A/N: Thanks to those who left a comment! They are very motivating.

Freefan1412: Thank you! We have the same point of view. The story of Alma and Kanda is quite touching, but I also would rather not have her haunting his thoughts. I personally can't imagine myself being in a romantic relationship where my partner still has painful memories of a cherished, dead lover. In this story, his thoughts towards her would never be romantic, since they parted as children, so it was really just a very strong friendship.

CHAPTER 10

Tyki was being treated to something he'd never imagined before – a ride in the arms of a young woman… an exorcist, no less. He would take the time to be embarrassed, if not for the horrible discomfort he was currently in.

Innocence was touching him, both in the form of her cape and her arm, and he had to use every inch of his self control in order not to grab her left hand and destroy the source of his pain.

Kill, kill! Destroy the Innocence!

Oh, shut up, Joyd. I'm trying to get us laid, he joked.

Hearing that, the Noah inside of him fell in contemplative silence, and Tyki freaked out a little.

Still, he was trying to score some points with the girl, damn it, and whispering sweet murder threats in her ear wouldn't help his case.

She finally let go of him once they stopped in what likely was the other side of the city, her strange cloak having helped guide her acrobatic movements until now. Happy for the reprieve, Tyki quickly removed himself from her grasp, doubling over in pain. His body burned where her weapon had touched him and, to his regret, he couldn't hide his strong discomfort.

"Hey," she whispered, a soft hand on his back. "Did I hurt you? I have tried to soften my movements, honestly…"

"No, I'm fine," said he, feeling the burns hidden by his clothes slowly dissipate. "Really."

Allen still looked deeply troubled, the worries she'd expressed before now reborn. "I shouldn't have carried you like that," she said in obvious remorse. "It's just that you were making me so sure of your well being…"

"I was being honest," said he, now easily righting himself. Her Innocence was already dormant once more, and the hostility of it against his kind stopped its deadly resonation. "Now, where exactly are we?"

"I don't really know. I just wanted to get away from them. Where are you staying at, Tyki? Did I take you too far away from home?"

"No," said he, and then made a show of staring at the surroundings with a surprised expression. "You know, I can now recognize this square; the place I've rented is just nearby," he lied easily, "but where are you going? I only see us distancing ourselves from the sea more and more, and it is getting quite late. Have you also paid for a room?"

"Um, no, not really," said she, shuffling uncomfortably.

"Then I guess you will go back to the ship?"

That only seemed to make her awkwardness worse, and he wondered why that was so. Did she have different plans? Perhaps it was some exorcist secret or something. Tyki wouldn't press; were it relevant enough, Sheril would eventually get to it.

"I will take you to your house first," she decided all of a sudden, and he almost blanched, "just for safety – I owe you as much. Where exactly is it?"

Nowhere around here. Oops. "As I said, nearby… er, follow me."

She agreeably matched his pace, seeming to calm down but also carefully watching his movements and looking for any sort of discomfort. Perhaps his little pain back then had been good; it had made the whole act more believable.

::::::::::::::::::::

Exorcists, scientists, guards and everyone else who was a part of the large group stood together in careful watch. They were like a small army, standing together in anticipation. This was a special day – the day when they truly won against their hardships. Despite being almost destroyed by their enemy, the exorcist group rose once more, ready for battle. Everybody stared at the five sorcerers, responsible for the final touch that would officially announce the rebirth of Rose Cross.

"Is everyone ready?" called Cross Marian from the top of the construction.

"Ready!" answered Madarao, Tokusa, Tewaku and Link.

"Then, on the count of three," commanded the tall redhead. "Three!"

Already used to the general's idiosyncrasies, the young magicians activated the seals that connected their energy to the drawings that circled what once was a cookie factory, now rebuilt into a very respectable fort. The semi transparent dome started growing from each of their positions, until it had covered the whole building, reaching the general's position in the ceiling and being sealed by the talented man. With that, the work was done; the shield disappeared from sight, but still remained very present and active, and now they had the same level of defense they used to in their last home – only better.

Cross jumped from his position in the roof, being met by the other tired sorcerers in the grounds around the building. The workers from Rose Cross admired the finished job with pleased expressions. Every person had an essential role in the rebirth of Rose Cross, and this was the culmination of their efforts – a new home that would start a new story.

"Well, that was easy and fast," praised Masen, nodding towards the fine warding job.

Cross' eyes narrowed. Grabbing the man by his coat, he growled, "it's the result of many, many years of research and toil. Care to repeat that?"

Seeing the indignant expression from basically every one of Cross' students and the lit cigarette coming distressingly close to his forehead, the man mumbled, "n-no, no sir."

