I own nothing but my OC.
That Butler, Birthday 2
'thoughts'
"speech"
"Demonic speech"
{setting/stage directions?}
SOUND EFFECTS
An entire sentence like this, without quotes, is narration for dreams or stuff like written letters.
=†=†=†=†= scene shift/time shift
Previously:
"I love you guys sooo much!" Chêne cried as she hugged her parents. Sebastian smiled slightly. Humans were so emotional... At least with this, Chêne's parting with her family would probably be a little less painful now that she would have something to remember them by, making it easier for her to return with Ciel an him.
"Me too!" Laurie said as she joined the LeBeau family group hug. Lacey sniffed, causing Ciel to glance at her. She was wiping her eyes, like she was trying to wipe a way a tear.
"Are you... crying...?" Ciel asked her, surprised.
"N-No! I just have something in my eye, okay!" Lacey said defensively.
"Of course you do." Ciel said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Well, it was a rather touching scene...
"I see this city is still very similar to when I last saw it..." Sebastian thought out loud as they drove through the Crescent City (aka New Orleans). There were many new buildings and modern contraptions now, but there were a few old buildings he recognized.
"Oh? You've been to New Orleans before?" Pomona asked.
"Uh... he means before he started working for Ciel, yeah!" Chêne said, laughing nervously. She hoped Sebastian wouldn't say anything that might give himself away...
"Yes, it was a long time ago." Sebastian said, giving them all a brilliant shit-eating grin.
Cpt. LeBeau turned onto their street. Their old house, the one Chêne and Laurie grew up in, was located in the Mid-city Fairgrounds neighborhood, on North Dupre Street. It was very close to Bayou St. John.
"Oh, there's Cabrini!" Chêne said excitedly as they passed her old high school.
"Ah... I remember when we used to go canoeing in the bayou for P.E., and we ended up sinking because ours had a hole in it, and we didn't notice until it was too late... Good times, good times~!" Lacey said, smiling, and nodding to herself.
"Yeah, that was a pretty interesting experience... even though the teacher failed us for canoeing, she gave us an A+++ for swimming..." Chêne said, smiling wryly, as she sweat dropped. "At least the bayou isn't that deep, so we were able to get the canoe back out... eventually."
"I remember that when you two came home, you wanted to 'drown your sorrows,' but since you were too young to drink, you made cookie dough instead, and let me eat it with you... that was the best cookie dough ever." Laurie said, smiling.
"That's because it was seasoned with our tears, pain, and suffering. I love how our hell was your heaven." Lacey deadpanned.
"Well, we were about 12 or 13, Ciel or Laurie's age, when it happened, so she was only 6 or 7... She probably didn't even fully understand the trauma we went through." Chêne said shrugging.
"Oh, you mean how that flock of geese chased us after I yelled at them? Yeah... that was like out a Hitchcock film or something... I kept hearing their menacing honks in my dreams... uugh...!" Lacey said, shivering.
"You got nightmares... because of geese?" Ciel asked, raising an eyebrow as he and Laurie both stared at her like she was an idiot.
"They have teeth you know! It would hurt if they bit you!" Lacey said defensively. "Tell 'em, Chêne! One of them nipped your ankle, didn't they?" Chêne sweat dropped.
"Yeah, but luckily it didn't break the skin... or I would've had to get rabies shots, just in case..." Chêne said, grimacing. Rabies shots were not fun. "I know this is totally random, but I just realized something, PomPom... You told me back at Chevy's that you had a gift for me from Grandma Willow, but aren't we going to see her tomorrow...? Why did she give it to you for today?" She asked.
"Well... funny you should ask that, because I actually—Son of a Buick!" Pomona yelled as she glanced up ahead of them. There was Grandma Willow, waiting for them on their porch... and glaring sternly at Pomona, as they pulled up into their driveway.
"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear..." Cpt. LeBeau said, sweat dropping. Chêne and Ciel glanced at Sebastian. He smirked like a Cheshire cat at them in response.
