Hey. So, OMG. You guys! 14 reviews? I LOVE YOU. I love how I constantly keep getting more followers, it's amazing. Okay, so, as amazing as reviews are, there's one thing that would make me die of happiness. If anybody makes fanart for my story, I would jump up and down and go crazy with writing. It's kind of always been a dream of mine... *looks away shyly* If you make anything, I'd LOVE to see it. You all rock!

Cana99: So... I kind of hate Allen's parents, too. And yeah, Mana sucks, at least, right now he does... PLEASE DON'T DIE! I hope I updated quickly enough.

negimarules52: I'm glad I can lighten up someone's day. You lightened up mine by reviewing!

ankhesenamun2: I love Road. I also thought it would make sense, so... that's why she's on the White Order's side!

AllenMoyashiWalker: If you can predict this, good... I can't. Lol.

TearsDrippingDown: THANKS FOR THE BUNNY!

Yullen3: Yeah, I know the Yullen took a backburner in the last chapter, but in this one, it's a priority! Glad you loved this.

YaoiFanGirl: Thanks! I try to make this a great story.

anime-fan-girl1751: Tim is back (kind of)! I'm glad I can surprise you with Road and Cross, I love surprising people. xD Thanks for agreeing that their relationship feels natural, because I always aim for making my writing seem real. I think 12 out of 10 is a legit score, albeit unusual. xD THANKS FOR REVIEWING.

SnarkyWolf: Lol, I swear I wrote the first 2,000 words of this before I saw your review. And I'm glad you saw lots of Yullen. :D

roseahal: I'm glad this makes sense. :)

xFullmetalSoulx: THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR FANGIRLING! I'm glad you think everything was very well-executed, because I thought it was all very choppy and hard until the end. Allen's parents do suck, and Kanda was SOOOOO adorable, I know. Myself, I LOVE Yullen (duh), but my favorite straight couple besides LaviLena is RoadAllen.

Mad Hatter Usagi: I figured Road has to have some sort of connection with the Fourteenth. You'll meet Allen's parents before too long. :D

YourLuckyWish: There is some more cuteness in this chapter. Oh, and shut up, you are amazing!

Poke-Yaoi-FanGirl: I may be ripping Allen apart, but Kanda will keep him together! ;)


Infection

Chapter 9- Uncertainty

Allen just about had a heart attack as he looked at the man in front of him. He was dressed in a long black trench coat with silver trim and blue markings of the White Order. His fiery red tousled hair shone in bright contrast to the dark colors of the coat. An arrogant smile hung on his lips and a glass of wine was held by a black gloved hand. A golden golem with wings was perched on his left shoulder. Red eyes gleamed as he said, "Hello, stupid apprentice."

Allen stood up in a fit of rage at the tall redhead and punched his face as hard as he could. "Damn you, Cross… You made me think you were dead!" he shouted angrily as he pulled him into an awkward hug.

A stupid grin appeared on the masked man's face before he replied. "Miss me, did you?" he asked with an amused tone. With a growl, the teen pushed him away roughly and sat back down, anger rolling off him in enormous waves.

"You're so infuriating!" Allen said, clenching his fists and scowling. "Don't you dare do that to me ever again!"

Kanda had no idea what to make of the outburst from the overwhelmed teen. He knew that Allen hated Cross, but that was the only adult male he had to look up to, so there was some sort of father-son relationship there. He just didn't expect it to be so… violent, especially coming from the moyashi, who was only ever impolite around the samurai. The sight was a mix of amusement and frustration, but Kanda could tell Allen was internally relieved.

"I don't make promises I can't keep," Cross said before smirking and sipping his wine.

"You freaking dropped a bomb on me and then disappeared! What the hell were you thinking, leaving me to think about that by myself?" Allen said, practically screaming at the much older male. "I mean, at least have the decency to fake your goddamned death after you've given me all the facts!"

Kanda didn't know what Allen meant by "that", but he decided it must have been huge to get such a rise out of him. If it was important enough, he was sure he'd hear about it soon, so he wouldn't press the matter. It was pretty clear Allen didn't want to explain it right now, anyway.

