Hello my dear readers!

Now I know those of you who are waiting on the new chapter for my crossover fic (I am so sorry) will be mad at my being sidetracked, but I just watched Book of the Atlantic and I couldn't resist writing this. Plus, I had been brutally attacked by the writing block bunny, and so was my story His Butler, Deduced, so please wait for that side of this author to recover. Please read, review, follow, and favorite!

Info: Takes place after Kuroshitsuji II, some slight spoilers for Book of the Atlantic. I know nothing about the manga so this is all based on the anime.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Black Butler. Kuroshitsuji. Whatever.

After All This Time, Who Stands Before Me?

Chapter 1: Fated

Elizabeth Midford

Ten years after the mysterious disappearance of her beloved Ciel, Lizzy went on with life. She shopped with her friends, chatted with the nobles, and lived with a kind husband in a cute manor. It was like a dream come true. She almost never though of Ciel, and the way he left with nearly no warning, after such a long time. Yet as she walked down the streets of London on one of her many shopping trips, a man passed her that set her heart racing. No… it was not the man that startled her.

It was his eyes.

Cobalt blue, crystalline and stunning, pierced her heart. Time seemed to slow as she turned toward the passing man, raven haired, handsome and proud in appearance, wearing an eyepatch.

"Excuse me," she began, grabbing his sleeve. Somewhere in the back of her mind an alarm went off saying that this was improper behavior for a lady, but she didn't care. Could it be? Her Ciel? Was it even possible?

The man flinched and turned to her. "Yes?" he asked. "Who are you, and what have I done to deserve a wrinkled coat?" There was no hint of recognition in his eyes. Of course, Lizzy thought to herself, are you stupid? You haven't seen Ciel in a decade and you're harassing a random man who has blue eyes! Act like a proper, cute lady for once!

Her heart sank. "S-sorry," she managed to stutter, looking down at her skirt. "I'm sorry. I mistook you for someone I used to know." Her husband tugged at her hand, sending a soft and concerned smile her way. She let him pull her down the street. He stopped in a vacant looking shop. The light that filtered through the clouded window made his chocolate hair look almost blonde, and his warm chocolate eyes seemed to shimmer with golden specks.

"Darling, what was that about? Are you alright?" he asked.

"Oh… yes Clarence I'm fine, he just reminded me of someone who I haven't seen for several years. Sorry if I worried you," she smiled, trying to convince him.

Clarence's eyes softened. "Of course," he said understandingly, "but at any rate let's go back home." Elizabeth nodded in agreement. She'd had enough of this annoyingly confusing city for one day.

-~0~-

Later that week, at a ball Elizabeth and Clarence hosted.

Elizabeth had always loved balls. The cute dresses, the kind faces, the new people she was privileged enough to meet. Yes, the people were her favorite part of it. So she went around to everyone she could, smiling and laughing and talking of both nothing and everything. Ciel hated these kinds of things, she thought ruefully. She shook herself and returned to the conversation at hand. Stop thinking about him, for heaven's sake! she reprimanded herself. She wasn't speaking about Ciel, she was speaking about… about…

What was the conversation about again?

She focused and brought herself out of her thoughts and back into the real world. An elderly woman in an extravagant dress was speaking, leaning in as if it were gossip. Ah yes! Gossip! They were gossiping about something, it was men at the ball wasn't it?

"Did you see that one over there with the blonde hair? I hear that-" the woman proceeded to spout a few trivial (and rather questionable) things about the man in question, and Lizzy had her answer. Thank goodness, she thought, how would it look if I forgot what we were talking about in the middle of a conversation?

"My, my," she giggled in response to the woman's claims, "seems he's quite the playboy!"
"Yes, but there's someone even more interesting that I met tonight," a well dressed woman said, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "He had black hair, startlingly blue eyes, and an eyepatch of all things!" Lizzy's heart nearly stopped. The man who looked like Ciel was here, the one she harassed on the street?

"And he was so mysterious," the woman continued with fervor. "He told me his name was Cassius Price, what a strange name! He wouldn't tell me anything about his family, occupation, anything! Was he even invited Elizabeth? Could you tell me what he's here for? I'm so curious now!"

"Oh…" Lizzy thought for a moment, remembering the guest list Clarence had handed her earlier that day. "Yes he was invited, but I don't remember why." The woman pouted at Lizzy, but seemed at least partly sated with the answer. However, she still opened her mouth to add something, but at that moment the music for a dance started. Quickly the women around her were led onto the floor, and as Elizabeth looked around for her husband she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to find none other than the man they had been talking about, Cassius Price.

He dipped his head in greeting and an aged butler, looking like a shadow behind Cassius, did the same. "May I have this dance, milady?" Cassius extended his hand.

Lizzy was more than startled, she was terrified. She was confused. Why would this man come up to her after she bothered him on the street? Who was he? And why exactly had he been invited to their ball? Well, there was only one way to find out: ask him herself. She took a deep breath and accepted his hand.

"Sir, I would love to."

Aaaaaaaaand this concludes the first chapter of "After All This Time, Who Stands Before Me?" Yay! Please review, follow, favorite, and check out my account! All reviews are read, considered, thanked, and replied to if possible. I would love to hear any questions, suggestions, and critique. I swear I will try to be timely with my updates, but I can make no promises. (Though reviews will help keep me motivated so more reviews=faster updates please please review if you want more story)

Love you all!

Thanks for reading!

~TheFullmetalSociopath