I am so sorry for the long wait between updates! School comes before everything else, even my own writing. I'll try to update more frequently. I've only got one more year of college, and the workload is definitely starting to kick my butt.

Sakura02: When is everybody really okay?

Thank you: Halley Vanaria, bored411, erica. phoenix16, Marshal Belinsky, and Angel-Levy for reviewing!

Claire stood uncertainly beside Lenalee as Road disappeared. She ignored the boys all fighting with each other. She wasn't even really sure what had started their fight. She tugged on Lenalee's hand until the older girl looked down at her. "Hey, Lenalee, Road's power was keeping the portal at the top of the tower open, right? So, what's going to happen now that she's gone?"

The boys stopped fighting, and they all looked at Claire. Lavi quickly pulled himself together. "I'll go up and see if the portal is still safe to use. If it is, I'll pull you all up."

While they waited for Lavi, Claire began fidgeting nervously with her hair. Kanda and Krory were still somewhere in the tower. There was no way she could just leave the tower. Not until she knew whether they were dead or alive. She yelped as she was suddenly whacked upside the head. She looked up at Lenalee with confusion. "What'd I do?"

Lenalee glared down at her. "You and Allen were thinking the exact same thing!"

Claire glanced over at Allen. "Well…we're the least hurt out of everyone. I want to go home with everyone, even Stupid Kanda."

Lenalee sighed and pulled Claire into a tight hug. "You're both so stupid."

Lavi finally sent his hammer down for the others to come up. Claire latched on to Allen's waist, but looked back over her shoulder. Lero was desperately trying to pull Tyki up the stairs, but to no avail. Claire moved to go to him, but they were pulled up by Lavi before she could do anything.

As soon as they were at the top, Claire unfurled her wings. It seemed she and Allen had the same idea once again, as Lavi had to grab both of them by their arms. "Let me go, Lavi! I have to save my daddy!"

"Are you crazy?" Lavi snapped, tightening his grip on both their arms.

"Tyki's inner Noah is dead, but he's still alive." Allen chimed in.

"My daddy isn't a bad person!" Claire cut in. Tears were already spilling down her cheek, and she was growing restless. "He's done bad things, but he loves me, and he loved my mommy. He didn't hurt my mommy. Someone else did."

"Why…why would you two want to help him?" Chaoji asked, his face blank. "They work with the Akuma. They're the enemy!"

Claire shuddered at Chaoji's face. "My daddy…"

"You! You're the child of a Noah, so you're my enemy too!" Chaoji finally screamed.

Claire took a step back, almost feeling like she'd been physically hit. None of the others had seemed to care about her parentage, but Chaoji certainly did. She wondered if the others at the Order would react like he did. She gasped as Allen suddenly shoved Chaoji out of the way, just as strange insect-like tendrils shot up through the ground. "Allen!"

Claire followed Allen back down to the lower level. She reached out and grabbed onto Allen's hand to try and pull him out. Instead, all she managed to do was get herself stuck as well. She gasped as her back connected with the hard ground below. Shakily, she sat up. She realized in horror that the portal had fallen along with her and Allen. A sudden cold chill went through her, and she looked up. "Daddy…?"

Tyki stood a few feet away from him. He was the source of the tendrils that had pulled them down to the ground. Something was different and very wrong with him. There was no light in his eyes, only a dead blank stare. Black blood dripped from his fingertips and down onto the ground. He let out an ear piercing shriek as the tendrils suddenly wrapped completely around him.

Allen immediately changed his Innocence arm into the Crown Clown sword. "Claire, stay behind him."

"I'm not letting you fight whatever that is by yourself." Claire held her wings back, ready to attack. "That's not my daddy anymore."

The tendrils suddenly dispersed. Where once Tyki had stood, a figure covered in black blood now stood before them. He was covered in black armor, with a black helmet covering his face. Just as quickly as he had appeared, he disappeared.

