Author's Note: I want to thank all of you who are reading, I know I am constantly doing so, but you guys are just so awesome I can't help it! I'm really going to be wrapping this up soon but I should warn you be on the look out! I have a Sequel Planned and you'll notice a new chapter on the Prequel - "Bottle Shock"- with in a day or two, depending on where you live.
All the recipes and references are going to be posted in the last chapter. They will be listed by order of appearance, I can't post the links but I can give you the names of the chefs and the dishes as well as where I found them so you can make them too. It's easier than me trying to compile them all and PM them.
On another note: 500 PAGES! WOW I didn't think it would get that long!
Chapter 53: The Fog and its Mysteries
Waiting, it's a tiring and worrisome feeling that passes slowly making seconds feel like an eternity. With each second passing, life seems to stand still and the world doesn't matter except the news which they are waiting for. To sit idly with the mind occupied with thousands of questions and even though the world before the individual is still, their world is spinning, whirling over and over with no end in sight, questions gnawing away at them, devouring them with apprehension and fear, only making time pass even slower, trickling away like water through a crack in a pipe, endless and draining.
Sitting in the waiting room staring at the white washed walls was the echo of a man, his head in his hands and fingers threaded through his slate blue hair. His shoulders shook as his fingers tightened their grip on his hair. His rings glistened in the violent florescent light, his lordship ring suddenly lost all importance as the band on his left ring finger stood out starkly against his pale skin. The lighting made him look paler, gaunt and terrified, a far cry from his once prideful self. His shirt was wrinkled deeply, and his tie was long gone. The jacket which he once wore was beside him and his shirt sleeves were rolled to the elbow. "Please, just please, don't take them away from me," rasped a once smooth and velvety voice.
He dropped his hands and tipped his head back to look up, his eyes seeing past the ceiling, he was never one to pray but now seemed like a time to stop. "Please, I know I have done horrible things but please don't take them from me," he begged. Part of him wished that like the other crime lords he could barging with them, yet god didn't do that. God couldn't, and fate was just as cruel in his eyes. His senses were still numb from the sedative, which had worn off some time ago. He had woken in an empty room and decided to go back to the operating room and wait for news of his son and wife. He had nothing left, he was drowning and there was no one to save him. He was a failure, he had sworn to protect them, to keep them safe from his world, to protect them from the darkness and yet he failed them. They slipped between his fingers like smoke, leaving him nothing.
"Vincent?" asked a familiar voice, the noble turned his attention to the man standing a few feet from him. "Dee?" he whispered helplessly, "Dee, they're going to leave me." Tears fell freely as he broke, he couldn't take it, he was losing her already but to loose his son as well was too much. Diederich's gaze softened as he rushed toward Vincent and wrapped his arms around the trembling man. "I don't… know what… to do," he choked as he clung to Diederich as though he were his raft in an unforgiving sea, anything to keep himself from drowning. His eyes burned as he buried his head in Diederich's chest, he could kill people, burn houses, destroy empires but losing his wife broke him.
Diederich held Vincent closer and whispered, "You hold on, hold on tightly and march forward but never loose hope." Vincent closed his eyes and breathed in the distinct scent of the man he was clinging to. The doors opened and immediately Vincent slipped out of Diederich's grasp, "How are they?" asked Vincent quickly as he got to his feet. The surgeon was quiet for a moment before he replied, "Ciel is stable, and he sustained major lacerations on the face from glass as well as a concussion. He may be blind in his right eye, we pulled a great deal of glass out of it and the cornea is severely damaged. We won't know more till he wakes." There was silence as Vincent looked at the man, his son was blind, his son had lost his sight over a driver who wasn't paying attention.
He was shaking with anger and asked, "My wife?" There was another pause, he knew this pause, it was the same he had been given when he was told his wife had cancer. "She's dead, killed on impact," he replied. Vincent's body went numb as his knees buckled only to be caught by Diederich, "She's gone?" he asked in a small voice. The surgeon nodded and placed a hand on Vincent's shoulder as a comforting gesture. "Can I see her?" he asked slowly, the question hung in the air for a moment before the surgeon's eyes softened and he replied, "Of course."
Vincent pushed away from Diederich and entered the OR, his eyes fell on his wife, they had covered her with a sheet for the most part. His heart hammered in his chest and he slowly picked up the corner of the sheet and lifted it. He turned it back and watched the white sheet flutter, the sound of the fabric lifting and then falling again over her limp form. Laying on a cold metal table was the woman he loved. Her eyes were closed and side of her body mangled. The entire right side of her face was torn apart from glass and metal, blood stood out starkly against her skin. The bones had been shattered, there was barely anything left of that side of her face. Her familiar auburn hair was falling about her, and she oddly enough looked as though she were at peace. Tears fell from Vincent's eyes as he slowly touched her undamaged cheek delicately.
The lights were bright and hot on his back and Vincent smiled a little, many would have run from the room but this was the life of Vincent Phantomhive, a man who would do anything to win. Her mangled body was a testament to just what kind of life he led, if it wasn't a car, it could have been an assailant trying to kill him, or a car bomb, cancer even, it was all just a matter of time. He slowly leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead, it was cold and yet still soft. "Good bye my love," he whispered as his hand slipped down her left arm and wrapped around her fingers. He felt her wedding band and engagement against his finger tips, cold, smooth and lifeless like her fingers. He ran his thumb over her knuckles before slipping it off, she was his other half, his light in this hell of a life and now she was gone. He felt the band in his palm as he drew himself to his full height and walked out of the room.
The surgeon stared at Vincent in shock, clearly they had been expecting something different. His shoes clicked against the floor as Vincent left the OR and asked, "Where is my son?" The surgeon smiled a little at the mentioning of the person who survived, "He's in a room now, would you like to see him?" he asked. Vincent nodded and the surgeon quickly began to lead the way. All the while he clutched her wedding band and engagement ring. They walked through a section of the building and stopped before a privet room. Vincent nodded to the surgeon as he slipped inside of it and noticed the right side of his son's face bandaged, a reminder of the carelessness of others.