"Why the heck is grandma on our porch?" Laurie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"G-Will is like a legit ninja... maybe I should become her apprentice?" Lacey said thoughtfully, stroking her nonexistent beard. She was pretty slick for an eighty-nine year-old lady.
"What did you do this time, PomPom?" Chêne asked, sweat dropping.
'This time...? You mean this happens often...?' Ciel and Sebastian thought, sweat dropping as they all climbed out of the car. Normal little old ladies just did not hunt people down like this... Ciel froze when he got a better look at Grandma Willow.
"Y-Y-Your—!" Ciel started to stutter as he tried to form intelligible words through his shock. Sebastian looked slightly surprised too.
"I know she's a terrifying old witch, Ciel, but I think you're overdoing it..." Pomona said, sweat dropping.
"Should you really be talking about your own mother that way? She can probably hear everything you just said." Cpt. LeBeau deadpanned. Pomona and her mother tended to quarrel a lot, but they still got along pretty well, despite it.
"Ah! I forgot to warn Ciel before, but..." Chêne said, smiling sheepishly. "Grandma Willow actually looks just like—"
"—Your Majesty!?" Ciel yelled incredulously, finally able to get the words out. Chêne's grandmother looked just like Queen Victoria. Chêne's grandmother was even wearing a Victorian dress for Halloween. The only differences were that she still had a few streaks of light-brown hair left on her grey head, and she had light green eyes, just like Pomona and Chêne. Grandma Willow gazed calmly at Ciel.
"... 'Your Majesty'... huh?" Willow asked, raising an eyebrow at him. She smirked. "I like this boy." She said, chuckling in amusement. "So, the ones who have been taking care of my Chêne all this time, are finally here, huh?" Willow asked as she gracefully descended the porch steps and approached them. She eyed Sebastian, Ciel, and Chêne critically, taking in every little detail. Since it was Halloween, and they could get away with it, the three of them were wearing their Victorian clothes again because Lacey had been anxious to wear the Victorian costume Pomona had made for her, so they had all decided to change at Chevy's before continuing on. She smiled wryly at Chêne. "I see the prodigal daughter has finally returned. After all my lecturing on how to be a proper lady, it turns out the only thing that it took to get you to wear a dress was a little thing like time travel, hm?" Willow teased Chêne, her sage eyes twinkling mischievously. Chêne smiled wryly at her grandmother.
"Funny how life works out, huh? Hello, Grandma Willow." Chêne said, hugging the old woman.
"Welcome back, Cher." Willow said, smiling fondly at her granddaughter. "...As for you." Willow said, turning on her daughter, Pomona. "Nice try, Pomona, but I came to give Chêne my gift to her in person. Now hand it over." Pomona hung her head I defeat.
"Fine. You win mother... again." Pomona huffed as she went up the porch stairs and unlocked the door, and they all followed her in. Pomona walked over to mantle piece over the fire place, and stood on her tippy-toes to take down a small gift box that was wrapped in a white rose patterned gift-wrap, and had a pastel pink bow on top. Chêne smiled. Grandma Willow always did like roses and pink...
"Tch." Pomona said, clicking her tongue in disappointment as she held out the small gift box, deciding to quit before her mother really got mad. "I only took it because I thought we weren't seeing you until tomorrow, and I thought it would be more fun if Chêne got it on her actual birthday..." She said, pouting. "You said she wasn't leaving until after she saw you tomorrow, right? What are you so upset about?"
"I told you that she would have to leave soon after she saw me—I never said anything about it being tomorrow." Willow huffed indignantly as she took the gift and handed it to Chêne. "Wait before you open this, Cher. The three of you must leave immediately, or you will not be able to return." She said gravely.
"!?" They all said, shocked.
"What do you mean, Grandma—!?" Chêne asked, alarmed.
