Disclaimer: Vampire Knight © Matsuri Hino

Ai the Doll

Ichijou, Rima and Shiki split up to look Ai and decided to meet up at the Central Park after an hour of searching. It has been half an hour since they started looking for the silver haired girl. Ichijou's growing agitated and worried about Ai's safety. He had asked some humans if they happened to notice a teen age girl with silver hair wearing the Academy's uniform but no one can point Ai's whereabouts. Ichijou's worried about Ai, she looked so devastated when she run away awhile ago. Searching every nook and cranny of the town Ichijou only failed. After and hour he decided to meet up Shiki and Rima.

Rima was first to arrive followed by Shiki and shortly by Ichijou. "Have you seen her anywhere?" Rima and Shiki shook their head in unison, Ichijou clenched his fists looking disappointed. 'Ai-chan, where are you?'

Sensing their blonde senpai's concern, Rima grabbed Ichijou's one hand while Shiki took the other. Ichijou blink his eyes at the two. "Let's search the town again, Ichijou-san, if after another hour we're unable to find Ai, she's probably back to the Academy." Rima said with her monotone voice.

Shiki nodded. "She's going to be okay, she might be look fragile girl but I know she's tough. Rima's right, she's probably on her way back to Academy but we'll still look for another hour before returning."

Ichijou nodded hesitantly. The three instantly disappeared to search for Ai again. 'Please be okay, Ai-chan.'

Ai did not know where her feet was taking her. She ignored the huffed and glaring of the people she accidentally bumped with while walking aimlessly around the town. Her one hand on her eyes busy wiping the tears rolling down her cheeks while sniffing and sobbing. She doesn't even realized the empty street she's walking in. She only stop when suddenly a sound of screeching of a car startled her.

Three men emerged from the black limousine, two of them wearing a black suit complete with red tie, they're obviously the body guards while the last man wearing a white laboratory coat stand between the two men in black suit. Ai felt her heart stop pounding recognizing the sly grin adorned the man in the middle.

The silver haired girl clutched her hands together in front of her chest while watching the three men approached her with wide and constricted eyes. Fear. Fear engulf her whole body when her senses came back. Three men were feet away from her when Ai decided to run again but her effort was useless. One of the body guard grabbed Ai by the shoulder and cupped her face with a handkerchief. Squirming from the man's grip, Ai tried to kick the man but when she inhaled some intoxicating aroma coming from the clothe, Ai's vision blurred. Her kicking and squirming weakened and then eventually her mind blocked out.

The man hoisted her up on his shoulder as if she's some sort of sack of rice and brought Ai inside the expensive car. The man in white coat sniggered and nodded to his bodyguard.

"Perfect, Ai's with us now. Come, let us return to the Academy. I'm sure Kuran-sama's worried about his perfect doll by now." He said maliciously while peering inside the car looking down at the sleeping Ai and entered the car himself seconds later. The two bodyguard entered the car as well. The chauffeur drive the limousine off after being told by the man in white coat.

Seconds later after the car drive off, Ichijou clad with his worried face appeared on the very same street. "Ai-chan, where are you?" he asked himself before disappearing again.

Back to the Cross Academy, Head Master's Office. Yuuki shared the same disbelief frown with the other except with Kaname, Seiren and Yagari. The female prefect slammed her hands on the coffee table but her companions did not flinched a single bit.

"What the hell—can you repeat that again?" she demanded rather furiously.

The man with light green hair sitting on the left, he introduced himself as Abekawa, one of the men of the Vampire Senate. "I said Cross-san, that we're taking back Ai with us."

"Why?"

The brunette man on the left, he said his name was Kaede, snorted earning a twitched from the brunette prefect. "Ai's not doing what we asked her. We simply instructed her to make Kuran-sama happy but instead she just made our precious Pureblood angry. We're simply taking back our faulted doll." He said with matter-of-fact tone.

Yuuki was about to retort when Kaien cleared his throat silently sending Yuuki a 'calm down' message look before turning his calm face to the two men. "If you, by any chance, take Ai-chan back. What will happen to her? Despite what she said she was, I do believe Ai's a human not just a mere doll."

Kaede smirked and shook his head. "Human, eh?" he repeated. "Well since we're taking Ai from you, we might as well give you a hint of what she truly is." Kaede let out a sinister smirked. "She's neither human nor a vampire but rest assured she's not as dangerous as the likes of vampires. She's a tamed little lamb."

Abekawa tilted his head as if he's not interested in the topic while the others gave a confuse expression at Kaede. 'Stupid Kaede, giving hint to these people about Ai's information.' He inwardly complained but did not say anything to stop his companion.

