**Author's Note: Hellooooo! I've finally finally put up the first chapter!

Ummm... I sort of rated it T but I do want to mention that this story contains sexual situations, although I never go into detail, so if you're okay with that then yay! ^_^ I really hope you enjoy this sequel, because writing it so far has been an absolute blastttttt!

Oh, and please let me know what you think by reviewing! I loooveee reading them!

PS. I don't own Kuroshitsuji... And I only own my OCs! Thanks for reading! Peace! **

Part One

Chapter 1 ~

The moon was shining brightly through the clouds, filtering down onto the rock streets, creating wild shadows in every crevice of the alley.

Riley crouched on the rooftop, keeping her eye on the darkness, anxiously waiting for movement to break the serenity.

Her fingers carefully gripped the edge of the building, her heart slowly thumping to the tune of her shallow breathing.

She knew she had to do this right. She only had one shot.

Suddenly, a man broke across her vision, and Riley watched for a moment as he sprinted across the alley.

Damn!

He was her target, and he knew that something was going on.

Riley quickly jumped off the rooftop, landing lithely on the balls of her feet, and took off running after the man.

The chilly night air whipped her raven hair past her shoulders, and she could hear her boots clacking against the rock.

The man quickly turned a left, and he disappeared.

Riley bounded behind him, desperately trying to keep him in her line of sight, and then suddenly-

There he was-

Riley stopped dead in her tracks, her chest rising and falling.

The man was definitely still running, but Riley couldn't let him get away.

She whipped her newly-appointed Death Scythe out of the holster strapped low on her hips.

The pick-axe glinted dangerously in the moonlight as Riley aimed at the runner.

She squinted one eye, holding her breaths in her lungs as she wielded the pick-axe in the air.

Suddenly, the runner stumbled in his sprinting, and brought a shaking hand up to clutch his chest.

The man's face turned to Riley as he dropped to his knees on the cobblestone.

Riley stopped aiming and slowly approached him, trying to move silently. Her heart was racing despite her attempts to remain calm.

The man still clutched his heart, his fingers rigid like the claws of a crow, his frightened eyes finally connecting with hers as she stepped out into the moonlight.

She looked down at him.

She had to do this.

She had to-

Riley raised the axe in the air again, and prepared to take the man's soul.

She could feel the draw to his Cinematic Record, and the feeling still seemed foreign to her.

Her arm tensed.

"Wait-" the man stuttered, and Riley hesitated with her weapon in the air. "P-please- don't- kill- me-" the man gasped, still clutching his chest.

His face was drained of colour, pale as the moon light that filtered through the clouds above them.

Riley's arm trembled as she stared down into the fearful eyes of the man. His wide eyes were filled with unshed tears, and Riley didn't know what to do.

"I have- a family-" the man choked at her.

Riley didn't make a move, but the man fell face-down onto the road, still and silent.

Although Riley knew he was dead, she still stared down at him, the memory of his fear-filled eyes burning in her vision.

She couldn't do it.

Riley dropped her weapon and turned around, crossing her arms around her own chest. She took a deep breath, and released it like a sigh.

"I- I can't do it, Grell," she said quietly.

No sound was audible for a moment, then Riley heard as Grell's boots clacked against the stone.

She didn't turn around, but she felt arms wrap around her as she bent her head in shame.

"Sure you can, darling!" Grell's dramatically positive voice echoed through the streets. "You just need a bit more practice, is all!"

Riley took another deep breath, and Grell released her from his backwards hug.

"I can't do it," Riley repeated. "He looked me in the eyes- he was so scared... He had a family."

Grell was silent a moment as he considered her words, and Riley waited for him to speak.

"He was sick. He had a heart condition. He was going to die anyways!" He paused, but Riley didn't answer. "Hm. I just don't understand," Grell added, his voice vibrating right beside her ear. "As a human, you were a hit-woman. This should be easy, darling!"

Riley felt goosebumps rise onto her skin as Grell purposefully spoke with his lips pressed against her ear, but it couldn't rid the sadness that turned in her stomach.

"I know," Riley said. "But... When I looked into his eyes, I couldn't help but think... That I was in his position once... I know how scared he must have been."

Grell hummed against her ear as he thought about her words.

"But now you're a reaper," Grell said. "Now you don't have to consider those times anymore. You don't have to consider who's soul you're taking."

"But you considered mine," Riley replied, turning around in his embrace so that they were facing each other.

Grell looked back down at her, with a startled expression on his face. His yellow-green eyes were wide behind his jewelled spectacles, but then he suddenly grinned and pulled her against him.

"I did!" he exuberantly answered. "And I don't regret a single moment!" Grell almost crushed her in his tight embrace, but then his tone became slightly more serious. "You do know that if the superior reapers find out that I took this man's soul and not you, they will find some way to punish you," he added.

