn around, Aimi," she says thickly.

Aimi does so, and Suzue lifts her shirt to reveal the jagged, ripple scar spread across her stomach. The scar runs from from her hips in a diagonal to her left shoulder, but all Yuki can see is a small portion. Yuki gasps. Suzue closes her coat, fumbling with the buttons. She wants to stop talking about it. She wants to run away from these, these...monsters. She wants to claw out Yuki's eyes, demand the reason to justify her having left Zero behind all those years ago. Then Kaname catches and holds her gaze, and the remainder of her tale is ripped from her.

"He...He regained control when Aimi started to cry. She was one and a half." Aimi rubs the back of her mother's hand gently with her thumb. She doesn't act her age. A strange mixture of pride and despair surges through her. Aimi should be normal. She should have a normal life. She's not even three yet.

"He left with Bloody Rose in his coat pocket. He said he wouldn't be back."

"You don't know he's dead," Yuki protests wildly. "He could--"

Suzue's anger flares, returning anew. How dare she? How could she possibly think that Suzue herself hadn't already considered the possibilities, every wild, unrealistic possibility?

"Zero and I are bonded," she interrupts. She almost grins smugly at the expression of surprise on Yuki's face. "I don't know how, I don't know why."

Suzue pauses.

"All I know is, when Aimi turned two seven months ago, the part of me connected to Zero died."


A/N: well?

i need a lot more than 3 reviews here, guys. review. feedback. seriously. if you read this, please at least type SOMETHING.

please and thanks. i know it's short.