zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Oh, hi there! Sorry , I've been nodding off a lot lately.
Moony: Because you've been staying up until two every night trying to piece together a plot.
*yawn* Shut up. It's two thirty, thank you. And I've worked my butt off to get this up. So since I'm about to pass out but don't want to wait any longer, here y'all are.
Moony: Maya does not own Kuro/Balck Butler. She wishes dearly that she does, and she will probably be dreaming this chapter sometime in the next fifteen minutes.
Sebastian was resting in the corner of his room, surrounded by his beautiful pets. It was during calm times like these that he liked to simply relax and listen to the sounds of the house. He could hear the squeaky sound of silver being polished, the bubble of boiling water on the stove, and the ever faint turning of yellowed pages; apparently Finian had taken some time to read in the library.
Sebastian sighed his approval. In the past weeks, the young gardener had progressed wonderfully in his studies. Sebastian supposed that Anya's love for books and poetry had rubbed off on him, because he had constantly caught the two of them in the library poring over Poe, Shakespeare, Dickinson, and countless other poets. They would frantically mark whatever page they were on with whatever was on hand; a hair ribbon, or a scrap of paper. Anya had even used a feather once. And speaking of Anya...
A Phantomhive butler did not, under any circumstances, eavesdrop on his master. But a butler with exceptional hearing could hardly avoid overhearing a particularly spirited tirade from a shrill teenage girl, could he? The girl's devotion truly impressed Sebastian. Every word rang with emotion and veritable sincerity, and this made the butler grin. It was not often that someone gave the Earl a piece of their mind, and Lord Phantomhive's reactions were always amusing. Sebastian could practically feel the stinging heat of embarrassment glowing from his young lord's face.
As the conversation quieted, Sebastian idly ran his fingers through his pets' soft fur. He picked up the important bits of information; he had, of course, known already that the events described by Anya's Cinematic Record were truthful, but then there was the question of her eyes. Eyes like those would be hard to mistake, even for a dead infant. So why had Miss Tolliver said that Anya had her father's eyes?
As Anya celebrated their incorrect conclusion that her dream was false, Sebastian theorized on how the story could be possible. Anya Criel was one hundred percent human, as far as Sebastian could tell. She had no extraordinary strength, senses, or skills; she was, however, and incredibly speedy healer. That was the one thing that left the butler with any doubts of the maid's humanity. No human could possibly recover from injuries that quickly.
And yet, even her heartbeat was completely normal. Sebastian closed his eyes, sifting through the creaks and the falling snow to find Anya's fluttering heart. It was calm, but still strong. Suddenly, it launched into violent palpitations; she was panicking. Something was very wrong. Sebastian was on his feet in half a second. In another half a second, he was in the corridor to the Earl's study. He barely processed Anya's gentle apology before knocking the door right off its hinges.
Anya shoved Ciel to the ground, trying to keep him low. The maid squeezed her eyes shut. She heard the bullets shatter the window, and tensed herself for the biting rain of glass... that never came. Cautiously, Anya pried her eyes open to find Ciel pinned beneath her, breathless but unhurt. His eye looked right past her to someone hovering above them. A familiar hand took her elbow, lifting her off of the Earl and steering her beyond the edge of the ruined window.
"Anya, tell the others that we're under attack," Sebastian snapped, brushing shards of glass from his shoulders. He lifted the Earl into his arms like a child. "When they all know, go to your room, and stay there." He spirited Ciel from the room, supposedly to a secure location.
Anya stood frozen for only a second before her brain kicked back in. She broke into a run and cantered to the kitchens. Bard, Mey-rin, and Tanaka were sitting on their knees, sipping tea. When Anya burst in, breathless, the younger two sprang to their feet.
"A-Attack," Anya wheezed. They both nodded gravely before dashing off in opposite directions. As she left, Mey-rin called over her shoulder at her roommate.
"Find Finny, and then hide! Quickly!"
She remembered Finny saying something about going to the library earlier; that was her best bet. She ran through the enormous house, following her memorized route to her favorite room. Fear and anxiety pushed her legs to run faster than she would have thought possible, and she reached the library in mere moments. Just as she reached for the large oak door, the gardener flung it open, narrowly missing his friend.
"What's going on?" he demanded. "I heard shouting."
"Sebastian says we're under attack," Anya explained, catching her breath. "Someone just tried to shoot the Earl from the garden!"
Hearing this, Finny's eyes hardened. "I'm going to join the others," he growled. Anya took a step back. This was the first time she had seen her friend really angry, and it was actually rather frightening. As he started down the way Anya had come, his eye was caught by a dark stain on the carpet. He swung back around to study Anya.
"Are you bleeding?"
The maid checked herself over; sure enough, there was a surprisingly large cut right under her knee. She had been so scared and distracted, she hadn't even noticed it.
"I must have cut myself on the broken glass," she realized. "The window shattered when they shot, so-"
"I understand," Finny cut her off. Despite his words, he looked extremely upset. "You need to get the first aid kit from my room. I'd show you, but the others need me now." He turned to run, but Anya caught him and pulled him into a tight hug.
"Be careful," she sniffed. "If you get yourself killed, I will never forgive you."
