Disclaimer: I don't own -Man. If I did…well, there would be deaths of several characters.

An Innocent Heart

"The next thing we knew was that Mr. Walker was basically dead when we woke up and these three were standing next to us," Ryan stated, rubbing the back of his head.

Everyone was silent. So that was why Allen was so badly beaten up. They all knew that Allen could have very easily opened another gate where he was but he'd also risk letting akuma into the new headquarters. Komui punched the wall nearest him. If only he had been faster on dispatching Allen's back up. If only he could have sent more exorcists to his aide…

"Chief…" Lavi muttered, looking up at the frustrated Chinese man.

Lavi could completely understand his frustration. Lavi was just as frustrated about all of this as he was. The second that he and his small group stepped out towards where Allen said he was, they were surrounded by the second wave of akuma that were headed straight for Allen. Lavi bit his lip. If only they had been faster at destroying the akuma then maybe Allen would still have been alright. Lavi let out a frustrated sigh. But they weren't faster. They had come at the last second and barely were able to save Allen let alone the two kids. The only reason that those three were alive was because of Allen's stubborn mentality.

"Komui," a voice sounded from the doorway of the office, "Where's Walker?"

Every head turned to the source of the voice and spotted Link standing there, dirt and sweat clinging to his person. While his arrival meant that the innocence was most likely save, no one was relieved to see him. Most of them in that particular room despised the blonde haired man far before this and that still hadn't changed. But they knew that they needed to be relieved that Link was alive for Allen. Komui slowly approached the blonde man.

"Where are the innocence fragments that Allen and you managed to retrieve?" Komui asked sternly.

Link just held up a battered suitcase and presented it to the chief. Komui quickly took it and walked back over to his desk. He promptly pushed every single paper off his desk and gently placed the suitcase in their wake. Slowly, Komui opened the suitcase to reveal three pieces of raw innocence and a glowing stone that he assumed to be the Stone of Songs. Sighing in his relief that the innocence was save, Komui turned back to the rest.

"All the pieces are in here. Now," Komui stated looking around the room, "Who wants to take the pieces down to Hevlaska's chamber?"

"I'll do it," another voice sounded from the doorway.

"Timothy?" Lenalee questioned as the nine year old walked up to the desk.

"I just returned with Marie from our mission and have to head down there anyways," Timothy stated, closing the suitcase and struggling to lift it.

"Are you sure you want to?" Lavi asked, unsure whether or not the boy had heard what had happened.

"Why wouldn't I? I mean, it means that I get the credit of finding these pieces then!" The boy laughed.

"You did not! Mr. Walker did!" Jeniya shouted, angry at the rude boy.

"Walker did? Hey, where is Allen anyways?" the boy asked, looking around for the missing white-haired teen, "Normally, he's in here when he gets back from a mission with that two dot dude."

Everyone was silent. Who was going to tell the kid? They all knew that Timothy had a somewhat close to Allen already even though he hadn't been at the Order that long. Most of the time, whenever neither had a mission, Timothy could be found following Allen around when not being tutored. It was rather cute to most of them. It was like a little boy following his big brother around hoping that he would teach him all of his tricks. Kanda che'd.

"Che. If you're looking for that baka Moyashi, then he's in the infirmary. The baka nearly got himself killed again," Kanda stated brutally.

Everyone watched Timothy freeze as Kanda's words sunk into his skull. They watched as emotions of sorrow, fear, and anger flash in his eyes. Lenalee was about to get up to pull the young boy into a hug when Timothy straighten his body back up.

"I'm not worried about him," Timothy stated boldly, "There's no way that he'd die. He has too many promises to keep."

With those few words, Timothy dragged the suitcase off to Hevlaska's chamber. Everyone was shocked at the boy's confidence. Lenalee stood up and stared at the door way. She knew that she herself should believe in those words. There was no reason for them not to be true. Sighing, Lenalee made herself smile. She'd have to remember to thank that little boy later. Much later.

"Will you please tell us about something?" Jeniya asked, breaking the tense silence.

"What is it?" Lenalee asked, pasting Allen's famous smile on her own face.

"What's the evil that Mr. Walker spoke of? The one that dwells within him?" Ryan spoke up.

Everyone flinched. They all knew that they'd eventually have to tell them that Allen was a possible enemy and that if he turned against them to kill him but yet none of the exorcists could bring themselves to tell the two young accommodators. Allen had saved them after all, throwing his own life basically out the window. Tears started anew in all eyes but four. Kanda just stood there, scowling like always at the Moyashi's idiocy while Link just sighed and walked up to the two kids. Since none of the exorcists could say it, the inspector would have to. Not that it mattered to him. His only job was to watch Walker in case the Noah started to take over, not baby over some new sacrifices to the war.

"The evil you are referring to is-" Link started say when a loud knock distracted him.

All eyes turned to see the Head Nurse standing in the doorway, her face looking dismal. Lenalee was on her feet and at the door within seconds, followed by Lavi and Komui.

"How is Allen, Head Nurse?" Lenalee asked, voice filled with worry.

The Head Nurse just pushed through the doorway and sat on the couch, eyes glued on the floor. After a few minutes in which the tense silence returned to the room, even the great Kanda Yuu was worried. Komui knelt in front of the normally tough woman and placed a hand on top of her own.

"We managed to save him," the nurse said finally, never looking up.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. For those long moments, they had all worried that none of them would ever see Allen's smiling, carefree face again. Kanda smirked. That Moyashi defiantly lived up to his name.

"But…" the Head nurse said, "I'm not quite sure on how to tell you all this…"

The feeling of relief suddenly faded and their worries returned tenfold. What was wrong? Allen was alive, wasn't he? What could be so bad about that? Shock rushed through the older exorcists as the realization came to be planted in their brains. Were all of his injuries and weak body allowing the Noah inside of him to free itself? Were they going to have to kill their comrade after trying so hard to save him? Kanda stalked up to the Head Nurse and pointed his Mugen at her face. He was starting to grow tired of everyone's persistent beating around the bush about the Moyashi.

"You better tell us what's wrong right now unless you want to end up on those hospital beds as well," Kanda spat out.

Everyone's eyes widened at Kanda's actions. Kanda, the same great Kanda Yuu that fought with Allen both verbally and physically every time they came in contact, was worried about the little man in the hospital. If the situation had been any different, it was quite possible that everyone in the room would have started to laugh at the young samurai.

"Put down your sword, Kanda," the Head Nurse sighed. She waited for him to do as she asked, although reluctantly, before she continued with what she had to tell him, "Like I said, we were able to save him. He's stable right now and if you wish to after I tell you everything, you are free to go visit him."

Lenalee sat next to the Head Nurse and Lavi joined Komui in front of her. What was wrong? If it had to do with his Noah self, she was to tell them immediately. If it wasn't that, what could it have been? The Head Nurse took a deep breath and just blurted out what she needed to tell them, "Allen Walker will not live much longer."

Mizu: Sorry for the short chapter. I'm kind of having a hard time sitting down just to write right now. I just lost a close family member so it might be a while before I can actually type up the rest of my ideas. On another note, I'm just going to tell you right now that I tend to write really long stories and this one will probably be one of those really long stories. So please stick with me throughout it! Reviews are welcomed and flames and critics are encouraged. Ciao for now!