I know, I know, where the hell have I've been. So sorry guys. I hope this chapter makes up for my long absence. And thanks to everyone who has reviewed me!

"Zero-san! Zero-san!" Zero looked up as he closed the door to his room and sighed as Akane skipped over to him. "Did you sleep well Zero-san?"

"Yeah." He said.

"But you're eyes are red. Did you have a bad dream?" He pulled the collar tighter around his neck and began walking down the corridor. She hurried to keep up with him. "I have a lot of bad dreams as well."

"Shouldn't you be with Yuuki?" He asked.

"She went to take a bath." Akane said. "She said you would watch me."

'Perfect.' Zero thought. 'Stick the girl with me on our day off.' He looked down and noticed Akane frowning. She kept her eyes on the floor, twirling a piece of her black dress in her fingers. 'She needs knew clothes.' He pondered. 'Something with color so she won't look so pale. Maybe I'll take her to the market.' "Are you hungry?" He asked her after a long moment of silence.

She looked up at him with a smile and nodded. He motioned to the corridor and guided her to the dinning room where the Chairman was awaiting them with the table heaping with his new inventions.

"Miss. Osaka! It's wonderful to see you!" Chairman cried happily. Akane sighed in annoyance and sat down. "Here! Eat up!" He placed a plate in front of her and pilled in up until Zero could barely see her little head on the chair across from himself.

"That's more then enough, thank you Chairman." Akane replied solemnly, causing Zero to smile to himself.

"How do you like your new living conditions?" Chairman asked with a smile.

"Yuuki-chan has been very kind to me. Thank you for allowing me to change into the day class dorms." Akane said as she picked up the fork and attempted to eat the noodles that had been prepared for them.

"I was thinking that I could take Akane to the market, to get her some new clothes. If you allow it." Zero murmured as he ignored his plate and took a sip of his coffee.

"That's a great idea!" Chairman said happily. "Do you agree Miss. Osaka?"

"I would like that very much. . . If Zero-san doesn't mind spending his day off with me?" Akane watched Zeros eyes widen slightly in surprise and then he sobered taking another sip.

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't willing to do it."

"Can Yuuki-chan come along as well?"

"If she wants."

"Where are we going?" Yuuki asked as she walked inside, her hair still damp and wet which was clinging her to neck. She had put on a loose sweat shirt over a plain white skirt.

"Zero-san is taking me to get clothes." Yuuki looked over to Zero in surprise but he only shrugged slightly and focused on the tablecloth in front of him. "Will you come with us?"

"Sure. I'll go get my shoes." Akane jumped up to follow her when Zero cleared his throat.

"Finish eating first." He said, nodding to her plate. Akane looked at him, smiled and then sat back down, taking another bite. Both Yuuki and the Chairman looked at Zero then at each other with a shrug of confusion.

Akane ate most of what was on her plate in order to please Zero and then the both of them went to find Yuuki who was fumbling with her shoes in her room.

"Ok! I'm ready!" Yuuki concluded as she jumped up and grabbed her purse from her chair before Zero could tell her to 'hurry up'.

Thirty minutes later they were in the market. Yuuki was holding onto Akane's hand as they moved through the small stores, Zero walking right behind them. They had found a few things for Akane to wear and also, against her wholehearted protest, Zero had bought her a pair of regular shoes instead of her shinny dress shoes and a sparkling white and red rose shaped hair clip she had been looking at.

"Zero, I think we should take a break!" Yuuki said happily as they came upon the ice-cream shop. "What do you say Akane?" She nodded and they walked into the warm shop taking a booth at the back of the room. Zero laid down the buddle of clothing and sat down across from Yuuki and Akane.

"We should head back after this." He replied. "The clouds are growing darker."

"Sure." Yuuki agreed. "Akane, would you like to put on any of your new clothes for when we go back? It would really surprise the Chairman."

"If you wish to have a private conversation with Zero-san, you could just say so." Akane said with a smile. She picked up the packages and headed towards the bathroom. Yuuki watched her until she had disappeared behind the doors then turned to Zero.

"What's wrong?" He asked quickly, seeing the uncertainty in her eyes and wondering what had been bothering her.

"Nothing really. . . It's just that, she had these nightmares last night."

"She told me."

"It wasn't normal Zero. She was screaming, crying. . . And when I shook her awake, she didn't seem to remember me." He straightened up his chair.

"Did she attack you?"

"No, the opposite. She pulled the blankets over her head and begged me not to hurt her." Yuuki said sadly. "It was like, for the first time, she seemed like seven years old. I have a feeling that we didn't get the whole story about her" Just then Akane walked back out.

She had exchanged her black mourning dress for a white flared skirt and a red, long sleeved shirt. Her hair was pinned back with the rose clip and her black dress shoes were replaced with regular white tennis shoes. She had also put on a khaki colored trench coat that Zero had insisted on even though he knew she would never get cold. Yuuki smiled in joy and clapped her hands in approval.

"You look so cute!" She said seriously but Akane turned to Zero, looking rather embarrassed.

"Do I really look alright?" He nodded, causing her to grin and skip back to her seat.

Zero couldn't help but smile at her pleased face, crowding back into her chair and focusing on the tabletop while twirling a strand of hair around her finger. It was hard for him to remember that she was a vampire now that she was acting so much like a regular girl.

For a moment they all sat in silence, enjoying their deserts and watching the on coming clouds until Akane's head shot up from the table and looked back towards Cross Academy. Her body stiffined, her face turned to that to fear and she dropped the silver spoon to the floor.

"Miss. Osaka?" Yuuki asked.

"We need to go back!" Akane whispered in a terrified voice.

"What?"

"We need to go back!" She repeated and jumped up. "We need to go back now!"

"Why? What's wrong?" Akane wasn't listening anymore, without a word she darted over to the door and out into the streets. Zero was behind her, followed shortly by Yuuki. "Miss. Osaka!"

"Hurry!" Akane demanded as she ran up the path towards Cross Academy.

"Wait!" Zero said while grabbing her hand and pulling her to a stop. "What's wrong!?" She stared at him fearfully, he could feel her trembling under his grip.

"T-They've come for me."