Cross grunted and released him. "Good."

Their task was finally over. Yes, they had to start rebuilding the headquarters from scratch, but Rose Cross had invaluable experience that came from years of work, and also good supporters.

"It seems Rose Cross is truly back," declared Tiedoll with a sniff, looking quite sentimental. Some patted the friendly general's back. Cross distanced himself in disgust.

"Yes, it is really almost complete," said Jerry with an unexpectedly scathing tone, "what a pity that we are lacking one very, very special person."

It was like a switch had been turned off, or a candle's fire had been blown by an artic breeze; like a sudden general drop of temperature from a sunny thirty degrees Celsius to a freezing seventy below zero. The members of Science, Medical, Security, Communications and Intelligence sections all seemed to stop in their tracks, shoulders slumping or lips thinning with grave determination. Even the nerds of logistics now wore severe glares: any hint of laughter and happiness had been mercilessly squashed by the extravagant cook's dour observation.

Yes, just like that the mood was ruined, and Cross opened a bottle and unceremoniously started to drink it all. Let it start.

When he left Allen in Bristol, Cross knew he'd get some amount of shit from basically everyone in the group. The kid was well known and liked, and he thought he'd get the worst from Klaud and Tiedoll, who sometimes fancied themselves parents of the stupid apprentice.

He'd never expected the level of animosity he was getting from the organization's cook ever since, however. It had been months and Cross still had to steal food from others, since getting anything directly from Jerry's hands would end up in a bad case of poisoning.

"I already told you she didn't die," grumbled Cross, missing the good times when his customized meals were presented in front of him every day, and people didn't accuse him of murdering teenage exorcists and hiding their corpses.

"Yes, and that means someone has to go and look for her, and bring her back," exclaimed the hysterical cook, already ruining everyone's good disposition at the rebirth of their organization. They were all glaring daggers at Cross, despite the fact that just a minute ago they were praising his skills.

"Then go yourself," objected Cross in annoyance. It wasn't like he was getting to eat anything lately, anyway.

"No way!" exclaimed almost everyone around him. Well, you got your stomachs full, don't you, mused Cross in resentment.

"Jerry is indispensable to the survival of our organization," declared Klaud, that beautiful, beautiful traitor. "You, however, we can dispose of. It's been far too long. Get the girl back!"

"I am disposable?"

"The warding is done, the young sorcerers are already well trained, and any scientific help we need from you, we already got. So unless you have a very, very good reason for Allen Walker to leave our organization, you are going to bring her back."

He crumbled under the weight of the woman's judgmental gaze. And they said he used people! "Fine, I'll go," lied Cross, picking his few belongings and chugging down the rest of the wine. "I'll be back in a pinch."

Can't go swimming through the five oceans after her, he grumbled internally, she could be navigating in the Arctic for all I know.

It would be better for him to just apply his time in more useful things. He would just leave Allen where she was, for now. It wasn't like he could tell the other generals about the motives behind his decision. Kanda's group was a new one and had mostly young members, but they had managed to survive for quite some time, without losing a single exorcist. They would know the importance of an accommodator and would never leave one of their own unprotected. Of that, Cross was sure.

::::::::::::::::::::

"Shit."

Reed stared at the Japanese man worriedly. "…captain?"

Kanda said nothing else, and the exorcists resumed their run. His mind was running furiously with the many ways things could turn out badly. I am an idiot.

"…I left the beansprout by herself in the ship."

Reed stared at him dumbly. Kanda was the one who would beat someone up if they merely thought of going anywhere by themselves. His incredulous look was obvious, and Kanda scowled and averted his gaze.

"We can't go back now, it will ruin the whole schedule," grumbled Kanda, more to himself than anyone else. "Even Walker can't fuck shit up by being by herself for a few days, right?"

Silence.

And then, "your words sound like a bad omen, captain."

"Shut up."

They had parted in a terrible way, thought Kanda angrily, and it was partially his fault. He was the leader of a sizeable organization, all things being considered, and he didn't manage that by being a bastard to every person he met. Walker got on his nerves with an unsettling frequency and he still was annoyed at her stupid behavior and actions, but he did step out of line back then. She'd looked even more furious than he had been, and now Kanda had left the woman alone to simmer in her resentment for days.

Somehow, he doubted Walker would be apologizing the same way she did after their fight some time ago, when he had refused to let her visit Mikk.

He let out a breath, trying to clear his mind of such problems. He was an exorcist and, together with his partner, was carrying a large amount of the most precious substance in the world. He had enough to worry about as of now. Once they got back in the ship he would control his temper, and try to have a decent talk with that difficult woman. She'd seemed out of her mind with irritation, and it wouldn't do to lose an exorcist because of their disagreements.

