Chapter Nine rolling it's way here, and, just like the last one, it was fairly easy to write (didn't get it done nearly as fast but I guess I can't expect every chapter to turn out in less than 24 hours after the last update). Anyway, in the chapter, again to lessen later confusion, more of what happened to Allen will be revealed (via his POV) and just like last chapter; at the end you'll hear Kanda, Lavi, and co.'s response to it.

Note: Because I'm evil, I'm going to start making people wonder who's the bad guy or not. Why? Because it's fun, and I'd probably end up doing it unintentionally later. Why am I mentioning this here? Read the chapter and find out!

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It occurred to me that I had bad luck. I knew it did—I always lost at gambling, Cross always beat me, and we always laughed—or cried, or hid—about it later. It's why I learned how to cheat, so, theoretically, I could be lucky.

At least when it came to gambling.

Having my phone die on me, however, was something completely out of my control. 'But did it have to happen now?' I exhaled loudly, 'They're probably worried as hell…and I can't call them back without—'

I cringed loudly as a loud shout—not an angry one, by any means, but just as disturbing—echoed off the walls.

That girl, Tasha, had won against Cross—that…that didn't just happen—and now she was—and they were—and Komui wasn't here, and Lenalee wasn't either, and I was left here alone because of that.

And I knew it had been coming the minute I stepped into the room.

I inhaled sharply, trying my best to ignore the jabbing pain, before exhaling again, 'I'm not going to panic. Of course he'd take it out on me. Why wouldn't he? He has no reason not to. I am his—'

Wait. What am I?

Guardian. He is my Guardian. He even said he was that I—the ungrateful prat—was the one he watched out for. Even though, technically, I watched out for him far more than the other way around.

But now, dammit. Now of all the times—I wanted him to be the Guardian he was supposed to be. This was all his fault to begin with.

'How can I say I want him to take care of me, when it's his fault I'm hurt in the first place?' I took another breath, my chest hurt, I exhaled.

I didn't need a life's lesson about me. Or the fact that this was—and that was—and maybe everything else was as well—something that had already been predestined to happen. Like that woman had said, and like, maybe, the parents I never knew.

'And Mana.' My heart clenched at the name, 'May he rest in peace and never know.'

Never know I didn't believe him. At least, not that part. I was only a kid—the innocent act, even now, was easy. I just pretended to follow every word he said.

'God will forgive everyone, even those who have sinned.'

And yet this very same God would say that it was a sin to love a certain kind of person. It was almost hypocritical. Or maybe it was? Wasn't? What? It certainly applied to the situation now.

I breathed in again and shivered, drawing my knees up to my chest and resting my head against them, "I'm so stupid…"

Pounding footsteps on the stairs leading to that room could be heard, and then there, looming in the shadows, was that woman—Tasha. She didn't even see me, here, in the shadows.

'If she did she'd be too embarrassed.' My mind couldn't really connect with these thoughts, though—or else I'd be blushing like mad. It was almost painfully obvious what had just happened—between her, and Cross—and what had gotten me thrown down the stairs with a silent promise of—of—

My stomach clenched and I took another ragged breath as I watched her, in the dim light, search the room for me. But she wouldn't find me. I was good at hiding, after all.

Not that there were many places to hide here, in the first place—or at least, it was overly obvious. To prove my point her eyes immediately locked onto the slightly ajar 'Employee's Only' door. She didn't see me—I was looking at her reflection, after all, but she knew that I was there, and she knew that I knew that she knew I was there. If that made sense.

"You know," I wasn't sure who she was speaking to at first—it could've been Cross—but that didn't seem to matter, "in the end you're going to have to choose which side to be on." Then she laughed, "I don't much like your thought process—American's are so confusing, but," she took a step towards the door before hesitating, and turning quickly around, "I must say your morals are just about as 'fucked up'—I believe the words are?—as anyone elses."

I couldn't look at her reflection anymore. Her smile—same, plastic, just like the one she flashed before—seemed all the more surreal. How could she—not…not…

Wait. What was I trying to say?

My head hurt.

And she slammed the door a second later.

It felt awful—like it was…splitting…almost.

I inhaled sharply—and my chest hurt too.

