Previously:

HONNNK!

They looked over in the direction of the sound of a horn and saw another ship on the horizon.

"It's a rescue boat. Thank God for that," Lacey said. "We can get Chêne warmed up now." The wind swept over them.

"… Sebastian," Ciel said. "I can't afford to have the butler of the Phantomhive family stay in that state forever. Make sure you rest up when we return to the manor. You did well today."

"Young Master..." Sebastian said, surprised. He smiled a little ruefully. "Please stop. I cannot believe I am hearing you say these words… I would prefer not to encounter a storm after this."


That Butler, Resting


{After they returned to the manor...}

"Koff! Koff!" Ciel coughed as he lay in bed.

"What a delayed reaction," Lacey commented, standing over him with Chêne and Sebastian while they waited for the thermometer to take his temperature. It took them days to get home, and he was only now showing symptoms?

"And who said you could come in?" Ciel asked her. He was feverish and sweaty and didn't feel at all well.

"Come on! We've faced down zombies and escaped a sinking boat and braved deadly icy waters together," Lacey said. "Surely that gives us some kind of bond."

"That doesn't mean you can come in without permission," Ciel told her grumpily.

"Just eat your breakfast, Mr. Grumpy-pants," Lacey said.

"This is England, and this is my home," Ciel reminded her. "Don't presume you can order an earl around here." He may have let her get away with it before in America, in Chêne's home, but not here.

"Ooh, so strict," Lacey said in a tone of mock fear, eating one of his scones.

"Lacey, that's for Ciel," Chêne chided her. "You already had your breakfast."

"Yeah, but his is fancier," Lacey said, continuing to munch away.

"Why are you still here, anyway?" Ciel asked her.

"Because I've been assigned to protect Chêne here," Lacey replied. "I was protecting her in our world, but then she came to this one. Now they want me to watch her again."

"They?" Ciel asked.

"The higher-ups," Lacey answered. "But that's all I can tell you. The rest is classified."

"Classified, eh?" Ciel said, glancing at Chêne, who shrugged.

"So what positions do you have open here?" Lacey asked.

"You want to work here?" Sebastian asked, just as surprised as Ciel.

"Yeah. I need a cover while I stick close to Chêne," Lacey said. "And I doubt you'd want me to sponge off you indefinitely." The earl and butler exchanged a glance. She was a fair fighter.

"Very well," Sebastian said. "You can join us as a maid."

"Is that the uniform I'll be wearing?" Lacey asked, looking at Chêne.

"Yep," Chêne said with a smile.

"Okay, then," Lacey said. "But do you have anything in purple?"

"That's the uniform. Take it or leave it," Ciel told her.

"Sigh. I guess I'll take it," Lacey said. "You've got yourself a deal, squirt."

"Sebastian, teach her to address her superiors with more respect while you're at it," Ciel ordered with a vein throbbing on his head.

"I have to warn you, I'm very strict," Sebastian told Lacey.

"Uh, maybe I should teach Lacey," Chêne said.

"If you're too soft-handed with her, she'll never improve," Sebastian said.

"That may be true with most people, but not Lacey," Chêne argued. "If you push her, instead of learning, she'll only push back harder."

"Yep," Lacey agreed. "I've made several teachers and my not-mom cry."

"Just let Chêne try for now," Ciel said, wanting to avoid another headache. Sebastian checked the thermometer.

"You have a slight fever," Sebastian informed Ciel.

"Oh, I have just the thing for that," Lacey said.

"You do?" Ciel asked warily.

"Yeah, Lacey's home remedy for colds is super effective," Chêne said. "It made me better after just one dose… But it tastes awful."

"In that case, I think I'll pass," Ciel said.

"But we don't want your cold to cause complications with your asthma again, so it's better for you to get better as soon as possible, right?" Chêne said, concerned. She was giving him her kitten eyes.

"..." Ciel was a little angry at her for using such an effective weapon. "Fine."

=†=†=†=†=†=

"..." Ciel stared into the cup they brought him an hour later. It was filled with a liquid the color of sludge, and it smelled terrible.

"It's best to hold your nose and gulp it down as fast as you can," Chêne advised him.

"..." Ciel really didn't want to, but he supposed it was better to get it over with as soon as possible. They clearly weren't going to leave him alone until he did. He pinched his nose and poured the liquid down his throat. He gagged, but managed to keep it down. "Koff! Koff!"

"There we go. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Lacey said with a grin. Ciel glared at her. It was horrible. 'Awful' had been a huge understatement.

"And now, chicken noodle soup!" Chêne declared, presenting Ciel with a tray that had a bowl of soup, a spoon, and cup of freshly-squeezed orange juice. Ciel liked this remedy much better. Between Lacey and Chêne's efforts, he was cured by the end of the day.