"I'll explain on the way back, but first..." Willow said, turning to Sebastian. She stared up determinedly into the demon butler's crimson eyes for a moment, and Sebastian got the feeling that whatever Willow had told her daughter and son-in-law, she knew what he was. "Sebastian... I want you to take our picture so that none of us will be left out. Use this camera, aim it at us, and press this button here. Just count to three for us so we can be ready when you do." She said as she pulled a digital camera out of her purse and showed Sebastian what to do.
"I don't see what the big deal is. So what if they're stuck here?" Laurie said, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.
"Chêne will die if she stays in our world." Willow said bluntly. They all stared at her for a moment, shocked.
"Laurie, just do as your grandmother says." Pomona said firmly as she started pulling the members of the LeBeau family (plus Lacey) into their proper places for their photo op. Willow quickly joined them.
"One... Two... Three." Sebastian said and pressed the button.
CLICK.
=†=†=†=†=
{Driving back to the house on the Northshore with Grandma Willow...}
"I'm sorry I had to cut your visit short Chêne, but if we don't hurry, then something terrible will happen to the 'other' armoire." Willow explained as she floored it. The little old lady, who was normally very prim and proper, was driving like a bat out of hell. She had very adamantly insisted that they take her car, and besides Willow only Chêne, Ciel, and Sebastian could fit in her little compact car.
"Judging from your driving... I really am going to die if we don't make it in time, aren't I?" Chêne asked, sweat dropping, as she held the bag they had thrown all of her presents and new dress into.
"Oh, no, that was a complete lie, Cher! Do not worry about that. I only said such a thing because it was the fastest way to get your sister and the others to let you go, but the three of you really will be stuck in this world forever if you don't get back now." Willow explained. "You can open your present now. I want to tell you something about it." Chêne nodded in understanding as she unwrapped her gift.
"!?" Chêne gasped, surprised. "But Grandma, this is—!" Sebastian glanced curiously at the necklace Chêne had just removed from the box. The necklace's pendant was a rather large, green Cat's Eye stone, and it had a silver and gold enameled image of a coat of arms on it. The French motto beneath the shield read Dieu aide ceux qui s'aident (God helps those who help themselves). It was on a gold chain, but there was a pin on the back, so it could be used as a brooch as well as a necklace. Sebastian's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He had seen that coat of arms somewhere before...
"It's yours now. That necklace has been passed down within the Devinette family from generation to generation, seer to seer." Willow said, smiling at her granddaughter as she glanced up at the rearview mirror. "Normally, it would be given to you upon my death, but these are special circumstances... and that necklace is meant to stay as your companion for the rest of your very long life." Chêne's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Grandma... does this mean you know 'what' Sebastian is, and what I've become...?" Chêne asked cautiously.
"Of course! My visions may not be as clear as yours, but I have them more often than you do, so I can iron out the kinks rather quickly if I misinterpret something. I just let your mother think that because I knew she'd tell your father and sister, and it would break their hearts to know the truth." Willow explained. "They'd still love you, of course, but they would probably have tried to keep you to themselves if they thought you were being 'forced' into staying with Sebastian and Ciel, since you need his blood to maintain your sanity. They wouldn't stop to think about how lonely you'll be on your own, having to outlive every human you will ever care about... Besides, you and I both know that if they thought you were being bound to them by a decision you made, that they would be far more likely to see you off with a smile." Chêne thought about it for a moment before sighing.
"You're right, Grandma... as usual... but there's one thing I'd like to make clear." Chêne said, meeting her grandmother's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Even if I was bound to Sebastian without my permission—Staying with them is my choice. You and I both know that no matter how desperate a situation might be, there is always a choice. You may not like it, but that doesn't mean it isn't an option. My options were: A) Live with two people I care about, for as long as I could, while staying true to myself and choosing to enjoy my new life as best as I could. B) Live, and blame two people I cared about for something that was ultimately caused by one of my own mistakes, until I grew to hate and despise them and thus making my life a bitter hell. C) I could have killed myself by stabbing myself through the heart, since I can still die if my heart is stopped completely before Sebastian can heal me." Chêne said calmly. "Which would you choose?" Ciel stared at her, stunned. He hadn't realized just how much her transformation had affected Chêne... to think that she would list suicide as an option...