Zero twitched and glared at Kaede. 'It's the same what Ai told me before.' Ai's is not a human nor a vampire because she's Kaname's perfect doll. Words of Ai echoed inside Zero's mind. The male prefect twitched comically and scowl. 'Should I take her seriously?' he inwardly protest.

Before anyone can say anything a knock interrupted them, Seiren open the door revealing the distressed Ichijou with Shiki and Rima by his side. Ichijou's eye roamed around the office hopefully expecting a silver haired girl but to his dismay Ai is obviously not with them as well.

"Ichijou, where's Ai?" Kaname asked with his solemn tone. The blonde VP shook his disappointingly.

"Oh don't worry so much about her." Kaede cut in. Everyone turned their eyes at Kaede with baffled look. "I'm pretty sure Aizawa-senpai already had Ai with him."

Ichijou turned his eyes to his classmates his eyes asking who're those guys. "They said they are the people who made Ai." Kain answered. Ichijou furrowed his eyebrows deeply.

"You still haven't answered Head Master's question." Yagari butt in. The newly arrival Ichijou, Shiki and Rima glanced at the unfamiliar duo.

"What question?" Kaede asked mockingly earning a twitched from the brunette teacher.

Kaien narrowed his eyes and lightly shaking his head at Yagari trying to calm his fellow Vampire Hunter. Yagari sighed to calm himself before answering. "What will happen to that Ai girl if you bring her back with you."

Ichijou, Shiki and Rima's body tensed as well as everyone else inside the room except from the ever stoic Kaname and Seiren. Yuuki fidget impatiently while Zero narrowed his lavender eyes filled with distrust at the Kaede and Abekawa duo.

Abekawa lifted his hand stopping Kaede to answer. Kaede smirked and gestured his head at the others allowing his companion to answer the brunette teacher. "Of course, she's no more than useless to us. Useless invention had to be dispose." Abekawa answered with his matter-of-fact tone.

Silence ensued before a hearing a sharp gasped from Yuuki. The female prefect was glaring dagger at the two. "Dispose?" she hissed. "By dispose you mean—,"

"Dispose. Disregard. Throw away. Kill her. Think whatever you wanted to think." Abekawa cut in casually.

Yuuki look as if she's going to attacked the two. The others look in disbelief and horrified even Zero, Yagari and Kaien. Ichijou on the other hand twitched violently, in blink of an eye he immediately materialized his katana and was about to withdraw his swords when Kaname appeared before him, the Pureblood was facing his back at the Moon Dorm's VP. Ichijou was throwing death glare at Kaede and Abekawa while the two obviously unaffected by the killing intent that was rarely seen from their usual bright ad cheerful VP.

"Calm yourself, Ichijou." Kaname said lifted his hand.

Shiki and Rima had their hand grasping the helm of Ichijou's uniform seemingly trying to stop Ichijou from attacking Kaede and Abekawa. The two famous models were glaring as well and were trying their best to keep their cool amidst their desire to attack the unfamiliar duo.

"You have to stop provoking them Kaede, Abekawa. It'll be troublesome to make Ichijou family to be our enemy, I should tell you." A voice startled everyone even the Pureblood but Kaname hide his expression as quickly as possible that no one even notice.

Standing behind Kaname, Ichijou, Rima and Shiki was a man with unruly black hair wearing square eyeglasses, he was dressed in formal suit underneath the white laboratory coat. In his hand, to everyone's surprise, was the sleeping Ai.

"Ai-chan!" Ichijou and Yuuki exclaimed. The blonde VP was about to run towards the man when two masculine men in black suit block his way, protecting the man in white coat. Ichijou withdrew his sword, automatically on his fighting stunt. A cracking sound was heard after that, Rima was releasing her power with her hands. Shiki already had his blood whip ready.

"I said calm down you three." Kaname said almost sounding tiredly. The three Aristocrat hesitantly withdrawing their weapons and power, stepping aside to give way to Kaname.

"Please step away you two." Said the man in coat, the two men in black suit step aside. The man smile gently but Rima narrowed her eyes filled with distrust. The man carrying Ai in his arms entered the office. Ichijou glance at the sleeping Ai, his eyes softens. "Please ready the box, Abekawa, Kaede."

The two obediently nodded and took the rectangular box from one corner of the office. The other watched while the man placed the sleeping Ai inside the box, he was about to close the lid when Yuuki stopped him.

"What are you doing?" Yuuki demanded pushing the lid away from the box. "And who're you again?"

The man smiled at Yuuki. "Oh-ho, I'm sorry for not introducing myself from the start." The man stand up and gallantly bowed down at Yuuki. "My name's Aizawa Kei, I'm one of the doctors under the Senate Council. I'm the one who made Ai for Kuran Kaname-sama."

