They left the town the with the rising of the sun on the next day

Author's Notes:

Back with a new chapter of fanon story line! :D Even though Ivory Tales will follow the manga closely, I still felt the urge to include some special missions so the story is more of a creative process than me just rewriting the manga...

With that said; behold "Hans" the Finder. XD (I hope a certain someone won't bash me now. She voted for "Peter"...)

Edit: This friend didn't bash me, but she told me that I forgot to change one "XY" (where I was still undecided how to call him) with "Franz". How embarrassing...

Disclaimer: D.Gray-Man belongs to Katsura Hoshino

Kapitel 15: Different Opinions

They left the town the with the rising of the sun on the next day. Ellen was looking fresh and beautiful in the morning rays, while they were walking on a gravelpath trough yellowish hills. The exorcists and the finder were headed for the station where they would take a train to their next mission. Kanda observed Ellen while she was cheerfully talking to Toma; all the frustration and despair she must have felt just after the mission had been washed away from her face. She was as cheerful as ever, making polite and girly conversation with Toma, who nodded from time to time. Kanda would have liked to join in, even if just to be listening to her talk to him, but somehow he didn't dare to. They were exorcists, he always told himself, there was no need for being emotional and sappy when they were on their way to the next mission. And then there was the finder. Kanda glared at his back, wishing that he would just go away, even though he didn't dislike him in any way (well, he was a finder, but for a finder he was tolerable).

"Will you join us on our mission, Toma?", Kanda asked, interrupting a conversation about gardening, and Toma turned to look at him.

"No Sir, I will stay at the town, but another finder, knowing the surrounding area better than me, will join you", he answered and Ellen looked at him.

"But you will rejoin us as soon as we have finished?", she wanted to know and Toma nodded. Ellen smiled, but Kanda was grumpy for the rest of their walk.

--

The male exorcist was finally content when he could shut the compartmend door, leaving the finder outside. But when he sat down opposite Ellen, he didn't really know what to say. She was picking at the fabric of her uniform, lost in thoughts, but her face was slightly pink. It somehow was an awkward situation; this was the first time they were alone after things had calmed down a little bit. Kanda couldn't look into Ellen's head but he sure knew that he had thought a lot about their intimate moments spent together. He hadn't deceided yet what sleeping with Ellen really had meant for him. It had been important, as he somehow looked at it as the ultimate confirmation that he was in love with her. And of course he decided that there was to be no other woman for him but Ellen Walker - which, he thought, was how it should be. They both were young but if they survived, things might work out between them. However, that was just his view of their relationship. Ellen's thoughts on this topic might be quite different. Kanda thought that he was pretty grown up and that thinking about matters such as serious relationships and marriage was a very grown-up thing to do. But speaking about these things to the other party it concerned was an entirely different matter. Maybe it would be easiest to just start a conversation with her.

"Have you ever been to Switzerland?", he asked after getting her attention with an embarrassed coughing sound. Ellen looked up at him with a surprised face, then she nodded, a smile easily forming on her lips.

"I have, yes"

"So have I...", Kanda admitted, "a pretty nice landscape, don't you think?". The Japanese had to force himself to say these things, because his vocabulary didn't usually include such things as "pretty" or "nice" or even polite questions. It was a fact that with Ellen is was a bit easier, but it was still highly embarrassing to initiate such a girly talk. But Ellen responded very well to the subject of the conversation, her grey eyes sparkling with adoration at once.

"Oh yes, definitivly! The solitude of the alps with these majestic mountains, peeks covered in snow, circled by puffy clouds! The deep, calm seas and the long walks on their shore. The big green forests with moss covered ground", she said and sighed, "every romantic person's dream". Kanda couldn't quite agree on that but he decided to nod anyway.

"I've only passed most of the Alps, but I've stayed in various cities. It is quite different than London".

"Yes, that is true. I am pretty excited to return, even if it is for a mission. I wonder what it will be about...?", the girl said and looked outside, "I sure do hope it will be easier".

"You will do fine...", Kanda assured her and she smiled at him, "you're pretty strong for a beansprout". At once he had Ellen's indignantl glare directed at him and she huffed.

"There you go again with the name-calling I will make up a name for you as well, stupid Kanda!", she yelled and pouted. Amusedly, Kanda raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well then, I'm waiting?", he challenged her and she formed something like a glare, but then the girl turned her head away.

"No. That would be childish", he said, her nose turned up, "I am not the childish one here". Kanda snorted amusedly and leant forward, studying her, which made her look at him uneasily.

"Right...", he said, which only caused Ellen's face to redden.

"Stupid Kanda!"

"Silly beansprout"

--

When the lights were fading outside the train window, the two exorcist got ready for the night. Kanda helped Ellen making her bed and didn't go out to get changed. The girl turned away her head with red cheeks.

