When hearts Collide

I do not own D. Grayman or any of it’s associated characters, nor do I own any songs used within this fic. I do not make any money off of these works of fiction, they are for entertainment only.

~

I took your time
Like I've always been trying to
Trying to
Was out of mine
So easy for me to do
Yeah, to do

Just needed to be powerful and sweet
Just needed to make my world complete
Just needed more than you could give
I've got lots of fancy tricks
To make this last forever

Will you still remember
Twisted little star
Darker shining
Silently surrender
Twisted little smile
Twisted's gonna last a while

I made you weak
Like I know I am supposed to do
Yeah, to do
You never speak
Cause you know I don't want you to
Yeah, you do

Just needed someone fresh to hold my hand
Just needed someone new to understand
Just needed a face to ease the flow
There must be a million ways
To make this last forever

Will you still remember
Twisted little star
Darker shining
Silently surrender
Twisted little smile
Twisted's gonna last a while


Just needed every smile that you could give
Just needed every lie that you could give

Will you still remember
Twisted little star
Darker shining
Silently surrender
Twisted little smile
Twisted's gonna last a while

Twisted Little Star - Bertine Zetlitz

Kanda raced headlong into the foggy night, hair whipping in the wind, his jaw clenched tight enough to make his teeth ache. Damn her. Damn her! His mind raced through his own tattered history, the dark hatred that she had planted within him.

It was always her.

Now, she had controlled Aleia. Forced Aleia’s body to slaughter her friend. What else had Aleia endured while under her power? He didn’t want to think about, didn’t want to focus on anything but ending this here and now, tonight.

But Aleia had bled so much, her tiny fingers sliced as she gripped his blade, her eyes wide and desperate. As though she would rather die that harm those dear to her and knowing her as he did, he suspected that was true.

His stomach turned at the mental image that had been burned in his mind. Of her rushing to force Mugen into her body. He’d been shocked to his very core, and hadn’t pulled away. Her blood still covered his hands, made them feel sticky where his palms had begun to sweat.
Mentally, he willed her to hang on , to be strong and pull through. His heart was gripped with the icy cold fear of finally losing someone.

He skidded to a halt as Tyki Mikk stepped from the shadows, “Sorry” he said casually, “That’s as far as you go tonight.”

Kanda unsheathed Mugen and crouched, “You don’t have to die tonight Noah. Step aside.”

Tyki quirked his brow, reaching into his pocket and pulling forth a slightly crooked cigarette, “You should know that you can’t beat me” he said plainly, “I am the one who nearly killed Allen Walker.”

Kanda growled, “Don’t be cocky. I‘m not comparable to that damn sprout.”

Tyki blew out a long stream of smoke and sighed, “Look, I really would rather not get my gloves dirty tonight. Lets play a game of poker. I win, you go home. You win, I go home.” He took a deck of cards from his pocket and thumbed through them.

“I refuse to play games with you” Kanda said stiffly “I don’t have the time.”

Tyki smiled, “You have all the time you want samurai boy. Aleia isn’t going anywhere…just yet.”

Kanda stiffened at the way the Noah said her name, “Don’t speak her name.”

“I can” Tyki said, “I think its only fair considering how often she said mine….. Moaned it actually….but still…”

Kanda saw red, leaping forward and slashing at the deck of cards that Tyki had idly been shuffling. The glossy paper scraps fell like black and white rain. Tyki glowered at him, “That was a bad move boy. I liked those cards.”

Kanda smirked coldly, “We all have things we like”.

Tyki smiled, his grin stretching wide across his gray hued face. “You’d know that better than most I suppose. Too bad you are so socially retarded and emotionally stunted to make good on any of it. You know that little woman is quite the minx. You should have seen the way she rode me…”

Kanda leapt forward again, rage burning through him, “First Illusion!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Allen stood in the doorway watching Komui rush around the room, barking orders to the medical staff like a true commander. Lavi had kept Lenalee from the medical wing with good reason.

Aleia’s blood was pooled on the floor, staining the sheets and the scent hung thick and cloying in the air. Allen felt helpless, useless, so he did what he could. He got a mop and a bucket and began to clean the traces of brilliant crimson from the floors.

