Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter. Sorry I haven't gotten around to posting it earlier. Been quite busy with work then doing family stuff and all that. But finally I got a little free time and thought I'd update! So enough of my chit-chat. Enjoy!
-Chapter Two-
Lizzie heard the sound of birds chirping outside and opened her eyes to see that Rebecca wasn't next to her. She turned her head as she slowly sat up to find her great-granddaughter over by the little reading table looking at two white boxes with pink ribbon wrapped around them.
"Grammy look," Rebecca said picking up the boxes and coming over and setting them on the bed and crawling up on it. "One has your name on it and one has my name. But who are they from?"
"Why don't you open it?" Lizzie said and Rebecca opened her box to find a beautiful pink Victorian styled dress inside similar to the red one Lizzie would wear to parties back in the day.
"Oh wow! It's pretty Grammy!" Rebecca said as she jumped down to the floor and held it up in front of her and twirled around once before looking to the other one and set her dress down on the end of the bed before helping Lizzie open hers to find a matching red one exactly as Lizzie used to wear back in the day.
"Wow! Yours is beautiful too! Who could've left these?"
Lizzie didn't say anything as she ran her hands over the soft fabric of the red dress. It was no doubt Ciel's doing. Only he would know the type of dress she wore back then that she loved so much for parties.
"Breakfast is ready," Margret spoke up as she gave a knock on the door and came in to see the dresses. "Oh my. Where did these come from?"
"They were on the table when I woke up," Rebecca spoke up as she showed her mother. "Aren't they pretty?"
"Yes they're quite lovely," she replied looking at her daughter's dress then went over to her grandmother and looked at hers. She wasn't sure where they had come from either. "Come. Let's get you both something to eat first before we have to get ready for the party."
"Can I wear the dress for the party Mum?"
"I suppose you can wear it," she replied as a couple of servants came in carrying breakfast on trays and she took the dress from her grandmother and set it to the side on the reading chair so it wouldn't get ruined.
"Yay! And Grammy, you'll wear yours right?"
"Of course," Lizzie replied looking to the dress and gave a soft smile. "Come and eat now dear."
"Lady Margret there's someone at the door," one of the servants said to Margret as she busied herself later that afternoon getting last minute preparations done for the party with the other servants decorating and preparing the food and cake.
"Oh?" Margret asked confused as the guests weren't to be arriving for another half hour at minimum. "Who is it?"
"A boy ma'am."
"Boy?" Now this intrigued her. She recalled her daughter said she'd talked to a boy yesterday.
Following the servant to the door, Margret stopped short of the door as the servant invited the boy in with a tall man standing beside him.
"My lady," the man said wearing an old fashioned butler's tailcoat from the century past and gave a slight bow. "I'm Sebastian Michaelis, butler to my lord, Ciel Phantomhive." He nodded towards the boy standing beside him wearing a blue old fashioned outfit like he used to wear back in the day himself with his top hat tilted to the side on his head slightly. In his hand was the old fashioned walking cane he used to have and his right eye covered by his usual black eye patch.
"C-Ciel Phantomhive?" Margret blinked recognizing the name of her grandmother's old fiancee she used to talk about. "But..."
"My great-grandfather yes," Ciel spoke up in a regal manner. "I was named after him." She wouldn't have believed him if he had said he was the real Ciel Phantomhive that Lizzie knew as a child. That and Sebastian had suggested to keep a low profile on the other humans about so as to not cause a huge stir. It had been one of the fundamental things Sebastian had taught him as the years went on.
"Ah I see," Margret replied pulling her brows together a little studying the young boy then Sebastian. "But from what I've heard from my grandmother was that Ciel, your great-grandfather, disappeared when he was just a boy. No one heard from him again."
"Yes, well, matters came up and he wanted to travel some then settled down elsewhere where no one knew him," Ciel replied nonchalantly. Sebastian only gave a slight glance down at Ciel knowing he was making it up.
Margret gave a puzzled look remembering back to what Lizzie had said about right after her fiancee, Ciel, had left with a note card reading that he'd died at just thirteen years old and a piece of candy from his factory given to everyone. But obviously he couldn't have died as this young Ciel was standing here before her. Though she recalled the pictures Lizzie had had of Ciel then. The boy looked a spitting image of him, right down to the eye patch. But it had to be coincidence since her own daughter looked the spitting image of Lizzie as well.
"Well, then what brings you here Ciel?" she asked curiously.
