A/N: Hello! Here I am, although a little bit late. I'm in my exams period, so I just had a little bit of free time now. Anyway, enough with my boring life. Here's the last chapter! I left more notes at the end of it. Anyway, please enjoy!

Chapter 10.

"A circus survives on blood, sweat, pain and [excrement]."

—Sara Gruen, Water for Elephants.

Sebastian survived.

Doll took him to the nearest public hospital, and after his wound was treated he was taken care of in the circus. It was weird, for he wasn't used to feel useless. The only good thing about it was that he could pretend to be asleep in order not to respond to everyone's questions about what happened that night at Father's manor, and he could act like the atmosphere of sadness that surrounded the circus didn't exist.

However, as his wound got better and began scarring —right under Father's horrible mark— he had no choice but to face reality. Doll was the most insistent one, demanding to know every single detail with her puffy eyes from crying. Therefore, Sebastian had to explain everything to her, Snake and Grell —well, not exactly everything. He skipped a few parts, the ones that included lying in bed with a little earl and falling in love with him. It felt a little too wrong to lie and make Ciel appear like he was the only one to blame; but Sebastian told himself that he was doing it to protect them, like Joker begged him to do with his last breath. They were horrified when he told them about the Baron, the prosthetic limbs' materials and Doctor; and Sebastian acted like he'd just found out about it. too. Doll couldn't believe it. Traumatized by the revelation, she said that they had to make a visit to their siblings that were still in the workhouse to check how they were doing, and it was urgent. Sebastian couldn't tell her no. If it would help her move on, then it was necessary. Snake demanded to tag along. Grell wasn't really interested, so she said she'd stay in charge of the circus while they were gone. She was the only one who noticed Sebastian's feelings.

"You love him, don't you? 'Smile,'" she'd told him after Snake and Doll left in order to prepare their stuff to leave. Sebastian went pale and she giggled. "I knew it," she gloated.

"How can you tell?" Sebastian asked defensively.

"Oh, don't make that face, Sebas-chan. I'm your best friend, of course I can tell. You fell in love with the wrong person, though."

"The pot calling the kettle black. You love that weird guy who left too... what's his name? Suit, I think..."

Grell smiled coquettishly. "Well, yes. But I don't bother to hide it."

"It's different," Sebastian argued. "Smile was—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't worry Sebby, your secret's safe with me," she assured. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to keep working."

She left. They both knew that after that evening, the subject would become a taboo, like the things Father forced Sebastian to do while the two friends were apart. It was better off that way.

They left to the workhouse that same night, by horse. It was a long and tiring trip, but they arrived by midday. It was a windy day. The sun shone bright in the sky. The workhouse was over the hill —what an irony—, so they climbed. However, when they made it to the top...

"What," Sebastian whispered in shock. Snake gasped and Doll...

"Wha— WHAT IS THIS?!"

Before them, the workhouse from their memories was nothing but ruins. The place was practically uninhabited, in exception for the weeds and the wild plants that were all over what was left of the building.

"Father was lying," Sebastian deadpanned. The whole thing was a surprise for him too and he didn't know what to think. He knew that, knowing Doctor, the most probable thing was that not a single one of their siblings had made it.

So, in the end... Everyone that died and stained their hands did it in vain, trying to protect something that didn't even exist anymore.

Sebastian felt his stomach churn.

"NO!"

Doll broke and fell on her knees, crying at full volume. Snake looked at her, sadness written all over his features and approached her silently, placing a hand on her back to offer her comfort. Doll pulled him down. She hugged him and hid her face in his chest. She needed someone to hold tight, to help her ease the pain. He gasped in surprise but didn't move, for he could understand how she was feeling. His eyes were stingy and there was a lump in his throat: he loved their family too, and he also hurt for their deaths and the fact that everything so far had been a lie. But it must be even harder for Doll: she knew them since she was very little, and unlike Snake, who was the last one to join them, she'd spent some time at the workhouse before they founded the circus.

"I miss 'em... I miss 'em so much," she sobbed. Snake was already crying, patting her head.

Sebastian averted his eyes. The whole scene seemed wrong to watch. He didn't feel like he had the right to cry for their 'family', not when he was a traitor. He walked away to let them mourn and sat down at a good distance. He was a little tired, for his wound wasn't completely cured just yet.

Letting out a sigh and looking at the grass and the little flowers growing around him, he thought about Joker and the others. Where would they be now?

