Back after all this time. Sorry if people were waiting on this update but a lot has been going on in my life. I'm back in school and working a full time job, so I really don't get much free time anymore. I still write on occasion but only when I'm feeling particularly inspired. I've written several chapters of this story and roughed out an entire timeline for Wade and Miranda's adventures. I'll post them as often as I can but I don't like presenting unrefined work, so please be patient.

Anyway, enough excuses! Onward to chapter 10!

I don't own any of D. Gray-Man but the OCs belong to me.

Wade opens his eyes and stares down at the drool soaked pillow beneath his face. His muddled thoughts crawl their way to the surface as his mind begins to wake "where…what?" His eyes drift up to the covered window. Thick curtains, embroidered with the crest of the Black Order, block out the brightening sky. "Oh right, I'm in my new room." He rolls onto his side and wipes the last traces of saliva from the corner of his mouth. After sitting upright Wade grabs his boots from under the bed then reaches into his rucksack for a fresh pair of woolen socks. Once he's pulled these on, Wade stands unconsciously fanning his wings. A few loose feathers drop off in the process and, out of long standing habit Wade picks them up, pushing them into his trouser pocket. He yawns groggily "I'd better find someplace to put these or before long I'll be buried up to the neck. Too bad my old collection box burned up." He pictures the large chest that Jacob had built to store the loose feathers. When Wade had first started molting it had been an extremely embarrassing time. He had babbled at his father endlessly about how humiliated he felt.

Jacob had just laughed at his adopted son's worried ramblings and said "what's the big deal? Look at me. At least you're not going bald. Besides we can use them to insulate clothes, fletch arrows, or even decorate things. Nothing that's ever come off of me has been that useful."

Wade chuckles at the memory "The old man always knew how to cheer me up. Where would I be if he hadn't found me…?" He walks across the carpeted floor and into his private bathroom, flipping a small wall switch, and sparking a hanging electrical lamp to life. The light reveals an immaculate tiled floor and pristine plaster walls. A large shower is tucked away in an alcove, opposite a shining porcelain toilet. He ignores these for now and moves to the small round mirror above a metal sink. He splashes his face then stares at his disheveled morning appearance. His blue eyes are shadowed by messy blonde curls and the rest of his head somehow manages to look like a mangy yellow bird's nest. He brings one hand up and gingerly touches the puckered red scar that sprawls across his left shoulder "Yep the very picture of masculinity…" He runs his fingers through his hair until all the knots are combed out, then reaches for a nearby towel. He dabs at his face and bare chest until they are completely dry then hangs the towel and walks back out. When he had decided to join the Order Wade had never expected to have such a luxurious living space. Aside from having a personal washroom, his quarters are furnished with top quality items. His bed is soft yet firm, the stone floor is covered by a large woven rug and a wardrobe is situated in one corner beside a full length mirror. After bandaging his chest anew he moves to the curtains and slowly draws them aside. The stained glass windows frame a still dimly lit sky, but Wade can tell that the sun is just beyond the horizon. He unlatches the window frames and pushes them out, letting the cool morning breeze wash over his skin. He looks at the small forest that rings the European Branch then leans out just enough to look up, down, and around. He spots windows above and below him as well as to either side. "This place really is huge." Leaning back on his heels he gazes strait out at the now brightening horizon "Luckily I've got quite the view…" his lip curves up mischievously "but let's see if I can't do better" Without stopping to think Wade tucks his wings in, hops up onto the windowsill, and dives into the open air. He plummets toward the ground at breakneck speeds, as the familiar sensation of weightlessness overtakes him. The sound of the air rushing by makes his heart beat ever faster and just before he smashes into the unyielding earth he spreads his wings and swoops back up, soaring into the sky and leaving a torrent of wind in his wake. "Yeah!" he howls "now that's how you start the day!" He circles the building as he makes his way back up noting several blurry figures moving around behind closed windows "oops I'd better keep it down. I don't live alone anymore." He quietly spirals all the way up to the roof and lands softly upon the smooth weathered stone. A waist high railing runs along the perimeter of the roof and several metal contraptions clutter the space around the center. Wade moves curiously through this maze of whirling, buzzing, machinery "I wonder what these are for?" After a few more contemplative moments he spots a raised building with a door situated at the very center "Must be the stairs." He jumps and flaps his wings until he lands on the building, then he sits cross legged facing the eastern horizon. Just seconds after he gets comfortable the bright blue sky explodes with color as it is lit up by the life giving majesty of the sun. Light sweeps across the earth like a tsunami, flooding miles of forest with its glorious aura. Wade's now windswept hair waves slightly in the gentle breeze "Just like back home" a pensive sigh escapes his lips "I wonder if I'll ever get a chance to…" His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of rapid footfalls. The door below him creaks open and Wade leans forward, looking down as a figure emerges onto the roof. The figure is thin and around half a foot shorter than Wade. He realizes that the figure is dressed in a hooded finder's uniform. "What could he be doing up here?" Wade wonders as the finder walks to the railing and moves his head left and right. "Oh crap maybe Komui sent him to look for me!" Dark thoughts of gruesome punishments administered in the Chief's lab strike absolute horror into Wade's heart "I've got to escape!" Slowly Wade unwinds his legs and quietly rises to a low crouch "yes just like that." He pivots toward the unoccupied side of the roof "a little mor- damn it!" the breeze picks up a little and a feather falls out of his pocket, sent to drift gracefully toward the finder. "It must have gotten loose on the way up, why must the world be so cruel!?"

