SUMMARY: First Allen has to be re-stitched because of his open wound and Kanda's not happy with the doctor they meet. Then there's Timcanpy. Where has he been all this time while Kanda and Allen are having great sex? Well, it seems he's been caged down in the dark bowels of the ship. Allen's been worried, but of course, Kanda could care less, but he'll do anything to keep Allen from worrying. They're both surprise when they find out what Timcanpy has been doing all of this time. I hope you enjoy the story.

THE CAVE: CONTINUUM

Part Five

Arms loop and hands clasp tightly around Kanda's neck as the body on his back starts sagging, feeling like Allen is ready to slip off. Kanda struggles to get a better hold onto Allen while he fights for breath. "Bean Sprout, are you awake?" Kanda gasps, barely getting the words out.

"Yes Kanda, but I'm getting weaker," Allen replies, feeling the pain in his side with every step Kanda takes.

"Do you think you could hold onto my shoulders with your hands instead of strangling me, moron," Kanda's voice sounds raspy from being choked.

"Oh, I'm sorry Kanda, maybe we should just go back to our room instead of the infirmary, the doctor might make a cabin call," Allen says nervously, having second thoughts about going into the infirmary.

"Idiot, we're almost there and you just said you're getting weaker. I'm not taking any chances with your health Bean Sprout, so just hang on so I don't drop you," Kanda hisses as he continues on to the infirmary.

Allen's imagination is getting the best of him as he thinks about the ship's infirmary being a stark and sterile environment, like the one that crazy Komui had used in repairing his Innocence – his left arm. Just one of many surgical ordeals he had suffered through, in sterile environments. Even now he shivers at the memories.

"Damnit, Bean Sprout, are you alright? We're almost there." Kanda's voice has a slight quiver to it, afraid something has worsen with the Sprout's condition as he piggybacks him onward to the infirmary.

"I'm okay Kanda. I had a slight chill," Allen lies, not wanting to bring up his experiences with Komui's 'surgeries' to his Innocence's at this time.

They finally reach the infirmary and, much to Allen's surprise, when they enter the room it didn't have the sterile appearance he had been afraid of seeing; rather it's just a clean room. It's a large room with horizontal planks for walls. The once dark wood walls over by an examination table is now a blend of blanch colors from years of using bleach to sanitize them, probably from the blood splatters of wounded sailors.

Looking to the back of the room a few cots line the wall, all bolted to the floor preventing them from shifting and sliding. On another adjacent wall, made of dark brown planks, tall white-wash wooden cabinets also are bolted to the wall, which holds an assortment of medical supplies and equipment.

There's ample countertop space for working, which is framed with molding tall enough to prevent objects from falling to the floor. The only moveable furniture is a tall cart, which appears the doctor uses to hold his equipment and medical supplies needed while working with a patient.

Kanda walks over to the long examination table, turns around backwards and sits Allen upon it. He grabs a blanket and wraps it around Allen's shoulders, giving him a squeeze of affection.

Allen looks up at his partner and gives him a weak smile. His face pale from loss of blood makes him look tired and weary. Kanda's face softens as he gazes upon his husband, realizing the blood loss along with the emotional strain he had earlier had taken a toll on him.

"I'll go find the doctor," Kanda whispers in Allen's ear, then turns to walks over to the tall white-wash cabinets and peers around the corner.

In back of the cabinets is an office area with a medium size desk and a tall, wide bookcase which leaves plenty of room to move about in the small space. On the desktop, in front, books line up with two small iron anchor bookends that hold them up. To the top right lays an open flat wooden file box, tall enough to prevent the neatly stacked papers from falling onto the floor. There's a man with a long, brown ponytail, sitting in a swivel chair with his back to Kanda reading some sort of paperwork.

"We need a doctor, my partner's stitches have ripped open and he's lost a lot of blood," Kanda says, sternly to the sailor sitting at the desk, already not liking him.

The man swivels around, places his paperwork on his desk and looks up to acknowledge Kanda's presences with a warm smile on his face. He picks up his glasses and places them on his face. "Yes, I am the doctor. Where is the patient?" He asks as he rises from his chair and comes around from the back of the desk.

When the doctor had swiveled his chair around to face him, Kanda's taken aback by the doctors appearance making his voice tightens. "I put him on your examination table. He was shivering on our way up here so I took a blanket to keep him warm," Kanda states, finding his voice and pulling himself together as he follows the doctor out into the main part of the room.

