Disclaimer: I do not own the Kuroshitsuji

A/N: So...after a few weeks, I finally decided to start writing again. This chapter is a collaboration with the amazing StickieBun13 and myself. I'm sorry for fading in and out. School is in the way, the stress and other drama took a toll on myself, so it was it difficult to do anything creative. I hope you enjoy this.


The hospital Grell was being nursed in was far from the residential district. It was a large manor converted into a medical facility, an old building with new technology. Surrounding it were the grounds where several Shinigami, whether they be part of the medical staff or apprentices, were resting and enjoying the autumnal season. The green lawn was as grand as the building, spanning for a few hundred yards before ending at a street. Ronald bundled himself up in his scarf as he gave a glance back to see the hospital for a brief moment.

Clouds loomed over it, giving it a gloomy setting. He grimaced and quickly ran across the street, barely missing an automobile. He hopped onto the sidewalk and went down the street from there, going west.

A breeze picked up but he ignored it.

A group of children ran by.

A couple were sitting at a bench near the park.

A man bumped his shoulder and offered no apology.

It was as though the deaths of his friends was a distant thing and that life did not stop to mourn or even pay respects. His eyes were cast down to the ground where the red and yellow leaves were scattered before him. He stepped over some, crushing them without care. He felt alone in this world, but he will not stay this way if there were answers to all this. The Authorities would do nothing more than to take care of Williams body and the Ministry would care less for what happened that night; there was not enough evidence to open this into a full investigation in Grell's defense, but there was enough to accuse him.

With Grell's record, the poor man may be charged for murdering William; he feared that would be the case once Grell was released from the hospital. But for now, Ronald was the only one questioning everything. Eric. If he said Eric returned, no one would believe him; he found it hard to believe this himself.

He clenched the copper key in his pocket and pressed on.

The journey brought him to the steps of William's manor. It was situated quite far from most residents, both physically and spiritually; it felt unwelcoming and cold, just like its previous owner. The home was modeled after the Victorian style in the Human Realm and was recently built; William had only purchased the property a few months ago. Before, he lived with Grell until the man turned into Jack the Ripper, prompting him to move elsewhere. Ronald looked up and around the area, making sure that no one would see him enter. He would rather search the place undisturbed.

As William failed to have any direct family or anyone in particular, just as Grell had little to no visitors, Ronald was given everything as entrusted by the Ministry to be one of William's closest friends. It was typical for personal belongings to be handed down to the nearest person, or coworker, should an inevitable fate were to occur within the Dispatch Society. Ronald had little to no idea what he would do with William's property as he was given Eric and Alan's apartment in the more populated area; he kept that place clean out of respect, what ever could he do with a manor?

He unlocked the door and entered, his hand reached for a light switch and immediately flipped it. He found the place in disarray, as if William had gone as mad as the journal's writing said he did. The entrance had paintings that were torn off the walls, the furniture was upturned, and there were numerous papers scattered about the floor. He saw the chandelier above his head to be barely hanging from the ceiling, it threatened to fall any moment.

A lamp nearby had fallen and its glass cover and bulb shattered, leaving shards across the entrance. Ronald gently kicked away the lamp by the bar and observed his surroundings for a bit longer. There were no marks of a demon but there was definitely signs of some sort of struggle. His eyes drifted to the stairs; its banister was smashed through halfway up the steps. He was surprised there was no bloodshed anywhere.

Something terrible must have happened.

His hand went to his belt to rest on the switchblade he often carried on his person, he didn't take it out but he had his hand there, just in case. He ventured into the living room; it was in disarray as well with books scattered all over the place. He glanced at the coffee table and saw a myriad of pill dispensers. He approached them and picked up one, some still had the red tablets still inside, others were opened with missing caps.

"Scarlet," he murmured. He could hardly imagine what the Authorities would do if they decided to have a look in the manor. He tossed the dispenser into the pile. It clattered as he went into another room that lacked a door.

