A/N: Um...Wow, long time no see, eh? *laughs nervously* With a small break from school work came this pile of **** :D I'm determined to see this through, no matter how much my procastination wants to force its way in, so for those who still wanted to continue reading this story, you have my immense thanks! *bows profusely* Really, I should just get this over with and give you guys a clean ending...

Warnings? This chapter will probably feel extremely rushed... I, like, mushed everything together and should have cooked it for awhile longer, but I couldn't bare to keep looking at it, so... :D Enjoy, however little there is to enjoy...

And not to forget, I don't own Vampire Knight.

Heartfelt Sacrifices

To See You...

Synclair's dark eyes watched over Zero's magic like a hawk on its next prey. With the amount of precision needed in the exercises, it was only standard procedure, but that didn't stop Zero from feeling extremely discomforted. Eyes that reminded him so much of Kaname focusing on him so intently sent him off kilter, even with the knowledge that the older vampire was nothing like the pureblood he'd left behind.

Wine red eyes narrowed. "Zero, watch your control," he softly commanded. He'd no idea why, but his temporary student's magic was agitated. If Zero didn't work to resolve the reason behind it, he would only be making things harder on himself. They'd been working on this exercise for three days now, and Synclair couldn't say the amount of progress they'd made with it had been all that awe inspiring.

James would, of course, ask him to take time with his youngest, to be patient during whatever difficulties that may pop up during training, but that only implied to when and if the kid wasn't able to grasp certain concepts or theories regarding Singing. And this, well, Synclair was fairly sure whatever was hampering Zero's progress hadn't anything to do with lack of understanding of the material he was learning.

And the longer he stayed stubborn on the matter, the more reason he gave Synclair to start picking at his problems.

Oh, he wouldn't be a bully, he reassured his conscience (that usually manifested in the form of James) he'd just do a bit of poking, nothing 'mean' and 'terrible'. James would not hesitate to retaliate should he deliberately do something to make Zero uncomfortable.

Giving a sudden rough sigh as if exasperated, he stepped up behind his current student and placed his hands on their shoulders, vaguely taking note of how fragile they seemed. But more than that, he was interested in the way the boy turned so rigidly tense.

"Relax," he murmured, keeping his hands in place, his hold gentle. "Keep your magic circulating." He smiled, "Good job, don't go too fast, don't go too slow, find your own pace. Now…" He paused for a moment, letting a strand of his own magic loose, "Can you feel this? James told me you're pretty sensitive." He slowly let his magic mingle with that of his student's, weaving its way through with a smoothness that could have only come from years of practice.

Zero suddenly jerked however, and Synclair's hands were lodged from their place as both vampires jumped apart. Zero was breathing heavily while Synclair looked at him in concern. "What—"

"What the hell was that?" Zero demanded, eyes wide. "What were you trying to do?"

"Test how far you got," Synclair said simply; a bit too simply for Zero's taste. He glared. Synclair sighed. "Well, maybe with some ulterior motives, but," he added, "nothing that would hurt you."

"What were you trying to do?" Zero repeated. He didn't know whether he should feel angrier he'd been right or calmer at Synclair being so damn frank about it.

"Test out your reactions," the older vampire answered guilelessly. "Not to offend, but you haven't been making it very far with this, and it's because your magic is always tense around me. I wanted to see if I was right. You prob'ly wouldn't tell me anything even if I asked," he shrugged.

Zero closed his eyes, trying to keep his anger at bay. Synclair had just admitted to trying to pry into his private thoughts. And not just on anything, he'd tried to go snooping for his feelings on Kaname.

And can you blame him for getting curious? What he said is true; you haven't made any progress in three days.

Zero grimaced. So his magic was turning into a mule, what did that have anything to do with Kaname?

"Your magic is tense around me."

Tense…

Synclair suddenly dropped himself onto a nearby chair, his expression solemn. "You get it? Unless you get this thing figured out, we won't be going anywhere, and I'll have to report the bad news to James."

Zero's head snapped up. "Jamie?"

