Hi everyone. Sorry for the massive delay on the update for this fic!
Chou Yuuki: Haha forgotten password, we've all been there. I hope college isn't stressing you out anymore and I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm happy you feel that way! It makes me happy too!
Cinder: Thanks for your lovely review. I'm really glad you like it. I'm a huge YuuVi fan when I'm not fangirling over Lucky pairing. And can I just say you are a very clever reader! I'm interested in your theories about Cross. I hope this chapter will satisfy your thoughts. There is a character appearance that should make you happy in this chapter.
Enjoy reading everyone!
Alma made easy company for Lavi. Unlike his employer, Alma was very good natured and humoured. He spent their time together cracking jokes and making idle small talk as they navigated their way through the back streets down to the docks. Alma told Lavi stories that she was sure one of them would be murdered for if Kanda found out. Still she filed away the small scraps of information for later use. The story of Kanda's first kiss would be hilarious to spring on him next time he refused to engage in proper conversation.
"Yuu-chan was just sitting there stunned for the longest time afterwards. His first kiss stolen by a drunk who thought he was prettier than the Lady he was guarding." Alma was doubled over clutching his stomach, laughing hard and wiping a tear from his eye.
"How comes you get to call Yuu by his first?" Lavi asked curiously when Alma used the informal form Kanda's name for the nth time. Every time Lavi had used the name in front of the stern man she had received a threat of some form. "How close are you that you get to use his name?"
Alma smiled a smile that only raised more question, as if he were remembering something he would rather not share. "Close enough. I started doing it mostly for the same reason that you do."
"And what reason would that be?" Lavi leaned into Alma conspiratorially.
"To annoy him of course." Alma declared. "Yuu-chan is no fun when he's being all stern and boring."
The pair came up to a junction in the road. Both options looked as uninviting as each other. If Alma wasn't so jovial, Lavi would have been sure that she was being lead to her doom. Maybe she still was and Alma was just a very happy killer.
"Lead the way Alma." She resigned herself to her fate, whatever it may be.
Alma was thoughtful for a moment., shrugged and boldly walked into the lane on the left. Lavi followed uncertainly. "Why this one?"
"Because it smells the least. There should be a shipwright's tavern up ahead." Lavi looked nervously at alleys on either side of the road. The buildings here were mostly warehouse and nearly all of them had an abandoned feel about them. Alma tried to reassure her. "Don't look so worried. I'm not a member of the guard for no reason." Alma stood a little straighter, as if that would instil reassurance in Lavi.
The small lithe frame of the young man was not a reassurance. Even young man seemed to be a bit of stretch. It may be a product of his background she reflected. Kanda looked to be about her age however, he was in fact closer to Wisely. But Alma's pale complexion and smooth cheeks gave him the look of a teenage boy; probably no older than Allen. It did not help much either that she was taller than the Japanese man. She frowned at him.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Alma deflated immediately making Lavi feel bad.
"Oh no I'm sure you'll be a great body guard. And I'm sure we won't see anyone to defend against…"
"I'm sure you would prefer it if Yuu-chan was escorting you instead." Alma huffed dramatically and set a quick pace. He threw a mischievous wink over his shoulder, "I've seen the way you look at him, admit it you like him don't you. Alas I cannot compare to the strong and silent Yuu-sama, ready to protect innocent maidens with his big strong arms and mighty sword."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Lavi couldn't keep the blush from her face. It did not help that she had been enjoying the view of his arms earlier in the carriage. "And who taught you to be so sarcastic in English anyway?"
"The Bookman; He taught all of us." Alma spun on his feet, walking backwards. The shipwrights' tavern sign was visible now a short distance away. "Oooh you're blushing. I'm right aren't I?"
"No." Lavi said bluntly which only caused Alma to raise his eye brow questioningly. "Okay maybe a little. But not like that. Stop making that face! I don't like Yuu like that, I mean he's so uppity I don't much like him at all. He has a pretty face. That's all."
"Really? That's all?" Alma arched a cynical eyebrow.
