Disclaimer: I don't own -man in any shape or form.

A/N: Another little snippet as I've taken to calling them and this one had me stumped for a little while but I think I did a good job on this little challenge and hopefully the next one wont be as hard. Enjoy.

Circle. Cycle

Location: Ship to Japan.

'He will be alright. Nothing is going to happen to him while I'm away.' Lenalee Lee thought to herself.

She stood on the deck of the ship that was taking her and the rest of Cross's hunting team to Japan where, according to Anita, Cross had been headed.

She hadn't changed yet from her ruined uniform following the battle against the army of Akuma they had encountered when they had first set out for Japan. Her long hair blew gently in the wind, her eyes unfocused, lost in thoughts of her friend left behind in Asia.

Lavi stood off to one side looking over at the upset girl, trying to work out what to do. By the code he lived by as a Bookman in training he wasn't suppose to care, even about the fact that Allen had fallen in battle. It was his place to record it and move on, not paying it any further mind. How do you do that when you know the person well and even look on him as a younger brother?

He was brought of out of his thoughts when Lenalee suddenly turned to face him, holding out her hand calmly when he gave her a questioning look.

"The card you found… give it to me." She said softly.

Lavi did as she asked, Lenalee only looking at the card for a moment before nodding, a small smile on her face as she turned back to look out to sea.

"Any reason why you wanted the card, Lenalee?" Lavi asked, moving to stand at her side and turning his back to the sea, leaning on the rail.

"It's the same card he had in his hat when we went on our first date." Lenalee looked at the small mark on the bottom of the card, a mark only she knew the meaning behind.

Lavi nodded before heading towards the door to the lower deck, looking up at the giant clock that hovered over the ship, the clock face marking Miranda's Innocence was still protecting them… at the least healing them.

Lenalee spent the new few hours looking out at the sea, the image of Allen's broken body and destroyed arm flashing through her mind, viewed through the recording Timcampy had made. The image flashed into being whenever she looked down at the card in her hand. He had fought hard to save Simian and yet it was all for nothing… those things… those Teases of that Noah… eating him from the inside out.

"He's ok. The Asian branch has him and are treating his injuries. He's okay, so concentrate on the mission and worry about him later."

Lenalee looked up at the circle of the moon slowly rising and almost full. She remembered the date Allen had taken her on when they had stopped over in the town surrounded by roses. It was over a month ago now.

"He promised he would always come back to me and I believe him." She whispered, looking down at the sea and turning away from the moons reflection and heading below deck for a shower and clean up.

A good half an hour later Lenalee walked into Anita's quarters. The Asian woman, herself with long hair, was helping her to care for her hair and as she was brushing out the long mass Anita talked about general things to help keep her mind off Allen.

Looking at herself in the mirror as Anita finished with her hair Lenalee nodded her thanks, not of a mind to linger and talk and quickly departed, moving to her own quarters. She looked out at the sea, not paying Miranda any mind as the older woman sat to one side seemingly lost in a daze.

After a few moments of silence Lenalee took out the single playing card, turned it over repeatedly and wondered how Allen was doing at this time. She was going in circles. Pushing that thought from her mind, firming her resolve. She had a mission and Allen would have wanted her to carry on and not worry about him.

Pulling the zip of her uniform down a little Lenalee took the card and slipped it into the front of the jacket, right over her heart, before zipping up her uniform and resting a hand over the card.

"I'll carry you in my heart, Allen, and wait for you to join up with us later. I know you won't quit. You won't stop until the mission is done and I'll be waiting for you."

Miranda smiled as she listened to Lenalee. She had agreed with the others she would watch the girl and ensure nothing happened to her while the others guarded the ship from possible attack.

Their wish for a peaceful trip was not to be, however, as close to midnight an explosion on deck had everyone rushing to see what had happened. The sight of Lavi lying half hidden under a large sheet of sail and ropes and the boom greeted them. A large armoured Akuma stood over him with a huge insane smile on its face as it turned to look at them.

Lenalee's eyes widened at the sight of another friend looking to be dead and was about to scream out his name in despair when Lavi brought his hammer around and slammed it into the Akuma, throwing it off the ship as he slowly got to his feet. As they watched his wounds healed under the influence of Miranda's Innocence.

"Why are you still alive?"

The Akuma hoovered off the bow of the ship for a moment before he shrugged and charged forward. Its fist hit a wall of spikes as Bookman jumped in front of Lavi who was still healing.

Lenalee watched as the Akuma looked at Bookman for a moment before grabbing him and taking off into the sky. Lavi cursed a moment later as he slammed his hammer into the deck and extended the haft, giving chase after the pair. The sound of explosions and what sounded like lighting cracked overhead.

Tensed ready to take off in pursuit and assist her companions Lenalee was startled as dozens of Akuma bullets started to rain down on the ship. Her feet acted before she could think to kick away from a number of bullets that would have hit her if not some of the crew near her.

Krory leapt up to start deflecting bullets with his own hands while Miranda shouted to Lenalee as she took shelter behind and under some barrows, concentrating on strengthening her Innocence to repair the ship.

"Lenalee, you're the only one not really injured! Lavi is leaving the range of my Innocence. Please go and help them ,we'll be fine down here."

Lenalee looked around, wondering what to do as, if she left, it would just be Krory defending the ship for however long it would take her to climb to the height where the battle was being fought. Then Lavi would need to return to the ship and in that time, what damage might be done?

"Go! Allen wouldn't hesitate; he would go after the strongest threat while everyone else kept the small fries off him. Now move!" Krory shouted, deflecting another bullet that would have hit Miranda's giant clock over the ship if he hadn't.

Lenalee took off, running up the long shaft of Lavi's hammer, her boots making green sparks with ever step as she ran. Her eyes narrowed as she climbed higher and higher, the thought that Allen, the young man she had come to love, wouldn't back down or hesitate in this situation pushing her onwards and upwards. A strong sense that it would be a fight that would lead to new things and maybe new strength visited her.

'Allen, I promise to come back from this and help you recover from your injuries… or just be there for you. I promise.' Ahead she saw Lavi holding the limp form of Bookman in his arms, balancing at the end of the hammer shaft.

"Lavi head back with Bookman and look after the ship! I'll take care of this Akuma." Lenalee shot past Lavi, her eyes fixed on the Akuma watching her with an evil leer.

"Wait, Lenalee! That's a Level Three! You can't take it on, on your own!" Lavi shouted, moving to follow her only to stop dead when a sharp pain shot through his body and blood ran down the side of his face.

"You're too injured to be this far away from Miranda's Innocence's, Lavi! I've chosen this path, go back and protect the ship." Landing a powerful kick on the Akuma she dropped back towards the sea as the Akuma was knocked into the waters below.

Lavi looked at Lenalee as she vanished into a cloud bank knowing she would be hard pressed to take on a Level Three Akuma alone. On the few times one had been seen by the Order it had always taken two or more Exorcists to take on one and not without losses.

Gritting his teeth as his pain began to spiral Lavi bowed his head, knowing he couldn't do anything to help. By now Akuma and Exorcists would have travailed far from the ship and lifting his head a little he said a silent pray that she would come back alive. Alive and in good shape. He didn't want to be the one to tell Allen, if he was still alive, what had happened to his girlfriend.

Everyone on the ship watched as flashes of light and green flames lit the air as Lenalee, alone, took on what they all known to be a powerful Akuma.