=†=†=†=†=†=

"Sebastian. As promised, you will take a day off tomorrow," Ciel said. They were in his bedroom, preparing him for bed. He had wanted to change into a fresh nightshirt.

"Huh?" Sebastian said with wide eyes, surprised.

"The Reaper's death scythe affects even demons, correct?" Ciel asked.

"Of course the wound will heal slower than if it were inflicted by a human weapon," Sebastian said. "However..."

"I should say," Ciel said, continuing as he climbed into bed, "I'm troubled that the Phantomhive's butler is not flawless. You should rest all day tomorrow."

"Is that an order?" Sebastian asked.

"It is," Ciel agreed, lying back. "It will be a carefree day for me as well without your surveillance. I'm sure Chêne can handle one day without you."

"… Yes, my lord," Sebastian answered dutifully.

—^—^—^—

"Well, that's a good thing, isn't it?" Chêne said when Sebastian relayed what Ciel had said. She lied down next to him and gently placed a hand over his chest. "You still haven't fully healed yet, right?" She kissed him goodnight. "I'll take care of everything tomorrow."

"In your condition, you shouldn't be straining yourself," Sebastian said, placing a hand over her womb.

"I'm not an invalid," she repeated for the hundredth time. "And Mr. Tanaka and Lacey will help me, once she's done getting fitted for her new uniform." The other servants were surprised by yet another new addition to the staff, but they accepted her pretty quickly once they learned that Lacey had helped Sebastian protect Ciel.

=†=†=†=†=†=

{The next day…}

The other servants burst into the room after hearing the news that he would be resting.

"Good morning, Mister Sebastian!" Finni said.

"Did I hear you're not well?" Bard asked.

"Are you okay?" Mei-Rin asked a little tearfully.

"If there's anything you want, please let us know. —Says Emily," Snake said. They all froze when they saw that he was laying there in bed, stiff as a board, dressed in his uniform.

"Why are you sleeping in uniform!?" Bard asked, flinching in shock.

"I noticed now that I don't have things like pajamas," Sebastian replied. He had predicted this might happen, so he thought it was better to be dressed.

"Then what do you normally sleep in!?" Bard asked. Mei-Rin blushed bright red, picturing him sleeping in the nude.

"Come on, enough fuss, y'all," Chêne said, arriving with Lacey. "Let him rest."

"Haha," Lacey laughed when she saw Sebastian's sleeping position. "Dude, do you even know how to relax?"

"..." If Sebastian was honest, it was easier to relax with Chêne next to him.

"How's he supposed to rest dressed like that!?" Bard asked. "What does he normally wear, Chêne!?"

"Well..." Chêne said, blushing a little bit.

"Ooh, Chêne~" Lacey said with a sly grin, nudging her.

"Shut up," Chêne told her, blushing more.

"Ho," Mister Tanaka laughed, sipping his tea.

—^—^—^—

Sebastian ended up in Bard's clothing.

"It's probably better that you sleep in my work clothes, Mister Sebastian," Bard said. They certainly looked more comfortable than Sebastian's butler uniform. Mei-Rin was excited to see him in casual clothing. Chêne made a mental note to buy him some pajamas so this wouldn't happen again.

"Mister Sebastian, your pants are too short!!" Finni said, laughing at how much of his ankles were showing..

"That guy's cruel! —Says Oscar," Snake said.

"Hey, it's only showing a little!" Bard said with a vein throbbing on his head, annoyed.

"Anyways, please take your time and rest today!" Mei-Rin said. "If you need anything, it's okay to give us a call!"

"Leave everything to us!" Bard said.

"Thank you very much," Sebastian said, still feeling a little uneasy. He knew Chêne would do her best, but she couldn't keep an eye on all of them all of the time.

=†=†=†=†=†=

"I'm not accustomed to sleeping without Chêne," Sebastian said, lying there in bed. "As it was an order, I'll pretend to sleep."

=†=†=†=†=†=

"Oh! Très bien!" Nina said when she saw Lacey. "I should've known any friend of Chêne's would be gorgeous!"

"I like this woman," Lacey said. "Flattery will get you everywhere," she told Nina.

"Well, you two seem to be hitting it off," Chêne said with a smile. "I'll go check on the others. Try not to misbehave too much."

"No promises," Lacey called after her as she left the room.

=†=†=†=†=†=

Sebastian was lying there, pretending to sleep, when he heard something disturbing.

"This is bad, my apron caught fire!" Bard yelled. Sebastian flinched.

'What will I do if they ignite the clothes…?' he thought.

"Bard! Stop, drop, and roll!" Chêne yelled at him.

"Ahh… That actually worked!" Bard said, relieved. Sebastian relaxed.

—^—^—^—

"The garden has beautiful flowers!" Finni exclaimed. "Let's pick some 'get well' flowers!"

'Finni, please wait, the plan to replant roses in that garden…!?' Sebastian thought.

