Thanks for reading! I don't own any of Black Butler! Please let me know if you enjoy!
—
After a bittersweet night filled with angst and awe, the sun rose over Phantomhive manor the following morning.
The baby cooed sweetly.
Ciel made her final decision.
Sebastian made his.
Alois remained steadfast.
And life went on.
—
Ciel's heart had chosen.
Ciel married Alois Trancy in secret soon after the baby's birth.
The couple claimed they had been married for quite some time and introduced society to their new baby girl, whom they named Selene.
Ciel was truly happy, then, with her spouse and her daughter.
Alois was a loving husband and a doting father.
If he ever realized the child was not his, he never spoke a word of it to anyone.
Alois had told Sebastian the truth, the child's bloodline really didn't matter to him.
As long as he was with Ciel, the love of his life, that was all he needed.
Besides, Selene didn't know, right?
She was innocent.
The poor girl was just an unfortunate soul who had been thrown into a messy situation and for that, whether he was her biological father or not, Alois always took pity on the child.
He remembered a time when he had been an innocent victim of circumstance too….
The blonde spent many happy days playing games with her, riding horses with her, taking her on trips with him and Ciel, and teaching her about the world.
Selene grew to love the blonde man she called "father".
But she was not like Alois.
Selene was a very demure, respectful, intelligent, and quiet child.
She looked like Ciel in miniature form, her face a perfect replica of her mother's, highlighted by bright sapphire eyes and gleaming bluenette hair.
Ciel was grateful that once Selene grew out of her infancy, those pesky black hairs fell away.
Still though, it was undeniable that the child looked nothing like Alois, acted nothing like Alois.
Sebastian noticed and it always made his eyes shine with pride.
Sebastian loved his daughter, even though he had keep her true parentage a secret.
Although it did turn Sebastian's stomach to see his little girl call Earl Trancy "father".
As nauseating as it was to watch Alois have Ciel by his side and in his bed, Sebastian knew he had made the right decision by sparing Ciel's life and choosing to stay as Phantomhive butler.
Because he got to spend time with his daughter and his master everyday.
Sebastian still performed all of the same duties as butler that he had carried out previously.
Enough Selene knew him as "Mr. Sebastian", the butler had the pleasure and the privilege of acting as a sort of nanny for her, caring for her in her infancy, teaching her how to walk, instructing her on all of her lessons as her private tutor when she was old enough…
And even though Ciel had rejected Sebastian, he still was able to admire the bluenette from a distance.
Heh.
Every so often, over the years, Alois and Sebastian would exchange a look, and each would give the other a satisfied smirk.
Both the butler and the boy had won.
Both the butler and the boy had lost.
Alois had won Ciel as his bride, he had her heart and her love.
But Sebastian won the paternity contest.
Selene was ultimately his, she belonged to him, and nothing could ever change that.
One afternoon, he found Selene studying diligently even though she already received top marks for the day.
Sebastian's lips parted in a grin.
Even if she never knew the truth, she was Sebastian's child and she always would be.
—
Ten years after Selene's birth, the butler and the boy were both losing.
In fact, everyone was losing.
Alois was losing his life.
Sebastian, Alois, and Selene were all losing Ciel.
A horrible epidemic swept through London, creeping into Phantomhive manor.
The dreaded illness seized the blonde first with a high fever and uncontrollable sweating.
Sebastian and Claude worked to save his life, Ciel right beside of them, nursing him day and night.
It was lucky that Sebastian had seen the sweat starting to pour down Ciel's face the third day after Alois was stricken, because he quarantined Selene just in time.
Husband and wife were both lying together, dying, Ciel with her head on Alois's shoulder, fingers laced, determined to stay together until the very end.
Claude seemed indifferent.
But Sebastian frowned.
As he stood there, gazing down at the bluenette, he was shocked to find his eyes grow cloudy and wet.
Sebastian bore the grief of two.
Selene….
His child would be motherless.
No…..
He needed to find a way to pull Ciel from death's icy hands.
A butler that couldn't do that much wasn't worth his salt.
—
"Ah~, Butler. What brings you to my shop today?" Undertaker giggled as he opened the door for Sebastian.
The Phantomhive family butler had left Claude in charge of caring for the ill couple and had taken a carriage into the city.
"This illness that's plaguing the country. You have a cure, don't you?" Sebastian asked as he stepped inside.
Many doctors had passed away from the disease while trying to help the sick.
It was so virulent that some even refused to see infected patients to save themselves.
Sebastian had had no luck trying to find medical help.
That meant he had to look elsewhere.
If anyone had a cure, Undertaker and his morbid, Shinigami-esque research was at least a good place to start searching….
It was Sebastian's best chance.
"Oh dear~. Precious young master is not amongst the ill is she~?" Undertaker snickered.
"She is." Sebastian replied solemnly.
To his surprise, Undertaker parted his hair and pulled it to the side, revealing his handsome face, his eyes glowering at Sebastian. "Well, we can't have that, can we?"
Sebastian narrowed his eyes.
Undertaker had said something a long time ago about not wanting to lose anymore members of Ciel's family and it had always puzzled him at what he had meant.
But now was not the time to ask.
"For dear lady Phantomhive, I just may have something~." The silver-haired man chuckled, disappearing into the shadows of his shop for a moment.
He rummaged around his makeshift laboratory and emerged holding a vial with some sort of green medicine he had concocted.
Undertaker stretched out his hand and gave the vial to Sebastian.
The butler took his gloved hand and accepted it, placing it in his trench coat pocket.
"How many doses?" Sebastian asked.