Yuuki narrowed her eyes, Ichijou's hand twitched wanting to pull his swords but Kaname was standing in front of him blocking his way and besides Rima and Shiki were still holding his uniform stopping him from attacking. His green eyes falls down to the sleeping Ai inside the box, the lid was barely concealing the box because Yuuki pushed the lid again. He wanted to locked the poor silver haired girl inside his arms.

Kaname was quietly watching and listening the Aizawa man but his crimson eyes from time to time glancing inside the box where Ai was lying. An unknown feeling hit his chest. He felt angry for some unknown reason especially at the Aizawa guy. 'Made? She's obviously not a doll like they were talking about but she's not either a vampire or human as well. She's something else… something fragile that should not be mingling with humans and vampire. What is she really?' Pity, that must be the unknown feeling inside his chest. The girl is somewhere she's not supposed to be.

"I created Ai to make Kuran-sama happy but Kuran-sama's not happy having Ai around, we have no choice but to take her back with us and—,"

"And dispose her?" Ichijou hissed.

Aizama mysteriously and maliciously smiled. "I'm afraid we have to do that. She's a failure invention and—,"

"You can't do that!" Yuuki protested. "Ai-chan's already one of the students of our academy! You can't take her away like that!"

"But Cross-san, beside us, Kuran-sama owns Ai seeing that she's our gift to our Pureblood but Kuran-sama does not want to take Ai." Aizawa shook his head faking his apologetic smile. "We're sorry but we don't have any choice but—,"

"Chair—I mean daddy! Please say something about this! They can't take Ai-chan and… and… d-dispose like that." Yuuki begged Kaien but the latter's darkened face tense.

"I'm sorry Yuuki-chan but I can't say anything about this. Only Kaname-kun's allowed to make a decision, it all depends to him." Kaien said looking sorry. Yuuki's face faulted and slowly glance at the sorrow-looking Pureblood. Everyone did the same thing and glance at the quiet Kaname. Ichijou looking hopeful and silently gave Kaname a begging look.

Kaname, on the contrary, was still staring at the sleeping Ai and then to the hopeful face of Yuuki. "If I'm going to let her stay, Ichijou, I'll leave her under you care. I'm only doing this to make Yuuki happy, nothing else." Kaname said turning his back and walking passed Ichijou, Rima and Shiki. Seiren followed suit. Yuuki blushed furiously and watched Kaname's back silently thanking the Pureblood.

Relief washed over Yuuki and Ichijou's face, they both sigh when the anxiety lifted from their chest. "Of course, Kaname." Ichijou answered willingly. Aidou, Ruka and Kain followed Kaname and Seiren back to their dormitory.

Kaede, Abekawa and Aizawa hide their sinister smile while watching the retreating back of Kaname. "Excellent." Aizawa said. "Well, that's that. We don't want to imposed the Chairman any further so we're leaving as well." Aizawa bend down the sleeping Ai and pecked her cheek (Ichijou grimaced). "Please take good care of Ai for us." He said, caressing Ai's cheek.

Ichijou growled, wanting to push the man away from Ai but the VP merely walk towards the box, snaking her arms under Ai's knees and back, he lifted Ai inside his arms. "You don't have to tell that to me. I intend to keep Ai safe." Ichijou growled while glaring at Aizawa. He started to walk out the office after bowing at the Head Master and Yuuki. Shiki and Rima quietly followed Ichijou after giving Aizawa, Kaede and Abekawa an icy gaze.

Aizawa chuckled as if nothing happened. "Well then we're taking our leave as well." He said and bowed down at Kaien, the latter quietly bowed back at Aizawa. The two body guard take the rectangular large box out the office. "See you again, Cross-ojouchan(1)." Aizawa mockingly said.

"Don't bet on it." Yuuki icily replied and glared at the Aizawa, the latter casually chuckled and walk towards the door leaving Zero, Yuuki, Kaien and Yagari inside the office.

Inside the black limousine, Abekawa was playing a glass of blood tablet on his hand while his bored eyes looking outside the window car.

"They're pretty interesting." Kaede chimed after the long silence between the three. He was smiling sinisterly while looking out the window as well.

"They're pretty scary." Kaede answered full of sarcasm tone. Remembering Ichijou's death glare, Rima and Shiki's icy gaze and Yuuki dagger glare. "Especially that blondie who took Ai. He look strong."

"Of course he's strong." Aizawa answered. "He's the grandson of Ichijou Asato."

"Hmm…" Abekawa played the glass with his lips before drinking the blood tablet with one swallow, he licked his lips and grin revealing his fangs. "Interesting indeed."

A/N: the usual Read & Review! *run around looking crazy* indeed ladies and gentlemen :D it's a very long update! hahaha my longest chapter? what'cha think?

(1) ojouchan - little miss/young lady