I figured I'd post up a chapter today and be like, "Sup."

"Why are you crying?" Ciel asked, exasperated. Natasha had been sad all morning and it was starting to get him in a bad mood.

Natasha looked at him tearfully and hiccuped. "Madam Red-" the water in her eyes spilled over and she gave out a loud wail. "Madam Red!"

"Stop that," he yelled. "Stop that right now! Sebastian! Make her stop!"

Up in the front, driving the carriage, the butler thanked the gods he didn't have to deal with Natasha's tears. None of her family or friends had ever died before, so this was a first for her and he was having trouble on how to handle the situation properly. As a father, he wasn't used to his daughter's tears. Sebastian decided to let her mourn; He would take better care of her at home.

"I can't stop," she mumbled, wiping her eyes. "It hurts when I think bout her."

With a frown, Ciel handed her a handkerchief and sighed, "Here, use this." She was about to thank him, but then he continued to say, "One of my servants can't look like a nuisance out there. Especially at my aunt's funeral."

"I can't believe you just said that!" she hissed. "You're supposed to be taking this harder than I am!"

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Why are you crying, anyway?"

"Because she was my friend!" Natasha shouted. Ciel froze and stared at her with wide eyes. "I knew her for a little more than a week, but I cared about her." Her eyes began to water again and she sniffed, "She had issues, but doesn't everyone? Stupid Grell. He didn't have to kill her for them."

They stayed quiet until carriage came to a stop. Sebastian helped the two children get off and Ciel was soon busy opening a box in the trunk.

"I didn't know her for long," Natasha murmured, "But I liked her. She was very unique. I didn't think I'd be this sad after everything settled down. She's the first human to ever make me cry."

Sebastian raised a brow at his daughter. "Yes, Madam Red was quite the character. The mansion will be a lot quieter now without her visits." Natasha sighed in response, but didn't say anything else. "You can go in there, if you want." He smiled at her, "I know you thought of her as a friend. You should bid her your final farewell."

The young girl's eyes lit up and she nodded. "Yes, I'll say goodbye to her one last time." With her head held high, Natasha marched inside the church. She was immediately spotted by Lizzy and attacked in a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh, Natasha!" she cried, "I'm going to miss her so much!"

Hesitantly, Natasha wrapped her arms around the blonde girl and they held each other. When Lizzy had calmed down, Natasha let go of her and walked up to the open casket, where her friend rested. "I'm sorry this happened," she whispered and her eyes began to water again. "It's strange. Seeing you in anything that isn't red. ." Natasha's mouth dried up and she swallowed, "I did say that Ciel enjoyed your affection and I wasn't lying. He has a nice surprise in store for you because of the love you showed him. I just hope you can appreciate it from beyond. Rest peacefully, Madam Red. I already miss your company."

She returned to stand beside her blonde-haired friend. With their arms linked together, Lizzy smiled sadly at Natasha. "You know, back when I was little and when Madam Red was just my 'Auntie Anne', she taught me how to take delight in cute things. . And I guess that lesson stuck. I want to think that she'd be happy to see us looking so nice at her funeral."

They admired each other's dresses and shared a sad giggle. Natasha recalled a similar lesson taught by Madam Red just a few days ago.

"Ciel's fencing tutor gave me the oddest look today," Natasha complained to Madam Red. They were in the mansion's parlor and Natasha had draped herself onto an armchair, across from Madam Red. "That old man completely disagreed with me being there and refused to teach me anything, until Ciel made him."

Madam Red patted the young girl's head with a laugh, "You look like a respectable noble, Natasha. In England, noble ladies aren't supposed to know how to use a sword or fire a gun or anything like that. They're supposed to be dainty little wives and look pretty all the time."

"Why can't they do both? My mother and sisters can." She sighed, "They make it look so easy, too. They can wear their best dresses and go hunting, and not get a single spot of dirt on them. My sisters are really talented and always look their best, but it's annoying when I'm the only one who gets filthy. Personally, I don't think clothes are important when it comes to things like that."

Smiling at her, Madam Red shook her head. "Have you ever asked them why you're not supposed to get yourself dirty?"

