Hello, people! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY, tomorrow is the 17th!!! so lookin forward to that fifty page chapter :D haha, so excited! DGM MAKES A COMEBACK! But, we'll only get to read it when someone translates it, right? :( who knows how long that's going to take. Hopefully, by the time I get back from my little five-day excursion starting tomorrow, it'll be up :D ah, that talkin of my five-day excursion, next update will be on Saturday and not Friday, sorry.

Anyway, I hope you are all enjoying this story (even if Kanda gets OOC every now and then, but it's for a good cause XD)

Oooh, and this chapter sees the introduction of Lily-Ann, my little OC. Aw, bless her, she's so cute! But, yeah, she's just got a small part.

Another day passed in the infirmary. Kanda was frequently bored so he decided to follow his charge's example and slept the hours away. But they couldn't just sleep all the time. Lavi was getting bored too. Lenalee had brought down his paper pad and colouring pencils but they'd not kept him entertained for long so he took to investigating whatever he could of the chamber they were in.

"Papa, papa, look, look!" he called out. Kanda looked. Lavi pushed a button on the side of a nearby bed he was lying on. The end of the bed shot up, pushing his legs up into the air. He giggled and pressed another button and it became flat again. He toyed around with it, first sending the foot of the bed up, and then the head.

Kanda sighed. "Don't mess around. If the head nurse comes back to find you foolin around with her stuff, she'll punish you."

Lavi didn't listen and kept going. Kanda heaved another weary sigh. He didn't blame the kid though; it was really boring. And he couldn't meditate with Lavi around. He really hated being here; he wasn't usually one to complain of boredom.

"Papa?"

"What?"

"Lavi bored."

"What do you want me to do about that? I'm bored too. At least you're allowed to move around freely." Kanda didn't understand why he had to stay on the bed all the time. His healing process was a lot better than that of average people so the fracture in his shin was already closing up, although his foot was still numb. But he could still walk!

"Then Lavi sleep?" Lavi asked, running towards Kanda's bed and crashing against the side. "Owie!"

Kanda reached over and lifted the child up. "Take it easy. You can sleep if you want, but it'll be lunchtime soon."

Lavi grinned up at him. "Then Lavi play with papa!"

Kanda was about to reply when he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the door to the infirmary was being opened. He looked over as Lenalee stepped through. "Hey, guys!" she called out. "I brought a guest!"

Kanda frowned, wondering who this "guest" might be. Lenalee's arm was stretched outside of the doorway. She gave a tug to whoever was outside and sighed when she got no results. "Come on, Lily. It's all right."

Slowly, a little girl peeped around the frame. She had long, curly brown hair and green eyes which were opened wide. Lenalee tugged at her hand and she reluctantly stepped forward. She wore a lilac frock with matching ballet-type shoes and a ribbon of the same colour in her hair. Her eyes were locked on Lavi the moment she saw him.

"Haha, what a cute girl!" Lavi exclaimed as he slid off Kanda's lap.

Kanda clamped a hand over his mouth and fell face-first onto his pillow as sudden laughter bubbled up his throat. What the hell was that?! He thought, trying hard to suppress his mirth.

"Kanda, are you okay?" Lenalee asked.

He cleared his throat and, pulling on his most serious expression, he turned and sat up properly. "I'm fine."

Lavi had slid off the bed and was approaching the shy little girl. "Hi, my name is Lavi! You're Lily?" The little girl nodded as she drew into Lenalee's side.

"Who's this?" Kanda asked.

"This is Lily-Ann. She's the daughter of a friend of mine. Morgan, you remember her?"

"How the hell am I supposed to remember?" Kanda frowned.

"She used to be a Finder."

Kanda gave the girl a blank stare. "Again, how am I supposed to remember?"

Lenalee rolled her eyes. "All right. Not that it matters but Morgan sometimes asks me to look after Lily when she has things to do. Isn't she adorable?!"

Both turned their attention to the two children. Lavi was chattering away about something. He suddenly pointed at Kanda. "That Lavi papa. Lily can't have him, okay?"

Looking confused, Lily just nodded. Kanda wanted to laugh again, but he controlled himself. He's always coming out with such weird things, he thought.

"See, papa nice to Lavi only. He Lavi papa only."

"Hey, Kanda, say something to him. I brought Lily down here so she could play with him but he's scaring her off. She's awfully shy, you know." Lenalee complained.

But Kanda was too amused to say anything. I'm being made to sound like a possession, and by this little runt too…he thought. But he wasn't offended. Rather, he wanted to laugh again. For some reason, these instances were becoming less rare the more time he spent with this little child.

