((Thanks for holding through with me on this cliff hanger you guys! Sorry if the last chapter, or even this chapter aren't as good as I promised, but I'm trying to make up for any chapter I won't update this weekend))
She sat down in a chair, having to sit just a few feet away from the woman that had the power to ruin her whole life and still did. She tried as hard as she could to avoid eye contact with woman.
Her long blonde hair was pulled into a tight french braid and her bright blue eyes looked Ciel and her over like there was no way she could have lost anyone in her life. Like she was innocent and had never done any wrong-doing in her life.
"So, Kimmy, I certainly see why you returned to England, I was talking with my little nephew here, though. It seems you have neglected to mention me in any way." she said this all with a smile on her face that would seem sweet to anyone. But Kimberly knew better. It wasn't a real smile and she knew it.
"Yes, I have, I didn't think we would ever be getting a visit from you, seeing how much you despised England. I didn't think it to be necessary," she explained, attempting to sound emotionless like Ciel did so often, but her voice betrayed her and every bit of her anxiety about the very being of the woman was shown in her words.
Sebastian noticed this, glancing at Kimberly and then looking at the woman who had introduced herself as Lady Elise, calling herself Kimberly and Ciel's aunt.
"I have been shown documents and paperwork that prove she is who she says she is," Ciel said, glancing at Kimberly for a moment and then looking back at his supposed aunt, "You are welcome to stay here in the Phantomhive manor for as long as you will be staying."
"Thank you, Ciel. I've always been told you were a good child, I didn't think you were so hospitable," she said, smiling at him. Though she didn't stand and she hardly looked at Kimberly when she spoke up.
"How long will you be with us, Aunt?" She asked, hoping it wouldn't be long. She wasn't sure how long she could bare treading over glass with the woman around.
"Oh not too long, I will be out of your hair in no time at all! I simply wished to see my darling nephew and niece!" she said, her smile growing wider which only caused Ciel to nod in her direction and for Kimberly to shudder slightly at the very thought.
"Well if you don't mind, I should be going now," Kimberly said, standing up quickly and moving to leave the room, only stopped when Ciel called for her to.
"Kimberly, why don't you take our aunt with you? I have more work to do, and Sebastian cannot fix dinner when he is being badgered." he said, watching his sister carefully.
Kimberly turned around and faked a smile and nodded, "Of course, I'd be delighted to wander the manor with our aunt," she said, meaning it to sound more sarcastic than it did.
With that, however, she got stuck wandering aimlessly in awkward silence with her aunt, cringing when she saw the woman raise her hand to admire the texture of something. She couldn't stand being in the same country as the woman, much less the same hallway. She couldn't keep her thoughts under control, worrying about the real reason the woman had come to visit them all the way in England. She wanted to speak up about it, but she was afraid of saying anything and then having the Aunt Elise she knew come back. Finally, she gathered up the courage to say something to her.
She stopped in her tracks and stared at the woman, narrowing her eyes slightly and spoke, "What's the real reason you came here?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Why, Whatever are you talking about, Kimmy? I already told you-"
"I know what you told me. What I want to know is the truth. Why are you really here? You wouldn't actually want to come see us," she said, trying to keep a good distance from her but still be near enough she could easily read into her expressions. But there was no need for reading her expressions, the moment she said that, she was practically an open book.
Her face contorted into disgust and she looked at her with pure hatred in her eyes. "It is true, when you knew me, I would have rather died than be anywhere near you or this family again," her face softened some, some of the hatred leaving her eyes, but not all the way, "Can't you just accept that I have changed? I'm allowed to change, aren't I?" she asked, her voice changing too, matching the expression she was trying desperately to make.
Kimberly stepped back just slightly and kept her glare trained on the woman, "No. I don't believe you changed. You still hate me, you hate us. Ever since Uncle died, you have never looked at this family any differently and you never will. I want you gone. Stay away from my little brother, or trust me, you won't need to hate us any longer." she said, attempting the threatening tone she had heard so often used on her.
The woman laughed a bit, soft and quietly at first, then it quickly turned louder and more maniacal. She stopped giggling after a little bit and grinned at her, the dark, disgusted look still there as she looked at her with a hard look. "I'm not about to leave, Kimmy Darling. I have work here I need to complete, then, I will gladly leave you here alone to grieve," she said with a smirk before walking back the way they came, pushing past Kimberly on her way past.
Kimberly frowned and let her walk away, turning to watch her leave for only a few moments and then turned back to think about what she said. What was she talking about? What did she mean she was going to leave her alone to grieve? She shook her head and moved on from the thought, though she couldn't help but to ponder on the thought as she walked the empty halls, taking the long way back to her room. For a few moments she could have sworn she could have heard a tone of tease in her voice, but she might have simply imagined it, her memory morphing to match her paranoia.
