"Why do you look so depressed," Ruby asked as she rolled into Kuznets's office.

He looked up from where his head laid on his desk, "Tekeshi just took a placement test as part of his re-enrollment process."

The witch looked at him a little confused, "That is, I mean it is a standard procedure. He isn't the first student here to have to take one."

"He is the first to place at a post Phd. level. I also took it just out of curiosity. I tested at a fifth year level," the vampire laid his head back down.

"Oh, really," she shook her head, "Have you forgotten that he is a legitimate genius?"

"Yes. I do often. He doesn't act like one, I mean he is at least as brutal as a ghoul, and doesn't think very often before he does things. I don't pay enough attention to his academics, because I never have a reason to. He is done before everyone else, but he keeps his scores at dead average so he doesn't stand out. How did I test at a fifth year level? I have maintained a full fledged intelligence apparatus for over fifteen years, and I am an academic child. I feel like a failure," the man was at that moment, having a true existential crisis.

"Tsukune, you haven't been in school in over twenty years. You were never a top student anyways. So suck it up, and put your professional pants on," Ruby wasn't as nice as she used to be.

"When did you become a bitch?"

"When I spent ten years in captivity half starved, and continuously being raped. Speaking of which, it's... it's finally time," Ruby looked down at the envelope in her lap.

Tsukune sat up and sighed, "I wish this day wasn't coming. Is there anyway I can convince you to change your mind?"

"Tsukune, I'm not doing this for me, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it. This is for Amethyst. I can't just send her away from me, and she needs to learn to socialize with kids her age. I don't want her to grow up as an outsider. With the way things are now, there isn't a better time. Yokai and humans are actually starting to learn to live in harmony, something that we have wanted for decades. I'm not poor by any means, Galdia didn't really spend much of my salary while she was impersonating me, and interest is a thing. I won't have to work, so I can focus on getting better, and someday I can come back. I love my job here, but, she is the most important thing in my life," Ruby shakily lifted the envelope and held it out to one of her most dear friends.

Tsukune frowned and then held out his hand, "Then, I have no option but to place you on long term sabbatical, rather than accepting your resignation at this time. Should circumstances change, this letter will be entered in to your employee file. Have you, decided where you will go?"

"There is a primary school in Kyoto that is officially welcoming both human and nonhuman students. I, think that it might be a good place. There are also some very well reviewed therapy centers located in Kyoto, so it would be a positive for me as well. Don't worry too much, I'm not abandoning all of you. We can visit you over breaks, and come to school events. You know how precious everyone is to me," Ruby finally found it in her to smile.

"I do. Don't you forget how precious you are to all of us. I, I'm sorry for how I treated Galdia. I, can't bring myself to really say it to her face. It, still causes a little distress to look at her, and know that isn't you. I wish, I had noticed," Tsukune looked away from her as he spoke.

Ruby closed her eyes, "It isn't your fault this happened. I made my peace with everything that happened to me. I don't know how many women could if they were put in the same situation. I don't even know how I did, except that I had Amethyst. If they had taken her away from me, I don't think I would have lived long enough for Tekeshi to come save me. You are not at fault though. You didn't take me, you never had a chance to notice, and Galdia is good at almost everything she does. I'm leaving you in her hands once I leave, and I know that she will keep doing a spectacular job of things. I don't intend to leave until I manage to find a place to live for us, so you aren't rid of me yet."

"I haven't told anyone else yet, I thought you might want to do it tomorrow. I think Moka and Mizore will take it ok, but I don't know about the kids," he said as he placed the still sealed envelope in his desk.

"They will be ok. That is one of the wonderful things about being young like that, you adapt better. Tsukune, I know that you have had some misgivings about how to act around me since I returned. I'm glad that you are starting to lose them, and I hope that when I am able to come back to work right, they will be gone, but I want to know, what is causing them. I don't know if I am going to have another good chance to ask after this, so I want to know now."

Tsukune stood from his desk and walked around to sit in a chair next to her, "Maybe, I'm not completely sure myself. Part of it is my regrets, which you know those already. Par of it, is the fact that men did this to you, and I am a man."

Ruby shrugged, "Mostly men. It was definitely one that got me pregnant, but the women there weren't really that much better. I told Mizore not too long ago, that I may never be able to have sex again, because of the trauma, but don't think that means I blame all men for what happened to me. It was the fault of the bastards that were part of Fairy Tale. Come here," she leaned over and hugged him.

