Rika does not own D Gray-Man, because if she did, the anime would not just have ended. Grumbles moodily. They say they might not make another season because it wasn't well received in Japan. Apparently. I DON'T CARE, I NEED IT! Am I being slow, did everyone already know this?

Chapter Ten- Making deals

Bookman was writing methodically in one of his huge legers, referring to a pile of weathered parchment every few minutes or so. Lavi was sitting at another desk, his eye focused on the book open in front of him, back to the elder bookman. He only appeared engrossed in the ancient tome however, because clearly he could not have been reading it. His eye never moved, nor had he turned a page in more than half an hour. Still, Bookman hadn't seemed to have noticed, he was too busy with his own task, so Lavi considered it safe to indulge in a little mind wandering. He was actually so focused on not being focused on anything that he did not notice Kanda stalk into the library, an expression of resignation on his face. He spotted Lavi immediately and rearranged his featured, schooling them into a mask of stoic blankness that barely coved the poorly restrained anger that he forced (okay, maybe forced is a little too strong a term, perhaps it was more like…allowed) himself to feel. He didn't think his acting was anywhere as good as Allen's had turned out to be, but he could certainly play angry when Lavi was involved. Hell, it wasn't even acting.

He slammed his palm onto the desk at which Lavi was sitting, making the redhead nearly fall from his chair in alarm; he had that occupied with his thoughts. Bookman glanced up but immediately returned to his work, completely ignoring the two exorcists on the other side of the room.

Kanda glared down at him, eyebrow raised at the reaction, and waited for his cue.

"Christ Yuu, you scared the living shit out of me!" Lavi exclaimed, pushing his bandana back into his hair, since it had slipped over his eyes when he was startled.

Kanda's glare cranked up a notch, and he didn't even have to think about it. "Do. Not. Call. Me. That." he growled, each of the words its own sentence, short and clipped.

"Aw Yuu, don't say that! You know you don't mind it really! It's all for show." Lavi winked at him. At least, he assumed it was a wink- with one eye it was hard to tell. With a rasping sound of metal on metal, Kanda drew Mugen, pointing it at Lavi's face. "Shut up" he warned "or I will gut you."

Lavi pushed the black steel away lazily with one finger. "You know, you've been promising me such things for more than ten years now Yuu" he said in a conversational tone "and you haven't done it yet. I know I'm special and all, but-"

Kanda made a small motion, as though he was fighting back a shudder, and returned the blade to Lavi's face. "If you want to live to see lunch, shut up now."

"Again with the threats!" Lavi wagged a finger at him annoyingly.

Across the room, Bookman rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded like "idiot boy" under his breath. He looked up at Kanda. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't kill him in here, some of these books are priceless, and I'd hate to get blood on them."

"Gramps!" Lavi wailed, scandalised.

"No problem" Kanda promised, taking a menacing step towards Lavi, who let out a small, girly "Eeek!" and bolted from the library.

'Mission accomplished' Kanda thought smugly, shaking his head at Lavi's predictable stupidity.

"I'd like him back in one piece, there's some work I need his to finish" Bookman said dryly without looking up from the book he was writing in.

Kanda glanced at him briefly. "I'll do my best, but I won't make any promises." And with that he turned and walked from the library. He could still hear the echoes of Lavi's rather feminine screaming lingering in his wake, but the cavernous hallways of the Order made locating the source difficult.

"He went that way" Allen said from his position against the wall of the corridor, pointing down the right handed passage. "What did you DO? He looked terrified! I don't think he even saw me standing here."

"Tch."

"Well, won't keep you" Allen said, pushing away from the wall. "Have fun. Happy hunting."

"Good luck" Kanda said, glancing over his shoulder and back into the library for a moment. "I won't be too long, I shouldn't think." He smirked suddenly.

Allen grasped his hand as he walked past, giving it a quick squeeze. "We'll be in the room when you've done" he said as he slipped through the heavy wooden doors.

Bookman looked up as soon as Allen walked in, his attention caught by the light purposeful footfalls, which, unlike when Lavi's, did not sound like the wearer was trying to permanently impress his print into the stone floor. Nor was it Kanda returning, they didn't have the same measured predatory stride which Kanda used to get from A to B. And the boots (definitely boots- which counted out Komui in his sandals, and the science department, for whom heavy shoes would be a cumbrance) were those of a male exorcist, not a female…there was no sharp retort of a raised heel. So it was not Lenalee, Miranda, nor any other few females in the order.

