Moko Chan: D.Gray-man belongs to Hoshino-Sensei. (Mountains of homework… I feel so sick-pukes) TT

3 years later…

This had to be the worst. Definitely.

Kanda crouched on his bed and stared at the wall. The whole time not even glancing at Lenalee who was sobbing very audibly.

This again… Kanda thought to himself. He had already lost count of the number of times she would come crying to him, usually after an encounter with Leverrier, scratch that, that was the only reason.

A few years back, Kanda had once asked her why she was crying. Lenalee just wailed even more pitifully in response and he gave up asking her anything else altogether. He then figured out that the Chinese girl calmed down more quickly if he kept his mouth shut. So that's what Kanda would do every time she cries, shut up and she leaves quickly.

But this time, Lenalee came in bruised, cut, scratched and very traumatised and burst into tears. And the tears would not stop even after nearly an entire hour of silence.

"I want to go home." Kanda ignored Lenalee. She says it quite often, a record of at least once every occasion she shows up in his room.

"I want to home! I hate this place! I don't want to be here!" Lenalee screamed between sobs.

And then the sobbing became even louder.

If she stays here any longer, she'll probably go mad. Kanda thought. Either that, or I will.

"Hey."

The sobbing continued.

"How 'bout I help you leave this place?"

For a moment, just a short one, the hiccupping stopped.

"Really? You're not joking?" Lenalee asked softly.

"Who would want to joke about something like this?" Kanda noticed that Lenalee was looking at him hopefully with tear-filled eyes. That somewhat annoying helpless look was just, to Kanda, plain irritating. It just made people want to extend all their hands to aid the poor girl.

"Don't look at me like that!" Kanda exclaimed angrily.

"Sorry."

"Look," Kanda said with a slight sigh. "I'll get you out of the Order, ok?"

"You promise?"

"Yes." Do I need to repeat it a dozen times more to make it clear? Kanda thought sarcarstically.

Then Lenalee extended her hand out to Kanda and stuck her little finger out.

"Pinky promise?"

Kanda stared at her and gave a 'I-am-not-going-to-do-something-as-stupid-as-that' look. However, Lenalee was determined to make a 'pact'. Kanda relented and stuck his pinky out.

"Yeah, pinky promise."

Kanda just hoped that he'll be able to pull off what he said he was going to do.

The next night….

The Japanese boy pulled a sweater over his head and tucked Mugen, his katana, into his belt and left his room.

Outside his room, it was silent, so silent that Kanda thought his breathing would probably wake the person in the room next to his. The Order was not bustling with life like in the daytime. It was dark and gloomy that it seemed as though a sheet of frost has formed on the floors and walls of the building.

Perfect

Kanda walked across the icy corridor and made his way down to Lenalee's room. If all goes well, Lenalee would be able to leave without anyone finding out until the daybreak, if all goes well that is.

The chinese girl sat on her bed, wearing a thick sweater and waited, glancing at the clock continuously. It was near midnight already and her body was beckoning her to sleep.

I can't sleep now. Kanda said he'll get me out. Don't sleep. Lenalee circled the thought in her head. Lenalee knows that she can consider Kanda her friend however, deep inside, she had her doubts. She tried to escape before and was always caught. Would the help from another child actually get her out?

Stop thinking like that. She told herself. Kanda promised so he'll definitely get me out.

Then a soft knocking came from the door.

"Oi. Open up." She heard Kanda's voice from behind the door. Lenalee scrambled to the door and was about to reach the doorknob when she remembered something very, very critical which she had neglected to mention.

"Umm… Kanda?" Lenalee said, cupping her hands around her mouth, feeling both apologetic and somewhat embarrassed that she forgot something so important. "The finders locked my room from the outside."

"….."

"I can't open the door." The Chinese girl was sure her friend was fuming.

"Che. Baka. Put your hands under the doorknob."

"Eh? Why?"

"Just do it." Kanda demanded.

Lenalee held her hands under the doorknob. Through the wooden door, she heard Kanda muttering something and then the sound of metal against metal. And to her surprise, and a bit of horror, the doorknob fell into her tiny palms. Lenelee stared at the doorknob. Did he just cut the lock?!

Kanda opened the door with an irritated look on his face. In his right hand, he held his unsheathed katana and in the other, the doorknob from the other side of the door. "Well?" Kanda said threateningly.

Lenalee looked at Kanda and then put the doorknob down. "Umm…I'm ready to go." Kanda turned and walked down the corridor, with Lenalee tailing behind him.

It was really cold and dark along the winding hallways, and for once, Lenalee felt that her room was a sanctuary.

"Kanda, where are we going?" Lenalee asked, her voice lowered to a barely audible whisper.

"The underground canal, it leads out of the Order." Apparently, Kanda was made familiar the path to the canal because his master made sure that he would bid farewell to his seniors before they left for a mission. In case it was their last.

