Chapter 2

For the next eight months, I was schooled, as Cross-sama tried to fatten me up so that I could train. When he first saw my ribs, he was so concerned that he cooked a huge dinner and made me eat every single morsel even though I was sure I was about to bust. But, in the end, it worked; I was beginning to fill out. Zero would help out some too, but only on rare occasions when he was in a good mood; which it didn't take me long to find out, didn't come too often.

Cross-sama became a father-like figure to me, always watching over me, making sure I felt welcome, making sure I ate, etc. One night, I even awoke to find him putting a blanket over me, as I had fallen asleep on the couch. I was so overcome with joy that I wept when I was sure he was gone.

After our "tied up sitiation", Zero had stayed distant, and had remained gone a lot. He's very serious about his Vampire Hunter duties. But about four months ago, the Vampire Hunter Council decided that Zero should take some time off, and it wasn't long before the silver-haired boy stayed around the house, sulking like a child whose candy had been taken away.

For the first few weeks we bickered endlessly and nearly drove poor Cross-sama to the Insane Assylum. Luckily, not long after we realized it would probably be a while before we were separated so sparingly again, we decided the world would be a happier place, Cross-sama would be sane, and that the cottage would need far less repairs if we at least tried to get along. Surprisingly, during the time that we were forcing ourselves to get along, that I realized how alike we were, and came to conclude that's why we fought so much. Of course when I voiced this thought to my silver-haired companion, I was called a stupid little girl and broke down the front door with Zero's body.

It took me a while of fuming over what had happened to comprehend just how unverbal Zero was, and that just the fact that he talked to me at all, and in the manner that he did meant that he was beginning to warm up to me. I raised myself by myself, so it was understandable that I was severely lacking in a few social skills. Of course, I was too proud to admit my mistake, but he seemed to understand. So in the end, I let myself grow more attached to his existence. Vampire or not, he was the only friend that I had ever really made.

As I grew more attached, I found out he was a really good cook, and an excellent teacher. Then, one day it struck me, the bubbly feeling that I had when I was around Cross-sama or Zero was pure and simple joy. I was happy; Happier than I'd been in a long time, at least. I began to notice that I had tone to my voice, I laughed some, and I felt free to express emotion and to feel loved.

Zero had become my constant companion. He was the someone I wanted to hang out with when I was lonely or the person I called on when I didn't understand something in my book and Cross-sama was frustrated with me. Luckily for me though, my study time flew by quickly as Cross-sama was itching to start my training.

"So...you multiply this by this and divide it by this to get that?" I asked Zero pointing at each with my pencil.

"Yes..." he nodded in approval; and expression I don't get so often.

"I did it? Sweet!" I smiled before punching my fist in the air anime style.

"Yay..." He replied in monotone, his voice conveying nothing but boredom, "Now you're at our grade level." He sighed softly as be began to collect my papers and rolled his eyes at me as I jumped out of my seat jumped around the room; happy of my accomplishment.

"Alright..." he muttered as he watched my jumpy happy dance from across the room, "Either you're entirely too happy, or you really have to pee...I don't care which, but please go take the time to fix them." He folded his arms on the table and buried his face in them with a sigh.

"I can't help being happy about it!" I told him with a grin as I sat down in the seat beside his once more. He grunted softly, the sound muffled by his sleeve, but didn't say anything more. I sat there in silence until I began to fidget out of extreme boredom.

"Sooooooo..." I poked Zero's arm, "I was wondering...I know you're a vampire...but I've never seen you drink blood. What's up with that?" I asked trying to get a conversation started because of my genuine boredness.

At this he sat up and glared at me, lavender eyes piercing my soul, almost. "Blood tablets..." he told me, the restrained anger promenient in his voice.

"Yeesh. Don't glare at me like that. I was just asking..." I told him as I leaned my elbows onto the table,"...So you don't drink blood?"

