In a hallway of the Black Order Headquarters

"Lenalee! I heard that Allen has come back! Let's go and have lunch! I bet we can see him in the cafeteria," Lavi cried as he saw Lenalee walking by. The redhead had just came back from a mission. He heard that Allen had been back for three days but he hadn't seen him yet. Therefore he was going to the cafeteria where Allen was bound to be. The boy seemed to think of food only when he wasn't on a mission.

Lenalee looked up and smiled when she saw Lavi. But it was strained and she looked strangely tired, almost as though a big burden was placed on her shoulders. Lavi's grin disappeared when he noticed Lenalee looking haggard. "Lenalee? What happened? You looked tired," asked Lavi, concerned about his friend's health. Well, he wasn't supposed to as the Bookman's heir, but hey! He was human too!

"I am fine. It is Allen you should be worrying," Lenalee spoke in a tired voice. "He hasn't been himself since that last mission with Kanda." "What do you mean?" To say Lavi was shocked was an understatement. Allen had always been the most stout-hearted of them all, never giving up even in the direst situation. What could had happened in that last mission?

"Well, the mission was to check out some strange happenings near France. But it turned out to be some kind of ghost that was making strange things happened. Then somehow, Allen wandered into a shadier part of the town. He was kidnapped and the men turned out to be his master's debt collectors. Well, they were human smugglers and Allen was quite a nice gift, being cute and handsome whichever way you want to see it. He was about to be sold off in an auction when Kanda arrived just in time. The Finder with them said that Allen had been acting strange since then." Lenalee heaved a great sigh after finishing the story. "Allen was eating much less than what he was eating before. Jerry was worried so he told my brother. My brother talked to Allen. But no answers. His smiles were also gone. He looked so sad now."

Lavi frowned when he heard what Lenalee. Allen wasn't a weak person. Therefore it must have taken a great deal to break his spirit. Wait! Kanda! He was with Allen throughout the mission. Maybe he will give some clues as to what Allen faced. With that thought in mind, Lavi turned and ran down another hallway. "Wait! Where are you going, Lavi?" Lenalee called after him. "To see Kanda!" Lavi called back. "I am going too! Wait!" Lenalee wasn't going to miss out on this.

In front of Kanda's room

"Yuu-san! Open up!" Lavi banged on the closed door of Kanda Yuu's room. "Shut up, baka Usagi! I am trying to meditate!" A very irritated Kanda flung opened the door to shout at Lavi. Lavi smiled up at him and asked, "You know anything about Allen?" "What? Moyashi? No!" Kanda snapped. He was very irritated that Lavi was disturbing him in the middle of meditating. "By the way, why are you meditating in your room instead of the meditation room?" Lavi asked offhandedly.

Kanda snapped, "There was an abnormal amount of people in there. My concentration would be broken." Besides worrying for that damn Moyashi, who everyone seemed to be talking about, he added silently. He will be dead before he admitted that he was worried for that damn Moyashi.

In Allen's room

Allen lay in his bed, up at the ceiling. He did not felt like doing anything. In fact he hadn't felt like doing anything since he got back from the mission. He had been so hurt when Kanda had called him disgusting. Allen sighed and turned on his side. He couldn't even bring himself to go to the cafeteria anymore. Every time he eat he would think back to what Kanda had said to him on the train, and he would lose his appetite.

His thoughts were rudely interrupted when a loud knocking on his door scared the birds of his and every windowsill in the building. "Hey Allen, let's go get lunch!" Lavi's far too cheerful voice came through the door. With yet another sigh, Allen conceded that once the rabbit made up his mind on something, he was unlikely to change it. "I am coming, wait a minute," he spoke tiredly.

Outside the room, Lavi frowned concernedly. Was it his imagination or was Allen sounding tired? But his worries were quickly banished when he saw Allen coming out of his room looking fresh. "Let's go!" Lavi cried happily, linking his arm with Allen's.

Within five minutes, they were at the Order's cafeteria talking to Jerry. It was rare for Allen to reach the cafeteria so soon because he had a really dreadful sense of direction. Lavi watched as Allen ordered his food.

Well, Lavi thought to himself. Lenalee's not wrong. However what Allen eats are still more than enough for two grown men. Lavi ordered his own food and the two friends sat down at a nearby table. Allen saw Lavi looking at him as he was gulping down food. Immediately, his mind flashed back what Kanda had spoken on the train unbidden. His appetite was lost.

Choking on a piece of French toast, Allen pushed his plate away. He could not looked at Lavi when he muttered, "I am full." Lavi looked up, surprised that Allen was full after only a quarter of his food. "Are you sure?" He asked, worried for the boy's health. Allen tried to smile, but failed dramatically, as he nodded.

Lavi frowned inwardly as he realized that he hadn't seen the white-haired exorcist smile even once during the time they had been together. He was about to address him when Lenalee came running up to them. "Lavi! I asked you to wait for me!" she exclaimed, indignant that she had been left behind.

"EH?! I am sorry!!!" Lavi quickly apologized as he envisioned Komui coming after him with another Komurin at his side. Shuddering, he proceeded to coax the female exorcist to forgive them. During that time, Allen quietly slipped away. He dared not stay in their company for fear he might hear something like what Kanda said in the train compartment.

Lenalee and Lavi's fight ended abruptly when Lenalee turned to ask Allen's opinion on who was wrong. "Allen-kun, wha-?" He wasn't in his seat.

Lavi and Lenalee turned to look at each other with a "Now what?" look.

Tbc

I am putting up a Tbc because I got someone asking me whether I am going to be continuing with this fic. Well, don't worry; I will certainly finish this fic.

It is not going to be long, just one or two more chapters to go. After that I am going to write something about Bak's love life.