Tyki closed his eyes as he allowed himself to sit on the floor beside one of the caravans. He leaned against the wooden wheel, his face towards the sun as he basked in its warmth.

It had been a long while since they were last here. The Millennium Earl had decided that they needed a change of scenery, and when their last season here ended, he'd taken them farther North than they'd ever been before. They had all relished the chance to see snow, a cold, white substance that a majority of them had seen before and missed.

The change in scenery helped Tyki as well. After Lavi had promised to speak with Bookman, he hadn't seen the red head for the rest of the season. He even snuck into town a couple of times, and not once had he run into the boy. It bugged him to no end that Lavi would make such a promise and then vanish. At eleven seasons, he hadn't been heartbroken per say, but he'd felt betrayed enough to realize Lavi had somehow managed to trick him. He'd been furious: at Lavi for acting as open and friendly as he did before turning around and proving himself to be no better than anyone else he'd ever met as a gypsy, but more towards himself. He clearly hadn't learned from the last time such a thing had happened to him, and Tyki could also remember feeling relief that it had somehow slipped his mind to ask the Earl about Lavi joining their troupe. It would have been harder to deal with Lavi's harsh rejection by himself if the Millennium Earl knew about it as well. As it was, he'd had a difficult time alone this time, but Tyki felt now that back then, he should have known better than to ask such a foolish question to a boy who had what Tyki didn't- - -a warm home (not that he really wanted to be stuck in one place anyway), the respect of people in his town, and money for things he wanted.

Who really wanted to abandon their life when they lived in such a way to travel with gypsies anyway?

"It isn't fair!" Rhode's voice rang out, and Tyki's eyes snapped open just in time to see the girl coming over. She plopped herself down on the ground next to him, grumbling to herself for a few moments. "Kak, can I ask you something?"

"Anything, darling." He murmured in response, hugging the girl to his side. Her hair was long and matted, a result of traveling the long distances they did, and she had pulled it over her shoulder to pick at the knots that had formed. Her gold eyes met his and she pouted at him.

"How old were you when you started performing?" Tyki blinked in surprise at the question, but thought carefully. He had had to wait a couple of seasons before he could start, he knew; most of that time had been taken up by training the Tease as best he could, though he had still been training them long after he had started performing, and learning to balance properly on smaller and higher bases.

"I believe..." Tyki thought back carefully, trying to do the math in his head. "I believe I was seven seasons. Why do you ask?" Rhode pouted more.

"And Allen was eight seasons when he started." She muttered. "Even Jasdero and Devito have been given permission to begin this season, and they're eight seasons as well, almost nine seasons. Why can't I?" Tyki's eyebrow rose in surprise- - -so that was the reason.

"It's because you're our darling." He said, fingers in her hair as if to help get the tangles out. "You're still our little princess. Besides, Lulubell doesn't perform, now, does she?" Rhode squirmed but shook her head. "You aren't the only one, then."

"But I did for my birthday!" She cried, sitting up properly. Before Tyki could respond, she stood in front of him. "Tell me I'm not ready to perform."

"You are not ready to perform." Tyki repeated almost instantly, laughing slightly when she let out a noise of frustration.

"Really look at me, Kak Tyki, and tell me I'm not ready." Rhode insisted. Tyki sighed, but decided to humor his younger niece.

Her hair had grown as she did. Even tangled and matted as it was now, the blue-purple locks fell to her waist. Lero was back in the room she shared with Lulubell, as she insisted she no longer needed to carry what had been her near constant companion since birth any longer. She was wearing one of Tyki's shirts, as usual, and underneath the semi-white button up material were black pants that hugged her legs tightly, the material worn slightly and filthy from traveling. Her hands were on the black belt that hugged the shirt to her hips, her weight placed firmly on one side of her body. Her head was tilted the opposite way as Tyki's eyes raked up and down her form, her gold eyes daring him to tell her she wasn't ready. Being ten seasons, she had only just begun to develop into the woman she would soon be, and Tyki wondered absentmindedly if she would be married soon. She was barefoot, as she usually was when they weren't traveling, and she shifted slightly, crossing her arms just under her chest. The action brought attention to the fact that she was growing up, her developing breasts making a small yet noticeable bump against the dirty white material; when Tyki's eyes met hers again, she raised a delicate eyebrow in mock of Tyki as she waited for his response.

