A/N: This is what I always thought Ciel should have given them rather than a random sack of toys. So this is what he gave them if Aberline lived. It's a bit old by now, so it's not my best work, but it's okay. This is my last entry today.
Title: Funtom Arc
Author: liketolaugh
Rating: K
Pairings: None
Genre: Friendship
Warnings: Fluff, NotDead!Aberline
Summary: Ciel gives Aberline a little something special after the events of Escaping. Slight AU.
Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.
Ciel frowned as he tapped his pen against the table thoughtfully. The note of mixed thanks and congratulations had been written quickly; after all, it was still all fresh in his mind, and he always had been good with words.
However, it didn't feel like enough. He wanted to give Aberline something more; the man had acted above and beyond his call of duty, even acting against orders, just for Ciel. No one – no one – had ever done that before. Aberline didn't even really know him.
Ciel frowned again as he considered what he would like to give the man; something he would truly like, for its own sake. Eventually it came to mind that Aberline's soon-to-be wife was expecting a child.
Toys, maybe? But not a simple sack of day-to-day Funtom toys, no. What had he liked to play with as a child?
Flashback
Ciel beamed as he placed some of the animals on the ship with Lizzy, which he made sail about for a few minutes before turning to the other animals. Those, they made scamper about, laughing loudly and freely. It was Ciel's favorite toy.
End Flashback
Ciel smiled in satisfaction. Yes, a Funtom Arc would be perfect. If he had still had his own – he was hardly going to play with it now – he would give Aberline that one, but it had burned with the house. All he had to do was locate the artist and negotiate for a new one to be made.
Ciel spent hours looking for the artist. First he searched through the archives of old business deals made at the very start of the Funtom company. Eventually, he found the man's name: William Hendrickson. After a long search through various address books, he found that he had lived in a small alley in London five years ago, then vanished. He then quickly found that one neighbor, whom he had been close to, still lived there.
He ordered Sebastian to bring him there and a brief talk revealed the man's location. Soon they were going there.
Ciel knocked on his door – a dingy place with no spot in the address book – and the artist opened the door.
"Earl Phantomhive," the man greeted in slight surprise. "What brings you here today?"
"I have a business proposition," Ciel replied loftily.
A half hour of negotiations later, Ciel made his offer. Triple the price the original Funtom owner had offered for one of the first Funtom Arcs for just the one he wanted now. Too good to resist.
Two weeks later, Fred Aberline opened the door and found a package and a note.
He read through the note, eyebrows rising in surprise. He had thought Ciel would ignore him. It seemed to be the boy's habit. He smiled, though. Perhaps the Earl's cold heart was warming up… just a bit.
He took up the package and brought it inside. The note had not even hinted at what the package might be, other than that it was a gift for him and his family. He sat beside his pregnant wife and set the package on the table in front of them.
"It's from the Earl of Phantomhive," he told her, just a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"The boy you saved a few months ago?" she asked, eyes widening a little. "I thought you said you didn't expect him to acknowledge it."
"I didn't," he admitted. "Guess he has more of a heart than he lets on."
"Open it," she encouraged.
He reached forward with a small pocket knife and slit it open. Inside was another note, on top of a ship with all sorts of small animals – greatly detailed – inside. He read the note aloud.
"Growing up, the Funtom Arc my family owned was my favorite toy," he read. "That one burned in the fire, but I had this replica made for your child. I hope that he likes it as much as I did. Ciel Phantomhive."
Aberline smiled. "I always did love toy ships," he reflected. "I'm sure our child will as well. And I never thought Ciel could be so thoughtful."
"I heard there were only three," the woman beside him murmured. "Two, if the one the Phantomhives had really did burn. I'm touched that he had one commissioned just for us."
Fred smiled again. "It doesn't matter what that boy says," he commented. "He's going to go far. He has more of a future than he thinks he does."
Hope you liked it! Please read and review! Not first story, but first posted. I'll have others - multi-chapter - but since I write slowly I'll only start posting them once they're at least seven chapters in. Please review!