Ahhh! I have more reviews than chapters in this story now!? How awesome is that! XD I'm so freaking stoked. So, as a result, again, a quick update with a new chapter. I hope you will continue to leave story feedback and that you will enjoy this new chapter. :)

THOUGH I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE YET TO RECEIVE A HATE REVIEW FOR THIS STORY. I was so sure this story- especially the beginning of it- was going to piss soooo many people off.

Kaito: -.- There's still, time, Master. *warning glance*

*sweatdrop* ahhh... quite true, absolutely... very true.

If anyone cares, my bgm for this chapter was the "Stupid Fucking Cat" song. :D

Kaito: NOW I KNOW, THAT IS TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE. DX Master..!

ppfff

...

Rin felt a growing apprehension in the pit of her stomach as the cab passed the "Welcome to Town" sign and drew nearer to Master's house. She was starting to debate the wisdom in what she planned to do. Gakupo's voice echoed in her ears, scolding her stupidity. Rin clenched her hands together and gritted her teeth. No. She would not run away. She was going to get what was hers. And then she was getting out of that house, forever.

As the cab turned the corner that went to her street, Rin took a deep breath, then another. Her eyes watched like a hawk as Master's house came into view.

Rin started to laugh to herself, a slightly crazy laugh of pure relief. The car was gone. Master must have gone out. Blind luck must be on her side. Rin offered up a random thought of thanks, and felt herself smile slightly, a little giddy with relief.

The cabbie looked back at her oddly as he pulled into the driveway, wondering what was so funny.

"Please wait here for five minutes. I'll be back out right away," Rin instructed as the driver told her her total bill. The cabbie glanced sideways at her, as if to question that she might stiff him on the bill, but Rin ignored it and opened the car door, sprinting to the house.

The door was left unlocked, and Rin sighed, glad that she wouldn't have to hunt around for the spare key. It would make things easier, not to mention faster. With a quick turn of her wrist, Rin slipped inside, and closed the door behind her.

Moving quickly, Rin went to the kitchen first, grabbing a large, black plastic trashbag from underneath the sink. Her eyes caught on the newly washed plate Master had left in the dish drainer. It was the only thing in it. She walked swiftly to Kaito's room first.

Not being too particular about what she grabbed, Rin made sure at least to take a few articles of each of Kaito's clothing. Socks, pants, shirts. Underwear. Rin frowned again and shivered once more, an unpleasant memory flashing through her head. She shook her head, glanced around to room to see if anything else looked particularly important. Nothing did.

Rin lifted the black garbage bag that was partially full of Kaito's clothes down the hall to her own room. She hurridly grabbed clothes for herself, and also grabbed her toiletries. She shoved everything rudely into the bag, not worrying about whether things got wrinkled.

Rin's hand reached out to grab the prize she had really come back for. The glass frame held a picture of herself, Gakupo, and four other Vocaloids. They were the Vocaloids she had lived with at the store, before they had all been purchased by their various different Masters. In the picture, they were all smiling and posing cutely together.

Rin's eyes teared up slightly as she clutched the picture in her small hand. She had managed to keep contact with Gakupo, and two of the others, but the rest of the crew in the picture had disappeared from her life when they walked out of the store's front door. This picture was all she had left of them, and she didn't want to forget her friends' faces.

Rin's mask of determination froze as she heard the sound of a car door slamming from outside. A chill ran down her spine, and she mentally yelled at herself to hurry up. 'Maybe it's just the cabbie, taking a cigarette break,' Rin's mind thought frantically, but she pushed the clothes in the bag down roughly and twisted the top of the bag to get a good grip on it, her heart racing with sudden dread fear.

Rin turned to leave her room. ...The sound of the front door opening. Closing. Rin froze. Soft footsteps heading her way. Her eyes grew large, and she looked around quickly, as if to find someplace to hide.

Master was in her doorway.

"Hello, Rin," Master smiled his strange smile down at the blonde Vocaloid female, and spoke quietly. "I was worried. You were gone for so long. Where did you go to, Rin?"

Rin's heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest. She tried to put on a fake, cheery smile, and laughed, but the laugh sounded nervous, as her eyes darted around for a means of escape. "Oh, I, uh, I, went, back outside, to, uh, for a little while to-"

"To pick up the shopping bags you left in the neighbor's garage?" Master smiled down at her. Rin's blood ran icy cold. She took a step backwards, the picture frame tumbling out of her hand to fall on the floor.

Master took a quiet step into her room.

...

"She's taking too long," The cabbie checked his clock again. 'Five minutes? Try seventeen.' In annoyance, he opened his car's door and allowed it to slam shut, as if to voice his displeasure at being kept waiting. He strode to the door and banged his fist against it, knocking loudly, irritated.

A minute went by, and the vein in the cabbie's forehead pulsed. He knocked again, even louder this time, rattling the door.

"I know you're in there! I saw you get out of the fucking car and walk into the house! Get your ass out here and pay your damn tab! I'm not working a charity, here!" The cabbie paused and huffed in great irritation.

He banged on the door a few more times, but there wasn't a single sound coming from inside the house, and no one appeared to answer his pissed off demands for payment. Casting a disgruntled, resentful look at the door, he banged hard, one last time, causing the door to shake on its hinges, before turning and getting back into his cab, slamming the door behind him.

This was the last time he was going to allow some cute girl to promise to be 'right back in five minutes' without paying his ass first. He turned the ignition on, and backed out of the driveway, cursing under his breath.