Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight or any characters

"That will be him," Kaien spoke upon hearing a knock on the door. "Shall we all go greet him?"

"Actually, Headmaster, if you wouldn't mind," Yuki said as she stood up.

The Headmaster thought it over for a moment and then replied, "Alright, go ahead then."

Yuki excused herself and then stepped outside. And there she finally found the one she been searching for so long. She looked up at Kaname with a blank expression. There was so much she wanted to say to him, but given the current situation, she felt she had lost all right to even stand next to him.

"Yuki, I'm relieved you're alright," Kaname broke the ice. "I already knew about the Association's plan before I came here, but I want you to know that if anything had truly happened to you…"

Kaname leaned in close to Yuki and opened his mouth to pierce her with his fangs. Yuki pushed him away and said, "Can we please not do this now?"

"Why not?" Kaname asked. "Is it because you don't want me to find out about what a bad girl you've been?"

Yuki gasped, "You mean, you already know…about me and Zero?"

"Come on, Yuki, it's written all over your face," Kaname sighed. "I can't say I shouldn't have expected as much, though. I left the two alone for such a long time after all."

"I take that you already know that I erased his memories as well," Yuki said, "Since you seem to know everything else already."

"Actually I didn't know about that," Kaname said, "but if it was honestly that bad, then I suppose I don't have anything to worry about after all, now do I?"

"That's not what I meant, Kaname," Yuki blushed.

"I know," Kaname replied, "And I'm sorry. That was a very cruel joke."

"You're acting so calm," Yuki stated, "Why can't you ever just admit when you're angry with me?"

"Because that's a side of me that I'd rather you not see, Yuki," Kaname said. "I don't want to take the risk of losing you."

"I…betrayed you and you still want to be with me?" Yuki questioned.

"I want to strangle Zero with my bare hands," Kaname admitted, "but I think I will eventually get over it and forgive you."

"And what will you do until then?" Yuki wondered.

Kaname pulled Yuki into his arms and hugged her tightly. "I will hold you just like this, just like I always do…"

Yuki started crying again. "Kaname, why did you just leave like this? Why did you disappear and not even bother to say goodbye?"

"Because I didn't want you caught in the middle of this mess," Kaname said, "It's that simple."

"You think I can't handle anything, don't you?" Yuki sobbed. "That's why keep me locked up in the big, dark house, all day long…"

"It's only dark because you hate the light so much," Kaname stated.

"But don't you realize that for as much as it hurts to be in the light, it hurts a million times worse to be in the dark," Yuki said.

"Yes, I do," Kaname replied.

Yuki pulled away then and asked, "What do you intend to do now, Kaname? Do you intend to throw your heart into the Parent Furnace so that you carry on the legacy of the woman you love?"

"The only way I could do that would be for you to bear my child," Kaname claimed.

"Please don't dodge the question," Yuki pleaded.

Kaname sighed and said, "For the last 17 years I have made it my life's mission to protect you at all costs. If that means killing off all vampires one by one or throwing my heart into the furnace so that the weapons that keep you safe from other vampires are restored, then so be it."

"But is that really necessary?" Yuki demanded. "We still have Artemis and the Bloody Rose after all."

Kaname's eyes grew very sad. "Just listen to you trying to talk me out of sacrificing myself when I understand you have every intention of sacrificing yourself as well."

Yuki looked down at the ground. Kaname's ability to read her mind and know her intentions without gobbling up even a single drop of her blood made her heart race. He knew her so well and to a point that made her completely terrified. She spoke, "You are the one that is ultimately responsible for what happened to Zero. He deserves to have his life his back. And I think you and I at least owe him that much."

"If you really feel that strongly, than why haven't you done it yet? You've have an ample amount of opportunities after all," Kaname stated. Yuki refused to look up. Kaname took her in his arms again and said, "I'm glad you've chosen you keep your promise to me above your duty to him.

"I still love you, Kaname," Yuki said.

"And I love you," Kaname said.

"So what happens next?" Yuki wondered.

"I was hoping that we could stay just like this…just for a little while," Kaname replied.

"Okay…" Yuki whispered.

After several minutes of a long painful silence, the Headmaster finally said, "Believe it or not, Zero, I understand what you're going through. I know what it's like to be in love with someone you can't have…And I know what it's like to be an angry hunter who's in love with a Pureblood vampire…"

His last comment actually managed to capture Zero's attention. Zero sputtered, "Headmaster, you were…involved with a Pureblood vampire?"

"Yes," The Headmaster confirmed. "It was brief and it was careless on both ends, but even now I would never deny my feelings for her to myself. Even though I've been alone for so long and been without her, I still love her."

At first Zero took the comment as he was going to have to live with loneliness and live with the fact that he'd practically torn his own heart out until the day he would finally slip into the shadows of complete insanity and slowly fade away. Then, though, he began to closely examine the Headmaster's expression and determined that he had made peace with his feelings. His body did not shake and his voice did not crack. It seemed he'd merely accepted and embraced his feelings rather than letting them tear him apart.

Could you ever actually hope to live like that or to think like that, Zero, when you, like me, have done nothing but wallow in your own self-pity and anger for the past five years?

