I always laughed when I read authors saying that reviews made them more motivated to write. After all, I've always written for my own pleasure, and if someone else enjoyed it, that was nice, but it wasn't the end of the world if they didn't. Now I see what they meant. Every time I get a review it spurs me own to start the next chapter, so I apologise to all the authors I mentally reviewed but never posted for, in the future I will try to review the stories I read!
Would just like to say I have no idea where this fits into the manga storyline, only that obviously Allen already knows Fou and Bak of the Asian branch, and they have the ark, so it must be sometime in the future, but don't ask me, I'm just the author!
Lots of time-jumpy (and place-jumpy)- two lines indicate a time skip.
Of course, I still don't own D Gray Man, but I do own Francesca. Not that that makes me feel any better...
Chapter 8- Still an exorcist
"He's gone?" Allen stared at Komui in disbelief. "When? Why?" Dammit Kanda Yuu, why'd you run away?
"He stormed in here earlier, demanding a mission. He wanted a long-term one, but the only one I had unassigned was a simple Akuma extermination. An easy mission for someone of Kanda's calibre. He'll be back within two months if all goes well."
Allen was thunderstruck. Two months?! He'd missed his chance…
"As for why, I have no idea. He's probably just fed up with being stuck at the Order."
Allen nodded. "Yeah, thanks Komui." As he closed the door closed behind, he felt tears gathering in his eyes, threatening to overflow.
Lavi found him sometime later, sitting outside, despite the pouring rain. The pleasant morning had rapidly become overcast, as though the sky was crying along with Allen.
"I've just heard. Are you alright?"
Allen started nodding out of habit, but stopped abruptly. "No."
Lavi gave him a small sympathetic smile. "Don't worry; he'll be back before you know it."
Allen suspected no matter how soon Kanda returned, all chances of ever being in a relationships had been destroyed when he had run away that morning. He hung his head, berating his stupidity. And cursing Kanda's impulsiveness- he couldn't believe that Kanda had run away as well, as though he thought he had been rejected. Allen sighed harder. From Kanda's point of view that was probably what it had looked like. Allen would have probably assumed the same thing.
Lavi laid a hand on his shoulder, guiding him inside. "Won't do either of you any good if you'd died of 'flu before he got back."
Allen leant on Lavi's shoulder, grateful for the support. "Thanks Lavi."
Lenalee almost dropped the coffee-laden tray she was carrying, her mouth hanging open in astonishment.
Allen…walking with Lavi…who had his arm draped casually over the younger boy's shoulders. Allen was leaning into the taller boy as they walked inside, dripping with rain and seeming oblivious to anything going on around them.
She felt so betrayed- she had spilled all of her (and Allen's) secrets to Lavi earlier, not once considering that she could be mistaken in her assumption she was searching for a female…Lavi must have been laughing at her all along.
The rattling of china on the tray reminded her she was in the middle of something, and capping the churning confused anger that rolled through her stomach, she stalked to the science department.
"Lenalee!" Komui greeted her enthusiastically, inhaling the pleasant aroma of the coffer that she had somehow managed to keep hold of.
She slammed Komui's pink cup down on the desk, too busy plotting revenge on a certain red-headed bookman apprentice to reply.
"Lenalee are you alright?" Reever took his own cup from the proffered tray.
She jumped in surprise, looking at him innocently, worried that the evil thoughts she had been thinking had somehow made it onto her face. "Of course, why wouldn't I be?"
Komui wasn't fooled for an instant. He might dote on his little sister, but he wasn't completely blind. He knew her best after all.
He cast a pointed look at the gathered scientists, who retreated hurriedly. It was never a good idea to stick around when Komui got that look in his eye. You might end up as part of another ridiculous experiment.
When they were alone, he made his sister sit on the couch and crouched down in front of her. If he's sat at his desk he wouldn't have been able to see her for all the stacks of papers he'd been avoiding signing for several days.
"Come now, you know you can't hide things from me."
Lenalee looked at her hands, which she was clasping tightly in her lap. She shuffled awkwardly. As much as she felt hurt and betrayed by the people she considered her closest friends, she knew it wasn't her place to spread their secret. But she had never lied to Komui- he was right, she couldn't hide anything from him.
