Chapter 3

Allen and Lavi watched, shocked, as Kanda dove into the pool after Lenalee. Once he got to her, he was able to keep her above water. It only took a moment for them to realize, though, that he couldn't swim well enough to get her back.

Lavi face-palmed, looking as if he had never, in all his bookman junior years, seen anything more idiotic. Allen was visibly shaking with anger. "Bastard." He hissed. Both exorsists dove into the pull at the same time.

Lenalee slowly opened her eyes. All she remembered before she passed out was being under water. "Lenalee are you alright?" Allen said, leaning over her. She nodded and sat up, holding her aching head. "Kanda?" she asked in her normal voice. Allen tilted his to his left, where Kanda sat holding his head next to a crossed-legged grinning Lavi.

She walked over cautiously, watching for signs to tell her what kind of mood he was in. "Kanda…" she said, and he looked up at her, waiting to be yelled at for his stupid act. But it never came. "You idiot!" she cried, hugging him tightly. Even not seeing her face he knew she was smiling.

"Ya, Yuu!" Yelled the red-head. "That was a really dumb moved you pulled. Lenalee yanked herself out of the hug, and turned to Lavi with a raised arm. And slapped him. "This is all YOUR fault, she screamed. You and Allen just had to be reckless!" She ran into the girls locker room. Once inside, she got in a shower to hide her tears.

Lavi stared after her as she ran away. "I..I.." he said, turning to dust with an out stretched hand in the direction she had ran. A hand hit the back of head. "Nice one." Kanda said. He didn't yell, or cuss. He didn't threaten or call them names. But Lavi and Allen could see a sad look on his face, the first time since either of them had met him that they saw anything but anger on his face. That was excluding when he was talking to Lenalee alone. He always seemed…peaceful. Well, MORE peaceful.

"Lets head to our room." Allen suggested, and they all walked quietly out of the pool area. Four hours later, it had gotten pitch dark and reached 8:30. But Lenalee had yet to return. She had the adjoining room next to theirs, but she wasn't there either, as they had kept the door between them wide open.

Allen stopped his paceing for a moment, and looked at Lavi. "Lavi. You should go look for her." Lavi's head shoot up, and he gaped at the white-haired boy as if had said to walk to the moon. "But.." the bookman tried, but culd think of not reasons to not go look for her. Kanda stood up from his meditating. "She is likely in the places where she feels comfortable. Look there." He said, his face expressionless. Lavi blushed. "But…I don't know what those places could possibly be." Kanda's eyebrow twitched. "How stupid can you get?" he sighed. "The library with the Fiction books, baking in the kitchen, or drawing on the roof would me the most likely. She only goes shopping when she is happy, and she wouldn't go to any cafes on her own." He said the last part mostly to himself.

Lavi looked at him. "So, the library, the roof, and the kitchen?" Kanda nodded. "And the parlor-styled lounge down-stairs. Check on the couch closest to the fire. Look there last, though." Lavi nodded and left the room. Kanda smirked and turned towards the window, but Allen caught it. "Where is she?" he said, exasperated. Kanda didn't even hesitate. "Probably in the lounge, she likes to be by a fireplace when its dark. Always thought that was the weirdest thing about her." Kanda huffed. "But if he can't find her, I have one last place. I'll go get her myself if it comes to that.

Lavi raced down the hall way, going up to the roof first. She wasn't there, but the cool air caused him to stay a moment. 'Dammit. Why did I have to piss her off?' He thought to himself, angrily, before heading toward the library.

Almost half an hour later, he found himself in the lounge. He hadn't found the girl anywhere else. She HAD to be here! He stepped into the room. There was a couch in front of the fire, and two groups of leather chairs covering the room. He scanned the room, and there she was: stretched out on the couch. "Lenalee." Lavi said softly, as he stepped closer. She sat up and looked at him. "You..came for me?" She said, sounding shocked. "Of course." Lavi said, taking a seat next to her. She smiled at him, "No one but Kanda has ever done that."

Lavi stared for a moment, then smiled too. "How can you possibley see anything in him other than a mean, self-centered, lunatic?" He asked. They looked at each other, then began laughing uncontrollably. "Practise." She blurted out between giggles.

This reminded them both of when they were younger, right after Lavi had arrived at the Order. Kanda had nearly killed him, like with Allen, but because Lavi had caused him to spill Soba all over him (what Lavi didn't know was that it had been Lenalee's special soba). Lavi had been the one to run away, and Lenalee had hunted him down. She had found him outside, bundled up and sitting in the snow under a tree. Lenalee hadn't known what to say, so she said nothing at all. She simply cleared a space on the ground and put a fire cracker down. Lavi and her spent two hours sitting fire crackers off before going inside.

Once their laughter was done, they made their way back up to the rooms. Lenalee went into the boys room to use their adjoining door, but found something really cute. Kanda and Allen had staid up waiting for the two of them. Allen lay on top of his bed covers fully clothed, while Kanda had passed out on the couch. Lenalee threw a blanket over Kanda, very gently so as not to wake him up, before taking Allen's shoes off and doing the same.

She said goodnight to Lavi, and went to bed in the next room, very, very happy.