Purity,

Disclaimer:

Warning: LANGUAGE

AN. Chapters 1 – 4 were rewritten over the summer.

And thank you for all the reviews. I got so many this chapter, though that could be from having such a long time between updates. Sorry for that, I'll try to update sooner for next time.

Fourteenth Book: Perhaps

The crack of Cloud Nyne's fist hitting the table echoed in the room. The fiery woman's sudden outburst was enough to force even Inspector Rouvelier to take pause. The crowded room fell silent as they all stared at the female general, even Lau Shimin, Cloud's innocence, was uncharacteristically still.

"So you're just going to sit there and do nothing?" She hissed at the arrogant man sitting at the head of the table. Rouvelier didn't even bat an eye. "Just sit there and allow those... those things to stay in headquarters?" She spat, panting by the end of her rant. She had stood up, her chair crashing to the wooden floor adding point to her hissed words. Her fist was still lightly imbedded in the table, cheap church issued crap.

Cloud caught the shocked reactions of the others seated around the table from the corner of her eyes. She was slightly shocked herself. She was normally so cool and collected. But now her whole body was shaking, her chest heaving. Cloud felt a small sting of sorrow when there was no perverted comment coming from Cross's empty chair but she would not, could not, let it be anything more than a fleeting emotion.

"Those things, as you so elegantly put it, are members of the Order and are Third Exorcists." Rouvelier's little henchman spoke calmly. Cloud glared at Link, sitting smudgy beside his master like the trained dog he is.

Cloud banged her fist on the table again. "So are we supposed to just live with them? Those half Akuma are a danger to everyone in the Order. They will be the death of us."

"They are here to aid the first exorcist in-" Link was cut off.

"Aid!" Cloud shouted. She was a half second away from going over to the dense man and shoving her pointed boot up where the sun don't shine. If it wasn't for Tiedoll's firm hand on her upper arm, she would have done it long ago. "You call attacking a fifteen year old boy, Aid? Allen was sent to the hospital ward for his injuries and this hasn't been the first time something like this has happened." She shouted.

Nyne shook off the hand and turned to the other people sitting at the table. Her piercing eyes making a few of them shiver. "What if it happens again and Allen isn't so lucky. What if it's someone else next time?" She swung toward her old friend.

Tiedoll was sitting calmly in his chair. The hand she had shrugged off was lying at her elbow, the other rested softly on the table. He produced a scholarly air around himself, always had, even when he was fighting. It was extremely hard to get this man mad. But Nyne had known this man since she had first been recruited so she could easily see the tell-tale twitch in the corner of his mouth.

She lowered her voice, "What if the next person is Kanda or even Noise and it's more than just a couple of broken ribs?"

She turned away and looked to her left, towards their Supervisor. Komui had his face in his hands, his shoulders already hunched at her upcoming verbal assault. "What if the next time it's Lenalee?" She hissed.

Her eyes left the slumped white clad figure and swept over the others sitting around the table. She ignored those in red jackets, no friends there, not one of them actually cared about another human life. Her eyes traveled over the pale form of Bak Chan, his hands were also clenched in a livid grip. She gazed over towards the other branch heads, the African branch, the South American branch, the new head of the Pacific Branch. All had their lips pierced and eyes down cast. Her eyes skimmed over Cross's empty chair, she refused to truly see it, to look at the expression of the last general.

Winters Zokaro was a harsh man, a cold man. He was cruel, viscous and had a constant need to spill blood. He used to be an executioner before joining with his innocence to become one of the most bloodthirsty. A good person to have fighting at your side, but that was the extent to his hospitality. The man was insane, which was probably why he made such a good General.

And the bastard wasn't even paying attention to the conversation.

Cloud turned back to face Rouvelier. "It will happen again. And unless you do something these, 'accidents,' will continue until someone is killed. Allen, Lenalee, nine year old Timmy, everyone in this Order is in danger." She spat the word, 'accidents', and glared at the man. "I want them gone."

Rouvelier stared down his nose at her. How, when he was sitting and she was standing, Cloud didn't know but the self-righteous reek oozing from him turned her stomach. He folded his pristine white gloved hands in front of him, "Perhaps it is you who should leave." He narrowed his eyes. "The third exorcists are a large asset to the Church. They are able to destroy akuma and fight the Noah just like users of the Innocence."