His hand touched the wall, running onto the wallpaper gingerly, until he found a switch. He flipped it and the lights flickered on and off before deciding to stay on. He was stunned and bewildered that this room was left untouched by the chaos and darkness of the manor.

It was one of pure white, like it was a room in another space and time, isolated from any world. He cautiously stepped in despite the only object of interest was a stool with a corded phone that had its wire stretching to the plug in the wall. The light shining above him made the room appear brighter. He felt being watched now, he turned his head towards the threshold but saw no one.

His Oxfords tapped against the white, wooden floor. He saw nothing of interest or worth, he was about to turn until a starling sound came from the telephone.

Riiiiiiiing!

He swore his heart nearly stopped at the sudden noise. It persisted for a few seconds; it paused; it rang. Pause. Ring. Pause. Ring.

Ronald nervously approached the phone, looking down at it. his hand hovering over it, fingers twitching before he plucked it from its cradle. Slowly bringing it up to his ear. He hesitated, licking his lips before speaking, "Hello?"

A soft voice came from the silence. "Grell...Grell, this is Grell, right? I can't believe you're alive, you're out of there!?" The person on the other end was relieved. "Oh my God, you're alive!"

Ronald frowned further. The voice...it was impossibly familiar... "This isn't Grell...he's healing. Who...who is this? Do you know what happened to him? What happened that night?"

The voice hesitated, but suddenly picked up speed as the person spoke in earnest. "It's Alan, Alan Humphries. Listen, I don't know who you are, but you need to do something very important. I don't have that much time to explain everything. You need to get Grell out of your world, you need to bring him to Sebastian Michaelis, the demon that holds a contract Ciel Phantomhive."

"A-Alan?" Ronald's eyes widened, it was impossible! And yet...Alan wouldn't be the first dead man to be thought involved in all this. Eric... The blond shook the thoughts from his head, "Alan! It's me, Ronald. Is Eric back too? Why do I have to get Grell out to that demon? Please. I need to know."

Alan sounded hesitant but he spoke quickly.

"Eric is back. The bonfires of Guy Fawkes Night opened a slight hole between various words, even Heaven and the Earth. Hell, Purgatory, even our home, all of them with men and women who had good intentions were allowed to leave...it's a complicated matter, with so much energy created by everyone, surely some of the dead were allowed to rise, even briefly. I, myself, was able to see Eric...the demon told me of his plans that night, and before I could convince him otherwise, my card expired and I was sent back to Heaven. Ooooh no..."

He sounded frustrated at his own bantering.

"Argh! Forget about that detail! You need to bring Grell to Michaelis because the only way to counter Eric is with another demon, you saw the damage he done; you and Grell wouldn't stand a chance against him! He's not one of us, he's just a beast. Personally...I don't now what good Michaelis would do, but that's what I feel is best for everyone. Surely a lesser demon would be no match to an older one, right? Unless you have another plan, I suggest you go to him."

Ronald felt lost. He barely understood what Alan was spewing out. This was a complex matter. He remembered fighting Sebastian and being beaten within an inch of his life during that unfortunate voyage. He was well aware of the demon's strength but he knew little as to how they can maintain or harness their powers. He had a good idea what Shinigami are capable of, but in his young years, demons are an entirely new subject to him.

He only knew how to fight them. The news of Eric returning disturbed him, Eric was a very powerful man himself; he could bend bars with a single hand and perform physical feats that made him renown for his prowess. And his valor in fights, well, Ronald knew better than to cross him whether he be drunk or sober. He feared the immense strength Eric would have as a beast - a demon.

"Why? Why's Eric after Grell? I'll help him, of course, but...I don't understand!"

"I don't know, he never told me...neither did Grell, I just know Eric is out to kill him. Look, I need to go. I'm sorry, but just trust me on this!" Alan pleaded.

"A-all right." Ronald nodded despite wanting answers f Eric's return. Gripping the phone, he timidly inquired, "Alan...is...is William alright? I mean... like you? Is he in Heaven?"