"What's your problem?", Kanda asked and sat on his bed, waiting for Ellen to get undressed.

"You got nearly naked in front of a girl!", she complained and Kanda raised his eyebrows, "that is not proper!".

"You have to be kidding me. You've seen me naked!", Kanda protested with a laugh and shook his head. The white haired girl blushed and turned away from him.

"I know but... That... That was an exception", she replied which made Kanda look at her back with a frown.

"An exception?"

"You cannot get undressed in front of a girl that easily! What if anybody had come in and saw that? We must not be that intimate!", she explained and Kanda narrowed his eyes. What was the girl talking about? Secrecy?

"Well fine then. I need to wash my hair anyway", he said and walked out of their compartment to the bathroom. Ellen waited until he had closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief. Even if they had slept together, they weren't married. Ellen could not allow such intimacy between herself and a man her mother hasn't approved of. She felt a bit bad about it for Kanda, because she really did like him. He was nice and protective. It should just go on how it had been before.

--

Kanda sat with Toma because he didn't want to return to the compartment just yet. Fine, he had told Ellen that they were exorcists, but he hadn't told her that he wanted to keep it a secret from the world. He loved her after all, he wanted to express it somehow and be with her if he could!

"Something is troubling you, Mister Kanda", the finder said. Kanda snorted - if even a finder could read him so well, where would this end? With an Akuma giving him advice on love?

"The girl is driving me mad", he told him and Toma frowned.

"She is?", he wondered and Kanda stared ahead sourly, "well. She is young, a girl of her age is bound to be moody."

"I got the impression that she's not moody but stiff", he snorted. Toma sighed but then he started playing with his cards.

"She's from a noble family. Maybe you should give her time to adapt". Kanda was slightly disturbed by the fact that the finder knew exactly what Kanda was hinting at. And that he had an answer ready for his problem. But he was probably right. Kanda already had told himself that she was still young and that he had to be rational. But he had let himself go and fall head over heals for the little girl, ignoring rationality for the sake of fuzzy emotions. To be fair, Ellen hadn't really rejected him, but her attempt at distance stung a bit. Well, maybe it was just his pride which took the blow? Whatever it was, there was no sense to go brooding over it. He had to live with the current situation and as long as Ellen was an able exorcist he should not care too much. But he still somehow wished that their relationship didn't return to the way it had been before.

Kanda came back to their compartment where Ellen was already sitting under her covers, looking out of the window.

"Ah, Kanda, there you are", she said with a smile and watched Kanda getting into his bed, "you stayed away for a long time. Are you angry with me?"

"No. Shut up beansprout, I'm trying to sleep", came Kanda's reply and the girl frowned.

"Well... Fine... Good Night, Kanda". Kanda had to force himself to ignore her. Time to adapt, right...

--

They arrived at the nearest station at noon on the next day. Ellen breathed in the fresh, cold air with a smile on her face.

"Lucerne is such a beautiful place to be. My aunt always visits this city to enjoy the lake and the view of the mountain", she said and Kanda just nodded. "I wonder what disturbes the town".

"If I may say something on the matter", Toma spoke up and Ellen turned to him, "if you direct your eyes to Mount Pilatus you will see what people on the train have told me". The white haired girl frowned and looked into the distance where the mountain lay, looming over the lake and the town. The sky was very dark and the upper part of the mountain was hidden in dark clouds.

"My, looks like a thunderstorm!", she exclaimed, then she turned back to Toma, "but what is exceptional about it?"

"This had been going on for weeks now. Many people come to visit the town in order to admire the landscape and climb the mountain. It is understandable that the people are troubled because the visistors are not pleased with the weather"

"Tch. We now have to prevent nature from working?", Kanda snorted and pulled his coat closer because the wind was icy cold. Ellen did the same and shot an incertain glance at the mountain.

"It sure looks intimidating like this", she confessed.

"That's not all there is. There are many legends and myths about the mountain. People kept telling me that the ghost of Pontius Pilatus was disturbed by someone and that this now caused this strange weather"

"Pontius Pilatus? The procurator of Judea?", Kanda asked and Ellen turned to look at him.

"But that was too long ago, was is not? He was a human, it is nothing like with Lala! It cannot be his ghost!"

"Why are you getting so worked up over it? Are you afraid of ghosts?", Kanda asked with a smirk and she frowned at him, with red cheeks.

"I suggest that we go to the inn, where you will meet another finder. He knows this place very well", Toma spoke up and Ellen was pretty happy to be spared the embarrassment.

The walked into town, Kanda close to Ellen, but he couldn't quite muster the courage to put his hand in hers or to draw her close so she wouldn't be cold. But Ellen didn't really show any signs of being cold or needing him. They arrived at their hotel after a short silent walk.

