Don't forget, this comes after the very, very end of Changing Lives, so if you HAVEN'T read it yet (and why the hell NOT?) there be spoilers ahead.

Black Order Baby, pt: two

GRANDFATHER

Headquarters was still in a sombre mood. A week had passed since the funeral of those killed in the last, final stand against the Earl and his minions, but nobody left behind particularly felt like celebrating the end of the war. It wasn't like they could all go back to their past lives either. Though a few of the finders and scientists had left the Order, the majority of those stationed at Headquarters were still required- there were still Akuma out there, wandering without purpose now that the Earl was gone, and there was still innocence to be collected. Nobody was quite sure what would happen once all the Akuma were destroyed and innocence gathered- the future had always been an elusive concept for the Black Order, yet now they were faced with endless years of wonderful, comfortable life.

There were two people in the Order who found themselves planning for a future that neither of them quite believed they'd ever live to see.

Lavi certainly never once considered that he'd be planning for a baby. Especially his baby.

"So…" he began, glancing at Lenalee. "What do we do now?"

The young woman didn't need him to elaborate on his comment. When she had first told him that she was carrying his child (something she was still trying to come to terms with), they had agreed to keep it to themselves, and of course Allen, who had known before Lavi had, and most likely Kanda since Allen was useless at keeping secrets from the other man. Luckily Kanda wasn't one to gossip or the likelihood of Lavi still being alive was pitifully low.

Her heart clenched briefly at the thought of her friends before she effectively stomped on it. She would never forget either of them, and suspected that any thoughts of them would always be tinged with sadness, but she had a future to consider now and knew that Allen and Kanda would be the first to tell her to concentrate on the life growing inside her.

"Well," she began, biting her lip hesitantly. She knew what they needed to do now, but as soon as they stepped onto that path the shit would really hit the fan.

Lavi seemed to realise her hesitancy and pulled a coin out of his pocket. "Your call, heads or tails?"

"Heads" she said after a moment of silence where she seemed to be seriously considering her future embodied in the small silver disk.

Lavi nodded and expertly flipped the coin into the air. They both watched it turn, flashing silver with reflected sunlight as it arched towards the ceiling. He plucked it out of the air with enviable skill, clenching his hand around it as he swallowed tightly before slapping it down on the back of his opposite palm. He didn't uncover it for a minute until Lenalee leaned over and nudged his hand away. Together they looked down at the coin sitting innocently on Lavi's hand.

"Tails" she whispered, raising worried violet eyes to his ashen face.

"Oh shit" he gulped.

"How are we going to do this?" she asked him. He tried not to think too much about it, but he could see in her eyes the gloating 'it-serves-you-right' and 'I'm-so-glad-it-wasn't-me' that she did not voice. He also tried not to be jealous of her luck, but all that kept crossing his mind was the thought that her day would soon come.

However, that thought was quickly chased by the fact that that when it came to Lenalee breaking the news to her brother, it wouldn't be Lenalee that suffered Komui's wrath.

Sometimes his life sucked.

"You mean, how am I going to do this" he corrected, slumping back with a sigh.

"Well actually, I thought it would be better if I spoke to him- after what happened last time-" a brief pause followed while they both recalled the sight (and for Lavi, the sensation) of Bookman kicking him into the wall. "-and we didn't even know I was pregnant then- just think what he'll do to you now!"

Lavi felt vaguely warmed, but his deep seated gentlemanly instincts (dammit- he must have spent too much time around Allen) kicked in. "I can't let you face him alone Lena, we'll both go."

"Okay, it's your funeral" she replied with a small shrug.

He wished she hadn't used those particular words.

0o0o0o0o0

They stood in front of Bookman's door, staring at the wood and working up the courage to actually knock on it.

Lenalee pushed Lavi forwards so he was slightly in front of her and therefore first in the line of fire when they finally got round to actually knocking.

Slowly, as though he expected the wood to bite him, Lavi raised his hand and rapped firmly on the door

Bookman answered almost immediately, looking over his visitors curiously. If he was drawing parallels between this unexpected visit and the one that had happened a couple of months ago, it did not show on his face as he opened the door wider to admit them.

His room was organised chaos- a few open books littered the desk and bed, with stacks of paper covering almost every surface. It seemed that Bookman was in the process of finishing up his records of the last few years that he's spent with the Order. It was a sign that the Order's purpose was almost fulfilled- Bookman had decided to stay at the Order until all loose ends were tied up, and apparently he thought that time was near.