"Yes!" She said exasperated and without thinking she added, "besides I have someone waiting for me." Not entirely true, and not entirely a lie if the frequency of letters was anything to go by.
"Alright then, just checking." Alma grinned at her. Lavi thought she saw something resembling relief cross his face. "Just as well really. Yuu-chan has somebody too. Don't want to break your frail heart."
"Frail indeed," This piqued Lavi's interest but did not voice it. This might explain why Kanda was so sour all the time, perhaps he was missing someone. She decided to change the subject. "So my grandfather taught you to speak English? He never told me where he learnt his Japanese. What kind of teacher was he?"
Alma's face darkened, "Harsh. Mistakes were not allowed."
Lavi patted him consoling on the back, having herself been in the same position.
The pair passed a small group of men squatting in an alley slowly passing around a bottle between them. One of them looked up lazily at them and nudged another. Unease settled into Lavi causing her to speed up her steps. She realised that Alma was probably only trying to make her feel more comfortable by distracting her from the surroundings with his banter.
The sound of many feet joined their own on the cobbled path. Lavi counted four additional pairs of feet following. Beside her Alma matched his stride to hers, the grin replaced by grim anticipation. The men were calling out to them now. Lavi almost wished her brain couldn't translate the vulgar catcalls.
"Missy why don't you come over, I have something to share with you."
"Did you get tired of the pretty perfumed boys? Come for a bit of rough and tumble?"
Alma glanced at her questioningly but said nothing. The disgusted look on her face must have been enough of an answer. The tavern wasn't too far now, the bright sign post and polished door incongruous with the surroundings.
"We couldn't have met this person in a less shady part of town?" Lavi hissed at Alma.
A hand closed around Lavi's arm, pulling her back roughly, making her cry in pain. The lazy eyed man who had first noticed the pair leered at Lavi. He grinned broken yellow teeth at her. "Got you."
Instantly Lavi recoiled, and tried to shake the man off but the grip was too tight. She struggled pointlessly. "Let go!"
Lavi balled her free hand into a fist and struck the brute in the face. The strike only left her with a stinging hand, her attacker barely even flinched. He merely blinked at her. White light exploded in the left field of her vision. She spat out a mouthful of hot blood, it left a metallic aftertaste.
The brute spun her around and held her in a crushing embrace, the cold flat of a knife pressed into the soft flesh of her neck.
Alma had already dispatched one of the assailants, a beast of a man at least twice his body weight and size was knocked out cold on the ground. He held another man in the exact mirror of Lavi. The fourth and final member of the gang looked to the one holding Lavi for further instruction.
"Let him go slit eyes, or I'll rip out her pretty little neck," he threatened.
"It's no use," Lavi gasped. "He doesn't speak your language."
Her captor grunted and pushed her roughly to the ground, she landed on her palms painfully. Too late she saw the fourth man circle behind Alma a crowbar in hand.
"Alma!" she screamed.
A single gunshot resounded in the air.
Stone, and glass cut deep into Tyki's palms as he was thrown from the warm tavern and out into the cold. At least he'd managed to get one good punch in before the gorilla-like owner removed him from the premises. Gasping from the stinging pain, Tyki tried to remove the grit lodged under his skin.
"That can't be good…" A shard of glass was embedded deep into the pad of his palm. He contented himself with the fact that it could have been much worse. All he had done was compliment a woman, and her beast of a partner had attempted to decorate his skull with shiny pieces of glass. Alright maybe he had also been doing more intimate things then just giving her a mere compliment..
"Was it worth it?" Allen sat down on the bare ground despite the biting cold.
"Not really, I've had better goodnight kisses." Tyki tapped the glass shard. Acute pain shot up the length of his arm. "Think Miranda can fix this?"
Allen could only look on his friend pityingly. He should have attended the ball that night instead of leave the grounds. Too much it seemed had happened that night. Tyki had yet to tell him the full story, but Allen had gathered that somehow Tyki was now aware of Lavi's double act and for some reason the man had let her flee across the globe.
