Disclaimer: I own nothing~

Chapter 10

"Are you going to hit a woman?" Kanda asked. He flexed his arms as if preparing to enter a fight. "A pregnant woman, at that? Even if she is rather weird at times?"

"Do not poke your meddlesome nose into my domestic affairs, you twat!"

"What did you just call me?"

"You bloody arse, just go away! I need some alone time with my girlfriend!" Link spat.

"You dare insult me?" Kanda said, and grabbed at Link's collar, pulling the smaller man toward him.

"No, Kanda!" Allen cried.

But it was too late.

There was a smash and the sickening crunch of bone, and then she wobbled on her knees, overcome by the stench of blood spilled.

:::

"Oh, goodness!" Allen cried, slumped on the floor. "What have you done!"

"I hit him," Kanda said, smiling ferociously. "It was his due."

"You bloody bastard," Link said from the ground where he was nursing his broken nose. "I'll get you for that!"

"How, you puny thing?"

"The law is on my side," Link huffed.

Kanda shrugged, trying not to dirty his pants with his bloodied hands. "You were going to hit a woman."

"I never knew you as a model of chivalry before, Yu!" Lavi said from behind them, stepping out into the area. "Well played, that. I was a-watching from behind the scenes, so to speak. I really love this drama."

"Shut it," Kanda said, flipping a crimson finger at Lavi.

"You'll pay for this, on my honour," Link snarled, lips curling back over his white-as-cement teeth. "Just wait. You'll receive my lawyer's letter, and then you won't know what hit you."

"Che."

"And you," Link said, turning to Allen, still clutching at his pale face, "I'm not done with you!"

"Now, don't be hasty and nasty," Lavi began, but Link had already stormed off, teeth gritted and hands bloodied beyond hope. "Well. He's such a bastard. Are you alright, the two of you?"

"If I get thrown into jail…"

"You won't, Kanda," Lavi said confidently. "You won't."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because I'll take on your case." Lavi beamed.

"You're not a criminal lawyer, damn it!" Kanda groaned. "And I refuse to pay you."

"You don't have to pay me, Yu. You were helping to protect Allen, and my child by extension, from that big bad bully. We owe you. And I've never lost a case before. I'm sure of winning even if I'm not a criminal lawyer. Hey, don't look down on me."

"Che."

"That's great, buddy," Lavi said, slinging his arm about Kanda's stiff shoulders. "You're going to be just fine."

"I'm sorry, Kanda," Allen said, her voice a tiny whisper.

She slipped her fingers around one of his clenched fists in a symbol of gratitude for what the man had done, ignoring the clammy feel of the blood-dotted fist. He was her friend, and he had stood by her in times of difficulty. But the man merely grunted and shook her fingers off.

Lavi stared, then shrugged.

"Lenalee won't like this," Kanda said. He drew out a pad of tissue to clean his hands.

"No, she won't," Lavi replied, "but what's done is done. No use crying over spilt milk."

"But – "

"Shhh, Allen," Lavi said. "Yu won't be in any trouble at all. I'll see to it. Panda will help too, if the situation worsens. We'll try for mediation first, if possible."

Allen's face crumpled, and her eyes were hot with sudden tears. She turned her face away, but Lavi and Kanda both caught the drop of her slim shoulders. Kanda made a movement to place his hand on her shoulder in a symbol of comfort, but thought better of it, choosing instead to run his fingers through his long, inky hair.

Lavi saw Kanda's movement, and grinned slightly. But he did not try to tease either of them. "Come now, Allen, it's not your fault. Everything will be just fine, just you wait and see. Now go on, don't you have a business to run? I'll need to speak to Yu and iron out some details with him."

"Okay," Allen said, walking off with her lips clamped firmly together.

"Now, Yu," Lavi said, "that was stupid. Chivalrous, as I said, but stupid. Whatever possessed you to do that?"

"Che." Kanda crossed his arms and looked at a particular spot on the floor.

"We won't get anywhere like this," Lavi said, sighing. He stared at Kanda. "Come with me."

Lavi brought Kanda with him to his office. The door opened with a tinkling sound, and Kanda glared at the door. Lavi pushed Kanda into an untidy office, carefully sidestepping piles of paper.

"Paperwork," he explained. "I don't get much time to pack."

