A/N: So, chapter 6 in 1st POV as promised. Tell me your thoughts on which you prefer because I was thinking that 3rd POV would be UT's turn in the story, but that's yet to be determined. Anyhow, this chapter is super long since it's a future apology for if I have to set aside this fanfic for college. Another thing, the title needs work. I was thinking of changing it to Heroes Don't Come Home. If you think it needs changing, just say Y or N in the reviews lmao. Anyhow, enjoy and don't forget to review if you can.

Much thanks to 8shadesofmadness, DarkAngel2581, PenArt, ManawaSasa, Kay Starlight, and Guest for the reviews. I hope to keep you guys around for as long as I can.

Also, P.S., because I edit my own stories, forgive the slight grammar mistakes. Also, if you see this: /text/, it is supposed to be italicized. You will understand whether it's a thought or emphasis based on context.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in Kuroshitsuji are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 6
First POV
I looked around dully at the three people seated at the table with me. We were seated in some sun room - I'm guessing for entertaining guests - after being introduced into the manor. The fourth addition had arrived earlier and was none other than Diedrich: Vincent's classmate from Weston, if I remember correctly. He didn't look too happy about being here in general, so that made me feel a little bit better. But not by much. But by far, everyone looked exactly as portrayed in the manga: Vincent, with his chocolate brown eyes and bluish hair; Diedrich, looking sour as ever given his uptight personality and stern face; and Undertaker, smiling madly as usual, probably because of my discomfort.

Everyone was seated at the table already laid out with tea sets and treats enough for everyone, which I was trying very hard to ignore. Diedrich was all too happy stuffing sandwiches in his mouth to alleviate his irritation.

"So, why was I called here again?" Diedrich couldn't have been more enthusiastic about the meeting. Hint: the sarcasm.

Vincent smiled charmingly. "Why, can't a friend invite another just for old time's sake?" He lifted his teacup with all the mannerisms of a calm viper. He definitely had something under his sleeve, that's for sure. I narrowed my eyes but continued observing as Undertaker was.

"A phone call would've sufficed!" He snapped, stuffing another sandwich into his mouth while grumbling intelligibly. I simply rose an eyebrow before looking away, uninterested.

I sighed. Honestly, their dynamic reminded me too much of Undertaker and I. As happy as he was to prank and joke around, both he and Vincent were pretty much one and the same. Which left the pity party to me and Diedrich. I wrinkled my nose. /No thanks./

Undertaker's occasional giggles lapsed between their arguing before the conversation turned inevitably to me. This dreaded moment would at least mean the end of the meeting… hopefully.

"So, what's so special about her?" Between his rude gestures and compulsive habit of eating, I could see a bit of a parallel between me and Diedrich. Inwardly grimacing, I decided that's definitely not a good thing.

Thankfully, Vincent answered for me. "Because of her skills as an assassin, we were hoping she'd join the underworld. She's already enacted as Undertaker's assistant and bodyguard, so that gives her the perfect facade, albeit inappropriate according to England's terms."

I snorted. "Well, since when was propriety ever fun for anyone?"

Vincent smirked as Undertaker giggled. "Fair point, my lady. So, what do you think? You'll be fully reimbursed for your services to the Queen's Watchdog, as well as your stay here with Undertaker. Do you accept my proposal?"

Hm. It didn't sound too complicated, but there were far too many loopholes. Too many to cover which made me slightly suspicious. This would have to entail more than just dalliances with the Evil Noblemen. "How far do my services extend and when do they end?"

Vincent smiled, as if expecting the question. "You'll be my bodyguard while I solve the cases Her Majesty gives me. During which, you'll simply eliminate on command, even witnesses. Does that disagree with you in any way?"

"Not at all. But if I happen to refuse a command, will I be punished?"

"No, you'll only be paid for what you accomplished."

Ah, seems fair. I nodded. "And my second question?"

"You will ultimately be the decider of that. So, I take it that you approve." Vincent smiled, but I could sense an underlying sense of success. He already knew I would accept.

Well, why not. "Yes, my Lord."

"Excellent." He extended a hand to me, a glint in his eye as he gave me a sly smile. "Welcome to the Evil Noblemen, my Lady. We look forward to working with you in the near future."

