Sadistic-neko: Hi everybody, sorry that it took me so long to get this up. You see, when Kanda and Allen found out that Lavi and Tyki ran off without finding someone to watch Neko, they got pissed and I had to break them up and then school got in the way and…

Kanda: Stop making excuses and get on with the story. I'm sick of being in Poland.

Sadistic-neko: Fine. (huffs and looks to the readers) Just to warn all of you, this holds spoilers for stuff that isn't in the anime, I do not own -man and I hope that y'all enjoy my newest chapter!

Kanda POV

A good three damn weeks after I was sent out on the bullshit mission that the top brass assigned for me I was packing my bags to head back to the order. It took me four days to get to the town that was literally in the most out of the way place you could find. It was located on the side of a mountain and, normally, the view would have moved me at least a little, but I just couldn't find the energy or space in my mind to really appreciate it. I was worrying about Neko too much to.

The bastards in charge didn't even try to hide that they wanted to use the child. Knowing that they could get their hands on her and I wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it was driving me nuts! Every time that I wasn't preoccupied with killing whatever akuma that was in front of my I saw images of her blonde hair, bright green eyes and smiling face. Whenever I thought about her, my chest would hurt and it took everything I had not to go against my orders and return as soon as I could, even if I had to run and sit with the hobos on trains.

The only thing that kept me form doing so was the knowledge the moyashi was looking over her. Ever since he helped me in the Alma incident I had developed a grudging trust of him. He was still an annoying sprout, but he wasn't worthless anymore. As often as we still fought, even if it died down considerably since Neko was put into our care, it was a bit more friendly, as though playful banter. That is, until one us crossed the line and attacked and even that wasn't wholehearted.

As I put the last of my possessions in my suitcase, I gave the clock a quick glance and groaned. There was still two hours until my train arrived and the inn I was staying was literally right next to the station. In other words, I had too much time to kill. Having nothing better to do, I grabbed my bag, signed out of the inn and entered the market place.

I walked past stand after stand, looking but not really paying any attention to what the pushy traders had to sell. Nothing really caught my eye, which wasn't surprising. I was never one for shopping. In my opinion, the only thing that you needed was enough changes of clothes to last until the next laundry day, food and other such necessities that one can't survive without. This being the case, I was surprised when I saw something out of the corner of my eye that made me stop mid step.

Without wasting a second, I made my way to the stand and began looking for a price tag on the item I was now determined to purchase.

"Can I help you?" I elderly voice asked to my right. I looked up to see an almost bone thin old man with a pointed mustache and squinty eyes behind his thick glasses.

"How much is this necklace?" I asked in return, pointing to the item that had caught my interest. It was an ornate piece that held two glossy and, to be frank, beautiful, stones. The first was an orb of fiery amber tiger's eye and the other was a dazzling emerald that reminded me of Neko's eyes. The gems were held in place with an intricately twisted silver wire in the shape of various flowers. Surprising, as extravagant as the pendant was, it was held by a simple leather strap that, somehow, made it more appealing.

"You have a good eye," he commented, pulling it off of its stand. "For an esteemed exorcist such as yourself, 300."

It didn't surprise me that he knew what I was. After all, I had been seen fighting and rumors spread like wild fire in a town as small as the one that I was currently located in. Not really caring about the price, I handed him the info for the bill and put the necklace in my coat pocket. The money for my purchase would come directly out of my account at the order, and, unlike most of the other members, despite our awful salary, I had plenty save up to spend.

"Pardon my asking sir, but for whom are you getting this for?" I was sorely tempted to glare at the old man and tell him that it wasn't any of his business, but I felt charitable so I gave him an answer.

"I promised someone waiting for me at home that I would giver her a present if she behaved while I was gone."

"A daughter perhaps?" He raised a brow, clearly thinking that I was too young to have a child of my own.

"You could say that." Without leaving room for another comment or question, I turned my back on him and left. I had, somehow, killed almost all of the time that I had to wander around and had to began venturing to the station of I was going to miss my train.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief as I sank into the, typical, granite hard seat in the car that I had to myself. I still had a few days of journey ahead of me, but I could already feel the stress in my shoulders relax as the train began to chug along, bringing ever so slowly closer to "home" and the child waiting for me. Gripping the pendant in my pocket ever so gently, I began to drift off, vaguely wondering if it was a good idea to give such a young girl a gift as expensive as it, but not really caring.

