Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

Chapter 10

What We Are

"The courage to pull away, there will be hell to pay, the deeper you cut to the bone.."

Wiping a little trail of warm blood from her lips as she turned away from Sora, Kana absently licked the smear of crimson from her hand and stared towards the window. The sun was beginning to sink into the horizon which she knew meant that night classes would be starting vaguely soon. Classes she had no intention of attending.

Being sure that his neck was clear of blood as the two wounds in it began to sew themselves shut, Sora shrugged his pale blue button up back on and began to redo the buttons. He saw Kana release a small, quiet sigh before walking to the bathroom and closing the door behind her. The sound of running water filling the tub drifted out to him and he glanced to the door, Riku was just returning with some of Kana's things from the Moon Dorms.

Upon entering the room, Riku glanced at his brother as the man tucked his shirt back into his slacks. Riku's cheek twitched and with a quiet snort, the green eyed twin set a small suitcase on the bed and sat beside it. "She always did like your blood better," he muttered jealously.

"Maybe it's because I'm not as bitter as you often are," Sora suggested blandly, adjusting the sleeves of his shirt and reaching for a smoky gray sweater vest that he pulled on over the button up.

Riku shot his brother a glare and growled quietly at him before snorting and looking away towards the bathroom. "How is she feeling?"

"I don't know. She hasn't said anything since she sent you to get some of her things from the dorm. She seems more like her self. A little distracted and lost in thought, but she doesn't seem to be confused about her own feelings and memories anymore."

"Has she remembered everything, do you think?" Riku inquired curiously.

Sora shook his head and frowned as he glanced at the bathroom door. "I don't know. It's likely that she's remembered most of it, but considering how much there was for her to remember there are probably bits and pieces she will recall as time passes."

Frowning at the bathroom door, Riku nodded in understanding. "Especially considering what happened when she let that..." He trailed off angrily, a soft hiss escaping his clenched teeth as he recalled that Kana had allowed Zero to bite her.

"Leave the boy alone, Riku," Sora warned, noticing the hatred radiating from his brother.

"I don't need you telling me what to do, Sora," he snapped coldly. "I know better than to touch him, but that doesn't mean that I can't think about ripping his head from his shoulders."

"You should learn to control your jealousy... I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of Zero Kiryu."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

Eyes flickering, but his face not betraying a single emotion, Sora glanced at Riku evenly. "Whether it bothers me or not doesn't matter, Riku. Neither of us have any say in who Kana chooses to befriend."

"You will never admit it, will you?"

"Admit what?" Sora asked guardedly, folding his arm over his chest as he kept his eyes focused on his sibling.

"That you're in love with Kana."

His blue eyes flickered again, but Sora still remained outwardly blank. "I'm not in love with lady Kana," he replied.

"Of course you're not. That's like me saying I hate her. We both know it's a lie." He laughed bitterly and shook his head.

"Riku-"

"Never mind, Sora, forget I said anything because we both know you'll never act on your feelings."

"It wouldn't make a difference, Riku, you know that. She cares about us, she may even love us, but she is not in love with either of us."

"I've always known that. It's never bothered me," Riku said, shrugging a shoulder nonchalantly.

"Yes, well, I'm not like you," Sora pointed out with a twinge of annoyed arrogance.

"Right, I forgot, you're a gentleman," Riku drawled with a smirk.

"It's better than being an annoying lout."

Riku shrugged and laid back on the bed with is hands behind his head. "I'm perfectly fine with the way I am. It doesn't bother me."

Sighing, Sora rubbed at his temples and closed his eyes. "You're giving me a headache."

"So sorry, dear brother," Riku replied sarcastically.

Silence fell over them as the bath water was shut off and the sound of a body sliding into the water reached their ears. Leaving Riku to loaf on the bed, Sora took a seat in the chair by the window. It still had a lingering smell that he knew was Zero's and it made his cheek twitch unconsciously as he settled himself into the seat.

Arms folded over her chest, Kana stared blankly out of the window and into the nighttime sky. Night classes had started several hours before, but she sensed only a few students in the classroom. She was curious as to what would make so many of the students skip class and remain in the dorm, just as Kaname had. Turning away from the window, she strode towards the bedroom door, past where Sora and Riku who were both lounging near the window too. Riku in the chair while Sora leaned against it.

"My lady?" Sora inquired after her as she past.