As they walked downstairs, the little bit of light that has entered through the windows seemed to be snatched away. The younger child hesitated, afraid that any step forward would cause the darkness to swallow her.

Then, Lenalee felt a hand wrap around hers, pulling her forward.

"If you're afraid, then go back." Kanda hissed harshly.

"I'm sorry, I'm the one who wants to leave and yet I…" Lenalee started saying apologetically but was cut off by an irritated "Whatever."

The trickling of water was soon heard. They have reached the underground canal, the way out. The canal was illuminated by two torches and the flames flickered as a draft entered the underground tunnel. A lone boat was tied to the pier.

Kanda then took a pouch from his pocket and shoved it into Lenalee's hands.

"Take the money. I don't know whether it's enough…"

"Where did you get the money?" Lenalee asked in surprise. They were never allowed to go out or anything so there was no reason for them to receive money from the order.

"Allowance from my master." Kanda said curtly. "It's better than nothing."

"But I can't take…" Lenalee began.

"Would you just listen to me?" Kanda almost shouted. "Take the money. I'll help to row you out, you leave and I'll find my way back in." A plan that definitely lacks any planning but a plan nevertheless.

After they got into the boat, Kanda began to untie the cord attaching the boat to the pier. Then, he felt Lenalee tugging on his sleeve.

"What?" Kanda was feeling a bit weary already.

"Why do you want to find your way back in here?" Lenalee asked. Sadness could be detected in her voice.

"Because there is something I want to do here." Kanda replied as he removed the last of the knots. He passed Lenalee an oar. "And there is something you want to do out there. That's why you're leaving and I'm not."

Lenalee accepted that answer. They have their different goals.

"Let's go."

Just as the boat was about to set off, they heard someone yelling and the sound of more than one person running towards the pier.

"Hey, who's there?" The silhouettes of a few finders appeared at the pier.

"Shimata!" Kanda swore.

"Stop right there!" Two of the finders waded into the water towards the children. As one of the finders grabbed the side of the boat, Kanda hit the finder's hand with Mugen's sheath. The finder muttered a string of cuss words, quickly grabbed the hilt of the katana and dragged it, exorcist included, off the boat and into the freezing water.

"KANDA!" Lenalee screamed.

The finder who pulled Kanda into the water dragged him the surface, spluttering and gasping for breath. But somehow, Kanda still managed to yell at Lenalee, despite the possibility of hypothermia.

"Leave now!"

Lenalee feebly tried to move the oars with the little strength that she had. However, before the vessel could even shift a considerable distance, the other finder grabbed her arm and pulled her off the boat. Lenalee only remember plunging into the freezing dark waters.

When Lenalee woke up, she had been strapped to the bed. She could not move. She was not allowed to move.

"We can't let anything happen to a precious exorcist." Those cold steely people again. It's useless, useless. Lenalee thought to herself. I want to go home. She thought again and again.

"I want to go home." Lenalee whispered. The scientists would not hear her. They walked out, leaving her in the ward. After they left, Lenalee repeated the sentence to herself again. That was what she wanted to do.

"Please let me go home."

"This is home." This was not the icy voice she always heard. It was familiar, familiar and warm. She looked at the voice's owner. He stroked her long hair gently.

"Ge-ge." She was looking at Komui. Even though her vision was blurry from the tears, it was definitely Komui.

"Sorry for letting you wait, it must have been difficult. But I'll be living with you from now on."

Lenalee wanted to hug her brother, but she was too weak to do so. So she just cried. This time, the tears that flowed were happy tears. For once, the Black Order felt like home.

Komui entered the office which was soon to be his. In there the previous chief was ordering his previous subordinates to carry his belongings.

"Chief Leverrier." Komui addressed the former head politely.

"Secretary Leverrier." The other man corrected him, reminding the Chinese man that he has already been promoted.

"Secretary Leverrier. So I'll be taking over you now. I hope you don't mind any changes I'll be making to the Order." Komui said cheerfully. "By the way, what happened to the boy who was with Lenalee?"

"You don't have to do anything. He's been appropriately punished already." Leverrier said in a stern tone.

I'm not hoping to punish the boy. Komui thought. "Don't you think a punishment is too harsh for a little childish mistake?"

The previous chief walked up to the current one, his cold eyes meeting Komui's warmer ones. "Exorcists are not meant to leave the Black Order. They live to serve the Pope and they will serve the Pope. I do not believe any punishment is too harsh for an Exorcist who tries to betray the Pope."

Leverrier then proceeded to leave the office. He stopped at the doorway and turned to Komui.

"Do you think that the Black Order is a home, Komui Lee? It is merely a headquarters to send Exorcists into battle. The Black Order is not a home to shelter a happy family." Then he left, leaving Komui in the office which would be pristinely clean for the last time.

"Oh really?" Komui smiled to himself. "I'll prove you wrong then."

Moko-chan: YAY! Finally reached this part of the story. The good stuff are coming :) Please read and review! (And read my one-shot "The Strongest"!)