"He thought you could use this particular skill in the future and called me here." The older vampire nodded. "You only studied magic for a short while, but he's pretty confident you're good enough to make this ability your own. 'Don't worry, he absorbs everything like a sponge!' He says," Synclair shrugged. "Now, I don't know how much of that's true, but at this point, I can only say you haven't been givin' this subject serious thought." He narrowed his eyes,

"Why are you so uneasy around me?"

The sudden change in topic caught Zero off guard, and the question had him fighting to keep his heart steady. He probably did that on purpose, Zero groused. "I don't know," he answered aloud, cringing as he saw Synclair's expression.

"Don't know…? Really?" The older vampire crossed his legs while still sitting on the chair, one of his hands coming to rest on his ankles. "Don't think I've done anything to make you feel that way," he added.

"Until now," Zero muttered.

Synclair laughed lightly. "Mm, until now, but I want an honest answer." He smiled sympathetically. "Well, you don't have to tell me, but I wouldn't know how to work this strange tension out between us if I don't know what the problem is."

Zero pursed his lips. "You…just look like someone I know."

Synclair blinked. "Oh." He let out a relieved laugh. "And here, I almost thought you were gonna tell me you hated my guts or somethin'." He shook his head. "So I look like someone you don't really like, huh?" He took on a mock contemplative expression before holding up a finger and closing his eyes.

"How 'bout this?"

Zero gaped. Synclair's face seemed to melt away revealing, "…Jamie…?"

Synclair snorted. "Just the face, kid, just the face." His voice was still the same. And as Zero's eyes traveled up and down, so was his physical build.

"You… It looks creepy, can you change your face into something else?" Jamie was built like a delicate doll from the tips of his fingers to his toes. He was more or less rather petite for a male, and seeing his face on someone with Synclair's height was just…really weird.

"Ah, so demanding," the older vampire sighed, "I thought you'd be more comfortable with seeing you father's face. Well, how bout this?" He now looked like Alex.

"No." Zero deadpanned.

"This?" This time it was Allie.

Zero nearly choked, actually taking a step back. "Stop fucking around!"

"Well, what in the world do you want then?"

Still trying to recover from the image of his adopted sister with that…that voice, Zero coughed uneasily. "Just…just change the color of your eyes and hair."

"Just that?" Synclair blinked a few times, his original wine red eyes now a bright blue and his dark locks turning honey blond. "This good for you, your highness?"

Zero didn't bother to give a reply, merely turning away and continuing with the exercises.

Inwardly however, he fought a hard battle with his laughter. He had a feeling he'd just been witness to what Kaname and Aidou combined would have looked like.

I'll have to ask him how he did all of that later.

"Takuma…?"

"Senri. Good evening."

Pale opalescent eyes shifted to gaze at the double doors that led to their pureblood's rooms before looking back up into emerald green in silent askance.

Takuma nodded. "He…hasn't been himself this past week." Which was true; so much so, the rest of the nobles had noticed.

Kaname had always looked and acted flawlessly, his image solid and reliable. The rest of them undoubtedly took strength and comfort from that, knowing their leader cared for and protected them. He was someone they strived to be closer to, someone they would do anything to please, someone they craved approval and attention from.

In some ways, Takuma thought bemusedly, they were all like children scrambling for a father's affections.

But lately, that figurative father had been feeling more distant than ever before. It was as though Kaname were…distracted, and extremely so, if it was starting to show outwardly. And with how long Takuma had known the pureblood, it was also easy for him to see his childhood friend was tense more often than not.

The only one who could completely hold his attention was Yuuki; and she seemed content with deliberately avoiding him. Takuma suspected something had happened between them, resulting in Kaname's current behavior. If the pureblood really cared for her as much he assumed, then it was reasonable.

But it wasn't as though her avoidance started last week, and Kaname seemed fine before then.

Well, yes, but maybe something even more damaging happened recently, Takuma frowned.

"Takuma, we should go," Senri said softly, when he saw the other noble mentally working himself up into a state. The blond sent him a small smile and nodded, following after him down the hall and the stairs to wait until Kaname decided to deign them with their presence.