Finny placed his hands on her shoulders and grinned cheekily. "Come on, Anya. Have a little faith; I'm a Phantomhive servant!" He quickly kissed her on the forehead and scrambled off to find his comrades.
Anya smiled sadly, and started walking (or, as her adrenaline spiked brain finally registered the pain from her cut, limping) in the direction of the servants' living quarters.
Eugene Tolliver kept his head low. The other dozen or so men he had brought with him were battling it out with the guards of the manor, and now was the perfect time to mobilize. He crawled through the shrubbery on his stomach, creeping along to the back gate. What seemed to be a servant entrance door was directly in his sights. He just had to make it across a few yards of open ground without being seen, and he would be in.
A chilling scream from the other side of the garden was cut off with a gunshot. Poor saps, he thought. I hate to use them as decoys, but what else can I do? The count had ordered him to locate and recapture Anya, and he needed any security personnel properly distracted.
Clutching his satchel close to his chest, Eugene rolled himself to the door. He sprang to his feet and flattened his body against the wall, waiting to be detected. Silence. The stable boy unsheathed the hunting knife from his belt, clenching it tightly in his fist. He gingerly turned the handle on the door, letting himself in. He entered a dimly lit hallway lined with doors. He quietly opened the first one and found a small bedroom with plain, sparse furnishings. For some reason, there was a huge pile of cats on the bed. They started yowling at Eugene, so he closed the door tightly on them.
Could one of these rooms be Anya's?
The thought led Eugene to explore the next room. It was another large, single bedroom. He checked the closet; shiny black shoes and suits. Definitely not Anya's. Across the hall he found a simple, messy room with two beds. On the shared nightstand was a closed leather book. Eugene picked it up, ruffling the pages. A scarlet ribbon fluttered into his open hand. At the very end of the ribbon, someone had embroidered the letters A.C.
Anya Criel.
Eugene jumped at the uneven footsteps in the hallway. He clambered into the wardrobe and closed the door behind him. He left it open just a hair so that he could see. His bag was crammed against his face, and a large box dug into his back; in the dim light he could barely make out a big red cross. Before he could wonder why someone would keep their first aid kit in their wardrobe, the door squeaked open and someone entered.
Anya let herself into Finny and Bard's room without any trouble. She had been in there on several occasions to borrow books, cooking materials, and, once, Bard's flamethrower. The memory of the stubborn ice-slicked steps almost made Anya laugh, but not quite. She was much too worried about her friends.
Of course, in the time that Anya had been there, there had been numerous attacks on the manor. Once, a lone assassin had snuck up on her while she was making breakfast with Bard. Needless to say, he'd gone down in an instant. Who knew that frying pans were so dangerous?
Anya continued to be amazed by the staff's blasé outlook on the attacks. They would detect intruders at breakfast, take them out, and be back and cleaned up in time to prepare tea. Although Anya never took part in these skirmishes, Ciel assured her that her assistance was unnecessary. And the maid knew that Sebastian and the others were more than capable of protecting the house. Why? Because they were servants of the Earl of Phantomhive!
"And yet, the maid can't even find a first aid kit," Anya grumbled. She had searched under the beds, in the dresser, and even in the connected facilities, but she could not find that box. And that was bad, because her knee had started to throb, and was still bleeding quite a bit.
"I give up," she groaned, sinking onto the edge of Finny's bed. She spotted the book on the bedside table, and instantly brightened. She and Finny had been reading it last week; it was a book of Shakespeare's tragedies. She decided to pick up where they left off, in case there were any interesting words she needed to look up.
"That's funny…" Anya flipped through the inky pages. "I could have sworn I marked the page with one of the ribbons Mey-rin embroidered…"
In the wardrobe, Eugene flinched. He was still clutching that ribbon in his fingers. In fact, his knuckles were white. She's acting like Anya! The evil spirit didn't seem to be controlling her actions at the moment, but he could never be sure. Stuffing the ribbon into his pocket, he gripped the knife firmly.
A small shift in movement caught Anya's attention. She glanced at the wardrobe that sat against the far wall. Maybe the first aid kit is in there… or maybe one of Sebastian's cats got loose!
"Hello?" Anya called. She stood stiffly and hobbled over to the wardrobe. "Are you in there, kitty kitty?" A small, feline noise emanated from behind the door. "Come on now," Anya chuckled, pulling open the door. "We need to get you back to your owner before Ciel-"
Eugene burst from the wardrobe, slamming Anya against the wall. She struggled, only to shut down as the cool tip of a blade tickled her neck. The tip of the knife trailed up and down her throat, making her shudder.
"And how have you been, Lady Amelia?" Eugene sneered. Still pressing his knife to Anya's skin, he forced her around to face the door. "Are you going to come quietly, or are we doing this the hard way?"
While he talked, Anya slowly brought her hand to the doorknob. If she could make a break for it… Now! She wrenched away from Eugene, the point of his knife just barely piercing her skin. She tore the door open, and was halfway out before Eugene caught her. He wrapped both arms around her middle and dragged her bodily backwards. His strong hands, so capable with his horses, reeled the terrified girl back into the room, slamming the door behind them. Anya was officially panicking. She couldn't speak. Eugene was here. He had a knife. And he was obviously not afraid to hurt her.