"Finni! Those flowers aren't ready to be picked yet!" Chêne said. It sounded like she had arrived just in time. "Come over here, you can pick some of these instead." Sebastian relaxed.

—^—^—^—

"I thought it was dish soap, but it turned out to be wheat flour!" Mei-Rin cried.

"Ahh, this is going to take a while to clean..." Chêne said. Veins throbbed on Sebastian's head. It sounded like Mei-Rin had screwed up bad.

'On the contrary, my stress is getting worse!' he thought, annoyed. What was she making a pregnant woman do? Where were Tanaka and Lacey? He really wanted to get up and do something about it, but he could hear Chêne's voice saying 'I'm not an invalid'. 'It would've been better if I had worked...' he thought. He heard the sound of someone running toward his room. 'Huh?'

"Sebastian, are you okay? I came to visit you!" Lizzie said, bursting into his room.

"Lady Elizabeth!?" Sebastian exclaimed, surprised to see her there. "A lady should not go into the room of her servant." 'I'll also get scolded by the marchioness for such a thing!'

"I don't care!" Lizze said. "I brought a get well gift. Yes, here it is!" She showed him a frilly nightgown. He was left with no choice but to try it on. And there was a frilly matching nightcap and bunny slippers, too. Sebastian's mood was dismal as he opened the door to let her see.

"It fits my size well..." was all he could bring himself to say.

"Super cute!!" Lizzie praised him. "Even when it's time for bed, you have to look cute!" Ciel was stifling his laughter behind her, shaking from it. "Hurry up and get well, Sebastian."

"I'm very sorry to worry you..." Sebastian said, making an effort to keep his voice from shaking.

"All right, Lizzy," Ciel said, straightening up, "let's go back upstairs."

"Okaaay," Lizzy said happily.

"..." Sebastian watched them go.

=†=†=†=†=†=

Chêne wiped the sweat from her brow. The three stooges kept messing up so frequently that day, that she was worried Sebastian might come up and do something about it. Fortunately, he seemed to have decided to trust her and actually rest. She looked out the window. Lacey was seeing Nina to her carriage. The two of them really got along well. Chêne decided to check on her husband.

—^—^—^—

"..." She stared at him from the doorway, taking in his frilly, pink appearance. She felt like Little Red Riding Hood finding a wolf in grandma's clothing. "Pfft!"

"Please don't laugh at me," Sebastian asked as he sat up, feeling defeated.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Chêne said, though her smile was a little to broad for his liking. She was clearly laughing on the inside. "I thought it was a little strange that you didn't come up to check on us once. Was it because of this?"

"No. I happen to trust you," Sebastian replied, crossing his arms. In that getup, it almost made Chêne giggle.

"Well, you'll probably have to keep wearing that until Lizzie leaves," she said, sitting on the bed next to him. "But I'll look forward to taking it off of you later," she added, looking at his handsome face with bedroom eyes as she touched the side of his face.

"Oh?" Sebastian said, holding her hand in place, suddenly feeling much better. "What about the babies?"

"Lacey told me it's totally safe," Chêne replied. "She learned all about the stages of pregnancy and child development before coming over here." She smiled. "She's taking her role to protect our children very seriously."

"Our children? Not you?" Sebastian asked.

"She's protecting me because of our children," Chêne said with a shrug. "Apparently, they're going to be important, but she hasn't said why yet."

"How curious," Sebastian said, glancing down at her womb.

"Curiouser and curiouser," Chêne agreed.

=†=†=†=†=†=

Later that evening, Sebastian was surprised when Ciel came into his room, holding a tray with a bowl of porridge on it, a spoon, and a small dish of banana slices.

"!" he said. "Young Master! What are you doing here?"

"How did my order to rest all day go?" Ciel asked, setting the tray down on his night table.

"I have rested, thanks to Chêne," Sebastian replied. He looked at the food. "Young Master, did you make this?" Ciel knew he didn't eat human food.

"Of course not. I don't cook," Ciel reminded him. "I only brought it because the others said appreciation from me would be most pleasing." It had mostly been Snake and Tanaka's idea, since Chêne also knew Sebastian didn't really eat human food. "Is the fatigue of a demon generally cured with sleep and food?"

"At least, human food won't become energy for me," Sebastian said, holding his chin. "But if it's a human soul, that would be different," he added slyly.

"You were probably trying to say something scary, but it's funny because of how you look," Ciel told him. "Do you have a mirror?"

"Please stop with the cold comments," Sebastian said.

"Well, for now, lie down and relax," Ciel said.

"I can't do such a thing in front of the young master," Sebastian told him.

"It's an order," Ciel said. Sebastian followed the order and lied back.

"So… Young Master, were you satisfied observing my pitiful appearance today?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, it was highly amusing," Ciel admitted gladly.

"As I thought," Sebastian said, closing his eyes. He couldn't wait for Chêne to come back.