"Well?" She demanded slightly, her bare foot tapping against the hard packed dirt below her. Tyki smiled as he stood. Leaning down, he grabbed her crossed arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Kak Tyki, that doesn't answer my question!"

"I'll see if I can't convince Lord Millennium to allow you to perform, at least for this season." Tyki said as he pulled back. Her face split into a wide grin, and she threw her arms around Tyki's waist as soon as he released them.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Her voice was muffled by his chest, and Tyki laughed slightly. Patting her head, he hugged her tightly before releasing her once more.

"All right, all right." He murmured in her ear. "Let me go speak to Lord Millennium now." She let him go instantly. Out of the corner of his eye, Tyki watched as Allen headed into town, a dejected look on his face. "Darling, why don't you go with Allen into town to get the groceries?" Rhode followed Tyki's gaze, and her gold eyes turned sad and pained.

"This season is the second season, isn't it? It really hit him hard, huh?" She murmured back. "Allen hasn't ever been the same since." Tyki looked a bit upset as well, still watching Allen.

The further North they had gotten, the sicker Mana had become. Miranda had been beside herself, often staying up two or three days in a row to nurse the man properly. He had seemed stable until they came across a town called Maitek; then, his health plummeted so suddenly, it stunned them all.

Nobody took his death harder than Allen did. The boy, who had barely been nine seasons, couldn't handle the death of the man who had been like a father to him. Tyki had Rhode moved into their room once more, as the boy had been plagued by nightmares. More often than not, Rhode ended up with Allen's face against her neck, his arms around her waist, as she tried to soothe him. She seemed to be the only one who could calm him, as she had always been the one closest to Allen, and she took the duty with ease. Now, with Allen being eleven seasons, the memory of Mana's death on his birthday made the boy unwilling to do much on his adoptive father's death anniversary.

With a sad sigh, Rhode leaned up and pressed a kiss to Tyki's cheek. Murmuring a 'don't forget, ok?' against his cheek, Rhode turned and ran after Allen; Tyki watched with a mixture of sadness and amusement as she launched herself at Allen, her arms wrapping around the pale boy's waist from behind as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. Chuckling quietly at Allen's surprised noise and the way he nearly fell with Rhode's weight suddenly at his back, Tyki smiled slightly when the boy's face brightened a bit.

"Do your best to distract him, darling." He murmured. A hand fell on his shoulder, and he turned slightly to come face to face with the Millennium Earl. "Ah, Lord Millennium."

"Tyki." For a moment, they watched Rhode and Allen walk towards town together, Rhode skipping and singing behind the pale boy. "I want to talk to you, young man." Tyki turned, intrigued. Though he couldn't see the man's eyes, as usual, Tyki could tell this would be an extremely serious conversation. The Earl hadn't added a suffix to his name, and for the first time Tyki could remember, his leader had referred to him as 'young man', which meant...

"Y-Yes, Lord Millennium?" The man didn't answer for a moment. Tyki felt his face loose blood. Surely, the Millennium Earl didn't want to talk...about...

"What am I to do about your niece?" The Millennium Earl wailed suddenly. Tyki blinked in surprise and confusion. "I know she wants to perform, and I would love nothing more than to let her, but she's still so young!"

For a moment, Tyki couldn't think of a response. Then a smile graced his face, and he couldn't help but shake his head.

"I think," He said slowly, looking out at the disappearing couple, and ignoring the relief that filled his body, "that Rhode is more than old enough to make her own decisions about that. She's very adamant about performing, Lord Millennium. Perhaps it would be wise to let her, for this season at least." The man had been nodding as if Tyki's suggestion made sense; his hand went into the air as an idea struck him.

"I'll have Tricia make an outfit for her, then!" He said cheerfully. "She'll perform as soon as possible- - -our little singing princess." Tyki laughed slightly as the Earl walked away, but the older man had taken no more than two steps before pausing. "Are we going to see Lavi-pon anytime soon, hm?"

Tyki froze at the words that were carefully spoken- - -it meant the Millennium Earl had learned about Lavi in some way, at some point. The leader of their troupe knew the reason behind all his past forced smiles and brushed off questions about how he felt. He forced himself to relax, his eyes narrowing slightly as he thought back. It was no matter if the Millennium Earl knew or not- - -the Bookman's red headed apprentice and so-called heir wouldn't be stopping by to visit.

"No, he shouldn't show up around here anytime soon." He answered calmly. The Earl nodded once.

