A/N: I was simply bored… :P But please enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: In my defense—yeah never mind, I don't have an excuse. Really sorry! Despite my plotting, I still can't claim ownership.

Chapter 1

Time Frame — Night of January 3rd, 1885

—3rd Person POV—

~Allen~

A young, auburn-haired boy shivered in fright, trying to blend in with the garbage bags that had been carelessly dumped in the middle of an alleyway. His little nose scrunched up in reaction to the rancid smell, but despite his young age, he instinctively understood it was better than anything that would be waiting for him out there. He'd seen what those men had done to other street children, and even though he hadn't understood at first, he knew it was bad.

It was all that stupid man's fault that he was in this situation! He had always been a good boy, but despite doing everything he was supposed to do, and waiting patiently for his parents to come and reclaim him, unlike the rest of the children there, he never seemed to be good enough. The only reason he's been able to survive in that wretched place was because of the kind, grandmotherly nun, who he called Nana, that always had a new story and sweet waiting for him. She had even given him a name! It was Allen, but despite the fact that he adamantly told everyone, they stubbornly kept calling him Red, or devil's child if they were trying to be mean.

But as long as she was around, he didn't worry himself too much. Nana had always been a constant in his life, unlike the rest of the children that kept coming and going. At times, it didn't seem to be enough though. He wanted his real parents to come and get him. He'd been in that church for as long as he could remember. According to Nana, his mama and papa were on an adventure, but because they wanted to keep him safe, they had given him into her care. Unfortunately, that came to an end last week when she passed away in old age.

Allen sniffed, curling tightly into himself and trying to keep his tears at bay. The old priest had immediately dumped him out, saying something about him being a cursed, demon child. He was freezing in the bitter cold and his tummy ached for food, and he terribly missed her, but his three-year-old mind knew that the bad men were out there, and they would come get him if he didn't remain quiet. Regrettably, it wasn't long before he heard the sounds of deep, rough voices and big meaty hands shoving trash bags aside to reveal his huddled form.

Silver eyes widened in terror as one of them brutally snatched him by his arm, causing him to yelp loudly at the abrupt pain. This was followed by the sound of two, sharp gun shots a few seconds later. Allen gaped at the thugs with terror, observing the way their bodies loudly smacked against the ground, but was relieved to see that they still appeared to be breathing. They were only unconscious. Allen looked up to see that his savior was even more frightening than the thugs. He had mountains of sleek, vibrant red hair that trailed down his back, and wore a sturdy, black trench coat lined richly in gold, along with a matching top hat. The right side of his face was covered in a mysterious, white mask, he wore wire-rimmed glasses, and a cigarette dangled between his lips; but even more intimidating than the gun held at his side, was his one visible, glaring crimson orb.

The frightening man scoffed at the sight of Allen, muttering something about expecting to rescue beautiful women, and began to sweep away from the scene. Allen didn't really notice, since all he could think about was the fact that his papa had finally come to rescue him. Really, who else would have hair as bright crimson as his own and would immediately come help him the moment he was in trouble? Yes, this made perfectly logical sense in the three-year-old's mind, so with a speed that should have been impossible to a starving child, he scurried and stumbled after his newly found papa and instantly clambered up and clung onto his coat so that he wouldn't get lost in the crowd. Fortunately for him, he went unnoticed, as the coat was already heavy enough, and adding on a couple extra pounds really didn't make much of a difference.

Thankfully for Allen, who was beginning to lose his grip on the coat, they soon made it to his papa's destination, which turned out to be a dingy bar. Allen didn't really know what went on in this type of place, but he suspected it couldn't be good. He didn't let this deter him though; if his papa was brave enough to come in here, then so was he! The moment the redheaded man took a seat, he was instantly flocked by many women. Allen scrutinized them all, attempting to figure out if one of them was his mama, but immediately banished the thought once he eyed their freaky, clown-like faces and their icky stench reared its ugly head against his poor nose. Unluckily for small boy, they instantaneously took note of him.

In an irritating, nasally voice that grated on Allen's poor ear drums, one of them asked, "Cross, honey, what is that thing clinging onto you?"

"I already told you this was Timcanpy, but don't worry he won't be bothering us," his papa smirked, in what Allen thought was a weird way. And who was Timcanpy? Allen really hoped that wasn't what they originally named him.

"Not that thing," another one said in a sickly sweet voice, though you could clearly hear her annoyance from not having his attention solely on her. This time though, she pointed at Allen with a claw-like finger, "That thing."

His papa blinked, and snapped his gaze towards him in shock, but before he could utter a word of protest, one of the other woman cooed in delight and squealed, "He is such a cutie! Is he your son?"

Before either could reply, one filled with disgust and the other with pride at the thought, another one gleefully squeaked, "Of course he is. Not only is he adorable, they even have matching hair! I've never seen another that owns such beautiful locks!"

Once again, they were interrupted, but by a completely new voice, "General, what do you think you're doing?" Allen looked up to see new woman who'd come forwards and stood before them. She had a thick mane of waist-length, raven hair that made her brilliant, emerald colored eyes stand out and she wore a leather body suit that was similar in design to his papa's, except hers was lined in a shining silver. Allen instantly knew that this must be his mama!

"Hello Maria. Looking as beautiful as ever I see," his papa smirked.

"Don't give me that General Cross, we are on a mission and—" she came to an abrupt stop when she saw Allen clinging unto said general's coat.

Stepping forward and crouching down, she gave Allen a gentle smile, patting his head and then gave Cross a scathing glare. "Why do you have a child in a bar?"

"Damn brat followed me here," his papa spat out, causing Allen to wince. He didn't want to get into trouble already!

Sighing, his mama picked him up into her arms, causing him to cling to her as he relaxed. "Get started on the mission already. Just because you got promoted to a general doesn't mean you can slack off! I'll take care of him."

With that said, his mama began heading out from the bar, but just before exiting, Allen waved at his papa and called out, "Bye-bye, Papa!" In reaction, the General spluttered and choked on his wine. Allen took no notice though, as he was sure he would soon get used to it. His mama stiffened a bit, but didn't pause in her quick pace.