Natasha frowned, "No. I never asked. I always thought it was because of my status."

"It's more than that," Madam Red grinned. "It's attractive. If you can fight a thousand battles and not show for it, men won't be scared to approach you. Now-a-days, they want a pretty little wife they can easily control. It's silly, but those are men for you."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Natasha huffed. "I don't ever plan to let a man control me. I'd sooner die than let that happen."

"That's the catch, darling. You give them the illusion that they have all the power," the woman in red continued. "Men like to be assured that they can protect their women, even if the lady can take care of herself."

Natasha's frown deepened, "But that's lying!"

Madam Red shrugged, "Some lies are for the better. In our society, men aren't supposed to be weaker than their wives. Looking cute all the time is a blessing for a wives who love their husbands."

"So the weaker a woman seems, the stronger her husband appears and the more power he receives?" Natasha concluded. "It's just to make them feel better about themselves?"

Madam Red nodded, "You got it! It's great advice, right?"

"It's sounds more like a strategy to me."

Madam Red winked at Natasha. "Now why would a lady need to keep something like that a secret?"

"To make her husband feel better about himself," Natasha smirked. And to ambush anyone who tries to hurt the lady when she's by herself. "I'll try my best to look nicer all the time," she promised.

"I'm glad you understand," Madam Red clapped her hands happily, with a closed-eyed smile. "You're an excellent student."

Natasha laughed, "Thank you! Ciel was a little mad when I won the match. Your nephew's a sore loser!"

The grand silence from the mourning crowd was broken. "A scarlet dress? How inappropriate," someone whispered. Natasha smiled and gazed to the aisle, "Lizzy, look."

It was Ciel, carrying an elaborate crimson-colored dress. His face was a mask of determination and Natasha could tell he wasn't paying anyone any attention. It was as thought he couldn't hear them. His focus was Madam Red.

"But think of how she loved the color red," someone else argued. "It's perfect."

Elizabeth smiled tearfully, "He came!"

Ciel put the beautiful dress over his aunt and whispered his a few words in her ear. Natasha pretended not to hear him, feeling that she was eavesdropping, even though she couldn't help her hyper-hearing. He placed a red rose in his aunt's hair and kissed her pale cheeks delicately. Then, suddenly out of the blue, a large gust of wind blew throughout the church, blowing rose petals around.

After mass, which irritated Natasha to no end, Madam Red was buried.

xx

"What are we doing here?" Natasha asked, examining the bouquet of white lilies in her hands. They, as in The Undertaker, her father, Ciel and herself were standing before a tombstone that read Mary Jane Kelly. "Did you know this woman before she died, Ciel?"

He shook his head, "No." She raised a brow at him, and looked eerily much like her father. Ciel rolled his eyes, "I'm here to pay my respects for the woman I used as bait for Jack The Ripper."

"So The Earl's doing the noble thing today?" The Undertaker commented, and shared a grin with Natasha.

"If I had done the 'noble thing', she would have still been alive today." He narrowed his eyes, "My priority should have been to save her life, but it wasn't. I was too determined to find the killer in the act, before doing anything. I wanted to make sure that it was indeed my aunt who had been the murderer. I didn't care about this woman, and because I didn't care, she died. The least I could do was give her a proper burial."

Natasha wonder aloud, "Didn't she have any family to do that for her? This grave is pretty lonely-looking, to be honest."

"She was an immigrant," The Undertaker explained. "Had no known relatives in this country. The Earl had me pretty her up and make her a real nice place to rest."

"How is that not noble!" Natasha argued. She looked at her father and questioned him, "It was noble, right? Right?"

Sebastian nodded his head, "I think it was."

Ciel glared at them, "Do I need to repeat myself? What I did wasn't noble, at all! She should be alive right now! But enough of that subject, I've fulfilled the Queen's request. There's no need to bring up the past anymore."

The Undertaker grabbed Ciel by the collar a pulled him close, "I'd be weary of that Victoria. She makes you do all the dirty work around here. The things you've done are bound to catch up with you at any moment."

