Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

Chapter 12

New Beginnings

After getting Reina to her room and into her bed, Zero stayed by her side and waited for Midori to come back up. Partly because he wanted to stay by the woman who was obviously in pain as she breathed raggedly and her forehead became coated in a thin sheen of sweat and partly due to the fact that she had somehow managed to get a hold of his hand and refused to let go. When Ken rushed in to the room instead of Midori, Zero scowled, he wasn't entirely fond of the other pureblood and his closeness to Reina. It was when Kaname walked into the room however that the young man winced when Reina nearly crushed his hand in hers.

"Get out," she hissed through her teeth, glaring heatedly at him.

"Reina-"

"Get out, Kaname," she yelled, a vase of flowers by her bedside shattering and spilling its contents everywhere.

Yuuki was the next person to appear in the doorway, looking around her brother uneasily and flinching when Zero looked up at her coldly.

"Lets go, Yuuki, we're not wanted here," Kaname said, turning to steer Yuuki from the room.

When Midori bustled into the room a moment later, her arms full of sheets and towels and followed by several others carrying hot water and more sheets and pillows she quickly gave orders for Reina to be lifted from the bed. Zero managed to get her off the bed and hold her while Midori and the other servant women quickly removed Reina's elegant bedding and replaced it with layers of crisp white sheets. Zero replaced Reina on the bed, propped up on a sea of fluffy pillows before Midori started pushing him out of the room, Ken too.

"You can come back in later, but for now, let us women handle this, ok," the older woman explained shoving the two out the door and slamming it on them.

The two looked at each other for a moment before Zero shrugged and walked downstairs, Ken following after him. He glared at Kaname when he stepped into the parlor where everyone had gathered.

"What are you still doing here, Kuran?" Zero asked roughly.

"I'm sorry my presence is so disturbing to you, Kiryu, but I don't need your permission to be here," Kaname replied coolly.

"Maybe not, but you do need Reina's and I remember her telling you to leave," Zero shot back.

"She can be angry at me all she wants, but I'm not leaving."

"Now, now boys," Cross interrupted, smiling from Kaname to Zero. "Why don't we all just try to get-"

"Shut up, Cross," Zero grumbled, turning his back on the now sulking blond that was muttering to himself about wanting to be called father by his beloved son.

The blond soon forgot all about his plight when he remembered that Yuuki was present, a smile brightened his face and he engulfed the small girl in a tight embrace, ignoring the fact that she was struggling to get him to let her go.

Not wanting to be anywhere near Kaname or the rest of the house full of vampires, Zero took up leaning into the wall across the hall from Reina's room. He heard the myriad of sounds, the pained groans, the shouts as her body struggled to give birth to new life and the calm, low voices of her maids that were assisting her. He looked up in surprise when the door opened to reveal a young girl with pale brown hair and brown eyes, she smiled at Zero before waving him over, when all he did was blink at her, she sighed and shook her head.

"Tsukina-sama could use a friend by her side, since you're out here Midori asked me to get you," the young girl said, her voice as soft and quiet as the tinkling of a tiny bell.

"Wouldn't she rather have Aido or Ken?" Zero asked, not really wanting to be witness to the spectacle that was birth.

The girl lifted her brow at him with a small frown on her pretty, angelic face. "Don't tell me you're scared?"

Zero's lips twitched in annoyance. "Why would I be scared?"

"Because you're a wimp."

Growling at the girl, Zero stalked past her and refused to look in Reina's direction until he stood beside her. She was a mess, her hair was sticking to her sweaty forehead as she breathed rapidly, her hands clutching at the sheets she lay upon. Her legs were drawn up and covered with a white sheet, she was no longer in the same clothes she had been earlier, but a simple long sleeved nightgown.

"Here."

Zero blinked at the bowl that was thrust into his hands and the small beige cloth that lie inside of the water it held.

"Don't just stand there. Use the towel to wipe her forehead," Midori ordered in exasperation.

Again, Zero just blinked at the bowl and nearly spilled the contents of it when Reina cried out suddenly and leaned forward, clenching her teeth together and squeezing her eyes shut. Finally snapping out of his stupor, Zero set the bowl on the bedside table and wrung out the cool cloth before applying it lightly to Reina's cheek and forehead.

Reina sighed at the feel of the cool, damp cloth against her feverish skin and laid back against the pillows, her eyes still closed. The muscles in her jaw tensed and her face pulled into a grimace as a wave of pain shot through her.

The minutes past and turned to hours as everyone, including Kaname and Yuuki gathered in the parlor on the lower level of the house. They all had cups of tea before them that had long ago gone cold as they nervously waited for the shouting and frantic running around on the second level to come to a stop.