Would they be at peace?

Even though he didn't have the right to think of it, Sebastian really hoped they were. Their whole lives had been so tragic, and they were good people... Good people who did the wrong things.

He thought about Ciel too. What would he have said when he woke up? He probably got very upset. Sebastian felt sorry for Soma and Agni, they'd surely gotten a good lecture for believing him when he told them he was fine.

He thought about his life also. Now that Ciel was gone, what would he do? He was empty. That crazy and suicidal impulse of letting himself die had left as soon as it came, but sadness still remained...

There was a sudden rush of wind. "Ah!" Sebastian heard a voice at the distance. He looked up, snapping out of his thoughts and met with a single azure eye gleaming with astonishment.

Ciel was at the base of the hill, all dressed like a noble with his black cape, boots and his hat; just like that day at the Baron's house. His gloved hand was stretching in a failed attempt of catching his hat's bow, which had been undone by the wind. There was an old butler behind him, who also tried to catch the ribbon but couldn't.

The wind shall blow my top knot off.

The blue ribbon passed right next to Sebastian and he caught it almost effortlessly, as if it was meant to stay with him. Ciel let his hand fall and they looked at each other from afar for a good while, like a first time. Words were not necessary: just knowing that the other was fine was more than enough for them.

"Young Master?" Tanaka asked after a while, glancing at the stranger in the hill and then back at the earl. Ciel smiled with mixed feelings, and Sebastian mirrored the gesture.

"Yes. Let's go, Tanaka," said Ciel. He turned on his heel with that regal air of his as the butler bowed and followed him without asking any questions.

Sebastian smiled and put the ribbon in his pocket. As long as Ciel was fine, he would find motivation to keep on living.

They still had the circus.

The show had to go on, like always. They were thinking about leaving England for a while, though. However, just a few days before they left, Sebastian received a strange letter.

It was from the Queen herself. It read about a special decoration ceremony for Sebastian, to give him back the title and land that used to belong to his father. Sebastian was pretty sure that Ciel that to do with it, and he shook his head and sighed. But he did attend. Doll, Grell and Snake practically forced him to. It was a great opportunity, after all; a chance of a better life at least for him. As a family, they wished the best for each other. So Sebastian gave in, for Ciel, but he promised he would still take care of them, for the deceased. Perhaps it was the guilt, or the moments of friendship; but somehow he felt indebted to them.

There was just one question he asked himself: why would Ciel bother so much? Would he be that desperate to offer him a new motivation for his life?

Sebastian told himself that he would ask him when he saw him. But the question remained buried in his mind, because the little Earl didn't show at the ceremony.

Oh, well. Actions spoke louder than words, and Ciel had made the loudest statement of them all.

I love you, Sebastian.

Epilogue. 10 years later

After a long, long while, Noah's Ark Circus was back to its native town. Lots of people attended their shows and as always, left fascinated with the incredible performances that their talented team members offered. But the magic had to end, and after two weeks, they were prepared to leave to another country. Sebastian attended all of their shows when they were in England. Now that he was a Viscount, he'd taken the Baron's place as their patron; financing their shows and trips and making sure that they had everything they needed. It was his way of atonement, and it helped him sleep better at night. And despite the fact that he couldn't travel with them now because he had responsibilities in his country, they were much happier with him as their boss. Sebastian was still one of them, and he didn't force them to do horrible things.

When the show ended and the people left, Sebastian always found himself going to the one that used to be his tent. Now it was someone else's, a new magician whose name was Claude but they called him Spider. He was never there, anyway. He spent most of his time with a blond young man they called Alois. He and his younger brother Luca were Peter and Wendy's replacement in the trapeze.

Most of the props were still the same. The clothes too, albeit Grell had made little changes to them. The bed was the same, and when Sebastian looked at it he always recalled those sweet old times with Ciel...

"Y'know, if you want, you could perform tonite. For the old times' sake."

"Doll," Sebastian said. She caught him by surprise.

Doll smiled.

"'Tis our last show 'ere, so I'm sure Spider will let ya."

Sebastian shook his head, a little smile tugging at his lips. "No, that wouldn't be correct. I'm not a first-tier anymore, I'm your patron."

Doll approached him. "Bah. For us, ye'll always be Black. Or is it that yer too good for the circus now, Viscount?" she said jokingly. Sebastian rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair.

"Alright, alright. But you ask him."