I squeezed my legs closer, that didn't seem to help, but…but…

The door banged open. I faintly heard footsteps, but they sounded too far away…and my head hurt too much to pay attention to them.

"Good lord, boy, you look like shit." The voice sounded so close. And familiar. And with it's next words I knew who it was, "Seriously—you aren't dead are ya?"

It was Cross. It was the one who caused…caused this…and it hurt—my head hurt, 'But I doubt he'd care.'

If he did that would be—

Wait. What would that be?

"Oi! Say somethin' here." I felt a sharp jab in my side and resisted the urge to curl up even further, "Oh good—yer still movin'." He jabbed my side again and I coughed, cringing almost a second later at the motion.

Then, oddly, he grabbed my arm and hoisted me up. My eyes couldn't focus—at first—on his face, his red beard, and hair and—

"Who'd ya call?" He asked, and I knew he saw my phone.

"Checking the time." I lied, "It went dead though."

He scoffed at that, "You should remember to charge it, boy." He tugged me up further and suddenly I was aware that I wasn't on the ground anymore—in fact, I was being lifted—

And his breath still smelt of alcohol.

This wouldn't end well. Again.

And suddenly I was reminded of something in one of those old fashioned horror movies. I knew what was going to happen—or the audience knew what was going to happen—but the person on the screen was utterly helpless. Except I knew what was going to happen.

Still didn't change the fact that I couldn't do anything about it. It just made it worse.

He turned swiftly, nearly ramming my head against one of the lockers, and suddenly he flicked a light switch on—one of the bright ones that we usually kept off unless there was an inspection going on.

He sat me down roughly on the counter top and, for a moment, just stared at me.

Then I remembered just how unpredictable he could be.

"You know you could've caught yerself, boy." He remarked, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it, "Would've done ya some good." I didn't say anything as he brought the cigarette up to his lips and puffed out. My nose cringed as he blew the smoke out, "Dammit, boy I thought I taught ya better than that. An' then ya go and tumble down the stairs like I didn't goddammit teach you how to fall."

"I was…pushed." I dumbly responded, feeling the room fade, slightly.

"Shit yes, you were." He agreed, puffing out again, "Why the hell'd you come up anyway?"

"Lenalee—"

"For a girl you ain't datin' you sure as hell are worried about her." He took the cigarette and pressed it against the countertop, watching as a bit of smoke wafted from it's tip before crushing it with his palm. He looked back up at me, "What about this Road chick?"

I blinked dully.

"Did you really hit your head that hard?" He wondered, though faintly, I knew he was talking more to himself than me. His eyes narrowed for a moment and he waved his hand in front of my face, "Did you?" then he placed a hand, hard and heavy, against my head—

I felt like I was going to throw up.

He pulled his hand away. Then he sighed, "Yeah you did." Again, more to himself than to me. He stared. He blinked. Then he stood, one hand gripping my jaw—making me look up at him, "Well it's too bad we can't do a damn well thing about it now."

I wanted to ask why but from the look on his face—and her words. That womans words—I knew I shouldn't. Couldn't. Probably wouldn't regardless but—

"You weren't checking the time, were you?" He wondered out loud after staring at me for I didn't know how long, "You were calling your damn friends, weren't you?" I couldn't even nod my head—his grip tightened so much on my jaw that I couldn't even move it.

His eyes narrowed further.

Then he sighed again.

"That was some mistake y'made—idiot apprentice." He dropped his hand like my face burned.

"It…was?" I managed to force out as a result.

He nodded his head, running one hand through his long red hair before pulling out another cigarette, "Shit yes, it was." He lit it with his lighter, inhaled, made a face, then exhale and brought it away from his mouth, smashing it against the bar top. "And now," I knew it had burned him, but he didn't even flinch, "we hafta get the damn hell out of here. Do you want your friends to be wrapped up in this shit?"

I couldn't even formulate an answer for that before he cut me off again

"No, no, o'course y'don't." He waved his hand dismissively, before, oddly, breaking out into a strange sort of broken laughter, "You aren't like me or Mana—not at all, no, not at all."

Like…Mana?