Rouvelier brought his hands up and tucked them under his chin. He cocked his head a little and gave her a patronizing smirk. He slowly and pointedly looked towards the only empty chair in the room, paused for a long second, before turning back. Nyne stiffened. The room held its breath.

Rouvelier's smirk got a bit wider, though his eyes grew narrower. "They are highly trained... abundant... and most importantly..."

Rouvelier's eyes flicked back towards the empty chair. "Loyal."

"You Bastard!"

'

'

How odd...

'

Lavi turned his head slightly to get a better look at Komui's face. How very odd...

Lavi and Bookman were standing in the far corners of the room. Bookman was standing in the left corner, placing him behind Komui and facing Rouvelier. Lavi was leaning against the wall in the opposite corner giving him a very clear view of Komui's face and therefore, a very clear view of Komui's unexpected reaction.

Lavi ignored the yells and curses that exploded from Rouvelier's rather tactless comment. Ignored the rather humorous struggle Tiedoll and Nyne were in as the elder general tried to hold his female counterpart down to stop the livid woman from killing anyone. Normally Lavi would have loved to help stop her, for her own safety of course, definitely not for the chance of grabbing the gorgeous women. But he wasn't Lavi right now. No, at the moment he was Bookman Jr. So instead of making his way towards the action, he leaned slightly to the left for a better look at the Supervisor's face.

When Rouvelier had said the word, 'loyal,' Komui had gotten a very surprised look on his face. Not that the majority of the room hadn't but Komui's expression had lacked the outraged that fuelled the rest of the people. As if he was surprised for an entirely different reason besides Rouvelier making such a remark. Even now Komui was trying to catch the Inspector's eye instead of tossing angered remarks like the rest of the room was doing. It was as if Komui's surprise came from Rouvelier hinting that he played a part in Cross's death.

Now that was odd... Why would Komui be surprised by such a suggestion?

Rouvelier had ordered Cross killed because of the man's consent references towards a third side... or had something else happen? Something neither Komui nor Rouvelier knew about?

Was there something more to Cross's murder?

Lavi raised his eye towards the small figure of the Bookman in the opposite corner. The elderly male was already looking is his direction. They made eye contact for a second, a silent message, before Bookman slowly nodded.

Lavi exhaled though his nose and lent back heavily against the wall. The new information made his head reel.

If it wasn't Rouvelier, then...

Who killed Marian Cross?

'

'

"Control yourself, or I will see to it that you are striped of your rank." Rouvelier spat at the furious woman pinned to the table by a surprisingly strong Tiedoll. He ended up repeating himself louder as no one was able to hear him over the crazed laughter coming from Zokaro.

"Control yourself!" The yell was finally heard and the shouting and banging that had encased the room died down. Everyone that had jumped to their feet either in rage or in Rouvelier's defence sat back down in their chairs. Leaving Nyne, who was laying face down on the table yelling profanities and struggling to get her hands out from behind her and out of Tiedoll's grasp, at center stage. Tiedoll was using his weight to hold Nyne down. One hand holding hers still, the other trying to keep Lau Shimin from biting his ears off. At Rouvelier's shout and the silence of the rest of the room Nyne finally quieted down and was let off the table.

Making a show of fixing her coat, Nyne gritted her teeth and sat down in her char, with Tiedoll had straightened for her, with a loud bang. She glared hard at the elderly man, who just smiled back, then turned it towards the Inspector. Rouvelier fixed her with his own haughty glance.

He cleared his throat. "If the third exorcists prove to be a danger, we will take action, But." Rouvelier raised his voice to stop Nyne's upcoming protest. "As of now we have no proof."

Nyne made to stand up again but lost her footing when Tiedoll kicked at her leg. It didn't stop her from yelling though. "Proof! Allen wa-" Nyne began but was, again, interrupted.