"It was a prikasa to allow him to get so close, Tyki." He winced slightly at that. It was a slight jab, almost as if he had been told he had been the reason Mana died, albeit indirectly. For a moment, he wondered what would have been different if Lavi hadn't gotten so close. Would Mana still have died, causing Allen to look like something in his heart had been crushed, if Lavi had remained as far away as possible?

Tyki sighed, whirling around to face the leader and ask, but the man was already gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Where are they?" Sheryl bit his finger nervously, Tricia placing a hand on his arm. Her eyes were just as worried as her husband's, though, and neither seemed to know what to do. Tyki paced back and forth, reminding himself of Mana when Allen had gotten lost in the town buying groceries long ago. The Earl had loved to tease Mana, telling him he was such an over protective father for someone who had no children of his own.

"I'm going out to find them." Tyki said finally, heading for the edge of the tent, his golden eyes hard and determined.

As he neared the entrance of the tent, Lulubell grabbed his arm firmly, her gold eyes gazing blankly into his.

"No."

"She's right, Tyki-pon." The Earl sat by the fire, looking as though he were calmly sitting and knitting. Only the main family could see the tenseness in his fingers, the strain in his voice as he worked on keeping the worry he felt for his two missing favorites out. "You can't hope to accomplish much in such a storm."

"I'm going to try anyway. It's better than sitting around and waiting for them to come back." Tyki pulled his arm free of Lulubell's grasp and raced towards the town, the storm instantly soaking him completely.

He ran through the streets, glad that everyone was inside- - -it made searching for his niece and cousin that much more easier. The notion of them also being indoors refused to enter his mind. If they were indoors, they could be in trouble, and he had problems thinking of his small niece in trouble.

And Allen...Allen had gone through enough the past three seasons, had he not?

Shaking his head, Tyki turned a corner only to ram right into someone, the both of them falling to the ground with a splashing noise.

"I'm so sorry!" The other person yelled. Tyki shook his head, standing up slightly shakily as he tried to push his hair out of his face.

"It's fine!" He yelled back. Above them, thunder rumbled and rain pelted them even harder. "Shit!" Tyki stood up, ignoring the fact that his white shirt was semi-see through and absolutely filthy. Absentmindedly pulling the other to their feet, Tyki's eyes traced the road he was about to go down.

There were so many places they could be...

"...ki? Tyki!" With a jolt, Tyki turned his head so quickly he felt something crack in his neck. Staring back at him, his emerald eyes wide and disbelieving yet incredibly happy (well, eye- - -the idiot seemed to not want to part with his eye patch), was none other than Lavi.

Tyki stared back at him with his mind blank. He had no idea what he was supposed to do in a situation like this, but Lavi clearly did. The red head threw his arms around Tyki, hugging the older gypsy to him tightly as if he was afraid Tyki would disappear.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you!" The boy yelled in his ear. Tyki was so stunned he didn't do much, just stood there. After a moment, Lavi pulled back, confused. "Tyki...?"

The gypsy snapped out of it when Lavi called his name again. Scowling lightly- - -the boy was, what, thirteen now?- - -Tyki pushed the million questions and accusations he had to the back of his mind.

"Have you seen Rhode or Allen?" He yelled back. Lavi beamed.

"I was just headed towards the camp. Follow me." Slightly distrustful, Tyki obliged, making sure Lavi stayed in his sights at all times.

Lavi had gotten taller, but Tyki was still that much taller than he was. The red hair was matted down and darkened by the rain, and the green headband still kept it out of his face. If Tyki squinted slightly, he could still see the black string that held the eye patch to his face. He seemed a little paler this season, but he still talked about a mile a minute, so Tyki didn't let it worry him too much.

As it was, he was annoyed he was worried about the boy in the first place.

Lavi lead him to a gate, opening it easily and motioning for him to follow. Tyki did so hesitantly, finding himself in awe of a single story home that was spread to have enough space to fit at least half, if not all, of the caravans they traveled in. Suddenly, Tyki was not sure this was a good idea.

It seemed Lavi held no limitations, as he simply bounded up to the door and let himself in.

"Kanda-sama, Yuu-chan!" He called into the house. "Lenalee?" A tall woman appeared in the doorway, somehow looking elegant even with a pile of towels in her hands. Tyki's eyes narrowed as her deep blue met his golden; he seemed to have struck a memory in her the way she did him, as she made a slight face.