Rage was boiling under his skin, "Ciel," he whispered as he walked over to his son's be and kissed the top of his head. "I will make sure he pays," he whispered darkly, "I promise." He touched Ciel's cheek as he clutched Rachel's rings.
"I have something to take care of, I'll send a friend over so he doesn't wake alone," said Vincent as he turned on his heel and quickly exited the room. Diederich was hot on his heels and asked, "Where are you going? Your son is in there!" Vincent turned the corner as he slipped into his blazer and tamed his hair with his fingers, "I know, and out," he replied. Diederich grabbed Vincent harshly and glared at him, his gaze was heavy and held more anger than any other. "He needs you, don't abandon him again," hissed the German. Vincent smiled darkly, "I know," he replied as he adjusted his tie and jacket, even disheveled he started looking more and more like a lord as he did this. "I have to do something," he stated darkly, "it affects him."
Diedierch slowly lifted his hands and asked, "It isn't legal is it?" Vincent smirked, legality was something he was used to questioning and he was sure that Phipps would be more than happy to assist him. He was about to say something when Phipps appeared, "Vincent, Diederich, thank god I caught you," he stated. Vincent glanced over his shoulder at the man who was approaching quickly, he growled with irritation, as he watched the man approach in a suit, with a familiar black portfolio in hand. He stopped before them and said, "I'm so sorry for your loss Vincent, the driver was texting while he was driving and wasn't paying attention to the light. He sped right through it and slammed into them."
Vincent stared blankly at Phipps as he watched the man opened the black portfolio and turn his tablet on. He was quick to show Vincent photos of the accident, "Where is he?" asked Vincent after a moment, his voice was soft but he knew what he had to do. Phipps paused in his explanation and looked nervously at Vincent. He was quiet and the noble could tell that he was thinking about the consequences of his actions if he told Vincent. "Vincent, what is the likelihood that you will kill him?" asked Phipps.
Vincent glanced over to Diederich who stiffened, his blue eyes were wide with shock as he looked at the Constable. "High," replied Vincent darkly as his eyes narrowed. Phipps closed the tablet cover and drew a deep breath, "Vincent, I know you are angry but killing him solves nothing," stated Phipps. Vincent clenched his fists and looked at the man before him, he wanted blood, he wanted that man to live in agony for the rest of his life and remember the lives he destroyed, he wanted blood and wasn't about to let Phipps get in his way. "He killed my wife and nearly killed my son, and I'm supposed to let him live?" he asked darkly. Phipps shook his head and held up a hand, his eyes were cold and unyielding, and at that moment he looked every bit the officer and enforcer of the law. "No, we can make an example of him, and push for stricter adherence to the law," Phipps stated, "Vincent, please stay with Ciel and let me handle this."
Vincent turned on his heel and walked back to his son's room, his mind was reeling with different emotions yet part of him knew Phipps was right he had to be with his son, he couldn't abandon the only thing left of Rachel.
~~xXx~~
The doors of Noir opened quickly as Claude slipped into the restaurant, his jaw fell open as he did so, only making Sebastian smile even more. Even if this wasn't the Claude he remembered, he still couldn't help but chuckle, Claude's expression the first time he had entered the renovated space was the same. Perhaps his Claude was in there, "Come on, I'll introduce you to someone you hopefully remember," said Sebastian brightly as he led Claude across the floor and into the kitchen. Standing in a white jacket with a hat on was Ash he was smiling brightly and looked at the pair, "I couldn't bring myself to put on the black jacket, besides white is my color and you two know that," he remarked.
Sebastian chuckled at Ash's antics, "Claude, meet Ash," said Sebastian, even thought they had been lovers part of him hoped that Claude would still be happy about meeting the man and that memories of them would crop up. Ash extended his hand and smiled warmly, "Hello Claude, I'm here to help you out," he remarked. Claude nodded as he accepted the other man's hand, there was a twinge of jealousy which ran through Sebastian but he squashed it immediately. Ash had promised to help him and he had a feeling the man wasn't willing to jeopardize their friendship.
The rest of the staff stood at attention and looked at him in confusion, he could tell Hannah wasn't happy about these arrangements and made note to talk to her later. Sebastian looked at the rest of the chef and said, "Hannah, Canterbury, Timber and Thompson," as he pointed to the corresponding person. Claude smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck, "Hello," he greeted awkwardly. Sebastian hummed he knew this was going to be awkward and had a feeling it wasn't going to get better until Claude started to remember things. William and Ronald entered next, both dressed and ready for action, they knew the night was going to be long but the best way for Claude to get back in shape was to throw him in boiling water and ask him to swim. Sebastian sighed as he looked around the kitchen, they were a family, or at least he hoped they would be.
"Let's get to work," Claude said brightly as he looked at them. Oddly everyone nodded and quickly began working once more. Sebastian stood off to the side for a moment and noticed how Claude looked nervous, "Claude," he called. The Head Chef quickly turned to him, his golden eyes were filled with confusion and he looked lost. Sebastian smiled a little and waved him over. Claude walked over and looked at him, "What?" he asked shakily as he shifted. The patissier smiled a little, he had never seen Claude look like this and then realized this was his first time being in this role, even though Claude had done if for years and worked as the one person who took command in his current mind set, and this was the first time he had been in the role.
Sebastian gently touched Claude's shoulder, he knew he probably shouldn't but he missed the feeling of the other man's body against his. "In here you are the Head Chef, here you have power over everyone and they respect you for it," Sebastian began, "You are the artist and they are your assistants, you have to tell them your vision and they will help you craft it." Claude's golden eyes held a spark of realization and he looked over his shoulder nervously at them, "What if I do something wrong?" he asked. It was odd to hear Claude doubt himself, he was usually the strong one, "You won't, trust your instincts and if you need us, call on myself or Ash. However you've never needed us before, you've always taken risks," stated Sebastian.
