Chapter 11

In Which Judgment is Passed

"Ah, Claude really thought he could escape with those wounds." Liz chuckled slightly to herself as she looked down at the healing cat. Alois sat beside his bed, whimpering softly as he cried. "He's actually lucky he made it for so long without getting something in them. That would have made them even harder to clean, the lucky little rascal. Ah, he's still the same cat."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at the cat. "I don't see why you insisted on treating this demon."

"Unlike someone I know, I have a compassionate spirit," Liz huffed, looking over as Claude twitched in his sleep. "I wasn't just going to leave him there to die."

"He tried to kill me!"

"If he just died, Sebastian, that wouldn't give us any fun, now would it?" Liz smirked, and Sebastian fell silent as Liz moved on to check on Grell, who was still passed out from the fight five days ago.

For the past few days, the medicine den had been a flurry of commotion, gossip, and visitors. Mostly just curious young ones wanting to take a look at the vicious Claude—Ronald and Will had also been frequent visitors to check on the ailing Grell.

The whole time, Ciel had grown closer and closer to his butler. It kept confusing Sebastian, but nonetheless, he found he was starting to grow on the boy as well. It was as if…he was falling for Ciel.

Sebastian was snapped out of his mind and back into the real world when he heard a groan coming from Grell's direction. The red-haired Shinigami lifted up his head, peering around. "I…I'm still alive?"

"Of course you are." It was Sebastian who answered, looking down at the Shinigami. "Did you really believe that I was just going to leave you to die?"

Grell gave a small smile. "You are kind, aren't you Sebastian?"

A little shocked to hear that Grell wasn't using his little pet name, Sebastian turned his head slightly. "I suppose you're going to swoon over me now?"

Grell just laughed. "No. I made an important decision while I was asleep."

"And that decision was?"

"…I'll tell you later."

"Grell!" Both of the half-blood's heads turned at the sound of Will's voice. He quickly embraced Grell, a few tears rolling down his cheeks. "Oh Grell, thank God you're alive! I thought for sure you'd died!"

"Ack, Will, I'm going to die if you strangle me!" Grell whined, and Will lessened his grip around the redhead's neck.

Deciding to leave, Sebastian turned and went to look for Ciel. It didn't take very long for him to find the young boy, who was leaning up against an old oak tree.

"Sebastian," Ciel smiled eagerly. "It's nice to see you. I've been waiting for you."

Sebastian curiously raised an eyebrow. Nice to see me? I've been waiting for you? "If you were waiting for me, why didn't you come for me earlier?"

"Because, I wanted you to come to me. Come on, let's go. I want to talk to you…privately."

Sebastian blinked. This was very unlike his bocchan. Following him, Sebastian's eyebrows knitted together in slight frustration and curiosity. "Bocchan, if I may ask, where exactly are we going?"

"Do you remember that place we went, a little while ago? The one that looked out across the entire land." Ciel's voice was incredibly soft as he spoke, something new for him, as he usually spoke in a louder tone.

"Of course." It wasn't long before Sebastian soon saw the place, and he stood next to Ciel, who was very close to Sebastian. He leaned up against his butler, taking his hand.

"Sebastian," he said gently. "I know a lot of people have said that…having a demon makes you feel worse because you know that he's eventually going to eat your soul but…I've felt happier with you around."

Sebastian looked down at Ciel in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes, but there's always something I've wanted to do with you but…never got the chance to."

"And that would be?"

Standing on his tip toes, Ciel whispered gently in Sebastian's ear; "Watashi no neko kisu, kiss me my cat."

Sebastian smiled gently as he leaned down. "Yes, my Lord." And it was there that the two's feelings were realized for each other, with a passionate kiss under a full moon.

"Sebastian," Ciel asked his butler later the next day. "What are we going to do about Claude?" He motioned to the medicine den where the now awake Claude still stayed, almost fully healed from his wounds.

Sebastian frowned. "I don't know…most of the Black Lands army will probably want him killed for what he's done." Under his breath, the demon added, "And I want him killed to, for what he had done to my parents."

Ciel put a hand under his chin and thought for a moment. "Well, we could do something…"

Sebastian tilted his head. "Do tell bocchan…"

Not an hour later, Sebastian gave the orders to Liz.

"Have Ronald and Will bring Claude out," he told her. "Tell them not to hurt him or damage him in any way. We have some "special treatment" for him."

"Oh really? It sounds evil," Liz said in a mocking scared voice, but then her eyes flashed. "I like it."

Sitting on top of a large rock in his cat form, Ciel gave a loud yowl for the Black Lands members to gather. Soon, the half-bloods were all gathered, some shaking with slight excitement, some with hate glaring in their eyes, and others with a look of pure bloodlust.

Ciel cleared his throat before beginning to speak. "I am sure that many of you know why you are here." There were quiet murmurs as he looked around, and then raised his head. "Bring him out."

Ciel was relaxed as he saw the large black panther limp out of the medicine den, flanked by Will and Ronald, and Alois following behind him—he did feel Sebastian tense up beside him, however. Placing the tip of his tail on Sebastian's flank to calm him, he went to the edge of the rock. Claude's eyes were downcast, and his tail was held low and between his legs, not high and above his head like it had been when Ciel had first seen the cat.

"Claude Faustus," he called. The cat slowly raised his head as he was addressed, golden eyes dull and lifeless. "You are being charged on multiple accounts of murder, attempted murder, and direct threats to the head of the Black Lands army. As for your punishment…"

Ciel saw both Claude and Alois cringe as the crowd erupted into loud yelling, such as;

"Kill him!"

"Give him what he deserves!"

"Rip him limb from limb!"

"Let me do the honors, sir!"

Ciel raised his head for silence, and soon the cries died down. "You will be sentenced to seven years of living in the mountains. If you can survive, you will be allowed back. I assume by that time you will be a changed cat…or should I make it ten?"

Ciel saw Claude swallow heavily, and the cat's head fell and his shoulders slumped. "Seven will be enough to change me."

Ciel let a cruel smile slide across his face. "Good."

"Claude, no!" Alois let out a cry as he buried his golden face into Claude's black fur. "Please, don't go alone! Let me come with you."

"No, it's too dangerous! I won't take that risk with you."

"Claude!" Tears fell down Alois's muzzle, coating his soft fur with tear streaks. "Please!"

Ciel pinned his ears against his head at the sound of Alois's sobs. "You have until sunset," he announced. "If any of my soldiers finds you on our land after that, they have my permission to kill you."

Claude nodded heavily, and then turned to Alois. "We have the rest of the day," he murmured to him. "Let's make the most of it."

That evening, watching the pair part at the border, Liz tuned to the owl sitting on her shoulder. "Undertaker, even though Claude is evil…his relationship with Alois is one of the most pure things I've ever seen in my life. It blows me away."

The Undertaker simply laughed. "Love crosses many boundaries—the boundaries between love and hate, peace and war, and good and evil."

"It also crosses the visible ones too," Liz noted, watching the black cat run off towards the mountains. "Does it not, my friend?"

"It does."

Turning, Liz started off in the other direction. "Well, I guess that ends the short, brutish tyranny of Claude Faustus. Now then, what will happen in the next months to keep us occupied? I'm afraid we might grow bored. Oh well, I'll have time to ponder over dinner. They're having steak tonight, care to stay?"

THE END (OR IS IT?)