MY MOM WOKE UP! She's fine now, she's safe! I just can't explain how I'm feeling right now. How grateful for my life and my readers. Guys, I posted last chapter without expecting anybody caring about it. And yet, I was surprised by many messages that gave me so much strength. I think I was able to get through this because of you.

Actually, my mother's first words to me were, "Did you update your story?", she's also a fan! So after I spent with her the whole day, I went back home and started writing.

So here it is! THANK YOU so much, I just feel like I'm the luckiest girl right now, since I have your support.

lexy1989: Thank you. Actually, you really did make me happier; I think you gave me hope. Thanks for telling me you were there for me, it meant the world to me. My mom is now fine and says thanks, specially to you since I told her about you and how special you are!

Jnrlove: thank you so much for praying, I already took enough time, it's time to keep writing!

Katherine Kalissa Amara: My mom is better now ,thank you. I'm fine as well, only a few scratches and stiches!

Jejeje: You are such a kind daughter, I hope your mother is well!

Diabula-Rasa: Thanks for you PM's Elena. I'm still waiting for your reply haha! Loved you message!

Newroz: Thanks for worrying about me the way you did. I'm extremely grateful, you kept writing and writing me PM's to check if I was doing well. I am and it thanks to all your comments. My mom is really thankful as well!

KitsuneSenpai!18: Thank you so much, she's better now! She says thanks as well!

CrimsonAmethyste: merci beaucoup!

An1nobara: Me habías asustado! Te extrañe muchísimo, por momentos pensé que ya no te gustaba mi historia. Eres muy buena con tu abuela, espero que este mejor ahora y muchas gracias por esperar este nuevo capítulo. Mi madre está bien ya, ha despertado y quiere que siga escribiendo.

Enjoy!

*Chapter 16*

I love you, Natsume

She didn't say much. She simply said those four words that meant thousands feelings. Mikan didn't remove her hazel eyes from his stunning crimson ones. She knew it was abrupt but she almost lost him once and she wasn't going to let that happen a second time.

A few seconds passed but neither of them spoke.

"Say that again", Natsume finally broke the silence between them.

"I said, I love you", she repeated with a small smile.

Natsume shook his head. "Say that again"

Mikan gave a soft sigh. "I love you", she said for the third time. "Are you making me saying it again?", she asked sarcastically.

"You can't love me", he whispered loud enough for her to hear.

"Because of Nozomi?", Mikan asked.

Natsume's eyes widened. "You know?"

The brunette haired one closed her eyes for a moment but then opened them. "I know it all already. I'm not asking for an answer…I just wanted you to know"

"I can't answer your feelings…is not like I still like her, it's just that I can't forget her", he stopped for air. "I just can't-"

"HOW DARE YOU REJECT MY DAUGHTER!?", a scream made them turned their faces to see the door.

Mikan gasped,

"Dad!"

A pale blond haired middle age man sat down in the middle sit of the small car. Both of his hands were crossed in front of his chest as a frown wasn't leaving his face. His eyes went from left to right as he watched closely the teenagers.

Yes, he was sitting right between them. Natsume kept looking at the window silently meanwhile Mikan was pretending to be asleep.

He was her father after all; he knew her daughter wasn't sleeping. When she sleeps she looks like a mess and her eyes are half opened. It was a creepy sight but for a father, especially when she's the only child, it was precious.

Mikan was Izumi's most important person, aside from Yuka, of course. Mikan was the apple of his eyes and all those lovely things.

Yuka kept looking back to the three of them through the mirror.

"You know you should be sitting next to me, don't you?", Yuka finally said a word.

Mikan opened one eye waiting for his father's response.

"I know but I have to take care of my little girl!", Izumi justified.

Mikan wanted to bury herself alive, how shaming was his father saying those things in front of the guy she loved!

She was about to complain when her mother spoke quicker. "I can barely see the cars coming behind us, since you're tall you're blocking all the sight!", Yuka complained.

Izumi simply lowered his head like if he was bowing. "Can you see now?", he asked.

Yuka sighed. "You're so childish Izumi", she finally laughed. "I can't believe you didn't tell me you were in town. Mikan's doctor had to tell me instead of you!"