"Looks like we're doing this the hard way," he grunted, pinning her face down on the floor. "Don't try anything else funny." He slung his satchel over his head, withdrawing a coil of rope. He used his weight to keep the squirming maid down and drew her arms behind her back. He ignored the small noises of pain she made, and expertly knotted the ropes around her so that she was completely helpless; she couldn't move an inch unless Eugene said so.
He hauled Anya to her feet, digging his fingers deep into the rope to hold her fast. As he pushed her toward the door, Anya finally found her voice. Her piercing scream was cut off by a rough, calloused hand. Suddenly she was leaning against the wall again, staring up into Eugene's hazel eyes. She couldn't help but flash back to only hours ago, being in this same position with Sebastian. Anya hadn't thought it possible, but she would rather relive the nightmare with Sebastian a hundred times than be held there by Eugene.
"You always were stubborn, I'll give you that," he murmured softly. For a moment, Eugene looked ready to cry. "I'm sorry Anya, but I promise that we're going to save you." Anya tried to protest, but he only tightened his hold on her jaw. There was still plenty of rope dangling from Anya's wrists, so Eugene looped it around her mouth, gagging her. Still, she struggled, twisting out of his hold at every move he made.
Will nothing make this demon give up? Eugene thought, wanting to tear his hair out. He watched his captive's eyes dart around wildly, looking for any weakness in his hold or stance. That's it. If it can't see, it can't run. He took the ribbon from his pocket and quickly knotted it over the struggling girl's eyes. Instantly, she stopped moving, too scared to even move.
"That's better," Eugene approved. "Now be nice, and we'll have you home in no time." He barely touched his knife to the base of her throat, and grinned as she flinched. He would have some fun punishing the demon later.
"Only fifteen minutes and I'm down for the count," Finny sighed. "What is wrong with me today?" While Bard and Mey-rin were at the top of their game, taking out their opponents in seconds, Finny had let himself become distracted. He limped in the direction of his room, favoring his left leg.
He supposed he had been wondering about Anya; if she had found the first aid kit, if she was feeling better, if she thought that he had been forward earlier. He had been careless, and gotten himself shot. The bullet had only grazed him, but it still hurt. And it had been enough to make him mad enough to completely trample the guy who shot him.
I hope Anya's still in my room, he thought. I'm no good at dressing wounds. It was nice to have someone to lean on, but that happened every day around here. Finny relied on everyone else to help him, from Sebastian's careful instructions to Anya's help with reading. What was almost an entirely different feeling, however, was having someone rely on him.
Yes, he did his job protecting the young master just like everyone else. But sometimes, he just felt useless. Finny was positive that the other staff members could perform just as well without him; he was just the muscle. But having Anya around made him feel needed on a much deeper level. They were friends and partners; they needed each other and helped each other through the worst times. Prime example: Alois Trancy.
Anya had been distant from everyone for days after the gala, and only Finny knew the full extent of why that was. Finny had unknowingly made it his mission to make Anya forget about what had happened to her, and to protect her from anything else. The girl made him feel so protective, and that wasn't altogether a bad thing. It was different from protecting the house, because everybody did that. Finny took pride in the fact that it was him who had helped her open up again, him who had made her laugh.
Finny finally arrived at the back door and let himself in. As he made his way to his room, he heard a strange noise coming from Sebastian's room. Curious, he opened the door. A score of cats flew past him, running directly out of the house through the door that Finny had carelessly left open.
"… Well, Mister Sebastian won't be happy with me, will he?" Finny finally managed. He shrugged it off and approached his room. Just as he rested his hand on the knob, he heard someone inside speak. This shouldn't have shocked him, because Anya was supposedly still in there. But the voice didn't belong to Anya. This was a man's voice.
Finny deliberated what to do; should he go alert Sebastian and the others? This was a rare occurrence. Almost no one had ever actually been able to get inside the manor. He backed away from the door slowly, ready to go find Bard or maybe even Tanaka, but a new noise stopped him dead. A smaller, higher voice was yelping in pain.
Now that was Anya's voice. Finny's heart dropped to his shoes, and then shot right into the sky with panic and anger. Without any more hesitation, he yanked the door open with all his strength, sending it flying over his head and through the wall behind him.
The boy in the room jumped back, dragging Anya with him. Finny looked on with increasing horror and rage. Anya was bound, gagged, and blindfolded. The intruder held a knife dangerously close to her neck, which was trickling blood from a small cut. And her knee was still bleeding badly.
"Get out of here, servant," the boy yelled. He tightened his grip on Anya. "My master has no business with you."
"Let her go," Finny commanded, his voice like a blade itself. "You let her go, or I swear I will tear you apart." He took a threatening step forward. Scared stiff, Eugene shoved the point of his knife even farther up Anya's neck, until her chin was forced up painfully. She whimpered something that sounded vaguely like Finny's name.
"You're going to let me out of here," Eugene shrilled. "My master wants her alive, but that doesn't mean she has to be unhurt." Finny moved just an inch forward, testing the boy's mettle. "I mean it!" He broke skin in his panic, releasing a gasp and a moan of pain from Anya. A thin line of blood blossomed from under the blade, beading up and trailing down her neck.