"You're disgusting."

"True," Lavi said, wrinkling his nose. "Now can I get you anything to drink?"

Kanda raised a dark eyebrow and Lavi smiled. "Right. Green tea for you, eh?"

Lavi retreated out of his office, almost knocking over a porcelain vase. "That hideous vase was a gift from Komui!" he shouted by way of explanation.

He soon returned bearing two glasses. "Now let's get down to business, buddy."

"What?"

"I sense something fishy going on."

"You always do. Good nose you have. Could be put to use in the police," Kanda scoffed, drinking his tea.

"Don't be mean, Yu. Now, we first need to establish why you hit Link."

"I felt like it."

"Seriously? I know you're violent and mean and like to fight, but why would you hit that guy for no obvious reason?"

"He was going to hit the Moyashi. Isn't there a law that says that men cannot hit women?" Kanda nodded. "I was standing up for justice."

Lavi almost sniggered. "I've never heard that from you before…"

"Shut the hell up, you idiot Usagi."

Lavi stifled a chortle behind his hands, quickly turning to his tea to hide the smile that still danced about his lips. He wanted so badly to tease Kanda about his possible attraction to Allen, but the awesome Lavi deduced that it wasn't the correct time.

"Okay," Lavi said. "No more distractions. Let's work on building up a solid defence, alright, Yu?"

Kanda gave Lavi the look, and Lavi decided that Kanda agreed with him. To some extent, at least.

:::

It was already past seven when Kanda decided that it was time to leave his quiet shop. After half a day spent talking to Lavi, Kanda was ready to throttle the man to death and back again. He didn't really want to bid adieu to the peace he enjoyed alone in his store, but it was time for dinner and Allen was probably tired too.

He walked to her store to check on her, and found the shutters already down. She must already have gone home, he thought, and left.

The walk home was a long one, but Kanda did not mind – he quite liked the feeling of the bitter cold wind against his face. It rejuvenated him, made him feel tranquil and strong and encouraged.

He felt even better when he rounded the bend and saw his house, the lights on in the front room. It gave him a warm feeling deep inside, as if perhaps life was not quite the bed of rocks he thought it was.

Allen was in the kitchen when he entered, and he saw her wrapped in his apron, her too-big stomach jutting out. She was putting the last dish on the table. When she heard his step, she looked up and smiled, though her grey eyes did not seem to take on their normal sheen of contentment.

"Dinner's ready," Allen said. She started untying the apron, but did not really succeed with undoing the knot at her back.

"Do you need help?"

"No, no," she said, struggling to undo the knot. Kanda watched in amusement until the woman finally got the apron off.

"You should have helped," Allen grumbled.

"You told me not to."

"That doesn't mean you don't have to."

"Che. You're becoming all moody again."

"Hello?" Allen said. She pointed in the general direction of her abdomen. "Pregnant lady here?"

They sat down and partook of their meal. As Kanda bit into the chicken cooked with parsley, which, against all odds, he enjoyed tremendously, something hit him like a bat out of hell. When Allen popped the baby out of her, she would leave, and they would no longer be housemates.

Sure, he didn't always enjoy having her as a housemate; the Moyashi could be worth a tonne of annoyance sometimes. Her room was messy at times, and he didn't like the grimy picture she hung there. It was dark and gave him a spine-tingling feeling every time he passed her room. It was as if the picture held a residual part of Allen, as if some of the human darkness in her was captured in the picture of the clown.

Seeing her now, eating hungrily before him, he felt a pang in his heart. It felt strange knowing that someday, the Moyashi with whom he shared two meals a day would move out, and he would be left to his own devices.

He wondered how living alone would feel – maybe Daisya would pop by from time to time, and so would the Bookmans, but it would be different.

In the beginning he had agonized over having Allen as a housemate. He hated her persistence, how she always hung a smile on her face like it was the most natural thing in the whole wicked world. The dark picture she brought with her to his house was the sole inkling he had of her true feelings, which was why he despised her for being a hypocrite.

As always, though, time had changed his perspective. Allen Walker was a girl who lived for others. She paid little heed to her own well-being at times; she was almost a full-blown martyr.

