Cross My Heart
Chapter 21: Debouch
It was nearing midnight, but instead of being asleep as any normal exorcist would be at this same hour, Lavi was entrenched in the library. The Bookman apprentice had been in the library since early that morning, but he hadn't strayed far from his table or his growing pile of tomes for several hours.
Lavi started when a loud series of thumps broke the library's inherent silence, and he quickly glanced around at his large stack of books to see if any of them had fallen over for some reason. When he saw nothing out of place, the Bookman apprentice marked the page he was on and slowly got to his feet. Muscles he didn't know he had protested the change in position, but Lavi ignored the soreness as best he could while limping toward the tall shelves surrounding the table he'd taken over.
After passing by several empty sections, Lavi worried that his tired brain was playing tricks on him. The red head's sanity was vindicated a moment later when he saw a familiar general as he passed by another set of shelves. He strolled up to his fellow red head with a grin. "Ne, Rouge-chan, it's nice to see you in the library again. Come to keep a tired man company?"
Chloe slowly turned her head in Lavi's direction, and she blinked a few times as if coming out of a trance. "I'm sorry," she said as her blank expression morphed into a grin as well, "I completely zoned out. You were saying?"
"I was just stretchin' my legs and happened to see you. Wanted to say hey," Lavi replied without missing a beat. "Matron's going to be pissed if you get brought to her from overwork," he added. "I know you don't wanna have to go back to the infirmary anytime soon."
"I'll keep that in mind. I could say the same about you right now, actually." Chloe observed Lavi for a moment then said, "When was the last time you slept?"
"Uh...Sunday?" the Bookman apprentice said for lack of better answer.
"Go to bed, idiot. I'll make sure no one touches your books," Chloe said while pushing her fellow red head toward the end of the aisle.
"But—,"
"And if Bookman gets mad, tell him to talk to me. I outrank him, after all. And if I see you in here before five hours have passed, I'll kick your ass. Are we clear?"
Lavi nodded as he bit down on the yawn threatening to spill from his lips. He had barely slept at all the past week or so, and the prospect of sleeping in a bed instead of in a chair or on the floor sounded very promising to his exhausted mind. "Night, Rouge-chan. Have fun with my books."
If Lavi hadn't been so tired as he stumbled down the shelves toward the exit, he may have noticed the scattered books at Chloe's feet, the ashen hue of her face, or even the way she had to close her eyes and lean against the closest shelf with a shaky sigh once he was out of sight. Unfortunately for Chloe, the only other occupant of the library hadn't missed the young general's odd behavior, and she silently debated over going over to ask what was wrong with the red head or staying hidden in the shadows.
"Tevak, I know you're there," Chloe finally said. The Third exorcist flushed slightly at being caught, and she slowly made her way over to the general, who had yet to move. Tevak shifted uncomfortably when she was finally standing next to Chloe, uncertain as to what right she had to ask if the other girl was okay. "I'm fine, Tevak, just tired," Chloe replied before Tevak had a chance to speak up.
"Kanda Yuu says you can read minds. Is that true?" the Third exorcist inquired before she could stop herself.
Chloe chuckled. "I have the ability to do so, but I hardly ever have to use it. Don't tell Kanda that, though."
Tevak couldn't help but grin slightly in response. "I won't," the Third exorcist said. It was rather strange to be talking to another person about such trivial things, but it had been so long since she'd had a normal conversation with anyone. She vaguely wondered if this was what it felt like to have a friend.
"Glad to have you on my side, Tevak," Chloe said while opening her eyes. "By the way, how much trouble did I get you and Madarao into?"
"The inspector is having us monitored when we are sent out on assignments," Tevak replied with a scowl. "He wanted to send us back to Central, but there were too many missions and not enough personnel. We have an evaluation with him at the end of the month as well."
"That's not as bad as I thought your punishment would be," Chloe said.
Tevak shrugged. Having your every move scrutinized versus physical torture…She admittedly didn't mind the former as long as she could blow off some steam afterwards. At least she and Madarao didn't have a permanent "stalker" like Allen Walker did. Yes, the punishment could've been much worse.
"So what brings you to the library at this hour, Tevak?" Chloe asked.