"No...Unlike most, I don't want to be a blood-sucking mongrel..." he growled menacingly at me. At this, I laughed heartily at him.

"You don't scare me, bub. And you just called yourself a puppy." I tapped his nose, sending a semi-surprised look across his face before it settled back to his usual scowl; his eyes showing a slight bit of amusement, probably directed at the the fact that he had in fact called himself a dog.

"You are so wierd..." he sighed, a smirk trying to work it's way to his lips.

"I know..." I beamed at him with a laugh as I got up and put the books back on the shelf, "So when do you think Cross-sama will begin my hunter training?" He shrugged slightly his lean shoulders bunching at the act.

"I don't know. Didn't ask. But, I'd better warn you, being a hunter isn't as easy as it looks." he grabbed the plates we ate on and followed me to the kitchen.

"Wow...it looks hard. So I wonder how tough it really is." I grinned over my shoulder before seriously stating, "And anyways, I've already started my training, but I just didn't finish it." I dumped the dishes in the sink and dusted my hands off on my pants.

"Yeah, yeah...I know..." he grunted pushing his short silver hair from his eyes. As soon as his hand dropped back to his side, the door bursted open, catching mine and Zero's attention immediately. We both walked towards the door; our bodies tense: our guard up. But we hadn't even gotten the door in view before we heard a familiar voice, confirming his arrival.

"Kiryu! Raehime! I'm back from the store and I've got greeeaaaat news!" Cross-sama called to us from the living room.

"What is it Cross-sama?" Zero and I appeared at the door. I immediately took the heavy load of bags from him and Zero took some of them from me.

"Well, the first good news is that we can start your hunter training today, Raehime-chan!Heehee!" he grinned at me grabbing my shoulders.

"That's great, Cross-sama." I smiled as I sat the stuff on the counter and began to unbag it.

"What else is there?" Zero asked, crossing his arms after unloading his.

"Well, good news number two is that we're gonna have the school up soon so we're moving back there." He threw his arms up in joy and Zero sweatdropped.

"Okay..." I shrugged, placing the bags under the counter.

"And good news number three?" Zero yawned as he stretched like a cat.

"Actually it depends on how you two take this, if it's good news or bad news..." his grin faltered a little, "Um...I'm gonna be gone a lot , so what time you're not helping us move, you two will be training together..." The last part was told sheepishly. I looked up at Zero who had a placid look on his pale face.

"Umm...He doesn't have to..." I offered, then jokingly I added, "I mean, c'mon! The prey teaching a hunter how to hunt? It's sorta an oxymoron, right?" Cross-sama laughed at this, his blue eyes twinkling in delight.

"I suppose it doesn't make much sense when you put it that way..." he smiled ruffling my long white hair, "Clever girl." I beamed in pride at his approval.

"But seeing as I am the vampire, what better way to train, than with a vampire that knows a vampire's weak points?" Zero offered, his face nonplussed and his voice monotone. A stunned silence passed as we watched Zero; our eyes wide.

"Wow...I-...I didn't think about it that way, either..." Cross-sama marvled at the lilac eyed boy.

"That was deep..." I agreed with him, my thin white eyebrow raised, then I continued a playful smile on my face, "Gosh Zero. Stop making me look stupid." Zero rolled his eyes before looking horrified like at Cross-sama.

"What?" I asked, concerned, but when I looked, I was taken aback as well. Cross-sama hd his hands pressed to his face, sparkles seemed to shine from his eyes, and they were brimming with happy tears. I smirked inwardly. This was his glomp face.

"Kiryuu-kun is smart! Daddy is so proud!" he yelled pouncing on the poor boy like a neglected cat. Zero cried out horror and tried to crawl away from him, but to no avail. "Daddy" was not about to let go.

"Get offa me!" Zero growled at Cross-sama, his face contorted in rage. At this point I could not restrain my laughter any longer.

"But...! But...! Daddy is so PROUD!" he hugged him harder and Zero's face revealed that his ribcage was about to be crushed.

