A lot has happened. Good and bad. It's been a rough few months. But! Things are turning around. This is one of the first chapters to undergo heavy revision, and it was written in quick, sporadic bursts fueled by too much caffeine. Hopefully you enjoy! If you're still reading this, consider leaving a review. They really do make my day and I could use some kind words to fuel my writer-self.

Disclaimer ~

The plotbunnies like to bite. This is all their fault. Besides that, I own nothing but the mistakes. I'll fix those later too.

The first day was tense and full of silence. Sebastian kept his Doll away from the household members, while dedicating every available moment to properly caring for her. His crimson eyes could always be felt watching her, even when he was not physically there. When he was with Kagome, she noticed that he had the same smile since she had called him 'My Demon'.

Sebastian took the extra time to care for her, which included hand feeding her and checking on her. His hands were chaste but firm as he checked her weak muscle tone while also searching for any injuries she may have gained from her brief journey. Despite finding none, the demon still scolded her for attempting to travel after being still for so long.

Kagome took a small sip from the glass of water that Sebastian had provided to her. For the first time her eyes were clear, though misery still darkened them. "How long has it been? How much time has passed?"

She watched as Sebastian hesitated, clearly unsure if he should answer or not. "After tracing some of the legends that involve the Shikon no Tama, I believe that over three hundred years have passed."

"So . . . much . . . time." Her voice cracked with each word and her eyes misted over. Her grip on the glass tightened as she struggled to hold back her tears.

"Why did you not kill me?" She voiced the question she had to know.

Sebastian took a small step forward. His doll didn't flinch at the movement, her eyes staying on her glass. Like he had done so many times before, Sebastian reached a gloved hand out and cupped her cheek. With a little coaxing he managed to lift Kagome's head so her watery eyes would look at him.

"Fifty years is a long time to stay with someone you don't mean to keep." That was the only answer he gave her and Kagome didn't have the energy to push for more.

It was the only conversation between them on the first day. Kagome spent most of her time sleeping when she was alone. Sebastian would leave to complete his tasks, yet every time he returned to her, he would briefly rouse her, and ask a simple question that she had to answer. 'What time of day is it?' or 'What is my name?' were the most common questions she responded too. Between her annoyance of being woken up, Kagome was touched that the demon cared enough to check on her, making sure she didn't fall into the hibernation sleep she had been hostage in.

Deep into the first night, Sebastian returned to his room for the final time, and sat by her slumbering form. He watched her intently, counting each breath she took. Being a one hell of a demon, Sebastian noticed that this sleep was different from her past ones. She tossed and turned throughout the night, unable to find a comfortable position to settle into. Often she would sigh, or whimper, cuddling closer to the pillow she had pulled into her body. It was the natural sleep of a human, and not the slumber of a Doll.

'My Demon.' The sweet voice of his Doll danced in his mind.

As the night progressed Sebastian had time to contemplate his new situation. In light of recent changes, he could conclude that the pulses of the Shikon no Tama the night before was responsible for letting his Doll escape her headspace. Even now, he could sense the jewel as it lapped against his energy, taunting him to defend himself. He was pleased to learn that Kagome was keeping an unconscious amount of control over some aspects of the jewel, keeping it from immediately purifying the closest demon, however the temptation of the jewel was known to the world once again. He needed to convince Kagome to become a Bride before she gained unsavory attention.

He also needed time to heal her as well. Sebastian had to ease her fears and mental trauma or she would crumble in Hell. The darkness of his native home would crush anything that didn't fully embrace its darkness. Fear was a weakness that demons preyed upon and would not allow to linger.

So much time has passed for his human. It was abnormal for a human to learn they have lived over three hundred years, but Kagome only displayed a miserable acceptance of her reality. She had reeked of fear when Sebastian had come upon her earlier in the day. Mey-Rin and Baldroy had done nothing to warrant such a response but to her, they were strangers and she had been afraid. To heal, she would have to face a lot of her trauma, most of which, he did not know of and had no way to prepare for. Her healing would take time which he could not guarantee.

