Chapter Nine: Wonderings

"It is a pleasure to meet you all," Alena said with a smile on her face.

None of the Phantomhive servants knew what to do or say. Bard was simply shocked that someone could actually love Sebastian, while Mey-Rin was slightly jealous that it was not her being introduced as Sebastian's fiancée. As for the others, nothing was said until Tanaka made the first move.

"Welcome to the Phantomhive Estate. If there is anything that can be done to make you feel welcome, please let us know," he said offering an arm towards Alena. "Now please allow me to show you inside."

"I would appreciate that," Alena said allowing Tanaka to escort her into the house followed behind by Ciel then Sebastian.

The others quickly looked at each other then followed suit.


Throughout the rest of the day, things settled back into the normal pace of things in the Phantomhive household. The servants completed – well at least attempted to complete – their assigned duties the best that they could. Mey-Rin had shined the floors with shoe wax instead of floor wax. Bard only destroyed a third of the kitchen while attempting to make dinner for that night. As for Finny and Snake, they had managed to prune a few trees a bit too much. And Tanaka – did what Tanaka usually did since he had exerted too much energy showing Alena the estate in the morning after the master had arrived home.

"I wonder just who she is?" Mey-Rin asked with a sigh as she and the others watched from a far as Alena and Ciel played a game of chess that afternoon in the courtyard. That was after Sebastian had already gotten on all of them for their mistakes and they had quickly and correctly fixed their errors.

"She is very pretty." Finny added.

"She smells like nothing I have ever encountered before says Goethe," added Snake.

"That's all good, but why are we just learning about her now?" Bard asked a bit frustrated. "I wouldn't keep it secret if I had a dame like that."

"I did not keep Alena a secret. It was just that no one asked."

"Sebastian!" they all said at once as they turned around and looked behind them. Sebastian stood behind them, with the teacart laden with the afternoon tea.

"Now if you lot are all complete with your duties, I am sure that I can find more for you," he said pushing the cart past them as the servants scattered.

Sebastian sighed to himself as he pushed the teacart into the courtyard. What had he exactly gotten himself into by bringing Alena into the Phantomhive household? Could he – a demon – really fall in love with such a heavenly creature as she was?

Yes, his master had ordered that Sebastian not allow Alena to fail.

But that had not been the terms of Alena's contract with Satan. He had to love her just as much as he had in their mortal lives. His young master could not order him to do that.

He had to do that all on his own.

Yet the question still remained – how would he be able to?

Then again as he moved the teacart next to the table where Ciel and Alena were playing chess, Alena glanced up at him and smiled softly at him. "Still can not get over the fact that stiff Sebastian Michaelis has a fiancée?" she asked.

"Something along those lines," he responded as he poured two cups of tea.

"If they really knew…" Ciel said as he made a final move before picking up his teacup.

"That angels and demons do exist?" Sebastian asked.

"Exactly." Ciel answered.

"Oh I would give them a bit more credit then that," Alena countered.

Ciel took another sip of his tea before taking a bite of the lemon cake that Sebastian had prepared for a snack. "Now we have other concerns at hand. First off, where are you going to live?"

"Obviously in the nearby village…"

"No what the young master means is, inside the manor or am I going to build a small house for you on the property." Sebastian said, looking down at her.

She looked from Sebastian then to the young earl then back at Sebastian. "You are joking right? I mean living in the village is fine with me. I have lived on my own for nearly…"

"Absolutely not!" Ciel said putting a hand down forcibly against the table, causing the china to jingle slightly. "First, there are enemies of the Phantomhives everywhere – both lurking in the shadows and in the open. There is no telling what could happen to you if it was discovered that you were associated with the Phantomhives. Second, you and Sebastian need to keep up appearances."

Alena sighed as she looked up at Sebastian who was standing to the side of his master. "I agree with my young lord," he said. She studied the expression that he was wearing on his face – the expressionless look gave away not only signs of his true feelings, yet something else in his scarlet eyes showed that there was more to this. It was almost as if they were telling her that there was something else that was bothering him. That there was some other reason why he wanted to keep her close.

She nodded in agreement, deciding to herself that it was not worth arguing. "I will stay here. And where ever you and Sebastian see fit for me is best – may it be within the manor itself or building a dwelling for me on the property. Yet I still would like to be able to have a clinic in the village."

"That is more then reasonable. Which brings me to the second concern. How soon do you want to open your clinic?"

"As soon as possible since I will be both helping the villagers and serving the Phantomhive estate."

"I assumed as much. That is why Sebastian already obtained a location for you. We will show it to you in the morning."

"Really?" Alena asked in shock as she looked up at Sebastian who smiled as he took out several folded sheets of paper from inside of his jacket pocket.

