Fay: When I was writing this chapter, I thought to myself, this is going to pretty boring if it's just about Zero and Kaname and rarely features anyone else. At least to me it would be boring. So, I've decided to bring in some other characters! Yori and Yuuki will be making several appearances together. Aido and Kain will be in a few segments… and…maybe others along the way. They wont play a huge part of course, but it's better than only having four characters.

Disclaimer: I no own.

Warnings: Mmm…same as last chapter?

111

"I want to ask you something important." Yuuki stared at the headmaster of Cross Academy with determination dancing across her face. Her lips were pressed together in a tight line, her back was straight, and her eyes were staring directly into the Chairman's. The man had never seen her look so resolute before.

"Well, go on," he urged with a smile. Judging from her hardened voice, what she was about to ask was going to be large request.

"I want someone else to join the team of perfects." She didn't even blink as she said it. It was so uncharacteristic to see Yuuki so determined about something. Unless it was something about Zero then she never got worked up. Did this have something to do with Zero?

The chairman's smiled faded and he gave Yuuki a 'Now, now,' look. "Yuuki," he began with a sigh. "You know that that is a hard decision to make. Holding the job as a perfect is a huge responsibility. You know as well as I do that not just anyone can be a perfect. They have to be someone of sound mind. Someone who can handle the secret of the Night Class."

"I understand that," Yuuki said with a small hint of a whine edging at her tone. "And I've got the perfect person in mind to help hold that responsibility."

"Who?" The chairman edged forward on his chair. It seemed the young girl had thought this through very carefully. Of course, he shouldn't have ever doubted she wouldn't. When it came down to it, Yuuki, even if she did succumb to her feminine whiles more often than not, was very a bright individual.

"Yori."

"Ah…your little friend." The chairman thought it over a bit. "Yuuki…why are you pushing this so hard?"

"Because," she answered quickly. "Zero is the worst perfect in history!" She threw her hands in the air. "He rarely does his work correctly, and when he does, it's only to scare the living mess out of the other students. He ran off the other night and didn't return at all." She suddenly quieted her rant and looked down at her hands. "And…well, I guess we have to prepare for…" Tears welled up in her eyes but she blinked them away rapidly. Zero had ordered her to never shed a single tear for him. He said that crying never fixed anyone's problems. But sadly, at night, when she had nothing to think about other than his nearing demise, she couldn't help but let the tears flow and the lump in her throat push out sobs.

The chairman bit his lower lip. "It's okay," he said as he looked down. He couldn't tell Yuuki about what Kaname had done, so it was best if they stayed away from the subject of Zero's death. He wouldn't lie to Yuuki but as long as she didn't ask outright, he could carefully skirt around the subject.

"I suppose you have a point," he said gently. "So, let's call Yori in for a meeting in a few minuets and ask her what she wants to do."

Yuuki looked up, her eyes glassy and smiling. "Thank you," she whispered as she scampered out of the room to find her friend.

111

When Zero woke up the second time, he was sober. The funny feeling in his arms was gone and he felt cool again. The shirt he had been wearing was still drenched and it stuck to his skin uncomfortably. His mind was as crisp as ever and of course, he was pissed. That damn pureblood had finished the fucking Blood Tie and now Zero was one of the things he hated most. True Zero felt like crying, and he did feel like he was about to break down into tears, but he didn't feel like dying. For the first time in two months, he wasn't expecting death lurking around the corner. What was better, he wasn't expecting to eat the next human that walked by.

He was still pissed though. Even if he was grateful for having his life saved, he was still upset by three things. One: Nobody had told him of this 'cure/curse' (He called it that because being a pureblood vampire was a curse in his opinion.) Two: Kaname had not asked his permission to make him into a pureblood vampire. Three: He was a freaking pureblood leech!

He glanced around the room to see if Kaname was nearby but instead found that Kaname was nowhere to be found in his bedroom. Zero growled, wondering where the jerk went when suddenly some sort of instinct sparked up inside of him, and he was reaching with his mind, trying to find Kaname on campus. He was about to give up hope when he felt a familiar aura echo back at him. It was Kaname. And he was downstairs in one of the lounges.

Tossing the covers off of his sweaty body, Zero huffed, deciding it wasn't best if he saw Kaname now. He could feel fresh emotions building up inside of him, and if tension still hated mankind, he would end up saying things that he himself hadn't even thought about saying.

I'm going to use your shower, Zero thought smugly as he walked into the large private bathroom Kaname's bedroom connected to.

Be my guest, Kaname retorted softly.

Zero whirled around quickly. Was Kaname in the room with him? He scanned the room but came up blank. No…Kaname was still downstairs. So then…

The Blood Tie keeps us connected, Zero. I can read your thoughts and you can read mine. We can feel each other's feelings and find each other no matter where the other is.