Claude stared at him in wonder and he could tell the man was beginning to marvel at the man he had become. "How can I be this man you speak of?" he asked curiously. Sebastian sighed and placed his hand over Claude's heart, "Because, you taught me and you are the best here, we know it," he stated, "That man is in there, you just have to tap him." Claude nodded slowly and drew a deep breath, Sebastian felt Claude's chest rise under his palm, part of him wished the man before him was still his. Claude closed his eyes for a moment and Sebastian smiled, it was the same look Claude had when ever he was going to do something completely insane, it was the look of confidence and ease. "Be brave," whispered Sebastian as he slowly pulled his hand back. Claude's eyes opened and he smiled, "I guess I'll give it a shot," he stated.
Sebastian nodded as he walked back over to his side of the kitchen and watched Claude take control, his leading wasn't as smooth as it had been before but his presence was unmistakable. Hours passed as though they were seconds when Sebastian looked up and noticed Ash assisting Claude, the white haired chef was looking at a spoon and explaining something quickly. Claude laughed and smiled sheepishly as Ash chuckled and shook his head. Sebastian felt jealousy rock him, he knew Ash wasn't after Claude but part of him wondered if rather than taking a chance Claude would go with what was familiar. He sighed and ducked his head, busing himself with crafting a dish using dragon fruit.
The blade slipped through the hard vibrant red rind of the fruit with ease as his fingers swept over the fierce green tips. He was frustrated and knew it was foolish but at the same time he felt as though he were trying to win back the invisible man. The fruit fell in half and he stared at the milky white inside which had black seeds sprinkled through out. "I'm here if you need to talk," a rather light voice commented, Sebastian looked over to see Ronald leaning against the counter. The Head Waiter was smiling and looking every bit his usual happy self. It was hard to think of a time when the young man wasn't smiling.
Sebastian whipped the knife and placed it on the board before responding, "I just feel like I'll loose him forever, it's as if the man I fell in love with is there but isn't," he said softly as he bowed his head. Ronald placed his hand on Sebastian's back and rubbed soothing circles, "Hey, he will come back to you. Believe me it may take a bit but he will come back, you haven't lost him yet," Ronald said confidently. Sebastian looked up into a pair of understanding green eyes, "What did you do?" he asked.
Ronald smiled a little as he swept a lock of blond hair out of his eyes. "I went home and waited for him, I hoped, and wished, and dreamed that he would some how fly back to me," he stated. Sebastian could hear the pain in the young man's voice, clearly those wounds would never go, "Usually I would be concerned about someone sinking their teeth into him, however Ash has sworn that he wouldn't and to be honest he likes you too much to even think of doing it," Ronald explained as he crossed his ankles and leaned against the counter lazily. Sebastian who had started working on the rest of the batter, paused and whispered, "What?" shock was evident as the Patissier looked over to see Ash walking toward them. "Yup, not in the romantic way, more of a little brother," said Ronald simply.
"Of course I see him as a little brother, he's younger than me!" chirped Ash as he walked over to the Patissier and picked up another bowl which Sebastian had broken up chocolate and the white haired patissier smiled before transferring the chocolate from the metal bowl into the double boiler. "How are you holding up?" asked Ash as he began to stir the pot gently to ensure that the chocolate didn't stick. Sebastian grabbed a marter and pestle before responding, "It hurts, I look at him and see who he was but know this one isn't mine. I feel like I'm losing him."
Ash hummed and mumbled something before smiling at Sebastian, "Don't worry, he'll come around soon enough, you are too irresistible to forget," he commented before pulling the pot off the stove and placing it off to the side to cool a little, he didn't want to curdle his meringue. Sebastian blushed at the commented and shot, "If I didn't know better I would say you were hitting on me." Ash chuckled as he added the chocolate to the bowl and began to fold it into the white meringue. "And if I was?" he asked curiously, causing Sebastian's head to shoot up, his red eyes narrowed dangerous. "You said I was like a brother, older brothers don't kiss their younger ones," he hissed.
Ash shrugged as he continued to fold the chocolate into the base, "No but it's an idea, we could try to see if making him jealous will work," Ash commented as he jabbed the whisk in Sebastian's general direction. The raven haired Patissier looked nervously at Ash and shook his head, "No way, I'm not fucking this up," he stated. Ash chuckled and nodded, "I'm messing with you, look I'll help you but try to remember I want you to be happy, you're miserable alone." Sebastian sighed, Ash had a point, even if he didn't want to hear it, "Okay, what now?" he asked. That was the question everyone wanted to know the answer to, they had come together to craft a meal of a life time in hopes Claude would remember but now the question was if they could facilitate a flashback.
Ash sighed as he set the whisk down on the bench and turned his attention to Sebastian's hands, which were working through fresh pastry dough, "I don't know," he was about to say more when Claude came over. He looked nervous and glanced at Sebastian, "I was wondering if you could help me," he said softly. Sebastian lifted his gaze from the raw rough dough he was in the middle of making. "Oh?" asked Sebastian as he smiled warmly, "What can I do for you?"
Claude looked at Ash nervously and then to the well that Sebastian had made of flour and eggs on a cutting board. "I was hoping you could help me make pastry dough, I need it for the dish and my work space isn't clean enough," he said simply. Sebastian nearly jumped up and scream happily, Ash was grinning like a cat who ate the canary as Sebastian attempted to beat his joy back a little so he would frighten Claude. "Of course," Sebastian said smoothly, Claude's face lit up and Sebastian silently thanked himself for not blundering some how.
