Prologue

The moonlight lit the night's sky. Softly the light landed on the tents below. The air that had been filled with gleeful chatter, only a few hours prior, was now calm and peaceful. Shadows of a small group could be seen departing the scene, though they were not unnoticed by all.

"'Where do you suppose they're off to?' says Goethe." A man's voice could be heard in the darkness.

"'No idea.' says Emily." A higher pitched version of the same man's voice stated. His pale face watched in curiosity though the surprise had long since left his mind. The man called Snake, had grown accustomed to his fellow first-string members leaving in the middle of the night. He waited a moment more, before his serpent-like eyes turned away. Like a viper, he gracefully made his way back to his tent with a snake on each arm. He knew not where his friends went, nor what they did during their absence. Yet, it didn't seem to bother the snake-like man. They always returned before the morning sun had appeared in the sky. This new family of his had provided him the opportunity to make a living for himself and his beloved serpents. He had a place he belonged. In his mind, that's all that mattered.

...

"There," An orange-haired man, Joker was his title, commented as the carriage with their latest prey, left the bloodied crime. "It's done." A cold sigh left his lips as his thoughts raced. Another victim, another crime scene. More death, more blood, more...he shook his head.

"Aye." A few members of his merry band stated as they gathered around him.

"That it is." Jumbo spoke. Their faces remained serious and distant. Each member of their troupe refused to acknowledge or show their true feelings over their recent actions. They fulfilled their responsibility to father. Nothing more could be done. Nothing...they shook it off. What's done is done, no need to dwell on it.

"We best be heading back now, I reckon." Joker tilted his head back towards the circus. A false smile appeared on his lips as he attempted to lighten the mood, though he could feel his stomach turn. "We've a show tomorrow, don't we? Gotta keep our strength up."

Another bout of "Ayes" was heard as the performers made their way back home. They walked the winding streets of the city, when Joker paused. He spotted what he assumed to be the drunken form of a young woman, lying against a building in the gutter. The group continued walking and he was about to turn away when he noticed a small gush of blood on the woman's forehead. Concerned he took a few steps towards her and leaned down for a better look.

His eyes squinted as he took note of her bloodied forehead. Bruises had formed on her rather dirty face and arms. It was clear she had angered someone likely bigger and stronger than herself. She was a rather plain woman, nothing seemed particularly special about her at least. Her brown hair had been brushed out and somewhat groomed though it was still matted in some places. Her outfit was nothing more than a thin piece of cloth, not suited for the cool night air. Was she a thief who had been caught stealing? Or a servant who had displeased her master? What had brought her to such a broken state?

"Got quite the beating there, didn't yeh lass?" He questioned, though it was more to himself than to her. "Can't help but wonder who yeh mistakenly picked a fight with." He kneeled there a moment longer before he stood. He pitied the woman, who looked to be only a few years younger than he. The streets were a harsh and unforgiving place to live, he knew this all to well. She was a person, not too different from he and those he cared for. She was clearly in need of medical attention, food and a change of clothing. 'What to do?'

"Joker?" He heard Beast called out, somewhat quietly as not to wake those who dreamed in the houses around them.

"What's keeping yeh?" Peter asked, trying to keep his temper in check. It wasn't like their leader to fall so far behind the rest of the group.

'I'll take her to the infirmary.' He decided as he lifted the unconscious woman up. 'Doctor will care her wounds and overall health. If she is in need of a job, we can certainly find something productive for her to do. If not, well, then that'll be that and she'll be on her way.'

He made his way back towards the tents, he called home. Joker didnt think much more of the situation. There were more pressing matters on his mind and regardless of which path the girl chose, it wouldn't affect him or his family of oddballs all that much.

~Author's Note~

Hi everyone. Thank you for checking out my new Kuroshitsuji story. I hope you have enjoyed the prologue and will join me for Chapter 1. This story starts a few years before Book of Circus and will continue after.

Just a few things to note before we move on. I am not a professional writer. As such, I will make mistakes in my writing and may not always catch them until after a chapter has been published. You are more than welcome to point them out to me so I can fix them. I also love constructive criticism, please to hesitate to say something if there's an aspect of my writing that you think can be improved. Also note I'm not a Kuroshitsuji expert, I just happen to be a girl who loves the anime and musicals based off the manga.

Thanks again for checking out my story! I'll have the next chapter in a week two. If you are so inclined, feel free to leave a review. As always constructive criticism is welcome. Thanks again!~Lin

Disclaimer: I do not own, Joker, Beast, Snake, Sebastian, Ciel and any other Kuroshitsuji character. Nor am I making any money off of this story. It is merely for fun and entertainment purposes. I only own my OC.