"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot your brains out,"

"Yuuki" he whispered.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Chapter 2 : The Request

Standard disclaimers apply.

Zero's eyes widened. Not because of the name Kaname uttered, but the way in which the vampire had said it. So full of remorse, sadness and possibly.. fear? To Zero, the heir of the Kuran clan was many things. Mosnster? Yes. Manipulator? Yes. Tyrant? Maybe. But never before had he heard such emotion from the man.

"I'd rather we continue this little conversation somewhere more private," continued the dark haired vampire.

Seconds passed and finally, Zero lowered his gun and motioned to a door by the fireplace.

"In there,"

Kaname's grim smile was back in place as he made his way to the room, followed by Zero. He was pleased that Zero complied to his request without much incident. He had hoped mentioning Yuuki would catch Zero's attention. He was right.

The side room was no more comfier than the main area. The small rectangular room littered with random and mismatched pieces of furniture was lit only by a single hanging lamp. The other had long since died. As Zero entered, he noticed the other vampire had seated himself on a chair furthest from the door. Partially hidden in darkness, the man looked more menacing than ever. It didn't matter. They were not here for a tea party anyway. Zero shut the door and leaned against it.

"You were saying?"

Kaname crossed his legs and threaded his long fingers on his lap.

"I need your assistance,"

Zero almost snorted. When had the world turned upside down? Was Kaname Kuran actually asking for his help?

"I have many enemies. Both human and vampire alike. Those who oppose what I.. all.. of us have been trying to fulfill.."

"You have no right to taint Chairman Cross' noble intentions with your own twisted desires Kuran," hissed Zero.

"All this while, you have been using his aspirations, his dreams, to complete your own agendas. And it is because of you he is dead!"

Kaname chose to ignore Zero's interruption.

"I will be leaving the country soon. It is me those vampire aristocrats want dead. There is no reason for others to die in the name of my battle,"

"Well, that didn't stop you back then now did it? We were all your chess pieces weren't we? Me, Aido, Kain, even Yuu-"

"Things are different now!"

Kaname had raised his voice. His fists were balled on his lap.

"You are testing my patience Kiryuu. Let me finish so that I can leave you in one piece,"

"As I was saying, I will be going with a handful of my followers. We will take our battle to Transylvania. To our place of origin. To end this."

"Kiryuu, I want you to see to Yuuki's safety while I'm gone."

"What?"

"I let you live for a reason you fool. I created you, the perfect Knight, only to serve us. Isn't Yuuki the reason for your pathetic life?"

"So what?" barked Zero "I would end her life the moment I see her. Why don't you get one of your lapdogs to guard her instead? Or better yet, bring her with you. I'm sure she would want that,"

"You say that. But in reality, the chains of love that bind your heart to her are unbreakable. Your passion and devotion to her burn as strongly as they did when you first loved her,"

Kaname smirked at Zero's silence.

"Here's a lesson about being a vampire. Unless you have already figured it out, when a human is turned into one of us, he is befallen with the curse of immortality. His heart turns to stone. He is unable to flee from fleeting human emotion. Hardly does a level E or even a level D live long enough to fall in love. But when it does happen, as with all vampires, the love is eternal,"

"For some, like Hiou Shizuka and Kuran Rido, it was a curse. They could not let go of their long deceased first loves. And that drove them to insanity. For you it is a liability. One which I intend to make use of,"

Zero straightened up and braced himself.

"What makes you think I would just agree to your bidding? Even if I'm still in love with her,"

He paused for a breath.

"You must be a desperate man Kaname Kuran. To allow me to be near your beloved Yuuki,"

"I had no choice," Kaname replied off-handedly "Where else would I find such a unique compilation of blood powers? And besides, as I said, your will to protect her will most certainly make up for your lack of common sense,"

"Meaning?" demanded Zero.

Kaname looked at Zero as if he had grown an extra head.

"This should be like and opportunity of a lifetime for you. I am willingly leaving the thing you desire most in your care. Allowing you to touch, feel and protect the one thing that has been keeping you sane, or for lack of a better word…human. Its almost like giving a starved man the key to his own personal food court. Need I say more? It would certainly be a change of pace for you wouldn't it? Your life is a meaningless game of hide and seek. Hunting vampires and being hunted by them to."

There was a dangerous glow in Zero's eyes. How dare he? Did Kuran think that Zero's feelings for Yuuki were based on mere hunger for her blood? It was far too idyllic. What Kaname was proposing would never have occurred under normal circumstances unless…

Only now did Zero see it.. the crack like veins which spread like a vines on the side of Kaname's neck. They were not there when the man had walked into the tavern, that was for sure. But they were apparent now. The veins pulsed red with the flow of blood underneath it. The skin around the affected area looked darker.. almost as if it was decaying.

It was something he had seen in some of the vampires he had mercilessly killed. The disease that slowly consumed a vampire who was poisoned. Placing him in hours of agony and leaving the victim begging for death. In reality, it was the rapid crystallization of a vampire's blood caused by the introduction of a contaminant. An infected blood source perhaps? To the many, it was called the Thorn.

Never in his dreams did he imagine that vampires could be involved in biological warfare. But this? The heir of Kuran being infected? Maybe there was a greater threat. If so, then he, Yuuki, every vampire in existence was at risk.

"You're dying," he stated

Kaname's eyes narrowed.

"So then you must understand the urgency of my actions. This war must end before another generation of children, both vampire and human suffer from it,"

"Fine. I'll do it. But its not for you or Yuuki. It is to end this. All of this."

Kaname smiled. Satisfied with himself. He stood up and walked past Zero into the main area.

"And by the way, if I were you, I wouldn't try anything with Yuuki when I'm gone. Stress would not be good for her. Not in her current state."

Zero turned around to look at Kaname's retreating back. State? What State?

"Yuuki's pregnant. She's carrying my child,"

A/N : Read and review please! Hehe… more reviews will make me update faster!