She hurried back to her room, not wanting to be caught in the halls and scolded by Sebastian again and maneuvered her way into her room without any sound. Though the second the door clicked shut, she heard a voice at the other side of the room, though it wasn't exactly the one she was expecting.
"My lady, I apologize for intruding, but I believe you have a bit of explaining to do, don't you?" Sebastian's deep voice purred from across the room, behind her.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself and slowly turned around to look at him, still expecting him to be several yards away, when in reality, he was so close she could trace the details of his perfectly sculpted face with her eyes. She placed a smile on her face, trying to seem as happy as she could to fake the emotion thoroughly so that he didn't see through her facade.
"Whatever do you mean Sebastian? You already know everything about me, I am an open book. You know that." she said with a smile, gracefully sidestepping him to walk around him, but was cut off by him quickly stepping in her way.
"Is that so, my lady? Then tell me," his face got so close to hers that they shared the same air, "Why are you hiding something?" he asked, his face serious, which was actually more nerve-racking than if he were upset with her. He grabbed her waist, his hand fitting into the small of her back as he pulled her to him so his face was closer and he could stop her from moving away.
Kimberly blushed and looked up at him wildly, unsure of the situation and frowned slightly, trying to feign confusion, "Sebastian, you must be feeling quite daring today. You wouldn't have advanced on me if you weren't. I told you, I'm not hiding anything." she said, trying to sound persistent but her voice quivered only slightly, only so much that she was sure he couldn't have heard.
Sebastian lifted her chin up so that she would look him directly in the eyes, "You are avoiding the question, my lady, I would rather not force you to speak, as my young master seems to be rather tightly tied to you, but if it means keeping my lord safe, I will do so gladly and with a smile on my face." he threatened with the artificial smile he mastered so long ago.
At this, Kimberly seemed to crack, her voice squeaking when she answered him at last, "What do you mean 'keep him safe'? He isn't in any trouble, is he?" she asked, her expression changing to a helpless sort of look, biting her bottom lip in a guilty conscience way. She knew this was a dead give away for her keeping something from him, but it was a force of habit.
"That is what I am trying to find out, my lady, but if you don't tell me the cause of your feelings toward your aunt, then I cannot keep my master safe from harm efficiently," he explained, looking down at her and down into her eyes, his grip on her tightening as he added in a growling voice, "So I advise you to tell me before I force you to."
Kimberly looked at him for a long time before forcing her chin out of his grip and pulling away from him, "Get off of me, Sebastian…" she growled out, trying to keep silent and figure out the right thing to do before spilling all her secrets to him. All the guilt and fear she felt caused by the woman who now took shelter inside the manor.
Her struggle was effortless as he only moved to force her against her bedroom wall, looking down at her, his eyes glowing fuchsia for a moment before returning to their crimson color and said in a voice that was gentle, not matching how roughly he held her to keep her from getting away again. "Tell me. Your brother could get hurt if you don't."
She found that struggling was futile, stopping with her struggling and thought over his words for a few moments before looking away from him and forcing a strong voice, "My aunt is a horrible woman. There is no doubt in my mind that Ciel needs to be protected from her…" she said, hoping this would satisfy Sebastian's need for knowledge, but when he kept her pinned, she knew he wanted to know everything.
"She is not to be trusted. My aunt was - is - a horrible woman, with a twisted sense of humor and a clouded vision, seeing the Phantomhive family as a despicable evil that needs to be cleansed from the world. She was like that ever since my Uncle died. She blamed his death on me and never treated me the same after his death…" she tried to relive the memories without emotion, but her voice betrayed her and her voice cracked from the tears she was holding back, "I was constantly told over and over again how much I was to blame for his death, even though I loved him. He was like a father to me when mine sent me away and then died. I was happy until he died, but when he did I was always to blame for everything that happened in the manor. Nothing could be a simple mistake or accident, nothing was simply the wind or even just an animal. Being punished brutally, I still have scars from when I was punished for even the stupidest of things." she said, seemingly finished. She still didn't look up at Sebastian when she said, "She needs to be destroyed. I will not allow her to harm the only true family I have left."
She lifted her face, tears having yet to fall down her cheeks. They still brimmed her eyes, on the verge of spilling over. Though she found that when she looked up, the unexpected happened. Sebastian's lips crashed into hers.
Her eyes widened as she realized what had just happened, too shocked to kiss him back at first, though she slowly found herself welcoming the love, wrapping her arms around him and closing her eyes, kissing him back as she felt his arms wrap around her.
((Sorry about not updating as quickly as I normally do, I hope you guys like this chapter, comment and favorite if you want!))