"I know," Riley said. "Do it anyway."

"Are you sure?" Grell hesitantly asked, his eyes worried as they studied her.

"Yes," Riley replied. "Just do it, Grell, I can't."

"If you say so, darling," Grell exclaimed with a flair, backing away from her and turning to the body of the man.

Riley couldn't watch, but she saw the silvery light reflecting off the cobblestones as Grell pulled the man's soul from his body.

Even though Riley felt as if she were letting everyone down by her sympathetic actions, she couldn't help it. She kept thinking back to her own time on the chopping block: the fear and terror, the nightmares, the injustice of it all.

Maybe... Maybe she just didn't have what it took to be a reaper.

...

Grell and Riley usually travelled together when they worked. Because Grell had put in a request to be Riley's trainer, they shared the same To Die List.

The pair would get a group of names of souls, and then they would get a break. Then the souls would start up again, until they got another break. Riley was only required to take the soul of one person per group.

But it was getting so hard for her to reap souls, especially if the person who was dying started pleading with her.

Whenever Riley and Grell were on break, they usually stayed at inns together. They also had a house in the reaper realm that had been given to them by the superiors. Every reaper was given one house to stay in so they always had somewhere to go, at least to sleep and eat. Reapers were still bothered by a handful of human traits such as sleeping and eating, after all, as much as they irritated Grell.

That same night, after Riley and Grell returned home after their final soul had been collected, they were both exhausted.

They usually were after their long list. Only this time, Riley hadn't taken her one required soul.

It bothered her all night, even when she took a relaxing bath, and when she curled up into the warm blankets to sleep.

Grell was already in the bed, and it was so dark that Riley couldn't see him.

She laid down, her mind still frantic with worry, and Grell pulled her against his side as if sensing her fears.

She didn't comment though. She only laid her head against his shoulder and pretended to fall asleep.

...

Sleep did not come to Riley that night as she lay in bed, forcing her breaths to fall evenly so Grell would not suspect.

It was about two in the morning and she was still staring into the suffocating darkness trying to will sleep to come, when Grell rolled over and playfully tapped the lens of her glasses, which they both felt more comfortable wearing at night as well.

"I know you're still awake, cupcake, you don't have to pretend," he laughed. Riley bet if she could see his face through the darkness, he'd have his usual mischievous grin pointed at her.

"How did you know?" Riley asked, turning her face towards him although it was too dark to actually see him.

"What can I say, darling, I'm a master now!" Grell answered, turning onto his side and tickling her ribs. Riley laughed but then smacked away his hands. "I've lain awake all night listening to you sleep more times than I can count," Grell added.

It was silent for a moment as Riley let his words sink in with surprise.

"Why?" Riley finally asked, confused.

"Because, darling," Grell laughed as if to make it sound as if he were joking. "I wasn't exactly sure back then if I'd be able to save you! I memorised the rhythm of your breathing in case it ever stopped, of course."

He sounded as if he were about to add something, but Riley didn't let him. She reached out above the backboard of the bed, and flicked on the dim oil lamp.

Grell was on his side, propped up by an elbow, and Riley studied his face for a moment. His expression seemed apathetic, but the longer Riley's gaze met his own, the more worry seemed to make his eyes widen. He didn't say anything or make any movements as she stared into his yellow eyes, and the silence was overwhelming.

Then she reached over and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her lips to his as if they hadn't done so in a million years.

Riley brought him closer and Grell kissed her back enthusiastically. He broke the kiss for a moment, and whispered, "Goodness, darling, I thought you were angry-"

Riley only pulled his lips back to hers, and Grell gently tugged her onto his lap, putting his hand on her back to bring her closer.

Even though Grell was big on displays of affection, they never really had time to drown in each other as they were doing now, maybe because of their To Die List, or maybe because Grell had so much fun tormenting her with his random displays. He thought it was quite hilarious to tickle her or hug her tightly when she wasn't expecting it, much to Riley's half-annoyance.

Grell suddenly pushed Riley down onto the bed, and gave her a wicked grin as she looked up at him, surprised. His crimson hair hung in his face as he leaned over her.

"Tomorrow, darling, I want you to tell me exactly what's bothering you," he said. "But for now-"

He replaced his lips on Riley's, and she felt his hands gently tugging at her clothing.

His lips left her own and instead made contact with her neck, and Riley watched with surprise as Grell reached up suddenly.

He turned the lamp above their heads off with a click, and cast them both back into the darkness.

...

Riley awoke the next morning only because the sunlight was coming in through the thin curtains, and she grudgingly opened her eyes.

