Allen let out a heavy sigh, staring out the window of the inn where he and Lenalee were staying, watching the rain fall, showing no signs of letting up. The two of them had only been there for an hour or so, unable to really get out and look around due to the downpour. Their mission was in the Northeast of the United States, whereas Kanda had been sent to Austria-Hungary.

Saying goodbye that morning was especially hard given the events of the day before. Allen had cried, unsurprisingly, when Kanda told him he was being sent away for at least a week. Allen wanted to beg him not to go, to make him stay, but he knew better than that. First and foremost, they were in the middle of a war. This mission was important, and Kanda would have backup in the form of Christine Halvorsen and Chaoji Han, with the mix of their defensive and offensive anti-akuma weapons, so he tried not to worry too much. But he couldn't stop himself from missing him.

The only thing that he was somewhat glad for was this mission that he and Lenalee had been sent on together. Besides his lover, Lenalee was one of the only people who could really comfort him when he was upset. What he appreciated the most is when she comforted him without asking questions, which she insisted was something she had picked up from being friends with Kanda for so long. Still, even though she didn't ask questions, he felt guilty for keeping her in the dark like this. He knew it was eating away at her to know what was wrong with him. It was just who she was as a person. Sometimes he wondered if she was too caring for her own good.

As if on cue, Allen heard her speak from behind him, sitting on the bed she'd be sleeping in. "Are you still feeling nauseous, Allen?"

Smiling at his own reflection in the window, he shook his head. "No, I'm feeling better now. Thank you for asking."

Lenalee smiled back, letting herself fall back onto the mattress. "I was hoping we'd be able to go out and start looking around right away, but the rain is so bad. It would probably do more harm than good."

Allen agreed with that. Plus, if there was any immediate danger near them, he'd be able to detect any Akuma near them with his eye. His eyes were starting to lid as they became heavy, the sound of the rain slowly lulling him to sleep.

There they were again, near the cliffside, their child running around, laughing. Allen could never see them clearly. They were a bright light, like a little angel. He and Kanda were facing them, holding each other as they watched. Kanda was resting his head on top of Allen's, his arm wrapped protectively around his body. Everything felt like it was in the right place, like they were in Heaven. Everything felt perfect.

Then, Allen began to notice the bright light that was their child was beginning to fade, a dark figure coming into view. His eyes widened as his body froze, watching the figure get closer and closer as the light faded. "Kanda…" Allen murmured, turning his head to look to the man sitting next to him.

Only to find his sword of exorcism, colors inverted, impaling his lover's body, his own right hand on the hilt of it. A silent scream tore through Allen's throat, words unable to come out even as his mouth moved. He tried pulling it out, begging Kanda to open his eyes. He barely realized that the light had gone out, the figure standing in front of him with a disfigured smile. Allen shut his eyes and screamed as loud as he could, throat burning horribly as he struggled to get any kind of sound out.

Allen soon awoke with a jolt, broken out in a cold sweat, panting. "Kanda… Kanda…"

"A-Allen! You startled me!" He heard Lenalee exclaim. Beginning to get his bearings, he noticed that his head was resting on her thighs. He felt her hand on his forehead.

"Where am I? Lenalee, where am I?"

"We're in my hotel room." She told him, sounding worried. "Allen, your forehead is warm. Are you feeling alright?"

Allen didn't mean to ignore her. He realized that they were on the bed, but he didn't recall laying down. "When did I lay down?"

"I moved you." Lenalee told him. "You fell asleep at the window, I didn't want you to fall over… What's wrong? You're making me nervous."

Allen thought of his nightmare again, shutting his eyes tightly as he thought of his boyfriend, bleeding out in front of him. "Kanda… I want to talk to Kanda…" He whimpered softly.

Lenalee could do that. It took a little bit of finagling and a bit of help from their Finder, but they managed to hook Lenalee's golem to the telephone in the room. They patched it through to Kanda's golem, waiting for him to pick up. For every second that passed and he didn't answer, Allen's chest felt tighter and tighter.

"What do you want, Lena?"

Allen couldn't help but let out a shuddered breath when the deep voice came through, clutching the telephone tightly.

The voice on the other line seemed to realize who he was really on the phone with him. "Moyashi?"

