Awkward Reunion

It has been over a month since that case.

And now, she's on her way to a countryside villa where she would be for now.

'Is this really alright?' Julia asked Gray as she's...dressed like a typical young girl and Snake is dressed like a valet.

'Its the perfect cover Julia.' said Gray. 'Auntie's all in for it. Why not give it a try? We planned everything out and the maids are none the wiser. It'll be OK.'

'But still...do I have to be in a ruddy corset?' Julia grumbled. 'My waist is small enough as it is and that's au natural!'

'Those fancy dresses are real tough to clean.' said Gray. 'Troublesome in the laundry so to prevent dresses from getting sweaty, ladies wear their underclothing to keep it away from the skin. Its logic. Men's wear is easier and little fuss to wash so I guess I understand why you and your girls prefer to dress like men.'

'I still see it as some torture tool, particularly when that dragon lady shoved me in it last winter.' Julia shuddered.

'Dragon Lady?'

'Marchioness 'be proper or else' Midford.' Julia griped sarcastically with a huff. 'I came to the Phantomhive Mansion unaware its the little puppy's birthday and she dropped by, seeing me in my usual wear.' she cringed. 'She flipped her lid, dragged me into a room and forced me in a dress after she made Sebastian go get some.' she grumbled. Gray laughed.

'She's notorious in society with that personality of hers!' he chortled jovially. 'She believes disorder in appearance and home is the disorder of a soul so to be proper is being orderly.'

'I frankly wonder how can that be related.' Julia deadpanned. 'I've met good people despite being slobs at home. In the end its all about personality. A proper appearance can hide the beast within too.' she said to Gray's interest as his niece smiled knowingly.

'Really?'

And so...

Julia gulped as they got off the carriage.

'...this is just a country house?' Julia sweatdropped as its huge. 'I was thinking smaller. This place is just as big as Ciel's place!'

'Oho! Parties are held here sometimes and when guests are too drunk to leave, they have to stay over.' said Gray.

'But still...Campania huh? Aren't you coming?' Julia asked him. 'Its a once a lifetime chance.' she stated. 'Besides, I'll have to come anyway since puppy has a job he took even without a love letter.'

'Ahaha, as much as I want to, I'm one of our country's secretaries, I can't leave for long!' Gray snorted. 'I had to bribe both Phipps and Brown to do my share until I get back since I'm taking you to auntie!' he said with a shrug.

Then he paused. 'Wait, he took a job without a love letter?'

'Yeah. Karnstein Hospital has done a lot of illegal shopping by the docks he had Mr. Lau watch over.' said Julia. 'Slaves. A lot of them that the hospital can't fit them all in yet they purchased so many slaves and last I checked, slavery is illegal in England. He wants to look into it. Its an underworld matter not tolerated by the country so he wants to deal with it with initiative before the queen finds out and send him a love letter anyway.' she said. 'Due to that, I was busy rescuing the children purchased by that hospital too...and the hospital plans to take a lot of samples with them onboard the Campania to America.' she quipped. 'The experiments are sponsored by a lot of aristocrats and the gentry.' she said, gesturing for Richard to take out a briefcase of evidence and gave it to Gray. 'I gave one copy set to puppy, I have my own copy.'

Gray paused.

Bringing experiments to another country? The consequences are dire, he thought. He'll have to tell the Queen. His niece sure is reliable...

'Karnstein Hospital...they were in London Times too...human experimentation is it?' Gray frowned.

'We suspect so. Bringing the dead back to life? Foolish.' Julia scoffed disdainfully. 'And even if they succeed in using some black cult magic pretending its done with medical arts, it won't be the loved one that came to the body. Could be some nasty horror spook biding its time.'

'We'll look into it as well.' Gray promised her, his face in business mode. 'I'll inform the queen about this. For now, focus on being with auntie, alright?' he asked before turning to Richard. 'And you, protect my niece!' he said, putting his hands on Richard's shoulders.

'Yes sir.' said Richard as two snakes came out of his collar and both snakes nodded before going back in. Gray then left on the carriage again.

