A/N: BROOKLYN RAGE! This chapter was such a bitch towards the end it's not even funny. I feel like I made my own character OOC, but really she'll probably just seem like that to you guys, because I know how her emotions and everything work and her inner thoughts and motivations and why she can be and is the way she is so just trust me on this one oookay and I'm rambling…

Warning: Fluffy sweet whip cream at the end of this one, folks!

Disclaimer: All OC's belong to me and nothing of Kuroshitsuji. That belongs to Ms. Toboso and this is me letting you know! (it rhymes!)

Chapter 25: A Promise of Worth

She couldn't control her actions. She raked her claw-like nails down Undertaker's back and let out a distressed wail at her lack of control. Her bloody hands threw the reaper from her path and she attacked Sebastian.

She tackled him to the ground and wrapped her hands around his throat, tightening her grip further and further, strangling the air from him.

The demonic butler grabbed her right wrist with one hand and flipped them over using his left arm. He managed to break her vice grip on his neck and restrain her other hand as well.

Though, through her actions, Lilis appeared to be viciously struggling to injure the fellow demon, her eyes were completely devoid of murderous intentions. Instead, they were pleading.

Sebastian opened his mouth to say something, but bit back his words with a pained shout as Lilis utilized her legs and kicked Sebastian where it really mattered.

She freed herself and scrambled up from the ground before turning and grabbing him by the back of his coat collar and throwing him as well.

The airborne demon slammed into Undertaker, knocking him over just as he had stood up.

Lilis was on them in an instant, slashing and biting. She bit Undertaker in the shoulder, though she had been aiming for his jugular and tried to pierce through Sebastian with her hands at the same time.

They were a tangled mess of blood and limbs and they struggled against each other, almost evenly matched, for quite some time. However, Lilis' bonds couldn't make her accomplish the impossible and she wasn't a match for both Sebastian and Undertaker.

Eventually, they overpowered her and restrained her arms and legs, then with a quick belt to the back of her head with the handle of his scythe, Undertaker knocked her out cold.

The demoness immediately turned boneless and slumped. They eased her to the ground and turned their focus on James. During their fight, Pluto had taken it upon himself to help out by sitting on the man. Not fully, but his massive forepaw was covering the young man's mouth, rendering him unable to issue anymore orders.

The blonde struggled under the weight of the massive dog, trying to free himself. His efforts doubled when he saw the two men approaching.

"Stand, Pluto." Sebastian commanded. The devil dog obeyed, releasing the man.

"Li-grck!" James' call for help was cut off abruptly as Sebastian grabbed him by the face, covering his mouth.

He pulled the human forward and leaned down so they were eye to eye. Frightened blue met bloodthirsty red as the butler tightened his grip. James let out muffled sounds of distress, but they were inaudible and the truth was that neither man couldn't care less.

"There are a few things I really don't like." Sebastian started conversationally. "Dogs, incompetent servants-" he squeezed tighter on James' jaw. "-chocolate, death gods-"

Undertaker chuckled under his breath at that.

"But the thing I really don't like." His voice lowered dangerously and his eyes bled into their full demonic ruby." The thing I hate most is pathetic humans trying to touch what doesn't belong to them. Especially when it belongs to me."

His grip constricted to such and extent that James' began viciously struggling to get away and his eyes bulged and suddenly there was a loud CRACK.

A screeching howl bubbled up from the clockmaker's throat as Sebastian jerked his broken jaw around, before letting it from his grasp.

James' crawled away from the butler making whimpering noises.

Undertaker followed the movement with his eyes and tilted his head a little. "I think he may still be able to talk~" he noted, seeing James furiously trying to form words that didn't come out slurred and incomprehensible.

"Well we can't have that." Sebastian nodded and calmly caught up with James.

"Perhaps something a little more definite?" he grinned and pulled James up by the back of his neck.

Streams of salty tears gushed from James' eyes, but pity was a foreign concept to Sebastian and Undertaker wasn't in any mood for helping the man who caused Lilis so much misery.

"I've not known a person in all my many years that retained their ability to speak after losing their tongue~" the reaper mused out loud.

Sebastian's grin intensified. "Neither have I."

In retrospect, it was good they were out in the countryside. James' screaming surely would've woken all of London.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Lilis woke up she was in the cushy familiarity of her bed, or rather, Undertaker's bed that she often commandeered.

She sat up and looked around, but the room was empty excluding herself. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and hopped off. What had happened? She remembered the carriage being stopped by Undertaker and Sebastian and she remembered James' order to kill them but nothing else.

She'd been knocked out. She knew that. Her head was still feeling a bit sore. Who had knocked her out?

Her curiosity growing to overwhelming levels, she hastened her pace through the building. Washroom? Empty. Back room? Vacant.

She practically busted the door to the front room down. Both Undertaker and Sebastian occupied the space, as well as a pale man in a suit that she had never seen before, laying on the floor. They all looked over to her as she entered the room, wide eyed and breathing quickly.

So many thoughts and questions were running through her head, she didn't know which one to ask first. Finally she managed to utter the one word question that encompassed most of her concerns. "James?"

