Chapter 14: Memories

{Black Order Dormitories: October 10th 1887, 10:04pm}

Lenalee was settled in her room, watching as the snow continued to fall while the night grew darker and the gas lamps on the campus of the Order remained spots of orange light across it. The girl was sitting there thinking about the recent events that had unfurled and had been trying to sort them out as best she could. The truth of Allen's past and what he was still clouded her thoughts no matter how many times she had tried to ignore them. Allen, the same sweet-natured boy she had known for almost a full year now, was a vampire, and judging from the records that Bookman found, he was at least over a century old. Lenalee found herself laughing just a bit at that thought, considering, she supposed, that Allen looked rather good for his age. The girl sighed, her breath causing the window to fog up a bit as she continued to watch the snow, her mind mulling over the thoughts until a knock at the door caused her to look up.

"Come in..." the door opened and standing there was none other than the boy she had just been thinking about.

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

"Not really, I was just thinking..." Allen shut the door, deciding to lock it before coming to stand against her desk.

"About what?" she shrugged.

"About this whole thing with what you are..." the boy took in a steady breath.

"I know it's a lot to take in, and I don't want you to think that you're obligated to..." Lenalee shook her head.

"It's not like that, Allen...I want to be here for you...I care about you, but you're right...it is a lot to take in. Not only about your parents, but...your age...and what you really are, it's a great deal more than I anticipated there being." the boy looked to the side.

"What do you want to do?" he questioned.

"I want to stay with you...because I love you..." the boy swallowed a bit thickly.

"Those feelings...they're the same for me, but...I'm scared about letting you get too close, honestly..." Lenalee looked him over.

"You can come sit by me, you know," she said. Allen shifted a bit but did do as she said and came to sit down beside her on the bed while the girl moved closer to him.

"Lenalee, are you sure that you really feel that way?" he looked into her eyes and she frowned.

"Face it, fang boy, you need me as much as I need you," she stated. Allen felt warmth flood his face as she looked to him.

"I...I'm..." Lenalee smiled, laughing just a bit.

"Allen, you're so standoffish sometimes. I don't get why you feel like you absolutely have to keep your distance...I'm not afraid of you..." Allen felt the girl lean in closer, nearly knocking him over.

"Maybe you should be..." the panic of him losing control slowly ebbed away as she watched him begin to relax as he reached up and began to thread his fingers through her hair.

"If I was, it wouldn't matter...you're still you, Allen," she said.

Lenalee moved closer, grasping the front of his shirt as he watched her lean closer to him until he felt her body press up against him. He momentarily felt panic rise in him before he forced it down as he cupped the girl's cheek, gently pulling her closer as she closed her eyes and finally closed the space in. The sensation of the girl's warm lips upon his own startled him at first; however, it quickly led to a strange calm overtaking him as he gently returned the kiss, being careful not to overstep any boundaries as he followed her lead. Lenalee smiled into the kiss, reaching up to tangle her fingers into his soft hair as he pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her waist. It was quick, the way it picked up from a gentle kiss to a passionate one, but neither of them seemed to mind. The kiss became more heated, though; as time went on, Lenalee ending up straddling his lap as he tangled his fingers in her hair and took the chance to deepen the kiss as she returned it once again. The fear of losing control, of causing harm to those he loved was gone; the uncertainty, the complexity of his life, none of it mattered any more. The two of them momentarily broke away, taking in a sudden gulp of air as they looked to one another with a strange clarity.

"Can we...give this a shot? You and me?" a faint smile appeared upon the white-haired boy's features as he moved to rest his forehead against her own.

"I think I like that idea..."

{Exorcist's Dormitories: October 11th 6:40am}

Timcanpy settled upon the window sill, watching as the snow gleamed in the early light of the day. The clouds were still overcast, giving their world a monochrome outlook. It was early, but rather normal for the golem and the white-haired Exorcist; however, this morning, things were on the stranger end of the spectrum. Allen was standing in front of his dresser, getting ready for the day, when he had paused and looked towards his reflection in the mirror. His eyes traced the faint scars that covered his body in odd areas, but there was the one that he could never miss: the scar from his Sword of Exorcism. Normally, it was a frightening, vivid scar that went from his left shoulder to his right hip, but this time, it wasn't. The sharp tissues around the edges of the scar were barely visible, and the look of it in the center was nearly gone, returning his torso to how it looked prior to him being attacked by his own sword.

"It's fading...Timcanpy..." the golem looked to him and fluttered over before settling upon the dresser.