"..." Sebastian said as he watched her. He knew that humans were capable of virtually anything when desperate enough, but he had not thought Chêne would even consider suicide since she still clung so tightly to her human beliefs, and Catholics believed that suicide was an act that was essentially a one-way ticket to Hell, with no chance of ever seeing Heaven. Grandma Willow smiled wryly.
"Not everyone is as strong as you, Chêne..." She said as she stared at the road ahead.
=†=†=†=†=
"Are you sure you have everything?" Willow asked Chêne, smiling sadly as they hugged goodbye and said goodbye one last time. They had quickly printed out a black and white version of their recently taken family portrait, and slipped it inside of its frame already.
"I'm sure." Chêne said, smiling despite the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Thank you for helping us, Grandma. I'm glad I got to see you before we had to leave."
"Me too, Cher... me too..." Willow said, patting her on the back. "All right. You youngsters better leave while you still can." She said, smiling softly as she stepped back and gave them room to open the doors of the armoire. Sebastian held onto Ciel and Chêne as they stepped into the armoire. It would not do to have come all this way, only to be separated when they tried to return.
"Goodbye." Chêne said, smiling softly as she disappeared into the armoire with the demon butler and his master.
CHAK.
"Goodbye, my little Chêne..." Willow said softly as the doors closed behind them.
=†=†=†=†=
{October 31, 1888—Phantomhive Manor}
"Phew!" Chêne said, relieved when Sebastian set her and Ciel down. "Traveling across dimensions gives me motion sickness..." She said as she took a deep calming breath. Ciel sweat dropped. Since Chêne had had a chance to get some closure by saying goodbye to her loved ones this time around, she seemed to be feeling much better, and was acting rather silly... He couldn't bring himself to call her weird after seeing how abnormal everyone else around her (except for Cpt. LeBeau) had been... Quite frankly, Ciel was amazed
"Do not speak as though what we just went through is an everyday occurrence, because it isn't." Ciel said, chagrined. "Really... it is a good thing for you since were finally reunited with your family, but those people are positively mad, particularly Lacey..." He grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Oh? Ye seemed to be rather enjoying yourself, to me." Sebastian said, smirking.
"I bet you're just grumpy from lack of good tea." Chêne teased him. Do you want us to make you so—"
KA—BOOOM!!
"!?" Ciel and Chêne yelled in surprise as Sebastian grabbed them and pulled them to the ground, shielding them as the armoire suddenly exploded.
"WTF—!?" Chêne yelled incredulously. Was this what her grandma had been talking about!? What if they'd still been inside when that happened!?
"What the bloody hell was that!?" Ciel demanded.
"... I believe you will have the answer to all your questions if you look outside through the hole in your wall." Sebastian said as he helped them up and stared at the damage that had just been done. Ciel and Chêne stared, stunned. It turns out that armoire didn't just suddenly explode 'on its own'—It had help. Sebastian's eyes twitched as a vein mark throbbed on his forehead, and Ciel and Chêne turned blue with shock as they all stared outside through the large hole in Ciel's wall. The three stooges were all running amok on the grounds below them, while Mister Tanaka sipped his tea. They, along with the ground around them, had been scorched by whatever exploded and hit Ciel's room and armoire, and they were crying... Ciel, Sebastian and Chêne realized that over the past day and a half they were gone... the other servants had somehow managed to almost completely DEMOLISH the manor. Ciel's room had somehow managed to remain the last one standing... until just a few moments ago. What in the name of William H. Macy were they doing that could have possibly caused all of this!?
"... Sebastian and Chêne said as they stared at the huge mess they knew that they would have to clean up.
"... Remind me why we were in such a hurry to come back?" Ciel deadpanned, sweat dropping.
Author's note:
And now we're going back to the manga starting next chap, yay~! ^_^
