Disclaimer: I don't own D. gray-ma


Chapter 18

It was a few days before anyone caught onto the fact that Miranda and Marie were being a bit more affectionate with each other- hugging each other for a bit too long when they though people weren't looking or holding hands as they walked through the halls- but it wasn't too long before rumors began spreading around the Order. It was common for everyone to gossip in the order, and it was rare they got a topic as exciting as two exorcists in a relationship, so whispers seemed to follow the two wherever they went in the halls. At first, Miranda had been terribly flustered about it all, but after a day or two, she seemed to relax a bit.

The first to openly approach the two about their relationship was Lavi, and as with all of his comments, it was in a slightly-affectionate and very teasing manner. Miranda had been sitting beside Marie while the two were eating lunch when Lavi came a plopped into a chair across the table from them. "Heh, so I hear you two are getting pretty lovey-dovey. When's the wedding?"

As usual, Miranda wasn't able to handle the teasing well and her face went bright red, "W-We're not that obvious..." She didn't think they were. They might have hugged and held hands in the halls but it really wasn't that obvious. Or was it?

"We could be a little less obvious about it, if we didn't want people to know," Marie patted Miranda on the shoulder in a sympathetic manner. He did understand her embarrassment, in a way. He had long since grown used to similar comments from being a student under Teidoll through his years in the Order and from having grown up with several nosy younger siblings before he joined the Order.

"Don't let my teasing keep you from being all affectionate, I'm just messing around," Lavi held his hands up in a manner as if he were surrendering. "If it's bothering you too much, Miranda, I'll try to lay off on the comments like that. I'm just goofing around, trying to make people laugh."

"No, you're fine. I just need to stop getting so embarrassed about people saying things like that," Miranda assured and waved his apology away. It seemed she was as bad at accepting apologies as she was at accepting compliments. The warm, cheerful atmosphere faded when Lenalee rushed over.

"Miranda, you're being sent on an urgent mission. You'll be leaving as soon as you can, get ready and go see Komui for your mission briefing," Lenalee had dashed there all the way from the Science Division.

With the nature of Miranda's innocence, she was used to being suddenly sent on missions. There was always a sense of urgency when she had to go assist a team in a bad situation, and she was usually sent as fast as possible. "All right, thank you for telling me." It was a lot to deal with, because she always knew there were going to be people that would die because of her ability's weaknesses. She finished her food quickly and stood up. "Bye, Marie. I'll be back sometime. Stay safe until then." She hugged him, and then she was off.

"Be safe, Miranda!" he called after her.

"I will," she called over her shoulder as she hurried to get a bag packed with clothes for however long the mission may be. She generally kept a packed suitcase in her room because of the emergency missions. The mission briefing was short and simple. She was to go to assist a team on a mission that had led them into a dangerous area. They weren't in immediate danger, but to finish the mission in time they would likely need her abilities to help. The other exorcist already there was Krory. She had become friends with the other exorcist, who seemed as easily flustered and hopeless as her, on a previous mission. She hoped he was okay.


What was supposed to be a short mission lasted a week, then another week, and eventually it had lasted a month. The whole team, even after a General had been sent to help, was simply at a loss. What made it worse was that Miranda hadn't been able to contact Marie for the whole time. She had begun to feel unbearably lonely, despite being able to find more than eager conversation with many of the finders on the team, and with Krory.

Without really meaning to, she had accidentally stopped paying attention to Krory while he was in the middle of talking. He had been telling her and some of the finders about the mission he had been on before the current mission. It seemed as if he had said something to her; the expectant look he was giving her gave this fact away.

"Oh, sorry, d-did you ask me something?" she stammered. She felt bad for not paying much attention to him, but she really did miss Marie. Even had they not been in a relationship, she figured she would have felt the same way. He was just such a good friend to her that she never seemed to realize how much she would miss him if he weren't around. She was almost as attached to Lenalee; Lenalee seemed at least willing to put with her, too. Not having communicated with either of them in nearly a month was making it difficult for her to think of anything else but seeing them.

"I asked if you'd been on any interesting missions before this one," Krory didn't seem to mind having to repeat himself. He was used to having to do so, so long as he had people to be around he didn't mind. Living the first while of his life in relative isolation had taught him not to be picky about his company.

