She looked out over the apartment. There weren't many vantage points around here. It's amazing those boys had gone rooftop hopping. Ugh, she hoped that they would make this quick. Watching them dash through the alleys, she eyed their destination with a slight smile.

She'd seen them. That was enough.


There were already two large, blocky vehicles outside of the apartment complex. As the two Exorcists approached, they could see assortments of nozzles, hoses, and ladders draped all over the boxy frame, and they correctly guessed the bright red behemoth as some sort of mobile fire brigade. They were hosing down the inferno inside of the apartments with high pressure hoses, blasting the flames with water.

Allen and Lavi shoved their way through a growing crowd of people as they stared in awe at the fire that was quickly spreading throughout the complex. It was obviously a magic-fueled fire - at least, to Lavi and Allen, it was. Though water would douse the flames for a few seconds, the fire would spring back to life with even greater fervor as soon as the water was moved to a different locale. It didn't look like the fire had spread below the second floor, though.

"What do we do?" Allen breathed, staring at the inferno raging inside.

"Is she inside of the building?" Lavi asked seriously, scanning each and every face. He could see the landlady being tended in the back of another boxy vehicle that was white. There were other tenants milling around below, just inside the ring of rubbernecks, but he couldn't see Cam in the midst of the throng.

"I think so. Let me ask," Allen said, frantically trying to work his phone. Lavi strayed away, scanning the crowds once more, hoping to catch a glimpse of Cameron's face. If she was trapped in the building...

There was a sudden commotion behind them, and Lavi turned around. His eyes widened as he watched Kanda shove his way past the multitudes.

"Ashling said she felt something going on around here, lots of pent up tension and energy. I figured it was going to be us," Kanda gruffly announced. "I'm only doing this because otherwise all of you would be a pain in my -"

"She's in the building!" Allen shouted to them, holding up his phone. Lavi's blood ran cold as he looked back at the inferno. They were going to try and get through that? Even with Innocence capabilities, that was going to be rough. The firemen standing around outside looked just as lost. Lavi could bet that they'd sent men in already and subsequently lost them, too. People were crying, particularly children. Haggard technicians wandered as if they had lost their way.

How many scenes like this had he witnessed? Even crossing the barrier between dimensions, disaster and destruction were universal.

"Well, what're we waiting for? We just have to get past them," Lavi said, pointing to the firemen standing guard. Kanda pointed around towards the next building.

"You were out running today. Jump across," Kanda briskly commanded, immediately heading in that direction. Lavi stared at his friend's back for a little bit, wondering what exactly had gotten into him and how he knew he'd been rooftop jumping. Kanda wasn't the type to be helpful... or inferring. Yet, Lavi guessed that even Kanda couldn't stand to see someone die. As much as he protested that fact, he was only human.

Well, human enough.

Allen and Lavi followed behind, heading to the next apartment building. The door was guarded, but the side door wasn't. They slipped in silently, still able to hear the pop and roar of the fire only twenty feet across the way. It didn't take them long to reach the roof, and all three of them crouched down to stare at the flaming storm inside the building.

"That's not a regular fire," Kanda muttered.

"No, really? Because I thought water never trumps fire," Lavi sarcastically quipped, his frustration and worry leaking in his speech despite (or perhaps because of) the biting remark. Kanda, however, did not take the venting very well.

"You want me to throw you in so you can find out for yourself?" he threatened, and the two of them stood toe to toe for a few minutes. Allen immediately stepped between them, separating the two warriors.

"Easy. We need to focus. We'll do this later," Allen said seriously, the sixteen-year-old's face somber. The two men were quiet, tensely thinking. Lavi suddenly removed his hammer from his holster. He was so glad Bookman had convinced him to take it with him. The paranoid old man was awfully intuitive or, at the very least, darn lucky. However, they hadn't seriously tested their Innocence out here. Kanda's was a sword already, so it was useful in any form, activated or not. Allen's arm would always stay, but that didn't mean it'd transform. Lavi liked his hammer, but it was good for about, oh, nothing, outside of battle situations (or carpentry class).

"Here goes. Extend!" Lavi commanded, feeling both boys' eyes on him as they waited.

Thankfully, the shaft of the hammer elongated, and Lavi set it on the bottom sill of the nearest window across the alley.

