A/N: Sorry I haven't worked on this for a good while. I was a bit stuck on this chapter, since I ran out of ideas to write!(x But here you go! And thank you so much to Kademe, lizy2000, The Moyashi Beansprout Midget, Lena-luvs-cats, Neah D. Walker, mellifluousMondegreen, Sakura Hyuga, XavierForest, ACertainCuriousReader, and Red raspberries for all taking the time to review!(: And hopefully you've all stuck around to enjoy this chapter! Hope you all like it!^.^

Disclaimer: If I lied and claimed that I own this, would I get sued? Pfft, let's try! I totally own everything from this manga—*is maimed by Kanda* … N-never mind…

Chapter 3

Time Frame — Afternoon of December 26th, 1887

—1st Person POV—

The one nice thing about being so small, was the fact that I could comfortably curl up anywhere. I took full advantage of this fact while sitting on the padded seat of the private train compartment, bringing my knees up beneath my chin and curling my arms around my legs. "So, what now?" I wondered, gazing at the seat across, where General Cross sat back, relaxed, glass of wine in hand.

"Have you spoken with Neah, yet? I need to know whether we'll be able to have his full cooperation before we can plan our next move," Cross replied, lazily swirling the blood red liquid in his glass.

I shook my head. "I think he's returned to his slumber, but I'll be sure to speak with him tonight."

"Good," the General's voice rumbled, "Now, do you know how to activate your Innocence?"

"No," I frowned. "I haven't really thought of attempting to do so. Not only have I not had the time, but if I were to do so, I'd attract Akuma before I could even figure out how to use it…"

Cross tilted his head in a nod. "Smart of you. But now that the plan is fucked up, you only have a little bit of time before you need to be ready to confront both the Noah and the Black Order. I have a couple ideas cooking up, but they'll all be worth shit if you're not prepared."

"How encouraging," I huffed, lips pursed in thought. What on earth was I getting myself into…? But whatever it was, I had a feeling it was much too late to back out now… "That's not to say I won't be able to figure it out. With you around, I'm sure plenty of Akuma will be attracted to our location," I muttered, eyes cast down anxiously, hand absentmindedly reaching up to tuck errant, strands of red hair behind my ear. "Here's to hoping I don't get myself killed prematurely."

The General narrowed his single maroon orb, eyeing me critically. "Don't be such a moron. I'll help you out."

I glanced up sharply at him, momentarily gaping in reaction before shaking away the expression, a sardonic smile in place. "Certainly not looking forward to it… no offense, General."

Rather than being offended and acting indignant, Cross' features became darker with thought. "Kid, Allen, what on God's earth do you remember about me?"

That threw me for the loop. I grappled to find a quick, plausible answer, before shaking my head instead. I wasn't stupid enough to believe Cross wouldn't see right through me. So rather, I quietly wondered how I could explain to him that despite not explicitly knowing anything about his past, I knew about the way he would treat young Allen. And figuring that I would just make a mess of things, I veered my head over to watch the passing scenery through the window and mumbled an answer of, "You're an asshole. That's all."

"I see…"

"Ow! What was that for?!" I demanded indignantly, rubbing at the aching bruise Cross had just inflicted upon my head and narrowing my eyes at him heatedly. "That hurt!" I cried and cradled my throbbing skull.

"Don't be such a girl," Cross sneered.

"Well, you know what?!" I shouted, scrambling unto my feet atop the bench and ignoring the worried attendant that had just walked in on us. "I am a girl!"

… You could have a heard a pin drop in the dead silence that followed my declaration.

And then…

"Is everything alright?" the female attendant demanded, bug-eyed as her eyes flitted back and forth between Cross and I.

Whirling in her direction, I cried, "No! He hit me!"

Looking back on it, it was quite scary the way her eyes had suddenly narrowed.

Oh, he's so going to kill me… I thought with dread later that night, swinging my legs back and forth and pointedly avoiding the seething glare Cross was bequeathing me with from across the room. And if you hadn't already guessed, we were stuck at the police station; had been for hours now. The nurse at hand had checked me over thoroughly and had been appalled at the fading bruises and the occasional scar. She had been nice and caring, and fortunately, she'd believed me when I quietly explained to her the real reason behind them. I figured, that with the times being what they were, they wouldn't make too much of a fuss if I decided to stay with Cross, unlike how it would've been in my past life. Now, all there was to do was to wait while they sorted things out.