Finny took a step back, showing he wouldn't try anything. He was furious with himself as he was forced to watch Anya be poked and prodded past him to the door.
I have super human strength, and I can't even save her. Finny gritted his teeth. Was he really going to let this person take his best friend in the world away from him? It seemed he didn't have a choice.
Anya was still trying to stall Eugene, in her own way. The fact that she couldn't see anything actually helped. She dragged her feet, she stumbled on purpose, and she listened for any noise that could tell her where Finny was. She had almost surrendered to Eugene when Finny had found them, but the sound of his voice had revitalized her desperation. If only he would say something before we get to the door, we could figure something out.
As if he had read her thoughts, Finny spoke up. "We'll find you," he warned. "And you will wish you had never set foot in our home. I don't care what the others say; I'll follow you to the edges of the earth to bring her home."
There he was, right in front of her! His words were tough, but to Anya he sounded like he was about to cry. She felt anger flare up inside her, washing away even her fear of not being able to see. Eugene was not only hurting her, but her best friend, too. She couldn't let him take her away; if not for her sake, then for Finny's.
Taking a deep breath, she willingly let her feet fall out from under her. Eugene hadn't expected for her to collapse; as soon as she was on the floor, she launched herself away from him. Anya rolled frantically toward what she hoped was Finny. The instant that Anya no longer had a knife trained on her, Finny threw himself at Eugene. He knocked the knife out of his hand with as much effort as it took most people to pick up a spoon, and in seconds, the stable hand was unconscious and bleeding on the ground.
Finny didn't look back once as he hurried to Anya, who was struggling to sit up. He spoke softly to her, so she wouldn't freak out and punch him again. He gently removed her blindfold first, realizing that this must be very similar to the way she had been captured by Alois. Her wide violet eyes blinked, and then welled up with tears when she saw Finny's face.
"Mph, hmm hm hhhhhmmmmpphh!" she said. Finny grabbed Eugene's knife from the floor, slicing through the bindings on Anya's mouth and wrists easily.
"What was that?" he asked. Anya didn't answer, but flung her arms around him, knocking both of them to the floor. She hugged his neck and buried her face in his shirt. Finny held her close to his heart as she attempted to speak in between sobs.
"I-am-never-going-to-find-that-stupid-kit!" she hiccupped. Finny laughed, amazed. The things she thought about after trauma…
"We need to get you cleaned up," he said gently. "You've lost a lot of blood, Anya." The maid sniffed and allowed him to help her up. She sat on the bed while he dug into the wardrobe, finally pulling out the large box.
"You keep your first aid kit in your wardrobe," she stated. It wasn't a question.
"Well, yes," he said, confused. "Doesn't everyone?" He smiled at Anya's bewilderment and opened up the case.
"Wait," Anya said. She pointed to Eugene's still form. "What are we going to do about him?" Finny's face contorted with anger. Stomping over to Eugene, he took the scraps of rope from the floor and tied the older boy's hands.
"The young master will like a few words with him, I suppose," he admitted. "I, for one, would like to tear him limb from limb. Only with your permission, of course."
Anya smiled sadly. "You don't mean that, silly. I know you better than that. You're angry and upset, as am I, but we can't just murder someone in cold blood." Finny opened his mouth to protest, but shut it quickly under Anya's stern gaze.
"Why was he even here, anyway?" Finny backpedaled, returning to help Anya dress her wounds. "And what did he want with you?" He soaked a cloth with alcohol and cleansed the small cuts on Anya's neck. She grimaced, clawing at the sheets.
"He's a stable boy from my adoptive father's house," she gritted. "He's the same one who tried to stop us at the gala." She got the words out, but the alcohol really stung. Her breath was coming in gasps now; she had indeed lost a lot of blood. Adrenaline had kept her going so far, but now Anya was very dizzy.
"Why was he trying to take you away?" Finny whispered. He took the wrappings from the kit and formed a makeshift bandage around Anya's neck. It was a little sloppy, but it was the best he could do without risking hurting her even more.
"I'll fix my leg in a minute," Anya dodged. "Get up here and stretch out your leg. What happened to it?"
"Got shot," Finny said bluntly. "Why was he after you?" Anya looked forlornly at Eugene, and then treated Finny's injury. She rolled the leg of his trousers up to his knee and pulled forth a clean, sterile cloth. Finny hissed from the pain while Anya muttered apologies. After cleaning up the blood, she carefully disposed of both stained rags in a waste bin.
"The count wants me to come home," she finally sighed. "But Finny, I don't think I can face the others after all that's happened!"
"You don't have to," Finny assured her. "You don't have to go back, and you know that. This is your home now." Anya wrapped the bandages around Finny's leg gently; she really was a great nurse. But the look in her eyes as she stared at her handiwork was so sad.
"Finny, they shot you. They almost killed Ciel. I don't even know if everyone else is okay! What if he doesn't give up? What if he comes back? I never wanted any of you to get hurt because of me." Anya folded her hands in her lap, finished with her work. "Maybe I should leave… they wouldn't bother you anymore."