"Get off!" Ciel exclaimed, his face furious. The Undertaker shoved the human boy into Sebastian. "I'll be seeing you around, Lord Phantomhive. Try to stay alive for a while longer, will ya?"

"Hey!" Natasha exclaimed, "What's your problem? We were having fun just a second ago!"

He laughed and began to walk away, "I feel strongly about what I said, child. The Earl should be more conscious of his so-called queen. Come by whenever you need to," the grey-haired man waved his hand. "You're all welcome to my shop at any time."

After he left, Natasha continued to pester Ciel. "Why won't you admit that you did a good thing?"

Sebastian smirked, "Perhaps it wasn't nobility, Natasha. Maybe a sign of weakness instead?" The two children froze and stared at him. Natasha in astonishment that he actually said something like that to his precious 'young master', while Ciel glared at him with pure, utter resentment. "You could have had me take her down easily when she was hurting you, but you didn't even utter my name," he explained. "You had a gun with you, as well, but didn't draw it at her once, even though Madam Red was dead-set on killing you."

"He had a gun?" Natasha asked and then stared at Ciel. "You had a gun and you didn't use it?! What kind of an idiot are you?"

Ciel's face became stony. "I didn't resort to my gun because, even if it cost him his own life, Sebastian was responsible for mine. I knew nothing bad would happen to me, the contract forbids it, at least until I achieve my goal."

"That doesn't mean you can't defend yourself!" she argued.

"She wasn't going to kill me," Ciel countered. "She couldn't. Not me, not the closet thing she could ever have to a child. Her hesitation to finish me off was her downfall. She became dazed a lost sight of her intentions. In the end, that cost her her very life." He held on to his emotionless gaze, "That is why I don't hesitate."

Natasha couldn't explain it, but at that very moment, a scent of what she can only describe as complete euphoria, swirled around them briefly. Her heart began racing and her cheeks became flushed with warm blood. Unconsciously, she smiled softly, her eyes becoming hazy. Within seconds, it was gone and she blinked a few times before looking up at her father. Sebastian hadn't been affected by anything, but he smiled kindly at her when he noticed her gaze.

"That's exactly what I expect to hear from you, master. Use me, my daughter and anyone else in your way to accomplish your desire. We are all, but mere pawns in your game. I will move on your accord and do everything in my power to save you, because if the king falls. . It's over."

"I will never hesitate. I will never regret the things I have done in my life." Ciel turned to face the demon and stared at him, head-on. "You will stay by my side, Sebastian. You will never lie to me. You will never betray me. You are the only person who can never betray me. That's an order."

A grin etched itself onto Sebastian's face. He bowed and knelt down on one knee in front of Ciel. "Yes, my lord. I will follow you like a shadow, until the very end."

They began to depart from the graveyard and Natasha couldn't help, but wonder to herself, What in the hell, was that? Sure, she had been impressed by Ciel's declaration, but that strange smell interested her significantly. That was the best feeling I've ever felt in my entire life.

xx

A week or so had passed, since the funeral and everyday, Grell came to the mansion.

"Please, Natasha! I'm begging," he pleaded, being dragged on the floor, grasping Natasha's moving feet. "Be my friend again! I'm really sorry about Madam Red! I cried a lot when I got home. I even apologized to that brat over there!" He shouted, pointing at his bloodshot eyes and then at Ciel, who glowered irritably at them. "I'd bring her back to life, if I could! Honestly!"

They were in the library, doing homework. Natasha had finished in record time and Ciel was having a bit more trouble. "If you need help, just ask," she teased him as he searched through a history book. "We're classmates, and I have perfect memory-"

"Natasha!" Grell sobbed, "Please! At least, stop ignoring me!"

At this point, the little demon had gotten beyond irritated, and since giving the reaper repeated beatings in hopes that he would leave, wasn't working, she decided on a new tactic. "Fine," Natasha sighed, rubbing small circles into her temples. She had acquired a painful headache. "I'll forgive you," Grell's eyes lit up and he jumped high up in the air, "If you can manage to get William T. Spears to become my friend." Grell's face didn't lose its glow, in fact, he looked even happier. "And I want to spend a whole day with him."

