AN: This fandom doesn't get as many stories or attention that I think it deserves. Ahaha, but I'm adding one, I guess. (: Er, rated T for now. I might change it, or not - not quite sure yet. So here's Chapter 1~!


Chapter One

"Mommy, older brother is missing again." Maryweather sighed and shut the novel she was reading, turning in her chair to see her daughter in the doorway, stuffed rabbit in hand.

She outstretched her arms and the little girl came running towards her. Settling her daughter atop her lap, she lovingly stroked her hair and said, "Lucie, you know he always comes home."

"But I wanted to play with him! He never does anymore!" she whined.

"He loves you very much. He's probably just going through a stage, like all young teenage boys do. How about I play with you instead?" That seemed to pacify her daughter, and as children are wont to do, Lucie began to talk rapidly, stopping only for quick breaths.

Mary couldn't seem to concentrate on the game her daughter was so enthusiastically trying to explain to her though. She was more worried about their son than she had let her daughter know. He was disappearing more frequently without a word now and though they had been close previously, he was becoming more distant. It could just be a stage, but she feared he was associating himself with the wrong people. She'd grown up in the slums; she knew how easily thieves and others robbers could corrupt others into doing the same. And she couldn't help herself from fearing even worse things - underground societies, illegal drug dealers, sexual predators. She'd have to make sure that Oscar would talk to him. A boy that would no longer confide in his mother might very well be more comfortable telling his father.

Mary suddenly noticed that the room had gone quiet. Lucie, in all her six-year old innocence, had somehow sensed her distress and was staring at her.

"Are you okay, mommy?" She watched as her daughter came over to sit on her lap again and was sweetly surprised when Lucie kissed her cheek.

"I'm fine. Just thinking about your brother, that's all." She smiled and pressed a kiss on top of her head. Some moments passed in silence as Mary quietly braided Lucie's hair.

She barely heard her suddenly whisper, "But what if he doesn't this time? Or what if something bad happens to Willy?"

"Don't worry about it. William will come home safe and sound, and when he does, you can ask him to play with you." But instead of the both of them, the words coming out of her mouth only succeeded in assuring her daughter.


"L-look, I got you everything you asked for. And I... I even doubled the amounts you wanted, but no more, n-n-no more. After today, I'm done. Don't come looking for me anymore." William was crouched behind a crate, curiously listening to their conversation. The alleyway was dimly lit and littered with dust and trash.

He'd made some friends in the lower parts of London recently. They were around his age and pretty decent actually. They were only victims of harsh circumstances that left them orphans, poverty-stricken, and forced to steal. His mother wouldn't approve. He was sure of it, so he'd taken to sneaking out. His mother would want him to play with other boys in the upper class, sons of her many friends. But those boys didn't know how to have real fun. That's why he was going to make hanging out on the streets a more regular thing.

He was on his way home when he was suddenly drawn towards a small side street. He knew it was late, and his parents would scold him, but he was mysteriously intrigued by the conversation. A faint voice in the back of his head told him to quietly get up and leave. And still, he stayed to listen, even if he didn't fully grasp the content of the discussion.

"You knew what you were getting into when you signed up. There's no backing out, unless of course, you die. How would you like that, hm?" This voice contrasted sharply to the previous timid one. It was cold. Threatening. Mocking.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a pistol being cocked and then the bang of gunfire. Eyes wide, William cautiously leaned up over the crate, just far enough to be able to see, hoping he wouldn't come face to face with a limp body.

"I didn't have to miss you know. Now, what were you saying?"

Thankfully, the man was still alive. Scared out of his wits, but hoping to put up an air of defiance, he replied. "I called the Yard. They'll be here any minute now."

"Oh, is that a bluff? Either way, we'll be gone with the goods, by the time they get here and your dead body will be here to greet them." He could make out just the tiniest smirk.