And when they did and a strange quiet descended over the room they all looked up and just barely heard the soft sounds of a baby crying. At first no one moved, just blinked uncomprehendingly at the door leading out of the parlor until Aido suddenly bounded from his seat and out of the room, followed by a giddy Kaien Cross and a curious Yuuki who nervously followed after her adoptive father. Kain stood and offered a hand to Ruka who smiled and took it. That left only Shiki, who was fast asleep on Rima's legs as the young vampire girl stared down at him, debating whether to wake him or just shove him to the floor because she doubted that would wake him, Ken and Kaname as well as Yagari were the only ones left. Ken was studying Kaname as the man stared into his tea.

"Aren't you going to go?" Ken asked Kaname.

"I'd rather not upset her right now," Kaname replied.

"I see. I should be going, I know she'll get angry at me if I take to long to see her," Ken said with a small smile.

Rima frowned, but finally decided to shake Shiki awake, when he grumbled at her and only snuggled against her again, she sighed before pushing the brown haired boy to the floor and standing up. The fall hadn't woken him, not that she was surprised and she rolled her eyes before making her way upstairs.

Ken couldn't help but to chuckle when he approached Reina's door, the birth of a new vampire was always a joyous occasion and everyone was gathered outside of her door, talking quietly amongst themselves as they waited to be given a chance to see the newborn child. They knew that it would be a few minutes before anyone was let in, giving the maids a chance to tidy up the room and Reina a bit before allowing anyone to see her.

When the door finally opened, Aido didn't even wait for the girl who had opened it to move, he just bounded past her and ran up to Reina who was holding a small bundle in her arms and smiling warmly. The blond vampire glared at Zero, who hardly noticed, he was still a little too lost in his own world. Sure birth was a miraculous event and all, but it sure as hell wasn't pretty in his opinion.

Everyone crowded around Reina who was now covered with a soft blue blanket, her hair had been brushed by Midori and a deep blue silk robe had been put over her nightgown. She looked up at everyone and smiled.

"Everyone this is Emiko," she said, tapping the child's button nose with a finger and smiling down at her when her finger was grabbed by tiny hands. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" Reina asked, stroking one of the little girl's round cheeks with a finger and earning a small giggle.

Cross squealed in delight, clapping his hands together as he stared at the mother and daughter. "Such a sweet child. You have to let me hold the little angel."

"Of course," Reina replied chuckled, a content smile on her face as she carefully let Cross take her squirming and giggling daughter from her hands.

"I wanna hold her too," Aido whined.

"So, Hana, how does it feel to be an uncle now?" Reina asked, laughing at the blank look that momentarily clouded the young man's face before a big lopsided grin took over and he chuckled and abashedly rubbed at his head.

"I'm an uncle now," he sang proudly, skipping over to where Cross stood cooing at the girl in his arms while Yuuki smiled and ran a finger over the child's small hand.

"May I?" Yuuki asked, turning to Reina who nodded and smiled at her.

"Hey, she's my niece, I wanna hold her," Aido complained.

When everyone ignored him, but instead crowded around Yuuki and the happily laughing and gurgling baby, Aido pouted but joined the group that was taking turns admiring the small little girl. She had round cherub like cheeks, a button nose, sapphire eyes and a mass of short blond hair. Having known Ichijo when he was younger, Aido could honestly say that the child did greatly resemble her father, but he refrained from saying so, not wanting to upset Reina in any way.

"Are you alright, Zero? You haven't really moved at all in awhile," Reina observed, looking over to the silver haired hunter.

Jolting as if she had surprised him, he blinked at her and shook his head. "Yeah, fine."

"Really? Could have fooled me," Reina teased, amused by the fact that a hunter who was adept at killing found the birth of new life somewhat disturbing. She sighed as she looked over at her newborn daughter, catching Ken looking at her from where he stood behind Yuuki. She smiled, unable to help but think that the two looked good together before realizing how incredibly tired she was as the world spun around her.

Ken's smile faded and he stepped away from Yuuki to approach the bed. "Reina?"

"Hm?" She tried to blink, but found the effect rather dizzying and decided to keep her eyes closed instead and put a hand to her forehead, partially covering her eyes as she groaned.

Zero fully snapped out of the slight trance he'd been in and frowned as he looked down at Reina, he glanced at Ken as the man stepped up beside him, but didn't say anything when the man put a hand on Reina's cheek.

"She's burning up, but she's getting pale," he observed. "Reina?"

"I'm fine," she said, but her voice and the quiver in it gave her away.