The feather crosses the finder's field of vision and instantly a pale hand shoots out and snatches it. Not a second later the finder's hooded face spins to look up at the awkwardly posed Wade. "Who is it!?" a woman's voice calls out, as its owner crouches into a defensive stance.

Wade tilts his head at the unexpected pitch. He turns back toward the woman with a nervous chuckle "um hi there. My name's Wade Hill… I uh… joined the order last night." The finder's tense posture relaxes slightly and she straitens, lowering her arms to her sides. Wade continues "I just thought I'd take a look around. Maybe watch the sunrise… sorry if I surprised you."

The hooded woman's mouth cracks open slightly as she looks up and down the curve of his wings, eventually she focuses intently on his face. Wade braces himself for a verbal lashing or perhaps some kind of outburst. To his immense surprise the finder begins to laugh, her lilting giggle filling the air with lighthearted warmth. A full minute passes before she gets a hold of herself "Oh sorry, it's just that the look on your face is priceless! You look like a kid caught stealing sweets from the kitchen!" The woman brings her free hand up and pulls back her hood. A long auburn braid unfurls all the way down to her waste and her large hazel eyes are alit with good-natured mischief. "I've heard about you, Wade the winged exorcist. But I thought we'd meet at… later." She turns her head and coughs nervously

"Well… that's not suspicious at all."

"Anyway… technically, only people from the science division are allowed up here. I was afraid that I'd finally been caught." She smiles "I'm not exactly sure what the punishment for this kind of thing is, but I'd rather it stay a mystery. You know?"

Wade stiffens, as flashbacks from the night before try to wrestle their way from the depths of his subconscious. He manages to suppress them and responds "So why risk it?"

She shrugs "I like to watch the sunrise too." A look of peaceful contemplation falls upon her face "There's just something about it. It makes me feel… hopeful I guess. Like, no matter what happened in the past, there's always another day to look forward to…."

Wade considers the woman more carefully. She looks to be in her early twenties and, despite her delicate looking physique, a subtle sense of strength seems to flow just beneath the surface. "I've never really thought about it like that. I just think it looks nice." he glides down from his perch, making sure not to crowd her with his wings. "Do you always watch the sunrise?"

The finder smiles brightly once more "Yep, whenever I get the chance!" She brushes her braid aside as she seems to realize something "Sorry I didn't actually introduce myself, did I?" She slips the feather into her breast pocket then holds her hand out "My name's Wendy, Wendy Vale. It's nice to meet you"

"Likewise" He takes her outstretched hand and grunts slightly as his own hand is nearly crushed by a surprisingly strong grip. He raises his eyebrows again as he feels her heavily calloused palms. "Huh, I've never met a girl with hands quite like yours. Why are they so rough?"