‘Hurry Kanda’ he thought as he watched pail after pail of water turn pink then crimson before he changed it for another.

Komui’s usually swift and often painful treatments methods slowed to a painstaking pace. Every stitch clean and uniform. The man literally held her life in his hands and it terrified him. His eyes darted from her horrendous wound to her pale face, half covered by the oxygen mask.

‘Damn it’

His hands were steady and he softly muttered a litany of prayers and encouragements to the woman on the table. His heart was sick with the knowledge that Aleia had become a pawn of the Noah without anyone but Allen and Kanda really noticing.

The asian branch was still patching up Bak. He was still in critical condition. It was only Fou’s account of what had occurred that prevented any other exorcists from being lost. As it was, the innocence formed being would have to recover for nearly a month.

Bak wasn’t so lucky. When he woke, he would have to endure a month of bed rest and several more months of therapy and light work loads. The Noah had even marked him. She’d gouged one of his eyes out, shattered ribs, punctured his lung and kidney.

By all accounts his survival was a miracle, but then so was Fou and one miracle loved another very much. Damn Bak for being so observant, damn him for nearly dying.

“Komui?” came a soft voice and he raised his violet eyes to see Becca watching him closely, a cloth in her soft white hands. Her blue eyes were shining with concern. She raised on tip toe to wipe the sweat from his face. How he longed to lean into her touch.

“Don’t think about any of it now” she cautioned, “Tend to her and sort the rest out later.”

“I should have….” he said in a pained voice.

Becca glared at him, “None of that was your fault” she snapped, “But if you stand here feeling sorry and she slips away because of it, it will be”.

He blanched.

“And I won’t save you from Kanda when he finds out” she said stiffly. Komui swallowed past the lump in his throat and nodded, turning back to his task. Her eyes softened as she took in his tired face, the tension of his shoulders. She loved this man.

And if Aleia died, heaven forbid, she would help him carry that burden.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Allen glanced up hours later, the sunlight coming from the window told him it was midmorning. Komui stood before him, haggard in the morning light. His hands shook terribly and he looked visibly sick.

“I’ve done all I can” he said quietly, “She seems to be in pretty good shape. Now she just has to pull through. The bleeding has stopped, the blade didn’t touch her heart, thank God… but she will need recovery time. Gods this was a bad idea. I think Kanda was right.”

Allen blinked, “About what?”

“I never should have told her about the innocence, never given her the choice. It’s one injury after another. Her life has been wretched since she came here”

Allen stepped into the room Komui following after. Aleia lay on clean linens her face so pale is was nearly lavender. Her lips a little blue.

“She will need a blood transfusion soon” Komui said then, “The only two people with her blood type are Lavi and Kanda…”

“They will help” Allen said, “But you are wrong…”

Komui blinked, “Eh?”

Allen’s fingertips touched the hollow of her throat where a small silver lotus blossom lay and smiled softly, “She has found good things here too”

“Where is Kanda?” Komui asked then, “Hasn’t he returned yet?”

Allen shook his head, about to answer when a shout drew his attention, “That was Lavi!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lavi turned the corner to find a bloodied Kanda half dragging himself through the doors. Several Finders kept him steady as they pulled him to his feet.

“Yu!” Lavi cried out rushing forward to take his wounded friend from the other men, “What happened to you?!”

Kanda groaned quietly, clenching his jaw against the raging pain coursing through his body. “Noah” he managed.

Allen and Komui clattered into the hall a moment later, mouths tight at the sight of the half dead swordsman.

“Allen!” Lavi said as he shouldered the black haired man. Allen moved to help him and they headed for the medical wing.

“Aleia?” Kanda managed to rasp as they moved.

“Alive” Allen confirmed, “That reminds me, she needs blood and apparently you two have the compatible type.”

“Take it” the Japanese man wheezed, his legs giving, but Allen and Lavi caught him more securely.

“You are in no condition to give anyone blood, you barely have enough to stay upright as it is. I’ll give it” Lavi said matter-of-factly.

“Like hell” Kanda groused, “I am not taking any part of you to bed.”

Lavi was so startled that he nearly let the other man slip, “Aw, that’s cold Yu.”

