A/N: Sorries, I know it's been a while! I took some of this from chapter 51, so if the dialogue seems a little familiar there…it is. xDD I was really at a loss for this chapter, so I hope it goes okay!

Disclaimer: I don't own VK!

-o-[Chapter Start]-o-

Yuuki leaned her head against the chill glass of the window, allowing a small smile to nudge her mouth upwards as her skin absorbed its frosty touch. Outside, the snow drifted slowly to the ground, a vast world of frozen cotton and faded dreams. She raised her hand to trace her fingers through the mist of her breath, then merely let them fall, staring at the streaks they had left behind as though enraptured.

She knew she wasn't supposed to be in the front rooms of the house. Someone might see her, and with so many people wanting her dead, she was aware of the danger her current location presented. Yet, she couldn't bear to pry herself away. She couldn't remember the last time she had looked outside, reassurred herself that it remained. Kaname was away again, on another of his endless meetings and tasks. She could afford this small pleasure in his absence. How would he know of what she'd done?

Closing her eyes, Yuuki merely let herself drift. In the comforting black of her mind, she sifted through the fragmented images of her memory. She remembered Yori, the Chairman, the other members of the night class… What had happened to them? Where were they now? She hadn't seen even a glimpse of the people who had once made up her entire world.

Did they ever think of her…?

Did he ever think of her…?

Silver flashed through her mind. It was so different from brown, from red, from white, the colors that were splashed across the canvas of her current home. Silver was something rare, something forbidden and dangerous, something free… Something she longed for.

"Yuuki-sama! Just what do you think you're doing?!" an all too familiar voice slashed brutally through her reverie.

Yuuki jolted upright, leaping from her perch in the window seat, feeling a flush of embarrassment creep over her at being caught. She shifted uncomfortably, glancing surreptitiously from under long lashes to see her tutor's expression.

"Watching the snow?" she replied innocently.

Aidou sighed, grabbing her arm and dragging her further into the house, "Kaname-sama will kill me if he finds out that you were out there. Do you want me to die? Is this some master plan of yours to get rid of me because I made you take a math test and get a C?"

"Maybe," she answered, and when he turned his head to glare at her, she stuck out her tongue, saying, "Next time make it a different subject!"

"I planned on that," he muttered. "How do you feel about geography?"

"Geography?" she exclaimed in horror. "Why?"

"It's important to know about the country you live in and the world around you."

"It's also important not to kill your student by overheating her brain!" she flailed.

He rolled his eyes, releasing her arm as they came back towards the centric rooms of the mansion, "Well, if you don't want to learn geography, then I'd be happy to forget about being your personal mailman."

"Oh! Did you give her my letter?!" Yuuki asked, eyes lighting up.

"Yeah," he scowled. "And it was a real pain in the butt, too."

"What did she say? Did she give you a letter for me?"

He sighed again and pulled an envelope from the hidden pocket in his jacket, "Be grateful."

"I am! Thank you so much, Aidou-senpai!" she reached for the envelope hurriedly.

"Hold on one minute," he drew the letter out of reach, ignoring her frown. "Do you promise to study your hardest for this next test?"

"Yes!" she agreed impatiently.

"And do you promise that I won't have to play mailman unless you get an 80 on your test?"

"An 80?" dismay washed through her.

"An 80," he repeated firmly.

"Fine," she glowered at him.

"Good," and he tossed her the envelope, heading off with a yawn.

"Thanks," she called, after nearly dropping the envelope in an attack of clumsiness.

"Whatever," he returned, and then was out of sight.

Clutching the envelope in trembling hands, she could hear her heart pounding. This was it. Her connection to the world. A way to speak with Yori. But most of all…a link to him. She drew a shaky breath and removed the letter from inside, ducking into the study to her right.

Yuuki huddled in the corner, making herself as small as possible. She knew the act was futile. Anyone could easily find her by her smell, but she felt that she was better hidden, more secretive this way.

