Two large trucks with massive trailers on the end made their way down the road en route to the Lexington estate. They were a bit more calm than they were when they started out, but they were worried that they might be being followed at first. Now that the danger had passed, they seemed to be having no troubles from there on out.

Caesar stared at the window and watched the passing scenery as he rode in the passenger seat. Occasionally, he would look away to fiddle with his phone, but never to look at or start conversation with the driver. Why would he? He had hardly ever spoken to the man and only knew what he had read in reports.

In the driver's seat, however, sat Dennis Pomeroy with his eyes focused on the road. He was a bit more beaten-up looking than he was before, despite looking rather rough to begin with. He had new scars on his face and was missing a piece of one ear. Part of the reason why Caesar didn't want to talk to him was because of how nasty he looked. The baron simply didn't want to annoy him.

They were carrying what they managed to salvage from the Gardening Center before they were chased out by the defectors. They managed to take some staff with them as well, but Caesar knew that it wouldn't be enough to satisfy Abhartach. He didn't even want to imagine what the consequences for failure were. All he had to know was that it would be bad and judging between the differences in their sizes, Caesar wasn't sure if he would be able to get up for a while afterwards.

"Hey," he began, capturing the other's attention. "Pomeroy, stop the truck for a minute."

"Huh? Why?" Dennis questioned. "We're almost there."

"Sorry~! I just remembered that I have somewhere else I need to go before I head back! Just drop me off here, okay? I already have a ride on the way."

"Fuckin' hell… Fine." the Pomeroy grumbled, obviously unhappy with the development.

Regardless, he reluctantly began to slow the lorry down enough so that the truck behind him knew to start hitting the brakes while slightly pulling off to the side a bit. It took a while for them to stop due to the weight, but when they did, the baron calmly opened the door and grabbed his bag. He hopped down from the truck before slinging it over his shoulder. After shutting the door, the man patted it, signalling Dennis to start off again before waving at him.

"Adieu~!" Caesar said, smiling brightly as the trucks left him. Once they did, his expression fell. He didn't really have an earlier appointment and he damn well knew it.

Pulling out his cell phone, he began to text again, sending off a message before he started walking. His breath came out as fog against the cold air and he shivered in his large coat despite it being lined with fur. With his hands in his pockets, he clasped onto his phone, all the while waiting for his ride to show up. It was a while, so by the time it finally did, he was chilled to the bone.

It wasn't a particularly stylish or expensive car. It was just some cheap, used, thing that wouldn't be missed or break bank if it was thrown away. When it pulled up beside Caesar, the baron nearly recoiled in disgust. The driver rolled down the window using a hand-crank in order to talk.

"Get in." Johnathan instructed, his face unchanging and neutral.

"Where'd you get that piece of scrap?" Caesar questioned as he rounded the side of the car and appeared on the passenger side. Still, he opened the door and got in regardless. "It's hideous!"

"I got it for cheap off of Craigslist. It runs and that's all I need it for." the demon replied while rolling his window up again. "So, you fucked up pretty bad, huh?"

"Abhartach will maim me if I show my face back there and that's only if he doesn't wind up killing me." the baron stated, folding his arms while the car was shifted into gear. "So, is the deal good?"

"We're good. You can hide out at my place as long as you keep working on my little side project. I'll keep you safe from Abhartach." Johnathan affirmed. "Don't worry your little head."

"This blows…" complained the human. "I wanted to see everything..."

"You'll see some of it, don't you worry. I think it'll be pretty hard to miss."

Caesar opened his mouth to speak, but instead, he coughed. As he continued, his coughing grew a little intense before dying back down again. "Fuckin' weather..."

"It's not the weather and you know it." the demon replied, causing the other man to look over at him with widened eyes. "You worried you won't make it to the end?"

The baron said nothing and just stared through the windshield. His silence spoke volumes, however, as Johnathan knew the answer. For whatever reason, it made him crack a bit of a smile. "I see..." he said. After that, the two drove in silence for the rest of the way to Johnathan's hideout, all the while Abhartach was none the wiser.

HELLSING didn't know, either, but they were in the process of securing all of the information they could. They had people at the base combing computers and interrogating key players. Finnian himself was interrogated while his new body was being looked over by a doctor to make sure he was healthy. He had a limited amount of information to tell, but he knew a bit. He told the organisation about important members of the Philosophers and their dynamic within the group. He told them about Philip and Farroel, who were apprehended the moment they were seen at the Gardening Center and hauled off to headquarters for their own interrogation. Elizabeth saw to it herself.

"Forgive me, but I'm struggling to grasp why we should trust you." she informed them. "You are both direct blood relatives of the heads of your organisation and the heirs of both families. Yet you've spontaneously decided to join us? It could be a trap, for all we know."

"We… Er..." Farroel was surprised by how intense the woman was and how direct her line of question was. He wasn't used to women like that at all. The women under his father's command were fierce warriors, but they always followed orders. Now he was being told what to do and grilled on particularly sensitive topics and he didn't know what to do.

"I'm afraid that there is very little our people can offer us." Philip replied, answering for him. "Personally, I think that my father stands very little chance of winning and moreover, neither of us can stand the fate that lies before us, there. I beg you for your understanding. Farroel and I were forced to be engaged to people we do not love and could not love, all for the sake of status. We can't go back there. Once they realise the truth, we will be deemed 'disposable.'"

"'Truth?'" Elizabeth echoed. "What 'truth?' It appears to me that you are dodging the question."

