Thanks for reading! I don't own any of Black Butler! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates weekly!
—
"Sorry…...my…..um….that's wrong, let's try again." Ciel said slowly, putting a hand up to her temple.
Sebastian sat across from Ciel at the table in the game room.
In front of them was a simple matching game of cards.
Ciel had just made the last of three mistakes in a row and Sebastian was growing concerned.
"Kitten, we've been playing for nearly an hour. Why don't we take a break? The doctor advised not to push things." Sebastian cautioned, watching Ciel carefully.
"One more, Sebastian, I'm alright." Ciel said, waving her hand.
Sebastian nodded and shuffled the deck.
Memory games, matching games, simple tasks that relied on someone being able to identify and replicate patterns….those were the things that had filled Ciel's days following the weeks after the abduction.
Baldroy was fine.
Ciel's arm healed faster than her brain and that was what worried Sebastian and the doctors.
A broken bone usually isn't a cause for serious worry, but a hard blow to the head…
Ciel tired easily, she was confused more often than not, and sometimes, her words wouldn't make any sense and she would grow frustrated, falling silent and looking down at the floor.
Sebastian had taken Ciel to the best doctors in London, but all had advised against any kind of surgery and other forms of treatment were discouraged due to Ciel's pregnancy.
Rest, practice, and hope, were the only things the doctors were able to prescribe.
Ciel's belly continued to grow and it was good that her appetite seemed to be unaffected…..
However, it was not good when Sebastian woke once in the middle of the night to find himself alone in bed.
Sebastian had hastily stood up and walked to the bathroom.
Ciel was not there.
Sebastian ran down the hall, checking every room.
Ciel was not in any of them.
Sebastian dashed down the stairway…..
Ciel was not there.
Trying very hard not to panic, Sebastian woke the other servants and they immediately began a furious, thorough search of the manor.
Where could Ciel have gone?!
Two hours later, just before sunrise, Sebastian finally found his poor bluenette wandering aimlessly in the forest against the very back edge of the Phantomhive property line.
Sebastian frowned in pity when he saw his pregnant wife standing there in the grass, dirty from hours of walking and shivering in the icy early morning air, clad only in her nightshirt.
"Kitten, what on earth are you doing? It's much too cold out here for you." Sebastian chided, quickly taking his wool tailcoat off and placing it around Ciel's shoulders.
"Sebastian," Ciel asked in a small voice, looking up at her husband with tears in her eyes. "How did I get here?"
That incident frightened Sebastian.
From then on, he hadn't left Ciel alone, even to visit the toilet, instead, he stood outside the door, waiting.
When they went to sleep, he tied Ciel's ankle to his, that way, if she woke up and tried to wander off again, he would know.
And from then on, instead of signing documents or working on matters concerning Funtom, Sebastian tried to dedicate every day towards Ciel's recovery.
Long hours of uninterrupted sleep, healthy meals, mnemonic devices, games designed to stimulate one's reasoning power, those were Ciel's new focus.
It seemed to be working.
Before her series of three mistakes, Ciel had played two entire matching games flawlessly.
It gave Sebastian hope.
Perhaps Ciel would recover completely.
When Ciel took a nap later that afternoon, Sebastian sat at her side, purring softly to himself while he gently stroked her rounded belly.
Ciel had to recover.
Sebastian needed her of course, but even more so, their child would need its mother.
—
Sebastian could strangle the people that had done this.
His world with Ciel had been so full of joy and hope, and now, like a swarm of roaches, the assailants had come and defiled everything, making each day full of uncertainty and difficulty.
Extreme difficulty, really.
Since Sebastian had to watch and guard Ciel intently every passing second, his resources were severely limited as far as investigating what had happened.
Snake, Finny, Baldroy, and Mey-Rin all tried to help, but while their hearts were in the right places, none of them had been recruited to serve the house of Phantomhive for their brilliant detective skills.
One evening, Sebastian sat in his office, thinking.
He had brought Ciel out of bed while she was still sleeping and peacefully tucked her in on the small sofa in the room so he could watch over her.
Sebastian had to find a way to drive this investigation!
But the other servants….
No, Sebastian needed someone to go out into the world and be his eyes and ears, but someone with the right skills and prowess….
Snake couldn't work without his friends, so he would be too obvious.
Mey-Rin lacked the stealth.
Baldroy didn't have the tact.
Tanaka was too old.
And Finny….well, that just wasn't a job that suited the boy.
Who?
Sebastian contemplated his contacts.
Sebastian thought about Ciel's meager amount of friends.
Sebastian considered reaching out to Grell or to Prince Soma and Agni.
But Grell would want something in return and Prince Soma and Agni, sometimes they weren't very discreet.
Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
Oh dear.
The hour grew late and Sebastian found himself still sitting at his desk, pondering the same dilemma when a knock came on his window.
Sebastian narrowed his eyes and looked outside.
Nothing.
Cautiously, Sebastian unlatched the window and stuck his head out, peering around.
No one.
How odd.
Sebastian pulled himself back in the room and turned to glance at Ciel, seeing her still sleeping peacefully, he quietly closed the window.
"Hello, dear butler~." A low voice whispered.
Sebastian whirled around and his eyes widened as he saw Undertaker standing beside his desk.
How sneaky!
Slipping in through the window while Sebastian's back was turned!
"My, my." Sebastian said, getting over his surprise. "What brings you here this evening?"
"I heard you needed some help. I suppose you could say, a little birdie told me. Hehe!" Undertaker giggled.
Sebastian wondered for a moment who that could have been, that had access to Undertaker, but he pushed the question out of his mind as he replied. "Oh?"
"Yes." Undertaker nodded. "So you see, I've come to offer my services to you and to our dear Earl Phantomhive." Undertaker grinned.
"And if we accept, I expect there'll be an increase in your fee?" Sebastian asked.
"Actually, no." Undertaker smiled. "Consider this a special favor, free of charge, a payment on a debt that I owe."
Sebastian narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"To the Phantomhives?" Sebastian asked incredulously.
Undertaker gave Sebastian a wild grin and shrugged.
"...Very well." Sebastian said hesitantly. "My master was attacked recently, along with our cook, and abducted. An attempt on their lives was made, but I'm unable to leave her now to discover why or who. That's what I need to find out."
Undertaker tapped his long nails against his chained belt thoughtfully.
"Alright, then." Undertaker said after a moment. "Shouldn't be any trouble."
"Don't you want more information?" Sebastian asked as Undertaker walked over and unlatched the window, preparing to leave.
"No, I don't think I need any." Undertaker said casually, bending to step out the window.
Before Undertaker left though, he turned to Sebastian and smiled, "Oh, and dear butler, congratulations."
Sebastian blinked while Undertaker left and closed the window behind himself.
The sheets and covers Ciel was nestled in hid her figure from view.
Sebastian and Ciel had kept their marriage and her pregnancy a secret.
So how did Undertaker know?
