I bet you thought I forgot about this story...hehe well I kinda did, but I couldn't get some things out of my head so here is the ending.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't make money off of this, but I sure enjoyed writing it.


Yori stood nervously outside the small door that lead to the chairman's living area. She had knocked but it had been too softly for anybody inside to hear. Aidou had told her the chairman wanted to see her today but he hadn't said why. Now she felt extremely apprehensive, not knowing what to expect.

She closed her eyes and bit her lip, thinking about the night before. He had told her he loved her again. He said it almost every time they were together. Part of her felt excited whenever he said it, but another part only felt fear. Somehow she had managed to fool him. How could he love her? How could anybody possibly love her?

Yori thought out these questions even as she knew she was so desperately in love with him.

It was obvious he wanted to hear her repeat the oath, but for some reason she just couldn't find the courage to let the words leave her mouth. Sometimes she whispered it to him while he slept. Sometimes she even said it in her mind when they were together, as if she could somehow communicate telepathically.

She was a coward, and although it was mostly out of her own personal fear of completely exposing that last part of herself, there were other reasons...or at least she was determined to find other reasons.

For one thing, there was that dark little vampire library in the corner of the moon dorm building. After reading a few of the books she understood Aidou's purpose in wanting her to understand more about vampires. It had been heart warming to learn of intimacy between vampires, and that they expressed it through biting each other. When he drank her blood it meant much more than nourishing a thirst. Deep down she had already known this, and the books had only confirmed it.

Unfortunately, Aidou had underestimated the extent of her curiosity and the diligence at which she sought to satisfy it. It hadn't taken long before she had taken a strong interest in how vampires regarded humans or more specifically, how they regarded mixed vampire and human couples. She had scoured the extensive literature, searching for anything that broached the subject.

It had been very frustrating research. There was not a single book that even mentioned the idea of a relationship between a human and vampire that went beyond that of predator and prey. Actually, that wasn't quite true. There were a few books on enslaving humans, how to use mind control on them, and methods of erasing memories. She had quickly learned that, to them, it was something either completely unheard of or absolutely not discussed.

During the weekends, she had made frequent trips to that tiny library during day light hours, tip toeing out of Aidou's room as the vampires slept, still fearful of their presence. Hours would fly by as she buried herself in prose of vampire history and ideals.

It had been on one such occasion when she had been interrupted by who she knew now to be the most powerful vampire of the night class.

When he entered the room, she had instantly stood out of the leather chair she had been curled up in. Shocked at his entrance. His presence had filled the room with a daunting power that instantly urged her to have the very human fight or flight response. Her calves had tensed in preparation to flee.

He had lithely entered the room with inhuman grace and assessed her with dark intelligent eyes, noticing her reaction to him and apparently unphased.

"I'm sorry. I do not mean to frighten you." His voice had been colorfully melodic yet deep and smooth. It floated through her mind in low musical tones. "You are safe here."

Her entire being had instantly relaxed at the sound of his velvet voice, as if the meaning of the words had been directly planted in her mind. As she thought back on it, she realized he had used some vampire ability to relax her on purpose.

"I do not believe we have been properly introduced." He bowed gracefully. "You may call me Kaname."

She had found herself so relaxed by his voice that she had smiled at his choice of words. He hadn't introduced himself in a normal manner at all. Instead, it was like he had given her permission to call him by name.

"I'm Yori Wakaba."

He had only nodded as she said her name, seeming to already know who she was. "I see you have found much here that intrigues you." He'd said as he glanced at the several books, haphazardly scattered on the floor around her chair.

"Oh I'm s-sorry." she'd stuttered as she looked at the mess she'd made with embarrassment. "I probably shouldn't be in here." Her voice fluctuated nervously.

"It is alright. I gave Aidou permission to bring you here." His eyes softened with amusement. "It must all be very new to you."

"Yes." she fidgeted.

"Was there something imparticular you were looking for?"

"Ummmm....well..." She shuffled as she began to feel uncomfortable.