By the time Allen had turned up the next day, Lavi and Sheril had boarded the ship and Tyki had left the Manor. He later tracked him down to the workman's section of the town. If Allen had not begged him, then the broken man would not even have put pen to paper and write letters to Lavi.
So far there had been no replies.
"How long are you going to keep this up?" Allen's question was more frustrated observation than actual enquiry. "In three weeks you've in at least four drunken blow outs, mostly because you landed yourself the wrong woman for the night."
Tyki ignored him as usual.
"Do you think Lavi would be proud of you right now? If she knew how you were spending your days? That got Tyki's attention. He looked up sharply to face the boy, a cold fire burning behind his caramel eyes.
"I think she's too busy keeping Sheril happy to spare me any thought." He dragged himself to his feet, "If she had any thoughts left for me, she would have written back to one of those useless letters."
Tyki began walking up the path, away from Allen and his reasoning. He cut a hopeless figure, a hunched form, clutching his arm to his chest and disappearing into the early winter twilight. Tyki had convinced himself that Lavi had given up on them entirely. By choosing to leave she had expunged Tyki from her life.
It was beyond tragic. Allen had seen for himself how much cared deeply for each other, even loved each other. If only they would admit it.
Allen caught up with Tyki. For a time they walked in silence. This conversation had been had so many times already. They were in a quiet part of the town. Most families were home already, preparing the house for the dark and the cold night ahead.
"Did you tell her how you feel in the letter?" Allen watched his breath rise up in a mist before him.
Tyki grunted an answer.
"And did you tell her that you wouldn't go through with the marriage?"
Another grunt.
"Have you even been to see Bookman?"
Tyki stopped in his tracks; he grabbed Allen by the arm pulling him back too. "What would I say to him?" There was a manic spark in his eye that frightened Allen. "Should I tell him to kindly die of his own accord and release Love- Lavi from her ghastly duty?"
"That's not what I'm saying." The boy's scarf had come loose in the man handling. Allen gave Tyki a reproachful look and wrapped it back up. "I just think you should talk to him to fully understand why he's such a threat to your brother."
"What?" Tyki was confused. The combined effect of drink and the blow to the head was taking its toll on him. He raised his arm to rub his temple, quickly stopping when he remembered the shard of glass sticking out of it. At least the cold wind had numbed the area.
Allen smirked, finally the man was listening to him properly. The boy had wracked his brain thoroughly to understand the foul cloud that had fallen over Kamelot Manor. It may not be his rightful home, but he had some attachment to it. The stables at least.
"Don't tell me you haven't found it odd that Sheril is trying so hard to keep Lavi by his side. And Bookman too. The twisted bastard, no offence, is using them against each other; using their love for each other against them. Lavi will not leave without her grandfather. And this is just a theory, but Road said that she heard you speak with Lulubell in the library."
"Road was there? Sneaky brat."
"Yeah she was, and she said that Lulubell wasn't so happy about your relationship with Lovely."
"Where are you going with this?" Tyki's head was beginning to pound. Allen could have screamed at his denseness.
"This is why you shouldn't drink Tyki. It makes you stupid." The older man rolled his eyes, although it hurt him to do it. Allen took a deep breath and continued, "I think that they're hiding something. Lulubell and Sheril are working to hide something. I just don't know what. And I have a suspicion it has something to do with Bookman."
"He used to work for us, years ago." Understanding slowly dawned on Tyki. Lulubell had seem quite shaken by the sudden reappearance of a Bookman in Kamelot Manor after all this time. Since Lavi's mother died there had been no Bookman…
Another memory came to him unbidden. The night of the ball, he had been with Sheril in Sheril's study and how smug had Lulubell been when she walked in and dictated her terms. Convince Lavi and leave now or give up. She had already known that would never turn her back on Bookman.
"Now you're getting it." Allen smiled approvingly into his scarf.
"She's been burning the letters." The brief fire ignited by Allen's theories had been extinguished. "How can I ever get through to her if she won't let me in?"
"You don't know that for sure." Allen stuffed his hands in his pockets. The skies were clear, the stars would be bright tonight. "How sure are you that even received any of the letters."