The scar was nearly gone, fading away like the burn mark from General Cross's cigarette. It wasn't normal, yet he knew it had everything to do with his regenerative abilities from his Noah and vampiric bloodlines. With a sigh, he buttoned up his shirt the rest of the way and tugged on his vest before donning the normal ribbon tie he wore as he tugged on his gloves and set to pulling on his boots before he grabbed his coat and left the room with a flick of the switch. Heading down the stairwell, Allen kept his thoughts to himself, considering what Master Cross had told him only yesterday about how different his body was compared to how it once was. Prior to him turning, as a parasite-type, he could take quite a bit of punishment, but the wounds caught up with him quickly, undoing his stamina and further causing himself discomfort.

However, now that he had gained the power of his father and taken his place as the Noah of Song, Allen found himself with the ability to recover almost as fast as the Noah – it did take a few days with his ability, though, when it was serious – that power changed even further when he was granted the powers of a vampire. His stamina, strength, agility, and healing rate increased tenfold as he learned, due to not only the scar on his body but the burn from General Cross. Allen frowned as he thought about that key detail, only because he was summarizing in his mind how long it would take for a severe wound – such as a deep puncture wound or something akin to that – to heal. As he continued to walk, a set of footsteps caught his attention as he turned to look at the stairwell.

"Allen, you're up early, as usual," Lavi said as he came to stand by the boy at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yea...I couldn't sleep..." the red-head hummed.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain Chinese Exorcist now, would it?" asked Lavi.

"W-Why would you say that?" the Bookman in training smirked.

"Because if memory serves me right, I heard that you and Lenalee are kind of a thing, is that true?" Allen swallowed thickly.

"I, um..." Lavi's grin broadened.

"Oh, God! It is true! You and Lenalee are dating?!" Allen frowned.

"Sneak...you listened to us last night, didn't you?" Lavi shook his head.

"Na, the two of you just have that look about you...everyone is noticing it now...Lenalee came by earlier to head down to an early breakfast and she was skipping."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Lavi smiled.

"The two of you are good for each other. Believe me, people have been waiting for freaking ever for the two of you to stop dancing around one another," he said.

"I've only been at the Order for a year, though..." the red-head nodded.

"Yea, but the chemistry between the two of you was instantaneous. Something about how the two of you connect is really magical," Lavi told him.

"I'm not sure this is something we should talk about. After all, Komui is probably going to skin me alive..." Lavi shook his head.

"When he sees the smile on Lenalee's face, he won't be able to say no. I've never seen her smile so brightly," he stated. Allen felt a smile come to his face.

"That makes me feel a bit better..."

"Good, now come on. Your public awaits, Mr. Walker," Lavi said in a jovial tone. Allen looked at the boy.

"Wait...what?"

Allen learned all too quickly that others had noticed the glow – as Lavi had called it – around Lenalee as well. Many of the people in the main branch building were chatting about the details, but none of them were quite sure who had made the Princess of the Black Order so happy. Lavi clearly knew, and that caused Allen to wonder who else may have known after not even a full day since the two of them decided to try and have a relationship. Taking that into account, Allen braced for what he knew would be one of the most interesting days of his life since joining the Black Order. He glanced to the side as he thought about the two prior incidents that he'd dealt with the robots of Komui's creation known only as: Comlins. Sighing, Allen resigned himself to the fact that he could be facing the robots again as he continued to walk with Lavi. It was as he turned the corner into the dining hall that he was met with the chaos that would be his day.

"Great...Komui's on a rampage..."

Lenalee was standing off to the side, watching her brother cause nothing short of madness while Lavi and Allen remained near her. The Chief of the Black Order had that heinous drill out, threatening whomever the person was that desired to steal his precious sister's purity. Allen sighed, knowing that as of current, he had no intentions of doing any such acts with the girl – maybe in the future, but he was more concerned about living through the present, and that meant keeping his mouth shut unless the situation became drastic. Lavi watched the psychotic mode of their Chief reign supreme as he went about the dining hall, questioning every living male in sight by holding them at drill-point.

"I think he's finally lost it," muttered Lavi.

"No kidding..." Allen and Lenalee spoke at the same time before the two laughed a bit.

"Ahh, young love," the red-haired Exorcist stated.

"What are you..." Allen looked to the girl.

"He knows...Lenalee." the girl gaped.

"What?! How did he find out?" she muttered as Allen leaned towards the girl a bit.

"Must be the powers of the Bookman..."