"Forgive me, Dame Hellsing. That is not my intention." the former "prince" stated. "The reason Farroel and I can't go back is because we… Well, we're lovers, Dame Hellsing. There's no use for us back there. We're deadmen."

"Hey! Do you have to broadcast it to everybody?" Farroel questioned, but his partner was unconcerned.

"We have to answer her questions whether we like it or not, and besides, that's the whole point of running away." Philip answered his beau. "What was the point if we're just going to keep hiding it like we were before?"

"I guess so..." the faoladh reluctantly conceded.

Elizabeth stared at the two with a somewhat surprised expression, but then felt as though she somehow missed a few signs. She recovered quickly, however, and accepted that this was a valid reason for them to flee, if not a plausible one. After all, she herself knew what the engagements of nobles were like, even though the families of these two were only playing at actual nobility. There was no use for homosexuality and they would most definitely either be forced to marry women anyway, or be killed. While the woman wasn't sure if she believed their story quite yet, she felt that it was a good explanation.

"I see..." the woman nodded before writing that down in pen.

"Listen, I know you might not believe us, but it's the truth." Farroel finally said. "This is our last shot and we gave up everything in order to take it. I even betrayed my own species… The men of my species are supposed to have children with humans and make more faoladh so we don't die out… The women have trouble giving birth, so they're able to fight since they don't worry about stuff like that… My existence as I am is a betrayal in of itself… I'm not a woman, so I can't fight and I'm a man, but I can't procreate, therefore I am useless to my kind. If I go back, I will be deemed a waste and a failure!"

"Farroel..." the other man began, putting his hand on his lover's shoulder.

"It's true!" the wolfman barked. "At this rate, there's no future open to us at all!"

"That's wrong." Elizabeth butted in, silencing them both. "Prove your usefulness and trustworthiness, and there will be a place for you in Gehenna. From there, you can live as ordinary citizens. Homosexuality is open and accepted there. No one minds if you can't procreate as long as you're happy and not bothering anyone, so there is no need for the panic."

It was strange. She couldn't help but wonder if Ciel ever felt like this, as he was a noble and had a similar spiel drilled into his head at a young age. Does he ever feel inadequate for not being able to produce an heir? If not, had he ever thought that way before? After all, it was his duty as the head of the family in order to do so. Did it ever make him feel like less of a man? She didn't know. Even if she asked, she doubted her cousin would tell her.

"If that is true and you are telling the truth, then you can definitely tell me what the Philosopher's plans are, then, yes?" she questioned further, putting things back on track.

The two men looked to each other before nodding. The prince then told her: "They plan to attack various points in a coordinated effort in hopes of crippling the country. I don't know all of them, as my father only told those who were chosen to attack the exact locations, as to avoid information leaks. I think he is taking the advice of a man called 'Johnathan Beattie,' however, and he seems focused on the Phantomhive family."

"What?"

That explained a few things. It essentially confirmed that Beattie was the one who told Pendergraft to send men to the Phantomhive estate. He was testing the bluenette. He was toying with him. Philip explained how Johnathan spoke of causing Ciel unrest and making him suffer, rather than killing him. That said to Elizabeth that Johnathan's chosen targets would be people and things that would hurt Ciel to lose. His house was one and his family was the other. Everyone in that house had a target on their back, but then again, so did she.

She doubted that Johnathan was stupid enough to attack HELLSING, having been there for the Scarlet Order incident and being aware that security has increased since then. That meant that Abhartach knew that as well and given that there were multiple targets, the woman theorised that the revenant's strategy might be to stretch HELLSING's forces as thin as possible in order to overwhelm them. She had no idea if he was aware of reserve forces and the forces that were spread in various branches and outposts throughout the country, but it couldn't hurt to stay in contact with them in case they were needed for backup.

Unforgivable. She would make him rue the day he turned his back on HELLSING! Further interview with the two turncoats, however, brought up a few more details. They said that they knew the Lexington estate was under surveillance and that Johnathan had another hideout in an unknown location. They told her about the types of weapons their soldiers carried. Most of them were homemade, but definitely deadly. They even went as far to make armour out of aluminum and steel. It was nothing a powerful bullet couldn't get through, but it would definitely make any close quarters combat infinitely more difficult if the enemy couldn't be kept at bay.

They told her that there were a few people who weren't involved in the operation, however. The servants of the Lexington estate merely did as they were asked or risk destruction. Moreover, some of Abhartach's forces had children of their own who were essentially brought in to help discourage HELLSING from attacking the estate under the guise of being taken care of out of the goodness of the man's heart. Indeed, it was valuable information. They even told Elizabeth that Abhartach intended to take Gehenna first and would launch his attack in a few weeks. HELLSING was now able to mobilise and strike them down before they could. Elizabeth would need to concoct a plan to help innocent bystanders get out, which would be no simple feat, but she would find a way.

She had already found a way to grant Finnian amnesty from his time while working against the Philosophers from within. His connections with the Phantomhives helped him immensely in getting him off the hook. He was not allowed to work at HELLSING, however, but he could be commissioned by the Phantomhives at their discretion. That is the final decision of the higher ups.

Before Finnian could go home with the master of the house, however, he had to stay at headquarters despite this decision. It was simply to gauge the man's ability to use his legs and get him started on physical therapy and to give the Phantomhives some time to make the mansion a little more accessible. Physically, the man's legs were fine. It was simply that they hadn't been used yet and Finnian himself hadn't walked on his own for over a decade at the least.