"That wasn't my choice," Cross answered, taking a seat in a chair across the couch. "Damn Apocryphos. He tried to kill me at the most inconvenient time. I was shot in the head by my own damn innocence… thankfully, these idiots finally showed up," he said as he gestured to Phoenix. "They took me back here and healed me. They also told me who you are, boy. Your parents…"

"Stop right there," Phoenix interrupted. "His parents want to keep themselves a secret for the time being." A heated glare was sent Cross's way from the chief. "You may be an axinite, but I still rank above you."

Allen looked very pissed off as he clenched his teeth. "Why does everyone know who my parents are except me?"

"Tch, stupid apprentice, your parents are just too damn nervous to step up and talk to you. Maybe they're scared of you," Cross joked half-heartedly before finishing off his glass of wine.

Allen ignored that last comment and decided to focus on something else. "If I were to join you… what would you want me to do?" he asked with remnants of his anger.

"Win the damn war, unite the two Orders, save the world," Cross said casually as he stood and went to what appeared to be an alcohol cabinet.

"As Cross so elegantly put, you are to fight alongside us against the Millennium Earl and help us mend our connection to the Black Order. This fight is going to need all of us… we'll be the first to say that our innocence users aren't up to par with yours, but you'll need our knowledge to win, too. And we can't do this without you, Allen Walker. You possess the Fourteenth's soul and the Heart of Innocence. You are the key to finding the balance between black and white," Gallamore said, clearly very passionate about this subject. He gazed deeply into Allen's silver eyes, searching for an unanswered response.

The snow haired teen looked down to the ground before he said, "If I was so important, then why was I held captive here for over a month against my will?" With a fiery gaze, he looked pointedly at Cross. If he had known about that and he hadn't done anything to help…

Allen's angry thought dissipated as he saw genuine sorrow and regret on Cross's normally unemotional face. "I'm so very sorry about that, Allen. I didn't know… not until Road…"

"Allow me to explain," Phoenix said thickly. "Our old science chief still bore a grudge against the Black Order. He isn't the only one, either… he talked a few of his disciples who still looked up to him into helping him kidnap you… They took you to our facility, and none of us knew. A few days later, one of our spies in the Black Order gave word that you were kidnapped, and we immediately talked to Road to see if it was the Noah. When she panicked, she did snooping of her own and ultimately discovered it was Walter Blake who captured you. At first, we didn't believe her, but she attacked him and caused a panic… In which over forty people saw you escape. He admitted it… and all the people who aided him were thrown into our prison. He himself died in the fight with Road. We are so very sorry, Allen, so very sorry. This wasn't how we wanted to get you. We wanted you to choose our side because you wanted to be here… not because you were forced here," he said sadly and painfully, like he blamed himself for what happened to Allen.

The room fell into uncomfortable silence as they all waited for Allen to say something. Kanda could tell that the moyashi was reaching his limit on how much shocking news he could take. Everything about the snow haired teen looked exhausted, regardless of the ample sleep he had all day. After the very tense pause, Allen finally sighed and said, "I believe you, but I still don't know if I can trust you… and I don't want to leave my home."

"I told you," Cross said, crossing his arms. "My stupid apprentice loves the idiots at the Black Order…"

Phoenix looked very hurt, but nonetheless smiled and said, "You are always welcome here. We have a lot we can offer you. We ask that you not divulge specifics to your superiors… or show them our location using the ark. I'll show you both to your rooms and tomorrow, you may leave whenever you like. The first train back to your headquarters leaves at nine."

"I never said I wouldn't help you patch things up with the Black Order," Allen said cautiously. "I don't know what to do right now, Mr. Gallamore. I have a lot going through my mind at the moment, and it will take time to sort through it all… so if you don't mind, I'd like to retire to my room now."

It was undeniable that the mood in the room lifted tremendously. "Please, follow me, you two," he said to the two Black Order exorcists.

After they finally convinced Phoenix to give them one room, he insisted on giving them what appeared to be an actual apartment… It had two rooms, a living room, and a tiny kitchen with a table. It wasn't tremendous in size, but it was decorated tastefully and expensively. It was clear they made places like these for families, now that Allen thought about it. Perhaps this wasn't the biggest quarters, (as they called it) but it could definitely work for a couple with a child or two.

