Author's Note: I am thankful…for all of you. The two trips through this fic have given me courage to write my own stuff, the belief that I can come up with something that other people think is interesting and a concrete direction on the career that I want. No matter how hard it is to get off the ground, it's worth it to do what I really love doing. All of that came from this fic and from the messages I've received from all of you or just the traffic graph showing how many have stopped by. Whether it's a mistake that I missed or just saying that the idea is interesting, even the couple of forums that reported me the first time around. (I'm operating under the assumption that they wouldn't have even noticed mine if it had been for the readership count that time. Although, I'm pretty sure that I know who one of them was and they were with me from the beginning.) I love you all and I say thank you so very much.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena and Asta, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Forty Two

Serena tore the hand away from her face and turned to stare at Undertaker. The reaper was careful not to meet her eyes as he stared at his father. Corrine was still on her knees, looking wide-eyed between the two men.

Serena poked Undertaker to make him look at her.

"Hello. That's not a bombshell that you drop on someone and then act like nothing happened."

"Forgive my son. Aelius has never really liked to tell people about me." Lucifer stepped forward with an easy smile and held his arms out.

She saw the irritation the came over Undertaker before he met his father and allowed the man to pull him into a hug. Serena saw their hair mix, strands the same color and shade of silvery white, before they pulled apart. Standing so close, she could see resemblance better. The same high cheekbones, the same jawline. Undertaker didn't look at his father again as he turned and came back to Serena. She saw something pass over Lucifer's face as his son turned away without a second glance, but it was buried to quickly to be identified.

"Aelius?" She asked.

The reaper glared at her. "It means sun."

"I figured you for a moon person." Serena didn't notice the surprise on Undertaker's face at the comparison and leaned closer to whisper as Lucifer walked over to wave Corrine to her feet. "You know, when I asked about what to do now and you said that you had someone coming to look at the house?"

"Yes."

"This might have been something to mention. You know, just drop it into the conversation. Like, 'Oh, by the way, the person that I have coming is my father and he's the devil.'"

"And what would you have said if I had told you?"

The red head looked away for a moment. "I would've asked if you were crazy."

He gave her a look that was all 'I told you so.'

"I apologize that Elder Haagenti is not here to greet you, my lord." Corrine was on her feet again, but her head was still bowed.

"That's not a problem. This isn't a visit. I only came because my son asked for my help." Lucifer smiled at Undertaker and Serena shuddered a little.

"I'm guessing that you are going to owe him for this?"

"That's right." Lucifer answered for him.

"And in return, I'm going to owe you big."

"Now you're getting it." Undertaker smiled and the resemblance between father and son made Serena shiver.

"That's just not right." Serena turned on Lucifer. "Son's shouldn't owe their fathers. They need help, therefore, you show up. And while we're on the subject, I'm assuming by the one chair in his kitchen that you never visit."

"You went through my house?" Undertaker wondered why he hadn't thought of that before.

"We're not talking about that right now." She held up a hand in his face. "We're talking about your messed up father/son dynamic."

"We don't get along." Undertaker shrugged. "End of dynamic."

"What does liking your family have to do with anything? I genuinely don't care for a large portion of my family and the feeling is mutual. The others don't even care that I exist. But, I still see them at least once a year and if they needed anything I'd be there. It's about blood."

Lucifer smiled as Serena ranted, his focus on her temple. "Speaking of blood."

The red head stopped talking when his fingers brushed her skin. He leaned closer and she heard a soft inhale next to the healed wound. She started to breathe again when sunrise eyes focused on Undertaker over her head.

"Should I congratulate you, my son? There is also a scent of Elder than clings to her, however, you've given her blood that has already traveled through her body." His head cocked to the side. "Are you two fighting over her?"

"No. Serena had suffered head trauma and was going to die. Again."

"Again?"

"It's a long story." She popped between them and noticed the scowl on Lucifer's face.

"I don't like to left out of the loop." A slow smirk spread over his face again. "But still, sharing your blood is sharing mine."

Serena's head turned to Undertaker slowly, her eyes wide.

"Do you want her, my son?"

"Whoa!" She pushed away from both of them. "How about you both stop talking about me like some left over pizza?"

"She's rather amusing." The fallen smiled as she continued to glare at them.