She glanced over her shoulder when she reached the door. "We're going to the Moon Dorms. There's something going on and since no one has bothered to inform any of us as to what that something is, I'm inclined to think our presence isn't wanted."

"Or Kaname could just want to leave you in peace," Sora suggested.

Kana laughed bitterly. "I doubt that, Sora."

"It's been thousands of years since-"

"I know how long it has been, Sora," Kana cut in coldly. "I know you would like me to believe or at least think it possible that Kaname had changed, but I won't. I have known him much longer and in ways no one else has. Kaname is excellent at fooling those around him into believing whatever he wants them to, he always has been."

"I didn't mean-"

"I know, Sora," Kana cut in again, turning to smile at the long haired man. "You just want what is best for me and you believe he has changed from the man I knew, but that is what he would like you to believe, Sora."

"Kana," Riku sighed, stepping up beside the shorter woman and placing a hand on her shoulder when the loneliest of looks crossed her face and she looked sadly away.

"I'm alright, Riku," she assured him. "I understand that I must sound paranoid, Sora, but you have stood by me this long and never doubted me. I would like for you to keep doing that, but-"

"I don't doubt you, my lady." Sora looked conflicted as he interrupted the pureblood.

Riku glanced at his struggling brother and sighed while trying not to roll his eyes. "Sora is trying to say that it may be best to be careful how you approach Kaname here. We understand your loathing of him and we aren't telling you to trust him.. I would prefer if you killed him now honestly," he muttered under her his breath with a huff before quickly continuing when Kana glanced sideways up at him with a tweaked eyebrow. "He's saying not to rush into things, you want to avenge the death of someone important to you, but this world leaves you with few allies while he has many. And as much as I hate to admit it, it may be best to befriend Kaname, or appear to, for the time being. Isn't that what you were trying to say, Sora?"

Sora blinked at his twin, it was one of the first times he had witnessed the man acting more like a man and less like a child. "It is," he replied uncertainly.

Smiling, Kana rested a hand on Riku's cheek and stood on her toes to kiss the corner of his lips. She chuckled when he blushed happily. "Well said, Riku. There's nothing to worry about though. For either of you. I have no plan on rushing things, that does not mean, however, that I can't have a little fun in the meantime."

"Somehow that doesn't put me much at ease," Riku replied, grinning and chuckling when Kana turned to glare playfully at him.

"I agree with you, Riku. I feel more worried now than I was before," Sora spoke up, smiling innocently when Kana turned her playful glare at him.

"Oh, so I'm supposed to be the troublemaker of the group, is that right? I happen to have met you before, Riku," Kana teased, poking the green eyed man in the chest. "And I happen to know you're the troublemaker and Sora is the level headed one that usually keeps us out of trouble."

"And what does that make you, my lady?" Sora inquired.

"It makes me less of a troublemaker and more of a..."

"Troublemaking assistant?" Riku suggested.

"You're both impossible, but if I'm going to be considered a troublemaker I'm going to earn the title." Kana tossed a mischievous smirk over her shoulder as she opened the door and skipped out into the hall.

Sora sighed and gestured for Riku to follow. "Stay close to her. There's another presence drawing near and I'm sure she's noticed already. I don't like the feel of it."

"I sense it too. Feels.. dirty," Riku agreed, wriggling his nose as if he could smell the presence and it stunk of rotten things.

Upon opening the door, a cool wind blew into the home of Headmaster Cross and Kana looked away and closed her eyes to keep the dirt from them. She reached down to smooth her dress out, but remembered that she was not wearing a dress, but pants instead. She had to admit that despite her dislike for the style of the modern era, the clothes were quite comfortable. She still felt odd in them being used to long skirts and laced corsets, but she couldn't say she really missed either much.

She wore simple, but flattering black slacks with slightly wide legs, stylish black high heeled shoes poked out from beneath their hem. Her red blouse was long and loose, the neck was split down the front and ruffles lined each side to just below her bust. A shiny red ribbon was tied into a neat bow behind her back and the ends were dancing in the breeze blowing through the door.

Absently brushing a few strands of her long hair that had escaped the somewhat messy bun she had twisted her hair into, Kana stepped into the night with Sora and Riku following silently behind. The door clicked shut behind them and they began to walk across the quiet grounds of the academy. The wind was making leaves and fallen flower buds skid and slide across the ground while the leaves of the trees and bushes helped to create a cacophony of noise that reminded Kana of the river that had once flowed outside of the old abandoned manor she had last slept in.

