Why did everything have to be so bright? It was like staring directly into the sun. However, I didn't feel the urge to squint my eyes. Was this all a dream? I bit down hard on my tongue. The twinge of pain I was looking for wasn't there. Maybe I was dreaming. Then, that would mean I could simply think of Sebastian and he'd be here, right? Every little detail of my husband's face ran through my head. Every mark on his body...Before I threw myself into a nosebleed, I took a quick look around.

No Sebastian. Dammit. Although, I started to see things a bit clearer. The brightness had gone down considerably. Or my eyes have finally adjusted. Where was this place? So lush, so green. There must have been dozens of every flower on Earth here. And my allergies weren't being fussy. This was incredible. Somehow, walking amongst the greenery, I felt more and more at peace. That didn't mean I let my guard down.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Ash stood by my side.

"Where are we?" I jumped on the defensive.

"All in good time, my dear," he gestured to a small, white table, "Join me, won't you?"

"Only if you tell me where we are," I bargained.

"Alright," Ash agreed, making things simple. Almost too simple, "To make a long story short, we're somewhere out of Sebastian's reach."

"He already can't touch me," I groaned, "What more do you want from us?"

"Please, Lumi," he insisted as a tea pot appeared on the table. It smelled like chamomile, "Sit with me."

As weird as this whole mad tea party was, I might as well. It's not like I was going anywhere. I didn't even know where here was. I slid the metal chair across the concrete, "Alright, Ash. I'll have tea with you. Now, where are we?"

"This place?" Ash poured a cup for me to my specifications, "This is the Garden of Eden. I wanted you out of Sebastian's reach and what better place than here?"

"This is the Garden of Eden?" I gasped, taking in its exquisite views.

"It is," he nodded, "It's beautiful, isn't it? Truly breathtaking."

"If this were under different circumstances," I admitted, "I'd probably be thanking you for this."

"You're welcome," Ash smiled a little, "Now, Lumi, do you know why you're here?"

"I thought you made that rather clear," I reminded him, "You wanted to keep me out of Sebastian's reach."

"Not necessarily that," he clarified, "That is a byproduct, but you and I needed to have a little heart to heart. We can't do that with your demon poking about, can we?"

"What do you want with me?" the captivating beauty of the garden was losing its hold on my serenity.

"I'm the one," Ash held my hand, making me cringe internally, "I wiped your memories and gave you the fresh start."

"I kind of figured that," I glared.

"But do you understand why I did it?" he wondered.

"Some sort of twisted, karmic retribution?" I assumed.

"Not exactly," Ash explained, "Think about it, Lumi. All those years ago, you commited a horrible sin in the form of falling in love with a demon. Either you have the patience of a saint or you're some sort of superhuman."

"I wouldn't say superhuman."

"Not only did you manage to make a hateful creature fall in love," he went on, "But you procreated with it."

"What can I say?" I shrugged, "Sebastian's good at what he does."

"Do you know about the nun?" Ash asked.

"What nun?"

"Never mind," he brushed it off, "But not just anyone can have a demon's heart like that. It's the main reason why we allowed you to survive your pregnancy with the cambion."

"Excuse me?" I knew better than that. My little problem with the demon blood is what kept me alive through my pregnancy. It was Sebastian swallowing my soul that kept me alive. It wasn't divine intervention.

"Your mortal human body wouldn't be able to hold a supernatural creature of that magnitude," Ash scoffed, "You think awfully highly of yourself, don't you? Unless it's of dire importance, angels are not allowed to meddle with human lives. However, I'm sure our boss would be able to look the other way when it comes to demons. But back to the task at hand. What we want with you. Why I wiped your memories in the first place."

"Do tell."

"To give you a second chance," he told, "You were young when you fell in love with Sebastian. You weren't quite sure what love was yet. So, when the time was right, we gave you a chance at redemption. We knew he'd go out looking for you again. It'd be enough to keep him distracted, so he couldn't corrupt any more souls. Originally, we thought he'd grow hungrier and hungrier over time and eventually, Sebastian would starve to death. But he never seemed to go after anything."

I knew exactly why Sebastian never went for another soul. He told me that after he had Ciel's, he would never want another soul again. That would be enough to sustain him through lifetimes. And he'd be ok with never feeding again. That's why he cultivated Ciel's soul for so long. And he could say Ciel was just a meal for him all he wanted. Sebastian wanted to give him a longer life. Contract be damned. He saw how things were turning around for Ciel and despite his demonic nature, he was a bit of a softy when it came to his young master.

"What does this have to do with me?" I was really starting to lose my patience.

"The longer you went on living your life in this lifetime," Ash continued, "The clearer it became to me. Sebastian Michaelis had no weaknesses except for two. His daughter, who is well past saving. I don't ever want to be on the receiving end of a cambion. Especially one of a very powerful demon. If she was enough to tame Lucifer himself, there's no telling what she's capable of. But because she's kept her head down over the years and didn't touch humanity, we let her go. Although, I'd be lying if I said we haven't kept an eye on her."