"I...can't say. If he were, he'd be speaking, not me," he somberly replied. "Well...I'll try to reach you later on. Good-bye, Ronald...and good luck."

There was a moment of silence he stared into space, trying to comprehend what Alan told him. It shocked him that a dead man was speaking.

"Oh, and tell Grell I'm sorry...he'll understand."

The line suddenly went dead.

Ronald stood for a moment before setting the phone down again.

Turning on his heel to rush out, he decided to follow Alan's advice. He couldn't take Grell to the demon right away, he couldn't trust, especially not after the fight from all those months ago...there had to be another way. He thrust open the front door, only to be greeted by the pouring rain from the outside. Making up his mind, he headed strait to the Phantomhive estate alone.

-Phantomhive Estate-

Ronald stumbled into the human realm, still fresh in the transition between worlds. He caught himself against the masonry of the manor; he was thankful that he managed to bring himself near the doorsteps. The last time he tried to take himself into the human realm, he ended up in a brothel instead of the listed soul's home.

It was bright, much more contradicting than that of the darkened and damp Shinigami Realm. He squinted away the sunlight and went to the front door. A stroke of luck to him was that a servant left it open, he was about to go through but he stopped when a blond teenager rushed out, whistling a jolly tune with a ladder effortlessly balanced on a single shoulder.

He raised an eyebrow at him but when the boy had passed, he sneaked inside to find a familiar redheaded woman; he remembered flirting with her before he departed for the Campania several months back. She looked up at him from the banister she was polishing, with shoe polish by the way, and she stared at him from behind those large lenses of her spectacles.

"...who might you be?" She asked curiously.

Ronald turned on the charm, grinning at her, "Aw, don't tel me you have already forgotten me, my lovely young lady." He took her hand and gingerly kissed the top of it, avoiding the shoe polish smudged on part of her hand. "Ronald Knox. I was hoping to speak with Sebastian Michaelis about an important matter?"

A blush streaked across her face rather furiously, she even dropped the cloth as her eyes grew wide. The charm of the young man made her nod immediately as her thoughts raced back to the docks of London. "Oh, yes, yes, I remember. That dreadful ship that sank, it's quite the miracle you're alive. Um...our butler, Sebastian, he's busy, but...I'll lead you to him. C-come."

She scampered up the stairs as she tried to hike her dress up to not step on it. She looked over her shoulder nervously as she lead him down one long hallway. She asked,"Are...are you a friend of his?"

"Oh, we met on the ship. Spent some time together during the chaos of the ship sinking." He shrugged as he followed closely behind her. "I hadn't known he works alongside you. He's a lucky man." He winked flirtatiously.

She tried to struggle down a squeal, and she managed to keep it under her throat. Her hand edgily went to the door nob when they reached the room the demon was supposedly busy in. She turned it and opened the door, letting Ronald in first while saying,"Sebastian, a man is here to see you. He says it's important...and that you met on the Campania. "

Ronald smiled at her but it vanished when his eyes met the butler's. Sebastian merely greeted him with a warmer smile and told Maylene,"Thank you, please leave us in private."

"Y-yes!" She backed away and closed the door. Ronald's hand went to his side, his fingers twitching at the need to bring his knife out for defense, but he calmly presented himself as best as he could to look less of a threat. When the door closed itself, he stood in silence.

"I hope you came all way this for than an opportunity to just stand there and gawk at me," Sebastian briskly told him. He had a feather duster at hand, he had the gall to mockingly point it at him before turning back towards the shelves. "Certainly your presence here must be more important than your job elsewhere."

"It's my day off." The blond said simply, "But we...have a problem, one that I hear that you can help with... You may be his only hope..." He grit his teeth, hating to admit it. If Eric was a demon out to kill Grell, then there was nothing he could do to save him; even William had failed and met an unsightly death. He had no chance, just as Alan said! He took a deep breath, his fingers brushing up over the handle of his knife.

He closed his eyes, trying to find the right words.

