The Conundrum

Disclaimer: I don't own D.Gray-Man. Do I suck at original lines or what?

Warning: Sexual situations. Kinda. :3 No real pairings, although...

"Mmph… aaahhh…"

It was three-thirty in the morning and Link had just awakened to take a quick trip to the washroom when he heard a strange noise. Ears perking up, he turned away from the door, intent on finding the source of the noise. What if it was dangerous?

"Nnnnn…"

The blonde man spun around abruptly. Had that been-

"That's… oh…"

-from the direction of Allen Walker's bed?

Link crept silently to the structure containing the sleeping boy, years of training allowing him to make not a sound when his bare feet touched the stone floor. Slowly, he bent over the bed, trying not to awaken the occupant while determining his safety at the same time.

"Nngh… ah…" The covers rose as the young Exorcist inhaled sharply.

Allen Walker appears to be safe, Link thought to himself. Yet he could not help but notice the boy's flushed face, the sweat trickling down his cheek, or the pained gasps escaping from slightly parted lips. Could he perhaps have a fever?

Link reached out with a bare hand to check, but just before his hand touched the heated skin of the boy's forehead, Allen moved his head away and moaned again.

"Lenalee…"

The hand was immediately withdrawn as the inspector frowned. Had he just heard-

"argh… Lenalee… I want…"

Allen Walker had mentioned the name of Lenalee Lee, Link noted silently. The 14th Noah was thinking about the possible Heart of Innocence. This was not a good sign. He'd actually come to like the boy he was assigned to watch, and-

"Lenalee, I… need…"

What is he talking about? Allen couldn't possibly be thinking-

"that…"

Panting, Allen flipped over onto his stomach to hug his pillow before his face contorted in pain and he rolled over onto his side again, facing away from Link.

"…haaa- no, that's- mmm… nice…"

Link was beginning to feel very concerned. Allen no longer sounded as if he were in pain; rather, the moans conveyed a sense of pleasure. If Allen was dreaming of Lenalee Lee like this, it could only mean…

"Lenalee, I… I… AHHH…"

No, but that would mean…

"oh god, Lenalee…"

Allen's back arched off the bed. Link took the opportunity once he settled back down to examine the boy's posture: hands clenched in the edge of the covers, body writhing, legs kicking at the end of the bed, although it appeared as if one was bent and probably tucked close to his stomach to create a bump in the covers…

…but was it just him or did Allen's leg look a little skinnier than usual? Ah well. No matter, Link decided. The boy was certainly in agony, his cries increasing in volume and duration. Strange that he should have such a violent reaction to this, but perhaps… Link had always thought the two got along rather well…

"…mmm, LENALEE-"

With a soft gasp, Allen sunk back into the bed, head flopping around wildly as his body twisted to face away from Link again.

Link shook his head quickly, braid swinging around his shoulders. Of course that would never happen willingly; Allen wasn't that kind of person. On the other hand, if his mind were not complicit, but…

A soft mumble came from the bed and Link quickly leaned over to catch the very end of it:

"…you… Lenalee…"

The bed was still, and soon, the frozen Link heard a gentle snore echo from the bed. The Exorcist had drifted into a dreamless sleep by this time, the heat dissipating from his skin. So it was not a fever after all, but a result of the dream: a feverish rage, or the effort it had taken to…

Link gritted his teeth in anger as he stared sadly at the sleeping boy. He desperately wished he could keep this incident a secret, for Allen Walker's sake, but if it meant what he thought it did, it would be best for everyone that Levellier – and Central – find out about it as soon as possible. And if not… Link couldn't think of any other possible interpretation, but it couldn't hurt to get a second opinion, that was for sure.

He really didn't want to think of the possibility that Allen Walker had dreamed of killing Lenalee Lee.

Not that nice boy.

Fortunately, it seemed Secretary Levellier was equally unsure of the possibility.

"Hm… That could be what Allen Walker was dreaming of," he mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Link had just finished giving his verbal report of the event and was now standing off to the side stiffly as the older man looked over the written copy Link had made immediately after the incident. On the table next to him, a piece of cake lay momentarily forgotten. "But this is not conclusive. Should we expect that the Fourteenth will only take control of Walker's body while leaving his mind intact? Cross Marian's testimony says otherwise."

"Perhaps Allen Walker's dreams were unrelated to murder," Link suggested.

