Second Chance

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Note: Oji means both grandfather and uncle, so Oji-chan will be grandfather, Ojii-sama will be uncle.

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It wasn't every day that you get a second chance. What will Kaname do when his arrives on his doorstep? Sequel to Within Temptation.

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Mizuki bit her lip, fidgeting with her hair, and then her skirt. She dusted off her shirt, her bags on both sides of her. She was worried. This would be the first time she has seen her uncle in over a decade. Now the ripe age of sixteen, Mizuki wanted to go see the world. Mainly Europe. She wanted to travel to London, Italy, and.. most importantly, France. Her uncle lived there, and she had missed him so much since he left when she was only seven.

Much to her parents dislike, Mizuki was very much attached to her uncle. And when he had moved away, well, they were more than thrilled to see him go, unlike her grandparents. When she had told them she wanted to go to Europe for her sixteenth birthday her father, Rido, had suspected that she wanted to see Kaname, but said nothing. Her mother, Yuuki, knew and had objected, but it was her sixteenth birthday, and she could do whatever she wanted.

Besides, it wasn't like she was in love with her uncle.... unlike her own mother and father.

Mizuki knocked on the door for the third time. She hoped he was home...

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It had been twenty minutes. He had stood there for twenty minutes, and he still could not believe his eyes. He had been stunned because at first he had thought Yuuki had come to visit him, until he had realized who it truly was. His niece, Mizuki... she was standing on his door step. He could see her through the peep hole. Kaname inhaled, then exhaled, before opening the door.

Mizuki was the exact image of her mother. Long, flowing brown hair, a heart shaped face, button nose... The similarities made his heart start beating... almost. She was fidgeting, clearly nervous. Why was she here?

"Mizuki?" he whispered.

She looked up at him, with the same red and blue eyes, looking so innocent, that she had gained from her father, Rido. The eyes that belonged to the man who had stolen his dear girl away from him.

She bit her lip, so much like Yuuki had done, in nervousness.

"Ojii-sama?" she whispered.

"What are you doing here." he asked, or more of demanded, from her.

Yuuki- no, Mizuki, he corrected, smiled at him. "I'm sixteen today... and I wanted to spend my birthday with my Ojii-sama."

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Mizuki stepped inside with her bags. "Is it.. alright if I stay here, Ojii-sama? Just for a little while? I wanted to see France..." Mizuki said shyly. Kaname nodded, taking her bags.

"Your mother should have called... so I could have prepared a room for you." Kaname said as he lead her to a room.

"Ano, but Okaa-sama didn't.. she sort of objected to my coming here." Mizuki told him.

"Oh? And your..." he let the sentence hang.

"Otou-sama understands me a little more than Okaa-sama. He knew I missed you"

Kaname opened the door for her new bedroom. It was plain, and simple. Mizuki didn't mind. Anyway, it wasn't like he knew that she was coming.

"I spent every birthday up until I was seven with Oji-chan, Okaa-sama, Otou-sama, Oba-chan and Ojii-sama. But, then I spent them without Ojii-sama... I really wanted to spend another birthday with you. I missed Ojii-sama!" Mizuki chirped. Kaname smiled slightly. The girl before him... she was so much like the Yuuki he had used to know. The Yuuki he had fallen in love with when he was a child. He wondered how she had grown up such an unaffected child living with Rido and... Yuuki.

Mizuki smiled brightly. She took her bags from him, placing them on her new bed.

"I'm not staying long, I wouldn't want to impose, just until I can find a hotel or something... I really should have payed more attention in French class..." Mizuki said thoughtfully.

"No, Mizuki. You may stay here as long as you like." Kaname said, a small smile on his lips. He hasn't smiled in years. Not since his Yuuki was taken from him, again. No... it was after that.. It was... before he left his home, for France. He could just not stand to live near Yuuki and Rido, even though little Mizuki was so attached. He had missed her as well.

"Thanks, Ojii-sama." Mizuki yawned. She was a little tired from her trip, but she didn't want to sleep just yet. Mizuki walked over to her uncle, smiling brightly. He was much taller than her, even with her boots on. She wrapped her arms around her Ojii-sama suddenly, hugging him close. She breathed in his scent. He smelled the same. Like wine, and peppermint.

"It's good to see you again, Ojii-sama." she whispered. Kaname hesitated, before hugging her close.

"It's good to see you too, Mizuki.." he whispered. Kaname kissed her hair, and smiled.

-

Mizuki, skipping around, followed Kaname wherever he went, just like her earlier years. She was like an innocent child. She was so young compared to him but, even so, Mizuki painfully reminded Kaname of her mother, whom he still loved, and her father, the man he still hated. He could not help but hate his uncle for what he did to his sister. Because of him, Yuuki was never the same.

Kaname sighed, shaking his head. Thinking of the past would not do anyone any good.

Mizuki spotted an ice cream parlour and immediately stopped. "Ojii-sama!" she exclaimed, claiming his attention. Kaname stopped, glancing over to her.

"Very well, Mizuki." he said, smiling a little at her excitement. Taking his hand in hers, Mizuki led Kaname inside, and waited patiently as he ordered them two fudge sundaes. In only two minutes, they were sitting down, enjoying the window seat, slowly savouring the delicious ice cream.

Kaname watched Mizuki, barely touching his own sundae. She was... almost exactly like Yuuki when she was younger. Happy. Bubbly. Mizuki sent a smile his way and Kaname knew he was slowly falling for the young girl who reminded him so much of her mother.

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Mizuki sighed, dropping her spoon in the empty sundae cup. Using a napkin, she wiped off any sundae on her mouth. She was so happy. She was here, in France, with her uncle. She had missed him a lot when she was younger. Of course, her mother had tried her best to make Mizuki forget about him, but she couldn't. He was a good friend, and being an only child... She didn't have anyone.

"What would you like to do today, Mizuki?" Kaname asked. Mizuki tilted her head to the side.

"Mm... I dunno.... Whatever Ojii-sama wants to do is fine with me!" she exclaimed happily.

"Today is your birthday, Mizuki. You decide." Mizuki sighed, propping her head up with her hand.

"Um... Mizuki wants to..." Her eyes lit up, smiling brightly, as if she just remembered something. "Mizuki wants to show you something~!" she said brightly. Mizuki opened up her messenger bag that she had brought along with her, and took out a folder. She opened it up, flipped through a couple of pages, taking the odd one out, and handed them to him.

Kaname carefully took them from her. On the first page was a picture of the entire family, sketched out. Yuuki and Rido, standing beside Juuri and Haruka, with Kaname standing beside his parents. It was drawn from an old photo. It was a perfect resemblance.

"Did you draw this?" Kaname asked. Artists in the Kuran family were surprisingly rare. The last one known was around three hundred years ago. Mizuki blushed and nodded.

"Hai. There's more... um.. I was, well, really bored during the plane ride so I drew a couple of pictures..." she told him, surprisingly shy.

Kaname flipped through. There was a picture of Rido, of Yuuki, one of Juuri and Haruka and finally, himself. It looked almost as if she had spent the most time on his own picture, but all of them were really well drawn.

"You have amazing talent, Mizuki." he whispered.

"Thank you, Ojii-sama..."

"Your mother and father must be proud." He said, rather stiffly. Mizuki nodded, noticing his tension. He hated talking about them, she could tell. He must be still sad... after what had happened.

"Oh, they are. Kaa-chan was hoping I would become an actor, but... I just didn't want to. I hate all that attention, it is.. a bit annoying.."

They were silent for a few minutes. Mizuki sighed, before sending a sad smile toward Kaname.

"I'm really sorry, about what... what happened." She said suddenly, her cheerfulness gone. A sadness filled her eyes, as she looked at him. She was grieving for him.

"Momma and Daddy told me a while back, about what had happened between you guys. Why you hate them so much, and why Momma hates you. I think... I think it's sad, what happened. You and momma... you loved each other once, didn't you?"

So she knew. It sort of surprised Kaname, but then again, it also didn't. Yuuki had always been honest with Mizuki over everything. He knew she loved Mizuki more than anything - even Rido who was more than a little overprotective. Yuuki had once forbidden Mizuki from seeing Kaname, and that had made Mizuki terribly upset, because of their past. However with some convincing on Rido's part Yuuki had relented and given in. Kaname supposed he had to thank him sometime.

"Do not feel sad, Mizuki. That is all in the past." he spoke softly, reassuring her.

"But.. Momma she... she tried to kill you..." Mizuki whispered. Tears threatened to spill over at the thought of her uncle dying. She couldn't handle it, just the same as she couldn't handle the death of her own mother and father.

"I also tried to kill your father, Mizuki. To her, it was fair game."

Mizuki swallowed and nodded. "I... I guess so..." Kaname leaned over and wiped the tears from her eyes. He smiled.

"Do not cry, Mizuki..." Mizuki nodded, and smiled in return.

-

The sun came only too quickly. By now, Mizuki was already in her nightgown, and was about to go to sleep for the night; humans would be waking up by now. Mizuki yawned as she slipped into the cold, crisp sheets. The light from the sun slipped through her curtains. Kaname-Ojii-sama had said there would be rain soon. She hoped not. She didn't like the rain, or the thunder.

Much to her disappointment, it started raining in the middle of the day, interrupting her sleep. Mizuki shivered at the coldness of the room. She slipped out of her bed, and ran to the room she knew to be Kaname's. She felt so childish, doing this, but she has always hated the thunder. Her father would often tease her about it. It seemed to be a trait carried on from her mother. Although... she doubted a fear of something could be inherited.

Mizuki opened her uncle's door. Peering inside, she found him sitting in his bed, half naked, a glass of wine in one hand, a book in the other. Shouldn't he be sleeping, instead of reading?

"Kaname-ojiisama?" she whispered. Kaname looked up in surprise.

"What is it Mizuki?" he asked. Mizuki bit her lip.

"Can I sleep with you tonight? I hate the thunder..." If Kaname was surprised, he didn't show it. Instead, he chuckled and nodded. Mizuki smiled gleefully as she hurried into his room, then hopped into his bed. Sliding under the sheets, Mizuki leaned against his shoulder and sighed. She felt safe here, with no worries.. nothing. She was glad to be near her uncle again. Kaname kissed Mizuki on her head, before she slowly succumbed to sleep, leaving Kaname to his book.

The entire time she was sleeping beside him, Kaname could not focus on his book. He had read the same line fifty times. She was, to say the least, beautifully distracting. Kaname sighed, setting his book aside. Throughout the night, or rather, the day, he watched Mizuki sleep, breathing slowly in and out with a steady rhythm. Her lip trembled each and every time the thunder roared, shaking the house, with the result that he found himself wishing it would thunder every minute of the day.

Kaname was battling himself on the inside. He had come to the conclusion that this girl had, miraculously, captured the heart that once belonged to her mother. But he did not want to be like his uncle. He did not want to take her from someone else. He had not heard of another child; it seemed as if Mizuki was all alone.

But what if she had a boyfriend of some sort? A lover? A fiance? The thought of someone else taking Mizuki angered him greatly. Jealousy struck him, thinking of her with someone else, other than him. It... he just hated the very thought.

Kaname sighed. "Mizuki." He whispered, shaking her gently awake.

"Hmm... Ojii-sama..." she whispered, her eyes slowly fluttering open. "Wha- is it?" she asked.

"Do you... do you have a lover? A boyfriend?" he asked. Mizuki's eyes were glazed with confusion, but she shook her head.

"'Zuki's all alone..." she mumbled, falling back asleep.

"No... No Mizuki, you aren't. Not any longer."