"She named Snake after her father eh...that's kinda cute." he thought in amusement.

xxx

Inside the mansion...

'Oh my!' Julia gulped as she looked at the elderly woman before her. 'You...you look just like her! The resemblance is so uncanny!' she choked out as she rushed to embrace Julia tearfully. 'My Michelle is with you! You're definitely her child!' she sobbed as Julia shook from the woman's feelings since she never knew about this. 'I'm your grandmother!'

'U-uhm, nice to meet you...' said Julia awkwardly and nervously. 'Uncle told you all about me didn't he?'

'Yes...I can't believes Charles found you, working for Earl Phantomhive as an informant no less...you must have witnessed horrifying things.' said Countess Greenhill worriedly as she led Julia to sit down, so Julia pulled Richard down with her so he can sit too. 'As a family linked to royalty, we Grays know more than other aristocrats. Sometimes, too much. I heard about your last case as well...'

'Its alright. I grew up strong.' said Julia. 'Children are my reason to be what I am today. I'll save who I can save. Because I can't save all of us. If there were others like me, I could have breathe easier.'

'But Julia, you really won't come live here?' Countess Greenhill asked her worriedly. 'You could have just built an Orphanage! That's within our finances!'

'And that'll reach the Times, my face photographed and with my resemblance to mother, the monsters that killed father will kill me too.' said Julia wryly as the Countess balked at the idea. 'That would be the end that's why my greatest protection is anonymity and my greatest enemy is exposure. We are safer in East End.'

'But that place is dangerous and run down...Charles even wrote that you had to layer up in knitted wool to survive winter!' Countess Greenhill choked.

'Been doing that for years.' came the nonchalant shrug. 'Besides, humans adapt and what doesn't kill us makes us stronger...and we all survived winter without a fireplace for years in that rundown building we all call home...we're alright.' Julia smiled. 'We're alright there. Besides, my life is much better spent there...until London's children no longer suffer. Within my lifetime, all of London's children from poor families will be alright as by then, my siblings would have created a larger network that will continue even long after I'm gone...until this society's disgusting practice towards children finally dies out. Our gang would have left a big legacy behind. Maybe when this era ends...commoner adults will finally treat children better.'

'I see...but dear, what about your future?' Countess Greenhill asked her. 'What about love, marriage, your own children? Don't you dream of living in a good home one day?'

'I don't know...I don't know any of that.' said Julia weakly, and near-depression. 'How can I want what I've never known?'

Indeed, Countess Greenhill thought. Julia has never known what's it like to be loved by family, have a good home, and fall in love. All in her mind, was survival and a self-imposed duty out of childhood trauma.

'That's just tragic dear.' Countess Greenhill shook her head. 'But-'

'Madam.' a butler came in. 'Count Greenhill is here to see you.'

From warm, worried expression to a look of fury, Julia thought.

'And I don't want to!' Countess Greenhill snapped. 'He's just wasting his time! Tell him to go away!' she shrieked angrily but a blonde man with green eyes came in anyway.

'Dear, I'd like us to talk.' said Countess Greenhill. 'Its been years now. Sixteen years since you left home.' he said softly as Julia and Snake stood up, hurriedly leaving the room and stayed out.

'And I'd rather that time be extended in never seeing you again.' said Countess Greenhill coldly. 'Your bad choice lost us our daughter and a granddaughter!'

'I know. Our other daughters told me that much.' said Count Greenhill solemnly. 'The day we found her in that house...hanging herself shortly after Mr. Hill was found murdered and Katrina missing with her baby girl...I realized the full extent of the consequences of choosing your distant cousin as her fiancee and never listened to her. And Michelle was a bright, sweet girl full of life and it was I who put out that light...its not just you who lost a daughter. Everyone lost a family member too.' he said in sad grief.

