Chapter one: a photograph

"S-so… what did you want to speak with us about?" Maylene asked, looking nervous.

"I have a job I want you to do." Ciel said. He got out a very old looking camera, and set it down on the table.

"This is a camera said to have been in the famous Talbot's collection. It's got a story to it. It was missing for some time, but I heard it was coming up at an auction and went to great pains to get it."

"Talbot?"

"William Henry Fox Talbot… he was an English scientist, and one of the inventors of photographic technology. There were queer rumours about the last camera he used. Legend has it that when you photograph someone with this camera, whoever he thinks most fondly of will appear in the picture… perhaps." Tanaka explained.

"Whomever he thinks most fondly of?" Maylene asked.

"Can such a camera even exist?" Bard asked.

"Let's find out." Ciel set the camera up to face Finni. "Don't move. Exposure takes ten seconds. If you move, the image will blur and we won't get a clear shot."

"W-what's exposure?"

"To put it plainly, it's copying an image of Finni."

"8…9…10… done" Finni let out a sigh of relief as Ciel fixed the camera back up. "It would have been all right to breathe." Ciel pointed out.

"Huh…" They waited as it developed. Ciel looked at it. "Oh wow! It's my bird!" Finni said, his eyes widening in delight. After Finni explained the bird, Tanaka reappeared as his full self.

"Ah, I forgot. The only loved ones that the camera will show are otherworldly beings. In other words, the dead" Tanaka said.

"Take a picture of Sebastian with this camera. But don't let him notice" Ciel said, pushing the camera towards them.

"Who does Sebastian think of most fondly, yes?" Maylene said.

"I might want to see that." Finni added.

"He's always griping about my artistic cooking! He's as human as any of us! He must have a weakness! This is our chance!"

"I trust you can do it?" Ciel asked.

"Yes, my lord!" All three yelled, and then laughed.

"I always wanted to do that!"

What on earth will appear if we take a photo of him with this camera? Ciel thought.

After quite a few unsuccessful hours of trying to get a candid photo of Sebastian, they finally did it.

"You could have just told me to pose for a picture, young master" Sebastian said in annoyance as he looked at the picture of him, Ciel and Pluto. Unknown to Sebastian, though, Ciel had managed to take a candid photo of him, by himself.

Excitement overtook Ciel as he carefully developed the photo. Just a little bit longer… And finally, he took it out of the water and took a look at it. He nearly dropped the photo in surprise. Sebastian stood there, just as he had photographed him. However, it was strange.

A pretty woman hung onto Sebastian's arm. Her very long curly hair flowed freely over her shoulders. The small veil she wore didn't conceal her eyes at all. They sparkled with happiness, and her smile was full of excitement. Her smile could have matched that of a new bride. She was very pretty, but even so, she was obviously human. She was also obviously dead as she showed up in the picture. He had never pictured his butler ever able to love a woman. A human one, at that…

He slid the picture in his drawer, determined to ask Sebastian about it tomorrow. Who cared how angry he got? This was a new mystery. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep. He had strange dreams about the mystery woman. Who could she have been to capture Sebastian's attention? Did he have a contract with her at some point?

The next day, Ciel waited in his study for Sebastian to come and serve him lunch. The quiet tap on the door made him carefully slide out the photograph and keep it face down on his lap.

"This smells familiar…" Ciel said. "Is this apple custard pie?"

"Yes" Sebastian set the dish down in front of Ciel. He took a thoughtful bite.

"Sebastian…"

"Yes, young master?"

"Are demons able to love?" The question seemed to take Sebastian by surprise.

"Yes… but it doesn't happen often. Why would you want to know?"

Ciel waved Sebastian over, and showed him the photograph. As Ciel had thought, Sebastian froze over with surprise.

"Can you tell me who this woman was?"

"That was the last person I held a contract with."

"So why would you care so much about her that she showed up in this picture?" Ciel asked. Sebastian sighed.

"It's a really complicated process when we demons fall in love. One of the only types of love we can have is one called an attraction. This happens between a demon and a master of the opposite gender. Such a contract is never completed. Instead, that master is taken to the demon world and changed into a demon. The contract then will be broken between the two, and they can live together as demons. This is the way our kind ensures the population of demons grows. This can also happen without a contract."

"Have you ever had an attraction?"

"Yes… once… let's just say it didn't end well." Sebastian said this with a smile, but his hands were balled into fists. "I will be in the library if you need me." Sebastian said, and without another word, walked out of the study. Ciel watched him leave. What could possibly have happened between the two of them to make it end badly? Had she died before the contract could have been completed? He looked through all of the papers he had previously collected- murder articles. He finally found one with a picture of a woman who looked like the one in the photograph.

"Catherine Rosen…" How could she have been murdered if she held a contract with a demon? What were the circumstances if Sebastian was unable to save her?

The phone rang a few days later.

"Elizabeth's missing?"