A few moments later, Ruka hesitantly approached the pureblood's rooms, one of her hands curled lightly against her chest. She, as well as all the others, was concerned about Kaname's recent behavior, but just the night before, she'd actually seen him in pain, and wanted to offer some help.

"Kaname-sama?" She called gently. "May I?" When she failed to receive an answer, she repeated, "Kaname-sama?" This time, more of her worry filled her voice.

"…Ruka."

Taking that as an affirmative, she slowly opened the door, stepping in. "Kaname-sama, are you…?" She trailed off uncertainly, not really knowing how to phrase her concern. She'd never seen him so pained as she had last night, and without knowing what was wrong, she risked offending him, or maybe even worsening the situation, which was the farthest from her intentions.

But when she found him nearly hunched over the windowsill, none of that seemed to matter. "Kaname-sama!"

The moment her hand nearly came in contact with his shoulder, he swiftly grabbed her wrist. "Don't."

"But Kaname-sama, please, let me help you," she pleaded, not paying any mind to how strong his grip was. "My, my blood, if that'll offer any sufficient relief from whatever this is—"

"Ruka." She immediately fell silent at his frigid tone. "I wished to ask only one thing from you, and it does not, in any way, involve you giving me your blood."

"Then why must you do this?" She whispered, her voice wet. "Why must you suffer this way? If the others were to find out—" She cut herself off, shaking her head. "I don't why you feel the need to sacrifice so much of yourself when any one of us would never hesitate to help within the best of our abilities," she forced out, bowing her head. She dared not say anything more, and fled the room once he released her arm, noticing only after she'd been gathering her textbooks, that she'd completely forgotten to ask what Kaname had actually wanted her for.

Barely managing to 'shut' the door after Ruka's departure, Kaname's hand slipped from the sill and his knee gave out, forcing a surprised silent gasp out of him as he fell to land on the soft carpet beneath. What had been mere migraines now felt like a two-ton weight had been added to its force, the drum like echoing pains also increasing in rhythm.

There'd been no changes for a week and now this? What could have caused it? He'd been fine until—

His eyes widened. Until Ruka had spoken something to him. What was it? How did her words connect with his headaches?

"Then why…doing this? Why…suffer this way? Don't…you need to…help…"

What was it? What was he missing?!

And what the hell had been up with his reaction to Ruka's considerate offer of blood? His sudden aversion to the very idea wasn't natural. He'd had her blood once before and hadn't felt the utter repulsion he now did. It was obvious he needed something more than what the tablets could provide him and Ruka had only tried to help…

But it wasn't as though he felt nauseated at the thought of consuming blood in general. It was the offer itself, the offer to take blood from her that'd been the problem. He still hungered desperately for it, but definitely not for Ruka's.

He needed something more. Warmer, hotter, sweeter, thicker—

"Kaname…take mine…" A pale neck, long and elegant, glowing skin…smooth, strong jaw line…slender fingers…

The pureblood actually let out a hiss of distress, his fingers digging into the carpet. His body drooped even further towards the floor, as though being weighed down by the sudden flash of images. The pain only continued to increase and now he was hearing voices on top of that? Was he truly losing his mind?

"Kaname…" Supple lips…a hesitant smile…

Stop! He pleaded. Just stop… A part of him was so strongly yearning for something he thought he might fall into the edges of insanity if he didn't have it. He was indeed missing something, something extremely vital it may as well pertain to his life. It was being forcibly hidden from him, repressed and locked down.

When was it that he'd gained something so important? When was it that he'd lost it? What was it?

And who was it that was calling for him so sadly? Who was it that was calling for him, their voice so painfully tender?

Who…

What are you to me?

Kaname rolled onto his back, his breathing still fairly labored. What was he doing? What was happening to him? He was supposed to keep looking for Zero's whereabouts—

"Kaname…" A trembling delicate tenor…

"Zero…?" Kaname breathed, eyes lost.

The knife clattered to the floor.

"Damn it," Zero hissed, looking down at his finger as blood started to prickle through the thin cut. Sucking on it lightly, he bent to pick up the knife, splashing it with water it and soap before using it again; knowing his finger was already healing.

