Disclaimer: I do not own the Dgrayman characters, they belong to a godly artist Katsura Hoshino. This is done solely for the sake of fan-girlism.

As always, feedbacks and comments are welcomed and appreciated! :3

Father of the Child

by Sceaduw

{Part VI}

Devit and Jasdero were peering up at Tyki. So was Sheril, standing close and giving his little brother a disapproving look. The older Noah smelt something fishy. And he didn't mean Tyki had just eaten some raw fish. Three pairs of golden eyes were focused on Tyki. Four and more if including Waizurii who was getting up from the stone bench and advancing slowly towards the group.
"W-what?" asked Tyki. He flinched uneasily at their stares. He definitely did not like the look in their eyes. "I-I need to take care of Lucy! Please excuse-"
"Oh, don't worry about her! I'll help her out!" exclaimed Waizurii immediately and he took hold of the woman. Now was Lulu's perfect moment to step out from Tyki's cunning little plan.
"Wait! Where're you taking her?" cried Tyki. Not that he really loved the woman, but he still needed her alive for now. If Waizurii killed the woman now, Sheril would be delighted to find him another one. Did Waizurii peeped into her head and realized that they were just pretending to be husband and wife? Did he also tell Sheril and the twins about it?
"Wait! Waizurii!" shouted Tyki as he saw Waizurii quickly carried the half-conscious Lulu away. They disappeared through one of the garden doors.
"Tyki!" snapped Sheril as he grabbed Tyki's head and turned him to face him. Sheril looked at him deep in the eyes. So deep, as if he could look through into his brain. Tyki gulped. He could tell his brother was being very serious now. He silently cursed if his brother had found out he was lying.
"Look, I can explain everything!" said Tyki, eyes darting away from his brother's. He glanced sideways and saw Devit.
"Tyki, you two-timing bastard!" sniggered Devit, shaking his head in mockery.
"Yea, two-timing! Two-timing! Heh!" repeated Jasdero, not really knowing what Devit was talking about.
Tyki glared at Devit, a little shocked and a tad amused. Two-timing? When? Him? For crying out loud, he didn't even had one girl! What were they playing at?
"Can you, Tyki?" asked Sheril, "Can you really explain everything?" He clutched hard on Tyki's head and forced him to focus back onto him.
"No... not really," mumbled Tyki. His cheeks were being squashed by Sheril and it began to hurt. How could he explain for their loony idea? But he was relieved that Sheril did not find out about his fake wife. So everything would still be fine. "Let go! You're freaking me out! What's all this about?" asked Tyki as he hit Sheril on the arms.
"Tyki, how could you do this? You... you..." said Sheril through gritted teeth as he released his little brother. He tried to finish off the sentence but he could not. He would never want to scold Tyki, but he had no choice this time.
"Do what?" hissed Tyki, narrowing his eyes at the three, "Being two-timing?" He refrained from laughing. Whatever gave them that wild idea?
"Tyki, I know a woman is in love when I see one-"
"Sheril, you've always been the flirty one."
"Shut up, Tyki! This is serious! Listen to me-"
"I thought you always wanted me to get a wife! Now I have one! Can I go now?"
"Oh no you're not! You can't just walk away like this! She's pregnant!"
"Oh ok, so Lucy might be pregnant, so what? She's still my wife. Are you done yet?"
"No! Not Lucy! No, and I'm not done with you and her yet!" Sheril winced at the thought of the drunk, "The exorcist! You need to get back with Lenalee!"
Tyki widened his eyes at Sheril.
"W-who... LENALEE?" exclaimed Tyki. Lenalee was pregnant? Allen Walker's child? That was fast. He didn't expect the couple to have a child so soon after their marriage. But wasn't that good news to the Noahs? The child would be a new extension to the Noah family. But what was that got to do with him being with Lenalee?
"Don't tell us you don't know about it, Tyki!" grinned Devit. Jasdero was giggling at him strangely. The twins nudged and poked at him. He pushed them away in irritation and turned back to Sheril.
"Tyki, Tyki... at first I thought that was Allen Walker's child," Sheril paused and took a deep breath, "but then I realised it when she looked at you like that and ran away!" He smiled bitterly and said, "Tyki, you're about to be a father! I'm so proud of you!"
"H-huh! What? Hey! It's not-"
"Get rid of that Lucy now! Go get the mother of your child back!" said Sheril as he wiped his tears. First, dump the drunk, second, get rid of the banshee after the child was born, then find Tyki a new weak and sickly wife. Perfect! Sheril silently praised himself for this brilliant plan. The twins happily encouraged Tyki to go after Lenalee. They generously offered to help Tyki get rid of Allen, all Tyki needed to do was to ask. Tyki rolled his eyes weakly and wanted to run away. What possessed him to come back in the first place anyway? Was there anyone sane around here?
"Don't try to run away, Tyki! The Earl already knew about Lenalee and he is really looking forward to her child. If he knew you're the father and you left them... Oh, he'll be very, very... VERY disappointed!" Sheril threatened Tyki. It worked. Tyki sighed and ran through the door that Lenalee had left through.
Whatever and whoever's insanity this was, Tyki thought the only thing he could do now was to find Lenalee. She was the only one who could clarify him of this serious accusation! Being thought to be adulterous was one thing, but to cheat and ended up with a child was another. Besides, he would never be unfaithful to the woman he loved. If he had one that was. Love sounded... too difficult for him.
"Can we get to kill that woman?" asked Devit, eyes shinning with mischief, after Tyki was gone.
"Kill the woman! Kill the woman! Tee-hee, hee!" giggled Jasdero excitedly.
Sheril nodded slightly in approval and the twins ran off eagerly. The man then went into a deep thought. If Tyki had been with Lenalee, what would Allen do if he found out? If Allen already knew about it, could it be that he was taking Road as a revenge? His eyes gleamed with malice. He had kidnapped Lenalee unknowing of this but it was a good coincidence! Lenalee would stay with Tyki in the ark, at least until the baby's birth. Sheril would snatch Road back from Allen himself. Both Lenalee and Road would stay in the ark, and he would make sure of it himself! For the sake of his little brother's family life, Sheril would put up with Lenalee. For now.
But first, he needed to get changed. Lucy's vomit was sickening.

