Thanks for reading! I don't own any of Black Butler! Please let me know if you enjoy!
—
Once Sebastian had finished his phone call, he quickly prepared dinner, and then went to fetch Ciel.
The bluenette had finished preparing the room by that time and since everything was positioned to her liking, lay dozing in the rocking chair.
Sebastian smiled down at her lovingly and gently scooped her up into his arms, still asleep.
Carefully carrying Ciel in his arms, bridal style, Sebastian began to walk towards the dining room.
"Sebastian?" Ciel asked sleepily, opening her eyes when they were nearly there.
"Yes, my lady?" Sebastian answered, looking at her with soft eyes as they walked.
"Where are we going?" Ciel asked drowsily as she blinked her eyes.
"It's dinner time, my dear." Sebastian announced as they arrived at the dining room.
Sebastian expected his little bride's eyes to light up at the spread he had thoughtfully placed on the table.
He had taken the time to prepare all of her favorite dishes.
Instead, she simply blinked as Sebastian sat her down in her chair.
"Sebastian?" Ciel asked.
"Yes, my lady? What would you like first?" Sebastian smiled.
He was happy to serve her whatever she wanted.
Sebastian had adjusted Ciel's diet months ago and after a little coaxing, he had gotten his little bluenette accustomed to eating healthier foods.
As he stood there, waiting on her response, he wondered what his little kitten would choose first?
"May I go to bed?" Ciel asked quietly.
Sebastian frowned as concerned immediately washed over his face.
Ciel had never turned down food since the beginning of the pregnancy.
She had even been fortunate enough to escape morning sickness….
And he had her favorite chocolate tartes situated on the table within arms reach!
Could he not even tempt her with those?!
"Kitten…" Sebastian began as he knelt down. "What's the matter? You haven't eaten for hours. You will start to get weak."
"I'm just…..I feel so tired I can't hold my eyes open." Ciel replied, blinking lazily at Sebastian as he spoke.
"The child needs nourishment." Sebastian said seriously, his eyes flickering down to Ciel's belly.
"The mother needs rest." Ciel insisted, laying back against her chair and closing her eyes, indicating that whether Sebastian helped her to bed or not, she was going to sleep.
Sebastian scowled and picked her up in his arms to take her to bed.
He glanced at the clock.
Not even six.
He glanced back down at her.
Ciel was sound asleep, her pouty, pink lips open in a little "o".
Sebastian's face darkened with worry.
Once they made it to her room, he opened the door.
Sebastian placed her in her bed and crawled in beside of her, gently moving her closer to him.
He slid one hand around her lower back and he placed the other hand at the bottom of her rounded tummy.
Then he sat there in the bed and held her as she slept, waiting.
She hadn't said she felt bad…..
But for Ciel to shun her dinner and practically collapse into a deep sleep so early in the evening, something wasn't right…..
….And the baby was due any day.
—
The bluenette slumbered against Sebastian as the sun set and the cold night began to creep in.
Lightning lit up the sky in the background as a storm began to approach.
A short time later, Sebastian glanced over at the window as sleet and rain began to pour down, beating against the glass.
Beside the bed, on the nightstand, the flame danced in the oil lamp.
Sebastian loosened his hold on his little bride.
She had begun to grow restless in her sleep during the last hour.
This way and that, she tossed and turned, tossed and turned…..
But still, she slept.
Whenever Sebastian could, he tried to keep his hands positioned on her womb and her back, but with Ciel's thrashing, that was becoming difficult.
Sebastian eyes widened as Ciel woke with a groan at a quarter till nine.
"Kitten?" Sebastian asked as the bluenette furrowed her brow.
"Nnnnngh…." Ciel uttered in response, still half-asleep.
In a flash, Sebastian sat upright and eased Ciel back against the pillows.
"Kitten, does it hurt? Where does it hurt? How bad is the pain? Where-"
"-Sebastian, SHUT UP." Ciel groaned, her brow still furrowed as she rolled onto her side.
After a few seconds passed, the tension seemed to ease from her face and she laid on her back again.
"I'm sorry, that was rude. I didn't mean to…."
Ciel's voice trailed off.
She began to grow anxious as she became fully awake.
Sebastian was looking at her like she was a bomb about to detonate.
"Does it hurt?" He asked quickly.
If that was a contraction, Ciel's rudeness was the least of his concerns right now.
Lightning flashed outside as thunder rolled in the distance.
"Not really. I'm just achy in my back and my….." Ciel trailed off as her hand slid under her belly. "I…..I just need to get comfortable."
Sebastian's eyes widened as if he had just seen something shocking as he gazed down at her. "You're in labor!"
"No I'm not!" Ciel shouted back.
Her face began to flush out of fear and anxiety.
No…
No, no, no…
Surely not now…..
She knew it would be soon, but surely another time, not now.
Not today, or rather, tonight.
"I'm just trying to get comfortable." She insisted. "Help me, Sebastian, that's an order!I just need to sit up."
"You're positive you're not having any pain?" Sebastian asked again, looking at her intently, trying to read her face and see if she was lying.
"I'm positive, Sebastian." Ciel nodded.
The sleet smashed against the glass and the oil in the lamp flickered as Sebastian helped his little bluenette onto her knees in bed, taking off his gloves he began to knead gently at her back as she lowered her belly down onto her legs, trying to fold herself in half as best as she could.
He didn't think that Ciel was telling him the truth but he had sworn not to disobey an order from his little lover…
What was he supposed to do?
—
Sebastian kept his position behind Ciel, gently massaging her back for another half an hour before he heard her groan again and watched her start to rock her hips back and forth.
Sebastian's face was solemn.
Thunder rolled again in the background.
That was it.
He was calling the midwife.
Once Ciel fell quiet again, he stood from the bed as the sleet beat down against the window.
"Where are you going?" Ciel gasped as if she had been running.
"I'm going to call the midwife." Sebastian announced.
He did not try to deceive her nor was he asking her permission.
Sebastian felt his heart clench as Ciel sighed in agreement, "I think that's a wonderful idea, Sebastian."
She was hurting.
Oh dear , Sebastian thought as he left the room and padded hastily down the hall, I must hurry.
He made it to his office and picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
Click, click
"Hello?"
Click, click
"Hello?!"
Sebastian slammed the phone back down on the receiver as his eyes widened.
It was dead.
Behind him, lightning flashed across the sky through the window.
The storm had knocked the power out, taking the telephone line with it.
Sebastian began to race back to Ciel after gathering a few supplies.
His heart was pounding now….
There was no midwife coming, unless the baby waited until after the storm.
If not, he would be on his own to help Ciel through one of the most painful and dangerous experiences of her life
—
A few miles away from Phantomhive Manor, Madame Red's carriage was blown all over the path by the vicious wind of the storm.
"This is ridiculous! We'll never make it all the way to London like this!" Grell whined, sitting across from the female doctor, his arms splayed out on the carriage walls to balance himself.
"Relax, darling." Madame Red comforted, looking out the glass carriage window. "My niece's home is only a few miles away from here. We should make it in an hour or two at this speed, maybe even sooner. She'll surely let us stay the night!"
Grell didn't hear everything she said over the noise of the violent storm.
However, he did catch the phrases "my niece", "house", "only a few miles", and "stay the night".
"Oh, Goody!" Grell cried, clasping his hands together. "Tell me, red, darling….do you think Bassy will be there?!"