I took his hand and shook it. "I'm honored, my Lord."

"Very well. As for now, you're free to explore the manor. I'll have Tanaka take you where you wish to go." He released my hand before gesturing to the aforementioned butler.

Wait, what? "Wait, does that mean Undertaker isn't done yet?" Damn it all, I just wanted to collapse into my bed. I was so tired from all the unanticipated stress just from today.

"Unfortunately for you, yes. It'll take a few hours at least. But I'd like to invite you two to dinner. As I said before, it's about time the family knew about the new arrival." He smirked with a raised eyebrow, as if silently challenging me to object.

I sighed mentally. This was what I meant. The reason to why I didn't like Vincent despite not understanding why. He had hidden motives, albeit not evil, that I knew were dedicated to amusement from discomfort of others. For a moment, I couldn't help but pity Diedrich. I closed my eyes, giving him a smile. "Of course, my lord. I look forward to it."

"Wonderful. Tanaka, if you will? My company and I will resort to the billiards room for the remainder of the evening until dinner." He stood up along with the other men before smiling at me again. "It'll be fun to work with you, Lady Rachel. Oh, and if you happen to see my boys, don't be afraid to acquaint yourself with them."

"But of course." He was trusting me already. An unspoken challenge, I guess. But that all depends. We watched them leave, Undertaking waving at me before Tanaka turned to me.

"Well now, my Lady, what would you like to see?" He looked much healthier than in the manga, despite his old age, and for him to still be employed meant he was serious business. That in itself meant badass to me, and my respect for him pretty much skyrocketed.

But what to do to pass the time? Hm… "Ah, do you perhaps have a piano somewhere?"

Tanaka smiled. "That we do, my Lady. Right this way." He took the lead, down a winding set of hallways until we came to the music room where a grand piano set, it's black coat gleaming in all it's glory and solitude. Excellent. "Would you like me to play for you, my Lady?"

I blinked before realizing that he assumed I wanted to hear a piece when I meant the other way around. "Oh no, that won't be required. I was hoping to borrow it until dinner."

Tanaka lifted his eyebrows in surprise before smiling, bowing his head. "Of course, my Lady. Do as you please."

"Thank you." He only smiled in reply with a slight tilt of his head.

I walked up to the piano, taking my time to familiarize myself with the feel of the sleek surface before opening it. Who knew how long it'd be until I could play on the piano again. I looked up, seeing Tanaka there before playing Chopin's famous Fantasie Impromptu.

Usually, anytime I play an instrument, I closed my eyes to enhance the feel of the music. My only get-away from reality. Since childhood, I'd learned to play thanks to a guardian of mine. After stumbling from multiple adoptive homes, running away was the best option, and it was pure luck I met him, my Grandfather as I called him, although we weren't even related.

My mind wandered a bit as my fingers skimmed over the black and white keys, before beginning a second piece, ironically The Moonlit Night. The haunted melody attracted me the most, and it was some time before I noticed I had an unexpected audience. Opening my eyes, I was greeted with two more people within the room. Rachel, the wife of Earl Phantomhive, along with one of her sons, but from the way he was hiding behind her skirt while still watching me meant he was the younger one. I was so surprised that I stopped playing altogether, staring blankly at them instead. What was I supposed to do?

Instead, Lady Rachel smiled, gesturing at the piano again. "Please, don't mind us. You were playing so beautifully, in fact, that my youngest son found you first before bringing me here. Do you always play with your eyes closed?"

"Oh, um, thank you, and yes, my Lady. It allows me to empathize with the music." I sat a while longer before getting up to approach her with a bow. "Forgive the belated introduction, but I am Rachel Rose, currently employed as the Undertaker's assistant." Rising up, I noticed the blue-haired boy looking at me curiously before looking back at Rachel.

She was smiling with a surprised look on her face. "Oh my, with the same name as me, no less. Well, now." She curtsied. "I am the current wife to the Earl of Phantomhive, Rachel Phantomhive. It's a pleasure to meet you."

I bowed my head slightly. "Likewise, my Lady." I looked down at the look-alike Ciel curiously. Rachel followed my line of attention before smiling gently and putting a hand to his back.

"Why don't you introduce yourself?"