Claude walked over to stand beside him and coated his hands in flour before he began measuring ingredients. With grace Claude swept the flour off the scale and began to mix the butter, salt, and flour on the board, all of this while not receiving a single word from Sebastian of instruction. "How does it feel to be back?" asked Sebastian as Claude continued to craft a well. Claude shrugged as he walked over and got a cup of cold water, he slipped his fingers into the steady stream of water falling from the faucet of the sink. "Odd, I remember how to do everything like making this dough but I can't tell you how I know," he said simply as he filled the measuring cup and placed it on the cutting board, "It's like déjà vu," he remarked as Sebastian wrapped his hand around the measuring cup he had been using. Simultaneously they began to add the water to the well which they had crafted on the cutting board.
Sebastian hummed as he closed his eyes and commented, "It will get better." The pair set the measuring cups on the board at the same time causing Ash to chuckle. They were both clueless, which made the moment all the more endearing. Without hesitation the Head Chef's and Patissier's fingers plunged into the mixture on the board and they began folding the flour, butter, and salt into the water. "This kitchen is humid," remarked Sebastian with a playful smile on his lips. Claude bobbed his head as he continued to knead the dough on the board, his hands in time with Sebastian's. "I already compensated," he stated simply. The other chefs slowly walked over and stood beside Ash, Hannah's eyes were wide and he looked spooked, while the triplets all had their heads tipped the same way and blinked owlishly.
Claude and Sebastian seemed lost in their own world, as they kneaded the dough, it began looking more and more like a ball than chunks, it was smooth like fine clay. "Aren't you concerned about time?" asked Sebastian curiously, clearly wondering if this was cutting too much into the Head Chef's prep period. Claude chuckled a little and looked over at Sebastian over the rims of his silver lenses, "Nope, nervous?" he asked. Sebastian bit his lip in an attempt to suppress a laugh. It was as though it were the first day he had stepped into the kitchen all over again, but this time Claude was the new kid on the block.
"The question is when, but now it's just," Claude continued as pressed the ball into the board the same time Sebastian did. The doors opened and Alois commented, "Déjà vu." Claude and Sebastian's heads snapped up to meet the cerulean eyes of the bartender. They shrugged, crimson eyes met gold before Claude asked, "Cellophane?" as he clapped his hands, the sound echoed through the room and was mirrored by Sebastian's. The Patissier vanished from view and returned with a box in his hands, he took a piece for himself and then held it out to Claude. "Here," he said brightly. Claude accepted the box with grace and quickly wrapped the rough pastry, "Okay I'll grab it in a little bit, I have a few filets to trim," Claude said briskly before turning on his heel.
His eyes darted around the kitchen only to find the chefs standing before Sebastian's table, all of them lost in both awe and confusion. "What?" asked Claude and Sebastian simultaneous, causing pearls of laughter to fall from Ash's lips, the white haired Patissier clutched his sides as he doubled over and shook his head. Sebastian smiled brightly as he watched the man, clearly he had some idea of what had just happened, even if Claude was clueless. The raven haired Patissier knew it was cruel to take advantage of the fact that Claude had no memory, but it was far too ironic for him to not find humor in it. Sebastian quickly fell pray to Ash's infectious laugh and felt himself slip into a place of joy. He closed his eyes as he reveled in what Claude's face would look like when he came back to him, it would be priceless. For a moment he felt truly happy, it was a change from the pain which had been stabbing through him.
Sebastian opened his eyes and was met with silence as well as a smiling Ash and very confused Claude. Golden eyes were brimming with curiosity and amusement, which only brought pain to him as the haze of happiness that had clouded his senses faded and he was brought back to reality. The reality where Claude had forgotten him, "You really don't remember," he whispered solemnly before quickly turning to put the dough in the walk in. "Remember, what?" Claude called. Sebastian drew a shaky breath as he fought tears and escaped into the walk in, allowing the door to close behind him.
~~xXx~~
Ronald leaned against the bar hugging a mug and looking at his mail, it was normal in the mornings to see him do this, usually he would sort out all the bills and leave them at home, leaving the personal stuff for him to look over before work. His green eyes were glued on the envelopes as he looked at the address, most of them were about magazines he had subscribed to but never renewed, a few from his father asking when he was returning and a massive yellow padded envelope, which he had yet to open.
"Anything interesting?" asked William softly, causing the blonde to jump a little and get coffee on his hand, "Fuck," he hissed as the hot liquid hit it and then proceeded to soak through several envelopes. "Honestly Will, I should get you to wear a bell," snapped Ronald as he grabbed a roll of paper towels and began soaking up the mess, his hand stung as he did so only making him more irate.
Once again his father was asking for the moon, and Ronald had no clue how to deliver other than to pack Will up in a box and ship him to the colonies. He sighed as he watched the white towels turn brown, the last time he proposed that the Englishman looked like he was about to have a conniption, it didn't help that the last time William and Harold Knox met, Harold had given William a black eye and a few broken ribs. Something warm wrapped around his hand and he looked over to see William slowly lifting his injured hand off the bar and inspecting it. "It doesn't look too bad," he commented as he ran his fingers delicately over the red area. Ronald hissed at the touch and jerked, only causing William's eyes to widen and a look of concern to contort his usually stoic face.
"Hang on I'll steal some aloe from the kitchen, Claude always has some around in case he manages to get himself with a hot pan," commented William as he released Ronald's hand and quickly glided to the kitchen. Ronald leaned on his uninjured hand after tossing the soaked towels. He watched the doors patiently only for William to return seconds later with a tube of aloe in hand. "You should be more careful," chided the Sommelier as he perched on the stool beside the Head Waiter.