"Well, missy," the large policeman rumbled once he'd trudge over to my side, offering me a skeptical glance when he referred to me as "missy", as though my gender were truly debatable. Not that I could blame him; my ratty hair coupled with my trousers really maintained my boy-like image. "The nurse gave me a brief summary of everything. But as a man of the law, I am required to at the very least question you before letting you go; especially with the likes of that man." Here, he tossed his own, squinty-eyed scowl in Cross' direction. "Now, why is it that you are traveling with this man?"

I fiddled with my hands, but firmly replied, "Because we both agreed to it."

"Uh huh," he dubiously responded, and continued, "And what is your relation to him?"

"He…" I trailed of uncertainly, and discreetly turned my gaze in the General's direction, wondering how he wanted me to respond. But the bastard was leaning against the counter, shamelessly flirting with the policewoman that sat at the desk! And she was falling for his charms as well! Narrowing my eyes, I abruptly turned to the cop and loudly proclaimed, "He's my father!"

Without having to glance over, I knew Cross had choked on whatever stupid line he'd been using on the unfortunate lady.

It was difficult to keep my smirk at bay, but the policeman hardly seemed to notice as he moved on to his next question. "And where was he before you two found each other?"

"Um… traveling, I believe," I replied with a shrug, and to make it seem more authentic, I tacked on, "He didn't know about me until he passed through my hometown, looking for my mother. She's dead, but he had the luck of finding me."

"Oh, really?" The cop, despite being a little slow, was smart enough to point out, "But the nurse mentioned you were traveling with a circus. That is how you received your injuries, after all. At least, that's what you said."

"Err, yes of course," I quickly nodded, and clumsily explained, "I was with them for a good couple months, but uh, the circus makes rotations, and they usually end up returning to the same towns… especially that ones where they make good money! So I was able to return for a couple weeks, and knowing of me, my previous caretaker was able to point him in my direction."

"I see," the policeman nodded, a little more satisfied with my in depth explanation. "But how much do you know about this man? You mentioned you met him only a few weeks ago; has this been the first time he's hurt you in such a way?"

"Uh, well yeah…" (After all, I had only been traveling with him since yesterday.) A little embarrassed, I admitted, "He didn't really hurt me, and I sort of had him under the impression that I was a boy…"

"And what was the reason he hurt you in the first place?" he continued, relentless with his questioning, mustache quivering.

"Umm, I called him an asshole," I mumbled sheepishly, scratching my cheek.

"And what does he do for a living? You mentioned you two travel; where are you headed to nex—"

"Enough!" Cross growled, stomping over to us, expression ablaze with irritation. "I'm through with playing along. See this?" he demanded, jabbing a finger against the golden rose cross nestled against his chest. "It marks me as a General of the Black Order, and you should know what that means, because I know for a fact that most of the businesses in this town are supporters." The rotund policeman instantly paled in reaction, going a little bug-eyed. "And the idiot girl here is my apprentice. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're leaving this damn station."

Without warning, the General snatched me up and tossed me over his shoulder, and purposely strode out.

"… On a scale of one to ten, how badly do you hate me right now?"

"They'll never be able to identify your body."

"I'll take that as an 11."

"Oh, goodie," I muttered, as I sat up and curiously observed the sprawling lake. "It worked." After a moment, I took note of the thin, colorful threads intertwining through the still waters and immediately glanced away. If Allen had been forced to envision Lenalee's nightmares of the apocalypse, what did that mean for me? Gingerly, I rose to my feet and set onwards through the path, ignoring the skeleton-like trees that rustled eerily on either side of me. And just like the first time, I keenly eyed the shackled Noah approaching my view.

Except this time, I was more confident as I strode in his direction and reached up to grasp his arm. I gave him a firm shake, and then another when I received no reaction from him. It took a few minutes, but eventually, his heavy lids revealed groggy eyes, the golden color glazed over with sleep. "… Allen?"

"Um, yes," I nodded, observing his hooded gaze and wondering whether he'd stay awake long enough to hear me out. "Sorry, I know it's only been two weeks since you last awoke, but—"

"Two weeks? Already?" he demanded, sitting up a little straighter, and if he could, I'm sure he'd be attempting to rub the sleep away from his face. "What's going on with Mana—"

"Okay, chill out, will you?" I huffed, crossing my arms. "If it makes you feel any better, I already ditched him, so don't worry about it. I'm with Cross now."

Neah calmed slightly, and sighed, "I see."

"Yes," I nodded, "But let me cut to the chase now, will you? It's clear I shouldn't have awoken you so early, but I screwed up Cross' plans big time. And before we move forward, we need to know if we can have your cooperation."

"My cooperation?" A little more alert now, his eyes narrowed. "My cooperation for what?"