Allen shook his head and got them through the medical ward doors. Kanda’s eyes swung the area, taking in the bed enclosed by curtains. As they had been once before.

“There” he said stiffly, wincing as his injuries began an entirely new level of painfulness. Allen complied, moving him to the bed closest to Aleia’s. Kanda hissed slightly as they stripped his tattered coat from him and settled him on the bed. Komui had already rallied the nurses to action.

It seemed he was not to rest yet.

It was with some relief that he noted that Kanda would see another day. He cleaned him up, stitched him and bandaged him. “Hook me up for the transfusion” the barely awake man muttered.

Komui shook his head, “You aren’t healing as fast as you should, you really have to let Lavi do this. She will die without it and you will be out of commission for even longer if you do this.”

Kanda finally nodded, closing his eyes as the red head began to roll up his sleeve and sat beside Aleia’s bed.

“Oi” he growled, causing Lavi to peek through the curtains. “Open those curtains.”

Lavi glanced to Komui and the older man nodded slowly. Carefully, Lavi obeyed. Revealing to Kanda’s eyes the state of his lover. The Japanese man clenched his jaw, saying nothing. He fought the consuming need to sleep, merely to watch her. The large swath of bandages were faintly stained with the slow seep of her wound.

He felt sick seeing her. His weapon had done that. A weapon that he had pointed at her body. And though the enemy had been in control, she too had been there. Her spirit trapped in that flesh shell.

Lavi gave him a small, sad smile. “She’ll be ok Yu”

“Tch”

Lavi winced as Komui jabbed the needle into his arm, “You could be more gentle” the junior bookman complained.

Komui glanced at Kanda who was ever watchful as he gently slid the needle beneath Aleia’s flesh to the very faint vein and then began the process of transferring blood from one to the filter, and then on to the other.

“Let me know if you get dizzy” Komui said to Lavi, “I’ll be back when it’s time to stop.”

He passed by Kanda’s bed, noting that man fought sleep ferociously, “Did you get her?“

Kanda shook his head, “I met Tyki Mikk on the way.“ His eyes fluttered slightly, but he refused to close them.

Komui nodded, “You’ll be wanting to go after him then.”

A nod.

“Best get some rest Kanda-kun.” Komui said gently, mentally adding, ‘you are going to need it’.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three days later Kanda woke fully healed and donned his coat. “I am going” he told Allen as he passed the other. The clock read just after ten at night. He paused at the bedside, dark eyes roving over the small woman in the bed.

He half wished she was awake. There were questions nagging him. What had they done to her? What had Tyki Mikk meant when he spoke so familiarly of her? He could not imagine her going to the Noah willingly.

Had she been tricked as they had? Had she been forced? His stomach clenched painfully at the thought of someone else touching her. Had she enjoyed it? Had she liked it more than his touch? His eyes clenched shut.

He stopped himself there. He couldn’t let himself continue along that train of thought. It wasn’t right, wasn’t fair. He opened his eyes again, seeing her lovely face, seeing the bean sprout.

Allen had taken to watching over Aleia, much as he had before. While Kanda wanted to, he felt that when she saw his face, he should at least be able to tell her that her tormentor was dead and gone.

Yes that was the very least he could do.

“She is going to wake up soon Kanda” Allen protested, “I think you should be here for her when she does.”

“Shut up bean sprout, the one that caused this must be punished.”

Allen sighed, “I know that. I am just saying that you should wait til she wakes and we can go together. She probably blames herself for Miranda and Bak…”

Kanda leveled Mugen at him…again.

“You will assure her that she isn’t to blame. Tell her I will be back as soon as I have done this.”

Allen folded his arms, “As her lover, that would be your job, your gonna have to do it one day.” he said in his most stubborn tone.

Kanda blinked at him, “What did you say to me?”

Allen leaned back in his chair, completely un-phased by the icy tone the older man had taken with him. “I said, that one day you are going to have start acting like a real lover Bakanda. You can’t just have the good parts.”

His dove gray eyes met Kanda’s unflinchingly. Hell, someone had to say it. Why not him?

Kanda opened his mouth, ready to snap the younger man in two verbally, if not with his bare hands.

