Chapter Twenty-Three: Lost Lambs

Authors Note: I want to thank all of you who have been supporting this story sice it first started. It really does mean a lot. I do plan on seeing this through to the end but I haven't decided how I'm going to end it yet.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Vampire Knight.

Kain P.O.V.

It was almost afternoon as I stood beside Hana's bed, my trench coat on as she kept her conforter pulled over her face. "Hana. Are you really not coming?"

"I'm not going. You go." Hana said, her voice muffled.

I sighed and walked out of our room, shutting the door behind me. I made my way outside where the others were waiting for me. "Sorry that you had to wait."

"It's okay. I was just about to go in and meet you." Ichijo said, her ever present smile on her face.

"...Well, shall we go?" Lady Yuki asked, looking over her shoulder at us.

Kaname P.O.V.

"Hmm..." I stood in front of the stairs with my arms crossed. "What should I do...?" Somehow, I've come to the girls' dormitory... I pressed my hand against the side of my head. There should be lots...of things to say...things I want to say...to Zero. But I can't get my head straight... I thought as I held my head in both hands.

"Huh? What are you doing here, Kaname?" Someone asked from behind me.

I turned around to see my dorm president. "Dorm president..."

"It's almost time for winter break. But anyways, I wanted to say..."

Zero P.O.V.

"Kiryu!"

I turned around when I heard someone call my name and saw my dorm president. "What is it, dorm president?"

She stopped beside the window and put her hands in her pockets. 'Look outside. Kaname has been at the entrance to our dorm this whole time. He usually just comes in, though. Did you do something to bully him?"

"Huh?" I just looked at her.

"Ah, the boys' dorm president is talking to him." We both turned around to see that she was right. "He's probably getting reprimanded..."

Kaname P.O.V.

"Even if you are the son of headmistress Cross and have the duties of the disciplinary commitee...you can't so freely visit the girls' dormitory like this." He scolded. "It's leaving a bad impression. Shouldn't the position of being on the disciplinary commitee be given to someone else?"

The sound of footsteps approaching caught our attention and both of us looked over. "Sorry to interrupt. Can I talk to Kaname for a second?" Hana asked, her expression blank. "I can't find the headmistress. Is she out?"

"AIDO!" I exclaimed, shocked to see her.

"IDOL!" The dorm president said, his face turning red. "Why are you here? It's not easy for the Day and Night classes to come ad go as they please, right? Especially..."

Aido smiled and put a finger up to her lips. "I'm sorry, but I ran away from the dorm. You didn't see me, okay?"

I was completely dumbfounded. "Aido...did you just say that you ran away from the dorm...?"

"Of course I won't. I understand. I was just about to leave it to Kaname!" The dorm president said, smiling and waving as he walked away.

-Ten Minutes Later-

"And so I ran away from the dorm." Aido said, scratching the back of her head. "I was going to see the headmistress...but she's not here. I wanted to talk to her."

I was completely dumbfounded. She really said that...this person.

Zero P.O.V.

I became nervous when I saw Hana Aido standing there with Kaname and a ominous feeling cam over me.

"Oh. it's that girl from the Night class." The dorm president said, clearly annoyed. "She...Kiryu, what are you doing?! We're on the third floor!" She shouted when I opened the window and jumped out, landing in a crouch.

"Aido...students from the night class aren't supposed to be any where near the Sun dorms." I said and Aido and Kaname looked at me as I stood up.

Kaname spoke up and Aido looked at him. "That...that's right. You have to go back to the dorm."

"To the dorm?" Aido's expression darkened for a moment. "I don't want to. So, I'm not going back!" She declared like a child throwing a tantrum.

I just looked at Kaname. "Kaname, get a rope. We'll tie her up and drag her back."

Aido took off running in the opposite direction. "AH! She's running away!" Kaname said and I took after her.

-Later That Evening-

"Don't make me run for something so stupid." I told her, trying to catch my breath.

Aido sat on the couch with her arms and legs crossed as she chuckled. "You should have helped me in the first place."

"Anyway, is it okay to be in the headmistress' private office? Otherwise, how about you sleep in Zero's room in the Sun dorm...?" Kaname suggested.

"NOT GONNA HAPPEN!" I shouted at the same with Aido, who said it a little more calmly.