"Is that what his name was~?" Undertaker tapped his chin as he sat on a conveniently placed coffin.

Sebastian, who was standing a few feet from him tossed a small object in her direction, which she caught with little effort. "He won't be much trouble for you without that."

Opening her hand, she looked upon a bloody human tongue. Without looking up, she questioned. "So he's-"

"Dead~? Ah, yes~ And burning in hell as we speak~"

She clenched her fist around the tongue, smashing the muscle between her fingers. Her shoulders started shaking and a hiccup of a giggle escaped her throat. Then another. Then another, until she was full out laughing.

Pluto perked up at the joyful noise and pranced over to her. Making note of his dog like tendencies, she tossed the tongue to him and laughed even harder when he jumped up and snatched it right out of the air, gulping it down like it was a dog biscuit.

It took a few moments for her to regain her composure, but she finally managed to settle down. She sat across from Sebastian and Undertaker and Pluto sat next to her. She pet his head lightly and smiled a truly happy smile.

It brightened her whole appearance and for a moment, she looked nothing like the wicked demon she was suppose to be.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She found out that she hadn't been unconscious for very long. At least, not long enough for the injuries she had inflicted on her two saviors to have fully healed. Currently she was inspecting what remained of the deep lacerations that traveled down the length of Undertaker's back. Or she was trying, more accurately.

The grey haired reaper refused to sit still or allow her to properly scrutinize the tattered ribbons that were left of the back of his clothes or anything beneath.

"Would you quit squirming for just a second!" she tried to move his long hair out of the way, but he just dodged her and moved a few feet away.

She made a noise of frustration and sat down leaning backwards in her seat until her back rested against the wall. She looked over at Sebastian.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"He refused to leave~" Undertaker answered, before Sebastian could respond.

Lilis raised an eyebrow. "What about the itty Phantomhive?"

"My master is dedicating this day to company business. He has little need of me during such a time, but if he calls I can be there in a moments notice."

"Oh…" Lilis trailed off, surprising the butler with her lack of vehemence.

She couldn't bring herself to snap at him, or even despise him as she once had. He, after all, had a hand is saving her from a life of slavery. Some cordiality was due. Though he had another thing coming if he thought she was going to let him continue on with this whole 'plaything' fiasco.

As Undertaker left to find some tea in the back, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Don't get any wise ideas from James."

Sebastian scoffed. "I already told you. I have no need to use such cheap tricks."

Placated, she nodded and mused over her next words. With a bit of reluctance she said, "I… owe you, for helping me. So if you ever need a favor… I'm in your debt."

Sebastian grinned, but against Lilis' expectations, didn't make any sort of inappropriate or snarky comment. "I'll keep that in mind." he said simply.

Lilis nodded again and turned as Undertaker entered with a chipped teapot.

"Tea~"

He poured some in Lilis' beaker, but Sebastian held his hand out in refusal before Undertaker could serve him.

The butler stood up. "I'll be departing for now." he said as he moved to the door and opened. "But I'll be seeing you soon, I'm sure."

And with that he, along with Pluto, was gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lilis took a sip of her tea before turning her attention to Undertaker. While she wasn't looking, he had brought out the cookie jar and offered one to her when she turned.

The demoness happily accepted the treat and snapped an end off with her teeth, savoring the tasty biscuits.

For a moment they simply sat in silence until, to Undertaker's surprise, Lilis suddenly crossed the gap and enveloped him in a bone crushing hug, burying her face into his chest.

He was unable to think of anything to say, for once. He found himself able to focus on very few things.

The main thing would be her body. More specifically, her body pressed against his own and how very soft it was.

As though he didn't fully trust his own limbs, he hesitantly wrapped his arms around the woman clinging to him.

She murmured muffled words into his shirt, but he couldn't understand and had to, reluctantly, draw her away from himself slightly in order to understand her speech.

"I truly don't believe I have the ability to cry." she muttered in a regretful voice. "I would be crying tears of joy right now, were it possible. I was saved."

True to her word, her purple gem like eyes seemed to shine like they were filled with tears, but no droplets escaped from them. She wouldn't look him in the face, merely kept staring at the space between them.

"But I can't help but wonder…"

She slouched down in his grip a little and her head lulled lightly to the side. Her eyelids drooped and she leaned forward so that only her forehead rested against him.

He had to strain to hear her next word, they were whispered so softly.

"Is a monster worth this effort?"

Her breathing evened out and she fell into a deep sleep. Shifting her around so he could carry her to the bed he noticed that, though she was in repose, her face looked anything but peaceful. Her brow was furrowed and her eyes shifted under her eyelids rapidly.

He set her down on the bed and leaned against the side wall.

There wasn't anything he could do for her and the tumultuous thoughts that she harbored within her mind, and that thought caused him no end of torment.

Because she was worth it, and she always would be.

A/N: I felt particularly sadistic when I killed James. Could you tell? I wanted to write the whole thing, but I figured I'd go with the cinematic approach of an off screen death.

On a whole 'nother note! Sebastian and Lilis may now be on more friendly terms! Now I couldn't just have her hate him forever now could I? That'd make it much to easier for our dear Undertaker and we can't have that. *wicked laugh*