"So that man is your father?" his mama asked. Allen scrunched his face up in confusion.

Nonetheless, he nodded, humming a, "Mhmm," into her neck as he snuggled himself into her warm arms.

"Alright, why don't you get some sleep? You look exhausted," she murmured.

Allen nodded again, and just before nodding off, muttered, "G'night, Mama."

Time Frame — Morning of January 4th, 1885

"… I'm just saying, how can you be sure he's not? Think of all the poor women you've probably already knocked up without even sparing them a glance! Think about what you've already done to poor—"

"The kid chose his path. It ain't my right to stop him," was the severe reply. Allen frowned, recognizing the arguing voices of his parents.

"That's because you didn't even give the poor child a chance. The minute he told you the offer he was given, you kicked him to the curve!" she replied harshly.

"I only knew the damn kid for a day. What the hell did you expect me to do!?"

Warily sitting up, Allen went unnoticed. He winced at their escalating voices.

"Exactly what a father is expected to do! You knew he was hoping you decided that you actually wanted him around!"

"Yeah?! And how the hell should I know that!? It's not like the bastard I call my father was ever actually around to teach me this shi—"

Not being able to take their heated shouting any longer, Allen burst into tears. The effect was immediate, causing his papa's enraged features to simply return to being irritated. His mama's expression softened into a sad, but gentle smile as she moved forward and crouched down to his level, where he was sitting on the bed. Rubbing small, relaxing circles onto his back and humming an oddly comforting lullaby, he immediately calmed down, his bawling turning into hiccupping sobs. Sitting down and taking him into her arms, she murmured in a low tone, "Cross, I know you came to this town on a mission once before. How many years ago was it?"

"I'd say almost four," he shrugged carelessly.

Nodding, she turned back to Allen, and asked with a kind smile, "What's your name, honey?"

"Awen," he sniffled.

"Do you know how old you are?"

Allen nodded with certainty, because Nana had recently been trying to teach him his ABC's and 123's, and on his last birthday she said she was giving him three pieces of candy, because he was turning three. "Thwee," he answered with a proud smile.

Turning back to his papa, Allen saw her giving him an expectant stare. His papa frowned in annoyance. "Wait, you don't actually expect me to…?"

"Yes General Cross, that is exactly what I expect of you. Though of course I'm not letting you do this on your own, you'd probably kill the poor child!" she exclaimed, causing Allen to gulp nervously. He hadn't thought his papa would be that scary!

Giving her a cocky smirk, he asked her, "And what makes you think he'd like you any better than me?"

Taking the challenge for what it was, his mama looked down at him tenderly and questioned him, "Allen, do you know who I am?"

Allen nodded, happy that he knew the answer to this too, and exclaimed, "Mama!"

She gave the alarmed General a triumphant grin, while he asked in astonishment, "Kid, why the hell do you think this is your mother?"

Allen knew the answer to this as well! He gave his papa the simple reply of, "Pweety," with a dazzling smile.

"Kid's got good taste," he grunted, making Allen's chest swell with pride. Upon noticing his mama's smug grin, the older redhead suggested, "But kid, you could have your pick of any one of those women you saw back there."

This caused his mama's expression to turn sour, prompting Allen to reply truthfully with a small wrinkle of his nose and a shake of his head, "Stinky!"

The green-eyed woman burst into a giggle, and his papa bluntly replied, "You don't smell so good yourself, brat."

Frowning, Allen realized he wasn't kidding, but what else was to be expected after almost a week of dumpster diving? Gently tugging at his mama's silky hair, he asked shyly, "Bath?"

Beaming down at him, she replied, "Of course! This means I can dress you up in some of the clothes I got you!"

"Since when did you have the time to buy the brat some clothes?" his papa scoffed distractedly while taking his pick of the different wine bottles inside the cupboard.

With a huff, she stood, simultaneously picking up her suitcase, and responded with a swish of her hair, "That's for me to know, and you to never find out."

Entering the spacious bathroom, she set down the suitcase near the sink, while sitting Allen down atop the closed toilet lid. She got to work, starting up a warm bath, unfolding the fluffy towels from the cupboard, as well as taking out a bar of soap and hair wash. Allen watched her every movement with avid interest, swinging his legs back and forth, and once everything was set and done, she crouched down in front of him, and began to gently tug off his bulky boots and peel off his dirty socks. Just as she reached for his gloved hands though, he flinched away and froze, eyes wide and fearful.

With a concerned gaze, his mama attempted to caress his cheek but gave up when he cringed from her touch once again. He couldn't let her see it. Allen had seen the reactions of some of the other children when he'd been careless enough to leave his gloves behind, and was not eager to relive the experience, especially with his newfound parents. Only Nana had ever been allowed to see it, but she'd said she loved him and that his physical appearance could never interfere with that. Although… shouldn't that mean that his parent should feel the same way?

With a jolt, Allen realized that he had zoned out and that his mama had been calling out to him in a distressed voice, "-llen? Can you hear me? Please tell me what's going on?"

Before she could continue, his papa pushed the door open with a loud bang causing them to jump. "What the hell is going on?" he demanded, appearing vaguely worried as he eyed every corner of the room.

She tossed him one more anxious glance, before his mama turned to his papa and replied in a concerned tone, "I'm not sure, I attempted to take his gloves off, but he just froze and flinched away every time I tried going near him." Turning back to him, she spoke to him with a delicate voice, "Allen, sweety, you know you can trust us. Whatever it is, please don't be ashamed. We'll still love you."

"Allen, you can trust me. Don't ever be ashamed of who you are. I will always love you no matter what."

Allen sniffed as his eyes welled up with fresh tears, remembering similar words spoken to him by his nana not too long ago, and then giggled slightly as he remember her following words.

"And who do you think had to change your diapers and clothing as a baby you ridiculous child. I already knew all about your silly little arm!"