He wasn't a genius in the kitchen, but he wasn't a clumsy idiot, especially with a knife, either. Letting out a sharp sigh, he decided not to think too much into it and continued with preparing his own lunch.

"Hey, got any for lil' ol' me?"

And apparently, Synclair's as well.

"There's enough," he answered tersely.

"Thanks kid," he grinned, taking a seat at the counter, his eyes following Zero's form. He suddenly asked, "So 'til when do you think I should keep my perfect disguise?" He blew a few strands of honey blond away from his face. "I don't look so bad as a blond," he smirked, "but James hates it, ya know?"

Zero pursed his lips, not pausing from his cutting, which might or might not turn to shredding if Synclair didn't keep his mouth shut. "Until you leave," he muttered out. And I won't have to suffer from seeing your damn face.

But, annoyance besides, "You mention Jamie a lot," Zero noted. Synclair didn't seem the type to base his appearance on someone else's opinions.

As though reading his mind, the older vampire grinned childishly. "James' the first to ever tell me he liked my eyes." The color of his irises were tamer now, but when he was much younger, with his magic still uncontrolled, it snapped at others easily and his already disturbingly bright crimson eyes would take on an unnatural glow that worked to keep other vampires his age away out of fear and abhorrence.

As European vampires were all once human and didn't change physically even after being turned (no special 'upgrades' on that unwanted nose or figure), someone like him, with such eyes… As a human, he was abandoned for being claimed the child of a demon. No one trusted him, no one wanted him, and certainly no one thought him good enough to compliment. That didn't change even after he was turned.

He'd wandered aimlessly, alone, for a few decades before Jamie found him.

"My, what brilliant eyes…"

Zero chanced a curious glance at his current teacher and raised a brow at his sappy expression before turning back to his cooking. So Synclair had an eye color complex or something? There was nothing wrong with his original eyes, in Zero's opinion, but that could be because he was (damn Kaname) extremely biased.

Shoving away memories of warm wine red eyes, he continued to focus on getting his lunch ready, dumping in the vegetables he'd cut and diced into a pot, distracting himself in the familiar sizzling and moist steam rising out of it. They weren't involved in a lesson right now, and Synclair had even gone so far as to keep his blond hair and blue eyes just for the sake of Zero's comfort, he shouldn't be thinking of Kaname so much.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask, you got any free time next week?"

"What?"

"Thursday would be pretty ideal."

"Why?"

"To spread your face. Let people know who you are, and all," Synclair shrugged. "It helps, believe me, especially for job offers. A lot of our skills are just for hire and nothing's permanent, so it's best to get around. You get what I'm getting at?"

Zero gave a nod. "But why Thursday?"

"There's this big thing going on that day. Lots of faces."

"Big what?"

"Big," Synclair emphasized with his arms. "As in international big. Not just us, but vamps from all over the place."

Zero tensed. All over the place? "Even from Japan?"

"Japan?" Synclair frowned. "Dunno; lot of the Asians like to keep to themselves." He scratched his cheek. "Not a lot of us like 'em though. Stuck up bunch, most of 'em."

"Not all of them," Zero muttered. Synclair raised a brow, but didn't comment. "So, you free that day?"

Well, if there weren't going to be Asians, the chances of him meeting anyone that he knew were slim to none. While he'd been with Kaname, the pureblood hardly attended public functions, much less international ones. He was worrying over nothing. "…Yes."

"Good, instead of training exercises, we'll go to that thing then," the older vampire decided.

Yuuki stopped mid-blow and the sharp sound from the whistle came to an abrupt stop. She blinked. Ichijou-sempai smiled and waved. Realizing she was staring for far too long to be polite, she gave back a jerky wave. Where was Kaname-sempai?

As though reading her mind, the blond noble sent her sympathetic smile. Yuuki frowned. So was the pureblood all right? Maybe he was just busy with something? He seemed to be preoccupied with something nowadays…Kaname-sempai had much more to worry about than school matters after all.