She unfolded the paper, closing her eyes for a long moment before opening them again to focus on the words before her. She smiled at the familiar, neat handwriting, her heart twisting with a sudden ache. She missed Yori, missed the academy, missed her adoptive father. She missed every aspect of her former life.

She missed being human.

She held the paper to her nose, inhaling the scents there. She could smell fabric softener from Yori's sheets, pine from the desk drawer Yori had always kept her paper in, the autumn and lavender scent that belonged solely to Yori, and unfortunately, Aidou's scent from carrying the letters. Her nose crinkled slightly at this last one, but she didn't mind. He was the one who had made this letter possible, after all.

Steeling herself, Yuuki began to read.

777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

Time passes….

…even for him…

…even without her…

Memory, pain is supposed to fade over time.

So why isn't the pain going away?

Why can't he let go..?

A hand reaches out, and shaking, grips another box of tablets. The unquenchable thirst is burning him through, seizing every wisp of thought. All he can think about is her. Her scent, her smile, her laughter….

…her blood…

777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

Cross Academy was bustling with activity. It was nearly eleven in the morning, the bell had just rung for class changes, lunch was being prepared in the cafeteria, and Zero Kiryuu had been waylaid by the small group of students who had retained their memories from the vampire incident the previous year.

"What a pain in the ass," the tall, silver haired youth snarled. "Get off my back already." His eyes were thunderous, flashing with the lightning of his maelstrom emotions. "I already told you before…I'm a member of the Hunter Assocation, but I'm not in a position to be telling you anything or deciding anything."

"But Kiryuu," the Boy's Dorm President protested, "the Night Class not coming back doesn't mean they've become an enemy, you know."

"I've told you already, all I know is what Yagari and the others from the Association have told me," he glowered blackly at them. "There are vampires who aren't enemies, like you say, but the opposite is also true, so don't go getting yourself wrapped up in any weird illusions about them. Any vampire who's caused harm and is recognized as an enemy by the Association will be hunted down, at the peril of the lives of us hunters. That is all there is to know," he ended with finality, eyes challenging them to ask further.

There was a collective pause from the group as they took in his words. Then he said, "I'm going. If you people don't want to get your memories erased, too, then stop pestering me with all that." His gaze swept across the group one last time, and then he strode off, anger radiating from his retreating back.

"Zero-kun!" a voice called out, and he turned slightly to see Yori breaking off from the others to race towards him. "Yuuki…you won't hurt her or anything, will you…? She hasn't done anything bad…" Her voice fell into silence at his dark glare.

She swallowed, fingers fluttering uncertainly against the unobtrusive envelope tucked among her notebooks. How would Zero respond to it? Would he take the letter…or would it only upset him further? She took a deep breath. She had promised Yuuki that she would do this, and she could not back away from it now, no matter how daunting the task seemed.

"Yuuki…she really misses you," she tried.

"How would you know that?" he demanded sharply.

"She sent me a letter," she didn't pause at the visible change in his expression, but pushed on, "A letter asking me to deliver this to you." She slid the envelope from the stack of books and held it out to him. With a softer tone, she added, "She really wants to talk to you."

"I don't want that," he cut through her sentence brutally.

"But, she went through a lot of trouble to get it to you. She's wanted to send it all along. I really think you should-"

"I don't give a damn how it got here. I don't want something that's been touched by a vampire," he spat the word with such loathing, she cringed. With that, he whirled away from her and started off, pace much faster this time.

"Zero-kun!" she shouted, taking off after him. "Please! Just take it! You don't have to read it, but at least take it! At least let me say I was able to give it to you!"

He stopped so abruptly, she almost crashed into his back. Pulling herself up short, she barely had time to regain her senses before she felt the envelope being jerked from her hand.

"Fine," he answered curtly, and when he took off again, she made no move to follow.

"Oh, Yuuki…," she whispered into the air. "I'm so sorry…"

But she didn't see him close his eyes, raising the envelope to lightly brush against his lips for one brief moment before shoving it unceremoniously inside his pocket.

-o-[Chapter End]-o-

A/N: Reviewing makes the world go round.