In the morning, Rifka reported to the infirmary as ordered, smiling as she wandered inside as though she were simply dropping by for a friendly visit.

"Ah, there you are," the Head Nurse scolded when she spotted her, "breezing in whenever, as usual, free as you please. I was told to expect you hours ago."

Rifka hopped onto a bed and held out an arm blandly, watching disinterestedly as her vitals got checked one by one. "I wanted some breakfast first." She paused, her eyes finally showing signs of regret. "Did I mess up your schedule?"

"Not as such, no, but why can't you just show up when you're told, like everyone else?"

A smile threatened the corners of Rifka's shapely mouth and she looked down, speaking softly. "Because I'm not like everyone else, am I, Aunty?"

The Head Nurse's stern expression softened slightly, for a moment, and she stepped back. "Well, anyway, it looks like you're back up to full health."

Rifka swung her legs off the bed and got to her feet, happy that she only felt a small twinge of pain from the worst of her bruises. "Excellent! Thank you!"

"Now, don't let me catch you back here for a while, all right?"

"I hear and… And I…" her right eye twitched as she recalled Komui's words from before, instructing her to obey. "I will do my best."

"The saying is usually 'I hear and obey,' Rifka."

There was a glint in Rifka's eyes and she swept out of the infirmary without looking back, showing her teeth in a feral grin. "Obeying is for dogs."

"And for willful students still hoping to become strong Exorcists, isn't that right?"

A little eep! escaped Rifka lips and she drew her shoulders back, turning. She mastered her expression into a blank mask, and bowed to the tall, blonde female standing in the hallway. "Sensei…! When did you get back?"

"Komui told me I'd find you here, delaying your visit to the hospital wing like always." General Nine watched her with a mildly amused expression, her Innocence-possessed white monkey dancing on her shoulder when he recognized Rifka. "I got back this morning… Now, why were you in the infirmary this time, Rifka? Were you sparring too roughly with Kanda again?"

Rifka straightened. "No, Sensei… I fought a level three on a mission, and it threw me out a window. I took a head wound and Komui insisted they make sure I didn't have a concussion."

"No concussion then? Good – your resilience always had been pretty high. I heard you've made progress with your Innocence, also. Show me."

Rifka removed her jacket again to show the General her new markings, the Innocence stars standing out brightly on the palms of her now all-black hands.

General Nine reached out to curiously trace one of the spotted rosettes. "Interesting… and quite attractive, too… So tell me, is Darkpaw still asserting herself against you?"

Rifka shook her head as she slid back into her jacket and zipped up the front, falling into step with her master as the older woman began walking. She stayed slightly behind her and to the left. "Not anymore, no. She's mine to control now."

"Is that so? I will be the judge of that."

Rifka pressed her lips into a firm line to stifle a sigh. "Yes, of course, Sensei…"

"And I see you still hate the word 'Master.'" There was still a note of amusement in Nine's tone.

"I can't help it…" It dawned on her what she had just said, and she closed her eyes with a doomed expression when her usual complaint escaped her lips.

"No, I suppose you can't, can you? Masters are for dogs and slaves, after all."

Hope caused Rifka to open her eyes, and she grinned, following her General into the gym more eagerly. Once there, they discovered Allen and Lenalee talking with a new girl, Melody, about the need for agility and response time in battle.

"You have to be able to dodge incoming attacks, otherwise you're just a sitting duck," Allen was saying as Rifka walked over to them with a wave.

"But how am I supposed to train that without getting myself killed?" Mel wanted to know. She beamed when she saw Rifka, and she and others waved back.

"I like parkour for training agility; I think it's really fun." She saw Mel's envious and hopeful expression and grinned, "I suppose that's pretty advanced, though. How about…" She looked around, "these!" She went over to a large net full of red rubber balls and dragged it over with a big grin. She took one out and bounced it in her hand a few times. "We can start you out with these! They won't hurt so badly if we hit you with them, but you'll still learn to dodge real fast!"

General Nine suddenly clapped her hands. "Rifka, this is wonderful!"

Frowning, Rifka looked over at her. "It is? It's just dodge-ball, Sensei…"

"You've made friends! Congratulations!"

Rifka bristled, trying to hide her blush with anger. "Why do you sound so surprised?! I have lots of friends!"

General Nine smiled, able to see through the anger to her disciple's embarrassment. "Oh? Have I been away so long? You never used to be so outgoing… In fact, if I recall correctly, you used to perch above the Gatekeeper like a gargoyle, watching everyone coming and going…"

Rifka thrust a hand into her hair, pointedly looking away, her cheeks burning. She could feel the others staring at her with acute interest. She really didn't like being the one getting teased! "Well! Back then I didn't speak English very well! It was embarrassing trying to talk to people!"

"You speak English just fine now, though, Riffie." Melody told her, trying to make her feel better.