Realizing he was receiving concerned looks from his parents—or at least from his mama; his papa appeared to be a mix between concerned, aggravated, and bored, Allen wiped away any lingering tears and began to tug at the ratty and worn out glove on his left hand. Finally pulling it off, Allen avoided making any eye contact as he held out his left hand, palm facing downwards, allowing them a clear view of the shining, emerald crystal embedded in the middle of his hand in the shape of a cross. That wasn't the worst part though; his nails where thick and a solid black, and the rest of the skin on his hand—as well as his arm, though that wasn't visible to them—was twisted, gnarled and a blood red color.

With a small gasp, his mama gently stroked his hand in such a loving manner that it surprised him. To his complete shock, she murmured softly, "It's… It's amazing! Allen, has your arm always been this way?"

Allen, more enthusiastic than before, nodded happily in reply. Glancing up to see his papa's response to his arm, he saw that his expression actually showed a bit of interest, though the boredom hadn't seemed to completely escape him.

"Allen, do you know what this is?" she asked him, bright-eyed as she indicated the embedded crystal in his hand. He shook his head in confusion; he'd never assumed it to be anything but some weird birth defect (or that's what Nana had believed, in any case).

"It's called Innocence, also known as God's Crystal. It's a weapon that helps defeat the evils of this world," she carefully explained, observing him intently. Allen didn't completely comprehend what she meant, but he was happy to know that it was considered a good thing by his family. She continued, "I have it as well you know? Do you want to see?"

Allen's moonlit eyes widened. He hadn't thought that his family would have it too! With an excited nod, he watched as she grinned at him and gently tugged the collar of her outfit down, showing a cross similar to Allen's embedded just below her throat. "My weapon is my vocal cords. My singing can control others and create illusions."

Nodding, he asked, "Papa?" wondering whether his papa shared the gift as well. Without prompting, his papa flicked away his coat, so that he could retrieve his gun and tossed it to him, causing the poor three-year-old to fumble with the heavy object, thankfully not dropping it. Allen gazed at it in amazement and began to examine it, while his mama scolded his papa, "Cross! You can't just give a child a gun!"

Before he could give her a scathing remark, Allen, while struggling to hold up the gun to them, asked, "Icence?"

Nodding, his mama corrected him, "Innocence, and the name of it is Judgment."

Allen, slipping off the toilet seat, scrambled over to his papa, and with a bit of effort, held up Judgment towards him, saying, "Icense, Papa!"

"Yes, that's my Innocence," he grunted, snatching it up, and walking away with a swig straight from his wine bottle.

Rolling her eyes, his mama closed the door back up and carefully began to remove the rest of Allen's worn out clothes. "Come on Allen. We better hurry before the water gets any cooler."

And with that, his mama gently dumped him in the spacious tub and began to wash away all the dirt and grime from his hair and body. Allen relaxed under her gentle care and was almost upset when he was finally clean. Slipping him out of the now dirt-filled water, his mama began to dry him with a fluffy towel and dressed him generously so that he could survive the cold January air. She decked him out in a pair of thick black trousers, a white dress shirt mostly hidden by a snug, dark blue sweater and a red ribbon tied around his neck. She also buttoned up a soft, gray coat over the rest of his clothing, covered his dark, red hair in a gray, knitted cap, and added a pair of thick, black gloves. The only thing that hadn't changed were his original black boots, as they were still in good condition.

Cleaning up the mess, his mama finally locked her suitcase, snatched it up, and tossed it near her bed once she opened the door. Grabbing his hand, she led him out of the room. "We'll be downstairs having breakfast, General," she called out to his papa, who was currently sprawled on one of the chairs.

Leading Allen down to the dining area of the inn, the female Exorcist tugged him over to one of the smaller tables. And knowing that his stomach was sensitive from not having had food for days, she ordered him a warm bowl of broth and began to gently feed him in small spoonfuls. Halfway through feeding him though, they were interrupted by an older gentleman. Allen frowned, noticing how he ignored him, his fishy eyes all over his mama. But having been turned away from him, his mama didn't take any note of him. That is, until he placed his small, meaty hand not so gently on her shoulder. Instantly snapping her head back in his direction, his mama gazed up at him with narrowed eyes, and politely asked, "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes, actually. You see, I noticed your beauty from across the room, and I said to myself, I must come meet this lovely—" His monologue was interrupted by a crushed, piece of napkin hitting him straight in the face, courtesy of Allen. Allen didn't really know what this man wanted, but his high-pitched voice had started to make his skin crawl.

"Why you insolent, little—" He was interrupted once more by a hand clamping on his shoulder this time. Fearfully, he glanced up and was met with a heated crimson orb. The man gulped nervously, a sheen of sweat shining across his forehead, especially when he seemed to realize the resemblance his papa had with him.

"I think it's time you took your leave," the General growled and then smirked at the man's uneasy state, while fingering his gun in an obvious manner. Noticing his actions, the man nodded profusely and stumbled away, and out of the expensive inn. Glancing back at Allen, he reprimanded him with a scoff, "Next time, throw something harder than a paper ball."

Allen blushed sheepishly, knowing he should've gone for the spoon while his mama had been distracted. "No, Allen! It's not polite to throw things at people," his mama scolded him as well.

Allen looked between them in confusion. So, should he throw harder things at people, or refrain from doing it at all? Noticing this, his papa said, "Don't confuse the brat. If we keep disagreeing on the things we tell him to do, he's not going to know who to listen to."

His mama rewarded him with a stunned expression. "Wow, you're actually right. Who knew you had some parental instincts?"

The older redhead huffed and replied, "Well I know the first thing we gotta do before getting him to activate his Innocence is to teach him how to speak. Can't train someone if you can't even communicate with them!"

"Cross, he's only three!" she admonished him.

Allen giggled at his parent's silly bantering as they stepped out of the elegant inn, delighted at finally being together with his family. Plus, he had figured it out. He would just throw harder things at people when his mama wasn't looking!