Since it was peaceful in the room, Allen could actually relax a bit. He sat down on the sofa, feeling the high quality soft fabric with his hand. "This place is cozier than the Black Order," he remarked, watching as Kanda moved to sit next to him.

"I guess," he replied, glancing around the room. "It's strange."

"Why is it strange?" Allen asked, glancing at the samurai with a curious gaze.

"This place seems too good to be true," Kanda said with a scowl. "They aren't telling us everything."

"I agree with you on that," the snow haired teen said with a frown. "I'm still trying to believe they allied themselves with Road. She just… seems so loyal to the Millennium Earl… and my master being here is too weird…" Allen shook his head and sighed. "I hate this."

"What is it you hate?" Kanda asked, looking into Allen's silver eyes.

"My parents, Kanda… I hate that they're here, but don't want me to know them…" he said, looking away from the samurai and burying his head in his arms. "I once swore to myself that I wouldn't ever think about them again, but… damn it, they're here. I never wanted that topic to be drudged up."

Kanda moved closer to the agonized teenager and said, "You've survived without them all this time. You don't need them… all that matters are the people who you know care about you. Your parents may have given you blood and brought you into this world, but they did nothing to make you who you are."

"My parents may not have made me who I am, but it's because of the people here that I have the Fourteenth Noah's memories… They've been planning this. I've been following the path they set out for me since the beginning. Mana's damn saying to keep walking was just to make sure I never stopped doing what they wanted me to do! I'm not a goddamned puppet. I'm a person… and they don't treat me as such," Allen said, finally beginning to break down and cry.

Kanda sighed, knowing that he was past words of comfort now. He just wrapped up the snow haired teen in his arms and kissed his hair. Gently, he wiped away some of the tears that spilled down his face. It was painful for Kanda to watch this… Allen's suffering never seemed to end. It constantly kept going. Somewhere in that mess, Kanda himself was dragged into it. He was in too deep for his own good, but ultimately, Allen was worth it.

As the boy in his arms ceased his crying, he looked up to Kanda slowly. "I'm sorry… I'm so pathetic, crying like this…"

"No. You're not," Kanda said instantly. "Don't you dare say that."

"It's true… I shouldn't cry. I should just ignore all my emotions and do what's right…"

"Damn it, don't shut down your emotions," Kanda said apprehensively before pulling Allen closer to him and kissing his neck. "If you do, you wouldn't feel this," the samurai whispered as he moved a hand to his cheek. "Or this." With intensity, he moved his lips to meet the pale pink ones. Allen melted into the kiss and softly moaned at the sweet sensation. He couldn't help but move a hand to pull off the hair tie the samurai always wore. When Kanda nibbled on Allen's lower lip, the snow haired teen opened his lips and allowed the samurai's tongue to enter. As Kanda explored Allen's mouth, Allen let his hands tangle in the flowing black hair. An airy moan escaped the dark haired teen at the feeling of hands twisting in his hair. His head had always been rather sensitive.

The two broke apart for air, and Kanda snaked his hands around Allen's waist, drawing him closer. "Do you still want to ignore your emotions?" he asked breathlessly.

Allen decided he absolutely couldn't get enough of that tone from Kanda. "No," he replied, closing his eyes and leaning into Kanda's chest.

"Good, baka moyashi. I don't want you to," he responded, leaning back to lie down on the couch, pulling Allen on top of him. He softly planted a kiss on his forehead before wrapping his arms around the smaller teen tighter than before.

They both listened to each other's breathing and started to drift off. Then Kanda remembered the last time he felt so calm… and that had been when he was listening to Allen's singing.

"Will you sing for me?" Kanda requested in a whisper.

Allen opened his eyes and blinked a few times. "You want me to sing? Sing what?"

"The song to the ark," he answered quietly. "I heard you sing it in your hospital room once."

Allen smiled shyly before closing his eyes and taking a breath. "I'll do it," he said. He started singing quietly out of nervousness, but as his confidence grew, so did the volume. The song had the same relaxing effects as it did earlier, but this one was meant for Kanda, and he found that this time was sweeter.