"That's right boy," I blinked—he had…had I shown that I was surprised? I couldn't remember. But he continued on anyway, "Mana too—we're all a bunch of greedy thieves. 'course you wouldn't know a damn thing about that—would you? No," suddenly his eyes—his voice—everything held an eerie seriousness to it, "we made sure you didn't, or at least Mana did. The poor idiotic fool. Almost like," he stopped, almost like he had forgotten what he was going to say before, "Kid, you're bleeding."

"Wha…?"

"You're bleeding." He repeated again—and suddenly one of his hands disappeared outside my periphial vision—back—somewhere behind me. And his other hand was holding my head still—and—and—and—

I felt it then, a sharp pain—'So my head really is bleeding?'—but then there was another—sharper—pain it—it—

I took a staggered breath, I felt—for the second time—the world fade out to a solid black. Then a gray—vision blurred.

A mass of red hair

And the words, spoken:

"I really do say too damn much when I'm drunk."

Then it was gone. Everything. Gone.

---(Kanda's POV)---

Her eyes were shaking as they tried to focus on the now blank screen of the cell phone she just jerked out of my hand. "He…what?" she questioned, "What did he say. What did he say to make him say he's an idiot—he isn't—"

"He didn't say anything." I cut her off, eyes narrowing, "He hung up."

"I figured that." Her voice was no more than a hiss now, "But why you—you didn't say anything—did you?"

I tried hard not to roll my eyes, "You heard everything I said."

"I—" she started again, but Lulubell placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and shook her head firmly, as if hoping this wouldn't stop the inevitable panic attack. It didn't. Obviously. Even I could tell it wouldn't work.

"Calm down," her voice was trying to be soothing, but it was worried—and Road could tell it was worried—and that was what probably made it worse.

'Ah, hell, why the fuck do I care?' I mused silently, as Road violently shrugged the hand off.

"You can't expect me to sit here when calls and doesn't even—doesn't even try to call me back!"

I blinked, "What the hell makes you think he'd try?"

Her brows furrowed for a second before she quickly corrected herself—or added on—or just said, "I meant—why did he talk to you and not me."

I shrugged my shoulders, "How the hell—"

"Because you'd probably break into a mini panic attack," Lavi cut me off, shooting me a strange look before focusing his attention back on Road, "and he doesn't want you to worry."

"If he didn't want her to worry then why the hell didn't he just talk to her?" I muttered, and quickly found Road agreeing with me.

"Yeah! I'm even more worried that he didn't talk to me at all!" She looked down at her phone before looking back up at us, "What if—what if something bad happened to him?"

"Because—"

"Kanda." He didn't even let me get one word out before he cut me off. I wasn't stupid—I probably knew why he was cutting me off but—but—

"It's the damn truth." I spat out.

He glared at me. Then sighed, "Maybe."

"What is?" Immediately Road tried to get in on the conversation her eyes, darting back and forth between me and Lavi and then me again, "What?" even a blind person could tell she was worried and not just from the tone of her voice.

I shrugged my shoulders, "It's—you can guess." I wasn't sure why I changed my mind, but Lavi kicking me in the leg a split second before I opened my mouth probably had something to do with it. Not that I could be swayed that easily. Not that I cared enough—why did I care enough to give my opinion?

'Damn, I've been around too many damn people today.' I sighed inwardly, waiting for Road's reply.

"Well if you aren't going to tell me then I'll just go over there and figure it out for myself!" She hissed out, slipping out of her chair and trying to maneuver around the table.

Unfortunately Devit got to her before she could get too far, "Look, Road, y'really don't wanna go over there right now. I can guarantee y'don't want to." She shot him a glare but he didn't seem fazed in the least, "Seriously. What makes you even think they'll be there."

"He has a point, dear." Veronica yawned out—leaning across the table slightly, almost looking like she was bored, "Allen probably hung up because either someone was coming to get him—someone was calling him—or—"

"He probably forgot to charge his cellphone and it died." Lavi butted in, "Just bein' the optimist here since no one else'll do it."

"For a reason." Road snapped back, "How can I—what're the chances that his phone just dies?"

For whatever reason, Lavi didn't even seem affected by her anger, "Eh, I dunno…he doesn't strike me as the type to use it much—but he does strike me as the type to forget to charge it." Then he grinned, "He used ta always ask me if he could borrow mine, since his always ran outta power right when he needed it."