"Thank God, you answered." Allen said in relief, rubbing his eye as he smiled.

"Hold on, give me a minute." Kanda said to him, going silent for a little bit. He had walked away to get some space, not wanting anyone to listen to his conversation. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

"No… No, I'm fine." Allen assured him, curling the cord from the receiver around his finger. "I had a nightmare, that's all… Being so far away from you didn't help. I just wanted to hear your voice." Allen told him, looking down at his preoccupied hand.

Kanda let out a sigh through his nose, closing his eyes for a moment. He was glad to hear that the other was alright and hadn't run into any problems on his mission yet. "I just started and you're worried that I'd already be backed into a corner? I'm insulted."

Allen knew he was just trying to make him feel better, but he still couldn't stop worrying over the visions from his dream, eyes gazing at the wall in front of him.

"... What was your nightmare?"

Allen shut his eyes, thinking it over and over. "I don't want to go over the details right now…" He trailed off. All he could see was Kanda's lifeless body, blood pouring from the gaping wound with no signs of stopping. "Just… You died…" Allen heard him breathe audibly on the other line. He couldn't help but laugh dryly. "What a terrible time for you to be so far away."

Kanda hummed softly. "Well, rest assured. I'm still in one piece, and I intend to stay that way." The swordsman's confidence comforted the white haired Exorcist greatly. Allen sighed softly, opening his eyes again. "Listen, Moyashi. This mission shouldn't take me that long to complete. Don't worry too much. You know what Komui said about putting too much stress on your mind and body right now."

Exhaling through his nose, Allen let go of the cord, resting his hand on the table. "I know, I remember. I don't want you to worry about that right now, either. Keep your mind clear for your mission, and don't get yourself killed."

"Tch. As if I'd be so reckless." Kanda scoffed, making Allen smile again. The young Exorcist didn't want to hang up.

"Come back to me soon, Kanda…" He almost whispered.

"Of course." Kanda said, keeping his voice low again. "When we're back together, I'll make sure we have proper time to unwind. I'll help you relax."

The seduction in his voice made Allen blush, covering his mouth. "You're dirty." He whispered loudly, knowing Lenalee would hear him anyway. He heard her snicker from behind him.

"Kanda, we have to leave now." Christine called out to him, poking her head around the corner to make sure he was actually there and she wasn't just talking to a brick wall.

Kanda let out a soft grunt of displeasure. "I have to leave now. I'll check in with you when I can."

Allen's eyes fell to the floor, nodding, even though the other couldn't see him. "I love you. Please, stay safe."

"Of course. Don't you forget to stay safe, too, or I'll kick your ass." Kanda said, just before hanging up.

Allen stood there for a minute, still holding the receiver to his ear. He was probably thinking too much into it, but Kanda hadn't said 'I love you' back to him. He carefully put the phone down, taking a deep breath. He heard Lenalee stand up behind him. "Feeling better?" She asked hopefully, disconnecting her golem from the telephone.

"I don't know." Allen admitted, looking a bit worse for wear. "I think I'm going to go to bed now. I'm not feeling very well."

Lenalee nodded. "Okay… If the rain lets up, I might go and get familiar with the area. But I'll be here if you need me." She told him.

Allen nodded, letting Timcanpy follow him to his room next door. Closing the door behind him, he closed his eyes again and let the back of his head hit the wood with a light thump. As much as he wanted to block the images from his mind, he couldn't stop thinking about them. Not just Kanda, but their child. The dark figure was undoubtedly a Noah, but who? Tyki? The Earl?

Was it Nea?

Allen slowly moved his hand, resting it against his lower abdomen, brows furrowing. Would the Noah find out about his child? Or was this a sign that they already knew and they were planning on causing harm to Allen and his little family? He slowly slid down the door, settling on the floor, curling up and hugging his knees.


"Come back to me soon, Kanda..."

There was nothing more the swordsman wanted to do than return to his love. Not be on this stupid mission with a couple of amateurs that would pull him down. He rounded the corner of the alley he was standing in, finding the Norwegian woman waiting for him.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your call, General, but we need to get going now." Christine told him, watching him as he began walking by her, letting out a tch in response. Seeing as they were a bit away from Chaoji and the Finders, she decided to converse with him as she followed behind. "Was that Allen Walker?" She couldn't help but notice the almost unnoticeable way his shoulders tensed. A smirk pulled a bit at her lips. "The two of you are on pretty good terms, ja?"