The second day was uneventful, as Sebastian decided to slowly introduce Kagome to the reality she had rejected. She was allowed to move around their large room, but the door to the hallway was locked from the outside. This didn't bother Kagome though, as the outside world was kept away from her.

She was not alone for long periods. Sebastian brought her various drinks throughout the day, and prompting brought a meal at morning, noon, and evening. Her throat slowly grew stronger over the day. In the beginning, she struggled to say a few words but with the help of her drinks, and her need to fill the silence by talking to herself, she grew stronger until she could speak several sentences at once.

With every visit from Sebastian, she never failed to greet him with a quiet, "Hello again, My Demon."

While she slept the second night, Sebastian found himself pacing the shadows of her room. The presence of the jewel filled him with a strange burst of energy. His thoughts were chaotic, unnaturally derailing to random topics.

His beautiful Doll was healing, and at an alarming rate. Centuries of abuse were being erased in the span of a day. Her voice had returned after a handful of practices and though he was one hell of a butler, he knew it wasn't from his teas. Her muscle tone had also grown stronger. The day before, she had barely managed to travel the length of a Phantomhive hallway, and yet now, she had been restless by the evening.

He had noticed another important detail.

The stronger the host had grown, the more insistent that the jewel had become. It had an aura of being defensive, despite being weak and its energy was quickly spreading by the Phantomhive grounds. A weaker demon would have been tempted by now, and in the near future, another demon would come for her. It was only a matter of time.

She had to learn to trust him, to rely on him. She had to be feel safe and protected, even when away from his vast powers.

So on the third day, Sebastian deemed her healthy enough to traverse the manor, and to be introduced to the various staff members that she could spiritually feel lingering around. When he voiced his idea, Kagome seemed hesitant, and fearful of meeting the household staff, but quietly agreed it was for the best.

Sebastian took the time to guide her through the manor, down various hallways and carefully down a spiraling staircase. Their final destination was a lavishly decorated sitting room, with various chairs scattered around, and large windows which dominated one wall and let the warm sunlight in. He guided her to one of the plush chairs, and maneuvered her limbs in an elegant pose. Her hands were folded in her lap, ankle tucked behind one another and legs leaned to the side. He brushed her gown down, smoothing out any wrinkles he missed. It was very important to the butler that his Kagome make a perfect first impression. Once he was sure that she was presentable and comfortable, he summoned the staff.

Four humans stood before her seated figure, and each side was openly studying the other. Sebastian was stoic as he stood behind Kagome, acting as a protective shadow. Despite Kagome's unease at being the center of attention, she found comfort in the demon's aura behind her. The humans also seemed uncomfortable under her gaze, which brought Kagome a sense of control.

"I want you all to meet Kagome," Sebastian voice was monotonous as he did his introductions, "Kagome, I would like you to meet the staff of the Phantomhive manor.

"Mey-Rin in the maid of the household." The only woman of the group, and the one that Kagome had met previously, fell into a bow. Kagome could tell from her features that she was of asian descent, so the bow was likely out of respect for Kagome's heritage. She appeared innocent enough, but Kagome was not fooled. The woman's aura was stained with the touch of blood, and was unapologetic of it.

"The cook of the manor is Baldroy." She recognized the man from her journey down the hall. She watched as he took a step forward, the cigarette in his mouth moving as he swished it to the other side of his self-assured grin. He brashly stuck a hand out, but Kagome only looked at it, unsure what he wanted for her. After a few awkward seconds, the cook let his hand drop and he took a large step back.

"Finnian is the gardener." Kagome tilted her head to the left as she watched the bouncing boy. He didn't seem harmful but there was something about his eyes that made Kagome feel empathy for him. It was the lurking shadow on the edges that told a story, one that the boy carried with him. Despite this, he was a ball of energy, his aura crackling in excitement at finally meeting Kagome but the presence of her dark protector wisely kept him away.

"Finally, Snake is the Phantomhive footman." Now this man, Kagome found interesting. She couldn't help but stare at him as he stood enigmatically before her. His own eyes were analyzing her, as she gazed at pale skin, light scales, and golden eyes. His appearance was odd amongst these humans, but what interested Kagome was the trace of demon blood that lurked in his body. It was diluted, barely noticeable to anyone but her, but it was enough to peek her interest. She dipped her head in respect to the man, ignoring the gasps that echoed around the room.

