Hello everyone,

I promised two updates per week, so here we are.

Thanks for the reviews.

Disclaimer: Would I really be writing here if I owned it?!

Now it only remains the last box. I lift the lid and take a look inside. I spot photos of our group, mostly again without Kanda and some small things like the bracelet Alma made for him once.

But before I can explore the whole stuff inside I hear keys clicking at the front door. Hurriedly I close the box, shove it back into place, arrange the others and leave the room. When I step out, Kanda just comes in. He pulls his shoes off. Then with nothing more than an angry look towards me he storms to his room and the adjoining bathroom, throwing the door closed behind him.

I decide to not bother him and walk over to the kitchen, making lunch for myself. Only then do I notice how long I was inside that storage room. It's nearly half past three in the afternoon. My stomach protests.

After I'm finished with my meal and have put the plates away as well I return to my room, taking up a book I find there. But I can't stop thinking about what I found today.

Later in the evening my stomach insists on feeding again, so I open the door carefully. I peek outside for Kanda. But I hear the raven's voice coming from the living room, apparently talking on the phone again.

"Yes, I need to speak to Linali Li."

"I have important news to tell her."

"I don't fucking care what her stupid brother told you."

"Neither do I care in the least that you find my language inappropriate."

"I'm an old friend of her."

"Finally."

"When will she return?"

"Yes. My name is Yuu Kanda and tell her it's urgent."

"I don't care, goodbye."

He snaps the phone shut again and apparently lets himself fall on the couch, not creating any more sounds. So I go over to the kitchen, making food again.

When I'm half-way finished with eating he walks in, grabs a container of soba noodles (at least that didn't change) and heads to his own room.

"Couldn't reach the girl today. She will phone tomorrow," he growls while he walks past me.

I smile, finish my meal and afterwards go more or less straight to bed.

When I wake up the next day at ten o'clock in the morning, Kanda isn't here. He didn't leave a note where he went, but I assume he is at work, it's Monday after all. I have no work, so I can stay home. And to be honest there is nothing else I would want to do at the moment. I am still sore from the beating and tired from the hard times I had on the street. Plus the baby is draining from me and today I woke to morning sickness again. Just great. Luckily Kanda has prepared breakfast before he left and it sits on the table for me.

After I have eaten it and cleaned up, I decide to continue my quest on finding out what is wrong with my friend. First I go back to the storage room, to look through the last box I couldn't completely explore last time. As I saw already it is mostly full of memories of the happy time we five spent together. Nothing special to find here. The only thing could maybe be that this box is the furthest in the back, like he wanted to seal these memories away. To not remember, to not have to think about it. Does it hurt him to remember the good times we had?

As I have now completely searched through the storage room, I have to look somewhere else. I doubt the living room, which is pretty empty apart from a couch, a small table, a book shelf and a television, or the kitchen will give me any clues. The room I'm staying in was the first I throughoutly explored, so that leaves only Kanda's own bedroom. I just hope he doesn't catch me sneaking in there. I don't want to encounter his wrath, thank you very much.

But he isn't home, so I carefully pad over to the closed door. I turn the handle and slowly open it. It swings swiftly open and gives me a full view of the room. Next to the window, which is covered with thick curtains, is a wooden bed with dark blue sheets. On the wall next to the door is a small desk with one chair next to it. On the other side is a dresser and next to it the door to the small bathroom. A drawer and some shelves are in between the bed and table. The walls are in a dark colour as well, only on one is a picture of a glowing, pink lotus. Kanda's (at least back then) beloved katana Mugen, lays somewhere next to the end of the bed, tucked up against the wall, but looking like it has been thrown there. On the shelves are books and some smaller boxes. There are no photos or pictures of anyone, not even Alma.

I step into the room, slightly uneasy. It is really dark here and I don't like that. When I think back to his room in Japan (not that I was there often) it was full of light most of the time. It had a huge window to the garden of the house. He loved nature and had a living lotus in his room, not just a painting. Mugen would be on hooks on the wall and other sword-fighting related items strewn across the room. There were many photos of Alma and also some of us or his family (though I think he was forced to put these up). But here? This room hardly has anything personal. The picture of the lotus, the lost-looking sword and maybe the colours are everything that indicate that someone actually lives here. I shudder unconsciously, I really want the Kanda I know back.

I spend some time searching the room. But to be honest I don't find much. Apart from a lot of clothes in dark colours, books about IT-stuff (I guess for his job) and books about war strategies (for what the hell does he need that?) I hardly find anything interesting because he is very keen on locking everything which looks like it is important. And neither do I have my lock picker set with me, nor do I want to risk him finding out. The only things surprising me are a huge amount of bandages in one of the drawers (one with a drop of blood on it), some dried herbs mentioned in Alma's books, pictures from everyone at home, including Alma, me and Daisya in the back of another drawer and some drawing utensils I never thought he would have.

I sigh and sit down on the floor, leaning against his bed. That didn't really help me. And I have still no clue what I can do to make it better for him. That leaves me basically with the only option being asking him, but I know it won't work. I saw how well that went last time. Well, maybe I can ask either Linali or Lavi if they come. I sigh then burry my head in his blanket, trying to catch his scent of forest and lotus. But it is only very faint and carries a hint of blood with it, which makes me uneasy. But right at that moment my stomach growls loudly, reminding me that it is already past two o'clock in the afternoon.

I groan and stand up. After a big lunch I settle in my room with a book I took from the living room. But I still have a hard time concentrating on it because my mind keeps drifting back to Kanda. He comes home shortly after five o'clock in the evening. Soon after I hear the front door fall closed I hear the shower start and lean back sighing.

After diner he sits himself on the couch, typing at his laptop. I join him (on the other end of the sofa), turning on the tv.

But only after about one hour sitting there the ringtone of his handy, laying on the coffee table, sounds loudly through the room. He releases a string of curses and grabs it. When he looks at the screen I see a small light flash through his eyes but fast it's gone again. He puts the device to his ear.

"Kanda"

"Yes, I called you."

"You have to come here."

"London, Pond Street 9, Apartment 2b."

"Yeah, yeah, but I think the reason you're doing it is no longer present."

"No, not dead."

"Just come, for goodness' sake!"

"Stop saying I'm rude. You know me well enough that I won't change that."

"Not you as well! Your brother already asked that! I didn't!"

"No, I didn't start again! Stop with that subject!"

"No, it's not the reason I want you to come for goodness' sake."

"I wouldn't be calling you if it was that, don't you think?"

"Finally, when can you take a flight?"

"So you will be here on Sunday?"

"Okay, I will pick you up at the airport. Tell me the time."

"Just be up for a surprise."

"Yes, a good one. And maybe look for a hotel. I don't have the space at the moment."

"Yeah. Anyway, have you heard something of the baka usagi?"

"Sure not. Same reason I called you."

"No, stop worrying about me."

"Enough now, I have work."

"Bye"

He sighs and puts the phone away again. I stare at him weirdly. To be honest I didn't even understand half of the conversation, but keep quiet to not aggravate him any further. He closes his laptop and stands up.

"Linali will come on Sunday. Talk to her. Maybe you will understand then."

With that he leaves the room, letting me sit there flabbergasted. So it was Linali on the phone just now. After a bit longer I go to bed as well.

That's it for today. Thanks for reading.

So no new explanations for our Allen, only more questions. Is that evil? Nah, I don't think so. Would be boring if I solved everything too fast, wouldn't it? ;)

Hope you liked it and please review.

Next chapter on Saturday, see you then.