"I heard it was Lady Elizabeth's birthday today," Ciel replied with a smile. "My great-grandfather would've loved to wish her happy birthday but he died a long time ago. But his last wish was to say happy birthday once more."
"Oh...well...then...I'm sure she'll be more than happy to accept it from you," Margret replied with a smile. "She and Rebecca are upstairs getting ready but they'll be down soon. The guests should start arriving soon themselves but feel free to make yourself at home."
"Thank you my lady," Sebastian said giving a slight bow as Ciel tipped his hat slightly.
"Do you want me to inform Elizabeth that you're here?" Margret asked?
"No. I'd rather prefer it to be a surprise if you will," Ciel replied with a slight smile before he and Sebastian headed towards the tables set up where the guests would be sitting.
Lizzie looked at her guests as Margret wheeled her in her wheelchair towards the tables where they all mingled together talking. She gave a smile as several of her guests turned and wished her happy birthday and commented on her dress.
"Oh it's very lovely," one of the other ladies spoke up.
"And a matching one for Rebecca too. How wonderful," another lady smiled.
"Thank you," Lizzie replied with a smile, her snow white hair braided slightly to the side and running down to her lap.
She mingled amongst the guests for a while thanking them for the birthday wishes and smiling at Rebecca showing off her dress that everyone loved. Just before the cake was to be brought out and cut, a servant cleared his throat and everyone turned towards the stairs coming down to the lobby area where he stood a few steps up.
"What's going on?" Lizzie asked in a whisper when Margret turned her chair towards the stairs.
"You'll see."
"I'd like to introduce a special guest for Lady Elizabeth," the servant announced once everyone was hushed down. "Please welcome Lord Phantomhive."
Ciel started down the stairs regally as he used to do back in the day with his hand on the banister and cane in the other hand from the second floor then down the steps facing Lady Elizabeth, who stared wide eyed. Sebastian followed right behind him.
Stopping in front of Lizzie, Ciel gave a humorous smirk at the shocked look on her face before taking his hat off and placing it in front of him and giving a slight bow like in the olden days. "Lady Elizabeth," he said as he stood back up straight from the bow. He slid a glance towards Rebecca also staring in surprise at seeing them again. "Lady Rebecca."
"C-Ciel?" Lizzie asked in a surprised whisper. "Is that really you?"
"He died a long time ago," Ciel replied well aware of the stares from the others around. "My great-grandfather that is that I'm named after."
Lizzie blinked as she slid her gaze up to Sebastian's familiar face who only gave a slightly mischievous smile of old. She realized then that everyone would think she was crazy if she said that this was the real Ciel and Sebastian she grew up with. And also that Ciel was playing up the part of saying he was the great-grandson of the Ciel she knew for others' sakes. Though she didn't understand how it was he had not aged a day since he'd disappeared. She'd thought of many reasons why he'd disappeared but thought she'd never see him again to ask.
"What brings you here?" she asked him as she straightened herself in her chair again.
"My great-grandfather wanted to give a last dance as his last wish," Ciel replied putting his top hat back on and extended his hand in offering towards her. She blinked then reached her aged hand up and placed it in his.
"Lizzie," Margret spoke up in a slightly worried tone as Lizzie went to stand from her chair with help from Ciel.
"Margret I'm fine," Lizzie replied as she stood a little uneasily and Ciel supported her easily. "I may be old but I have one last dance in me."
"Sebastian," Ciel said throwing a glance towards the red eyed demon and handed him his cane.
"Yes, my lord," Sebastian replied as he turned and went back towards the stairs, set the cane down, and pulled out a violin and stood up on the stairs and raised it to his chin and started playing an old fashioned waltz piece.
Placing his hand at her waist and other hand holding hers, she placed her hand on his shoulder and gave a slight gasp when he gave a slight smile and she felt a slight strength return to her body so she didn't feel as weak. Then with an ease, he easily danced a waltz with her around the area as everyone watched on awestruck.
As Sebastian finished the song and they finished the dance, Ciel led her back to her chair and helped her sit. Margret put a hand on her shoulder in a silent gesture to see if she was okay but Lizzie just smiled as she placed a hand over her granddaughter's.
"Thank you Ciel for that dance," she replied with a smile but a little exhausted now that the strength she felt from before slowly started to fade. "It brought me back to the days when we used to dance at parties."
"It was my pleasure to give a last dance," Ciel replied giving a slight gentleman's bow to her. Lizzie knew her other guests would certainly think that Ciel was giving the dance as a last request for his 'great-grandfather' but knew otherwise and left it at that.