"It is possible," Levellier admitted. He stood up and handed Link the paper, immediately turning away to face the bloodstained window. Ever since that day, Levellier had spent more than a few waking hours in the room, studying the scene. "The boy does not have a history of such an activity. Ask his colleagues; they might have some idea of the meaning of this incident, if it concerns us at all. I have… business to attend to." Levellier pointedly avoided looking at the cake.

"Certainly, sir." Link executed a low bow and exited the room, leaving the Secretary to his musings on Cross and his dessert.

First up: ah, there was that annoying little bespectacled scientist who was so fond of Allen! What a perfect opportunity!

Link hastily explained the situation, aided by the written report, and concluded with "…and perhaps you have some insight on the matter…?"

"It's Johnny," said the man, fixing his glasses and looking slightly hurt. "I have no idea, but I do know that Allen would never dream of hurting Lenalee! Those two are really close!"

"Thank you," Link muttered, and immediately set off to find someone else (Johnny was immediately forgotten). At least he had more confirmation that Allen was not dreaming about such a horrendous act. Now that he thought about it, though, perhaps he should warn-

Later. If this was nothing to be worried about, there was no reason to actively seek out Lenalee Lee. Allen may have mentioned her name, but it was entirely possible she would not know the reason.

The next few hours proved relatively uneventful, with very little light shed on the situation.

"Allen is a very good person," Rob said with a calm smile. Link gleaned nothing more from speaking to the man.

"Who?" Maybe speaking to the recently-arrived Miss Dopp had been a mistake.

"Ehh, we're just Finders. We don't know anything. Sorry!" Link nodded to the pair of former sailors and kept searching.

"Hmmm…" Reever shrugged, careful not to upset the drink he held in one hand. "I really don't know, and I'm afraid I'm very busy with work right now, Inspector. Maybe one of the Exorcists will know?" Link thanked him and decided to take that advice. Of course the Exorcists would know Allen Walker best.

Sadly, they ended up being no more helpful, as most had not a clue, and those who did preferred not to reveal a thing.

"It sounds like he's hungry," Krory suggested when Link met him in the cafeteria. "I get tense like that when I need some… oh, but that's blood…"

"Thank you," Link muttered and quickly stepped around the tall man before Krory's thoughts were interrupted and he noticed the departure.

"Pardon?" Miranda's face fell when she found she had no answer. "I'm so sorry," came the whimper. "Please forgive me for my failings… I really should know…"

"It's fine, Miranda-san," Marie murmured, patting her on the back comfortingly. "I don't have any idea myself."

"B-but I know Allen… for so long already… I really should…"

Link decided to make a hasty departure; a woman's tears were not something he knew how to react to.

"Che." And Yu Kanda was just as untalkative as ever. The Inspector ignored his growing dislike for the man and, finding no other Exorcists in the cafeteria, left to wander the halls with a faint sense of relief. So far, no one believed Allen capable of even thinking about hurting his precious friend.

Who else could he ask? It was doubtful that any of the Generals would know Allen Walker, except for the missing Cross, and it was equally unlikely that the relatively new addition to the team, Chaozii Han, would know if even older companions did not. Who had he not yet spoken to?

As the thought crossed his mind, sharp eyes spotted a small figure trotting down an intersecting hall just a few metres away.

Perfect, Link thought. If anyone knew about things like this, it would be Bookman.

Unfortunately, the old man was hardly more helpful than anyone else, refusing to provide an answer, although an interesting expression had come across his face as he read the report.

"So that's how it is," Bookman murmured under his breath, lips twitching upwards in what appeared to be amusement. "I had my suspicions, but…"

"But?" Link prompted, feeling a surge of hope in his heart. Finally, someone knew!

"…but I'm afraid I must keep this secret for Allen Walker's sake. It shall be an important addition to the records of history, however."

A shrivelled hand deposited the paper back into Link's gloved one. The young man opened his mouth to protest, but Bookman had already turned away and was shuffling down the hall towards his next destination. With a sigh, Link leaned back against the wall, head tilting back to make slightly painful contact with the hard wood. Bookman clearly knew exactly what Allen had been thinking – how, he had no idea – but if the old man wanted to keep it secret, it couldn't be a good thing for the boy. It would be no use in speaking to Lavi either, in that case… if he too knew of the situation, the apprentice would be almost as unlikely to tell as the master.

