Chapter 20: Answers

Months had passed and the Green Estate was still intact. There were multiple attempts at Tom's life, but Lina was there every moment, guarding him with her life. She figured that there must've been more to Tom's reason other than revenge. As she took down yet another attacker, she held a hunch as they disintegrated into dust.

He must've hired her for protection, from the demons that came by.

But the thing is why demons are after him? Just what was so important about Tom Green, other than him being only son of Lady Éclair?

The contractor and the demon stood side by side as they looked out the window, watching life pass by before them. Lina glanced down at her Young Master and caught a look of distraught in his eyes.

"I suppose you don't know why you're being attacked?" She inquired as he closed his eyes and listened. Tom shook his head slightly in response and put his hand up against the window, his green eyes distant.

"What do I do? If this keeps up, I'm bound to just let you have my soul from this tensed up feeling." He replied as he leaned his forehead against the glass. Lina thought about it for a moment and closed her eyes.

"If…we search to find the reason, would you be willing to go through a dangerous journey to find it?" She hesitantly asked as she opened her eyes and looked down at him. She watched as he thought about his answer, his eyes darting from one location to another.

"I-I don't know. But as long as you're beside me, I believe I can." He replied quietly, lifting his head to meet her gaze. She made no reaction, only staring at the eye patch that blocked his eye.

"Very well then, we shall make a visit."

"To where?" Tom asked as Lina began to walk down the hall. The Earl followed after her, a look of curiosity in his green eyes.

"To a man named Lau,"

xXx

"Young Master, are you sure about this?" The butler asked from the opposite side of the carriage, a hesitant look in his red eyes. The Earl scowled in return and glared out the window, their carriage stopping in front of the mansion.

"Yes, I can't shake that feeling that he has another reason for taking her away from us." The cerulean eyed Earl replied as he met his butler's eyes once more. Sebastian let out a small sigh and lowered himself out from the carriage, allowing Ciel to follow next. The two made their way quietly to the front of the Green Estate and exchanged glances with each other before Sebastian raised a hand and knocked.

They would finally get to see Lina again.

xXx

Lina and Tom were just about to leave when they heard a knock at the door. Tom froze instantly and looked over to the demon beside him, her eyes widened in surprise. Only about a heartbeat later did Lina react and step in front of him.

"Go," She quietly uttered, her eyes locked on the front door. The Young Master nodded and bolted up the stairs, stopping at the top. He put his hand on the railing and watched as the demon pulled out a handful of knives. This was the second one today.

The demon made her way over to the door, detecting the other demon's presence instantly, but stopped for a second when she felt another presence. She looked down at the floor and tilted her head in confusion at the familiar presence. She couldn't place who it belonged to and she was still suspicious of the demon next to it. She glanced back at her Master who was looking at the door fearfully.

Turning her head back, jaw set, she wrapped her hand around the knob and hesitated, a thinking look on her pretty features. There was another knock at the door and she suddenly realized who it was. She snapped her up in shock and stared at the door for the longest time.

It can't be…they can't be here! Why would they be here? She thought to herself as memories of a forgotten butler and Earl came back. She said to herself that since she was serving a new Master, she would forget everything from her old one. It had worked...until now. When they decided to show up.

She took a breath and opened the door slowly, refusing to believe it was them. However when she saw their relieved expressions, she had to accept it. She met Ciel's cerulean eye and regained her composure.

"Ciel, what are you doing here?" She asked as she let them in, widening the door for the butler and Earl. When Sebastian stepped in and met her gaze, she simply stared back, no emotion displayed whatsoever.

Tom blinked in surprise at who the visitor was and came down the steps a bit hesitantly, seeing Ciel's look of suspicion. He stopped next to Lina who stood right beside him and nodded in greeting.

"Ciel-kun, so you decided to visit." Tom said as they all sat down in the living room, the atmosphere a bit clammy and silent. The Phantomhive Earl nodded and glanced at Lina before returning to meet his gaze.

"It has been a few months now and you haven't visited so I decided that I should this time." He replied, not missing a beat. Tom gave him a ghost of smile before frowning.

"I'm afraid you've caught us at a bad time, my friend. Lina and I were just about to head out." He said as he stood up, about to ask them to leave when Ciel stood up as well, a challenging look in his eye.

"Oh, to where?" Ciel asked curiously, a smirk on his lips. Sebastian tried to meet Lina's eyes again, but all he received with a cold glare with those purple eyes of hers.

"A friend," Lina answered for her Master, giving the both of them the cold shoulder. "If you'll excuse us, we have to leave." She softly said before she put a hand on Tom's shoulder and led him to the door. Ciel and Sebastian followed them out, a look of utter confusion in their eyes.

As they all stepped out of the house, Lina locked the door behind her and was about to leave with Tom when Ciel stepped in front of Tom, a determined look in his eye.

"What happened to you?" He asked in a hushed tone as he clenched his fist. Tom met his friend's gaze calmly and narrowed his eye.

"I changed." Right then, Ciel noticed the eye patch and widened his own eye in surprise. Tom seemed to realize that and gave him a small smile, reaching up to touch the eye patch with his fingertips.

"You formed a contract with her?" The Earl demanded as he took a step forward, a disbelieving look in his eye. "For what? What could you possibly want to sell your soul for?"

"I could ask the same, especially when our reasons are the same." Tom replied in a nonchalant tone, tilting his chin up slightly. Ciel gasped quietly as he said this and glared at him with indignation.

"We're really much alike Ciel," He softly said with a tilt of his head. Ciel lowered his head, his hair blocking his expression.

