D. Gray Man is owned by Katsua Hoshino.

Author's Notes: As apology for my less than frequent updates in recent months and to celebrate hitting Chapter 20 in a series I didn't think would last this long…I wrote this. I hope it's a satisfactory chapter.

-0-0-0-

Chapter 20: The Promise of a Brighter Future

Link would've preferred to remain in their cabin.

On deck, it was cold and raining, not to mention crowded by other passengers clamoring for a good view. Furthermore, he had reports to complete, or so he had insisted to Walker, who then countered with a peevish remark that any imaginary reports Link had to complete had been done by the second day of the voyage. "You've been reading that book ever since." So Link argued it was too foggy to see anything from so great a distance and they'd miss breakfast besides.

Walker, somehow, was not to be deterred. He had never seen her before and if there was a small chance it was possible, he was not going to let a little bit of rain and fog stop him, breakfast or no breakfast, to the Inspector's utter dismay. So, with an exasperated sigh, Link had no choice but to close his book and follow the younger man from steerage class—for expenses at the Order had been tight since young Timothy Hearst had imposed his demands; Dämonenkind—and up into the elements. They knocked on the door to Miss Lee's cabin on their way up, explained what they were about, and the young woman happily threw on her black coat and joined them.

As the trio hurried up the stairs—Miss Lee and Walker hurried; Link walked—and stepped outside, Link was gratified to see his complaints about the weather and crowd were justified. Even if he was the only one who seemed to mind, he thought irritably as Walker wove neatly through the press of people in search of a good place to stand. Miss Lee followed at a more leisurely pace, occasionlly pausing to stand on her toes as if that would help her peer above the sea of heads and view the harbor.

"Miss Lee," he greeted her, keeping his eyes fixed on the head of white hair approaching the railing.

"Good morning, Link."

His stoic face wavered a little at her bright smile, but he nodded cordially in turn. "You did not want a closer view?"

The young woman shook her head. "No, I've seen the Lady many times."

Of course she had. Before the days of the Ark, exorcists traveling to America from Europe would often find themselves onboard a passenger ship bound for New York. He himself, on business to the North American Branch, had passed this way over half a dozen times. The sight was nothing new. In fact, now that he thought about it, this might be one of the last times he would see this sight after Walker finally set up the North American Gate. Although the trip had been long overdue, the thought invoked in him a surprising sense of melancholy.

"When I first saw her, I was traveling with my brother," Miss Lee said quietly, and he could barely hear her over the din of the crowd. "I had an assignment in New Orleans, and he was on his way to the North American Branch. So we were able to spend part of the trip together."

"I imagine that must've been enjoyable, given how close you are with your brother." Link craned his head a little as Walker briefly disappeared behind a pair of gentlemen. "How old were you?"

"About twelve or so." She smiled at him. "It was a good time. Just the two of us for once."

"I see—"

"Look!" The cry came from a child down the deck and the pair turned to see a sleeved arm outstretched over the railing, forefinger extended. "There! There!"

"Look, there she is!" another cried. Elated shouts and whoops resounded up and down the length of the ship and slowly, Link too began to make out the hazy silhouette in the fog. Then the clouds parted long enough for the sun to glint off the copper.

"She's more green than the last time I saw her," Miss Lee remarked as New York's Statue of Liberty gradually appeared.

Link nodded. "It's the copper oxidizing. I imagine one day, she'll be nothing but green."

"Mm-hm."

He felt her slip her hand into the crook of his arm, and in spite of himself, he pressed a little closer to her for warmth. Surely she was cold, right?

"Komui was planning to take us here one day. America. Like any young man of the Old World, he'd heard about the land of opportunity across the great ocean, and so he worked hard and saved all he could to buy us two tickets."

But then the Order found her. Link turned and was startled to find her grinning up at him, despite her tale of what could have been. "What about you? Before the Order, did you ever have dreams of a better life?"

He nodded again. Before the Order had found them, he and Madarao and Tewaku, all of them, had dreamed that maybe one day they too could save enough money and leave Hamburg, and Germany, behind. They too had heard the stories of a better life across the ocean. A place where the poor could rise above their station through hard work. Where even orphans could have a future. Maybe that was all a fantasy. Empty promises of the New World. But as he and his friends and crowded together for warmth in their shelter, it was nice to imagine there was something better waiting for them. Everyone on this ship had taken that gamble, he thought. Everyone around them had given up all they had, so all their hopes, regardless of the difficulties ahead, rested in America. It was…a wonderful thought.

Then, with a jolt, Link realized he was still staring into the Lenalee's dark eyes. And she was still smiling at him.

Did he lean down?

Or was she the one who stood on her toes as he closed his eyes and kissed her?

Her lips were cold in the chill, misty air and tasted faintly of salt. His were too, he thought. Probably. Miss Lee jerked away from him with a startled shriek as a cloud burst overhead and emptied a shower of rain on the deck. All around them, passengers cried out in alarm, pulling coats overhead and opening parasols in varying states of disrepair, and some began to run for cover. Then the lady exorcist was laughing as water poured down her face and Link found himself reaching for her hand. "We should go in, Miss Lee. Walker, too. It's cold."

But she grasped his hand and smiled. "It's only a little rain, Inspector. It won't hurt."

"Howard," he heard himself speak.

She stopped laughing, eyes soft and wondering. "…Lenalee."

In the corner of his eye, he saw a man and his two children headed in his direction and took a step forward to avoid them, and in doing so, Lenalee tightened her grip on his hand and stood on her toes to kiss him again. With his free hand, he lightly touched her cheek—

"I knew it!"

Pulling apart for a second time, they turned to see Walker hurrying toward them, coat hunched over his white hair and triumphant grin on his face.

"I saw the whole thing, you two!" He grinned. "I knew you'd be the one to kiss him first, Lenalee!"

Glancing down at her, Link felt his mouth curl into a rare smile as Lenalee shrugged her shoulders. "Actually, Allen, that was our second kiss."

The boy exorcist froze.

"So I guess there's not telling who won your little wager, now is there, Walker?" Link added and Lenalee slipped her arm through his. "I imagine it was your responsibility to report in to everyone else. Too bad." He shrugged.

"Too bad!" Lenalee half-repeated, half-sang as a light grumble of thunder rolled over the harbor and she reached out to grasp Walker's sleeve and pull them both back toward the ship's hatch. Link followed, smiling down at her. Walker, now a satisfying shade of frantic, turned to the ever-present Timcanpy and demanded to know if the golem had recorded the scene.