Kanna got off the train, and began to lope toward the Imperial Theatre. Home.

She had been away for about a month, and in the whole time, found herself thinking about Maria. Constantly.
Had it been only 6 months since that time? Since she had had her first taste of Maria's sexy body?
They had been spending a lot of time together since then. Privately and publicly. They took each other to places that they hoped the other would enjoy. For the most part, they did. Their friendship had ripened into a deep affection.
But now, Kanna was wondering if it was something much more.
She had had to go to one of her brothers. He had gotten himself into trouble. Kanna had to get him out. But then, Kanna reasoned, he was a wuss.
The longer she stayed away, the more she thought about Maria. The more she thought about Maria, the more she missed her. The more she missed her, the more restless she got. She had barely said goodbye to her brother and his young wife before she got on the train.
Maria Maria Maria.

She pounded into the theatre, barley winded. She was imagining that evening...

"Kanna-san!" Iris popped up in front of her. Her smile was genuine, and happy to see Kanna.
"Hey, Iris! How's it going, cutie!?" She tried not to wish Iris to disappear.
"I'm good! Jean-Paul is good, too!"
"Good, good. How's everyone doing?"
"Ok! Kouran-san almost blew up the lab yesterday, though."
"Oh, wow.... again?"
Iris giggled. "Yup!"
Maria..... Where are you? Kanna looked up the stairs, hoping to see her, but there was nothing. But Sumire. Right. Nothing.
"Hello, Kanna-san."
"Hey, Sumire," she knew she sounded grumpy, but hey! Sumire made her grumpy. Not seeing Maria made her grumpy.
"She's not here."
"Huh?" Kanna, the ever eloquent, said.
"Maria. She's gone. She left about a week ago."
"What???!!! Where did she go?" Kanna tried not to let the sound of her sudden, utter desolation colour her voice, but she knew she was an emotional woman, and it was hard to hide it.
Sumire gave her, what she could only call a nasty look. "Sorry," she sneered, not sounding sorry at all.
"Iris, do you know where Maria went to?"
Iris frowned. "She didn't say. She just said she had to go."
"She's not coming back. She was tired of waiting," Sumire snorted.
"How-"
"How did I know? My bedroom is next to yours. She sometimes gets... loud. So do some of the other noises. I don't blame her for getting while the getting was good. Beast."
"Huh?" Kanna looked at her, dumfounded.
"You don't think I can't tell that you beat and torture Maria before you rape her?" Sumire said. Loudly.
Gasps behind her told her the worst. Not only did Iris hear that, but so did some of the others.
"Beat? Torture? RAPE? Geez, Sumire, I knew you didn't think much of me, but I thought you had SOME respect for me!" Kanna couldn't keep her voice quiet. Kanna might beat up on Maria a bit during their loveplay, but it was Maria's needs. Maria that came to her one night and asked Kanna to hurt her, while giving in to their lusts.
"YES! I hear it! I hear the sounds of flesh hitting flesh. The cries that Maria gives. Her sobs. Your man-like grunts," Sumire was very mad.
"Excuse us," Kanna looked over at the others. Iris, wide eyed, was held back by a horrified Sakura. Kouran had a hand over her mouth, and Leni was turned toward Orihime, face buried in her shoulder.
She took Sumire by the elbow, non too gently, and hauled her away. Sumire complained all the way.
"UNHAND ME!!! Beast," she hissed.
"You," Kanna smouldered. "You waited until they were all there to accuse me. What happened to the team? Did you decide that the camaraderie doesn't matter?"
"You did it first. You raped-"
"I. NEVER. RAPED. MARIA!" She yelled.
"Then what was it?" Sumire demanded.
"Did you ever think to ask Maria about it? It's not like there hasn't been time in the last SIX MONTHS!"
"I couldn't embarrass her that way. Six months?"
"You couldn't embarrass her, but you happily embarrassed me? Yes. We've been having an affair for 6 months. No rape. She came to ME! I never did nothin' to her that she didn't want me to do. Damn it!" Kanna slammed her fist into the wall. Plaster dust fluttered around the two of them, floating in lazy circles. "Why did she leave?"
"I... I don't know. Why did you hurt her?" Sumire's voice was quiet now.
"Because. She liked it. She wanted it. And really, it's none of your damned business! You have NO idea where she went?"
"No."
Kanna ran up the stairs, and to her room. Slamming the door open, she looked it over, hoping to see something-- anything! from Maria.
Nothing.
Similarly, nothing in Maria's room.

Kanna laid on Maria's bed that might, in total misery. Her friends didn't believe her.

Sumire, she could understand, but the others... they knew she'd never rape anyone. Let alone Maria.
Maria.
Kanna found herself wishing that she could rip her heart out.
Obviously, she wasn't going to need it anymore.
Maria was gone.
"Kanna?"
"Hey, chief," Kanna said, voice spiritless.
"I believe you."
Kanna looked over at Ichirou. He was such a good-looking man. And a good man. Even though she knew it could never be, she had once hoped that when he looked at her, he would see something different. Something that was feminine and beautiful. Something worthy enough for that 4 letter word that was unknown to someone like her. Love.
She loved Maria.
Ichirou ran over when he saw the tears start. "Kanna, hey, what is it?"
"She's gone," Kanna sniffled disconsolately. "She's gone, Chief, and I don't know why, or if it was my fault, she left no note or nothin. And it hurts, damnit, and it hurts that everyone thinks I would ever rape her. I'd never truly hurt her, Chief. I'd never do nothing like that, and I feel so... alone," Kanna began to sob in earnest. She had never cried like this before.
"Kanna," Ichirou murmured, stroking her hair, trying to be of some comfort.
But Kanna knew that no amount of comfort would ever make her feel better. Maria was gone.
"Kanna," Ichirou said again. Before she left, I heard her on the phone. She was booking a trip to New York. She didn't know I was there."
"New York," Kanna whispered. "Thank you, Chief."

To Be Continued.....

by Michiru