"Um...don't look now, guys, but we've got trouble," said Lavi as he pointed towards Komui as he stalked over towards the two of them.

"Dammnit to hell!" Allen swallowed the lump in his throat as the Chief stood before them.

"Aren't the two of you chummy," Komui said as he looked at his sister and Allen.

"Oh, good morning, Komui." the man frowned.

"So, did you hear the good news? My darling sister has started a relationship with someone here," Komui stated as he eyed Lavi and Allen.

"I thought that was just a rumor..." the man shook his head.

"No! Some vile fiend is out for my sweet sister's purity..." Lavi sighed.

"Did it ever cross your mind that the guy has good intentions?" he asked. The fires of hell seemed to surround Komui at the question.

"NO! ALL MEN ARE EVIL, VILE, DISGUSTING PERVERTS WHO ONLY WANT ONE THING!" Allen sighed in defeat as he glanced to Lenalee.

"Doesn't that mean you're the same, Komui?" Allen inquired. The man turned a sharp gaze to the boy.

"I am an exception. I raised my darling sister to be a proper young lady with good morals. I expect her to find a suitable husband...NOT SOME CREEPY PERVERT!" Komui got in Allen's face and the boy flinched a bit at that, while Lenalee felt her cheeks flush and anger flood her system.

"Yes, but I'm a big girl now! I can take care of myself..."

"You're still a young girl, you can't do everything on your own, Lenalee darling!" Komui said.

"Take a deep breath, Komui, this is ridiculous..." Allen's words earned him a drill to the face.

"You wouldn't happen to know who it is...would you? Allen Walker?" Komui questioned in a threatening tone.

"I'm sincerely beginning to wonder if I should have stayed in bed today..."

"Alright, I'm getting really tired of you showing out just because you don't like something!" Lenalee stated.

"Listen, I will figure out who has deceived you into believing that they have genuine affections for you and clear the air, once I've made it clear that you will not be seduced by some kind of monstrous person!" Allen felt a bit of a sting at the words, finding himself unsure of whether or not he should have remained standing where he was with Lenalee or if he should have walked away and ignored Komui's antics. Violet eyes glanced at the boy beside her before turning into a sharp glare at her brother.

"Komui! Go to your office right now! I am going to have a talk with you," Lenalee's words were biting, harsh, and frigid with aggression as she grabbed Allen's sleeve and dragged him along with her while the others started to rear their heads in observation while Komui was dragged by his sister down the corridor with Allen not far behind.

"I'll be damned...is this really happening?" Russell asked as he looked to the others.

"I think it is..." Lavi walked over to Kanda, who narrowed his eyes as the red-head approached.

"What the hell do you want, baka-usagi?" Lavi grinned.

"Pay up, they're together." Kanda growled as he tossed ten bills to the red-head while Reever looked to Russell.

"I believe you owe me a drink," the Australian stated as Russell sighed.

"This is going to be interesting..." Johnny looked at them.

"I just can't believe that they've finally decided to start a relationship. I think we've all been waiting for this moment since they got back from their first mission together," he stated as he looked at the others.

"That long? That was with me, though." everyone looked to Miranda and Lavi smiled.

"Be happy, Miranda; Allen and Lenalee finally got together," he said as the woman smiled in return.

"I'm glad, though...they're good for each other." Kanda frowned.

"Just remember, I don't think any of you need to tell the moyashi about our bets..." the group felt a cloud of gloom appear.

"Yea...this stays between us." none of them noticed that Timcanpy was recording the entire ordeal.

{Komui's Office: 7:56am}

Lenalee sat on the sofa beside Allen while Komui remained at his sparkling clean desk – the man had been hard pressed to keep the room organized after the incident with the white-haired Exorcist and his Innocence – now, the Chief of the Black Order was facing a bit of a conundrum as his sister kept a surly expression upon her face while Allen remained quiet, leaning back against the sofa as he awaited some form of judgment to befall him. Komui glanced between the two of them, trying to connect the dots as he observed his sister's annoyed expression, and then he looked towards the boy seated beside her. Allen had admittedly changed a great deal since arriving at the Order a year ago. The soft-spoken, shy, overly polite boy had long since been lost to the war and he had seen that first hand when the others had told him how brutal Allen was within the Ark when using his new Innocence.