"…you're the one person who I finally made a connection with…why would you do such a thing when you have everything right in front of you?" He whispered as the fist he clenched shook. Tom blinked at his words and furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance.

"I have nothing else to live for." He stated; his words like a stab to the heart for the Phantomhive Earl. Lina narrowed her eyes at her Young Master's words and noticed that he was correct. He no longer had his family, only revenge. Just like the Earl standing in front of him.

"C'mon Lina, let's go." Tom said before walking past Ciel slowly. The Phantomhive Earl trembled with anger as Lina passed him, silent and reserved.

"Sebastian," He uttered quietly as his butler came up to him.

"Yes, my Lord?" He asked as Ciel slowly lifted his head, a decisive in his blue eye.

"Follow them." He said with a distant look in his eye. Sebastian widened his eyes at this and glanced up at the retreating figure of the demon he loved. He closed his eyes and managed a smile, putting his hand over his heart and bowing.

"Yes, my Lord."

xXx

"Young Master, are you really going to go against your only friend?" Lina asked as they walked through town, heading for the familiar place where Ciel had once asked her to go to. Tom walked steadily in front of her with a grim look on his face.

"If that's what it takes to get my revenge." He replied instantly as he shoved through a crowd of people.

"But-!" Tom whirled around and met her gaze with a furious look in his eye.

"I have nothing else to live for! Nothing else matters anymore!" He exclaimed as he tried to hide the sadness within him. It had hurt him to say that to his friend, but…if it was to help him reach his goal…he had to do it.

Lina stayed quiet at his response and put a hand on his shoulder as they went down the street to where the Chinese man was. She went up to the door first and knocked on it, taking a step back as it opened suspiciously. The two made their way inside, surrounded with the smell of tobacco and men with ladies hooked on their arm.

The demon made her way to the back, ignoring all the ogling she received from all the people inside, and spotted Lau sitting in a love seat surrounded by beautiful ladies who fawned over him. When Lina stopped in front of him, Lau looked up from his conversation with Ran-Mao and smiled when he met her eyes.

"It is nice to see you again, and I see that you have a new Master?" He asked as he glanced over at Tom who felt uncomfortable under all the stares.

"It is none of your concern. What we're here for involves-"

"It involves a certain someone whom you are looking for correct? You want to venture off to find this man, and gain some answers from him?" Lau inquired as he waited for an answer.

"So you know what we're talking about?" Tom asked excitedly as he took a step forward.

"…no. Please explain." Lina and Tom sweatdropped and sighed as Lina began to elaborate.

"We're looking for a man named Claude. He is not from this world. And we do seek answers, but not from him." She said as she left out a few things, thinking of them unimportant. Lau stayed quiet for a moment and asked for the others to leave, the scent of perfume and alcohol fading slightly.

"Ran-Mao, bring him in." The girl who sat in his lap stood up and disappeared for a moment, only to reappear with someone Lina didn't expect standing behind her.

"Kai?" She asked as the said demon looked up. He broke out into a grin and nodded as he took a seat near Lau.

"This man will help you find the person you are looking for. As for the answers you seek, I cannot assist you there." Lau said before the smoke began to surround them once more. Kai made his way over to them and smiled as Lina nodded to him in greeting.

"So you can help us?" She asked as they walked back to the front door. Her best friend smiled and nodded as he held the door open for her. Lina was about to step out when she froze, causing Tom to bump into her back. There standing at the base of the steps was Sebastian in his all and mighty glory.

xXx

"What are you doing here?" Lina asked coldly as she made her way down the steps to meet him. Kai sensed the sudden change in moods and stayed quiet as Tom and he followed after her.

"My Lord asked me to follow you. So, maybe I can provide some assistance?" He asked as he glanced over at the Earl who stood next to Lina. Tom gazed at the butler with a scrutinizing look and thought about it. He didn't have anything against this man, so why not? He might prove useful.

"It is greatly appreciated." Tom replied, not noticing how Lina stiffened slightly. Kai however caught it and wondered to himself what had just happened. Sebastian gave the Earl a small ghost of smile and nodded.

"Who are looking for by the way?" Sebastian asked as the four of them began to walk in pairs; Lina and Kai up in the front and Sebastian and Tom in the back.

"A demon named Claude." Tom replied, noting how Sebastian widened his eyes slightly.

"But he's dead." He stated, knowing that he had defeated him with the Demon Sword. This time Kai looked back at gave him a glance.

"Apparently not," Sebastian scowled at this information and mulled to himself.

"So where do we start?" Lina asked, catching Sebastian out of his daze. Kai smiled at her and looked straight ahead.

"The reason I was sent here just wasn't to visit you Lina. The Underworld has also been keeping a close watch to Claude who apparently isn't dead. He's been doing some really heinous crimes that affect us down there. So, I've been called to put a stop to him. Luckily, I managed to find something on him." He explained as he led the way, weaving through the crowd of people. Sebastian noticed the way Lina looked at him, so admiringly, that is sparked something within him. It was a bubbly and acidic feeling deep in the pit of stomach.

"Alright, so where are we going?" Tom piped up in an inquiring tone. The four of them broke away from the crowd and stepped into an alleyway. At the end of this certain alleyway was a shop with a very familiar board that hung on the top. The shop's door was a mat and there was a pile of furniture clumped together outside. It looked like a messed up shack. Lina knew this building all too well and smirked in memory.

"The Under Taker,"

xXx

Author's Note: So, here's another update! I want to wish you all a happy summer vacation! BEACH TIME! :D I hoped you all liked Sebastian's appearance in here as well as Ciel's! Whoop! You'll get to meet the Under Taker next! I hope things are going at a smooth pace for you readers out there! I'll keep this note short so…till the next update!