Tilting her face into the breeze as she walked, she breathed the scent of earth, flowers and the distant smell of coming rain. It was a beautiful smell and she barely registered the soft smile that formed on her lips. She came to a stop as she breathed in deeply. It had been quite a long time since she had actually been able to fully utilize her senses and be in complete control of them, the sensation was extremely gratifying. Closing her eyes, she tilted her face up into the night sky. It was cloudy, but the wind was moving the clouds rather quickly and she could feel the moonlight caressing her face. She could smell the animals nearby that had all become attuned to her presence and were warily monitoring it so they could decide whether or not to run. She could sense the sleeping Day Class students in their beds, at least that's were most were. Some were up and whispering together about the most recent gossip or trying to help classmates with homework they didn't understand.

She could also feel the presence of someone new on the academy grounds. An older vampire judging by the scent. Beneath all of that though she could sense Zero unhappily patrolling the grounds and trying his hardest to avoid Yuuki. She couldn't help but to smirk a little in victory. She knew she had no reason to blame the child for anything, but that didn't matter. She had been born into a world that was not what she thought it and Kana would make sure the little child realized that. But that was all to come in time.

Kana would not forget what she was and now she had nothing to lose. She had no attachments to anyone or anything in this world. Except for Sora and Riku who she knew would mourn her, but they would survive. They would be free when she had her revenge and that thought made her smile. She cared very much about them and didn't want them to ever leave her side and she knew they wouldn't. Not so long as she lived. She had done that for so long that she was beginning to loathe it. She had lost more than she had ever gained and now she wanted nothing more than to show those responsible for her loss that she was capable of much more than they had ever realized.

"My lady?" Sora questioned softly, worry ripe in his voice as he stepped toward the unmoving woman.

Humming, Kana turned and offered a smile. "Sorry, I guess I got lost in the moment. It just feels like such a long time since I was last in complete control that being able to sense everything, to feel everything, is a bit overwhelming."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Sora asked.

Kana smiled again, this time lifting a hand to rest it on the man's cheek. Her thumb caressed the bone beneath the flesh before dropping to her side again. Her smiled faltered, becoming more sad and regretful than it had been seconds before. Glancing off into the darkness that surrounded the Academy, she sighed tiredly. "I've been blind. Mostly by choice and I am sorry for that... You'll be fine."

"My lady?" Sora inquired in confusion as Kana turned away.

Glancing over her shoulder, Kana smiled again. This one was full of warmth and feeling, the complete opposite of the one that had been on her face seconds before. "I've lost track of time, we should get moving lest we miss out on the fun."

Sora and Riku exchanged uncertain, confused looks before following after the petite vampire as she gracefully strode through the darkened grounds.

"Well, well," Kana mused, her musical voice drifting easily through the open doors of the Moon Dormitory. "What have we here? A guest?" She stepped through the doors, her shoes clicking on the smooth marble tiles of the dorm's entry way.

Her lips lifted ever so slightly when Kaname turned towards her, his eyes flickering and betraying to her that her presence was indeed not wanted at the moment. The man beside him, an aging noble level vampire turned to her. His surprise was easily seen despite the perpetual look of unhappiness that seemed to be on his face. He had not been expecting another pureblood vampire.

"I wasn't aware there was another pureblood attending Cross Academy," the white haired man began. His voice was deep and carried a level of authority that grated on Kana's nerves.

The smile remained her lips as she took a few steps towards Kaname. "I wasn't aware that it was the concern of a noble what a pureblood chose to do with their time."

Tensions were rising in the room, Kana could feel it like electricity building in the air. She stepped up to Kaname's side and studied the noble vampire. He was tall, intimidating looking and wore mostly black. His dark eyes were on Kana and it was quite obvious that he was not pleased with how she spoke to him.

"Ichio, this is Kana, she is a guest here," Kaname informed the vampire that was still studying Kana.

"The Council is not aware of a pureblood by that name," Ichio replied suspiciously.

A murmur went around the room, but the eyes off all those present were fixed on the two purebloods and the one old noble.

"Your Council does not matter to me," Kana replied, the last remnants of her lingering smile disappearing from her face.

"The Council is the governing body of our race. Our rules are in place for a reason, everyone, pureblood or otherwise is to obey them. It-"

"Is corrupt and vile. Who are you, a noble that is little more than a child compared to me to tell me, a pureblood, who I must obey? You should remember who you are speaking to."

