A/N: this chapter has come up as soon as was humanly possible, I blame any slowness on having 300 girls on the internet, it takes forever to upload a document. This chapter is probably not essential to the story line but it will introduce you to most of the characters that have been absent so far. I'd like some reviews if nobody minds, no flames though, I'll let Lavi deal with them. Does anyone know what the thing Tiedoll uses to fight with is called? I've referred to it as a sculptor's tool in the story but I can't, for the life of me, find the name.

Disclaimer: I don't even know who owns what so far as Beauty and the Beast and -man are concerned. With all the legal rights attached to making things into movies and animes and whatever else, I only know that I don't own anything.

5. Lunch

Life in the enchanted castle had returned to what could be called normal. Everyone had decided it would be in their interests to see that Komui had a lab and so he was provided with one. By now, Lenalee knew just about everyone in the house and everyone knew her and the Science Team. Komui behaved himself and everybody kept an eye out just in case he didn't. Lenalee was having a bit of an off day. She was in the most beautiful, ornate ballroom she'd seen in her life listening to Marie the organ play but somehow she couldn't seem to concentrate. Her muscles felt tired even though she hadn't exercised and she had a splitting headache. She'd always enjoyed music and thought a little organ music would help but now as her headache approached a migraine she thought that maybe it wasn't the best of ideas.

"I'm sorry Marie, do you mind if I leave I think that I just need to lie down. My headache just keeps on getting worse and worse, not that the music wasn't beautiful but I'm just…"

"It's fine, go lie down, rest can be the best thing, do you want me to find Matron?"

"No, I'll be okay, thanks and sorry."

She waved lightly and made her way to the stairs, forgetting about luncheon entirely.

3 hours later

It was rare for Kanda to attend a meal with the rest of the Ark's inhabitants but when he did, he expected the presence of a majority of the rest of the group, those who could get to the table at any rate, even though they didn't eat. He now sat at a nearly full table while one space remained conspicuously empty. Lenalee Lee was usually very punctual, she was never late and certainly not by a full half hour and when they had a meal involving everyone she was always present. She had only once skipped a meal with Kanda at the beginning of her stay. He drummed his fingers impatiently on the table, glaring at the door. He was unduly annoyed, probably just because his soba would be getting cold. Crowley had been sent up to find Lenalee. The door creaked open and the hand mirror slunk back into the room.

"Well, where is she?"

"Well, you see… due to the circumstances… she not feeling… I mean I'm sure it's not major but… I don't think"

"SPIT IT OUT YOU STUPID VAMPIRE!"

Flustered and pushed into a corner, Crowley answered the question without thinking about the repercussions of his answer.

"She's not coming."

"WHAT!"

Kanda ran out the room to the sound of Komui applauding.

Lenalee woke from the semi sleep she'd entered to the sound of pounding on her door.

What now? she wondered. Crowley had come by a few minutes before. She hadn't expected anyone after that, or maybe someone had gotten matron.

There had been a gentle tapping on the door. She'd registered the noise somewhere in her aching head but Miranda had needed to wake her fully before she could respond. She'd opened the door and Crowley had slunk in. he'd managed to stutter out that everyone was waiting for her so they could eat lunch. Her stomach had sunk; she'd forgotten the midday meal. In fact, she'd slept through a majority of it. Miranda had started panicking which had set Crowley off. After she'd calmed both of them down she tried to rectify her error.

"I'm sorry Crowley. I'm feeling very sick at the moment. I have no appetite at all, do you think you could excuse me? And give everyone my apologies, I'll apologize too tomorrow but right now I'm just going to sleep."

He'd nodded, understanding. She couldn't see herself because he didn't reflect but she didn't think she looked much better than she felt. He'd promised to explain and she'd slid back into the half sleep state that he had brought her from.

"You get down to dinner this instant!" a familiar and furious voice shouted from outside. She vaguely remembered her first week here, reminded of his rude dinner invitation but she didn't have the strength to shout back now. All she wanted to do was sleep. She wondered if he would go away if she ignored him.

"Come out NOW!"

Even if she wasn't prepared to shout back, it seemed that Fou was.

"Listen to me you stupid idiot, she's trying to sleep so how about you shut up and go away!"

