Here's another one shot for ya'. I've been wondering for a while now (mainly after Retrace 63), what it was like for Leo to form a contract with Jabberwock. That's how this liitle idea came to be. And, for all those who are also reading my other story, 'Straight for the Heart', I am having a bit of writters block right now, and Homecoming is at the end of the week, so I'm trying to get ready for that. I'm working on it and the next chapter will be up in a few days.

I do not own Pandora Hearts, Jun Mochizuki does.

Contract

Sometimes, you wake one day, the day after a storm, and your life seems to slow down.

That's what I was feeling today.

"Good morning, Master." Vincent greeted me as he walked into my room, Echo along with him helping him bring breakfast in for me. "Me and Echo have prepared you breakfast."

I let my no longer veiled eyes look over the tray that had been sat on my lap when I sat up. "This looks quite good. Is today a certain occasion?"

Vincent was quiet for a second, but then smiled. "Well, I want to make sure you have plenty of energy for today."

"And that would be because?"

"You see, Master, it would be a good idea if you would form a contract with Jabberowck today."

I froze, my hand just barely lifting the glass of juice from the tray. "Jabberwock?"

"Yes, one of the five black winged bird-like Chains. In fact, it's rumored to be the most powerful of the five." Vincent explained, opening the curtains fully, which made my eyes wince at the sudden sunlight. "You see, right now, seeing as Oz is an obsticle for you, you'll need a power like that to send him back into the Abyss, hm? He has B-Rabbit on his side, but not even that can compare to Jabberwock."

I took a moment to think all of this over, all the points contecting. Yes, I wanted to send Oz-kun back to the Abyss, since he is a very volitile existance, but Vincent was right. I couldn't handle B-Rabbit without some sort of power like that, and Jabberwock was just that power. It would be enough to send him back to the Abyss.

"Give me a few minutes to eat and get dressed." I said to Vincent. "We'll be on our way when I'm ready."

"As you wish, Master."

I'll admit, as I'm walking along with Vincent (don't know where Echo is), who is leading me to the place where Jabberwock is, I'm actually very nervous.

Sure, I am the head of the Baskervilles, and it would be only proper to have this as my Chain, but I was nervous about it. I had never had a Chain before, much less contracted one, and I had no clue as to what would happen once I pass into it's relm. On top of that, Vincent hadn't given me a blood sealing mirror, meaning this contract would be an illgeal one. I supose that's nesseasry, if I had to release it's full power in order to make Oz-kun vanish into the depths of the Abyss, the contract had to be illegal, otherwise I wouldn't be able to release the Chain's full power.

Rounding a corner, my eyes fell upon a large door in the middle of a wall of the cavern.

'So this must be it.' I thought to myself. 'This is the Baskerville's door that connects to the Abyss.'

"This is the place, Master." Vincent moved aside as I continued to walk forward, stopping a few feet from the door. "Beyond here lies Jabberwock."

I kept thinking back to that Chain. I've never seen it, but I could sense it's power radiating from the door. This was making me feel uneasy inside, my heart anxiously thudding in my chest.

"It's beyond here you say?" I asked, trying to distract myself.

"Yes. Whenever you're ready."

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, doing my best to calm down. This...it was now or never. Opening my eyes, I narrowed them in determination, then putting my hand up to the door. The instant my hand touched the cold metal, I knew I wasn't in the cavern anymore; I wasn't anywhere at all.

The door in front of me was gone, instead replaced by a dark place. I was standing in a pool of water, there were chains slithering about, and all around, black feathers fell down. I looked around in the darkness, looking for anything that had some sort of physical form.

I didn't find it though...it found me.

"Such a young vessal you are." A voice sneered. "Yet, you carry his soul; my master's soul. You have quite a small body to handle such a thing."

"Who said I couldn't handle it?" I called back. "I've had it for 16 years and counting. Who are you to say that I haven't already broken?"

There was silence, but then it came back. "Hmm. Maybe that's true for you, as far as mentaly goes, but yet, your body remains stable."