"And already taken."

Lucifer smiled down at her. "Possession is always stronger than prior claim."

"What the hell is wrong with you all?" Serena screamed and started to pace around the room. "First I get dragged back in time and told by a demon that I'm going to marry him and be dragged to hell and just forget any plans that I had for my life because they don't matter anymore! Then I get shot and die, which was awful by the way, if you're wondering. All so that I could be some kind of cosmic warning for Sebastian. Wake up back in Tokyo and get sent on some sicko scavenger hunt because I guess that I came back too early for some people and he just had something more important to do then be around when I woke up. Then come back here, figuring that I'd spend a little quiet time. You know, try to be the good, little mate that everyone wants me to be. And what happens? I almost get killed again! Now Lucien and Haagenti are pissed at me. Corrine's being a bitch, well she's been a bitch since the moment I met her, and you two are trying to pass me around like a cheap piece of meat. I'm sick to death of all your supernatural bullshit!"

She turned and pointed at them. "You know, if it wasn't for Alex and his family, I would just say 'screw you guys, I'm going home.' But, of course, I can't do that."

Undertaker and Lucifer watched as she continued to stalk around the ruined room, ranting and pointing every so often as she went. She screamed again and everyone jumped a little. Serena huffed on the other side of the room for a minute before turning back to the two men.

"Back to the subject." She stomped back across the room. "You are not visiting your own son, and don't say that you don't get along. That's a weak excuse."

"I am rather busy." Lucifer brushed some non-existent piece of lint from his sleeve.

"Rather busy? Your son spends all of his time alone or with corpses and that's okay, because, you're rather busy." Serena put a hand on her hip. "Seriously? Even God took a day off."

Undertaker laid his forehead on her shoulder and tried to stop laughing at the look on his father's face.

"Perhaps," Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "I would be more inclined to visit, if I did not receive such a chilly reception when I did."

"I see. So, you're going to turn this around on me?" Undertaker's laughter died in an instant.

"If you would just let it go."

"Never," Undertaker hissed.

Lucifer threw his hands up. "There was nothing that I could do."

Undertaker moved from behind Serena and stood in front of his father, rage radiating from his body.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

"I honestly think that after so much time as a reaper, you would have figured that out by now." Lucifer leaned down.

"And the fact that Regina just happened to show up around the same time was what, a coincidence?"

"Yes!"

"Bullshit!"

Serena saw Corrine making her way around the outer edge of the room toward her, making sure to steer clear of the mess in the middle of the room. When she finally reached the red head, Corrine leaned down to whisper so she, hopefully, would not draw their attention.

"What are they talking about?"

"I'm guessing with how upset they are getting," Serena leaned over. "It's got something to do with Mommy."

"You let her die, just admit it. Regina had shown up and you didn't need her anymore." Undertaker had taken to yelling.

"Regina?" Serena kept her eyes on the two while leaned over to Corrine.

"Lord Lucifer's mate."

"Right." The red head went back to watching the two men.

"I never needed her!" The whole room shook as Lucifer yelled back at his son and the shout echoed through the building. Serena and Corrine jumped back.

"Before Orias informed me that he had seen another of my children about to be born, I didn't even remember Asta. It's awful, yes I know that. But, I had already moved on and forgotten about her. I came back because of you." Lucifer looked away and took a breath. "Asta was weak, as many of the humans were then."

Undertaker started to say something but was cut off by his father. "Shut up. You want to hear an explanation so badly, then listen."

"She should never have survived the birth, she should never have survived the epidemic that swept through the village the next spring. She should never have survived the winters after you were born. I kept her alive as long as I could by giving her my blood, diluted through the nephilum. I took the blood of my other children to keep Asta alive a little longer, not because I needed her, but because you did.

"You were the only one of my children that wasn't born a monster, that I didn't have to lock in a cage the moment you were born and watch over for the rest of your life because I made a mistake. And you needed a mother."

Lucifer looked away for a moment and turned back. "You're right. I let her die. Because if I had given her any more blood, she would have lost what was left of her humanity and become a monster, herself. She would have been destroyed or caged with the nephilum that I fed her from. I accepted it when you turned away from me and joined the reapers because I had hoped that someday you would understand why I let her go. It had nothing to do with Regina. I never loved Asta, nor did I ever give her the impression that I did. I loved my son, and you loved her. So, I kept her alive for far longer than I should have. In the end, she was mortal and mortals die."