The hotel was a big building with many lit windows. Toma opened the door for the exorcists and they went inside the warm house. It was filled with noises, even though they were only in the reception hall. The man behind the counter raised his eyebrows at them and their strange clothes.

"We are from the Black Order. I guess we have a reservation", Toma told the man who just looked at him quizzically.

"Toma!", the finder and the exorcists turned to find another man rushing to them from another room, probably the restaurant.

"It's you, hello Hans", Toma greeted. Hans was a man with bright brown hair and a prominent moustache.

"Good to see you!", he said with a rather strong accent, "those must be the exorcist. My, a girl! That's a rare thing!". Allen made a courtsey, while Kanda just snorted. The finder smiled and turned his attention back to Toma. "Listen, my friend. We have a problem; this hotel is fully booked, as all others are, due to the many travels who refuse to go home before they have not been up on Pilatus". Kanda made a grimace and a disapproving sound. He strode to the reception and banged his fist down.

"We are exorcists! We have the right to have a room!", he shouted, but the man just ducked away.

"Not many exorcists pass here and this is a very exquisite hotel...", Hans explained with an apologetic frown. Ellen furrowed her brows, then she joined Kanda at the reception.

"Then why the hell did you organize to meet us here?!", the young man demanded.

"I have a question", Ellen said and the man looked back up at her.

"Tch. No use, this backwoods person doesn't understand us", Kanda spat and Ellen turned to look at him.

"Kanda please...", she said with a disapproving frown and the Japanesese backed off reluctantly, "Entschuldigen Sie. Ist Zimmer 107 noch für die Bermont Familie reserviert?". The receptionist suddenly looked excited; her ability to speak German and the well-known name clearly doing their part.

"Lassen Sie mich schauen", he said and checked a heavy book, "Ja! Und Sie wären...?"

"Ellen Bermont", she replied and Kanda raised an eyebrow at her. The man took a key from the wall behind him and handed it to Ellen. "Danke". The girl turned back to the others, holding the key out. "I think that this problem is solved".

"My, a young girl speaking German! I am delighted!", the finder said and Ellen smiled at him. "I am relieved that you have a room! And I am really sorry for the inconvenience". Ellen smiled and shook her head.

"But where will you and Toma stay?", the girl wondered and Hans laughed.

"Do not worry about us finders, we always find places to stay! But go up now and rest. We'll discuss the mission after dinner!". Ellen nodded and started to climb the stairs, Kanda staying behind. When she realized this, Ellen turned around and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"If you wish I'll join the finders", he said, but Ellen frowned.

"I do not wish that. You are free to come with me", she answered and waited for Kanda to follow her. He hesitated, but started climbing up the stairs as well. They arrived at a corridor and Ellen led the way to a door. She put the key inside the lock and opened the door to room 107. She went inside, Kanda following her.

"Why did you get this room so easily?", Kanda wanted to know als Ellen sat down on the bed. The room was very spacious, with a lot of luxurious looking furniture and big windows.

"I mentioned that my aunt visits this place often. She always has a room reserved to spare her the trouble to go looking for one"

"Bermont...", Kanda said and Ellen looked away. He decided not to pester her about it, "well. I am going to rest now", he said and took of his shoes.

"Oh. Come here, lie down for a bit", Ellen suggested and pointed to the huge bed she was sitting on. Kanda was somehow glad that she offered it and lay down on the bed beside her. She just sat there, looking out of the window without saying anything. The young man looked at her back and her white hair. He lifted his hand and touched the silky strands. Ellen turned her head to look at him with a slightly confused expression.

"I like your white hair... It's divine", Kanda confessed and Ellen had to laugh despite herself.

"Well, thank you! You will transform into a poet if you can talk this way about my hair!". Kanda grimaced. She was not taking him seriously!

"Your hair is your hair! Of course I like it! And a tunnel is still a hole in a mountain!", he defended himself and Ellen smiled down at him.

"Fine... Thank you", she said and let herself fall down next to him, but not too close. She turned her head to look at Kanda and saw how the hair was spread out over the pillow between them. "Look how your black hair is contrasting mine". Kanda frowned at her sceptical expression. He lifted his hand and let his finger ghost over her cheek. She blused, but didn't draw away.

"No. They compliment eachother just perfectly", he said. Ellen looked at him through her white eyelashes, then she sighed deeply and closed her eyes. Kanda still looked at her, but then he sat up against the metal posts of the bed. He looked out of the window, lost in thought. Ellen didn't comment on it, but opened her eyes, looking at her white hair with a unhappy expression on her face. Somehow... This didn't feel right.