“Don’t” Allen snapped, preventing him, “She laid here hurt before and where were you? She trained in China, where were you? You couldn’t even be bothered to write her….”

Kanda looked away, unable to deny those things. He had come here, but half the time she hadn’t known, not really. He had been forced to leave her in China. But Allen was right, he hadn’t bothered to write until after Savitar took her away to India. And even then he wasn’t really certain if that was because he missed her alone, or because he was jealous of Savitar for being with her.

Allen watched the iciness slide over Kanda’s face.

“She’s worth more than someone who uses her. And really Kanda, have you done anything but that? From the outside it doesn’t look that way. Have you told her that you love her? That she matters?”

Kanda clenched his jaw, “I said she was mine” he ground out.

“Your what?” Allen demanded, “Your warm body in the night? Your sometimes girlfriend? Something to pass the time? She’s better than that.. And you know it!” Allen was on his feet now, arm throw out in an angry gesture towards the bed. “I told you that once before. If you can’t be hers the right way, you stay the hell away from her Kanda.”

Allen’s innocence had activated with his fury and Kanda found himself facing down the Crown Clown. He growled softly, his hand clutching Mugen. “I’ll sort it out later.” he snapped and spun on his heel to go.

“I mean it Bakanda!” Allen all but roared after him.

Kanda paused but didn’t look, “I am aware of that. But how can I give her those things when I am not wholly free? I have to do this bean sprout.”

Allen listened to the clip clip clip of boots as they moved further and further away. Looking back at Aleia, he ran his hand gently over her cheek, “I suppose that’s true” he admitted, “But people don’t wait forever. Not if you don’t give them a reason to.”

A shuffle to the left of him, near the door made him turn. Lenalee stood looking uncertain. “He couldn’t wait?”

Allen shook his head, holding his arm out to her. She immediately moved into his embrace, taking solace in his warm form and the strength of his arms and heart. His chin brushed her hair, “It will be very hard when she wakes up.”

“Maybe he will be back by then” Lenalee said in a hopeful voice but her little hand fisted in his coat over his heart and he knew she was afraid. She had good reason to be.

“Tyki Mikk could very easily kill Kanda. He should have waited for the rest of us.” he told her, but his hand stroked her hair soothing her, “We’ll just do the best we can for now.”

She nodded. She felt Allen’s lips blossom against her brow and sighed happily. If only everyone had love like she did. The kind that held you, comforted you, made you feel weak and strong all at once.

“Where is Lavi?” Allen murmured, feeling the curling, heated tendrils of desire coil through him.

“Laying down. Said he feels woozy.”

Allen glanced at Aleia, resting, her mask firmly in place. “Hmm, we could go get woozy ourselves. A quick one. Library?” he whispered in Lenalee’s ear.

She blushed and nodded, letting him take her hand and lead her away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The library was quiet, empty as the night wore on. Allen opened the door and pulled her inside with him.

His mouth fused to hers hungrily, lapping at her palate, making her moan and cling to him. His hand sliding beneath her very short skirt finding she had forgone panties.

“Mmm. Naughty” he purred., his fingers slipping against slick heat.

“Allen, please” she whimpered, “I can’t wait!“

He stepped between a high backed chair and a low table.

He backed up slowly until he felt the chair behind him and reaching between them he thumbed the tab of his pants and fell back into the chair, bracing Lenalee as she straddled his lap, his erection standing proud between them.

Her small hand sliding over him, holding him steady as she sank slowly onto him. She held his gaze as he slowly stretched her body until the pleasure grew so great that her eyes rolled back and her lashes fluttered.

“Ahhh you feel good Allen!” she panted. She loved how his thick length filled her, making her feel hot and whole and utterly consumed. She felt his hands slide over her hips to caress the pale cheeks of her bottom and then she braced her hands on his shoulders and lifted herself slowly.

She moved herself to slowly that it tortured them both. The way her folds held him, dragging up his length is heated friction until she felt the flared mushroom shaped head of him tug at her opening.

Allen gritted his teeth, “Don’t tease Lenalee” he rasped, his hands tightening on her.

She licked at his lower lip and smiled in that seductive way that only he and Lavi had ever seen. Would ever see.

