Sebastian woke up. His neck was bandaged up and his neck was sewed shut, but it was unnecessary. His wound was completely healed, but he had no awareness of she happened over the past three days. As he sat in the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. infirmary, he allowed doctors to remove his stitches while Miranda informed him of the status of his household.

The one who had decapitated him was now staying there temporarily, helping take care of Luka and Revy in Alois' stead. She was not only aware of her cousin's relationship, she had approved of it and was fully supportive of the Phantomhive after his lover's disappearance. Thank goodness she was there, or else Ciel might not have been able to keep things together on his own. While the butler was indeed a bit miffed at having his head lopped off, it was a relief to know that his master was being taken care of during a critical time.

He remembered how badly the Macken reacted to Ciel's capture during the Black Annis incident, and how the bluenette responded when Alois was unwell from the Revenant case. It would have almost been "cute" how much they depended on one another, had they not been so upset. The pair were inseparable. Ciel was surely worried sick about the well-being of the blonde. Thus, as the excellent butler he was, Sebastian immediately got out of bed and donned his uniform before being driven back to Phantomhive manor in a Hellsing car.

Immediately upon arrival, he could sense that something was wrong. There was no doubt that there was a seemingly endless amount of chores left for him to do, but the very air around the household was different. Bidding farewell to the driver, he walked up the steps to the house before knocking on the door, bracing himself for when a certain someone opened the door.

Elizabeth begrudgingly answered it, her expression dropping into a scowl for a moment before relaxing again. A sigh escaped her lips as she mustered up the strength for this conversation.

"Welcome back…" he said, not looking the man directly in the face. With that, she turned and walked inside, allowing for the butler to follow.

"Thank you for taking care of the master." Sebastian answered. "I've already been informed of the situation. How are the others?"

"Luka and Revy are playing games, and Ciel is sulking." The woman informed placing her hands on her hips. "He has only left his office when we go eat, and even then he doesn't say anything."

"So you've found out nothing about Alois' disappearance?"

"I don't know what he's found out, but I've been doing a little digging of my own." Elizabeth replied. "Unfortunately, I'm no detective by any means. We know that he was taken by Cerberus, whose modus operandi appears to involve bombs. This, time, however, it changed…"

"What do you mean?" asked the man clad in black, arching an eyebrow.

"The bombs weren't there." The woman stated. "It was a false threat. It was a public one, too. They only said it to draw out Ciel, but for some reason, they opted to take Alois, instead. The problem is, we have no idea why, where they took him, what they're going to do with him, or what their primary objective is in the slightest."

"I see…" Sebastian uttered, furrowing his brow in thought. That was quite the conundrum. He couldn't think of anything to add, nor could he think of a possible solution. All he was capable of doing was waiting awkwardly for the angel to say something.

"Look, I'm still mad at you, and I don't really trust you, although I do regret decapitating you." Elizabeth finally said. "It was immature of me. Right now, however, I am willing to put that aside as long as you help me try and keep things together."

Garnet eyes widened as the demon listened to the angel speak. From both this and her previous actions, it was clearly evident that the little girl he knew over a century ago was no more. The Hellsing woman was on a mission, and there was obviously nothing that she would allow to get in her way. A smile appeared on the butlers face as he replied.

"Understood." He stated, offering a slight bow. "I will do everything I can, as butler of this household. If I fail to serve my master in such a time of crisis, then what kind of butler would I b—"

"Do not." Interrupted the monster-hunter. Furrowing her brow at the display. If it was a lie back when she and her cousin were both human, then what if it still meant the same thing now? The thought filled Elizabeth with endless irritation.

"My apologies."

The woman opened her mouth in order to respond, but she was cut off by her phone ringing. She had received a notification from Lieutenant Chu, indicating that there had been a development in the case. Elizabeth the turned to look over her shoulder, spotting the Phantomhive making his way down the stairs while putting on his coat.

"You got the message too, I see." She pointed out, her smile fading as her remark was ignored.

"So you're back, Sebastian." The bluenette noted, his eye landing on the butler. "I'm glad to see that you're alright. Unfortunately, I have a meeting to attend."