"Kanda...", she whispered, but was interrupted.

"You must be tired. It was a long journey", he answered and put his hand on her head and started to stroke her hair. Ellen was not satisfied with this, but she didn't want to argue with him right now. So she closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

--

Ellen awoke when she felt the bed beneath her shift. She opened her eyes and looked up to the white ceiling.

"It's time for dinner. Your stomach was growling". Ellen sat up and saw Kanda in black trousers and a white shirt standing at the door. He raised his eyebrows at her and Ellen sighed. "I'm leaving you behind", he warned and the girl got up from her bed, following Kanda obediently.

"I am not nicely dressed", Ellen remarked and looked down at herself, "I still wear men's clothes and the fabric of my trousers is even torn at some places". Kanda looked at her and snorted.

"You're still beautiful. So stop complaining", he told her and patted her head. Ellen's cheeks flamed red and she looked up at Kanda indecisivly.

"Well... Thank you, Kanda...", she said with a half-hearted smile, "I appreciate your words of comfort". Kanda stopped and turned to look at the girl.

"These were not words of comfort! I am serious!", he hissed but she just looked up at him with wide eyes, her lips pressed together. "Che. Fine, have it your way!". He lifted his hand from her head and hurried down the stairs. Ellen followed slowly, very unsure about what she actually wanted Kanda to say. He was very nice and his words flattered her, but still... She didn't regret sleeping with him, not in the slightest bit, but she couldn't just go and get romantically involved with him! They had met eachother a month ago and didn't even know eachother that well!

"Still... I consented. I could have stopped him, but I did not want to...", the girl nearly fell down the last steps of the stairs because she was that lost in thoughts, but Kanda was there to grab her arm.

"Pay attention where you're going", he warned her and she merely managed to nod. Kanda mustered her sceptically, but then they went inside the restaurant. As it was a very fine hotel they were staying in, the restaurant was equally luxurious. Ellen felt oddly out of place. As Kanda showed the a waiter his exorcist cross, they were guided to a table in the back, but before Kanda could ask her to take a seat, Ellen ducked behind him. "Oi, you idiot! What are you doing?!", he hissed at her and even the waiter looked at her with wide eyes.

"There are people that I recognize, friends of my mother! I dare not to sit here when they could very well see me!", Ellen whispered and Kanda rolled his eyes at her vanity, "Look at how I am dressed!", the girl hissed. Kanda groaned, but then he turned to the waiter.

"We want to eat in the kitchen", he told him and, with a highly doubting grimace, the waiter turned around to guide them to the restaurant's kitchen.

--

Ellen breathed a heavy sigh of relief as she was sitting on a wooden stool, plate of food on her lap.

"I thought you'd left your vanity behind", Kanda snorted, picking at his meal angrily. Ellen raised her head and looked at him with an unhappy expression.

"Do not mock me, please Kanda...", she replied and sighed, "but I do not want my mother to know how ungraceful her daugther behaves. Sitting in the kitchen is bad enough, but at least the kitchen staff does not know me".

"Why do you care that much?", the young man demanded annoyedly and Ellen focused her attention on her noodles.

"Is it not obvious? I do not want my mother to lose face. By disgracing myself in the front of mother's acquaintances, mother will surely have to take the blame... As she did take the blame for having a possessed daughter". Kanda stayed silence for a while as Ellen made an unhappy face, but still continued eating her second menu.

"But didn't you also take your share of unhappiness? It is you after all who bears the Innocence..."

"Mother always wanted the best for me and I cannot do something which could harm her reputation or make her disappointed in me...", Ellen argued and Kanda lowered his eyebrows.

"Even not eating in a restaurant when other high-class people are present. There might have been a chance that they didn't even recognize you... But you still took the risk to get the room that belongs to the Bermont family..."

"The room belongs to my aunt...", Ellen meekly replied.

"I don't care, beansprout. I am not going to ask questions about it", Kanda replied with a snort and put his plate to the floor.

"I... I just cannot go against my mother"

"Well, that's fine with me. Your mother is responsible for you until you marry", Kanda replied and this made Ellen lower her head even more.

"Let us not talk about it...", she replied and Kanda thought that "silence" was the best answer to that.

To be continued

Note:

Well... A mission to Switzerland, who would have thought...? :3 I've recently been told about Pilatus and the legends (both Wikipedia and the official page of Mount Pilatus has them listed... If you're interested you know where to look...), so I thought "hey, why not?". Passing Switzerland on the way back up to Northern Europe makes sense, and stoping for a mission there is plausible. X3

About the German lines in there; I do not think it's necessary to translate them - Kanda doesn't seem to understand it either...

And poor Kanda is having a hard time because of Ellen... I almost feel sorry for him.

Reviews are nice! :D