A/N: There. This one is a lot further off canon than the last two were, which I'm pretty sure is a good thing. As a side note, why have I been doing so much Ciel/Lizzy fluff in recent times?

Title: Rose Painted Red

Author: liketolaugh

Rating: T

Pairings: Ciel/Elizabeth, Vincent/Rachel

Genre: Family/Supernatural

Warnings: AU

Summary: What if Ciel's parents lived? What if he still made the deal with the demon? Why, everything would really be quite different... Follow-up to Even So.

Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.

Vincent scowled, walking out the door. "I cannot believe Finian managed to accidentally break a walking stick," he complained to Tanaka, who chuckled at him. Ciel waved as they walked away, and Rachel cast them a slightly amused look as she waved her husband off. "I will return shortly, Ciel."

"Bye, Daddy," Ciel replied. Vincent gave Finny one last glare before the door shut behind him. He shrank away, looking humiliated. Ciel himself didn't give Finny a single look of any sort before he darted past the boy, away into the depths of the manor.

"Even the Young Master's mad at me," Finny whimpered.

Rachel swept by without a single glance.

"And the Mistress too!" He covered his face in shame.

A few hours later, he was back to his gardening duties, hiding from the radiating disapproval from the two remaining members of the Phantomhive household. Of course, he had managed to do something that would surely earn their ire anyway. Before him stood a tree, broken in half, and not cleanly.

"I did it again!" he wailed, starting to cry. "Now Sebastian'll scold me again, and the Masters will be really angry with me!" He started to cry harder at the prospect. "I was supposed to play with Master Ciel later! I can't play with him if I'm being scolded!" And Sebastian's scoldings were so scary!

He heard thumping heading toward him and he turned his head toward it tearfully. "Eh…?"

Something slammed into him. With great force. He didn't know what hit him.

Less than two hours later, Ciel poked his head back into the main hall of the mansion and his eyes widened.

Pink. Pink was everywhere. Streamers hung from the ceiling and the railings, stuffed animals lined the stairways and halls, and pink. A lot of those were pink. A lot.

He knew what was going on.

However, he didn't have the time to register it completely before something slammed into him. "Ciel!"

"Lizzy!" he yelped, but he quickly recovered into a beaming grin, easily keeping up with her as she swung him around in pure delight. "When did you get here?"

"Just two hours ago!" she laughed. Then she swept her arm out to indicate the room, still grinning. She also pointed at the three miserable-looking servants, who were just slinking into view. Bard was dressed up in a strange pink costume, and Finny was looking wilted himself in his maid outfit, complete with cat's ears. Mey-rin was eying both of them with dread. "And look! It's adorable, isn't it, Ciel? Even your servants! Look, I dressed them up all cute!"

"You did great," he told her, chuckling softly. "Especially for just two hours." He shot the three servants, mostly Finny, a grin that was a bit too cheerful to be genuine.

Just then, the door opened, and Vincent, looking over his shoulder at Tanaka, strode in. Then he turned his head back to the front and froze, mouth gaping open. Finally…

"Pink," he managed. "Why is it all pink?"

Tanaka, looking a little startled and shaken himself, strode up beside him, and his gaze fell on Elizabeth. "Ah, I believe Miss Elizabeth has decided to grace us with an unanticipated visit, my lord."

Vincent cleared his throat, unable to rip his eyes from where they roved over the new décor. "I see. When did you get here, Elizabeth? Surely Frances didn't let you go alone."

Elizabeth blushed. "I snuck away to see Ciel," she explained, smiling at the aforementioned boy, who gave her a concerned one in return. "I just arrived about two hours ago." She smiled. "Isn't the manor lovely and cute now?"

Vincent coughed. Rachel, who had just emerged to see what the commotion was, looked more amused than anything. He shot her a pleading look. She just smiled.

Suddenly, making everyone jump except Ciel, Elizabeth clapped her hands together in excitement. "I know! Now that the mansion is decorated so wonderfully, why don't we have a ball?"

Ciel's face grew slightly interested; it was only recently that his parents had actually taught him how to dance. In fact, it had only been a year, and with the Phantomhives always having been a rather antisocial family, he had attended only a very select number of social engagements since he had learned. Elizabeth had not been at any of them.