"Really"

"Yup, really."

"You aren't just makin' that up?"

"Why would I?"

"I dunno—why would you?"

And they stared.

And stared…

And stared—'This is so damn annoying.'

Not that I cared. Much.

I exhaled loudly, snapping them both out of their staring contest, "If you're gonna go then go. How the hell're you going to get there, though?"

"He has a point." Devit agreed, "None of us brought cars, err," he glanced at Jasdero, "that can drive, anyway."

"Then I'll walk."

"This late at night?" Again there was a small hint of concern in Tyki's voice, "Sheryl will—will—" his face paled slightly.

"Oh c'mon Tyki, he's your brother, and I'm his daughter." Road almost—almost whined, but before she could get anything else out Tyki cut her off.

"That's the point, dear. If I let you do anything dangerous—"

"Then we'll both creatively make something up." The grin on her face was unsettling, "Heck, we even have a professional liar here."

I didn't want to think of who she was talking about.

It made it worse that Tyki agreed with her, "True, true. It would be useful. But what if the Millennium Earl found out?"

The table went silent. Nearly.

Then Veronica laughed, "You really are just for looks." Then she started laughing harder, "No—no really that was just—"

"Not funny." Tyki cut her off instantly, eyes narrowing, "at all."

"But it is." Everyone shifted, nervously

And for the second—or first?—time I had to wonder, 'Just who the hell is this Earl guy?'

Or did I even want to know?

Not that I cared.

"Even if it is. Even if he gets mad, I'm still going." Road finally broke the uneasy silence, her eyes narrowing as she turned her head away in a very dignified—and snobbish—manner.

'Why does Allen like her again?' I had to wonder, 'She's stubborn as hell.'

Or wait. That could be a reason.

'I'd never date anyone like that.'

Not that I could judge.

"Then at least let us come with you." Suddenly I was being pulled up from my chair by none other than the baka-usagi himself.

"Wha—"

Before I could even protest he cut me off, "We're his friends too—an' we're just as worried." He shot me a look, "Even if some of us'd rather not say so."

"Well if you're going then I might as well." Tyki immediately relented, standing up as well and grabbing Lavi's other hand.

"But Tyki—"

"No buts."

"You don't even know Allen that well—I just introduced you, like, yesterday!" She immediately protested.

"Well for one Sheryl would be in hysterics if I didn't watch you—and two, I'm the only one here with a car."

"No you—" she stopped, thought that over, before changing her sentence entirely, "—Papa will worry over you just as much as me! You're his younger brother!"

"And you're his daughter."

Then she went and hissed something out in some foreign language that I could barely understand. But from her tone, and Tyki's expression I knew it was an insult.

"'ey, keep this a bit civil." That and Lavi immediately responded to it, "If you wanna go see Allen then let's go an' not just yell at each other. That never gets anything done."

Road seem slightly surprised that he apparently knew what she said, but the expression quickly faded to acceptance as she quickly turned away again and stalked off towards the exit.

"You know Latin?" I heard Tyki question as we began to walk—his grip, still firm on Lavi's wrist, while Lavi's grip was firm on my upper arm as he pushed me through the crowd.

"Yup." The red-head responded simply, "It's one of the top dead languages to learn."

"Along with Ancient Greek."

"Mhm."

"And Italian."

"That too."

"And Japanese."

"That's cuz of Yuu."

I jerked at the sudden use of my first name—he hadn't called me that for practically the entire night. Much less in front of Tyki. But regardless of that fact—'He wanted to learn Japanese because of me?'

Not that I cared. He could learn it if he wanted to.

But because of me?

"Interesting." I nearly froze as I reached the front doors of the bar—Tyki was now right in front of me, hand on the glass door—too close—pushing it open—murmuring again, for only Lavi and me to hear, "So you really are Japanese?"

I didn't see why he cared. I didn't see how the hell he couldn't notice that right from the—

"Yup he is." I felt Lavi jerk me closer to him, but at the same time push me forward as the door opened, "Now we'd better hurry. Road's getting' pretty far ahead."

