Title: Shattered Innocence

Author: DnKS-giRLs

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Kanda-Allen

Disclaimers: should we really write this?

Warning: OOC, sap, rambling and filler chapter

Chapter 16 – Countdown

Allen scanned his surroundings cautiously for the presence of Akuma. He spotted them quite easily not long after, and he started to memorize the location and the number of Akuma that he had to purify. He then jumped from his current location, a rooftop of a broken down hotel, to land at his first target while activating his innocence. As he landed, he slashed the first Akuma in front of him without further ado.

Not taking care of the screams that permeated in the air by his action in the daylight, Allen ran into his next target and done the same thing to it. By doing so, he seemingly invited a group of level one Akuma to attack him, and he smirked, pleased that he did not need much time to satisfy his hungered cursed eye.

He calmly lured the Akuma to a more secluded place in the city he was in, while dodging attacks from the said Akuma now and then. He slashed the Akuma that making obstacle in his path and he made his way to a satisfying fighting place in not more than five minutes after.

As he arrived at that said place, Allen assessed his situation again while remained alert with the attacks that were directed to him. He started to slash those Akuma with rapid speed after he did so and his fight ended in mere minutes, leaving no traces of any fight whatsoever when he was done.

Allen huffed in relief and he quickly went to his carriage that would bring him back to the headquarters before the level two Akuma searched for him. He promised his spouse to not fight any level two Akuma because Kanda did not want him to be hurt. It was something that Allen could not really agree upon, since he was already experienced for so long with handling level two Akuma. But because he thought that his spouse's overprotective side was cute, he obliged anyway. Besides, he should make his visits to Komui's clinic of horror as rarely as he could. Well, the clinic was not dubbed clinic of horror without any argument that could support so.

His 'level-one Akuma hunt' had begun from the third month after his daughter's birth. The headquarters gave him suspension because of General Cross' "request". So he did not have the obligation for taking any ordered mission. But since his cursed eyes demanded him to fight with the Akuma, he had little choice of not doing any mission. And so, his hunt became a routine every month so his eye could make him rest.

When Allen finally got back to the headquarters from his supposedly called mission, he heaved out a sigh of relief. It was refreshing to know that he already came back from 'work' and had someone that he knew would be waiting for him. With that thought in mind, he rushed back to his and Kanda's room. He opened the door silently, and was greeted by a sight that made him smile. Sitting in the bed was his husband, frowning and grumbling at their beloved child, Lucy. That sight was included with a pout decorating Kanda's face, something that he never thought would see before. It seemed that Lucy was made some trouble and Kanda couldn't control her.

Allen approached them silently. He was going to make Kanda surprised with his arrival, but Lucy disturbed his intention. She squealed delightedly upon seeing the arrival of her mother, making Kanda turned to his direction.

Kanda eyed him warmly, and he said, "Welcome back."

He greeted back with, "I'm home," and a smile. He then approached his husband and child when Kanda made a gesture that asked Allen to come to him. Allen did just that and he was greeted with a single-handed warm hug. He was about to be rained by kisses before he put his hand in front of Kanda, gesturing that they shouldn't do it in front of his child.

"Don't," he said somewhat timidly.

Kanda frowned at his refusal, but he didn't say anything about it. "How was it?" was something that came out from his mouth instead of a protest.

"The usual…" Allen answered, knowing that Kanda meant how his mission was done. "I'm fine. I know that I have to target the level one instead of level two Akuma."

"We missed you."

Allen smiled at that statement. He hugged his husband and child, while saying, "I miss you too, but you know how the curse of my eye worked."

Kanda just fell silent. "I know," he said after a moment of silence, "It's the consequence of being a special person."

Allen smiled bitterly. "Yes, you are right," he said. "Sometimes I wished that I was a normal person. But if I did, maybe I couldn't meet with you or we couldn't have Lucy."

"Hn."

"You know, Yuu…I started to think that giving Lucy to a new parents that were not occupied as exorcist was the best for Lucy."

Kanda did not making any response with Allen's words but his eyes were signaling him to continue.

"We could be busy enough with our mission to take care of her optimally and I don't want her to feel that she is abandoned by us… Beside that, I know it's pessimistic to say this, but we don't know what will happen tomorrow… There could be one of us, or even both of us that could not return after fighting with the Noah family."

Kanda looked at Allen with sad eyes after he finished talking, with a gaze so sorrowful that made Allen wished he did not say what he just said. They both knew that Allen was right, but they both knew that agreeing with his words was just hard.

The silence that suddenly enveloped the three of them was broken when Lucy cried loudly.

Allen chuckled and he took Lucy from Kanda's arm. "What is it Lucy?" Allen asked. "Are you hungry?"

Allen put Lucy safely on his arms and he took a bottle of milk that was handed by Kanda. He put the tip of the bottle to Lucy, but she refused to drink it. Allen frowned for a while, but then he chuckled.

"Now, now… You just did not like your mama and papa talking about depressing things, did you? Or do you just want us to think only about you, you naughty little girl?"

A continuation of Lucy's cry was all that Allen got as his answer but it was enough to force a laugh to come from his lips as well as a smile to form on Kanda's face. Their little daughter was their most precious treasure and they both knew it.

Seeing that Lucy was still crying, Allen then sang a lullaby for her. It was one of the songs that had been sung by Mana in his childhood, songs that could make him feel better on his bad days. Lucy's cries died down when she heard that song, and she gradually looked drowsy.

Allen smiled and said, "Sleepy, aren't you? Fine, I'll put you on your lovely cradle, okay?"

He was putting Lucy on her cradle when he heard Kanda said, "Seeing you like this never fails to amaze me."

