A/N: Finally, I managed to write a Kuroshitsuji fanfic! I've been in love with this anime for a LONG time, but I never got any good ideas for a story about it . . . until now, that is! I won't say much about it, because I want it to speak for itself- you just need to know that this follows the anime plotline and in fact takes place after the anime is over, so . . .

WARNING: MAJOR ANIME ENDING SPOILERS!

Besides that fact, I hope you all enjoy it! ^.^

Disclaimer: Sebastian, I order you to make me the owner of Kuroshitsuji! . . . It didn't work, did it? Darn it . . . -_-

Happenstance

Somewhere in England, during the present day . . .

The cobalt-haired boy walked along the street with his head down and his eyes on the sidewalk in front of him. He was thinking of how ridiculous it was for him to be outside on a day like this- sunny, warm, birds chirping merrily in the trees overhead.

Oh, how he disliked days like these. He didn't used to, though; many years ago he would have been jumping up and down with excitement and begging his parents to let him play outside under the soft, blue sky. It was only since "that day," as he referred to it, that he couldn't stand the sunlight; well, not that he couldn't stand it exactly, he just preferred not to.

So, of course, it was on this type of day that his butler suddenly decided that he needed some exercise.

"Pfft, ridiculous," the boy muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. He didn't need exercise; he was an immortal creature of darkness! It wasn't like his appearance was going to change, even if he did decide to eat three cakes is one sitting . . . Not that he would, of course- those types of foods had lost their appeal years ago. All the same, his butler insisted that he go for a little walk around the block, if for no other reason than to get out of the house for a bit; the boy had, admittedly, been sulking in his room for the past few weeks.

"So I shut myself in my room for a bit," the boy said, annoyed, kicking a stone off the curb and into the street, where it was instantly run over by a passing car. "I'm still a child- what does he expect?"

The boy glared at the ground even harder. He'd been a child for longer than he'd ever hoped he'd have to endure, and he knew that this wasn't going to change anytime soon. He thought he deserved the right to sulk- he'd had to suffer much more than a normal child of his age should, and what had he gotten out of it? Eternal life in the body of a twelve-year-old, with no other friends besides his butler (who wasn't really his friend anyway, seeing as he only stayed by his side as a result of the Contract and had in fact tried to kill him the moment he'd realized what the boy had become).

"Stupid demon butler," he mumbled darkly. As he continued to dwell over his current predicament- getting even angrier as he did so-, he failed to notice the person running swiftly in his direction until it was too late.

"Oof!" he grunted as they collided with such force that they were both sent sprawling on their backs. Recovering instantly, the boy sat up and glared at the offender who had knocked him over. He was about to demand an apology, when he suddenly froze, staring as the other person sat up.

It was a boy about his age- or, more accurately, the age he appeared to be. The other boy had on a dark purple hoodie, unzipped to reveal a green t-shirt with the name of a popular band written across it in black underneath. He was also wearing white sneakers and navy blue gym shorts that went a bit more than halfway down his thighs- not quite short enough to be considered too short, but definitely on the verge of getting there.

But, this was not what made the ever-resolute, rarely to be caught off-guard Ciel Phantomhive gape as if his butler had suddenly sprouted bunny ears and a tail and started hopping away. What made him stare was the boy's all-too-familiar face.

He had a relatively sharp jaw line and slightly rounded cheeks, which were currently flushed from the effort of running. His thin lips were curved in an apologetic smile, and his bright, nearly iridescent blue eyes made him look like a sweet, innocent child. All of these features were framed by a curtain of golden-blonde hair, with bangs swept haphazardly to the left side of the boy's face.

"Sorry about that!" he said in a voice that was so familiar it made Ciel shudder. "I guess I was so focused on the ground 'cause I didn't wanna trip that I forgot to look in front of me, too!"

He laughed, and Ciel's eyes widened at the proverbial sound.

"Al . . . Alois?" he whispered, gazing at the boy intently. The boy frowned and cocked his head to one side.

"Excuse me?" he questioned.

"Alois," Ciel repeated. He pointed a finger at the boy accusingly. "You're . . . You're Alois Trancy!"