"There's enough in that vial to save several people. She only needs one drop." Undertaker explained, holding up a single talon topped finger.
"Thank you." Sebastian bowed gratefully, turning on his heel to leave.
"Oh butler~?" Undertaker purred.
Sebastian turned his head.
"I'm afraid that's not a gift. If you recall, I have a fee that must be paid." Undertaker grinned.
"I do beg your pardon, but I'm not in a joking mood right now. Although I am in a bit of a hurry." Sebastian replied.
"Fine then." Undertaker smiled. "I know you had some sort of agreement with the female Earl at one point. Shinigamis hear a lot of things. What happened to that, eh? Why not tell me why you're so desperate to save her life?"
Sebastian sighed.
Oh dear.
—
"HAAAAA! HAAAAA! HAAAAAAA! AAAAAAAAA!"
Undertaker's laughter roared out into the street as Sebastian opened the door and took his leave from the squalid shop.
"It's too good! It's too funny! Really! It's too much! Heheheheheheeeeeeeee!" Undertaker wailed on, throwing himself down on the dirty floor of his shop, pounding his fists in amusement.
Sebastian wore a deep scowl.
It was not funny.
He had told Undertaker everything, about himself and Ciel, and Alois, and then Selene…
He found that he had unintentionally paid Undertaker's toll ten times over as the silver-haired Shinigami began to cackle with laughter, finding that the most hilarious story he had heard in years.
Sebastian's eyes narrowed dangerously as he boarded the carriage, leaving Undertaker still screaming with laughter.
There was nothing funny about the situation, or the last ten years, to Sebastian.
He held the vial up and looked at the medicine that sloshed inside.
Oh well.
If a little humiliation meant saving Ciel's life and protecting his daughter, it was worth it.
—
As soon as Sebastian arrived back at the manor, he went into the bedroom that held the sickened couple.
Both Alois and Ciel were so close to death, their breath didn't fog the glass on a mirror, as Claude held it under each's nose to see if they were still alive.
He moved out of the way once he saw Sebastian enter the room.
Sebastian's eyes were soft as he carefully tilted Ciel's head back and gently opened her mouth, landed a single drop from the vial on her tongue and then helped her swallow.
Even if it was unreturned, Sebastian's love for her had only grown as he watched her mother his child.
He glanced over at Alois.
How much….exactly…..had his love for Ciel grown?
Did he love her enough to…?
Sebastian came to stand over Alois menacingly.
Claude adjusted his glasses.
Just then, Sebastian heard a sound and looked up.
He saw Selene peering through the crack of the door, watching.
Even through the crack in the door, Sebastian could see the grief and the fear in his daughter's eyes for not only Ciel, but Alois too.
Sebastian looked at the vial.
Enough to save several, eh?
He glanced back at Selene's sapphire eyes shining at him through the crack of the door.
With a growl, Sebastian reluctantly snapped Alois's head back and placed a drop deep inside his mouth, pressing on the blonde's throat to force him to swallow.
Sebastian glared down at him afterwards.
How easy it would have been to simply let him die…..
He could finally have Ciel to himself.
Finally, he could have…..
But, Alois was the man his daughter knew as "father".
She would be more devastated than Ciel over Alois's death.
Sebastian had to protect his little girl in anyway possible, even if that meant hurting himself.
Even if that meant she never knew….
A father that couldn't do that much wasn't worth his salt.
—-
After the medicine had been administered, he heard movement outside the door, and Sebastian came out of the room, leaving Claude to watch over them.
Selene was hiding in the hallway as Sebastian stood in front of the door, thinking back over the events of the last few weeks, last few years…
Sebastian sighed and hung his head, his hands coming to rest at his sides.
When he felt something small tug on his glove.
He glanced down and saw that Selene had slipped her tiny hand into his.
Sebastian blinked.
He knew the little girl was afraid for her parents, but what-
"Are they dying, Daddy?"
Sebastian's eyes widened.
What?!
When had Ciel…..?!
His heart beat so fast he heard his pulse in his ears.
That word he had waited to hear, longed to hear for ten years, finally fell from Selene's lips so easily…
So naturally!
But how should he respond?!
What would Ciel want him to say?
He could not lie…..
"When did your mother tell you?" Sebastian asked seriously, his eyes soft as he looked at his daughter.
"She didn't." Selene replied.
Sebastian looked at the child.
"I've always known." Selene admitted.
Sebastian purred proudly.
Shrewd, intuitive, intelligent…..
Yes, Selene was his daughter.
Sebastian knelt down next to the child so they were eye to eye as he spoke to her, "No, my dear, they're going to be fine."
Sebastian's heart melted as his little girl turned her sapphire gaze upon him, reading his face for reassurance.
"Let's get you changed for dinner now, shall we? They need time to rest and then they'll feel better." Sebastian replied, standing and taking Selene by her small hand.
He wanted to leap for joy as the word left her lips again while they walked.
"Alright, Daddy."
—
Both Alois and Ciel recovered.
Both the butler and the boy won.
Sebastian's daughter knew the truth and even though she couldn't call him "father" in public, the two became very close as parent and child.
Selene still had a deep love for her adopted father, Alois, and considered him an equally important person in her life.
Ciel gave her heart completely to Alois, but Sebastian could tell from her actions and attitudes she never forgot the feelings she shared with Sebastian, briefly, before his own greedy malice ripped them apart.
Yes, both Sebastian and Alois won.
They both were a part of Selene's life.
And they both got to stay by Ciel's side, one as her servant, one as her spouse.
And that way, all four were happy.
Perhaps things would have different, if all those years ago, Ciel hadn't found herself caught between the butler and the boy.