"I couldn't sleep," the Third exorcist replied.
"Me either," Chloe said while kneeling down to pick up her stack of books. "Grab the first book you see," she said as she got back to her feet, "it'll put you to sleep in no time at all."
Tevak hesitated for a moment then reached up and plucked a random book from the shelf. "Theories of Quantum Mechanics," the Third exorcist said after glancing at the thin volume's title.
"Sounds complicated. Should put you to sleep in no time."
Tevak nodded in agreement. "Are you really going to watch over Lavi's books all night?"
"I'm not that generous," Chloe replied with a mischievous smirk. "They need be put in safe places. Want to help?"
The Third exorcist's eyes widened in surprise at Chloe's offer. "Is that an acceptable thing to do to a fellow exorcist?"
Chloe stared at Tevak for a moment. "I forget that we're not normal sometimes. That settles it then. Follow me, please." The red-haired girl led the way to the table Lavi had been occupying and dropped her stack of books on it. "All right, first things first," she said while picking up a tall stack of Lavi's books, "Tevak, can you see if Lavi has any blank sheets of paper in his notebook?"
While Tevak carefully went through the Bookman apprentice's things, Chloe disappeared among the shelves. Tevak watched curiously as the red-haired girl came back and forth several times until all of Lavi's books were gone, leaving only the boy's well used notebook behind.
"Good, he's got a sheet to spare," Chloe said. "Tevak, I need you to write something for me, if you don't mind."
Tevak nodded and sat down in the unoccupied chair while Chloe perched on top of the table.
"Dearest, nearly narcoleptic Bookman Junior," the red head began with a grin, "last night, whilst the great and wonderful General Chloe Bellerose was vigilantly keeping watch over your precious printed resources, a terribly devious trickster came into the library and hid all your things! In order to find your items, you must answer the following riddles correctly." Chloe paused for a moment and tapped her chin with a finger, "Now to actually think up the riddles…"
When Kanda woke up the next morning, he was momentarily surprised to see that his bed had gained a second occupant during the night. Said extra tenant was currently shifting restlessly beside him, and Kanda snaked an arm around the wriggling body and pulled it close, effectively trapping arms against his chest and legs between his. A warm puff of air tickled his neck a few moments later as the Japanese exorcist's bed-mate relaxed in his tight embrace.
"Odio pesadillas," Chloe eventually murmured into his shirt. (1)
"In English, Bellerose," Kanda said with a yawn.
Chloe started at the Japanese exorcist's voice. "You're awake?"
"I wouldn't be doing this if I was asleep."
"Actually—,"
Loud pounding on the door interrupted Chloe's thought. Both exorcists let out tired sighs and pulled the sheets over their heads in an effort to block out the sounds. When the heavy knocking continued, Kanda sat up with a growl.
"What do you want?!" the Japanese exorcist finally yelled at the door when the banging increasing in volume. The noise finally stopped, and Chloe chuckled softly while Kanda crossed his arms and glared at the door.
"Kanda-san, it's Chaoji. Komui-san needs to see you in his office as soon as possible. Komui-san also would like for you to tell General Bellerose that she needs to drop by the Science Department before leaving this afternoon," filtered through the door after a moment's hesitation.
"Leaving for where?" Kanda said to his bed-mate.
"Mission with Timothy," Chloe replied with an audible yawn.
"Kanda-san?" came from the doorway to remind the two exorcists that they weren't alone.
"I heard you. Tell the sister-complex I'll be there when I get there."
"…O-Okay."
As soon as Chaoji had spoken, Kanda let his body fall back onto the bed with another sigh. "Not him," he murmured. "Anyone but him."
Chloe untangled herself from the sheets and smacked the Japanese exorcist lightly on the shoulder. "Be nice, Kanda. Besides, it's not like you're going to be alone with Chaoji. Marie's going too," she said while resting her head on his chest.
"How do you know that?" Kanda asked. When Chloe didn't answer, Kanda hooked his hand around the back of the red-haired girl's head and pulled her forward until their faces were only mere inches apart. "Bellerose, how do you know that?" he asked again.
"I may have persuaded Komui to assign Marie to your mission with Chaoji," Chloe replied while refusing to make eye contact with Kanda.