Ciel stayed with him all through the more invasive examination processes, talking to him about this and that while keeping him calm throughout the process. Finnian did not like needles, but the doctors wanted a blood sample. To distract him, Ciel asked him to tell him about what happened after he left. As it turned out, the servants used the house until they could no longer sustain it. After that, they were forced to sell it to a family who went bankrupt themselves just in time for Ciel to buy the place back upon his return to England. The servants lived on that money for a while, occasionally working an odd job or two as temporary bodygaurds for rich folks, but eventually, they settled down and lived rather quiet lives working on a farm out in the countryside. They didn't want to remain in service and work for a different master. No one could ever replace Ciel.

It was hard work, but it was good work. They were paid well and fed well and that is what mattered to them. Mey-Rin actually married the son of the landowner. He was a charming man who treated her well and fell head over heels in love with her the moment he saw her shoot through the leg of a sheep rustler all the way from the house. As for Bardroy and Finnian, Bardroy stole the spinster who taught at the local schoolhouse away while Finnian wooed a local girl who would occasionally come by to trade this and that. Neither of them wound up having any children, although Finnian sure did try. He always wondered if the experiments those doctors performed on him somehow made him infertile, but he never had proof.

The master was elated to hear that everyone lived a full life and didn't suffer because of him. He was absolutely relieved and grinned from ear to ear the entire time, including when it was time for them to part for the time being. It was rare for Ciel to willingly socialise and moreover, it was surprising that he was able to do so, considering how tired he was, but Alois couldn't deny him his time, given the rarity.

He waited for Ciel, fiddling with his phone and occasionally dozing off in one of the chairs that lined the hallways of the medical wing. He was in such a state when his husband was done and ready to go home. The blonde looked peaceful as he lightly slept. His face was relaxed despite sitting in a rather uncomfortable position with his arms crossed and his head trying to rest on his own shoulder to no real avail. Ciel had to stop and bask in the sight for a moment, but needed to wake him up since the bluenette couldn't drive them. Moreover, the Watchdog couldn't fight the compulsion to touch the blonde for long. Cautiously, Ciel reached down and gently nudged Alois' bangs out of his face, indulging in the softness of his beau's hair for just a moment before the light contact caused the menace to stir.

Alois scrunched his face for a moment and sat up straight, blinking rapidly as he tried to shake the sleep from his eyes. "Hmn?" was the noise he made before looking up at his husband. "What's happening?"

"Nothing. It's just time to go home." the bluenette answered in a rather cheerful fashion. "Finny is going to stay here for a while, so he's not coming with us tonight."

"That's a shame." Alois answered while standing up. "Did you get to talk to him?"

"I did. Everything turned out perfectly alright. There was a little bit of drama for a while there, but it's one of those days that happens every once in a blue moon where everything just sort of fell into place. I feel good about things."

"I bet!" the menace smiled back as his beau reached down to hold hands. "You seem practically chuffed!"

"Indeed, I am!" Ciel happily declared. "I've been holding onto that for so long, that it feels like a massive weight is off of my shoulders! It's rather amazing, really. Things are really looking up, now!"

"I'm so happy for you, baby." Alois replied, letting go of the other's hand so he could wrap his arm around him and pull him in closer as they walked. There was a moment of hesitation on one of his steps so he could pause to kiss Ciel's cheek before he continued his regular pace. "I like seeing you like this! You've closed that chapter and can now move on to new things."

"That's true. Our family is getting bigger, so let's start with that. It's all thanks to you, though. I ought to kiss you the moment we're no longer in public."

"Really? Why's that?"

"Jim, are you serious? You saved his life!" Pride radiated from the bluenette in his posture, face, and tone as he spoke. He held Alois close at his side by putting an arm around the other man's shoulders while the blonde kept his hand on the bluenette's lower back. "You swooped into action while I was falling apart. In an instant, you had a plan of action already figured out and snapped me out of my fit long enough at the end to finish the job."

"It's not that intense… I just saw a bunch of bodies without souls and thought 'hey, what if we put a soul in that?' It was exactly like when you brought me back and gave Luka a body."

"You're a hero, Jim. Don't deny it. It's a fact. You're a hero to a lot of people and that includes me."

"I think you're overselling me a bit..." stated Alois.

"And I think you're underselling yourself." Ciel quipped right back.

The duo kept walking before eventually coming to the exit. With his free hand, Alois opened the door and offered to let his husband through first. The offer was accepted gladly, but when the menace walked though the door, Ciel had his hands on him yet again. Being the gentleman that he was, Ciel had the decency to wait until they descended the steps and got away from the door before trying anything else. When they reached their car, he stopped the menace before Alois could pull on the handle.

"Jim?" the bluenette called, leaning against the vehicle.

"Yeah?" When Alois turned to face the other, the Watchdog's arm, which had previously held the menace around his shoulders now rested on top of one, while he reached out with his free one and rested it on the other. Ciel intertwined his fingers together behind the blonde's head, creating a loop in which his palms now rested on the back of Alois' neck. With the blonde's new short haircut, the skin there was exposed, causing him to shudder at the contact.

"You didn't answer me." Ciel stated, giving his beau a look that made the man blush. There was love in his eye- admiration, affection, pride, and longing- yet with a small hint of annoyance. "I said that you undervalue yourself. What do you say to that?"