"What is this Allen? Are you the little angel of doom, come to tell me that my family is full of liars and deceivers." Tyki would have laughed, if he did not find it all so tragic. "What did I expect, my own role was to whisper into ears and politely threaten. How stupid was I to think that the knife would never turn on me."
"If the Earl ever did what was expected of him then a lot of people would be much happier and better off." The dark blue skies were reflected in Allen's eyes, giving him the impression of one looking out into the void.
Tyki felt a bit ashamed for the first time for his self-pity. "How is he doing?"
Allen shrugged and walked on.
"Come on Tyki, we should speed up if we want to catch Miranda before she leaves the Manor.
Cold steel pressed into the soft flesh of Lavi's. The roar of the gun firing had made her captor jump; the knife jerked and nicked the skin. A single bead of ruby trickled down reddening her collar.
The side of her face was throbbing where she had been hit. With difficulty, Lavi struggled in the tight hold to see what was happening around her. Alma was wrestling the goon who had tried to jump him from behind. His leather vest was torn and he was bleeding from his scalp. And there, standing by the tavern entrance, gun pointing in the air…
Lavi could not mistake that hue of red hair. Cross Marian.
He strode forward, coolly levelling the firearm at the beast restraining Lavi.
"I cut her!" He pulled Lavi's head back painfully by her hair exposing her already bloodied neck.
On the ground, Alma had won his battle. He was torn between running at the Lavi and nervously waiting for Cross to take action.
"Do it and you will die too!" Lavi spat, her words braver than she felt. Lavi screwed her eyes up tight as a warning shot rang past her ear. The bullet whistling in the wind as it flew passed.
The goon threw her to the ground, before turning tail and running. Lavi grasped at her neck, coughing. Alma was by her side in a flash. He pressed a cloth to her neck and hugged her in relief that it was only a surface scratch. She pushed him away to examine his wounds.
"I-I'm alright Alma. We need to look at you," Lavi's eye fell on the tear in Alma's shirt. The left side had been torn open and underneath intricate lines of tattoo were revealed. Tattoos and… "Alma you… you're..."
Alma quickly pulled the ends of the material together, covering up as best he could. He placed his fingers on his lips warningly to silence her. Lavi pushed the questions back for now and gratefully took Cross' hand.
"I never thought I'd say this," Lavi threw her arms around the man, surprising him. "But I am so happy to see you!"
"You can show me your gratitude later, for now let's go inside." Cross led Lavi to the tavern entrance. Lavi turned at the door, seeing that Alma had not followed.
"I need to head back to my other duties. You will be safe with Cross Marian." Alma turned and ran into the night. He stopped at the top of the road. "I hope I've proven I can take care of myself at least!" Lavi waved and Alma was gone.
"Come on, I have a room upstairs." Cross took Lavi by the arm and led her through the tavern to a flight of dark wood stairs. There were other rooms along the way with shady looking men and women exiting and entering. False laughter rang in the air.
Her face grew very hot with a sudden flush. "Cross Marian, did you bring me to a brothel?" She demanded in an outraged whisper.
"Don't be too judgemental, you were barely a notch above these women until recently." Lavi hung her head. "These women will look after you."
He deposited her into a room and instructed a young woman to meet her there with a wash basin. The young woman cleaned the scratch on her neck and supplied a poultice for her reddened jaw to prevent swelling. Lavi thanked her kindly in her home language and the young woman bowed meekly.
The room was decorated darkly, deep maroon curtains hung from the windows and around the four post bed. The only light came from the fire roaring in the grate, no doubt someone considered the long arms of shadows sensual. Lavi self-consciously put her back to the bed, her best attempt at ignoring the establishment Cross had dragged her into. Cross himself was seated at the window, quietly smoking.
She turned to him now. "What did you bring me here for?"
He stubbed out the cigarette into an ashtray. Lavi examined his slow deliberate movement. The merchant director of the Dark Order Shipping Co. had discarded his large outer jacket, the white linen shirt was enough in the fire lit room. His face seemed a lot thinner in the shadowy room, the effect enhanced by pulling his hair back into a pony tail.