"Rebecca?" Lizzie turned to look at her great-granddaughter.
"Yes Grammy?"
"Why don't you have a dance as well?" She looked to Ciel who only raised an eyebrow then nodded and held his hand out for Rebecca. She blinked looking at his hand then Lizzie before placing her hand in his and Ciel led her several steps away before Sebastian started up playing again and Ciel danced a waltz with her.
Once finished, Ciel gave a slight bow as a gentleman of his time did and Rebecca gave a giggle and curtsied before going back to her mother and great-grandmother. Sebastian brought Ciel's cane back to him after setting the violin down and everyone started chattering again as the cake was brought out.
Passing up on the cake, Sebastian and Ciel watched from the side as everyone got some and talked and mingled around while Lizzie laughed and smiled like Ciel always remembered. "Someone misses the days of old does he not?" Sebastian spoke up quietly throwing his gaze down to the smaller boy.
"Hmph," Ciel only replied as he crossed his arms over his chest leaning back against the wall they were standing by.
"I thought so," Sebastian replied with a smirk as Ciel gave him a slight glare and his showing eye flashed red for a brief second before back to blue. Sebastian knew that was his way without saying that Sebastian was right just like he used to not answer him and hide behind papers or turn his attention to something else when Sebastian had asked him a question back in the days of old.
As evening set in and the guests started to say their goodbyes and leave, Lizzie spotted Ciel and Sebastian still off to the side. She had Margret wheel her over to them.
"Why don't you two stay tonight as my guests?" Lizzie said making Margret, Sebastian, and Ciel all blink in surprise.
"We'd be honored my lady," Sebastian said after a moment with a smile. Ciel looked up at him in disbelief before composing himself and nodded in agreement with Sebastian.
Getting a servant's attention, Lizzie had them go fix up one of the extra guest rooms right away. Once it was done, Ciel and Sebastian were shown to the room while Lizzie went to her room to relax.
"It hasn't changed much," Ciel said as he went over to the window where the same colored heavy drapes hung from back when he'd lived in the mansion. He'd noticed a lot of the other artwork and furniture had been left as is like back in the day as well. There had been a few things here and there that had been put in to replace some outdated items like having the chandeliers rewired to using electric instead of candles and an elevator not too much further from the main staircase that Lizzie used to go up and down in her wheelchair.
"So it seems," Sebastian nodded in agreement.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door and a servant came in. "Lady Elizabeth wishes to speak with you sir. I can show you to her room if you wish."
"That's quite alright," Ciel replied and the servant nodded and left.
Throwing a glance towards Sebastian, Ciel turned and headed for the door with the red eyed demon following behind him down the hall where Lizzie's room was. It had been Ciel's old room from way back then.
"Come in," Lizzie's voice spoke up from the other side when Sebastian knocked at the door.
Going inside, Sebastian shut the door behind him after opening it for Ciel and walked across the room to where Lizzie sat in her reading chair still in her dress they'd gotten her. The little white deer was sitting her lap and she was looking down at it.
"Ciel," she sighed before looking up towards him and Sebastian. "Sebastian. I-I don't know what to say seeing you here before me. But I wanted to say thank you."
"For what Lady Elizabeth?" Sebastian asked.
"For the gifts." She gave a pause and looked to Ciel. "And for the last dance. It made me feel young again." She gave another pause then gave a confused look. "But I have some questions. Why did you leave back then? How is it you are not touched with age?"
"Why did I leave?" Ciel asked glancing to Sebastian then brought his right hand up to his eye patch and pulled it off, opening his right eye that still retained Sebastian's seal. Lizzie gave a slight gasp at it. "The reason I had to leave was because I had to. When my parents were murdered, I was kidnapped and taken away to be used for some cult's ritual. Before they had a chance to kill me, I contracted with Sebastian."
"Contracted?"
"In exchange for exacting revenge, I would get his soul to eat," Sebastian replied pulling off his left glove revealing the other half of his contract as his eyes glowed red. "You see, I'm a demon."
"I see," Lizzie replied finally putting all the pieces together all the times Sebastian did something odd or always seeming to come to the rescue and why he didn't seem too far from Ciel's side.
"Though when I did exact my revenge, Claude obviously got a hold of my soul first," Ciel spoke up.
"Claude?"
"Claude Faustus. Alois Trancy's butler who was also a demon."
"Ah. Then he too was contracted like you?" Ciel nodded. "Is he still alive like you?"