Lenalee, realising it was pointless asking Kanda, squatted down so she was level with the children. "Lavi, be nice to Lily, okay? Lily doesn't have many friends at school, you know."

The boy abandoned the boastful attitude as he looked the little girl up and down. "Really? You go to school?! Wow!"

Kanda could tell it took Lenalee a great amount of effort not to bury her face in her palm. She gave Lavi a small smile. "Well, it's not really school; just nursery. Why don't you play with her, hmm? I brought her down here to meet you."

Lavi assessed this information awhile before heaving a huge sigh and nodding his head. "Ok, Lavi play with Lily."
"Great!" Lenalee smiled. She stood up. "Now, Lily, go play, okay?" she tried to shake her hand out of Lily's grasp but the little girl clung on even tighter.

Kanda was having a hard time keeping his amusement reined in. It wouldn't do to suddenly start laughing; he might come across as a little insane. But it was hardly his fault! Lavi was just too cute sometimes!

Lenalee pried her hand forcefully out of Lily's grasp and squatted down before her. She smiled as she placed her hands on the child's shoulder. "Relax, Lily. Lavi's a good kid. The two of you might become friends! So, how about it?"

Lily looked indecisive. She looked from Lavi to Lenalee and then up at Kanda. She seemed to draw back a little when she glanced at the latter though, a fact which annoyed Kanda a fair bit. Did he have the word "monster" written across his forehead or something?

"Haha, Lily scared of papa!" Lavi giggled.

"Oi, Lavi, just go play with her." Kanda said. "You were bored, weren't you?"

"Ok, papa!" And so, Lavi took Lily's other hand and pointed to the bed he'd been playing on before. "Wanna play? That move up and down! It really fun!"

Lily glanced quizzically up at Lenalee. Lenalee gave her a gentle push towards where Lavi was pointing. "I'll be right here, all right?"

Lily finally nodded and let herself be dragged off by the little redhead. Lenalee smiled as she settled in the chair beside Kanda's bed. "His people skills are quite…developed." she mumbled, watching as Lavi explained what was so good about the bed they'd stopped at. Lily nodded as he talked.

Kanda scoffed. "He's not a normal kid."

"That might be because of the chemical though. Maybe his mind's stuck halfway between a child's and an adult's?"

"Or maybe he really was this developed when he was this small?" Kanda suggested. He wouldn't doubt it. But then, Lenalee had a point too; he had wondered whether Lavi might retain his former thought patterns and knowhow but there were some things which he did that he wouldn't do as his adult self so maybe the mindsets of his child self and his normal self were stuck in limbo?

She laughed. "That's possible. You never know with Lavi."
"Hmm…"

The children were now sitting on the hospital bed, pressing the buttons at the side and giggling when the head side shot up, nearly throwing them off. Lily was still shy; she didn't talk, though she seemed to be listening very intently when Lavi spoke.

"Any news on Marie?" Kanda asked.

"Ah, yeah, he called Miranda a while ago and said he was in Dover. He'll definitely be here for tomorrow morning."

"Why doesn't he just come today? He could make it."

Lenalee shrugged. "There isn't any rush."

"Hmm…I figured he'd be anxious to see that woman. He's always…I don't know…lively when she's around?" He wondered why he was even participating in this conversation; it wasn't like any of this had anything to do with him.

Lenalee chuckled. "They both become lively when the other's around. But Marie's at least all right by himself, whereas Miranda…" she sighed, "she gets even clumsier."

Kanda made no response to this as he glanced over at Lavi again. The two children were still playing around with the hospital bed's functions. If the Head Nurse caught them at it, she'd give them severe punishment.

"So, Lily talk?" Lavi asked.

Lily looked down at the floor, blushing. "Um…I…don't…I don't…I never…," she struggled to get the words out but when she couldn't, tears started to gather at her eyes.

They were both sitting cross-legged on the floor by the bed they'd been playing on earlier. The Head Nurse had come a while ago and gave them such a disapproving look that they'd not dared to resume their play. So Lavi had decided he wanted to hear some stories. But this was a problem since Lily had only said two or three words during the entire time she'd been here.

"Hey, Lily?" he mumbled, looking at her quizzically.

She was trying hard to keep her tears in. Lavi looked over at Lenalee and saw that she was coming towards them. "Lily, what's the matter?" she asked as she knelt beside the little girl.

Lily looked up at Lenalee. "I…I…can't…" again, a look of helplessness screwed up her features.

Lenalee sighed as she wiped at the little girl's eyes. "It's all right, Lily." she said softly.

