Hello everyone,

4 exams down, 3 to go. Yay! ^^' But now come the least pleasant ones.

Anyway, here is the next chapter. Thank you for the reviews.

Disclaimer: Don't even try.

The next time I wake up, I don't even want to open my eyes. My whole body is sore and it feels like I can't even move a finger without feeling pain. At least the hard pain from my abdomen has disappeared. And what counts more, for once I'm not cold. It's actually comfortably warm. It feels like there is a thick blanket over me and no cold wind is blowing. I sigh in contentment. But then it dawns on me that where I live it would never be as comfortably warm as this.

So I rip my eyes open, shocked. What happened? Sorry, for being so slow, but hey, I just got a really bad beating. What I see though surprises me. I am in a room I don't recognize. It's dark, the curtains are closed, but from what I can see there is a desk with a chair in this room, a dresser and the bed I'm laying on. The bed itself is made out of wood, nothing special, but with a warm blanket, sending me practically to heaven as I can't remember the last time I had such a blanket. Carefully as not to move my injured body too much I snuggle closer into the material.

For a moment I simply enjoy the (at least for me at the moment) luxury, then I turn to the important questions running through my head. Where am I? What is going to happen to me? How did I get here? Who treated my injuries? Did nothing happen to the child? and most of all What happened? Okay, let's take this one for one. Where am I? In an unknown room. Where exactly I don't know as I would have to move to find out and it doesn't feel like I can. What is going to happen to me? No idea, but regarding my injuries got treated I hope nothing bad. How did I get here? Apparently someone carried me here, the same person who treated me, but who I don't know. I'm not sure whether something is wrong with the child, it doesn't hurt, but I can't feel anything either. Practically no information, just great. Anyway What happened? My memory from the time after I left the casino is pretty blurry, I don't remember much. Only someone beating me, then leaving, moving under great pain until collapsing. Wait, then there was a person. Who? Pale skin and dark hair, a man. Suddenly a word shoots through my head 'moyashi', beansprout. Right, the man back then, I thought it was my old friend Kanda. But I guess this was only a dream. Kanda is no one who would just pick a person from the streets and for sure not me, we did nothing but fight in the old days. On top of that he lives in Japan and here is London.

Suddenly I hear the door creak and as it opens light floods in and I hurriedly have to close my eyes, because it burns. I groan unwillingly and hear silent steps coming closer and suddenly this deep, for me calming, voice sounds again.

"Oi, you awake, moyashi?"

I force my eyes open again in disbelief. Am I still dreaming? This would be way too good for my usual luck that it is really Kanda who found me. But when I look around I spot a dark figure standing next to my bed, arms crossed and his typical frown on the face.

"K-Kanda?" I croak out.

For a moment his face relaxes and he sits himself on the bed.

"So it's really you, moyashi."

I smile at him, taking a better look. He has grown pretty tall, he was always way taller than me, but now the difference is even more, unfair. His hair is longer as well. Back then it only was around chest length now it supposedly reaches further than his waist. It's bound in a high ponytail with two strands framing his face. I don't know whether it's the darkness in the room but it looks to me like it more or less lost the blueish tint I found so fascinating and is now completely black. His features are still fine cut, but they seem harder than I remember, colder with a sad hint if you ask me. His eyes are still these dark, deep pools, ranging from a dark blue to black with a silver tint, depending on the light and his feelings. He looks strong and defined muscles are visible under his shirt. For some reason his presence makes me feel safe.

He is still staring at me. And I don't really know what to say so I settle on thanking him first.

"You were the one, who brought me here and helped me, weren't you? Thank you very much, Kanda."

"Yes, I was. What the fuck happened to you?"

I fidget a bit but before I can answer a coughing fit shakes me. I try to catch my breath but choke instead. Suddenly I feel hands under my back, sitting me upright, so I can breathe better. I am panting when I'm finished. I hear Kanda sigh then he leans me against the back of the bed.

"Wait a moment, moyashi." With that he stands up and walks out of the room again.

I don't even have the energy to argue over this hated nickname. I simply close my eyes until I hear the door creak again and the raven comes in with a tray in his hands. He walks over to the bed and sets it on the nightstand. He takes a cup from it and turns to me.

"Drink this. It will help," he orders and shoves it in my fingers.

I do my best but my hands are shaking. I hear him groan and then warm hands wrap around my smaller ones, stabilizing the cup. I blush but thanks to that am able to drink the liquid, which I guess is some kind of herb tea, without problems even though it tastes awful. When I set it down I am met with Kanda's cold stare.

"And now talk, moyashi. What the hell happened? And why the fuck did you disappear three years ago only for me to find you fucking collapsing on the streets of London?"

I smile sadly, "Sorry, Kanda. That I had you worry."

He snorts, "Less me, but the others became fucking unbearable after you left."

I smile again, just the old Kanda, never admitting to care.

"Well you see, you remember my adoptive family?"

"The stupid Noahs?"

"Yeah, they have some… let's say pretty dubious business. And they wanted me to join in but I refused. So I ran away."

"Che, baka moyashi."

I pout a bit, "BaKanda, my name is Allen, even after three years."

"Che"

"By the way what are you doing here? I thought you lived in Japan…"

"Che, had to get away from the crazy old man. And I got a job here."

"Oh, are the others here as well?"

"No"

Would he kindly say more? "Where are they?"

"No idea"

"What do you mean? Kanda, tell me, I miss them too you know."

"Che, you were the one who fucking disappeared, moyashi!"

"I know and I'm sorry. But could you please tell me where they are so I can maybe contact them to tell them I'm alive as well?"

"Che, I don't know where exactly they are myself either."

"Why not?"