"You can tell me." Again, his deep voice mesmerized her senses, evoking a response.

"Human and vampire relationships." The words left her mouth in a surprisingly even tone. They were pulled directly from her thoughts, but with ease and not force.

"I'm afraid that is something you will not find." He sounded apologetic. "It is something that as yet remains unaccepted."

"Oh" she'd replied lamely, embarrassed at her confession but trying not to show her disappointment.

Glancing to the window she had noticed that it was already dusk. She didn't want to be wandering around the dorms while the other vampires were awake. The thought brought her out of his mental hold.

"I should go back." she'd said while glancing at the doorway as if it was an escape, unsettled by the affect he had on her.

"Before you go, there is something I should tell you." He stopped her from leaving.

She felt her mind clear slightly and looked up at him. It was then she noticed that his dark eyes seemed to contain a deep sadness, as if grieving for the loss of a loved one. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before and wondered at what it meant.

"I owe you an apology." he said.

This surprised her immensely. "An apology?" What could he possibly have to apologize to her for?

"Yes, there were things I could have prevented, and chose not to." He paused and then lowered his voice. "You have my deepest regrets."

She'd stood still, stunned at the sudden change of direction their small conversation had taken. She opened her mouth to ask him why he was apologizing but what he did next took her breath away.

He lifted a hand and pulled the collar of her shirt aside, looking over Aidou's bite mark in her neck. She stood completely frozen, holding her breath and having no idea how to react.

He looked intently at the mark. "To him you are truly precious. It is something I can relate to." He slowly replaced her collar and lowered his hand as his gaze became deeply serious. "You will always be safe here. It is the least I can offer."

He had dismissed her then, giving her permission to leave in the same manner he had given her permission to use his name. It was undeniable that he was a leader, and it wasn't until later that she realized he was one of the vampires called 'purebloods' that she had read about.

Yori didn't know for sure what he had meant when he had said there were things he could have prevented. How much of her home life did he know about? It was a mortifying thought and she was deeply grateful that he had chosen not to speak of it specifically.

Now, standing outside the chairman's home, she heard a noise from inside that sounded like someone approaching the door. It instantly brought her out of her reflective thoughts and her apprehension returned swiftly.

The knob turned and the door opened, revealing the chairman with his dirty blonde hair in a loose ponytail. He looked ridiculous in a pink apron and oven mits.

"Yori-chan!" he exclaimed with a welcoming smile.

"You said you wanted to see me?" She wondered at his bizarre excitement.

"Yes yes, why don't you come in?" he said, holding the door open so she could come inside. "You're a little early, Zero and Yuuki are coming soon, but that's just fine. You can help me finish dinner. You'll stay won't you? Oh you just have to, I tried a new recipe and I think everyone will like it."

She followed the chairman into the kitchen as he chattered endlessly. Immediately the smell of salty food cooking on the stove passed her senses and her stomach gave a low rumbling growl making her blush with embarrassment.

"See you came just in time!" If it was even possible, he sounded even more enthusiastic than before.

She hardly had time to respond before he hustled her towards the counter. The kitchen was warmly lit with a soft yellow light. It had the cozy atmosphere of home and family and she couldn't help but feel comforted by the sizzling sounds of cooking on the stove. It reminded her of quiet nights with Simon, when she had cooked for him while he nagged her about when she would be finished cooking and tried to steal pieces of food over her shoulder. Of course, those had been nights when his father hadn't been at home. It was always before he arrived home, when the evening was inevitably ruined. How was it that eating with Simon seemed like years ago, but the violent fights felt like yesterday?

Yori mentally shook herself. She had been very good at avoiding the onslaught of memories recently and she refused to give into them now. With a practiced habit she straightened her back and focused on the present.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Anything to keep her mind busy.

"Oh that would be great Yori-chan! Why don't you make a tossed salad? There's lettuce and vegetables in the fridge."

She easily found the food in the refridgerator. The chairman noticed when she started looking through the cabinets and set a large bowl, cutting board and knife on the counter next to the stove.