Ronald snorted and replied hotly, "I wouldn't have burnt myself if someone wasn't so damn quiet, I really should put a cat bell on you." He felt William's fingers pause and looked over to see a grinning brown haired man, his green eyes danced as he bent over Ronald's hand, the tube of aloe remained closed. Ronald watched in confusion as William swept his lips tenderly over the angry red mark on his hand, Ronald hissed but watched keenly as Williams tongue slipped out of his mouth and ran over the mark. Ronald's eyes widened before he felt his cheeks get hot, he knew he had to be several shades red and William chuckled which only confirmed his suspicion. "You know if you put it on me I would probably wear it," he replied as he grinned wickedly.
Ronald's head spun and he attempted to calm his heart which was beating a mile a minute. The Head Waiter watched as his lover began liberally applying the clear gel to his skin, it was ice cold compared to William's hot lips and tongue which had been on his hand a few seconds ago, this drastic change caused Ronald to tremble. "Will, we're at work," Ronald defended weakly as he felt William's skilled fingers message the aloe into his hand.
Just before William could comment there was a loud ring, Ronald quickly began patting down his pockets as William searched his own. Ronald fished the new mobile out of his pocket and looked at it, "Not mine," he said quickly as he looked over at William who stated, "Not mine either."
They looked at one another as the invisible mobile continued ringing, "What?" asked Ronald as he jumped off the stool, Alois had probably forgotten it behind the bar again. Ciel had a strict policy on mobiles, he didn't want to see them out at any point in time, and had no issue firing waiters for having them out, they were a distraction in the work place. Ronald crouched on the floor and loved over the shelves bellow the bar, only to become even more confused, "What the hell? It's not here either," he remarked as he popped up. He looked over the dark wood to see William holding the yellow envelope. Ronald groaned and tipped his head back as he closed his eyes, his shoulders slumped forward as he whined, "Not again."
With a swift swipe William had the envelope open and was spilling it's contents onto the pile of, now coffee stained, mail and wood. A black mobile fell from it as well as a business card, which landed right in a the same placed he had spilt coffee. "SHIT," shouted Ronald as he scrambled to pick up the card, they always had instructions on them. He quickly attempted to get it off the table before the instructions on the back were destroyed.
On the card were the all too familiar letters VP, "Why? Can't this guy pick on someone else?" he asked harshly as he picked it up and hissed as he felt the sticky coffee on his fingers.
William didn't respond, he was looking through the messages and replied, "Looks like only you are needed, during your lunch hour too," he glared at the phone, he ignored Ronald entirely as the blonde attempted to figure out just what was going on. He had never seen something like this chemically and he thought he had seen it all. Ronald suppressed a shutter, he didn't like the notion of someone watching his every move, "Creepy, and that's in five minutes," he remarked, he didn't like this arrangement. In the past he would have done what ever the package said, but this time the timing was too perfect and even William seemed concerned.
"We can't refuse, apparently he's threatening to have your criminal records opened," William stated as he scrolled through the messages. Ronald sighed in exasperation, he had forgotten about those, it didn't help that he hadn't heard about them in years. "Great, now I'm being black mailed," he grumbled as he leaned back on the stool and swept his fingers through his hair, "This is just perfect." William shrugged as he slipped his hands in his pockets, his eyes never left the slick device which was resting on the bar, it was as though he were expecting this to happen. Ronald grumbled with irritation, of course the Sommelier had anticipated this, it was impossible to out run the past no matter how far he moved away from it, the internet knew no boundaries, unlike a nation it could spread virtually in seconds.
His finger tips drummed on the counter as he turned his attention to the address, he knew it of course and had no issue going to it. He picked up the business card and was about to toss it aside when he noticed a new detail, the card was no longer a stark white. He was about to toss the card aside when something out of the ordinary caught his eye, "What the?" he asked as the card turned dark brown and dark brown curled appeared on the left leading edge of the card. "That's new," he remarked. It was raised against his fingers and dry, two things he wasn't expecting. "What is this?" he asked slowly as he looked at the detailing in awe.
At first it looked solid, yet upon further inspection it had breaks in it. "Will, do you still have that magnifier?" he asked after a moment. William looked at him curiously and shook his head, "No, but," he began as he turned his attention to the mobile. Previously they had always been given all the tools they needed, he slowly picked up the phone and placed the card on the table, now should be the same. He began scrolling through the mobile until William commented, "Ronny, it's a Nokia Lumia 1020," the Head Waiter's jaw went slack as he opened the camera application, he had forgotten it was a camera before a phone.
He held it over the card and began zooming into the edge, he stared as the curl grew larger and larger, "That's not a design," he commented as he looked at the letters which were now appearing. William's head snapped up as he looked over Ronald's shoulder at the vine, "What the?" the Sommelier whispered as he looked at the tiny elegant script. It glistened in the light and made him gape openly, microscopic printing was expensive and usually done on metals or diamonds as miner's marks, he'd never seen it on a card before. "It's in English, but it's backwards," commented Ronald as he looked at the script, it was familiar in an odd way. William looked at the image with a scrutinizing gaze the loops were tight and elegant, they seemed to sprawl across the page. "Ronald can you invert it? The text can you flip it?" asked William quickly.
Ronald swept his fingers over the screen and noticed it was his only option on the menu, in moments he was shooting the image and then flipping it in the application. "Okay, now rotate the image," instructed William. Ronald did so and stared in shock at the script, "A riddle?" asked Ronald in confusion as he looked at the beautiful curling line of copper text. "Fresh and strong the world we seize, world of labor and the march," read Ronald and scratched his head.
Riddles, games and lies were what his life had become as of late and he couldn't stand it. He looked at William who seemed just as lost, if not more so. "Why the hell does that sound familiar?" asked Ronald after a moment as he closed his eyes, he searched his memory for the worlds they were distant and yet tasted vaguely familiar, it was as though he had just tried a dish and couldn't remember what it tasted like previously. It was as though he had screamed it from the roof tops for all to hear.