"After you," he said with a cheeky smile, though his bottom lip twitched with apprehension. He didn't mind fire, usually. But this was not an ordinary fire, and it made him just a tad nervous.

Allen, however, had no reservations. He ran down the shaft with arms spread wide, his footing sure despite the two inches of magical hammer handle separating him from thirty feet of air. The white-haired Exorcist could hear Kanda follow behind, but he didn't bother looking back. He stood on the sill, dancing a little from the heat, as he tried to figure out a way to get in, when Kanda slashed through the window and blew it in with a single kick. Not one to stand on ceremony, Allen followed.

"She's in... the bathroom of her apartment! Where are we?!" Allen shouted over the roar of the fire. It was blazing hot! Allen had been in plenty of firefights, but this was a ballpark of a different kind all together! He shielded his head from falling debris as a light fixture exploded from the heat. He was sweating buckets already, and soot was coloring his hair gray. Kanda coughed raucously, though Allen didn't feel any sort of discomfort.

"How'm I supposed to know?! Moyashi, you're the one who lives here, you dolt!" Kanda shouted back through a fit of hacking. Allen forced his way through the living room, dodging flames. From behind, he could hear Lavi walking through the window from the tinkling of glass. Allen soon began coughing also, and he removed a handkerchief from his pocket. He couldn't see for the smoke, but he didn't need his eyes to make his way through the apartment. They had to be quick about it, though. The fire was spreading quickly like oil.

"Ne, Kanda, you've been learning magic! Why don't you put these out?!" Lavi asked.

"I've been learning for a full day. You think I can just put out flames like that?!" Kanda irately answered as Allen finally found the door.

"Kanda, that's not productive! At least try something!" Allen shouted back, patting his shoulder where an ember had begun to burn his clothes. Oddly enough, no matter how hard he tried to get it off, the ember continued to burn. Allen decided to prioritize, and he opened the door with his foot, the bottom of his shoe melting already from the high heat. He would be walking around with gum shoes soon! He covered his mouth with his elbow, and the three forged through the fire.

Immediately, the three ran into a group of people, and they didn't look the least bit worried about the fire. Thugs ranging from five feet to over six feet dressed in baggy clothes circled around a single witch wearing dark make-up and a skimpy outfit.

"Holy -!" The thug never got a chance to finish as Kanda socked him in the face. It wasn't long before a fight began, Allen and Lavi fighting the thugs while Kanda dealt with the witch. Allen muttered complaints under his breath. It couldn't be enough that they had to find their friend in a burning building! They had to deal with these lowlifes as well! However, as soon as the fighting had abated and all contestants had either fled or been incapacitated, Allen felt a clench in his heart. The ones on foot could get out, but they'd left their compatriots behind.

What now?

"I'll take them, Allen. It'll be easier for me than for you," Lavi stated, reading Allen's mind. "You take care of Cam!"

Lavi began lifting the bodies off the floor, and Allen marveled for a moment at Lavi's physical strength. Though the Bookman apprentice was always stuck in some book or asleep, he wasn't a slouch either. To be honest, at times he impressed Allen.

"I'll come with you. I think I know how to put out the flames. That witch's showed me enough about how to make them," Kanda said, examining a strand of hair that was half-burned. Allen nodded, and he began down the hallway again. They coughed and hacked as the smoke filled their lungs, and it was soon clear that Allen was lost. The regular features of their apartment had been marred by the fire. There was no way they'd be able to find the apartment! Allen's shoes were beyond repair, and Kanda looked like he was about to collapse, his face was so ashen.

"What's the matter?" Allen asked, wheezing.

"Nothing, you idiot. Don't stop moving," Kanda protested, shoving the younger boy forward. The white-haired Exorcist sighed as well as he could with the smoke, and he continued. However, the closer he appeared to get to the apartment they were looking for, it became apparent the flames were reaching higher, burning hotter, and devouring faster. Allen's heart raced as he realized that Cam might be dead by now. It'd been almost ten minutes. When had the actual fire started? She must be roasted alive!