"Walker went near the third exorcists with an activated Innocence." Rouvelier coolly stated before slowly rising from his wing backed chair. It slid back with an ear piercing scrape. The rest of those in red coats move quickly to follow suit. Link gathered up all of the Rouvelier papers in to a neat pile and handed them to his Inspector. Rouvelier continued, taking the papers without even looking at his second. "That was something he had known not to do. As far as I am concerned he is the one at fault." That said, Rouvelier gave a shallow nod to those in the room and swept out the door Link was holding without another word.

~ OoOo ~

"I might be able to help him."

"...might?" Cross repeated, drumming his fingers on the top of the mahogany desk littered with papers and broken quills. He took in Kagome's form, the wrinkled cloths, messed up hair. She didn't look like she had gotten a lot of sleep last night. Still the weary image only lightly skimmed over his conscious, too absorbed in what she was saying instead of what she was wearing. Something that has almost never happened before. "Just might?"

Kagome's eyes closed tiredly. She had only gotten a few hours of sleep after Reever had left before waking up too late for breakfast and desperately needing to talk to Cross. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Cross picked up his smoke from the ashtray on the desk but ended up placing it right back down without taking a puff. "Tell me everything." He said. Cross raised his head to looked Kagome straight in the eyes. She slowly opened hers and looked back, searching for something in his gaze. Not sure what she was looking for but refusing to break his stare with his pseudo-mother, Cross held her gaze. Finally the 390 year old women nodded.

"Yesterday Allen and a Third exorcist got into a little tussle." Kagome's right eye ticked at the word, 'tussle.' "Allen was severely injured. He's fine now. We were able to heal him. He should be up by tomorrow. What is important is that I volunteered to watch him during the night... Alone."

Kagome sat deeper into her office chair and rested her elbows on her desk. "It gave me the chance to use my innocence with no one watching and I was able to get a clear reading on the state of his soul."

Cross lent forward in his chair, anxious to hear the rest. He subconsciously reached for his wine glass. Kagome noticed and gave a soft smile. "First off, we were right. An evolved innocence does evolve using a piece of the host's own soul. Allen's missing about an eighth of his. The lost piece won't harm him. He'll never even notice it's missing."

Kagome paused again, to Cross's discomfort. All these stops and stalls were making him nervous.

He placed his glass back on the desk and tipped his head down, hiding his good eye behind a vibrant curtain of red hair. His fingers started to beat a tattoo on the desk again. "What about the fourteenth?" He asked.

Kagome sighed and pieced her lips. She brought a hand up to rub at her eyes. "It's better than I had feared, but..."

"...worse than we had hoped." Cross finished in a low whisper. He stopped drumming and fisted his hand.

Kagome ran a hand through her long hair. She spoke slowly and in a low voice. "The fourteenth has already started to assimilate into Allen's soul. It's already been tainted a great deal." She licked her lips, trying to read Cross's expression. Cross kept his head down.

"Marian..." He tensed at the sound of his first name. Kagome slid her hands along the desk closer to Cross's image. She flexed her fingers wishing she was there to give the man physical comfort.

She spoke in a whisper. "I'm not sure if I can reverse it. I don't even know if I can stop it."

"That's Not Good Enough!" Cross shouted. His head shot up and his fist smashed into the desk. Papers went flying and the wine glass tipped over, spreading dark red wine over the desk's surface and slowly dripping onto the floor. Cross stared at the dripping red. He seemed shocked at his outburst. He was normally so cool and collected.

Kagome never took her eyes off the red image in front of her.

There was a long pause, a tense, heavy silence. Cross just stared unseeingly at his spilt glass and Kagome adamantly watching every little frown and twitch she could see on Cross's face. After a time Kagome's patience and silence paid off. Cross clenched his shaking hands.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-." Cross sighed. He ran a hand through his hair allowing Kagome to see the vivid scar that ran down the right side of his face. He stopped and shifted in his chair.

"- it shouldn't even matter." Cross whispered through clenched teeth just loud enough for Kagome to hear.

"But it does." Kagome said shortly, piercing her lips. "It does matter that Allen is being slowly corrupted by the influence of the fourteenth Noah. It's always mattered" Cross looked startled by the harsh tone Kagome's voice had taken. His maroon eyes widened behind scarlet hair.

"YOU never wanted it to matter. You never wanted HIM to matter." Cross almost flinched at Kagome's words, instead he clenched his hands tighter and ignored the crescent shaped marks being imbedded into his skin. He refused to make eye contact but maintained his posture.

