Yuki got out of the car, watching Kaname. He'd calmed outwardly since the boy had left their sight, but she could tell he was still upset. She ascended the stairs alongside him, watching him from the corner of her eye. He was unusually close to her. Not that there was anything wrong with that, after all, they were married. It was just the fact that he was never that close to her normally. Guess he got protective of me again after what happened... and I can't really blame him, she thought.

Kaname remained quiet as they went upstairs to their room. In fact he said little the rest of the night. It relieved her greatly then, that he showed his normal affections by gently kissing her forehead as she laid down.

There was little time to sleep since he had a business meeting coming up in five hours. He amused himself by watching his dear wife sleep. He retained his thought that she looked angelic when asleep. He could stare at her forever and never see enough of her. Yet for all his efforts, his mind returned to the youth who had attempted to attack her. His rational mind told him that he was making a mountain out of a molehill, but he couldn't help it. The nerve of the boy. Ever since two months ago he'd been even more protective of her than he had before. Before she'd been his sister, then his fiance, now his wife and the mother of his child. How could he not be protective of her? After all, what else in his life had been this good? The human and vampire wars? Not a chance. And of course he'd cared for the Hooded Woman, but then again, he never even knew her name. But she too had left. He didn't want to loose Yuki in the same way. I don't want. . . for her to sacrifice herself. . . Zero's word's flashed into his mind. It was exactly what he wanted. With her personality, she likely would too.

Kaname sat in bed until the small alarm in the bedside clock began to chime. Thankfully it was a small chime and wouldn't wake Yuki. He rose and quickly dressed, his eyes never far from his darling wife as he went through the ritual of dressing. He paused as he looked at the half sloppy tie in the mirror. Yuki was much better at things like this, but he wouldn't wake her up for something so trivial. Instead, he moved to the bedside where she lay sleeping on her side. Her hair was stretched across her back with several of the long strands hanging across her face.

Gently, Kaname reached a hand out and brushed the strands away from her face and rested them across her back. "Be safe, Yuki" he whispered softly, stooping to place a soft kiss on her cheek. Yuki shifted in her sleep as if in reply. Kaname smiled, taking in one last sight of his beautiful lover before leaving the room. Seiren followed him, as she usually did.

Yuki woke up to a faint click "Kaname?" she asked, quickly sitting up. The sun had risen high into the sky, but the curtians kept the room fairly dim. She remembered Kaname had a meeting and she guessed he'd just left. She got up slowly, not wanting to get dizzy or ill. Yuki shifted out of bed before slipping a robe on. She headed towards the bathroom but changed course as her stomach growled. Thankfully it seemed she wasn't sick, yet. Her feet padded down the stairs creating small scuffles on the wooden floor. She yawned again but stopped as she noticed the front door. The door was open, not a lot but enough to show it had been open recently. Could someone in the house have not shut the door fully? Perhaps when Kaname had left? No. Kaname and Seiren both would have shut the door fully. Someone had been there. She instantly retreated up the stairs.

The sight of the door had woke her up, and she could now smell another scent. It seemed almost familuar, as if she'd caught the scent before. No matter what, she couldn't place it. Yuki started trying to think of a way out of this, but everything she could think of put her child in danger. The Artemis was in the room, but physical fighting could risk the baby; Aido and the others were gone -or at least not there at the moment- so she couldn't count on them. She could also try her new powers, but she was still mastering them, and if she relied on them, she could wind up injured or worse.

Desperately, she grabbed a decorative sword from the mantle before heading back out. She was going to try heading towards the front door and getting to Kaname. The feelings of fear that overwhelmed her bugged her. She felt like every two seconds she was jumping at her own shadow, in fact she did once. A rustle at the curtians, a creak in the floor boards, each small sound made her jump. She turned a corner and bumped into something hard. She stumbled back and looked up. Her eyes widened and she gasped as she recognized the person before her.

Zero stood in front of her, the Bloody Rose in his hands. "Yuki..." he looked mildly surprised, but still as calm as ever. "Where is it?" he asked.

"Zero..." she whimpered, embracing her best friend as tears slipped down her cheeks. She felt one of his arms wrap around her "It?" she questioned, looking up at him.

"I was sent here hunting a Level E..." he replied. His tone was professional, but held traces of tenderness. "Why don't you use the Artemis?" he asked, noticing that she was only holding a dull sword.

"Oh...I... uh..." she stuttered, debating about telling him. In the end, she couldn't keep it from him "I'm pregnant.." she whispered.

Zero's eyes widened in surprise "O-Oh..." he said softly. His heart beat faster. He knew she'd chose Kaname, but he couldn't help the rush of feelings that he felt when he saw her. And now she was pregnant...with that cursed Pureblood's child. But even if it was Kaname's child, it was half Yuki's. For that reason he was going to protect her and the child. "Stay with me... I'll keep you safe" he gave her a small smile.

Yuki nodded and smiled in relief. Zero started moving down the hallway, one arm wrapped around Yuki's shoulder, holding her close. He could smell it, that Level E. "From what I heard, the target became a Level E a day ago, less actually. He'd been spotted near a wealthy estate, so we got a warning about him"

"O-Oh..." she moved with him, glad he was here. She trusted Zero with her life and she always would, even when he officially killed her. Someday, I will hunt you down...and kill you. She remembered the words clearly. Zero had told them to her the first time she left with Kaname. But she still trusted him.

Zero's hand left her shoulder, moving down the dark hallways. The stench had grown and he knew it was close.

A small noise made Yuki turn, a fraction of a second to late. The Level E pounced on her back, forcing her roughly to the ground. Zero spun around and aimed his gun. But with him on top of Yuki, he couldn't get a clean shot. He gritted his teeth and swore mentally. Of course... the vampire had just become a Level E, he was still smart.

"Why?" the Level E shrieked in Yuki's ear. Yuki struggled to turn, as she did, she managed to elbow his chest and cause him to retreat enough so that she could get out. She scrambled back towards Zero, catching a glimpse of shaggy brown hair from the crazy vampire. "You could have saved me! I didn't have to become like this!" the Level E shrieked again, a hint of sorrow in his crazed voice.

Yuki stopped at his last words and looked up, trying to get a better look at the attacker. If his eyes were green instead of a bloody red. . . She gasped when she recognized him. Just as Kaname was helping Yuki into the car, a vampire lunged from the other side of the car, trying to bite her. The attacker was a youth of sixteen or so, with shaggy brown hair and green eyes. "Please..." he begged. . . He'd been spotted near a wealthy estate. . . You could have saved me! I didn't have to become like this!

Tears filled her eyes in sympathy for the boy. "I-I'm so sorry..." she whispered. As she spoke, the former youth lunged towards her. From in front of her, Zero lowered the gun level with the Level E's chest. Two gun shots rang out. . .