He sighed. "I thought that was why you called me, finally. I thought that you finally understood that. I gave you knowledge of demons and the fallen, more than I ever should have, so you would understand when your mother died. She wasn't my mate and I couldn't tie her life to mine. I tried to find a way after you were born and you weren't like the rest of my children. Even when Regina appeared, I would have done it. To make you happy."

Undertaker stood still, never having heard his father speak as plainly. Lucifer normally spoke in riddles, guiding his son to the answer but still making the younger work for it.

"That was my punishment. I finally had a child that wasn't a monster, but he'd always see me as one."

Serena and Corrine stood to the side, still blinking at the two. Neither made a move. They knew that this was private, that they shouldn't have heard all of that, but there was nowhere else to go. The house was a war zone that was barely standing. So, the women stayed quiet and hoped the two men in the center of the room would remember that they had a captive audience and wouldn't be angry when they realized that their conversation had been witnessed.

Lucifer stepped away first, shaking his head.

"Why am I here?" The Fallen gathered himself again, straightening his suit and pushing his hair back into place, as he stepped around his son to view the house.

Undertaker was quiet for a moment. His voice quiet when he finally did speak and void of emotion.

"To make sure there are no more souls tethered to this house. I've been here multiple times over centuries and never realized that Jonathan, the first Earl of Phantomhive, had sealed his soul here and trapped several of his descendants to use as batteries for himself."

Lucifer snorted. "I still wait to see the day when mortals will leave the realm of souls to angels and demons and stay the hell out of it."

Without another word, the Fallen jumped the hole to the second floor and disappeared into the house. Serena looked at Corrine again before walking through the wreckage to Undertaker. The reaper was doing a great impression of a statue in the center of the room, staring at the floor. He still hadn't moved a muscle from when his father had been speaking and didn't acknowledge the red head as she stopped right next to him.

"Hey," she poked him in the side with a smile. "What do you call a sleepwalking nun?"

"What?"

"A roamin' Catholic."

Undertaker closed his eyes as a small laugh came out of his chest. There was no sound, only the movement of his body that she felt through the hand on his back. She watched a small tear trace it's way down his cheek. Moving slowly, so as not to spook him, Serena slid her arms around the reaper. After a moment, she felt him relax into the embrace. His forehead landed on her shoulder and his arms came around her.

Serena caught Corrine's eye as the demon stared at them. The brunette looked away quickly before walking to the door.

"I'll just be outside, waiting for the Elder's return."

"What if there's someone out there?"

Corrine smirked, showing fangs. "I think I'll be alright."

None of them noticed Lucifer leaning around the wall upstairs to watch his son and the red head. He already knew that there was no other souls in the house, could feel it the moment he stepped inside it's walls.

'But, I'll look to make Aelius happy.'

He turned away and walked slowly down the ruined hallway.

********************A Demon's Mate*****************

Ciel waited in the carriage and looked at the house of his enemy. It had taken two years, but he finally took everything from the older man. There was no respectable house in London that would accept him, no family that would come to his aid. Losing the small empire he had built had not done the man any favors either. Add to that, Sebastian destroying the other Elder's house demon by demon and it was no wonder that the manor house had been neglected.

The bushes and plants around the front of the house, as well as along the drive, were all overgrown. The grass reached for the sky and weeds grew high and visible in patches throughout the lawn. Columns that held a roof over the front stairs were cracked. Looking further down the house, Ciel noticed that a couple of the windows had been cracked and not replaced and one had been broken out completely. It didn't really matter, there was only light coming from the upstairs rooms and only two at that.

As he walked up the stairs, Ciel felt Sebastian behind him. The demon was radiating his anticipation. As soon as he had told his butler that this was it, he was sick of waiting, Sebastian had gotten an evil smirk on his face that hadn't left. Pure power clung to him, almost losing the illusion of humanity that Ciel was used to. The others around the house had been sent away on errands, so as not to notice the demon in their midst.

It wasn't hard to find something for them to do. His wedding to Elizabeth was tomorrow and Ciel insisted that this be over before then.