Lavi, Choji, and Krory had accounted for the boy's surprising strength when he'd activated his powers when the twin Noah Jasedevi had captured Lenalee and chosen to use her as a human shield. Allen had demolished one of their illusions and beaten the two Noah to a pulp with his bare hands. Komui looked at the boy, taking in the changes that his bloodline from a Noah had granted him. Personally, he found the differences oddly befitting for the teenager he saw before him. The point to the boy's ears seemed to add to the otherworldly, elvish quality he had always seemed to have had, while the sharpness of his canines, however slight it was, and the crimson-gold tones of his eyes mingling with his white hair and fair skin completed a rather strange yet very beautiful and fairly dangerous-looking image.

"He's frightening, yet still the same child that we met a year ago in many ways...as a point breaker, I should have expected him to change as he grew stronger...all the same...I wonder if he's the one..."

"Lenalee...I didn't mean to embarrass you...I'm sorry," he said.

"You better be! Do you know how many times I've had to berate you for something like that? Like the time you sent the second Comlin after Allen? What about the time that you nearly destroyed the town because you thought that Russell and I were dating? Seriously, Komui? You're older than me and you're the Chief of the Black Order: you have a standard to uphold as our leader, not just as my brother!" Komui sighed.

"I know I get out of hand, Lenalee...but I'm more concerned about your relationship. Can I at least know who it is?" he asked as the girl frowned.

"If you promise me not to cause too much trouble..." Lenalee knew good and well that asking the man to permanently stop causing trouble would be like asking Lavi not to play his childish pranks on Kanda and the others.

"I promise I won't..." Allen tensed and she smiled.

"It's Allen, he's the one I'm in a relationship with. We just started today...so...it's interesting that so many people guessed already..." she told him while she moved closer to Allen and grasped his left hand, brushing her thumb over the top of the faint indent of the cross there. The action calmed him in a strange manner, just as having Lenalee next to him seemed to erase his fears.

"You're...in a relationship with Allen?" the man stood, momentarily startling the others as he moved forward.

His gaze landed upon the two teenagers while he looked into the boy's crimson-gold eyes. They were different, sharper, and almost haunting with how clear and jewel-like in tone they were. No matter how great the differences in those bright eyes were, Komui knew this was still Allen and that he could trust the boy with his sister. A smile came to his face as he reached out and went to his knees before pulling them into a warm embrace. Despite all of his wanting to have Lenalee safe and sound, he knew that it wouldn't entirely be possible because they were in a war, his beloved little sister was an Exorcist, and she had fallen in love with a boy who would become a General someday. If there was anyone on the battlefield that he knew he could trust to keep Lenalee safe, it was Allen Walker.

"If it's Allen, then I know I can trust the two of you to keep each other safe," Komui said as he pulled them close to him.

"Komui?" he smiled.

"Allen, I trust you to take care of my sister. You're both strong, so promise me that when time comes that the two of you will stay by one another no matter what...alright?" he asked. The white-haired boy nodded, returning the embrace as Lenalee hugged her brother tightly.

"We'll be okay, I promise..." Allen looked to the two siblings as he pulled away and could only smile a bit as he watched in silence.

"I love you so much...Allen, and I promise...I'll do my best to be there for you...okay?"

For just a second, an image of a beautiful girl with long dark-red curly hair in braids with silver and gold eyes greeted him before a sense of ease overtook him. As he closed his eyes and tried to prepare himself for the things to come.

{Corridor: 7:50pm}

Allen narrowed his eyes at General Cross, who watched the boy as he continued to remain silent before him. They both were well aware that things were going a little too well for them. Komui had accepted Allen's relationship with Lenalee, Lavi and the others had not delved too far into the changes in Allen's appearance, Lenalee and Allen were a bit too good of a match, and the Akuma and Noah had gone quiet as of late, which meant bad things were on the horizon. Allen knew it, Cross knew it, too, and they were both certain that the others felt the same vibe of misfortune that was starting to settle upon the air. Master and apprentice stared one another down while in the shadows of the corridor, only gaining light where the moon showed through the windows as they remained silent for only a moment longer.

Grand General Cross observed the boy in front of him, taking note of the changes and how much the child had grown since he'd first seen him. Though Allen was the youngest of Neah and Sara's children, he had shown from an early age to be quite an observant, delicate, yet very strong child. Normally, Cross would have carted the boy off to the Black Order as soon as he was old enough to understand what he was capable of; however, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Watching the boy grow in a loving home, full of incredible, strong, and kind people, was what he wanted to see happen. Sara was the most remarkable, doting mother that he had ever met, and he was glad she was. The woman was willful, she had a gentle touch, her voice was gentle, kind, and warm, while her behavior towards her children was everything a model mother figure should have been.