"I dunno… It's just… I dunno? I just don't think it's that big of a deal, I guess?" One of Alois' hands stayed at his husband's waist while the other was forced to rest on the car's roof. He couldn't wedge it between Ciel and the car, as the man was leaning flush against it on that side. The way Ciel had his somewhat lazily head tilted with the angle of the car captivated Alois as the bluenette's eye was fixated on him. "I don't really consider myself a 'hero' or anything. It was just the thing to do, y'know? No big deal."

"Yes, 'big deal.' You saved one of my oldest friend's life without a second thought and made sure I was able to have closure at a time when I was too weak to think that far ahead. You saved both of us, Jim. I think that's worth something."

To that, the menace uttered a sigh. "I'm not going to win this, am I?"

"Absolutely not." smiled the Watchdog, letting go of his own hands to better hold Alois' head. His fingers found refuge in soft, flaxen, hair while the bluenette was able to gently stroke the man's jaw with his thumbs. He pulled the menace in, now resting his forearms against the other man's chest as he held him securely against his lips.

It surprised Alois a little, causing him to flail a bit as he tried to figure out what to do with his hands before he wrapped them around the bluenette to the best of his ability. His thoughts were busily occupied by the Watchdog's lips and the occasional nefarious brush of Ciel's tongue. It wasn't fair. Alois was trying his best to be humble and not take more credit than he deserved, but his husband was very, very, grateful for his actions and it simply felt too good to deny the expression of those feelings.

"I love you." Ciel said, parting from his spouse for a brief second before moving back in to kiss the side of his beloved's mouth.

"I sort of got the impression..." Alois mumbled with his eyes still closed, prompting the other to laugh.

"Please accept my thanks." the Watchdog requested, pulling away for a little longer this time. While the pride he felt before was wholly for Alois, he couldn't help but feel a bit of pride for himself at the sight of the other man's face, although the redness of it was mostly due to embarrassment at being thanked so profusely. "You deserve way more than that. I don't know how to prove it to you."

"I don't know if I'd accept proof if you had it..." his husband sheepishly confessed. "It's like… It's sort of hard to accept that kind of praise because it's like… too nice for me to have, or something. It doesn't really feel like I've earned it."

"Jim..." That surprised Ciel, but there was the root of the problem. Alois loves praise, but it was sometimes hard for him to accept because it was like he still wasn't worthy of it. He still wasn't "good enough" by some unknown standard that not even he could grasp.

"...You're a really great man." the Watchdog continued with absolute sincerity. "There's really a lot to admire about you. You're a lot like the romanticised and idealised version of knights that most people think of."

"I'm not a knight, though. I'm just a bloke." dismissed the menace, but Ciel wasn't having it.

"You're the head of the supernatural relations department and the mind behind more than one supernatural town. You're a respected member of the community in both and are a literal folk hero."

"Maybe, but I'm not that great if I couldn't save Baldassare, am I?"

"Hmm..." pondered the bluenette, trying to think of what to say. "I'd be a hypocrite if I told you not to dwell on mistakes you made or things that were out of your control. You know me. I'm a professional at that with over a hundred years of practise. I can't really kiss away those worries, either. That's sort of the curse of being a halfway decent person. You get a lot of good stuff out of it, but you also feel more responsible and like you can't leave things alone. You've tried to cheer me up a thousand times whenever I fixate on my own stuff."

"I know it's not all that rational, but the 'what if' really gets to me." Alois stated. "I'm… Not really good enough to be a hero if I do dumb shit like that. It was totally preventable if I just told the council about Abhartach. I didn't think it was necessary, though. I didn't know he would target Gehenna."

"Unfortunately, whatever happens in the past can't be taken back. All you can do is try to make tomorrow a little bit better. Isn't that the sort of thing you're always telling me?"

"Well… I guess so… You got me, there." relented the menace before pausing to think. Then, he made a rather astute observation. "You're really intense, aren't you?"

"Huh?" gawked the bluenette. Suddenly, it was his turn to blush a bit. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing much. It's just sweet how hard you're trying to cheer me up!" Alois grinned.

"That sounds sort of patronising. Would you care to try again?"

"I'm not patronising you! I'm complimenting you! You really give it your all when it comes to things you care about. I think that's part of why it's sort of hard to accept sometimes. I'm still sort of getting used to someone caring about me so much, even after all this time. It's almost natural now, but sometimes, I get into my own head about it."

"Oh! Oh…" The Watchdog's tone dropped a bit and he naturally looked off to the side. "I'm sorry, do you need me to pull back some?"

"No way! I really, really like that about you! It's part of what's always made me fall deeper in love with you. The 'cool, mysterious, and aloof' thing was fun and all, but it never seemed to come completely naturally to you. You're too earnest. You really care a lot about people and really know how to make a guy feel special. You're just… a great man, y'know?"

A surprised expression took over the Watchdog's face as his husband spoke, but was soon replaced by a rather serious expression. Yet somehow, the man's eye seemed to sparkle with his declaration as he stood up straight and delivered it. "You are a great man! You are the greatest thing to ever happen to the Phantomhive family in several generations and it is an honour to share the same name, banner, and to mix blood with you!"

Ciel had managed to exemplify Alois' point perfectly while somehow remaining oblivious to it. Alois tried his best to contain his laughter at the display, but trying to hide his grin was too much to bear. He smiled from ear to ear while Ciel invoked the name of his ancestors in order to declare his love. Indeed, Ciel Phantomhive was as "intense" as a person could be. When he got like this, Alois usually had to translate his meaning and intentions, often with amusing results.