He felt a little off, and started picking at the chicken which he had enthusiastically (as enthusiastically as Kanda could, anyway) gnawed at seconds before. It was not at all pleasant thinking about the Moyashi's departure, which would again plunge him back into lonely bachelorhood.

Of course he didn't mind his quiet lifestyle, but he now wondered if maybe there ought to be something more in life, something hidden in the shadows which he had never quite grasped.

"You okay?" Allen asked, bringing him back to reality.

Kanda glared at her, once again seeing her clear, sea-grey eyes. "Of course. Don't nag, woman."

"So much for kindness…" And then Allen let her fork clatter to the table.

"Temper?"

"Maybe," she said, then picked her fork up and placed another large sliver of chicken into her mouth. "Frustration, more of."

"With me?"

"You flatter yourself, Bakanda." Allen twirled a strand of noodle from the next bowl. "Link. He's bothering me."

"Of course he's bothering you – he's stalking you!"

Allen rolled her eyes. "No, I meant that his presence is bothering me. And you might get convicted."

Kanda felt a cold hard stone settle in his stomach, before he brusquely shoved the thought out of his mind. Lavi was a genius, if an annoying one. He would solve the problem. "There's nothing the Usagi cannot solve."

"So Lavi says…"

"It's true. He's a damned idiot sometimes, but he can do his stuff."

Allen nodded but this time round, no reassuring smile came up. "I don't know. I'm still worried."

Kanda sighed. "Just drop it, alright? It's no big deal."

"It concerns your life –"

"As you said, it's my life, so if I go to jail, then I go to jail. End of the story." Kanda shrugged the matter off, though deep inside him the worry settled, congealing in his stomach, making him almost nauseous with worry.

"Fine," Allen said, lips curving downward. But she passed no further comment, even when Kanda declined to finish the chicken he had seemed to like minutes before.

:::

"How's Allen?" Lenalee asked, twiddling her thumbs and smoothing her skirt – sure signs that she was worried and doing some serious thinking.

"She's fine," Lavi said. "Kanda's the one who's in deep shit."

"Kanda?" Komui asked, coming out of his reverie. He turned around. "Are we talking about the same Kanda here?"

"Yes," Lenalee said.

"Kanda punched a man," said Lavi. "Cause the man wanted to harm Allen, or something like that."

"That," said Komui, "shows how unstable Kanda really is. Now you know why I object to you hobnobbing with such a man, Lenalee!"

Lenalee smiled at Komui. "Yes, but Kanda isn't normally like that. He's gruff and does threaten people at times, but he's quite a good friend, all in all."

"So you say," Komui said, turning back to his Build-Your-Own-Robot manual. "Kanda is a destructive young man."

"He isn't," Lavi said.

Lenalee stared at her nails which were a bright, glossy pink. "Don't you find it surprising –"

"That Kanda stood up for Allen?" Lavi said, finishing the sentence. "Yeah, I so do. It's totally unlike our friend!"

"Maybe," Lenalee said, her expression serious, "maybe he's in love with Allen!"

"Kanda's in love?" Komui looked up with feigned disinterest. "Isn't he asexual? Like Komurin? Reever and Johnny said he might be."

"I told you not to build any more of those monsters, Komui!" cried Lavi indignantly, running a hand through his red hair in frustration. "At least, not in my apartment!"

"I'm only reading the book, Lavi. And anyway, I've never built a robot in your apartment before."

"Stop quarrelling, you two. Let's get back to business. By the way," Lenalee said, "whatever it is that Johnny and Reever told you, it's not true. Kanda isn't asexual."

"Yes, Lenalee," said Lavi. "So Kanda isn't asexual. He's an able-bodied man! Right. Anyway, we have no idea how matters lie now. I can only hope that Link will be amenable to settling it out of court."

"Mediation?" Komui asked. "That's not likely with that man. He likes everything done by the book, through the proper channels."

"And he has Leverrier watching his back," Lavi said, squeezing Lenalee's shoulder lightly as she shuddered upon hearing the name. "And Kanda won't back down 'cause he's just stubborn like that."

"We should be focusing on how to get Kanda to stay out of jail," Lenalee said.

"We will. Don't worry."

"Are you sure, Lavi?" Komui asked. "Maybe you should let Bookman handle the case."

"Hey, I'm a pretty good lawyer!"