They stayed like that for a while. They both started feeling comfort that they weren't aware they needed to feel. Weights lifted off their bodies and souls, leaving them feeling peaceful.

Finally, Ruby pulled back, "Tsukune, at one point, if you had ever told me to, I would have have stripped anywhere and everywhere, and let you have your way with me. I would have let you do the most humiliating and degrading things to me that would have terrified others. I'm glad now, that you were always a better person than that. Maybe someday, I might find a man like you, that gives me the same feelings you used to. Always remember this though, even if the way has changed, I will always love you. You gave me so much purpose in life, that no one else could until the day that my daughter was born. Even with how horrible the conditions were for me, and the trauma that came with her conception, she reminded me of that day, so many years ago, when a mere human was so stubborn that he put himself in harms way, to tell me that I didn't have to keep so much hate in my heart. Tsukune, thank you for having been the most important man in my life."

Tsukune couldn't answer her at first. He was embarrassed to admit he had forgotten how strong the feelings of the girls around him had been when he was a student. He had actually been very popular at one point, but that was only because him being human tended to bring out the worst in female yokai.

The Harlot Squad had been different though. They had cared about him, because he had gone out of his way to care about them, even when it could have cost him his life. It was humbling to stop and think about it at this point.

"Ruby, I have something else to apologize for. Not truly understanding the feelings of all of you. You have been so loyal to me, even when I was too blind to see everything that was going on. Even when you knew that you never had a chance, you stayed. You gave up everything, for me, and look what it led to. I can never thank you enough, reward enough, or do anything that would be enough to show what you have done for me," he took her hand as he spoke.

Ruby gave a sad smile, "Sometimes, the best reward is just to let a person be there. Like you said, I never had a chance compared to Moka. Who would? You never tried to make me leave. You never acted cruelly, even ignorantly. You let me stay near you, and that meant the world to me. Right now though, there is a seven year old little girl, that has taken that from you, and as much as I would like to stay, and I really would, I have to think about what my priorities must really be. Anyways, hopefully I can be rid of the chair and crutches by the time I am ready to start doing paperwork again."

"Ruby, I do have one more question for you."

"What is it?"

Tsukune stood up and went to look out the window of his office, "If I were to decide to step down, would you be willing to take up being the Headmistress of the academy?"

"What," Ruby's jaw dropped, threatening to detach itself from her skull with the force.

"It wouldn't be anything immediate, and it isn't related directly to the test. More, it is related to Tekeshi," he said.

"Tekeshi? I don't think I understand, of course the ten years should be brought up again, meaning, I am sorely under informed about what happened with him from age six, to seventeen. Again, why," Ruby rolled over next to him.

"I wasn't there," was all he said.

"And you don't want that to be the case with this child," she was starting to get a glimmer.

"I wasn't even there for the twins, because I wasn't even able to tell them I was their father. I can't help but look back, and wonder if there wasn't something I could have done... I don't even know how to describe what has been happening over the last couple years. I don't know if me, having been there would have prevented all this or not. I don't even know how it... Ruby, I can't even process this anymore. It may be the human left in me, but, I'm tired. I'm tired of war, I'm tired of being an absent father, and I am tired of being in the spotlight all the god damn time," Tsukune reached up and put his hand on the window.

Ruby looked at Tsukune's face. Vampires were typically known for seeming unemotional, unless those emotions were rage, or unreadable. All she could see on his face, was exhaustion. It wasn't like she was that much better off, but, it was a different type of exhaustion. Hers, was caused by her trying to keep her sanity, and dealing with getting her body back to health.

His, was caused by having two worlds weighing on his shoulders.

She sighed and looked down at her lap. Could she really take on that kind of a mantle? Though, she really had done most of the work before her kidnapping, and according to Galdia that hadn't really changed that much. So, they were pretty much already the Headmistress for all intents and purposes.

"So, how long would it be, before you would want me to take over," she finally asked.

"It would still be a few years, or until you are ready. Moka is going to also be on sabbatical until she decides whether she wants to continue teaching, or focus on being a mother. She, is going for an ultrasound Tuesday. We, put it off, not sure whether we wanted to know whether it was a boy or a girl. We, finally decided we do. Like I said, I'm tired of not being there for my children. Moka isn't planning to move back to the manor after the delivery, but I know, you aren't going to want to take this kind of a job until Amethyst is older. I need to time to make arrangements, and manipulate the schoolboard. So there is time," Tsukune smiled.

"Are you hoping for a girl, they can be a handful," Ruby chuckled as she looked out the window.