…It might be worth a try, though. Lavi did have a notoriously big mouth.

On his quest to find the red-haired Exorcist, though, Link soon stumbled across an open study door from which the sounds of conversation – a man and woman calmly discussing… the weather or something; Link couldn't distinguish more then the faint hum of voices – drifted out into the hall. Curious, the Inspector poked his blonde head inside-

Aha! It was none other than the infamous siblings of the Black Order, Komui and Lenalee Lee. Now that he'd stumbled across them, why not take the time to ask about this conundrum? There was always a chance at least one of them would know, especially because the problem concerned Lenalee herself. If not, he could, at least, warn Lenalee of the potential threat.

"Ah, it's Inspector Link!" Lenalee straightened up from where she'd been pouring her brother another cup of coffee. "Would you like an early-morning caffeine boost?"

It was actually past noon by this time, but Link resisted the urge to correct her and instead strutted over to the desk, paper in hand. "Actually, I have a question to ask of you…"

"Is everything all right?" the siblings asked in unison, steely concern present in their voices.

"I certainly hope so. If you can, please take a look at this report. I would like to know your conclusions on the matter."

They nodded and promptly began to scan the paper, violet eyes furiously darting from line to line. As they read, Link could not help but notice pale, tapered fingers slowly clenching around the sides of the paper, crushing it tightly in callused hands. By the end of the paper, any words close to the edges had disappeared under rough folds.

"Nii-san?" Lenalee asked hesitantly, seeing her brother's trembling form. "Is everything…"

There was a sudden explosion at the desk, sending paper flying everywhere. Drops of coffee splattered across Link's cheek, yet, engrossed in the scene unfolding in front of him, he made no motion to wipe them off.

"THAT BASTARD! THINKING OF MY LENALEE IN SUCH A WAY-"

"…nii-san?" Lenalee frowned. "What do you-"

"ALLEN WALKER, YOU'RE DEAD!" There was a flash of white and the sound of a door slamming. When there was silence once again, Link looked at Lenalee questioningly.

"I don't understand," she murmured, fingers twirling nervously around each other. "Why would nii-san be upset over such a thing? All Allen-kun did was mention my name…"

"So you do not have any ideas about what he may have been dreaming of?" Link said, making no effort to hide the disappointment in his voice. Did this mean he'd have to search for Komui for the information? It looked as if he'd immediately known the answer… but with the Chief Monitor in such a state, Link would almost have preferred to face the level 4 again (or a crying Miranda, or a Secretary whose cake had been a spectacular failure. He shuddered at the memory).

"No, I'm afraid no-" But Link was already at the door, the female Exorcist now completely forgotten. Shaking her head sadly, Lenalee moved over to the desk, grabbing a rag from the coffee cart to mop up the spill.

"I wonder why Allen-kun was dreaming of me," she mused, hand moving almost mechanically in circles. "And why would nii-san be so angry about it?"

Following Komui was not difficult; the man had left trails of debris and damaged walls wherever he'd gone. Link trotted down the halls at a moderate pace, in no hurry to catch up and discover the fate of Allen Walker. Komui's reaction had scared him more than he'd have liked to admit, and there was no way he could protect Allen without the use of lethal force – not that he should, after such a reaction. Komui may have been a little lacking in sanity, but he only reacted in such a way when his sister was threatened, which meant Allen's dream may have not been so innocent after all…

Link exhaled in a worried sigh. He'd hoped Allen would be safe, but perhaps this was for the best…

As he rounded another corner, however, who appeared at the junction but Allen himself?

"Oh! Hi Link!" the boy called. Link almost jumped into the air with shock. Allen was safe?

"I've been wondering what happened to you ever since I woke up this morning and you weren't there, like usual," the white-haired boy continued. "Since you've been assigned to watch me and all."

"Have you seen the Chief Monitor?!" Link suddenly demanded. Allen's grey eyes widened with shock.

"N-no… not since yesterday… w-why?" It was then that he seemed to notice the trail of destruction that marked Link's path. "I-is Komui-san…"

"Looking for you, and he is in an irrational state. I'd recommend that you hide and I shall find you once my business is concluded." The Inspector was about to continue following the Supervisor, intending to find the answer one way or another, when a thought struck him:

Why not ask Allen himself?

It was so simple Link didn't know why he hadn't thought of it sooner.