Doll giggled. "'Kay!" she exclaimed and left the tent. Sebastian followed her. This was going to be a good night.

Despite how many years had passed, Sebastian remembered exactly what to do for his routine. The outfit fit him perfectly. The audience was delighted with his performance and it was the perfect ending for a perfect goodbye.

He went to his old tent to give back the stuff he used when the show was over. He was about wipe off his makeup when...

"Black," Doll called him from outside. He turned around, taking off his hat.

"What is it, Doll?" Sebastian said, meeting the girl and the man at her side. There was a big smile on her face.

"Great show. Anyway, Snake and I are goin' downtown. Like to come? We'll go grab a bite 'nd then..."

"No, thank you, I'll stay a little longer. Go enjoy yourselves," Sebastian rejected the invitation politely. He didn't really feel like going out, plus, he didn't want to be a third wheel.

"Oh well," Doll shrugged. "Red Death and the Mackens didn't want to come either. C'mon, Snake," she said as she held his hand and turned around to leave. He gave a curt nod, glancing at Sebastian and then at the yound lady lovingly. "Guess it'll be just you 'nd I."

"And Oscar," Snake added; "says Oscar."

Doll giggled and nodded. "Yeah, Oscar too."

They left. Sebastian watched them walk away: their love story was one of those that deserved to be told. After all the loss and the pain of losing most the first-tier members, there was a long period of mourning. Doll —being the most sensitive of them all— was the one who suffered the most, also since she was the one who spent more time with them. And when Sebastian thought it couldn't be worse, somehow it happened. Snake and Doll comforted each other mutually, and it was like a little ray of hope.

They kept 'Noah's Ark Circus' as their name, in honor of Joker and the others. And when Sebastian was settled down with his new life as a nobleman, they began traveling around Europe. They got new members easily. Some of the second-tier members didn't last, some did, but the first-tiers remained the same.

And Doll was all a lady now, much more beautiful —inside and out— than she had ever been, and Snake was a sweet young man that treated her as she deserved. And it was good, because after so much pain, the girl deserved at least a little bit of happiness.

Sometimes they reminded Sebastian of Joker and Beast and how they might have been if they were still alive and the circumstances hadn't kept them apart. And what would they be thinking of him, wherever they were now? They were probably calling him a traitor, and he knew he deserved it. He didn't deserve forgiveness, but he was still trying to make up for his mistake.

"Sebastian," Grell called him.

"What?" Sebastian answered. He was still lost in his musings, therefore he missed the hint of mischievousness in Grell's smile.

"There's someone here who just saw your performance and says he wants to talk to you."

Sebastian frowned.

"Who is it?"

Grell smiled as she left the room. "Oh, just you wait and see."

No sooner was Grell gone, a child entered the tent running and stopped in front of Sebastian, staring at him with admiration.

"Mister Magician!"

Sebastian knelt down in front of the boy and ruffled his hair playfully. During his days as a performer, he was used to this: children and adults usually asked for him after the show to congratulate him for his flawless, impressing routine. He had forgotten about that feeling.

"Who's this little buddy over here?"

"Vincent," a stray, masculine voice said behind the kid. "His name is Vincent Phantomhive."

Sebastian looked up as a shadow cast the floor. A man around his mid-twenties was standing there, a smirk on his face. He had dark hair and a single blue eye that shone like a sapphire. His other eye, or rather the lack of it, was covered by an eye-patch. He was thin and not very tall, but there was something about his presence that made you stare, because he was very beautiful.

The man was no other than Ciel Phantomhive.

Sebastian was left speechless for a moment, surprised —to say the least— to see him after all that time. Noticing this, Ciel decided to break the ice with a sigh.

"He liked your performance very much, Mr. Black, and he didn't believe me when I told him that you were an old friend of his father."

"Is that right, Mr. Magician?" the little boy asked, his big brown eyes gleaming. Now that Sebastian looked at him better, he realized how he did look like Ciel's son. Except for the fair hair and the color of his eyes, the boy was a replica of a little Ciel Phantomhive.

Sebastian simpered, finally regaining his voice.

"Of course. Your father and I are very good friends."

"Whoa, that's amazing!" little Vincent said, jumping excitedly.

"It is. I bet you have an amazing dad, given he's friends of someone like me."

Ciel rolled his eye. "Son, could you give me a minute to talk with Mr. Magician? It's been a while since I don't see him."