He wasn't wrong.

Kagome stared hard at the man before sighing, recognizing the stubborn attitude. She tried another approach.

"You never did tell me what happened with the fourteenth Noah." She asked, keeping her voice void of emotion.

Cross glanced at her sideways before unclenching his hands and reached to right his fallen glass, ignoring the puddle still drying on the desk and the way his sleeves dragged through it. Cross poured the red wine into his glass before draining the whole thing in one go, and then he refilled his glass. He almost reached for his cigarette but figured he had stalled long enough.

"There was never supposed to be a fourteenth Noah." Cross stated plainly.

Kagome just nodded her head.

"There was only supposed to be thirteen of those basterds. A twisted reflection of what would later be Jesus and the twelve apostles." Cross grabbed his smoke.

"Or like the devil and the twelve witches." [1] Kagome murmured.

Cross exhaled and closed his eyes. He continued. "That's the reason there has only ever been three Fourteenths. Every other Noah has been reincarnated and corrupting host after host for over 7000 years. But there's only ever been three Fourteenths, the original, Manna's brother and..." Cross paused for a second. "Allen."

Cross opened his eyes and faced Kagome for the first time since her accusation. "The Earl can't make his final move until all the Noah are together. That's why he hasn't destroyed the world yet, that's the only, God damned reason." Cross played with his smoke before sneering in disgust and tossed the thing away. "The Order isn't doing shit. Not really, we're barely a torn in the Earl's fat ass."

Cross paused then gave Kagome a haunted smirked. "I don't know why the fourteenth Noah picked now of all times to return. Why he waited 7000 years to return but when he finally appears in Manna's brother, the Earl screws up." Cross chuckled and his ironic grin grew. Kagome kept her silence. "7000 years the Earl waited and then he goes and makes one huge fucking mistake."

"And the fourteenth betrays the Earl." Cross snaps his fingers, "just like that, the world could survive a little longer."

Kagome watched as Cross drained his glass again and refills it. He pulls out another cigarette from somewhere in his coat and lights it. Taking a huge inhale and slowly exhaling through his nose. Kagome frowns.

"Cross, I already knew everything you just said. Why are you telling me this?" She asks.

Cross looks over to her and puts down his glass. "Just putting things in perspective." He ran a hand through his hair before sighing. Kagome was surprised at how old Cross looked at that moment. The man took great care in maintaining a youthful but classy appearance, but now she could clearly see the worry lines Cross normally kept hidden under his hair and mask. Cross inhaled again and slowly brought the cigarette down from his lips.

"The betrayal gave us time. Gave me time, but it wouldn't last long."

Kagome blinked. "What do you mean?"

Cross shook his head. "The Fourteenth was dying. Slowly, true, but he wouldn't have lasted the year. And as soon as he died the Noah corrupting him would have just picked a new host, a better host, one that wouldn't betray the Noahs and then the Earl would have been free to destroy the world."

Cross turned away from where he was watching the spinning liquid in his glass and looked Kagome hard in the eyes. "It wasn't something we could allow to happen. So we made a plan. I would distract the Earl and the Fourteenth would pick out a new host." Kagome fingers bit into her legs as she clenched them, trying not to say anything and let Cross finish.

"We hoped that if we picked the new host instead of the Noah, the new soul wouldn't match with that of the Noah's. The host wouldn't become completely corrupted and we could control them." Cross placed his glass back on the table. Kagome closed her eyes.

"You picked a child." She whispered.

"I didn't pick." Cross turned away, not being able to bare the look in Kagome's eyes. He clenched his hands into tight fists and looked to the window, staring at the frost covered fields outside. He started softly, "I had no idea who the Fourteenth had chosen to be his successor until I met Allen after Manna had died."

He wasn't wrong.

"You picked a child." Kagome whispered again.

"We had no choice!" Cross yelled.

"The Only One Who Didn't Have A Choice Was ALLEN!" Kagome shouted back, slamming both hands on her desk, making Timcampy shake and the picture to blur for a moment. She had stood up, the crashing of her chair was lost in her sharp words.

Silence.