With this realization, Allen trudged forward at a punishing pace, following his gut instinct. It was clear which was Gale's apartment by the blazing wall that covered the door, which couldn't be seen behind the wall of flames. Allen felt his gut clench with worry. His optimism refused to die, though, and he activated Crown Clown with a mutter. His hand turned into a glittering glove-and-claw of black and silver, and a cloak adorned his shoulders. The flames' heat was lessened, but not by much. The unnatural origin of the flames was even beginning to try and eat through the edges.

Allen entered his Innocence-laden hand into the torrent, and he was surprised to find he didn't feel anything but a faint brush as if someone had swept satin over his hand.

"It must be anti-magic," Kanda conjectured, and Allen nodded as he opened the door. An interesting quality he'd never quite considered. Of course - it was God's crystal. And magic... wasn't exactly God-friendly.

Just as Allen walked through, the door slammed shut behind him, and Allen only caught a glimpse of Kanda's surprised face as the door locked itself. The torrent seemed to grow out from that point, and Allen shielded himself as he was bathed in flames. His hair was singed, and he felt a piercing burn in his shoulder, though it was the one that had been farthest away from the sudden wall of flames. There was no going back through there, Innocence or no.

Though Kanda was a complete pain, Allen did feel a slight tick of concern. Still, the samurai was tougher than most people thought, which was already tough enough. He'd be fine.

Allen sweated as he dodged falling pieces of drywall. Soon enough, he found the source of the fire - there was an exposed gas line poking out of the floor spewing blue fire, a sure sign of a fire fight between two witches. It must have caused the fire, and the other witch had used it to her advantage. Allen's shoes were all but gone - nothing protected his feet from the blistering heat beneath. Already, he could feel burns seeping into his skin, boiling it from the inside. He had to be fast.

The teenager ran to the bathroom, vaulting the fountain of flame in the living room, and he found the bathroom door, which was completely untouched. The flames went around it like water around an island. It was clear Cameron had chosen here to wait out the fire.

Allen tried to open the door, but a forcefield of magical energy bounced him back and slammed him into a wall. Fiery dust sprayed around him, and he shouted in pain as it trickled down his neck. He got back up, aware of his unusual number of burns. The sensation in his shoulder had heightened from hot poker to white-hot wire. Allen managed his way back to the door, and he shouted, "CAMERON! LET ME IN!"

There was a frantic unlocking of the door, and it opened to receive the tired Exorcist.

It was like the eye of the storm. Though the maelstrom outside burned, the inside of the bathroom was cooler and quieter. Cameron sat on the floor with tearstreaks down her face. She hadn't even had time to put on make-up yet. She was still in her pajamas.

"W-what are you doing here?" Cameron sniffled, her face full of worry. Allen frowned.

"You... you sent me a... a text..." Allen said, digging around in his pocket for his phone. Cam shook her head.

"Didn't you read the other text after that?"

Allen deadpanned.

"There... was another text?"

Cameron took his phone, fiddled with it some, and showed him a list of text messages. Allen could never figure out how to do that. All he knew was how to read a recent text and send about two or three words. Allen took the phone and clicked on the text.

i'm fine dont worry gonna be ok. we need a new apt. careful witches close by.

"Allen... these flames will kill you all," Cam said, her voice wavering. "You were the only one that came... right?"

Allen opened his mouth to say something, but all he could strangle out was, "Kanda and Lavi -"

"They came with?"

The young boy nodded. Cam looked horrified. She went over to the tub, which was full of water. From what Allen could tell, this must be what she'd used to cast her spell. Of course - magic water beats magic fire. She shivered.

"Gale would've come here and fixed the fire, or at the least got a freelance witch to do it. I tried to text her, but she never checks her phone," Cam said, her voice beginning to squeak into the upper register as fear weaved its way into her speech. She sat on the edge of the tub and buried her face in her hands, sobbing. Allen looked around, awkward and unsure what to do. He finally chose to sit on the edge of the tub with Cam, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"What do we do?" Allen asked. Cam sniffled, rubbing her nose. Her eyes were puffy, and her nose was red. She squeezed her eyes shut, and she swayed underneath Allen's arm. With care, Allen held her steady. She was already very pale, a sign that she was being drained very quickly. They had to move fast. Her energy wouldn't hold up forever.