The little boy looked at his dad and nodded eagerly. He left the tent in a rush. Ciel smiled at his child's eccentricities.

"He's just like his mother," he whispered tenderly.

"He seems like a good kid," Sebastian flattered.

Ciel cast a look at him.

"Yeah, he is..." he made a pause and added; "I can't believe you're still performing."

Sebastian shrugged.

"Well, not exactly. It was just for today, because Doll insisted."

I can't believe you're here, he wanted to point out, but he knew that the remark would make Ciel uncomfortable. He didn't like to admit how important some people were to him, Sebastian being one of them. The good thing was that at least, Sebastian could read him like a book.

Ciel gave a curt nod. "Oh, her. How is she?"

"She's fine, thanks for asking."

"I bet she hates me."

Sebastian pursed his lips and shrugged awkwardly. "Well, we don't really talk about it. But she's with Snake now, so I doubt she thinks about it often..." he trailed off. "Anyway, how are your friends?"

Ciel snorted. "Soma and Agni? They're still the same. They're in India right now, but they write often... They're still together, and I doubt it'll ever change..."

"That's good," Sebastian smiled bittersweetly. Some people were just luckier than others. "Hey, I have never seen you at society parties, by the way," he added sardonically. Ciel grimaced.

"I hate those, but Elizabeth likes to go sometimes... I always make up an excuse so I don't have to go with her."

"That's a shame. It would be a pleasure to have a conversation with you more often," Sebastian commented innocently. Ciel blushed because he was still so attractive, and his voice was still so seductive without even trying...

"I don't think that would be a good idea," the Earl pointed out, flustered.

Sebastian's eyebrows knitted. "Why not? We would just talk."

Ciel averted his eye. Sebastian knew that what he was saying was painful, because it would never be enough. He liked being with Ciel, just being with him; and vice versa. But even so, the more they were together, the harder it would be to resist temptation.

Sebastian sighed after a moment of silence. "Anyway. You just attended our last show here in England. And for what I can see, it's probably one of our last ones as we are now."

That statement caught Ciel's attention. "What?" he asked. "Why? Are you closing it?"

"Well, not exactly," Sebastian said. "But we've been contemplating the option of letting it in charge of the Mackens. They been here for a good while now and they've proven they're really dedicated. And they are like a family. A strange, dysfunctional family, but a family anyways," he explained.

For a moment, Sebastian could read real worry in Ciel's expression.

"That's good but... what will happen to you now? What are you gonna do?"

Sebastian chuckled without humor, touched. "Oh, nothing. I'll probably keep being their patron. It's the others who are leaving: Grell's been trying to sell her designs lately, and it seems like finally a famous company wants to buy them. They're hiring her, so I wouldn't be surprised if London's all clad in red in a few years from now on."

"Doll and Snake are marrying soon," he went on. "She doesn't know yet, but he's been working harder all this year to save some money. I think he's gonna propose soon, and it's obvious she'll say yes. After the wedding, I bet they'll want to move somewhere else together and have children, who knows. So that leaves the last of the original first-tier members out."

"Wow, that's... unexpected," Ciel breathed. He then looked at Sebastian, still concerned. He wanted to know about him more than the others. "But Sebastian, tell me... how you've been?"

Sebastian smiled halfheartedly. It seemed like Ciel was still affected by Sebastian's behavior that night so many years ago. But it was over.

It was all over.

"I've been fine, Ciel, really," Sebastian said truthfully. "I don't know if you've heard already, but I did study medicine. I've recently graduated with honors, and I'm looking for a job in a good hospital..."

Ciel felt relieved when he heard that. He usually tried to avoid gossip, so he didn't know. But he was content that Sebastian was content with his new life, and he was happy that he'd helped him follow a new path. He was very proud of Sebastian too, but he wouldn't say that out loud.

He smiled confidently.

"Well, I'm really happy for you."

It sounded like an automatic answer, but Ciel really meant it. Sebastian knew that.

"Thank you," he smiled back. "I'm happy for you too. Your child is very beautiful, and I bet you have a wonderful wife."

Ciel shrugged with nostalgia. "They're... good," he whispered. He loved them, actually. Of course, he didn't love Lizzy like he loved Sebastian even after all that time, but he loved her in his own way. He didn't want to brag about them, though. Not when Sebastian was still... alone.

As always, it was like Sebastian could read his mind. He took Ciel's hand and kissed it respectfully.