Time Frame — Noon of January 4th, 1885

Allen giggled as he skipped around his parents, playing with the newly discovered Timcanpy who had been napping out in his papa's coat all morning. Timcanpy would bump him on the head and then fly just out of reach as Allen would try to jump with all his might and catch him. According to his papa, they were patrolling for Akuma. Apparently they had already discovered the hidden Innocence and sent it back to Headquarters, but there was still a large number of hidden Akuma around the town and they had to kill every last one before moving on to their next mission.

Allen didn't really get most of that except for the part where his parents would be fighting. Or at least his papa would, while his mama took him to safety. The only reason he had been allowed to come was because his papa said that he had to get used to this sort of thing if he ever wanted to become an Exorcist like them. All Allen knew was that he didn't want to disappoint him.

Huffing in annoyance when he noticed Timcanpy landing on top of his papa's hat, he decided that if jumping wasn't going to work, then climbing was going to have to do. Allen weaved his way through his parents' legs once again so as not to arouse suspicion and waited for them to pause at the next corner. Finally seeing his chance, Allen grabbed onto his papa's coat, not unlike he had done the night before, but this time he began to climb his way up. Allen tried scurrying up as fast as possible, before his papa noticed him, but unfortunately he was only just below his shoulder when he noticed his papa's glaring eye focused down on him. Gulping, he stared as his papa growled, "What do you think you're doing you damn brat?"

Allen flinched, but defended himself nonetheless in a childish voice while pointing up at Timcanpy with a pout, "Tim cheated!"

His papa rolled his eyes, annoyance evident on his face as he grabbed Allen by the scruff of his coat and set him down on the ground. Next, he grabbed Timcanpy off the top of his hat and held him near Allen while commanding, "Timcanpy, stick with Allen for now."

Allen cheered as Timcanpy landed in his outstretched palms, and beamed, "Thanks, Papa!" Allen ran off to catch up with his mama—who, having not noticed their pause, had begun to leave them behind—so that he could show her.

Walking all together once again, Allen laughed as he began to play a new game with Timcanpy, that is, until he was harshly bitten by him on his right index finger. Allen yelped as the stinging pain in his finger made itself cruelly known.

Crouching down in front of him, his mama asked him gently, "Where does it hurt Allen?"

Tugging off his right glove, with hadn't received any of the damage, he held up his bright red finger. Whimpering, he muttered, "Tim bit me. Hurts."

Gently taking a hold of his hand, his mama gave his hurt finger a tender kiss and softly scolded him, "You shouldn't be too harsh on Tim, Allen. If you're not careful, you'll accidentally hurt him, which will cause him to defend himself. Now please apologize to him."

Nodding, Allen looked at up at the golden golem with his big, moonlit eyes and said, "Sowy, Tim." Truthfully, he was pretty sure that Tim had done that on purpose, but decided to listen to his mama for her sake. Plus, the results weren't disappointing, as soon afterwards, Tim landed on top of his gray cap and snuggled into it, making himself comfortable. His mama stood up again, rewarding him with a smile, and then turned back around to continue patrolling the town.

"He's not just some toy, you stupid brat," his papa sneered at him, before following his mama.

Silver eyes narrowed. That was it! If his papa wasn't going to play nice, then neither was he! Cupping Timcanpy in his regloved hands once again, Allen whispered a few words to him. Timcanpy seemed to think over what he had been told, before bobbing his round body up and down a couple of times in an affirmative response. Being as quick as possible, Tim flew over and around his papa, snapped his sharp teeth around his nose, and immediately flew back to his spot on top of Allen's head.

Loud cursing could be heard from his papa, causing a couple of townspeople to stare at him. He snapped his head back around with a sharp glare directed at both Allen and Tim, ruthless words on the tip of his tongue, until he noticed Allen's innocent smile directed at him, with an impossibly cruel glint in his eye that he hadn't thought possible. With a glare, his papa grumbled to himself loud enough for him to hear, "Maybe you really are my son."

And that was all the acknowledgement needed to lift up Allen's spirits again.

"Allen, come here now!" his mama demanded strictly, causing Allen to scramble to her side. "General, it looks like we have company."

Just as she said this, Allen watched in a mixture of awe and fear as about a dozen townspeople surrounding them began to transform into the most hideous creatures he'd ever seen. Peeling off their human skin with a sickening snap, balls of scaly, dark matter rose and floated above them with dozens of protruding canons and depressing, clown-like masks for faces. Allen stood on shaky legs, almost gagging at the revolting machines, but tried putting on a brave face when he realized that his parents didn't look a bit deterred, unlike the rest of the townspeople who ran off while screaming their heads off.

"Maria, take the kid out of here and keep him safe, but keep him near enough so that he may watch. The sooner he learns what it means to be an Exorcist, the better," his papa commanded, while slipping out Judgment.

"But Cross! He's only three, please—" she begged, before she was harshly interrupted

"It doesn't matter. The Order does not care for age, and if they find him weak, he'll go through hell!" he barked.

"But—"

"Maria, there is no time! Do as I've ordered!" Seeing her hesitate again, he growled, "And that is a command from your superior."

With a stiff nod, his mama took him into her arms and ran at an impossible speed just as the Level 1 Akuma began to rapidly fire bullets. Easily dodging the projectiles, she weaved her way through a few buildings, any Akuma that attempted to follow her being eradicated by his papa. Allen felt breathless; everything was happening so fast it was practically a blur! Reaching an alleyway, his mama easily jumped up on top of a dumpster lid and then leaped onto the roof, allowing them a clear view of the General surrounded by Akuma. Crouching down, his mama held him protectively, but he leaned forward still, watching his papa in admiration. He made it look so easy as he evaded every bullet blasted in his direction, Judgment never once missing a target. Allen observed as each and every one of the Akuma exploded to shreds, but he felt no pity for them. In fact, the sorrowful faces of the Akuma looked somewhat relieved when the Innocence came into contact with them. Allen had a feeling that Innocence didn't destroy the Akuma, but in fact, saved them.

Though the battle had felt like hours for the young boy, it had truly only lasted a minute. Probably less if his papa hadn't looked like he was enjoying the fight. He felt his mama breathe a sigh of relief. Throughout the whole ordeal, she had been watching him in concern, as if waiting for an unwanted reaction. Allen was proud that he'd not disappointed her. In a way, it reminded him of this morning when he himself had been afraid of their reactions over his arm.