Her vision flickered, causing the scene before her to change. The four before her shifted, her mind merging past and present. Instead of seeing Mey-Rin, the maid with a warrior's aura, she saw Sango standing proud before her. Baldroy was replaced with Miroku, sharing the same confident but innocent smile. The bouncing ball of energy, Finnian, shrunk and became smaller with a little tail, shifting into Shippou. Snake's ears pulled away from his skull until they became points, and his hair grew rapidly to fall to his waist. He looked like Sesshomaru, sharing the same unreadable expression.

Kagome blinked twice, and the vision flickered and faded away to reality. The damage was done though and the misery wretched itself into her heart. Tears collected in her eyes as her heart thumped painfully inside her. The jewel inside her reacted with a familiar warmth, which did little to ease the ache in her heart.

In the background, she heard Sebastian give a curt dismissal, sending the three humans racing away. It was Snake who lingered in the doorway, his golden eyes flickering uncertainly as he gazed as Kagome's lower body. Could the diluted demon blood he possessed sense the jewel? Kagome continued to cry silently, but Sebastian could not comfort her. Instead he kept his position, glaring at the snake-man, waiting to see if the jewel enticed him. As a few tense seconds, Snake left the room without a word.

Sebastian didn't question what triggered the tears. He just laid his gloved palm on her shoulder, letting her cry. She wanted to escape but the weight of Sebastian's palm, and the warmth of the jewel, insistently kept her grounded in this reality. After her tears had run dry, the demon decided that it was enough exposure to the outside world. He swiftly picked her up and took her back to their room, where she stayed for the duration of that day.

On the fourth day, Ciel learned that Kagome was lucid and according to her demon, he was upset that she had met his staff before him. Now a command had been given and Sebastian was to bringing her before the boy so they could properly meet. Kagome was naturally nervous and she kept plucking and twisting at the bedsheet below her as Sebastian strode around their room, collecting different dress items that she would need before meeting the earl.

"This boy, he is who you are contracted too?"

"Yes," was Sebastian's simple answer.

Kagome watched as clothes piled up on the bed. Kagome liked to think she was good at history. After all, she had lived through a large chunk of Japan's past and she use to get high grades in history class when she had managed to attend school. She recognized the type of clothing before her, and the sight of the corset only confirmed her suspicion. She was living in the Victorian-era.

"I don't want to wear the corset."

"It is proper fashion. A lady must wear this."

"Corsets cause health problems." Of course, this wouldn't be proven for decades, but Kagome did not like the idea of being forced into one.

"I will help you dress if you like. It would not be the first time."

Kagome's cheeks turned a bright red as she was reminded that this demon had been caring for her for decades. This included bathing and dressing her. She didn't remember much from her self induced slumber but sometimes she could remember the warm feeling of his hands along her bare skin or his concerned questioning on if the water was too hot for her. It wasn't anything lewd but it embarrassed her to know she was seen naked but unaware of it. She stubbornly ignored the small part of her didn't seem to mind either.

"I'm sure I can dress myself. Just turn around and tell me what to do," Kagome insisted quietly. She was proud that her throat had recovered in the days before otherwise she would be unable to argue.

Sebastian smirked but he humored the miko and turned his back to her. She could hear the rustle of cloth as she undressed and sorted through the clothes he had laid out for her. Sebastian could see from the corner of his eyes, a brief flash of womanly curves and golden skin. It was admittedly nothing he hadn't seen in the past but the thrill of a predator teasing its prey still appealed to him.

"You need to first put on the drawers and chemise." There was a few seconds as Kagome tried to find the right pieces. "They are the peach toned pieces."

Once the rustling died down, Sebastian continued his instructions. "Next, put on the corset. You may need some assistance to pull the strings tight enough to show your figure in the dress."

