~**Chapter 12**~
"Fine, but why did you wait until the last minuet to tell me this?"
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"Okay. I will. I promise. Yeah. Yeah. Just give me a bigger warning next time." Yuuki hung up the phone with a heavy sigh. "Like a month or so. I can't do this!"
"Do what?"
Turned to the owner of the voice and found him oddly dressed. The formal attire he had on was not something she would usually see him in. No, that was not true. Once or twice she had seen him that suit, and each time he left the house in a hurry. Every time she asked him ´Where are you going?´ he would answer ´Nowhere` and then change the subject. Sometime she thought that maybe he had a date, as bizarre as that idea seemed. His looks where above average, but his personality did not allow many to get close. "Where are you going tonight Zero"?
"Nowhere." Yuuki nodded as she mimicked his words in her head. "Who was one the phone?"
She was tempted to say `Mind your own business´. It was not fair that he got to be all mysterious about his life when she practically had no privacy in hers. He would always say that it was he fault that she was an open book, but still. It was unfair. "Yori called for a favor."
"Hmm. Haven't seen her around in awhile. You two have a fight or something?"
"No." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the phone. "You know that she got a boyfriend, right? Well, ever since she meet him we have hardly had anytime together. It's gotten so bad that we don't even have lunch together in then cafeteria no more."
Zero frowned as he right to straighten out his tie. He hated the damn thing. It was like it was trying to strangle him. "Got no other friends?"
She wanted to punch him.
"What was the favor she wanted?"
"Babysitting. And I do have other friends!" She had been hanging out more with the kids she met at that weird field trip. They were nice, but she missed he best friend. "She wants me to babysit tonight. I'm supposed to be at that family's house in 45 minuets. I don't know anything about kids."
"You'll do fine. Gotta go." He moved to the door without even giving her another glance and step outside. She stood there for a few moments wondering if she should follow him. It would be nice to know where he goes during some night, but there were some parents waiting for her to take care of their child.
There were still a few minuets before she absolutely had to leave so she went to find her father. Maybe he knew where Zero went.
"Come in." Kaien called and smiled when he saw his beloved daughter come into his study. The smile faltered when he saw he troubled look. "What happened?"
"It's about Zero." She took the seat in front of his desk. "Sometimes he acts a bit strange. Like when he leaves without saying a word where he is going. Don't you find it strange?"
"Well, Zero is a strange boy." The way he emphasized the word ´strange` made her wonder...
Usually he would act goofy, but he was also sharper then anyone she knew. He was...mysterious.
"Father," She called him that to not make him suspicious of her next question. ",do you know where Zero is right now?"
It would be easy to lie. He had done it many times before. Zero's past was something best left hidden. For now.
"No."
"No?"
"I believe that he does not want me to know."
Yuuki frowned. "Do you mean that he lies to you?"
Kaien wondered how was the best way to answer that. It was true that Zero came to him with his troubles, but Yuuki knew very little about this. "It's more like I don't ask and he doesn't volunteer...the truth."
Lying was the last thing he wanted to do, but she would know everything when she was ready.
She still looked a bit troubled so he decided comfort her at least a little. "Please don't worry. If something really was bothering him, then he would tell us. Trust me."
Yuuki nodded. Technically, there was nothing wrong. Just that he was acting weird. Big surprise there.
"Fine. You're right."
"So," Kaien closed the folder he was reading. ",what do you want for dinner?"
Oh, no! She glanced at the watch on the wall. "I'm so going to be late!"
"Are you sure that you have everything? Cellphone? Money?"
Yuuki dibble-checked her purse. "I have everything. And thank you for driving me." She had planned on taking the buss, but she had been so busy thinking about stupid Zero that she lost track of time. Stupid Zero!
She had been so lost in thought again that she had not noticed Kaien looking at the house strangely. The look on his face scared her a little. It was almost like monsters where waiting inside.
"Are you sure that this is the house?" He asked.
She showed him the piece of paper where she had written it down. "It was the address she gave me. Why?"
He was quiet for a while. "No reason."
"Okay." She did not understand his mood, so she decided to ignore it. "Bye. And wish me luck."
His hand on her arm stopped her. "Wait. Perhaps this is to soon. I don't know if you are ready for your fist job." The words where directed at her, but his gaze never left the building they were parked in front of. "I can explain to them that everything was a mistake. It will be fine."
A tempting offer, but she would rather not disappoint the parents. "Thank you, but I want to do this."
He still would not let go. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. Will you please let me go?"
He did as she asked, but reluctantly. For some reason he really did not want he to enter the house, which just scared he even more. Who were this people? And how did Kaien know them?
"Wish me luck."
"Good luck. And call me if something happens."