"Ah, you brought...more." She said simply, her accent something Tyki hadn't noticed when he'd been eight seasons and trying to save Allen's skin. The way she said 'more', however, made Tyki's eyes narrow more.

"You have them, then?" He yelled as calmly and politely as he could while freezing in the harsh rain in her front yard. "My niece and cousin?"

"Come in." She said, the invitation sounding more like an order in Tyki's ears. "You can stay and see them once you are warm and dry." Tyki hesitated slightly; he still didn't trust the Kanda family, and Lavi wasn't any better at the moment, but they had Rhode and Allen. As much as he wanted to believe Cross' words against anyone who happened to have more money than they did (which was just about everyone)- - - "Are you coming in or not?" She snapped at him, and Tyki made up his mind in a split second, her voice startling him into moving.

He jumped, stopping in her entryway and accepting a few towels from her to dry off. She stalked down the hall as he took off his shirt, drying his upper body as best he could.

Tyki nearly jumped when he felt a towel on his head, and he looked up to find an emerald eye and a black eye patch peering back at him. Lavi grinned widely, drying Tyki's hair as he resumed his chatter about who knows what. Tyki tuned him out, trying to squash that damn feeling once more as it rose in his stomach for the first time in almost four seasons.

Except this time, he wasn't a child. Tyki's eyes met Lavi's again as he pondered this. He was fourteen seasons of age, and though he knew he was lucky earlier with the Millennium Earl, there was no doubt in his mind that his leader would pull him aside one day soon and begin his talk of marriage. He would have to agree, because Sheryl and Tricia had been his age when they had been married, and it was their tradition. Already Tyki could hear talk about what a wonderful bachelor he was, a young rye with a powerful leader.

"Have you even been listening to me?" Lavi asked suddenly, making Tyki blink at him in confusion. He blushed lightly when he realized Lavi had his hands in his hair still, the towel having fallen to his neck from the younger's vigorous drying. His flush deepened when he saw Lavi's eye sparkling in amusement- - -he'd been caught staring at the pale boy.

Lavi hugged him again, the action softer this time as the red head pulled Tyki slowly towards his body, his head fitting perfectly under the gypsy's.

"I'm happy to see you too." He murmured quietly. Tyki sighed softly, allowing the boy a moment more before placing his hands on his shoulders and pushing Lavi back firmly.

"You never came." It was a soft-spoken accusation, as Tyki couldn't bring himself to yell in the Kanda household, and a question in one sentence. Lavi bit his lip. "You never came, and I never saw you again until now."

"That wasn't my idea!" Lavi grabbed his wrists with his hands, forcing Tyki to keep contact. "I swear upon my life, it wasn't!"

"Then whose?"

"Bookman kept me indoors all that winter." Lavi muttered, an annoyed glare on his face. "He gave me all sorts of pointless, useless assignments. And when I finished one, he had another for me."

"Why didn't you try to sneak out?" Tyki asked, frowning lightly. Lavi made a slight face, shrugging.

"It's hard to when your mentor is keeping such close watch on you." Lavi murmured petulantly, kicking at the floor beneath him. "Bookman even gave me really really hard tasks, so when it got too late all I could do was sleep." He scowled heavily, still holding on to Tyki's arms. "And then, by the time I managed to get a break, you guys were gone."

Feeling just a bit guilty he'd thought so poorly of Lavi (there was no way the boy was lying- - -he looked far too annoyed to be telling anything but the truth), Tyki pulled his arms away from Lavi's grip and placed his hands on Lavi's face, just underneath his eyes. The red head stiffened almost instantly, and Tyki paused, curious and slightly frowning.

"Lavi...?" He said softly when Lavi's visible eye closed. "What- - -"

"Sastimos, Tyki!" The air was forcibly and suddenly pushed out of his lungs as voices crowded over each other.

"Kak Tyki, you're all wet! Were you looking for us?" Tyki, gasping for breath, looked down to see silver hair and blue-purple hair attached to his dryer upper body. Rhode looked up at him and smiled sweetly, her arms tightening around his waist.

She looked different, and for a moment Tyki couldn't tell why.

Her hair was brushed, completely tangle-free, and had been braided from the top of her head all the way down to the very last couple of strands. Her cross tattoos seemed darker against her dark skin because of it, all of them visible on her forehead instead of half hidden by her hair. She wasn't wearing his shirt either- - -her clothes were replaced with a light pink long sleeved shirt, the material flowing down her arms as easily as the outfit Tricia had made for her birthday and first performance. There were two buttons on her collar, and the front was lacy and frilly (and so out of her character for Tyki he had to blink), the shirt drawing attention to the chest that was beginning to show. She was wearing a black skirt that went down to the tops of her knees, and she had purple and pink striped socks that disappeared underneath it.