"No, I got it." He could smell the lie that tainted her scent. He let her struggle a bit, listening to her breaths as she huffed and puffed. Seconds passed, in which Sebastian grew more amused as Kagome grew more frustrated.

Rip!

"Demon?" Kagome's voice had fallen to a whisper.

"Sebastian," the demon's correction was sharp and stern. He had a desire for Kagome to go with him and the young earl into public settings, but to do so, she would need to get out of the habit of calling him demon.

"Sebastian," Kagome nodded in acceptance of the name, "I may need some help."

He glanced over to see Kagome standing before the bend, attempting to twist around to see the lacing behind her. A long tear was traveling along her back, where the stitching alongside one of the boning strips had torn. With a few steps Sebastian had closed the distance between them, his chest brushing Kagome's back with every inhale. Softly he ran his hand along the cloth while releasing a bit of his power. Demonic energy crackled and danced along Kagome's skin as he repaired the corset to its original state. Sebastian's hand came to rest on her hip, intimately feeling the shiver that rolled down Kagome's spine as Sebastian studied his work.

It appeared brand new, but what pleased Sebastian the most was the new hitch in Kagome's breath from his touch. Without a comment, he gathered the strings and started to tug on the threads, slowly tightening the cloth around her. He hummed to himself as Kagome's posture straightened out, and her breaths started to labor for reasons other than his presence.

Sebastian had never seen the use of putting Kagome in a corset before, not even in the current time when they were fashionable. He had feared that she would be uncomfortable, and since she did not leave the manor, there was no use putting her in proper clothes. The other members of the Phantomhive household rarely saw her until recently, so her appearance didn't matter. It was only now that she would be officially meeting the Lord of the manor, and she would be subjective to the scrutiny of others, that she would need to dress as a respectable member under Ciel's authority.

Sebastian gave a final tug, hearing his Doll's breath catch. With a twirl of his fingers, the threads were tied and her curves were apparent. He was concerned to hear Kagome's labored breath as she struggled to adjust to the binding cloth. "I heard it get easier," Sebastian tried to offer comfort. "I wouldn't know myself but I'm sure My Lord would be able to sympathize with you."

"Ciel?" Kagome squeaked in surprise. "Why would he be wearing a corset?"

A seductive smile pulled at the corner of his lips and humor twinkled in his eyes. "It's his story to tell."

`·.¸¸.·´´¯`··. . .·

Kagome nervously twirled her long skirt in her hands. It pulled the cloth up, flashing her legs indecently at the young earl. Ciel was sitting behind his desk, his chin resting in the palm of one hand, as his single blue eye watched her carefully. He appeared emotionless, perhaps even bored but Kagome wasn't fooled. She had a lot of experience reading other's faces.

"You have a lovely home." Kagome spoke quietly when she could no longer handle the silence. "I want to thank you for sharing it with me."

"It is thanks to Sebastian that the manor is standing." His lips twitched. A smile? "I'm sure the others would have destroyed it by now without him. As for sharing my home with you, it was a clause to the contract. Sebastian was insistent that I allow you to stay."

"Still, I must thank you."

They lapsed into more silence. The boy seemed comfortable studying her, but Kagome was only growing more uneasy. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her fingers trailing down to grasp at her skirt again. Warmth blossomed from her hip, and Kagome found comfort in the small pulse the jewel sent through her, which also intensified her senses.

The child's aura rushed to greet her like a lost puppy looking for help. Revenge, grief, and determined tainted most of his aura, giving it a sharp edge. Below that though, hidden in the deep center of the aura was a tiny shard of innocence and hope. It was fighting hard, but it was only a star in the presence of the morning sun. At the edges of the aura, a familiar darkness lurked and tangled, coaxing the destruction of that shard of innocence. So this was what a contracted human felt like.

After a few seconds, Ciel smiled and gestured with his chin towards the chess set that rested in front of him on the desk. "Would you like to play a game with me, Kagome?"

Kagome nodded and shyly took a seat in the chair across from Ciel. A low rumbled echoed through the room, as Sebastian displayed his pleasure at seeing his Lord and his Doll getting along. He observed the two, watching as woman and boy had a strategical battle with the glass pieces. He watched Kagome's strategy, as she avoided taking unnecessary pieces and focused on the king. At the end of match, Kagome's side had taken only a handful of pieces before forcing Ciel's king into a checkmate. Ciel immediately demanded a rematch, which Kagome granted.