Grell jumped for joy and cheered, "I'll get on it, right away!" Then he vanished, much to everyone's relief.

"Why would you ask for that?" Sebastian asked, annoyed that his daughter wanted another man's company besides his own. "That stuffy-nosed reaper seems to have quite a distaste for our kind. Are you sure you want a friend who hates your family?"

She shrugged, "I figured it would be impossible for Grell to make that happen, so there's really nothing you need to worry about. I doubt he'll be able to manage my first request, anyway. Let alone the second one. I wouldn't mind getting to know William better, though. He looked like a nice guy."

Ciel scoffed, while searching the thick book for his answers.

"Natasha Michaelis!"

She froze and her eyes widened considerably. "I know that voice," she mumbled, clawing at her purple dress nervously. "I know that voice. I know that voice. I know that voice!" She looked up at her father and ran to hide behind him, "Daddy, don't let him see me!"

Sebastian frowned, "Who on Earth are you talking about?"

The glass window in between two large floor-to-ceiling bookshelves shattered. A teenage boy with chilling ruby colored eyes and spiky silver hair stood inside the grand room, with a proud smirk on his face.

"Who the hell are you?" Ciel growled, looking up from his book.

The stranger looked at him in disdain and dismissed his accusation. "My beautiful girl," he stated, looking Sebastian directly in the eyes. "I can smell her in here. Where is she?"

"Who the hell are you?" Sebastian growled. Anger showing clear as day on his face. His hand were balled into tight fists and he was shaking slightly.

"I am Nicholas Clair, son of the Duke Malcolm Clair," he boasted, clearly having pride in his parentage. "Lady Natasha Michaelis is my bride-to-be and I demand to see her."

"Bride-to-be?" the older demon questioned slowly. "Is that so? And who authorized this betrothal?"

Nicholas snorted, "Lady Charlotte, obviously. Natasha's father would have accepted me, I'm sure, but he's been out of the picture for two decades, now." He waved his hand, "It would have been a waste of everyone's time to go search for him and then present him with the news of our engagement, so nobody bothered. Natasha's mother said it was unnecessary and that his opinion didn't matter, and I have to agree."

Without a single word or notice, Nicholas was pinned down on the floor, being strangled by the demon butler. "Master," he called, "Would you like me to kill him for ruining your windows?"

Ciel smirked and stood up, pulling Natasha out from behind curtain where she had tried to hide herself. "Here's your bride-to-be, Nicholas. She's quite shy."

"Hmm, I think we'll get along fairly well, human. You're not so bad," Nicholas grinned, lifting Natasha into his arms. He gave her a peck on the cheeks and her face became flushed with embarrassment. "I missed you," he mumbled, nuzzling his face into her hair. "Why didn't you tell me that you were going on a trip?"

Natasha's father was up again and heading to tear off the intruder's head, when Ciel said quickly, "Sebastian! Make this Nicholas Clair feel comfortable in my mansion and treat him with the highest form respect, second to me." He paused and then smirked evilly at his butler, "That's an order."

"Y-Yes, my lord." He answered, "This way Nicholas."

"Did I hear you say Sebastian?" Nicholas asked, brows furrowed together."That's your father's name isn't it?" Natasha bonked him on the head, successfully producing a large bump. "That is my father, you idiot!"

"Oh," He blinked and stared at Sebastian. "A butler?" Shrugging he continued, "Well, show me the way to my room. I'm expecting great service from you, Sebastian."

Sebastian smiled, "Then why don't I carry that for you?" He looked pointedly at his daughter, "A guest shouldn't have to exert themselves, especially a guest of the Phantomhives."

Natasha immediately grabbed onto her father's neck and held him close. "I guess we have a lot of things to explain to you, huh?" she said, smiling oddly. As they left, Ciel grinned at her triumphantly. "I am going to kill you," she mouthed to him, shooting him with a makeshift gun of her fingers.

He was not bothered in the slightest, in fact Ciel's grin widened.

Bum, bum, bum, buuuuuum. And suddenly, Natasha has a boyfriend! Hope you enjoyed reading and I will talk to you guys later. Peace.

As always, I proofread this once.