"It's amazing how fast you were able to get this stuff in..." Kyung-Soon noted as she stared up at the mountain of care packages that her and her coven were assigned to pass out. All of them had the Funtom logo on them, which the woman didn't entirely question. Instead, she simply focused on how trucks were coming in the very next day in order to drop off supplies.

"I knew we'd need them as soon as we took back the city, so I had them put together while everything was going down." Alois replied. "There should be more of those heat-absorbent-or-retaining-or-whatever blankets to pass out just in case anybody needs more. Food and water are important, but we also have to worry about the cold."

"To tell you the truth, I'm sort of terrified of how you were able to think this far ahead, but at the same time, I'm really, really glad." the vampiress stated. Her breath came out in a light mist as she shivered. "We're hoping we last the night."

"I am too. Winters were the worst when I was homeless. If they had these blankets back then, I would've given my right arm for one!"

Blinking, the woman looked at the demon with an arched eyebrow. "You were homeless?"

"Yup. Luckily, I had my brother and we were able to keep a bit warm by huddling together, but when I was on my own, it got really hard! It's really easy to freeze, even if you're indoors. Do you know how many people who are still without power have a place to stay?"

"Oh, uh… I think most of them have, but there's still some left who are worried about where they're going to go tonight."

"I'll contact Wink and ask if there's any room at Phantom House." Alois informed, pulling out his cellphone. "I can probably take a few at my place, too. Worst-case scenario, we can probably fix up a few of the shacks on the outskirts and keep the fires lit. Give me a minute."

Placing the phone up to his ear, the Lion trotted away in order to not block Kyung-Soon's work. After the attack first hit, she thought that the demon had abandoned them, but it became very clear very quickly that he was always working for them, even when she couldn't hear him over the radio. She now understood how Baldassare could respect him so greatly despite not caring for him on a personal level. Jim was very good at his job and was an excellent leader, to boot. It was terrifying, knowing that she would have to be working alongside giants like him from now on. Kyung-Soon felt as though she had learned a lot, but still felt small in comparison. This happened not long after she assumed leadership of the coven and she wasn't very aggressive when it came down to things. She agreed with Alois, however. It was better to resolve things with as little violence as possible in order to minimise civilian casualties. It was amazing, just how little damage was sustained over all. It was little, however, it wasn't insignificant.

The power was back on in most of the city, but there were a few blocks that were out because a few houses sustained electrical damage. There were a few families that had their heating units stolen and needed them either returned or replaced. In the meantime, they needed someplace warm to stay the night. A lot of doors and windows needed replacing as well. There were people in the process of doing so, but some were just covered with plastic tarps in the meantime. Daniel Westley came back to Gehenna with a door, a doorhandle, and a few deadbolts. With the help of Mister Huang from across the street, he was able to install everything, but still needed to worry about the massive hole in the floor that lead to Kristpoherson and Logan's apartment below his and everything else that was either damaged or stolen. Samantha was already out looking for a few things with Geraldine while Daniel continued to do whatever he could. Logan would've helped or at least taken a look at things, given his experience with woodworking as a hobby and repairing buildings from when Gehenna was first officially formed, but he was at the home of his boyfriend's parents, recovering from being trapped in the bunker while unable to "eat."

Everyone was doing something to either recover, help others recover, repair damage, or help repair damage. It was the job of Girasol, HELLSING, and the GPD to help keep people organised while administering their own aid. Kyung-Soon was doing her best to stay on top of things and was adapting to her new role quite well, but she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. All of this was so new, and she was still shaken from everything that happened. Meanwhile, the Lion didn't seem discouraged at all, as far as she could see. She wondered how Baldassare would have reacted. He probably would have made passionate declarations about how he would "fuck them up" for messing with Gehenna, and go full steam ahead into administering aid and possibly seeking revenge. Kyung-Soon didn't know if the revenge part was necessary, but if it was Baldassare who said it, should would be on board.

He wasn't there anymore, though. It was all up to her. She had to somehow keep up and keep control. If she didn't, everything could fall apart. It was a lot to have weighing on her mind.

She was snapped out of her daze, however, by a light tap on her shoulder, prompting her to look behind her, only to see no one there. With a roll of her eyes, she then looked to her other side and saw the Chief of Police standing there smiling at her.

Tegwen was wearing a clean uniform she found at the station after having taken the appropriate patches and other counterarguments that indicated her rank off of her old one and put them on the new one. She was lucky to have found it, as her other one was in desperate need of a wash. One could hardly see all of the bells and whistles, however, as she was wearing a heavy police coat along with her hat. She was appropriately dressed, as usual, and was trying her best to look perky. It was obvious to Kyung-Soon, however, that she was quite tired and in desperate need of a lie down.

"Hey, babe. How's the fort holding up?" inquired the elf with a small, playful salute.

"We're surviving, somehow. What about you? How are things going on your end?"