::::::::::::::::::::

It had been a short walk, but felt much longer due to the pressure caused by Allen's growing confusion as they never got to Tyki's so called place. Finally spotting a decent building, Tyki almost let out a breath in relief and tried to act natural. "Ah, here it is. This is where I am staying."

"Okay then. I bid you a good night," said Allen amiably.

"Do you want to come in?" Damn, why did he say that?

"Ah, I better not. I must go back…" she seemed uncertain.

It would be easy to just leave her outside. For all she knew, he was a mere civilian, unable to protect her. Moreover, it was clear she had an agenda. But despite the fact she was one of the few people chosen as a wielder to the greatest threat to his life and that of his family's, despite the fact she had to have seen more death and destruction than any girl her age should, the fact was that right now she just looked like a small, young female about to be left alone in dark streets.

"It's already too late," he said, making his decision and hoping things would just work. "I doubt your friends will be terribly angry if you are missing for a few hours. I have a spare room you can sleep in if you want because… well, I don't want to be rude, but you look pretty tired."

She seemed to consider his words carefully, before nodding. And that was good and bad; bad because he had no lodging in the damn building, but oh well, never let it be said that he wasn't a crafty person.

"Just a moment. The key is hidden in a safe place."

Running towards the other side of the building under her amused gaze and making sure that he was out of her field of vision, he used his power of choice to take a tour around the building by passing through the walls. Besides one scream from a lady who saw him and he promptly knocked out, there were really no problems; travelling lodging by lodging, he stole a jar of juice from the first, an apple pie from the second, and finally decided for the last one which seemed decent. Placing the items on it and easily making a couple unconscious and hiding them in their own wardrobe, he proceeded to get the key and once more leave the building, making sure to appear behind the building and walk back from the same place Allen had seen him disappear on.

::::::::::::::::::::

"Here it is," said Tyki, coming back with a key and by heavens, he did take quite some time. Had the key been lost? Allen supposed such a rich person would want to hide the key to their house very well.

Both made their way up the stairs to the very last apartment. Opening the door, Tyki turned the lights on and she observed the place. It was all quite simple considering who he was, but perhaps there was no sense in lavishly decorating a place the noble would stay in only for a short while.

She noticed a picture in the wall, and was surprised it wasn't one of Sheril or the other members of his family she saw, but one of a man, pale skinned, blond and skinny, and who didn't look like a Kamelot at all.

"Who is this?" she asked curiously.

Tyki's eyes widened when he stared at the picture. He seemed lost when looking at it for a while. "Ah, that's… Alfredo. Just old uncle Alfie. Nobody impor-"

"He must be very special to you if you took his picture even to a place you rented."

"Yeeeah," said he weakly. She smiled. There was nothing wrong with caring for family members.

She started staring at the other pictures and making questions, too. It warmed her heart that he cared so much for these people he would take so many of their framed photographs to a rented, temporary place. They were all very fair skinned, light haired people, though there was a couple of brunets in their midst. So she got him to tell the story of his family and was truly intrigued. She had always cared about such subjects, and thought she herself would like to carry the pictures of many Rose Cross members with her, were she allowed to.

::::::::::::::::::::

"And there's cousin Morgana. She's too fond of her whiskey, and causes quite a ruckus in every one of Sheril's parties with inappropriate jokes," continued Tyki lamely, trying to memorize every one of the random names he was just christening each framed face with.

But with cousin Morgana it was over, and he really hoped she wouldn't ask any more things. He was still cursing himself for not having the clarity of mind of getting rid of the pictures before she entered.

"Your family is larger than I expected," said she when after he presented what was a group of people larger than the Noah family itself. "It is so nice of you to carry their pictures around, and remember such things about each and every one of them."

"Love keeps memories fresh in our minds," said Tyki, staring in what he hoped looked like fondness towards the frames of the humans he truly didn't give a damn about. By now, he had already forgotten half of the fake names.

Allen, unaware of his deceit, only smiled warmly. "That is absolutely right," she said softly, grey eyes distant and reflecting some love and some sadness.

Tyki shifted uncomfortably, before guiding her to the kitchen's table. He offered the stolen pie and juice, and she ate with dainty bites before giving up the pretense and ending the enormous dessert almost all by herself. Tyki himself had only had a thin slice; for a reason unknown to him, he felt a little sick in the stomach and had to work hard on looking comfortable as he sat across from her.