There was no need for Sebastian's presence, and he took his leave to finish his chores and fix the mistakes the other household members had caused. Sebastian made the decision to let his Master ignored his duties that day, and let the young earl play various board games with Kagome. Night came quickly, and Sebastian brought Kagome to their room before helping Ciel to bed, staying by his side until he fell into a dreamless sleep. Afterwards, he went and laid with his Doll, who had waited to fall asleep until he returned.

As Kagome slipped under the covers, wearing only a flimsy nightgown, she voiced a question that had been plaguing her. "Sebastian, would you wait for me if the darkness takes me again?"

"I'll stay with you, always My Doll."

Over the next few days, the household fell into a new routine. Kagome moved effortlessly into their odd group as her strength returned. Within days she would capable of crossing the whole manor multiple times with minor fatigue. This was helpful as she took on the task of monitoring Baldory and Mey-Rin. She corrected the maid when cleaning supplies were mixed up, and Baldroy did not dare to use any explosives as long as she was in the vicinity.

She was able to occasionally see Finny through the large windows as he gardened the land. Sebastian had not imposed many rules on her, but the most important one limited her freedom to the inside of the manor. The world beyond the doors was restricted, and this did not bother Kagome. If she was inside, Sebastian could protect her. Outside, there were too many unknowns.

The fourth member of the household staff was elusive and Kagome did not see Snake often, though seeing his pets was common. On one of her first days, Kagome had seen a large boa hanging from a chandelier, its small black eyes watching her curiously. Later that day, she had found several small serpents in various flower pots, also watching her. She had even found a little corn snake curled under the rug, trying to follow her stealthily and failing, as she nearly stepped on it. She did try and coax them to her, a part of her wanting to pet the serpents, but they stayed back, merely observing her.

Any spare time that Kagome had, was spent with Ciel. She would play his games when asked, and they often shared the meals that Sebastian made. As she grew stronger, and learned what was expected of her, she could even be seen in Ciel's lessons, or within his presence during various meetings. She stayed silent, rarely speaking unless spoken too. Visitors never failed to try and pry into her sudden presence, but she stayed silent, letting Ciel or Sebastian answer for her. Though he never voiced it, she could tell that Sebastian was proud of her as she took on the role of a high-born lady.

Rumors went wild as the nobles gossiped amongst themselves. As they received no answered from Kagome, and Ciel was adapt at deflecting questions, they made their own answers. Some claimed she was Ciel's sibling, due to their similar appearances. Others argued that she was much too old to be a Phonatomhive child, but was instead an aunt, related to Ciel's predecessor. Some claimed she was Sebastian's wife who had been hidden away from the public until now. Some of the darker rumors were more interesting, and provided more entertainment. She was Ciel's concubine, provided to him by Sebastian. Others said she was a woman of interest that the Queen wanted him to watch. No matter what rumor they believed, everyone wanted a glimpse of the mystery woman.

The longer that Kagome made her presence known in the manor, the more that things shifted around her. The humans were being more careful with her around, resulting in less mistakes and damages. Even Pluto had reduced the number of fires he would playfully start, as he could sense how it made Kagome uneasy. The two most affected though were Ciel and Snake.

The affect on Snake was nearly impossible to see, since he avoided the animated doll. Dolls were not meant to be alive. They were made to stay frozen and pretty but Kagome, the human doll, had come to life and her presence didn't sit well with Snake and his friends. His serpents had spent time watching her, trying to figure out what made her so special but it seemed beyond their understanding. What the serpents did understand was that her scent carried a sharp twinge, which Snake had experienced himself during their introductions. It was refreshing and sweet, soothing and strengthening to him. It drew him to her, enticing protective instincts that made him want to protect her for no other reason than because he could. It was why he stayed away. She was an unknown, creating feelings he did not understand, and snakes did not like what they could not make sense of.