"An unknown pureblood has no right-"

"Unknown?" Kana repeated vehemently with a bitter laugh. Her eyes flashed and Ichio fell to one knee in front of her. He sneered at her, but she ignored it. He was no more a threat to her than a fly.

"That is enough, Kana," Kaname warned quietly.

"Things may not be what they were thousands of years ago, Kaname, but I will not take orders from this Council you've let run free like rabid dogs. I am Kana Kuran," she said, her eyes on the vampire knelt before her. "The Kana Kuran and I am your former queen. I suggest you remember that."

"Kana Kuran died," Ichio hissed.

"No, she didn't," Kaname replied as if it were not something he had wished to say. "She was saved."

The room was silent for a moment before the whispers and murmurs of confused and surprised vampires filled it.

"The Council will need to be informed of this," Ichio said.

"Then inform them," Kana retorted.

"Her presence here-"

"Is not disturbing the peace of the academy or interfering with the Council," Kaname cut in. "She is my guest and she will remain here. She is of no concern to the Council."

Ichio's eyes flickered. "She is a great concern. There are agreements in place between the Council and the purebloods, agreements-"

"That Kana is still learning of. She is no threat to you," Kaname cut in again.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Kana murmured, her smile returning to her lips as she slipped from Kaname's side to rejoin Sora and Riku who waited by the door.

"If you wanted to ensure that the entire vampire world was aware of who you are and where you, you have."

"You don't sound pleased, Kaname," Kana observed, turning her attention away from the view that the window of her temporary room in the Headmaster's home.

Kaname leaned into the door after shutting it behind himself. Sora and Riku watched him like hawks from where they each sat, Sora in the single chair and Riku reclining on the bed with a book in his hands.

"The Council has been the predominant ruling power for several thousand years. Since I created it in hopes that transferring power from one ruler to a Council of those I deemed capable of maintaining the precarious peace I managed to create."

Kana laughed bitterly and spun back around to grasp onto the window frame. "And why should I believe you, Kaname? You did everything in your power to destroy any hope of peace between our kind and the humans. You murdered innocent people and wiped entire families from the face of the earth. Peace had no meaning to you."

"But it had meaning to you," he replied quietly.

Shaking her head sadly, Kana closed her eyes and took in a long breath. "What had meaning to me, Kaname, never had meaning to you. How can you expect me to believe you changed after I watched you destroy life after life like it was nothing?"

"It was in my nature."

"And it's not now?"

Kaname was silent for several moments before answering. "You already know the answer to that."

"It will always be in your nature," Kana murmured regretfully, staring out into the night without really seeing anything. "It will always be in our nature... We are what we are."

"We are what we are," Kaname repeated. "We can't change that."

"You're right, we can't," Kana agreed, turning from the window to face Kaname again. "If you are aware that we cannot change what we are, then why try to convince me you have changed?"

Kaname let his dark eyes flicker between the twin brothers and Kana took the hint that he wanted to speak alone. She sighed and leaned against the window frame.

"Sora, Riku would you give us a moment?" Kana requested.

Neither man appeared thrilled with the request, but they both wordlessly obliged. Kaname stepped away from the door and waited for the two to shut the door before he turned his attention back to Kana. Her eyes wearily watched him as she stepped away from the window to sink into the chair Sora had vacated. They never left him as he walked towards the bed, sitting on the edge of it just across from her.

"You can say what you'd like, Kaname. Just know it's not likely going to change anything. I still resent you, I still hate you for what you took from me and I have no intention of ever forgiving you."

"You asked why I would try to convince you that I had changed after agreeing that we can't change what we are," he said. "But that's only true to an extent. Human or not we have the ability to make choices that can separate us from what is typically expected."

"Don't speak in circles, Kaname."

"I'm not. We are what we are, Kana, and as you said that will never change. What we are does not define who we are though. We each have the ability to make choices that make us different from what is expected of us."

"You're saying you made choices that weren't expected of you?" Kana inquired tiredly.

"You still don't know how you lived, do you? When the association of hunters you had that man create-"

"That man had a name," Kana cut in coldly.

"He did, but like you will never forgive me for taking his life, I will never forgive him for taking you."

Kana's breath stuck in her throat and she swallowed, blinking back surprised tears and turning to stare out the window. "It isn't him you should blame," she said softly.

"And you think I don't know that?"

"I don't know, Kaname, do you?"

"I won't forgive him for taking what was mine, even the fault was my own."