"I know," said Komui, "but you don't normally deal with such cases, do you? Don't you specialise in corporate law?"

"I do, but… I have the confidence that we'll all be just fine."

:::

Two agonising days later, Lavi went a-knocking at Kanda's front door.

"What is it?" Kanda said, not bothering to admit Lavi into his house. "What do you want?"

"Oh, Yu, must you do this to your good friend?" Lavi said, shoulders slumping.

"Che," Kanda said, and made to slam the door shut in Lavi's face.

"Wait!" Lavi stuck his foot into the door, jamming it. Kanda released his hold on said door and moved aside. "Come in. And wipe your dirty shoes on the mat."

"Yes mummy!" Lavi said, and dodged as Kanda aimed a fist at him. "That wasn't nice!"

"So?" Kanda said. He walked off, not bothering to see if Lavi was behind him.

"So… I'm here to visit you."

"Hello, Lavi," Allen said, bringing a tray of hot coffee into the front room. "Good to see you again. I hope Lenalee's fine?"

"Yes, she is. Good to see you too! You look radiant, by the way! Yu's treating you well, I'm sure!" Lavi said, earning a vicious glare from Kanda.

Allen shrugged. "Have some coffee. It's cold outside."

"It is," Lavi agreed. "This is good stuff! Kanda can't make coffee for nuts. All he can do is make some disgusting bland green tea."

Allen smiled as Lavi hunched his shoulders dramatically. "Green tea is good for health."

"You aren't becoming a health nut, I hope."

"Did you come here to talk about trivial matters like this?" Kanda asked, his voice harsh.

"No, no. I came to tell you that Link's lawyer said that there's no way they'll settle it out of court. He wants it settled in the courthouse with a judge at the head."

"Che," Kanda said. "I knew it, that bastard."

"And Panda's agreed to help me with it, y'know, so we can increase the odds of you walking away free?"

"Hmph."

"And, Tiedoll's moved back down again."

"What?" Kanda gasped. "Tiedoll? What the hell is he doing here?"

"He's your father, and he's concerned…"

"He's not my damned father, and I don't want him interfering in my affairs!"

"He could pay for your lawyer's fees," Lavi said. "I don't come cheap, y'know."

"I can pay the fees myself!" Kanda raged, his coffee still untouched.

"You're charging him?" Allen asked, raising an eyebrow at Lavi. "He's your friend…"

"Sure, why not? Just a nominal sum Yu, don't get so worked up. A small fee to cover the cost of paperwork and stuff like that."

"I don't want Tiedoll around!"

"You calm down," Allen said. "Be a good boy, now. Don't be rude to your father."

"You sound like his mother," Lavi said, smirking.

"Don't talk about my mother," Kanda hissed. He slammed his cup down on the coffee table before rising swiftly. "You are a bunch of morons."

Allen stared at Kanda's back as he retreated into the inner recesses of his house before turning to Lavi.

He nodded at her perplexed face. "Don't let it bother you. I shouldn't have mentioned anything about his mom. He's sensitive like that. He's an orphan, y'know."

"I know," Allen sighed. "And I know how he must feel. Why can't he open up about it, though? It helps to talk through the loss."

"I'm sorry," Lavi said, patting Allen's shoulder. "But y'know, you're not exactly very open yourself. It's a touchy subject with Kanda. He has only the slightest recollection of his parents, and he's quite sure they died because of him. Or maybe they abandoned him – he's not too sure."

Allen nodded.

"And so you see why Kanda's like this. He's afraid of being hurt, methinks."

"I see…"

"Try to help him while you're here, won't you?" Lavi smiled. "We 've tried. Tiedoll's tried. Not much effect, eh?"

"I'll try what I can," Allen agreed.

"And maybe it'll be good for you, too. Helpful, y'know, to go through the trash from previous years with another person. Therapeutic, I should say."

"Uh huh."

"We owe you one," Lavi said. "I'll be going, then. Take care of yourself and the baby and make Kanda eat dinner, Ms Walker!"

"Sure thing," Allen said, and walked Lavi to the door.

:::

"You're not having dinner?" Allen asked, waiting outside Kanda's locked door.

"Go away," Kanda said.

"I can tell you're sulking. But even sulking people need to eat."

"Just leave some soba out. I'll have it later if I feel like it."

