It was silent. A comforting silence that she'd known so well. Silence and quiet and an ever comforting presence of the demon butler. He was somewhere in the manor but she didn't know where.

Rose slowly sat up. A streaking pain shot through her chest and she almost doubled over. That was right, it was from...

"S..." Her chest throbbed with every move she made. "Sebastian?"

He usually wasn't in the bed with her when she woke up. He was usually just in the room somewhere. But when she recieved no answer of any sort, she quickly pulled herself from the bed. Throwing back the sheets, she was almost surprised she was dressed before she almost slammed into the door. Rose fumbled with the locks for a second before racing down the hall.

Sebastian was only busy with one thing that could hold his undivided attention: The contract.

What an idiotic young master she had.

Her feet padded down the halls, twisting and turning around corners. First she tried looking through the rooms she most likely would have found the young master. Unfortunately, the last place one would look would be where it would be.

Her body slammed into the door, causing it to give momentarily before holding firm. Rose ignored the pain that filled her eyes with tears. It wouldn't matter what pain she felt now if the young master went with on with his plan.

How would everyone else feel?

"Please let me in!"

A shift and a creak in a chair.

"I know you're in there, Young Master!"

She could hear the confusion from behind the door; It was heavier than the door.

"Sebastian, please let me in!"

Almost immediately, the door swung open in front of her. Sebastian was standing in the doorway, his eyes burning a glare of magenta down at her.

The amount of fear that streaked down her body, paralyzing her completely, was far more than she was expecting to get. Rose hadn't seen those eyes in a rather long time.

And they still scared her.

"Miss Rose, what's wrong?" The demon asked quietly, "I wasn't aware you were awake yet."

She reached out for him, clinging to the demon desparetely(?) . Tears welled up into her eyes, and she let them fall freely.

She was pulled out into the hallway, gentle hands staying on her shoulders carefully. "What is upsetting you, my lady?"

Her words barely formed in her mind before they spilled out. "You.. and his soul..."

"Yes, it's mine. What is wrong?"

Rose could clearly feel the confusion that rose from the fact that she had moved passed him and back into the room. Ciel was sitting his normal chair, carefully poised in such a uncomfortable, relaxed way that showed her exactly what her awakening had interrupted.

"Miss Rose, what is the meaning of this?" The earl asked, a scowl coating his face in a mask.

She didn't want to lose him. Any of them. If Ciel was gone then the others would leave. The others would leave and she would be alone. What would become of her after the Phantomhive bloodline ended there and -

"M-My apologies, young Master, but are you stupid?!" She moved in front of the young master.

He was taken aback, "I beg your pardon?"

"What about Lady Elizabeth?" Her hands shakenly grabbed Ciel's shoulders, "What do you expect me to tell her? What should I tell Tanaka and Bard and Finni and Mey Rin?"

"Don't tell me such needl-"

"Needless?" Was that all they were? "You've already decided to desert all of us? Where am I supposed to go? What about the Fumtom company? What about the Phantomhives? A-Are you going to let them die out because you were too stupid enough to not realize the heartache you-"

"-stop shaking me!"

"-will cause every one when you die?!" Rose uncontrollably watched as her actions got more reckless. She shook him harder. "Where am I supposed to go? Do you care about anyone except yourself, young master?"

There was a pause before Ciel scowled and raised his hand, bringing it down towards her, "I said not to shake me!"

Rose involuntarily squeezed her eyes shut. she didn't want to see when he hit her. It was her fault for acting so reckless around him, shaking and yelling at him. But as a servant to the Phantomhives-the only household that wanted her-she wasn't just going to let a little kid let himself be eaten.

But the inpact of the hand never came.

A hand cupped her cheek gently and she was face to chest with a familar tailcoat. A loud pain-filled cry errupted from the young master.

"S-Sebastian? What is the meaning of th-?" The young Earl started, only to get his arm twisted a slight bit more into an uncomfortable position.

The demon leaned over a little more, towering over the two of them; one of the young ones tucked carefully away and the other being held away.

"I see you fail to remember who exactly I have a contract with now."

"Let me go, Sebastian!"

"You are no longer my master."

Rose quietly pressed her forehead to the demon's chest. "Let him go..." She quietly said.

The butler did so and took a step back. The young miss was moved with him.

Ciel shifted in his seat, gaining back what composure he could muster. "Why do you even care so much?"

She didn't look up at him, continuing to stare into the tailcoat.

"You've created such a disturbment that you must explain yourself."

"... I don't want to lose everyone..."

If he were to die, then surely none of the others would stay. Perhaps Sebastian would stay, but none of the others would stay. They would all go off in their own which ways. The only place that everyone was accepted and their faults were allowed. Somewhere where no one was harmed for stupid mistakes.

And it would all be gone.

"Do you not wish for me to eat him?" Sebastian asked her quietly.

She shook her head.

"Would you like me to wait?"

Rose hesitated before nodding.

"Alright." The demon slowly pulled her into his arms, holding her gently against his chest.

Sebastian looked at the young miss. She was clinging to him in a pitifully adorable way. Perhaps in a way to convince him to not eat the young earl.

If that what it was, it was working well.

The demon closed the gap between he and Ciel. The young master looked up at him with fear almost showing. He reached out with his free hand and roughly grabbed onto Ciel's face, squeezing his cheeks together.

"Know well, Ciel Phantomhive..."

Rose hid her face a little, preventing herself from watching.

"I am a demon."

His hand forced the boy's jaw to open.

"I own your soul."

The demon pulled forth the seal still remaining in the earl's eye. The seal was quickly fading, escaping through his now opened mouth.

"Her happiness is the only thing keeping you alive." Sebastian slowly let go of Ciel's face. "Be careful not to break that happiness."

The demon almost wanted to chuckle at the sight of the utter fear that was visibly moving through Ciel. Sebastian moved to the door and op;ened it, stepping through, and closed it quietly.

"Are you really not going to eat him right now...?" He heard the young miss ask.

"If you wish me not to, I will not."

"...promise...?"

He silently moved down the hallway. "I promise." He smiled a little, "Now we must let you rest. You took quite an injury."

She nodded a little. Surely she was confused. Surely she didn't know what was going on. Surely she just wanted everything to be alright.

It surely would be now.