Lenalee let herself drop hard onto him, seating him deep inside of her and making them both moan. She repeated the action feeling Allen’s hands urge her onward.

He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to her throat, biting and suckling the small red spot until she cried out and ground her hips in tight wet circles on him.

His head dropped back feeling that slickness on him, like hot heaven. Her juices coating him, easing his movement.

He felt her tense on him, her wall clamping and fluttering, “Allen..” she panted, “I need, oh gods I need..”

He knew. He grabbed her tightly and rose and reversed their positions, pressing her back into the seat the padded chair, and holding her hips as she wrapped her legs tightly around him.

He’d nearly folded her in half, making her tighter, moving deeper. He knew. Knew that sometimes Lenalee wanted it hard, rough. Wanted to be utterly dominated by himself and Lavi. And he was more that happy to give her what she wanted.

He pounded into her, his hips snapping against her, his heavy sac slapping against her bottom. One hand moved to rub furiously against her pearl. Her breath hitched roughly and she jolted under his movements.

He panted, gasped and groaned as he worked them both towards that dizzying starry plain. “Ung… Lena…. Ahhh, come on… come for me. Lets go together.”

And they did. Gasping and spasm against each other, hands gripping tightly, fluids colliding and mixing. Mouths crashed together, breath and tongues meshing.

And he felt her pulsing around him, drawing him close, like her arms, her mouth and her heart and Allen felt very blessed. He was home.

‘Do you feel this too Kanda?’ he wondered as he pressed a kiss to her sweaty brow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kanda felt nothing. But the driving rain and cold of the wind and the piercing ache in his heart. He tried to focus on finding the Noahs. On avenging the abuses that they had meted to Aleia.

And most of all he wanted to slaughter Tyki Mikk for daring to touch his woman. His Aleia. Yes, she was his, he had said so, but now it was time that he sorted out exactly what he wanted.

Oddly enough the first thing that came to mind was tomorrow.

He wanted tomorrow with her. A lifetime of tomorrows.

First he had to live through today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Why didn’t you kill him?” Kyria snarled at the taller Noah.

Tyki looked bored by her tantrum, “Didn’t feel like it” he replied, “Besides I thought that was only for you to do…”

She sighed, shoving her hand through her hair, “Damn men, damn useless men… I hate that boy!”

“So leave him alone.”

“No! He is mine.”

Tyki exhaled, the smoke slowing free and rising in abstract patterns in the air, “Why?”

She looked away, then back again, “He made me burn”

“I make you burn” he reminded her.

“Yes” she said moving around behind him, draping her arms over his shoulder and cradling his skull between her ample breasts, “But his a fleeting fire, killed all too soon. My first human orgasm…. My first human trophy… well my first virgin.”

She left Tyki to cross the room, tapping on a small glass bowl. Inside a small fish puffed up impressively. “My first fighting fish….” she murmured.

“He isn’t a pet to be kept in a little bowl you know.” Tyki pointed out. Humans rarely meant much to him, save the small group he sometimes dug and mined with. For some reason thinking of them as pets made him feel sick, lower than dirt.

“But they are!” she cooed, scooping the small fish into her grey palm. “So fragile, yet so feisty, so wanting to live.” She watched for long minutes as the little fish fought for air. Fought to live. It amused her, it angered her.

Her hand slowly closed around the wriggling creature. Tyki looked away as her fist started to tremble from the force of her grip and then she touched the table and left.

He knew he shouldn’t look. Shouldn’t. But he did.

There in a small pool of water, lay the fish. It’s lovely blue scaled body torn where the pressure of being crushed had caused it to burst. It’s copper colored eyes staring and lifeless. Gone was the fire that she had once admired.

For some reason Tyki found it horrifically cruel. This had been her pet, a creature that she had trained to eat from her hand. He rose slowly, reaching out with his large hand, gently took the broken little form into his own hand. The bright, iridescent fanning fins, were already growing dull.

“Sorry.” he said and carried the little fish outside and away from the place that had once been it’s pampered home. Crouching near Road’s favored rose bush he scooped some earth up and carefully buried the abused creature.

“I’m sorry you suffered.” And oddly enough he was.