"Uh… Well… Not so good..." Tegwen confessed. "We've found two more officers dead. Unfortunately, there was another Girasol member, as well… They found a sunflower tattoo on his wrist. I'll need somebody to come identify him, later."

"Great..." Kyung-Soon sighed, setting down the box in her arms. "Just… fucking great."

"I'm sorry..."

"No- It's- Ugh… You've lost people, too. Don't apologise, you already know how I feel..."

"Yeah… Everything's a mess… I'm really worried about how everything is going to turn out… This is the first time that the place has been attacked like this and lost… Well, we won in the end, but you know what I mean?"

"Yeah… I'm really worried about how people are feeling about things." stated Kyung-Soon. "People have been on edge since… Baldassare… And it's like that uncertainty is getting worse."

"Soo, you're a great leader. You just need to build your confidence back up. You know how to do this and can command people easily, if you try."

"What about you?" asked the vampire. "What do you think?"

"I… Well..." Looking down, the other woman seemed to want to avoid the question, but eventually collected herself enough to reply. "I'm really discouraged. I think you're right about people questioning leadership. Right now, I'm questioning my own, too. We lost a lot of officers in the attack and… well… It's my fault. I'm not a strategic genius like you and Mister Lion..."

"'Strategic genius?'" echoed Kyung-Soon. "Tegs, what are you smoking? The Lion, definitely, but me? I was following along, just trying to keep my shit together the best I could. You were out in the field, getting your hands dirty… All I did was sit around and tell people what to do..."

"That's what leading is, a lot of the time." the other woman said. "It's not glamourous. Most of the time, being Chief of Police involves sitting at a desk while everyone else does stuff. It might be the same for you."

Kyung-Soon didn't reply, so Tegwen continued while taking off the scarf around her neck. "Either way, we're the best ones for our jobs right now, so we're the only ones who can do them. As much as I really want to quit so I can crawl into a hole and not come out, I have to keep going because people need me. They need you, too."

As she spoke, she began to wrap the scarf around her girlfriend's neck, making sure that it was on comfortably. It was already warm from Tegwen, causing Kyung-Soon to blush lightly. Averting her gaze, she stood still until the garment was on securely.

"I'm sorry..." she finally said. "You lost people you care about too, but I'm still whining like it's just me..."

"It's okay..."

"No, it's not. You don't have to put on a strong face..."

"I do." Tegwen protested, leaning in closer. She wrapped her arms around Kyung-Soon's shoulders, drawing her in so she could tell her quietly: "There's people who rely on me watching. If they see me fall apart, they will too. I can cry about it later."

Pulling away, the elf put her hands on the other's shoulders with a smile before speaking normally. "Together, okay?"

"Okay." As much as Kyung-Soon wanted to mope, she had to admit, the other had a point. It didn't matter right then if Kyung-Soon was a bad leader or not. She was the only leader Girasol had and replacing her now would make everything fall apart. If they couldn't keep the supplies flowing, things might get ugly for people whose fault it isn't. Taking a deep breath, the vampire forced herself to smile back. "We'll cry about it, later."

"Looking forward to it!" It was amazing how Tegwen could still come across as perky, even though it did seem a bit forced, upon further inspection. Reaching up, the other woman held the sides of the elf's face and stood on her toes in order to reach Tegwen's lips.

Things seemed like they were going to improve in Gehenna from then on. Damage was being repaired rather quickly, although with some rather unwanted help. Some of the faoladh who surrendered were allowed off of the base in order to undo some of the things they did- with HELLSING supervision, of course. They even brought in HELLSING's resident werewolf, Missus Amelie Garou, to supervise, but the faoladh weren't anticipating causing any trouble. Their new leader strictly forbade it. Claire was determined enough to kill her own father, so to those ranked below her, she obviously wouldn't hesitate to kill them too, if it came down to it. She was the first to volunteer for the task, offering to do a lot of heavy lifting. She even found a few people who were still trapped with her nose, but got someone else to dig them out, as she figured that a faoladh was the last thing they wanted to see at that moment.

It was a concentrated effort in order to get Gehenna to believe that she was regretful of her peoples' actions. It was part of her apology. She didn't expect them to love it- and mostly expected them to reject it- but she wanted to try, anyway. With all of her might, she did.

"Milady, I think you should rest… You're wounds haven't healed yet. You're going to hurt yourself." spoke one of her subordinates with a concerned expression on her face, but Claire wasn't having it.

The leader of the faoladh hadn't even had her bandages removed yet, but was already lifting large amounts of lumber onto her shoulders, gritting her teeth as it became more difficult with each trip. Despite it being freezing out, she was burning up from the labour and had long since removed her cape and rolled up her sleeves. At this point in time, it looked as though this was part of her punishment!

"I don't care." she replied with a grunt. "My eye is gone. There's no saving it, so it doesn't matter. What matters is this place is fixed up again. It's our fault, so it might as well be us!"