They worked quietly next to each other for awhile with only the soft sounds of cooking, and as she finished chopping tomatoes she glanced over at the stove. Curiously, she watched him dump spices on white fish filets practically covering them in pepper and garlic. Yori wrinkled her nose as the smell started to become offensive. She wanted to stop him but remained quiet, silently wishing that Zero was cooking instead of the chairman.

When she noticed the stench of burning she couldn't hold her tongue any longer.

"Ummmm I think maybe the fish is done." It was quite the understatement.

"Oh!" he jumped in surprise when he noticed the burning fish.

This seemed familiar, Simon's father had always burnt food when he tried to cook. It had been a wonder that he hadn't burned the house down. Yori forcefully ignored the memory and reached over to to turn off the gas. Unfortunately, the chairman reached for the frying pan at the same time, and as he pulled it off the stove she bumped into him, knocking it out of his hand. The frying pan crashed onto the floor between them, spilling the food into a disgusting mess, unexplainably causing her heart to double in speed.

"I'm so sorry!" Yori cried and frantically bent down to clean it up with shaking hands.

His feet came into her vision and she felt him standing over her. All of a sudden he seemed different. The surroundings weren't the same. The chairman wasn't the chairman anymore, and he was towering over her. Tall, ominous....frightening.

Lightning fear streaked through her and she sucked in a breath. "I'm sorry, I'll clean it up! It's all my fault!" Her voice came out too loud and in quick spurts. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his foot take a step towards her and felt him bending down.

Instincts kicked in. She scrambled away from him on the floor before standing up on trembling legs, backing away from him until she hit the wall with bruising force. She needed to run away! Did he stumble? She could swear there was a scent of alcohol in the air. Oh my god. Where are the stairs?

"Yori-chan?" He spoke as he took a step towards her.

She flinched, bringing her forearms up in front of her face, preparing herself for the blow.

Seconds passed, then minutes. Nothing happened and instead of hearing drunken yelling she only heard her breath coming in short gasps. Something was dreadfully wrong. She couldn't get enough air in her lungs no matter how hard she tried to breath. Her chest felt like it had a heavy weight pressed down on it and she moved her hands from shielding her face to pull at the cloth of her shirt, frantically trying to loosen her clothes. She needed to pull herself together. Any minute now he would hit her. There would be pain and she needed to prepare herself.

Through blurry vision she stared up at the man who stood several feet away from her. He was just standing there in his pink apron, watching her from behind silver glasses.

"It's okay Yori-chan." he said softly.

Oh god what was she doing? This was the chairman not Simon's father! He probably thought she was crazy. God she was crazy! Not only that, she was suffocating. The room closed in around her and began to darken. She had to escape this nightmare!

"I-I'm sorry. I have to go." She said quickly as she ran out of the room.

She heard him calling after her, but she ignored him. All she could think about was getting away and out of this stuffy room, with all the horrid memories that came with it. She should have known better than to come here. What made her even think she could do anything normal?

She swung open the front door, and shot outside, running away not from the chairman, but from vivid images, shocking blows, violence and nightmares that were impossible to run from.

She made it several yards before bumping into a hard yet slightly pliant surface.

"Oomph! Where are you running off to?"

Arms came around her, captivating her, stifling her, stopping her desperately needed escape. Her mind was gone. She could no longer tell what was real and what was in her head. Hot tears streamed down her face but she was barely aware of them. The figure in front of her was gripping her arms, holding her captivated. She tried to scream but it was taking all of her effort just to draw air into her lungs. Her breathing was coming in painful high-pitched wheezes. It was over. Death was looming and inevitable.

"Yori! Oh my god! Yori whats wrong?!"

The voice called to her. It echoed in the distance but she couldn't respond. Her knees hit the ground and strong hands wrapped around her wrists, pulling her hands off her chest.