I took a deep breath and attempted to explain in a coherent manner, "Cross predicts that because I've made you aware, your recovery rate will hasten, and it'll allow you to fully be able to take over my body by the time I'm ten. Originally, it wasn't supposed to happen until I turned 15. But it's too late to turn back now. I certainly don't know the full extent of his plans at the moment, because first we want to know if you're willing to cooperate with whatever it is we'll come up with… and that might include playing nice with the Noah Clan."

Neah's gaze momentarily darkened, before he shook it away and tossed me a shrewd look. "What is it that you're not telling me? There's something else; otherwise Cross wouldn't find the need to ask for my help. And that bastard knows it too."

I hesitated, and then admitted, "Cross also predicted that by this time, your memories will have fully recovered to that last point of your life, right before your death. He says you'll most likely succumb to all the anger, rage and despair you felt in that moment, and act on it. If you're not willing to think rationally, then all is lost."

I briefly noted his hands fisting tightly against the throne's armrests, veins bulging. Darkly, he quietly asked, "And why shouldn't I?"

I forced down a shiver, and firmly replied, "Because, my body won't be prepared, and you'll only get both of us killed. The body of a ten-year-old isn't the most resilient, after all."

"… Last time, you mentioned that most of your own memories had been erased. Have you recovered any of them yet?"

Momentarily, I startled in reaction to the out-of-the-blue question. "Um, no. Why do you ask?"

Rather than answering, he abruptly demanded, "Then why is it that you're so set on doing this? You don't remember shit about any of us. What's in it for you?"

I involuntarily took a step back. His eyes narrowed further, and with a sad frown, I turned to walk away. It was as I was nearing the edge of the deadened forest that I called back, "For now, let's say that it's for the sake of my own peace of mind. But really, there's not much to live for when there's a bitter, old Noah waiting around to essentially eradicate my soul. So, might as well make it a good one, yeah?"

I continued on the path, and without shouting, Neah's voice easily carried over to my ears as he whispered, "I accept. I'll help you in any way I can."

Time Frame — Afternoon of January 4th, 1888

In retrospect, it really was fortunate that I was girl, because despite Cross' previous anger, it seemed that he didn't know what to do with me the moment it diffused. And if my observations were correct, I even think he felt a little awkward around me. Maybe it was the fact that the Allen he once knew was male… it sure as heck made sense when he asked me if I was sure I was a girl. And I'm sure that if it hadn't been for the nurse's confirmation, he wouldn't have believed me. But it was quite amusing how careful he was with me now. If I even so much as tripped, he was there, grasping onto the back of my shirt to make sure I didn't hurt myself. Heh, at least it was now obvious that he wouldn't be tossing me into the pathway of an Akuma anytime soon.

Even so, it still irritated me the way he dodge most of my questions. We'd been travelling nonstop for the past week, and he had yet to explain to me what he was planning; the only thing I'd gotten out of him was the fact that our destination was China and that he needed some supplies to form a new plan (not that I knew what any of it was), now that Neah's cooperation had been confirmed.

"This is our stop," General Cross remarked as he rose with a flourish, and was swift to head out of the train compartment. I hurriedly scrambled after him, my small hand gripping tightly unto his coat so that I wouldn't get swept up in the crowds.

"It's about time," I grumbled, though I doubted I could be heard above the throngs commuting the train station. "I was getting real sick of that stupid train."

As I trotted beside the General, I curiously observed the bustling port town as evening set in, and not so discreetly, wrinkled my nose in disgust. The streets were dirty and littered with trash, businesses of all types crowding together on either side of the narrow road. The lights were bright and blinding and the rotting stench of garbage mixed with grilled fish clogged my nose and made me want to gag. I could feel my skin becoming clammy with sweat as the filthy townspeople crowded on either side of me, attempting to shout over each other and creating an unending clamor for attention. Carts tumbled over the uneven roads, and the prostitutes on every corner were unashamed to make themselves known.

"Where are we?!" I demanded above the racket, trying to make myself heard.

"This is what we call the red light district," Cross answered, drawing me closer and hurrying along. Soon, we arrived to a large building, its vivid lights catching my attention and though I couldn't read the kanji, I had the dreaded feeling that I knew exactly where we were. And as Cross swept right in without a care in the world, my thoughts were confirmed. We were in a brothel.

"Ah, wait up!" I squeaked, when a half-naked lady tried to get my attention, and I practically dived into the folds of Cross' Exorcist coat, not even bothering to look where we were going, only keeping my head down and trotting along.