-

It was eight pm when Mizuki awoke, and Kaname was leaning against the door frame, watching her. He was dressed in his best suit. Mizuki smiled, before releasing a loud yawn. After leaving the safety of the crisp, messy sheets, Mizuki stumbled around slightly. She was not fully awake yet.

"Get dressed. We are going out." He told her with a slight smile. Mizuki returned it and nodded, following him out the door and into her own room. Mizuki, assuming they were going somewhere expensive, dressed in a burgundy color dress. It had no back, and tied at the back of her neck, V neck dipping down.

She loved that dress. Her father had given it to her for her birthday, much to Yuuki's chagrin. However the dress suited her and Mizuki would not argue with him when it came to gifts.

She strapped on her lovely black high heels, a simple black choker with a red rose, and tied her hair up in a messy bun, most of her hair falling out. Twirling around in front of the mirror, Mizuki wanted to make sure she looked presentable. She did not want to look mediocre next to her uncle.

"Kaname-Ojiisama! I'm ready!" Mizuki said, running down the stairs to greet him. Kaname smiled, taking his hand in hers.

"You look beautiful, Mizuki." She blushed, nodding in thanks.

"Thank you..." she whispered. Kaname smiled reassuringly. Arm in arm, hand in hand, The two had walked to an elegant restaurant that would not close until at least past midnight. It opened fairly late, but was one of the best. You had to get reservations up to three months prior in order to actually get a seat. Of course, Kaname always had one reserved for him, whenever he might need it.

Now, he did.

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The two walked around together, close to home, after dinner. Mizuki was stuffed; she had eaten quite a lot. She had never really tasted human food before. She always drank blood tablets, and was fine. Such a delicacy. Mizuki really appreciated the effort Kaname had put into all of this, although she did not quite understand why he had done it. She had never asked him to do anything. Mizuki bit her lip.

Looking up at the moon, Mizuki sighed in content. She really enjoyed bathing the moon's cool, reflected rays. She smiled slightly. She knew why her mother loved it so much.

Kaname turned to her, drawing her attention to him. He lightly caressed her face with his fingers, as if he was afraid of hurting her. Mizuki knew better though. Her Ojii-sama could never hurt her. Would never hurt her. Not on purpose. She knew her uncle felt bad for what had happened between him and her mother, and he was still grieving his loss of the woman he loved.

Mizuki didn't want him to love her mother anymore. She felt bad for feeling that way, but it was the truth. She wanted Kaname to love her, and only her. Not her mother, who clearly loved her father more than anything. Mizuki wanted to bring her uncle happiness, and joy. She wanted to love him like he deserved to be loved.

"Ojii-sama..." she whispered. She closed her eyes as he trailed his fingers down her jawline, then down to her neck.

"Mizuki..." he said softly, barely audible. Suddenly, as if following an impulse, Kaname wrapped his arms around her, and held her close, beginning to kiss her, from her cheek, down to her lips. He hesitated, for a moment, hovering over her lips, as if he was asking for her permission. Mizuki swallowed in anticipation. Her eyes closed, she leaned forward, and pressed her lips to his.

Shocked, Kaname almost didn't respond, but he made up for it. Kissing her with more force now, Mizuki moaned into the kiss, opening her mouth, allowing Kaname entrance. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, causing her to moan again as they battled for dominance, each exploring the sweet corners of the others mouth.

Kaname lifted his hand to her face, holding her still. He felt... joy and happiness wash over him. He loved her. This sweet, innocent woman who trusted him completely and irrevocably. He held her heart in his hands, and she the same.

*Maddy melts into pile of goo in fangirly happiness*

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The End

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Lol, found it so funny I kept it there. Should be obvious by the statement above, but VampireMaddy beta'ed this. You guys should thank her for dealing with my horrible writing, lol.

Okay, so, Kaname is no longer alone and has the lovely Mizuki with him! Hope you Kaname fan girls are happy :)

Thanks for reading!!!