Prologue:

An abandoned table set for eight, an upturned pot of stew covering the kitchen floor, it was the finale straw, the last of many.

"Rin, are we really leaving?" Kuro sat, perched on a stack of manga atop Rin's desk, watching as his master frantically threw his meager belongings into a small suitcase. His back was to the small familiar, but Kuro could still tell from the way his shoulders shook that his master was crying. Desperate to at least keep some form of his cheery façade intact, Rin furiously scrubbed at his eyes before turning around to face his familiar with a bright smile, the effect was lost with his swollen eyes and tear streaked face.

'Ya Kuro, I've…I've had enough.' He probably slammed the lid of the suitcase harder than was necessary, Kuro jumped at the noise sending Rin another concerned look as he noticed the bruise on his master's cheek. Angry and red, it was the size of a human hand. Kuro's eyes narrowed in anger, Yukio had hit him again.

Grabbing his suitcase and plucking Kuro off the desk Rin hurried out of his shared room and rushed down the stairs hoping to get out of the dorms before Yukio and the other's got back. He closed his eyes as he ran by the kitchen, the ridicule and pain of that evening still fresh in his mind.

Disgusting.

Demon.

Spawn of Satan.

Just hurry up and die!

The words from his so called friends and family still rattled about in his mind as Rin carefully closed the door behind him and took off in a slow jog towards the bus stop a few blocks from the school gates. He had to be carful about what he thought and said, especially around Kuro, but it wasn't freedom Rin was really after, no it was something far more sublime, in fact Yukio hadn't been that far off the mark. All Rin wanted out of life, all he ever wanted, was to die.

She didn't want to die.

It was the only thought that kept coursing through her mind as Livette leaned over her hospital bed in another fit of bone shaking coughs. Blood sprayed from her lips as she dry heaved into the bucket statically placed at her feet as pain racked her entire body. As the sound of her heart monitor began to soar Livette could just make out the rushed sounds of padded feet hurrying across the floor of the terminal wing towards her. Livette had to admit, she didn't know much, with only sixteen years under her belt, but she did know this much, she did not want to die, at least not like this

~Six Years Later~

"I'm bored, when are we going to get there!" Rin threw a half-annoyed glance into the rearview mirror at the young ginger haired child fastened behind him. Rin rolled his eyes as he pulled into a busy intersection, his gruff answer probably harsher than needed to be out of pure frustration, did anybody in this god forsaken city know how to drive?

'We'll get there, when we get there!' The backhand his shoulder received was probably harder than necessary as his dark haired partner sent him a fiery glare before shooting a warm smile over her shoulder at the girl.

"Not too much longer now, are you excited?" Livette laughed as the young girl nodded her head furiously, Rin shared a half-smile with his partner as they pulled up in front of the school, they could practically feel the energy bubbling off the girl in anticipation.

"Okay so here's the plan," Livette quickly unclicked her seatbelt before turning around to speak to the child, reaching out she gently began to help her out of her seat belt as well.

"I'm going to go talk to your group leader while Rin helps you unpack, kay?"

The child nodded, practically vibrating in her seat as she patiently waited for Rin to unlock the sedan's door so she could get out. Livette just laughed, getting out herself before heading into the school. Rin signed, looking back at the child who was staring back at him with a forced look of patients, he snorted.

"Okay princess, let's get you ready." Unlocking the doors Rin cringed as she squealed before racing to the back to grab her bag. Slowly getting out himself, Rin starred up at the school in sudden disgust, the plain Whitestone exterior, high fences and forested grounds, he got a flashback to old memories he had long since thought dead and buried.

He didn't want to be here, it was too risky, but he didn't have much of a choice having been summoned like some kind of common dog. Rin grit his teeth, sharped nails digging deep into the crevice of his arm, drawing blood, he hated being ordered around like an animal. A soft hand suddenly reached up, gently tugging on his sleeve, trying to grab his attention. Rin looked down sharply his glare melting as electric blue met a soft-forested green, as his young companion beamed up at him in encouragement.

'Your not a dog,' Rin signed and gently pulled the denim hat used to obscure her ginger locks over her face to hide her beaming eyes and grin.

"Thanks." It was barely a whisper spoken so low it was hard to believe anyone could hear it, but she did, she always did.

'Okay sweetheart everything's set, you ready to go,' Livette suddenly appeared behind them with a man dressed in an animal print apron. The man, who Rin assumed worked for the school, gave the little girl an encouraging smile before picking up her backpack.

"When are you coming back?" The question was muffled as the girl pressed her face into Livette's chest in a goodbye hug, the hug being returned ten-fold by the older brunette.

'Tonight around seven.' She nodded before stealing a quick hug from around Rin's leg and taking off towards the school far in front of her group leader.

Rin and Livette leaned up against the black sedan and waved goodbye to their young ward before she disappeared behind the heavy double doors. After a few moments of silence Livette sighed and stretched her back popping in protest.

"So now, I guess we better hurry up so we can get back to the Princess." Rin simply nodded before climbing behind the wheel, he waited patiently for his partner to strap in before quickly pulling out.

Livette watched, an amused smile on her face, as Rin constantly glanced back into the rearview mirror at the school. Grinning she placed her hand on her partner's knee and gave it a gentle squeeze, Rinn sent her a questioning look as he quickly pulled out onto the freeway.

"Relax Rin-chan, its daycare what could possible go wrong?"

Six hours and a bullet to the stomach later, Rin wanted it put on record, that he officially hated his partner.