"So, what's the other one?" I wondered, "You said Sebastian had two weaknesses. And for the record, Marcelina isn't a weakness to him. She'd kill a man for her daddy. And she has."

"She didn't kill a man," he pointed out, "She killed Claude Faustus. Hell's favorite little brownnoser. Other demons would hunt him for sport. But I thought Sebastian's other weakness would've been obvious to you."

"So, you're going to use me to get to him," I figured, "That's not going to happen."

"You say that," Ash cradled my face in the palm of his hand, "But in the name of our crusade, I can make it to where you have no choice. I can show you how truly evil he is. Do you truly love him unconditionally?"

"Separate us as much as you want," I stood my ground, "We'll always find our way back to each other."

"Oh, my dear child," he awed, "You're going to be separated permanently very soon."

"What do you mean?"

"You're going to be the one to kill Sebastian Michaelis," Ash grinned darkly, nearly rivaling Sebastian, "I can show you things that he's done that would make you hate him, loathe him even. You'll see the demon he truly is and it will make your bloodlust for him insatiable. You'll want him dead, child. I promise you that. Now, finish your tea and make yourself comfortable. You're not leaving for a while. I have some things I need to get for you."

"I'm not killing Sebastian," I put my foot down, "It's not going to happen."

"Like I said," he took the tea set away with the exception of my cup, "Finish your tea and make yourself comfortable."

I sat at that table like a stubborn child being forced to eat her vegetables. Ash told me to make myself comfortable, but in all honesty, I wanted his head on a spike. He wanted me to kill Sebastian, but there was no way in hell that was happening. Ash seemed pretty adamant about me finishing my tea, though. God knows it's probably poisoned somehow. Fool me once. I dumped the rest into one of the rosebushes and went for a walk around Heaven. Words I never thought I'd say.

Exactly what I pictured. Marble columns, streets paved with gold. A lot brighter than Hell. That's for sure. Yet, somehow, I felt more tranquil in Hell than I did here. Sure, it was a tad warmer, but something about Hell felt like home. It's where my baby is sometimes. It's where my husband is sometimes. It's where the closest thing Sebastian's ever had to a son is! I don't know. It just feels like home.

Through my absentminded wander around Heaven, a pair of arms grabbed me from behind out of nowhere. Of course, I tried to fight back, but that wasn't happening. These were little arms. Sort of slim and slender arms, yet they had an obscene amount of strength. I had a hand over my mouth, though, "Who are you?"

"Shh…" a sweet, yet shrill little voice settled me, "You don't belong here, do you, Lumi?"

"Wait," I thought it over for a second, "Lizzie?"

"Surprised to see me?" she chirped, "I am dead. Have been for years. And I didn't do anything wrong in my living life, so here I am!"

Without even thinking about it, I threw my arms around my best friend, "I'm so damn happy to see you right now."

"Our time together may be short-lived," Lizzie took a quick look around, "Come on. Before Ash finds you again."

"Where are we going?" I wondered, through with being dragged here, there, and everywhere for a lifetime.

"I was asked to bring you to someone," she stayed cryptic, taking my hand, "Run."

Lizzie and I sprinted across miles of clouded streets to a spot outside what I'm assuming was Heaven's epicenter. This looked like a village compared to the bustling metropolis I was just in. The village looked a lot like Boston in its infancy. I liked it. Whichever section of Heaven this was, it wasn't all that bad. If I wouldn't have married a demon, this would be my section.

"Lizzie," the two of us stopped outside a cute little house in the middle of town, "Where are we? Who are you taking me to?"

"A friend," she smiled, pushing the door open, "I got her!"

"Thank you, Elizabeth," another familiar face made an appearance, tearing me to shreds, "Hi, sweetheart."

"Mom?" I bolted into her arms and buried my face in her shoulder.

"Let's get you out of here, kid," Mom bounced me on her knee like she did when I was little. In these dark times, it was nice to have a little comfort of home.

"Ok," I managed to pull myself together a bit better.

"Now," she wiped my tears, "I don't know what the halos outside told you, but you can't kill Sebastian. You understand that, right?"

"Of course," I sniveled, "I wasn't going to anyway."

"Good," Mom sighed out, "But if you don't, they'll try. And they'll try their damnedest. That's why you have to go back. Other than the obvious fact that you don't belong up here. You're a human with your soul in a demon's stomach. If you weren't brought up here by an angel, you would've burst into holy fire by now."

"Ash Landers brought me here," I grumbled, "Angels are assholes, Mom."

"You're telling me," she agreed, "But Lumi…Imagine what Sebastian would say if he heard you talk like that. He'd have your ass."

"I wish he'd have my ass…" I immediately bit my tongue, realizing who I just said that to.

"Lumi!" Mom gasped, "I love you, but dead or not, you're still my daughter. My little girl. Who just so happened to make babies with my best friend, the demon, but still! I don't need to hear about that."

"Sorry," I giggled.