'Much of the darkness that surrounds the estate will be dispelled after tonight. Just as I wanted before Lizzy moved in. Sebastian will leave after this as well.' The Earl shook his head to clear it. 'It shouldn't make me sad to see the last of that demon. My life isn't tied to him anymore and I'll move on, the same as him.'

The doors opened as they reached the top step to show darkness inside. Neither hesitated to walk forward.

*******************A Demon's Mate*******************

Undertaker pulled away and Serena waited for him to collect himself. She smiled and brushed some of the hair away from his face.

"Are you better now?"

"I apologize." He kept his face turned away from her and walked across the hall.

"I think that you're entitled, after tonight." Serena followed him to the doorway. "It's been a little weird, huh?"

He scoffed. "That's an understatement."

"So, it's true."

Both looked to see Edwin coming out of the darkness from the driveway, Lucien at his side. Corrine was seated at the bottom of the stairs and stood as they came closer. Edwin stopped at the top of the stairs and stared at the red head.

Edwin glared at both of them. "The Elder isn't going to be pleased."

"You know Edwin, at this point, Sebastian can kiss my ass." Serena turned around and strode back into the house. She looked up and saw that Lucifer was jumping back to the bottom floor.

"The house is clean. I've removed the wards that Jonathan set up." He straightened his suit after his landing.

"Thank you."

Lucifer nodded as the demons came into the house. Edwin and Lucien saw the Fallen and stared for a moment before hitting their knees. Lucifer waved off the reverence.

"Where is the family?" Undertaker asked and ignored the glare that both demons sent him.

After a moment, Edwin answered. "They are coming up the drive now."

Serena looked around the room and winced. Walking away from Undertaker, she looked for any part of the house that wasn't completely destroyed. Behind her, Lucifer went to stand next to his son.

"It occurs to me, that you were willing to owe me a favor to help this girl. You wouldn't even let me heal you during the war between the demons and reapers. But, you'll call me to help her."

The reaper sighed. "And I have no idea why."

He looked at his son and a smirk spread over his face.

"You have forgotten the skills that I taught you." Lucifer slipped behind Aelius. "Her soul is very old and seen many lifetimes. The eyes may be the window to the soul, however, it is through the eyes that the world lies to us the most."

He put his hand over his son's eyes. "Look at her. Not with your eyes but the power that I passed to you with my blood."

Aelius slowed his breath and focused on Serena. He heard the car pulling up in front of the ruined front doors. He heard the sharp intake of breath from Malory and the curse from Henry as they looking into their home. Alex was awake and he heard the boy yell for Serena as he jumped from his father's arms.

"He's gone! You did it."

The reaper heard Alex running through the rubble as his parents yelled after him to be careful. The sound changed. Instead of shoes on the broken stone floor, he heard bare feet running through the tall grass of the forest that had once surrounded a little village. Instead of black hair, the child's head was covered with a mane of silver the streamed behind him as he ran. The room changed in his mind's eye and they were outside, the setting sun bathed the world in reds and oranges and golds as he burst through the trees and ran across the shorter grass to the home that he shared with his mother. The arms the child jumped into were tan instead of pale and as she swung him around, it was not red that flowed around them but dense brown.

Lucifer pulled his hand away as Undertaker's eyes opened. He looked at Serena again and wondered how he could have missed the soul of his own mother.

The Fallen smirked. "Do you really think that I would have stood still and let just any mortal lecture me?"

"Serena," Malory came forward while still looking around the house. "What the hell happened here?"

"I can explain." Serena winced as something fell behind her. "I...It's like this...You see...No, I can't. Never mind."

"Never mind?" Henry came up behind his wife.

The red head snapped her fingers. "However, I do think I can make it up to you."

"I'd love to hear this." The blonde crossed her arms.

Serena ran her hand through Alex's hair and started for where the stairs used to be.

"You're going to give it to them?" Corrine asked as she came closer.

"Well, look at this craftsmanship." She waved her hand to encompass the house. "To replace this damage, they're probably going to need it."

"Good point."

"What are you talking about?" Henry followed behind.

"I know, I know." Alex waved his hand around. "You're going to show them the passage in the office right?"

"How do you...he showed it to you?"

"Who?"