Ken looked up at everyone who was know worriedly staring at the pureblooded woman in the bed. "I think it may be best if everyone left for now. Yuuki, why don't you take care of Emiko for now. I'll stay with Reina for the time being."

"I'm not going anywhere," Zero snorted when Ken turned to him. "Do you even know what's wrong?"

"I have an idea-"

"Then you know you can't help her," Zero cut in snidely.

Ken lifted a brow, but refrained from commenting back while there were still people in the room. He waited for everyone to leave, leaving only he and Zero with Reina. "And what makes you think you can?" Ken asked smoothly.

His lavender eyes narrowed at the words that sounded more like a taunt than a simple, harmless question. "It wouldn't be the first time-"

"No. It wouldn't, would it, Kiryu?"

Zero ground his teeth together as looked up at the crimson eyed man that was walking into the room, casually shutting the door behind himself. "What are you doing here, Kuran?" He growled.

Reina's reaction wasn't much different than it had been earlier, she lifted her hand from her eyes to reveal that they were glowing a pale red as she glared at her childhood friend. "Didn't I already tell you to leave, Kaname," she hissed venomously.

"Yes, but I decided to stay. I was worried."

"I don't care if you were worried," she snapped, ignoring the creaking of the glass of her bedroom window. "I am not your concern."

"You are my concern, Reina," he replied softly, approaching her bed slowly.

"No, I am not," she barked. "I'm just your burden, Kaname. Something you feel responsible for, so don't tell me you were concerned when it wasn't concern you felt, but guilt."

"Calm down, Reina," Ken suggested quietly, noticing the red glint in her eyes growing more intense and dangerous.

"Leave," she hissed at Kaname.

"I'm not leaving, Reina." He further advanced towards the bed, opposite the side where both Ken and Zero stood.

Ken was watching him carefully, but not distrustfully, Zero on the other hand looked about ready to jump over the bed and snap the man's neck.

"Would you two excuse us?" Kaname said, flicking his eyes up at Ken before focusing on Zero who had no intention of leaving Reina alone with him.

"Reina?" Ken asked, waiting for her answer before he left her side.

"If you still wish me to leave after we've talked, then I will," Kaname assured her.

"Fine," Reina answered, turning to nod at Ken who strode from the room. Zero however had no intention of leaving. "It's alright, Zero, give us a moment. Kaname won't be staying long."

Not wanting to leave, but knowing better than to argue with her while she was still angry, Zero grunted and stalked from the room, glaring warningly at Kaname as he left.

"He's still attached to you I see," Kaname observed after the door clicked shut. "You would think he would have learned his place by now."

"He has. He's aware of the difference between us now and he's aware that as a lower level vampire it's his duty to protect me. The only one to not know their place, Kaname, is you."

"I don't expect you to forgive me, Reina, but you need blood."

A small hiss escaped through her teeth. "I have no intention of taking yours if that's what you're getting at."

"But you took Ken's."

"I wasn't aware of what I was doing at the time. I don't want his blood, I don't want Zero's and I don't want yours."

"Then whose do you want, Reina? Ichijo's? He isn't here to provide you with it any longer," Kaname replied.

Reina didn't even think about her actions, she just raised her right hand and let it glide harshly over Kaname's cheek. "Just because he isn't here, doesn't mean that I plan on drinking from you or anyone else. You know as well as I do that it would only be a temporary fix, the blood of a lover is the only thing that can fully quench a vampire's thirst, and I don't love you, Kaname," she stated coldly, her glowing eyes locked on Kaname's that seemed to be trying to hide the depths of the hurt that her statement caused him.

It was a moment before he replied, his voice quiet and longing. "But you used to, didn't you, Reina?" He asked, lifting a hand to run the backs of his fingers over her cheek.

Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened, the red glow dimming to little more than a soft shine. "Yes, I used to, Kaname. I used to love you with all my heart and a part of me always will love you, but you abandoned me. Time and time again, Kaname, you left me to deal with the aftermath of your decisions and the pain and havoc they created. I'm not going to drink from you."

"You've just given birth, Reina, to a beautiful little girl and you drained most of your energy in the fighting earlier. You need blood."

"How would you know what I need, Kaname? You're never around long enough to be able to know what I do or do not need. I do not need your help, your guilt. I need you to go away, like you're so good at doing."

"And if I said I don't want to leave?" Kaname inquired. "That I want to stay by your side, even if you hate me, even if you ignore me I want to be here for you like I should have been in the past."

Reina studied him for a few moments, she then frowned and shook her head. "Would you get me a glass of water, please?"

He bowed his head to her and gracefully turned to pour her a glass of water from a pitcher by the window. He picked up her pill case and walked back to her, offering them both to her.