He started off slowly,"We have a slight...demon problem. There is a demon trying to kill Grell. William's already sacrificed himself for Grell, but the demon's still out there, so the extent of his efforts are in vain if Grell dies. Please...please help me protect him!"

"...perhaps not, I have little time for your problems," Sebastian told him as though it were as simple as that, quickly striding over to him and only stopping when he was at his side with a hand at the door. "If it's only a slight issue, surely your...kind can take care of it within a single day. It's not uncommon for demons to come after Shinigami, in fact, it happens all the time. I'm nothing but a servant, a demon, I offer hope to no one, not even to my master. Whatever Grell did to be the subject of target is not of my concern, I do say he may as well deserved it."

The butler looked thoughtful for a moment. "Spears dead and Grell in danger, and you are just a weak one." He smirked. "I find it beneficial since there are less Shinigami to deal with."

Ronald scowled, pulling out his knife, but not rising it, yet. "He's all I have left! Eric, Alan, William... they are all gone! And now Eric is trying to take Grell, he's barely holding on to his soul by a thread! I can't do this alone...please! I'll do anything to save him! You're a powerful demon. I know you are. You can help! If you can put up against Undertaker and give me a trashing, surely Eric would be a breeze for you!"

That pair of amber eyes darted for the knife. He glared at it and opened the door. "Flattering as it may be, not every day you hear a Shinigami tell a demon of his prowess. Even Shinigami can become as desperate as humans...hnm, I suppose I may be willing to help. Put that knife down, I don't want the servants to get the wrong idea from you."

He walked on, gesturing the young man to follow. "Come, you can explain while following; I have a tight schedule. Eric...Eric Slingby and his friend Alan Humphries, those two are quite memorable the pair. As I can recall, I killed the man...but he's alive?"

"He's a demon, I think. I still don't know everything, this is all unknown to me really," he said, slipping the knife away again, "but he attacked Grell on Guy Fawkes Night...and killed William, butchered him and strung him up, gutted and..." He shuddered. "Grell...he's not...mentally capable of pursuing anything at the moment, can't even recognize me. Well, he did but that's when he started screaming at Eric..." He shook his head, not wanting to think of it, "I want him to stay safe. To get better."

Sebastian nodded in understanding. "I see your motivation for helping him. Wise choice for Eric to emerge on Guy Fawkes Night...hm, a night where demons, the departed, and the living can roam freely with one another. Eric would be able to gain free passage into this world...had there been any instances where the man shown himself before that night? A bit strange for a demon, particularly green, lesser one to walk amongst anyone this world, or yours, especially yours," he mused as they entered the drawing room.

The sun bathed the entire room with light, a comforting sight for Ronald considering his world was darkened at the moment. Sebastian went to the back and straightened out several ornaments that managed to hang unevenly on the wall.

"I can't be sure. But I think William had at least been in contact with him, if I read this correctly," he said, pulling out William's journal. "I haven't seen him at all myself, but I somehow spoke with Alan on the phone in William's manor today…he was the one to send me to you for help."

Sebastian pulled away from his work to review the journal. "A call from Heaven and a word from Hell," he murmured as he reviewed the writings. "From what I can gather...Grell is under a grudge from Eric; the man clearly wants revenge and may possibly have toyed with William up until his death. Besides Guy Fawkes Night and an angel placing us into your realm, it is entirely impossible for demons to enter unless there is someone to...open the door, so to say."

When the writing changed into a different penmanship, Sebastian's gloved finger ran over it. "Choosing William as the one to let him in is rather odd. But to do so as a newly born demon...it's a feat worth praising him in my book. If I may recall, the only true way for a Shinigami to become a demon is by consuming a soul before death. Eric must have taken at least one by accident, I see how he would be denied passage to Heaven hence leaving him to rot away in Hell; he murdered more than Grell, no mistake in that if he were to be rewired to have desires and instincts of a demon, backed up with a personal hatred...

"In order for him to gain enough power to enter your world and do...this." He showed the book at Ronald for a moment and then looked back at its pages once more.

