"Hey Allen!" Lenalee chirped happily as Allen approached her, but his expression spelled concern rather than a good morning or even a good night's rest.

"Hey Lenalee… Have you seen Lavi around at all? He called and said he was going to be back yesterday."

"He is an exorcist, Allen. He probably got caught up with some akuma somewhere and had to stay the night elsewhere. I'm sure he'll be back soon." She shrugged off the silver haired boy's concern with a smile and walked away.

Allen, however, could not liberate the dark feeling growing in the pit of his stomach; not at that moment, and not for the rest of that week. Something was very wrong.

A night at the end of that week, Allen's weary grey eyes just couldn't seem to find sleep among their desires. His body was completely drained by the sandman and his mind was no longer hard at work. Perhaps it was the uneasiness of the clock ticking hollowly in his room, but he just couldn't relax his eyelids enough to sleep. He rolled onto his side to face the wall until he heard a soft knock and his door creaked open enough for a soft voice to roll through the gap, "Allen?"

He rolled back over and got up to meet her at the door, "What is it?

Lenalee was rigid, "Can you take a walk with me for a bit."

Allen nodded and stepped out.

Lenalee was still in her nightgown and the tear that escaped the veil of her short hair gave her an air of ghostly sorrow he couldn't ignore…

"What's going on? Why are you crying?" Allen cut off her pace.

She looked down shaking her head and pushed gently on his chest with fists clenched around the ends of her sleeves, "Just walk with me, kay?"

He hesitated, but obliged and they followed the dim lit halls.

In the way she walked, Allen could tell they had a destination behind their venture. He was about to ask, but she spoke first in the eerie silence, "Allen?"

He matched pace with her in reply.

"I know that since you're an exorcist… and I'm pretty sure I understand the gist of what I'm about to ask anyway… but… may I?"

Allen tipped his head, "May you what? Ask?"

She nodded.

"Go right ahead. No judgments held." He gave her that goofy grin those that knew him loved so much and Lenalee bit back heavier tears.

She swallowed the lump in her throat to keep her voice clear, "How much do you value a life over you own? And how important is that to you?"

Allen rushed into the obvious answer, "Depends on how well I know them. I'll certainly give all within my living power to help someone I don't know but… I guess it also depends on the threat. If you really think about it though, just wearing my exorcist coat paints me a target. So my life is always on the line with the rest of yours. Then if it means anything to you, Lenalee, this work is my life. It's very important to me… Why do you ask?"

She shook her head, "Just wondering."

He stopped her by her shoulder, "You're not acting right, Lenalee… Are you okay?"

She took an extra moment to reply, choosing her words warily. "I will be… one day… What about you?"

"I'm fine, but you're scaring me right now… what's brought all this up?"

"How quick would you be to sacrifice yourself for the sake of others?"

"Another question?"

"I just want to be sure I understand."

"Understand what?" Allen's voice rang in the empty silence that followed as Lenalee's trembling grew more violent.

"How you'll react…" She looked down to the side.

"React? React to what?" Allen became deeply nervous about where this conversation was going…

She didn't respond.

Allen's jitters got the best of him so he tried to change the subject, "Where's Lavi? Any word?"

"He's home."

Allen's heart dropped rather than was relieved, "I don't like how you said that Lenalee, where is he?"

The tears began to gorge paths on her smooth cheeks and grew wider as she turned away, leaving him to stare at the aura she left… and behind where she had stood but a moment before, loomed the death of the final portion of Allen's soul.

"No…" He shook his head in denial and rushed for the large doors leading into the chapel. "Lavi!"

Komui cut off mid sentence as the young boy entered the room and Bookman took a few steps back, staring intently at Allen as if merely observing the meaningless reaction of a stranger.

"Where is he?" Allen was shaking too now and Komui wouldn't look him in the eye.

Allen caught sight of a black glint behind them and he sprinted for it. He was instantly enfolded in restraints of the arms of Finders standing nearby.

"LAVI! Let me see him!"

"The coffin has already been sealed. There's nothing you can do now." Bookman's firm gaze never wavered.

Allen shattered inside and his body went limp. The Finders released him and he sank to the ground, horror spelled across his face.

Bookman patted Komui's arm and waved the Finders away, leaving the chief to console with the mortified exorcist.

"Damn you're cold heart, Bookman! You know no remorse!" Allen practically screamed at the old man's back as the door closed after it.

Komui watched helplessly, unable to speak as the young boy, crumbled, curled into himself a moment before slowly, clumsily crawling to the casket's side and shivering, caressed its surface while barely muttering over and over, "Not again…"

The chief almost began to speak, but was cut off by the teen once more, "Damn it!" His voice broke and softened, "Why Lavi?" He whined as tears cascaded down his face sickly pale from shock, "Why?" He looked up a Komui, "What happened to him?"

"… There was nothing removed but… it was his signature… one of our Finders found him strung upside-down… He was more than likely dead before hung up just by signs of death but… I'm sorry Allen; there was nothing we could do."

Allen's soul grew cold and he ceased to tremor. His hands balled into fists but the tears never quit falling down.