Vincent looked slightly displeased when Ciel looked to him for confirmation, and Ciel frowned in realization. "I don't know…" Ciel said slowly. They still had their game to finish, after all. He looked to his mother, who looked like she didn't mind the idea at all. In fact, she was giving Vincent a look that clearly said that she wanted him to go through with it, a look that he didn't appear to have noticed yet.

"Don't be silly, Ciel, it's perfect!" Elizabeth beamed, looking more excited by the second. "And I brought new clothes for you, you can wear them! You will, won't you? Pretty please, you'll look so wonderful in them!"

Ciel's expression, which had begun to tense with uncertainty, softened. "Of course I will," he assured her.

Vincent stepped forward, his expression stern. "Elizabeth," he warned.

Rachel stepped forward to meet him, and laid a hand on his elbow. When he raised his head to meet her gaze, she looked almost expressionless, save for a hint of forbidding that he instantly picked up on. He sighed. "Very well. Tanaka."

Tanaka bowed. "Of course, Master Vincent." He turned to begin making a few preparations.

"Mey-rin, help Lizzy get dressed," Ciel told Mey-rin. She curtsied hastily and followed Elizabeth when the girl led her into a side room, where she had, presumably, stored the dress she had, of course, brought with her. She'd probably come here intending to bring on an impromptu ball. Ciel smiled to himself; It was so like her.

While he waited, he eyed the servants calculatingly. Lizzy would most likely want to redress them for the ball… He could perhaps talk her down to something more reasonable than what they were wearing at present.

He would hide that for now, as he was still annoyed with Finny. Let them think they were stuck in them for a little while longer.

Finally, Elizabeth emerged from the room, and Ciel turned to look at her. Her dress, a bright red edged with pink, and a pink bow at her chest, looked wonderful, well-suited to her and matching the red headband she also wore perfectly. Pale pink lace edged the sleeves and neckline, among other places, he noted. Instantly, a beaming smile broke out across his face, edged with admiration. "You look great, Lizzy!"

She beamed back. "Thank you, Ciel!" Then her gaze turned calculating, as his had earlier, and she turned her gaze on the servants. "Now, for you three…"

"Later," Ciel assured her. "We can do it together."

"She's crazy," Bard muttered mutinously, tugging at the pink shirt he wore. The mutter carried easily across the wide hall and Sebastian winced. Bard frowned. "What?"

He followed Sebastian's gaze. Elizabeth was no longer monopolizing his Young Master's attention. Instead, Ciel was looking over his shoulder, eyes fixated on Bard. He was not smiling.

"Bard? Do you have something to say about Lizzy?"

His voice was neither light, nor cheerful, as it normally was. Instead, it was pitched low in ominous warning, one which was echoed in his single blue eye. Suddenly, he looked a lot more intimidating, an angry cat on the prowl, or perhaps a fox, cunning and dangerous. Bard was frozen.

Several moments passed in which nothing was said. Vincent made no move to interfere, not looking at all surprised. Rachel just looked fondly resigned, and Sebastian looked almost weary. Finny and Mey-rin were both almost squirming, both very close to being caught in the same unnerving stare that Bard was. Finally, both of them nudged Bard anxiously, jolting him enough for him to manage to choke out, "No, Young Master."

Ciel smiled, coldly casual and satisfied. "Oh, that's good." He turned back to Lizzy and resumed talking as though nothing had transpired at all.

"In addition to being the Young Master's fiancé, Miss Elizabeth has been a close friend of the Young Master's for several years now," Sebastian continued carefully, giving the trio of servants a warning look. They looked over as Ciel's parents joined the young couple at the foot of the stairs, and then Elizabeth led Ciel into a side room, chattering excitedly. He looked amused and exasperated as he nodded along, only occasionally giving a verbal assent. Finally, just before they disappeared through the door, Ciel beckoned to Sebastian, who vanished in after them.

"At the times they were allowed to be together, at either manor, they were inseparable," Tanaka added, picking up Sebastian's explanation. "Even now, they maintain an extremely close relationship." He gave them a smile that he must have attained from the Phantomhive family, it so closely resembled theirs. "Because of this, you would do well not to insult Miss Midford in the Young Master's hearing."

All three nodded frantically.

Then Finny's eyes wandered to where Ciel had disappeared with Elizabeth and grew slightly worried. "If we're just the servants and she dressed us like this… how is she going to dress her fiancé?"