"Don't say that!" Finny said forcefully. He stood up, testing his leg. "If you left, I- we would all miss you so much. I can't imagine you not being here anymore, Anya. When I think ahead, all I can see is all of us, together. I would get myself shot a thousand times before I let you leave because you think you have to." He sat down next to her on the bed, clasping her hand in his own.
Anya, too tired to do much else, merely mumbled her assent and leaned her head against Finny's shoulder. She had done this once or twice when she had nodded off in the greenhouse or the library, but this was different, somehow. Finny withdrew his hand in order to put an arm around her shoulders. They sat like that for a long minute, Anya snuggling into the crook of Finny's neck, and Finny holding her close. Despite the excitement of the day, they both felt utterly at peace.
"We should probably find the others now," Finny whispered. When no answer came, he craned his neck to look down at the girl in his arms. He smiled, blush dusting his cheeks; Anya had fallen asleep. Gently, he placed a slow kiss on her forehead, directly on her hairline. She mumbled something in her sleep and cuddled more closely to him before sighing contently.
Unsure of what to do, Finny let her rest for a minute. It felt good to just sit with her and feel her relaxed in his arms. Curled against him, she looked so much happier, so carefree. Anya had a curious way of sleeping. Her breathing was soft, and she gravitated toward warmth, burrowing under his protective arm. To his surprise, Finny could see them like this in the future, and not only the close future.
Finny realized that he could clearly envision spending the rest of his days with this girl.
He smiled at the thought, and let his eyelids flutter shut for only a moment before he heard footsteps out in the hall. Sebastian appeared in the hole where the door had been, turning up his nose in disapproval at the mess.
"Finian, what on earth-?" Finny shushed him with a gesture, glancing pointedly from him to Anya. The butler took in the scene with little to no surprise; it took a lot more than a little scuffle like this to catch him off guard.
"I see that stable boy found his way in," Sebastian stated softly. He carelessly tossed the boy over his shoulder. "I'll see what I can get out of him, and let the young master decide what to do with him afterwards. Let Anya sleep for a few more minutes, then wake her up to clean her wound." The butler smirked at the gardener's shocked expression. "Yes, you, Finian. I promise she won't hold it against you."
As he exited the room with Eugene slung over his back like a bag of flour, Sebastian called back, "I believe that you're the only one she trusts to do it."
"… Stupid butler." Anya murmured. Then she fell back to dreaming.
Ciel paced around the library, his thoughts racing. The skirmish hadn't even lasted for half an hour, but he knew that this was no ordinary attack. According to Bardroy's report from outside, the intruders hadn't even been professional gunmen; they were amateur at best.
Why would someone send in those hopeless men in here to be slaughtered?
He stopped, dread gnawing at his stomach. What if they were only decoys and their true mission was something altogether different? Uneasy, Ciel was about to call for Sebastian, but the butler chose that moment to enter library with a familiar looking boy on his back. The butler plopped the boy unceremoniously in a wooden chair and bowed to his master.
"What happened?" Ciel asked briskly.
"From what I can tell," Sebastian complied. "This one was on a kidnapping mission. He attacked Anya and tried to take her, but Finian discovered them and confronted the boy." Sebastian frowned. "In the process, he blew right through a downstairs wall and ripped a door from its hinges. I will repair them after I finish the window in the study."
Ciel studied the unconscious boy in front of him. It took him only seconds to place him. "So this is Eugene? He seems to be popping up everywhere."
"He is undoubtedly acting under the count's orders, my lord."
"I understand that well enough. What I would like to know is why the count is so prepared to use force to bring Anya back. If all he wants is to bring his adopted daughter home, why would he risk killing her? It doesn't make any sense."
He poked Eugene's face with disdain. "Is he going to wake up any time soon?"
"I don't think so," Sebastian guessed. "Finian wasn't as careful as he normally is. He lost his temper back there."
Ciel couldn't help but smile lightly. "I'm sure he did. You've noticed it, too?" There had been an obvious attraction between the maid and the gardener almost since Anya's arrival, even if they had both been a little slow in realizing it. Ciel had even overheard Bard and Mey-rin giggling about it at dinner.
"I would have to be as blind as Mey-rin not to," the butler stated simply. "I'm surprised the girl hasn't figured it out before now. He follows her around like a pup."
"Those in love are often the last to recognize the fact. That's what Aunt Red always told me."
"I hate to change to a darker subject, but there is something that I need to say." Sebastian knelt before Ciel; hand on his heart and head bowed in shame. "I don't believe you've had a chance to think about it, what with all the excitement, but I have failed you as your butler. I allowed myself to be caught off guard, and was unable to protect you."
Ciel looked coldly at his butler. In truth, he hadn't thought about it, but it had been Anya who had knocked him away from the window. Sebastian had only been seconds behind her, but those seconds would have been enough to kill him. Anya had joined their home as a housekeeper, not a combatant, and she had still reacted quickly enough to shield him with her own life.
"Thanks to Anya, nothing disastrous happened. A civilian risked her life to save mine, when that shouldn't have been necessary. It is your job to be aware of everything that goes on around here, and yet you left it to an untrained human girl to protect me. You are aware of how serious this is?"
