"It's just not fair you know?" Diva sighed as she sat on her bed with Hakumei

The two had been trying on their new dresses happily until now. Hakumei had started telling Diva about her life before Lycée and then Diva began to grow silent and depressed.

"What do you mean?" Hakumei asked, turning to her fully.

"All I've wanted was a family," Diva sighed, "I was locked away in that tower for so long. Saya-neechan set me free from that prison, but she still had a family when I couldn't…"

"Is that why you call me your imoutosan?" Hakumei asked, tilting her head to the side, "And why you hate Saya? Because she took away your chances to be a family with her?"

"Hai," Diva had started to cry.

She really made Hakumei think of a child the way she acted. One minute she'd be carefree and the next, she could be howling with tears.

"Only Nathan and Karl understand how I feel!" she cried, hugging Hakumei and crying into her shoulder.

Hakumei stared down at her sadly. She started to kind of see things between her and Saya in a new light. Perhaps it was Saya who was at fault here? Not Diva. She smiled as Diva curled up against her shoulder and drifted off. She stared down at her silently though as she sat in thought. What did she mean exactly? She could understand Nathan—who seemed to have a divine connection with women—but why would Karl, who didn't seem to have any personal feelings above vengeance and lust, be able to understand something as complex and painful as the loneliness Diva was feeling? She leaned back a little against the headboard that she and Diva had been sitting up against and closed her eyes, blushing as her last thoughts turned into her dreams of the Karl she'd known from Lycée as she fell asleep as well.

A dark room lit with rose scented candles. Blue rose petals litter the sheets of a large, well-made bed. Hakumei blushed at her surroundings. Could this really be the same room that instilled such fear within her heart? Warm arms enveloped her body and pulled her to the warm chest of her beloved. She turned to him. A blush spilled over her cheeks as he stole a kiss. His hands, which could cause so much pain, were gentle and soft as he slowly pulled her dress down. His fingers met her skin, earning a darker blush from her. He left warm kisses and nips all down her neck and shoulder, making her giggled as his hands ghosted over more ticklish areas of her body. Karl smirked against her skin and picked her up bridal. Hakumei gasped and blushed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She was being carried to the bed…Gasping, she tried to wriggle out of his hold, only to be stopped by a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Daijobu," his voice no longer held venom and hatred…his voice sounded loving and passionate again—like she remembered it from Lycée… "How could I possibly hurt the only woman to truly love me?"

Hakumei blushed and glanced up at him as he let her stand. She put her hands up to place them on his shoulders, only to have him grab both of her hands and oh so gently shove her back. He crawled up to her slowly. Taking the collar of her dress, he delicately pulled it open and began kissing down her neck, her shoulder, her torso. Hakumei couldn't stop the giggles and moans.

"Karl-chan…" she giggled, moaning as he caressed her body and pulled her closer after returning to her neck, "Karl-chan…"

It didn't take long for their clothes to be discarded after that. Hekumei held Karl close as he kissed her. She didn't know why he was being like this. Her time here taught her that he was cruel and unloving. How was it that he could be so gentle and caring now? That he could love her like this? She gasped as he thrust slowly into her, gripping his shoulders in pain. Kissing her eye lids, he was able to calm her a little. Hakumei smiled happily, still giggling as his hands traveled up and down her hips.

"…so beautiful when you smile," she caught as he started whispering to her, his voice barely visible.

"Karl-chan…" she purred hugging him close.

As he leaned into kiss her again, something finally dawned upon her. This really couldn't be real…Could it? There was no possible way that he could really so kind, gentle and loving. Tears dwelled in her eyes as he stopped him and pushed him away.

"This-this isn't real" she sobbed. She sat up; attempting to leave the room but Karl's suspiciously gentle hands caught her. He neared her again, nearing on top of her again. He kissed her cheek, tasting the tears he ever so savored.

"You're not real..." Hakumei sobbed.

Karl stoked the hair away from her face. He forced Hakumei to look at him.

"Oh koibito," he moaned, taking her face in his hands, "Our love making tonight is very real."

Moving one hand to her shoulder he began to gently push her down, rubbing her thighs to sooth her trembling legs. He left a trail of kisses down her body again. Hakumei took a tight grip on the sheets, utterly refusing to let herself touch him. She couldn't assent, not anymore, no matter how wonderful and pleasurable it felt.

"Sh..." he soothed as his lips proceeded to her stomach.

He took her hand and kissed her fingertips before placing teasing kisses on her tummy. She sobbed horribly, crying "this isn't real" over and over. But it seemed so very real to her...Every bit of it. Karl was not distracted by her tears, and he sinfully solaced her with the caresses. He set a hand on her face, partially on her jaw, and kissed her trembling lips tenderly.

"You're not real," she cried; squirmed beneath him.

The world began to spin. Karl disappeared. She held her arms, whispering 'It's not real' over and over before shouting.

"It's not real!"

With that, she threw her head back, causing her actual body to do the same and hit the headboard painfully.

Hakumei grabbed the back of her head and moaned in agony.

"AIYA! Kuso!" she cried in anger and pain.

She gasped suddenly as she felt a warm hand grab her shoulder. With a loud gasp and fell off of the bed; a sinking feeling in her stomach making her think it was Karl.

"Imoutosan! You're so fun!" Diva chortled as Hakumei fell off the bed.

Hakumei looked up at her, trying to hide the fear and confusion in her eyes. Images her dream—wait—could she even call it a dream at all? Had it not frightened her; made her shake awake and cry? Iie, it was a nightmare once again.

"Di-Diva...Can-Can I get something to eat?" Hakumei asked tremulously.

Though she wasn't really all that hungry, she felt she needed something to distract her mind from Karl and those taunting dreams.

"Oh, that's right," Diva mused in a mocking tone, "You don't really drink blood do you?"

Hakumei nodded her head 'no', caring not about the tease. She stood up and brushed herself off, shaking at the lingering feel Karl's fingers against her skin.

"I think there is some human food downstairs," Diva shrugged, "After all, not all my Chevalier feast on blood. Speaking of which…I'm hungry..."

With that, she left, leaving Hakumei alone. Chills ran down her spine.

"Maybe a full stomach will help me think clearly and calm my nerves," she said and then she left as well.

Karl ran his fingers over the distorted flesh of his new arm. It was not like his former—then again, neither were the previous limbs he had replaced. He found a strange pleasure in knowing that Hakumei's blood was now one with his flesh. Her blood could not be felt in his veins, though; only in the flesh that it created. He smirked as a spike protruded from between his middle and ring finger. He wondered...How much pain could he cause with this new arm...The gift that his healer had given him…? He licked his lips unconsciously.

"I wonder…" he smiled out the small window, "Is she thinking of me? Have I plagued her mind with images she does not wish to know?"

He paused as he flexed his newly grown fingers.

"I hope so…" he mused, "I can't wait to watch her squirm at my touch…"

Hakumei sat down at the kitchen table after placing the dirty dishes in the sink. She had prepared herself scrambled eggs and pancakes—the only thing she really knew how to cook—along with a glass of water and a small slice of pumpkin pie. She needed something—anything—to fill the strangely empty space inside her. It was congested with a strange, longing feeling...Did she still love Karl? She thought this over as she ate silently and undisturbed. Staring down into her food, she was too engrossed in her thoughts to notice someone walk into the kitchen. He eyed her suspiciously before walking over and placing a clam hand on her shoulder. She jumped at the touch and gasped, dropping her fork. Placing a hand on her heart, she tried to calm herself as Nathan sat down next to her.

"You're up awfully late," he mused as she turned back to her meal, "Anything wrong?"

Hakumei shook her head and took a bite of her pancakes.

"Are you sure?" Nathan asked knowingly, "Didn't have any nightmares tonight did you?"

Hakumei's eye lids drooped sadly, giving him enough of a response. Images of her nightmare flooded her head like a hurricane flooding someone's home. Her mind was like her home, she would never let it go or give it to someone else. Now, she just wanted her mind to cease haunting her with ghosts of a once love.

"Honey I told you already," he spoke sweetly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Hakumei was trembling; she really believed that her dreams signified what Karl would do to her.

"You don't have to worry about Karl. I can guarantee that he won't be back for a while and even when he gets back," he paused and sighed, "You won't have to worry then either...okay?"

Hakumei gazed suspiciously at him, due mostly to the pause, but nodded anyway. Nathan pat her head and stood.

"Well," he said leaning on the table, "I better get back to my room before James starts to worry about me..."

"You're totally in denial aren't you?" Hakumei smirked.

"Shut up," Nathan scoffed playfully before walking away and leaving Hakumei to giggle after him.

A/N: Japanese translations:

Aiya!: Nothing really...it's just an exclamation.

Kuso!: Dammit!