All three paled.

Rachel laughed out loud. "I wouldn't be concerned," she assured them, smiling slightly. "Ciel knows how to handle Elizabeth, and she has a very specific idea of how to dress him, in any case."

"In addition, any 'cute' dressing was put an end to years ago," Vincent grumbled, eying the decorations distastefully. "Tanaka, ensure that these… embellishments… are removed as soon as possible once she leaves, won't you?"

"Of course, Master Vincent," Tanaka assured him. "I will see to it at the earliest possible opportunity."

Vincent sighed irritably and nodded. While he was glad that Ciel was more than fond of his fiancé, the fiancé herself… Well, he supposed she could be worse.

His gaze swept over the pink and the stuffed animals again.

Then again…

The door that the two children and the butler had entered opened again, and Ciel emerged. All three servants' eyes widened.

Ciel wasn't 'cute' at all; instead, he looked as dignified as ever, a soft smile on his face, and one hand holding onto Elizabeth's. His jacket, rather than a dull or dark color as he normally preferred now, was a deep blue that matched his eyes and suited him perfectly. A small pocket watch's chain, silver and shining, bridged the gap that was the opening, which exposed a soft blue shirt beneath. His pants were a dark blue that matched his coat exactly, as did the hat on his head, and a cream ribbon lay on his neck, accentuating the blue jacket. Elizabeth was smiling back at him, looking pleased.

Then three eyes, two green and one blue, turned on the servants. They paled.

The next moment, all three of them had been herded into yet another room. Elizabeth eyed them contemplatively. "More pink," she decided, turning to look at the things she'd set out.

Instantly, Ciel set himself to the admittedly lengthy task that was changing Elizabeth's mind. "I don't really think so, Lizzy. Pink looks odd on them, Bard especially, don't you think? And that cat maid costume – don't you think it would look better on Mey-rin?"

Elizabeth looked at the trio standing before them, frozen, with a gaze laden with thought. "Hm… You could be right, Ciel. That gardener, though… Finny, right?" Ciel nodded. "What about pink on him?"

Ciel set into his task with amusement, looking on as the trio gradually settled down from their terrified states. Besides, he didn't mind talking about this with Elizabeth. She enjoyed it, after all.

When they finally emerged, the three servants were enormously relieved and had regained some of their dignity. Mey-rin had managed to keep her glasses, and was wearing kitty ears along with her maid uniform. Bard was dressed in dark orange colors, and Finny in light green, accented with light pink that Ciel hadn't quite managed to talk Elizabeth out of. Ciel gave them a smirk before he returned his attention to his parents, who had apparently gone and changed.

Rachel's dress was a sky blue, light and almost floaty, with cerulean highlights in key places, including the hem and neckline. A dark blue flower was sitting proudly in her hair, standing out and complimenting her outfit nicely.

Vincent, on the other hand, was dressed in darkish green, with forest green undertones making the outfit seem more mature, not that he needed help with that – unlike Ciel. A red rose stood alone on his chest. He no longer looked quite as against the idea, nor as irritated by it as before. Actually, he was smiling slightly, eyes on Rachel with a fond look.

"Oh!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I nearly forgot!"

She smiled and reached into a pocket, and pulled out a cerulean blue eye patch that matched Ciel's outfit. "I brought this as well," she explained. "I nearly forgot."

She turned toward Ciel and reached toward the back of his head, continuing, "I want you to put this on as well, Ciel, it goes so much better with your outfit!"

He flinched away, but it was too late, and she caught hold of the string, pulling. "No!" he yelped. The eye patch, no longer held in place, fluttered partway to the ground, and Elizabeth caught it as Ciel clapped his hands over his eye, his other eye blazing. "Elizabeth!"

She froze, black eye patch hanging limply from her hand. "C-Ciel?"

"Give it back!"

The eye he allowed to remain visible was wide with panic, and he looked a little jumpy and very distressed. She stared at him with equally wide eyes. "Ciel, what's wrong? Why are you so upset, Ciel?"

He just shook his head, frozen in place. "Elizabeth!"

Vincent broke in then, supported by Rachel. "Elizabeth, just give me the eye patch." He held out his hand for it expectantly. She stared up at him, tears starting to fill her eyes.

"What did I do wrong?" she whispered, looking as if she was about to cry. "What did I do?"