"Of course, my lord." Sebastian was filled with shame and frustration. Being outdone by a teenage girl was a real blow to his ego. Ciel turned his back on the kneeling butler.
"She saved my life," he said, almost to himself. "I'll bet you anything that she won't even think about it like that. She'll just be excited that she was able to be involved and that no one was seriously injured." He looked back at Sebastian, eye wide. "No one was seriously injured, were they?"
"No, my lord."
"Then what are you still doing there? Get the intruder to the cellar and call a meeting immediately. This offense won't be ignored."
Sebastian raised his head. "My lord, I expected-"
"For me to chastise you? There's no need. You're too proud to let anything like this happen again. Now do as I ordered."
"Yes, my lord."
Anya and Finny entered the library together, both a little unsteady. Finny had let Anya sleep until Sebastian returned to call them upstairs, and then he had shaken her awake to attend to her leg. After much blushing and awkward silence, Anya was all fixed up. Although she was a little embarrassed to have dozed off like a kitten, she just felt that much closer to Finny now.
The others were all standing around, nursing various bruises and scratches. Bard had an impressive lump on his forehead, and Mey-rin's hair looked like someone had tried to shoot it off. Sebastian, unsurprisingly, only had one small tear in his tailcoat. And of course, Ciel was as impeccably dressed as always. Tanaka sat in the corner, and chuckled over his tea when he saw that Anya was gripping Finny's arm.
"Oh ho ho?" he chuckled. Everyone turned their heads to the doorway and smiled.
"There they are," Bard cried. "The heroes of the hour! You're both getting extra dessert for a week!" He laughed at their panicked expressions. "Don't worry; I'm talking ice cream here."
"That's enough," Sebastian snapped. "We are here to debrief and plan a course of action. Everyone listen."
Ciel gestured for them to sit around a large table. Sebastian stood stoically to his right, and the rest of them sat, waiting.
"First off, we all need to know exactly what occurred today. Anya, please start from the gunshots."
"Sure thing, milord. Well, I brought the cake to the study and we discussed… a case. The intruders shot at us through the window, and then Sebastian arrived and ran off with the Earl. I cut myself on the broken glass, so after I found you all, I went to find the first aid kit in Finny and Bard's room. Eugene was in there." Anya paused, squeezing Finny's hand. "He pulled a knife on me and tried to take me. Finny found us and saved me, even though he was hurt." She smiled up at him, and he smiled tenderly back.
"Bardroy, what happened to the other intruders?"
"Easy pickings, your lordship. Sorry, but we ended up killing them all. It was over too quickly."
Ciel folded his hands under his chin. "That's fine. Eugene is passed out in the cellar. He seems to be closest to the count out of all the men; he was the only one who wasn't used as bait."
"Wait- you mean Finny didn't tear the kid limb from limb?" Bard looked astonished.
"She wouldn't let me," Finny grumbled. He was happy that he hadn't, now that it was all over, but the thought still appealed to him. Each time he remembered how he felt when Eugene had threatened Anya, he wanted to tear a door clean off its hinges. Again.
Ciel stood abruptly. "There is something that I need to address, and it can't wait." Everyone locked their eyes on the Earl, soaking up his every word. "We can't let this go unpunished. Sebastian will send the boy home to deliver a message to Count Rosenbloom: If he won't leave us alone, we will be forced to fight back. Depending on his response, we will either return to our lives as normal, or take up arms against his house. Personally, I would like this all to be over, but no one invades my house without penalty. Be ready at any time."
"Yes, sir!" they cheered simultaneously. One by one, the Phantomhive servants stood and saluted their lord.
"Very well. You should all get cleaned up and get some rest; there is still work to be done today." They all took that as a dismissal, and began to leave. Even Sebastian left to repair his coat.
"Anya, could you stay for a moment?" The girl turned to find Ciel still seated, waiting for her.
"Of course, sir," the maid said. She gave Finny's hand a pat and he exited the library with a smile. Anya sat across from the Earl with a wistful grin and a smattering of blush on her face. "Do you need something, Ciel?"
"Why didn't you tell them?" Ciel cut to the quick.
"Tell them? About my dream?" Anya was confused. Why would she have said anything about such a personal matter in a strategy meeting?
"That you saved my life."
Anya blinked. "Excuse me? When did I ever…"
"You failed to mention that you were the first to spot the gunmen. They had a clear shot at me through the window, but you pushed me out of the way, placing yourself in great risk."
"Milord, I simply-"
"Anya, I have never asked you to fight for me; you did more than enough by assisting me in the murder case. And yet you showed the actions of a true Phantomhive maid, staying loyal to me in the greatest way possible, even when it wasn't you duty." He stood and bowed at the waist, a remarkable thing for the Earl to do. "For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Anya knew her face must be bright red; her ears were burning. "Ciel, you don't have to- I mean, that wasn't anything. It's our j-job to keep you s-safe." She let her hair fall into her face, mortified for stammering. "I wasn't going to let anyone kill you on your birthday, was I?"
"Whether or not you see it the way that I do, I am still indebted to you. And believe me; it isn't good for me to owe anyone a life debt. So what do you want? I'm prepared to offer you anything within reason."