"I'm hungry..." Aido mumbled under her breath and kaname hid behind the door frame. "What are you hiding for? Just cook me something. Anything is fine. Oh, is the bed empty in the morning? I want something nice and soft..." She started to ramble on. "The linens need to have a lavender scent, otherwise I can't sleep...and the curtains...after that, if someone tries to find me, don't tell them I'm here. Let's see...I'll need a towel and a toothbrush..."

I raised my arm, my fist clenched and shaking as Kaname kept trying to pull my arm back down so I wouldn't punch her and send her flying to the moon. "Zero, calm down!" He said. "Aido, did something happen in the dorm to make you not want to stay?"

Aido was quiet for a while before she responded. "...Not really."

Yuki P.O.V.

The car drove down the empty road as Kain, me and Takuma sat in the back, the three of us quiet for most of the ride until Kain spoke up. "I didn't think it was possible for the dorm president to defy the Senate."

Ichijo just smiled. "Well, Yuki is a very docile kind of pureblood. Well, on the surface, anyway." Ichijo frowned, which was unusal for her. "Kiryu killed Shion Hio for a good reason...and she was going to be executed by the Senate with the charge of murdering a pureblood without an investigation. And you stopped it from happening. Zero Kiryu hunted an old enemy. Do you know what they will say to you, since you gave her the protection with your pureblood status? 'Lady Yuki, you saved a classmate while disregarding your ancestry...the Senate won't carry out the truth with peace. It will be lady Yuki.'...right?" She finally smiled as she looked at me. "Yuki. It's alright, okay?"

I felt Kain looking at me as I rested my chin in my hand. "I didn't think of that..." I admitted. "Even so...from here, I will go to the Senate...with a stout heart..."

Kaname P.O.V.

I stood there holding a glass of water as I watched Aido wipe her mouth with a napkin. "I thought you said you didn't want to eat what Zero cooked?" I asked, setting the glass down. She made it even though she was on edge...!

"It wasn't like it's not to my tastes. It was okay, I guess." She set the napkin down on her plate. "But that wasn't enough."

Selfish runaway... I thought to myself.

"Am I troubling you?" She asked bluntly.

I smiled at her. "Yes. But I'll just tell Yuki and she'll scold you later." How about that...

Her expression was blank. Not the reaction I was expecting.

I went into the kitchen with the dishes and told Zero what Aido said.

"What? I made enough for three people and she still wants more?" She was shocked as we looked at each other.

"Yeah. Do you think she's stressed?" I asked, a little nervous.

"Do vampires get depressed...?" Zero wondered. "Here. Give her these for now." She said and tossed me her blood tablets. "Give her these for now. It's fine. I don't hate cooking."

"...Okay..." I said as I watched her.

She must have felt mw staring at her because she turned around. "What?"

"Ah." Realizing that I was caught, I tried to hurry out of the kitchen. "It's nothing." She wasn't buying it and followed after me. "It's...really noth...ing."

Zero slammed her hand against the wall, making it so I couldn't escape. "If there's something you want to say, then say it."

I looked at the round then at her. "Should I be so carefree...when you only have a limited amount of time left? Is it okay for me to be like this?" I tried to keep my voice from shaking. "is it?" I'm so scared right now. That day will eventually come... "Ze.." I stareted to say her name but she put her hand over my eyes.

"Silly." I could hear the smile in her voice. "Do you intend to take away my right to decide for myself? Kaname, will you always have this look on your face when you're concerned about me?" She was quiet for a minute. "...Smile."

I could have sworn that I heard her voice in my head even though she didn't say anything. Just a little is fine.

Zero pulled her hand away and I just stood there, not saying anything at all.

Normal P.O.V.

-Ten Minutes Later-

"You took so long!" Hana said, her arms crossed as she pouted like a child.

"She making some more right now. Here. Eat these tablets for now." Kaname said as he placed the box of tablets on her plate.

Hana looked down at the plate and picked up the tablet box, a bored expression on her face. "Is this Kiryu's?"

EH?! Kaname tried not to panic. "No...no, it's not." DAMN! SHE FOUND OUT!

"Heh. Don't be so surprised...I am a genius after all."

"Um...don't..." Kaname tried to get his heart rate to slow down. "Say anything, please."

Hana gave him a cold look. "I'm not cowardly...Kaname Cross." Kaname just stood there and looked at her. "Lady Yuki knows and she's keeping quiet about, right?" Hana asked, her arms crossed over her chest. "I don't know what lady Yuki is thinking, though." She muttered that last part under her breath.

"Aido...?" Kaname asked, looking at her.

