The next morning, at nine o'clock precisely, Allen met the others down by the train station, his pack resting on his lap. Kanda looked as surly as ever, but Lenalee, Krory, Miranda, Timothy and Marie all were giving him somewhat drowsy, somewhat vacant expressions that he usually associated with sleep deprivation. As he approached, though, their faces cleared a little, eyes brightening with forced energy.

Krory and Miranda came in for a hug, and Timothy wriggled under his faux-parents arms to wrap around Allen's waist like a limpet.

(He could count on one hand how many times he'd been hugged like this, almost cuddled, and they had all happened during his time as an exorcist. He wasn't sure what that said about him.)

"Please be safe," Miranda said tearily, looking as though she were going to dissolve into waterworks at any second. "Call often."

Krory looked equally distraught, his nose dripping like a faucet. Allen subtly grimaced at the stain growing on his shirt, but didn't say anything, because that's not what you did when friends were crying on your shoulder. "Let's meet up again sometime soon!"

Allen gave them all a small, genuine smile, retreating ever so slightly so he could look at them all individually. "I look forward to it." He told them, and then opened his mouth to say something else, something sufficiently sappy that would make the two older ones cry even harder. But then Timothy gave him a sour look, slapped his hand his hand into Allen's chest, and took off running back inside the Order, interrupting Allen before he could even begin to talk.

"Timothy!" Miranda wailed, hands grabbing at her long, tangled hair in distress. "Why would you do such a thiiiing!" And then she took off behind the little boy, shrieking for him to stop running, he might tear his stitches. Krory let out a distressed sound, waved slightly at Allen, and then leaped into action, using his Innocence to boost his speed as he tore off after the couple. Allen stared after them bemusedly, wondering at the strangeness of his friends, before noticing that something was on the ground in front of him.

Oh, he thought as he reach down to pick the thin slip of paper up. Timothy must have given me something when he slapped me.

When he looked at what it was, he could only stare at it, stunned.

It was a small picture, one that he hadn't even known existed; it was from almost two years ago, clearly during dinner time, judging from the darkness outside the windows. They were all eating their food, and the Allen in the picture was cheerfully reaching for something off of Kanda's plate, while the samurai lifted his sword over his head to deliver a swift retribution. Lavi was grinning at Lenalee, who was laughing because the Bookman Jr. had a talent for saying funny but stupid things. Krory was noogying Timothy, who was half crying, half screaming for help, while Miranda's head was jammed into the table, a look of pure helpless misery on her face. Marie and Link were sitting next to each other, wearing twin looks of deadpan unamusement.

Allen stared at it for a second, wondering where on earth Timothy could've gotten such a thing-he certainly didn't remember it being taken. They all looked so happy, as though nothing was wrong with the world, when in fact everything was crashing around their heads.

He wondered if they could ever go back to such a time, but he highly doubted it.

He swiped at his eyes, blinking back tears, and then flipped the picture over, so see if there was an exact date on the back. When he did so, he couldn't help but choke on a laugh, because the little brat had written, "I hate goodbyes. Come see us soon, okay?"

Shaking his head and smiling with bemusement, he stuffed the photograph into his pocket.

Next was Marie, who gave Allen a small, friendly smile as he approached. "Noise Marie." Allen said warmly, gently reaching out so he could shake the older man's hand. They still didn't know each other very well-just because Allen had been carried around a bit by Marie didn't mean that they had talked, necessarily-but he was grateful. "Thank you for everything."

To Allen's deep surprise, Marie took his hand, and then dragged Allen in for a gentle but firm hug. He was big and warm, soft in the way that hugging something like a grizzly bear would be; there was a certain tension in his muscles that spoke of hidden strength. The younger exorcist had a feeling that Marie could easily lift him up and crack his ribs like toothpicks, if he so chose.

Then Marie drew back, and his sightless gaze was fond and sorrowful at the same time. "Allen Walker, I owe you an apology."

Allen stared up at the older man, furrowing his eyebrows in abject confusion, and then remembering at the last second that Marie wouldn't be able to understand the non-visual cues. A little flustered, he said, "Whatever for?"

"When you first woke up, I...I have to admit, I was very...suspicious of you." Marie grimaced slightly. "While the other exorcists believed in you unwavering, I...I did not exactly denounce you, but nor did I show you any support."