"Cross?" She called him again, "Why did you bring me here? It's getting late too, Sheril will…"
"Worried?" Cross offered.
"No. Angry"
"I've already sent word back to the consul's house that I've had the fortune of bumping into you and a carriage will arrive for you at precisely four of the clock."
"And Wisely?"
"He has also been notified." Cross said smugly.
"Well I see you've wrapped up all the loose ends of this abduction." Lavi joined Cross at the window. The world outside was steadily becoming darker.
She pressed her forehead against the cold glass. It was instant relief the ache that was growing steadily stronger. Cross placed his palm between the glass and her head. Gently but firmly he guided her down to sit on the sill. Being Cross Marian, he could not resist stretching his arm around her shoulders.
"I know what you're doing," Lavi allowed the man to steer her and leaned her sore head on his chest. "I'm only letting you do this because my head hurts, so don't get any ideas. And stop rubbing arm!"
"Fine, fine. But I could make you feel a lot more comfortable." But he did stop his motions.
Lavi laughed lightly for the first time. "You try that and I know two people who would have your head on a platter."
"A certain pair of brothers?" One handed, Cross lit another cigarette.
"No I was thinking more like Allen and Melia." Lavi closed her eyes, sinking into the warmth of another body and the pain relief. Her aching mind wandered, what would it have felt like to sit like this with someone else on a winter night? "We have barely one hour, Cross. What are the Japanese hiding?"
Various theories had chased each other around her head, each as unlikely as the last. There just had to be a reason why they demanded that Bookman be present for the contract signing and completion.
"Why do you think they are hiding something?"
"Because their man servant whisked me away for a secret meeting with you of all people. If I didn't think they were hiding something before, then I definitely think so now. So spill it. What do they want from my family?"
Cross took his time to answer the question. The clock in the corner ticked loudly, each notch driving a nail into Lavi's skull.
"The Japanese we are currently hosting are a rather unfortunate branch of their family, with no actual financial means of their own. Lenalee and her cousin Kanda were bartered as merchandise to forge trade links. Thirteen years ago when the original deal was struck, an unfortunate incident occurred that changed the heart of one of the key contract writers. In a tragic incident in Kamelot Manor a woman was murdered. Died by fire, in front of her young daughter, and a son of the house."
"My mum." Lavi sat up straight, hugging herself tightly. As if trying to hold herself in; ignore the well of emotion threatening to overflow. She spoke calmly, accepting the words. "So she was murdered. Why?"
"The Kamelots believed she had something important to them in her possession. Documents that would implement them in a number of crimes. These documents were never found, and so nothing could ever be pinned to your family.
"It has reached my ears however, that prior to setting sail back to the civilised world, Bookman left behind some very sensitive documents and instructions to revenge on the Kamelots." Cross spoke evenly as if he were merely recounting his activities today.
"How do I fit into all of this?" All this new information was making her head spin.
"Amongst the paper Bookman left behind is a very important deed: the deeds to Kamelot Manor. The Japanese trust me enough to handle the papers for now, but the name of the original family does not appear on this set. Bookman has hidden that. I'll have these papers delivered to you upon return to the Manor. Your job is to find that person and restore the Manor to them." Cross walked to the fire place.
Lavi nodded along, not fully processing the task that Cross had just put on her shoulders. Lenalee, Kanda and Alma were preparing to take over the Manor in return for a home and safety. They had no idea how it would take, a slow revenge that wasn't even theirs to take.
"Cross!" Lavi ran to the man and grabbed him by his shirt. "What about Tyki? And Tricia? They did nothing wrong. What will happen to them?"
Cross peered down at her, his dark eyes unfathomable. Gently he unhooked her hands from him. The rattling reins of a horse and carriage could be heard below.
"That would be entirely up to you. The papers will not only include the deed, but the sign death warrant for your mother's life."
Lavi was in too much of a daze to notice Cross wrap her cloak about her and delivered her into the carriage and the waiting arms of Sheril Kamelot.
Wishing you all a happy new year!