I stop breathing along with Zero and Kaname. When I can't hold my breath anymore, I take in little breaths so I don't make the tension any worse. What the hell is Zero trying to pull? I think.

"What, you can't answer me?" Kaname asks teasingly. Zero grits his teeth. "Or, are you embarrassed that she is here?"

"Ka…Kaname, stop this," I beg. I don't want Zero to say anything he might regret. It isn't that I don't want to hear him say that he loves me more than Kaname, because I've grown to like Zero in these past few days, but Zero and I know that there are things to our past that would make us being together unbearable if we found them out.

"Rose, you need to stay out of his," Kaname says scornfully.

"Kaname, don't talk to her like that," Zero commands.

"Then answer me, Kiryu. Do you love her more than I love her?" Kaname's eyes turn red as they burn holes in Zero. But Zero's eyes turn red suddenly, and with them both like this, I can't help but be afraid.

"Kuran, I do love her more than you do. In fact, I'd do anything she'd ever ask of me," Zero finally answers.

Kaname laughs. "Like I wouldn't do the same thing." He turns to me with a smirk on his face; another sign of the devil he has become. "Why don't we let her choose, Zero. Don't you think that would be fair?" Kaname turns back to Zero, whose face is indescribable.

"Fine," Zero says, calmly.

"Rose," Kaname says as he walks towards the door, "you have a month to decide, which will give each of us plenty of opportunities to woo you." He opens the door and leaves.

I glance over at Zero, who is just glaring at the door. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I walk over to the bed and plop down on it face first. I turn over on my back, look at the ceiling, and sigh. "Zero, I-"

"Rose, you don't have to be sorry," Zero interrupts. "I'm sorry for doing this to you."

I laugh a little bit. Not crazy Hanabusa laugh, but Yuki kind of laugh. "You don't have to be sorry, Zero. You didn't do anything wrong," I say. I hear him walking across the floor, so I decide to sit up and make enough room for him to sit down on the bed with me. Of course he sits down, but the aura about him just shouts guilty for some reason. I tilt my head at him, trying to figure out what is going on in his mind, but I have no luck.

"Rose, I'm sure this is going to make life different," Zero says.

I smile, even though he isn't looking at me. "I don't mind, really. Who doesn't like things different and difficult?"

We sit in silence for a while, just us and our thoughts. I look outside and notice that the moon is setting. Apparently Zero notices it, too.

"I'm sure Cross will make an excuse for us not being there if we tell him what happened," Zero says reassuringly.

I quickly shake my head at his suggestion. "If we did that, I'd have to tell Kaien what happened, and I don't want to," I say worriedly.

I pull my legs up to me and put my head on my knees. I feel a hand on my back, with Zero smiling in my face. I smile back, but only a half-hearted smile.

"I got you into this mess, so let me help out a little," Zero says thoughtfully.

"Zero, do you love me or did you just say that to get Kaname to shut up?" I ask. Zero's face looks uneasy, and I start wonder if I should have asked that question.

Zero sighs and looks away from me. "What do you want the answer to be?" he asks.

I jack slap him. "I asked you first, dumb ass."

He rubs the back of his head and glares at me. "I won't answer until you answer."

I cross my arms. "Fine, asshole, be that way and see if I give a crap." And with that I lie down on the bed and close my eyes…

"Rose, wake up," I hear someone say.

I turn my head toward the voice and open my eyes. "Oh, it's just you Zero," I say. I hop up and walk to the sink. I wash my face and brush my teeth, and then I remember that I probably need to take a shower. I turn to Zero and ask, "Where's the shower?"

Zero laughs. "Yuki and I use headmaster Cross' guest shower. It's easier to use."

"Well, where the hell is it?" I ask, becoming very impatient.

"Follow me," Zero says and walks out of the room with me at his heels. As we approach the bathroom, I can't help but notice that Kaien's office door is open. I stop Zero and lean in close to the opening in the door. "Rose, we shouldn't be doing this," Zero whispers in my ear.

"Like I care," I say.

I lean in as close as I can to the door without making any noise so I can hear what Kaien and the other person or persons are saying.

"Listen, I don't know why you are so upset," Kaien says.

I giggle. He sounds like a little kid.

"But Kaien," a familiar voice says, a voice I know all to well, "I want him gone, now!"

Zero grabs my shoulder. "I think we should leave," he says.

I shake my head. "Hell no. Kaname is talking about you, Zero. He's talking about last night," I say. Hot air brushes my neck, Zero's breath, I realize. He's breathing so quietly I can barely hear it.

"I can't make him disappear for no reason, Kaname. So until you can give me a reason, Zero will stay here at Cross Academy and Rose will stay by his side at all times." Kaien barely gets those words out of his mouth when a loud cracking sound is heard along with Kaien squeal.

"Kaien, do not test me. I want it done, and I want it done now!" Kaname demands.