"Milady, please..."

"Give it a rest, Alannah… She's not going to quit until she collapses." spoke another, taking a significantly smaller load off of the truck. "She's an overachiever and a goody two-shoes. Always has been. She's not going to stop, now."

"But this is Christ-like!"

"Even better."

Claire ignored the others as they chatted and instead focused on her own task. Part of it was to show her virtue to the Gehennans, most definitely, but also to her own. Whenever she dropped off the wood, the locals would look at her with a slightly concerned look on their faces, but it was far better than the hateful one they started out with.

Everything and everyone had their place in this, whether it was ideal or not. Alois still worried about how he was going to be perceived by Gehenna as well, despite no one saying anything to him. If they did think badly of him, however, how many people would feel bold enough to talk back to him? So far, it seemed as though nothing had changed in regards to how the citizens of Gehenna treated him. People still greeted him enthusiastically and people were still listening to him. Perhaps they didn't know? Perhaps they just assumed the best of him? Perhaps they really didn't realise just how shady and filthy he was?

It was possible, but did nothing to soothe him. It was just another thing to bog down his conscience. Alois was doing his best, just as he always did, but it still didn't meet his standards, even though everyone else seems to think he's doing great. Would someone great not mention the threat of the Philosophers to the council when things were still small? Would someone great be unprepared for an invasion? It didn't matter that he couldn't foresee either of those things. With the latter, even, when he was in the process of preparing, but got caught off guard by an early attack, it still got to him. He was tired of feeling guilty all of the time, but couldn't see any way to avoid it in the near future.

Perhaps rather than avoiding, he needed to address things. That was scary, too, though. He didn't want to look at that part of himself, but running away from it was getting much harder, lately. Maybe Revy and Ciel were right. Maybe he should talk to someone about it. Alois already acknowledged more than he wanted to, but perhaps saying it aloud might make him feel better?

Now was not the time, though. Gehenna first, himself second. He was starting to wonder, however, where his family fit into the equation. Worse still, Christmas was in a few days and he hadn't done any preparations at all. While he trusted Ciel when he said he would take care of it, he still couldn't help but feel guilty. Always, always guilty…

While making his rounds, he found the bluenette taking a break from his own duties in order to look down at his mobile with a disapproving expression on his face. Seeing this, the menace immediately wanted to investigate. "Did something happen?" he asked, capturing his spouse's attention.

"Sorry?" confusedly asked the Watchdog with an arched eyebrow. "Oh, nothing is wrong. I'm just trying to decipher Finny's text messages. Was I making a face?"

"Oh..." That was a little embarrassing. "Wait, he has a phone?"

"I got him one while you were working." Ciel explained. "He's discovered emojis, but even I don't know how to use them, so I'm not sure if he's trying to say something or if he's just entertained."

"I've been missing out…" Alois groaned while introducing the palm of his hand to his forehead. "I'm sorry… If you want, I can have a look?"

"It's fine. You're busy. Just keep your promise to be home for Christmas and I'll be happy."

Ciel didn't mean it, but there appeared to be a hint of annoyance in that statement. He would never admit to it, but he was getting a little annoyed at Alois being away from home for over a week and moving right on to another project immediately after. The bluenette wasn't going to be insistent or even too terribly upset, however, given how it can't really be helped, given the circumstance, but even he could be selfish.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to stay away." the blonde offered, but this didn't seem sufficient for the bluenette, as indicated by the skeptical look he gave Alois.

"Jim..."

"Okay, I will stay away!" Alois replied, putting his hands up in surrender. "Help me get everything set up so things can run while I'm not here, though. I need some peace of mind."

"Deal." Ciel nodded with small smile. It wasn't really about Christmas, however. It was obvious to the menace that Ciel just wanted to spend time with him. His husband felt a bit bad for making him ask, but was willing to do his best to separate himself from his task for a single day.

Placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder, Ciel pulled him closer to himself so that he could kiss Alois' cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I really am sorry, though… It's just… Things are hectic."

"Really? I hadn't noticed." the bluenette answered. "I understand. You want to do a good job and make sure that the people under your care are looked after. I'm sorry for trying to take you away from that!"

"Yeah, but I've been ignoring my other commitments and that includes you. I haven't even really checked in all that much… Like… Is Finny adjusting alright? How even are you?"

"He's fine. He's been keeping me company. It's strange… It feels like nothing has changed, but also that… everything has changed." Ciel attempted to explain with a confused look on his face. "I remember being the friendliest with him, since we were the closest in age, but there was always that barrier between 'master' and 'servant-' not to mention the fact that I needed to keep everyone at arm's length. I think your policy on servants is correct. If he wishes to work for us, he should be treated with the respect of a professional who does a job that I myself cannot, but also warmly, as I quite like being friends with him."

"Has he noticed that change?"

"Absolutely. He hesitated in asking, but we did talk about how I have obviously changed. I credited you, accordingly."