It was too cold for them to stay outside forever, however, so they eventually got in the car and turned on the heater. Alois felt more energetic than before, although he was still a bit tired from bearing the grunt work of the mission. He drove them home in the dark, but occasionally, he would look over at his beau in his peripheral vision and see that he still had his head held high and a rather pleased expression on his face whenever he looked in a moment when the light of the buildings or streets hit the bluenette's face. Alois found it immensely amusing.

As more time went on, however, the Watchdog's expression began to fade. It was instead replaced with a rather deep frown and his brows were furrowed as he stared straight ahead at the road in front of them. He snapped out of it for a while as they reached the mansion. Specifically while Alois was punching in the code to open the front gate. When the car finally came to a complete stop, the blonde finally spoke up.

"Something on your mind or are you just tired?" he asked after turning off the engine.

"A little of both, actually. Let's get settled in before we talk though, alright?"

"Sure. Sounds good." Alois said before getting out of the car. He shut the door and locked it after the other man got out as well. They walked over to the front door and climbed the steps before walking through. Before they could talk, they were confronted by the family inside.

"Ciel!" called out Luka, rushing over to his brother and brother-in-law. He stopped short of tackling the bluenette, however, and looked around with a somewhat confused look on his face. "So is the new guy in the car, or what?"

"Oh. Sebastian already told you, then?" Ciel questioned. "His name is 'Finny,' and he needs to stay with the doctors for a while, so he's not going to be here for another week or so. We have to get things ready for him before then."

"What's he like? How old is he?" the boy asked while the older demons continued to walk inside.

"Well, he was fifteen the last time I saw him, so he's about… one hundred and forty-three years old. We put him in a clone body, though, so he's physically younger. He'll have trouble walking for a while, but knowing him, he really loves to be outside. He's very pleasant and cheerful. I think you two will get along well!"

"Do you think he'll wanna play? 'Cause Revy always picks boring games."

"I feel like he'll definitely want to play, but I don't know for sure. It's been a really long time since I've seen him."

"Is he gonna come for your birthday?"

"I don't know. He will probably want to. My birthday isn't as exciting as yours or Jim's, though. I don't have a lot of answers right now, though. I'll know more later. Right now, I think it's time to go to bed."

"Oh! Sorry, I forgot you were on a mission for a second." Luka replied before trotting off. "I'll ask tomorrow, then!"

There was a pause as the younger Macken left before Ciel and Alois finally made it to their bedroom door. "He's going to ask first thing, isn't he?"

"Most definitely." the menace answered. "Like information is somehow going to be telepathically transmitted to you in your dreams."

"If only that were possible… Think of the time we would save."

"It would be terrible for you. I already have enough trouble forcing you away from work to sleep sometimes!" The blonde smiled as his husband opened the door and they both entered. Alois shut the door behind them and locked it before taking off his coat and hanging it up on the rack. His beau did the same, only to find himself being hugged from behind by the menace as soon as it and the jacket he was wearing under it was removed.

"So what's really on your mind?" he asked the bluenette.

"I was thinking..." Ciel paused in order to think of how to phrase this as he took off his tie. In the end, he settled with a rather concise: "Nobles are really creepy..."

"You know I wasn't trying to be mean when I said you're 'intense,' right?"

"No, it's not that. It's just… Why are we so obsessed with blood and procreating? After I said that stuff, I started thinking about bloodlines and such, but then I started to wonder why that's so pleasing to me." the bluenette tried to explain. He didn't feel like he was doing a very good job, however. "In reality, the blood of nobles is not sacred at all. It's no different from anyone else's and yet, we are embedded with this sense of pride that the majority of us don't deserve. Most nobles never work a day in their lives or even accomplish anything, yet we covet our blood like it's the nectar of the gods or some nonsense. It's very confusing..."

Blinking, the blonde considered this. "Is this about the thing with Abhartach? And your… clone?"

"Yes." directly answered the Watchdog, his voice soft as he stared in the opposite direction. "It… Really makes me angry… Part of it is the violation of self. They took something that is uniquely mine- my face, and tried to copy it. The knowledge that there was once two of me at some point is really… disgusting. It shakes me on a primal level, it's like. There's supposed to be one, but there was two, all without my permission. My body and my blood are mine, but someone claimed ownership of them without my consent. That is unforgivable."

"Perfectly understandable." Alois replied, turning his head so that he could rest his cheek on the other man's shoulder. Subconsciously, however, he tightened his grip somewhat around Ciel's waist. The gesture was not lost on Ciel.

"I… Don't really know how else I'm supposed to feel..." the bluenette confessed, reaching up in order to put his hand on Alois' head. "I know it's something worth being upset about and yet… It also feels like I'm being overdramatic… I didn't gain or lose anything. I'm not physically harmed. No one is. I feel foolish for that, but also because that's not the only thing I'm mad at. It's like they spit in the face of the Phantomhive legacy. I know that most nobles don't really 'earn' it, but that's what it felt like. It's like someone tried to gain access to something that was not earned. I get to say who is and isn't a Phantomhive and no one else. The power is meant for me and me alone."

"I don't really know what to say about that… I understand the first bit clearly, but when it comes to the affairs of nobles, I'm mostly at a loss." his husband stated. "I know that it is important to you, though. It's just your culture. From what I can tell, the head of the family has this absolute right to accept or deny entrance to the family. When someone tries to force their way in, it's a massive disrespect."