There was a commotion around her, but she was too focused on struggling to breathe to understand any words that were spoken. Had the atmosphere around her changed? Was she being carried somewhere? God this felt like a dream, a horrid nightmare. She didn't want to die. She wasn't ready for it yet, but death was surely coming.

Something was placed over her mouth. Someone was trying to suffocate her! She struggled weakly unable to understand what was happening.

Slowly, words spoken started to make sense.

"...Yori, it's okay. You're going to be okay. Just breathe. I'm here with you. You're safe." his voice came into her ear in soft whispers.

A few strangled breaths later she realized she wasn't being suffocated at all. Actually, somehow with her mouth covered she could breathe easier.

"There you go. That's it. Take slow breaths." It was Aidou's voice, and nothing had ever sounded so wonderful.

The earth seemed to finally be still. The tightness in her chest started to ease and she soon realized that it was a paper bag that was being held over her mouth and the arms around her belonged to Aidou. He felt strong and warm, steady in a world that had completely fallen apart.

Yori didn't know if her eyes had been closed or if her vision had simply come into focus, but she was sure that the blue eyes gazing down at her were still the most beautiful she had ever seen.

"Hey, there you are." He said gently, as if he had just found her hiding somewhere. His arm around her back tightened and she felt his fingers press into her skin. "I thought I told you not to scare me like that."

He was still holding the brown paper bag over her mouth and she lifted a shaky hand to pull it away. Finally feeling like she could breathe normally, but still unsure of her surroundings.

"What happened?"

"You were hyperventilating."

She gave him a confused look.

"Overbreathing that causes abnormally low levels of carbon-dioxide in the bloodstream, commonly induced by panic or anxiety." He explained.

Despite the situation, Yori couldn't help but let the side of her mouth lift in a half-smile. "You sound like a dictionary."

He smiled down at her as he stroked hair off of her forehead that was wet from prespiration. "Did I mention that I'm a genius?"

Yori turned her head into the muscle in his shoulder, taking in his scent. Somehow he had become her world. It didn't matter where she was or what danger she was in. He always saved her. Her body still felt shaky, the world was unsteady, but he was there with her and all of a sudden she didn't care about anything else. "I think you're wonderful." She admitted, wrapping her arms around his torso.

He audibly swallowed and held her closer. "Yori there's something I need to tell you..."

"Ahem..." The chairman stood a few feet away, clearing his throat to get their attention.

They shot apart guiltily. Yori quickly assessed her surroundings. She was on the sofa in the chairman's sitting room. Apparently Aidou had carried her inside. That must have been what happened. Oh no, the chairman was here. She was mortified! Surely he would think she was completely insane. Somehow she had to explain this. She had to stop him from asking questions.

"I'm sorry about this." she spoke quickly. "It's just that I ummmm burned myself on the stove when I was a child and I guess it just still scares me sometimes when I'm in the kitchen." It was the most pathetic, obvious lie she had ever given. Just as useful as every time she'd told people she'd fallen down the stairs, or walked into a door.

The room was quiet. Too quiet. Two sets of concerned eyes were looking down at her.

She laughed nervously and looked away. "It's pretty silly I guess."

"I don't think it's anything silly at all Yori-chan." The chairman spoke seriously and gave her a straight look.

His unwaivering gaze made her feel incredibly uncomfortable. Yori shifted her weight on the couch and sat up straighter waving her hand in a dismissive gesture. "It's no big deal. I feel better now. I should probably just get some rest."

She was about to try to stand but the chairman spoke again. "Nobody here will ever hurt you Yori-chan. You can feel safe here. Recovering from a traumatic past can be a difficult process, but you have friends here to help you."

That's when it hit her. He knew. The chairman knew! That was why he was going to pay for her school instead of Aidou. It all started to make sense. Wide eyed, she glanced over at Aidou who was kneeling next to the sofa in front of her. He clenched his jaw and avoided her gaze. Had Aidou told the Chairman about what happened to her? He couldn't have possibly betrayed her like that...could he?

"Well why don't you rest here for a bit." The chairman's voice broke through her thoughts. "Would you like some tea?"