"Nice. I feel kind of bad that I haven't really gotten aquainted with him, yet, so maybe talking me up might help?" Alois suggested as they continued to walk. Suddenly, they had forgotten their work and started to socialise by taking a nice stroll together. Alois found the Watchdog to be a good distraction from the things he had to do and was unknowingly indulging in the benefits of that.

"He knows you're a good person. I was also sure to note that your absence is not usual and that it is the result of important work."

"Did he believe you?"

"I think so. Finny always did want to see the good in people almost right away."

At that very moment, the man in question was trying his very best to do just that back at the Phantomhive Estate. It had taken him a while, but he was starting to get used to the changes made to the mansion itself, but the people were a little bit harder. All of this was so new and what wasn't, he was out of practise with. Sebastian in particular was giving him trouble at that moment, as he was one of the only other beings in the house. He always thought that Sebastian was an amazing butler who could do amazing and impossible things, but knowing the secret behind it all was a bit overwhelming.

Finnian watched the eldest of the demons vanish and reappear as soon as he blinking or looked the other way so that he could be off tending to another task. With the secret out in the open, now, Sebastian had grown accustomed to using a few tricks to handle the workload of an entire manorhouse all by himself. Finnian swore that he saw the butler sprout an extra arm out of the corner of his eye, but as soon as he looked, there was nothing there. It was scary. All of it was scary and it was hard to trust him again, especially now that he knew that Sebastian had intended to eat the master of the house the entire time that he was there. He was terrifying. Worse still, Finnian had no idea just what he was capable of and wasn't at his peak condition, himself.

While he had quite literally made great strides in relearning how to walk, he still required some assistance and had difficulty with stairs. He hadn't even tried running yet, but was keen to do so, eventually. For now, he was fine walking with an old cane that Ciel had plucked from the attic, but seeing as though the house was rather large, he continued to make good use of his crutches as well. Strength had nothing to do with it. It was all coordination. It made him feel a bit more uneasy about dealing with Sebastian, but he was still significantly stronger than he was previously.

The other demon currently at home with him was notably harmless, if not a little rambunctious. Finnian and Luka got along swimmingly. There was something about a bouncy, preteen, demon who was genuinely trying to show him things that was endearing. Most of what he knew about the household actually came from Luka, who was more than happy to explain everything about everything.

"Most people think that Jim is the one who will let us get away with stuff, but it's actually Ciel." the young demon told him.

"I can see that." Finnian replied. "The master- er- Ciel has a serious face and is a bit guarded, but he was always a bit mischievous. Sometimes, we would hatch plans to steal snacks from the kitchen. Sometimes, we even got some! Most of the time, Sebastian caught us, though."

"Sebastian always catches me. Ciel really did that, though? I thought he was really serious when he was younger?"

"He was, but he was still cheeky. He's both, only now it looks like he admits to some of it."

"He's cool. My friends are kind of scared of him, though, even though he's not scary at all!" Luka laughed with a wide grin. "Sometimes, he can be a bit of a geek, though, like how he gets all stupid over Jim. Mostly, he's cool. He can act scary when he needs to and knows a lot about fighting and weapons. He teaches me, sometimes, even though Jim doesn't really want him to."

"Why doesn't he want him to?"

"Because it's dangerous and he doesn't want me in dangerous situations." the demon stated with a light shrug. "I don't really plan to be and neither does anybody. Jim's only kind of okay with it because he agrees with Ciel that stuff happens and it's better that I know how to defend myself some than not."

"Yep. That sure sounds like him… He took all of us in because of our 'abilities' so the mansion would be safe if it was attacked again… We were all really grateful to him, though. He always treated us well. It was always strange to see servants from other families. They were always so… cold and so were their masters."

"What about Jim?"

"I couldn't really tell with him. I don't think I saw him talk to his servants at all. He seems nice, now, though."

"Yeah, Sebastian still thinks it's kind of weird that Jim always wants to help out." giggled the boy. "When you start working here, he'll probably want to give you a hand if you need it."

"Ciel has 'odd' tastes, even in spouses, doesn't he?" suggested the blond. "The more I think about it, the stranger this place seems..."

"It's not really hard to get used to. It's pretty great, here." Luka said before arching an eyebrow. "Have you ever like… just stopped to think about how nice it is here? If I'm cold, I turn up the heat or make hot chocolate and there is always hot chocolate!"

"That's right!" Finnian excitedly agreed, nodding vigorously. "I can wear whatever I want and go outside all the time! I don't have to keep my head shaved, either!"

"And nobody ever throws rocks at us! And there's always good food!"

"No injections!"

"No getting hit!"

"This place is great!" both of them said at once with bright smiles. They spoke casually about terrible things, but that was the norm of the household.

"At first, I was sort of worried about everything..." The blond finally confessed, however. "Ciel had changed so much and so did my understanding of how things worked around here. It's good to see that not everything has changed, though. The master is still generous as ever and it's overall one of the best places to be in service."