"I don't give a damn! It's the middle of the day! She should sleep at night, if she insists on staying up at night it's not my problem! I want her down at dinner now!"

"NO! You can send Wok up here, a little herbal tea would do her the world of good."

"Firstly! I am no ones–"

"Yuu-kun. You should speak politely to girls, at all times. I'm sure miss Lee has a good reason to be in bed."

The voice came from ground level, Lenalee recognized it as Tiedoll, a sculptor's tool. She followed their conversation, nearly seeing it, even though they were at the other side of the door. She just knew them so well."

"She is being difficult! What's it got to do with you?"

"I will feel I have failed as a father if I can't teach you how to behave round a girl."

"You're NOT my father!"

She could just imagine the look on Kanda's face, he would be furious and glare with absolutely no effect. Tiedoll continued as if there hadn't been an interruption.

"Besides how will you ever manage to marry her if you don't know how to treat her properly?"

"WHO WANTS TO MARRY HER? Don't come up with things like that on your own."

The bell like laughter, well he was a bell, of Daiysha joined the conversation.

"If you don't stop that, I'm going to stop it for you! I am not going to marry Lenalee!"

Lenalee knew from experience that Komui had selective hearing and good ears. Not that you needed good ears to hear the shouted argument that was taking place just outside her room.

"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lenalee-chan! Your brother will protect you from this monster."

"Who let him bring his drill to the table?"

"Someone catch him."

She missed some of the other shouts from downstairs but in all fairness, the dining room was quite a way away from her room. Didn't sound like she'd be unable to hear for long. In fact, it sounded like the entire household was coming to her room.

"He's got a blow gun, some one confiscate!"

"SISTER COMPLEX! I'm going to kill you!"

"Watch and learn Kanda, this is how you talk to a young lady. My dear? Can we ask why you aren't coming to lunch? Truly, your company would be a great pleasure."

After a few thuds and the sounds of people trying to keep other people quiet there was eventually silence, or as close to it as you got in the castle.

"She's feeling ill!" cried Crowley, "You never gave me a chance to finish, she's sick!"

Soft murmurs replaced the shouts and banging that had dominated the hall earlier. She heard someone restrain Komui and relaxed. Finally, she would get some sleep.

Kanda had never been sick in his life and most of the Ark's inhabitants couldn't get sick either. There bodies weren't cut out for it. In fact, the only people who could get sick in the castle were Link, Allen and Tyki. Apparently she had lost her appetite because she was sick. The sister complex was struggling to get to the door but the Bean Sprout and one of the crazies that had come to rescue Lenalee were holding him back. Kanda tried to think of times when the others were sick. He avoided Tyki Mikk as far as possible, and so he had never noticed if Tyki had been sick. Certainly, he had never cared. He would have gleaned a small amount of pleasure from the fact and would've revelled in the alone time. He paid less attention to the crow than he did to Tyki Mikk, maybe because Link did not feel the need to annoy Kanda at every possible chance. That left the Bean Sprout. Try as he might Kanda found himself unable to reconcile the image of the Moyashi not eating and reality. That was what decided it for him, she probably just didn't want to come down. He glared at the door, as if that would make it open. Had the door been alive it probably would have, and it wouldn't have been the first to run from that glare. Instead, a well-placed kick destroyed the doors lock and Kanda marched in.

He stopped dead at the sight of her but his face never lost its cold look. He stared at he while his mind tried to decide on a new course of action. Her hair was stringy and sweaty. Her face was whiter than the sheets and she looked half the size she usually did. Almost as if, she had fallen in on herself. He was verbally assaulted by three different females as he stood examining her but he didn't register what was said. Only that an annoying buzz had filled the air. Without warning, he leant down and slung her over his shoulder. Not waiting to hear the rest of the world's complaints.

"Sick people belong in the infirmary" he muttered

Lenalee thankfully laid her head on the cool pillows of the infirmary. The Matron had kept everyone at bay while Kanda had taken her to where the matron could examine her. She knew the relative peace wouldn't last for long. Komui would leave her alone to sleep but once she was awake, she would be bombarded. She managed a small half smile at Kanda and a half-coherent thank you before she closed her eyes.