"What are you getting at, woman?" Kanda questioned, anger in his voice. His fingers brushed against Mugen's hilt. "Are you threatening something?" He was ready to turn his sword to her, hand ready to unsheathe his sword.

"My two best friends kept their relationship a secret in fear of being punished by the Order. I'm not threatening anything." Christine said, sounding offended by the tone he used. Turning around and examining her expression, it turns out she really was offended. Narrowing his eyes at her, he waited for her to say something else. "Allen Walker saved my friend's life. If he didn't talk to her, I don't know if she ever would have been able to recover the way she did. I'm indebted to him."

Kanda wasn't expecting these words from an Exorcist he barely knew. "What does that have to do with me?"

Looking him confidently in the eye, Christine kept her head high. "I think you know that it has everything to do with you, Kanda. I'll gladly give my life for either of you."

"I can't ask you to do that. That's stupid. You barely know me."

Christine smiled at him. "I wasn't asking. Now, let's go. We don't want to fall behind."

Kanda just watched as she walked by him, unable to respond. She was stubborn. And yet, there was something he respected about that. Huffing, he followed her, joining the others.


"He's still acting so strange…" Lenalee murmured to herself as she began her trip back to the hotel in the rain. She was holding a bag of some food she had bought, hopefully to lift her friend's mood. She also took a look around the town, finding nothing out of the ordinary. No, the only thing out of the ordinary was whatever situation her friend was in. Her brother had assured her that they had everything under control, but even he wouldn't tell her what was going on. And he told her everything.

Nothing added up to her. If Allen was gravely ill, why was he continuing to go on missions? Surely they wouldn't let him continue his duties if it were that serious… But then again, what minor illness could it be that even Komui wouldn't tell her about?

She promised Allen that she wouldn't beg him to tell her, that she would wait until he was ready, but she was becoming impatient. She didn't know if she could continue to let it go because now it was starting to cloud her thoughts. The worry she felt over her friend only increased every day he wouldn't tell her what was happening to him.

So, she decided. As soon as Allen was awake, she would ask him again. And if he refused, then…

The crash that came from Allen's room almost startled the poor girl into dropping her bags on the floor.

"Allen!"


"I wish I didn't have this gap in my front teeth."

"Why not?"

The brunette woman looked up from her place on the ground where she sat with the flowers to the young man who accompanied her. "I think I would look better without it."

"I think it just adds to your charm, love. It's one of the things I love most about you."

The memory soon became static and faded suddenly as Allen came face to face with a dangerously angry looking Nea. "What are you doing?!"

Allen narrowed his eyes as he glared at the Noah in front of him, tugging his hands away as chains brushed against his wrists. "You're so ready to reveal your other memories to me and take control of my body. Why won't you show me the rest? Who is this woman, Nea?"

Suddenly, Nea's hand was gripping his throat, a choked gasp leaving the Exorcist's mouth. "That doesn't concern you, Allen. Just let her rest. Stop prying in things that don't involve you and just play along the way you're supposed to for once."

Allen woke up abruptly, throwing his arm to the side to grab at the nightstand so he could pull himself up, accidentally knocking the lantern onto the floor, shattering the glass. He was sweating profusely and his head and heart were pounding.

No, not now.

Throwing himself off of the bed, Allen fell to the floor as he tried to stumble to the bathroom, trying to keep a hold on his conscience. Silver eyes turned gold just as he looked into the mirror, gripping the porcelain sink tightly. He could feel his stomach twist into a knot, all of its contents threatening to come up, unable to shake feeling like something was inside him. This felt terrible. "God… Kid… What's going on with you?" Nea managed to choke out, feeling that he was about to lose the hold that he had finally got for the first time in months and also simultaneously projectile vomit all over the poor, tiny bathroom he was standing in.

The door was thrown open suddenly. "Allen?! Are you okay?"

Nea barely recognized that voice. He'd heard it once, maybe twice before, but he didn't know who it was-

Lenalee.