"Will, do you still have the other card, the first one?" he asked slowly as he picked up the black mobile again. William reached into his wallet and placed it on the table beside it. He then reached into his own pockets and pulled out the one which had been stuffed in his apron one day. He looked at the three cards, "Will I need one of those towels we used to sop up the coffee," he commanded as he held his hand out for the damp and sticky rag. William placed it in the Head Waiters' waiting palm and asked curiously, "What are you doing? You're supposed to clean the counter, not make more of a mess," chided the Sommelier. Ronald shook his head as he dabbed the other two cards with the coffee soaked towels, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" shouted William as he grabbed the blonde's wrist harshly.
The blonde hissed before lifting his gaze, "Watch," he instructed as he stared at the cards on the bar. The white cards soaked up the brown coffee and quickly changed color, it spread through the fibers like veins of the body and the black ink stood out even more, it didn't run at all. The stain reached from edge to edge of each card and the same vine appeared on the other two. William's eyes widened as he looked at them, Ronald had the mobile in his hands once again and zoomed in on the edges, like the most recent one the same backward script appeared. He repeated the procedure and looked at the images.
Ronald flipped through the three images and handed the phone to William who began reading, "All the past we leave behind;" he paused to switch images, "We debouch upon a newer, mightier world, varied world," he continued smoothly, "Fresh and strong the world we seize, world of labor and the march," William paused causing Ronald to look over at him curiously. "What?" he asked curiously. The raven haired sommelier rubbed his chin as he looked at the last line, "It ends in a comma, not a period, it's incomplete," he commented. The Head Waiter felt lost for a moment and suddenly began to deflate, even when he had figured out the next step it was incomplete. He placed his head on his arms, Ronald's head snapped up, more riddles and clues, yet he had no idea why it would take coffee to bring the text to the forefront.
Then it hit him, his eyes snapped open as he jumped out of his seat, "COME, my tan faced children, Follow well in order, get your weapons ready; Have you your pistols? Have you your sharp edged axes?" Ronald paused a grin swept across his face, "Pioneers, O' Pioneers," he chimed at the end. Green eyes watched him with intrigue as the pieces fell together, "Walt Whitman?" asked William curiously. Ronald nodded, the poem was one of his favorites, it was the only one that both he and his father liked, "An American poet from the 1800s," he stated.
The only thing which didn't make sense was the selection, to this point he had never been given a riddle and everything was very English. Yet this time printed backwards in elegant script was an American poem. Ronald scratched his head and looked at the card, only to look at the VP. Ronald held the camera over the VP on the first one and zoomed in, he smiled with a hint of triumph, as though he had cracked the code, "What?" asked William curiously.
The blonde snapped the photo and showed it to William, his eyes were twinkling with glee, "No way, how many cards have this micro printing?" he asked curiously. William slipped his glasses further up his nose and gently collected the phone from Ronald's fingers, "Ronald, head to the café, I'm going to contact the others and see if they have similar cards," he commented as he looked at the text, it was the same on all three cards. "Remember the roses," he read, "For every petal there is a thorn to dread." He sighed and wondered what on earth that meant.
The Head waiter picked up the card and noticed that not even the ink on the back bled, it was strange how it all seemed to work. In a flash the Head Waiter was out the door and running to grab his bike, he wasn't interested in walking there, all he knew was that he had to get there as fast as possible, hopefully the person he was meeting would know more. His bike roared as he launched out of the parking lot his mind was traveling a mile a minute as he attempted to keep up with it. There were so many pieces to this puzzle he began to wonder if it were possible to solve it.
He wove through traffic with ease, avoiding cars and cabs, his mind teaming with possible answers to the poem. He knew it had something to do with the United States, after all it wouldn't have been selected if it hadn't. He came to a stop outside of a small café and parked his bike, he looked around curiously for a face or two he might recognize, only to find himself on one of the few side streets he didn't know much about.
Cautiously the rather slender blonde waiter strode toward the door of the café, he didn't feel comfortable with the fact that he was both being watched and threatened. He slowly pushed the door open to find himself face with a small place and a couple customers crammed inside, it was relatively quiet and smelt of strong coffee. His green eyes sifted over the customers looking for some clue of just who he was supposed to meet. It was then he spotted a familiar head of long silver hair and a rather scaly looking man off to his side, "Pluto and Snake?" he asked curiously as he walked across the room and stopped before the table.
Pluto looked up and sighed, "I should have known they would send the rookie and not the Jedi Master you came with last time," remarked Pluto as his fingers stilled their motions and he looked over the screen of his laptop, he was still just as gangly as when they had first met. Snake scoffed at the mention of William, and Ronald chuckled, he could still remember the day William had schooled him, the sommelier may not have looked technically savey, however when it came down to it William was what Ronald considered modestly a god. If anyone could make someone disappear it was William. After all it was the Sommelier who made his criminal records all but disappear and sealed his juvenile ones. It was that day the young blonde learned that looks were very deceiving as were professions.
"He was trapped at work and the instructions were for only myself to come," Ronald replied meekly, he was still uncomfortable being in the same room with the two. Pluto hummed and turned his attention back to the screen, "What do you know about French Security?" asked Snake slowly, his eyes were wide as he looked at the screen. Pluto's hands froze and Ronald smirked, "I know a thing or two, why?" he asked. Pluto turned the screen toward Ronald, "We need an authentic passport, birth certificate, SSN, and visas," replied the silver haired hacker. Snake rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the floor. As the blonde took a seat at the table. His eyes swept over the screen with ease as he looked at the firewall and figured the only way in was a password.
"That's simple, anything else?" he asked as his fingers hovered over the keys, an the pair blanched. Ronald shrugged, "I need a name," he stated simply as he looked over at Snake who seemed a little more nervous. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a Post-It. Ronald unfolded it and sighed, "I should have known," he mumbled before setting off to work. "You do know an SSN is American right?" he asked off handedly. Pluto nodded, causing his long hair to sway as he did so and he tucked it back behind his ear. Ronald sighed and mumbled, "Why is it always me?"