Wendy's brow furrows "What's the matter Wade? Not used to a girl with some grit." She steps back and opens the front of her coat. Wade's eyes widen further as he sees two large dueling daggers hanging from her belt. "Exorcists aren't the only ones who need to learn how to defend themselves. We finders have to deal with more than you'd think" As Wade's face twists into a slightly skeptical shape an exasperated tone starts to color Wendy's words "What, you think Exorcists are the only ones who put their lives on the line?" She glares at him accusingly "Or is it that you think women can't be strong?" Her foot starts tapping dangerously "Well Wade, which is it?"

Wade clears his voice and looks away embarrassed for coming across as some kind of chauvinistic fool "Ah… I… no nothing like that, I just never really thought things through. Girls from the town near where I grew up never had to fight." He begins to sweat a little "Actually no one really did. Things were almost always peaceful so, well…" He trails off unsure exactly how to continue.

Wendy simply keeps her glare up. Pinning the poor helpless man in his tracks just as a lioness would with her cornered prey. As the seconds tick by the glare softens into a smirk "You can stop squirming now Wade." She hops toward him giving him a solid smack on the back before throwing an arm across his shoulders "I'm just messing around with you."

Wade looks at the girl, making sure she's not trying to lull him into a false sense of security. Eventually he lets loose a relieved sigh "Oh, good. For a minute there, I honestly thought you were going to run me though." As he finishes his declaration his stomach lets out a monstrous growl. He places a hand over his belly and slumps over "Jeez all this stress before breakfast cannot be good for my health."

Wendy blinks before covering her mouth in an attempt to hold in her laughter. She fails miserably, instantly lightening the mood and banishing any lingering tension. Her happiness is infectious and Wade soon finds himself laughing along with her. When things at last wind down Wendy says "You're an odd one Wade Hill."

Wade only snorts "Well that's what happens when you're raised by some old mountain man. Believe me you're not the first person to tell me that."

"Regardless, I think we'll get along just fine…" sunlight flashes as it moves around behind some low hanging clouds. The two of them look out at the quickly rising sun and Wendy flinches with a guilty look on her face "Oh no! I'll be late for… um." She throws a hectic look at the door before saying "I have to go Wade but I'll talk to you later alright?"

Wade nods and waves "sure see you later." Wendy disappears down the staircase and the door swings shut behind her. "I should get back too. Komui said we'd finish my orientation today. I'd better be ready for it." He looks once more at the rising sun then leaps into the air.

…A little while later…

Miranda completes her morning ablutions just as a knock sounds at her door "Just a minute please." She goes to her wardrobe and pulls out a clean dress. After putting it on she turns to her full length mirror making sure that it's properly placed and that her hair looks presentable. Miranda had decided to forgo her hat and scarf but she still feels unsure of herself. "What if I didn't make the right first impression yesterday? Or what if I did and now they'll think I'm slacking off!" She grasps her head as stress begins to overwhelm her. The knock comes again and she flinches before saying "c-coming…" She strides to the door but stops before opening it. Her grandfather clock sits motionless to her left. When the Innocence had been removed the hands had stopped spinning and the pendulum had ceased swinging. Despite this she had told Komui that she wanted to keep it. It was more than a piece of furniture to her. If she hadn't found it she would still be living her miserable life back in Germany. She would never have met Allen, Lenalee, Wade, or any of her new comrades. It would be her treasure for as long as she lived even if it never again uttered a single sound. Just looking at it brought peace to her frazzled mind. "I'll be back…" she says silently as she turns the doorknob and pulls.

Wade's smiling face greets her. His arms are crossed over his newly bandaged chest and he is wearing his cloak "Morning Miranda, you sleep well?"

Miranda nods "Yes very. How about you Wade?" She looks at his wrappings "did your shoulder bother you at all?" She asks with a slight frown.

His eyes lock on the shoulder in question but he simply rolls it with little to no effort "Feels good as new"

Miranda smiles in relief, but then looks at her feet solemnly. She had been plagued by persistent guilt ever since that horrible night. Whenever she lays eyes on him she remembers the sight of him lying in a pool of his own blood "Wade's such a good person. He doesn't blame me for what happened even if he has every right to. I don't deserve to have such a good friend."

"Hey Miranda what's with the gloomy look? You're not still beating yourself up are you?"

Miranda glances back up to see Wade raise his eyebrows "But…"

"No buts!" he says, cutting her off "You have nothing to be sorry for. So just forget about it alright?"