"Look, I didn't come here to chat. I need your power."

"Why should I lend it to you?"

Now I was getting annoyed. "Well, for one, it would only be right for me to contract you, and two, I want to form a contract with you!"

I had practicly shouted the last part, but I still got no response. I heard movement from behind me, and I turned, only to see more chains and a pair of piercing red eyes.

"Then show me."

Out of nowhere, the chains shot out at me, wrapping around my waist and binding my arms to my sides to keep me from moving. There was no escape, I was trapped. Out in the darkness, I could just barely make out the outline of wings and a tail. I let out a small yelp, realizing that the creature that stood before me was the very Chain I had come to contract; Jabberwock. Just even faintly seeing it's masive form, my heart was now pounding so hard against my chest I thought it might explode at any minute, the feeling being mutual since, through my surprised face, I was terified.

I heard it chuckled at me and I looked up towrds its eyes. "What's so funny?"

"You look so scared!" It said to me in a mocking tone. "Ha! You so have my master's soul, but you are still too weak! Just what are your intentions, other than try and try again?"

I gritted my teeth together, my anger at this Chain boiling over. Now being irritated with the Chain, my hand curled into a fist. I looked at the eyes once more and glaring dead on at them.

"Shut up, you damn Chain! I'm not scared of you!" I shouted into the darkness. "I am the head of the Baskervilles now, regardless of how weak and worthless you say I am. If you deny me, I will keep coming back until you accept me." I wasn't about to give up now, not after coming this far. "I am Leo Baskerville! So, form a contract with me...Jabberwock!"

I was pantiing now, taking in deep breaths after yelling so loud and with such force. The red eyes continued to look at me as sweat trickled down my forehead. I heard a quiet chuckle from the distance, which I presumed was Jabberwock.

"I see." A swishing sound was made in the air, and I looked to see a liquid substance dripping down. "I admire your determination. You are indeed worthy of my power." The chains around my arms and waist receded, allowing me to move again. "Now, to seal the contract, drink my blood. From here on, I am in service to you, so use my power well, Master."

So that's what that substace was; Jabberwock's blood. I was beginning to feel nervous again. I knew this would confirm the contract, but I was uneasy about this. It was simple enough, drink the blood, and it would be done. Still, I was hesitant.

Breathing in once more, I cupped my hands together and held them up to the blood seeping down. I pulled back my hands when they had been dipped in it, looking at the blood in my hands.

'I have to do this.' I raised my hands to my mouth letting my lips touch my palms and the blood seeping through them. 'This is the only way. I need to use this power!'

It felt warm and sticky as it slid down my throat, my eyes closed at this feeling, trying so hard to ignore it and the sickening feeling in my stomach that I was getting too. That wasn't the worst though, because the next part began; the one that would seal my fate.

I felt a burning sensation on me, coming in a slpit second. It began to hurt so bad that I clutched the fabic of my clothes were it hurt the most; right over my heart. To put it bluntly, it felt like my chest was on fire, like I was being branded with something.

'It burns! Make it stop, please!' My mind screamed. It wouldn't stop, it just continued on and on into forever, acompanied by my own screams. Finally, it became too much for me, and my eyes closed as I fell back.

"Master!" A pair of strong arms caught me, and when I managed to open my eyes, I saw that the door was in front of me yet again. I must of been sent back to the cavern when that burning sensation came over me.

'That must of been the incuse.' I thought. Since the contract was an illegal one, it would only make sense.

"Did you make the contract?" Vincent asked.

"Yeah." My voice shook as I spoke. I started to feel dizzy again, but Vincent steadied me by putting his hands on my shoulders.

"Easy." I pushed him back as I turned from him.

"I'm alright. I can very well stand on my own." That wasn't etierly true; my legs felt wobbly, my head was spinning, and I felt queasy inside. Takeing a few steps away from Vincent, I tried taking in breaths of fresh air, but this wasn't really that, I was underground affter all. I kept thinking back to how that incuse had burned my skin, and how ill I felt as I drank the Chain's blood.