Allen looks over at the doctor walking towards him. This doctor didn't look like a ship's doctor, though come to think of it, Allen isn't really sure what a ship's doctor should look like, seeing he doesn't remember being on board with one present in the past.

The doctor is of average height, sleekly thin, his shoulders held back which gives him an elegant and confident appearance. Surprisingly, his guileless face is crisp and clean with groomed eyebrows. His long, brown hair he pulls back into a low ponytail, not high like Kanda wears. He has wire spectacles covering his lively, velvet brown eyes, which are twinkling with a confident look - making Allen sigh with relief.

"How do you do, I'm the doctor on this ship … and everyone does call me Doc," he says, teasingly, showing his easygoing manners as he extends his hand to Allen giving him a strong handshake.

"Hi sir, I'm Allen Walker...r...r …. Kanda," Allen stutters, looking at the pulchritudinous young doctor standing before him. He's afraid his mouth might drop open if he didn't collect himself, so he quickly looks over at Kanda to see if he notices the stun look on his face. Sure enough, Kanda's keen eyes had been watching as he reacted to the beauteous doctor.

The doctor notices the quick glance Allen gives to the young Asian and he looks over at Kanda, delicately raising an eyebrow, "And you are?" The doctor asks, cocking his head slightly to the side, getting a better look at Kanda.

"I'm Yuu Kanda, know as Kanda," he replies dryly, not trying to keep the disgusting look off his face. "We're partners," Allen quickly intercedes. The doctor steps forward to shake Kanda's hand, but Kanda leaves his arms crossed over his chest and ignores the doctor's invitation and just glares at him. This didn't appear to bother the doctor, who turns his attention back to Allen.

"Well, let's take the coat and shirt off and lay down so I can see what we have here. Komui had left me his medical notes about your condition. A knife wound, isn't that correct?" The doctor asks, as he begins looking over Allen's open wound.

"Yes sir, that's correct," Allen quietly says, still in awe at the attractiveness of the doctor.

"Yes, that'll have to be stitched again. I'm afraid you might have a scar where it's been torn open a couple times, but it'll be a lot smaller than the large scar you have here," the doctor says, pointing to Allen's vertical scar on his torso. The doctor places his warm hand on Allen's shoulder.

He then takes his fingers and gently applies pressure on areas around the wound site. Allen winces with pain. "I'm going to press on the skin further down, feeling for anything that might have been injured," he says, quietly to Allen, his warm brown eyes giving him comfort.

With his fingertips he starts pressing and moving down further to below Allen's waist, pulling his pants down enough to feel a little further – further than is comfortable for Kanda.

"Is that necessary to do, the wound is up further," Kanda sharply says, his tone sounding possessive and on edge.

"Yes it is and there doesn't seem to be any infection," the doctor says, not looking at Kanda. He places his hand again on Allen's bare shoulder and smiles down at him. 'Shit, what a beautiful smile he has,' Allen's thinking, as he gazes up, once again, into velvet brown eyes.

Doc cleans the wound gently, still keeping one hand on Allen as if to comfort him. Kanda's not happy about this twit of a doctor touching his Bean Sprout wherever he wants to, and it's starting to grate on his nerves.

"You certainly do have many battle scars for such a young one. How'd you rip it open this time?" he asks Allen, as he's stitching up the wound, slightly lifting his chin to peer through his spectacles.

Kanda had been afraid the doctor might ask something like this, and hopefully Allen isn't going to go into great details as to how they managed to rip it open again. He looks over at Allen with a raised eyebrow.

"We were playing around and wrestling, you know, boys stuff," Allen grins, looking up and over at Kanda. The corner of Kanda's mouth lifts into a slight smile and rolls his eyes, 'playing around yes, but much more than wrestling and a lot more fun,' Kanda thinks smugly to himself.

"Yes, I guess boys will be boys, won't they," the doctor says, noticing the eye contact between Allen and Kanda. Evidently, the doctor didn't catch on when Allen had said Kanda's name at the end of his, nor when he had said they're partners. Or, could he be ignoring both facts? That they are partners and they're married?

Allen's stomach growl as the doctor finishes the last stitch. A little embarrassed, Allen asks, "Where do we go to get dinner?"

"The galley is just below the infirmary. The crew usually eats together outside of the galley, others, depending on the weather, take their food up on deck," the doctor says, adding a fresh bandage to the wound, warming Allen's insides with another one of his gorgeous smiles. Kanda is fuming as he observes Allen's attraction to the young doctor.