It was good that they got along. Luka was glad to have him around. School was canceled because of the attack, so Sebastian was picking up the slack here and there by teaching him a few things, but most of the time, he was left to his own devices. Luckily, Finnian needed company as well.

Luka was a good kid. Finnian liked him. He was good with kids in general, really, but apparently, that included young teens. Once, there was even a time when he tried to become a father, himself, but it wasn't meant to be. Finnian was more than happy to spend time with the youngest of the Mackens, however. It wasn't quite, but he could get used to this.

After a while, the lad's older brother returned home from work with a loud, almost violent shudder as he came in from outside. Luckily, Revy was allowed to drive one of the less expensive Phantomhive cars, ever since he started working, so he was just cold from making his way to the door. He pulled off his coat and hung it up before making his way upstairs to wind down for the evening.

"Hey, there, demons. It's me, ya boy."

He had had a long day of trolling people on the internet. It was fun as a hobby and was still fun as a profession, but he was glad to be home and eager to trade his suit for a t-shirt. He commandeered the television in the entertainment room and subsequently blocked anyone else from using it. Granted, Luka and Finnian had the entire day to watch, had they wanted to. Eventually, however, the revenant dozed off, laying on the couch in front of the television with one foot barely touching the floor. When the others came upon him, Finnian was somewhat surprised by how similar he looked to the menace when he had his eyes closed. He was visibly younger and his short hair was dyed silver, but was still noticeably similar. In a few years, they could possibly pass for "twins."

His counterpart eventually returned home after a long day, himself. He didn't know how he was going to wind down for the evening, himself, as he had been somewhat on edge for a while, now. For the most part, he seemed to just wander around, hoping that walking would work out some of the remainder of his anxious energy. So far, it wasn't doing much, as there was no other purpose behind it. There wasn't anything for him to do and he felt lost in his own home.

Coming across Revy, though, changed his gears a bit. He stood behind the couch, staring down at the younger Macken. They looked similar, but not the same. They weren't the same. Sometimes, they were so different that it was genuinely surprising. Ultimately, however, it was the ways that they were similar that made them clash. They were both stubborn- so very stubborn. Perhaps too stubborn.

Walking away from his brother, Alois eventually returned with a blanket for him to cover the other Macken with. It was cold outside and the mansion took a lot of time and energy to heat itself internally. Perhaps part of it was to try and assuage the pang of guilt the man felt in his chest at the sight of the younger, but mostly, it was simply because despite his previous behaviour toward Revy, he was still Alois' brother and the menace still cared about him. There was only one thing that the menace could do in order to rectify things and as much as it pained him, being on bad terms with his sibling hurt a lot more.

It was about an hour until Revy woke up, however, and a few minutes more as Revy decided to finally question the arrival of the cozy blanket on top of him. Groggily, he rubbed his eyes and sat up, thinking that Sebastian was the one behind it. That is when he realised that that wasn't the case, as he looked over at one of the chairs in the room. In it was his older brother, dosing off without a blanket. He seemed as though he was on the cusp of slipping into sleep, but was fighting it for whatever reason. Blinking, the revenant stared at him with blackened eyes, before rubbing the back of his head.

Standing up, the younger of the two removed his blanket before walking over to the menace to return the item. It was at that moment, however, that Alois took in a deep breath and began to stir. "Hey." he greeted the revenant with a yawn.

"Hey." the other said back before asking: "Do you know what time it is?"

"Adventure Time?"

"No, I mean I really don't know."

"Oh. I don't know, either. I kind of lost track… Enjoy your nap, though?"

"Yeah, actually. You?"

"I didn't fall asleep." Alois said, leaning forward until his elbows were resting on his knees. "I wanted to be able to catch you before you wandered off."

"Why? You can come get me any time."

"I know, but I wanted… I wanted to get this out of the way before I had the chance to get in my own head again."

That confused Revy, causing him to arch a brow. "Is something wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, Alois let it out again in the form of a sigh. "I… I just… I wanted to say 'I'm sorry' for the other day… I got really defensive and… I wanted you to know that you're probably right about the 'therapy' thing."

That was even more surprising. Blinking, all the revenant could come out with right away was a simple: "Okay."

"Okay?" questioned the menace, prompting the other to answer properly.

"That's good. It's… good. Just… I dunno. I wasn't really expecting anything."

"Well… 'surprise,' I guess." the blonde said, offering his sibling some jazz hands. "I wanted you to have credit for the idea. Ciel's already made me an appointment and I'm pretty sure that everyone in the house is gonna get on my case if I try to escape."

"Good… That's really good. You should go." Pausing, Revy mulled over what the other man had said a little bit more thoroughly. "Wait, you'd really try to run away?"