"Ah, Walker-" Allen paused from where he was about to start running down the hall Link had just come from. "You… wouldn't happen to remember a dream you had last night…?"

"I might," Allen said slowly.

"Can you please explain the meaning of it? Or at least reassure us that you are not a threat to Lenalee Lee?" Link strode over and handed over the crumpled remains of the paper he'd retrieved from Komui's desk, unfolding it in Allen's hands. "You must understand that we are only concerned about your current mental state and the safety of Lenalee Lee- Walker?"

Allen's face had gone bright red and he was trembling with shock.

"…Walker, are you…"

"This…"

"Was observed last night. I see you remember the incident?"

Allen nodded stiffly.

"Is there any chance this might be the actions of the Fourteenth, or the result of any worry over the situation?"

"Ithasnothingtodowithhim," Allen said quickly, colour infusing his entire face and moving down through his neck. "Ah… ah… I need to go. Right now."

"Wait!" Link grabbed the retreating boy's shoulder and pulled him backwards sharply. "So you were not thinking of harming Lenalee Lee in any way?"

"I wouldn't… itwasn'tharmingher!" This time, not even the force of Link's hand could hold the boy back. He disappeared down the hall, out of sight by the time the crumpled paper drifted down to rest on the wooden floor.

Link sighed and bent to pick it up. At least he had something of an answer now, if not an exact explanation. Even though he was now positive that Allen had meant no harm to Lenalee Lee, his curiosity had been piqued – and he felt strangely tempted to follow Komui just to see what the man had reacted so violently to. If Allen hadn't been dreaming of harming Lenalee…

And so Link set off to continue the mission, ready to risk the danger of meeting an enraged Chief Monitor for the sake of nothing more than personal satisfaction.

Meanwhile…

Allen had dashed off in the opposite direction of Link, wisely suspecting that no place could be safer than where Komui had started his rampage. Silently thanking Link for the warning as he came to the temporary study, Allen pushed open the door with the intent of finding a hiding place. Instead, he discovered-

"Ack! Lenalee!"

"Allen-kun! Good morning!" Lenalee beamed happily and glided over to meet him. "Just to let you know, my brother's looking for you, so you'd better-"

"I know!" Allen choked, turning back to the door. It was bad enough that he'd just been reminded of his dream immediately before seeing the subject of it – but if Komui's rampage was because Link had showed him the… oh no… Lenalee must have…

As if to confirm his suspicions, Lenalee continued to chatter with a thoughtful expression on her pretty face. "It was all because that Inspector Link showed us something about a dream you had… What was it about, Allen-kun? I don't know why nii-san would be angry about it-"

"N-no reason!" Allen stuttered. "I-it must… have been… Komui-san misunderstood!"

"Misunderstood what?" Lenalee frowned. "It was a dream about me, I know that, but why would he be so angry about it?"

Allen gulped. She must know; she had to. This was an innocent act she was putting on to get him to admit it. His death was inevitable now – but at least it would be at the hands of the more merciful Lenalee…

"…Really, I don't understand at all. Allen-kun, are you okay? You're sweating like crazy…"

"I'm fine!" Allen yelped, ducking to avoid Lenalee's inquisitive hand. "Fine! I-I'll just be going now; gotta hide from Komui-san, right?"

"But-" Allen bowed apologetically and had dashed off down the hall, in the opposite direction of Komui. "Where are you going, Allen-kun?!"

"To hide under a rock for the rest of my life!" he called over his shoulder. With any luck, Lenalee would never learn the truth… but the unfortunate Allen was well aware of how low the chances of that were.

Sighing sadly, Lenalee leaned against the wall and watched his retreating back.

"Why won't anyone tell me what's going on?" she muttered sadly, fists clenching in frustration. "It's about me, isn't it?! Don't I deserve to-"

"Oh, Lenalee! Good afternoon!"

Lenalee blinked and looked up at the approaching figure. "Oh, Lavi…" Her disappointed expression suddenly morphed into a devious one as a thought struck her. "Hey, you haven't heard about Allen-kun's dream, have you?"

"A dream, huh?"

"Uh-huh… I don't understand why nii-san was so angry or why Allen-kun wouldn't talk about it, though. Could you please help me understand?"

"Sure, I'd be happy to! What was it about?"

Yes, things were about to get much worse for poor Allen…