'Michelle struggled to maintain that light by finding love while that man played around with whores not even caring about her. By that time I tried to annul the engagement, it was too late. Its worse for me since I had a hand in her death and my family left me for it. But I'm trying to make things right again. It took me an arm and a leg to earn our older daughters' forgiveness in groveling, I'll even have to give my own head as long as I can earn your forgiveness too.' he pleaded. 'Please...come home dear. I'm trying to make things right. I'm also looking for Katrina and Michelle's daughter. I want to do right by her as well. For her mother's sake.'

Outside the hall, Julia shook nervously because she's right under his nose!

Richard, seeing this, pulled Julia away before she freaks out.

'Julia...' Richard said worriedly. 'Are you OK?'

'Uncle planned this, I know it!' Julia choked, quivering in her boots. 'The timing is too good. Too darn good! He's not the Queen's left hand for nothing! At this rate...the plan was only grandmother would know and nobody else! I'll be exposed and everyone will be in danger! Father's murderers...'

'Julia calm down.' said Richard. 'You're at your best when you have a cool head on.' then his voice changed. 'Julia always comes up with best ideas regardless of how bad things are as long as her head is cool-says Wilde.'

'This is this and that is that.' Julia shuddered. 'I'm trying hard to calm down because a freaking out leader is a no-good leader. But this...this family thing...' she stammered out. 'I don't know any of this...how can I know what I never had?'

'Then think of the gang Julia.' Richard advised. 'You told all of us that we're all siblings no matter where we came from. That we're family. Because of that, everyone's happy. But you seem to hold double-standard when it comes to yourself. You've been doing the looking-after yet nobody looked after you which explains your double-standard feelings towards yourself and relations you just discovered. Julia...for once let others take care of you.' he said.

'I...I don't what that is either...' Julia choked out, shaking her head rapidly.

'Julia!'

Julia squeaked as the Countess called her.

'Y-yes?!' Julia squeaked as they turned to see her grandmother and...her grandfather. Still in her high-strung mode, Julia took out a rather dangerous-looking dagger and was geared up to attack.

'Eek! Julia?!' the Count and Countess gawked as she looked ready to kill, but from behind her, snakes jumped out of her companion's sleeves and wrapped around Julia's arms.

'Julia, calm down.' Richard told her.

'But!' Julia cried, freaking out.

'It'll be alright.' said Richard. 'Emily, Oscar, Wilde and Bronte senses its OK. Don't kill your grandfather out of your fears.' he said softly before whistling, and the snakes returned to his outstretched arm into his sleeve.

'...'

Julia lowered her arms.

'Julia...no, Marielle.' said Count Greenhill. 'Can I see you closer?' he asked kindly in a gentle, hopeful voice. Julia still hesitated, so Richard sighed and began pushing her.

'H-hey! Richard?!' the elderly couple balked as the young man their granddaughter was with pushed her towards them. 'Don't push me!'

'That young man's name is Richard too...' the Countess mused as she looked at Richard...and his scaly features. 'I wonder if it runs in mother and daughter!'

'And she looks like her mother...just with black hair!' Count Greenhill choked out with a sob.

The elderly man tightly hugged his just-found-granddaughter, crying hard.

xxx

'I can't believe Charles found you first.' said Count Greenhill, still red-faced from crying and taking tea from a maid. 'And working for the Phantomhive no less...where are you living though? Adopted by a foster family?'

'Its a long story I'm pretty sure Uncle Charles sent grandma lots of letters about me after grilling the puppy when he saw my face.' Julia mused thoughtfully. 'It was after my first case with the Earl since I'm a recent hire and I happen to be totally drunk...since I went to get drunk on purpose to forget the nasty things I saw.' she said softly. 'And Earl Phantomhive is just 13 yet he could work under such situations...he must have had a mind and stomach of cast iron just to do his jobs.'

xxx

Meanwhile...

'My my...a lot of people are up to some mischief indeed.' sure the queen was smiling, but her eyes say another story when she looked into the files and records taken. Her eyes blazed with fury because they dared to commit a heinous crime in her country. Sure things were done in secret, but they failed to take into account that East End has a wide web of feelers set up there by her cute little boy. And good thing too otherwise they'd have gotten away with it and worst case scenario, England's image marred if the public had nasty misunderstandings. 'Your niece is a marvelous pair of eyes and ears Gray. East End is thoroughly covered by her.' she mused happily. 'She got all this with nobody the wiser?'