.

.

"Allen! Slow down!" squeaked Road. She was desperately trying to keep up as Allen dragged her with him. Seeing no respond from Allen, Road bit her lip and halted, using all her strength to pull Allen to a stop. That was no way to treat a lady!
"What?" snapped Allen. He then softened up as he saw a shimmer in Road's eyes. The girl stood there, refusing to run anymore. She stared at him in confusion.
"Where're you going Allen? I think I have the right to know if you're taking me with you!" asked Road. They were inside the ark but Road knew he was lost. The exorcist had been running randomly on the streets, opening random doors. Of course, none of the doors led to the Noah's rooms. Only the Noahs would recognize their rooms. Although Allen, as the Musician, should be able to locate the special rooms, someone had set up a barrier to the doors. Not even Road could recognize her way in the ark now. They were trapped. Not that she would mind since she knew who was behind this trick. She bet her protective father would show up very soon. It was his favourite past time to trap and torture his preys.
"I'm here to find Lenalee. I know she's taken through the ark portal," said Allen, "I can sense when and where a portal had been opened. There was one in Lenalee's room." He looked at Road gloomily. He wanted to trust her and she did help him out before, but everything suggested the Noahs had taken Lenalee.
"I won't stop until I find her! Even if I have to sink this new ark!" said Allen as his fist trembled with rage. "You can go if you want to! I just don't want you to stay with Lavi and Kanda. That's why I brought you with me! I can't risk you starting a war there!" said the exorcist, "No matter what, I will not leave until I find Lenalee!"
Road sighed and watched the boy ran away. She wished Allen had just leave her with the exorcists. At least she could have some fun there. Now they were stuck running around in a virtual maze.
"Hey! Wait for me!" cried Road. Allen was already too far ahead to hear her. The exorcist turned round a corner and then he disappeared. "Allen!" shouted Road but he was gone. Instead, the Earl's golem popped out from nowhere and landed beside Road.
"Road! You've come back safely! -lero!" screamed the golem as he pounced at the girl.
"Lero!" squealed Road as she hugged onto the talking umbrella. She really missed it. "Did you see Sheril? I need him to shut down the barrier! Allen and I was lost here!" she asked softly.
"Yes, Sheril told Lero to come retrieve Road, -lero!" gloated Lero, "He said he will take care of Allen and help Tyki get Lenalee back!"
Road's eyes widened with disgust. Why would Sheril do that? He got everyone mixed up! Allen should be with Tyki! He should help Tyki get Allen back! What was her father thinking?
"No! That'll ruin my plans! No one shall interfere with Tyki and Allen this time!" yelled Road angrily, "Last time Allen made a mistake! This time I won't let it happen again!"
"Road! B-b-but, Lenalee bears Tyki's child! -lero!" said Lero in terror. It watched as Road fell silent. She sank to her knees, utterly shocked.
"That two-timing bitch!" screeched Road, "how can she marry Allen and have Tyki's child!" What would become of the Noah family? This was outrageous! As the eldest daughter of the clan, she would avenge both Allen and Tyki! All the more reason to get them together!
"Lero! Take me to Sheril! I need to stop him at once!" said Road coldly. Lero cringed at her anger and did as it was told.

