*Author's Note: Well, this is it, the last chapter. It's a little bittersweet to write it, because I've been working on this story for a year now, but I think it was a perfect first fanfiction attempt for me to play around with. Thank you all so, so much for taking the time to read it, and please, if you feel so inclined take a look at some of my later work, let me know how you think that's going! Thank you again, and enjoy the last chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight.

I stumbled my way down the hall and up the stairs towards the scent of blood. The closer I got, the more my throat seemed to burn like flames licking at the edges. I could almost physically feel my mind and my restraint slipping away from me. I needed that blood now.

I stumbled into the room where the scent was the strongest to find a truly horrifying sight. Ichiru was holding Shizuka in his arms as she was dying. He was sensually licking a crimson trail on the corner of his mouth.

"Is that…no…what are you devouring?" I asked the rhetorical question, knowing the answer and dreading it. In a bout of uncontrollable thirst, I fell to my knees, unable to stop the guttural cries from escaping my lips.

"The level E is raging inside you; you are craving Shizuka's blood, aren't you Zero? Unfortunately for you, it is too late," Ichiru told me calmly. I watched in horror as my only chance at life evaporated into the air, shattering as glass does and then fading into nothingness. There was nothing I could do to stop it.

"I offered myself, but she didn't want me; not even in the very end. She didn't want my blood. I was nothing to her. After all I did, she only thought of me as a—, " he told me, his voice wavering as the hurt crept into his words.

"No. You're wrong," I interrupted him, still after everything that had happened having the urge to comfort him, to take away his pain. "She wanted you to stay the way you are: a human, not a vampire."

"Shut up! What do you know?! You weren't by her side this entire time! What right do you have to say that?!" he screamed, his pain pushing him to hysterics. He began to walk out of the room, but before he could I knew I had to make one thing clear to him.

"I know. Even I, someone like me, has a person that I don't want to see turned into a vampire. That's why I understand better than you know," I told him gravely. I knew that he understood who I was talking about. I would die before I saw Yuki turned into a blood-sucking monster like the one I had become. Her innocence and her purity, her absolute humanity, were things about her that I would never wish to see changed, and if I was being honest with myself, they were the things that I lived for.

"Give it a rest," Ichiru said, grabbing the collar of my shirt. "You're pitiful. The Zero you've become is no longer the same Zero that I once envied and hated. Just look at you. You've already become a level E." He said this to me, and then he left, escaping out the window.

I writhed on the ground, fighting my overpowering urge to feed. I couldn't help the sounds I was making and the way my body contorted in pain. I only hoped that Yuki never had to see me like this.

As if on cue, I heard gentle footsteps heading towards the room I was in. I could almost feel that it was her presence approaching. I knew without a doubt that I would not allow her to see me in this state. I ran towards the window with a final burst of strength, escaping into the night.

The next week of my life could barely be considered living. I didn't remember much of anything from that time, except a couple of events in random order that I seemed to have memory of.

Yagari finding me outside the old moon dorm building and taking me to a storeroom under the school grounds. The headmaster fastening me to the wall with chains. Asking for death multiple times as I lost my control over my body and tried to attack like a rabid dog.

And then Kaname Kuran came. I remembered arguing with him, being berated. I remembered him telling me that I was worthless, and that the only reason he was allowing me to live was because Yuki was sad. I remembered him forcing me to drink his blood to prolong my life. However, though it was torture, drinking the blood of someone I loathed with my entire being, my one consolation was that Yuki loved me enough to make this wretched creature try to preserve me. It was plain to see that he wasn't happy about it, but through Yuki's feelings for me he was obligated.

Now, I sat in my chains, remembering snippets of the past week, and waiting. Today was the day that the headmaster had promised to release me. Though he didn't know about Kaname forcing me to feed from him, the change in me was obvious, from a crazed almost-level-E back to my old self. Kaname's blood had banished the insanity to the deepest corners of my mind, but I knew this could not last. This was only a temporary solution.

But I didn't care. In fact, knowing that my time was limited meant that I had less time with Yuki. I was eager to get out of this prison so that I could be with her for as long as I was able. If I was going to die, I was going to die happily fighting for her until my life ended. There was nothing more that I wished for.

"Zero, it's time," I heard someone say. I had been so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn't even seen the headmaster enter my prison. Now I stared expectantly at him.

With a large iron key, he walked over to my chains and unlocked them, freeing my arms finally.

"You are free for the time being, Zero. I don't know how, but in the last four days you haven't shown a single sign of madness. Maybe that stubbornness of yours is coming in handy. Either way…I'm so glad you returned to us…for a couple days there…" his voice trailed off, not wanting to say it.

"I know. Thank you…for being concerned with me, headmaster."

The overly sensitive man started tearing up, knowing this was as close to a declaration of love as he would ever get from me. Ignoring him, I moved past him, starting up the stairs.

When I reached the top and was finally able to see the sunlight again, I found Yagari waiting for me with his arms crossed. Mussing my hair, he showed his affection as he always did, saying, "Would you look at that. My dumb student pulled through after all."

Pushing him away, I continued to walk, anticipating the person I wanted—no needed—to see the most. She was just a short walk away, probably on patrol right about now, trying in vain to hold back the throngs of day class girls. Without realizing it I began to walk faster.

As I approached, I could see her in the distance. She couldn't see me yet, I knew, but I watched as Hanabusa talked to the day class girls, and then turned to tease Yuki. Just as I was coming up right behind her, she broke free of his grip, falling into me. She turned around, an apology on her lips, and then she saw who it was.

"Exactly what are you doing, Yuki?" I asked her, trying desperately to cover up the way my heart soared at the sight of her and my heart beat faster as she stood staring at me for what seemed like forever.

Every time that she had hurt me, every time she had chosen Kaname over me, and every time in the future that I knew she would repeat the same cruel things over and over again seemed to evaporate as I looked at her. It didn't matter to me what she did with me, I was hers, completely and utterly. I would be content just to be used by her, and I had the privilege of having a place in her heart. I thanked whatever gods had given me this as I forced my eyes away from her tender gaze and pushed myself back into motion.

"Alright enough. Now go back to your dorms!" I shouted at the day class girls gathered to watch the spectacle.

"Zero," I heard Yuki say from behind me, and I turned to look at her. Her eyes were so full of emotion as she smiled at me, and I knew I would spend the rest of my life trying to provoke that smile.

"Welcome back."

And indeed I was, back where I belonged, with her.

*That's it guys…wow. I don't know what to think. I truly hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please let me know your thoughts, I still read your comments even long after these stories have ended, and I would love to hear from you! Thank you so much, and farewell for now :)