"I…found something out about two people who I thought were close to me. Something I thought they would have liked to share with me."
Komui looked at her. "Oh you found out about Allen and-"
"Lavi, yes."
Komui nodded, then froze, dumbstruck. Eh? Lavi? Not Kanda? After all, what else could the sudden change in situation between the two boys mean…but then again perhaps he had been completely wrong in his assumption. Lenalee seemed sure in any case…
"Why are you upset? Are you not happy for them? I am." Komui couldn't care less about the relationships between the exorcists, as long as missions were not jeopardised. In fact, the more men that were involved with each other, the less he had to worry about Lenalee's innocence. And not the dark boots kind.
The girl bit her lip. "I'm just upset they didn't feel they could tell me."
Komui raised his eyebrows. "Which one is it?"
"EH?!"
"I've already said you can't hide things from me. I bet it's Lavi, tall, mysterious, the older guy…"
Lenalee flushed and mumbled something about all older men being perverts with only one thing on their minds.
Komui laughed. So it was Allen was it? He felt a little more relaxed. If there was one person in the whole of the Dark Order who was probably clueless when it came to relationships it was Allen Walker. He wouldn't make a move on Lenalee. Especially if he wasn't interested in girls.
"Well you'll be pleased to know you'll have plenty of time to question Lavi about it. You're off on a mission together. As of tomorrow. It's not a difficult one, just pick up a new accommodator who's been located in Italy. Looks like a parasitic type, but I don't have more information than that I'm afraid. I wish I didn't have to send you both, but we are really short of exorcists at the moment, we can't afford anything to happen to her."
"Her?"
"17 year old Francesca …um, no second name. From what I understand, her innocence is a pair of wings."
Lenalee nodded. "Do you need me to tell Lavi?"
"No I spoke to him earlier when he came by looking for Allen and Kanda, who is also out on a mission. Poor Allen, it must be rough being left behind."
The weeks began to lengthen, turning into a month before Allen had really noticed that any time had passed. He threw himself into training, pushing himself harder than anyone thought was safe for his weakened body. Someone was forever hauling him to the hospital wing after he had collapsed in the training grounds with exhaustion.
Komui finally had enough.
"You're working yourself too hard. Either you cut the training down or I confine you to the hospital."
Allen scowled. "I'm not getting anywhere here. I would like permission to go to the Asian branch and train with Fou."
Komui frowned, considering the request. "If Bak has no problem then I guess it's ok." At least I won't have to deal with him collapsing everywhere anymore.
"Thanks Komui" Allen gave him a smile, one that promised trouble.
Komui hoped to God that Bak would agree with the request. He decided the leader of the Asian branch didn't need to know all the details…
"WHAT!?" Bak poked the wound a few times. "Can't you ever stay out of trouble?"
Allen laughed, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "No…"
"So why are you really here?"
"I want to train more to get stronger. My body is too weak to be of any help to the Order. And I can't do it alone." Allen looked awkward at admitting his helplessness.
"Alright, I'll help you Walker, but try not to die." Fou considered him, her head tilted to one side. "At least you have both your arms this time."
"Well, unless you plan to live here forever, there's nothing else to be done."
Allen looked at Fou, panting. "What do you mean?"
"Your injury isn't one that can be healed by less than two months of training. It'll take years to get back to your previous level."
"WHAT!"
Bak stepped in, holding Allen back as he swung his arms madly in an attempt to wring Fou's neck. "We think that perhaps going out on missions again, easy missions mind, may be the best way to boost your fitness."
"Really?" Allen stopped struggling.
"VERY easy missions. And no solo ones."
Fou cackled evilly. "Anything above a level two will finish you off in seconds."
"Thank you for all your help. I'll be going back now."
Bak watched him walk away, his hand on Fou's shoulder. "Thank goodness. We were running out of medical supplies."
They were tired. The journey had taken forever. They had managed to get lost twice. On top of that their target kept moving, which meant travelling by ark was impossible. Back to the old methods of travel…sickening boats and cramped trains. Finally it seemed they had caught up to her.
"That must be her Lavi" Lenalee pointed through the crowded market square.
