Chapter Fifteen
Night of the Ball

Kagome was bored! Plain and simple. Zero had not arrived at the ball yet and Yuuki had gone off with her friends to dance, though now she was looking for Kaname to thank him for the dress. The Chairman was patrolling around the ballroom, making sure everyone was behaving themselves and Kagome sat off to the side in her light blue dress, waiting for Zero to show up so they could dance. He had promised after all! Sure she would appreciate dancing with him if she were taller, but at the moment she had to make due. As long as he actually showed up!

She sensed him the moment he entered. She stood with a smile as she carefully made her way over to him. He was standing over by the door with his usual frown and his hands in his pockets. Reaching his side, Kagome put her hands on her hips and glared playfully at him before she said, "You're late!"

Zero looked shocked at her appearance, before his mask was back in place and he was looking down at her with a blank expression. Kagome huffed before grabbing his hand and moving him back outside, it was the closest place they could dance together without making too much of a scene. Zero followed numbly as Kagome pulled him along. Since when had she gotten so strong? He let her pull him until they were in front of the stairs that led up to the door.

As soon as they were in place, Kagome put her small hands in his and they began to dance. Slowly and terribly, but they danced. Kagome knew that it would be easier once she was taller, and had longer legs, but for now this was fine. Besides, it looked as though Zero was having a bit of fun with their messed up "dancing."

They continued for a couple of songs, before they moved inside to check on the party and to get a drink. Kagome took her time looking around the room and making sure all the vampires were behaving and Zero stood beside her watching as well. It was when they saw Yuuki run away from the terrace and head out the door that Zero and Kagome moved from their spot against the wall. Zero appeared by Kaname before Kagome, and asked why Yuuki ran.

Kaname turned to Zero and said, "I thought I told you your duty. You're Yuuki's shield, it'll be hard on me if you forget."

Kagome stared stunned at his words. When had Kaname told Zero this? It's not true! Zero is not just Yuuki's shield!

Zero gritted his teeth, and with a glance at Kagome, ripped off his armband and bolted over the railing to race after Yuuki, trying to keep her from making a terrible mistake. Besides, it was time that he finally took care of Shizuka for good.

Kagome watched as he vaulted over the side, and as she moved to race after him, she called out his name.

"Zer–"

Before she could jump over, Kagome was grabbed from behind and held to Kaname's chest. He placed his hand to her forehead and used his powers to put her to sleep. Kagome fought it for as long as she could. But he was more powerful than she, and she was not at full strength in her tiny body. It took a couple minutes, but Kagome fell prey to her forced sleep. Kaname gazed down at the small body in his arms. He could not have her interfering tonight, but he was not expecting her to put up such a fight. He felt drained of power, not enough to matter, but enough to make him feel it. And if she was this powerful at such a young age, he would hate to meet her when she was older.

When Takuma came onto the terrace a couple minutes later, Kaname handed the sleeping Kagome over to him and told him to give her to the Chairman. He had some business to take care of.

Takuma agreed without complaint, but he had to wonder at why Kagome was asleep in the first place. Disregarding the reason for the moment, Takuma carefully carried her to her father and passed her off while he returned to the dancing. Kaien looked down at the sleeping child in his arms and sighed, he knew that tonight could not just go off without a hitch. Something always had to happen whenever he set parties up.

He brought her to her and Zero's room in the house and left her to sleep peacefully, while he went to find out where his other two children were. No doubt they were at the center of this mess. Whatever the mess was.

Kagome awoke the next morning to find herself sleeping alone in Zero's bed. Jerking awake when she remembered what happened, Kagome couldn't help but think very bad thoughts about Kaname. How dare he keep her from helping her friends?

As soon as the thought of Zero and Yuuki came to mind, Kagome jumped out of bed and ran to find the Chairman, as soon as she changed into more appropriate clothes of course. A wrinkled dress was not the best attire for in the mornings or at any time really.

Finding him in his office with a serious expression on his normally jovial face, Kagome immediately knew something had happened. On her way to his office, Kagome had tried sensing Zero, but there was something keeping her from finding him. So she resolved to ask the Chairman.

Walking slowly up to his desk, Kagome looked imploringly at him and asked, "Where are Zero-nii-chan and Yuuki-nee-chan?" She used the suffixes to try and convince him to give her an answer. She even used the large, watery, "puppy" eyes.

Kaien sighed when he saw his smallest child standing before him. He had hoped to delay this as long as he could. But she was up earlier than he had expected, and now he had to give her an answer. Hopefully he wouldn't have to tell her the horrible truth about Zero, that could possibly crush her.

Trying to give her a reassuring smile, but noticing that it only seemed to worry her more, Kaien took a small breath before saying, "Yuuki is fine. She is sleeping in her room at the moment. She was really tired from the ball last night."

Kagome nodded. She knew where Yuuki was; she had sensed her while she was looking for Zero. But she wanted to know where Zero was, and she told the her father as much.

He gave a sigh before he explained, "His vampire side became too much for him last night and we had to restrain him."

Kagome's eyes widened at the possibility of Zero falling to Level E, and them having to kill him. That would explain the reason she could not feel him.

Kaien must have seen the panic and horror in her eyes, because he immediately set to ease her fears, at least as much as he could.

"No, he is not dead. And he did not fall to Level E. At least, not yet. We had to lock him up so he would not attack anyone until we can figure out what to do."

Kagome thought about it for a moment, before turning determined and serious eyes on the Chairman.

"I want to see him. I can help him. I know my scent calms him down I've seen it before. There is a chance that it could keep him from falling to Level E, and bring him back from his current level."

He looked sadly at her before replying, "I cannot let you near him. If he hurt you, he would never forgive himself."

"But he won't hurt me!" Kagome practically yelled out. She had to get to him, and at the moment she did not know where he was.

"You don't know that. He is unstable and could turn on you in a second. He may be in control of himself now, but that could change in a moment when the bloodlust sets in," said a calm voice from behind Kagome.

She whirled around to see Kaname standing calmly in the doorway. How did she not sense him? This was the second time in just a couple of days. It must be because she was so worried about Zero that she was not paying enough attention to her surroundings.

When his words registered in her brain, Kagome glared at him and said resolutely, "He will not hurt me! I know he won't. His vampire side calms when it smells my scent and it can help him return to his normal self."

Kaname looked coolly a the small pure-blood standing stiffly in front of him. What confused him was the lack of fear she now showed. It fact, she had not shown any fear toward him or any of the other vampires since the night she fell unconscious after he touched her. He was not sure exactly what cause her lack of fear, but he could not let her put herself, and possibly the whole school, in danger.

Turning back to the Chairman, he asked to speak to him privately. Kagome began to protest, but Kaien suggested that she go check on Yuuki while he talked with Kaname. Her argument died on her lips as she turned toward the door and practically stalked out of the room to find Yuuki.

Once the door was closed, and he was sure Kagome was far enough away to not overhear their conversation, Kaname turned his serious eyes on the Chairman and began to talk to him about giving his blood to Zero to stabilize him, and the repercussions it could cause. The Chairman listened seriously and gave suggestions and comments when needed. Truthfully, he would rather not have to resort to this, but if it saved his son and made his two daughters happy, he would let him try. Besides, it was not like he really had a choice in the matter. Kaname had almost free reign over the vampires, and Zero was closer to a vampire now than he ever had been. No, Kaname was telling him so that he could be prepared to deal with it. He couldn't wait to tell his daughters that Zero was going to be okay. He would do so, right after he finished this last stack of papers.