~~xXx~~
Bald-roy looked at the files which had accumulated on his desk, the stack was steadily growing, at first it had been a total of three towers and now it was a rather modest mountain. His blue eyes were locked on the page before him and he ran a hand through his blonde hair, it had been several days since his last chance to go home and shower, he could feel the oiliness of his hair against his fingers. He hadn't looked this bad since Ciel had decided to run away at thirteen. It was unusual for himself to be handling a case that didn't have something to do with the 'young master'.
Resting on the tabletop was a photo of the assailant courtesy of Ronald and William. It was an excellent shot on Ronald's part and the young man had even gotten his hands on his mobile number, "Sometimes I wonder just what those two are," he remarked before looking at the photo. Staring back at him with crazy nearly black eyes was a rather large man, with sharp features and red hair. He was aunt with what looked like bruises under his eyes, and an angry red mark on the side of his face courtesy of Ronald Knox.
In reality Bald-Roy knew he could simply sling the photo over to Phipps and have it run through the database of known criminals and wanted persons, however something told him he wasn't going to get a match. With the amount of chaos which had enveloped London he had a feeling extremists were coming out of the cupboards, closes and holes which they had hidden themselves in. It wasn't uncommon for conditions of such a magnitude that people would act more like lemmings than individuals, flocking toward the only person who had answers at that point in time.
"Just who are you?" asked Bald-Roy, he leaned back in his chair and looked over at his mobile which was flashing brightly. Suppressing a groan the blonde picked up the phone, "Yeah?" he asked gruffly, he didn't bother looking at the caller ID. Instantly he was met by yelling, the cry of saws and grinding of drills, there was a slam of a hammer and he had a feeling he knew just who called. "Hey cutie, which color do you like better, burgundy red or cream?" asked a chipper voice.
Bald-Roy sighed as he got out of his chair, and twisted his back. Several vertebras cracked as he did so, he had been sitting in that chair far too long. "Cutie? Nothing about me is cute," he remarked before reaching into his coat and pulling another drag from the dangerously low supply of Marlboros in his pocket. "Really? I thought your five o'clock shadow was, you could use a shave babe," she stated. Bald-Roy was about to ask how she knew when he noticed the fierce interior designer on the screen of his computer waving. "I've been trying to get your attention for a bit, you put me on mute," she stated harshly, "Do you not like me or something?"
He sighed and rolled his eyes before turning the volume back on and hanging up. "Holy shit! What happened to the building?" he asked in shock as he looked at the stripped walls, he could see the pipes and the electrical hung from the ceiling, wires were every where and she had knocked out the walls. "Electrical, water and heating issues, they're nearly done. Well with this one anyway, I've got another project to play with a last minute addition," she commented before collecting a clipboard and signing her name at the bottom and shoving it at the person who he presumed had handed it to her.
"Joy, why are you asking me about paint?" he asked curiously as he relaxed a little, part of him was glad to have exchanged numbers with the woman, even if she was a bit unorthodox, she always seemed to lighten his mood. "Simple, you're a guy and it's for a café," she stated simply. Bald-Roy hummed, "What city?" he asked after a moment, he wasn't a fool he knew she wasn't in London. She looked over the laptop when she heard a man shout, "Fuck, the truck is stuck in Madison." She turned red and ran a hand tiredly through her short hair; Bald-Roy chuckled as he watched paint chips fall out of it. "What the hell is it doing there? Honestly is he stupid! It's rush hour and he's there, perfect," she hissed with irritation.
Bald-Roy smiled a little and commented, "New York then, I would go Burgundy, it's warm and welcoming too much of the city is gray and white." Mei-Rin turned her attention to him and smiled, "You're a life saver, now I need you to choose another color, navy blue or dark green," she said simply as she opened her notebook. He noticed swatches of fabric sticking out of it, there were paint chips, sketches, and floor plans; clearly she always had the book on her person.
"What kind of shop?" he asked after a moment, his curiosity getting the better of him. She giggled and looked over her glasses at him before clicking her tongue, "Sorry babe, as cute as you are I can't tell you. NDA," she replied simply. The blonde man mentally smacked himself, he forgot she was rather selective about her clients and wasn't going to tell him a word about the projects. "Well green is nice, but when I see green I kind of want to see like a golden yellow, you know a sunset," he commented sheepishly as he looked at the keyboard, which most of the letters had vanished from.
He heard a tap and which was followed by a rather harsh thump, his head snapped up and she was beaming with joy, "YOU ARE BRILLIANT!" she cried as she scurried to open the book to a new page, he watched with fascination as the felt tipped pen moved across the page, "Why didn't I think of that?" she asked quickly as she scratched away. Bald-roy watched with fascination as she finished her rough sketch and said shouted, "TONY I NEED TO GET OVER TO THE HARDWEAR STORE!" as a saw screeched through the air.
She leapt off the stool she was perched on and gushed, "Thank you! I so have to present this new idea to the client they'll love it. I owe you one." Bald-roy felt a blush curl up his cheeks and he looked away bashfully, he had no idea what to say, he really wanted to tell her she didn't but at the same time he wanted an excuse to see her. "How about dinner?" he asked after a moment, he had managed to summon his courage to ask her.
Mei-Rin paused, he could tell she was about to log out. "Dinner?" she asked slowly her eyes were wide and Bald-Roy began to wonder if she would reject him. She looked terrified at the concept of even accepting, "You know when you get back, that is if you want to," he began mumbling. She watched him coolly, her eyes never left his face and even through the camera he could feel her gaze. He shifted a little as he slipped his hands into his pockets and looked at his shoes. "I know I'm not the greatest looker or the riches guy but I know there's this nice place with good food and," he continued praying that some where in there she would find something that would peak her interest.