Anya stared, openmouthed. What was he saying? She had only done her job, and hadn't really been able to think when she had thrown him to the ground. Why was he doing this?
Ciel kept his eye trained steadily on her, as if trying to read her thoughts. What would she ask for?
"My lord, if there is anything that would put my mind at ease, it would be for you to promise not to hurt Eugene."
Well, that was the last request the Earl had expected. She could have asked for gold, jewels, land, transportation; anything. But it seemed she liked things just the way they were. After watching her and Finny, Ciel wasn't overly surprised by that. If this is the life she wants, I won't say no. But…
"I would like to ask why, if you don't mind." He tried to keep his voice neutral, but he couldn't contain his outrage. This boy had dared to invade their home, and had even tried to kidnap Anya. "Why do you care what happens to him?"
"We used to be friends," Anya said sadly. "After the Incident, he was the only one who still wanted to be my friend. Unfortunately, he was convinced that some evil spirit had somehow taken control of me, and I was still there somewhere. He thought he was doing a good thing by kidnapping me."
"Then I won't have any hand in harming him," Ciel promised. "I swear so on my parents' graves." Anya inhaled sharply. That was a serious oath for him to make. "I can't, however, make any promises for our gardener. You'll have to speak with him about that."
"He wouldn't actually kill him," Anya said defensively. "He was just angry, that's all. I asked him to lighten up and he did. End of story."
Ciel placed his head in his hands. "Are you really that blind? You can spot a horde of assassins in a tree through the snow, but you haven't seen this?"
Anya was truly bewildered now. "What on earth are you talking about? What did I miss?"
"Forget it. I give up." Ciel threw his hands up in defeat. "It's not really my business, anyway. In any case, we'll be sending Eugene back tomorrow. Are you sure there isn't anything else I can do for you?"
"A life for a life debt is pretty much even," Anya corrected. "Even if the other's life doesn't matter that much to you. But I do have one question; earlier, the others gave me the impression that we don't really celebrate Christmas here…"
~A little less than two weeks later~
Anya jumped out of bed only minutes after the sun began ascending into the sky. She dressed quietly, trying not to wake her snoozing roommate. Just to make things different, she pulled on a green shirt with a red jacket and trousers. It was the day before Christmas, and she was going to get this house in the spirit of the holiday.
She had a lot of work to do.
Anya climbed the stairs to the main dining hall, and gasped. There was a magnificent tree in the center of the room, a gleaming candle hanging from every other branch. The lofty ceiling was covered with wreathes and garlands of poinsettias. And at the top of a tall, wobbly ladder stood Sebastian Michaelis, who was reaching to set a star at the very top of the tree.
"Sebastian," she called, giddy with delight. "Did you do all of this?" She twirled in circles, nearly laughing in her ecstasy. "It's so beautiful!"
Sebastian shot her his charming smile from his precarious perch. "I would like to take the credit, but I was merely assisting Finian. The young master gave him the task of gathering all of the flowers, after all." He descended the ladder, star still in hand. Anya eagerly held out her hands for it, and the butler willingly capitulated the glimmering bauble. It was made of delicate silver, so unlike the heavy brass ornament that Anya remembered from her childhood.
"How did you do this?" she gushed, feeling just about five years old. "You must have worked through the night!"
Sebastian shrugged. "I don't need much sleep. And trust me; Finian is already making up for lost time." He pointed to a spot against the wall, where Finny lay huddled under a red and white quilt. Anya giggled as she approached him silently. She couldn't help it; he was just too adorable sometimes. She knelt down beside him to whisper in his ear.
"Finny," she crooned. "It's time to wake uuu-uuup." He groaned and flipped over on his side.
"Five more minutes, Anya. Pleeeease~?"
"Okay… I'll just go tell Sebastian that we can eat breakfast without you."
"I'm up!" he exclaimed, suddenly wide awake. He blushed when he saw Anya and Sebastian both laughing at him. "Come on! I stayed up all night. This was just a- a short rest." Anya laughed again and hauled her friend to his feet.
"It looks amazing, Finny!" She hugged him fiercely, nearly sending both of them to the floor again. "I can't believe we're having Christmas together."
Finny returned her embrace gently. "Well, the young master said that we were having a Christmas Eve party, and so-"
"We're having a party?" Anya cried out. Finny had never seen her eyes shine so brightly. They were filled with hope and joy and a childish gleam that was extremely contagious. "This is so perfect!"
"What are you doing, making so much noise this early?"
The three staff members turned to see Ciel enter the hall, wearing a simple working outfit. Anya had to keep herself from staring; she had never seen the Earl look so young! Without the frills and billowing capes, Ciel looked just like an ordinary teenage boy.
"I apologize, my lord," Sebastian bowed. "But it seems that Miss Criel has suddenly been replaced by a toddler in disguise. She can't seem to calm down."
"Ciel!" Anya crowed. She bounded up to him and curtsied enthusiastically, which was strange because she wasn't even wearing a skirt. "Are we really having a Christmas party?"
Ciel smiled softly. "Funny; your reaction is eerily similar to Elizabeth's. She and a few of my acquaintances will be joining us this evening, so I asked Finian to get ready last night. Do you like it?"