Allen stared at him for a moment, still a little bewildered, before realizing that Marie was apologizing for not being certain whether or not he was the enemy. There was a certain novelty about the whole thing that Allen could hardly believe, because it wasn't like any suspicions were unfounded. As much as he mentally railed against the mistrust, it wasn't like he was going to argue with them; after all, he had been the thing they despised the most. Marie certainly didn't need to apologize for having doubts.

"Please don't worry about it." Allen said gently, and reached out to squeeze Marie's hand, because the other man couldn't see the reassurance on his face. "I understand if you're suspicious of me. I was a Noah, after all."

Marie frowned a little, looking almost...helpless? "And then you go and say stuff like that." The taller man muttered, and Allen frowned at him, uncertain as to whether or not he was supposed to have heard that. Then louder, "Yes, you were a Noah. But I lost sight of the fact that you were also Allen."

Allen and Marie had never been all that close. They had often been assigned to different missions, and even when they were on the same one, they were hardly chatty people. The two of them hardly knew each other, and probably would never get to know each other very well; after all, Marie would be living in China.

That being said, those words that Marie uttered-the ones saying that he was Allen, too, not just the Fourteenth-they meant more than anything else he'd ever heard. Because no one had ever really acknowledged that before, not out loud, anyway; they'd just assumed that he knew the difference. He could never admit to them his insecurities, that he sometimes wondered if he and Neah were more similar than they could've ever known.

So that was why when Allen said, "Thank you Marie," his voice was just this shy of choked, and he had to blink back yet more tears.

Then, to his shock, Marie carefully reached forwards, and enveloped Allen in another grizzly bear hug. He had to lean over to do it properly, but still did it, and Allen tentatively curled his fingers around the other man's shoulder. "I will support you from this point on, Allen Walker make no mistake. If you ever have need of me, just call."

Allen sniffled a little and nodded, before drawing away. "Thank you again, Marie. You've been more of a help than you could ever know."

The other man just smiled in that mysterious, distant way of his, before allowing himself to get helped back into the Order by a finder. The only people left were Komui, Lenalee, and Kanda, although Lavi was supposed to have been there by now. Allen frowned at the Order's exit, wondering if the red-head was throwing a silent fit about having to share a house with him. The thought made something pang in his chest (because despite how he still hadn't forgiven Lavi, he would be much more willing, if the idiot would just apologize), and he wondered if the thought of sharing a house with him was so unpalatable.

Komui was also frowning at the exit, and eventually it seemed as though his patience found its end, because he asked, a little grumpily, "Kanda, would you do me a favor and go fetch Lavi?" Then there was some muttering under his breath, about stubborn Bookman and idiots who couldn't talk to each other.

Allen ignored that one.

But before Kanda could even take a step, his face just this shy of wrathful vengeance, Lavi rolled out onto the platform. He looked tired, deep bags underneath his bright green eye, and his clothes were rumpled and unkempt. There was a sallowness to Lavi's pale, paper-thin skin, which hadn't been so pronounced the few times Allen had visited visited. Allen's lips turned downwards at the corners, concern warring with the simmering anger he still harbored.

"Sorry," The Bookman Jr. said, wincing a little and clutching his pack closer to his chest. "I didn't mean to be late."

And that was pretty odd too-Lavi didn't do repentant, or even polite very well. Allen would've written it off as simple exhaustion from having to travel the entirety of the Order in a wheelchair, but there was something...else. Something a little fragile about him, like if someone touched him he would break into a million little pieces. .

"Are you okay?" Komui asked, frowning, concern bleeding through the vague annoyance on his face. "You look…" He trailed off a little, looking uncertain how to finish his sentence.

Lavi wavered ever so slightly, and that more than anything else showed the unbalanced state of his mind. But then he frowned, shook his head, and said in a voice that was as emotionless as it was quiet, "I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about."

Then he glanced over at Allen, and something in his eye cracked even further, just the barest hints of something-was that guilt, or anger, or regret? For a moment Allen thought that this would be the moment when his friend finally apologized, when they could just try to break some of the tension between them. Allen would be willing to compromise, if Lavi was also willing to make the effort.

But then Lavi's face hardened, and he looked away. Kanda immediately started cursing, Komui looked to the sky as though searching for strength, and Allen just sighed. This was going to be a very long train ride.

LMAO hey guys how's it going