Disclaimer: Let's thing about this logically. If I owned Vampire Knight it would just be Kaname/Zero 24/7.

Unlikely Saviour

Kaname's POV

Oh.

My.

God.

Barely visible through the thick leaves, I spotted a pale shivering and naked body hanging limply from a thick branch several feet up. That was not what shocked me so much. Neither was it the droplets of fresh blood dripping down like rain onto the muddy ground below. No, what caught my eye was the unique silver hair I had only ever seen on one other person.

Zero Kiryu.

Yet I could not believe that he of all people could wind up in this amount of trouble! Of course danger does attract him like a moth to a flame but this is just… Words escape me. It was…horrific. I had seen a lot in my life that I would rather not recall; this was the most brutal. How did he come to be here?

I can ask these questions later. Kiryu needs me now or he will not survive especially considering the amount of blood that has already drained into the ground and the biting temperatures.

Wasting no further time I scaled the tree with ease and edged along the branch where Kiryu's body was stretched across. Quickly, I pulled off my night class jacket and placed it on his bleeding back. As carefully as vampiricly possible I managed to pull his body off the branch and into my lap to make it easier to climb down again.

What I wasn't expecting was Kiryu to bury his head in my chest and clutch my shirt as if his life depended on it. That was nothing. The next thing I know I am slowly rocking Kiryu in my arms as he cries and cries in never ending streams of agony. Where was that blood coming from? From what I'd already seen he had wounds on his right hand, left upper arm, two small wounds on his sides and a lengthy gash down his back but I knew that wasn't all. The scent was much too concentrated to be coming solely from those areas.

Drawing a long breath my eyes widened in horror; the other area of blood flow had been located in the one place I prayed it would not be. Kiryu's lower region was projecting a large amount of his blood-smell and a second stench in the same area; it pained me to recognize.

I couldn't believe it! Not Zero Kiryu! He can't have been… Yet all signs indicated that indeed he has. Zero what have you gotten yourself into?

We must have stayed on that branch for at least an hour. Dawn had begun to break.

His shivering body brought me out of the heart-wrenching scene where the more practical thinking side of me awoke. Kiryu must be freezing by now and like I noted before has lost a lot of blood. Not to mention he must be exhausted.

I landed with a thud on the ground, Zero's body pressed closely to mine. I had wasted enough time; he should have been at the infirmary hours ago!

Quick as I could I ran full-pelt to Headmaster Cross' private quarters. As if I would have handed him off to those incapable nurses! They wouldn't know the first thing to do with him whereas I unfortunately do. Besides although I had never really felt anything positive for the hunter before tonight I would like to spare him the indignity of his condition becoming school gossip which would undoubtedly happen if the school staff were to take care of him. There was no fear of us being discovered in these rooms; Kaien and Yuuki Cross were at a convention and would not be back for several hours.

Successfully locating the bathroom, I lay Zero on this strangely bobbled brown bathmat so I could fill the tub. Once the bath was full with hot water I slid my bloodied jacket off his shoulders and lifted his light body into the bath. Although a few silent tears dribbled down the hunter's cheeks he made no further noise; I was not sure whether that was good or bad.

"Zero," I sighed, spying a cream-coloured flannel to my left. "You are a danger magnet…yet I believe this incident was not of your doing. Even you aren't that stupid. You're always fighting your own wars though. Don't you know that there are people out there who would willingly help you? You, Zero, are not alone."

Rolling my sleeves up, I grabbed the flannel, plunged it into the water and began to wipe off the dirt clinging to Zero's body. Grimly, I noted that the worst part of the mud was caked on his back. He must have been pressed down with considerable force.

As more and more of the filth was removed Zero's tears eventually ceased falling. I dropped the washcloth with a plop and pulled the plug, coolly ignoring the red tint the water held, with a white fluffy towel in my arms. Just as gently as before, I lifted Zero from the bath, being careful of his injuries, and wrapped the towel around him before picking him up and walking to the prefect's bedroom.

There was nothing particularly special about the room except it practically screamed Zero in the most unnoticeable ways. From the unmade bed to the used clothes scattered on the floor. How amusing. Thankfully he was a prepared prefect. As soon as I had coaxed Zero into sitting up (even though it drew a hiss of pain from him once he sat) the first aid box was in my hands.

At least the wounds had stopped bleeding sometime between running back to Cross' rooms and the bath. Zero hadn't even said a word – none whatsoever! All he did was sit with vacant glassy eyes; an expression I knew all too well.

Zero…

Moments later antibacterial spray had been applied swiftly followed by reels of bandages that would have to be changed every night for the next couple of days. I'm sure Yuuki could handle it.

While I was doing this mundane task I could not help but wonder why I was doing it. Of course I had thought of this before when I decided to not take Zero to the infirmary's useless nurses – to spare his dignity. Would Zero have done the same for me? I'd like to think so. As fond as I am of nobles like Ichijo and Aidou - even Ruka - the shame and destruction of my reputation that would have occurred if I had been handed off to them in the state I found Zero in would have been irreparable. And now nobody but me knew of the card Lady Fate has dealt Zero with; I fully intended to keep it that way unless Zero himself told me otherwise. Honestly I would not even tell Headmaster Cross and especially not Yuuki.