"What are you wearing?" Tyki gaped at her. Rhode smiled wider and let him go, backing up a little and spinning around to completely show off the outfit.

"Isn't it cute?" She asked. "Lenalee gave it to me." Tyki sighed, rubbing his eyes and smiling slightly. Leave it to Rhode to play dress up while he and the others were worried back at camp.

"We need to go back soon, you two." Tyki said, trying to ignore the pleading look he got from Allen and his niece. "Everyone is worried about you two- - -especially because of today." He shot a meaningful look at Allen, who dropped the pleading look and bit his lip.

"I told you this was a bad idea." He hissed at Rhode. The girl stuck her tongue out at him before looking at Tyki and crossing her arms.

"It's storming out there." She said firmly. "That's why Allen and I haven't gone back yet. Kanda-sama said we could take refuge in her home for tonight. Can't we at least stay until the storm is through?" Tyki glanced outdoors again, his gaze thoughtful.

It was raining rather hard, and thunder could be heard in the distance. With the sun gone, it was almost impossible to see what time it was, and it was likely they wouldn't be able to find their way back to camp (it was amazing enough that Lavi had almost managed to find it, and Tyki able to get into town). Rhode was insistent to stay, and though Allen hadn't really said anything, Tyki could sense his reluctance to leave as well. And Lavi...

Well, who knows when he'd get a chance to speak to the red-head again?

"All right," He said with a sigh, rubbing his temples as he turned to face them again. "We'll stay."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lavi leaned heavily onto his arm, his visible green eye half opened. Laying across the floor was a young girl with green-tinted black hair and a plain yet clearly expensive black dress. She was giggling with Rhode and teaching her how to play some sort of hand game. Her name, if Tyki recalled correctly, was Lenalee Lee (her brother was Komui Lee, well-known for the scientific discoveries he and his team made, as well as his almost obsessive and constant worry for his younger sister, his only remaining family).

Across from them was Allen, who had fallen asleep next to Kanda Yuu. Tyki worried for a moment about the sense in that- - -since he had agreed to stay, and most likely before as well, all Allen and Kanda Yuu did was fight. It would start with a comment about 'a certain Moyashi' and then turn into an all out verbal war until Lenalee stepped in to stop it, as she seemed to be the only one who could raise a hand against the boy and survive it. Once, Kanda even grabbed a sword from the wall and aimed the sheathed blade at Allen; Tyki had nearly jumped up to grab it away, but Lenalee just whacked the older boy in the head and took it away from him.

Now, however...

Allen was asleep on the ground, his hands cushioning his head. He was curled slightly, as if he was cold, and every now and then a whimper would come from him- - -a nightmare, Tyki guessed, about Mana. Next to him, Kanda Yuu sat in a medatitve pose, his back straight, his eyes closed, hands placed firmly on his knees. Every whimper or noise from Allen made his face twitch slightly, until he cracked an eye open and glared down at the sleeping gypsy. Allen whimpered again, his hand slowly sliding against the wood floor inch by inch until it hit Kanda Yuu's knee. With a silent sigh, he dropped the pose and reached down, gently cradling Allen's head as Kanda Yuu brought it to his lap. Settling himself and Allen slowly so that the boy would stay asleep and they would be more comfortable, Kanda Yuu glanced down at Allen; as Tyki watched, the cobalt eyes seemed to soften, though it was slight as if the boy was trying to deny it with all his mind, and his hand carded slowly and repeatedly through Allen's silver locks.

Tyki looked away before he could be seen watching- - -he wouldn't want to ruin what could be something to heal Allen a bit more.

"Are you still mad at me, Tyki?" Lavi asked quietly from his side. Tyki glanced down at him, but the red head continued to stare at Rhode and Lenalee across from them.

"I suppose not." Tyki sighed. He felt Lavi turn his face into his arm, and felt the smile that crossed the red head's face at his answer.

"You weren't there either, you know." Lavi murmured against his arm. Tyki 'hmm?'ed, and Lavi took this as an invitation to elaborate. "The next year, I mean. You didn't come back. I waited and waited every day to see you again." He yawned. "Bookman wasn't too pleased, but he'd let me wait for a little bit every day. He didn't have much choice, because I kept fighting against him all the time and there was nothing else he could do. I drove him mad."