Kanda stared at the red-haired girl incredulously. "Huh?"
"Komui mentioned that you were going out on a mission with Chaoji, so I asked if Marie could come with you. Chaoji is still technically a new exorcist, and he's only been on simple missions with General Tiedoll, so it makes logical sense for General Tiedoll's two other 'students' to accompany their fellow student on his first mission without his 'master.' But—,"
Kanda interrupted Chloe's rambling by dragging her down the remaining distance between them for a kiss. "Thank you, Bellerose. I mean that," he said once he finally pulled away.
The red-haired girl grinned at him. "You are most welcome, Kanda. I know you'd do the same for me. Now go on before Komui sends out someone less frightened of you," she said while patting his cheek.
"Komui can wait a little while longer," Kanda said with a smirk. "It's not like I haven't been a few minutes late to a mission briefing before."
A few minutes turned into over half an hour, and Kanda walked up to Komui's office with Mugen slung over his shoulder, his jacket unbuttoned, and a large smirk. The expression immediately dropped from his face saw Marie approaching the office from the opposite direction.
"I'm glad I'm not the only one then. It's not usual for you to be late, Kanda," Marie said. "Although I suppose a few distractions now and then never hurt anyone," he added with a miniscule grin. "Chaoji was downright terrified when he came to get me, though. Do you know why?"
Kanda buttoned up his jacket in lieu of responding. "Let's just get this over with," he said before heading into Komui's office.
Komui, for his part, didn't seem perturbed by the exorcists' tardiness. In fact, he was downright cheerful. Komui's secretary was also conspicuously absent from the room. "Ah, Kanda-kun, Marie, so nice of you to join us! We can finally get down to business!"
As Komui began to chat, Marie and Kanda let out simultaneous sighs. Kanda reached out and placed a hand on Chaoji's shoulder. "When Marie says to run, do it," he hissed in Chaoji's ear.
Chaoji glanced at the Japanese exorcist in confusion. "Why, Kanda-san?" he whispered back.
"What follows Komui's speech is not pleasant," Kanda replied as he tuned back into Komui's one-sided conversation.
"Now, if the three of you would follow me..." Komui said while getting to his feet.
"Run!" Marie hissed before sprinting out the door. Kanda followed directly after the man with Chaoji hot on his heels.
"Marie, did you get the location?" Kanda asked as they ran.
"Of course! Chaoji, don't slow down! We're almost there!" Marie replied as the Ark room came into view. "You can breathe later!"
Kanda reached the landing first and quickly snapped out his code for the guard. Marie was right behind the Japanese exorcist, and Chaoji tumbled into the Ark after them just as Komui appeared in the Ark room trailed by his secretary.
"All I wanted to do was show them a diagram of the town they're going to!" Komui said.
"Sir, I told you not to do that while I'm gone. The exorcists seem to think you're up to no good when you give mission briefings by yourself," Bridget said.
"That's not true! I—,"
"There are 29 documented incidents in which you 'accidentally' spilled an unknown substance on an exorcist, 8 reports of damage caused by dealing with your wayward robots…"
Komui shook his head in denial even as Bridget followed him all the way back to his office spewing out details he didn't care to listen to. All he cared about now was the routine visit from Lenalee and the oh-so-wonderful coffee she would no doubt bring with her.
"So why are we splitting up again?" Timothy asked as he scanned the busy street.
"General Cloud Nine felt that it was time you got to take lead on your missions," Chloe replied. "And would you relax? It's not like I'm grading you or anything."
Timothy visibly relaxed at Chloe's teasing tone. He looked up at his fellow red head and said, "Why do you refer to the old hag so formally? Aren't you a general or whatever too?"
"Because I'm always respectful to my elders. You never know when they're listening." Chloe lowered her voice and continued on, "And just because I'm a general doesn't mean I don't have to be polite anymore. Your target is moving, by the way."
Timothy's attention whipped back to the street. "Crap!" the boy hissed before taking off into the crowd.
Chloe leaned back against the wall and grinned. "You get all that, Cloud?"
"That brat's in for the training session of his life when he gets back!" the other female general hissed back angrily.