"The fire has to stop. It'll never stop consuming the building until either I or Gale's dead. I think it'd gladly take one of you four, though, considering the bounty on you," Cam said, hiccuping. She put a hand over her mouth, burying her face into Allen's shoulder, her eyes wide as her shoulders heaved up and down. Allen began to notice that the room was steadily growing warmer.

"What've you been using to power the spell?" Allen asked. His words were hesitant. He was very afraid of the answer. Her response could spell doom for them both.

"I don't have any electrical outlets. I've been using those batteries." She pointed to the aforementioned Rayovac 9 volts. Three of the four there were already burned. The fourth remained untouched, but a small layer of tarnish was beginning to cover the ports. Cam rubbed her face, getting up and pacing. Allen sympathetically watched, knowing the younger girl wanted desperately to get her act together. She was, after all, a witch.

"After those burn out, I'll be using my body as the fuel source, which will... maybe give us five minutes before I collapse completely. Ten minutes before the spell consumes me, and I die," she sighed, sounding fairly normal by now. Allen nodded to himself, fingering his chin.

"How would you stop this fire, if you could?" Allen asked. Cam shrugged.

"I'd need someone on the outside as well as the inside. We'll stop the fire in here, but considering the gas line is what they're using to flood the building with fire, that'll need shutting off. That'll take some magical strength behind it, though, because I can bet that it won't close without someone with a magic touch closing off the valve," Cam said, rubbing her arms. Her pajamas were singed at the bottom, and Allen noticed her feet were burned. Allen's shoulder continued to pulse with a deep, deep burning sensation, as if something were burrowing inside of him. He tried to ignore the pain. After all, as a Parasitic he'd heal.

Suddenly, Allen was struck with an idea.

"Can't you call any of your witch friends?" he asked. Cam bit her lip.

"When you break with a coven... it's sort of like you've rejected your witchhood. I don't have any witch friends, besides some of Gale's old freelance hedgewitch buddies, and they don't have the clout to do something like this. They're not combat trained," Cam explained, sitting on the tile floor. Allen felt sweat begin dripping from his forehead. It was getting awfully hot.

And then, it clicked. Combat trained magician...

"Actually... there is someone on the outside we can call."


"Dear God in heaven..." Gale breathed with a crack in her voice. Her knees shook, turning watery as she stared at the burning building that had been her home for nearly two years. She swallowed as she tried to beat her way through the crowd. She quickly removed her phone from her pocket, scanning the last message her sister had sent.

safe but building burning. come quick, SOS. find help.

Gale bit her lip as she watched the raging inferno that was engulfing the apartment. She couldn't rescind the vow she made, but would that vow kill her sister? There was no way to get to any of the witches in town fast enough. She ran a hand through her hair, going through her options. No matter what, she'd need help, but from where?

As if from some divine cue, a small hand grabbed her elbow. On instinct, she yanked back, only to stare into the kohl-lined eyes of the old man she'd shared her home with for nearly two and a half weeks. His eyes were dark and intense despite their age, lines so much darker and deeper as if his face had been cured by the fire not fifteen yards away.

"My boys are in there, too. One just sent me a message," Bookman said. He gestured with his phone, sighing. Gale nodded. If she knew her sister like she knew she did, the girl had holed up in the bathroom and she would refuse to come out until the fire had died down, but the chance of the fire going away on its own was next to nothing.

"Text him and tell him to stay put. The fire has to have a source. Can you... can you see into the ergomund?" Gale asked with a touch of hesitance. Bookman stared into her eyes as if searching for something before answering.

"Yes, I can to an extent. My magic is not the same as yours, I'm afraid," Bookman explained, staring at the fire. As he searched, Gale gave him instructions.

"Look for lines of confluence heading towards a single point. Do you see anything?" Gale asked nervously. Bookman started to walk quickly in one direction away from the fire, and Gale followed in perplexity. Soon, the old man was running, flitting among the crowd, with Gale just managing to keep up. For a man that was so small and aged he moved with the liquidity of water! Old bones apparently didn't have the same restrictions as young ones. They ended up going in a roundabout pattern through the alley away from the burning building.

"Where are you going?" Gale panted. Even with her physical training, she was getting out of breath from running at a full sprint. Bookman, however, did not seem to be much affected.