"Hey, Lily okay?" Lavi asked.

Lenalee smiled. "Lily has a small problem, you see. She doesn't know the language that well, Lavi, so she can't say what she wants to say and…that's frustrating, no?"

He gazed at Lily in awe. "Oh. Is that why Lily not have any friends?"

Lenalee nodded, patting the little girl's head. "Yeah. All the other children stay away because she doesn't talk to them."

After a moment or two of thinking, Lavi grinned. "Then, Lily don't need to talk; Lavi talk and Lily listen, okay?"

Lily looked over at him in surprise. Lenalee smiled and stood up. "That's kind of you, Lavi."

Lavi grinned. "Lavi kind, just like papa!"

Lenalee chuckled. "Of course." She looked down at Lily once more before going back to sit at Kanda's bedside.

Lavi smiled and scooted closer to the little girl. "Lily really cute!"

She blushed furiously and fidgeted with the hem of her frock. "Lavi…the first…friend…first…um…" she bit her bottom lip, looking ready to cry again.

Lavi took her hand, making her look up. He grinned. "If talking difficult, then Lily not need to try so hard."

She mouth opened but no words came out. Lavi gave her hand a small squeeze. She stopped trying to speak and just smiled shyly instead. "O-ok."

If other kids didn't like talking to Lily because she couldn't talk back properly, then that was very small-minded, Lavi felt. How could someone make any kind of assumption when they didn't know anything about the other person? That was mean, and Lavi didn't like meanness.

"Hey, c'mon! Let's play tag!" Lavi cried, jumping to his feet and dragging her up with him.

"Y-yeah!" she said. But she looked around the chamber they were in. There were beds along both sides of the room and there wasn't much running space.

Lavi interpreted her expression correctly and grinned again. "We go over beds."

She blinked owlishly. "Eh…?"

He shrugged. "Play tag over beds."

Kanda sighed. "If your leg's hurting so bad, then just cry. I won't think badly of you for it."

"B-but…papa…papa said men not cry!" Lavi stammered, burrowing his head into Kanda's chest. One little hand clutched his knee tightly. His shoulders were shaking but he was trying his best not to cry.

The man scoffed and put an arm around Lavi's small frame. "In that case, who told you to run around in a place like this? You should have known you'd fall, jumping over stuff."

"L-Lavi…Lavi sorry, papa." the little boy mumbled.

Kanda clicked his tongue and patted Lavi's red head softly. Lavi's shoulders soon stopped shaking and he sat up, wiping at his eye. When he looked up at Kanda, he wore a shaky smile. "L-Lavi all better!"

Kanda was a little impressed. The green eye was dry, not at all like Lavi had been crying. He smiled and smoothed back Lavi's hair. "Atta boy."

"Lavi strong now?"

Kanda smiled a little and nodded. "You're getting there." Lavi grinned brightly.

Lily looked on with an awed expression. She looked up at Lenalee, who was also observing the two. Lenalee noticed her charge was gazing at her and looked down. "What is it, Lily?"

"He…didn't…" as usual, when stuck for words, she began to feel the anguish that she felt when she couldn't get her meaning across. She knew what she wanted to say, but she didn't know how to say it. Tears began pricking at her eyes again, but she tried her hardest to keep them in. She'd finally found a friend who could accept her for how she was; she shouldn't cry and scare him away. "He…not…he not…cry?"

Lenalee chuckled. "That's right. He can be a strong little boy, if he wants."

"Then…I…me too…" Lily mumbled.

Lavi had taken a bad fall. They'd been playing tag and Lavi had been chasing after her and he'd jumped down from a bed and fallen and hurt his knee. But he'd not cried. That was so brave to her, who always started to tear up whenever she was even a little upset.

She had to be like that. Mommy didn't like it when Lily cried, and neither did daddy. But Lily had never thought to try to be strong before. But she had to be like that now. She would watch and learn and see how people spoke rather than crying about what she couldn't do all the time. Mommy must feel bad about that. Lily had to be strong.

Lenalee smiled. "That's good to hear, Lily."

Lily smiled tentatively too.

Children do have that problem sometimes, right? They get frustrated cuz they can't tell others what they mean? My little cousin, when he was about two or three, he had that problem, I think. But it wasn't that bad, yo.

Anyway, as always, I'm going to ask for ideas for LK-friendship one-shots. My inspiration's running out and I wanna write but nothing comes to mind! Oh, woe is me! Cuz, I've finished writing Childhood (which still needs a better name -_-) so I've got nothing to do :( as I thought, I need to get a life...but I love my laptop too much XD