"Bald-Roy!" she snapped forcing him to look up, he honestly thought she would reject him until he noted her smile, "I'd love to," she replied. He stood there for a moment before a grin swept across his face; he stared at the screen and asked, "Great when do you get back?" She hummed before looking at the space behind her, "About four weeks, tops," she replied with a small shrug. His eyes widened as he looked at the space behind her again and then to the designer, "How?" he asked curiously. She was working on two spaces and something told him they were both in bad shape. From what he had read the pixie loved a challenge and would flip anything for the fun of it.
Mei-Rin lifted her pen and crossed her arms, she held the end of the pen loosely between her fingers and slipped her thumb under her chin as she pointed the pen out to the side and gave a knowing smile. He watched her full pink lips curve and dimpled appear on her cheeks, a strand of auburn hair fell across her forehead as she did this. Her brown eyes glittered with mischief and Bald-Roy felt his heart stop. "I have my ways," she replied coyly. Bard-Roy licked his lips nervously as he watched her look away from the screen and realized she had to get back to work, "I've got to run babe, call me later," she said with a grin before logging out of Skype.
Bald-Roy heaved a sigh as he shook his head, he couldn't get that grin out of his head and the way she watched him made him remember just how badly he needed a shower, "Now for a cold shower," he commented as he picked up the file. His head was clouded with the images of her when they first met, he could still remember that dress and the skill she had with a pool cue. He smiled at himself as he went to shuffle out the door only to hear a tap. He looked down at the floor and sighed, "Why do I have one?" he asked as he leaned over to pick up the business card, someone had been littering London with them only this time it didn't have VP on it. "Faust Investments?" he asked curiously before looking at the name on the back, "Lucius Faustus, CEO. Call me." He paused and looked at the card, he had met Lucius that morning and remember the tall man as he kept Vincent from mauling him.
He pulled his mobile out and dialed the number on the bottom, in a single ring the familiar drawl of Lucius was on the other end, "Finally find the card?" Bald-Roy then began to wonder just how it had gotten in the file, "I have my ways, I've just texted you an address meet me there and do not tell Vincent or Diederich, we need to chat," he continued. Bald-Roy shook his head, it looked like he wasn't going to get his shower like he hoped. "Okay, I'll be there," he said after a pause only for Lucius to hum.
"Oh and Bald-Roy? Change out of that suit and take a shower, you look like hell warmed over," he said simply before hanging up. Bald-Roy stared at the phone for a moment in confusion, Mei-Rin had used the camera, but Lucius didn't, in fact he had no idea how the man knew what he looked like. He looked around his office curiously and then out the window, only to turn up nothing. Bald-Roy sighed and shook his head, "One of these days I'll grow accustomed to this shit happening," he remarked before embarking on his quest for a nice shower and fresh clothes. At lease Claude's father took some pity on him and allowed him to clean up, then again he probably smelt horrid so it was mutually beneficial.
Review Replies:
(In order of posting- Newest to Oldest)
Mew: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad that you took the time to! Ash is a cool guy, he was lost for a bit, but who doesn't get lost? I kind of wanted him to take on a new roll and the result was a very supportive and strong, but stubborn, chef. I know Eric and Lizzie is really different since he is almost always paired the Alan, but to be honest you're going to see him in the prequel too and learn a little about them. Since my Lizzie is stronger than usually I felt she needed a tough guy. Now for my dream team in the kitchen! I know right!? They are going to make real magic happen and your going to love their antics. Thank you again and I hope you liked this chapter as well.
Bittersweetness: Cliffhangers and I are best friends, you can't read this work and not expect a cliffhanger. Thank you for the review, I'm glad you started reading "Bottle Shock," you'll notice a few errors in Will's age, I'm going to fix that today, and the phrasing in his introduction in this work, if you haven't figured it out he's in his early thirties in this piece. Now back to the reply: Vincent is going to go through quite a bit, you're going to see both Vincent and Lucius show a new side of themselves and it may shock you. There's going to be a ton of awkward sexual tension, believe me it's going to make you laugh and cry at times. Lizzie, she's very different you'll see that as I pull out her personality more with Eric and in "Bottle Shock." I'm glad you like Ash, he's a cool character to write.
Audrey: Thank you for taking the time to review the last chapter. You'd be surprised how a lot of things are instinctive, especially the need to protect someone. I hope this chapter answers some of your questions pertaining to Rachel, Ciel and Vincent, I know that chapter was heart breaking and this one will be even more so I'm afraid. I'm glad you love my twists and turns, I know it can be confusing and yes this part is ending, I should have broken it into two, but originally didn't see the need to. I'm honored that you liked my work enough to review. I'm also happy you like my writing style, not many do.
Anonymous: I had a feeling that would be a bulk of people's responses to this chapter, I know I'm cruel to deny them happiness when they are so close. Thank you for taking the time to review, I know it's rather dense to read. I'm glad you are starting to see all the piece fall into place with that piece and this one. I realized I need to explain quite a bit since I picked up in the middle of the story. Don't worry you're going to see just where this madness begins.
Courtney: I hope the results of the accident live up to your expectation, I'm sorry about Rachel but there's something important going on there and you're going to love the letter. Claude is so going to struggle with this arrangement, let's be honest Sebastian is a very attractive chef. Believe me the make up is going to be interesting. Claude's instincts are going to point him in the right direction the question is can he understand them? I'm glad you like the intricacy of how all these characters know one another. I know it's unusual to see something this complex, this piece is very experimental in that, there aren't a ton of works where characters know one another in advance and know each other very well. Thank you for reviewing by the way. Sorry for the long reply.
Glasses: Thank you for your review, I have a bit of work to do on Vincent as well as Diederich and believe it or not Lucius, so be prepared for what I have next. Unraveling or transforming? Food for thought.
