Disclaimer: I don't own D. Gray-man.
Chapter 27
Miranda didn't sleep for long, unfortunately. When she woke up she decided to go to the sewing room. It wasn't necessarily that she felt like sewing but she wanted to do something productive. When she got there she stopped. The door was locked. Johnny always left the door open for her; even when he was overwhelmed with work he would make sure she could get into the room to work on projects if she wanted.
Her feet carried her more quickly than expected to the Science Department. She got there and opened one of the large doors into the disorganized room. Johnny's desk had been cleaned off. She walked to Reever's desk, "Reever, is everything okay with Johnny? The sewing room, it was locked."
He had trouble meeting her eyes as he spoke, "Johnny went home. With everything that's going on, he decided it would be the best option to go home and help run his family's business. He gave me the key to the sewing room, so you could get in there if you needed to. He left everything where it was, for you."
"He... Left?" Miranda asked softly. With how much determination Johnny had shown towards helping out the exorcists, who had been treated so unfairly, Miranda couldn't bring herself to believe that he would simply decide to leave and let his memories be wiped. She accepted the keys with a quiet thank you. "I'm so sorry, to hear that he left."
"It's okay, nothing could have helped it. We all knew someone would decide to go home eventually," Reever gave a small shrug, "He didn't want to make a big deal of saying goodbye and making things around here more sad."
"I... If there's any way I can help again, like when I helped organize papers and things like that, just let me know," Miranda looked at the key in her hand. She didn't feel much like trying to sew, anymore. She tucked the key into her pocket and turned to leave with slumped shoulders. Just before she left, Komui noticed her and called her over.
"It seems there's finally a mission for you," he told her. "It should take just a few days. We just need you to go help Klaude and Timothy return safely." He handed her a folder. "It's rather snowy, so I would suggest that you bring a coat with you."
"When will I be leaving?" Miranda asked softly as she flipped through the folder.
"As soon as you can. It's nothing urgent, but we would appreciate if you went to help them as soon as possible," Komui said. "And do be careful. Don't overdo it, okay?"
"I won't, I promise," she gave a small nod of her head before she closed the folder and left. The empty feeling from the day before had returned. She busied herself as she walked to her room to collect what she would need by flipping through the folder. It was nothing interesting; the papers contained within were only reports on the initial mission and the circumstances that led to the need of her assistance. A new piece of innocence had been found. Despite Klaude being a General, it was decided that having Miranda there for defense while transporting it back would be the safest option. There were so few exorcists left that no risks were to be taken.
When Miranda got to her room she got her coat and her suitcase. It was habit for most exorcist to keep a suitcase packed at all times. She was no different. She went to Marie's room, and just as she was about to knock on his door she heard him snoring softly. She couldn't bring herself to wake him. It would be a simple mission, after all.
What was supposed to last for only a few days turned into a week. Then two. The team had been caught in a blizzard in the town just a mile from where the Ark gate was. They couldn't go any further until the weather cleared up.
Timothy gave a sick little sniffle and coughed.
"You really shouldn't have gone outside without your coat on, Timothy. You're sick now," Miranda sighed. She took the thermometer out of his mouth. "It looks like you have a fever."
"I thought there was trouble, I didn't have time to get a coat," Timothy sneezed and sniffled.
"You should have listened to me," Klaude scolded lightly, "Oh well, it's not like this will affect the mission much. We'll still be delayed getting home for a long while. Just rest up, for now. Don't do something stupid like that again, though."
"I won't," Timothy pouted.
"I think I brought some hard candies with me if your throat starts hurting, Timothy," Miranda said after a moment of thought. "For now, you should probably try to sleep as much as you can. And stay away from the windows. They'll be cold."
"Yes ma'am," Timothy mumbled. Klaude had certainly had an influence over the boy once he was in her care; he was more polite now than he had been before even if he still did have some unsavory habits.
"Go take a nap," Klaude told the child.
Timothy didn't dare deft her. He curled up under the covers on the bed he had been sleeping in during their time trapped in that town. The inn didn't have many occupants, so he was in a different room than Miranda and General Nine.
With Timothy laying down to take a nap, Klaude deemed it time to go so they wouldn't disturb the child. She walked down to the common room of the inn. It tended to be warmer there than in the rooms, and she wasn't one to enjoy cold.
Miranda had followed her. When they got to the common room and sat down near the fireplace, she quietly said, "General Nine... You know a lot about how innocence works, don't you? About it's capabilities?"
"It depends on the certain fragment, but I might be able to tell you something if you have a specific question," the older woman gave a shrug. Her own innocence was dozing on her shoulder.
"I've been trying to see how far back I am able to heal injuries. Do you think I would be able to heal something that was, say, around nine years old? An old injury that-"
"I don't know your innocence well enough to know, but why not give it a try?" the General was no patient woman for rambling and going on and on.
Miranda stayed quiet for a few moments, "I don't want to get the hopes up of the person I'm looking to try it on if I'm unable to extend Time Record's abilities back that far. It would be cruel to get their hopes up, like that."
"Then find something else to try it on, first. Something as old, or older," the answer seemed simple enough to her. "And if you're not capable of that yet, then keep practicing at it before you try it on that person."
Miranda nodded slightly. She had scars that old on her own body from work mishaps and general clumsiness. She already knew she could go back at least a year, from healing the scars on her hands that Road had left. It had been exhausting to do that much at first, but it had become her test for how far she had come. If it took less energy then she had improved. If she could heal it more flawlessly then she had improved. "Thank you," she thanked softly for the help.
"You knew all of that for yourself already, so why are you thanking me for telling you?" General Nine asked her with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, I didn't know all of that," Miranda tried to insist timidly.