Jim had never quite got over his fetish for wearing short clunky boots that he rarely tied, and so his footfalls were often shuffling and typically included mumbled curses and the odd sound of someone biting the dust whenever his trailing laces got caught on something. Bookman idly tested his vast memory as he waited for his visitor. Just before whoever it was rounded the last set of bookshelves, the old man spoke. "Allen Walker."

The youngest general walked past the heavily laden shelves and came into view. "That always creeps me out" he said, smiling softly as he glanced around the library, seeking out potential eavesdroppers.

"Lavi isn't here" Bookman offered, and then looked at Allen shrewdly. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Allen fidgeted a little awkwardly. "Guilty as charged, I'm afraid. It's you I have come to see."

Bookman was now intensely curious. As a member of the bookman clan, he sought knowledge in all its forms, and since Allen's arrival seven years ago had paid the so-called 'Destroyer of Time' particularly close attention. "And what is it you need to see me about?" he asked, stacking his notes and closing the book, resting his folded hands on the cover.

"First I need to ask you something" Allen said, looking a little nervous. Bookman motioned for him to continue. "Do…do you report your findings to the Order? Or do you just record them?"

Bookman considered him for a moment. "That would depend on what the findings were. However" he pointed at Allen with a gnarled old finger "we are under no obligation to report anything to your superiors. If we do so, it is because we deem it prudent. But" and this time he gabbed the still pointing finger emphatically "we bookmen are not part of the Black Order. We are separate, apart, and we have our own goals."

"Err…" Allen frowned slightly, turning over what Bookman had just said in his mind.

Go ahead, he won't tell anyone else the Noah advised helpfully

"There's one more thing…does Lavi read everything you log?"

Bookman paused; this situation was getting stranger by the minute. "He should, though I doubt it." He wondered where this was going, and was struck by a sudden insight. "There is no need to log everything down immediately" he said slowly, watching a strange hopefulness flared in Allen's face. "My apprentice doe not have access to my personal notes."

Allen visibly relaxed, then seemed to realise how strange his question had been. "It's just that I'd like to keep this a secret from my friends, for now at least."

Eventually Bookman nodded. "I will keep whatever you tell me a secret from the Order, but you had better make it worth my while."

"Then please, come with me, there's something you need to see." Allen turned and began to stride away, knowing the old man was desperately curious and would be following him. There was no time to lose; Allen needed to get this over with before he lost his nerve.

He stood outside his bedroom, staring at the door with his hand resting on the handle. Bookman stood beside him, looking between the door and Allen's face. "Are you going in?"

Allen started, as though he had forgotten the old man was there and swallowed nervously, pushing the door open, desperate to get underway before he had chance to change his mind. He closed the door behind Bookman with a soft snap, hardly daring to look up.

"Well, an Aviran. I don't think I could have predicted this. You lead an interesting life, Allen Walker."

Allen looked between Bookman and Lanel, who was perched on the desk regarding them both with mild interest.

"The bookmen have had contact with the Avira before?" Allen asked curiously. Bookman nodded, still watching Lanel as though trying to work out just why there was a member of an alien angel race sitting in Kanda and Allen's bedroom. "Not for several hundred years, but I have read past logs that mention them."

Lanel swung his legs like a child, not saying anything, though he bore Bookman's scrutiny well.

Bookman sat in a chair, regarding Allen with serious black eyes. "I'm sure this will be an interesting story." He crossed his legs, making himself comfortable and pulling out his pipe. "And I'm also sure that what you're about to tell me would interest the Grand Generals greatly." He folded his arms now that his pipe was lit and watched Allen's face get paler and slightly worried. "Relax boy, I have no love for those power hungry ego maniacs" Bookman said wryly. "Nothing you say will reach them through me, I just wanted you to understand that although I have no responsibility to share what you tell me with members of the Black Order, I am not in the habit of hiding things from my own clan."

Allen said nothing, but watched the smoke from the pipe curl towards the ceiling. At length he sighed. "I understand what you're saying. If you'd rather forget about it-"

Bookman interrupted him. "I did not say that. I just needed to make sure you understood what doing this means."

With a small respectful nod Allen fell silent again, collecting his thoughts.

The old man recognised that Allen was having some trouble finding where to begin, so addressed Lanel who was still sitting on the desk. "I am known as Bookman, who are you?"

"I am Lanel Ymosod," Lanel replied, stating his name in the human fashion, given name and family name. The Avira had no need for this usually, their culture was so varied and their number so few that only very rarely did two of them share a given name at one time, despite their longevity.