"I love it," Anya beamed. "And I'm so happy that I'm finally going to meet Lady Elizabeth. She sounds like a really sweet girl." She watched Ciel's expression soften. There he goes again! He absolutely adores his fiancé.
"That's excellent," he said. "Because after tonight, she'll either be calling you her little sister or trying to dress you like a doll. Maybe both." He gazed around a bit before addressing Finny and Sebastian. "You two did wonderfully. There is only one thing missing now."
Anya followed his gaze to the tip of the tree, still in need of a topper. She held out the silver star for the Earl's approval. "It's so beautiful, isn't it?" Her eyes lit up at a sudden thought. She looked at her friends with big, pleading eyes.
"Can I put the star on the tree? Can I, please? The count would never let me climb the ladder to do it when I was younger, and by the time I was tall enough, he had stopped celebrating Christmas, too."
"There is a problem with that," Sebastian interjected. "The ladder simply isn't tall enough for any of us to reach high enough to affix the star." Of course, he could have simply leaped up to the top himself, but he had to keep up his human appearance in front of Anya and Finny.
"We can do it," Anya insisted. "Can't we, Finny?" She winked at her partner, and he beamed at her as he grasped her meaning.
"Of course!"
It wasn't awkward at all now. Both of their wounds had healed quickly, (Anya's a bit more quickly than would be considered normal) and they were in top shape. Anya turned her back to Finny, who placed his hands warmly on her waist.
"On my count," the gardener whispered. His breath tickled her ear. "On three."
At the count of three, Anya rocketed to the top of the tall evergreen, peaking at just the right moment. The star in her hands seemed to give off its own glow as she quickly put it in its proper place. The whole time, her body was buzzing with that wonderfully familiar sensation of flying. She was almost disappointed when she fell from the air and landed safely in Finny's ready arms. Almost.
"Hello, there," she giggled. She knew her face was flushed with excitement and that Ciel and Sebastian were watching their every move, but she didn't care.
Finny grinned as he set her on her feet again. "Hello, yourself. Did milady have a nice trip?"
"Why, of course. Thank you very much for asking." Anya played along with their mock formality and tried to curtsy again. Finny bowed and took her hand, and the two of them attempted a formal dance. Failing miserably and red in the face, they both dropped to the floor, laughing their heads off.
"Young master," Sebastian whispered just loudly enough for Ciel to hear. "Do the holidays always make young people lose their heads?"
Ciel smiled ruefully. "No, Sebastian. I think what we're seeing here is the two of them finally figuring out what all of us already know." He raised his voice. "Okay, that's enough frivolity for now. Lord knows there'll be enough of it tonight. Finny, go get some rest. You've been up all night. Anya, I need you to help Bard with the menu for dinner. We aren't on holiday just yet; if we want to host this event properly, we need to get moving. Dismissed."
"Yes, sir!" Anya and Finny left the room to go about their assigned tasks. While Anya skillfully cracked some eggs into a bowl for breakfast, Finny drew the sheets up to his chin. He dozed off almost instantly, but not before promising himself that he would do it that evening. He was going to tell Anya Criel exactly what he thought of her.
"So you fail the task I gave you, let your entire party die, and come crawling back here with this?" Count Rosenbloom raged, ripping the letter into pieces. Eugene stood with his head bowed, not saying anything. He had expected this. He might not have returned to the count at all, if not for that frightening butler. The butler had promised that he would know if Eugene didn't deliver the Earl's message, and the young boy had believed every word of it.
He was positive that the butler wasn't human.
"Begging you pardon, sir." Eugene raised his head slightly. "But if that demon wants to stay where it is, why should it concern you? Why go through all this trouble if it just won't cooperate?"
"She is not possessed," the count roared. "When will you get that through your thick, uneducated skull, boy? Would a demon have let you capture it? Would a demon leave you alive? They do not exist!"
Eugene shrank away from his master's rage. "So I take it that you will ignore the Earl's warning?"
"Of course! That girl is nowhere near being old enough to decide this sort of thing for herself. Why, if her parents-!" The count suddenly fell silent, as if he were afraid to say too much. "Anyway, if you don't have anything useful to say, go rot in a stable somewhere."
The stable hand cleared his throat. "Sir, I overheard the Earl say something strange to his butler when they sent me off. He said something about a Yard record stating that Ian Criel had not been killed by a runaway horse. That was the story that I heard, and I respectfully request to know if it is true or not."
Count Rosenbloom groaned, suddenly looking decades older. His tired, steely eyes locked themselves on Eugene's, and the boy saw only sadness and fatigue in them.
"I suppose you've gotten yourself in this deep, haven't you? Aside from Amelia, no one except your mother-bless her soul-knew the real cause of Ian's death. The horse story is just what I told Anya when she was younger." He looked away before finally focusing on Eugene again. He had never imagined he would ever speak his next words.
"A horse didn't kill Ian. I did."
I really don't think I can stay up much later than this. It took me like ten minutes to write the note at the top just because I kept messing up T.T
Moony: Cookies to anyone who knows where half of the names in this chapter and the previous one came from!
Not now, Moons. I'm... so.. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Moony: Well, goodnight, sleep tight, and R&R everyone.