"Confiscated."

"You witch!"

"If only, then I'd be able to make you lot disappear. Confiscated."

Mana could hold her head up straight. That's the first thing Zero noticed one day when he saw her hobble into the kitchen, clearly following her nose to the scent of breakfast. She looked up at him with a curious look as he simply stared at her until she leaned her head on her right shoulder. Zero huffed.

"You don't have to do that if you can lift your head up," he said and Mana shuffled towards him.

She lifted her head up straight to peer around him and see what was cooking for breakfast.

"Zero?"

"Just crepes, I need to go shopping soon," Zero answered her question "Do you want some more paper to doodle whilst you wait?"

Mana reached out towards the frying pan and Zero frowned.

"…Do you want to help cook?"

Mana's eyes lit up and Zero hummed thoughtfully.

"Mana, how is your grip?"

Zero stepped to the side to let her hold the handle of the frying pan awkwardly. He huffed, she wouldn't be able to cook very well.

"The result may be Yuki's cooking instead of your cooking."

Mana huffed and glared up at him. Zero smirked as he stood behind Mana and poured the batter into the frying pan.

"I'm going to have to help you if you want to cook."

Mana pouted, not liking the idea but she nodded nonetheless. Zero held her hands as he helped her hold the spatula and they began making the crepes.

"Do I even want to know?"

"I just wanted to make chocolates for Kaname-sama…"

"Yuki-nee…this is the fourth time you've tried and the mess is always EXACTLY the same every time, do you even learn from mistakes?!"

Mana sloppily cut the crepe roll in front of her. Sometimes her fork would slip from her grip but she still picked up and continued to persevere in eating properly. Zero noticed that her left hand seemed to be in a more awkward position than the right so holding items in that hand was more difficult. Her hands were starting to relax more, her fingers being able to curl and uncurl easier. It relieved him, however her speech was still…impaired. At least Mana's condition was improving, he wondered how she was like before he had found her.

"Zero?"

Zero looked up and snorted when he saw chocolate down Mana's front and over her nose.

"How did that even happen?" he asked as he offered a handkerchief.

Mana pouted before dabbing her face clean. Zero smirked and glanced at the clock.

"The market should be opening soon, I'll be leaving in a minute."

Mana whined and Zero leaned over to comfort her.

"I know, but we need food and it's not a good idea to have too many people see you."

Mana slumped and huffed.

"Zero…"

"Mana, there's no need to be scared, you're safe here."

"Cur."

Mana frowned as she glared at the table, her mouth opening and closing as she began trembling.

"Cur…?" Zero repeated.

Was she trying to be a pirate now?

"Cur, cur, cur," Mana seemed more agitated as Zero began to clean up "Kuraaaaan!"

Zero nearly dropped the plates as he stared at Mana who looked up at him meaningfully, tears collecting in her eyes.

"Kuran?" he murmured and Mana whined, ducking her head and covering it with her hands.

She began crying and Zero placed the plates down to hug her.

"He…he did do this do you, didn't he?"

Mana buried her face into his chest and whined loudly.

"Yuki! Yuki!"

Zero stared down at her in realisation. She was worried that Kaname might hurt Yuki?

"You know the two of them are married, don't you?"

Mana nodded, her bottom lip wobbling. Zero rocked her gently.

"Yuki, they are happy together…"

Mana looked up at him as he began rethinking.

"Well, Yuki is happy, Kuran hasn't hurt her but they…Yuki is very worried about you."

Mana ducked her head, tears dropping from her eyes. Zero hugged her tighter.

"When it's safe, we'll go and see her first," he promised "She'll be very happy to see you."

Mana looked up at him uncertainly and he gave her an encouraging smile.

"We can go for a walk, maybe when you have a better grip we can bake a cake together…with Yuki far away from the kitchen."

Mana's lips twitched a bit but she still looked up at Zero worriedly. Zero tilted his head before sighing.

"He won't find us," he promised her "He probably doesn't even know you're outside of Japan. I promise, he won't find you again and we will find a way to make sure he won't be able to go anywhere near you."

He petted her head gently as she pawed at his shirt.

"Mana, I'm sorry for letting you just go like that," he said and Mana looked up at him sharply "I shouldn't have let you out of my sight that night."

"Kuraaan…"

Zero tilted his head and Mana looked down.

"Cur…Kuraaan…"

Zero frowned, just when he thought he was understanding Mana communicating with him, she comes out and starts a new code of sorts. Zero watched as she reached her hand out for where the paper was and Zero smiled inwardly. He had to keep the paper far away from her because on the first day, the first stack was already half done with a lot of clumsy drawings and doodles.

"Just a few, OK?" he said as he cleared the plates up then handed her three pieces of paper with the set of pencils.

Mana began drawing quickly, huffing when her awkward grip on the pencils would flick unwanted lines. Zero grabbed his coat and basket only to be stopped by Mana calling him. He turned and frowned at the large picture of…well a circle with a triangle on top of it.

"It's lovely, Mana," he said and got an irritated Mana glare "…It could do with some work?"

Mana was absolutely fuming, her head tilted to her left shoulder now as she gave Zero another look.

"…Are you trying to communicate?"

Mana nodded and Zero froze on the spot. What on earth was she trying to say now? Her shouting Zero and Yuki, and now Kuran, was confusing enough. It didn't help that Mana's drawing skills had taken a nosedive along with her cooking and motor skills…

"Um…a symbol?"

Mana's fingers were nearly tearing the paper apart.

"Mana, what do you want, it's a circle with an upside down triangle on top of it!"

Mana huffed as she rolled her head back to the right shoulder then held up her left hand. Zero stared as she began waving it and Zero frowned deeper.

"A sign?"

Nope.

"…Jewellery?"

Mana's eyes lit up and Zero squinted more.

"…A ring? An engagement ring?!"

His eyes widened.

"Do you want to get married?!"

Mana snorted as she dropped her arms with a defeated look. Zero chuckled.

"I'm teasing, Mana," he smirked "but you are trying to say something with a poor grade drawing of an engagement ring."

Mana hissed as she put the drawing down on the table. Zero stared at her and looked at her in disbelief.

"He proposed to you," he said and Mana nodded "You rejected him?"

Mana nodded firmly.

"Why would he do such a thing to you then?"

Mana looked lost as she ducked her head. Zero walked over and cradled her head.

"Then he must have turned you."

Mana nodded and Zero sighed.

"I'm sorry, Mana," he said "I shouldn't have…"

Mana reached out to touch his hand.

"Zero. …For…for…"

Zero glanced at the clock and began walking away.

"Mana, don't try to strain yourself so much," he said as Mana whined when he went to the door "I won't be long. And don't try to steal more paper."

Mana watched with a pitiful look as he left the cabin.

"Mana, thank you for the chocolates."

"I didn't give you any, Kuran. It was Yuki-nee. Get us the right way round."

"Mana, I know the difference between your cooking and Yuki's. You can't fool me."

"Just get lost, you bastard."