Kagome slowly removed her hands from her desk and raised them to her chest. She just stood there for a time, arms wrapped around herself trying to calm the inner-mother in her and to try and think rationally. She stared at Cross, taking in his ridged posture and clenched jaw. Closing her eyes in soft pain, she slowly sank down, less of her bending and more of just allowing gravity to do what it will with her and grabbed the back of her chair. She straightened in up and sat down.

Cross watched her without moving. Kagome's voice was still ringing through his head.

He wasn't wrong.

"It could still work, it's already gave us years to prepare. Perhaps the Noah won't be able to corrupt Allen too much..." Cross started again but was interrupted by a soft voice.

"Perhaps... Cross this isn't some school test." Kagome shook her head in sorrow.

He wasn't wrong, what was one life compared to the whole world?

"God, were not even talking about life and death here. But about a corruption on a level we can't even begin to understand. Marian... Allen won't die. He'll cease to be." She looked into Cross's eyes. He stared back.

"If it gives us more time..." Cross trailed before closing his eyes in pain. He shook his head and whispered, "In the end you always have to sacrifice something to protect something else." [2]

Kagome rested her face in her hands. Cross drowned his glass, then three more.

He wasn't wrong... and that's what hurt so much.

"I might be able to help him. I'm not sure if I can, but... I'll try." Kagome raised her head from her hands and looked sadly at her best friend, at her son.

Cross nodded and a look of immense gratitude flashed in his eyes. Kagome gave him a sad smile. He really does care.

They sat in silence for a time. Neither one willing to break the tense calm that surrounded the two of them. Kagome fiddled with the papers on her desk while Cross proceeded to drain the wine bottle dry. It was after the very last drop hit the back of his throat that Cross noticed the small white box sitting on the corner of Kagome's desk.

"You got it." He stated.

"Hummm?" Kagome looked up from the Krory's dental x-rays to see what Cross was pointing at. "Oh, yes it came last night." Kagome put down her papers and reached for the box. The coat of arms flashed in the sunlight as she reached to grab what was inside. "But, why did you send me this?" She asked and pulled out the Shikon no Tama.

Cross smirked. "Well, you need to recharge it." He lent back in his chair and tossed his long hair out of his face, flashing a toothy smile.

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Recharge it?"

"Yes, in case some other basterd thinks about killing me. Wouldn't want someone to ruin my beautiful face now." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Kagome sighed and shook her head in amusement. The tension between them completely leaving the room. "No, we wouldn't want that." She placed the jewel back into the box with a roll of her eyes. Cross let out a short laugh.

"Well, I'm all out of wine, got to get me another bottle. You've got quite a selection, Mum." He made a big show of getting off the chair, flexing his arms unnecessary and stretching up tall to show just a little skin where his un-tucked shirt met his pants. Kagome ignored him completely but couldn't keep the small smile off her face.

"See you when I see you." He didn't wait for a reply, just cut off the feed. Kagome looked up and rolled her eyes again. He never let others tell him good-bye, something from his childhood.

Kagome rested her chin on one hand and watched as Timcampy closed his mouth and give himself a little shake. The little golem gave his wings a couple experimental flaps before zooming off her desk and dance around her head. Kagome laughed.

"Alright, I bet you're ready to go see Allen now." Kagome said. Timcampy hovered in front of her for a moment before bobbing up and down. Laughing again, Kagome started to straighten her papers to prepare to leave.

"Give me a second and we can go together. I want to check Allen's injures- Shit!" Kagome shouted. Her head shot up and she stared in Timcampy's direction. "I wanted to ask Cross's opinion on why my powers seem to be failing." Kagome shook her head and banged her fist on the table. "God damn it!"

*knock knock*

Kagome jumped and whipped around to face the door. She stayed still, not saying anything but watched as Timcampy flew to the door and hovered by the handle. Was someone knocking at her door?

*knock*

Kagome shook herself and looked at the clock even as she called to whoever was outside her door. "Come in."

9:37, had she really been talking with Cross for that long? Apparently she had. Kagome frowned trying to remember if she had missed anything important this morning and turned to her door. She blinked in surprised when she recognized the blond head of Reever.