William decided that he should probably leave now and call Scotland Yard in case it had really only been a bluff. Eyes still on the scene, he slowly backed away, only to crash into another man.

He was roughly picked up by the collar and ,startled, began to kick wildly. "Hey! Let me go! Let me go! I'm an aristocrat's son! You can't do this to me! Let me go!"

"Hey boss, this kid's been listening to us I think."

"Oh? What is an aristocrat's boy doing here? Come to play with the rats?" He turned his head, but kept the gun pointed in the man's face.

The gruff man dropped him and shoved him towards his leader. William landed badly and a brief shock of pain ran through him. Rubbing his shoulder as he got up, he walked towards the man, chin up high.

"I can go wherever I want. Nobody can tell me I can't be here."

The man smiled. "Boy, you should be afraid. We're not friendly strangers. What's your name?"

"William."

"I like you, Will. I'm afraid you've heard some things you shouldn't have though. Isaac you idiot! Watch him! Watch him! Henry is trying to slip away! Sorry about that. Now, what was I saying? Oh yes, I don't want to kill you, so perhaps we can do something else. We kill Henry here, I'll need a replacement. In exchange for everything you heard, you'll come work for me. Of course, if you really wanted to, I could kill you. It would be such a shame though."

"I'd like to live."

"Good good, I like you. Though you're probably too courageous for your own good. Awfully young too. Twelve? Thirteen?"

The young boy nodded. "Thirteen. But how did you know? I'm tall and look mature for my age. People usually tell me I look fifteen."

He shrugged. "Just a guess. Would you like to do the honors?" The man was offering him the gun. William shook his head. With another shrug, he said, "I didn't kill my first man until I was sixteen anyway." And without any further ado, he pulled the trigger, and in a splurt of blood, Henry was dead.

The man patted William on the back. "Well done, Will, well done. You didn't puke. Meet me back here in three days at 11 o'clock, evening of course. Tell no one, or you'll suffer the same fate Henry. Isaac, we're leaving." And with that, William was left alone.

Realizing he couldn't stay, lest he be caught here with a dead body and accused of being the murderer, he ran. He stopped under a tree just in front of their estate to catch his breath and gather his thoughts. He had just seen a man killed. He saw a man get shot and he wasn't horrified or disgusted. He wasn't terrified or fearing for his own life. That wasn't normal. He was captivated, almost. He had a strange desire to be trusted by the man that hadn't even left his name as well as a desire to find out what it was that he was up to. It surely wasn't something good, and he knew it was probably dangerous, but he didn't care. It would be fun. Three days; he would definitely go.


"You know he just came in right? It's almost midnight and he's trying to sneak in unnoticed so we don't punish him."

Mary rolled over and kissed Oscar lazily. "I know. Let him sleep, you can talk to him in the morning."

"Why are you afraid he's with the wrong sort of people though?" Oscar asked. "Haven't we taught him these things like proper parents should?"

She thought for a moment. "I don't know. It's just an intuition. I think I'm just worrying too much because I almost never know where he is. He never tells me where he is going or what he's doing anymore. I'm afraid of the worst, and ... I don't want to lose him."

"Like Cain?"

Silence.

Mary sighed. "Yeah. He never told me about Delilah, Alexis, and all the things he was getting himself into. I know he was just trying to protect me...but I think I would have worried less if I knew."

"Delilah's gone, ya know?"

She nodded. "There's other evil people out there, Oscar." The room quieted once more, Mary and Oscar lying side by side, gazing into each other's eyes.

"Mary, I think, if Cain's still out there, he's hiding underground. If our son, William really is getting himself caught up in the wrong things, Cain will find him. He'll protect him." Oscar caught his wife's lips in another kiss. "It's late, let's go to sleep. I promise to talk to him in the morning, okay?"


AN: I haven't got too much of this story planned yet, so I'll drop it if no one's interested. But if at least a couple of people are, write reviews and let me know! Then I'll think about it and maybe continue writing. :D