"I want you to come back in a couple days for me to check on it. If anything concerns you before hand, come in immediately. I'll give you these bandages to change daily, that is, if you don't want to come up here for me to do it for you," says the doctor, looking up brazenly at Kanda with a smile on his face.

Allen looks over at Kanda and notices sparks going off in his eyes as he stares at the doctor. 'Uh, oh. This isn't a good sign," Allen's thinking as he looks between the two. However, the doctor was not as obvious about his dislike for Kanda.

"We'll take the bandages with us, and I'll change them for him," Kanda snaps, annoyed, his eyes still sparking with jealousy.

"Fine, then I'll see you in a couple days. Now, go get something into that boy's stomach. Sounds like he hasn't eaten in days," the doctor smoothly says.

The doctor helps Allen sit up and starts to help put on his shirt when Kanda comes over and pushes him out of the way. "Thanks, but I'll help dress my husband," Kanda says, with a jealous fervor, and gives the doctor a cold look as he helps Allen finish dressing.

Kanda walks over to the countertop to pick up the bandages when Allen slides off the table to stand up. He is still a little dizzy and the doctor catches him in his arms – making Kanda ever hotter than he had been previously. "Damnit idiot, can't you wait long enough for me to help you?" Kanda snaps, and shoots Allen a glare, making him feel uncomfortable with the doctor holding him in his arms.

Kanda dark blue eyes narrow at the doctor as he pulls Allen out of his embrace. "Let's go Bean Sprout, before he tries keeping you here so he can watch over you," Kanda spurns, putting his arm around Allen's waist, then turns to help him walk out onto the deck trying to gain control over his anger.

He looks around and sees a nice spot for them at the fore of the ship. Still weak, Allen stumbles when he begins to walk but Kanda's quick reflex pulls him up bringing him closer to his body before he could fall. Allen smiles at him; Kanda just shakes his head. They continue walking to the front to where there is a place to sit and rest.

"I'll be back in a minute. We might as well eat here on deck before going back to our quarters," Kanda says. He helps Allen up on top of the storage bin to sit, then takes his leave, hoping to calm himself down by the time he returns.

Allen smiles to himself at Kanda's jealousy – 'it shows he loves me,' Allen dreamily thinks as Kanda walks away. The night is mild and Allen feels warm with his Black Order coat on. He loves the feel of the ocean breeze blowing on his face and through his hair as he sits enjoying the wind's caress. The sun will be setting soon as another day passes by.

Being on the ship is wonderful. It's a place where he constantly didn't have to be watching his back for anyone who wants to hurt or, capture him. It has been a perfect setting for them to be together without interruptions after being reunited and now married.

Allen spots Kanda walking back with a tray of food and drinks for them. For as long as they've been together, whenever Allen sees Kanda he still takes his breath away, making his heart flutter and feel giddy. He can't help himself from smiling.

"Okay, what are you smiling about Bean Sprout. What did you do now," Kanda questions, rising one of his dark eyebrows suspicious of what Allen might be up to.

"Nothing, honest it's nothing. Well … I mean it's not nothing, nothing … it's nothing bad is what I mean," Allen smiles warmly at his lover.

"You're definitely a love sick puppy, aren't you Bean Sprout," Kanda states, with a smirk.

"I suppose you're not love sick, because Yuu Kanda can keep his emotions in check. He doesn't wear them on his sleeve like Allen Walker does," Allen snaps, back sarcastically.

"Hmm, what's got you all defensive?" Kanda asks, his eyes narrow on Allen.

"Oh … nothing," Allen says, sounding tense.

"Well, maybe you'll feel better after eating," he sneers.

Kanda sits the tray down and climbs up on the storage bin making himself comfortable next to Allen. They lean back against the small half wall to enjoy their dinner. Kanda's feeling better now that they're alone without the doctor around.

Together they watch the brilliant orange-red colors radiate throughout the sky as the glowing sun sets swiftly below the dark rippling horizon of water. One of the shipmates lights the lantern which hangs behind them.

Allen finishes his meal and leans back closing his eyes. Kanda places their dishes on the tray as another mate appears, winks at Kanda, and takes the tray away.

Kanda observes the peaceful expression on his lovers face. He doesn't have to hold back anymore when he wants to kiss Allen. He leans forward his lips tenderly meld with Allen's warm lips for a kiss, when the sun disappears below the ocean, leaving the lantern flickering as their only source of light.