"Hello." He gave her an odd one shoulder, one finger wave and stepped fully into the room. He was wearing lab coat, Kagome didn't think she ever saw him without it and his hair was in its usual style. Though there was something different about him today. He seemed taller, more... alert perhaps? His posture had certainly improved. He must have had a good sleep last night.

"I heard a bang. Is everything alright?" He asked. He gave her flashy grin. It seemed kind of odd on his face, would have been right at home on Cross's though.

Kagome looked towards her desk. "I'm fine. Just dropped something." She turned back with a smile.

Reever nodded and leaned against her door frame. One arm resting above his head, the other on his lower abdomen. One ankle was resting on the other. Kagome took in the strange position and raise an internal eyebrow. Was he... striking a pose?

They stood in uncomfortable silence for a while. Reever with an intense stare that slowly faded into a look of awkwardness and Kagome with a patient smile that hid her growing amusement. Finally Reever cleared his throat and stepped away from the wall. "I, ah... I also wanted to apologize for last night and thank you for waking me."

Kagome's smile grew. "It was no problem. Thank you for delivering my package."

Reever nodded in response and shifted his weight slightly. "Alright then. I'll see you later."

Kagome nodded back. "Bye." She gave a small wave.

Reever paused for a moment, a look of indecision crossing his face before he turned around and started out the door. Kagome watched him leave, her eyes slipping a bit further south then was polite.

He was half way out the door before suddenly stopping. His posture straightened out and he swung back around. "I was thinking. You've been here a few months and you still haven't really seen the city. I have this Friday off if you would like I could show you some of the really good spots." He gave her a grin, this one looking much more natural on his handsome face.

Kagome smiled even wider. "I would like that."

Reever blinked at her response, then blinked again. "Really? I mean, that's great. I'll give you the time during the Thursday meeting."

"Sound great, I'll see you later." She backed up to her desk and leaned on it. Crossing her legs in a manner that made them look way longer then they were.

"Yes." Reever wasn't able to maintain eye contact. "Later." He gave himself a small shake and gave her a nod. He then almost ran from the room. Kagome couldn't stop her small giggle of amusement.

"Cross is such a bad influence on me." She whispered to herself before pushing off her desk and returned to collecting Allen's medical file. Only to be interrupted by Timcampy hovering right in front of her face.

"What? Just because I'm old enough to be his grandmother fifteen times removed doesn't mean anything. Old people have needs to, you know." Kagome batted the gold ball away but the thing just came right back.

Kagome looked at it in annoyance before her face softened. "We both know I can't avoid relationships with people forever, Tim. Whether they are romantic or otherwise. I've tried so hard to not get too attached, maybe now's a good time to start. Besides, the world is going to be destroyed soon anyways."

Tim didn't seem to appreciate her dry humour and batted her with his wing but he left her alone to dance by the door.

"Besides, He's just so cute, not to mention handsome." She looked over at Tim and wiggled her eyebrows." I could really show him a thing o- Oh my god, I'm sounding just like Cross." Kagome literally choked for a second before bring one hand up and smacking herself on the forehead.

"Such a bad influence. God damn it."

~ OoOo ~

AN.

[1] It was believed that to summon the devil you needed 12 witches, hence 12 witches and the devil. Unlucky 13.

The fact that I juxtaposition it with Jesus and his 12 disciples may be in bad taste. But I wanted to compare the Noahs to both good and evil as while they are the villains in the manga there have been indications of ambiguity in their motives. No offence was meant.

[2] Quote directly from the manga, chapter 168 or there abouts

Note: I hope so much that no one thought there was too much OOC in this chapter. I'm worried most about Cross but the conversation was very serious and he was talking to someone he really respected so I hope it was believable.

And conversation was a bit confusing, I know. But everything will be explained later on in the story. Questions such as, Why was there a fourteenth Noah when there was only supposed to be thirteen? Why was the fourteenth not reincarnated like the rest? And what mistake did the Earl make that made the fourteenth betray him? All will be answered by the end.

Oh, I told you what Kagome's innocence is! See, neither offensive nor defensive.

PS. Kagome is 390 not 366. She's been in this world for 366 years, you have to add about 23 years to account for the years she spent in her world.