"He's a nice college, he came running telling me Mikan had an accident", Izumi recalled. "I still can't believe I actually found my daughter being rejected!", he complained making emphasis on that word.

Natsume stood silent, this time it was him who wanted to be buried alive. When where they going to arrive?

"And it was worse when I was told he actually lives with us!", Izumi kept complaining as if Natsume wasn't there. "He doesn't have taste in women at all…when is he going to ever find a girl like Mikan-"

"Enough!", Mikan finally spoke.

Natsume turned to look at her, Izumi as well and Yuka kept looking at the road but hearing attentively.

"As I explained before, Natsume is a friend of school who will eventually leave so I just wanted to say it before he could leave me. I just wanted him to know how I felt, don't want anything more than that. So please, stop it"

Izumi's eyes were wide opened; it's been a year since her daughter spoke so rudely towards him. It brought him memories he didn't want to recall. Those moments where he thought he'll lose her daughter and how she changed after meeting her best friend.

"I'm sorry…", Mikan whispered.

Izumi felt relieved, she wasn't that girl anymore. Mikan will never be that girl anymore, that girl he tried to save but failed miserably. It was Hotaru who saved her daughter, that's why he owed her so much.

"Home sweet home", Izumi said with a smile when he entered his house.

Yuka smiled by his side hugging him from his back. "Welcome home, darling"

Her husband smiled brightly, yeah that smile that made her fall for him in the first place. "I'm home, sweetie"

Since Izumi Yukihira was such a required surgeon, he would travel to many countries and work in many recognized hospitals. The business was great but he spent too much time away from his family. He wanted to retire but he was too young for that.

He's a loving dad, has many…well, thousands of photos of his family in his main office. Everyone who entered into that office would either think, he's a loving dad or a too overly attached one.

"Ejem", Mikan faked a cough.

Izumi turned to look at her daughter who everyday looked more at Yuka and then saw the young man behind her.

"You ruined the family moment", Izumi sent a glare to Natsume.

"Darling, don't be rude with Natsume", Yuka said as Izumi sighed in defeat.

"Mikan, come with me", Natsume said, surprising Mikan and making Izumi raise a brow.

"Like I would let that happen!", Izumi complained.

"Please dad, this is important", Mikan said almost begging him.

Izumi rolled his eyes. "20 minutes, no more"

Mikan smiled so brightly both Natsume and Izumi were taken aback. She seemed extremely happy about spending time with him.

Natsume bowed as he and Mikan went upstairs.

"You're a good dad, aren't you?", Yuka said peeking his lips quickly.

"Every day Mikan looks just like you when you were 17", he said kissing her hand.

"When we met?"

"Yeah", he clarified. "The smile she gave when I said she could go with him remind me to the smile you gave me when I asked you out"

Yuka laughed slightly. "Our child is in love, Izumi"

Izumi sighed, "This will hurt…"

"I'm sorry about my dad, I wasn't expecting him to suddenly appear", Mikan said closing the door of Natsume's room.

Natsume simply pat the space next to him in his bed. Realizing he wanted her to sit next to him, she gave a few steps and sat where he indicated.

"About what you said before, I-", Natsume started.

"I don't want to hear it!", Mikan said abruptly, cutting him off. She pressed her hands to her ears like a childish 5-year old child.

Natsume only sighed. Taking her hands off her ears and holding her wrists. "Let go", she said a low voice since her father could take that phrase the wrong way.

"Listen, okay?", he asked and she nodded slowly. "How do you know about Nozomi?"

Mikan rolled her eyes. "I know my own great grandmother"

"You know what I mean…", Natsume reproached.

She looked at the floor. "I…I read her diary"

Natsume's eyes widened, "You shouldn't have done that", he complained angrily.

"I-I'm sorry. I just wanted to find the key and visit Hotaru and I found the diary, it wasn't my-"

"Ruka!", Natsume exclaimed. "Things got all messed up I forgot about it. We should be in the underworld"

Mikan smiled, she'll see Hotaru again and explain everything to her. All these years, the secrets she kept, will be revealed.

"Let's go to see Hotaru!", Mikan said happily.

Before they could stand up from the bed, a portal opened. Fog invaded the whole room as someone came out of that portal.

"Don't breath!", Natsume warned as Mikan covered her nose.

"She can breathe", the one who just entered the room said. He ran a hand through his silky silver hair. "The fog is to make sleep everyone in the house beside you two"

Mikan gasped for air. "Who is he?", Mikan asked pointing Youichi when she recovered from the lack of oxygen.

"C-Can you see me?", Youichi asked in utter surprise.

"Can you?", Natsume asked as well.

"Yes I can, I shouldn't?", Mikan tilted her head, confused.

"Could it be you…you drank her blood?", Youichi asked him as he nodded not too happy about it. "Bloody bastard", Youichi whispered for himself but didn't go unnoticed by the vampire. He finally understood he came to the human world to get Mikan's blood.

"You're a vampire as well?", Mikan asked locking her hazel eyes to his mysterious grey ones.

"I'm a soul collector", Youichi responded still unable to believe she could see him.

"I'm Mikan, a human", she smiled making Youichi blush.

"What do you want now? Another failure at kidnapping me?", Natsume smirked.

"Indeed", he nodded. "But I also have a message from a certain blond vampire"

The crimson eyed one turned to see him. "Ruka? What happened to him?"

Mikan was surprised for such a reaction. Seriously, Ruka meant a lot to him. She felt slightly jealous.

"He says someone called Hotaru has been captured and based on the looks, he was seriously injured", he explained. "I didn't tell you this to help you, I-"

"Please come with us to save them", Natsume said.

Mikan was surprised, Natsume said 'please'?

"I'm your enemy, you know? Don't ask for my help!", Youichi complained.

"Let's stop being enemies until this is finished", Natsume insisted.

"Please, Youichi! Help us!", Mikan joined Natsume, knowing this was important for him.

Natsume knew Youichi was powerful; he has seen it with his own eyes and felt it with his own body. He could be extremely helpful to them.

At this point, Youichi was blushing madly by Mikan begging for his help. "I'll do it", he finally agreed. "Just for Mikan", he clarified.

Natsume nodded but felt slightly bothered by that, meanwhile Mikan didn't really understand the soul collector's feelings.

"Help is on the way, Hotaru"

"She's the half vampire?", asked Ioran when he entered the room where Hotaru was handicapped and locked up.

Luna nodded in response as Hotaru sent glares to both of them.

"She doesn't seem as wild as you described", he said taking a look at the girl who seemed breathless of trying unsuccessfully of getting out of there.

"She is dangerous", Luna started. "More than that, she's a threat to the vampires! Just wait until you see what's about to happen"

"What's about to happen?", he asked raising a brow.

"Please bring it" Luna commanded as a vampire gave her an injection with a green liquid inside the transparent tube. "I've been working on this", she smiled proudly. "Once this liquid enters into that monster's body", she pointed Hotaru. "We'll only have 30 seconds to escape from her"

Ioran looked at her confused. "What's going to happen?"

Luna smirked. "We'll see that from that camera"

"Is it that dangerous?", Ioran asked worriedly. "She's not going to harm anybody, right?"

"I don't know", Luna shrouded. "Maybe…maybe not", she replied playfully.

"Luna-sama, it is time", another vampire announced.

She nodded as the vampire inserted the needle into Hotaru's pale skin. She complained silently due to the plain. It hurt enough to make someone cry but she wasn't going to shed the tears that started accumulating. She'll never give Luna Koizumi the pleasure to see her cry.

"Time to go, Ioran-san, please take my hand", Luna said as he obeyed, disappearing through a portal. The other vampires left as well as the gem-like eyed one stood alone.

"What was that medicine?", Ioran asked when they reached Luna's office, in front of them a big monitor with the images of the place where Hotaru was.

Luna smirked once more, "That medicine will make her process to become a killing machine come faster", Ioran eyes widened. "And she won't be able to go back to normal with Ruka's blood…Ruka's blood will only make her go wilder"

She had a smirk on her face but she wasn't feeling happy at all. She was really sad, her chest hurt due to a past she couldn't ever forget.

I'm sorry Ruka, but there's no way you can bring back a human after death…I know that very well.

(Author's Note)

The end is approaching! Review me your thoughts!

And again, thank you, you have an important part of my heart. I hope you'll stick around until the end of the story.

Lots of love!