"Linali became a journalist and is at the moment researching somewhere I don't bloody remember but without mobile contact. And the baka usagi is on some stupid world journey with the old Panda."

Oh, okay. So Lavi is really following his grandfather and now they are doing their research for whatever they do. Now I know about Lavi and Linali, but I still miss Alma. He was Kanda's best friend back then. They were inseparable. Why isn't he saying anything about him? I thought he maybe would have come here with Kanda.

"Thanks. But, uhm, you didn't tell me where Alma is…"

He stiffens and averts his eyes. I get an uneasy feeling when he simply keeps silent.

"Kanda? Where is Alma?"

"Alma is…" he starts in a silent voice.

"He's dead."

I freeze. This a thing that I never would have expected. I was okay with never seeing my friends again, but that was because I ran away and not because someone died. I look over to Kanda. His gaze is turned away, his body tense and the fists clenched. It must have been hard for him. He and Alma were best friends ever since they were small. When he was angry the brunette was the only one who could calm him down. They were like brothers. So I reach out a hand, ignoring the aching, to lay it on the raven's shoulder.

"I'm really sorry, Kanda. If I may ask, what did happen?"

He casts me a brief look and I can see the sadness and hurt displayed in these deep orbs. Then he turns around again and speaks with a low voice.

"An accident. It was a bit more than a year after you disappeared."

Not even two years back.

"The damned usagi forced a party on me, because I won the International Junior Championship in Kendo. Alma had something to do, so he said he would come later. He never showed up. On the way there, he was hit by a car. The driver was drunk and overlooked him on the bike. They could bring him to the hospital alive and the surgery seemed successful. But four days later he died of internal bleeding."

I don't know what to say. I only silently listen. I have the impression Kanda feels guilty over it even though he isn't in the slightest. Then he suddenly straightens up and shoots around.

"Because it wasn't fucking enough that you disappeared back then. No, we had to fucking lose Alma as well. And that leads me back to the bloody question: What the fuck have you been doing?"

He yells angrily, but I know he's mostly covering up the hurt he feels over his best friend's death. I hang my head and my hand falls back into my lap.

"You know, I'm really sorry. I didn't originally want to leave."

"But you still fucking did! So tell me what the hell got you into that state?"

"Well, I gambled some money that night and some kind of boss wanted his back. He and his henchmen beat me up."

"Doesn't fucking explain how you landed on the streets to begin with!"

"After I ran from Japan I had nowhere to go and lived with my master for a while, but then he suddenly disappeared and I didn't have the money to get myself an apartment."

"And you did never even think of contacting someone?"

"I didn't know how!"

"Che, baka!"

I huff, but can't really disagree so I keep quiet. After some moments of silence I speak up.

"By the way, you treated my injuries didn't you? How come you know so much about healing?"

"Che, thought you would remember that the idiot would never stop pestering me about herbs and whatnot, stupid moyashi."

Ah yes, now I remember. This time idiot is referring to Alma. He loved reading this kind of books and kept telling Kanda about it. And when it was the brunette the raven would calmly listen until the other was finished.

"My name's still Allen!" I pout.

"Yeah, sure," he grumbles, then something seems to come to his mind and his face darkens.

"What is it?"

"Che. You wanna know what you got?"

"Uhm, think so."

"Nothing's broken as far as I can see, you got fucking lucky. Well apart from your nose, but that will heal fast. You've got scratches, lacerations and sprains all over, but nothing grave. A wound on the head and a light concussion."

Quickly I go through the list he gave me, determining it as not as bad as I expected.

"How long have I been out?"

"Nearly five days. You really went over your body's limit, baka moyashi." Again an angry tone is there, but I'm sure it's born from concern, giving me a warm feeling.

"Yeah, I guess so…"

"Talking about it… I found something strange…"

I really don't like the sound of this neither the tone of his voice. My chest tightens. Did he find out about the pregnancy? I am not sure whether this would be a good thing or not. Good, because he maybe could take care of me, but bad because he could be disgusted by it.

"W-What do you mean?"

Suddenly he lays a hand on my abdomen. I gulp.

"This!"

He presses carefully down and I know he can feel that there is not only normal flesh.

"Moyashi! Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you? I can bloody feel that there is something but I'm not a doctor, so I can't tell what. So speak the fuck up."

My hands tighten on the sheets and my gaze drops down.

"Moyashi! I'm serious!" My head is jerked harshly up and I am forced to stare into angry dark eyes.

I rip my head away, "Have you heard of 'mamorunin'?" I ask carefully.

"'Protectors of humans'? What the fuck is that supposed to be?"

Of course he can translate the word, for some reason it's Japanese after all.

"It means they are protecting humankind from dying out," I give a silent answer.

He keeps silent and I continue.

"Be-Because too few girls were born in the past years, nature apparently created men with the ability to bear children, so the human race wouldn't die out. And-And I a-am one I guess."

He looks at me blankly for some moments, but I refuse to explain it further.

"So what I'm feeling here," he softly presses down again and somehow I enjoy his touch, "Is a… baby?"

"Yes…" I whisper, my eyes refusing to meet his.

Again I feel a pressure on my abdomen, then it suddenly disappears completely and I hear hurried steps going away from me. When I look up I only see his back disappearing through the door and throwing it closed behind him. A sad feeling washes over me. Now I finally found one of my friends from childhood again but he doesn't accept me because I'm pregnant. A lump settles in my throat and my eyes fill with tears. I know I shouldn't cry but the hormones are making me do it. I curl under my covers and burry my face in the pillow letting my tears fall freely. Soon I fall into an uneasy sleep.

That's it for today. Thanks for reading.

So now Allen has finally met with Kanda again, but the others aren't there.

Please review and see you next time.