"...he must have consumed a vast number of the damned souls of humans in Hell (yes, I mean that even souls you Shinigami have reaped are given to us after judgement in death, your efforts are useless in the end with so much sin going around); those particular souls are the untouchable ones and less desirable by demons such as myself. It is a common practice conducted by all fledgelings to gain some foothold in having any sort of power. However, there is a limit as to how many of the damned one may have in order to enter the Human Realm at all."

He placed a free hand hand under his chin and looked thoughtfully at the book.

"Imagine the damage he could do with nine hundred and ninety-nine souls...hm, sounds familiar to his original mission in life."

"...The rumored cure? But that was one thousand souls and..." Ronald trailed off. Eric held a grudge against Grell, wanted revenge...and if there seemed a common number of souls involved... his eyes widened, "Could he want that last soul? Would he want it to be Grell's?" It made sense in a way, though he still didn't know everything. "He wants Grell's soul...but the criteria would be he would need to obtain a thousand souls; recollecting any in Hell, those are impure, corrupted. Right?"

"His last thoughts in life may be the influence as to what he is doing now; purity is no longer an objective for him...Grell is his priority. Grell must have done something. Yes, souls in Hell are no longer innocent, another reason he would target Grell, yes? I personally say that Grell does strike us all as a sinner. Mischievous, devious, sadistic, destructive...had you heard the story of Sodom and Gomorrah-?"

"Shut up about that!" Ronald glared dangerously but softened it when he was given the journal. "Not everyone is perfect, who are you to judge? You're just a demon..."

Sebastian gave a soft chuckle. "I'm just offering my best opinion. The man is not innocent of any sin, so I come to the conclusion that Eric is just, as you figured, out for a personal goal. This does interest me and yet I'm not surprised Grell has a part in this."

"Well, would you like to take part in this? Unless you want to strike a deal..." Ronald couldn't believe that he would lower his head for the butler. "Anything you desire in exchange for your services getting rid of Eric."

Sebastian shook his head,"A grudge is a curse, and a curse cannot be removed. Demons cannot be stopped until they achieved their purpose. Only then will their human desires abate and they would gain the instincts of a demon to, in my terms, function properly. Sadly, this is impossible to fix, but do not be dismayed. I have a solution.

"I give you the task to fetch Grell and bring him here. If he is under a grudge and Eric is in a blind rage of his own, we may be able to finish what William tried to end...or not, depending on whose soul Eric obtains. Perhaps giving him a soul that is not Grell's may suffice for him if he only cares of completing his revenge, somehow."

"Another soul..." He fell silent. Giving a demon a soul...it was wrong. It was against everything reapers stood for...he couldn't sacrifice-or could he? Hadn't he said he'd do anything for Grell to save him?

"...What...about mine?" he whispered, "Mine is the soul of a god, a god of death... it'd be more like Grell's than a human's would...and if it'd save Grell..."

Despite hearing Ronald, his lips curled just slightly at the corner of his mouth. "Come again?"

"Would...would he take my soul instead of Grell's?" He asked, voice trembling. It was the largest sacrifice he was offering.

"If we can successfully deceive him, of course. Why not?" Sebastian replied cynically. He placed a hand on Ronald's shoulder. "I only say it's impossible to remove this particular curse because it demands a life in exchange, regardless. Should you walk this path, you have an accursed fate." He rubbed that spot reassuringly before going to the windows to cover it with the curtains, darkening the room. "Consider this an act of charity despite my lacking of a heart."

Ronald clutched the book in his hand. The man was mocking him. "I am grateful for this..."

With one window covered, the room lost much light. Ronald was in front of the uncovered window, bathing in the sun's rays as Sebastian situated himself in the shadows. "You ought to be. Denying services to you may prompt a kidnapping of my Young Master. Not surprising at all as I treasure him more than anything, though it will be headache to wrestle him from you as I would have my schedule thrown back quite far."

A cynical dog he is.

"Now, pardon me while I continue working. It's best to not let the Young Master know of this, should you encounter him in this home. Bring Grell here as soon as you can. I can offer my services by midnight, no later than that. Understood?"