"You're acting so spoilt."

"Just go away!"

So Allen went away and finished her own dinner, famished as she was. Just after she finished her last bite, her phone vibrated and she fished it out from her pocket. The caller's number was not displayed.

"Hello?"

"You think I'll let you go so easily?" a man's voice said.

Link! Allen thought. "What do you want?"

"Oh, so you know who I am?" he sneered. "Good girl."

"What do you want?" she asked, steeling herself. Her voice didn't shake.

"You are my woman," Link said. "Kanda won't get you. And you'll be punished for betraying me!"

"I haven't betrayed you," Allen said. "Kanda and I are innocent. You're the evil one – misdeeds everywhere you go."

"Watch what you say, Allen Walker. I have the upper hand here!"

"The Noahs will help me."

"That puny clan. What can they do?" Link snickered.

"Give up. Justice will prevail. I don't want anything more to do with you!" Allen ended the call, angry tears springing in her eyes. With a resolute hand she wiped them away.

:::

The next day, Kanda looked across the table at Allen during their lunch break. "Are you going for the annual Christmas Party?"

"What Party?" Allen asked. She stared at the hints of shadows below his dark eyes. Hadn't he slept the night before, at all? At any rate, he seemed to have forgotten his anger, and for that she was glad.

"Y'know," Lavi interjected, "the one that Leverrier holds every year before Christmas. It's meant to encourage the shop owners here."

"Leverrier," Lenalee repeated with a shiver. "I hate that man. He's such a cruel person."

"Hmph," Kanda said.

"You should go," Noise said, leading Miranda over to the group of four.

"Miranda!" Allen said. She smiled at the dark-haired woman. "Noise!"

Miranda beamed at all of them, her simple gold band sparkling on her hand. "What were you talking about?"

"The annual Christmas Party," Lenalee said. She lowered her head. "I don't really want to go…"

"Neither do I," Lavi admitted, his hands placed protectively over Lenalee's. "But we have to go, all the same, or Leverrier will take it as a slight upon his honour."

"Are you going?" Allen asked Kanda.

"Che. I have to."

"I don't want to go, either," Allen said.

"You should go," Miranda said.

"But –"

Lavi nodded. "Miranda's right, y'know. You, especially, cannot afford to stay away. Neither can you, Yu."

"I'm going. I'm not afraid of Leverrier and Link," Kanda said, a scowl on his face.

"We'll all go together," Lenalee said. "We'll help each other out through all this, won't we?"

They all nodded, except for Kanda who merely stared at his green tea.

:::

Tyki glanced at the Earl, who was busy plopping many sugar cubes into his coffee. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it, and then finally opened it again. "Earl?"

"Yes?"

"Are we going for Leverrier's annual Christmas Party this year?"

"You know we never go," the Earl said, his voice somewhat muffled by his coffee cup. "Why do you ask, Tyki?"

"Yeah, Tyki," Rhode chimed in from where she sat at the side of the pool. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious. I wonder how Allen will be able to go and face Leverrier."

"Oh, Allen…" Rhode said, her brows furrowed.

"Allen Walker? Neah's niece?" the Earl asked.

"That's her," Cyril said, walking over to them. He smiled, showing off his white teeth.

"Where's Trisha, Cyril?" the Earl asked.

"In the house. She's not feeling too well. Well, anyway, what's this about Allen Walker?"

"She's in a tight spot," Tyki said, frowning. He drummed his thin fingers on his lap. "Maybe we should help her."

"We should see how the situation develops first," Cyril said.

The Earl nodded.

"But Master Millennium," Rhode said, "won't you help Allen at all?"

"I will," he said, "when it's time."

"When?" Tyki asked, his tone sceptical.

"We will see," the Earl said.

Tyki and Rhode frowned, but they didn't object.

A/N: Choppy, much?

Uh. Right I really have no idea where I'm going with the story. Let's just hope this chapter isn't too bad. I'm crossing my fingers!

So yes thank you very much for reading, and please do review if you could spare that bit of time? Criticism and suggestions are more than welcome (:

Btw, I know that Link isn't British, but you know, it's fun to make him sound sort-of British. And he's nicer in the manga, really, but I must have a villain, so yeah. Please forgive me for making him so nasty here :X