"She can't go anywhere." Tyki replied back easily—but with an amused tone in his voice, "I have the car keys."

"I meant she might walk there if we don't hurry up." For the first time I heard—what was it? Unease? Something—in his voice, "Unless y'want her to just head off on her own merry way."

"And I can just take you two back to my apartment."

"Or to ours."

"Oh? What would be the fun in that?" He questioned, the amused tone never leaving. It was almost disturbing. Almost. Not that I cared enough. No. Not that I—

"Hurry up Tyki-baka!" Road shouted from down the sidewalk, causing people to suddenly start staring—not that I cared, not that I cared—at us.

Immediately Tyki backed away a bit, and sped up, "Yes, yes, Road dear, we're hurrying!" He called back, seeming to make his voice loud, but at the same time not yelling.

Lavi never let go of my arm.

But he seemed more relaxed.

Was that a—

Stupid question. How would I know it—

"I mean Lavi an' Yuu-chan too!"

'What.'

"Keep walkin' Yuu," Lavi whispered, close, in my ear.

'She heard him?'

"That is your name right?" And her voice was still annoyingly loud.

I wanted to shout back—do anything, but the damn red-head kept pushing me forward—forward—"Keep movin', she's just teasin' ya."—and moving still, until my feet hit the asphalt of the parking lot.

"Or is that some kind of cute little nickname usagi-kun picked out?" she called back and I was silently thankful that there weren't many people leaving, or parking, or coming, or—

"Nicknames? Why, you do need a nickname don't you?"

Could the damn conversation just die already?

"Just ignore 'em." Then, louder, he shouted back, "Yes it's 'is damn name. Hates it to death—" They don't need to know that—"But it still is! Now let's get goin'."

"An' you're the one who's saying Allen might not be there." Road finally had the decency to lower her voice.

"We were just trying to lighten the mood." Tyki called out as he reached his car, which Road was still leaning up against, and unlocked it.

"It was a simple question, anyway." Road added on as she slipped into the passenger side seat.

Lavi quickened his pace then, and suddenly we were there, and he nearly shoved me in the car before quickly moving to the other side and slipping in as well.

"True, true," Lavi finally conceded as Tyki started the engine, "but as they say—some questions are best left unasked."

"Isn't it 'some things are best left unsaid'?"

"It's the same thing," Lavi shrugged, "Just like I can say some things are better left unknown."

There was silence.

And then, "And? It's the same how?" Road wondered, twisting in her seat to look back at us as we exited the parking lot.

"Think about it." Tyki seemed to get it though, "Think about it for a moment."

"It doesn't have anything to do with speaking though—or a question." She still sounded confused. Hell—what were they getting at?

"True," Tyki murmured, glancing back at me, and then at Lavi, before looking over at Road, as we reached a red light, "But what does it deal with."

"Seeing."

"And we're going to see how Allen is, correct?"

"More like me an' them," she motioned to us in the backseat, "But yeah. So?"

"So maybe what we see may be best left unseen?"

"That sounds so corny."

"It does not."

"Does too."

"Does not—"

"Then I'll say it." Lavi cut Tyki off, making them both focus their attention on him. Once he noticed this he closed his eyes, and tilted his head ever so slightly to the side, "Eh…maybe—more like: in a horror movie, when someone says don't look in the hall closet—the main character almost always does, right?" Road nodded her head, and I found myself nodding along with her, "Well, I guess this is like saying the same thing."

"Which is?" She sounded annoyed now.

"Which is," Lavi repeated, tilting his head in the opposite direction, "don't look in the closet. There may be something there that could've made your life so much better not knowing. If y'get my drift."

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Hnn, well this chapter's definitely shorter than the last two. But, eh, I wanted to get this typed out before Halloween so I could update it. Thankfully I actually managed to do that! –usually never makes the dates she sets- But anyways, yes Allen's POV is weird. I wrote half of it at night and the other half right after dad randomly told me yesterday I was taking the SAT. This Saturday. A two day warning(ish?) -blinks-

So yeah: Questions, comments, loved it? Have CC? Send it via review!


An' Happy Halloween to those who celebrate it! (it always reminds me of Road XD)

Till the next chapter

-Harmony283