A/N: And the next chapter. Good news, I got another idea for a story. Bad news, it wasn't one of the ones I should probably be updating. UGH. I'm working on it, I promise!

Title: Ethereal

Author: liketolaugh

Rating: K+

Pairings: Rachel/Vincent, onesided Madam Red/Vincent, and onesided various!characters/Ciel, Ciel/Elizabeth

Genre: Oh, god, I don't know. Family/Romance?

Warnings: This could easily be counted as excessive fangirling... that wasn't my intention. Promise! Oh, and implied pedophilia, too.

Summary: The darkly enticing Vincent Phantomhive came first. Then was the bright, happy Rachel Phantomhive. And finally the purely enchanting son, Ciel. But they all shared one quality. They were spellbinding - ethereal, one could say...

Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.

Not all those who were stricken by the sight of the Phantomhives liked them, though. In fact, the very next victim was Edward Midford, well known for his strong dislike of the youngest Phantomhive.

Edward had first met the family soon after Ciel and Elizabeth's marriage was arranged.

"Now, listen well, Edward. This is very important, so be sure to make nice with the Phantomhives," his mother had told him firmly, fussing over his and Elizabeth's appearances.

Edward sighed, trying vainly to bat away his mother's hands. "Yes, mother."

Their unusually tense father jumped as the carriage slowed to a stop. "Oh, we're here!"

In front of them, the large, illustrious Phantomhive manor loomed.

There, he and his family (or his sister, anyway) had met the Phantomhives for the first time, and Edward was stricken by the aura they gave off.

They were early, as usual, and the Phantomhives weren't quite prepared for them when Tanaka showed them in. Rachel (Lady Phantomhive, Edward reminded himself) was, like his own mother only minutes before, fussing over Ciel, trying to make him look neater, while Lord Phantomhive was kneeling in front of his son to talk to him at eye level. The little boy was nodding, frustrating his mother as she tried to arrange his hair better.

That, in itself, would have been fairly normal. Should have been fairly normal. But with this family... it wasn't.

Because each one of them, despite their slightly flustered look, gave off an unforgettable, unearthly air. An air of unattainable perfection. Lady Phantomhive's frustration only served to highlight her face, Lord Phantomhive retained an air of dignity even on his knees, and the still slightly messy boy was still enchantingly cute.

Edward looked down at his adorable, fidgeting sister, and somehow, he knew that if she married Ciel, Elizabeth would become one of them.

Otherworldly, beautiful, but completely out of reach.

He knew, in that moment, that he didn't want his sister to be a Phantomhive.

To protect his sister from that fate was a task he set himself to for years afterward, even as he watched his sister grow up. And as she grew up, she grew to be like them - grew into a perfection greater than that of a little china doll.

In the end, it was all for naught. After he was witness to the couple's first kiss, he knew that, really, it was inevitable.

His little sister smiled, and for once, so did Ciel. Slowly, in unison, both of them leaned forward, eyes closed, and their lips met.

In the end, Elizabeth was always going to be a Phantomhive.

There you go! I know Edward is a little iffy, but I wanted to involve Elizabeth and I couldn't do her because she is (or will be, anyway) a Phantomhive, so I did this. Now we have an alternative explanation for Edward's irrational hatred of Ciel! Review? Please?