Patting her cheek with his small hand, he beamed at her and repeated some of her earlier words, "Twust me."

Letting out a shaky laugh, she nodded and hugged him closer to her with a relieved sigh. Standing once again, seemingly more relaxed, she effortlessly jumped down onto the now-deserted streets that were a result of the earlier commotion, and started to make her way back to the street she'd had left her papa in. They arrived there in a matter of minutes and met back up with the General.

The pretty woman took a deep breath and began to speak in an apologetic voice, "General Cross, I—"

"Don't bother," his papa grunted. "Anyway, we'll stay another night just in case there're any stragglers. With three Accommodators in one place, plus all the extra pieces of Innocence I was given as a general, they'll eventually come crawling out and right into the barrel of my gun."

Finally glancing down at him, his papa sneered, "So, you think you're up to becoming a real Exorcist."

Not letting his tone of voice deter him, Allen exclaimed, "I wanna be like Papa!"

His mama grimaced as if in disagreement, but then smiled at him and suggested, "Well if you want to be as powerful as your papa, you need to keep your strength up. Why don't we take you out for lunch?"

Allen nodded enthusiastically, as he was still feeling weak from having to starve for days. An idea suddenly occurred to him and he quickly whispered it into his mama's ear. She smirked and nodded, as if liking the idea very much. Realizing that his papa was staring at them suspiciously, she raised an eyebrow and said expectantly, "Well, lead the way General."

He narrowed his eyes, but turned around nonetheless and began to sweep away. Quickly catching up to the General, his mama raised him and swiftly, but gently, dropped him on his papa's back and continued walking as if nothing had occurred. He felt his papa slightly stiffen as he tightened his arms around his neck and began to curse loudly.

"Damn it woman, why'd you dump the kid on me?!" he demanded with a shout. Allen silently giggled, having expected his papa's reaction. He was starting to become predictable.

Shrugging nonchalantly, the female Exorcist easily replied, "Your son, felt like being carried by his papa."

Before he could reply, Allen hadthe bright idea to steal his papa's hat and place it on his own head. Timcanpy immediately moved out of the way and settled itself comfortably down once again, except this time on his master's hat.

Cursing again, his papa yelled up at him, "What do you think you're doing now, twerp!?"

Allen winced. Maybe that hadn't been the best idea.

"Cross," his mama suddenly said in such a sweet and innocent voice, causing both him and his papa to pause and gaze warily at her while she was still turned around. Snapping her head back in a flurry of raven locks and giving his papa a horrific, spine-chilling glare, she growled in a low voice, "You drop Allen even one inch, I'll kill you."

The General suddenly froze and gave her a very stiff nod. She beamed at him and continued walking. At once, he and his papa shuddered.

"Mama scawy," Allen muttered, as his papa's hat began to slip down his face.

"You got that right kid," his papa replied, and then snarled, "Now give me back my damn hat!"

Arriving at a small and simple restaurant, they took a seat, his mama taking him back into her arms and sitting him down on her lap. They ordered a simple meal, or at least his mama did, his papa only asking for wine, scowling as his mama made him throw away his cigarette.

"What's with the loss of appetite?" his papa asked with a raise of his eyebrow as he tipped his head back and drank some of the wine given to him. Allen frowned, as he was sure his mama had ordered a regular sized meal.

His mama shrugged, "I had an extra big breakfast this morning before Allen woke up."

"What about you brat, a Parasitic-type weapon like you shouldn't have survived without food for even a couple days," his papa frowned at him. Allen simply shrugged with a perplexed expression, not having a clue as to what he meant.

"It probably has to do with the fact that his Innocence is still dormant. I ate like a normal person up until I actually activated my Innocence and began using it," his mama mused.

The redhead nodded and asked, "So when will you be going back to the Order."

Allen glanced up and noticed his mama frowning in thought, before she answered, "I'd rather not leave Allen alone with you just yet. I'll just take missions through my golem for a while."

"Good, you can take the brat off my hands," his papa scoffed. Allen pouted; he didn't have to be so mean.

She shook her head and said with a smirk, "You'll be coming with me of course. Remember, your job as a general is to find and train Accommodators. And you've got one right here!" At this, she held Allen up to his face. Pushing him back, his papa grumbled something inaudible.

"What was that, General Cross?" she asked with a smug grin.

Before he could retort, the nervous waiter came over and set the food carefully on the table and quickly scurried away at his papa's scathing glare. That's when Allen decided that his papa should really smile more often. Slipping off his mama's lap before she could protest, he scurried over to his papa's side and scrambled onto his lap. He frowned down at him and asked, "What do you think you're doing now, you twerp?"

Lifting his small hands up onto his papa's cheeks, he said, "Smile, Papa!"

His papa's one visible eye widened, but before he could reply, his mama said, "Come here Allen, you need to eat."

"Do as your mother says," his papa ordered. Before he did though, Allen asked, "Papa happy?"

His papa grumbled a barely audible yes, which caused Allen to beam at him before rushing back to his mama. His papa was certainly one of a kind.

Allen was walking around town again, while holding onto his mama's hand. The only difference this time was the fact that he was exhausted. Allen's feet were starting to drag on the ground, his eyes were drooping, and his head was bobbing up and down while trying to keep awake. It wasn't long before he started to let out loud, cat-like yawns.

Crouching down in front of him, his mama gently asked him, "What's the matter Allen."

Fisting his hands and rubbing them against his eyes, he murmured, "'m sleepy. Nap time."

Frowning, his mama picked him up and handed him over to his surprised papa. "Why are you giving the useless brat to me?"

"Cross, you're his father. Would it kill you to call him by his name?" his exasperated mama reprimanded him. Before he could respond, she continued, "Anyway, someone has to continue the patrol, so I need you to take him back to the inn and watch over him while he sleeps."

"But why do I have to be the one to do it?" his papa demanded.