Allen POV

"Awen, Awen!" a cheerful little voice exclaimed, drawing my attention immediately. The little voice in question was Neko. We were currently outside in the order's garden. "Lookie!"

I turned my attention to her arms, which she was frantically nudging towards me to emphasize her burden. Encircled in the tiny appendages was an assortment of vividly colored flowers.

"Wow!" I said a little bit more enthusiastic than I felt. "They're so pretty!"

I gave her a smile as she beamed up at me proudly. This was the happiest she had been in the almost month since Kanda left we had just found out a couple of hours earlier that he was going to be back that very day. As happy as I was to know that he was at least alive, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that I had.

It wasn't the foreboding, something terrible is going to happen that will end the world feeling, that I was accustomed to having. Everyday Neah, the fourteenth noah that was inhabiting my body, was becoming more and more clear in my reflection. In fact, the only time that I had seen him as well as then was during the Alma Karma incident. He was also bizarrely quiet. It was scaring the heck out of me.

"Awen?" I focused on the child again, having begun staring blankly into space at some point. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I grabbed her and pulled her into a hug, praying to god, if he hadn't forsaken me like I felt most of the time, that I wouldn't hurt her. My master's words coming back to me in a way similar to having ice water poured on you.

"What would you do if I told you you'll have to kill someone you love when you become the 14th?"

I had pushed that out of my mind, trying as hard as I could to not believe it. There was no way that I would let that happen! I refused to hurt any of my friends! Or Neko for that matter!

"Allen-chan! Neko-chan!" Neko and I both looked up to see who was calling out to us. We were greeted by the sight of Lavi running up to us, a grin that was, somehow, larger than normal, painted on his face. I watched in astonishment as he came skidding to a halt right in front of us, stopping an inch from our noses, his flaming red hair slowly allowing gravity to let it fall in his face. He had decided not to wear his bandana.

"Lavi?" I asked as he bent over leaning supporting himself with his hands on his knees. In all honesty, I was worried for his health. "Are you okay? What's up?"

"Kanda (gasp) front gate (gasp)." I didn't even have time to blink before Neko began running to said destination with me at her heels leaving Lavi in our dust. I wasn't sure why, but I was almost as desperate to see the moody samurai as she was.

The corridors of the order flew by us in a blur, but we still felt that we weren't moving fast enough. I could vaguely make out the confused expressions of the finders as we zoomed by, but I didn't care. All that was on my mind was that someone that I just needed to see was ahead of me, just a few corners away and the one that I was most determined to protect was running just ahead of me. I didn't even care that Link was right behind me or that I could catch Neah's cruel, ever-present smirk in anything reflective that we passed.

At last, nowhere near soon enough, Neko and I found ourselves at the gate just as the doors opened to reveal the very man that we were both waiting so anxiously for.

"Kanda!" Neko yelled as she jumped for him. Shocked to see her flying at him as soon as he stepped through, he barely caught her as she collided with him. As soon as her momentum stopped, she threw her arms around him. "Kanda, I missed you!"

Still getting over his shock, he just stared at her wide eyed, but, after a moment, he hugged her back.

"I missed you too." After that, we just stayed as we were, a content silence falling over us. I was so comfortable watching the two of them bond that I couldn't feel the anxiety that had been drowning me. The silence was broken when Kanda looked up at me and spoke. "Has she been good?"

"A little angel," I responded, my lips curling into the genuine smile that to be saved only for the Japanese man and the little girl that was currently curled up in his arms. "She's been doing well in her trainings, behaved during her lessons and even helped Lenalee bring coffee to the science division every morning."

"Really now," he began, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a beautiful necklace that just seemed perfect for her. "I guess I should keep my promise then." He put the wonderful piece around her neck and she looked like it was a gift form God. "You deserve it."

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms back around him and squeezing him with all that she was worth. I could see his mask slipping off more and more as the seconds passed, but he was able to just barely keep it on and merely nodded at her exuberant show of gratitude.

With that, he got up, situated her on his right hip and grabbed his luggage and began making his way to his room. I followed behind him, finally getting him to let me take one of his bags so he would be able to walk a bit easier. Just before we got to his door though, Neko asked something that left us stunned and would, in one way or another, change the samurai forever.

"Kanda? Can I call you tou-san?"