Kanda pulls away from Allen's delicious lips and looks at him lovingly, thinking, 'he's beautiful, especially under the lantern's flame.' The lantern provides a soft warm glow on Allen's face. Wrapping his arm around him Kanda brings Allen closer. Allen leans his head on Kanda's shoulder and closes his eyes, inhaling deeply the wonderful scent of salt air mixed with his lover's scent.

"I love you," Allen whispers into the night. He doesn't wait anymore, expecting Kanda to say it back to him, though it is a treat when he does. Kanda gives his shoulders a squeeze, and Allen knows he's saying it back to him.

"Kanda."

"Hmm … what?" Kanda nuzzles Allen's hair, enjoying his lover's scent.

"I was just thinking about Timcanpy. I wonder where he is on the ship. He's probably still caged up in some cold, dark dreary place in the bowels of the ship, homesick. Maybe we should find him to see if he's alright. What if he's hurt or sick?" Allen asks with a worried look on his face.

"Golem's don't get sick moron, nor do they have emotions. Well, come to think of it, Timcanpy isn't any ordinary golem. Okay, if you're worried about him we'll see if we can find him before heading back to our quarters. And no, he cannot come into our quarters with us," Kanda says, firmly, giving Allen a stern look

"Okay, I agree, no coming into our quarters unless we agree together," Allen says, smiling at Kanda, love shining in his eye.

'Damn I love that smile of his. It's real and dazzles me,' Kanda thinks, his eyes sparkling with love as well.

"Shit, we better go find Timcanpy before I tear your clothes off and fuck you right here," Kanda says, in a deep and voluptuous voice.

They didn't have to go far when they spot one of the shipmates out doing his rounds of checking the tightness of the ropes securing the sails. They walk over to the shipmate to inquire as to where Timcanpy might be.

"Aye, you mean that little golden flying ball. He's been keeping to the lower part of the ship," the sailor says with an Irish accent, then snickers. They thank the sailor and, with Kanda's help they walk to the top of the stairs, which lead down to the sailor's quarters.

"Are you going to be able to make it down these stairs?" Kanda asks Allen.

"Yes. And I don't need another piggy back; I'll be fine with just a little help. Anyway, it's Timcanpy I'm worried about. He must be lonely and scared being left down below caged up with nothing to do, listening to loud boisterous sailors," Allen says, feeling sorry for Tim.

"He should be caged up, seeing he would mostly cause trouble. Who knows what the thing would do if it is out of its cage flying around. Hell, he could sink the ship," Kanda razzes Allen.

"Kanda, don't say such things. I know he can get into trouble, but he's just an innocent golem," Allen's says, defending his Tim.

"Innocent? That fucking golem is far from innocent," Kanda quips with a tone of disgust.

They hear laughter and singing as they near the bottom of the stairs. Quietly, they walk around the stairs to the other side trying not to be noticed. Kanda releases his arm around Allen's waist and leans forward for a better look. He pulls back standing next to Allen with a wicked smile on his face.

"What is it Kanda," Allen's asks, wondering why there's a smirk on his face. Allen pulls up a little closer to his partner's side and peers around him into the room.

There's Timcanpy, having a hell of a good time at that. He's bouncing beside a shipmate who's playing poker. Tim points with his wing at the cards the sailor is holding. The sailor is a large, heavyset man, with an unkempt beard, long dreadlocks, his dark eyes which dart from his cards to the other sailor's with distrust as he makes up his mind what to play.

Like a time bomb, Allen's eyes widen with a devilish look in them at the sight of playing cards and a poker game. As if hypnotized, he automatically starts to move towards the sailor's that are playing cards. Kanda catches Allen's movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Whoa, Bean Sprout," Kanda says as he grabs Allen's arm pulling him back. "You're not going to play poker," Kanda says firmly. Allen tugs, trying to get loose from Kanda's grip in his hypnotic state, forgetting his painful side.

"Snap the fuck out of this Bean Sprout, now," Kanda growls as he holds Allen by both his arms, pushing him backwards to stop him.

Allen's eyes are looking straight ahead at only one thing: the poker game. Kanda slaps Allen across the face to bring him out of his mesmeric state.

"Why the bloody hell did you do that?" Allen fumes, rubbing his sore and rosy cheek.

"To bring you back from that fucking hell hole Cross had pushed you into," Kanda says angrily.

"Oh, ugh, sorry Kanda, I didn't mean to lose it like that," Allen says, apologizing for his lack of discipline. They turn back to watch Timcanpy and the sailors playing cards.