He was known for disliking sweet things, but this was something different… softer. It wasn't a sugar kind of sweet. It was Allen's sweetness that he found was beautifully addicting. The softness in Allen's tone was breathtaking, and Kanda realized that he loved how Allen made him… how Allen had changed him. Before the beansprout came to the Black Order, Kanda had been ultimately alone in a cruel, ugly world. Since the snow haired teen returned from being missing, Kanda realized that he could see beauty in the ugly world, and he didn't have to be alone.

When Allen's singing concluded, Kanda let a smile overtake his features. When Allen opened his eyes and saw the once in a lifetime look on the samurai's face, he returned with a smile of his own. "You should smile more often," Allen said, amazed at the fact that he had been the one to put that smile there.

"You should sing more often," Kanda said before he closed his eyes and the smile dissipated.

"I will if it makes you smile," Allen said as he relaxed on Kanda.

Together, the two of them drifted off into a peaceful dreamless sleep.

Allen woke up, but didn't want to open his eyes. It felt so amazing to feel strong arms wrapped around him, and if they both got up, they would have to face the day. The younger teen just wanted to stay there for a little bit longer. As he looked up to see Kanda's sleeping face, he realized just how different their relationship was since the fiasco with the innocence. Before it, they kept secrets from one another.

Now, there was only one secret left… and that would be what Cross told him before he "died." Allen was surprised that Kanda hadn't brought it up.

Allen's heart clenched as he thought about killing someone he cared about because now, there was a definite person in mind. He couldn't allow the Fourteenth to take over if it meant that he would kill Kanda… Allen would never be able to live with himself if that happened. He would slowly rot away from the inside and die. Now that he opened the door to his dark thoughts, they were overflowing.

The younger teen took one last look at Kanda before deciding that he had to get more answers, this time, without the samurai's presence. As much as he hated leaving him to wake up alone, Allen needed to do this.

Slowly, he shifted around to stand up without alerting Kanda to his movements. The last thing he needed was for him to wake up before he had the information he so desperately craved. When he finally was able to stand, he quietly walked to the bathroom to make sure he looked presentable. After he fixed his hair, he made his way to the door, thankful that the floors weren't creaky.

When the door closed with a soft click, Allen knew he was safe. Briskly, he walked down the dark hallway towards Phoenix Gallamore's office. After a few minutes of being utterly lost, he succeeded in finding the office. He tapped the door a few times and waited for someone to open it.

The door opened, and revealed Riona. "Oh, hello again! My dad thought you already left. Come right in," she said, opening it wide. "Where's your bodyguard?"

"He's still sleeping. I've decided I can handle my own here," Allen replied swiftly. "Anyway, I need to speak to Mr. Gallamore immediately. It's important."

"Okay, come on. My dad isn't doing anything but paperwork right now," the blonde said cheerfully as she led him down the short hallway.

When they entered, Phoenix looked up at Allen through glasses. "Hello, Allen. I would have thought you left by now," he greeted with a smile.

"I need some answers," Allen stated, crossing his arms. "Cross told me something about the Fourteenth before he was attacked by Apocryphos. He said that I would have to kill someone I care about when I became the Noah. Is this true?"

The science chief looked down to his paperwork again with a sigh. He took off his glasses and stood with a sad look on his face. "It hasn't exactly been proven, it's more of a rumor. The Noah don't remember when they first transform… or immediately after. It's very vague… and usually, during the transformation, they can't tell what's real, or what is just the memories from the Noah. Generally, they kill the people around them," Phoenix said darkly.

"How can I prevent this from happening? Is there any way to put the memories into somebody else before I'm gone? I can't be the Fourteenth. I have my own life to live," Allen said nervously.

Phoenix looked very uncomfortable as he replied, "It doesn't work that way. The memories have already started, so they won't stop now. Besides that, even if we could transfer them, you're the only one who knows… Not even Road knows all of it. You're the only one who could pass them along, which would already require you to be the Fourteenth."

"There has to be something! I can't hurt anyone… I just can't! That would destroy me," the teen said with unbearable panic gripping at his heart.