"Actually, I've not really been on many interesting missions, recently. Most of them have been false leads or situations where I was sent in to help an injured group continue fighting," her expression fell. Almost every time she went on a mission, half of the people would push themselves far too hard because of her innocence healing them and it would end with them dying the second it was released.

Everyone seemed to sense the drop in her mood, and the conversation was fast to change subjects. Already they had lost six finders from the group of nine. Miranda couldn't stop feeling unreasonably guilty about it, and that combined with the unending loneliness she was beginning to feel left her wishing she could return to the Order to rest, if only for a few days. But she didn't dare ask for such a break. She owed her current life to the Order and she had to work hard to make sure she did the job she was finally able to keep. She had stopped paying attention to the conversation again; everyone seemed to understand her silence.

"Oh, we might be going to a town where the golems will work, soon," was the first part of the conversation that Miranda tuned back into. This caught her attention and immediately her attention was piqued.

"Do you know when that will be?" Miranda asked softly, hoping she didn't disrupt too much of the conversation with asking her question.

The finder her spoke didn't seem to mind and offered her a friendly smile as she said, "In a few days, probably. It's just outside of the mountain range, and the odd sightings have started up there, now. We're going to look through the mountains on our way there. We might be able to finally get a break, if we find more."

A small smile lit up Miranda's face at this news. She really hoped Marie wasn't out on a mission when they got there. Or if he was, that Lenalee wasn't.

"It's great news, isn't it?" Krory seemed happy about the news as well. He didn't seem to have anyone he was as attached to, but they had all been suffering from the complete isolation from their home.

"It really is! It would be even better if we found the innocence and got to go home. I miss Jerry's cooking so much! Do you, Miranda?" as usual, he was friendly as ever in tone.

"Yes, nothing will ever be as good as food Jerry makes. If we get to go home I hope that some of the others are back from missions, as well," Miranda was practically beaming as she nodded her head. "Even if being without a mission for more than a week or two can be boring, I'm hoping I'll have a bit of a break. I know how lazy and selfish that must sound, though."

"Not at all. We've been out here for a long time, and with how little you've been sleeping, I think anyone in your position would want a little while to rest," Krory reassured.

"More than anything, I just want to see some of the others. Especially Marie and Lenalee," Miranda was getting too excited about the possibility of going back. She knew when it was a false lead and they had to keep looking she would just be disappointed. She couldn't help the excitement, though; a chance of rest and seeing her two favorite people was promising.

"You and Marie are close, are you not?" Krory asked. He'd not been around to catch much of the gossip, so Miranda was hopeful he wouldn't begin bugging her about it.

"Yes, actually. Quite close," she smiled. It still made her giddy to think that Marie felt the same for her as she did for him, "It's rather hard, not being able to see him. I miss him quite a bit."

"I think you two go quite well, together," Krory said. Okay, so maybe he had his suspicions about them. "He seems to make you so happy, and I think he fancies you quite a bit, too." Krory may have been oblivious to most social situations, but he had spent enough time with Eliade to be able to tell when someone else had feeling for a person.

At the comment, Miranda couldn't help going a bit red in the face and fidgeted about, "Actually, he does. He told me himself, before. It's wonderful, to know that he returns my feelings." A sheepish smile had spread across her face.

"That is wonderful! I hope you two will be able to see one another, again. It must be hard not being able to speak to him for so long," Krory could sympathize. His situation with Eliade had been far different, but it didn't mean he didn't have plenty of sympathy for the Time exorcist.

"Yes, I'm sorry if I've come by as unfriendly recently, I've just been thinking of him a lot," Miranda apologized politely, "And a few of my other friends. I've just grown rather dependent on the people I get to spend the most time with. Like Marie and Lenalee. I'm sure if we're ever around each other under other circumstances I'll be a bit better conversation than I am now. For now, though, I'm afraid I've just been too stressed."

"It's perfectly fine, you're better conversation that my old plants were," he assured her, "Though, I think anyone would be better conversation, except maybe Kanda or one of the Noah."

"I'm flattered I surpass a plant in conversation skills," Miranda couldn't help laughing. Maybe she didn't have the company of the people she would prefer to be with, but she was pretty good friends with Krory, and it was nice talking to the finders. She only hoped the finder had been right about the next town.


A/N: