I don't own D. Gray-Man. ~Snow

Chapter One: Meeting Allen Walker.

The hooded figure stared at the sky for a moment, their long white cloak fluttering in the cold breeze, as they watched the snow fall.

"Can't believe you're really gone… Heh… Guess I better find Allen before he does, huh?" The figure said quietly, as their gaze returned to the path in front of them. As they started to walk again.

They walked in silence for a long time, walking along the brick road, until they came across a split in the path, taking the left side, which looked like it was hardly traveled.

After a little while the figure came across a grave, the name on it reading. MANA WALKER. And leaning against the back of the grave was a crying ten year old boy, with hair the color of snow, and skin nearly the same color. His eyes, swollen slightly from crying, held beautiful silver irises. A scar starting underneath his left eye jagged across his cheek and above the eye was a pentacle. The boy was looking at the ground, the figure noted, when they had stopped to observe him.

The boy looked up as the figured approached and knelt in front of him. "Hey there Allen." The figure said quietly, in a gentle voice. "H-How do you k-know my name?" The boy, known as Allen Walker, asked.

The figure let their hood fall, revealing a young woman, no older than twenty, with dazzling green eyes, short brown hair, which hung just past her jaw, and fair skin.

"My name's Ashley Hall. I'm a friend of Mana's… He asked me to take care of you, if something ever happened to him." Ashley explained, smiling kindly at the boy, opening her arms. "Now, come 'ere. You must be freezing."

Allen hesitated before nodding, and hurried over to her, nearly jumping in surprise when she hugged him tightly, yet gently, and stood up, picking him up, and wrapping the cloak around them both.

"I… I killed him… I killed Mana…" Allen started to sob, hugging Ashley tightly. "Honey… You didn't kill him… You saved him, from being one of those creatures." Ashley said softly, as she started to walk away from the grave, down back the path she had come from, as Allen continued to cry. Ashley rubbing his back soothingly.

"A-And… My arm…" Allen looked up at Ashley, tears streaming down the young child's face. "Is a gift… It'll help save others, from being like Mana was…" Ashley said. "You're… Not disgusted by it..?" Allen asked quietly. The woman shook her head. "No, honey…"

"Sleep, Allen… I'll be a long while before we reach home… So sleep… I know you're tired." Ashley said gently, as Allen rested his head against her shoulder, tears still streaming down his face. "You've been through a lot… Just sleep." Allen nodded slightly, hiccupping, as he closed his weary eyes, falling asleep quickly.

Ashley smiled to herself, as the snow stopped falling. "Looks like I've got my work cut out for me, huh?" She laughed quietly, as Allen slept, walking down the path.

"Allen honey~ Wake up! I bet you're hungry, huh?" Allen yawned, as he sat up in the bed… Wait, bed? Allen rubbed his eyes, looking around, wondering for a second where he was, before Ashley came into view, bringing with her, memories of the day before.

"Momma… Where are we?" Allen asked, noticing that Ashley was no longer wearing the white cloak, but a pair of black pants and a purple long sleeved sweater.

Ashley's eyes widened slightly when Allen called her Momma, but blinked quickly, the look of shock fading as fast as it came. "We're at an Inn right now." She explained, walking over to the bed, setting some clothes at the foot of the bed. "So we're not at your home?" Allen asked. Ashley shook her head. "Not yet, it's still a ways off… Anyways, I got you some clothes, get dressed and we'll go get some breakfast, alright?"

Allen nodded. "There's a good boy… I'll see you downstairs in a moment." With that, Ashley left the room, the door clicking behind her. Giving Allen a chance to look around.

He was lying in the middle of the only bed, a nightstand next to it, and a dresser against another wall with a mirror above it. Two doors were on the opposite wall of the dresser, which Allen guessed to be a bathroom and a closet. Across from the bed was the wall with the door, a few pictures hung on it for decorations. While on the wall above the bed was a window.

Allen quickly scrambled onto his knees, pressing his face against the glass, looking outside.

They were in a small village, he watched as people passed by, none of them noticing the white haired kid watching them from above.

A few minutes later Allen hurried off the bed and over to the pile of clothes. Laying each item, one by one, onto the bed. A pair of black pants, a white long sleeved shirt, black socks, white gloves, and a few extra items, such as a scarf, his coat, which was mended and cleaned, some more gloves and socks, ect.

Allen quickly dressed as his stomach gave a loud growl, complaining about the fact it was empty. After getting dressed and pulling on his boots, Allen restacked the unused items, buttoning up his coat and wrapping the orange scarf around his neck.

Allen opened the door, making certain it was shut firmly behind him before he hurried down the steps to the first floor, and into the small dinning area, where Ashley waited with plates of steaming hot food.

"Took you long enough." She teased lightly, as Allen scrambled onto the chair opposite her. "Hungry?" Allen nodded, smiling widely as Ashley pushed a plate towards him. "I ate while you were asleep, so I'm not very hungry." She explained at the quizzical look he was giving her, as he started to eat, and noticed she hadn't.

"How… Did you know my size in clothes?" Allen asked between bites. "Mana sent me a letter every time you grew, telling me your size… Just in case, something happened." Ashley said, as she watched Allen eat. "Slow down a little honey, we don't want you to choke, now do we?" Ashley chuckled softly, pushing a glass of milk towards him, watching Allen drink it.

"How far are we from your home?" Allen asked, as he started on the next plate. "Not too far. It's only a couple of towns over, and through the woods." Once again, Allen gave her a quizzical look. "I live in a cabin in the woods, nice little place, there's a brook near it, and if you follow the brook north, you'll find a lake, which has plenty of fish, plus I have my garden, there are the wild berry bushes, a couple of traps I've set up. Oh Allen, wait until the summer! You'll love seeing the sunsets in the clearing, and the grass is so green." Ashley sighed happily.

"So… I'm going to live with you?" Allen asked, as he finished the rest of his food. Ashley nodded. "And… We're not going to travel everywhere?" Ashley nodded again.

"I'm also going to teach you, basic stuff, Proper English, Math, History, stuff like that… But I'll also be teaching you other stuff, telling different kinds of plants apart, what's edible and what's not, what's poisonous… Basic fighting skills too, but that's when you're older."

"What about… My arm?" Allen asked quietly. "Though I don't know much about Innocence, which is what your arm is, I'll teach you what I can, alright?" Ashley asked, smiling at Allen, who nodded. "Alright, Momma."

"Now!" Ashley said, getting up and pushing her chair in. "Let's go pack, we've got a ways to go, and I'd like to be home before dark." She smiled at Allen, holding out her hand. "Lets go, honey." Allen got out of his chair, smiling, and took hers. "Okay Momma~"

Please Read and Review~ I'd love to hear your opinions~!

~Snow