Well that solved the mystery of how Zero found Kaname just by thinking about him…

Stay away from my head, you bastard, Zero hissed in his mind.

There was a long pause and Zero thought Kaname was finished. That's the problem, he finally began. Believe me, I want to keep my thoughts a secret even more than you do. But…the Blood Tie is very strong. It takes a lot of mental training before you can start to block the others thoughts and feelings from coming through the tie…

With a deep scowl on his face, Zero growled. You bastard! You've taken my privacy away, my life, my everything! He glared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

I saved you, Kaname hissed. I bothered to care about you so much that I gave up my privacy and blood to save your ass. You would think that the damsel in distress would be the tiniest bit grateful.

Zero was appalled. Kaname had just compared him to a girl! A girl in trouble! I didn't ask you to save me. I was going to die. I had accepted that long ago. Now you've screwed everything up. I read that book! I know what's going to happen. I'm going to have stay by your side or get us both killed. That's how it works right? We start the Blood Tie, and suddenly we can't stand not to be in the others presence. Then, if one dies, the other does too from pure depression.

Zero! Kaname sounded pissed. The Blood Tie is a sacred act. Do NOT degrade it just because you are frustrated that you are forever bound to me!

Zero reached up and slammed his fist into the mirror without thinking. The glass splintered, some pieces sticking into his skin. He felt Kaname's guilt and pain slither around in his head. I don't care what you think you did for me. In my mind, you have turned me into a bigger monster than I would have been as a Level E.

Kaname was alarmed. You aren't going to try anything stupid are you?

Suicide? Was he kidding Zero? You've got to be kidding me! Suicide is the coward's way out. Just because I hate your guts and wish to kill you doesn't mean I'd kill myself.

Zero was so conflicted. When he felt Kaname's sadness flow through the Blood Tie, he really understood the pureblood in that moment. Kaname truly did care for the silver-haired teen. So much, that he formed a Blood Tie, something that he knew Zero would hate him for. Zero cared for the pureblood too. Sometimes, he fooled himself into thinking he was in love with the older boy. But Yuuki loved Kaname and she had a better chance with him than Zero ever would. Zero wanted Yuuki to be happy so much, that he was willing to push his own feelings aside for her infatuation with Kaname. If she was happy, then he would be happy. Besides, Zero would bet his whole entire pureblooded being that Kaname saved Zero for Yuuki.

With that thought in mind, he stomped out of the bathroom and started his way down the large flight of stairs. In the end of his thinking, he had only succeeded in making himself even more pissed off than before. He didn't even glance at Kaname when he passed him; he just wrenched the door open and rushed out. Kaname caught up to him quickly. The silver light of the now rising moon cast around Zero making him glow in the night.

"Where are you going?" Kaname asked as he ran along side the silver-haired teen.

"To see the chairman!" He growled. He wanted to vent to someone and that someone was the chairman. If anyone knew what to do, it was the chairman.

111

Yuuki ushered Yori into the chairman's office. She had bright smile on her face, determined to get Zero out of her mind. It was better if she didn't think about it now. Right now, she had other things to attend to and they could go by a lot smoother if she wasn't depressed about Zero.

The chairman looked up from his papers and smiled at the confused girl being pushed into the room. "Welcome, Yori," he greeted her and extended his hand. She took it and smiled back nervously. "Why do you look so nervous? Yuuki did tell you about why she brought you here, right?" If she didn't tell her why she was here, then there was no way she could have the position of being a perfect.

Yori nodded and laughed slightly. "I'm sorry. She did tell me, but coming to your office is…nervous-making I guess. I never did like being sent to the principal's office." She giggled nervously at her own fears and glanced around the tidy room. For some reason she had been expecting something more…exotic than what this was. The way the chairman always acted and the way Yuuki described her foster father, it was only natural that she think he was slightly eccentric.

"Yori, Yuuki wants you to become a perfect along-side her and Zero." He smiled gently at her trying to clam her nerves. Her hands were shaking slightly, sweat was forming on her brow, and she was biting her lip. She looked as if she was about to stroke out any minuet now.

"Yes." She smiled back, her nerves beginning to clam. At least she stopped biting her lip. "I would love to be given such an honor."

The chairman nodded. "Well, Yori, this decision is not to be made lightly. Becoming a perfect is a burden in most cases. A…baby-sitting job almost."

She wrinkled her brows, confusion wiping out all her nervousness. "Baby-sitting who?"

He ignored her question. "I want to give you time to think about it. If you do decide to become a perfect, there are responsibilities that cannot be ignored. You will have to stay up late, walking the school grounds, watch over the night class and make sure none of the day class students get too close, and most important of all, keep the secret of Cross Academy by all means necessary."