"There… is something you can do," Phoenix answered with an anxious gaze to the floor.

"What? I'll do anything." Allen was shocked at the surprising amount of desperation in his tone.

"You could learn how to bond with the Noah. You can learn to tap his memories on your own, you could learn how to be him without letting go of yourself. You learned how to bond with your innocence… so why not the Noah as well? We can help you here at the White Order, but the Black Order lacks the resources and knowledge we possess. It is possible," Gallamore answered grimly. "I didn't want to tell you this unless you already agreed to stay here, but… you asked, and I can't let you suffer…"

Allen's eyes went wide. "I could… bond with the Fourteenth?" He was hesitant to believe the news he'd been wanting all along was true, because if he found out it wasn't, he would have gotten his hopes up. The snow haired teen didn't want that impact if he found out it really wasn't possible…

"You can. Road says she knows how to help… she is one with her Noah," Phoenix said carefully.

"How does that work, exactly?" Allen asked hesitantly, still not wanting his hopes to rise, even if there was proof it was achievable.

"It's like the two of them, Road Kamelot and the Ninth Noah, have merged to become one person. That can happen with you and the Fourteenth," Phoenix responded with a sense of urgency.

"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" Allen asked with fear pounding in his heart.

"You can stay here and talk to Road… I know that we're asking for a lot of your trust, and we don't deserve it, but… Please, let us help you. Have faith in us. Take a chance, and we can do better for the world together," the chief said with a serious look in his brown eyes. "I give you my word that our intentions are pure."

Allen took a deep breath before nodding. "I'll trust you," he said at last. "I'll stay here… I'll leave my home. I want only one thing in return."

Phoenix nodded and asked, "What is it?"

"You tell me who my parents are. I'll do whatever you want, I just need to know. I won't say anything, I won't talk to them… but I've always wondered who they are, what they looked like. Please," Allen pleaded softly, now trying to hold back tears.

Phoenix Gallamore swallowed hardly before responding. "Your parents are Nadia and Eric Chancellor… Your mother, Nadia, is a very powerful axinite. Your father is an onyx. They asked me not to tell you who they were because they told me that you probably wouldn't want to know them…"

Allen didn't say anything as he thought about their names. They didn't sound anything like he was imagining, but then again, nothing ever went the way he expected it to. It was nice to have their names at the very least… "Thank you," he said as he flashed one of his signature fake smiles. "I need to go back to the Black Order… I need to tell them myself why I'm leaving. That has to be done in person. It probably won't go over very well with Central. Is it possible for you to give me a few escorts?" Allen asked, cringing at the thought of what Central would do.

"That won't be a problem. I'll have Thomas form a group of onyxes and silvers. Timcanpy will also go… we can monitor your safety through him, too. I'll speak to Cross about that. In the meantime, you should go and eat breakfast," Phoenix said with a smile. "It's good to have you with us, Allen Walker."

The snow haired teen just smiled before he said, "Thank you. I'll be on my way now."

With uneasiness gripping at his heart, he left the room, saying bye to Riona on the way out. When he opened the door, he nearly ran straight into a very pissed off samurai.

"What the hell, baka moyashi?" Kanda sneered, grabbing one arm and pulling him into the hallway. As Allen was being pulled, he unintentionally closed the door behind him.

"Kanda… I'm sorry! Look, I just…"

"You just what?" Kanda asked, looking like he wanted to punch something. His fists were clenched, and there was something in his eyes that made Allen freeze up.

"I… Kanda, can we, um… go somewhere else?" the snow haired teen asked, really not wanting to explain this where others could overhear.

Kanda got the message, and quickly walked back to their room. Anger radiated from him, and Allen decided he really must have screwed up. Guilt came crashing down on him like lead. Finally, when they reached their room, Kanda let Allen in first before slamming the door. "Explain," he demanded.

"I'm sorry! It's just… I needed to clear the air about something with Gallamore. Cross told me something before he disappeared that put me in a really bad place. Gallamore explained it to me, and now, I know there isn't anything to worry about…" Allen rambled, very nervous at upsetting the samurai even more.

