Chapter Four

I awoke abruptly, my head having found it's way to a pillow, a hand on my arm. Ciel seemed to be asleep, the house was silent, and Sebastian was nowhere to be found. I wonder where he went. I soon saw him in the corner in a large armchair, a smile playing across his lips. He got up and walked over, loosening Ciel's grip on my arm, picking me up with ease, my broken ribs protesting less than before, stealing me from the room. He took me down into the basement, pitch black though a little sunlight shone through a small window in the back.

I held my breath as I was laid on a cold slab of stone, the cold semi-helping. I heard Sebastian run off, probably grabbing supplies. He came back a few minutes later, holding a lot of gauze and an eye patch. He reached his hand out hesitantly, but I sat up, and knowing what needed doing, I slipped the shirt off my shoulders, Sebastian quickly getting to work. I hated being a girl at this point. At least nothing was completely awkward. As soon as he had bandaged me up well, I slid my shirt back on, feeling the pain slowly letting up. Next, he went to my head, bandaging it up well also. Finally, the eye patch. I felt a little spooked wearing an eye patch exactly like Ciel's, but I knew people would say unsightly things otherwise.

I hopped down from the table lightly, refusing the help from Sebastian as I strode up the stairs once more in confident stride, heading into my room and shutting the door. I then noticed a suitcase on the bed, with a note saying, "Love you, Mother and Father." I opened it up to find a couple skirts, and one pair of pants. I slid the suitcase under my bed, determined to have a nap after all that happened today. Crawling under the covers, I fell into a deep slumber.

I woke up back in Ciel's room, to a similar scenario from before, as Sebastian sat in the chair across the room. It looked as if he were grinning. Oh yeah, I kind of forgot Ciel was there, holding my broken rib together along with the bandage, with little pain to me. I was just content to take a nap, hopefully be rid of my parents for a while…

But no sooner did I think that, Sebastian came over, crouching down and whispering in my ear, "Your parents told me you have two older sisters. Is that true?" I thought back to every dance occasion we had or had been invited to, with their fancy ball gowns and my ratty skirt and corset because Mother refused me otherwise. I nodded, feeling a tear slip quickly. Ciel seemed to stir beneath the covers, sitting up gently, pulling me up along with him. He looked at me, his eyes wide. I sat up straight, refusing to cry in front of... friends.

Ciel gazed at me softly, quietly saying, "It's just you?" He paused, I nodded. He continued saying, "Like a modern Cinderella." I looked at him curiously, having no idea what he was talking about. He looked surprised. "You don't know about Cinderella?" I shook my head, saying, "I have cruel parents." It hurt my head, but it was worth it, as it seemed to interrupt his thoughts, his gaze widening significantly. "Seriously?" I nodded, the pain slowly dissipating. He sat there thoughtfully, taking his time to figure out what to say.

After about five minutes, he spoke. "Cinderella had two sisters and an evil step-mother that made her a servant of the family. One day, they were going to a ball, and she wasn't allowed to go. But a fairy godmother granted her a gown and a carriage and she went to the ball in disguise. The prince seemed to have fallen in love with her at the ball, but she had to get back by midnight before everything disappeared. She lost her glass slipper along the way, and the prince used it to find her, discovering that she was a maid. Her family was outraged, but she ended up marrying the prince and living happily ever after in the end." I soaked this new bit of information in, hearing how similar it was compared to my own story. He then looked me over, quietly saying, "We should see if you could stay with us." I nodded, the tears still in my eyes. I quietly said, "If I went back they'd kill me." Sebastian and Ciel nodded, Sebastian saying, "They told me they tried to kill you." I nodded, the fact coming to light that my own parents hated that I was alive. Thanks mother and father, you ruined my happiness. I cleared my throat, catching the attention of Ciel. Since I had chosen to hide a pair of jeans in my suitcase, it was what I was wearing now. I lifted up the left side, his eyes holding tears as he saw the slicing of where I had cut myself, some of them still fresh and new. His fingers traced over each one, each time making me more worried he would hate me. After he finished, my jeans returned to their original state, my eyes holding sincerity in whatever he chose to tell me. He hugged me fiercely, letting my tears flow quietly as Hannah came into the room, her gaze seeming to know what went on. Though I didn't tell her much about what happened when my parents came into my room, she probably already knew what went on, though I never screamed or cried, or even made a sound.

She sat down next to me, slowly taking in the bruises on my arms. She seemed afraid to speak, to ruin the moment I was having. I did have a question though. "Sebastian?" He looked up at me, confusion running through his gaze. "Yes?" I took a deep breath, quietly asking, "What happened to my parents?" The pain seemed to have dissipated, so talking was a little bit easier. He looked surprised, saying, "They went home. And I convinced them to never come back." I put my head down, quietly saying, "Thank you." He nodded, saying, "My master ordered me to make sure they left and never came back. It is only my job. If I couldn't handle them, then what kind of butler would I be?" I looked up, meeting his gaze, saying, "A darn hell of a butler still." He laughed, saying, "I couldn't have said it better myself."