River's POV

I woke up to a slight knock on my bedroom door. Grumbling under my breath, I got up, stretched, and looked at the clock. "Shoot," I said as I leaped out of bed, donned my black robe and slung opened my door. Waiting on the other side was Kid with a smile on his face.

"You ready yet," he said mockingly. I playfully shoved him out of the way and went into the bathroom to take a shower and straitened up. I could barely hair Kid laughing as he walked away from the bathroom door and down the stairs. About ten minutes later, I went down stairs to find Kid and our weapons sitting around the dining room table eating pancakes with a fresh batch for me sitting next to Kid. "Morning sleeping beauty," he said mockingly as I sat down. He then leaned over and kissed my cheek, causing me to blush.

"Morning, my prince in black armor," I said with a lazy smile as I poured syrup on my pancakes. I quickly finish up my breakfast and puts some coffee into a coffee mug so that it doesn't spill on the way to the airport. "Everyone ready," I ask heading towards the door with everyone hot on my heels. When we got outside and saw the car I would be driving all I could do was gawk at it. It was a sleek silver Porsche. "Your dad is actually going to allow us to borrow that for the ENTIRE time we are Texas," I said in disbelief.

"Yep. And the best part is you get to drive since you have your license for Texas still," he said with a smile on his face as he jumped into the driver's seat and started the car. I got into the passenger seat as our weapons got into Angel's car, a blood-red mustang convertible. Once everyone was situated, we started toward the airport, my stomach growing tighter with each minute that passed.

TIME SKIP

Kid's POV

I turned to stare at River, who was sleeping with her head on my shoulder. We were almost to Texas and I was still wondering how she'll react when she had to go in to confirm the identities of her deceased loved ones. I wish that I could read souls as clearly as dad could. Then I might be able to help her with the grieving process. Right now the only good thing about being a reaper for me is owning a private jet so that I know everything is perfectly symmetrical. I would give anything to save my rose the pain of loss.

"Death the Kid," the pilot said over the intercom. "We will be arriving in a few minutes. Please wake the sleeping passengers and have them sit up right for the landing." I sighed and turned towards River to gently shake her awake, then I had a better plan.

River's POV

I came awake to the most wonderful sensation ever. Kid was kissing me awake. While it might have been cheesy, it was still a sweet gesture that made me smile and blush. I slowly opened my eyes to see what the problem was. "We're going to be landing soon," he said quietly and kissed my forehead. Then he went to wake the others the more traditional way.

As we landed, I gently combed my fingers through my hair to straighten it out. First we would stop by Motel 6 to check into our room and then we would go verify my family's identifications. As soon as I thought about it my eyes started misting and I ran into the bathroom. There was a soft knock on the door that I ignored. "River, are you ok," I heard Kid ask with worry in his voice.

I tried to stifle my crying so that he wouldn't know, but it was a lost cause. "I'm fine," I said, voice sounding week to my own ears. I wiped away the tears on my face and left the bathroom, Kid standing right next to it. "I said I was fine," I repeated and went back to my seat to gather my bags.

Once we landed, we went to our cars and I double checked to make sure that I had my license in my pocket. Then I turned the keys and drove out of the airport and to Motel 6. It wasn't a long drive, just a slow one due to that fact that it was the middle of rush hour. Why is it called rush hour when nothing moves? I thought to myself as we made the final turn and the motel came into sight.

Kid's POV

I could tell that River was upset about her family's passing. When we parked I got out and walked around to open up her door then talk to the others. "We're going in to get the rooms, stay out here for a minute." With that we went inside and up to the counter.

"Hello. Welcome to Motel 6. What may I do for you?" the receptionist said with a smile plastered to her face that I could tell was faked.

River smiled and responded with as much kindness as was in her heart. "Hello, may we have two rooms please." She then dug into her pocket to pull out her ID to show to lady.

"Sure, how long are you planning on staying," she said as she rung up the bill.

"One month," River said with a sigh and I rubbed her back to comfort her, and to keep my mind off of the poorly arranged brochures in the containers on the counter. Once the price was rung up, I reached the credit machine and paid for the rooms before River could even pull out her card. I could tell that she wanted to argue, but she kept her mouth shut.

Once we got the key cards, we went up to our rooms and unpacked. River and I got one room and the weapons shared the other. I looked over to where she was flipping through the stations on the TV, and when she got to a crime show with an old dude and a Goth female in a white lab coat, her eye's started misting up before she quickly turned off the TV and threw the remote away from her. "Is everything…" it was then that I realized something. That must have been her mother's favorite show that she had told me about. I silently went over to her and hugged her. I knew this would have been difficult for her, but if that is how she reacted just by seeing something her mother liked, there would be no way she could make it through identifying her family without me there to comfort her. "Hey," I said getting her attention. I gently wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed the once still on her lashes away. "Why don't we go over to that waffle place to get something to eat?"

She nodded and then hugged me. "Thanks," she said very quietly before she got up and went into the bathroom. I used my soul perception to see how she was actually doing. Though it still seemed sad, she was most definitely better than she had when I found her yesterday. I sighed and went to tell the others that we were going to get something to eat, and of course they wanted to come to.

"Is everything okay," I heard River say as she left our room to see me in the doorway of the other's rooms.

"Yeah, I informed them of our plans and they also wanted food, so." I then shrugged my shoulders and wrapped her in my arms. I loved the feel of her there. Pressed up against me and hugging me back. She was about half a foot shorter than me and fit perfectly in my arms. As the others came out, we disentangled ourselves and walked over to the Waffle House right next door. I ordered a grilled cheese and a soda, River had some pancakes and chocolate milk, the others had a variety of pancakes and waffles, which made me cringe at how much it was going to make a mess.