I am ready to bust in the door and tell Kaname what I think of him, only if Zero wasn't holding me back, that is.

"Kaname, I can't unless he has done something wrong," Kaien pushes. "So, give me a reason to expel him."

I stop trying to get away from Zero. In fact, I almost go limp in his arms out of fear of Kaname telling Kaien what happened last night. Now, to be honest, I don't know if that would change anything, but I'd rather that Kaien didn't know about my past. Or at least what I don't want him to know.

"Kaien, I don't have to tell you," Kaname says.

This causes Kaien to chuckle. "Don't forget who I am, Kaname, and what I know."

"What?" I whisper to myself. "What does he know?"

Zero tugs at me arm. "We should leave before something gets said," Zero says.

I sigh and look at him. "But Kaien knows something, Zero. I think he knows something about me that he isn't telling."

"Fine, Kaien," Kaname begins to say, "I'll give you a reason to expel him. Zero is tampering with Rose. He is ruining her," Kaname says.

Kaien chuckles once more. "Are you sure it isn't that Rose is moving on, or that she never-"

"KAIEN!" Kaname shouts. My blood runs cold and a shiver runs through my whole body. I've never heard Kaname this angry before. "I want him gone, and if he isn't gone within a month, I will make sure he never sees another day."

I hear footsteps walking to the door Zero and I are hiding behind, and my blood begins to heat up. I push Zero backwards, trying to get away from the door as fast as possible, and push him behind corner. We both hide there, waiting for Kaname to walk out, so we can move because this corner is very small and, unlike myself, Zero isn't all that small.

We can hear the door open and footsteps walking down the other end of the hall. Zero pushes me and I fall on my face. He snickers and I kick him.

"Rose, Zero," someone says.

I look up and see Kaien standing beside us. "H-hi, Kaien," I say, weakly.

Kaien sighs and points to his office. "Both of you, now."

I stand up and follow Zero and Kaien to his office. I shut the door and sit down in a chair beside Zero in front of his broken desk. Kaien looks into my eyes and I turn away.

"Zero, Rose, how long were you two out there?" Kaien asks.

I cross my arms. "I don't know what you are talking about," I lie.

"We were out there long enough," Zero says.

I turn around and face him. "What the hell are you doing?" I ask him.

A smile appears on his face. "I'm not going to lie. Especially if it involves me," Zero says.

I huff and turn away from him and stare at Kaien. "Fine, we were out there for a while. Right before Kaname broke your desk," I say.

Kaien shakes his head. "Would you like me to answer some questions that you might have in exchange for what happened last night?" he asks.

I glance at Zero and he nods. "Sure," I say. "I'll go first. Is that aright?"

"Ladies always go first," Kaien replies.

I take a deep breath, deeper than usual, and let it out slowly. "Kaname cornered me last night when I walked in the room, and he was going to tell me that I was the only thing he had ever wanted in life like he told me the night before I left his home, but before he could Zero busted in and stopped him." I stop because I don't know if Zero is willing enough for me to tell Kaien what else happened.

"Is that all?" Kaien asks, raising one eyebrow.

"No, that isn't all," Zero says.

I look at him. "Zero," I begin, but he shakes his head.

"Kaien needs to know what happened. I'd rather tell it because I'm not sure if you were all that… awake when it happened," Zero says.

"Alright, then please continue," Kaien says.

"Kaname got mad that I was there and he told me to leave, but I told him that maybe Rose didn't love him like he loved her. He got protective and asked if I loved Rose more than he does." Zero pauses.

"And what did you say?" Kaien asks questioningly.

Zero sighs. "I said I love her more than Kaname does, and that I'd do anything she'd ask me to do. But then he said that he would do the same for her. That's when Kaname decided that Rose had a month to choose which one of us she loved."

Kaien's face is completely unreadable. It's like nothing in his head works the right way. Then he suddenly smiles. "So, he wants me to get rid of you because you love her, or that you pretended to love her to get Kaname off her back, so there is nothing standing between their love," Kaien says to himself.

I stare at him in disbelief that he can say something right. "So…" I say.

"Rose, it seems like you were going to take a shower. Why don't you go ahead and leave Zero here so I can talk to him." Kaien smiles, but a creepy pedophile smile.

I shiver and quickly get up. I dart for the door, wave goodbye, and leave for my shower. As I walk in to the bathroom, I notice that it is really big. I shrug my shoulders. "I think I could get used to this," I say to myself.

I walk out of the bathroom and head for Kaien's office. I knock, and hear a 'come in'. I open the door and walk in.

"Did you have a nice shower?" Kaien asks me. I notice Zero is standing by the window. Window freak. And I see that the desk is fixed.

"Yes, I had a fantastic shower. It was nice and warm," I say with a smile.