Yori's mind was reeling. "Secret?" she questioned. She shook her head. "Sir, I would be fine staying up late. It's almost 1 am now anyway. Personally, I don't fawn all over the night class like some of the other students do. And I've always prided myself on keeping secrets."

"Yori, it would be best if you thought this over-"

She interrupted him. "This morning, Yuuki came to me and asked me if I would like to be a perfect. She told me of all the responsibilities the perfects have to go by, and I understand them completely, sir. If you need my help as a perfect, then I would like to begin as soon as possible." When she got down to business, Yori was all woman. She was nothing like the scared little girl who was forced into the office.

The chairman smiled widely. "She's a soldier isn't she?" He smiled at Yuuki who was looking at her friend with a soft smile. Yori had always been that way. She could be playful at times but most of the time it was all business.

"Well, then." The chairman sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. "We should start talking about what you don't know about Cross Academy. You see-"

It was then that everyone's attention was suddenly pulled towards yelling. At first they could barely make sense of what was being said but as it grew closer, they knew it was Zero.

"You bastard!" Zero was yelling. From the sounds of it, he was at the end of the hall and drawing closer and closer with every second.

"Zero! It was an accident!" That was Kaname. He sounded…desperate.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear your excuses!"

"But, Zero-"

"NO!"

"Zero! You are angry right now, I understand! But listen, it was for your own good and I never intended it to go this far! I was going to pretend like it never happened, in fact!"

"Pretend it never happened?! Where the hell do you get off, you bastard? How could you, walking around, feeling my emotions being tied to me without me even knowing!" With that, Zero tossed the door aside and rushed in, pushing past Yuuki and Yori to glare at the chairman. "Do you know what that bastard did to me?" He asked incredulously. Yuuki grabbed Yori's arm, taking the confused girl to the side of the room. When Zero got mad people got hurt.

"Who is he calling a bastard?" Yori asked as she looked at the seething Zero. Yuuki jerked her head towards Kaname who looked torn between anger and guilt.

The chairman began sweating. He gulped, frightened by Zero's anger. With his enhanced senses, Zero could smell the fear on the older man. "You knew! You knew what he did to me!"

"Zero, its not that bad, you see-"

Trying to reason with the boy was a stupid idea. "It's not that bad?" Zero shouted as he grabbed the chairman's collar. "Not that bad?" He pulled the chairman closer. "I don't think you understand how bad it is!"

The chairman pulled back. He cast a sideways glance towards Yuuki and Yori. "Zero, please calm down. We have a guest."

Zero stiffened and looked at Yori who was staring at him with wide eyes. "Oh." He spoke and the sound was only halfway controlled. His voice still shook with anger. "Hello, Yori. Nice to see you again."

Yori nodded slightly. "Hello, Zero. I wish I could say the same."

"Yori was about to learn about the secret of Cross Academy," the chairman said lightly as he pried Zero's hand away from his shirt. He carefully sat down and motioned for Yori to take her seat again. Hesitantly, she did as was instructed. Yuuki shook her head and slapped Zero's arm. The silver-haired teen barely noticed. Even if his cells hadn't been rebuilt so he was more durable he wouldn't have noticed. The chairman's words were so shocking that he had checked out of reality for a moment.

"Why is she learning about us?" Kaname asked breaking Zero from his trance. Are you all right? He was worried about Zero. The Blood Tie wasn't perfectly stable right now. In the first few days of sharing blood, the Blood Tie could do anything. Zero could die right this very instant without any warning. When Zero's thoughts were suddenly discontinued, Kaname had immediately thought the worst. On the entire way over, the Blood Tie had been shut down. When Zero learned about Yori learning the secret, his mind had shut down, and Kaname's heart had stopped for a whole few seconds before Zero snapped back to reality.

Zero growled lowly. Get out of my head, jerk! He was back to being pissed off again. He felt guilty when he felt a brief wave of hurt echo through the Blood Tie. Ugh. This stupid Blood Tie is going to make me sick. He felt Kaname's unvoiced agreement.

"Yori is going to be the newest perfect!" The chairman was back to being his regular perky self. "Yuuki seems to be tired of Zero running off during the times when he should be working so she put in a good word for Yori." He smiled brightly at Yori.

"And you're okay with that?" Zero didn't like this idea very much. "Why should another person have to know about the evils of this damn school?"

The chairman frowned. He hated when Zero called his precious students evil. "I'm sorry Zero. But Yuuki is concerned about what is going to happen to you after you…well…die…" He said the last word carefully.