Yori didn't know how she managed to speak, but her voice came out calm and even. "Yes that would be nice. Thank you."

The chairman only paused breifly before leaving the room and leaving the two of them alone.

An uncomfortable silence passed before Aidou finally spoke. "Yori, it's not like you're thinking."

She sat in complete stillness, staring at an invisible spot on the wall across the room. "Isn't it?" her voice came out in a whisper. "You told him."

His hand gripped the sofa cushion next to her leg. "You need someone to help you. You can't do everything by yourself."

"You told him."she repeated, still in a trance. "Didn't you?"

"Yori I.."

"Didn't you?!" her voice came out higher pitched, frantic.

"Listen, you have to let me explain.."

"Just answer the fucking question!"

He stiffened at her curse, but she didn't care. She was completely beyond reason.

Finally he responded. "Yes."

Things happened in slow motion, but far too quickly at the same time. Yori watched her hand lift as if it belonged to somebody else. It moved in front of her with swift precision, striking him across the cheek with a loud smack that echoed around the room.


Aidou's eyes widened with a hurt look that had nothing to do with the red mark stinging his cheek. He felt about as worthy as the dirt on the bottom of his shoe. She had trusted him and he had betrayed her. It didn't even bother him that she had slapped him. He could have stopped her. It's not like he hadn't seen it coming, but he had chosen not to react. Besides, getting slapped was nothing new to him anyways.

Heck he probably deserved it. It made perfect sense that she would be mad at him. But it wasn't like he was trying to hurt her, or expose her carefully guarded past. He was trying to help her. She couldn't see that but eventually she would understand. He could fix this.

"Even if I didn't tell him, he would have figured it out on his own. He told me as much." Aidou gazed at the floor feeling unworthy of looking her in the eye. "Everything will turn out okay. I promise."

She didn't respond, and he started to worry that she wasn't even listening. The salty scent of tears permeated the air, and he couldn't look away any longer.

The look in her eyes shocked him. Complete frigid fear. Her fist was pressed against her mouth and she looked like she was in shock.

"Hey Yori-chan, it's going to be okay." he repeated reaching for her as she tried to back away.

"Don't touch me!"

Aidou froze hand extended in mid-air. "I'm not mad at you Yori. It was a natural reaction."

She seemed to calm down, at least on the surface. Her face stilled with a hard look. "You're such an idiot, Hanabusa." she said with a dead stare. "You think you understand, but you know nothing about me."

What was this? Aidou had no idea where she was going with this line of thought. "Then explain it to me."

Yori took in a deep breath and began to speak. "I'm not a victim. I'm not a survivor. I'm the villain. There is nobody in the world to blame about my messed up life but me. Everything is my fault." She pounded on her chest with her fist to emphasize her words.

Aidou had known she thought this way, but was amazed to hear her actually admit it. "No. It isn't your fault Yori-chan." he said for what must have been the thousandth time.

"You don't know anything. There's a lot that even I don't understand but there is one thing I am absolutely sure of. It is all my fault, of this I can assure you."

"Yori..."

"Oh shut up." she cut him off. "Just shut up and listen to me."

Silently, he waited.

"When I was a little girl I saw the way my mother was with him. She never loved him even though he was so desperately in love with her. It was pathetic, the way he followed after her, loving her even when she was sleeping with other men. Somehow he managed to convince himself she was faithful. His ability to deny the world around him always astounded me." She took a deep breath. "So I eventually just told him what she was doing."

"It was one night when we were eating dinner. Mom wasn't there of course. She had called to say she would be home late, as usual." Hatred thickly filled her voice. "Simon was still an infant then, and still she left us for other men. I resented her for it, but I hated him even more. He was such an idiot, ignoring all the evidence, allowing it to continue and taking it out on me, but with words, not with his fists. He yelled at me again that night." She waived her hand dismissively. "It was over something stupid. I can't even remember what it was. Something about school and boys. He was always yelling at me about the way I dressed, saying I looked slutty or something like this. I should have been used to it, but that night it became too much. So I looked him in the face and I told him."