"The man in the garden showed me where the vault was. He said that soon, there wouldn't be anyone to show where it was anymore and the family might need it. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about it unless something big happened."

Serena looked around at the damage that surrounded them. "I think that this qualifies."

**************A Demon's Mate**************

Haagenti strode through the doors of his home with a purpose. He ignored the others around him that bowed as he passed. Layla tried to get his attention about some gathering, but he waved her off as he climbed the stairs leading to his rooms. He had more important things to worry about right now.

At the doors to the Elder's chambers, Leiko moved aside and bowed her head as Haagenti appeared. The Elder waved her away as well, trying to remember that he felt the heartbeat of his mate as he came through the front doors and there was no need to dismember the guard piece by bloody piece, starting at the fingers.

The sitting room that formed the first of the Elder's suite was empty and perfect, as usual. He strode past the heavy wood and dark furniture that his mate preferred. The light colored walls reflected the light from the fireplace and made the room appear brighter than it was. Haagenti had to force himself past the heavy mirror that hung on the wall, just outside of their bedroom, when all he wanted to do was smash it to bits.

The double doors leading to the bedroom opened before he touched them and Haagenti stopped just inside the doors. Zachery was sleeping, the sheets and blankets mostly kicked off the bed, as was usual. He moved so much when he slept, as if his body was making up for the lack of movement while he studied.

The light from the fireplace played with the shadows that danced over his skin. It was Zachery's favorite piece in their room, even though it was unneeded. In difference to the heat, the doors that opened onto a large balcony had been left open.

Blue eyes opened as he approached the bed. Zachery smiled as he noticed his demon and sat up in the bed. Haagenti didn't say anything as he pulled the man into his arms and buried his head in the other's hair.

"Haagenti, what is it? Did something go wrong? Did she not come back?"

The Elder just shook his head and pulled away enough to lay his forehead against his mate's.

"I just...need to be here. I just need to feel you, before I go back."

"I am not going anywhere." Zachery rubbed his hand over the demon's back and closed his eyes.

***************A Demon's Mate****************

"I can't believe that this has been here the whole time." Malory walked around the small vault. Her hands reached out for several items, but stopped each time before she touched them. "So many people tried to find this. The forest is full of pits from the earls trying to find the lost fortune and it was right here the whole time."

"Sebastian and Ciel liked to hide things in plain sight. It made them feel even smarter." Serena still held Alex as they looked around. The boy didn't seem surprised by the hoard that they had found, leading her to believe that someone had already shown it to him.

Lucifer looked around as well, taking in the paintings and letting his fingers move through the jewels as they spilled out of their boxes. Undertaker watched his father move about the small area, still not sure what to say. More often than not, his eyes drifted to Serena and Alex.

He kept reminding himself of the lessons he had been given as a reaper. Reincarnations may have a little knowledge retained from their past lives, feelings of deja vu, quick to a subject they had studied before or a job they had been good at. But the bulk of their memories, who they were was gone, a slate wiped clean with each death.

Serena didn't look like Asta. She didn't smell like his mother. She didn't speak like his mother. She didn't think like his mother. She wasn't his mother. And he kept repeating it over and over to himself.

Seeing Aelius with a troubled look on his face, Lucifer slipped over beside him.

"What is it?"

He looked at his father, surprised that he hadn't noticed him next to him. Aelius looked back at Serena again.

"Why is she still being reincarnated?"

Lucifer looked away. "Because of me."

Aelius stared at his father and waited for the rest of the explanation.

"Because she laid with me, bore me a son, because I kept her alive. All of it leaves an imprint. Someone gave her an opportunity to keep being reincarnated and make it up on the cosmic scoreboard." He slid his hand into his pockets. "I've run across her a few times and she always reacted like she did tonight. I wasn't shining too brightly, her soul remembers me. If you hadn't done anything, she would have run away."

"But, it doesn't remember me."

"Well, it remembers the pain that I brought. A lesson learned."

"So the universe has made her pay for her intersection with you, just to mate her to a demon?"

"He loves irony." Lucifer shook his head. "To spend all those lifetimes making up for soothing a damned being, only to spend the rest of eternity with another." The Fallen shrugged. "Besides, who better to hold a demon of wrath? She's got plenty of experience hiding in that soul."

"I suppose."