Hours later as they sat around the Earl’s table with the fine food before them. Tyki kept picturing the tiny broken fish and fought the urge to vomit. Across from him Kyria ate with delicate motions as though she hadn‘t just done something so terrible.

Placing his napkin on the table, Tyki looked at the Earl.

“Tyki-pet?” The smiling man said, “is something wrong?”

“I don’t have much of an appetite.” he replied, “I think I’ll go for a walk.”
And walk he did, his mind returning to the poor fish again and again. And suddenly it wasn’t the fish. But a woman.

A small, red haired human woman. That somehow intrigued him.

Once he had taken Savitar’s form he had gotten very close to her. Savitar’s innate desire for her had remained and Tyki had felt that. But soon, he felt his own.

She was warm and lively and so determined to live. Just like that little fish. And the more thought about her smart ass mouth, her sweet lips and her brave heart, the less he wanted to see her crushed like that little fish.

He took another bent cigarette from his pocket and lit it. Inhaling deeply, letting the taste of smoke and tobacco cover his palate. The memory of taking her body, hearing Kyria moan wantonly irked him.

It was however when he could make them both scream that he enjoyed it most. Because it meant that she had too, whether she wished it or not. In many ways that was wrong, and he supposed that Japanese brat with the bad attitude would have to help her heal from that.

Tyki would have liked to. But he’d never touch her again. Sad, she had made Kyria more bearable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Komui sat on his bed, bloodshot eyes staring at some random spot on the wall. His mind far away in the throes of self resigned guilt. He hung his head and didn’t bother looking up when the door opened quietly.

“Komui” Becca said in a gentle chiding voice, “You need to get some sleep. You are the director but you are still human.”

His assistant crossed the room, and cupped his cheek. “Can you do that for me?”

She gently pushed him to lay back but he caught her wrist, “Stay with me” he mumbled.

Her brows rose, “What’s that?”

He lifted his tired eyes to hers, “Stay with me. Let me touch you, let me hold you.”

They had known of the attraction between them, the friendly flirting. Long ago she had fallen for him and now it seemed he had too. She smiled sweetly, nodding as she gently climbed into his lap.

Komui hummed with contentment as she pressed her lips to his and his arms wrapped around her to pull her close.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aleia was in a dark place. Alone and feeling lost. She knew pain and sadness and lingering fear.

“Where am I?”

“You killed me”.

She turned to find Bak, torn and tattered before her.

She shook her head, “I didn’t want to… I’m so sorry!”

Miranda appeared, “Why? What did I ever do to you?”

“You didn’t notice?” Savitar asked hovering near her.

Fou rose from the dark ground, “Betrayer”.

Suddenly, she saw Kanda in the distance. He stood there, looking so handsome, so hard.

“He touched you” his voice was so icy it made her shiver. Her eyes widened at his words.

“I”

“You let him touch you”

She shook her head, “I didn’t….”

She hadn’t. She hadn’t LET him do anything.

“Yu… I didn’t, it wasn’t…”

“You liked it!” he roared at her, “You came for him!”

And she couldn’t deny it. “I didn’t…want….to.”

“You are weak. Nothing to me…” he said as he turned away from her. She ran after him, wanting to explain. But she couldn’t catch him. She fell to her knees in the darkness, her heart breaking.

“Scream for me….” Tyki Mikk purred to her through the hazy cloud of smoke, “You know you want to.”

And Aleia screamed, clamping her hands over her ears.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hours later they dozed, bodies sated. Komui was sprawled across the bed, Becca curled into his side. Exhaustion having finally won the battle over them. The light of the day came and went.

After nearly 12 hours of sleep, the world intruded once more.

BANG BANG BANG

“Komui! Komui Ni-san!” Lenalee’s shrill voice rang through the door of his room, startling both lovers from slumber. Komui bolted upright, reaching for his glasses.

Becca glanced at her lover with worried eyes, this wasn’t how she would have wanted his little sister to find out about them. He merely smiled, and pulled his pants on before heading to the door.

One look at Lenalee’s face told him something was very wrong. Her violet eyes were filled with tears. He grabbed her shoulders, “What is it?” he asked.