"Sort of like that." Ciel nodded. "I don't know if I could accept a clone of myself as family. Well, perhaps I can acknowledge relation, but not as 'Phantomhive.' It isn't at all simple."

"Really? What qualifies me? I'm not a blood relation, and I don't exactly have the 'manners' of a noble. In fact, you know how outspoken I am about not being a noble!"

"My love for you, first and foremost, but you also are a very admirable man. Your mental and physical fortitude are astounding and you have a strong will that cannot be broken. You're incredibly brave, tenacious, and resourceful. You are also kind and generous- chivalrous. You have practically all of the traits of an ideal Phantomhive- perhaps more so than some of the Earls who have carried the name! Your presence brings honour to the family and it fills me with pride to have you. Honestly, I'm somewhat astounded that you agreed..."

"You think all of that?" blushed the menace, raising his head. Truly, he was flattered, but he was sort of impressed with Ciel's values. "So it's not just cultural capital for you. There's also sort of a code of conduct."

"There's a code of conduct for every family, but mine is naturally a bit 'out there,' considering the tasks we have historically carried out." Gently, he placed his hands over Alois' and pried them off so he could turn around to face the other man. "I meant what I said earlier about mixing blood with you. In my mind, that would be ideal. Your addition would only make the Phantomhives stronger."

Once again, his expression was completely serious, although there was a softness to his gaze. It made the blonde's blush darken as he resisted the urge to smile like a fool by pressing his lips into a thin line. Alois took a moment to compose himself before asking: "Even though I'm a commoner?"

"Specifically because you're you. I don't mind that you aren't of noble blood at all. In fact, I prefer you like this, because that perspective is part of what makes you 'you.' I wouldn't trade you for a member of the royal family! If anyone else is to have my blood, I don't want it to be a clone. I want it to be the result of mixing it with yours."

"Oh my god." was all the menace could fathom to say. His smile escaped his restraints as he grinned from ear to ear and laughed. As strange as the declaration was, he was immensely flattered! He understood the significance of blood and legacies for nobles and the fact that Ciel truly and sincerely wanted to share his with him of all people without a single trace of falsehood or humour let Alois know just how special he was.

"I'm serious." Ciel reiterated, stepping a bit closer, but the blonde shook his head.

"No, I know! That's what's got me like this!" Alois informed. "That's just such a 'you' way of saying that you love me and you love me a lot!"

"Of course! It's your right as my husband! It is a disgrace that they would try to infringe on your familial rights!" declared the bluenette, but it only made his beau laugh harder.

"Wait, Ciel… Does that mean..?" the blonde trailed off with an arched eyebrow, hoping that Ciel would catch the hint.

"Does that mean you're family? Of course!"

"No, I mean… You talking about all of this stuff… Does it mean that you want a baby?"

Ah. That seemed to break Ciel's brain. Certainly, him talking about things in such a manner was bound to give that impression, but that was simply the way of nobles. It was the bluenette's turn to change his hue to a bright scarlet as he tried to formulate a response.

"Uh… Uhm… I mean… Not right now, at least..." he said, his previous bravado deflating into bashfulness. "We agreed to wait a few years… Maybe… Three? Even then, we're both male, so actually combining blood like that would be a bit impossible..."

"We went over this, though… Shapeshifting is an option, even though I'm not too keen on staying like that for long, I'd be willing to do it if I wanted a baby that badly." Alois replied. "Also! HELLSING now has access to cloning technology, with that last mission. You said yourself that a few of those samples were spliced between two sources of DNA! I'm sure Miranda would love to help with that."

"Uh… Well…" The prospect seemed to make Ciel's face grow redder as he struggled to contain his excitement over the possibility of an heir. "Alright, but… We agreed to wait a little while longer..."

"Three years sounds like long enough to wait, but we'll see if we still feel the same about it when we get there." the blonde suggested with his smile turning into a smirk. "Although something tells me that you'd love to have a biological heir..."

"I-! I just… Well..." Taking a deep breath, Ciel let it out again in as a sigh as he tried to regain his composure. "I already told you that nobles are 'creepy.' We're all conditioned to want an heir and be very fixated on passing on our genes."

"I think a lot of people are like that, not just you, but nobles have got it real bad."

"Blood worship will do that, I'm afraid."

"Pfft-! 'Blood worship...' I'd call it harsh, but I'd be lying if I didn't agree a bit..."

"Yeah, I've been sort of trying to reevaluate all of these traditions and mores, since you've been bringing them up. Some of them are really hard to give up, though." confessed the Watchdog while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, when a lot of your culture revolves around heirs and stuff, I can kind of see why that's so hard to let go of. Though you act like you've sort of resigned yourself to it already?"

"I think I resigned myself to the idea of not having an heir by starting a relationship with a man. It won't be a disaster if I don't have an heir, though. I'm immortal. I don't intend of needing a replacement anytime soon."

"A kid isn't just a 'replacement,' Ciel… You're supposed to love and care about them, too..."

"I-I-I know that! I have every intention of doing so!"

"I'm messing with you. You'd be a great dad!" snickered Alois as his husband groaned in annoyance. "You're really doting as a husband, so I imagine you'll be the same way with your kid."

"I hear that nobody really knows how they'll be when they're a parent, so only time will tell." The Watchdog kept his gaze averted as he tried his best to maintain a cool expression. His face was still flushed and he was failing rather catastrophically, however. "Naturally, we would both have to do a lot of research to get ready for it."