"The source of the fire is the gas line. It's been tapped somewhere with a magic spell, and it's pumping the fire in that direction specifically. It's high level, very dangerous, and will probably be heavily defended," the old man grumbled, jumping over trash cans and leaping across obstacles. He nimbly scaled a fence, Gale scrambling to follow.

In his mind, he felt a knot of worry begin to build despite all his training to separate himself from his emotions. From what Allen had told him, they were in some very deep trouble. Lavi was nowhere to be found (not a surprise, but not exactly reassuring), Kanda was possibly trying to regenerate (with the slight possibility of failure), and Allen and Cam were trapped in the inferno, with Cam's life force in danger of being drained as the spell took its toll. They had minutes, if that.

He skidded around a corner, pushing himself. Though he had left Gale behind in his dust, he was still an old man, and he could feel his age beginning to take a toll. He hadn't sprinted this far or fast in years. The line of pulsing light in front of him was growing stronger, noting the nearness of their destination.

"We're almost there!" he shouted behind him. His heart raced, frantically trying to keep up with the exertion it was being put through. Bookman skidded around the final corner, only to stare into the face of three rather surprise witches decked in skimpy clothes and even more ridiculous make-up. Bookman sighed to himself.

"Good afternoon, ladies," he sarcastically quipped. Before they could even frown, he pounced.


"Hot hot hot hot hot," Lavi muttered to himself as he dumped the last man in the coolest place he could find within the apartment building. The fire fighters would be the first to find them, hopefully, and Lavi looked back at the inferno that threatened to kiss his skin with their lecherous tongues, oily smoke filling his nostrils as he reluctantly began to approach the hallway. He didn't have much choice. He couldn't leave Allen.

He had barely managed to remember the lay-out of the apartment. It was very different from the tenements he'd lived in as a child and the hotels he'd frequented as a young adult. The rooms were larger, less robust, and the smoky layer over the air didn't help matters. He crouched as he ducked beams and dodged the holes in the floor. He'd went into a bathroom and doused himself the best he could. His one eye watered as the smoke attempted to invade it, and he slowly made his way through the building.

Sadly, he noted that there were several people who had not been able to get out. It was too late to save them, or so Lavi thought. He had to tell himself this. If he didn't, he'd stop and help every person he saw, bringing down his and his teammates chances of survival. He had to save those he knew would be able to make it - ironically, the men who'd attacked them. He felt a pang, though, as he passed a half-burned baby-doll, his heart wrenching.

It took him a moment to realize that he was lost. He had no idea what floor he was on - he'd lost count. With panic welling in his chest, his eyes widened. The smoke was causing shadows, making things appear that were not there. He had to fight the demons on the inside as well as the fire on the outside. He had to remind himself to go slowly, taking shallow breaths. Finally, he hit the stairs. He yelped as his feet suddenly touched the singed floor. His tennis shoes were burnt through completely. He sighed wistfully. These had been some nice shoes. He'd never worn anything this comfortable.

Getting his mind off the demolition of his shoes, he forced himself up the stairs. The apartment was three stories tall, but this was the second floor. Duh! Lavi resisted the urge to slap his forehead. He was such a dolt. There weren't many places he could go... A crash behind him reminded him that he had to keep moving.

Very suddenly something exploded next to his head, and Lavi fell over in a stunned daze. He coughed as he felt his face burn, steam showering him with its intensive heat. He scrambled away as his clothes were bathed in scalding steam, and he cursed under his breath as he crawled along the floor. It was so smoky he could see nothing, and he feared he was headed in the wrong direction until he suddenly touched someone's head. He shouted in surprise and pulled back before taking a closer look.

Dark hair splayed out on the floor, large chunks of it burned to a crisp. The smell of baking flesh filled the air along with the faint odor of ozone. The clothes were also badly singed, but still recognizable as a white button-up shirt and black pants. Burned boots donned the feet. It didn't take Lavi long to realize it was his downed comrade.

"Kanda? Kanda! Yuu, get up!" Lavi shouted, trying to heave the man to his feet without thinking. The Japanese Exorcist didn't even make a sound, much less move. Lavi teetered as the smoke filled his lungs, and he coughed. Through the haze, he could see that Kanda's leg was trapped underneath a large layer of debris, and the door right next to them was seething with fire. Lavi tried to dig Kanda out with his hammer, pleading with him to get up, when the fire suddenly began to abate. The blaze lost its intensity, reaching a more normal temperature, though this by no means made the apartment comparable to sunny Waikiki.