Allen's vision became hazy as he desperately clutched the sink, unable to keep himself from blacking out and falling to the floor, the woman rushing to his aid once she heard another crash in the bathroom. "Oh God, Allen!" She shouted, kneeling next to him, holding him up in her arms. He was sweating, breathing heavily. "You're burning up… Hold on, I'm going to bring you to your bed." She said softly, not even sure if he could hear her or not. After managing to get him into his bed, without stepping on any glass, she got another lamp going and wet a rag with cool water. She noticed that the sink was loose, probably from Allen gripping it so hard with his Innocence hand and falling while still gripping it. Returning to him, she put the rag on his forehead, relieved that his breathing was starting to even out and his skin was beginning to cool down.

Letting out a quiet moan, Allen cracked his eyes open. "L-Lenalee?" He asked, voice wavering a little.

Sighing in relief, Lenalee reached down and held his right hand. "Allen, what happened? I heard a crash, and then I found you on the bathroom floor."

"On the bathroom floor…" He repeated, staring past her as he tried to remember how he got there. It was a blur, but he vaguely remembered falling out of bed, and… That was it.

No, that wasn't it. He remembered Nea being angry with him. He remembered struggling for dominance in his mind as he tried to stop the Noah from taking his consciousness.

"I'm going to get you some water." Lenalee told him, patting his hand before setting it down on the mattress, getting up.

Allen only half paid attention to her, realizing that Nea had tried to take over again, and this time, Kanda wasn't here to stop him if anything bad had happened. Groaning softly, Allen shut his eyes and draped his left hand over his eyes, his right hand moving to splay on his aching stomach. What if he hadn't been able to take back control? Would Lenalee have been able to fend for herself?

Returning back to the bedroom with a glass of water, Lenalee just stood and stared at her friend for a moment. She hadn't really been paying attention before, but now that he wasn't wearing a shirt, she could really notice how much less toned her friend's abdomen was than usual. It didn't seem like he was letting up on his usual activities. Was weight gain part of his mysterious illness?

Sensing the sudden thickness in the room, Allen removed his arm from his eyes to see his best friend staring at him. Immediately, he gasped and moved his hand from his stomach, propping himself up on his shoulders a bit too fast, feeling the slightest bit faint. "Lenalee-"

"Allen, why are you sick?" The Chinese woman finally blurted out, concern written all over her face and laced in her voice. "I'm tired of you keeping me in the dark. I've been patient, but I can't be patient anymore! I'm worried sick about you and I can't get an answer out of anyone!" She shouted, voice beginning to break as tears began spilling from her eyes. "Don't you trust me?"

Allen stared at her, guilt overcoming him as he listened to her chew him out. That was exactly what he didn't want to hear. He didn't want his friends worrying about him, especially not to this point. Chewing lightly on his lip, he sat up and turned his head away.

"Allen… Talk to me." Lenalee articulated, desperately.

Allen exhaled deeply through his nose. She was right. He couldn't keep hiding the truth from her. And in all honesty, he was going to need his best friend in the coming months, more than ever. Unsurprisingly to Lenalee, Allen smiled at her, like he always did when something was wrong and he was trying to act like everything was fine. It frustrated her greatly, making her clench her fists by her sides. "Lenalee," he spoke softly, reaching his hand over to pat the side of the bed, "please, sit down."

Still pouting softly, Lenalee slowly made her way over to the bed, taking a seat on the edge of it. She avoided his gaze for a moment, finally giving in and looking at him, finding him still smiling. "... I hate when you do that. You know I hate it."

"I know you do." Allen said, smiling wider.

"Allen." Lenalee whined softly, turning her head away. Allen carefully grabbed her hand and held it in both of his own.

"Lenalee… Look at me, please. I'm sorry that I haven't been honest with you." He started off softly. "Please, understand. What's happening to me right now is really confusing and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, to be honest."

Lenalee swallowed softly, eyes glancing to her hand that he was holding. "... Does it have to do with the Fourteenth?"

Allen wasn't expecting her question. "... Well… I'm not sure, actually." He admitted. "But I don't think it does. It's between Kanda and I. It, frankly, shouldn't be possible, but… Somehow, it is."

"Are you stalling?"

"Maybe." Allen said, sighing softly. He was having trouble forcing the words off his tongue, afraid of her reaction. "... After that mission a few weeks ago, I went to the infirmary, like you told me to. They found something, and-"

"Oh, God, Allen." Lenalee choked out, starting to tear up. "Are you dying? Is that why you're sick?"