"Um, what?" The boy made a move to push Ciel's hand away, but Ciel snatched it back quickly, as if afraid of having the boy touch it. The boy's frown deepened. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me, Alois!" Ciel hissed, jumping up to stand over the boy menacingly. "There's no denying it's you- I can't mistake your face! Why the hell did you come back? More importantly, how did you come back? Tell me now!"

"Whoa, calm down!" the boy exclaimed, starting to get a bit unnerved. "I'm not lying to you; I don't know any Alois Trancy! And I've never seen you before either!"

This denial was too much for Ciel; he let out a low growl, grabbed the boy by the front of his shirt, and hoisted him up so that their faces were level. His left eye flashed from its normally deep blue to a glowing aurora pink, and the blonde-haired boy let out a yelp of fright.

"W-what the hell?" he gasped, trying to break free of Ciel's grasp, but this little boy with an eye patch had an unusually strong grip for someone so young. "Hey, calm down! I'm not this 'Alois' guy- really! My name is James! James Miccan! Please, you've gotta believe me!"

Ciel continued to snarl at the boy for a few minutes, searching his face for any sign that he was lying. However, he could find no hint of trickery in that innocent-looking visage; the only emotions he could detect were fear and a hint of wary curiosity.

"Damn it!" Ciel muttered loudly, unceremoniously dropping James back onto the sidewalk. As the glow in his eye disappeared, he turned around and pinched the bridge of his nose, placing his other hand on his hip.

Great! He thought, sighing in agitation. I just very nearly revealed my true nature to a complete stranger . . . Well, hopefully he's like all the other kids these days who don't believe in that sort of thing and think my eye color was just a trick of the light. He looks so much like Alois, though . . . Argh, what should I do?

While this inner turmoil was taking place within Ciel, James had managed to remove the frightened, shocked look that had been plastered on his face. There was just no way that a boy of Ciel's age could have that much strength; trying to remove his grip had felt like trying to tear off a chunk of marble. Plus, what was up with that eye? And why was the other one covered with an eye patch?

James decided that he might as well try and figure out what was going on with this strange kid. The boy had piqued his interest- he wanted to know why the boy had confused him with this "Alois Trancy," and why he seemed to hate Alois so much in the first place.

Besides, it's not like I have anything important to do today anyway, James thought as he stood up and brushed the dirt off of his shorts. He then turned his gaze on Ciel and waited for a moment to introduce himself, but after a few minutes he realized that the boy seemed thoroughly distracted; he was pacing and muttering something about a butler, and it didn't look like he was going to stop anytime soon.

"Um, excuse me," James said, tapping Ciel on the shoulder. Ciel instantly whirled around and caught his hand in an iron grip, before realizing that James was just trying to get his attention and releasing it.

"S-sorry for startling you," James apologized as Ciel's gaze bored into his. "I just thought that maybe we could have a chat and try to, uh, sort this out? Maybe we can figure out why I look so much like this 'Alois Trancy,' and I have to admit that now I'm kind of wondering why you hate him so much. So, should we start with the introductions? Properly, I mean?" He smiled and held out his hand. "I'm James Miccan."

Ciel frowned; why did that name sound distantly familiar?

Ah, well, he thought, shaking his head to clear away the weird sensation. It's probably because this kid looks so much like Alois- anything he says is going to sound strange to me. He grasped James' hand in his own.

"Ciel Phantomhive," Ciel announced, and James' eyes widened.

"'Ciel Phantomhive?'" he echoed once his hand had been released. "Wasn't Phantomhive the name of a high-ranking family that used to live in England a while ago?" Ciel's jaw dropped slightly, but James continued on. "Yeah, they used to own a toy and candy company! And their last heir was named Ciel!"

Ciel blanched. After all these years, he was sure that his name had died out of society a long time ago. In fact, Sebastian had asked all around England before they moved back to their home country, and he had assured his Master that the name "Phantomhive" didn't ring a bell to anyone. That was the only reason Ciel felt comfortable using it again.

So how was it that James knew about something that no one else did?