"I'll keep him alive for you until then. Do you want to continue listening in when I check on Timothy in a bit?"
"A video will be fine. I swear, I thought Emilia would've knocked some sense into him by now."
Chloe reached into her coat and pulled out her inactive golem. She switched the device on with a flick of her finger. "Follow Timothy and record what he does," the red-haired girl ordered. Once the golem flew off, she said, "Unfortunately, Cloud, that boy's going to be a lady killer despite his mouth if Emilia is anything to go by."
Cloud Nine let out a long sigh. "Inform me when he finishes the mission, please."
"Will do."
Chloe pushed off the alley wall and blended into the afternoon foot traffic with practiced ease. She strolled down the busy street, glancing at several shop windows along the way, and she rubbed her chilled hands together while heading for a small cart advertising hot beverages at decent prices. Chloe ordered tea, and she was reaching into her pocket for her money when a gloved hand appeared on her arm.
"I am paying for this lovely girl's tea as well as one of my own," a masculine voice said as a warm weight settled on Chloe's shoulders.
Instinct had Chloe wanting to shrug the arm around her off, but she remained still until a steaming paper cup was held in front of her as a peace offering. She took the proffered beverage with a frown to draw attention away from her shaking hands. The man paid for the drinks then easily steered Chloe back into the crowd before she could think of running off. "You seem to be doing well," he said with a hint of a smirk.
"I could say the same about you. Aren't you supposed to be…you know…?" Chloe trailed off to glance at the people walking around her.
The man frowned and tightened his hold on the red-haired girl's shoulders a bit. "What? Were you hoping I was dead or something instead?"
Chloe scowled while forcing her fingers to relax so she wouldn't crush the flimsy cup. "Or something. What do you want?"
"Impatient, aren't you? I even came all this way—,"
"What do you want?" Chloe repeated.
The man let out a sigh as he released his grip on the red-haired girl. "I found the man you've been looking for. He's far safer than you're going to be. The other shoe's about to drop. I do hope you've realized that."
"You're supposed to be telling me things I don't already know. Besides that, you really should get lost. If you don't want to get caught—,"
"I've been playing this game longer than you have, little girl. Who saw through all your tricks to find you today?"
Chloe scoffed. "Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better."
The man let out a bark of laughter then downed the contents of his paper cup in one gulp. "You always had to one-up me didn't you? Glad to see you haven't really changed since I last saw you."
"Goodbye," Chloe said while shoving her full cup against the man's chest. "I hope we don't meet again anytime soon," she added before heading back in the direction she had originally been going in.
The man glanced down at the second cup in his hands with a sigh. "Me too, Kid, for both our sakes," he said while looking up and over his shoulder. "Maybe it's a good time to disappear now."
The two cups hit the ground a second later, and everyone continued on their way as if a man simply hadn't disappeared in front of them. One bystander, however, did notice the fallen objects. He approached the now empty stretch of road and poked the empty cups with the toe of his boot. A frown made its way up the man's lips, and he walked deliberately over the cups as he slipped back into the crowd.
Chloe tried to keep the smile off her face as Timothy rattled off his first solo report to Komui. Cloud Nine was sitting beside the red-haired general on Komui's office couch, and the older female general was also keeping her expression carefully schooled, especially when Timothy would glance their way. When the boy finished his version of the events, Komui dismissed him, and the Chinese scientist turned to the two generals as soon as the door closed.
"Timothy may act like an immature brat, but he certainly has improved," Cloud Nine stated after a short silence. "He understands his abilities and their limits, and he knows when he should call for backup. I believe he is ready to go out on missions with the other exorcists."
"I agree with Cloud," Chloe said. "I would pair him with two older exorcists for the time being, but I also believe Timothy is ready for missions with everyone else. I videoed the mission if you want a look for yourself, Komui," she added while reaching into her jacket for her golem.
"Thank you for observing Timothy, Chloe-chan. Is there anything else you need to add to his report?" Komui asked once Chloe had placed the device on his desk.
Chloe shook her head after a moment's hesitation. "Timothy covered everything."
"All right. If there's nothing more to be discussed, you're both dismissed. Cloud, I'll send you a copy of Timothy's written report when I get it."