Blood; how it felt so warm and sticky, how it had left an awful taste in my mouth. The memory of drinking that fluid wasn't leaving my mind. I couldn't take these thoughts anymore and I let out a cough and threw up whatever I had eaten for breakfast this morning.

"You're not looking too good." Vincent spoke up as I tried to catch my breath, my hands on my knees. "It might be expexted, since you did just contract such a powerful Chain. It would be a good idea to head back to the mansion so you can rest."

I nodded slowly, letting him lead me out of the cavern, my body trembleing the whole time.

I ended up sleeping in the carriage the whole way back.

Once back at the mansion, I stayed in my room for at least two hours.

My eyes just stared up at the ceilling, semmingly fixated on one point. One of my hands rested on my stomach, and I felt too tired to even try and move, having leiterally collapseing onto the bed when I had returned. My coat that I had thrown aside had now been laid over a chair. Vincent must of picked it up and done that. Other than feeling tired, I didn't really feel like eating anything, not that I could. Vincent had brought me food once, but I wasn't able to keep it down.

'I wonder if I've made myself sick by drinking Jabberwock's blood.' That could be a possibility, then again, I guess my body is still trying to ajust to it's power that now lay within me.

From time to time, I would doze of to sleep, but only for a few minutes. Even when wakeing up, I still felt like I could go back to sleep at any second. It was a bit absurd if you thought about it. I had been asleep in the carrige the whole way back, but I couldn't even fall asleep if I tried, only at random times when it would just crash down upon me.

Right now, everything seemed to be in slow motion; the whole world slowing down, each minute slowly ticking away. My thoughts were distant and wandering, thinking about many things. I mostly thought about the whole experince of forming the contract, and soon began to winder how much power Jabberwock really had. If it was powerful enough to acoplish my goal, then so be it.

However, I was feeling distracted, prehaps by these thoughts. Maybe, I really did fear it's power, and maybe that's was was troubling me.

"I know." I said to myself, managing to sit up in bed. "There's always one thing that calms me down."

Yeah, I know Vincent suggested that I should get some rest, but he is only a sevant (well, he insisted upon it), and that can't change my mind. I found myself unsteady on my feet, having to grab the bedpost for suport, but I just let out a sigh at this and let go, proceding to opening the door and walking out of the room.

After a few minutes, I found myself in the piano room. Honestly, I was trying to find a way outside so I could get some fresh air, but this seemed fine too. Walking over to the piano, I did see that it hadn't been used in awhile.

Smiling softly, I went over to the piano and ran my hands along the keys, then playing a few of them. It was a bittersweet moment. Ever since I had been taken here, I never had used the piano much anymore, mainly because I didn't want to. Just hearing these soft notes playing as I touched each key, it was indeed bitterwseet.

'Eh?' The keys were starting to blur together, and I was starting to lose focus of everything around me. Holding my head with one hand, I sat down on the bench, trying my best not to pass out. Maybe I wasn't able to handle the power of the Chain dwelling inside me...nah, it's not like that.

I was fine, my body was still trying to adjust, that's all. Over time, everytime I used this power, I knew the neddle on the incuse would move forward, and soon, the time would come when it would complite the revolution, and I knew what would happen then.

In spite of all that, it really didn't matter, becuase there was nothing left for me. Ha! Really, I didn't care about anything anymore. I want to destroy something, anything! Let it all crash down around me, that would be perfect!

A laugh escaped my lips as I leaned forward and let my head rest on the keys, making noise as I did so. "Yes...soon, I can break it, everything."

That was very true. Soon, all very soon, the time would come when I could get that obsticle, Oz-kun, out of the way.

Once that was done...yes, I could destroy it. As for myself...I don't know my fate exactly, but it doesn't matter if everything or even myself shatter into a million pieces, it was what I wanted.

I felt that would be a good way to end things, since he is sort of insane right now. I'll get back to work on 'Straight for the Heart' as soon as possible. Anyways, feel free to reveiw if you'd like.