"It's good to have a family," he told him. "You shouldn't feel guilty because you have a little ray of sun now."

Ciel blushed furiously. "Sebastian..." he murmured. Sebastian stood up. He was still taller than Ciel. He didn't let go of his hand, and he placed his other in Ciel's back, as if they were going to dance. They never broke the eye contact, and for a minute Ciel thought that if Sebastian kissed him there it would be okay, and Lizzy didn't have to know. He'd never leave her, anyway. He wouldn't leave their child. But still, having Sebastian so close to him made his heart beat like crazy, and... was it still cheating, when Sebastian was the only one that Ciel truly loved from the very beginning?

Sebastian gave a step forward, almost closing the distance between them. Ciel closed his eye, trembling with exhilaration, and let out a shaky breath. For a minute, he hoped to feel Sebastian's lips against his...

...but Sebastian was respectful. He placed a kiss on Ciel's forehead; sadly, kindly, lovingly; and let go of him then. Ciel opened his eye, dazed; and then averted his gaze.

"I think I should leave now," he said with embarrasment.

Sebastian gave a curt nod.

"Alright. I'll accompany you."

Ciel nodded back.

"Nice ribbon, by the way," he added slyly when he felt like he was able to speak again. Sebastian looked at his bow tie and smirked.

"Oh, this? Thank you. It was sort of... a present. From someone who's very special to me."

"Really?" Ciel said playfully. Of course he recognized the top knot the wind had blown ten years ago...

"Yeah," Sebastian affirmed. "It looks much better on me, though."

Ciel gave him an sceptic look and sighed.

"You haven't changed one bit. You're still the same cocky moron I met."

Sebastian laughed softly.

"Well, I can't say the same. You've grown."

Ciel snorted.

"Of course I've grown, you idiot. What did you expect...?"

...And in the middle of bickering and loving stares, they exited the tent.

They found Vincent nearby. He was playing with a blond young man about Ciel's age and a redheaded teenager. There was a pale-haired, tanned woman looking motherly at them, and a man with glasses who took the blond's hand and placed playful kisses on his lips when Ciel picked up his child. As they left them behind, Sebastian told Ciel those were the Mackens. They looked really happy, and Ciel could see what Sebastian meant when he said they were like a family.

Sebastian accompanied Ciel and little Vincent to their carriage. They looked at each other one last time and said goodbye.

"I hope to see you soon," Sebastian said. Ciel smiled proudly like he always did.

"Maybe," he said whimsically. It made Sebastian feel like not everything was lost.

He watched the carriage disappear into the night. No matter how many times Ciel would come and go, Sebastian knew they would always meet again.

The End.

A/N: Ooookay, first of all, I never thought this fic would see an end! Like I said before, i had the idea of it but I didn't have the inspiration to write it. So I'm kinda proud it's finished now.

Now, well... Please don't hate me! But let me explain. When I thought about this fic, I knew it wasn't gonna have a perfect happy ending. Kuroshitsuji doesn't have happy endings. It's one of the things that make the series so unique and more realistic. Because let's face it, there was no perfect endings in real life. Life is bittersweet, but beautiful and worth it, so... that was kinda the idea I was trying to express with this fic. That we have to move on and keep living, and that we should never lose hope. I hope I did it well...

I also wanted to show what happened to the characters after everything that happened. And I just don't mean Ciel and Sebastian, as you could see :)

I could've kept them together, but it would've been really hard with things as they were in those times for gay couples. Plus, I don't really think Ciel would break his engagement to Lizzy. He doesn't have romantic feelings for her, but she's the only family he's left and he cares about her a lot.

There are two other possible endings that I could think of —okay, maybe three, but one is too tragic and they've had enough of that and the other two are too OOC. So I guess... this is it. I enjoyed writing this fic so much! Thank you for taking your time to read me and specially to those who left reviews. You are to sweet!

Anyway, I'd love to know what you think about the ending and this fic in general, whether that's good or bad. Also, feel free to ask questions or just fangirl about the new season with me! ;)

Oh, I'd also like to apologize if I made some grammar or spelling mistakes, because I'm not a native speaker. I did my best, but I'm sure there was some in all the story.

Now, I think that's it. Again, thank you! —sends a big hug to everyone—. Now if you excuse me, I'll go and watch the last episode of the Book of Circus. Ahhh, I can't believe it's over!