"A simple task like this was nothing. Remember I am simply one hell of a butler," he said still holding his smile as he handed her the deed. He took out his pocket watch and glanced at it quickly before snapping it shut. "Now if you excuse me, I must go and prepare dinner."

Alena couldn't help but smile as she watched Sebastian walk away. Were things slowly changing? Was he having other feelings emerge? She hoped so as her fingers slowly traced the raised contract against her wrist. A slow burn had begun to show on one of the numbers in just the last few hours. Not much, just a little. It was barely noticeable, but to hers and even Sebastian's eyes, it would be noticeable – it was nothing more then even the tiniest of pinpricks – but it was still there. Was this a timer of how much time she had left to try to win over the heart of a demon? She was just going to have to wait and see.


"So why are you spending so much time in here with me?" Ciel asked as Sebastian poured him his evening cup of tea later on that night in his study. It had been several hours since either of them had seen Alena since that afternoon in the courtyard. She had not shown up for dinner and Sebastian had heard something that Finny had mentioned about her being seen in the library reading some old books. Perhaps she had simply lost track of time.

"Whatever do you mean, sir?" Sebastian asked.

"Why are you in here with me and not out there with her." Ciel said motioning towards the window. Sebastian moved towards the window and looked out across the moonlit courtyard and saw what his master was referring to. Alena was seated on a stone bench with her face turned upwards towards the sky and her eyes were closed.

Simple days and even simpler nights listening to the music of the stars as she called it. Their life was not easy, but as long as they were together, they would get by…

The memory hit Sebastian with such force that he shattered the teapot that he was holding in his hand. "I am sorry my lord. I will replace it first thing in the morning." Sebastian said, quickly cleaning up the mess.

"So see to it that you do," Ciel said as he set down his teacup. "Meanwhile, go be with her. That is where you belong right now. I will be fine. Tanaka can tend to me tonight."

"My lord?" Sebastian asked, as he stood there a bit confused.

"Do you or do you not want to loose to Satan?"

Sebastian did not say another word as he turned and left his master's study. He knew exactly what his master had meant – spend time with Alena.


Alena smiled as she felt that warmth of the wool jacket engulf her shoulders as she opened her eyes. "Angels don't get sick," she said with a smile.

"Nor do demons," Sebastian answered as he sat down next to her on the stone bench. "But we have to keep up appearances don't we?"

She softly laughed as she moved closer to Sebastian's seated figure. She laid her head against his shoulder before reaching out and taking ahold of his right gloved hand. She then removed his white glove before doing the same with his left hand. She then clasped their hands together – her left hand in his right one. Alena turned and smiled at Sebastian in the moonlight. "So what really brought you out here?" she asked.

Without hesitation, Sebastian closed the small distance between them and pulled Alena into his arms. He caressed the side of her face and smiled slightly before gently kissing her lips. Pressing her body closer to Sebastian's, Alena wrapped herself into her beloved's embrace as she encouraged the kiss to last, which Sebastian happily obliged. Alena's fingers wove themselves into Sebastian's hair as he held her close to him.

Eventually pulling back from her lips, Sebastian placed several kisses around Alena's mouth, forehead, then along her neck – even lingering a bit as he felt her racing pulse beneath his lips before he placed his forehead against hers. Her eyes were still closed as she was trying to calm herself down from the toe-curling kiss. Sebastian smiled inwardly as he gently ran a finger down the side of her cheek. "Alena, open your eyes," he whispered.

Her eyelids slowly parted to reveal her blue orbs as that reflected the moonlight light. Sebastian cupped her face with one hand and held her close to him with another.

"I remember how you loved to look at the stars at night and listen to their music as you called it. I remember how your eyes would sparkle at the littlest things. And now I remember how intoxicating kissing you was."

Tears began to rim Alena's eyes as Sebastian quickly thumbed them away. "Our lives were never easy and I know that our current situations are not any easier. But what I do know is this – that any deal with the Satan has strings numerous strings attached. Yet for some reason I know that I need to protect you from something. I'm just not sure what that something is. Besides I have made a few decisions as well about things between the two of us."

"And what would those be?" Alena asked without looking up at him. Perhaps that kiss was a cruel goodbye.

"I have decided that I am willing to do whatever it takes to be with you forever." Sebastian said as he knelt down in front of her. He held up a tiny gold band with a diamond at its center. "I know that technically we are already married in our previous lives. And in this life, we say that we are engaged, but let's make it official," he said with a devilish smile. "Marry me again so we can unite heaven and hell."


AN: I know it's a bit OOC – but fluff is needed at times and I promise that the butt kicking Sebastian is returning soon! Mwahahah!