Alex let out a yawn that brought everyone's attention back to him. The boy laid his head on Serena's shoulder and closed his eyes as his mother ran a hand over his head. Malory watched his body relax with a smile.

"We should get going. We'll have to move to the townhouse for the time being." Henry slid an arm around his wife and led her to the gates that shut the room off from the passageway.

"Is it really alright to leave this here?" Serena followed with the sleeping boy and waved to Undertaker and Lucifer so they could close it up.

"No one has found it in all this time." Malory looked back as Undertaker closed the gates. "I think that it'll be alright."

"Good point."

As they found the light from the office again, Henry stepped through first and stopped dead in his tracks. Malory gave him a little push but the man didn't move.

"Henry, what's wrong?"

"You're not going to believe it." He moved out of the way and the rest of them filed into the room.

It was perfect. All the books were back on the shelves, the furniture righted. The ceiling was where it was supposed to be, no beams hanging down. Henry hurried to the door and looked into the hall to see more of the same. There was no damage anywhere.

"This isn't possible." Malory looked around the room in shock and touched the desk that had been in pieces when they had gone through the passage earlier.

"Oh, I did it." Lucifer smiled and pulled a beautiful ruby necklace from his pocket. "I think it's a fair trade. Regina will love this."

"Who are you?" Malory asked as she looked at the man.

Serena waved her free hand around and pointed at Lucifer. "Don't answer that!"

When she turned back to Malory the blonde was staring at her. Serena started to pull her out of the room. "Trust me, you don't want to know. Just say alright and move on."

"Alright."

The floor shook as Undertaker and Lucifer threw their heads back and laughed.

********************A Demon's Mate********************

Serena smiled as she laid Alex in his bed and pulled the sheets over his body. She stepped away as Malory laid a kiss on his head and whispered good night. Henry waved the two women out of the room. In the hall, he left the door open a little.

"Seriously, what happened here tonight?"

"Let's just say that we found the source of Alex's nightmares. And he's gone." Serena yawned herself as Undertaker and Lucifer came down the hallway.

"He?"

"Well, it was kind of..." She looked at Undertaker and shrugged. "A ghost, I guess."

"We could call him that."

"The house really was haunted?" Henry blinked as he stared at the three.

"Yup." Serena looked away. "More than you know."

"And that's why you destroyed the house?" Malory asked, obviously not believing it.

"Actually," Undertaker interrupted with a giggle. "The ghost destroyed the house. While trying to kill us."

"A ghost destroyed a home that has stood for centuries?"

"That's not entirely accurate. The house as it is had been restored several times by Sebastian. As Ciel had a small issue with pissing people off and when they attacked, his servants used anything possible to fight them off. Sometimes, they just blew stuff up." Serena smiled. "I would suggest that you read the manga and watch the anime again. I'm not really sure how many times Sebastian rebuilt the manor."

"Seventeen." Undertaker whispered loudly.

"Wow." Henry said simply.

Lucifer crossed his arms. "That's impressive."

"Those servants were gifted." Serena smiled as she got lost in her memories for a moment.

As they looked over the newly-restored Hall, everyone stopped as the servants came streaming in from the garden. Some were still in uniform, most were in their nightclothes, and all of them looked confused.

"I was wondering where everyone was." Malory put a hand on the railing to lean over further.

"I know that it sounds awful, but I kind of forgot about them." The red head winced as she thought of what could have happened if the servants had still been in the house during Jonathan's little tantrum. "Lucien got them all outside."

"Thank you for thinking about them." Malory smiled at Lucien while turning to glare at Serena.

"I'm sorry I forgot. I was a little more worried about getting my head bashed in at the time and finding secret treasure."

Lucifer laughed. "And on that note, I will be taking my leave."

The Fallen slipped past the crowd at the head of the stairs and moved easily for the front doors.

"Wait." Undertaker called out. "So, what do I owe you for this?"

Lucifer turned back and his eyes rested on Serena. The reaper knew that it wasn't the red head that his father was really seeing, but Asta.

"This one's on me." He shook his head as the butler hurried to open the door for him.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that." Undertaker cocked his head to the side as he stared at Jameson closing the doors behind his father.

"Should I be worried?" Serena leaned over.

"Probably."

She hung her head. "Why is my life so weird?"