"Might. It's tempting, at least. I haven't exactly gotten rid of all of my shitty, maldaptive behaviour, unfortunately, so it's possible. I've just gotten rid of most of it. I just… I don't even like talking about that stuff with people I trust, so talking to a complete stranger? It doesn't sound fun."

"Well… I'm glad that you're considering it, but it's kind of hard to enjoy being right when you're this..." The younger of the two waved his hand as he trailed off, indicating for the other to fill in the blank.

"'This' what?"

"Scared." stated the revenant. "You're never scared, so it must be bad..."

"Revy, I'll have you know that I'm scared a lot. I'm just not scared about some things. Like, putting my actual life in my husband's hands? No problem. Telling him about the deepest darkest parts of myself that fuck me up real bad? Not so much." Pausing, Alois let out a sigh. "I know I need to eventually tell him, though… You're also right about that… It's just… It's hard, okay? It's really, really hard. Dealing with all of this stuff in general is getting harder and it scares me shitless. I'd rather deal with a homicidal maniac than deal with my bullshit."

To that, Revy just stared at his brother, unmoving and unblinking. Needless to say, it made the menace feel uncomfortable. It made him feel judged. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing, it's just… Is that why you haven't been home lately?" answered Revy with a question of his own. "Are you trying to focus on the homicidal maniac so you don't have to deal with your bullshit?"

Alois seemed taken aback for a moment, but then, he slouched his shoulders. "Maybe..." replied the Phantomhive. "I don't know… I just don't want to spend time to focus on it, because I don't really have time to focus on it. I need to make sure Gehenna recovers. I'm already responsible for so much of what's happened, recently..."

"Like what?"

"We weren't prepared in time for the attack, and I took a while to solve the problem. I also didn't tell the council about the Philosophers, so Baldassare wound up being murdered… If I had just had a little more foresight, I could have stopped it, but I didn't."

It was quiet again as Revy struggled to answer. He was hesitant. He didn't want to start anything again after just having received an apology from his brother. Yet, there was an important question on his mind that he couldn't make go away.

"Jim..." he began. "Why do you need to save people so bad?"

"Because it's the right thing to do."

"But why do you feel so guilty about it when things are obviously not your fault. You had no way of knowing any of that shit. You can't see the future, so how is that your fault?"

"Ugh, is this what it feels like when I grill you on stuff?"

"Depends. Is this what if feels like when my misdirections don't work on you?"

With a groan, the menace looked away, silently contemplating this. If he avoided the question, his apology would have been moot, and if he answered the question, he would actually have to talk. Either way, he would lose. With much reluctance, he finally said:

"I don't know." He shrugged. "I don't know why."

"That isn't true, is it?"

"Damn right, it's not..." the menace stated. "Maybe it's survivor's guilt, maybe it's something else. I dunno. I just… I have people who look up to me and who count on me and the scale of it is huge. I don't want to mess it up, okay? I'm not used to being important and I really want to do a good job. Is that a bad thing?"

"It is when you forget to shower because you're so busy working..."

"That one-eyed shithead told you, didn't he?"

"He was concerned, like we all were."

"I… I know… Thanks for that… That's… Really nice of all of you."

"Are you still not used to that, either?"

"It still surprises me sometimes, so I guess not..." Standing up, the menace added: "That's just one more thing I should probably work on in therapy, right? If I end up going..."

"You'll have the entire house after you if you don't show." Revy stated. "I don't want to get called out of work so I can drag your ass to a doctor's appointment. I'm on good terms with my boss and I'd like to keep it that way."

He spurred a laugh from his older brother. "I'll do my best to try."

Alois wasn't lying. Sometimes, when he was afraid, it felt like he was no longer in control of himself. Rationally, he knows that this shouldn't be a frightening thing. Rationally, he knows that it's extremely unlikely that anything bad will happen if he goes. Trauma had a funny way with the brain, however, so it didn't always behave rationally and sometimes, it did things without him wanting to. He hadn't had a really bad outburst in a very long time, but he knew what he was capable of and wanted to be cautious. Rationally, he knows that it's unlikely for him to lash out like he used to, but it was a fear of his that was almost as scary as actually talking itself.

Opening his arms wide, Alois moved toward the other man, inviting him in for a hug. With a roll of his eyes, Revy humoured him. As awkward as it felt, it was also nice to be familiar with the menace for once.

"Thanks for trying to help, even though I was kind of an asshole." the blonde said.

"Yeah, yeah. Just try to get better, okay? It's annoying to watch you be oblivious to how much of a big deal you are all the time." answered the revenant in return.

Truly, the menace was grateful, despite being scared. He wanted to talk, now, although with great amounts of reluctance. Ultimately, he was aware that it would help him in the long run and that it was something he had to do. It would help him be better at his job and with his family, too. He wanted to be free of all of this once and for all— to move on with his life and to stop dwelling on things that are ancient history. He was scared to do it, however, even though he knew it was necessary.