"You did, you're just too uncertain of yourself to accept that you did. You should try thinking for yourself more often. Act on your own thoughts, as long as they're reasonable," she said, "You're not always going to have someone to ask approval of your opinions from."
"You're right, I'm sorry I bothered you," Miranda had been hoping to avoid a scolding for her question by not going to her own General to ask. Her shoulders slumped a bit and she sighed. "I'm sorry, I won't bother you like this again."
With a slight roll of her eyes the General sighed, "I'm beginning to see why General Sokalo says he got two cry babies as apprentices. Don't apologize, you'll only beat down your own self confidence if you do without a good reason. Now, leave me alone. I'm finally rid of my own apprentice for a little while, I don't need to be borrowing someone else's."
"Right," Miranda stopped herself just short of apologizing again as she went to find something to do. She had bought some fabric the day before, since she could afford to spend the money on it, and some nice thread and a few needles. She decided to go up to the room her and General Nine were sharing and work on sewing for awhile.
Within a few days the weather finally began to clear up. With Timothy feeling better they returned to Headquarters. It was a day long trip to the next town where the Ark gate was, but once they were there it wasn't long before they were all back in the Order.
Miranda accompanied the team to Komui's office to deliver the innocence and fill out her mission report. She didn't get far into the office before she was pulled aside by Reever.
She looked at him with questioning eyes as he stopped her, "Do you need something?"
"Miranda, while you were gone, a few things happened. Everyone tried to contact your team, but because of the storm no one managed to reach you three. We found out Johnny wasn't leaving to go home. He was going to help Allen. Kanda left, too," Reever was trying desperately to put off the last of the news. It would no doubt be the most painful to explain. Finally, with a deep sigh, he continued, "Marie and Lenalee were charged with treason, for helping with the planning and escape of Kanda. Their trial is tomorrow."
Miranda felt as if she had been submerged in icy water. She was incapable of finding words as she tried to wrap her mind around the news. Her stomach churned; she surprised herself when she didn't double over retching right then. The soft words that finally slipped past her lips were, "What will be their sentence...?"
This brought another long bout of painful silence as Reever tried to find the words that would bring the news with the smallest shock to the clearly shaken woman. "If they are found guilty, they will either be imprisoned for the rest of the war or until their skills are needed," he paused again. He had to fight past a lump in his own throat thinking about losing two of the exorcists that had been there for so long. They were his friends. He had watched Lenalee grow up and had seen Marie have to adjust to things after he was blinded. He had been one of the ones to think of the headphones. He finally cleared his throat to add, in a whispered tone, "Or they will be put to death."
Miranda couldn't stop herself from letting out a shaky breath followed by tears. She covered her face; for the longest time she just stood there shaking and crying silently into her hands.
"You may go see them, before doing your mission report," Reever informed her gently. The reason the trial had been pushed back by three days was so that there would at least be a chance for the absent exorcists to see their comrades one last time.
"Thank you," her words were shaky and nearly inaudible.
"I'll send someone to show you where they are being held," Reever said. Before he turned to leave, he added, "I'm sorry, Miranda. We're all trying so hard to fix this."
Miranda gave a silent nod and waited for the person who led her down numerous staircases and hallways. It was a dizzying labyrinth of stonework; had she not been with the other she doubted she would have been able to make it there or back without getting lost.
"We are here. You will be allowed ten minutes with each of them," these simple words were spoken in a dull tone.
"Thank you," she said softly. She was first allowed to see Lenalee. The cell that Lenalee was in was a spacious one with a wooden door. The whole room was chilly stone and concrete.
Lenalee had been sitting quietly when Miranda walked in. She looked up when the older women came in and quickly stood to hug her. "I thought I wouldn't get to see you before tomorrow..."
"Of course I would. I wouldn't ever let you go without coming to see you," Miranda whispered. "I'm sorry, I should be able to do something to help. I never got to repay you, for saving me."
"Brother says that they're trying to push back the date again, just until Teidoll comes back with Kanda... But I don't think he'll be able to," Lenalee admitted softly, "But I'm not scared of dying here. I'm just sorry I'll be doing that to everyone."
"I'm sure he'll pull through for you. If he hasn't then maybe we can try to do something else, anything," Miranda insisted softly. "I won't let you go that easily... Not after how much you've done for me. Lenalee, you're my best friend, I'm not going to let you go that easily."
"Thank you, Miranda," Lenalee said softly, "Just promise you won't let yourself get too down if there's nothing we can do."
"We'll find a way to get you and Marie out of this," Miranda promised. She refused to believe that she would lose either of them, let alone both. "With how bad the situation of exorcists is I'm sure they won't kill two of the best exorcists... Maybe we can find some way to do something with that."
"Try talking with brother, if you really think you can get us out of this. He'll help you with whatever you want to do," Lenalee advised softly. "Thank you for not giving up on us, Miranda. Thank you."
"I could never give up on the two of you," she whispered softly. "Not after everything that you two have done for me, I could never, ever give up on you. And i won't give up on Allen, either."
Lenalee hugged her. They spent the rest of the ten minutes sitting in silence; Miranda just hugged the younger close. When it was time to go, Miranda softly whispered, "I'll see you later, okay...?" That old thought process that maybe if she said that it would have to be true was present.
"Yeah, see you later. Goodbye, Miranda," Lenalee whispered softly as she watched Miranda leave. She sat back down and sighed. She doubted there was anything that Miranda could do; she could only hope that Miranda would be able to handle losing both of them at once.
Miranda approached Marie's cell with an odd sense of dread. What if it really was the last time she would be able to speak with both of them? She tried to fight away the thought. She stopped and let out a small breath while doing her best to get straight in her head what would be the most important to say to him.
A/N: Thank you for reading! I meant to post this a few weeks ago but I guess I forgot! My apologies!
