I am going to an anime convention next Friday through Sunday (if anyone knows which one I'm talking about, I'd really like to meet up, so PM me for a date, time, and place), so I'll be there all weekend.

I have a poll up on my profile (only accessible by way of laptop/tablet mode) for a Halloween special that I'm planning. I have three options up, so please head over their and vote. The deadline for it is late Sunday, October 28, 2018.

I do not own D. Gray Man, the entire story and characters belong to Katsura Hoshino. I can only take credit for the plot line and my O.C., Felicity.

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

"Neah or Mugen"

"Phone calls and texts"

Chapter 9: Opening Up

Lavi was suspicious. He didn't want to put all his trust into Allen and Felicity's stories. In his gut, Lavi knew that they were hiding something, something important. Something that they both knew that the others wouldn't like. Most likely something important about their lives as Exorcists.

Yes, Lavi already knew about that time. About everything that the four of them had fought against. He hid it from Lenalee and Kanda because he didn't want to be seen as the person they remember, making them guard certain words from him, and certain characteristics. Characteristics like how Kanda had started fighting with a katana a year before, and how Lenalee had entered into an aerial dance class; as close as she can get to using Dark Boots again. Unbeknownst to both of them, he saw all of it; the midnight training sessions for Kanda and the dancing exercises that Lenalee did to get into shape.

Could he ever tell them about those things? Some day. And today was that day.

Lavi remembered spending time with Allen. Time in the dining room as he stared in amazement at Allen's eating habits, both of them counting kills on missions, and laughing as he watched Allen and Kanda fight for the fifteenth time that day over a simple action one or the other did.

But this was not the Allen that he remembered.

The "Allen" he knew was serious when it counted, but full of laughter and smiles around others. This Allen was almost exactly the same, but still different; his eyes. The man's eyes were too full of experience; the eyes that should only be seen on a man that had seen fifty years of war and lived to tell others of the horror.

This wasn't Allen.

With that in mind, Lavi speaks up, "Hey, Lenalee, Kanda. Can I talk to you for a second? Alone?"

Seeing the look in Lavi's eyes, Allen says. "I'm going to go help Feli with the stock lists. I'll be back later." With that, he left the room, moving toward the back room where Feli working.

Confused as to what happened, Lenalee starts. "Lavi. That incredibly rude. Allen was just trying to have a conversa-"

"Cut the crap, Lenalee." Cutting her off, Lavi continues. "Both of you can stop walking on pins and needles around me. I remember, okay. I remember everything as an exorcist, and as a Bookman."

Stunned at his statement, Lenalee could only gape at him as Kanda decides to continue. "Then why the hell haven't you said something before, Baka usagi? Do you enjoy watching Lenalee and I be careful of what we say around you, both of us always worried if you'd overheard something?"

Shaking his head, Lavi fires back. "I never wanted to hurt either of you. I just kept silent because I felt that there would be a time when I'd need to have to hold this over someone's head. And I now know who I have to do that to. Allen."

Scowling at Lavi's words, Lenalee speaks again. "Allen? Why should you have a reason to hold your memories over his head?"

"Because this Allen isn't the same person I remember."

Scoffing at this, Lenalee argues back, "Well, of course he isn't. He has different experiences now. Obviously he's going to be different."

"That's not what I mean. He is completely different from how I remember him. The Allen I remember was much more relaxed than that. There's no way that-."

Done hearing what Lavi had to say, Kanda growled. "If I remember correctly, you don't really have that many memories of the later years that Allen had to go through at the hands of the Order. I believe you'd died right before any of the harder things occurred." Raising his hand as Lavi attempts to cut him off. "You only remember Allen dealing with the Crow member following him around. You don't know that he had to leave behind everything he'd known, while dealing with the Order, the Noah, and an independent Innocence piece chasing him down." Lowering his voice, he ends with a hard growl. "Unlike both of you, I followed and stood by Allen's side through all of it. Neither of you, just me."

Stopping himself from arguing, Lavi saw the truth in Kanda's voice. He truly didn't know what Allen had been through after he had been kidnapped by the Noah. He'd been killed by them before he ever saw any of his friends again. In truth, he knew nothing about Allen anymore.

WATP-WATP-WATP-WATP

Leaning his head against the door, Allen listened to the end of Kanda's small speech. He hadn't been planning on it; Feli had been the one to decide that they should listen to the others. But now he was glad he had.

With both of them already having enhanced hearing, they only had to stay silent to listen to the others in the next room. Since they were both alone, they let their Noah looks appear, letting their senses increase even more.

"Well this is an interesting development." Looking next to her, Feli continues. "Who would have thought that the stupid rabbit was acting like he didn't know anything."

Allen just laughs silently. "I'm not really surprised. Even when I first met him, I knew that he'd always hold some sort of information above my head." Looking at her with gold eyes, he continues. "I'm more worried if any of his words might have made the gears start turning in Kanda's or Lenalee's heads. Knowing Kanda, I don't think he'll care much. In the world of sheep and wolves, it's plain as day that he's a wolf. He won't follow what others believe, and I feel that he won't turn his back on me just because Lavi has a gut feeling. Lenalee on the other hand, she's a sheep. She'll listen to Lavi and turn the words over in her head. She is more likely to follow Lavi's feeling."

Smirking slightly, with her golden eyes sparkling mischievously, says. "I don't think that would be the only reason why she would follow Lavi." Allen looks at her, confused. Looking at Allen's confused face, her grin grows wider. "You mean you haven't smelled the pheromones in the air? They are rather potent."

Understanding what she was saying, Allen rolls his eyes at her actions. "Unlike you I don't focus on that sort of crap."

Looking back out the window, Allen sees that Kanda had gotten up and was now moving toward the back room. Sending a quick glance at Feli, they change back to normal and move to the middle of the room, both of them grabbing clipboards with all the items listed. As soon as they have moved to their positions, Kanda walks in.

"Moyashi. Himitsu." Seeing as both of them were not moving from their spots, only acknowledging him with a slight movement from both of them. Seeing that as a sign that he could stay, he sat down at the desk in the corner. "Moyashi, I know you heard everything out there. You know that I won't believe everything that the usagi has to say. But, he is right about one thing; you are different. What happened to you, Allen? What has made you different from the naive beansprout I knew?"

Tensed up to the point of snapping, Allen glances over at Feli, sending her a silent message. Understanding immediately, Feli grabs both of their clipboards, her laptop, and leaves the room, moving to the couch where Lenalee and Lavi were sitting silently, taking Kanda's seat. As soon as the door closed fully, and confident that Feli wouldn't listen in on him, he turned to face his old friend.

"I'll tell you what you want to know, but you have to promise that you won't tell anyone. Especially not Lenalee or Lavi." Seeing Kanda's nod, he continues. "Alright. I guess there is one way that I can start this." Reaching behind Kanda, he starts to type in the two words he now hates the most: Bergen-Belsen. As the images began popping up, Allen turns Kanda's chair sharply, making him face the computer. Finding a certain one, he pulls it up.

Kanda's eyes widen as he sees the photo. He saw a soldier holding a young boy, who was wrapped in the man's outer coat, drowning the boy in the fabric. Looking closer at the soldier, he saw that it was Allen himself, looking at the child with so much care that made Kanda believe that his friend would have jumped in front of the boy if someone were to threaten him.

Looking back at Allen, he sees that the other man's eyes were full of melancholy as he looked at the child. "Peter Fischer. He was only eight years old when I broke him out of Bergen-Belsen. When I found him, he was practically skin and bones. It was after seeing him, I remembered exactly why I was prepared to put my life on the line. To go as far as to volunteer to be a part of Operation Neptune. All I wanted was to die, so that I could finally be able to see you again. I didn't care what everyone else said, I was ready to die."

Looking at Allen with shock clear on his face, he asks. "So you're-"

"Immortal? Yeah."

Seeing the tension running through the other's body, Kanda reaches out and takes Allen's hand. "You're not alone anymore, Allen. You have me, Lavi, and Lenalee. Hell, you also have Felicity, and I know she cares about you like crazy. I know Felicity and I would never turn our backs on you."

By now, Kanda was standing in front of Allen, still easily towering over him. Allen knows that Feli wouldn't turn her back on him, as both Noah needed each other now to stay sane. As for Kanda, he had seen Allen at his worst, fighting against the Noah within him as he tried to push Kanda as far away from him. No matter what, both Allen and Kanda fought together. Against all odds, the Noah traitor and the Noah slayer were close. Nothing could change that. Not even all the lies that Allen was still holding away from Kanda.

"Thank you, Kanda." Pulling the other into a hug, Allen knows what he should tell Kanda next. "There is something important I have to tell you, and I need you to promise not to freak out."

"I promise, Allen."

Taking a deep breath, Allen pushes forward, tightening his hold on Kanda. "Alma is in the life time."

The character of Peter Fischer is a fictional character that I created just for this fanfic, I used some names that were common in that time period to create him. As far as I know, there was never a person named Peter Fischer in Bergen-Belsen. As for Operation Neptune, that is what the United States now calls D-day, but was the original military name that it was given.

I know that this one doesn't have Neah or Mugen in it, but that will change in the next coming chapters.

Again I have a poll up, please vote. It can be accessed through my profile (laptop/tablet mode only). The deadline for this is Sunday, October 28, 2018.

Please review (or PM if you just want to speak privately), I enjoy hearing what everyone else says. Follow and favorite if you want to stay updated on this.