Rachel's hand was firm on her shoulder. "Give Vincent the eye patch, Elizabeth. He can help Ciel put it on; Ciel doesn't want you to see his eye, that's all, Elizabeth."

Her bottom lip started to tremble, but she obediently handed over the eye patch. It was then practically snatched out of Vincent's hand by Ciel, and rapidly tied on. He stood still for a moment, looking up at his father, clearly shaken. Vincent shook his head slightly. Ciel looked down.

"I'm sorry, Ciel."

He looked up at Elizabeth, who was looking at him with sad, apologetic eyes. "I don't want you to see it," he murmured.

"I shouldn't have tried to make you," she murmured back. She still looked ready to cry, staring at the ground with watery emerald eyes, expression crushed.

Hesitantly, he leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her cheek, hoping that the gesture conveyed his forgiveness as much as his words. "It's alright," he whispered. "But please, don't do that again."

"I won't," she promised.

He smiled, soft and slow. "Then it's settled. Now that everything is over and done with…"

As if on cue, notes on a piano began to play, almost instantly followed by the beautiful sound of a violin. They both looked up, jerked out of their moment, and found Tanaka and Sebastian both playing instruments – Tanaka at the piano, and Sebastian standing up with a violin. Both of them looked at their respective masters with a wink.

Both men took their cue. Vincent acted first, bowing and offering his hand to Rachel. "My lady, may I have this dance?"

Rachel took it, a happy smile dancing across her features. "But of course. I could hardly refuse my husband, now, could I?"

They took off, beginning their slow, graceful dance around the room, lost in their own world, eyes only on each other.

Ciel did not speak; he just smiled and offered his hand to Elizabeth. She understood and took hold of it, and together they spun off. Their dance, while far less graceful than that of Ciel's parents, almost clumsy, was filled with every bit as much joy, and the smiles never left their faces as they made their way around the impromptu dance floor, not stopping for breath or break.

It wasn't long at all before the three servants, too, were caught in the joyful mood, and Bard, awkward but smiling, asked Mey-rin to join him, and they gracelessly danced along the edges, while Finny swayed happily, humming to himself contentedly, a wide smile planted firmly on his face.

Many, many hours later, the music drew to a close, the moon high in the sky. All present were tired, but pleased, and more than content with how the evening had been spent in the end.

"It was a good day, Ciel," Elizabeth murmured to him.

"I couldn't agree more, Lizzy," he replied, squeezing her hand lightly.

Then she was off to the carriage that had been summoned for her, and he waved her off, identical smiles on their faces.

"Was it worth it?" Rachel asked Vincent teasingly.

He grunted. "I suppose," he allowed. "It was a rather nice evening, in the end."

Rachel smiled at him and kissed his cheek. A goodnight later, all three of them were heading off to bed, exhausted.

Ciel sat on the edge of his bed later, already dressed in his sleepwear. He sighed tiredly, but was still smiling, seemingly unable to allow the expression to fall.

"My lord?" Sebastian asked.

Ciel 'hm'ed.

"What would you have done if Miss Elizabeth had seen the contract mark earlier this evening?"

That was all it took to wipe the smile off his face, replacing it with a stricken look. He didn't answer the question, but instead replied urgently, "That cannot be allowed to happen, Sebastian!" His eyes glittered with distress at the thought, an echo of his look earlier. "She can't find out. She can't!"

"And why not?"

He shook his head, looking upset. "I… don't know… what she'd think. What she'd do. If she'd hate me, which I couldn't bear. If she'd cry, which I would hate. Would she scream? Run? Would she be frightened? I don't know, Sebastian. But whatever happens…" His gaze flickered from frightened to determined. "It can't happen. It will not happen, Sebastian, because you will make sure of it." His eyes, purple and blue, sparkled with that determined, assertive glint that had caught Sebastian's attention more than once before. "That's an order."

Sebastian bowed low before his master. "Yes, my lord." He looked up, not rising from his place below his master, and took one of the delicate hands in his own. "For as long as you wish it, she will never know. Never will she discover the darkness of your true self, nor that of mine. Come what may, master, I will protect your secrets, no matter what they may be, no matter who you may wish to keep it from. No one will ever know; I swear it by our unholy contract, master."

"Good."

Haha! Well, I'm actually rather pleased with how that turned out. I hope you are too! Please review!