"Where did he…" Claire gasped as Allen was suddenly attacked. "Allen!" She quickly moved between Allen and Tyki. She shot her feathers at him, but they were easily deflected. She blinked and once again Tyki was gone. She gasped in pain. She didn't know what he'd done to her, but she could feel blood gushing through her clothes. She coughed violently, and stared up at the ceiling. She could hear Allen still fighting with Tyki. She tried to sit up, only to cause more blood to pour from her wounds. She blinked when she felt arms wrap around her. "Lavi?"

"I've got you." Lavi assured quietly. "Just hang on."

"That's not my daddy…" Claire whimpered out. "My daddy would never…"

"I know." Lavi whispered. He rushed forward and managed to grab Allen out of harm's way. "You just keep talking, and stay awake, okay?"

Claire flinched as they shot up into the air.

"Allen! Claire!" Lenalee gently took Claire from Lavi's grasp. "What happened?"

"Everyone, hold on to me!" Lavi shouted.

Claire saw Tyki, but wasn't able to warn the others in time. They were all thrown away from each other. Claire was still in Lenalee's arms, due to the firm grip the girl had on her. Ignoring how badly she hurt, Claire stood up. She flew at Tyki just as he flung Lavi to the side. She tried to stay out of Tyki's reach, and shot volley after volley of feathers at him. One of the tendrils grabbed her and slammed her roughly into the ground.

She blacked out for what felt like forever. When she came to, they were all on the lower floor, in some sort of dark liquid. There were only a few remnants of the stone work that had once adorned the tower. Shakily, she pushed herself into a sitting position. Lavi and Allen were unconscious a few feet away from her, and Chaoji was barely managing to keep himself sitting up. Tyki had Lenalee by the throat with one of his tendrils. Claire stood up, keeping her hands on her knees to try and keep herself up. "Let go…of Lenalee!"

She flew at Tyki and managed to kick him in the face. All she received for her efforts was a painful punch to her wounds. She landed a few feet away, gasping for breath. This wasn't at all how she pictured she would die. Not that she'd really pictured dying before this. She blinked as someone landed beside her. "Lenalee…I'm scared…"

Lenalee gasped in vain to try and catch her breath. She looked over at Claire. The little girl was covered in blood and dirt. Tears streaked Claire's cheeks. Lenalee shakily reached out and touched Claire's cheek. "It's okay. Everything's going to be okay." She could hear the tower crumbling around them. "Just keep looking at me, okay? No matter what."

Claire waited for the inevitable impact of stone finishing them off. She reached out and held Lenalee's hand. Both girls were completely shocked when Chaoji stopped the stone from crushing any of them. A familiar feeling washed through Claire. "Innocence?"

"Lenalee, what's wrong with me?" Chaoji gasped out.

"You've synchronized with an Innocence Chaoji." Lenalee explained, trying to stay as calm as possible. "You have to stop, though. If you keep this up, you'll injure yourself."

"I can't!" Chaoji protested. "There's nowhere for us to run!" He looked up to see Tyki charging towards him to attack. He was surprised when Claire shakily placed herself between them. "Hey…what're you…"

"You saved my life, so I'm going to save yours." Claire answered. "Besides, you're an Exorcist now, so you're part of my family. I won't let anyone hurt my family." She took a deep breath, and sent the biggest volley of feathers she ever had before. She grinned as her feathers were joined by a hammer and sword. "Allen! Lavi!"

Allen gave her a shaky smile as he and Lavi stood on either side of her. "You okay, Claire?"

Claire nodded just before Allen and Lavi were blown away. Claire stood protectively in front of Lenalee as Tyki charged once again at them.

Allen managed to grab Tyki's attention. "Hey, aren't I the one you want to kill?"

"Allen, no!" Claire shouted as Tyki charged towards Allen. Just when she was sure that Allen would be killed, Tyki was flung away, and Allen disappeared. "Allen?"

"Claire Bear, didn't I tell you to take care of Allen. Of course, it doesn't seem like he's been taking very good care of you." A man stood on top of a giant coffin chained shut. He was holding Allen upside down by the boy's ankle.

Claire's eyes lit up, her wounds momentarily forgotten. "Master Cross!"