"Deal!" The almost feral boy growled. "Lavi, get in here!" As soon as he'd yelled, a young man also around Lenalee's age rushed through the door at his master's call.

"Yeah, Allen?" The redhead asked, breathlessly. Lenalee couldn't help wondering if he ran all the way there.

"It's master right now." The strange boy huffed. If she hadn't been so afraid of him at the moment, Lenalee might have thought he resembled a pouting child. "This girl will stay here as my prisoner." Allen gestured towards Lenalee as he said that.

Immediately, Lavi thought his fear had come true and his master/friend had decided to lock up the trespassing girl. "No, master! Not her too! You already have your sacrifice!" He threw a panicked look at Komui.

"Bite your tongue!" Allen hissed, stopping the older teen's rant. It was rare to see Allen that angry and even Lavi, who specialized in pushing people to the breaking point, knew better than to push the matter.

Seeing his hesitance, Allen continued. "You know nothing. She did it of her own free will. She offered to stay here if I would let her take her brother's place and let him go and I agreed."

Lavi's eyes grew wider as he stared at his master and then turned that gaze towards Lenalee and stared at her. He'd thought that she looked so sweet and fragile, and though it seemed like she were, there was something else there as well. A hidden strength and determination that was clearly enough to convince her to trade herself over to his master in return for their prisoner.

He prided himself on being observant and yet he'd completely misjudged her, labeling her fragile when the steel in her eyes now told him she was anything but. He had no more time to think as his attention was drawn sharply back to Allen who was trying to get the redhead's attention by giving him a nasty glare that could easily rival kanda's.

"You and Kanda will take her brother and give him to Timcampy, he'll then be taken out of the forest."

As that was said, Kanda too materialized from somewhere and began to roughly open the cell Komui was in and wrench it open. Kanda was quietly seething that he had to unlock, open and lock someone in the cell twice in such a small amount of time. Both Lavi and Kanda proceeded to drag a screaming, struggling Komui out of the prison and into the backyard.

"Don't worry about Lenalee." Lavi said once they were outside and heading towards Timcampy. He recalled the girl's name from their former conversation with his excellent memory (not that he likes to brag, mind you). Timcampy was a giant, scary monster golem that was important to their master. He was best described as a huge, winged golden ball with rows of jagged teeth when his mouth was open.

Komui was already struggling violently (though, again, uselessly), but when Timcampy came into view he really freaked out. "No! No! What is that thing?!" Komui screeched, his voice going a few octaves higher than Lavi and Kanda were comfortable with.

"Timcampy." Kanda said, gruffly. "He'll take you home." It was a sad attempt at calming the frightened man, but it was a stretch for Kanda.

"No! My dear Lenalee!" Komui protested until he was flung by both servants up against the golden ball. Without wasting a second, Timcampy opened his mouth full of razor teeth and ate Komui. "Help! Let me out!" Komui's muffled cries came from inside Timcampy's mouth accompanied by fervent struggles to get loose. Carrying the scientist in his mouth, Timcampy took off towards the woods surrounding Mater.

Going back to Allen, Lavi was greeted by a sad sight. Lenalee was in the corner of the prison sobbing into her hands and Allen stood off to the side with a somewhat troubled expression and a thinly veiled concern emanating from him. Of course, you'd have to know Allen well to recognize it.

After they'd gotten rid of the brother, Kanda had went to do his usual which was isolating himself in his room. This meant that Lavi was left to clean up the wreckage by himself. Knowing Allen, the boy was too young and had too little empathy to know how to properly diffuse the situation.

Creeping over to his friend, Lavi hesitantly whispered into his ear. "I know she's a prisoner and she took her brother's place, but...would it be so terrible to offer her a room to stay in instead of this drab place?"

Allen growled in contemplation.

"C'mon, she's a lady. She can't be forced to stay here. Be a gentleman." With Lavi's insistence, Allen got up the nerve to ask. Would you believe he was nervous? His anger had long since dissolved and after watching the girl cry so pitifully, the beginnings of guilt began to show itself in him.