"My apologies." Tyki said quietly back, his eyes drifting from where Rhode was playing a game with a girl who treated his niece as if they were on the same class level to Allen's sleeping face as he slept in peace on the lap of a boy who claimed to hate his cousin with every fiber of his being. "Lord Millennium took us farther than we'd ever been before. We almost missed staying here this season." Lavi made an acknowledging noise against his side, and the older gypsy could feel his eyes sliding shut.

"For a while..." He yawned again, settling himself more firmly into Tyki's side. "For a while, I blamed you..." Tyki looked down at him, curious, as the boy continued to get comfortable against him. "I got kidnapped one time while waiting for you, the first year you didn't come back. Bookman paid the ransom to get me back, but..." Even half asleep, Lavi seemed to struggle with the story, a combination of not wanting to tell it yet wanting to get it out as soon as possible and of the sleep that was quickly overtaking him. "It took him a couple of days...burned my eye..." Lavi sighed quietly and fell asleep.

It took Tyki a few moments to get over his shock and surprise. Lavi had waited for him? The thought hadn't crossed Tyki's mind before, when he'd been angry at the red head for leaving him as suddenly as he did. He could picture Lavi, sitting in the tree they normally did, watching the distance for any sign of them. Getting his hopes up every time a group of people passed by only to have them shot down brutally when they were close enough for him to realize it was not the Millennium Earl and his enormous group of traveling performers and Noah. With another sigh, Tyki hesitantly moved his arm; Lavi made a noise at the sudden movement, but didn't wake. Tyki draped his arm over Lavi's shoulders and pulled him just a bit closer.

For a moment, Tyki wondered if he should trust Lavi again. If the red head ever decided to disappear without word again, the betrayal would be different from when he was younger- - -it would be more intense, harder to get over alone. As it was, the innocent feelings he'd had as a boy were stronger for the red head against him, and it deeply unsettled Tyki. He was slowly yet surely growing fonder and more attached to Lavi, and while it didn't bother him that he was becoming attracted to a male (nobody in his troupe would mind- - -the gypsy way was open and accepting of anyone and any relationship, whether it be what society perceived as natural, or the supposed 'sin' society labeled any other relationship that was not between a male and a female), it bothered him that his attraction was to someone of a higher class. In the event of Lavi rejecting him once more, Tyki didn't want to have to involve the Earl or anyone else into a situation where he had to dwell in misery due to his stupidity, his own inability to learn from his mistakes. And he may not be able to forgive him a second time, if Lavi did.

Then Lavi moved in his sleep, unconsciously adjusting his arms so that they were wrapped around Tyki's waist and his head was placed underneath the older gypsy's chin. Tyki wrapped his arm tighter around Lavi's shoulders, his eyes closing as he tilted his head to rest on Lavi's. The red head murmured something in his sleep, something that sounded suspiciously like the gypsy's name, and it made Tyki smile. He wrapped his arms around Lavi tighter, inhaling deeply and getting the red head's scent mixed in with the air he breathed in.

It would be all right, Tyki decided. After all, if Lavi had been waiting for them for the past three seasons, he wouldn't want to stay any longer than he had to either.

And maybe, after a bit longer, they could see if he'd want to become a gypsy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Please don't do this again!" Tricia had her arms wrapped firmly around her daughter, Sheryl holding the both of them tightly. Rhode struggled lightly, trying to pull away so she wasn't smothered, a bag in her hands from Lenalee. Allen was standing by Cross, who had been grudgingly taking care of the boy since Mana's death. Cross stared at Allen for a long moment before turning away.

"The next time you do this will be your last." He muttered warningly before turning away completely. Tyki moved over to Allen when the man disappeared, touching his head softly when the boy bowed his head to hide the hurt that flashed through his eyes.

"He means well." He said after a moment. Allen rubbed his eye with his clothed left hand.

"I know." He muttered. "Doesn't make him any less of a bastard."

"Language, Allen." Tyki chided gently, rubbing the boy's head. "It isn't proper for a boy of eleven seasons to say such things just yet." Allen nodded again and sighed.

"Do you know when this season ends?" Allen asked curiously, looking back at the town. Tyki watched him out of the corner of his eye, wondering about the sudden interest in their movement. When he responded with a negative, Allen nodded absently. "Do you think the Earl would mind it if I spent most of my time in town this season?"