"No, no, no, no!" Allen fretted, holding her hand firmly to his chest. "I'm not dying! I promise, I'm not dying." Lenalee sniffled and nodded, wiping her eyes. "They checked me over, and well… I'm pregnant."

Lenalee's expression blanked for a moment as she stared at him, trying to process the information. Allen began to grow nervous at her reaction. "... Allen, I think I just misheard you. I thought I heard you say you were pregnant."

"That's because I did." Allen confirmed. "And before you yell at me for 'messing with you', just think about all the symptoms. The nausea, the cramps, the headaches, the dizziness. My clothes are starting to feel more snug as well, so you can add weight gain to the list. Lenalee, I'm telling you the truth. Kanda and I are having a baby."

Lenalee did just that, thinking over every single one of the things that Allen had just listed, everything becoming more and more clear. "Oh my… Oh my God…" She whispered, covering her mouth with her unoccupied hand. "Oh my God!"

Allen flinched slightly, loosening his grip on her hand. "Lenalee, don't be upset with me."

"I'm not upset with you." She said, lowering her hand from her mouth. "I just…" Trailing off, Allen could see realization dawn on her face. "Allen, you shouldn't be on this mission. You shouldn't be on any mission."

Allen sighed softly, resting his head back against the bed's headboard. "I know that… But I can't just stop going on them, Lenalee. Central would be suspicious. I don't want them to do anything to my baby."

Lenalee had to take everything in her to stay calm, not wanting to set the young man off. "But what if you get hurt on a mission, Allen? What if something bad happens to you? And the baby?"

Allen's jaw tightened as tears started to build, his eyes looking away from his friend. He didn't want to cry in front of her like this, but he couldn't help it. Didn't she know that that was constantly on his mind? He could never stop thinking about it, no matter how hard he tried to put his mind at ease. He raised one of his hands to drape across his eyes, sniffling softly. He could feel Lenalee grip his other hand tightly.

"Allen… Don't cry. Calm down for a minute. I'll calm down too." She told him, stroking his hand. Once his sniffling ceased, she began to speak again. "I'm sorry for freaking out like that. Everything will be okay, I promise." Lenalee fixed the way she sat on the bed, tucking one leg under the other. "I don't know how it happened, but I'm happy! I really am." She said genuinely. That got Allen to glance at her over his arm, sniffling once more.

"... Y-You are?"

"Yes, Allen."

"You… You're not upset?"

"I'm upset that you're on this mission when you should be at home resting, but other than that, no."

Allen let out a small chuckle, wiping a stray tear from his eye. "That was such a mom thing to say, Lenalee."

Lenalee smiled warmly at him, reaching her hand up to his head, pulling it carefully to rest on her shoulder. "How about we settle for big sister?"

"Deal." Allen chuckled, shutting his eyes. As Lenalee carefully rubbed his back, Allen finally began to feel himself relax for the first time in weeks. "Thank you, Lenalee…"

Lenalee's smile widened, hugging him a little tighter. "I think we should sleep in my room tonight. It's a bit of a mess in here and I'm still worried about that fever you had."

"But-"

"Come on, get up." She told him, standing from the bed, making sure neither of them stepped on glass.

"Fine. I'll sleep on the floor." He said, letting her drag him back to her bedroom. Lenalee scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, okay. Sleep on the floor." Lenalee chuckled, mumbling the last part. As if she was going to make her friend sleep on the floor, pregnant or not.


Getting that off his chest last night really took a weight off of Allen's shoulders. Waking up the next morning, he felt good. Much to his relief, he wasn't feeling nauseous, though he certainly had the rest of the day for that.

They found themselves in a cozy little cafe to have breakfast before they started to investigate the town more in depth. They made sure they took the table farthest in the back. After they both ordered something to drink, Lenalee waited until their server was gone before she started talking with Allen. "So that's what all the mint and ginger tea was for. I thought Kanda had turned you on to it."

Allen let a smile pull at his lips as he chuckled. "Jerry told me it would help settle my stomach." He told her, stirring his tea lightly before placing the spoon down. Taking a sip and looking up at her, he realized his error a second too late.

"You told Jerry before me?"