"My dad loves to tell me stories about the old noble families of England," James explained when he sensed Ciel was going to ask how he knew this information. "Almost no one cares about that stuff anymore, so my dad told me that I had to keep those pieces of history alive." He smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Actually, I really like learning about those families- the Phantomhives are one of my favorites. Their story's so tragic, but intriguing at the same time, don't you think?"

"Oh, well, I . . . I don't really know the story too well, I'm afraid," Ciel said, trying to make up an excuse. "I'm . . . from a different line of Phantomhives."

Ciel grimaced; that lie was so obvious it was painful. He made a mental note to have Sebastian help him work on his deception skills. However, to Ciel's surprise, James seemed to believe what he was saying.

"Oh, I see," James said, nodding in understanding. "I'm sure everyone has a family with the same name out there somewhere. It's just a funny coincidence, seeing as how you're both British and all, right?" He chuckled, and Ciel laughed along hollowly, wondering in the back of his mind if James was ever going to think that this was too much of a coincidence. Suddenly, James smiled eagerly.

"Do you wanna know about what happened to them?" he asked enthusiastically. "Most people don't care about that stuff, but seeing as how you share the same name I wonder if you'd be interested . . ."

"Sure, so ahead and tell me," Ciel replied. He was in fact curious as to what James knew; was the tragic tale of the Phantomhive family the same as it had been all those years ago, or had it gotten warped over time into something completely false?

"Really?" James asked, beaming even brighter. Ciel nodded and averted his gaze quickly; it was unnerving how an expression of happiness could look so out of place on the face of Alois Trancy, even if the soul behind it wasn't the same. James lightly tugged on Ciel's sleeve and pointed to a nearby bench. "Let's go sit over there; this might take a while, and I wanna get out of the middle of the sidewalk."

The two boys walked over to the bench and sat down. James was silent for a few seconds, gathering all his knowledge on the Phantomhive legacy. Then he turned to Ciel, looked him straight in the eye, and began.

"The Phantomhives were a prominent noble British family in the 1800s who owned a toy and confectionary company called the Funtom Co. They also expanded into food a tiny bit by inventing these things called 'curry buns;' they're not so big in England now, but I hear they still make them a lot in India. Anyway, so they were doing really well business-wise, but unfortunately the last adults, Vincent and Rachel, were killed in a fire and left behind their only heir, a boy named Ciel. The story of what happened after that is still up for debate, but some people say that he disappeared for a few months and then suddenly returned with a mysterious butler."

Ciel tried to keep his expression composed, despite the shock he felt- James seemed to know an unusual amount of information about his background for a kid from the twenty-first century.

"Ciel stayed in control of the Estate and the family business for about three years, but then he disappeared again," James continued. "I heard that a few days after he was last seen, a note was sent out to his friends saying that he'd passed away. They set up a grave for him in the cemetery near his old house, you know." Ciel nodded; he had in fact seen his grave when he returned to England. Actually, he was curious as to what they had buried there. An empty coffin, perhaps? Undertaker had probably been sad that Ciel couldn't enjoy the "custom coffin" he'd been planning to build for him . . .

"Hey, are you still listening?" James asked, waving a hand in front of Ciel's face. The cobalt-haired boy blinked, coming back to his senses.

"Oh, yes," he said quickly. "Please continue. So they buried Ciel . . ."

"Yeah, well, that was kind of the end of the family line." Ciel nodded again, expecting him to be finished. However, before Ciel could say anything, a sly look came over James' face and he leaned towards him. "But do you wanna know something else? I heard that the Phantomhives served a double life- as well as running the Funtom Co., they were also known as the Queen's 'guard dogs.' They were the ones who sniffed out all the criminal activity going on in England and got rid of it. And I don't mean the regular stuff like thefts- I mean the really dark stuff, like murders and strange disappearances. They were supposedly the ones who solved the 'Jack the Ripper' case!"

Ciel's mouth fell open. This was a little too much information for a normal boy to know, especially since no one but a few select people had known about the Phantomhives being the Queen's guard dogs.