"'Them,' not 'it.'"

"'It' as in 'the event of us having a child together!'" Ciel corrected, directing his attention back to his spouse, only to realise what the blonde was doing as soon as he saw the other man's face.

"Oh my God, Ciel… You're so cute..." giggled the menace, prompting his beau to let out an indignant snort before walking away.

"I'm going to take a shower..."

"'Kay- wait, let me get my shampoo and stuff. I'll go shower in one of the guest bedrooms." Alois said, following after him.

"Okay, just stop harassing me..."

"Harassing you is one of my sacred rights as your husband, Ciel. How dare you try and infringe upon them?"

"Awful..."

Both of them actually benefited a lot from having some quiet time to themselves for a moment. They would talk more later, but they needed a moment to replenish their energy. Moreover, Alois had some clone juice on his clothes, still, and was thrilled to finally be rid of them. It looked like water was in those tanks at a glance, but upon busting them open, it was the wrong consistency and had an odd smell. It mostly only got onto his coat, thank goodness, but it was the principle of it that made Alois really relish his shower. Ciel, on the other hand, simply needed another moment to recover from all of the excitement from the day. It was a good way to clear his head, but also to reflect.

Bloodlines were important. They were important to nobles and commoners alike. It wasn't just nobles who were adamant about passing on their genes in place of adopting. It wasn't just nobles with a fixation on the distinction between one's "children" and one's "real children." It was ordinary people, as well. One could argue that the desire to spread one's genes is instinctual. From a purely scientific and evolutionary standpoint, that makes sense.

Ciel disagreed, however. Swiping his bangs out of his face and smoothing them back, he allowed the water from the shower head to rinse the soap from his inherited bluenette locks. There was another reason. He wondered if his father delighted in something so simple as their shared hair colour, given how unique it was. It was something they shared together. It was something that made Ciel like Vincent.

Perhaps the motive to have biological children was more selfish than simply adhering to instinctual impulses. After all, there were some people who didn't have any maternal or paternal instincts whatsoever. Some thought that the idea of having children was extremely unpleasant, or, on the contrary, simply did not mind if the child they raised was biologically "theirs" at all. It was a good thing, too. Children without parents needed good homes with people who love them as well.

Perhaps there was a bizarre delight in having a smaller version of oneself. Many parents treated their children as thus with terrible results, so it was a common enough belief to be a problem. Perhaps that is why some parents are devastated when they learn that their children do not hold the same beliefs or have other wants or needs from themselves. Ciel still had no idea how his own parents would react to the he is bisexual, after all. He wondered if it would hurt them, at times, but then recognised that it did not matter. He was the head of the household now. His word was the will of Phantomhive and that was that.

Was it the will of Merritt to do the same, though? Lord Sigmund Merritt made a literal attempt of that. He made a clone of himself. He made a new version of himself- one that was younger and that he could teach. Yet, if Caesar is to be believed, his "father" was angry when Caesar did not turn out at expected. Isn't it the same? Perhaps that is the true nature of passing on one's genes. Not only would the power, wealth, and possessions of those who came before the next generation stay under the same banner, but part of one's physical self would continue to live on after one has passed.

"Immortality..." Ciel muttered to himself. "It's immortality..."

Yes, it was exactly the same to Ciel's eye. The fear of dying is what was constant between both classes and all classes. Lord Sigmund Merritt must have been fascinated by it when he created Caesar and Ciel wondered if that was the reason he wished to have children someday. To have children and expect them to be a copy of oneself without their own wants and wishes seemed incredibly cruel to Ciel. But why did he want to mix his blood with Alois' so badly? He tried to think of the most cynical reason he could, but in the end, his thoughts drifted back to the word "love."

Neither "love" nor "immortality" seemed to motivate Abhartach, however, as he already had immortality, and judging from his son's information, he didn't "love" anyone. Spreading his genes was simply a show of power. It was proof of his masculinity and strength. Or perhaps the lack of inevitability had worsened the fear of death in Abhartach, somehow? Ciel didn't know. He didn't know anything about the man other than he was apparently a monster.

Shutting off the water, Ciel stepped out of the shower and dried himself off. He wrapped the towel around his waist as he brushed his teeth before leaving the bathroom and finally stepped out to put on some clothes in the connecting dressing room. The only time Ciel wore T-shirts was when it was time to go to bed, having swapped out dress shirts for them a few years back. Usually, he wore shirts with solid colours, but because his spouse sometimes bought them for him, he had a few with designs printed on them. Alois had bought him one recently with ABBA on it, so he decided to wear that, as it was at the top of the stack. With a pair of underwear and pyjama bottoms on, he was ready to go.

He walked out into the front room in a state that very few people got to see. He didn't bother putting his eyepatch back on, as he didn't plan on leaving the suite for the rest of the evening. Combined with his current ensemble, he looked like a rather different person. In fact, he was dressed a lot like his husband was, only instead of ABBA, the menace had the image of a lion on his shirt.

Alois was already seated on one of the couches, having finished with his own shower in one of the other rooms before him. The blonde's personal products were neatly placed on the coffeetable in front of him as he waited for Ciel to be finished so he could put them in their right spot. Looking up at the bluenette, he looked up from his tablet and smiled.

"Ooh~! Who is this handsome man~?" he teasingly said.