Then, there was Neah. The musical, playful, energetic father who adored his children to no end. Cross remembered watching Zephyr, their oldest child, become a skilled, gentlemanly, well-rounded young man who chose to join the Black Order. He recalled Rosie and how Neah guarded her closely because of the bloodlines passed down to her. The red-haired General watched the boy before him now shoot him a withered glare before he turned to look out the window, ignoring him and leaving Cross to his internal musings. The greatest thing he remembered was the surprise Neah and Sara had received when they learned that they would have a third child. That child would grow and be born to loving parents and learn many remarkable things in his life time. That child was Allen, and he was the one who had survived the tragedy that had befallen his family.

"You should see your little boy now, Sara...he's a rather...incredible youth..."

"Allen..." the boy bristled like a cat.

"What?!" he whirled around, glaring at the man as General Cross huffed.

"Short fused...just like your mother...I need to tell you something important before you get yourself and Lenalee killed for treason," he stated. Allen tensed, his entire form going abnormally still.

"What do you mean?" the man looked the boy over once more.

"It's rather simple...you need another ally," Cross stated bluntly. Allen gave him a dull expression.

"You just said not even two weeks ago to keep my distance and not tell anyone!" the man smirked.

"We see how well that worked out...didn't we? Now you've got a girl, a companion...a mate to think about, whether you like the notion or not. So, I'll make it simple and clean here for you," he told the boy.

"Okay, tell me what you need to. I'm tired and I don't feel like putting up with your obnoxious attitude for much longer."

"Liverrie will come back at some point, I know you're aware of that. But he will most certainly cause you more damage when he learns what you are. He'll try both you and Lenalee for heresy, not to mention, you'll be the only one who ultimately gains the penalty because of the fool's belief that Lenalee is the Heart," Cross stated.

"Wait...she's not?" he shook his head.

"Nope, her Innocence evolved, but...guess who the lucky number one is that did it first?" Allen felt an icy knot form in his chest.

"Me..." the man smirked.

"Not only that, but you have Innocence in your heart. Therefore, it stands to reason that you are capable of being the host of the Heart. Not only that, but you are the only known Exorcist to have their Innocence destroyed, and it not only save their life...but restore itself into a stronger, fiercer form," General Cross informed him. Allen leaned against the wall, feeling the weight of the words nearly crush him.

"I can't be the Heart...look at what I am! A hybrid between a Noah and a Vampire...I may have Innocence, but there's no fucking way I'm the Heart!" Cross hummed.

"Looks can be deceiving." Allen felt a shiver course through him.

"Stop beating around the bush...you're spouting a bunch of bullshit to try and unnerve me..." Cross huffed.

"Very well, let me make this quick...you need another ally, someone you can trust to know what's going on and keep his mouth shut," he explained as Allen thought for a moment.

"There's only one person I would fully trust this kind of situation with...though...it is a bit of a risk..." the General raised an eyebrow.

"Better not be the high-jumping samurai, he'll probably kill you...or try to, at least," he said. Allen shook his head.

"I was thinking more...rabbit with a hammer." Cross smirked in a wide manner.

"Hmm...that...might just work..." Allen looked to him.

"That's what I thought. So, if we're done..." the boy turned to leave and then Cross stepped forward.

"One more thing.." Allen groaned and turned his attention to the man in disdain as the tall General stared at the boy.

"What?"

General Cross sighed and reached out before ruffling the boy's feathered, snowy hair in a fatherly gesture as he bade him goodnight and left the boy be. Allen stared momentarily before a small smile came across his features as he sighed and started towards the dormitories, deciding that today hadn't been so bad.

{…...}

Where has my heart gone...

{…..}

Author's Note: Shockingly, Komui was okay with Allen and Lenalee being in a relationship...this just means he's probably going to torture poor Allen until he decides that he wasn't lying. Lenalee and Allen started a relationship, and I know it's kind of strange that those parts are in one chapter, but I thought it would be kind of funny for word to have somehow gotten out that Lenalee and Allen were in the same room together in the dormitories in the middle of the night and that they had been overheard talking about a relationship; who knows. Atop all of that, Cross thinks that Allen could be the Heart, but the boy doesn't want to believe him, and all the while, Cross is telling Allen to find another ally because he now has Lenalee to think about.

Whew, things are kind of building up, huh? This should be interesting.

Hope you guys are having a smashing day or night!

Sincerely,

ShadowDragon94.