She saw her and Grell's bedroom, at their house in the reaper realm. The walls and floor were wooden, but she actually loved the small house and thought it was very cozy.

The house was one floor tall, but had an entrance room that Riley liked to stuff full of the pillows and blankets she usually kept hidden in the small closet. There was a hallway, which contained their bedroom and a washroom. Then also connected to the main entrance room was the kitchen, which had plenty of storage and a sink, and a lovely window that looked out upon someone else's field. The house was entirely constructed of wood and stone, as was normal, and Riley truly felt at home whenever she stepped inside.

Riley's head was a bit fuzzy as she lay in the bed that morning upon awakening, so she took a deep breath to clear her mind.

Then, she remembered what had happened last night.

Grell!

She quickly turned her head and saw Grell lying beside her, his face a mask of peace as he slept.

She knew that this was one of the rare times that Riley caught Grell actually sleeping. Reapers did need sleep, of course, and Riley found that she seemed to need sleep more than the average reaper.

But Grell almost seemed to never sleep. He was always awake when Riley went to sleep at night, and he was awake when she woke up the next morning.

Riley watched as he slept for a few moments, seeing his spectacles hanging off one ear. She replaced them back to normal, and sat up in the bed.

Everything was quiet, so Riley got out from beneath the blankets, shivering at the chilly December air.

She walked across the room, to the door, realising that all her muscles were a tad sore. She tried to stretch them as she walked down the hallway to the washroom.

Even though she wasn't sure if it was ever necessary to wash her hair because she was a reaper, she always liked to anyway. One detail she had noticed of Grell was that he enjoyed showering very late at night. Sometimes Riley would wake up at two or three in the morning, and Grell would be emerging from the shower, towel-drying his hair.

Riley ran some water from the spigot, into the small tub, and soaked for a few minutes to relax her body, before finally washing her hair.

She quickly got dressed again, and made her way back to the bedroom.

Grell had just woken up, and was sitting up in the bed, shaking his head to rid himself of the sleepy fog. He ran a hand through his disheveled crimson hair, blinking his heavily-lashed eyes to wake up.

"Morning," Riley said to him as she took a brush through her damp hair and approached the side of the bed.

Grell looked over at her and grinned.

"Well, good morning to you, darling," he laughed, giving her a suggestive wink and jumping out of bed as if he'd just had all of his energy restored.

He was wearing a pair of black pants, and that was all.

Grell stretched, putting his hands up in the air.

"On a serious note, cupcake, tell me what was bothering you last night," he added as he sat back down on the bed. "Don't you think I've forgotten!"

Riley continued to brush her hair, almost ashamed of herself for being such a lousy reaper.

"I'm just..." Riley started, setting the brush down on the bedside table and standing with her arms crossed. "Whenever the superiors punish me... They wouldn't revert my being a reaper, would they?"

Grell stared at her for a moment, before standing up again quickly.

"Oh, of course not, darling!" he exclaimed, waving a hand in the air.

Riley felt somewhat relieved until she realised that Grell didn't look so convincing.

"Honestly, Grell," Riley stated.

He sighed and dropped his arms dramatically, looking at her from the corner of his eyes, as if he were ashamed, himself.

"Alright, then, I don't know what they'll do," he answered. "There are several options for reaper punishment. Sometimes they demote. Sometimes they make a reaper change departments. But since you're in training, I really don't know what they'll consider!" Grell paused, pointing a finger in the air. "But don't you worry, cupcake! Whatever it is, we will go through it together!"

Riley smiled at him, and dropped her gaze to the floor.

"I'm sorry for being such a lousy reaper," Riley said.

"Don't you apologise!" Grell bounded over to her, grabbing her arms enthusiastically. He twirled, sweeping her into a dunk as if they had been dancing, then pulling her close again. "You will get this! It comes naturally to you! All you need is time, my dear, don't you worry about that at all!"

Riley laughed as Grell continued to swirl her around the room, dunking her and pulling her back.

Suddenly, Riley felt this sensation in her chest. It rose to her head, an impulse to go to the superiors. It was stronger than instinct, stronger than any vision she'd had while under the influence of Vera Simmons' leaves.

"Grell, stop," Riley said, sounding a bit afraid, and he stopped twirling her to give her an odd look. "I'm getting called to the Superior Department. Right now."

Grell's eyes widened, and he let go of her waist and fingers.

"I'm coming with you!" Grell exclaimed, as he dashed into the washroom with a flair. "Just let me put my clothes on, and get ready-!"

Riley waited for him, with her throat pounding with her heartbeat. She didn't know what to expect, and that scared her more than anything.

Would they regret listening to William, and just kill her?

Riley gulped against the knot that had formed in her throat, and waited.