A/N: Wow, I really forgot what a strain family stuff could be sometimes. *grimace* Like, it's fun, but Christ. Leave me alone. We've been playing for six hours. *wave* Ignore me, I'm venting.

Thank you to pikaree1, Candy Crackpot, Shadow Spears, Firehedgehog, Ryuakilover, karina001, Deugemia, Kurokaga, AngelHeartsX, kalmaegi, InsanityOwl, Shadow-X1999, Amelia Loves Anime, vampireharry the 2, Cursed to a Crimson Monotony, and newby6320 for reviewing!

Title: Synchronization

Author: liketolaugh

Rating: T

Pairings: None

Genre: Friendship/Family

Warnings: Slight AU

Summary: Innocences have their own wants, personalities, souls - Allen doesn't understand what's so strange about this. But then, he's always been able to see them. (Series of oneshots through the manga. Mostly canon-compliant. Maybe eventually turn AU.)

Disclaimer: I only wish I owned D. Gray-man.

Perhaps Link had set the Fourteenth down somewhat hastily, but he still felt deeply unsettled, though he was reluctant to admit it, even to himself. He set Johnny, unconscious and clearly injured, down more carefully, as well as some distance from the unpredictable Noah.

He hesitated for a moment before he so much as straightened up. Though he had accepted his new task, and all it entailed…

Well. He supposed that he had truly earned the hatred of Walker's Innocence now. There was a reason, after all, that he was not an exorcist.

He had no morals of his own.

Link would just have to accept that.

"Apologies for the roughness," he said at last, voice brisk. "It was fairly difficult, holding the Earl in place." His chest still ached, in that peculiar way it did when he strained his magic, rather than any physical muscle. He straightened up, spell needle still clutched in his hand, and continued, "It won't hold for long, so we should escape as far as-" He finally found it in himself to glance over at the Fourteenth. "-possible."

The Fourteenth's eyes – Walker's eyes – were wide, his mouth open. And then his mouth twisted into a small, challenging smirk.

"What took you so damn long?" he demanded, eyes gleaming.

The most unnerving part of it, Link mused, was that his ki didn't even waver.

Also, the Fourteenth, as far as Link knew, had no idea who Link was, nor did he know to expect him, so his behavior made no sense at all. Well, Link would, with luck, find out soon enough.

"Apologies," Link repeated, deciding to ignore the strange behavior for now. In a moment, he assessed the wound on Walker's shoulder, and knelt down in front of him, gently pulling the Fourteenth's hand away to get a better look. He needed to keep the Fourteenth well, and… Though he didn't want to admit it, he disliked seeing 'Walker' injured. (He would have to break himself of that.) "It missed your vital organs, but-"

The Fourteenth jerked away sharply, startling Link, and scowled at him defensively. "Hey, not so goddamn close! You fucking weirdo."

Link studied him for a moment, and saw the Fourteenth's expression twitch slightly. Finally, he said plainly, "You need not pretend to be anyone else, Fourteenth." Though what he was aiming for, Link still had no idea. "Not around me."

The Fourteenth's expression twitched again. "What the fuck are you talking about? I'm Allen, you idiot."

Link's brow furrowed, and he wondered where the Fourteenth got his information from, because clearly, something had gone wrong along the way. (But it was a relief that he was so far off, because Link was not sure how he would have responded otherwise.)

"Even if I could not sense your ki," he informed him, "your behavior would give you away immediately. You act nothing like the Allen Walker I know."

The scowl faded, and before the Fourteenth could respond, Link closed his eyes, hands falling into familiar motions which he could not recall having ever made before, and he murmured,

"Come out, Atuuda!"

The creature burst out of him, and his brow furrowed deeper as the strain in his chest increased.

So this is Atuuda. It's more difficult than I expected… It feels like I'll lose consciousness if I don't concentrate.

It lasted only a moment before the strain faded, and he opened his eyes to find the wound healed.

Good.

He raised his eyes to meet the Fourteenth's, and found the Noah staring at him with clear surprise. And then his expression turned dark – dark enough that it startled Link, though it matched his ki exactly.

"Huh," the Fourteenth snorted. "Allen must have changed as the years went by." A smirk, much more vicious than the first, appeared on his face. "So, tell me. Who are you? And what are you hoping to get out of this?"

Link could not have hoped for a better opening, and yet, his heart fell heavy all over again as he bent to one knee, placing his closed fist on the ground as he bowed to the one who would now hold his leash.

"My name is Howard Link," he said formally. "My master Leverrier made a secret pact with Cross Marian, and sent me here to protect the Fourteenth." Even though every part of his being screamed against it. "I've been waiting for the past three months for the chance to make contact – not with Allen Walker, but with you." He raised his head to meet the Fourteenth's startled eyes. "I am an ally of the new Fourteenth."

It did not matter what he believed was right. Only what Leverrier did.

"Please use my life as you wish."

The Noah frowned at him for a moment, and then his gaze shifted aside. His slightly alarmed look shifted into a smirk.

"Well, the Innocence seems to hate you," he mused. "Maybe you're worth keeping around just for that."

A spark of surprise shot through Link – did the Fourteenth, inhabiting Walker's body, share his ability to see the human forms of Innocences?

Apparently so.

Link settled back on his heels and let his gaze cut to where the Innocence might be, but he felt uneasy looking away from his new charge for long, so he quickly shifted it back. "Crown Clown and I have been at odds for some time," he explained.

"Crown Clown, huh?" the Fourteenth muttered, with apparently no sense of urgency and no desire to move. Link decided not to force the issue, sensing that it would not end well. "So, are you the reason Allen's so different?"

Link honestly could not bring himself to believe that Walker had ever behaved the way the Fourteenth seemed to think he should. At the same time that thought occurred to him, he began to wonder what he was going to do if the Fourteenth, like Walker, continued to hold conversations with people he could not see.

"I know you hate me," the Fourteenth snapped, leaning forward with an intent and distinctly aggressive glint in his eyes. "But you want to know about Mana, right?" Link, unnoticed by the Fourteenth, stilled at the name. The Fourteenth smirked. "Thought so."

Mana. Now, what did Walker's loved-and-lost father have to do with anything?

Link had a feeling that he didn't want to know. At the same time, he thought that he was about to find out.

"First, I want you to tell me one thing." Pause. The smirk widened. "Glare all you want, it won't change anything – it's too late for your boy. He doesn't have long." A shudder trailed down Link's spine, and he ignored it. He'd gotten good at that over the years. "Good. Now, in a way I can understand- Tell me. How is it that Allen became a child?"

Pause. Link waited, watching apprehensively.

The Fourteenth frowned.

"I don't understand you," he growled, clearly frustrated.

Pause.

Then, without warning, the Fourteenth collapsed.

And with that, we break from canon! *smile* I have my own course charted out from here onward, and I hope you're satisfied with what I have. (And will remain so even as canon emerges to contradict me. *nervous chuckle*) Thanks for reading, and please review!