"Thank you," she sighed, taking both items from his hands. "You're welcome to stay here, Kaname, as is Yuuki of course. Not only would my parents want it that way, but Takuma always hated it when we fought. I don't want to fight with you anymore, I don't even remember why we're fighting half the time. Besides I know that you and Yuuki have been hiding out in the basement of your manor, and as nice as it may be, the poor girl doesn't deserve to be cooped up like that. It's not easy being so alone and she's dealing with a lot, it may be good for her to be around more of her own kind."

"So you don't want me to leave?"

Reina dropped several blood tablets into her water, watching as they fizzed and dissolved, turning the clear liquid a pale red. "I wouldn't say that, I'm not doing this for you, but for Yuuki," she replied, remembering the small smile that she had on the girl's face while holding her daughter and looking up at Ken. They two were both purebloods and they were both free, it wasn't often that two purebloods had the chance to actually fall in love by choice and she hoped that perhaps the two, who both deserved some happiness, would be able to find it with each other.

Aido couldn't contain his glee at being an uncle and when he finally was able to hold his giggling niece, Emiko felt it necessary to grab onto his thumb and drain the ecstatic blond of a good deal of his energy. He swooned and was glad that Ruka was able to take the bouncing baby girl from his arms before he collapsed on to the couch.

"Did you see that? She likes me," he grinned as he wobbled on the couch.

"She's going to be a little troublemaker if she's taking that much energy already," Shiki spoke up, he was no longer on the floor, finding that it was an unsafe place to sleep with everyone walking around with the baby in their arms. He was now on the couch, boredly watching Ruka rock the baby while Rima tickled her chin.

"Well, she is Ichijo's daughter," Rima replied.

"She's cuter than Ichijo, she looks like a little angel," Ruka said, rather oblivious to the way Kain was admiring her until she looked up and met his eyes, she blushed and looked away quickly, not having failed to notice that he was intently focused on her.

"If she's anything like Ichijo, the innocent look will get her out of most of the trouble she'll cause."

Everyone looked up as Kaname walked in the room, not sure what to say since they had felt Reina's constantly flickering aura not too long ago. They didn't want to risk angering him.

"Reina's asleep. I have a feeling she'll remain that way for awhile. Since I'm sure everyone would like to clean up, Yuuki and I can look after Emiko for awhile," Kaname offered.

His statement seemed to remind everyone that they hadn't bothered to change after their earlier battles and they looked around to note with dismay that they were rather dirty. After a moment's thought, Ruka turned to Yuuki who seemed rather surprised that the girl she had remembered being quite jealous and mean, was actually smiling and being nice to her. It freaked her out a little, but she smiled back and took the small bundle from Ruka so that the girl could go and clean up.

"She's so cute, don't you think, Kaname?" Yuuki gushed over the cute little girl she was holding.

"Beautiful, but with Reina as her mother, I'm not surprised. May I?" Kaname asked.

"Y-you want to hold her?" Yuuki stuttered, apparently surprised that her big brother was interested in the child at all, he hadn't seemed like the type that liked children to her, but she had apparently been wrong.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"Uh, no of course not."

"The child is a girl."

"Is that so?" A golden haired woman asked, turning from the raised stone platform she had been staring at to look at the brown haired man behind her, the long fingers of his hand held above a bowl of water.

"The mirror doesn't lie," the man scoffed almost as if offended by the woman's innocent remark. Removing his hand from over the surface of the water, the man turned towards the center of the circular room they were in.

The walls were all of thick gray stone, there wasn't a single window and the smoke from the several candles that were burning around the room, drifted lazily around with no place to escape to. The light cast by the flickering flames was dim and just barely illuminated the stone platform in the center of the room. There was a body on the platform covered with a black cloth so that only the person's form was seen, not their features. It was the body of a man, obvious by the lack of womanly curves that a female body would have had.

"I'm not known for having much patience, how much longer?" The woman asked, eying the body on the platform with interest.

"The boy is quite strong. Not that I'm surprised, his family was always strong for not being of pureblood ancestry. It shouldn't be much longer...my son will finally be returned to me..."

"He may be your son, but he's never been good at doing as he was told."

"It's going to take time before he will be fully prepared for the task you wish him to perform, and he will perform it. He has never told you no after all. The body's original owner will struggle to regain control though, it would be best to wait until control has fully past to-"

"I may have mentioned this already," the woman cut in sharply. "I'm impatient. However, not all games are meant to be played in a hurry, are they, my dear? You learned that the hard way, if only you had been more patient, but I suppose I shouldn't be speaking of patience..."