It wasn't until we entered a room on one of the top floors that I heard a soft feminine voice call, "Ah, Cross! I received your message, but I didn't realize you'd arrive so soon! But where is the girl?"

Before I could protest, Cross suddenly snatched me up by the scruff of my tunic and gently set me in front of him, where I could more clearly observe the lady he'd been speaking to. Her beauty was breathtaking; she was wrapped and covered in various layers of colorful silk, her lengthy hair trailed smoothly from beneath her traditional headwear, and her makeup was pleasant and skillfully done. Feeling slightly nervous, I wet my dry lips and fiddled with the hem of my shirt as I said, "Um, h-hello."

"Hello, I'm Anita," the beautiful lady introduced herself, and I almost kicked myself for not immediately recognizing her. "And you must be the young girl General Cross spoke so fondly of. Allen, was it?"

A little bug-eyed, I nodded, internally wondering, Fondly?! He spoke fondly of me?! What on earth…?!

Above me, Cross scoffed. "Alright, while you get acquainted with Miss Anita, I have to get going."

"What?!" I practically shouted, spinning around to face him. "You're leaving me here?!"

"Quiet down," Cross sighed, "I need to meet up with some of my contacts to figure a few things out. I should be back by morning." And in response to my look of scrutiny, he tacked on, "I'll explain everything later."

With a small, resigned sigh I took a step back. "Oh, okay fine."

Without another word, Cross swiftly strode from the room and I was left alone with Anita. A little self-consciously, I turned back to her, awkwardly scuffing my foot against the floor. But she simply smiled at me kindly and padded the silk cushions beside her. "Come here, Allen. Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself?"

"Um, like what?" I asked, gingerly sitting next to her and examining her apprehensively.

"For starters, how old are you?" she inquired in her silky tone of voice, never once losing her smile.

"Uh, six," I shrugged, though the words felt wrong and awkward on my tongue. I couldn't recall my exact age from my previous life, but I'm sure it was probably triple that, at the very least. "What about you?"

She seemed slightly surprised that I'd turned the question on her, but she simply lifted her shoulders in an elegant shrug of her own and replied, "I am 18."

My eyes widened a little; that's right. This was way early in the timeline; of course she'd be a lot younger. "Um, wow, that's pretty young. At least to be running a brothel, in any case."

Her dark eyes seemed to sadden before me as she softly replied, "Yes, after my mother's death, the burdened was carried over to me, and in honor of her, I gladly took the role." She then sent me her own look of scrutiny. "General Cross was right in his warning; you are quite the shrewd child."

My face reddened slightly with embarrassment, but it's not like I knew how to dumb myself down and make it believable. And I figured since most of my childhood would be spent travelling with Cross, it wouldn't matter all that much since I'd hardly attract any attention in that way. "Really? What else did he say about me?"

She beamed. "Not much, really. The poor man is at such a lost with what to do with you. He knows how to treat girl like me, but you're still so young and growing. He is unsure of how to properly treat you while also trying to effectively train you as an Exorcist. And it's already quite so obvious! You poor girl are in need of a makeover!"

"E-excuse me?!" I demanded, eyes widening. "I-I'm sorry Miss Anita, but I'm sure that's the last thing I need! Like you said, I am training to become an Exorcist; it'll be strenuous, dirty work, and I doubt there will be much time to—"

"This is exactly what I mean," she remarked, placing a dainty hand upon my shoulder. "You still need to learn how to be a girl, despite all this. You can't allow the war to take everything away from you, even if it's something as simple as occasionally dressing up. Now, come along," she said, gracefully rising to her feet. Grudgingly, I carefully stood, watching as she daintily removed her traditional headwear and shed away layers of her silk robes, until she was only wearing a single one. Embarrassed, I turned my head away when I noticed it was slightly see-through.

"Where are we going?" I wondered, as she took my hand and guided me through another set of rooms.

She tossed me a beautiful smile over her shoulder. "You'll see. I'm sure you'll love it!"

"Wow, this is heavenly," I sighed, as I sunk further into the steaming water. Anita had led me to her personal baths, which were quite expansive, and had me join her in taking a nice, long bath.

Rhythmically, she used a sponge to gently scrub the dirt caked on my back and shoulders. "I'm glad you think so. My mother used to do this for me when I was your age. They're some of my fondest memories."

My own smile saddened slightly, and I quietly replied, "Thank you for doing this for me, Miss Anita."