Her son's eyes popped open in fear as he started stuttering an introduction, but before he even finished a sentence, his shyness overwhelmed him and he sought comfort behind his mother's skirts again. Poor kid.

"Ah, forgive him, he's not quite accustomed to greeting strangers." She gave me an apologetic smile while her hand gently stroked his head comfortingly.

"Mm, no, it's fine, my Lady." Diverting my attention to him, I crouched down so we were eye level although most of him was obscured by his mother's dress. Resting my elbows on my knees, I asked, "How about I teach you a song?" With a neutral face, I extended a hand in invitation which seemed to surprise both of them.

He looked up for permission from his mother, and deciding that her raised eyebrow wasn't a no, he looked back at me and nodded shyly. Hesitantly, he placed his hand on mine, similar to a butterfly ready to flee at the first sign of danger, so I loosely led him to the bench, allowing him the option to run back to his mother if the task seemed to daunting. Surprisingly, he had the determination to prove something to himself so he followed albeit timidly.

"That's it." I looked up at Lady Rachel for any objections, and seeing none, I helped him up on the bench before joining him on the other side. We were situated so I was positioned closer to the lower chords of the piano while he had the upper. "So, what do you know of the piano?"

He looked down at his hands, fidgeting a bit. "Not much," he murmured. He was still a bit frightened, but I guess Tanaka and his mother's presence must've been reassuring enough to keep him there.

"Hm, that's fine. There's a lot to learn, but we can settle with the basics. How about a tune? Is there a lullaby you are familiar with?"

He thought for a moment, swinging his legs before looking up suddenly. "Oh! "'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'?" He looked up hopefully at me.

"Sure, that'll work." Placing my hand on the keyboard, I positioned it so it'd be easier for him to see. "So, I'll play the tune for you so you can see the keys I'm pressing. Afterwards, I'll teach it to you so you can play it on your own." I then proceeded to play it one-handedly while he leaned in to see, awe on his face before apprehension settled in.

"What if I don't get it right the first time?" To be honest, it was cute that he worried I wouldn't approve if he made a mistake.

I smiled a little. "That's alright. People make mistakes, after all. That's why practice makes perfect. Now, I'll have you play after me but an octave higher." Taking his hands, I placed them next to mine so he could play along. "Now, you may have to use two hands since they're smaller than mine and won't reach a few jumps in between notes. Now follow my lead, just like that…"

I proceeded to play the melody, pausing every so often to correct a fingering or placement. Nervousness made him stumble quite a bit, but my praises for any right note he played boosted his confidence enough for him to play alone without me at all. Eventually, he could play it at a moderate enough tempo that we could now have some fun. "Alright, you're doing excellent, young master. Now, here comes the fun part. Just keep playing that melody and I'll play along, and don't stop until I say so."

He looked up curiously but did as he was asked, playing the melody while I played an accompaniment using the lower keys. The range difference contrasted nicely while I encouraged him to keep playing, his excitement causing him to miss a note or two, but his giggling meant he didn't mind.

"Alright, last time, young master." He looked rather sad but I made up for it with a flourish of arpeggios and chords at the end that had him beaming with awe.

At the same time, clapping ensued which made me look up abruptly to see a small crowd of people consisting of Undertaker, Vincent, his wife, Diedrich, even Madame Red and Ciel, himself, the older twin.

I deadpanned while my student curled into my side, blushing from embarrassment, head ducked. Looking down at him, I nudged encouragingly. "Come on, follow my lead." Taking his hand, I helped him down before standing in front of our small audience. I raised an eyebrow at him before bowing. Surprisingly, he followed my lead before darting behind me, hiding from everyone. He peeked out as a few chuckled at his shyness, but his brother fortunately came to his rescue, running up to him despite my presence.

"That was so cool! You should've seen the way your hands moved!" Ciel was bouncing on his feet, tugging on his little brother's arm.

His little brother smiled shyly. "I know, Ciel. I was playing, after all. Ah, but she taught me!" He looked up at me, shyly smiling with appreciation.

Vincent smiled as he and Rachel came up to congratulate their son as well. "Well done, indeed. And quite brave of you, too. It's rather rare to see you learning from a stranger even." He gave me a cheeky smile with an all-knowing look, his raised brow basically saying, /See, I told you so./ Rachel just looked overall proud that I helped her son learn the piano and by a stranger no less.