But she also knew she'd been rather distant with him since Zero's departure and could only muster up a bit of guilt for that. Besides, she wasn't conceited enough to believe she held that much sway in his life for him to notice. He always had much more pressing issues to worry about, she was sure.

Letting her mind wander, she wondered how Zero was doing. The photo album Jamie-san was kind enough to send had helped both her and the chairman cope better with Zero's loss. The vampire still sent pictures every few days. The latest batch had Zero curled up with the twins on a large bed, one of them against his back and the other to his front, their cherubic face pressed contentedly against his stomach. It was her current favorite.

Another that had her feeling a twinge of jealousy had two girls with him, one smiling gently, combing his hair, and the other putting up a handsome shirt and checking the length of one of the arms. Zero sported an irritated embarrassed flush to his cheeks, lips down in a fierce scowl. The description caption had stated the two girls were Jamie-san's daughters. Yuuki dearly hoped she had a proper chance to meet them to gain more possible blackmailing info on Zero. A trading of knowledge, she nodded. It was only fair, really.

"Yuuki! Kuran-sempai wasn't here today, do you know why?" A rather shrill voice interrupted her future plans.

"Eh?" She blinked. "Erm…well, no. I think he might be busy with other things."

"You don't think he's sick or something?"

"I…I don't think so," she laughed nervously. Kaname-sempai was a vampire after all. Not even the bubonic plague could so much as place a small dent in his physical health. As a pureblood, he was untouchable from human disease.

The group of girls wilted. "Do you know if he'll be here tomorrow?"

"Maybe?" She hedged, eager to get out of their clutches.

"Are you sure?" They pressed.

"I'll, I'll promise to check on him, ask him directly even," she sighed, already forming a formal apology to the pureblood in her mind. She hated the thought of intruding on whatever he could be working on. If it was important to take a night off from school, it must be fairly significant, most likely vampire-related.

"Oh thank you, Yuuki," they swooned, nearly making her roll her eyes. Girls could be so ridiculous sometimes.

She'd probably get glared at by the other vampires again for this, but even the chairman seemed worried, so… Yuuki tiptoed up the stairs and headed to where she knew would be the pureblood's rooms.

Could it be possible Kaname-sempai wasn't just swamped with work? That it was something else? It was hard to imagine. She'd always seen Kaname as a person that was almost detached from the world around him, his looks far too perfect, his manners far too composed and politely gentle for any mistakes to slip through. It was easy to see him as someone who was incapable of fault.

She knew that was just how he wished to be seen, but he did such a good job of it even she started to think it might not just be another face he was forced to put up. All she had to do was remember their times together to be convinced otherwise, however. The loneliness she'd seen his eyes, so deep she was afraid she'd get lost in it with no way out couldn't come from someone perfect, for a perfect someone would also be perfectly content, and Kaname was far from such.

"Kaname-sempai…"

She hesitantly touched his door. He was here, she was sure, but… Her fingers lightly brushing against the knob, she pursed her lips and took a firmer hold of it, gently turning it to see if it was open. If he wasn't going to answer the door, she would just have to let herself in. It wasn't something she'd have normally done, but the look on the chairman's face had her doubting her initial decision in just leaving.

She'd already lost Zero. She didn't want the same for Kaname.

"Kaname-sempai?"

The room was…empty?

"Kaname-sempai?" She raised her voice, though she knew with his senses, there really wasn't a need for it.

If he was even here…

About to call for him again, she blinked as she caught the shape of a foot behind the long couch. She stood frozen for a moment before paling and dashing forward. "Kaname-sempai!"

Oh god, what had happened?! Her hands hovered above him, shaking and indecisive before she shook her head and leaned over to pat his pale cheek. Please wake up…

Thank you for reading, especially if you've made it this far! :D I didn't mean to make Kaname suffer like that, no, but...well, things kind of came out that way *scratches head* Bad Zero! Well, things will probably be moving a lot faster from now on, and Zero will probably be in a lot of trouble once Kaname gets a hold of him...though Jamie would probably be like :D along with the twins, chairman, and Yuuki when that happens. Yagari, will of course be something like D: *XD*