Ronald nodded, softly saying, "...Thank you..." as the journal was sent away.

-Hospital-

Ronald was so very close to the door, but he heard a pair of voices speaking firmly and then another speaking frantically.

"Grell Sutcliff, your trial will be held a week from today."

"B-but...I...I swear-"

"That is all."

Ronald stopped and allowed two reapers, surely they were the Authorities as they wore robes rather than suits, billow by without pausing to give a glance.

"You...you can't do this to me!" Grell shouted from his room at their retreating forms.

Ronald slid into the room, "Grell? What's going on?"

Grell was a mess. He was barely sitting up, his breathing was labored and his eyes were red from tears streaming down his face. "Ronald..."

Ronald sighed in relief that the man was able to recognize him.

His hand flew to the desk and snatched up his glasses, he shoved them on his face after managing to get the chain under his hair. Immediately, fighting the pain and gritting his teeth, he attempted to get up, but he only succeeded in falling back into the pillows. He groaned as he snapped in rage,"They want to charge me for William's death. There's no proof of that! None of it! That's insane...charging me and not even asking my side of the story! I need to get out of here, they'll probably execute me for a crime I didn't even commit-"

"They won't!" Ronald said, making his way to the redhead's side and taking his hand, "Because you aren't staying. It's not safe for you here anyway, not with Eric around. Come on." He slipped his arms around the older reaper, helping him up.

"You're...ugh...not suggesting to run away...are you?" He huffed out when he struggled on his feet. It's been weeks and the use of his legs felt foreign to him. He wore a white nightgown, he felt exposed as he was injured. His jaw clenched as he clung to him.

"No! Well, yes... but... look. I know what happened...or some of it. I know Eric's after you. You aren't safe here. You wont be safe if they lock you away-"

Grell rose up at the mention of Eric.

"So you do believe me! I swear, I'm not insane myself!" He laughed under his breath. "I tried to tell them what I saw, who tried to kill me...who killed William, but they can't listen, they won't. I did nothing wrong! If it's anyone to pay for ruining my life, it's Eric...I feel bolder that I hadn't seen him, but I'm scared he's just waiting for night to fall."

"You did nothing wrong, Grell. And I'll prove it once we take care of Eric. C'mon, I have a place that's safe to take you."

"Safe?" His bloodshot eyes suddenly lit up with hope as he tore away the needles connecting him to the fluid bag hanging nearby. "Where? Is it far? Take me there, quickly! I grow...weary..."

His swing from panic to rage and to sudden excitement had taken a heavy toll on him. He exerted too much energy and he succumbed to a deep sleep. Ronald wondered how the man could be overwhelmed with such emotions when only, just this morning, he was as easily frightened as a deer. Grell drooped into his hold, Ronald was more than willing to carry him.

He looked over at the desk and saw a bottle of pills. He supported Grell with one hand and reached to the pills with the other. He picked it up and saw, much to his shock, that they were the infamous Scarlet. They repressed memories and trauma more than the pain. Grell was under its effects. They must have forced fed him the medication so that he would be rendered calm enough to speak to the Authorities.

Ronald shot the bottle at the wall, causing it to shatter with the dozens of red tablets bouncing off in many directions. He glowered at the Authorities harsh treatment. When they wanted to blame someone, they would do anything. Maybe they are aware of a demon's return but want to keep the fact hidden. Maybe Grell has quickly become a scapegoat. He denied the possibility Grell killed William, he knew a majority of the truth; he had physical proof of the journal.

Whatever the reason, a force much more dangerous than their Society was going to kill Grell, regardless of whether he was guilty or innocent for his crimes. Ronald hefted Grell into both arms and rushed out of the room, his mind set on saving Grell.

He knew, deep within his heart, that he signed himself into an inevitable fate. As he turned a corner, he commended William for giving Grell a chance to live and be found alive. Ronald could only hope that Grell would understand why he was doing this. After all, the boy was in love.


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