Sebastian went to go knock on the door of Mrs. Abberline's house, but he noted with dismay that it swung open at the slightest touch.
The inside was even more disconcerting—it was dark, but Sebastian was still able to make out objects hidden in the shadows. There was debris everywhere, and clothing was strewn across the floor as if the entire place was ransacked from head to toe.
The butler heard a faint sob, and he stilled completely.
After a couple seconds, he pinpointed where it was coming from—a little tail swished from side to side behind an upturned table. He advanced towards it slowly, so as not to spook to poor creature. When he finally peered over the table, his heart broke.
A small girl of about six or seven was curled up into a ball, head tucked in between her knees as she sobbed quietly. She had cat ears and a cat tail, but her hair was brown and cut to her shoulders with some pulled back into a big, white bow. She was wearing a little sailor's outfit, but instead of shorts she had a fluffy skirt and knee-high socks.
"Hello," he said softly. The girl looked up, fear written all over her face.
"P…please don't hurt me…" she whispered, tears trailing down red, stained cheeks.
"I won't," Sebastian promised, "Did the Mice do this?"
Realizing that he wasn't with the mice, she nodded. "T-they took Mrs. Abberline…I don't know where…they came for me but she made sure that I stayed hidden and went instead. I was just about to try to escape."
"May I help you with that?" Sebastian inquired, "I know of an orphanage that will keep your kind—you will be safe."
The girl instantly bolted to her feet and hugged Sebastian.
"T-thank you," she hiccupped, crying once more. "Thank you so much…"
Sebastian sighed. Why must you be so cute? He asked himself.
Instead of voicing his question, he asked, "What's your name?"
The girl sniffled. "I-I'm Nikko."
The butler smiled. It sounded a lot like "neko" which was probably by design.
"Let's get you out of here," he said, gently picking her up and leaving the remains of her home behind.
"I'm so sorry," the woman at the orphanage said, "B-but…we can't…"
"You're afraid to care for a cat," Sebastian said with a sigh. It's not like he can blame her—the orphanage will mirror Mrs. Abberline's home and all of the other children will either be taken or killed. "I understand."
"I…thank you," the woman said, "It kills me to turn such a precious child away…"
"It's okay!" Nikko said happily, "Sebas-chan will take care of me!"
The butler had no idea where she had gotten that from, but he decided to not be annoyed. "Yes," he said instead, "yes I will."
"I-I'm sorry again," the woman said, "Maria was such a kind, noble woman…"
She suddenly cursed in about four different languages, only two the demon was familiar with.
"I'm so weak," she muttered, "Maria should be heading this orphanage, not me…"
"Don't beat yourself up," Sebastian said, "You're just thinking of all of the other children. I'll be glad to care for her."
Nikko beamed, and the woman gave him a watery smile. "T-thank you," she said quietly, "My name is Leona, by the way…"
"Leona," he mused, "I would have thought t would have been something related to tigers, not lions."
Leona shrugged. "I don't know," she confessed, "I'd ask my parents, but I'm in the same boat as all of these children."
Sebastian nodded sympathetically. "I understand. Well, I must be going."
"Please be careful," Leona called after him, "and take great care of little Nikko!"
"Will do," he said to himself, though he got the feeling she heard him.
"Sebas-chan!" Scarlet said happily as the butler appeared in the kitchen the next day, "You're back!"
The demon butler nodded, trying hard not to show any emotion as he continued to cook. Baldroy was in the time out corner again for almost burning the mansion down—the last thing Tanaka needed was it burning down for a third time.
"Did you find Mr. Saur?" the woman asked, ears twitching in curiosity.
Sebastian resisted the urge to pet her head. "N-not yet," he stammered, "but I do have a lead—several, actually."
Scarlet cocked her head to the side. "Like what?"
"It's a secret," Sebastian replied, putting a finger to his lips and grinning.
The woman pouted. "You're no fun…"
The butler smirked. "If it's any consolation, it turned out I didn't need the silverware like I thought I would—but I'm still keeping the forks just to be safe."
"The forks?" Scarlet questioned, "why not the knives?"
"Forks are more interesting and less expected," a third voice pointed out. The two stewards turned and saw Ciel standing there, arms crossed and grin in place. "I must say, this is the first time I caught you not scoodly-pooping in the hallway."
"S…Scoodly-pooping, my lord?" Sebastian questioned uncertainly. He's been in this world for a long time, but he has never heard that term used…
"W-w-w weren't having sex!" Scarlet blurted out, face as red as her hair.
Sebastian almost dropped the pan on the floor. "M-my lord!" he chastised, "how could you—"
"Sebas-chan?"
All three turned—little Nikko stood in the hallway, rubbing her eyes. "Sebas-chan, I'm hungry…"
"What the fuck is this?" Ciel demanded.
"Don't curse in front of her!" Scarlet shot back, walking up to the girl. "I'm Scarlet," she said, curtsying.
Then she noticed the girl's ears and tail.
"You're a Zodiac!" she said excitedly, kneeling down to her level, "not only that, but you're a Cat like me!"
Nikko's eyes widened and she smiled. "You're right! That's so cool!"
Scarlet went and pet Nikko behind her ears, and Nikko did the same with her, reducing them to puddles of purring adorableness.
Sebastian felt something leave his nose. When he wiped it with a tissue, he was dismayed to see it was blood.
"Really?" Ciel asked, "What will my fiancé think of me letting another girl stay at my house?"
"You're not jealous, are you my lord?"
"Sebastian, go take Pluto for a walk," was his reply.
The butler laughed and turned back to his cooking.
"That was an order Sebastian."
The butler cursed and did as he was told.