"W-wha... 's going on?" a muffled voice asked, and Lavi looked down. Kanda tried to turn over, and he screamed. Lavi profusely objected to this, turning him back over on his stomach.

"I don't know, but the fire's going down," Lavi told Kanda haltingly, panting. "I think it's almost over."

Kanda looked up at the door, sparking with vague determination.

"Why haven't you broken the door down, idiot? They're still in there," Kanda grumbled, grumpy as ever, if not more considering the state he was in. Lavi looked up at the fire-bathed door. He took a deep breath and enlarged his hammer. It was down in seconds.

"I'll come right back," Lavi said to his downed friend, and Kanda rolled his eyes.

"Stop being so melodramatic. You act like I'm going to die," Kanda coughed with a deadly stare. Lavi opened his mouth to answer back, but nothing came out. So, instead, he ran into the burning apartment, leaving his compatriot on the floor. Kanda looked back at his leg, and he sighed. This was going to be so much fun.

The redhead was immediately met with a massive wall of blazing plasm, and it was only hiding behind his hammer that he escaped the onslaught. Staring through the smoke, he could see that there was a pulse of magic-fueled fire growing out from a pipe in the floor separating him from a room buzzing with ward magic.

"Allen! ALLEN! CAM!" Lavi shouted over the roar of consuming flames.

"LAVI! GET BACK!" a muffled voice shouted back through the door, and Lavi had enough sense to hide behind what was left of the furniture.

The bathroom door flung open, a white blur escaping like so many cool clouds, and Lavi was assaulted with a blast of timed flame. The last thing he remembered was a white figure standing over him, shouting his name.


"That escalated quickly," Gale panted. The witches had either scattered or scratched back, but either way they ended up on the ground somehow. With Bookman's prowess at the needle and Gale's ability with fisticuffs, they'd brought down nearly all of them in little under five minutes.

"I believe you call that a meme," Bookman said, cracking his knuckles. He'd just dismantled the magical engineering around the gas pump, albeit clumsily.

"A...meme?" Gale asked, leaning over her knees as she caught her breath. Bookman gave her a mischievous look, a small smile on his face.

"It appears I'm a little more caught up with this era than I'd thought," Bookman flippantly mentioned, shrugging as he checked his Nokia phone. It was the cheapest and easiest-to-use phone they could find on short notice, and so far it had served him well. He'd even dropped it down a drain into the sewers, and after about twenty minutes of fishing he'd brought it back out in near perfect condition. That was more than he could say of some of the other phones he'd seen, with their spiderweb cracks and faulty programming...

All fine. Bringing down fire. Cam is fine. Lavi unconscious. Kanda missing. -Allen

Bookman sighed through his nose as he rubbed his eyes with his worn fingers. To imagine he'd been on the computer in the library this entire time. He hadn't even checked his phone until Allen had texted with a missive for help. He'd immediately taken a cab as close as he could get. Before that, he'd been researching, and he'd discovered a...grammatically incorrect 'site' (was that it?) that contained all sorts of small jokes defined by pictures but changeable in content. It was intriguing to say the least. Well, and funny.

He made a mental note to never show Lavi. The boy would eat, sleep, breathe, and crap in front of a computer for the rest of his life, he'd be so amused.

"They have it under control. After I told them about the pulse rhythm of the magic, they said they waited for a big one and jumped out, but Lavi was hit with it. He is only unconscious," Bookman said, toddling his way down the street. He suddenly felt bone-tired. They couldn't keep doing this. Every day was a new battle, be it against the world they now lived in or the enemies in the shadows waiting for them. Now, they had no place to live.

Or so it seemed.

"What are your plans? We can always find work as street performers or handymen," Bookman said to Gale, and the young woman rubbed the broken bridge of her nose. She suddenly opened her mouth, seemed to choke on her words, and shrug helplessly. She stared forward with a lost look, and Bookman felt a spike of compassion. Though she acted the part of the adult, Bookman had to keep in mind she had just barely left the sweet bliss (or destructive wantonness) of adolescence.