Aidou sat still. He couldn't believe she was actually talking about this so freely. It was like another person had taken over. It was so unlike her, yet here she was, pacing back and forth across the floor speaking quickly and decisively.

"I actually, got in his face and said, 'I'm not the slut, your wife is. Guess where she is right now.'" Yori stopped pacing and stood still, staring at the wall. "He didn't hit me then, but I wish he had." Her voice began to shake. "Oh god I wish he had."

Aidou couldn't see her face but her shoulders were starting to shake and he knew she was crying. He stood to approach her but she lifted a hand to hold him at bay. "I'm not finished."

Aidou started to feel increasingly worried. Should he stop this? No, she seemed like she needed to get it out. She was finally talking. He wanted to hear this, no matter how awful it was.

"He beat her when she got home that night." She whispered. "I was in my room with Simon, but I heard it all. It started out as a fight. They were yelling at each other. Maybe I should have gone downstairs but I didn't. I was still angry at her. I thought she deserved it. Well, I thought she deserved it when they were yelling but not when she started screaming. Oh god!"

She let out a shudder then turned to face him. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her brown eyes were red and swollen. Aidou forced himself to stay still, not sure if he should approach her.

"When she screamed I didn't go downstairs. She...she called my name. At least I think she did. I try to forget things that happened that night. The noises and the screams." Her eyes glazed over. "Simon started crying and I stayed with him. I didn't go downstairs. I'm such a coward. I hid in my room with Simon and didn't go to help her. I was too scared to move." Her arms came up to wrap around herself, in a protective childlike gesture. "I didn't hear her leave the house, but I heard the car start and I heard her drive away. She never came back."

Aidou thought his heart would break in two. Picturing a scared little girl, hiding in her house with her baby brother. Trapped in a world made by adults who filled it with betrayal, lies and violence. If it hadn't been facing him directly, it would have been beyond his imagination.

Yori sank to the floor on her knees and began rocking herself back and forth. "It was several months before he started hitting me, and when he finally did, I was relieved."

At this Aidou took in a sharp breath. Had he heard her correctly?

"I wanted him to hit me Hanabusa. I wanted him to! Not only did I want him to but I made him do it. I told him to hit me." She looked at the floor with an empty gaze. "I dared him to and finally he did. Finally I got what I deserved." Yori started to completely break down sobbing and speaking barely coherently through hands covering her face. "It was painful and I was always so scared of him, but some sick part of me liked it. Oh god what's wrong with me? I still want to go back!"

That was it. He couldn't quietly listen to her talk like this. " Jesus, stop this. There's nothing wrong with you!"

She didn't seem to hear him. "Why are you still here? How can you even look at me?" Her voice cracked like she was barely able to control it. Face drenched with tears she looked up at him like he was an enigma. "Didn't you hear anything I just told you?"

Aidou sank down to the floor next to her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him tightly. "I'm not going anywhere Yori-chan." He said into her hair. "Nothing will change how I feel about you."

"Hanabusa..." she said through broken sobs. "help me."

He pulled her tiny shaking body closer, swallowing down a thick lump in his throat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the chairman peer through the doorway, then step away, giving them much needed privacy.

"I promise I'll take care of you Yori-chan."

"Oh Hanabusa...I love you." She sniffed and gripped his shirt, burying her face in his chest. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

THE END


A final author's note: This ending is purposely abrupt. I know that this is romance, and we all like a pretty ending that is neatly tied with a bow, but this story dealt with a heavy subject that has no pretty ending. I decided to go with an abrupt ending because it is designed to show that this is a new beginning of a healing process for Yori. Traumatic experiences such as hers take years and years to heal, far more time than there's room for in one novel length fanfiction.

Also, I don't care how long its been since I posted this final chapter. I still read my reviews! So please, if you actually read this whole thing, take a minute to leave me a comment. I would love to hear your thoughts!