.

.

"Careful, you shouldn't be running around!" chuckled the person in the shadows. He gently pulled Lenalee up from the floor. Her fall had bruised her knees and her legs were still trembling. The Earl gave her a wide grin but the girl screamed when she saw who he was.
"O-oh!" stammered the Earl, covering his ears immediately. Was he that scary? He felt hurt. She was the wife of one of his siblings but she was still afraid of him? That was interesting. No matter, he only needed this woman to be alive to give birth to the 'Heart'. He transformed to his human self and bowed slightly. As expected, Lenalee stopped screaming.
"I'm sorry that I scared you, Lenalee. Please, make yourself at home. You'll be our guest here for a while!" said the Earl as he smiled. Lenalee was not fooled. She reminded herself that this man was the Earl. She started to scream again and turned to run away from him.
"Hey...," trailed the Earl. He felt even more hurt. The Earl had always thought he was handsome when in human form. Everyone would smile silently at him whenever he brought up this topic during the family gathering. And he thought everyone thought he was handsome too.
"Hey, watch it!" cried another voice in the dark as Lenalee bumped into a broad chest. Another Noah, Lenalee silently gasped. She refused to look up and pushed the body away immediately. A pair of strong arms grabbed hold of her and trapped her. "Calm down! We won't hurt you!" said the man.
Lenalee continued to thrash around in his arms. The man was amused by her actions. The girl was like a frightened kitty. Why would Sheril say she was horrible? Lenalee was always so kind and gentle. A bit shy but adorably sweet. Come to think of it, Lenalee wasn't too bad, even she was an exorcist. If he would marry, and he only meant 'if', then maybe... this girl would do. Too bad she was already married and with child. He tightened his embrace around the girl and pressed her head against his chest. Road did that to him when he felt unrest. He hoped this would work on Lenalee too.
"Hello Tyki!" greeted the Earl softly as he reached the two.
Tyki watched as Lenalee looked up at him in surprise upon hearing the Earl calling out his name.
"L-let go!" she shouted, cheeks flushing as she tried to push him away. She felt afraid. Tyki looked too much like Neah. And when he was being gentle, he felt too much like Allen. She began to cry.
"What did you do to her, Earl!" winced Tyki, still holding onto the girl.
"What did I do? What did you do, Tyki?" asked the Earl, trying to approach Lenalee without scaring her too much. With each step he took, the girl cried louder. Eventually, the Earl had to back away a few steps from the two.
"Tyki, did Sheril tell you Lenalee has Allen's child? But I've doubted that she really had Allen's child," said the Earl, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Tyki nodded at his question. He then looked at the Earl in confusion. So the Earl had second thoughts? The Earl smirked as Lenalee stole a glance at him in horror. So he was right, thought the Earl. That was not Allen's child!
"How did you know?" asked Lenalee. She was trembling even more now. The Earl would kill her for lying to them about her pregnancy. To her surprise, Tyki held onto her firmly and gently patted her on her back. She did not dare to look up at the Noah. He reminded her too much of Allen... If only the Noah here was really Allen in Neah's form.
"Allen... was too shy. Unlike our Tyki!" said the Earl, grinning at Tyki mysteriously. He had seen too many people, read so many faces, over his years. This girl had something for Tyki.
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Tyki urgently, "You are not suggesting... oh no! You're NOT thinking that's my-"
"Tyki, don't be afraid! These things do happen!"
"No, these things do NOT happen! Not to me!"
"Oh, it's nothing to be ashamed of!"
"YES IT IS! I's a really shameful thing to be very ashamed of!"
"Now, now, what has been done had been done! Calm down, Tyki!"
"NO! I will not! I did not sleep with my fellow sibling's wife!"
Tyki was closed to screaming and Lenalee didn't know what to say. What was happening around her? First they thought she had Allen's child, now they thought she had Tyki's child? She blushed from the thoughts and tried to suppress an urge to laugh. She dared not to even smile. They would kill her if they really found out the truth. So the Earl did not find out about anything really. He just crossed out a wrong answer and wrote another answer which was also wrong. She had an idea. It might work, considering they were so concerned about her.
"I want to go home," she sobbed. She tried not to flinch when Tyki wiped her tears away tenderly.
"No you can't yet," said Tyki gently. Lenalee couldn't just leave now. She had to explain to everyone who's the father.
"This is your home, dear!" cooed the Earl softly, afraid to scare the girl again. Of course Lenalee could not leave the ark! What if the Vatican realised and hid her? The Earl swore to claim the 'Heart' this time without fail. He was so proud of Tyki. He would have never thought of this way to keep the girl and claim the 'Heart'.
Seeing her plan didn't work out, Lenalee struggled away from Tyki in frustration and ran off.
"Don't worry, Tyki. She won't be going anywhere," said the Earl calmly.
"That's not what I'm worrying about!" sighed Tyki as he ran after her.