"I'll...oh, god, it's too embarrassing," she muttered, pushing back her hair. "No, no, I... I've got insurance, I've got friends, I can hole up somewhere with Cam but... I can't leave you guys and... Ugh, I can't believe this."

Bookman gave her a raised eyebrow in response. That was enough of a question. She looked off with a chagrined look, grimacing sheepishly.

"I guess... I've got to move back in with my parents."

Bookman frowned. This was a... bad thing? The natal home was usually considered a place of warmth and, most usually, the family never left to branch out, at least not far.

"This is socially unacceptable?" Bookman asked, folding his hands as he walked.

"Are you kidding me? It's mortifying! I mean, geez, I'm gonna be fed to death and get fat on all of Nana's Mexican food, and then Dad's gonna wanna drink with me even though I don't drink, and then I've got Mom, and oh dear god, she's gonna wanna know when I'm gonna get married and have kids, and Cam's going to be so bored on the ranch. I don't even wanna think about shopping with them. They're going to drive me nuts! I should just dig a hole, hide in it, and die!" she lamented, throwing her hands into the air. Bookman smirked, amused at her display of mortification.

Perhaps realizing how much she'd revealed to the old man about her roiling subconscious, she brought herself back under composure.

"Uh, well, um... I'm sorry, I, uh, I didn't mean to..."

"No offense taken, kid. No offense taken."


"Hold still. This isn't like a normal hospital, Lavi, they really will kick you out for ruining equipment!" Allen flipped through his magazine lazily, bored out of his mind. These ugly models didn't help, but it was something to do. Since when did being a skeleton get to be attractive? Allen would never understand. Of course, he was celibate, but that didn't mean he had no idea of aesthetics. Men tended to like their women with a little meat on their bones.

"Ah, come on, I just wanna see what this doohickey- ... uh oh."

Lavi hastily stuck a button back into what he thought was its intended place. As per usual, he was exploring the hospital to his heart's content, much to the displeasure of the nurses. Of course, none of them had anything on Matron. No one of the medical profession could hurt as much as heal as that crotchety, fun-sucking, sour-faced, old -

"Raggedy, ear-pulling, maniacal, crazy old lady..." Lavi finished unconsciously. Allen stared at him.

"Lavi... are you feeling alright?" Allen asked, cocking his head to the side. The redhead looked up with surprise.

"Did I just say that out loud?"

Allen nodded uncertainly.

"...It was the smoke. Anyways!" Lavi slapped his hands down on the bed.

"Does it look bad? Will I get scars? They won't give me a mirror," Lavi complained. The sterile hospital room was... well, sterile (duh), immaculate, cheerless despite the added favor of flowers, and bland with its industrial grade tile, chairs, and tables. Allen got up and sat on the side of the bed, sighing. He pretended to open his mouth and say something before remorsefully shaking his head. Lavi's one eye widened.

"What?!"

Allen decided to play it up.

"Well... I mean, maybe the peeling will go away. But I guess those scars will be purple for the rest of your life. But that doesn't really matter, right? It's the inside that counts," Allen said cheerfully, poking Lavi in the chest as his friend stared at him in horror.

"You're not serious! No no no no, I can't be ugly!" Lavi gasped, slapping his bandaged hands over his gauze-laden cheeks. He seriously looked like he was gonna cry. They'd hyped him up on enough pain meds to send a horse flying high. He was... a little out of sorts at the moment.

The redhead buried his face into his pillow and groaned, "No one will looooove meeeeeee."

Allen blinked at his friend's shenanigans, realizing he might've gone a tad too far into harassing the poor Bookman Junior. He never realized just how touchy Lavi could be about appearances...

"What's the matter with him?" Cam asked as she walked through the curtain. The hospital room was defined by two curtains and a hallway, considering they'd been taken to the ER. Because Lavi hadn't been heavily injured, there was no reason to do anything besides a superficial treatment of his wounds.

"I'm ugly!"

"He's overdramatic," Allen sighed affectionately, patting his friend's shoulder.

