A/N: To anyone who's waiting for an update on my other 2 fics, I'm really sorry! I've had the idea for this story for a long time, and I finally thought of a good beginning so I really had to write it. I hope you guys aren't too mad at me. Oh, and the OC in this fic is the same as the one in my other 2 fics, because I like my OC and didn't want to make up a new one. Also, I'm crap at thinking up names for my characters. So it's the same person (sort of), just in a completely different story.

Disclaimer: If I owned D. Gray-man, Allen wouldn't have beaten Tyki in the fight on the ark. (No offense, Allen fans.) But it was highly improbable…I mean, he was inside that vacuum Tyki created for like 5 minutes, with no oxygen whatsoever. He should've passed out, at the very least.

***

The young child was working in the kitchen of the small, dingy apartment. She was so small, she could barely see over the stove top. Smoke was starting to rise up from the pan on the stove.

Smelling the smoke, a man came running into the room.

"How could you burn my food again!?" the man roared. She could smell alcohol on his breath, and there was an empty beer bottle in his hand. He slapped her across the face savagely, and the girl went sprawling on the floor.

"I'm sorry, daddy!" the girl cried, a large red welt forming across her cheek. "I promise it won't ever happen again!"

"You pathetic, useless daughter! Get out of my sight!" the man yelled. He raised his arm, the one holding the empty glass bottle, and swung at her. The bottle shattered against his daughter's shoulder, large shards of glass burying themselves in her flesh. The girl cried out in pain.

"Daddy, please don't-"

But the man picked her up by her shirt and threw her out the door, where she landed with a thump in the dark alleyway.

"You can stay out there and think about what you've done!" the man roared, slamming the door shut.

"I'm sorry, daddy! Please let me in!" she cried, pounding against the door. There was no reply.

The wounds on her shoulder were bleeding a lot. Too much. The girl felt her legs collapse under her, and she sprawled facedown on the ground.

***

The handsome young gentleman was walking through town, on his way home. He was in quite a good mood.

Two more Exorcists killed today; two more pieces of Innocence destroyed, he though to himself. The Millenium Earl will be quite pleased with me. Maybe he'll even allow me to visit Eaze and the others before my next job…

Walking past a dark alleyway, Tyki noticed something strange, and doubled back to see what it was.

Is that…a human body, lying on the ground? It's so small, it must be a child's.

Even though he dealt with dead or dying humans almost every day (in fact, he was usually the one who had killed them), Tyki couldn't help feeling a sense of remorse upon seeing the child lying there.

Maybe he or she is still alive…

Tyki leaned down over the body and, hearing a shallow breathing, turned the child over. His eyes widened in shock.

It was a young girl, no more than 5 or 6 years of age. She had long, black hair. But there was a red welt over her right cheek, as if she had been hit there, and her face and clothes were covered in blood. Most of the blood seemed to be coming from her left shoulder, where several large shards of glass had pierced her skin.

Poor girl…who would do this to such an innocent child? I wonder if I can help her somehow…

Tyki almost laughed at his own naivety.

You? Help her? he asked himself. Why would a little girl want help from a monster like yourself? Why, if you had come across her in Noah form, you would have killed her without hesitation.

But he couldn't simply walk away, could he?

Against his better judgement, Tyki carefully pulled out several of the largest pieces of glass out of the girl's shoulder, setting the on the ground. Taking out his handkerchief, he gently wiped the blood off her face. Suddenly, the girl's eyelids fluttered open, revealing vivid green eyes. She stared at him in shock.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"…I'm fine…" The whispered answere was so quiet, he couldn't even be sure If he had heard it or not.

Tyki stood up. There was no more he could do for this girl. What was he going to do, bring her back home with him? Maybe Sherril wanted to adopt another daughter…yeah right. That would go over really well, if I brought a human, and a young girl at that, home with me.

"I'm sorry I can't help you any more," he told her, forcing himself to walk away. He couldn't look back. He knew that if he did, he wouldn't be able to leave. He'd want to stay just a while longer,to care for the girl until he could be sure she was okay.

Humans…they're so weak, so vulnerable. She could still die from blood loss, or she could be kidnapped, murdered, or starve to death if no one finds her.

But he forced himself to keep walking, away from the girl. From behind him, he heard the softest of whispers.

"Thank you…sir."

Tyki continued walking towards home. But his previous cheerful mood had evaporated, replaced with one of guilt and sorrow. And he know that he would never forget those bright green eyes.

***

Many years passed. The girl did survive, as her father kicked her back inside the house the next morning so she could cook him breakfast. Her life continued in the same pattern as usual. The beatings from her father came again and again, every single day. And she soon started school, where she was shunned by her fellow classmates due to the vivid bruises on her face every day. But as the girl grew up, no matter how many years went by, she never forgot the man she met that night, the first person in her life who had ever shown any kindness towards her.

***

A/N: So, how'd you like it? This story probably won't be updated in a while, because I really need to get back to my other fics. But if you want to read more, please review and I'll try to update sooner!