I was a millisecond away from rolling my eyes when a sleeved arm draped itself over my shoulders. "Quite a charmer, ain't she, milord~?" He giggled as he wiggled his hands at the twins in greeting. The youngest, of course, balked in fear while Ciel waved back with a smile. Those two, I couldn't help but think, were literally walking contradictions of each other.

A sharp 2-inch nail then poked my cheek at which I deadpanned. I raised an eyebrow, "Yes?"

Undertaker grinned before pointing down at Ciel who was now standing in front of me bravely, hands behind his back.

I blinked, looking back at Undertaker before directing my attention to Ciel once more. "Yes?"

Ciel beamed as soon as I gave him my full attention. "Hello, miss! My name's Ciel. Would you mind teaching me what you just taught him?" He tilted his head, turning on his cuteness charm as I deadpanned.

Well, this is new. My brow furrowed in thought when I heard a snicker over my shoulder. I slightly glared at the culprit's direction while Ciel tilted his head in confusion, a slight frown on his face as he tried to figure out what I was thinking. After a while, I shrugged. Why not? "Sure, you'll just have to talk about it with your Father, I guess."

He lit up with a big smile. "Oh, yay! Thank you so much, miss! Looking forward to learning with you!" He waved before running over to Vincent.

I waved back but not as enthusiastically. "Of course." I sighed, scratching my head a bit. What did I just get myself into?

Looking back at Vincent, he only smiled in gratitude before looking down at his son who was most likely telling him about our agreement.

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. Well, we'll have to see about arrangements if Vincent does agree.

"How about that, m'dear? Seems my mysterious assistant was able to charm the elusive young master, eh~" He giggled from over my shoulder, causing me to glare at him. "Hi hi, now now, none of that, m'dear. That's not a face a lady oughta make~" He chided teasingly, causing me to snort.

"Lady, my ass," I bit back quietly. HIs grin widened, but I continued nonetheless. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this position."

"Very true." The sound of Vincent's voice interjecting into our conversation had me looking back sharply at him. Oh great, now him? "And that's why we're quite fortunate to have found a new piano teacher, don't you think, Undertaker?"

The mortician giggled, his head bobbing fervently in agreement. I groaned internally. Why did all the bad luck fall to me?

"If you wouldn't mind, Lady Rachel, it would also please my wife if you could teach our sons. She's been hoping for a teacher who would have the patience to teach not only Ciel, but our youngest as well."

I blinked. Well, they're rich, aren't they? It shouldn't be hard to find one. "I'm sure there are more qualified piano teachers out there than just me. Surely they should be easy to find."

Vincent and Rachel looked at each other amused which made me suspicious. "Yes, that's true, however, there's yet a teacher to teach our youngest son as easily as you did."

I deadpanned. I didn't know if anyone else could tell, but I could smell bullshit just right around the corner. "I see."

Vincent gave me his most fabulous shit-eating grin. "Well, of course, nothing's set in stone. However, the position is available. Besides, I find it will also allow you to keep up with the skill, don't you think?"

I frowned, disgruntled. Well, he wasn't wrong, though. "And if I were to accept, how often would I have to visit for lessons? The majority of learning an instrument is spent by practice."

He smirked. "I'm sure we can do twice a month so long as it doesn't interfere with your apprenticeship."

Undertaker patted my head, quite amused by the outcome. "It'll be no trouble at all, milord~"

Glancing at him, I shrugged. If he didn't mind, then I guess it was fine. Although I'd hoped to keep my distance, I think this outcome would help me keep a closer eye on the Phantomhives at least. "I can work with that, then."

Vincent nodded. "Excellent. That being said, I'd say it's about time we have dinner. Tanaka?"

The butler bowed before addressing the room. "Dinner will be prepared shortly. Until then, please enjoy yourselves."

She blinked before deadpanning. Vincent's wife was approaching her with her sons in tow. Oh great, now what?

A/N: So, for the piano playing part, I was inspired by a commercial I remembered watching long ago. The link is here below.

[April 1, 2016 - YouTube]( watch?v=d9Vu0og5r7E) Encouragement piano ad inspiration