Healing should be a wonderful thing, but that meant addressing his problems directly, rather than burying them. He might even dig up old memories that he would rather stay forgotten. It was going to hurt for a while, but everyone around him was telling him that it was going to be worth it, and he did his best to place his trust in them. Even his husband, who had saved his life on multiple occasions, had a hard time of convincing Alois.

The Watchdog was sitting in the master suite, staring at his phone while reading his e-mails. He had been so busy, that FUNTOM operations had fallen to his underlings at the company, which made him a bit nervous. He knew that ultimately, things would be fine. Perhaps it was for the best, even. It would certainly make the holidays less hectic for him if he didn't have to worry about the various Christmas events that the company hosted. So far, everything looked good, so his mind was at ease, for the time being. A sigh escaped him, however, as a pair of hands rested on his shoulders from behind and began kneading into his flesh.

"Oh, that's nice..." Ciel said as his beau kissed the top of his head. "How are you?"

"Good. I apologised to Revy, so mission complete." his husband replied. "Did you make the appointment?"

"Yes, but it isn't until after Christmas. You'll be talking to a Doctor Tarabotti. Don't worry, I made sure to get you a female psychiatrist."

"Thanks, babe." the blonde sighed, relieved at the news. While he wasn't afraid of older men anymore, he was still sometimes wary. Even if the psychiatrist was a younger man, Alois would still feel intimidated talking to him. He didn't want to feel emasculated during the ordeal, and believed that men were less likely to believe what he had to say. Turning his head, Alois rested his cheek on his spouse's head and gently wrapped his arms around the other demon's shoulders.

"Any time, darling." Ciel replied, reaching up to place a hand on one of the other's forearms. "Want me to rub your shoulders?"

"Mm? If you don't mind, sure, I guess." Releasing the Watchdog, Alois allowed him to get up and start to trade places with him. "My back, actually doesn't feel too great. I think it's from sitting by the radio for too long..."

"That's why self-maintenance is important." answered the bluenette, stopping before he made it around the back of the couch. Instead, he remained at the front. "Lay on the bed instead. I'll handle it."

"'Kay." Doing as instructed, Alois laid on his stomach with his chin resting on one of the pillows. He wanted to make a joke about the situation, but ultimately just wanted his back rubbed. He did think it was a bit mean to Ciel, considering how long it had been since they were intimate, and as time went on, this feeling amplified.

It wasn't uncommon or unusual for either of them to massage the other. Neither of them were keen on the idea of going to see a professional, but with the demands of their jobs, there was a lot of stress involved, so they both became quite adept at locating and working out tension.

"And you make fun of me for letting my back get stiff..." jested the bluenette. "You're stressed."

"No shit..." groaned the menace, but then he paused. "What about you? You were worried, weren't you? Or… Did you even stop worrying?"

"I must confess, I'm still a bit worried about you..."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. I know that I signed up for this when I married you. I'm here to help you through this the best I can."

"Well, what about you? What about your needs?"

"I'll live."

"You miss me, don't you?"

To that, Ciel didn't answer right away. "I do." confessed the Watchdog while increasing the pressure on a particularly big knot.

"Oh!" Alois grunted, scrunching up his face and taking in a sharp breath.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it just surprised me. It's one of those things that hurts for a second, and then feels pretty good after." the blonde explained before setting things back on track. "I'm sorry I haven't been here… Gehenna isn't the only thing I have to worry about. I also have you. I need to attend to my husbandly duties."

"Is that meant to be Victorian-speak, or..."

"I mean all of it, really. I haven't really been here for you. You have emotional needs, too. It can't just be my pity-party."

"Oh… Right. Well, I would like to spend time with you. I'm happy to have Christmas, but I must confess, I'd like a day where I can have you all to myself."

"We need to go on a date, then?"

"I would like to."

"We should. I think I'd like to, too. My treat."

"I'll be looking forward to it." Ciel replied, leaning forward so that he could kiss the the top of Alois' head. The menace could hear the smile in his voice and knew that the prospect made Ciel very happy.

"Now, as for my other 'husbandly-duties,' how are you holding up on that front?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what it is that you're referring to..."

"Ciel, I know you can lie better than that… That's just sad..." sighed the other Phantomhive. "I mean physically. We haven't even had a good snog since I got back. Aren't you a bit miffed by that?"

"Oh… Well… I, uhm… That's partially my fault. I would initiate, but I can't seem to figure out when is a good time..."

"Honestly, I don't blame you. Stress doesn't just stay on the inside. Everybody can sort of feel it. I haven't exactly been giving off good signals. I think I'm starting to calm down a bit, though."

"Oh… Alright." Ciel wasn't sure how to interpret that, but felt as though he should acknowledge the information.

"I think the massage is helping, actually. You don't really realise how shitty you feel until you start to feel better, do you? Remember the first time you had your back fixed? You were practically perky."

"I remember that. I am eternally grateful."

"I also remember that it increased your libido, since your body wasn't stressed."