"How . . . how did you find out about all this?" he asked tentatively, not sure what to think of James at the moment. The blonde frowned and ran a hand through his hair.

"You know, I'm not exactly sure . . .," he replied. "I don't really remember my dad telling me . . . but he must've, because I don't know how I could've found out about it otherwise."

"You mean to tell me that you honestly don't remember where you heard that information?" Ciel asked, getting agitated. James shrugged.

"Sorry, I'd tell you if I knew! Besides, who knows if it's really true or not; that was a long time ago. The only people who'd truly know the answer would be the Phantomhives themselves." He noticed Ciel staring at him suspiciously. "What? Did I say something?"

"No, no, it's just that-"

The boys were startled as the tune of a popular song filled the air. Ciel reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a cell phone, sighing in annoyance when he saw the name of the person calling him.

"What?" he snapped, flipping open the phone and holding it up to his ear.

"Hello, my young Lord. Have you been enjoying your walk?" replied the familiar voice of his butler.

"It's been . . . interesting, to say the least." Ciel shot a glance at James, who was gazing at him questioningly. Ciel held up a finger indicating for him to wait a moment.

"Ah, is that so?" Sebastian said, and Ciel could hear the smirk in his voice. The boy scowled.

"What are you calling me for, anyway?"

"I just wanted to inform you that I have everything set up for your piano lesson once you return."

Ciel sighed; even though he was a demon, Sebastian still insisted on tutoring him as if he were back in the Phantomhive manor.

"Alright, I'll be there in a bit," Ciel said. "Just make sure it's a piece I like- I don't feel like trifling with anything I hate today."

"Yes, my Lord," Sebastian replied. "Which piece would you prefer?"

"If you have to ask after all this time, then you really haven't been paying attention to me at all."

"My Lord, I-"

Ciel snapped the phone shut, effectively ending the conversation.

"Who was that?" James questioned.

"Just an annoying teacher," Ciel sighed again. He stood up. "I really ought to be getting back home soon."

"Aw, really? But it was so fun chatting with you!" James said, standing up as well. "It's not very often you get to meet a Phantomhive!"

Ciel opened his mouth to deny the relation once again, but James held up a hand.

"I know, I know, different blood line. It's just a cool coincidence."

"Yes, right," Ciel agreed. He stared at James intently. "Are you positive that you don't remember how you learned all that information about them?"

"Like I said, I have no idea where I got it from. Sorry!"

"It's fine." Ciel made a mental note to investigate this further; there was still just too much of a correlation between him running into a boy who not only looked exactly like Alois Trancy, but who knew the secret of the Phantomhives as well to be considered a coincidence.

"Then will you be around tomorrow? Maybe we could meet up again," James suggested, and Ciel nodded.

"Yes, I'd like to hear some more of those stories you're so fond of telling," Ciel replied. "We'll keep in touch."

He started to walk, but James called after him.

"How?"

"Don't worry, I'll find you," Ciel replied over his shoulder. He continued to stroll down the sidewalk and was almost to the corner, when suddenly he felt an intense shiver run up his spine. He stopped dead in his tracks.

What is this feeling? he wondered. It's so familiar . . . Just like when Trancy was around-

Suddenly he whipped around to find James right behind him, staring at him with a wicked sneer. It was as if something had completely taken over the blonde; his sapphire eyes gleamed with a mischievousness that had not been there before. He took a step towards Ciel, who quickly backed away.

"I hope your life as a demon is going well, Ciel," James said, smirking. Ciel's eyes widened.

"How did you . . ."

James laughed and stuck out his tongue. Ciel gasped as he saw imprinted on it an upside down, glowing amber star surrounded by a circle, which he knew had not been there a moment ago.

"Alois!" he exclaimed, and the blonde cackled and took off at an alarming speed in the opposite direction. Ciel raced after him, using all of his demonic swiftness. However, it was as if the boy had completely disappeared off the face of the Earth; even with Ciel's heightened senses, he was unable to locate or keep up with him.

After a while, Ciel decided to abandon the search. Tired, angry, and still a bit stunned and confused by what had just happened, he started to once again head home, mulling over that last encounter along the way.