"What was it?" he asked, his eyes looking straight into Allen's, unsettling him even more.

"Cross told me that when I became the Fourteenth, I would end up killing someone I cared about," the snow haired teen said sadly. Allen returned Kanda's intense gaze, and he watched as realization dawned on him. Immediately, his features softened and he nodded.

"I was worried, baka. I woke up and you were gone," he said, turning away from him.

Allen reached for Kanda's hand. "I'm sorry. But I found out that there's a way to stop that from happening. I agreed to stay here at the White Order so they can help me. I also found out the names of my parents," he said in a genuine apologetic tone. "I should have told you where I was going… I'm so sorry."

"It's fine, baka moyashi. Just don't do it again," Kanda said, turning around to face Allen once more.

"Okay, I promise I won't," the younger teen said honestly. "I didn't think I would scare you that much."

"Tch, whatever. Let's go and eat," he replied sharply, still angry with Allen, but the snow haired teen knew it would eventually wear off.

Together, they went to the dining hall, and Allen filled Kanda in on the trip to the Black Order. He protested about the extra escorts all through their meal, but stopped when a young girl with reddish brown hair came up to Allen.

"Hello!" she said cheerfully. "I'm Natasha. My mommy told me to welcome you to our home! Here, take this. I made it for you." She handed Allen a drawing. It had a mother, a father, and three children. Two boys, one girl. "See, that's me," she said, pointing to the little girl. "That's Chris, and that one is you! Mommy and daddy are here, too."

Kanda just stared at the girl, and Allen's eyes went wide. Allen knew the names of his parents, but Gallamore hadn't disclosed anything more than their jobs. Did he have siblings? That thought never occurred to him. When he looked down at the girl, he noted the hair color, because his had been that same shade before he was cursed. Her eyes were a dark, stormy gray, and Allen had no clue what to do.

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" Natasha asked with a childish disheartened tone.

"No, no, I love it!" he said quickly. "Um, how old are you and Chris?"

"I'm seven. Chris is thirteen," she replied, now cheerful again.

"Thanks for the picture," Allen said with a smile. "You should go back to your parents before they get worried, okay?"

"Okay. Bye-bye, Allen!" she said cheerfully as she skipped off to another table across the room. When the little girl sat down, she was surrounded by a boy who he assumed was Chris, and a woman with dark red hair. There was no father around, but Allen realized he could be looking at his mother.

"Oi, moyashi, are you alright?" Kanda's voice demanded his attention.

"Uh, yeah… I think that she might be my sister," Allen said softly, looking down at his food. Suddenly, he wasn't hungry anymore. His insides were doing flips. The idea of having a brother and a sister was just too new, too strange. Allen had grown up being very alone, save for Cross and Mana. He was always the only child, and thinking he had siblings was just way too much for him to process.

"Tch, I know. How do you feel about that?" the samurai asked before taking a bite of his soba.

"I don't know," Allen said halfheartedly. "I've always been so… alone. The idea of siblings seems so strange." He took a bite of one of the many dishes before him and chewed slowly. His appetite died, but he knew he needed the energy.

Kanda just sighed and drank his tea. There wasn't much he could say to that, and Allen knew. The samurai never had siblings, at least that he mentioned, but he did grow up at the Order. That meant he knew what it was like to at least be around other people from an early age.

Allen realized he didn't know much about Kanda or his past. Kanda himself never spoke of anything personal unless it was about Allen. Curiosity began to eat away at him. It was only fair if he knew everything about Kanda since he knew everything about the snow haired teen. Something, though, told Allen that this wasn't the time or place.

They finished eating, and met up with Thomas, two onyxes, two silvers, and… Cross. Allen about threw a fit that Cross would be coming with him, because if Central wasn't going to be pissed about Allen leaving, they were going to be downright furious now. Nonetheless, Cross insisted that he go with them. By the end of the argument, the only thing Allen won was his own compartment in the train that he would share with Kanda. Their group made their way to the station quickly and boarded.

As Allen leaned back in the compartment, he sighed. This was going to be one long day.


Gah. I hate how many OCs are in this, even if they are necessary. :( I promise I won't make it involve them too much!

Review, please!