"Oh, honestly Cross, stop acting so childish. You have to start taking responsibility over him as well. You are his father after all. Plus, there's the fact that as soon as I leave you'll head straight to the nearest bar," she explained, an eye roll accompanying her latter statement.

Not giving him a chance to reply, she turned around and sauntered away. Allen was finally lost to the world, the last words being heard by him was his papa's grumbling voice, "Why does she always have to be right?"

"'Cause she's mama," Allen mumbled before drifting off, not taking notice of his papa's scowl.

Time Frame — Night of January 5th, 1885

Allen's brows furrowed in frustration as he stared down at his ungloved, left hand. His mama had briefly mentioned something about learning how to activate his Innocence on his own, but he didn't understand. He could hardly move his arm in the first place, as it had always been stiff and mostly useless, only responding to him when he was stubborn enough.

At the current moment, they were settled in a private compartment of a train. They'd been traveling for hours, since the mission his mama had taken next through a weird, black, bat-like thing that resembled Timcanpy—but lacked his personality—was all the way across the country. His papa was currently passed out on one of the benches with an empty wine bottle in hand and Timcanpy curled up next to him, while his mama had run off in order to attain some dinner for them. While he waited, Allen had seated himself down on the floor, trying to make his left arm more flexible at the suggestion of his mama, who'd given him a deck of playing cards snatched from his papa's coat. Apparently it was a bad habit of his, so she said he could keep them for now.

Realizing he was wasting time, Allen went back to shuffling the cards around in a random order, not really knowing what the heck he was doing. It seemed that Timcanpy had woken, if he had even been asleep in the first place, because the golden golem suddenly bopped him in the head none too gently.

"Ouch!" Allen yelped, rubbing at the throbbing mark on his forehead. He glared at Timcanpy; that is, until the golem opened its mouth filled with unbelievably sharp teeth, and images begin sprouting out. Allen watched in amazement as Timcanpy began showing him dozens upon dozens of recordings that he had witnessed of his papa and other shady figures playing with the deck of cards.

Allen frowned. It didn't seem like his papa was too good at cheating. He knew all the tricks of the trade, but it seemed that he was caught most of the time because of how drunk he was. Just as the images ended and his mama entered the compartment with some food for him, Allen began to practice shuffling the cards the way he had seen his papa do and resolved that he would become a good poker player. After all, his earlier resolve of activating his Innocence could only interest a three-year-old for so long.

Grabbing a hold of his papa's hand in excitement, Allen pointed to the humongous contraption with his other hand, exclaiming, "Look Papa, look!"

His papa made an inaudible grumble, but didn't rip his hand away from his. Might've had something to do with the scary look his mama was giving him. His mama took his other hand in her's as they began walking through the brightly lit town. Ahead, a little beyond the town perimeters, colorful lights and large movable machines were clearly visible. Music and shrieks of excitement made themselves known to Allen's ears. It took all of the three-year-old's willpower not to break away from his parent's hold and run towards the lively sight.

"Seems like the carnival's in town," his mama remarked after what seemed like an eternity, though in reality, it had only been a couple of seconds. "Would you like us to pay it a visit, Allen?"

Allen looked up into his mama's equally enthusiastic jade eyes and with a hum of agreement, began to shake with anticipation. He tried to calm down a bit though when he noticed his papa's glare.

"What about your mission?" his papa demanded gruffly as he lit up a new cigarette.

"Honestly Cross, that stuff is disgusting," she huffed. "And anyway, according to the Finder I spoke with, all of the strange sightings have been spotted during the night, near the carnival grounds once everything has been shut down. They've been tracking this same carnival for some months now. Fortunately, they're always on the move, so no Akuma have showed up," she explained. She then added casually, "And there's no harm in allowing Allen to have little fun."

"What about the Finders themselves? Don't you think they'd find it odd that you dragged a snot-nosed brat and a general on your mission? Plus, who's going to deliver the Innocence back to Headquarters once we do find it?"

With a shrug she replied, "I've already taken care of it. A couple words of persuasion convinced them that I could handle it on my own. And there'll be another Finder passing through here tomorrow who's meeting up with a different Exorcist. I'll just have them deliver it."

"Really?" he hummed, and then smirked, saying thoughtfully, "Seems odd though. For someone who's kind of a clean-freak, you seem pretty eager to attend some filthy carnival."

"I really don't know what you're talking about, General Cross," she replied stiffly, pointedly avoiding eye-contact.

"Oh, come off it Maria," the General chuckled. "I saw the look on your face when we left the train station. And I do recall you once mentioning trying out some of that legendary cotton candy," he said with a stifled laugh, his smirk growing wider by the second.

"You know what General, your right, this is my mission! So why don't you get lost in some dirty bar like usual?! Let's go Allen! I'm taking you to the carnival!" his mama exclaimed as she began dragging him along.

"Yes, Mama!" Allen replied excitedly, giggling slightly at his mama's flushed face. His parents were so silly sometimes.

To the surprise of his mama, his papa hadn't ditched them, but accompanied them instead. But prior to, they made a swift stop by an inn in order to rent a room and drop off their luggage; Allen was quick to shed his thick grey coat and woolen hat as he had started to feel a little stuffy. Currently though, he was on cloud nine. The normally frightening, dark night was drowned out by colorful and twinkling lights; they were so bright and blinding Allen could hardly see a star in the black sky. His ears buzzed with the sounds of music and laughter and Allen was pretty sure he would die of hunger if he didn't get some of that deliciously smelling, greasy food in his stomach soon.

His papa looked like he wished he were anywhere but here, though he did seem slightly amused every time he glanced at his mama, who looked to be as awed as he was by the sights and sounds. And oh, who could forget the smells?!

Tugging at his papa's sleeve, he looked up without flinching, into his papa's glaring maroon eye and demanded, "Food, Papa, food! I hungwy!"

"Will you stop that you brat?" His papa snarled down at him, ripping his sleeve away from Allen's small hands. Allen pouted, but wasn't surprised by his reaction.

"Cross…" his mama growled warningly.