"Good. Now, you are both excused from class today," Kaien says. "And I am sure you'd like to ask me a few questions."

My eyes widen. I'd forgotten that Kaien said I could ask him some questions. "Hell yeah I do!" I say energetically.

"Then sit down," Kaien says. I sit down quickly, eager to ask away with the many questions I have. "But," Kaien says before I can get a word out of my mouth, "I will limit you to three questions. That's it." I nod my head and he smiles. "Now, for your first question."

"Where are my parents?" I ask as my first question.

Kaien's face turns sad. "I knew that question was coming," he says.

"Do you not know?" I ask quizzically.

Kaien shakes his head. "I don't know where both of your parents are, in fact, I don't even know both of your parents. I only know one of them," he says with a sad tone.

"Oh," I say. "So, then where is one of them?" I ask.

Kaien looks away from me. "Rose, I knew your father. He was the one who inspired me to create this school, in hopes that vampires and humans could live together, peacefully."

I look at the ground. "So, my father is dead?" I ask.

"Rose, I'm sorry," Kaien says.

I shake my head and hold back any tears I have. "No, it isn't your fault. I just wish I'd have known him a little, that's all." I look up at Kaien once more and smile. "Was he a good person, considering he was a pureblood?"

"Yes, your father was a great man. You remind me of him, wishing that you weren't a vampire and wishing to be human instead. Yes, you are the spitting image of your father, of course without the blue hair," Kaien says.

I laugh. "Did my father have light brownish hair?" I ask.

"Yes, the most terrific color," Kaien replies.

I smile and sigh. "Who killed him, because I know we purebloods live longer than others?"

Kaien looks at me with a grim look. "Rose, are you sure?"

My breath stops in my throat. "It was Shizuka, wasn't it?"

Kaien looks away from me. I bite my bottom lip, trying again to hold my tears back. However, this time I can't seem to get a hold on myself.

"Rose," Kaien says, "I am so sorry."

I cover my eyes with my hands. "Why does she have to kill them? Why?!" I cry. I fill hands on my shoulders and then I am enveloped in a hug. I embrace the person, not sure which male it is, and cry in to his chest.

"Rose, I'm sorry," Zero says above me. Then I realize that he is the one hugging me. Gah, why is he acting so sweetly towards me?

"Rose!" someone yells. I peek through Zero's arms and see Sky standing in the doorway.

"Sky," I whisper. Zero lets go of me and I wipe my tears away. "What's wrong, Sky?"

Sky rushes over to me and grabs on to my shoulders. She begins to shake me as she says, "What the hell happened to Kaname?"

I sigh and look at Zero. "That is what happened to Kaname," I say.

"Thanks," Zero says sarcastically.

Sky shakes her head. "He is so pissed off. What did you do, Zero?" Sky asks.

"I told him that I love Rose more than he does," Zero says.

Sky shakes her head even more now. "Well, if you were aiming to piss him off, great job. Ichijo can't even talk to him without getting told to shut the… never mind what Kaname says," Sky says. "There are plenty of words I don't feel like saying. Kaien, you need to do something."

Kaien shrugs his shoulders childishly. "I can't do anything because if I do, I'd have to expel Zero just to please Kaname," Kaien says.

Sky lets go of me and puts her fingers to her head. "Wow, and he is doing this over you, Rose."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I ask.

"Nothing. But if Hanabusa knew about this… No, I don't even want to know what he would do."

With that, Sky turns around and leaves. I watch as she closes the door slowly. I turn to Kaien and ask, "What has happened to this school? I mean, it seemed so organized when I first arrived."

"You are what happened to this school," Zero says.

"Jerk," I mumble. But even I know that it's true, and payback for before.

"Well, Rose, Zero, I have a favor to ask of you," Kaien says.

I look at him. "Sure, whatever you need!"

"I need you both to go into town and get a few things for me."

I look at Zero and back to Kaien. "Sure…"

Zero doesn't say anything.

"Good. Now, here's a list of the things I need and the money for it all." Kaien hands me the list and Zero the money. "Have fun!"

Zero and I walk out of his office and stare at each other. "It's better than being stuck here," I mumble to Zero.

He nods his head. "Lets go."

We walk out of the building and start on the long road to town.

And yet another chapter done! I decided to tweak Zero just a little more, so I hope you can forgive me Zero lovers. Hey, sometimes you can't help but write a character the way you'd love to see them, although I'll try hard not to continuously do that... But I hope you like it. I really worked hard on this one, trying to make sense of Rose's past and just how evil Shizuka is. Always killing people just so she can get what she wants, but that's only if you know what she wants. I'd love to know how many of you think you know what she wants. You can PM me if you think you know what Shizuka is after, but there aren't prizes and stuff. Just for pure fun! You don't have to. A friend of mine thought it would be neat to see how many people can figure out where all of my plot twists are going. Thanks and please review when you get a chance!