"I… Also remember that..."

"You're paying a lot of attention to my lower back and hips..."

"S-sorry..." the bluenette bashfully answered, moving his hands back to the other man's shoulderblades.

"Don't be. It's nice." Alois sighed while closing his eyes. "The office chair they gave me was kinda shitty. It sorta did a number on me, I think."

"Uh… Alright..." Now Ciel wasn't really sure what Alois was up to. From his perspective, things seemed a bit ambiguous, so he was hesitant to get his hopes up. He continued his ministrations in silence until the menace uttered a laugh.

"God… You're just so… sweet." the blonde said, reaching up and covering his grin, but his eyes still smiled at Ciel as they peeked up at him.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, it's really great. I love it. You're honestly the best." Letting out a sigh, Alois closed his eyes. "Oh, I'm in love… I don't deserve this..."

"I would argue that you would deserve more." smiled the other.

"Mmn… You'd say that…" Hugging the pillow underneath him, Alois opened his eyes again to look at his beau.

Ciel was incredibly focused. His brows were stern, but he was wearing a small smile. It widened when he looked up at the menace's face, causing their eyes to meet and the blonde to blush. Leaning down again, the Watchdog kissed his beloved's cheek.

"Ugh… So sweet..." Alois repeated. Pausing, the menace added: "Hey, Ciel?"

"Yes?"

"Do you wanna do it?"

"U-uh..." Suddenly, the bluenette's hands froze as he did his best to calculate the best response, but that within itself gave the blonde his answer. Alois didn't have to look back to know exactly what expression and hue the other wore on his face.

"Hey… Ciel?"

"Y-yes?"

"Does what happened to me make you hesitate?" the menace questioned, prompting his beau to raise his brows. "Is that why you're so gentle with me? Because you're holding back?"

There was a moment of silence until the Watchdog let out a sigh. That was a heavy question, but it was one that he had an answer to. "It's definitely a factor, I think." answered the bluenette. "I also think that I would do pretty much the same, for the most part, anyway. I don't like being overaggressive or rough because I love you and I get enough of that sort of thing at work. I don't enjoy the idea of it permeating our home life."

"...But?" Alois questioned, feeling like the word was implied.

"There is no 'but,' really. I like what I like. I do think that… I do pay extra attention, though. Triggers are serious and I don't ever want it to be a negative experience for you. You should feel safe with the person you love and that's what I want for you." Pausing, the bluenette added: "I hope it doesn't feel like I'm patronising you..."

"No, it's just… Sometimes I wonder if I'm not doing enough for you. I don't want my stress to spread to you and I don't want it to throw a wrench in our relationship. It should be fun for both of us, so if you want something, I want you to ask. Then again, I guess I really haven't been giving you any signals to work with, have I?"

"Not really, no." Ciel smiled as he said this, diffusing some of the tension from the atmosphere. "As much as I would like to be intimate, I think it's best that you have time to process the things that you're feeling, and not just go along with it because I'm feeling a bit..."

"Horny?"

"Yes… Quite… The idea of you being a reluctant participant is- Oh, I don't know of a polite way to say this- a 'turn-off.' It would probably kill whatever arousal I had."

His husband giggled at the Watchdog's use of slang. Ciel hardly spoke that way, but it was entertaining to hear Alois' own speech rub off on him. "Good to know." the blonde replied. "Though, I've kinda noticed. Egging you on is a lot of fun. You get all sexy and stuff. It's like a switch is flipped."

"I'm glad you think so..." Ciel said, looking rather pleased with himself.

"So..."

"So?"

"Do you want to?" somewhat bashfully questioned the menace, looking back at the other. He shuddered as Ciel ran a hand up his side and shifted his weight so that it was resting on the opposite elbow. Leaning down the Watchdog kissed Alois' cheek.

"If you'll have me..." chuckled the bluenette, prompting Alois to roll over on his side so he could face him properly. "Do you want me to pop your spine, first, though?"

"...Yes." Placing a hand on Alois' hip and the other on his ribs.

"Alright, deep breath." Ciel instructed, and when the other demon complied, the Watchdog pushed on Alois' ribs and pulled his hip toward him, causing a loud crack to fill the room.

"AH!"


A/N: I have returned...

Kind of a weird chapter? I don't know why it went here, but it did, so that's what we're working with, this time. What a weird conversation to end that on?

Thank you all for your support and your patience! I'm getting these out when I can, now. I can't always promise that they'll be consistently arriving on a certain day of the week like they used to, but we'll get there. I have a paper due at the end of the week, so we'll see how that turns out.

Your comments are actually really helpful! A lot of you had really good stuff to say. I'm glad you guys told me that we're kind of moving quickly! That's one of the things most of you agreed on, and quite frankly, so do I. I can make adjustments now, and I'm really happy about that, so thank you!

For now, it's late, so I'll start typing, tomorrow.

Until the next chapter, my duckies~!