As he drew closer, he felt even less like he could talk to her. Looking at her now, he saw just how truly beautiful she really was. She had black hair with a greenish tint tied up in two pigtails. Some people might find that look childish on a girl her age, but it was that very thing that he thought was so cute and it suited her well.

Her eyes were a deep purple, but held a brightness in them that shined like a jewel. Overall, they each reminded him of an amethyst. Though red now and glistening with tears, they were no less amazing. Her face was flushed and her cheeks tear-stained, but she was still the picture of youth.

Drawing in a breath, he acquired a rather somber look and approached the heaving girl. He cleared his throat to get her attention. Lenalee's eyes shot up and narrowed at him in anger, irritation and a decent amount of fear. He could feel a lump forming in his throat. He felt like turning back and asking Lavi to do it for him and leave, but he had his pride. He wasn't about to run away and he wasn't used to showing how much he cares about things.

Putting on a mask of indifference, Allen spoke. "Come with me. Be good and I'll take you to your room." His mask almost fell apart when her upset expression turned into one of surprise. "I get a room?" She mumbled just loud enough for someone to hear if they were paying attention. "But I thought..." "That you would have to stay in here since you're a prisoner?" Allen finished for her. Lenalee gave a slight but quick nod. ""I won't make you leave if you don't want to..." He said, discretely teasing her. "No!" She interrupted, startling him with her sudden loudness and vigor.

With no more words between them, Lenalee stood up and Allen walked her out of the prison. They passed Lavi without even a second glance at him even as he turned to watch them leave. They were too preoccupied with their own little world to bother with anything else, he noticed. "Maybe there is a hope for love yet." Lavi mused, leaving and closing the door behind him. He didn't need to lock it, they had no prisoners.

(Lenalee POV...Lenalee POV)

Lenalee was walking through the halls of the mansion with her head down, staring at the floor. She was currently following the monstrous boy whom she had promised to stay with forever. She didn't trust herself to look at him and not cry...again. She lost her brother and her freedom all in one night. She'd been sure she was going to be locked up in a cell, but, surprisingly, the 'boy' was now taking her to the room she'll be staying in. She just couldn't understand why he was doing it.

Why? She thought. Why isn't he leaving me alone in that dark room?

By all logic, he should have left her. He was a monster. Why would he care about her? Although, Lenalee knew she shouldn't complain when someone does something nice for her. Her parents and brother didn't raise her to be so peevish.

Suddenly, she ran into something hard. If she had been walking faster she could have really hurt herself, but as she was walking slowly while her mind wandered, she only got a slight bump. Rubbing her forehead lightly, she glanced up to see one of the hallways many pillars.

I ran into a pillar...how silly. Lenalee thought, sadly.

"Are you alright?" A voice asked.

When did he come over?

"Um...I'm fine, Mr..." She realized belatedly that she really didn't know his name though she thought she heard it mentioned at some point.

"Allen Walker." The boy filled in.

"I'm fine, Mr. Walker." Lenalee said, shying away. Even though he wasn't trying to hurt or yell at her, she was terrified of him and his appearance.

"You should be more careful." Allen said, harshly. Nodding, she waited until Allen resumed walking and fell into step behind him. "We're here." Allen announced, stopping at the end of the hall in front of the last room.

The doors to the room were white and reached almost halfway to the very high ceiling. Elegant crown molding went along the edges. They were so classy and elegant and vibrant. Compared to the rest of the mansion, they were very out of place. Though large and expensive-looking, the castle was dark and dreary and lacked the lively feeling that every castle should have. It wasn't really a place that someone would feel lucky to be staying in.

"This will be your room." The white haired boy added for clarification seeing that the girl just stood there silent and wide-eyed.

"Oh...uh, yes!" She cried, reaching for the door, but Allen held up his hand to stop her. He reached and took each handle into one of his hands and threw them open in one elegant movement.

"You...will join me for dinner! That is not an option!" With that, he half-pushed half-threw Lenalee into the room and slammed the doors closed before he was gone in the blink of an eye.