Before she could say anymore, his papa huffed, "Fine, I'll get the kid some food." Then added with a smirk, "You can gush over your cotton candy while I do that." And before she could give her indignant reply, his papa dragged him away to the nearest food stand they saw.

"Now what do you want brat?" he questioned Allen roughly while they waited in line.

Taking in the wonderful smells with unconcealed excitement, Allen exclaimed, "Evwythin!"

Lightly smacking him upside the head, his papa harshly admonished him, "Punk! You think I'm made out of money?!"

"Ow!" Allen yelped, holding his slightly throbbing head and then pouted with a frown, crossing his arms stubbornly. Realizing they were in front of the line facing a nervous young man, his papa wrinkled his nose at him and to Allen's indignant surprise, yanked him up by his maroon sweater, holding him up to the vendor's face.

"Point to one thing, and that's what you're getting brat," his papa ordered him, with a no-nonsense voice.

With a sigh, Allen looked at the displayed food and finally pointed to some of the mouth-watering, foot-long hot dogs. Seeing that the vendor was still timidly standing there, his papa barked, "Well, get the kid what he wants!"

Almost tripping over his own feet in the small space, the man scurried to get Allen's order, finally giving the hotdog to him with a fearful glance at his papa, as if expecting to receive some sort of complaint. Instead, his papa just tossed some coins onto the counter with a scoff and set Allen back on his feet, sweeping back to where they had left his mama. Allen had to jog to keep up with his long strides, but it wasn't long before they spotted his mama sitting on one of the picnic tables with a dreamy look on her face. Turns out she had followed his papa's advice and bought some cotton candy, which she was delicately chewing on at the moment. Finally joining her, Allen began to enthusiastically eat his hotdog, with a wide grin on his face. It really did taste as good as it smelled.

Noticing them, his mama scolded him, "Allen! Manners."

Giving her a sheepish grin with food-covered cheeks, she rolled her eyes and grabbed a napkin, gently wiping his face clean. Finishing the last half of his hotdog at a more sedate pace, Allen got up and insisted, "Ride! Ride!"

Before he could receive a mocking remark from his papa, his mama agreed with equal enthusiasm and asked, "What do you want to ride first, Allen?"

Allen looked around, and pointed to the tallest and brightest machine he had seen yet, which was the in the shape of a huge circle. Both his mama and him gazed at it in awe and proceeded to drag his papa to the line, both slightly shaking in excitement. After what seemed like forever, they finally gained entrance to one of the small compartments. His mama and him sat across from his papa, and each gazed through their own window in amazement as the everything beneath them grew smaller and smaller by the second; though his papa seemed more keen on gazing at his mama's pretty face, her emerald eyes sparkling with eagerness. Allen giggled slightly, but didn't blame him.

No words were spoken throughout the ride, each in their own little world of admiration. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the ride came to an end. Exiting, Allen continued looking around, wondering where they would go next.

"How did you like that, Allen?" asked his mama, her face glowing with wonder, just as much as his.

Beaming at her, he thought of the rainbow of brilliant colors he had witnessed and replied, "So pweety!"

Before any answer could be given, the lights that had enthralled Allen so much before, began to suddenly shut down around them. The workers' easy demeanor abruptly turned sketchy as their faces darkened and they quickly began to usher all the townspeople back home, attempting to get everyone off the rides as swiftly as possible. Their questions were soon answered when a loud, cheerful voice echoed throughout the grounds.

"I'm sorry, but we seem to be having some technical difficulties with the machinery and would like to evacuate everyone for their own safety. But don't doubt that all will be fixed by tomorrow! Come back with friends and family for an undoubtedly fun time! We'll be expecting you!"

The announcement ended, and before long, Allen and his parents were guided outside as everything else was shut down and locked up. A worried frown was etched onto his mama's face as she lead them to the nearby forest that surrounded the town so as not to be noticed by the workers who were leading away any stragglers.

"This was also mention in the report," his mama remarked, voice hushed. "They've recently been shutting everything down earlier than normal, as if they knew supernatural occurrences would take place during the night. But it never mentioned anything about actually evacuating the place. Has it really gotten this bad…?" his mama mused as she peeked from behind the foliage, her face frowning in concentration. His papa was as relaxed as ever, leaning casually against a tree, lighting up a new cigarette while his mama was distracted. Allen sighed moodily, realizing the fun was over. Then again, he would he get to be with his parents while they did their job, and at night too!

"So, what's the plan?" his papa asked offhandedly, as if this was a daily—or nightly—occurrence for them, which it probably was. Allen perked up at this, curious to hear his mama's response.

"The plan, is for me to locate the Innocence, while you take Allen back to the inn so that he can sleep. He's only a child," she replied with conviction.

His papa scoffed, "Please, you know he needs to get used to this sort of thing. God knows how many damn times we've been attacked in the middle of the fu—"

"Cross! Will you cease with the cursing? Not only do I not enjoy hearing it, but Allen is with us now. I will not have him learning such foul language!" she scolded.

"—cking night," his papa continued as if uninterrupted. "You know perfectly well that the sooner he gets used to this, the better prepared he'll be. You think throwing him to the dogs back at the Order unprepared will do him any good? Especially if they have him train under someone like Socaro?"

His mama visibly shuddered, and then sighed in defeat. "All right, fine. Really, all I know is that apparently the carnival 'becomes alive at night'. Finder's words, not mine. We'll just have to wait for the rest of the workers to leave. They set their tents up further into the forest, a good distance away, so they won't know we're here."

"So it wasn't them that reported to the Black Order?"

Shaking her head, she confirmed, "No, they were actually very tight-lipped about it when they were questioned by the Finders. It seems they were frightened to silence by whatever's been happening to their carnival."

"Hmmm…" was his papa's only response.

They waited about another twenty minutes in the concealment of the forest, before venturing out and back to the entrance booth where townspeople were supposed pay the admission fee. Carefully stepping over the metal chain that hung across the entrance, with a Closed sign dangling from it, they gazed around the now darkened and deserted carnival, the moon being their only light. Allen shivered at the eerie feeling, no longer feeling comfortable with the place that had seemed so bright and warm a short time ago.