Cloud Nine nodded, and she glanced briefly at Chloe as they got to their feet. When the female generals were out of the office, Cloud said, "Thank you for looking after the brat for me, Chloe. I couldn't ask Froi because he'd baby Timothy too much, and Sokaro was very much out of the question."
"He'd eat the boy alive," Chloe agreed. "And you're welcome, Cloud. I'm glad I could help."
"Will we be seeing you for training tomorrow?" Cloud Nine asked as they walked.
"We?"
"Froi, Sokaro, and me."
"I see where this is going," Chloe said with a laugh. "Sure, I'll let the three of you throw me around for the sake of your egos. Where and when can I expect my inevitable beating to take place?"
Cloud Nine grinned. "Go to the Ark room at ten o'clock. I'll make sure to bring a first-aid kit for you in case things get messy."
"How thoughtful. Will I at least get to try out the Science Department's toy once before I'm severely outclassed?"
"You give yourself too little credit, Chloe. I'm sure you'll get in at least two hits. Maybe."
"You're too kind. Thanks for the invitation. It gives me enough time to say my goodbyes before tomorrow morning."
Cloud Nine chuckled while patting the younger female general on the shoulder. "See you tomorrow. Don't let Kanda make you late," she added with a grin.
Chloe turned quickly on her heel and propelled herself down the hallway before Cloud Nine could see her rapidly reddening face. "Lenalee Lee, you're dead meat," she murmured as she rounded the corner and headed toward the Cafeteria. "But it can wait till after I eat," the red-haired girl added as she pushed through the double doors.
"Chloe-chan!" Jerry called when Chloe approached his counter. "Would you like a surprise, or would you rather have your usual for dinner today?"
"Today's been rather boring, so feel free to surprise me," Chloe replied with a grin.
"Coming right up!" Jerry sang as he turned back to work.
Chloe leaned her hip against the counter and closed her eyes. Slowly, she started block out the noises around her until she could only hear herself breathing, and she focused on relaxing each muscle as she waited. Jerry tapped Chloe on the shoulder when he was done and smiled as she took the proffered tray.
"I put a special ingredient in your tea as well. Enjoy, Chloe-chan!" the Indian cook called as Chloe headed toward the tables.
The red-haired girl sat down at the first empty table she saw and immediately picked up her teacup. She took a short sip of the warm liquid then smiled. "Jerry, you're my hero," she said before taking another, longer sip. Halfway through Jerry's "surprise," Lavi plunked down in the seat across from Chloe with a tired sigh. "Does Bookman still have you doing research?" Chloe asked.
Lavi nodded while passing a hand over his face. "I think I'm almost done, though. Thank God," he said. "How'd the mission with Baby Red go?"
"Who?"
"Timothy. The youngest of the red heads, hence 'Baby Red.'"
"It was fine," Chloe replied. "Here. You need this much more than I do at the moment," she said while holding out her cup to Lavi.
Lavi took the cup with a skeptical expression on his face, but he knocked the contents back in one go anyway. His eye widened slightly a moment later, and his mouth turned up in a mischievous grin as he handed the empty cup back to Chloe. "Jerry's givin' you special treatment, huh?"
Chloe rolled her eyes as she continued eating. She was nearly done when she felt something appear at her back, and she glanced over her shoulder with her fork still in her mouth. Kanda was standing behind Chloe with a tight, annoyed expression on his face. The Japanese exorcist reached out and grabbed Chloe by the back of the jacket without further ado, and he hauled the red-haired girl to her feet then transferred his grip to her closest hand. Chloe stumbled slightly as she was dragged away from the table, and she tossed her fork toward her tray and asked Lavi to clean up after her while Kanda pulled her toward the exit.
Lavi leaned his chin against his fist with a large grin as Chloe and Kanda disappeared from view. "Lenalee's gonna be so jealous."
Author's Note:I'm really sorry it's been so long since I last updated! I ended up on crutches and trying to work through an injury and get through college at the same time. 'Twas a real bitch. Anyway, sorry again! Hope you liked the chapter! I'll do my best to get another chapter up as soon as I can!
BTW, Lathya, you are the bomb! That is all.