After we were done and River payed for the food, we went back to our motel rooms and started going over the plan for today. It was already four P.M. and we needed to be at the police station at five. I wanted to do everything in my power to lift her spirits, but the only thing that will heal a shattered heart is love and time. I will give her as much love as I have and more. Sighing, I continued to review the plan with River and our weapons.

TIME SKIP

"Are you the DWMA investigators," the police receptionist asked us.

"Yes, we would like to see the bodies and my partner here is the person who can confirm the identities of the victims," I said noticing how River winced as I was forced to act as stuck up as the policeman was. I turned towards her and mouthed I'm sorry, which she just shrugged off.

"But you're children, are you not."

"Death the Kid, Lord Death's son and Grim Reaper. This is my meister partner River Styx, the only surviving member of the family that was killed, and your people carelessly informed her about their passing. The other four are our weapons. If you have any more problems, call my father. If not, can we proceed?" I didn't mean to be rude, but that was the fiftieth time that he pointed out that we were kids.

"I think I'll like to talk to your father. What's his number?" he asked turning to get his phone.

I stopped him and pulled a mirror out of my jacket pocket. As I "dialed" my father's number, I couldn't help but say, "42-42-564, whenever you want to knock on Death's door." I then handed the mirror over.

By the look on the look on the officer's face, I could tell that father had picked up. Which was confirmed when I heard his high pitched voice go "Hiya, it's good to see ya. Your calling about the people I sent to investigate the accident. Yes, they are students, and yes, Kid is my son. They will need access to all the evidence and crime scene."

"Yes sir. Right away Lord Death," the officer said, then handed me back the mirror. "Right this way please. He then led the way to the autopsy area and opened up the steel door and pulled the bodies out. "Miss, can you please confirm that these are your relatives." After she nodded, I shielded her eye's until the policeman uncovered all the bodies, then I slowly uncovered them. "Are they your family?"

River's POV

I couldn't breathe as my worst fears were confirmed. I nodded and then ran out of the room. I had barely left the room before someone grabbed me and pulled me into a tight hug. I didn't have to be told who it was. He put his arms around me and just allowed me to cry. "It's okay. I've got you," Kid said as he rubbed my back. Soon the other's joined us out in the hallway and the policeman went back to his post after saying that that was all they needed and that he was sorry.

After a few more minutes I was able to pull myself together and got my emotions under control. "Next stop is my house right," I said my voice sounding hollow to my own ears.

Kid stared at me as if he was looking at my soul, which he probably was considering his soul perception was so strong. "Are you sure you want to do that," he asked, placing both of his hands on my shoulders. I simply nodded and went out to the car. Kid suggested he drive and I didn't argue. I gave him the directions and then stayed quiet for the duration of the trip. Kid turned the radio onto 96.5 and Bruno Mars It Will Rain was playing. I sighed, knowing that that was exactly how I felt. The pain was almost too much to bear. I wanted to crawl up into a ball and cry, but I knew we had a mission to do. To protect anyone else from going through what I am suffering right now.

When we reached my old house, I steeled myself for what I would see. "If you want, you can wait in the car and I'll go in and look around," Kid said trying to get through to me. I shook my head and went to the door. It was unlocked and when I pushed it opened I had to stop myself from running. The police said that they had already collected all the evidence they needed and that I could start clearing it out as soon as I was ready. I walked inside, over the shattered and upturned coffee table, passed the cracked mirror, and then towards the stairs that I knew as well as the back of my hand. All of it was covered in the blood of my family.

I felt the tears running down my face as I reached my parent's bedroom. I went in and saw that it hadn't been touched. It still looked as though they would come in here for bed at any moment. I sighed and went over to their closet and found the one thing that I wanted to take with me. Mother's jewelry box. It had a note engraved into the top that said it was for me when she passed. I opened it up and on top were my parent's wedding rings. I let out a small whimper as I reached inside and pulled them out. I then slid mothers on my right hand and papa's, left. I then set the jewelry box down and then moved past Kid and went to all the other rooms in the house. I got a memento from all of the rooms but mine. I then got the jewelry box again and took it out to the car and set it in the trunk.

Angel and Acheron came over and started to offer me comfort while Kid searched the house for signs that it was a Kishin. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

Kid's POV.

I searched through the house thoroughly and found definite signs that a Kishin was responsible for the attacks. I sighed and went to go out to the car when my eyes fell to something on the bookshelf. I pulled it out and discovered that it was a photo album, starting from her parent's wedding and ended on the day she left for the DWMA. I closed it and then went out to the car with it, thinking that River would want it for when she wants her family back. When I got to the car, I was surprised to find her asleep in Angel's arms. For some reason that sight made me a little jealous. "We're ready to go. I said putting the photo album in the back as Angel situated River in the passenger seat of the car and then went to his.

At the hotel room, I tucked her into her bed and then climbed into it and held her close. I can usually go a while without sleep, so I decided to stay up just in case she needed me. I will not leave her side while she is grieving and she needs to know that she is not alone. Tomorrow I will worry about finding the Kishin. Right now all I want to do is be here for her. She never deserved what happened to her. In one fell swoop, her entire world came crashing down. Now I'm going to do anything in my power to fix it. I will find the monsters who did this and make them pay. But for now, all I can do is lay here and watch as she sleeps. "I will help you get closure," I said in a low voice as I pulled the blankets around her some further. This darkness will pass over, my only concern is if she will be complete when the light finally shines again.