Ciel's affect was also unseen but Kagome knew something was different, and she knew the boy was starting to take notice as well. He found himself speaking softer to Kagome, often indulging in her nonsensical musings, or letting her win games that he could easily beat her at. His commands to Sebastian were less common, and when he did give an order, Sebastian was slower to respond. It was only by seconds, unnoticeable to anyone else, but it was enough to be concerning to the young earl. The final difference was the most pressing.

His contract appeared to be fading.

Ciel had a routine every night, a habit from his early days of returning to the manor. He would take the time to remove his eyes patch and gaze into a mirror, staring at the face reflected back. The similarities. The differences. The purple mark that marred his eyes, given to him by a demon at the sacrifice of his faith and blood. It reminded him of his revenge, and what drove him to wake up in the morning and continue his duties as the head of Phantomhive. In the last few nights, he had noticed a difference.

The purple of his eye had grown weaker, letting the blue of his natural eye shine through in patches. The mark had lost its hellish glow, reducing itself to a dying ember. The mark of the pentagram itself was transparent in some areas, while others were still seen boldly. Never before had something like this had happened, but Sebastian still responded to his commands so the contract still had its hold on the demon. Ciel decided to not mention this weakness, and simply kept his eyes covered at all times.

Kagome peeked over her book as she felt the jewel react again. Ciel was busying going over paperwork, leaving her to read her history books in peace while Sebastian was off doing what demon-butler things he did during the day. Again the jewel gave a small pulse, washing over the small office that she and Ciel were in. She could feel as another part of Sebastian's darkness crackled and fell away from Ciel's aura, giving the innocence a little more breathing room. She knew the jewel was targeting Ciel's contract, but she could not figure out how to control the jewel. It was reacting on its own, and even if she could control it, the miko was unsure if she should stop it. She could recall small fragments of memories and she knew what would become of a contracted human. So she was impassive as several times a day, the Shikon no Tama would send out several weak pulses in an attempt to destroy the contract.

There was a part of Kagome that was afraid. Would Sebastian be mad? Would he punish her when he found out? She was disobeying, going against her demon and his wishes. This was bad. This was not what a proper doll did. It was not what was expected of her.

Voodoo, her now named calico, gave a loud purr and head butted her legs which broke her free of her dark thoughts. Ciel glared at the feline as Kagome scooped up the cat and moved to the other side of the room. She had learned early on about Ciel's allergies, and since he had let her keep her companion, she did her best to keep them separate.

Sebastian strolled into the room without warning, as was his habit. He was holding a silver tray with a single cream envelope on it. Ciel immediately sat up and looked curiously at the tray. It was certainly an eccentric way to deliver a message. Sebastian lowered the tray so the young boy could picked it up. Calmly Ciel took a sip of tea before opening the envelope and pulling a single letter out.

"It is a letter of invitation to a ball that will be held at the Trancy residence." It was Sebastian who explained the contents, which Kagome found odd since the letter had been unopened.

"Interesting," Ciel mused as he scanned the handwriting. Upon reaching the bottom, he gave a deep frown. "I can not read the bottom."

Kagome watched as Sebastian moved so he could read over Ciel's shoulder. His red eyes narrowed, and darkened upon understanding. "No, you would not be able too. It is written in the tongue of demons, unreadable to the mortals."

"Well? What does it say?"

"It simply states that all of the Phantomhive manor are expected to be there, including Lady Kagome."

Timeline Clear Up! This is my own funky AU so I get to pick and choose. Book of Circus happened, hence Snake and his presence. Everyone was murdered, they are still 'researching' the disappear of the circus members (Poor Joker). The hound/werewolf arc thing happened some time before the circus arc, hence Pluto. Yes, Ash/Angela is around, they trained and raised Pluto but still gave him to Sebastian. They did not rage war. They are not the focus here. Moving on!

Any writers on here actively use AO3? I'm debating cross posting over there but I'm not sure from a writer's perspective, how well it work or how to monitor reactions (like reviews here). It seems like readers don't interact as much on AO3. If you'd like to explain your view or let me pick your brain, please send me a message!