Avoiding her gaze, Allen looked out the window, feeling her staring at him. "... Komui told me to." He tattled. "He said it was better if Jerry knew so he could help with my diet."

Taking a deep breath as she held her warm cup in both of her hands, Lenalee looked at him again. "Okay, start at the beginning. How did you find out?"

Allen went over what he said to her the night before, bringing her up to speed with all of the check ups he's had so far. He started smiling again. "Komui says the baby has a strong heartbeat."

Lenalee had sparkles in her eyes as she listened to her friend talk about all the milestones he had already hit. She couldn't help but be excited and happy for her friends. It had been so long since she'd seen a baby. "So, how is Kanda about all of this?"

Allen gave a small sigh, keeping an awkward smile on his face. "To be honest… I don't really think it's set in for him yet. I mean, I don't think it has for me either, but I'm at least grasping that there's a little human growing inside me that I'm going to have to care for. I'm not sure if Kanda has really grasped it yet." Allen admitted. "And to be honest… I'm a little afraid of how he'll react when it finally dawns on him." Lenalee was quiet, glancing down at her cup. She knew how Kanda could be sometimes. "The night we found out, he punched the wall so hard that he broke his hand."

"He what?!"

"Mhm…" Allen hummed, taking another sip of his tea. "That was the night before Lavi found him sleeping on the couch in the lounge. Kanda got drunk."

Lenalee groaned, holding her head in her hands. "Oh, Kanda…" She sighed. "I remember when he used to sneak tequila from the kitchen and drink it when we were younger. I always wondered how he never got a hangover."

Allen let out a snort. "Well, he definitely got one this time." He mumbled. "I don't blame him for the way he reacted. While neither of us really grew up knowing what a family is, I at least got to experience it with Mana, you got to experience it with Komui and your parents… Kanda never did." Allen said softly, smiling sadly. "He and Alma made due with what they had, but… He didn't deserve that."

The conversation halted for a moment as silence overcame them, both taking in what Allen had just said. He had both of his hands on the table, staring at them. And then he cracked a smile. "And I'm fairly certain he never learned about the reproductive system. I don't think he knows how it works."

Lenalee covered her mouth, trying not to break in the middle of the restaurant. "Oh, Allen, no-"

"Lenalee, I didn't say anything, but one of the dates that Kanda told Komui when we were trying to figure out the due date, it was-"

The waitress got their attention, asking if they were ready to take their orders. Allen let Lenalee go first, waiting for the woman to finish writing before he would start his large order. Catching Lenalee's eye as they waited, he covertly opened his mouth and pointed into it, finishing his thought from their conversation that was cut off.

Lenalee had to give herself credit. Even if she had to bite her lip as hard as she could, she managed to keep her laughter in until the waitress had left, finally slamming her head down on her folded arms, trying to keep as quiet as possible. "Allen, you're terrible." She almost cried. "You knew I would laugh at that. You wanted me to laugh in that poor woman's face."

"I did not." Allen insisted, smiling slyly. "I was just finishing our conversation before I forgot."

"You didn't need to tell me that!" Lenalee exclaimed. Great, now her face was all red from laughing. Fanning herself with her hand, she rolled her eyes before looking at him again. "So when is the due date, anyway?"

Oh God. Had Allen forgot the date already? The most important date that he had to keep in mind? Squinting his eyes as he gently tapped each of his fingers against the table top individually, he started counting in his head. "Oh! February," he started to trail off, "February… Twelfth."

"That didn't sound very confident, Allen. Pregnancy brain already?" Lenalee teased innocently, the boy blushing in embarrassment.

"Okay, I might need a refresher on the day. But it's definitely February." He told her. "February, our baby will be here."


I have many apologies this week. First apology, I'm sorry that this update is a week late. This chapter really kicked my ass and I was having an extremely hard time writing it. Which leads me to my second apology. I'm sorry if this chapter sucks. I restarted it like three times and this is the one that flowed the best. Hopefully chapter 11 doesn't cause me as much trouble as this one did. Thank everyone again for the support and the kind reviews, and also thank you to hetalianGemini who always supplies little inside jokes for the fic between us in their reviews and for overall making me feel like I'm not a total failure in regards to this fic. I appreciate all of you so much, sorry for the late update again!