Wow . . . sorry it's been so long since I updated this story, but a lot of things have kept me busy lately. I just got done with exams yesterday. It feels so weird to no longer be a college freshman . . . but anyway, enough about me.

I've gotten a lot more reviews on the last chapter than I had been expecting, so this story will keep on going. I don't think it will develop a real plot line, since the plot line in itself is the Noah coming together with the Exorcists. It'll probably just be some romance going on between the couples. As for this chapter: will Lavi and Road work out, or will Road just scare him away? You'll have to read to find out!

Disclaimer: D. Gray-Man is the property of Katsura Hoshino.

Lavi's mouth fell open almost in slow motion. He rubbed his eyes; maybe he was seeing things? No. The spiky hair remained. He stuck his fingers into his ears. Hearing things? No. Raod's soft breathing still echoed in the room. He pinched himself. A dream? No. No change from the scenery he was surrounded with.

Which meant that Road Camelot had just confessed to him.

Lavi had no idea how to react to this. He'd never harbored feelings for this girl before. He knew she was older than she looked, but she was his enemy up until a few weeks ago! How could he love someone who had tried to kill him? But . . . could it be forgiven? She had done it so she wouldn't be attached to him. And . . . he had hesitated before stabbing the apparition of Allen in the dream world. He'd felt a twinge of pity, for the girl that had no future ahead of her. Did he, perhaps, like her after all? He'd certainly liked her a lot more than any of the other Noah.

And, well. He'd gotten mighty jealous when she flirted with Allen. And kissed him.

All the while, he'd been so in tune with his thoughts that he failed to realize that Road's face was getting steadily pinker. Finally, she jumped to her feet. "I knew it was a mistake!" she sobbed, whirling around to run out of the door.

"Wait!" Lavi reached out, grabbing her wrist before she could make it through the pile of junk.

Road turned back, tears sparkling in her eyes.

"Sit back down," he sighed. "You're going to have to explain this to me. Several things. Like when you started liking me, and why you hid it behind your liking of Allen. Can you do that?"

Another one of those genuine smiles graced her face. She nodded, sniffling away the tears. "Okay."

Lenalee had long since stopped acting obscenely girly. She and Allen were sitting on the edge of the cliff now. She had her head resting against his shoulder, the rain still running down in rivulets against her skin. "Hey, Allen . . ."

"Hmm?" He sounded tired, she thought. But then, so was she. Rain made her sleepy all the time, and she wished it wouldn't.

"When you became a general . . . were you thinking of anything? Or anyone? I always wondered how you became so much stronger, when it didn't seem like you'd done anything special."

"I was thinking of my friends, of course. Lavi, I knew I had to protect him. But I think at that time . . . mostly your face was in my mind. I didn't want you to suffer any more than you already had. Lenalee, don't think of things like this. It's over. The Earl isn't coming back." His arm tightened around her. "I won't ever let you get hurt that bad again."

"Thanks, Allen." She leaned up to kiss his wet cheek.

"I don't know why, but I still feel awkward," he sighed.

"With me?"

"No. Komui said he's fine with this, but if he really is, he wouldn't be peering out of his window at us like a wounded animal, would he?"

Lenalee turned around. Sure enough, her maniacal older brother was practically ogling at them from his bedroom window. Faintly she could see Reever in the background; it seemed like he was trying to distract the distressed victim of depression. "You're right," she laughed. "Should we go talk to him?"

"No. He'll come around." Allen closed his eyes. "I'm fine right here, for now."

"Mm." She nodded her agreement.

Kanda was still wandering around the halls when he ran into the last person he'd thought to see. He frowned, the only gesture of surprise he would give to the tall blonde standing in front of him. "What are you doing in the halls?" he demanded.

Lulubell smiled slightly. "I feel a bit too much love in the air that is not directed towards me. I feel awkward."

"That still doesn't give you any right to—"

"Yu Kanda," Lulubell severely stated. "If we're going to be living here, I daresay I'm not going to be kicked out for walking around my home."

"Tch." Kanda turned around in a huff, preparing to walk back to Lavi's room. Goodness knew, it would be better than spending time with this woman. "Don't say my first name."

"Kanda."

He stopped, but he didn't turn around, recognizing the attempt at asserting authority. "You aren't going to take over," he said. "If that's what you're trying to do. We've already made it obvious we're stronger than you."

"I'm aware of that. However, I now see why your comrades find it so hard to get along with you. Yu Kanda, do you even have a heart?"

"I don't think that's any of your business."

Lulubell shrugged. "I just think it's strange that you never hang out with any of the other members of the Order. Can you not open your heart to them?"

Finally, just to get her off of his back, Kanda answered her. "The moyashi and the baka usagi. I have to open my heart to them to tolerate them," he growled. "They're maniacs otherwise."

"Ah . . . so Lenalee doesn't?"

"What makes you so interested in Lenalee?"

"She's the only other girl here. I would think that being the only one, you would warm up to her. Men do feel a little . . . deprived sometimes."

"Lenalee is protected." Kanda turned back around to stare at the petite woman. "I wouldn't dare open my heart to her."

"Yu Kanda," Lulubell continued. "Has your curse been broken?"

The dangling thread of sanity in Kanda's mind snapped. He pushed the woman against the wall, fist flying forward only to stop at the last possible instant. No matter what kind of a person Kanda was, he would never hit a lady. "How do you know about that?" he demanded.

Lulubell pursed her lips.

Kanda growled angrily, pushing his face into hers. "Tell me!"

Allen's head rose up as his eyes searched the heavens. "Lenalee."

"What is it?" She, noticing his guarded expression, knew it was something serious.

"I think there's a betrayer amongst the Noah. A spy."

"What?" she shrieked, bolting upright. "But you said you trusted the Noah, that you believed them!"

"I trust most of them," he agreed. "However . . . one of them is not on our side. And they've made their move."

"Is it Road? Or Tyki?"

"Neither. I know who it is. No wonder Lulubell looked so into that fight in the old Headquarters . . ." Allen turned to stare at Lenalee fiercely, his left eye whirling like the gears of a clock. "Lenalee, Lulubell is trying to destroy us."

Okay, so here's the deal behind Lulubell. I knew I had to make the story longer somehow, because readers have been asking me to do so. But I couldn't think up enough fluff that will happen in one night, since I have the ending planned out. So the betrayer thing came to mind. And I've never liked Lulubell, so she was the perfect perpetrator of a crime. I just couldn't help myself.

I know I haven't been updating a lot lately, and I apologize for that. But I'm going to make sure this story doesn't go back to not being updated for months at a time, like I did have. But since I'm going through two different stories at once right now, I know I have to step it up a little. :D Here's to pushing myself!

This chapter was short, I know. The next one will be longer. Now that the plot line has started, the ideas will start flooding out. I can do this! I'm really starting to get excited about this fan fiction. It's so much fun to write.

Anyway, if you made it through all of those meaningless comments at the end of this chapter, good job! Please review and let me know what you think.