After a few more minutes, I finally stopped laughing long enough to pry Cross-sama from Zero, who's face showed me unadulterated grattitude. Eventually the atmosphere calmed once more.

"So...Will you help please, Zero? I know it's a lot to ask, but I really need your help...I promise I'll give you the thing you've been wanting lately after this is all over..." Cross-sama offered him dusting his pants off.

"You'll finally kill me?" I thought he was joking, but when I looked at his face, he looked completely serious. The smile on Cross-sama's face dissapeared as my heart skipped a beat.

"No...I meant to let you be and not ask you for things all the time...I thought that bothered you..." The look on Cross-sama's face turned concerned.

"Well, that too..." he sighed pushing his pale hand through his silver hair, "I'm goin to bed. Night..." He sighed as he walked off, removing his jacket as he went.

"Z-Zero-kun...?" I called out in confusion.

"Just let him be..." Cross-sama grabbed my shoulders and led me away, "He's just...had a bad past and it's hard for him to handle happy, energetic situations." He patted my shoulder as I turned to look at Zero's closed bedroom door.

"B-but I've never heard him talk like that before..." I told Cross-sama, my eyes wide. "Usually he's so nonverbal...I just thought he was uncomfortable expressing his emotions...I never thought he was suicidal..." I felt overwhelemed by guilt for not noticing.

"Don't fret, Raehime-chan. He's always been like that. But usually, it's a lot worse. He's been better since you've come around." He smiled softly down at me.

"Better?" I stared up at him, confused.

"Yes. It's like he was when he was with Yuki." He mumbled softly to himself, his eyes wide as if figuring something out.

"What is it, Cross-sama? And who's Yuki?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"That's a story for a later date, my dear." he said softly, his eyes reflecting something akin to pain. But before I could confirm it, it seemed to dissapear from his eyes as he smiled cheerfully. "Now then, it's late. How about we get in bed so we can have an early start tomorrow?"

"O-Okay..." I nodded slowly, still shaken, as I headed for the bathroom.

Zero's POV

Traveling through tunnels by yourself is depressing...But I walked on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on through them anyways. A loud noise sounded to my left, and I ran to it's source, hoping for something besides more of these underearth caverns there. Much to my dissapointment, there were more. It was hard to see in the dark, but luckily I had enough vampire in me to make out the bare minimum of the outline of my surroundings. As I kept walking I started to hear a thick disturbing slurping noise. My heart stopped in fear. I knew that noise. A vampire was feeding on his prey.

I ran as fast as I could towards the noise, slipping and sliding in the damp caverns. The noise grew louder and louder and as it did, I released my faithful compainion, the Bloody Rose gun, from it's holster. I reached the end of the cavern I was in and in a small ray of light, I saw the outline of two figures that were slouched over. As my eyes adjusted to the new light I was able to make out the two. One was a reddish brown haired woman and the other, a taller blackish-brown-haired man.

They turned around when they heard me coming, and I stopped in dead my tracks in absoulute surprise. There before me was the girl who haunts my happier points of my past. Yuki, the newly pureblood vampire. Beside her was her lover, the pure blood vampire, Kaname. Blood dripped from their lips, and the smell hit my starved body hard.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" I asked them my face burning in hate for the two.

"Zero...It's been such a long time..." she tilted her head at me as her eyes glowed red with bloodlust.

"Yuki, what are you doing?" I asked her dazedly, as she and her lover stepped away from their prey, "I told you the next time I saw you that I'd kill you and your lover." I raised the Bloody Rose at them and removed the safety.

"Foolish Boy." Kaname sighed, "You take too many things for granted."

"Such as?" I growled at him wanting to pull that trigger for all I was worth.