"I get it, though," she cradled me, "Angels are, indeed, assholes. They don't get it, do they?"

"Some demons are an exception to the rule," I elaborated, "Some demons are just misunderstood angels."

"Only difference is that demons aren't pompous dicks," Mom added.

"Amen," I'd drink to that. If I had a drink on me.

"Glad we're all on the same page!"

"All?" I gave her a look, "Who's all?"

"Well," Mom began, "There was Elizabeth, who found me shortly after her arrival here. We clicked pretty quick. And then, there was this man…Oh, Lumi…He was pretty…And strong! Ugh! A little dim at times, but he made up for it. He came here with a mousy girl. Poor thing was stumbling all over herself. But she's the one that found the angels' weakness, so I can't complain. And they had someone else that was really strong, but not exactly the brightest either. He's a cutie, so I can't complain."

"Wait a minute…" The descriptions my mother gave me sounded familiar.

"Catherine!" a voice called from upstairs, "We've got incoming. We need to get Lumi out of here."

"Alright, baby," Mom sent me off, "Do you know how to kill an angel, if worst comes to worst?"

"No clue," I shook my head.

"It's a good thing you got me then," the voice from upstairs joined us, "It's good to see you again, Lumi!"

"I'm sorry," I looked her over, "Do I know you?"

"Hold on," she stopped me, taking the pair of glasses off her head and putting them on her face, doing a complete one-eighty, "I do look a bit different without me glasses on, yes, I do."

"Mey-Rin!" I lit up, hugging her tight, "It's good to see you again, too!"

"Come on," Mey-Rin brought me toward the cellar, "We do need to get you out of here. I'll explain on the way."

"Wait!" Lizzie stopped her, "Lumi…"

"We're on a time crunch, Lady Elizabeth," Mey-Rin sped her along, "What is it?"

"Is…" Lizzie's voice broke, "Ciel…Is he ok?"

"He's being taken care of," I assured her, "He's ok, Lizzie. I promise."

"Send him my love please," she requested.

"I will," I promised, "Once I can get back to him without sweating profusely."

"Thank you," Lizzie hugged me tight.

Then, I fell victim to my mother's embrace shortly after, "I love you, Lumi. Be careful."

"I love you, too." And my heart fell to pieces.

"I hate to break this up," Mey-Rin apologized, "But we need to get going. Where did Ash take you?"

"The Garden of Eden," I told her, following her through the cellar, "How do I take one out?"

"Their sword," she explained while the two of us ran underground, "Ash keeps his sword sheathed on his hip. Get a hold of that and run him through."

"Yes, ma'am." The two of us stopped at the end of the hall. There was nothing there, "Uh, Mey-Rin, how are we supposed to get out?"

"We're not," Mey-Rin dug in her pocket, pulling a crystal out, "You are. This tunnel is right under the garden. You're probably going to end up at the manor when you get back to Earth."

"What about you?" I worried, taking the deep blue crystal from her.

"I'll be fine," she brushed me off, "I've been through worse, I have. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Alright," Mey-Rin nodded, "Throw the crystal against the wall."

"Ok," I did as she told me.

"Ego postulo relinquere…" she recited. I didn't know Mey-Rin knew Latin. Then again, she has been hanging around my mother. Once her incantation was finished, a portal opened in the wall, "Good luck!"

"Thanks, Mey-Rin," I smiled, "By the way, when you get back to Mom's house, give Bard and Finny a kiss for me."

"I will."

With all of my might, I threw my body into the portal. And tumbled into the steps inside Phantomhive Manor. It felt nice to be home. I think I'll stay here for the night. It's pitch black outside and I'm exhausted. Being around an exasperating angel and seeing all these ghosts from my past in a day took its toll on me. But first things first. I needed to make a phone call.

I pulled myself together and dusted myself off. He really did keep this place immaculate. Then again, if he couldn't take care of the house while his master was spending his eternity in Hell, what kind of butler would he be? I ran upstairs and into our bedroom. Our bed looked so inviting that I couldn't help myself.

Ring…

Ring…

"Lumi?" Sebastian freaked on the other end, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I settled him, "No need to worry. I'm ok. I'm currently laying in our bed at the manor."

"What are you doing at the manor?" he wondered, "Come home right now."

"I am home," my voice broke, "And you'll be able to be with me very soon."

"What makes you say that, darling?"

"Because," I smirked, "We're going to kill an angel."

A/N: And next week, we'll find out if that angel lives or dies. Personally, I always hated Ash and Angela and wished for them to pee out kidney stones while having chlamydia at the same time for the rest of eternity many times. By the way, I kind of missed the Phantomhive house staff. Even though we only got to see Mey-Rin, but Bard and Finny are there, too. They got their own stuff going on. And Lizzie…Lizzie broke my heart a little in this chapter. Even in her afterlife, she worries about Ciel. It's kind of sweet, really. Now, it's very late. My eyes are burning. I think I'm going to go to bed. See you next chapter! xx