Opening her mouth, the darker girl turned to look at her with a smile, shaking off her mood. "Thanks, Mel. C'mon, let's get started! We can take a break at lunch!"

General Nine casually sat back with her white monkey perched on her shoulder, and watched the young Exorcists playing dodge-ball as a means to build agility. They eventually started to show off when they saw that Melody could keep up. Allen activated Crowned Clown, Lenalee was using Dark Boots, and Rifka activated Darkpaw. They all tried to see who was faster, leaping and bounding around the room, laughing.

Nine smiled to her monkey, scritching him behind his ears. "Look at her now, Lau Shimin. She can even work with groups. She's come a long way, hasn't she?"

Earlier that day, Lavi was out finishing up a mission. As he was gathering information from the locals, a cat lazily rubbed its chin across his foot, purring loudly. It slowly fell over his foot and flipped over onto its back, batting at the air with a soft yowl.

Lavi blinked at the creature before kneeling down to scratch it softly behind the ears, watching it close its eyes and curl its tail happily. "Hey Mr. Cat, what's up with you, huh? You look a little… drunk!"

"Oh," one of the locals he had been talking to started to laugh, "You'll see that a lot around here… There's catnip growing wild everywhere around here. They love the stuff."

Lavi stared as the cat tried to get up. It needed a few tries before it was able to pad away, staggering comically from side to side.

And then… he got a brilliant idea…

"B-Set's ready, come and get it!" Jerry called from the window.

"That's mine," Rifka said as she started to get up from the table. She had changed into her white and gold outfit for the dodge-ball game and was showing off her sleek, toned frame.

"Oh wait, allow me!" Lavi, whom had made it back from his mission just in time for lunch, gestured for her to sit back down as he jumped to his feet. Rifka winged a brow at him, smiling uncertainly.

"Okay, thanks, Lavi…"

The redhead ran down to the order window and accepted Rifka's tray of food, and then, after some quick double-checking around him, to make sure no one was watching, he sprinkled something over the food. He brought the tray to the table and set it down before Rifka with a flourish.

She was still looking at him like she already suspected him of something, so he grinned and sat down, maintaining innocence. "What's going on today? It's not my birthday, is it Lavi?"

"No, why? Can't I just do something nice for you, just because?"

Rifka smiled and tucked her hair back behind her ear. "No. Thank you anyway, though." She sat up unexpectedly and kissed him on the cheek. "Welcome home, by the way."

He fell over in shock and hearts floated up around him. "STRIKE!" He cheered from the floor. Rifka laughed and began to eat.

After lunch Lavi walked her out of the cafeteria, trying to maintain a casual air. "So what're you going to go do now?"

Rifka slanted a gaze at him that was equal parts dangerous and playful. "After lunch I like to go sit in the sun for a while. Then maybe I'll find Kanda for a spar or Mel for a run. I decided to see if she's any good at parkour, since it's more fun in a group than alone."

Lavi had immediately pictured Rifka lounging by the lake in a bikini and began to grin. "You sure know how to enjoy the little things…"

Rifka glanced at him again, beginning to seriously doubt his intentions. "Comes with having a cat in my brain, I guess."

They exited the main building together and strolled down to the lake. Blinking, Lavi gazed out across the water in awe. "Wow… it's a really nice day, today!"

"Yeah, getting cooler out but not too… windy…" Rifka swayed slightly, reaching up to rub at her eyes with a frown.

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't know… Everything's... getting blurry…" She reached out to steady herself against his shoulder. Her fingertips began to glow and when she turned toward him, he saw her eyes were turning green, too.

Lavi paled. "Darkpaw? What are you doing here?"

Rifka's response was a soft growl, sliding her hands over his shoulders with a dangerous grin, and then she suddenly hooked her foot around his ankle and shoved him down onto the grass, landing on top of him. She purred deeply, brushing her nose along his throat, which drove him instantly out of his mind.

"Hmmmm… You smell like lies, Lavi, I've never noticed that before… What are you hiding from me…?" She opened her mouth and slowly bit down on his neck.

Oh crap! She knows! Misdirect! Misdirect! "It was catnip!" Lavi's eyes flew open and he was suddenly not excited anymore, feeling her putting pressure on his neck and realizing he really didn't want to trust her with his jugular. "I snuck catnip into your lunch! I'm sorry!"

Rifka stared down into his eyes. "Catnip…? Lavi…" She slid her hands over his chest, her lips dangerously close to his, and just when he began to blush again, she grabbed his shoulders and slammed him a few times against the ground, then hauled him up to glare into his eyes. "Are you nuts?! If I lose control of her I could hurt someone!" She shoved him back onto the ground and leapt away, running back inside.

Lavi stayed sprawled in the grass, dazed. "Oh crap!" It occurred to him where she might be going and he jumped up to run after her.

She checked the gym, but Allen, Melody and Lenalee had not seen him. She checked the infirmary, but the Head Nurse had not seen him either. She checked the library, the courtyard, and Komui's office, but still no one had seen him. She was running out of time and there was only one more place to look.