.

.

"Road?" asked Allen softly. He turned around but no one was there. It was after a while before he realized the girl was not with him anymore. He turned back to find her, then he realized the streets were constantly changing. The road he just came from was occupied by a huge building now. He swirled back to face the way he was supposed to be going, but a new crossroad had appeared out of nowhere. He could not recognize the way, whether forward or backward. He was totally lost. Something strange was definitely going on here.
"Lenalee!" he called out, desperately hoping to hear a faint reply from his love. He called out again and repeated as he continued to run from street to street.
"Oh, look at the poor little thing!" sniggered Sheril as he peered down at the street below from a balcony of a tall building. He grinned and summoned a portal in front of Allen. He watched as the boy stopped immediately and approached it cautiously.
"Let the poor thing see his woman," chuckled Sheril and he held up his hand, "one last time!" Snapping his fingers, a figure emerged from the door. Lenalee staggered through the doorway and into the light. Before Allen could call out to her with joy, he saw the person following her closely. He trembled with rage as the man smirked at him.
"Hello, Allen Walker! We meet again!" grinned Tyki, "Looking for her?" He casually placed his arm around Lenalee's shoulders. Boy, was he glad to see Allen here. Now the boy could clarify who was the father!
"A-Allen...?" gasped Lenalee as she saw the youth. She was overjoyed to see him. It had been so long since she had last seen him! Tears whelmed up at her eyes again. She wanted to run to him immediately. Then she realised her body was not moving by her will. Her eyes widened in terror as her arms began to move on their own. Her body was dragged around by unseen threads and she found herself hugging onto Tyki. Sheril gave a wicked laughter as he swiftly waved his arm, fingers dancing in midair. Tyki went paralyzed with fear when Lenalee gave him a kiss on the cheek. He glanced with fear over to Allen. The exorcist was frosted on spot.
"That's enough, papa!"
Sheril swirled around when Road poked him on his back. Lero was whimpering behind the girl.
"ROAD! My darling girl!" squealed Sheril and he cuddled Road lovingly.
Road kept him at bay and she asked, "what have you done, papa?" She peered up at Sheril and Sheril cowered at her anger.

-to be continued-