The old man glanced between the two exorcists. "Is there something wrong?"

Lavi and Lenalee looked at each other, both hoping the other would speak first.

"Well" Lavi began, since he had lost the toss and all, "you know when we came to see you a couple of months ago..?"

Bookman said nothing, but nodded once, looking like he was rapidly growing impatient with the slow progress of the conversation.

"You see, well, there's something that you need to know."

Bookman quirked an eyebrow, looking between his apprentice who was deathly pale and twitching something terrible, to Lenalee who looked frankly sick, twisting her skirt hem anxiously in her hands. He thought back to the previous talk he'd had the last time these two exorcists knocked on his door.

"Miss Li, what can I do for you?"

Lenalee shared a glance with Lavi before clearing her throat nervously. "We've come to ask for your help."

Without warning the old man was standing in front of the exorcists. Well, standing in front of Lenalee, since for some strange reason Lavi was flat on his back looking slightly dazed and nursing a Bookman-sized shoe print on his face. "Idiot boy, what have I told you about things like this? I knew your loose ways would land you in trouble!" Bookman snapped at the man still sprawled on the floor. He turned to Lenalee with pitying eyes. "You're wondering how to tell your brother? Well, I can't say I condone what has happened, but I'll make sure the Supervisor doesn't kill him, I'm sure we will both rather have him alive." He shot a look loaded with daggers at Lavi. "And don't think this will get you out of your duties to the clan!"

Lavi and Lenalee were by now thoroughly confused, and the look the exchanged said as much. "Err, Bookman, I don't think…"

"So, when did this happen? No, never mind… it doesn't matter now. When is the baby due?"

"Eh?" Lavi gaped at the old man. "Baby? You think Lenalee and I… baby?" He stood there with his mouth flapping open like a dying fish.

Lenalee shook her hands in front of her rapidly, "No, no, no, no! That's not it at all! You've got this all wrong!" She looked around worriedly, half expecting Komui's sister-dar to have gone off and the mad scientist to be charging into the room at any moment ready to unleash his older brother fury (or his latest robot creation) on any male present. Lucky they were in Bookman's room, since she suspected even her brother would hesitate at bugging the old man's bedroom. "This isn't about me and Lavi, this is about Allen!"

"Walker got you pregnant?" asked Bookman, raising his eyebrow.

There was a stunned silence as Lavi and Lenalee processed this question. Lavi could have sworn a tumbleweed blew past as the silence lengthened.

"Allen's gay" Lenalee said eventually

"It's happened before" Bookman shrugged, pulling a pipe from somewhere on his person and filling it with tobacco before lighting it.

"What, Allen got someone pregnant?" Lenalee asked, wondering at what point this conversation had become so surreal. "No, wait; I don't know why we're talking about this. I'm not having Allen's baby. I'm not having anyone's baby. That's not what we came here to talk about."

He came to the only obvious conclusion. "So you really are having Allen Walker's baby?" he asked with a completely blank, expressionless face.

Lenalee and Lavi gaped at each other, then at him. Lavi decided he was vaguely insulted. No, scratch that, he was very insulted. Why was it the old man didn't think the baby was his? Why Allen of all people. It was a definite slur to his masculinity, he reckoned.

"Why do you automatically think its Allen's?" he demanded. Damn, but the sprout hadn't been that irresistable, had he? Even if he had been, Kanda would have removed certain parts of his anatomy if he caught him sleeping around.

Bookman looked at him critically. "Firstly, I would like to think that Miss Li has better taste" he said smugly "and second of all, I know you are stupid, but I would hope that you aren't that stupid."

Lai decided he was definitely being insulted here and was about to say so when Lenalee lay a soothing hand in his arm to quieten him.

"That's just the thing Bookman. I have always had poor taste, and Lavi really is that stupid."

"Hey!"

Bookman said nothing as he turned to stare at Lavi, who swallowed and started to back away. "Err, Lenalee, help?"

The old man gave her a slightly softened frosty look. "I would not recommend getting involved in your condition, Miss Li."

She nodded rapidly and moved out of the way. Some things were more important than protecting one's some-time lover from vengeful old men. Like her nails. And the baby, of course.

Lavi cast her a hurt look before yanking the door open and running for his life. Unfortunately this just presented Bookman with a large moving target, and the old man's aim with his needles was legendary.

Lavi found he was unable to sit down properly for a week.

Its kinda short, and I hate it, but I'm struggling with real life at the moment and humour escapes me. .