Kanda looked up sharply when the door to his room suddenly banged open. He stopped pulling on his shirt to grab Mugen from beside the bed. He had the sword drawn and ready when Rifka staggered in, and he stared as she closed the door behind her and leaned back against it heavily, panting desperately.

"Ohhh… How's that saying go?" She gasped, showing her teeth in a wild, nervous giggle before dropping her head, "it's always in the last place you look…"

He lowered the sword, confused and alarmed. "Rifka, what's going on? What happened?"

She started to laugh and slowly lifted her head, showing that she was grinning mischievously. Her eyes flashed bright green, startling him. "Mmmm… Hi again, Kanda… She never lets me out on her own anymore, have you noticed that?"

"Darkpaw…!"

They stared at each other, silently squaring off, he with his hair down and his shirt half-on, and she in her split-skirt and tee. With a hungry grin she dug in her toes and sprang forward. With a muffled curse, he caught her in his arms and went down under her.

Lavi approached Kanda's door and began to tiptoe, sliding along the wall until he could reach for the doorknob. He froze when he heard muffled voices and heavy breathing from inside, and pressed his ear to the door.

"Ow! Dammit, Riffie… How would you like it if I bit you that hard…?"

"Ooh…" Rifka's voice held a deep, sensual laugh, "you think you can handle the consequences of that, Yuu…?"

"Dammit… how many times… Stop calling me that!"

"Oh! OH!" Her sharp gasps dissolved into delighted laughter.

Lavi's expression was shocked at first, but it slowly shifted to mischievous. "Finally…! I'm going to confirm the rumor of Yuu and Rifka's relationship!" Carefully turning the knob as silently as possible, he threw the door open and lunged into the room. "AHA!"

Someone should have told him to be careful what he wished for. The first things he saw nearly derailed his entire train of thought. First, there were hands, clutching, Rifka's balled tightly in Kanda's hair, and Kanda's at the back of her head and her thigh. Then, there were lips, Rifka's parted in a gasp and Kanda's fastened tightly to her neck. Upon Lavi's intrusion, they both looked up sharply.

Faces were flushed and chests were heaving, but it all fell to the background when he realized Rifka was sitting astride Kanda's lap, and Kanda's hand had been pushing her skirt up.

He was almost too stunned to notice the blood trickling from a love-bite on the side of Kanda's neck and from scratches down his shoulders and back. He stared at them in awe. "Oh, wow… It's actually true…"

The castle as a whole heard their infuriated shouts. "LAVI!"

He quickly realized his mistake and took off running, but they weren't going to let him get away. He tried to lose them through the science division, but they remained hot on his heels, and heads turning as all three pelted through. He took the stairs and sprinted into the training rooms.

Allen, Lenalee, and Melody were working on the new girl's agility again with another friendly game of dodge-ball. Lavi plowed right through the middle of it, grabbing a ball from the air and twisting to chuck it at Kanda.

The enraged samurai swiftly sliced Mugen through the ball, the two halves flying past him. Lavi paled and turned to run again, but Rifka caught up to him and pounced onto his back, driving him down into the mat face-first. Kanda leveled the blade at Lavi's neck.

They gradually became aware that there were people staring at them. "Oi, Kanda," Allen called over to them and Kanda looked at him, absently sliding Mugen back into its sheath, "what's going on?" He bounced a dodge ball idly in his hand.

"You saw nothing," Rifka growled into Lavi's ear, "nothing, or I swear I will literally eat your heart out, Rabbit!" She got to her feet, casually tugging down the hem of her skirt. "Lavi bet us we couldn't catch him in an all-out dash from the dormitory to the gym. He almost made it."

"Is that so? Then… where's your shirt, Kanda? And why are you all bloody? And why are you both barefoot…?"

"We were sparring!" Rifka and Kanda blurted together. Rifka turned quickly and ran a hand over her neck, hiding the hickey there from view. It was a good excuse, but Allen still didn't look convinced, narrowing his eyes at them both suspiciously. After a moment of silence, Rifka sighed and gave up with a smile, leaning her head back as she started to laugh. Kanda clenched his jaw and looked aside, remaining silent.

BONK!

Kanda's eyes went wide and blank when he was suddenly smacked upside the head with a ball. Allen's hands were now conspicuously empty. He apparently hadn't been able to resist. Slowly, Kanda drew his hands into fists. "Moyashi…"

Rifka clutched her sides as she started laughing all over again, and Kanda slowly turned his head to glare at her.

BONK!

"Ack!" Rifka's laughter was interrupted by a squawk of surprise when she was smacked in the head by another red ball. She lost her balance and fell over onto the mat. When she sat up she looked around, and saw that Melody was no longer holding a ball either. Rather than getting mad, though, she grinned broadly. "Oh, now it's ON! Let's play!"

AN: Melody belongs to my friend Ashleigh -!