Allen snorted. "Talk for yourself," he said. "You was different yourself when you tuckered Lucy."

Kanda just shrugged.

Allen then approached Kanda and asked, "How was her when I was gone?"

"Naughty," Kanda said, earning Allen's chuckle.

"Did she make much trouble for you?"

"Well, it's understandable, knowing that you're her mother."

"Hey! What does that mean?"

Kanda just smirked as an answer. "Shut up and come here while Lucy still asleep," he said.

Allen obliged his spouse's request and he did not refuse this time when Kanda kissed him. "Now I know how you felt when I left you on the mission while you're pregnant," Kanda said.

Allen snorted. "Don't compare me with you. You left me for three months straight while I just left you for three days, Yuu." He then sighed. "I wonder how it felt when we must be separated for missions after this."

"You're ruining the mood."

"We have to face it sooner or later," Allen said with an exhausted tone. "How much time we have left?"

"Three months twenty days nine hours."

Allen sighed again. "I believe that her next mother have already visited her."

Kanda nodded. "Lucy was given to her temporarily every morning and every afternoon, in two hours on every visit."

"I wonder what person she is…"

"Don't worry," Kanda said. "I have already made sure that she would be in the right hand, even though I didn't really know what kind of person she is."

Allen rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you threaten them again…"

"Almost," he said casually. "Regrettably, Komui had already taken care of it in much more civil way."

"So no blood being spilled, right?" Allen said. "Though still, I want to meet her at least once… after all, it's our daughter that she'll take care of, it somehow feels inappropriate if I never even once see her face to face."

"Should I 'ask' those stupid Commanders for permission to meet them, Lucy's foster parents I mean…" Kanda asked with something that resembled slightly malicious glint in his eyes. "Though I'm sure it wouldn't be a pretty sight afterwards…"

"Thanks for your kind suggestion, Yuu, but no," Allen smiled. "I admit I want to see them but I also know it will only add up our burdens. I will only put my faith in this matter… though I was a little bit intrigued about based on what extent did The Headquarters choose the candidates for Lucy's proprietors…"

"Oh, it's just that the 'father' and 'mother' came from families that have been aiding the church for generations and they both were thus proven loyal to The Order…" Kanda grumbled. "Some stupid aristocracy thing if you ask me…"

Allen chuckled. "That point aside, what do I miss?"

"Nothing much, since you only left for three days. But sadly, you missed her first steps…"

"She could already walk!? Oh no, I missed something so important! When did it happen and how?"

"It happened yesterday." Kanda stopped and smiled upon the reminiscence. "I don't know how exactly did it happen, but she suddenly walked to reach out a bottle of milk from me."

"Aw, so a bottle of milk triggered it…"

"She was just like you, indeed," Kanda said with a smirk, awarded by a light punch from Allen.

"She grew up fast…" Allen sighed dreamily.

"Hn," was all Kanda said before they fell silent again. Allen used that moment to move from his position standing in front of Kanda. He sat beside Kanda and put his head on Kanda's shoulder, facing Lucy's cradle.

"Did you know, Yuu?" Allen said. "Coming back from a mission that involves fighting and seeing you here with Lucy made me felt that I have been in a separate dimension…"

"I shared that sentiment."

Allen smiled. "It's so peaceful here, like I'm dreaming… Yet, I only have three months twenty days and nine hours left and then this dream would end."

Kanda said nothing, so Allen continued his talking. "Do you think I could handle it when she was taken?"

Kanda kissed Allen on his forehead. "You still got me, right? I'll keep your sleep filled with good dreams."

Allen snorted. "I sometimes wondered what others would say if they know you are such a sap person," he said. He pretended to think for a while before he said, "Oh, I know! 'Love would change people.' And they would say, 'Oh, so sweet…' and other stuff like that."

Kanda hit Allen's shoulder lightly. "Shut up, bean sprout," he said. "You really are a mood crusher. I prefer you reacted like when you're pregnant, with your cute blushing acts and such."

"Now you shut up, Yuu," Allen said sharply. "Don't remind me again of how I acted like a woman during those months. It still gives me shivers until now."

Kanda smirked. "Either you're pregnant or not, you still act like a woman sometimes," he said

"I did not!"

"There's no use denying it, bean sprout."

"Oh shut up, being treated like this made me confused about why I decided to give myself to you."

"Because you love me, right?"

Allen grumbled before saying, "Well anyway…" Allen said. "Thank you for your support, Yuu…"

"You're welcome," Kanda said. "Let's not talk about this again, okay?"

Allen nodded. He knew Kanda would support him whatever happened in the future. But hearing him really voiced it out loud made him felt secure. When Lucy left, he knew for surely that he could handle it with Kanda's support. And instead of thinking it, he wanted to savor all the things that happened on the time he got left with Lucy. Engraving Kanda's words on his heart, he knew that he would have the will to face the unseen future that waited for him when his child left.

-end chap 16-

(A/N: we're having a really wet Christmas this year, what's with those storms and floods? Sigh… and there are also our final exams and deadlines and projects and some other little matter like how one of our member gave up the internet until Christmas so that's why we haven't been updating for these recent weeks. For that we're deeply sorry!!! But now we deliver the sixteenth chapter of Shattered Innocence, hope you still remember this piece of fic (smile) as always, reviews are more than welcomed and we have prepared some new year trait so please put down your email address in your review so we can deliver the trait (smile more) for those who have been following this story from the start, such trait will be familiar to you, right? So please be our guest and leave your review. Thanks for your support and hope you have a good reading, see you next chapter and we promise we'll deliver it real soon.)