The sailor places down the two cards Timcanpy had previously pointed to, "I'll take two," the sailor says, waiting for his two cards to be dealt to him. He grins and lays his cards down, "I win … full house!" His laugh reveals a gaping hole in front of his mouth where a tooth is missing. His teeth have tobacco stains, which has turned them a dark and ungainly yellow color. He leans forward with large, burly arms, scooping up the ante, while the other shipmate grumbles amongst the other sailors.

"Aye, Goldie, we won another hand," says the drunken sailor with an Irish accent to Tim. "How about another drink, Goldie?"

Allen stares in disbelief as Timcanpy turns and flutters in front of the sailor. He's wearing a patch over one eye and a sailor tie hangs down from around his global-shape body, looking like a stupid flying pirate ball. All the other mates laugh as Tim opens his mouth and the sailor pours a mug of beer into him. Allen could swear Tim is smiling. Timcanpy opens his mouth again and the sailor throws some peanuts in, following with another swig of beer.

"Kanda, do you see what I'm seeing or am I dreaming this?" Allen asks, clearly stunned, as he grabs the back of Kanda's arm to steady him.

"You're seeing the real thing. So much for a 'poor Timcanpy', he's having the fucking time of his life. Why the hell do you worry about him? He can more that take care of himself. And what did I say about him being let out of his cage? I think he's drunk," Kanda says, annoyed, with a shallow smirk on his face.

Timcanpy hears the familiar voices of Allen and Kanda and perks up. He stops in mid-flight in front of the sailor and turns to look over in their direction, his long golden tail wagging like a damn dog. He's so happy to see the both of them he zooms over at full speed.

Kanda and Allen have to duck the staggering golem as he zips by, trying not to be hit by him. Needless to say, Tim's aim is a little off. "What the fuck is the matter with that thing!" Kanda says, a little louder than he intended.

Tim zips around and zooms back, fluttering around like a crazed bat. He did two full loops and then finishes, gazing at them dumbly as he flaps in front of them, albeit a little off kilter. He leans to the side a bit, as if he's losing his balance — but then again, how can a golem stagger and lose balance?

Timcanpy comes straight at Allen and bumps into his head. "Ouch Tim, what the hell's the matter with you!" Allen asks as he rubs his head.

He comes at Allen again and picks up Allen's hair, tugging at it before he let go, then quickly sits on his shoulder as he grabs more hair to tug. Kanda reaches over and swats at the damn golem.

"Tim, stop that, it hurts. What are you mad at me for? Keeping you down here?" Allen asks.

With Kanda's swipe, Tim flies down and he stop dead in front of Allen's wounded side. He wiggles in under Allen's coat, sensing something wrong. "Tim … no … ugh … that hurts." Allen gasps when the golem hits his wound head on.

Kanda's had enough of this golem being out of control and which is now hurting Allen. He grabs Timcanpy by his tail and tugs, pulling him out of Allen's coat before he has the chance to make the wound start bleeding again. Tim doesn't want to come out and turns back and bites Kanda's hand.

"You fucker, I'll stomp on you for that," Kanda yells at Tim.

"Kanda, please don't," Allen pleads.

"That shit head just bit me," Kanda yells, holding his hand and looking to see what damage the little shit had done.

Tim, now free, unexpectedly circles around and flies in back of Kanda and yanks on his long black ponytail, as if he is attempting to pull him closer to Allen. Kanda swipes at the golem again.

"Kanda I think he wants you close to me," Allen whispers to him.

"That little fucker knows jack shit," he snaps at Allen.

"Kanda put your arm around me and draw me close to you. I want to see what he does." Kanda did what Allen had asked, and both watch in earnest as Tim now hovers in front of them with a big smile on his face.

"See, I think he's happy we're together," Allen whispers with a smile as Tim hiccups.

"Did he just hiccup?" Allen asks, frowning.

"It sounded like a hiccup," Kanda replies dryly. A large "Burrup …" erupts from within Tim.

"Did he just burp?" Allen asks, once again stealing a sideways glance at Kanda.

"That was definitely a burp. This fuckin' golem definitely had been around General Cross too long," Kanda says with disgust.

"Yes, but how can a golem, even Timcanpy, hiccup and burp?" asks a puzzled Allen as he rubs his fingers on his brow.

To be continued …

A/N:Thanks to everyone who's been staying with me on this story. I enjoy reading all your reviews, so I want to give a special thank you for those who have written a review for this story:

Lonewolf

ToktelasAndTea (My Best Critic)

mitsuyo-chan

BLEACHLOVER101

.Neko

Ern Estine 13624.