"Of course, I wasn't always this accepting of my feelings," the Headmaster murmured. "Not long after we became involved, I became so ashamed that I lost control of myself. When I saw her on the street one day, I took my weapon without thinking and almost slayed an innocent life all because I was angry with myself. She proved far stronger than I, though, and managed to knock me flat on my back."

"Headmaster…how could you have…possibly come back from a low like that and suddenly turn around and become a completely different man?" Zero demanded. "Don't tell me that you were so naïve that you let that small glimpse of humanity in that blood thirsty beast let you believe that those animals are truly human at their cores!"

Are lecturing yourself there, Zero?

The Headmaster replied, "No, I am honestly not that naïve."

"Then why did you suddenly become so forgiving and accepting of them?" Zero asked.

The Headmaster stayed silent for a few moments. Then, he suddenly sighed deeply and confessed, "Zero, I've never told anybody this and I don't know if she ever told anybody, or how she managed to save her marriage even after she made the greatest mistake, but—

He paused upon hearing the sound of the front door opening and closing. He had to turn around in his chair, as he was sitting away from the entrance to the dining room, as the sound of footsteps approached them. Kaname and Yuki stood in the entrance only moments later.

"Mr. Association President," Kaname spoke, "There's something I'd to speak with you about in private."

"Of course," the Headmaster replied. "Shall we step outside?"

He stood up and he and Kaname left the room. Once they were outside, Kaname suddenly jumped him and pinned him to the ground. Kaname stood back up afterwards and watched as the Headmaster writhed in pain. After a few minutes, though, the Headmaster managed to push through the initial shock and pull himself back up a little bit.

"I'm sorry about that Mr. President, but I simply couldn't let you interfere." Kaname explained.

"Interfere with what?" The Headmaster gasped. He still sat on the ground, holding his chest.

"Because, as we speak," Kaname said, "Yuki is turning Zero back into a human…"

Zero, still sitting at the table, stared at Yuki. Yuki stared back. Their faces were expressionless as they tried to hide their emotions from one another.

Yuki announced, "It's been decided. Kaname will offer his heart to the furnace and become the next Parent."

Zero's eyes grew large as he started to gasp, "Then you and I can—

But Yuki wasn't finished. "And he has giving me his blessing to fulfill my final wish of correcting one of his many mistakes."

"Your…final wish?" Zero murmured. "You make it sound almost morbid, Yuki."

"Zero, would you come over here, please?" Yuki choked. Zero nodded and made his way over to Yuki. Yuki wrapped her arms around Zero and whispered, "I love you," and she called fourth her ultimate power from the deepest part of her being. She could feel the energy following through her body as she tried to muster the necessary strength. Her veins began to bulge as her skin turned red as she exerted every fiber of her being. Her ankles grew weak and she stumbled, causing Zero to swiftly grab her.

"What are you doing?" Zero demanded.

As Yuki stood panting, sweating, and dizzy in his arms, she muttered, "I don't understand why this is so hard for me…"

"Then just stop trying, whatever it is, just stop!" Zero snapped.

"But…I have to make you human again," Yuki choked as the tears started to fall. "If you became human again, then all your pain will go away and…"

"A vampire can become human?" Zero whispered.

"Yes. It's a power only Purebloods have and it will ultimately cost them their life, but yes…vampires can become hu—

She lost conscious just then. Sighing, Zero swopped her up in his arms and carried her into the living-room. He laid her down on the couch. She stirred as he maneuvered his arms out from underneath her.

"Are you okay?" Zero asked.

"The light shining on us through the dining-room window…that must have been why I couldn't do it…" Yuki considered.

"Please don't do that again," Zero scolded. "I don't want you sacrificing yourself for me. If you think that making me human again would make my pain go away, you're wrong. Losing you would cause me more pain than even I could imagine."

"Zero," Yuki murmured as he kissed her. She only returned the kiss lightly, as she was still feeling weak and woozy. "What am I supposed to do when you die? You don't have a chance of living as long as I will."

For once something the girl says actually makes sense! You've dealt with her being a Pureblood. You've even dealt with her being promised to someone else. So, tell me, Big Brother, how are you going to live the fact that you're going to wind up just leaving her behind in what will be like the blink of an eye to her? I can just imagine her face at your funeral…can't you?

"I guess," Zero spoke. His voice was hoarse as he was trying to keep himself from crying. "I guess we just enjoy what little time we actually have and then you…go on and find somebody new. Somebody like who is like you and will live forever."

How selfish you are, Zero. You should just let her go now and save her the expense of having to grieve for you.

Ichiru, this is something you couldn't possibly understand. I can't stop Yuki from crying, even if I stand up right now, walk out that door, and never see her again. And I think that won't hurt her more than her having to watch me die.

I couldn't possibly understand? You talk as though you think I've never been in love.

Shizuka was just using you. She used you to get to our parents and then from there she only treated you like a toy.

And hasn't this girl done much the same to you? Hasn't she been doing nothing but stringing you along, using you to what she really wants, and also using you to fulfill her own sick desires.

…

Who would have thought you and I would have the same type? Insanely abusive, but claiming they care about us until their very last breath!

Yuki is nothing like Shizuka.

Give a few hundred years and we will just see what the next human boy she decides to toy with will have to say. You think, no you desperately hope for her to happy until the end of time, but they all crack eventually, Zero.

Then maybe I'll just have to make her human instead…