He knew for a fact that James had definitely not been Alois Trancy- even though his looks were the same, everything else about him was different. Even his soul had been different, which Ciel had realized once he had calmed down after the initial shock of seeing Alois' double. From what Ciel could sense, James' soul had been way too innocent to be anything close to what Sebastian had described Alois' as being.

Still, what had just happened? It was as if James had been possessed, though why the Contract would suddenly appear on his tongue Ciel had no idea. He would have to have Sebastian investigate this as soon as he got back to the house.

After all, if Sebastian couldn't figure out what had happened, what kind of butler would he be? Ciel thought, smirking to himself. He picked up his pace and continued towards his house, wondering when the mystery of the boy who looked like Alois Trancy would be solved.

He also wondered if this investigation would get him out of his piano lesson . . .

James finally stopped running when he got to the docks near the river. He slid into a space behind two huge crates and collapsed on the ground, exhausted. His mind felt foggy and he couldn't think straight; all he could recall was that for some reason Ciel had gotten mad at him and started to chase him, calling him "Alois" again.

James gasped as a voice identical to his own started to speak in the back of his mind.

Good job, James, it said, and the blonde looked around frantically, trying to find it. Stop that- you'll hurt yourself if you keep swiveling your head like that! Don't be alarmed; you're the only one who can hear me.

James eventually calmed down enough to ask, in a low whisper: "Who are you?"

The voice laughed.

I'm Alois Trancy, my dear James!

"'Alois?'" James echoed, the cloudiness in his head making it increasingly harder to focus.

Mm-hmm! I just came back for a quick visit and to check up on that devious little Ciel- knowing him, I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd found some way to break the demon curse . . .

"But who . . . why . . .?" James was finding it difficult to form coherent sentences; he just wanted to lie down and sleep.

Who am I, exactly? Alois voiced the question for him. That's a long story . . . maybe I'll tell you some other time. Now that I can, I plan to come for a visit every once and a while! He chuckled, and then added: Oh, and if you're wondering why you're the one whose head I'm inside of, it's because you're from the same bloodline as me. Turns out I had a long-lost sister who managed to pass along the Trancy lineage. Go figure.

James tried to respond, tried to ask him all of the questions that were hanging on the tip of his tongue, but the tiredness had nearly taken him over. As his eyes closed and he started to lose consciousness, he heard Alois' voice one last time.

You're not going to remember this, just so you know. But don't worry- I'll be back sooner than you think, my lovely descendant!

The last thing James heard was Alois' laugh, before the world went black.

The blonde-haired boy opened his eyes to find sunlight streaming down onto his face. Groggily, he sat up and looked around, frowning when he realized that he was sitting behind two crates at what appeared to be the dock of the river.

"How did I get here . . .?" he wondered aloud, standing up cautiously. He slid out from the cramped spot and gazed around, bewildered for a moment. Deciding that he'd better figure out how long he had been asleep for, he tapped a man carrying a large barrel on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, but could you tell me what day it is?" he asked.

"Saturday," the man grunted, not pausing for a conversation.

"Saturday?" the boy repeated, shocked. The last time he'd checked, it had been Friday. He remembered that he'd gone out for a jog, and then . . . it was all a blank until now.

His parents must be worried sick. The blonde quickly set off in the direction of his house, trying to recall what had transpired over the last day. As he rounded a corner and stepped onto the sidewalk, one image presented itself, etched prominently into his mind:

A deep, dark blue eye suddenly flashing to a glowing, aurora pink.

The boy paused; where had he seen that eye? Try as he might, he couldn't recall anything else but that one image. After a few seconds, he shrugged and picked up his pace, wanting to get home as soon as possible and have a nice, steaming hot cup of tea.

As he broke into a run, he could have sworn he heard a voice identical to his own laughing in the back of his mind.

Note: I have seen Alois' real name written as McCain and Macken- for the sake of this fanfic, I chose to use "McCain." (If you don't get why I'm telling you this, then don't worry about it.)

A/N: Please tell me what you think! If a lot of people like it, I may continue (but I'm not making any guarantees)! ;)