"And boys can't. I have trouble seeing Amethyst ever being a lynch pin in the survival of yokai," the man looked over.

"And who would have imagined the sickly little boy who couldn't walk ten steps without getting tired, but still didn't know how to be afraid. Part of my decision, was remembering how depressed you were when Tekeshi went to live with Yukari and Fang-fang. With everything that I have been through, I don't think I could do it. I will tell everyone at breakfast, that way they can have some time to get used to the idea."

Tsukune nodded, "That sounds reasonable. Oh, I almost forgot. Kokoa led a raid against a Fairy Tale operation in Korea not too long ago. They made the mistake of hitting one of the Shuzen Group's manufacturing facilities. Strangely, it was a medical supply factory, so it doesn't look like they are doing very well since the eight month war Tekeshi lead against them. During the raid they uncovered a trove of artifacts and items. One of which I think you will be very interested in," he reached into a drawer and pulled out a large leather bound book.

Ruby's eyes lit up, "My grimoire. I never thought I would see it again. Thank you, and let Kokoa know how much I appreciate it. I can't wait until my body is strong enough to handle using it."

"At least your blouses fit right again. You don't know how strange it was to see you without cleavage. I never asked, mainly because I didn't know how to, and I don't know if it is really any of my business, but, how is Amethyst really doing," Tsukune knelt down next to the wheelchair.

Ruby took a deep breath, "When she is awake, she seems like she is doing alright. She is happy, full of energy, and it's almost like she wasn't born in a prison cell. It's when she is asleep that the problems come up, or rather the fact she has trouble sleeping for more than an hour at a time. When she does, I can hear her in my bedroom, yelling and screaming, having nightmares about what was done to me. I can't even go comfort her, because I start having panic attacks from my body remembering what yelling brings. I'm hoping having friends her own age, will help her be able to push all the bad memories out, and make more happier ones."

"Let's hope. I can't even imagine how hard that life was on her. Do you have any idea about when her birthday might be?"

"No. They used to do a big check up on me once a year, and that was how I was able to count how long I was in captivity. Other than that, I had no way to tell what day it was, or the month. That medical exam was the only time reference I had, and it wasn't precise. I want to do something for her, to give her kind of a birthday to celebrate, but I really don't know what to do. Listen to me, I have been a mother for seven years now, and I just don't know how to do anything. Maybe I am making a mistake? How am I going to be able to take care of her, if I don't know how to do anything? I've had Moka and Mizore to help me so far, what I am I going to do by myself," she suddenly started seeing problems in her plan.

Tsukune looked down, before suddenly having an idea, "I, don't know what the schools are like around there, or the therapy centers, but have you considered Kiyose?"

"Where your parents live?"

"Yes. I know you don't have any other blood related family left. Otherwise this probably wouldn't be such an issue as it is. I haven't talked with them about what happened to you, in fact I haven't told them anything about it. It might help both of you to have someone that can help back you up. Someone you know that cares about you. I'm not suggesting move in with them, I already know you would rather have some independence, but somewhere nearby," Tsukune said as he nodded.

Ruby thought about it. It wasn't actually that bad of an idea. Even being at Yokai, she hadn't really had a support system beyond Mizore teaching Amethyst while she was working. Having people that could act as grandparents for her daughter, would help so much in giving her a more normal life. That was something that she didn't have any other way of giving her.

"I think, I want to do that. Can you ask them if they can help me find a house or, no, I want Amethyst to have a house with a nice backyard. I want her to have a place that she can play outside. I don't think, I know I want to do this. You have my full blessing to explain the situation, and to tell them what it is that I want for us. Even when you don't want me to leave, you are still doing so much for me," Ruby smiled softly.

Tsukune returned it, "It doesn't matter whose blood runs in your veins, what family name you carry, or if you have a ring from some one on your finger. You are a part of my family. Moka, Mizore, you, Kurumu, Yukari, Kokoa, and Fang-fang. You have all been there for me from the time you came into my life, even when you all learned I was human. You were willing to put your lives on the line for mine. I will do anything, for any of you as long as it is within my power. I will have my blood spilled, if it protects any of you. I'm not afraid anymore, and it isn't because I became strong, but because I had people there to help me, and give me the reason to, become strong."

Ruby's heart started beating harder. He may not have realized it, but he had a way to make any woman fall for him, and it wasn't even something that he could control. He was just a genuine, and wonderful, person. There wasn't anything more to it than that.

"Imagine if your wife was to walk in right now. Ahh, it would be like old times. Thank you Tsukune, for just being you."