It turned out that she had nothing to worry about. The family seemed perfectly normal. The parents were very polite and payed her upfront. They gave he a number should she need to contact them, but the kid was mostly quiet and rarely caused trouble. As far as she was concerned and she saw no reason to why Kaien was so worried. These people were normal. Except for how beautiful they were. They had to be celebrities.
"Do you like my drawings?" Key asked. The child had inherited his parents good looks with his caramel colored hair and different colored eyes. One brown and one green.
"How pretty." He was as talented as he was beautiful. Some people had it all, huh? The drawing he was an image of her. He had gotten everything down to the last detail. "Who thought how to draw like this?"
Key shrugged. "I've always known. I like you."
"I like you two." And she was more the little jealous of him. One glance at her watch showed that it was getting a bit late. "When is your bed time? I forgot to ask your parents."
"I don't have a bedtime."
Before she could comment that was not possible, her cellphone rang. The display showed that it was Kaien, again.
"Everything is fine. Nothing had happened. We are having a wonderful time."
"What are you doing?" Kaien asked.
Yuuki watched as Key sat down to draw another painting. "He is extremely talented. You should she the picture he drew of me. It's uncanny how similar it is."
There was silence on the other end.
"Kaien?"
"When are the parents coming home?"
She shrugged. "Don't know. Bye." Before he could say another word, she hung up. He was worried for nothing.
"Look."
Somehow in just a few minuets the child had managed to make another picture of her. In the precious one she was smiling. Now she was sleeping. It was just as beautiful as the last one, but now she got goosebumps on her arms. Creepy.
"I'm going to make another one." And he moved over to the table again. Three minuets later he came back with one more, and it made her heart beat faster.
"Why am I crying?"
"Why are you sad?"
Without warning he gave her a kiss on the cheek and everything went black.
"Damn it!" Kaien slammed down the phone. It was the fifth time he had tried Yuuki's cellphone and had not gotten an answer. He knew that she should not have left her alone at that place. He got his car keys and picked up the phone to make another phone call.
And he better answer.
Zero was busy looking over the crowd full of people wearing fancy dresses and way to much jewelery. It killed him that he was one of them.
His front pocket vibrated. Thank God,
Turning his back to the crowed he fished out his cellphone and answered. "Yes?"
"Something has happened to Yuuki."
His blood ran cold. Kaname, that bastard! "What happened?"
"She was supposed to babysit tonight."
"Yeah. I heard."
"It was for one of the families at the party."
He cast a glance over the crowd. Had one of the hurt her? "You shouldn't have let her go."
Kaien laughed, but there was no humor in his voice. "How could I have stopped her. By telling her the truth? Besides I thought that she would be fine."
"Then what happened?" He was itching to grab in gun and shot someone. Only that it would not do any good. "Is she hurt?"
Kaien shrugged, only to realize that he could see that at the other end. "I don't know. I called, but there was no answer. I'm going to see what has happened and want to meet you there. Here's the address."
"God damn! That stupid girl. I can't protect you forever."
A heavy hand was placed on top of his head and on reflex he pulled out his gun.
"Talking to yourself is never a good sign."
"Don't touch me. Teacher." He still had the gun pointed at the man, but they both knew that he would never pull the trigger. This was the same man who had saved him many years ago. Listen, I have to go."
The other man lightly touched his eye patch and straightened his hat. "Do you require help?"
"No." He pushed his way through the crowed to get to the exit faster. Many stopped to stare at him. Including one specific dark hair person. Right before the doors closed their eyes met.
Kaname,
Kaien had already arrived there before him. Not surprising sense the man had a car and Zero had to make it here on foot, and he had caused a bit of a scene running the entire way. Perhaps he should not have moved so fast in public, but his number one focus had been to get to Yuuki.
"Is she alright?" He knelt down beside her unconscious form. The steady rise and fall of her chest proved that she was still alive. "The parents aren't home yet? Where is the child?"
Kaien shrugged. "Don't know. The place was empty when I arrived and the front door was open. There is no one here."
"Was she injured?"
"No. She seems to be asleep."
Zero sighed in relief and made himself comfortable against the wall. "Then everything is fine."
"No."
For a moment panic started build up in him again. "What do you mean?"
"She is going to ask questions. Questions to which we have no answers."
"Lie. Like always."
"More lying?" Kaien shook his head. He felt bad enough already. "She will need some of it. Not all."
Zero was suspicious. "What exactly is some?" If she knew the truth then she would surely hate him.
The other man waved away his concern. "We will talk about that later. First look at this." He removed the collar of her shirt to reveal a familiar design. A tattoo that the were both very familiar with.
The bastard had mark her! He is dead!
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