"I still to this day, do not understand this gag…" Ciel replied, stepping forward in order to sit on the same couch as the menace.

"It's simple, really. You always dress so formally, so your pyjamas are basically the closest thing to lingerie you can get." Alois tried to explain. "It's dressing down and it's not 'usual.' That's the appeal."

"No. Still don't get it."

"You're no fun..." the blonde said. "Seeing your whole face is nice, too. You're very handsome."

"Well, I'd certainly hope you think so."

"You could probably get away with people thinking you're wearing a coloured contact lens, if you wanted."

"True, but that opens the door for a lot of questions. People asking where I got it, why I'm wearing it, and just staring into the eye I can't see out of. With the eyepatch, people tend to just pretend not to notice."

"Then how can you tell they haven't noticed?"

"People are very bad at pretending they don't notice disabilities and such." Ciel replied before giving a bit of a demonstration. "They like to look anywhere else but that entire side of my face." To emphasise his point, he turned his head in an exaggerated manner, looking all around the room. "Sometimes, they will just stare very intensely at my good eye and never look away as if to show me that they're not looking, but sometimes, they'll glance anyway. I think I'd still prefer that over people interrogating me about it."

"Really? I would think more people would want to ask more questions about the eyepatch?"

"Some people do, which is actually fine. It's when they make 'pirate' comments that it gets annoying. It's actually a good thing I'm scary looking to a lot of people, in a weird way. People typically don't want to risk annoying me by asking questions."

"Yeah, you might give them a new pair of cement shoes or something." the blonde jested.

"Maybe. I might stop by their house later with my lackies."

"Well, scary mafia man or not, I think you're incredibly handsome and dashing with or without it. Speaking of eyes, though, is there a reason why you keep staring down at my lap?"

"Uh..." Ciel paused to clear his throat as a light pink dusted his cheeks. "Not really… I just sort of wanted to lay down a bit, is all."

"You wanna use my lap as a pillow?" the blonde inquired with a tilt of his head, sparking a rather unusually straightforward answer from his spouse.

"Well… Yes."

"Why don't you just go to bed?"

"Because… Well… I like it when you play with my hair..."

Suddenly, the fair-haired Phantomhive's smile widened into a grin. "But you'll fall asleep if I let you do that!" he laughed. "If you need my attention, let's just go to bed. I'll cuddle you."

With a bit more of a blush on his face, the Watchdog relented. "That sounds good."

"You're so silly..." Alois said as he turned off his tablet and set it down on the table. He would move the rest of his stuff in the morning. Standing up, he began to walk to their shared bedroom. "You're cute, though. Big, scary, mafia-man bashfully asks permission for cuddles…"

"I feel more comfortable asking, rather than reading the mood wrong and bothering you..." Ciel informed, stepping out of the way so that Alois could walk past him toward the bed. Pulling back the large comforter, the menace hopped on to the mattress and began nestling into place.

"Yeah, I know! It's cute!" Once he was satisfied with his position, Alois held out his arms to his beau, beckoning him closer. "C'mere, sweetheart. Come get some lovin' on."

Ciel didn't need to be told twice. He briskly walked over to his side of the bed and got underneath the covers, reaching over for the remote to turn off the lights before pecking his spouse on the lips and laying down next to him. Rather, it seemed as though they had completely switched their usual sleeping positions, with Ciel using his husband as a pillow while hugging him, and the other man holding onto him rather securely in turn. The bluenette let out a long sigh as his body relaxed to fit against Alois'. He was completely limp when the menace reached up with one hand so that he could run his fingers through those bluenette locks as per his request. Ciel let out a rather pleased sound as he basked in the luxurious feeling. He could hear the blonde's chuckling reverberate through his chest as he laid on top of it, and couldn't help but smile when Alois shifted so that he could kiss the top of Ciel's head.

"Is this what you needed?" the blonde playfully asked.

"Yes..." the other pleasurably sighed. "It's so relaxing..."

"You're gonna fall asleep real quick, aren't you?" Alois questioned, already knowing the answer just from the sound of his spouse's answers.

"Mm-hm… Sorry..."

"Go ahead. You've had an exciting day."

"I don't want to… I want to talk to you more..."

"We can talk when you wake up." The blonde couldn't help but chuckle at his husband's slurring speech. That was fast. That was very fast. Ciel went down faster than either of them expected him to. "Goodnight, Ciel. I love you."

"I love you too..." mumbled the Watchdog. He tried to open his eyes and blink a bit in order to keep them open, but it was no use. He was warm, he was covered in soft fabric and embraced gently by his beloved spouse. He felt very safe and secure in Alois' arms, and the affection he was receiving in the form of the menace playing with his hair made him feel warm internally as well. It felt pleasant. He felt pleasant. Ciel felt sleepy. "You're dangerous..."

"Sure am. I'll put ya to sleep." Alois answered, but the other man was no longer up for more conversation.

"Mmn..." Within minutes, Ciel's breathing had slowed down, and he was very obviously fast asleep. The unusual position even caused him to snore slightly, but Alois wasn't bothered. He just continued to stroke the bluenette's hair until he grew too drowsy to continue and fell asleep, himself.


A/N: 17 pages ur welcome lmao

A lot happened in this chapter.

A lot.

I hope it was all memorable, though. There were a few plot points that were a bit important in there.

Right now, I'm in this weird stage where I'm in between major shit and need to connect them. Probably next chapter? I hope so.

Until the next chapter, my duckies~!