Bookman looked surprised. "Ymosod? Is that not one of the highest ranking families of the Avira?"

"Indeed" Lanel inclined his head, pleased that the old man had recognised his high standing among his people. "My sister is the Yegofelamef."

Allen was completely lost in the conversation, but it seemed that Bookman understood, and was impressed. He turned back to Allen. "You draw the attention of some remarkable people. Are you ready now?"

Allen nodded. "As I'll ever be." And he began to explain to Bookman how he had met Lanel in the Ark, and about the remote connection that had allowed him to rescue the exorcist teams for certain death. He did not however, say anything about his transformation into a Noah. He fell silent at last to find Bookman regarding him with a slightly calculating expression. "And what is it you need me for exactly?"

"I need to explain Lanel being here- I can't tell them the whole story since…" he trailed off, the worried expression firmly plastered on his face, and he knew he'd said too much already.

Bookman was far from stupid and it certainly did not take a genius to spot the gaping holes in Allen's story. His expansive intellect was already trying to fill these gaps, like completing a jigsaw without having the final picture as a guide. A not impossible task, of course, but having some idea what the puzzle was supposed to look like always helped. "I'll make a deal with you Allen Walker. Tell me the whole truth, and I will take care of the problem with your friend here."

Allen bit his lip. It was a tempting offer…

Tell him everything. He'll know eventually anyway, you can't keep me hidden forever.

With a defeated sigh Allen nodded. "Deal."

"Yuu! Stop now, it's not funny any more" Lavi whined, out of breath and leaning against the wall of the dead end corridor he was now trapped in (Why? Why was there a random, doorless corridor in the middle of Headquarters? Whoever designed the building need their heads kicked in! Kanda stood at the end of the corridor, Mugen hanging at his side and a smirk on his face.

Lavi saw only way out of certain maiming, if not death, so he grabbed it firmly with both hands. "So tell me, what's up with Moyashi-chan?"

Kanda blinked. "What?"

"I'm not stupid Yuu; I know when something's going on. I could see it as soon as he came back." He gave Kanda a slightly annoyed look. "I'm not a bookman because of my good looks you know."

Kanda snorted, hiding the smirk that had somehow morphed into an amused smile behind his hand. When he'd collected himself he spoke. "There's nothing to say."

"Uh huh" Lavi was utterly unconvinced. "I'm sure there isn't." And he stood there, hands on hips, waiting for Kanda to say something. Kanda remained stubbornly silent, glaring at Lavi as though he'd love nothing more that to detach his arms and shove them down his offending throat. He managed to restrain himself from violence however. "What makes you think something's wrong?" he asked at length when sending psychic messages to Lavi telling him to shut the fuck up and leave him alone didn't work.

Lavi shifted uneasily, looking uncharacteristically uncertain for a moment. "Not…wrong, per se…just…I don't know…different."

Inwardly Kanda marvelled at Lavi's astuteness, though of course he didn't let it show. He just stared stoically at the bookman. When it became clear that Lavi wasn't going to say anything more, he turned to leave, feeling intensely disturbed at how perceptive the usually foolish redhead actually was.

Lavi darted forward, grabbing hold of Kanda's arm and pulling him to a standstill. "Wait."

Kanda furiously yanked his arm free of the grip and whirled on Lavi, his scowl almost a snarl of frustration. "Don't do that again!"

Lavi pulled his hand back as though he'd been burned, looking slightly hurt. "I know something happened to him inside that thing," he snapped "and I just wish you both trusted me enough to tell me what it is!" Lavi's anger dissipated as soon as it had flared when he saw the defeated look that flashed across Kanda's face for the briefest of seconds. "Yuu?"

"It's not for me to say" Kanda told him firmly, moving away from Lavi's outstretched hand and taking a couple of steps backwards.

"So there is something going on" Lavi stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why can't you tell me?"

"Just leave it Lavi, you'll find out soon enough."

Lavi didn't know what surprised him more- the fact that Kanda had used his name, or the fact that he had sounded so human when he said it. He stood gaping for a moment as Kanda took the opportunity to walk away. Before he turned the corner Lavi shouted after him, the familiar mischievous twinkle back in his eye and a wide grin on his face. "Do you think Moyashi has finished with the old panda yet?"

Kanda froze and turned slightly to glare at Lavi, though it wasn't up to his usual potency, before he carried on walking away with a soft "Tch."

Bookman prided himself on the ability not to be surprised by anything, but for the first time in his life he found himself well and truly speechless. He blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. The vision did not change, waver or disappear, so he concluded he wasn't hallucinating. "Well, you certainly are full of surprises."

Allen lowered his gaze to the floor. "Now you see why I kept it a secret." He pushed the unruly black hair out of his eyes, the line of crosses visible for a moment before the hair flopped back stubbornly.

The old man circled around him, studying the Noah from all angles curiously. This was the first time he'd been near a Noah who was not trying to kill him…the possibilities this presented…he cut himself short. He was thinking along the same lines as those in the Order would. He'd stopped seeing Allen Walker and started seeing an experiment, a commodity. No wonder the boy was afraid to reveal his secret. "What can you do?"

Allen blinked and the closely drawn curtains behind the silently observing angel flew open, flooding the room with sunlight. "I can make things do what I want" he explained simplistically.

Bookman looked interestedly at him, as though seeing him for the first time. "Does this apply to living things too? To people?"

Allen looked appalled. "No, never! I…" he faltered. "I don't know, I haven't tried." He frowned at the slightly hungry look the old man was giving him. "I don't want to know if it's possible."

"Hmm." Bookman tapped his pipe thoughtfully. "Anything else?"

"Apart from being connected to the Ark all the time?" Allen asked with a slightly twisted smile as the unobtrusive door in the corner of the room shuddered from sight for a second or so before rippling back into visibility. "I have dreams, and sometimes hey come true." He didn't elaborate, looking very uncomfortable.

Intrigued, Bookman probed further. "How so?"

"I dream that something happens, and when I wake up, I find it has, or it happens soon after."

"What are these dreams like?"

"They vary, they can be about anything, random insignificant things to the outcomes of battles. That's been happening for a year or so. And music, there's always music, playing in the background."

Bookman raised his eyebrows, his thoughts flying back to that white piano sitting within the Ark. "Music."

Allen nodded, tight lipped and uneasy, as though he could sense the old man's thoughts.

Bookman sat back down and began turning things over in his mind, filing them away in a neat and orderly fashion so that when he finally came to writing it all down everything would be easy to recall. For some reason, he noted idly, he didn't feel even slightly intimidated facing the newest Noah. He still spoke like Allen, pleasant and polite, still stood like Allen, still moved like Allen, but still…Bookman recognised something feral and not altogether human lurking in the molten depths of those golden eyes. His own fell on Allen's left arm, a small expanse of dark skin visible between the pristine white glove and the shirt sleeve rolled up to the elbow. He wondered how it was possible for a Noah t have innocence, especially the parasitic kind, so in tune with the accommodators body, but then realised it was probably the innocence that was keeping the dark side of the Noah in check. That's when he understood why he was not afraid of the youngest general, despite his new appearance and ability. "You are not a full Noah yet are you?" he said. Allen numbly shook his head, not in the least bit surprised that Bookman had fit the final piece of that illusive jigsaw, though he was surprised that he'd done it so fast. He had managed to keep this little problem buried deep inside himself for a while, since he first saw that dark complexioned reflection staring at him in a mirror and realised what it meant. Not even Kanda had an inkling of how deep this little problem went.

Lanel gave him a reassuring smile. Well, Allen hoped it was meant to be reassuring- if the Aviran was finding any of this funny in the slightest, he was going to see to it personally that the angel was castrated. Wait- didn't Lanel say that the Avira didn't have genders in the same way as humans did? Did that mean that Lanel didn't have a… the poor guy. Allen shuddered in sympathy, before realising that his thoughts had meandered way off topic. He turned his attention to the matter at hand. "No, I'm not. Instead of being a Noah with a white and a dark side…I have three parts, me, and the Noah's two. Although I meant to go through with the whole transformation in the Ark, something happened and we didn't fully bond, though I think I prefer it this way." Then he fixed his sharp golden eyes on the old man. "The innocence is keeping the dark side trapped." He clenched his left hand into a fist apparently unconsciously and his expression turned stricken. "I have parasitic innocence."

And suddenly Bookman had the whole picture. No wonder Allen was so afraid. The part-Noah continued speaking, as though if he stopped he would never be able to say it again.

"The more I use my innocence, the more of my life gets used too. Eventually I'll reach a point where I'll be too weak, and the dark side will be able to get free." He looked truly scared, both his hands balled into trembling fists. "I have to make sure we win this war before that can happen."

And admitting it aloud suddenly made it very real.

A/N

That thing with the boots? No idea. I just have a shoe fetish. And by God, what's this plot? It cannot be! Bimbles off to write next chapter