Chapter 69 I'm Off

Yuki takes a look at her home and her children playing. Zero sitting on the sofa beside himself. She doesn't want to leave. She doesn't want to let him go. She is just scared if she doesn't things will get out of control. She is scared even if she didn't go and would let Zero go instead, Kaname would just make it out that Zero killed her. Just to get him back, to make him suffer as he has in the past. She knows that Kaname to get what he wants would do anything. Even though Kaname has fallen, deep down he was still who he always was. Yuki knew how he felt about Zero. It would bring him great pleasure to put everything on him. Even if it meant to say that his wife slept with a level E. 

"My bags are packed." Yuki states. "I don't want you to do this. I don't want you going there alone." Zero answers. "You need to stay here with the kids. Let me get him off first. That way at least we won't have the council on us. I don't only need to make this right with Kaname, I need to make it right with Ai." Yuki replies. "I know it has bothered you all these years that you left her. I just don't know if I can handle you not being here. I thought we would be together forever. We were even thinking about having another child. Is all that lost?" Zero asks. "No, not at all. I do plan on coming home. I do want to be with you forever and have more children. Just maybe now I won't have to look over my shoulder for him." Yuki responds. "if he knows we are together all he has to do is tell the council. Then they will come after us."Zero answers. "Thats why I don't want you to be around. If he thinks I wasn't with anyone, there is no one for him to hurt."Yuki replies. "I still think this is wrong." Zero comments.

They sit down to eat as a family for the last time before she leaves. Zero doing his best not to let on, in front of the children how hurt he really is. He hasn't felt like this since she left with Kaname at Cross. He feels he is losing her again. Just this time for good.

They lock up and head to bed, Yuki being very close to him, Kissing and holding and making love to him. Wrapped in each other's bodies, hearing each others heartbeat. They take blood from each other, not knowing when they will touch or drink from each other again. Knowing it's going to be back to the cravings. Probably even worse now since they spent so long together. Able to drink and take what they need whenever they wanted. To be without each other would be torture. but it was something Yuki had to do.

When the morning comes, Yuki still stays close to Zero. She kisses him lightly, then gets up and ready to get dressed. They take the kids to school together. Yuki saying her goodbyes. Worried more for her son, than for Ren. She knew Ren had nothing to fear. She was a true pureblood. Kaname's child. He would never hurt her. But Ichiru was Zero's. Kaname would hate him just for that. This was one big mess.

She holds Zeros hand on the way to the airport, Zero trembling as he drives. This was tearing him apart and there wasn't anything he could do.

"I love you Zero, I want you to always remember that," Yuki says. "Then stay, let's take our chances. I will hide you and the children while the trail is going on. So that if they do come to our home, I am the only one there." Zero says. "We can't live in fear all of our lives. We can't hide. That is no life for me, you or our children Zero. It's bad enough we hide now in ways. If they drag you off for the trail, and they blame you for my death. Then what? They put you to death? I would only have to come clean then anyway. There is no way I would let any of that happen. So it's better if I just do it now and get it over with." Yuki admits. Zero seeing her point.

He grabs her kissing her deeply, holding her tight. "I love you. I don't want him to hurt you again." Zero says. "It won't be so easy. I have been living with a hunter for ten years. I learned some tricks." Yuki says, looking into his eyes. "Stay strong," Yuki adds. Getting out of the car.

Leaving her heart with Zero. It takes everything she has not to just run back to the car and drive away with him. She just wants freedom. Its what she wanted the whole time. Never really getting it fully. Always hiding, Kaname always in her way. She wasn't doing that anymore. She wasn't letting him make her go deeper into hiding.