"Why does she treat a boy like you with special treatmaent? Even having a run-in with the Senate on purpose...I can't understand it." Aido said.

"It's not...special treatment." Kaname said nervously.

Aido looked at kaname and glared at him. "If you really meant what you just said...I'd kill you."

Kaname looked at Hana then at the table. "In my earliest memories...there are two vampires." Kaname could still remember that day as if it was yesterday. "The first vampire that I thought was going to devour me at any moment...and the kind yet scary vampire, who killed the one that was going to eat me." Kaname kept his hands down at his sides. "I looked up to that kind vampire, lady Yuki, of course...special aside...I think we have a very simple relationship..."

Hana had her chin resting in her hand. "Simple...huh..." She looked at im. "This is what you believe no matter what happens?"

Kaname was taken by surprise for a minute. "Well...sometimes I waver...but I believe it. Besides, even if she betrays me, I'll still love her."

Hana just looked at him, not saying anything while neither one of them noticed that Zero was standing behind the door frame with a plate of food in her hand.

-After Dinner-

Hana piled her dishes on the table and flopped down on the couch, her arms folded behind he rhead. She was staring at the ceiling until there was a loud CRASH that came from the kitchen and she looked over in that direction.

Kaname P.O.V.

I reached down to pick up a piece of the broken plate and cut my finger on the jagged edge. "Oww..." I mumbled under my breath, holding the other pieces in my other hand.

"Don't touch them. I'll go get the broom and dustpan..." Zero said.

"Wait." I said, looking up at Zero. I kept my hand upright as blood started to drip down my finger. Zero watched me from the corner of her eye as I stood up and held my hand out to her. "Lick it."

Zero was surprised but didn't show it as she grabbed my hand and brought it up to her mouth. She started to lick blood from the wound and her breathing started t become heavy as I felt the tips of her fangs. Ah...Zero's...fangs...I felt it. I thought as I winced.

Zero's grip tightened on my hand as she tried to fight it, her free hand clutching at her chest as she tried to hold herself back. "No. Don't fight it. Even I can see...that you're starving, Zero..."

"Kaname..." Zero said, her hand tight around my wrist.

I think there is no obligation. Please don't disappear. Her heart is hurting. Zero should smile, too.

Zero held my hand in hers as she pushed the sleeve of my back back and looked at me. I narrowed my eyes and she understood. Her hand tightened on mine as her fangs pierced my wrist. "Ugh! Ow..." I murmured, wincing from the pain.

A dull pain. Blood. To me, Zero is...

Zero opened her eyes and met my gaze. What does Zero mean to me? I can see the color of bloodlust in her eyes. Vampires eyes are supposed to be scary, but...I can't look away from those eyes.

There we stood: me and Zero watching each other as the scent of my blood filled the air.

AIDO P.O.V.

I leaned against the doorway, my arms crossed as the scent of Kaname's blood drifted throughout the area as I watched them. Grunting under my breath, I turned around and stormed out of the room, stomping down the all as my footsteps echoed. "What the hell was that? Kiryu is completely obsessed by the smell of blood." Did the bloodlust possess her...? Isn't it bad to loose your reason? "WHY AM I WORRIED ABOUT HER?!" I shouted, raising my fists in the air, blowing off some steam. I'm worried...lady Yuki.

"Even if I'm betrayed, I'll still lover her."

Kaname's words echoed in my head. I narrowed my eyes. "It's the same for me." Lady Yuki, what are you going to do...?

Yuki P.O.V.

"This recent incident...we will overlook it. We will put a stop on the order of Zero Kiryu's execution..." Ichio said as she sat at the head of the table, her eyes narrowed as she looked at me, Ichijo and Kain. "As long as lady Yuki remains at Cross Academy."

"Thank you very much, Ichio." I said politely, my hands folded on the table in front of me with Takuma standing on my left and Kain at my right.

"However, even though you know the truth, you still protect her..." Ichio didn't sound pleased. "Lady Yuki, your actions are almost fair and tolerable..."

I cut Ichio off before she could continue. "I may be the head of the Kuran family, but it was my grandfather who founded today's pacifism. In fact, I've wanted to ask the Senate for awhile now." I could feel Ichijo and Kain looking at me. "From now on, please don't interfere with the affairs of Cross Academy." Ichio glared but didn't say anything as I continued. "I am the same as my parents...and I don't want bloodshed either, Ichio..." I kept my expression blank as I met her glare.