His Butler, Elizabeth?

Chapter I: His Butler, Absent

Note: Set one week after season one. Also, I know a female butler is really a maid, but I felt this was better for some reason.

Ciel stood up. He felt hot and sweaty and out of breath.

But he shouldn't feel anything.

Sebastian...ate his soul right? Well, apparently he didn't, or Ciel wouldn't be walking down the hallway.

He caught sight of Mey-Rin and tried to speak, "Hey..." He said weakly.

Her eyes most likely widened behind her glasses, "O-Oh! Y-Y-Young master! You're awake!" She turned to the hall and yelled, "YOUNG MASTER IS AWAKE! YES HE IS!"

Ciel titled his head, "Wha...?"

"Oh! You must return to bed! You've got a fever and your asthma's acting up, yes it is!" Mey-Rin confirmed.

Ciel began breathing heavily. Mey-Rin grabbed his hand and walked back to his room with him. She then gave him his inhaler.

"Where is Sebastian?" He asked.

She got a worried look on her face. "Um, he's out right now. But I was told you had to back to bed if you woke up."

So, Ciel scoffed and crawled back under his covers as Mey-Rin promised to be back with a cold towel momentarily.

But, he shouldn't have a fever, or asthma, or have anyone promising to bring him towels. He should be dead for the love of Pete! He clenched his fists, but his left one wasn't clenching correctly. He checked his hand.

He was missing fingers.

Well, not all of them, but his pinkie was completely gone and the top of the his ring finger was as well. What was going on?

Elizabeth slowly opened the door, holding a bowl of ice cream. She looked different, he'd concluded. Her hair was in one ponytail on the right side of her head, but that wasn't it. She was scared. She moved slowly and her eyes were full of fear. What was she scared of?

She gave him the bowl and sat down on the chair, "Good evening."

He took a bite of the chocolate-flavored dairy-product and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I'm just very glad your awake." She said giving him a shy smile.

"How long was I out?" He questioned.

"Hmm..." She pondered, "About a week, or so."

His eyebrows furrowed, "Really? How long have you been in my manor?"

"Um... About a week, or so." She replies, "But I promise, I've made nothing pink, frilly, cute, or blown up any balloons."

He didn't respond. She just sat as he ate his ice cream. It went like this for a long time. She was surprised when he finally spoke.

"What are you scared of?"

"I...I-I..." She turned to look at him. She bit her lip and she looked as if she was about to cry, "Just...don't leave me, okay?"

As she stood up and walked out of the room without word Ciel interrupted just as she had twisted the doorknob, "You know where Sebastian is, don't you?"

"Yes, but you need rest." Elizabeth replied, "Goodnight, Ciel."

"It's 5 p.m.! And I've only been awake for 15 bloody minutes!" That didn't stop Elizabeth from leaving.

It was around eight when the young earl bursted into the kitchen and announced he was hungry.

Bard told him he was almost finished and he need to go sit down at the table.

"T'day's dinner is Spaghetti an' Meat Balls with a side of Mozzarella Sticks an' Garlic Bread."

Well, it looked edible. It smelled edible, too, but was it edible? This was the guy who blew up his kitchen on an every day basis.

Ciel put a forkful of noodles in his mouth. "I must say, this is better than I expected it to be. I do believe this is the best food I've had all week!"

It wasn't that good. He hadn't eaten anything but ice cream today, so he wasn't really lying. Besides, he was in a good mood.

"Where's Elizabeth?" Ciel asked.

"Lady Elizabeth is in her quarters." Finny replies.

He stood up and walked away. He needed answers.

"Elizabeth! I-"

She was asleep. But she wasn't sleeping well. The top cover had been thrown off the bed and the other sheet seemed to be clinging on for dear life.

Knowing he can't wake someone up during a nightmare (or was that sleep walking, well, just in case), he checked her desk.

There was a letter addressed to Edward on her desk, telling him she was happy he was finally awake, but that she felt bad about 'what happened'. He needed more.

"It's rude to snoop through other people's things."

Ciel put the papers down and turned to the window, "Grell. What are you doing here?"

"Making sure my dear friend Lizzie's okay?"

"Pfft. She's fine." Ciel dismissed.

She moaned and flipped over.

"Is she really?" Grell clarified.

Ciel's eyes became smaller, to slits and said, "What do you want with Lizzie?"

"Nothing! Just checking on her. Haven't spoke to her in a week."

"Elizabeth wouldn't know you. She's not the one who runs the underworld." Ciel scoffed.

"You should be nicer to her. You'd be dead if it wasn't for her. Now I must be on my way. Ta Ta! Bye, Earl!"

"Wha...?" This talk made no sense. How would the red hair reaping idiot know Elizabeth? And what in the world did she do?

"Ci...e-el..." The girl called, her hand stretched out to him. He walked over to the girl and grabbed her hand. She jerked him over and she put his arm over her chest.

He tried to yank it back, but when he did her grip on his arm tightened.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She repeated in whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

And he stayed there until she fell asleep.

Elizabeth awoke to knocking on her door. She sighed and slowly got out of her bed. Her blonde hair was sticking out everywhere and her green eyes were missing all happiness and life. She swung the door open.

"What is Ciel?" She moaned.

"Good morning, Lizzie. I have to speak with you." He replied.

She sighed and forced a small smile, "Come in."

He sat on the chair and she sat on the bed. She grabbed a brush and began to comb her hair.

"So what brings the Earl of Phantomhive to my room at this early hour?" She asked in a monotone voice.

"Where is Sebastian?" Ciel asked in a serious voice.

"He's not here." She replied.

"How descriptive..."

She sighed, "He's in a different realm, Ciel. The demon realm. He's banished from this one for two hundred years. Does that answer your question?"

His eyebrow raised, "Um...not well enough..."

A/N: Grell and Elizabeth know each other? Elizabeth did something wrong? Sebastian's banished from this realm? Ciel's missing fingers? Bard made edible food? WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?!

I know...

Just so you know, Snake and Pluto are here, they just didn't show up in this chapter (because I couldn't fit them in). And also Snake will refer to Lizzie as Greenie. (I believe that if Lizzie was in the circus, she would've been called Greenie cause of her big green eyes, and my terrible logic).

Preview: "'Smile seems distraught.' Says Oscar.

'It's most likely what Greenie told him.' Says Wordsworth.

'I think she told him where Black is...' Mentions Emily.

'Do you think she's mentioned she's staying at the manor for a few months?' Asks Dotte.

Next Time,

His Butler, Explaining.