"Heh, thanks," said she, reddened with embarrassment. She had frequently asked whether he really wouldn't eat any more. "For letting me stay. I hope it isn't too much trouble."

"Of course not. Your day must have been quite hard. Allow yourself some rest," he answered diplomatically. She shifted a bit, and he raised an eyebrow. "You seem uncomfortable, worried about something," he observed out loud, ignoring the fact that that was also true about himself.

"Ah… I…" he knew how it would be. Exorcists usually didn't open up about their daily affairs. She'd likely drop the subject in a polite way, and he'd let it go.

To his surprise, however, after she fidgeted in silence for a minute, she eventually raised her head in determination.

"I am going back to Rose Cross," she said, as if imparting a great secret.

"Is… that so?"

"Yes. I've been working with the exorcists you saw, but it hasn't been going well. I am not a good match for the group. I realized that today, more than ever."

"I see," said he, trying to occupy himself by refilling his glass with juice.

She smiled a bit, clearly detecting his awkwardness. "I know it is a random thing to say to you, but I've been wanting to get this out of my chest. I hope this won't bother Mr. Kamelot; the group is quite able without me. Actually, I believe they will be better without my presence. Internal conflicts are never a good thing."

He thought of the problems she spoke of, of the troubled air she had carried ever since they met that only vanished in some moments and then grew once again, making her countenance heavy and upset. He also pondered about the fights she had been implying she had with the group.

In another situation, he would have inquired what troubled her, made some small talk and tried to calm her like the gentle noble he was posing as would. But one thing just didn't click, and he couldn't help but let out the words that had been on the tip of his tongue ever since her declaration.

"How are you going back to Rose Cross, though?" he asked, thoughtlessly. "I doubt there is anything good for you remaining in that crater."

As oppressive silence ensued and broke any remains of their pleasant exchanges of before. Reluctantly, he admitted to himself that he had been a little inconsiderate in his declaration.

And when he stared at the girl, whose face was impossibly pale with alarm, he thought he must have said the most rude thing he could, ever.

But really, hadn't she had enough time to deal with the fact that her organization was dead? He supposed that for a sentimental person like her, it would be a huge loss, but surely by now she could talk about the fact without looking so…

"Look, I'm sorry," he finally said with a sigh. It wasn't like he could understand the situation that well anyway, so he wouldn't judge. "My words were harsh. I shouldn't have talked about them like this-"

"Crater?"

Her voice was impossibly low. Her gaze towards him wasn't scared or angry, just pressing, demanding an answer and forbidding him from looking anywhere but at her face.

"Um, yes. Should I have said something else? Er, sorry, alright? Seriously. It must be a painful subject, and I shouldn't have touched it at all."

"What subject?" she demanded, and her loudness made him jump. Now he couldn't help his own surprised look.

"Rose Cross'… destruction," he explained. Was she having a mental breakdown? It was as if his words didn't properly reach her at all.

"Rose Cross'… Rose…?" she said, getting up from her chair. In the suddenness of her movement, it fell to the floor with a clatter. "What in the world are you talking about, Tyki?"

Oh.

Shit, shit, shit, he cursed loudly in his head many times. She hadn't known. For some ridiculous, unexplainable reason, she hadn't known her organization was no more. That was why she'd wanted to go back to them.

He wanted to think about a solution, about a way to take his words back, but Tyki only drew a blank. There was nothing that could be done now. He also got up from his chair, more calmly than her, turning towards the now horror stricken woman.

"Your organization has been destroyed a few days after you joined Kanda's group," he explained gravely, and his wariness wasn't a pretense. "Sheril told your friends so; I had expected you would have known by now."

She shook her head slowly, to the left and then to the right, her body trembling. No tears, no fury, only a haunted gaze.

"They," she finally started, her voice such a low whisper he couldn't have known whether she really wanted him to hear or not. "They never told me anything."

He'd expected her to break down. He was ready to try to bring her some comfort, to call forth his most human side and try to deal with the situation in the best way possible. For some reason, he cared deeply about this night's outcome. He would allow her to calm down, and then properly explain the situation to her. Make sure she understood, while also ignoring the nauseous knowledge that it had been the actions of his leader that had killed the people she loved so much, that were now making her so miserable.

Nothing was turning out as he expected, however. In a moment, she stared at him in incredulity, and in another, she left his apartment through his window with such speed he turned into his Noah form instinctively, as a reaction to the activation of her Innocence. She didn't see it, having left in such a hurry, and he knew he couldn't follow her and match her speed while keeping his disguise of a normal person.

The now grey skinned man stared at the dark night from the tall building, wondering what would be the consequences of his actions.