“Aleia!” she wailed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time Komui and Becca arrived in the medical wing Aleia was on the brink. The little machines rang with alarms and it was clear that she was slipping away. The head nurse looked up a him with wide eyes, “Komui sir!” she cried out, “We are losing her.”

Komui rushed forward, eyes taking in the dropping vitals. He acted swiftly doing everything he had to, everything he could. Working tirelessly to bring her closer to life.

But Aleia it seemed, had other plans. She would not be saved. She resisted his every effort. They even hooked up blood bags.

“I don’t understand” Komui said at last, “Don’t you want to live?”

She didn’t answer, her breathing labored and forced. She was dying, her heart beat growing slower and more faint on the small monitor.

“Do something!” the head nurse demanded.

Komui could think of only one thing and rushed from the room. Opening his special locked cabinet he withdrew a small box. Identical to the one that Aleia had carried to China.

He didn’t want to do this, but did he have any other option.

He fled back the bedside, prepping her arm for the injection. Allen saw the box and stepped between them, “What are you doing?” he demanded, “You don’t even know if it will work.”

“I know that”

“It could kill her!” Allen shouted.

Komui pressed his eyes shut tightly, “Allen she is dying now, I don’t have any other option but to try this.”

Allen wavered, seeing the pain in Komui’s eyes. “Komui..Shouldn’t we at least try and find Kanda?”

“This is the last chance we have Allen, she is going to die either way.”

Allen glanced over his shoulder at the woman and slowly stepped away, letting Komui through.

As he prepared to inject he leaned close, “Please make it Aleia.”

Allen shut his eyes as the plunger was depressed and the volatile liquid vanished into her vein. This could be it. This could be the end of the fiery woman he called his friend.

This could very well destroy Kanda.

For several minutes it was still, only the sounds of the machines filling the room. Allen looked starting to hope that this was working when her body tensed and seized.

“Oh my god!” Becca said as she and Komui rushed to hold her steady. “Her tongue, Allen, keep her from swallowing her tongue. Don’t use your hands!”

Allen grabbed a metal depressor and angled it into her mouth, keeping her tongue pinned. Her eyes rolled back and her spine arched.

“Head Nurse! Get some Lamictal over here! Now!” Komui shouted.

The woman fumbled with the syringe, dropping it in her nervous haste. Lavi had appeared in the doorway and made his way to the cabinet, finding a clean syringe and drawing the medication into it.

Calmly he walked over and gave it. It was a calm he didn’t really feel. Inside he was terrified. Moreso when Aleia began to foam at the mouth, her vitals spiking to dangerous levels.

Allen grimaced at the force of her convulsions, using his sleeve to wipe the foam from her nose and mouth. “How long Komui?” he asked.

Komui grunted against the erratic movements, “A few minutes.” he said and then slowly the convulsions faded to tremors. The foam ceased coming and Aleia’s levels began to slowly drop.

They breathed a sigh of relief, until she began screaming. Her back arching again. This time it was no seizure. This time it was pain and she was trying to escape her own body.

“Hurry! We have to restrain her!” Becca shouted over the sound and the swiftly anchored her arms and legs with the padded straps. Several minutes later they stood back, panting and sore from her struggles. Komui was sporting the start of a black eye.

He hated seeing those straps. They reminded him of Lenalee and her first months at the Order. He never wanted to tie anyone down. Yet, once again the choice had been taken from him.

Aleia bowed on the bed, eyes still rolled back , her mouth working on sometimes silent screams. Allen couldn’t watch, turning from her he faced Komui. “How long before we know?”

Komui shook his head, “I’m not really sure. Only time will tell.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time told two hours later when the alarms went off again and they saw the flat line moving across the screen.

“What does that mean?” Allen asked though part of him already knew.

Komui shook his head, covering his face with his hands.

“What is it?” Allen demanded again.

“Allen” Becca said softly, “It means... she didn’t …make it.”

Allen felt his stomach rebel and rushed to the sink.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kanda paused suddenly in his flight. His breath was gone, it felt like someone had just kicked him hard in the stomach. He couldn’t breathe, didn’t know why. Up ahead he heard soft laughter and saw a small red head vanish around the corner.

She was nearly glowing. She glanced back at him. Then was gone.

And then cold dread filled him.

Was it… Aleia?