The last chapter. chapter 15: His Wife, Happy.
The months seemed to fly by as January adjusted to her new life at the Phantomhive Manor. Ciel had graciously employed her as his housekeeper and overseer of international affairs. He had even offered her a small office close to Lizzie's dressing room, so she could complete her paperwork and tasks in peace if need be. It seemed like some kind of twisted dream; her happiness had been found in her death, and in her death her life had begun.
A paradox. January thought to herself as she strolled happily to Ciel's office, completed paperwork and business plans held tightly in her gloved hands. Knocking the door gently, January pushed the door open once summoned to reveal Ciel, sat in his office chair with baby Arthur gurgling happily in his lap. He was getting big now, nearing 6 months old. The baby boy had masses of blonde curls and those big, piercing blue eyes just like his father.
"Ah, are those the papers I left for you this morning? Excellent." January smiled at Ciel as she laid them out on his desk, and stood curtly with her hands behind her back as she waited for his feedback. Ciel looked up at her, a small smile on his face.
"This is good. Thank you for getting it done so quickly." His eyes shifted down to her stomach, eyeing it for a second and then meeting hers again, "You're starting to show a lot now." He stated simply, his voice unreadable. January laughed lightly, her hand now resting on her small bump.
"I am, my lord. It's a ...strange experience." January looked down at her growing bump, it was just showing underneath the skirt of her black work dress. A gentle flutter travelled across her stomach, letting her know the baby was beginning to move again.
"I think Elizabeth wants another child. She thinks she's being subtle with her hints, but she really isn't." Ciel stated, a sigh leaving his mouth as his free hand shuffled through the papers January had given him; Arthur was still content in his dad's lap, chewing on his tiny fist. Ciel dismissed January, and she made her way downstairs to her and Sebastian's living quarters. Ciel had arranged that they have two of the large rooms downstairs in the servant's quarters, and one small room at the end of the two. A small bathroom was in between the two larger rooms which consisted of a living space with a comfortable sofa, a bookshelf filled to the brim with a variety of books; some fairy tales, some business guides, and various others they may be interested in. A fireplace was in the middle of the wall, and a simple rug covered most of the floor.
The next room was the bedroom, made up of a double bed, Sebastian's writing desk, a wardrobe and two bedside cabinets. They had yet to fill the small room, as it was the nursery, and all that was in there currently was a dainty rug that Elizabeth had purchased (she thought it was simply too adorable to pass up; buying one in blue and one in pink as she's certain that January is going to have a girl,) and a simple bassinet against the far wall of the room. The room was painted a light yellow, and a large window facing the gardens made the room bright and airy.
January stepped into the nursery, walking over to the window and gazing out at the lush green garden that stretched out for miles ahead of her. She wasn't startled when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her, she had sensed Sebastian's presence almost as soon as he walked in.
A demon's intuition was a handy thing to have.
"What are you thinking about, my love?" He spoke quietly into her ear, and she relaxed her body into his and felt his hand glide over her stomach and stop right over her belly button. Then, she felt the flutters again, and Sebastian smiled at the feeling beneath his hand.
"Baby knows it's you, dear." January said quietly, and Sebastian placed a small kiss on her necks. Sebastian twirled January around to face him, and dipped down to rest his ear against her bump.
"I can hear you, tiny one. It's your father. I believe you'll be making your appearance soon." Sebastian spoke softly, like he was scared that a tone louder than a whisper would be harmful to the child growing inside his wife's stomach. Sebastian stood up straight again, offering January a small smile before softly pecking her nose.
"I must see to dinner now, darling. I believe you also have work to attend to?" He looked back at her as he stood in the doorway of the nursery, and she gave him a light nod before following suit and leaving the servant's quarters to head upstairs. When they reached the dining room, January jumped at the sudden shout of "Surprise!" that echoed from all the other members of the household. The room had been decorated with ribbons and bunting and a table filled with snacks and a small white cake was sat proudly in the middle of the room. Ciel and Elizabeth stood smirking at one end of the table, baby Arthur sound asleep in Elizabeth's arms, and the other servants stood at the other end of the table, smiles plastered on their faces. (Except maybe for Snake, of course.)
"Happy baby shower!" Elizabeth said, a grin across her face. She trotted over to January, enveloping her in a tight hug. One of Elizabeth's hands moved lower to rest on January's bump, and January felt a warm feeling she hadn't felt since she first came here.
"For me, Lizzie? Thank you so much!" January said happily, and Ciel and Sebastian watched on from behind them.
"This looks nice, I applaud you." Ciel said quietly, glancing at Sebastian for a mere moment. Sebastian smirked, and offered his lord a bow in return.
"Thank you, my lord, but this was Lady Elizabeth's doing." Ciel suppressed a small laugh, of course, the ribbons should have been a dead give away. He watched as they all shared hugs and exchanged smiles and Mey-Rin wiped away her floods of tears. He never knew his life would have turned out quite like this; what to others would look like a seemingly dysfunctional family unit, brought together by the darkest and most unusual of circumstances.
January held her stomach again, and for once in her life, she felt it…
This is where she was meant to be. Right here, with these people and this future.
If only she knew what was to come...
And that's it! This story has officially come to an end, and in all honesty, I'm a tad bit emotional. There will be a sequel though, and I'm planning for a whole new breed of madness to ensue! Thanks to everyone who has read this, favourited, liked, followed and reviewed. I couldn't have done it without you. I'll see you in the sequel!