"Of course," she replied from behind me, and even then I could hear her smile. "It's my pleasure." Anita then paused and a moment later, her fingers were gently massaging my scalp, rubbing in the shampoo and creating suds and bubbles that trickled down to the water, creating a soapy foam around us. With another contented sigh, I relaxed further, allowing her to work on me, my earlier embarrassment completely forgotten. When was the last time I'd been so clean? It must have been at least a year, which made taking a bath all the more glorious.

Sadly, it finally came to an end when we took note of our skin wrinkling from the extended amount of time exposed to the water. Gingerly, I exited after her, accepting a robe and wrapping it around me, enjoying the fluffy warmth. We returned to her rooms, and she offered me an old set of silky pajamas that had once belonged to her. She then sat me in front of mirror, and took a seat behind me as she began to gently brush my dripping, wet locks.

"Would you mind if I cut your hair?" Anita wondered, eyeing my split-ends and uneven hair strands.

"Go for it," I shrugged, not particularly worried. It had been such a long time since I'd worried about my physical appearance; survival had always been my first priority in this life.

Anita offered me yet another smile, and once she found a pair of scissors, she carefully snipped away at my hair, pulling it this way and that, brushing it in certain directions and repeating the cycle. I grew bored pretty quickly, and didn't pay her much mind, until she finally called my attention to the mirror. By this point, my hair was mostly dry, and had been styled into a shoulder-length bob, a couple strands in the front a bit shorter in order to frame my cherubic face. "It's cute!" I grinned. "Thank you, Miss Anita!"

"You're welcome," she beamed, and was quick to sweep up the mess of red locks. One she was done, she kneeled beside, and reach over to a nearby drawer, pulling out folded, piece of silk. Unfolding it, she revealed it to be a black, Chinese-styled dress with red threading that looked to be around my size. "What do you think?" she asked. "It's called a cheongsam. It used to be mine when I was little. I was thinking you could wear it tomorrow."

"Um, wow, it's really pretty! Are you sure?" I questioned her, hesitantly reaching a hand out to run my fingers over the glossy fabric.

"I'm sure," she nodded, before folding it back up and placing it back in the drawer. "But that's not what I really wanted to show you!" Curiously, I watched as she once again reached over, but this time, she pulled into view a small suitcase. Nudging it in my direction, she happily chimed, "It's for you!"

"Um, thank you!" I smiled at her sincerely, though internally, I was wondering what on earth I was going to do with it. It's not like I had a penny to my name. But either way, it was quite a beautiful suitcase.

"No, silly girl," she laughed, "You have to open it!"

"Oh, uh, right! I knew that!" I scratched the back of my head sheepishly, and then reached over to unlock the clasp. Pushing the top open, my eyes widened in surprise as they took in the neatly folded clothing within it.

"When Cross told me about you, I knew this was going to be something that you needed. A merchant I know owed me a favor, so I had him bring me all this from London. Go on! Take a look!" she encouraged me with a grin.

"O-okay!" I said, cautiously pulling out each article of clothing to get a better look. I smiled, relieved at how practical she'd been with the good number of trousers she'd gotten. But of course, to accompany them, she'd gotten me some blouses. Additionally, she's gotten me a sturdy coat for protection and good pair of leather boots. "Wow, I-I don't know what to say!" She'd even bought me undergarments!

"You don't have to say anything," she smiled, taking my hand in hers. "I'm just happy that someone will be with Cross to accompany him. Look out for him for me, will you?"

"Oh, uh, of course," I nodded immediately in agreement. "Anything!"

"Thank you," she sighed in relief. "And I know this isn't a whole lot of clothing for a single girl, but I figure that you'll quickly grow out of it, so I included a small purse of money, just in case there's anything else you need. And if Cross ever tries to prevent from doing a little shopping, use me as a threat." Anita winked.

I laughed. "I'll be sure not to forget that!" And before I could changed my mind, I launched myself into her arms and gave her a tight hug. "But really, thank you for doing all this!"

Anita reciprocated my hug with a tight squeeze of her own. "I couldn't be happier to do so."

A/N: Initially, I hadn't planned on including Anita in this, but then I figured that she would be the most likely candidate for Cross to go to in a situation like this. And I'm sure glad I've included her! It was a lot of fun inserting her into this chapter; actually, the chapter as a whole was a lot of fun to write! But what did you guys think about it?

And so far, how do you all feel about OC!Fem!Allen? Since this story is just starting out, I'm still developing her character and personality. And considering the fact that the first few years of her life here, she was forced to be withdrawn, her personality is now, only trickling out. Hopefully, she'll gradually become her own person in the coming chapters.

Oh! And if any of you have any ideas, feel free to let me know! And don't forget to drop a review on your way out!(: