Sorry for the wait, I've been working on the sequel to this lol it's gonna be called Black. ~~ Keep in mind that PTSD wasn't discovered until 1980. That's why I'm not directly addressing it.

Lizzie had never considered herself a bad person. Sure, she knew dirty tricks, but she did all she could to remain cute, putting aside the time on the Campania. Never did she dare step out of her role as wife of the Earl Ohantomhive. Never did she disobey the queen nor what the queen stood for.

However, that didn't mean she was about to let the kingdom take her first son, her eldest child, away from her. He was eighteen, technically of legal age, but she fought tooth and nail to keep them from taking him to the asylum. He was fine! He was fine, fine, fine...

Maybe he wasn't fine.

Her baby, her little boy Vincent, was diagnosed with insanity due to his violent night terrors, not to mention that he would occasionally lash out when they mentioned his fathers work.

Lizzie turned on her heel, her robes fluffing around her. She was fairly surprised to see Ciel, still stuck in his teenage years, behind her, arms open wide. She rushed into them, but their hug did feel like it used to, back when they were married. They parted ways when Vincent was thirteen, as their marriage had fallen apart after she'd miscarried. Frankly, it was all for the better, as their reputation had gone down the drain when the press took notice of their physical age difference.

Lizzie broke down in tears. Her youngest son, just at the tender age of eleven, tugged on her nightgown. "Mum? What's going on, where are they taking Vincent?"

"Papa!" Rosalee ran to her father, and he embraced her as well. James was confused. Everyone was so sad, and he didn't know why. Sebastian appeared at his side, kneeling next to him.

"It's not to worry about, young master, would you like some tea?" Vincent nodded, eyes lighting up, but the question of where they took his big brother still nagged at him in the back of his mind.

•••

Ciel stood over her coffin. It was after hours, not that it applied to him, so the chapel was empty. He didn't know he could go into holy buildings, but he currently found himself at the altar. Tears glistened in his eyes, but he wiped at them furiously.

He was a full fledged demon now. He shouldn't be able to feel emotions like this anymore.

He felt something tug at his arm, and he turned calmly to see his daughter, now in her late forties, standing at his side. "I haven't seen you in ten years, father, and you pick now to show up? Mama missed you terribly so."

"I've as well, Rosalee, and I'm offended you'd think otherwise. I was on business. Ever since Queen Elizabeth II took over, I've been working nonstop."

"Father..." Rosalee trailed off. Ciel could already tell what she was about to ask. "What've you really been doing? Queen Elizabeth has only been on the thrown since 52. That's three years explained, but what about the other seven?" Ciel looked away. "Listen, you don't have to explain yourself. It's just... I want you to meet your grandchildren and your great grandchildren. I came here to talk to you about that."

"You always were the voice of reason out of you three," Ciel started offhandedly, completely ignoring her previous statement. "I remember when you were scared of the monsters under your bed, and your mother would tell you about my adventures in some elaborate, sugar coated fairytale." He sat down on a bench, and she followed. "I remember when Vincent got taken away, and Lizzie sobbed alone for a week afterwards. I remember when they told us he wouldn't be coming home..." Rosalee buried her face in his shoulder. She, too, remembered that night all too well. "I remember watching James wed you off because I couldn't do it. I remember you telling me to act like a cousin towards your new family, and I remember how surprised I was that it hurt me to hear you say that." Rosalee lifted her head, sniffling.

"Papa, please..."

"I have to stand by and watch my kin move on and die while I can't ever legally drink in America. Of course I want to meet my descendants, but I know I am incapable of giving up all that you wish me to."

"I just want you to stop hurting people, Papa!" She yelled. "To stop murdering without qualm, to stop hurting your family, to stop hurting yourself! You wouldn't be staring at mama's corpse right now if you has listened to us ten years ago." She stood and walked out, leaving Ciel alone with his dead love all over again.

•••

Ciel always held the assumption that the passing of his servants would be easy. It was anything but. Tanaka passed when Vincent was five, but that was to be expected. They were prepared for his death.

The others? Not so much. Bardroy passed away first from old age, always staying true to the Phantomhive Manor, whereas Mey-Rin started a family and moved to London (though she always stayed close to Vincent, Rosalee, and James).

Lizzie was a mess at both funerals, Vincent was only able to attend Bardroy's. He was killed by a doctor at the asylum six months before Mey-Rin said her final goodbye, leaving behind a son and two grandchildren.

It hurt Ciel more than he thought it would, watching his most loyal, long term companions go. Sebastian only stuck by him because of their contract, while his servants put up with him because they actually cared.

He never thought that they might care until it was too late and they'd slipped through his fingers. After Mey-Rin was gone forever, he made sure to never belittle or take Finny for granted again.

•••present day•••

Ciel didn't know what came next. Everything had happened so fast that he didn't have time to plan ahead. He scuffed his boot into the hardwood floor of Antonio and Vivian's house like an embarrassed third grader. "So, uh, I can see Rafael again, right?"

"Of course!" Vivian gushed. "Yes, as long as you don't..." She trailed off, but Ciel got the message. "I wasn't planning on turning him into a demon, if that's what your asking about. That's a long, vigorous process and I'm still not sure how I came to be one."

"Speaking of which," Alois started. "I've been meaning to ask this for a while, but does it have any side affects? A human and a demon having children, I mean."

"Alois, I wasn't born a demon. It only affected my oldest son. I guess it's a recessive gene."

Alois frowned. "How did it affect him?"

"I know this one!" Finny yelled. "He-"

"He had PTSD from your mission, Ciel. Admit it. The demon blood only enhanced it." Antonio interrupted. Ciels face flushed, and Sebastian and Hannah smiled at their hosts.

"My Master is keen to deny such accusations, no matter how often I tell him the truth they hold. My apologies if he-"

"He's right." Sebastian started. He didn't expect Ciel to admit to it. "It's pretty well known within the Phantomhive family that I wasn't human, it's just widely assumed to be a bedtime story. And it is. The watered down version is, anyway." Ciel and Alois took turns recounting their fight and what happened afterwards, and while they could laugh about it now, it left Vivian and Antonio in shock.

"In the bedtime story- never mind, it's not important." Nationwide shook his head.

"On that note, think we'll take our leave now. Ciel has important mail he must read back home." Sebastian stood, and the rest of the table followed his lead. Ciel have a pointed look to Sebastian, who narrowed his eyes and nodded slightly in return. This wasn't just an excuse to escape, he had yet another mission from the queen.

They said their goodbyes, and Alois, Ciel, and the Du Buois parted ways at the door.