Zero sighed. Right. Yuuki didn't know about what had happened between him and Kaname. If Zero had his way, she would never know. In fact, she would go through her entire life thinking Zero was going to fall and become a Level E. The thought of tricking Yuuki made him feel disgusted with himself.

"Zero's going to die?" It was Yori who broke the silence. Yuuki was staring at her feet, forcing back tears. Kaname was debating whether or not to tell Yuuki and Zero was too busy ranting at himself. "Do you have cancer or lupus or some deadly flesh eating virus?" She looked generally sad at the thought of a dying Zero but her eyes were shining. The eyes of a scientist.

"I could only wish it was something like that," Zero mumbled. Kaname glared at him.

"That was uncalled for."

Zero glared back at him. "I think it was called for. After all, what I am now is worse than a deadly flesh eating virus."

Kaname growled lowly. "Will you just shut up about it!"

"What? Am I insulting you?" Zero retorted.

"When you insult me, aren't you insulting yourself?" Zero was suddenly depressed-being reminded of the Blood Tie was bad enough, but being reminded that he was a pureblood almost made him want to jump in a pool of acid.

"Guys!" Yuuki called. "Will you let chairman explain to Yori please? The night class will be out in an hour or so and I'm sure it will take that long to answer all of her questions."

Kaname nodded solemnly while Zero merely glared.

"Yori," the chairman began seriously. "What I am about to tell you cannot be told to anyone else outside. No one in the day class must know the Night Class's secret. If you tell anyone about what I am about to say, we will wipe your memory clean." Yori nodded. The chairman took a deep breath and looked her dead in the eyes. "The Night Class, is a class made up of vampires."

Yori's eyes widened. "But there are no such thing as vampires…" she tried.

"Unfortunately there are," Zero murmured. Kaname elbowed him in the ribs.

"Don't interrupt." He ordered. Zero rolled his eyes.

"What're you going to do? Turn me into a vampire?" Zero scoffed sarcastically. Kaname didn't comment. He knew that if he did, Zero would go back into his moping mood until something else came up that he could make a sardonic remark about.

The chairman told Yori about the history of vampires and how to become an ex-human. He also explained the different types of vampires. "Kuran-sempai is a pureblood?" Yori asked slowly. The chairman nodded.

"Zero is a…an ex-human. That means that he was bitten by a pureblood and forcibly turned into a vampire." With a sad note in his voice, he explained the sad fate of ex-humans. He told her everything, from a briefing of the history of vampires and how they came to be, to vampire hunters, and taming vampires. By the time he finished it was well past 2 a.m. and Yuuki had already left to take the Night Class back to their dorms.

Yori-surprising everyone with her determined face-had tears in her eyes by the end. "Zero…that's so sad." She had been friends with him for a while. They weren't close but they were close enough for her to cry over his death.

Zero sighed and patted her head. "Don't cry. Crying doesn't solve anything. It just makes me feel bad for my fate hurting your feelings." It was the same speech he had given Yuuki many times. "I've got a long ways to go before I'm dead, so don't worry." Kaname, who was currently leaning against a wall, looked mildly surprised at this calm side of Zero. He had only ever seen the angry side and the depressed side. It was nice to see him being a comforter.

"You should go get some sleep. It's not good for your health to stay up so late carrying all this information around." The chairman was just trying to get her out of the way so he could finally talk to Zero and Kaname alone. Yori nodded and quickly made her way out of the office.

"Now, what seems to be the problem, Zero? Kaname?"

"We've got a huge problem." Kaname started.

Zero finished for him. "The damn bastard turned me all the way pureblood."

111

Fay: How's that for a chapter end? Once again, I wanted to write so much more but decided to end it there for the sake of long chapters. So I've begun making the plot more intricate by adding in another story. There will be more Yori in upcoming chapters because I like her. She seems like a real fighter to me. Makes me joyous (cries).

Anyway, if you love me, please vote on my poll. Vote for The Keeper Of Secrets if you like this story. It's much darker and more developed. How do I know? Because I've already written two chapters for it. I loved the idea so much that I started making more for it until I eventually came up with a really big twist for it.

So…visit my profile…and drop a review…

I need a beta, btw. Really. This chapter is so unedited it makes me want to cry. But I'm holding back. Jayne will be coming back but…she's going to have a lot on her plate when she returns. So if you want to…I don't know…get a peek at the chapters a bit early…and edit them for lil 'ole me…I wouldn't object…

Hehe…

Oh! And also, there will be Mpreg. But that won't happen for another ten chapters or so. Zero will be the one getting knocked up. I've already written parts of several more chapters so I should be updating more frequently. I'll probably have the fifth chapter out in about…two or three days. Maybe. If you guys are nice in your reviews.

PEACE AND LOVE!!!