"STRIKE!" Lavi slapped his hand to his nose to staunch the blood that had sprung into fruition. He watched the girl walk closer, a curtain of dark hair swinging behind her. Lenalee looked at him curiously. Wasn't Lavi with Allen..? She had not been able to ask Lavi straight out, despite the lengthy, boring travelling time.
She studied the young Italian, and was first of all struck by the forcefulness of the ' olive-green eyes. The girl was pretty, she thought grudgingly.
"Hello, my name is Lenalee Li. This is Lavi. We're here to escort you to the Order."
"Thank you for coming all this way to meet me." The other girl smiled widely, showing even white teeth. She turned to look at Lavi, whose face was now coated in blood which dribbled uncontrollably through his fingers. She handed him a handkerchief. "Are you ok? Maybe you should get that seen to?"
"Ignore him, he's fine." Lenalee linked her arm through the other girl's. "It's so nice to have a girl my own age to talk to!"
Francesca smiled amicably as she and Lenalee walked towards the inn they were staying at, listening to Lenalee's rapid chatter.
Lavi came to his senses, looking round. "Hey! HEY! Wait for me!"
Allen stepped though the ark, arriving in the middle of a very hectic science department.
"I'm…home?" Allen watched the scientists running backwards and forwards, completely ignoring him. He left them to it, weaving between them and heading to Komui's office, muttering under his breath. "Oh hello, Allen. It's been a while. How are you Allen? Not even one crummy greeting….stupid scientists. I bet this is all Komui's fault."
He looked around. The corridors were dead and eerily silent, giving him a distinct uneasy feeling. Bak had called Komui to tell him that Allen was on his way home…so where was everybody? He wasn't expecting a welcome back party or anything but he was sure Lavi or Lenalee would have been there to greet him, perhaps introduce him to the newest exorcist. He more than half hoped that Kanda would be around, so he could accidentally bump into him. He should be back from his extermination mission by now. The last two months without even seeing the brooding face of the other exorcist had been beyond difficult.
But the halls and corridors were strangely devoid of life- there simply was no one around at all.
He headed to Komui's office, partly to report back and partly to get some answers. He paused with his hand against the door. There were raised voices coming from inside.
"No Reever, we have no choice-we're completely desperate!"
"Supervisor, what good will losing another exorcist do?"
Something was slammed against a surface. From the resulting hiss of pain Allen suspected it was Komui's fist connecting with the desk.
"When he gets here, you suggest that he stays here and does nothing and we'll see if you can stick to your guns with him standing in front of you." Komui's voice sounded defeated, he was no longer shouting.
Curiosity roused, Allen knocked gently and stuck his head round the door. "I'm back!"
The guilty faces of Komui and Reever confirmed that they had been talking about him.
"Err…Hello Allen." Reever shifted nervously, his eyes flicking to Komui.
Finally, persuaded by the desperate silent pleas from the section chief and Allen's suspicious look, Komui spoke.
"Not long after you left, we lost communications with Kanda. At first we weren't too worried, but when he didn't return when he was expected to…"
Allen sank to the couch. "Didn't you send someone to find him?"
"Of course. The finder we sent at first reported signs of a struggle. The inn was pretty much ripped to shreds. We then decided to dispatch an exorcist team to track him down. Lenalee, Lavi and the newest accommodator were closest…" Komui rested his head in his hands, looking utterly broken.
Reever took up the narrative. "We've lost contact with them too. We're so understaffed right now there was no one to spare to go and look for them."
"Give me the last known location. I'll go." Allen got to his feet, holding his hand out for the file.
Komui gave Reever an 'I told you so' look.
"Allen, you're in no fit state to go out into the field…" Reever tried weakly.
Allen didn't move. "I'm going whether you help me or not." Komui handed him the file, looking sadder than Allen had ever seen him. With a curt nod of thanks, Allen turned on his heel and hurried from the office.
"Why did you let him go? You heard Bak's report- anything stronger than a level 2 will finish him off. I know you want Lenalee and the others back, we all do but…"
Komui raised his hand, cutting Reever off suddenly.
"Short of tying him up, there is nothing I could've done to stop him. He's still an exorcist after all."
A/N I apologise for the slow plot developments thus far. From the next chapter it picks up I promise!
(Offers everyone a Kanda-cookie to make up for it)
Much Lovage
Aerika-san