Miranda can't help but giggle at the look of complete exasperation etched upon his face "I will consider your words with the utmost care… thank you Wade."

He fiddles with the cloak's fastenings before continuing "Anyway Allen stopped by a minute ago. He told me that I should wake you and Krory up, and then meet him in the dining hall." He points at a nearby corridor leading inward "We go to the center then it's down ten floors and to the left."

Miranda follows his hand with her eyes and memorizes the directions, or tries to "why does this entire section have to look the same?" She laments to herself as she spots a plethora of identical doors in either direction "alright let's wake up Mr. Krory and go. We shouldn't keep Allen waiting."

They take a few steps to the next door over and Wade knocks the same way he had on Miranda's "Krory you up yet?"

An answer comes almost immediately "Yes. A moment if you would"

Wade and Miranda look at one another before the door swings open. Krory walks out and closes the door behind him "good morning you two."

"Morning Krory" Wade says

"Good morning" Miranda adds

Wade starts to repeat his explanation but is cut off before he can begin "Yes Wade I know. We are to meet Allen in the dining hall." Krory steps forward and looks at the corridor "ten floors down and to the left"

Wade blinks at Krory "But how…?"

Krory rubs the back of his head realizing that he's been completely oblivious to the pace of their conversation. "I apologize" he takes a deep breath "I have very acute senses so I was able to hear your conversation through the door."

"Oh alright" Wade says with a thoughtful head-tilt "that sounds useful."

His shoulders slump forward making him look far smaller than he truly is "It can be, but even with heightened senses I sometimes fail to notice what is happening right in front of me." He bows his head "so sorry."

Wade snorts and pats Krory on the shoulder "Come on let's go. I could eat a whole pig's worth of bacon!"

At the mention of food Krory's stomach looses a fearsome growl. Miranda giggles "Yes Mr. Krory let's go."

Krory blushes but smiles "As you wish"

The three off them begin their decent. After they pass three completely silent floors Wade slows his steps and asks "Hey did you guys notice how quiet it is?"

Miranda looks around "Maybe they're all still sleeping."

Wade shakes his head "No I don't think so. Allen seemed wide awake and I met someone about half an hour ago. She seemed to be in a hurry…"

They reach the correct floor and Miranda surveys her surroundings. Like the floors above, the hallway curves around a central space with rooms radiating outward. This central area has two wide flights of stairs that spiral around the elevator. Corridors lead from here toward the perimeter intersecting with more hallways and thus more rooms. Miranda sighs "Will I really be alright…? I feel like I'm already lost." The three move in front of a long corridor. She looks at the top of the arch and notices a large wooden sign. She reads it to herself "Dining Hall left…Logistics Division right. At least there are some written directions"

Krory grasps his chin "They could all be eating right now or perhaps they have already begun work for the day. An organization such as this must have a very substantial list of duties. Maintaining anonymity must in itself be a monumental task."

They all begin to walk forward and Wade says "True. I still can't believe that this place is so well concealed. I mean it's huge!" He shrugs "Well I'm sure we'll figure it out eventually. That's what an orientation's for."

As they reach the outer ring, sunlight enters the hall through a line of tall windows. "The Black Order must be very well funded. Operating this place must cost an astronomical amount of time and money…" They turn left toward the dining hall's entrance. As they near their destination Miranda starts to hear the chattering sounds of a crowd "Alright, just stay calm and make a good impression. I'm an Exorcist now so I have to act the part." Miranda squares her shoulders and fixes her face into a mask of absolute professionalism. The three newest members of the Black Order share one more glance before stepping around the corner and into the dining hall.

And there it is. Not a very eventful chapter true but there was some movement. Only a little more set-up left before things really get going, I promise.

Also, what do you think about Wendy? I'm completely unsure of what I want to do with her character but for whatever reason she just sort of popped into my head while writing.

Please review, I like getting feedback. It can even be negative, as long as it's constructive.

Thanks for reading! Here's a taste of what's coming up.

~Next Time: Welcome new Exorcists! Please, don't mind the death rays

The newcomers are embraced by the Black Order but no matter how hospitable it seems it is still a military organization... run by a mad scientist. Oh well, what's the worst that could happen.