I didn't pretend to think I knew how Zero works but if there was one thing I knew for sure it was that he would never want Yuuki to know that he was weak.

Weak! Oh for crying out loud no wonder this happened. Zero has not fed in over two weeks.

A minute whine of pain yanked me from my thoughts back to Zero who was trying to get comfortable. Before I let him lay down I discreetly pulled a pair of his pyjama pants (well, a pair of old grey sweats I presumed he used for that purpose) onto the hunter's body. Damn this caring situation was like that human child game Yuuki got me to play once. Doctors or something along those lines.

"If you ever need somebody Zero just ask."

Just as I was about to leave a cold hand held me back. I looked down to see said hand wrapped limply around my wrist.

"Yes?"

"Thank you," Zero whispered, looking me in the eye for the first time.

My heart nearly broke when I looked back into them. Such distress! The light eyes reflected a darkness nobody should have to see. A pain nobody should have to know.

Normally I would have given a curt nod and left never looking back except this time a larger presence ordered me to stay and take that hand in my own. Lord knows I didn't have to. Yet I did.

I waited patiently for Zero to succumb to sleep and even a little while after that I stayed listening to the slow breaths exiting through the hunter's parted lips.

Oh good they're back. I slid my hand from Zero's, leaving the room with one final glance at his face which took on an angelic expression of innocence as he slept. It made me wonder how I could ever have disliked somebody who was capable of looking so pure. There were many more I could direct that negativity at who didn't have enough money in the world to appear anything like that. Namely Asato Ichijou.

Hearing the noise of china I made my way to the chairman's office where he and Yuuki were drinking hot chocolate together. On the way I went to pick up my jacket from the bathroom.

"Kaname!" Yuuki squealed in a blend of shock and excitement. "What are you doing here at this time?"

"I had something to take care of which I need to talk to you about."

"Would this have anything to do with why your jacket is covered in dirt and blood?" The chairman gestured at what was once a pure-white jacket folded over my arm. It was a bitter representation of Zero himself.

"Indeed. You may want to sit down. I need you to listen very carefully and not run off. It is imperative you pay attention so nothing goes wrong. Is this understood?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

As I had promised before I did not tell them everything. Instead I fabricated a story not too far from the truth that would not form many probing questions.

"Zero has been assaulted this night quite severely and I believe he would appreciate it if neither of you were to touch him without him being aware of your intentions. I have already cleaned and bandaged his wounds although they will need to be changed daily for a while. Zero's uniform has been disposed of as it was in an irreparable state." A little white lie never hurt anybody. Zero could tell them the truth when he was ready.

Yuuki and the chairman stared back at me wide-eyed. Who could blame them?

"Oh my…is Zero alright? How bad is it?" Yuuki babbled.

"His physical injuries are not life threatening if they remain uninfected; it is the mental injuries that could take longer to heal. Like I mentioned previously you must be careful around him."

The chairman piped up then. "And the attacker?"

"As soon as I return to the moon dorm I will have one of the night class students track this person down. They will not get away I promise."

Chairman Cross nodded and allowed me to go as he hugged Yuuki tight to comfort her.

The sun had begun to rear its ugly head so I stuck to the shadows as best I could on the way back to Moon Dorm. While I walked I looked back on how I felt at the discovery of who was in that tree. Rage. Yes I remembered that emotion clearly. It was like a white-hot fury ripped through me at seeing Zero's broken body. What else? Distress…worry…sickness…guilt… Wait a second. Guilt? Why guilt of all things?

Because it's your fault.

Yes… I suppose I am partially to blame here. If only I had kept an eye on the time-gap between Zero's last feed he would have been a lot stronger when his attacker, well, attacked him. If only I had paid attention this would have never happened!

All I had to do now was find out who attacked Zero and I believe I just thought of how. Unfortunately for us the assailant took all of Zero's clothes with him however I had my jacket which Zero had been wearing for a short period after the attack – if I am correct I believe some of his attacker's scent has transferred onto that.

Luckily as soon as I entered the Moon Dormitory I spotted Seiren stood in the shadows most likely waiting for me to return. I motioned her over.

"Seiren how many scents can you smell on this?" I tossed her the jacket. She was always the best for tracking so if she also smelt as many different scents as I did on the clothing I could have a lead.

"Three Kaname-sama. Yours, Kiryu and a third. The latter is very similar to Kiryu's yet different."

Oh you sick man.

"Thank you Seiren. I would like you to locate and track Ichiru Kiryu. Keep me updated at all times, understood?"

"Yes sir. I shall leave immediately."

Of all the people who had a grudge against Zero Kiryu (and without a doubt there would be many) I would have never guessed his own brother was behind this disgusting assault! The worst part is that this was entirely my fault it happened in the first place. If only I had kept an eye on Zero's feeds! He could have died because of me and that was certainly not something I wanted on my conscience especially after all the effort I had already put into Zero not losing his sanity.

With both myself and Seiren on his trail Ichiru Kiryu would not get far.

Edited: 06-8-11