Ciel laid the tiny pink cover over Kathryn as she slept peacefully. Her tiny clawed hands lay open but she made a grabbing motion with them in her sleep. He touched her hand gently and turned to Angelina, the baby girl was lying quietly, her hand clasped around the blanket her grandmother Rachel had made for her.
"I love you both very much." Ciel whispered to the infants. He had only gotten out of bed after giving birth to them and he still had some pains. He wheeled the bassinets into the sitting room where he sat down on the couch next to a large chest that he had asked Sebastian to bring down from their closet. He sighed contentedly as he reached over to open it.
"Mama, what's that?" Evian whispered approaching Ciel quietly, Bitter Rabbit held closely to his chest.
"Something very important to me. I keep our family photographs in here, and the drawings, the letters and many other things you children and your father give me are inside so they can be safe." Ciel explained.
"Are you going to look at them while the babies nap?"
"I was hoping to."
"Can I see them too?" Ciel smiled.
"If you want to."
"Will the photos Dad is making be put inside too?"
"Yes. As soon as they can be."
"Mama, mama bunny says you should share them because lots of them are happy, should I get everyone else?"
"You can ask them if they want to join us."
"Please do not start without us."
"I'll wait for you." Evian rushed off excitedly, his precious 'mama bunny' still in his arms. Ciel shook his head, he remembered the day Sebastian brought it home for their son. That was the day Evian showed his first sign that he had an extraordinary ability.
Ciel recalled his son taking the eye patch from the toy and holding it to the eye that once held the mark of the contract he held with Sebastian. Both parents had been astonished. It would set on motion events that would cause painful memories to be revisited but clearly no love was lost to the child. Ciel and Sebastian had been quite upset to see their past revealed but the young demon couldn't help but think that as strange as it was, it had only made his and Sebastian's bond stronger.
"Mommy, we want to see them too." Rachel said as she led her brothers and Lizzy into the room.
"I'm so happy to see you out of bed, are you feeling better?"
"A little better than yesterday, it takes time Lizzy, It's very different than a girl having children, or so I hear."
"Can I join you, Evian said you're looking at photos."
"That's right. You weren't here for most of it, I was hoping you would join us." Lizzy smiled and sat down.
"Mum, are there photos of me?" Rowan asked hopefully.
"Of course there are. There's even some of your father." Rachel gasped.
"Daddy is in some too?"
"Yes. I know, it's surprising."
"Young Master, - am I interrupting?" Mey-Rin asked.
"No, we didn't start yet."
"Mr. Sebastian wanted me to tell you he's finished with the photos and he's going to bring them soon."
"Good. We'll put them in here while I have it out."
"Mey-Rin, we are going to see happy things." Rachel grinned.
"That's wonderful, there must be a lot." The maid commented.
"Do you want to sit with us Mey-Rin?" Ciel offered.
"I'd love too young Master, but I don't think Mr. Sebastian would like that. I have to-"
"You're my maid primarily, if you want to join us, you have permission, ask Finny, Bard, Tanaka and Cynna if they want to come too." Mey-Rin smiled excitedly.
"Right away young master." She sped off down the hall.
"She is happy mum, Mey-Rin is good, I like her very much."
"That's good Rowan, she loves you children very much."
"Mama, can we keep her?"
"Why would you think we wouldn't?"
"Dad and Cynna say that she is a better wrecking ball than a maid and that they could keep the castle nice better than she can."
"Evian, Mey-Rin isn't going anywhere. Your father and Cynna just get frustrated sometimes."
"Oh my." Rachel said placing her palms to her cheeks.
"It's alright Rachel, everyone gets upset and frustrated from time to time. "
"Do Bard and Finny get to stay too?" Vincent asked.
"Yes, no one is going anywhere." Ciel promised.
"Even cousin Lizzy, will she stay forever?"
"Rachel, I can't stay forever, as much as I'd love to, eventually I'm going to have to go home." Lizzy seemed saddened by the realization.
"Who told you that?" Lizzy looked at Ciel in surprise.
"You don't want me to stay here forever, I mean eventually you're going to want your guest room back and you'll be tired of seeing me and-"
"Elizabeth, that room is yours. I want you to think of this castle as your home for as long as you want it to be, if that's forever, then It's forever. We can't be tired of seeing you, we love you, you're our family." Lizzy leaned over and hugged Ciel.
"Thank you. You always look after me."
"I always will Lizzy." Ciel replied.
"We will too!" Evian declared.
"You're all so sweet, thank you."
"My dear Ciel, have you seen- what's going on here?" Sebastian seemed confused, in his hands he held the stack of photos.
"I'm opening the chest, I thought it would be a good family activity, Mey-Rin's bringing everyone else."
"Mama Bunny thought so too." Evian smiled ar his father.
"I see."
"Mama Bunny wants you to look too."
"I would love to my dear ones, there are several-"
"Sebastian, you wouldn't pass up the opportunity to have these moments with your family would you, if it isn't an emergency, take this time to be with your loved ones." Tanaka suggested gently, he placed a hand on Sebastian's shoulder.
Sebastian nodded.
"Tanaka has spoken." He said.
"That's right, and you can't argue with Tanaka so get in here and sit down." Ciel ordered. Sebastian complied as the servants filed in behind him, Sebastian sat next to Ciel while the servants joined the children on the floor.
Ciel reached for the chest and opened the lid, this was going to be an interesting trip down memory lane.