Now Tyki looked at the silver-haired boy fully, a frown on his face.

"I don't think he'd mind, per say..." He said slowly, trying to carefully choose his words. "Though he would want to know why, Allen." Underneath his gaze, Tyki watched as Allen turned five shades of red and stammered something about swords and the color blue- - -

And Tyki understood.

With a grin, he ruffled Allen's hair, which made the boy cry out in shock and surprise. Allen looked at him, his eyes narrowed in what would be a glare if he hadn't been pouting at the same time. Tyki leaned forward almost conspiratorially.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with the Kanda family, would it?" He asked. Allen turned another shade of red, to the older's immense amusement. "Specifically, the youngest son, Kanda Yuu?"

"Enough!" Allen hissed, his face a dangerous shade of scarlet. Tyki chuckled slightly until Allen spoke again. "You like Lavi, so you have no right to tease me!" Tyki choked a bit, staring down at Allen with wide gold eyes. "I saw you both a few moments before we all woke up to come home. You were both sleeping, arms around each other. It was like watching Sheryl and Tricia when they sleep...except, you know, Lavi isn't a woman. And you are nothing like Sheryl." Determined silver eyes glared resolutely into shocked gold ones, and for a moment Tyki battled: to tell, or to keep it secret?

Allen snorted and Tyki felt himself crumble.

"We'll do it together." He agreed grudgingly. "That way, Lord Millennium isn't as suspicious as he would be."

"Deal." Allen said instantly. For a moment, their gazes met again, and Tyki looked at the boy who was his adoptive cousin fully for the first time in far too many seasons.

His silvery-white hair was falling into silvery-gray eyes, his pale face dark with blood. The dark red on his face hid part of the tattoo that covered his left eye and cheek, though the red pentacle on his forehead remained. At eleven seasons, he still hadn't remembered anything before Mana found him stumbling around on the side of the road while they traveled. Tyki's gaze dropped down to the button up shirt that was his own as well, the white cloth not covering the place on Allen's shoulder where the burn mark began. Tyki had only seen the mark a few times, as Allen strived to keep that part of his body hidden from everyone; they all assumed he'd had the habit long before Mana ever saw him, because he was extremely good at it, and had been since they found him when he was supposedly four seasons. He was wearing loose black pants and was barefoot, like the rest of the group; Tyki entertained for a moment the idea of Allen one day leaving them, because he was so different from the rest of the group that took him in. He had the type of skin that never tanned, only burned, and despite the love he had for his adoptive family, Allen always seemed to have a different goal in his mind, one that differed from the family desire to wander from town to town for performances (never mind the fact of them not being related by blood, with the exception of Sheryl and Tyki).

With a sigh, Tyki ruffled Allen's hair again, ignoring the boy's surprised noise.

"Come on." He muttered finally. "Let us get food and inform everyone we are back." He glanced at Rhode before steering Allen away. "Come, quickly, before Sheryl and Tricia decide to strangle us as well." As they raced around the camp, Tyki felt something forming in the pit of his stomach, something that felt warm and happy, a completely welcome feeling.

He threw his head back and laughed, feeling completely at ease for the first time since he was eleven seasons and making plans in a tree with Lavi.

, I thought I was going to die typing this out. XD haha sorry this took forever to get out, guys. Monday/Tuesday my mom and sister drove me from Arizona to Cali, and Sunday there was a small...accident...while we were camping...and basically, I had the longest and best three weeks in Arizona. XD haha anyway, since nobody really cares about what happened to ME, I figured I'd stop torturing d-gray-geek (you make me blush, darling, but I love reading what reviews you leave me and it makes me happy that you'll read my chapters then take more time to leave reviews for me to read) and Yueaifang (I can't remember if I messaged you back last chapter- - -did I? I sincerely hope I did, as I love the reviews you leave for me as well), my best and most dedicated reviewers, about what happens to Lavi. XD (by the way, as this will be shorter than 'A Bullet With Butterfly Wings', I'm going to focus on finishing this first...there's really only two or three more chapters to write up, really, which makes me kinda sad...my first d gray man fic, all grown up and left to fanfiction's cruel reality...haha XD)

According to the website I found:

Kak=uncle

Prikasa=bad luck or bad omen

Rye=gentleman

Sastimos=good health or to your health; used as a greeting