I woke up. Wait... I woke up? I slowly opened my eyes after what seemed like a long sleep. 'Did it work?' I thought while focusing on the scene around me. I was sitting on a stone bench. In fact, it was the same one I was supposed to die in... Sebastian! I looked down, startled.

"I'm terribly sorry young master." My tall, dark, demon butler said in his usual calm and steady tone.

"What is the meaning of this Sebastian?" I retorted angrily, "Wasn't the contract fulfilled? Finish it already!"

"I'm sorry young master, however I can not do it."

"What? What do you mean you can't? The contract was fulfilled!"

He stood up to his full height. "I simply can not being myself to finish it. However, for your trouble I will compensate with another contract if you wish." He finished with a bow.

"What kind of contract?" This piked my interest just enough...

"I would do any wish of yours for no compensation." My eyebrow raised inquisitively. "Of course I will take no payment young master. I have already inconvenienced you and broken the previous contract. If a Phantomhive Butler..."

"...Can't do this much he isn't worth his salt." I finished. "I've heard that line enough."

"Should I stop young master?"

"Wha...? No. It doesn't matter..." I stood up and brushed myself off. "Well if your not going to finish the contract get going with the new one. I won't be uncompensated." I scoffed.

"Of course young master..." His eyes got that deadly glow to them and I closed my eyes knowing what would happen. After all, this wasn't my first time.

The mark was on my hand this time. "Jeez, just another thing to cover up." I thought, "Oh well, right now that's the least of my problems." The carriage door opened to where my mansion used to stand. "Damn it all. I have to rebuild the bloody thing from scratch again." My other four loyal servants came running toward me in a flurry.

"Young master! Oh thank goodness you're alright!" Mei-Rin said, a little too load and whiny for my tastes, but hey, how often to you come across a sniper-maid? The three stooges just smiled weirdly at me. I struggled not to snap at them.

"Yes yes... what about rebuilding this place?" I wasn't really in the mood to come up with excuses as to my whereabouts to idiots so I was blunt.

"We were waiting for you to sign this release to the contractors young master. It will cost a lot of money." The real Tanaka held out a few papers for me and a pen. After quickly scanning them I signed them with a flourish, as usual of course.

I'll be staying at a hotel in a small town a few miles away until this is all sorted out. Send me any more papers I need to get the factories going again." Without looking back I hopped into the carriage. Right before the door was closed I yelled, "And be sure to send Elizabeth word that I'm alright!," as an afterthought. She's probably already started wearing black...

"Yes master!"

"They are ludicrous." I commented to no one in particular, settling in for the ride out of town.

"I agree."

"Ah! Sebastian. Don't sneak up on me like that." His little stunts often caused my heart to race, not that I'd admit it of course.

"Of course, young sir." He looked as sleek and put together as always. It's hard to believe he's not human and had probably just ran all around London doing to chores I gave him, doing a days worth of work in less than an hour. And here I told him to take his time. "The information you asked for... I also got everything ready at the hotel." He handed the envelope to me.

"Sorting this out isn't going to be easy... with it involving the Queen and all." I thought, "Finally a real challenge." This caused a smile to almost form on my lips. Of course, I don't smile though, so that would never have happened. I turned and watched the view, listening to nothing but my own thoughts.