"Well... in either case, we're supposed to be leaving soon. Chris said that Lavi's fine, even though he almost reopened his gunshot wound," Cam said. She looked at Allen's magazine and made a face. They were all quiet for a few moments, the aftereffects of their ordeal finally settling on them.

"Where will we live?" Allen wondered out loud. He honestly didn't sound frightened, though. As an Exorcist, a lack of Akuma was already a big enough bonus. He could handle whatever this world threw at him.

"In a cardboard box," Lavi said. Cam rolled her eyes at his blunt answer.

"Gale says that she's going to ask her parents if she can move back in with all of us. I don't know how well that'll go over. You guys might have to bunk two to a room," Cam warned, but both the boys looked bright as the sun.

"We can sleep on beds?!"

"No more couches?!"

"...Dear lord, what is it like where you live?"


Kanda sat on a stool by the sink with his leg propped up on a chair while Ashling wrapped it. He looked over at the mirror, trying not to wince at the terrible mess of his face. Though most of it was burned to a crisp (and crispy it was), he'd somehow managed to walk all the way back to her apartment undetected. Of course, he'd been accosted a few times on his way back by witches who'd sensed his presence, but he'd made short work of them.

Temporarily, of course. If the TV was any indication, it wasn't hard to solve murders these days.

The sullen samurai and his fly-away teacher turned their heads the minute the door opened. Liam stood with his jaw set firm, his eyes flashing a dangerous emotion. Ashling, ready to defend... whatever it was she was defending, immediately stood, but Liam only had to raise a finger. Ashling shifted uncomfortably as Kanda looked up at Liam slowly.

Finally, she left, brushing his shoulder as she went. Kanda's leg was left half-wrapped, though already bits of skin were falling off, revealing an impossible new growth of pink flesh underneath. Liam leaned against the bathroom wall, and Kanda studied him as if he were assessing an Akuma.

Liam was not a thick man, but neither was he scrawny. His face was long and thin, a pointed nose accenting narrow eyes. His hair was thick and curly, almost reminiscent of an... an Epstein that Kanda had known.

"This won't become some sort of habit, will it?" Liam sighed, gesturing to Kanda's bum leg. Kanda didn't answer. He only stared.

"Look. Let me put it this way," Liam said. "I am concerned about me and my brood. Technically, now, you are my brood."

Kanda finally said, "Don't worry about it. I can take care of myself."

"Is this what you mean by 'take care of yourself?'" Liam asked. Kanda gave a dark chuckle.

"You have no idea."

It was quiet for a while before Liam said, "Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to appear pushy or overbearing... I do have to warn you, though." He glanced at the door. It wasn't closed. Liam shook his head slightly.

"I don't say this because I have a bad sister. I say it because I think you have a right to know. She can be overenthusiastic. And I know that isn't from her, but that was my first thought, that there was an... an accident. If there's anything my sister tries to make you do that you feel is uncomfortable, you need to tell her and don't back off. If she does something and it scares you - I don't say this to belittle you, I mean it - run away as fast as you can. Ashling has no boundaries. She doesn't know limits," Liam said quietly, eyeing the floor.

Kanda chewed this over before coming right out with it.

"She can't talk or really hear because there was an accident. Am I right?" he said.

It was Liam's turn to stare.


A/N: I am finally back, after such a long hiatus! I'm so sorry I was gone. I've been absolutely swamped these past few months. I appreciate the support you guys have given me in reviews and such, and I'm so glad you guys are interested in having this story back on line. I've recently gotten an A03 account, and I actually have a new story there as well. The user name is Jaxiferous, and hopefully you'll find things there pleasing to your reading.

Now: discussion questions! Is there a large amount of subtext going on? Are the characters deep, or are they flat? How are the characters deep (or flat)? What was the best part of this chapter? Are there any cliches? Have the characters changed any, or has there been growth? Are the characters static? Does the narration have its own 'voice'? Or is it tedious to read? Is there humor? If there is, is it a natural sort of humor, or does it feel forced? Is there too much extraneous information?

I love getting your feedback. It is the very lifeblood of what keeps me writing. I don't want praise, either - I want a critique. Praise is nice, but it doesn't help me get any better. With this story, you guys are pretty good at giving me insights about my own story, which is awesome.

Anyways, hopefully I'll get back to writing soon. God bless you and happy reading!