"Me letting you live after all the times you've pointed that gun at me." He growled pushing the tip of it away, "Do not pull a weapon on me, unless you are prepared to use it, rightfully, boy." A bang was heard outside and suddenly he and Yuki took off running, leaving their victim behind. I was about to follow when a white tuff of hair caught my attention. I walked over and My heart flew up in my throat, my breathing stopped for a moment before continuing in erratic puffs, my throat threatening to close up.

"R-R-Raehime..." I studdered before my two years of medical training kicked in. I checked for breath, and I was relieved a little that it was there. Slow and faint, but it was there. I immediately took off my shirt and pressed it against the two pairs of fang marks. Her hand twitched and I looked up at her face. Her wide, dazed violet eyes were opening slowly and she smiled when she saw me.

"Zero...I'm...glad you're here..." her dazed eyes filled with joy as she cupped her small cold hand around my cheek. I flinched at the temperature of it. She probably didn't have much blood left. "I...I don't think I'm gonna make it..." she didn't seem troubled by this at all.

"You'll be fine..." I responded placidly as I applied more pressure to the wound. She shook her head faintly.

"They've nearly sucked me dry...I'm surprised that I'm still alive..." She told me, her hand trembling as she tried to keep it firmly plastered to my face, as if she didn't want to let go.

"Don't talk. It takes away energy and you have hardly any left." I shook my head and pressed her hand to her side before returning my concentration on my work.

"Zero..." she touched my face again, gently.

"What?" narrow lavender met wide violet. I felt her little fingers twist around my tie and pull my face down to hers. She pressed her forehead to mine gently, and stared down at her, confused.

"Raehime?" I asked, clearly confused.

"I love you.." she shrugged faintly, like it was the most common thing in the world.

"That's nice.. but I'm serious about all the talking...hush..." I pushed my finger to her lips.

"You were...like the brother...I never had..." she continued anyways, the smile on her face soft.

"Hush!" I raised my voice in desperation because her vitals were declining.

"And I wish... I could...spend more time...getting to know you..." her eyes fluttered before closing.

"I swear you'll be fine! Don't worry, just hush!" I'll admit it. I was scared. Fear overcame me like a tital wave. I was losing her, and fast.

"...You were..." her grip got fainter and I grabbed her hand with my free one.

"Please be quiet! I just want you to make it out of this alive! I really need you to save your strength!" I pressed harder on the rag to stop the bleeding.

"...My first real friend..." her breath hitched and my heart jolted. Her hand went limp as she heaved a long sigh, and I waited for her to start breathing again. To my horror, she didn't.

"Raehime...?" I shook her. "Raehime?" I shook her harder. I felt of her neck to check her pulse but there wasn't one. It was over. She had stopped breathing.

I went into shock...my body going rigid, and I began trembling uncontrolably. I felt something wet on my hand and I looked down. It was tears from my face. My hands flew to my cheeks and felt the salinary liquid. I was crying for the first time in so long. This girl. her death had made me cry. An overwhelming feeling swept over me and all I wanted to do at the moment was hold her and cry. So I did. I wrapped my arms around her limp, cold body and held her to me and wept like a small boy.

Everything that ever meant anything to me was gone now. Everything. There was no point in my living. I couldn't stand anymore heartbreak. Sobbing, I pulled my Bloody Rose gun from it's place on the ground, where it had fallen when I ran to Raehime, and pressed it to my temple. I pressed her forehead to mine one last time, and I pulled the trigger.

I jolted awake, sweat covering my body. 'A dream...' relief hit me as I realized, 'It was just a dream.' When my eyes finally focused, I found myself staring into wide violet eyes, concern stamped clearly in them.

"Zero...?" she called my name softly almost in a whisper as she ran a hand through my silver hair. Suddenly overcome with emotion, I pounced on the bearer of those beautiful violet orbs.

Author's Note:

Wow at the dramatics in here, huh? XD! I hope you all enjoyed chapter two of Innocence, as dramatic as it was. Please review^^ I'll post chapter three soon! Until then, Crimson out!

-Crimson3