"We'll walk around for now. I'm not sure how long it'll actually be before any strange occurrences began happening," she murmured in a low tone and took a hold of his hand, much to Allen's relief, as she began to lead them in a random direction.

They hadn't been walking for long, before it became noticeable. It wasn't anything big really, just small occurrences; lights blinking in and out, random rides activating for minutes on end before coming to an abrupt stop, or even something as small as the cotton candy machine spinning at random intervals. But each and every happening made Allen jump just a little higher and shiver in fear just a little harder. The howling wind that picked up chilled him to the bone, and he greatly regretted leaving his coat behind.

His mama would squeeze his hand in comfort, but when that didn't seem to settle down his thumping heart as much, his right hand sought out his papa's. Thankfully his papa didn't shake him away as he normally would have.

Finally, his mama spoke in barely a whisper, "Without the threat of Akuma, it'd be best if we found the Innocence as fast as possible before they do sense it."

"What are you suggesting?" His papa questioned, impatience visible in his tone.

"We should split up. You and Allen can take all of the north and I'll take all of the south side. The sooner we find it, the less time it has to make stranger things occur. Trust me, I heard what the Finder described. This isn't even the start," she explained in a grave tone.

He nodded, and without even a complaint, dragged Allen along. When his mama was out of sight, his papa shook his hand off and instructed him roughly, "If you see anything that might even look or suggest to the location of Innocence, you tell me. Got it?"

Nodding and feeling very determined, Allen answered, "Yes, Papa."

As they walked along, more noticeable occurrences began to happen. Food was served to invisible guests, and hollow laughter was carried with the shrieking wind from rides acting of their own accord. It made Allen's skin crawl, though his papa seemed unaffected. Noticing his questioning gaze, his papa replied to his unasked question, "There are worst things to be afraid of." And despite Allen's shudders of fear, he believed him.

As they passed by the House of Mirrors, Allen noticed small green flashes coming from within. Forgetting his papa's instructions, he slipped away unnoticed and inside the House. He finally located the green flashes easily enough, after smacking into the mirrors a couple of times. Unfortunately, it wasn't the aforementioned Innocence, but just a little toy that had most likely been won at one of the game booths, but probably dropped in the haste to get away.

Allen frowned in disappointment, and glanced up, the bright, green light finally permitting him to observe his reflection. Suddenly remembering his papa, Allen turned and was about to flee the House, but ran straight into a mirror instead. Rubbing his aching nose, he looked up and realized that the bright light the toy emitted had dimmed to an eerie glow.

The shadows pulled and bended until he couldn't make himself out anymore; darkness surrounded him and pressed at him, cutting him off from his senses, and then wailing and shrieks resonated, pounding in his ear drums so painfully, it made his head buzz. The mirrors that had been so harmless before, began twisting and turning, occasionally smacking him around, and showing him horrendous images of red-eyed demon children with gnarled, devil, left arms.

Aaaah! What is that thing?! Get away from him!

He's just a demon, don't talk to him!

It's the devil boy! That repulsive arm makes me sick!

Despicable child, you don't belong here! Don't ever come back here again!

Fat tears spilled down his cheeks as Allen wailed and tried to block out the sounds and images. "Not twue! Not twue! I no demon! Papa! Mama! HELP!"

It felt like it would never end; the screeching and twisted images swirled about him in an endless cycle. The voices of horror and disgust thrumming against his ears, and just when he thought he was about to break from the despair, a pair of warm arms were tightly embracing him and a familiar rough voice growled, "What were you thinking?"

Taking fistfuls of the coat in his small hands, Allen continued to shake and sob, but in relief this time. All the while he murmured in a whimpering voice, "I sowy. I sowy."

His papa rubbed his back in his usual rough manner, but it came as a comfort to Allen. Soon enough, a pair of gentler arm held him and rocked him back and forth. "Cross, what happened?" his mama demanded.

"Kid slipped away while I wasn't looking and into the House of Mirrors. God knows what it showed him. Could hear his damn shrieks from a mile away," the General responded in irritation, though there seemed to be a small note of concern in his tone.

Before his mama could reply, Allen attempted to reassure her, "Mama, I no demon. I no demon." Her large jade eyes filled with tears and her legs suddenly seem shaky as his papa had to steady her. Leaning against him, Allen was slightly squished between them, but he didn't mind much. This is where he belonged.

Finally finding her voice, she said with complete assurance, "Of course you're not a demon, Allen! You're my beautiful baby boy!"

"Mhmm," Allen hummed happily in agreement.

Finally regaining her stance, they began heading for the exit of the grounds, Allen still being held tightly in her arms.

"Where was the Innocence?" the redheaded General wondered at one point

Shrugging, she tried to reply in the same tone of voice, though it still shook a little, "The most obvious place it could have been in. It was in the Control Room. That's how it was able to control everything in the carnival. Though I have no idea how it could have possibly ended up in there."

"Too bad there weren't any Akuma. Judgment's been itching to be used for the past two days. Maybe I should take Allen with me to the forest tomorrow, for some practice," he mused.

"As long as Allen isn't the target," his mama warned him, her eyes narrowed.

"And where's the fun in that?" his papa held a knowing smirk.

"Cross!"

A/N: So, if you like this, you're probably going to hate me now, because I wasn't planning on updating this anytime soon (or at all…). I just have a lot of D. Gray-Plot Bunnies floating around my Documents, and I felt like posting one of them for once. I really should get these out more often, but that requires editing! Haha, for what it's worth, I at least hope you liked it. Well, wanna tell me what you think?(;

P.S. If any fans of Timely Mishaps are reading this, I apologize for the lack of updates. I wrote the first half of the next chapter and then stopped, because I wasn't sure what I wanted to make of the chapter as a whole. I mean, they tend to be pointless in the first place, but this one was just going nowhere! Anyway, a small plot bunny hit me the other day (aka yesterday) so I finally have an idea of where I'm going with it!:D Yay for me~!^.^ (And for you, because you should be getting an update real soon!)