"You always were possessive," Kana muttered.

"Kana-"

"Just get to the point, Kaname. You keep straying from it and that means I have to suffer through more of being in your presence than I would like."

"You offered your blood to Kiryu earlier, didn't you?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "It's none of your business."

"You must be thirsty."

"You already know I'm not. I drank from Sora earlier. I have no intention of drinking your blood."

"You want to know whether or not I'm lying about creating the Council for the sake of peace, even if it was precarious and the Council turned into something I had never intended. I can show you that much easier, and more quickly-"

"If I drink your blood," Kana interrupted dejectedly. She sighed and stared into Kaname's eyes for several long moments. "Fine." Standing slowly from the chair, she approached Kaname reluctantly. Her heart was beating just a little faster than usual in her chest and her hand was shaking slightly, much to her annoyance, as she reached for Kaname.

"I would never hurt you, Kana," Kaname assured her.

Her eyes closed and she shook her head as he rested the palm of his hand against her cheek. "But you have, Kaname, and that is something you can't change."

Kana let Kaname gently guide her onto the bed as he laid down so she could be on top of him and in more control of the situation. Lowering her head to Kaname's neck, she opened her mouth and took a deep breath before pressing her fangs into the flesh that easily gave way so that his blood began to flow freely into her mouth that she closed over the wound. She let the blood flow slowly, trickling into her mouth so she could better analyze it. The point was not to simply drink his blood, but to feel it and to allow it to show her the past. His past and the things he had supposedly done to try and create a peaceful coexistence between human and vampire.

It took several long minutes for Kana to begin to sort through the memories that began to flood her mind. The most recent were closer to the surface, but since her reappearance his thoughts had constantly strayed to the past. Their past. She searched through the visions until she found a scene she recognized.

She could see herself through his eyes as she had been thousands of years before. Her long hair was gathered in a simple braid and resting over her shoulder as she reclined into the couch that had been in the room Kaname had used as an office in their castle. Her crimson dress was a stunning contrast to her pale skin and the golden trim served to make her look as if her pale skin was glowing. She was beautiful. That's what he was thinking, Kana could sense it and she could sense the feeling of love beneath it, but it was distant. He loved her, he cared about her, but those thoughts and feelings were buried beneath others. She was his, he knew that, she knew that. It mattered little if he loved her, love was not what was important.

Kana let the memory slip away as a tear slid from between her closed eyelids. She had loved him so much, her entire life revolved solely around him and pleasing him, loving him. She had always known he had taken her for granted, and that came as no surprise, but that didn't change the fact that it still hurt. He had never loved her the way she had loved him, she really had been just a belonging, a treasured one, but a belonging nonetheless.

She had gone back further than she had wanted to see and calmed herself as she lost herself in the memories of the weeks before Tristan's death. Much had happened, most involving the war and meetings involving the key players on the side of the vampires. There was nothing there to support what he had said about wanting peace, but she didn't stop looking.

Her hands curled over the fabric of Kaname's shirt, her eyes clenched tightly shut and warm salty tears began to slide down her pale cheeks, some dropping onto the bed, others dropping onto Kaname's face. She could feel his arms wrapping around her, trying to offer some type of comfort as she witnessed the brutal murder of Tristan at his hands. She could feel the rage he had felt then, it was blinding and uncontrolled. He wasn't thinking about what he was doing, he was reacting only on anger.

He turned and Kana saw herself again. Standing unmoving in shock behind him, tears leaking from her wide crimson eyes. She could see the fear in her own eyes, the unadulterated and raw emotion was hard to miss. Kaname moved and she watched herself turn to flee into the woods.

For a long time, it was as if nothing changed. Kaname remained standing only a few feet from the cooling body of Tristan, staring after Kana as the rage began to subside from his mind. Something had changed then, she could feel it in her entire body, but mainly in her heart.

He regretted what he had done. It was the first time that Kaname had ever regretted anything and an understanding had come over him about all of the things he had done wrong. All of the things he had taken for granted. He looked down at his blood stained hand for several minutes while a myriad of emotions flooded through him, many of them emotions he had tried to ignore or never thought he had possessed.

It was overwhelming to be able to feel everything Kaname had felt so long, and even more so to know that he truly regretted his actions and the pain he had caused her. She wanted to pull away, to stop all of the feelings from making her want to forgive him. She would never forgive him. She couldn't, she didn't know how, but his emotions from so long ago made her wish she did despite how much she didn't want to.