"I understand, sir." Answered the man clad in black. "It's good to see you, too." He didn't even turn to follow the watchdog with his eyes as Ciel made his way toward the door. "I assume I'll be watching the children until you and Lady Elizabeth return?"

Ciel looked up for a moment, almost as if he were confused. After the gears turned in his head for a moment he made the connection. He nodded before continuing.

"That works." He absent-mindedly said, not giving much thought to anything. At this moment, he had a one-track mind, and he wasn't going to pause for anyone. Thus, poor Elizabeth had to scurry in order to get her coat in order to not be left behind.

"Oh, dear…" The butler sighed. He quickly made his way over to the younger demon, catching him by the shoulder and forcing him to a stop. "Young Master, do be careful. I understand that you're upset, but you really must pay more attention to your surroundings. Alois had to do the same for you, and now it's your turn to do it for him."

"I know that…" Ciel answered, his eye looking off to the side.

As much as he didn't want to lose his composure, it was rapidly slipping away. His beau was in the clutches of a strange group of supernatural beings who have the capacity to bend others to their will. How could he not worry? He needed to make haste, or be met with a degree of horrible scenarios, ones that he would rather not think about. In all of them, he lost the menace, and that was an outcome that was not permissible under any circumstance. Alois' safe return home was the only option.

Still, the pressure was weighing heavily on the bluenette's shoulders. He didn't know the conditions of Alois' capture—whether he was hurt, or how scared he was at that moment. Ciel had to rescue the Macken as soon as possible. The Phantomhive household was incomplete without him.

They had just gotten Sebastian back. Luka was worried and Revy was trying to keep the boy calm. Elizabeth had returned and was now part of Ciel's family again. There was still one vital piece left, however. The watchdog's anxiety was not going to be quelled until the menace was safe again in his arms and it was apparent in his words and actions.

"I need to go." He said, brushing the butler's hand away. Once Elizabeth returned with her coat on, he turned on his heel to leave, not waiting for the woman to follow.

Quickly, the angel kept his pace, tailing him to the taxi that he had called. Once they were both inside, Ciel instructed the driver where to go, being the last words that lead a smog of silence. Elizabeth looked over with concerned eyes. The air around the man had changed, his expression was sour, and he wasn't acting at all like the same man who was so playful and friendly just the day before.

She was worried. There was part of her that was also a tad frightened. This is exactly how he behaved when he was human, and now that he was a demon, there was no telling what he could or would do.

"Ciel…" she called in a soft voice, prompting the man's attention. Ciel shifted, facing the woman and locking his singular eye on her visage. A shudder ran down her spine at the dangerousness and the intensity of his gaze. Even still, she couldn't back down.

"We'll find him." Elizabeth continued reassuringly. "It's only a matter of time. I could sense that he's a powerful demon, and if he's as clever as you say he is, there's no way that he would die on you." To that, the bluenette's gaze shifted directly in front of them.

"I know he won't." he stated. "I will bring him back. Even if I have to finish off every last member of that blasted organization myself."


A/N: Hullo~!

I haven't done an A/N in a while... I just haven't had much to say!

Anyways, a question popped up, so I'll answer that before starting the next chapter.

"This question sort of popped into my head while Elizabeth was wandering around the base. Where are her wings? Is she in a different form? Does she have any to begin with? Something tells me she would have stood out a little more with wings on her back. Just curious :)" by Blonde Sunflower

An angel's wings aren't visible 24/7, and neither is their halo. They can change form in a way similar to demons, so they tuck away with ease.

I was actually debating on whether or not I really needed to give Lizzie wings at all, really. After all, the whole concept that angels have wings isn't written in the bible. It originated during the Renaissance period while a lot of artists were doing biblical fanart. They needed to distinguish angels from "mere mortals", so they gave 'em wings because that's the coolest superpower they could come up with. Then it just kinda stuck.

So, I can just kinda design them however I want, really... Same with demons. YOLO

Until the next chapter, my duckies~!