'Yes. And the Slavers were literally put down and she crucified them to a wall with stakes she carried with a big mallet in some building by the docks after setting the kids and other slaves free after which, they scattered like dust in air. That's what I heard from some terrified residents who fear her.' said Gray. 'Phantomhive put her to task and she had copies made.'

'There's also a letter here asking our help to ship the foreign children back home. Well, to those who actually has a home as out of poverty, some parents sold their own children for money.' Queen Victoria shook her head. 'How dismaying and appalling of them. The Brain has adopted these sold children as well. Phipps, I want you to look at their numbers and space with Brown and I want the territory of the Brain measured.'

'Yes your majesty.' and the pair left. It would be easy, just look for the cleanest place in East End!

Julia's territory is the cleanest as the kids who work for her clean her territory and it subtly gets wider and wider. And the children are paid ten shillings. That's basically five Florins or two Crowns. Big money that adults normally earn, as child workers earn half or less than half of that. So naturally, the children will gladly do the job of cleaning London's most dangerous and also the filthiest slum area since its the home of orphans who left the Orphanage or Workhouse or some factory they went to for work or a Coal Mine. Chimney Sweeps are even rescued and given an easy job with decent wage, and free education, room and board.

The reason for cleaning the place up? For occupation of more children Julia may pick up! And Julia will not let anyone she rescues sleep in filthy places. The abandoned buildings, Julia claimed and defended with sheer ferocity...because she thieves just to put wallpaper on walls everywhere else painted and what furniture she can get to East End with help from connections as well as renovations. The buildings she took over, are inhabited by children. The apartments owned by landlords are untouched, however. Her skill in thievery was notorious as she could afford all that. From an aristocrat titled lady to lightning-quick fingers fishing for gold. And her territory is expanding until it reaches an exit to London's streets, so her graduates can come home if they can't stand renting an apartment or the children in her care can safely come and go.

'Gray, see if we can also employ your niece, won't you?' the Queen asked. 'She's talented in sneaking around unnoticed.'

'Yes, your majesty. She'll agree either way as long as she and the kids are left alone in peace despite their er...way of living?' Gray asked sheepishly. 'She's so stubborn in refusing to leave East End because of certain individuals...and she'd rather never wear a corset and crinolines even if its the last piece of clothing in the world.'

'We wear them for a reason!' Queen Victoria pouted.

'And she could care less. She'd rather go naked than put one on. Just for now out of favor to Auntie, she'll wear it until the trip is over.'

xxx

The Villa...hours later...

They were having a full course dinner. And while Richard was Julia's bodyguard, he sat on the table with them on Julia's wishes so he gets to enjoy the privileges of having to eat rich people's food.

Dinner was very formal too, in seven course meals.

While dinner was normal among the humans, the maids and footmen are wary.

When Julia requested four plates containing six pieces of raw beef each in a specific size and have them put them on the floor...it was because they're for the snakes!

'Snakes!' the servants freaked out as snakes came out of Richard's sleeve when he whistled a specific tune. The Count and Countess are calm about it as they knew of the snakes beforehand.

'Oh don't worry, they're all well-trained and used to people.' Julia reassured them. 'Richard is a former Snake Charmer in a Circus so they're well-disciplined.' she smiled sweetly as each snake went to a plate. 'Once the snakes ate that much, they won't need feeding for a couple days.' she told the balking servants who were freaking out.

The lady's bodyguard is a Snake Charmer and they all have fangs which means one thing...

Yikes.

Earlier, they had a long talk in the Parlour Room in private...about her history as the Count wanted to know how she lived her life from cradle to present...and the Count reeled from what she had to do to live that he cannot imagine an aristocrat living in East End the way she described it.

All because he chose the wrong man for his late daughter.