Time passed again, only a matter of days and once again she saw herself. Only this time she was on the verge of death. Her body lie in the dirt, blood covering much of her pale skin and what little was left leaking onto the ground. Her wrists had been slit, as had her neck. Places that easily pumped out fresh blood. In the distance the backs of those that made up the Hunter's Association that Tristan had begun on her advice were disappearing into the night. Not one of them appeared to care about the once beautiful pureblood whose life's blood they had greedily spilled and drunk. Her eyes were closed and she appeared to be perfectly motionless, she would have believed herself to be dead if not for the fact that she could hear a faint flutter of a weak heart and the fact that she hadn't simply turned to dust.

She barely remembered that night. She certainly didn't remember Kaname ever being anywhere nearby. In the years that had past after she had survived to wake up in confusion on a bed in an aging castle that smelled of dust and earth she had often wondered how she had made it from the dirt to the bed. An answer had never been given to her, but now she had one.

Kaname had sensed her life slipping away and had gone in search of her. He had bitten his own wrist to provide her with blood that had made her survival possible and he had then taken her to a place she could recover in in peace. He hadn't wanted to leave her side, hadn't wanted to leave her in a place she didn't know on her own. No protection, no companion, nothing. Yet he had and she could feel his reluctance to do so. In the end he had left because he knew she hated him, that she feared him. And that he deserved it and had no right to be in her presence. He was not the man he was supposed to be for her. He had turned into a monster, not the loving husband he should have been. He had taken her presence at his side for granted. He expected her to be there always because that was what was expected of her, but that had never been her choice. All of her choices had been decided by him.

She had never had the freedom to bloom, to become her own person, because he had taken that from her. She had been innocent and naïve once, but now he had taken that from her and he didn't know how to repair the damage he had done.

Kana continued to clutch onto Kaname, her tears continued to leak from her tightly closed eyes and all the while his arms stayed wrapped around her. Time continued to flow with every drop of blood that touched her tongue and she watched it all with a steadily heavier heart.

He hadn't lied. She saw him attempt to end the war that he had allowed and supported for so long. Watched him as he slowly succeeded only to constantly have to fight against vampire and human alike to try and create the peace she had believed was possible. He supported the creation of the Hunter's Association he had once so strongly opposed. He began to confer more and more with those of the vampire race who wanted nothing to do with peace and she saw him begin to gain ground.

He was never able to create a completely peaceful world, but he had managed to end the war that had raged for so long. He had tried to search her out then, tried to find her so that she could see what he had tried to do and ask for her help in making her dreams come to fruition. He had never found. She had woken from her near death and disappeared, hiding all traces of her existence from the world as best she could.

For years he had looked for her, hoping that he could find her to ask for forgiveness he didn't expect to be granted to him. Over time living without her by his side and his soul heavy with guilt he decided there was little point in living through the centuries with no one there with him. He appointed a council of respected elder vampires in the place of single leader to rule and watch over their race and succumbed to a long sleep that wouldn't be broken for several thousand years.

His awakening had been rather unpleasant and she gasped in surprise, her eyes flying open when the overwhelming blood lust he had felt hit her like a bullet to the chest. She leaned away from his neck, her chest heaving as she breathed roughly while trying to calm her rattled nerves and remind them that what she had felt had not been real. At least not for her. She was in no danger of losing her mind and she was not thirsty, she had no reason to be after having drunk from Sora and Kaname all in the same day.

Removing herself from Kaname's arms that easily fell away, Kana took a wavering step back from the bed and fell into the chair. Her tears were still absently flowing from her eyes, but their frequency was slowing. The salty trails began to dry on her flushed cheeks as she stared towards the corner, refusing to look at Kaname as he studied her with an expression that was hard for even her to read despite how well she knew him and how much of his life she had just witnessed.

"Get out." Her voice was a quiet, trembling whisper, but it carried to Kaname's sharp ears nonetheless.

Several seconds past and Kaname simply continued to study her before deciding that it would be best do as Kana requested. He stood from the bed and quietly let himself out of the room.

~A/N~

Well, hopefully this chapter was enjoyable. It was kind of a pain to write. There was so much I wanted to do that it would have been the never-ending chapter, but that seemed daunting so I decided this was the best way to go.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it! I know I don't get back to most of you and I apologize, but I've been a little overwhelmed lately. Too much going on all at once.

Please review!