"No. He died before I left the mansion that final time," Ciel replied. "Sebastian got my soul back between the time I disappeared for a bit and you wanting to go find that white deer you so wanted to find. But somewhere in between everything, I had no memories of most of the events that had happened for the previous couple of years."
"Ah. So that's why you seemed a little different. I wondered what went on."
"Yes that's what happened. But I regained them all by time Alois tried all his stunts against Sebastian and me." He slid a glance towards Sebastian then back to Lizzie. "Claude had it in mind of stealing me away from Sebastian and used Alois' soul to try to confuse me but in the end it didn't work. But strange to say, Alois' soul had taken over my body and made a contract with Hannah, another demon, which resulted in me being as I am today."
"And what was that?"
"For neither Claude or I to ever be able to eat Ciel's soul," Sebastian spoke up as his eyes gleamed a bit more red that usual. "And for that to happen, she turned Ciel into a demon like me."
"A demon?" Lizzie asked looking to Ciel with wide eyes. Ciel only gave a nod before his eyes flashed to the same gleaming crimson that Sebastian's did before returning to blue with the seal on his right eye still.
"And because my last order as human before Alois made the contract with Hannah was that Sebastian would be my butler until he consumes every last bit of my human soul," Ciel started to say.
"I am bound to him for all eternity," Sebastian finished his eyes flashing the glowing red once more. "I cannot go against any orders he gives."
"So that's why you started wearing all black after that before leaving," Lizzie spoke up. "I wondered why you did so. You always looked better in blue to match your eyes." She gave a slight pause. "You left because you would no longer age."
"Correct," Ciel replied. "I am as such for all eternity a demon."
"I see. Everyone thought you'd died as your note card said," Lizzie said reaching over to the little box sitting on the reading table and opened it and pulled out the note card from then she'd kept all those years. "Everyone was confused and sad and missed you so."
"Tell me though, how did you come to live here? I left everything to Tanaka and the others," Ciel spoke up a little confused after a moment of silence passed between them.
"Tanaka knew how much you meant to me and since he was getting older, gave me everything before he died," Lizzie replied. "I inherited everything when I was eighteen."
"Why didn't you get rid of it? You had the Midford's inheritance too," Ciel asked.
"Because even though everyone thought you'd died, I still had hope that one day you might return. I don't know why, but I had a feeling you were still out there somewhere. Even after all these years so I guess deep down when I saw the white deer you got me that Rebecca gave me, I knew it was you." She gave a soft smile as she gave the deer in her hands a little squeeze as she leveled her gaze at Ciel. "But even though I always thought you were out there, I still had to move on with my life. I got married, had children, and it all fell into place until now."
A sudden knock on the door got all their attentions as Margret opened the door with a servant. "I'm sorry to intrude Grandmother but you really should be heading to bed," Margret spoke up as Ciel closed his right eye quickly to hide the contract's seal. "Especially after you having danced earlier with Ciel." She gave a slight soft smile towards the boy. "Though you appeared to be having a good time so I didn't want to interfere."
"I suppose so," Lizzie replied with a sigh as she started to get up a little wobbly and Margret and the servant went over to help her to her bed. She gave a look towards Ciel and Sebastian. "Thank you again, both of you, for giving this old woman a smile."
Nodding, both Sebastian and Ciel excused themselves and went back down to the room where they would stay for the night. "One hundred twenty six," Ciel mused to himself as he went over to stand looking out the window at the full moon's light shining down from the black sky above onto the large yard below. "I didn't think she'd stick it out this long quite honestly."
"Humans have odd ways of hanging onto life," Sebastian replied as Ciel came over to the edge of the bedside and helped him out of his outfit and into a plain black shirt and lounge pants he created using his magic. Then he helped Ciel into bed and tucked him in just like he used to and set his eye patch on the nightstand there and hung up his clothes in the wardrobe like back then. He then changed into a similar black shirt and lounge pants himself, taking care of his own clothes, and clicked off the light and lay down on the other side of the large bed from Ciel to get some rest where Ciel was already starting to drift off to sleep.
Well there's the chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. I know that in the manga they say that demons don't sleep but I hadn't read the manga when I started writing this. (sweatdrop) So I just went with this.
Anyways, thanks for the patience as I get this up and going. Now if only I can get my muses to work more. (glares at them) But again, I'm doing my best to get my stories written for everyone! Any and all comments, reviews, etc are wonderful! Thanks again for reading! (hands out cookies to everyone)
