Ritsuka's prior apprehension for when it came to entering the undertaker's shop had disappeared. Undertaker had proven himself more than helpful in figuring out what was going on. Despite his eccentricity, Ritsuka placed the utmost trust in him.

Sebastian eased the wooden door open, waiting for Sebastian and Ritsuka to enter the dim shop before following them. Several coffins had been removed since their last visit, and a few more jars had been placed on the shelf. Ritsuka's ears flattened against his head as he cast a wary glance at the coffin against the wall, but after straining his ears he couldn't pick up even the faintest sound coming from that direction. A kettle was boiling in the corner of the room, and Undertaker had already lined up several freshly cleaned beakers for his company. An eerie silence spread across the dusty shop as the trio waited for their eager host to make an appearance.

Ciel sighed, and made himself comfortable in the Undertaker's waiting area. Ritsuka soon joined him, looking around the cluttered room without intent. It gave him something to do besides sit there. He kept his tail wrapped around him, lest Undertaker be tempted to grab it again. He was thankful that Sebastian came to stand behind, although he could have done without the overly affectionate butler tousling his hair.

Undertaker finally emerged from his back room, adjusting his crooked hat. "I was wondering when you all would show up."

Ciel rolled his eyes, and shifted into a more comfortable position. Maybe he would have been a bit more receptive if he hadn't been summoned out here just to wait. For once he was actually getting through his work and the piles of homework Sebastian had decided to pile onto him for being 'disagreeable'. With so much to do, he would have preferred if Undertaker had just taken the liberty to drop in on him again. "What's the reason for you dragging us all the way out here?"

"I think you know the answer to that as well as I do." Behind his thick veil of hair, Undertaker's eyes lingered on Ritsuka. A wide smirk spread across his face as he handed him a beaker filled with tea. He offered one to Ciel as well, before filling one for himself and retrieving his bone shaped cookies. Ritsuka politely declined when offered one, thinking they looked more like dog treats than cookies. He took a small sip of his tea before Undertaker continued. "I've almost found a solution to our little problem, just need a little this and that, but there's something else that I should make you aware of."

Ritsuka's eyes darted to the floor and he sipped his gradually cooling tea. He could still feel Undertaker's eyes burning holes into him. Lately everything was just one problem after another. At this point I shouldn't be surprised. Ritsuka anxiously awaiting what the strange man had to say. "There's an issue of time sensitivity. If we can't send him back in time, roughly 48 hours to be precise, you'll have to figure out a more permanent solution for him."

"He'll be stuck here?"

Ritsuka set aside his beaker and folded his hands in his lap, staring intently at his hands. The world around him fell away as he sat there. A sense of dread slowly overcame him, and he struggled to keep his breathing even. Everything fiber of his being protested against the new knowledge. Something would go wrong, he could feel it. At the last possible moment something would rip away what he wanted the most and he'd be stuck in an unfamiliar time and place, unable to discount the whole experience as a fever dream.

"Yes, didn't I just say that?" Undertaker's eyes roamed among the trio, finally coming to a rest on the dismayed Ritsuka. He was trapped in his own stupor, and it would take a lot more than some idle speculation for him to jostle himself back into the here and now. "Of course it shouldn't take nearly as much time to send him back, I need maybe half a day to gather the rest of the components, then he can me on his merry way."

Ritsuka nodded weakly, feeling everyone's eyes on him, but gave up on trying to speak. No words came when he opened his mouth. The rest of the conversation passed in a blur for him, and he only vaguely remembered climbing into the carriage for the long trip home.

Ciel and Sebastian exchanged knowing glances. After realizing Ritsuka wasn't paying any mind to either of them, he told Sebastian, "Keep an eye on him. We can't toss him into the unknown in shock."

Sebastian nodded in agreement, taking a moment to ruffle Ritsuka's hair. Minutes later, he slowly picked his head up, his normally crystalline brown eyes glazed over. Ritsuka finally focused on Sebastian and weakly asked what was wrong. "Nothing you've just gone quite pale. Perhaps you should lie down when we get back."

Ritsuka stared at him for a few moments, then sighed and returned to staring at the carriage floor. Sebastian would have gotten a livelier response from one of his cats. It was going to take a lot more than a nap to quell the storm of emotions raging inside of the young boy.

Even after what felt like hours of sitting under the large tree in the backyard, the beams of sunlight filtering in through the cheerful, green leaves failed to warm me. The world cold didn't seem accurate to describe this sensation spreading through my body, but it was part of it. Cold seemed to be the only thing I could feel right now. Maybe the initial shock still hadn't worn off, but shouldn't I have been happier about this? I was finally going home. The only obstacle that remained was something as worthless as time. For all I knew, Undertaker could have been off in his calculations and the window of opportunity could have already passed. What if I was already stuck here?

Sebastian hovered over me, his shadow blocking out what little sunlight had reached me. With sigh I flipped onto my back and stared up at him. His red-brown eyes met mine, and he crouched over me. "Are you alright?"

I made some sound halfway between a whimper and a sigh. There was no right answer to this, he would have known I was lying, the answer was obvious. The real question was what was wrong. If I didn't even know, how did I expect Sebastian to be able to figure it out? He rested his gloved hand on my forehead then frowned, "You still don't appear to have a fever. Do you feel ill? Perhaps you should consult a doctor when you return home."

I weakly shook my head and let my eyes fall shut again. I didn't need a doctor that much I was certain of. Once this whole thing blew over I would finally be able to breathe easy once again, and not one minute sooner. "Do you think it will work?"

"It doesn't matter what I think. The school of thought has nothing to do with magic. You can do the same thing a hundred different times and still not produce the desired results. Which is why I refuse to bother with such trivial things."

Any hopes of Sebastian coming out to comfort me floated away on the breeze. I should have known better than to expect him to say something comforting, but it felt impossible to not get my hopes up. His hand came to rest on the side of my face, his long fingers just brushing against my neck as he used his thumb to stroke my cheek. Warmth radiated through me, chasing away the cold that had seeped into me. "Whatever happens, happens. Nothing you do or say can change that. It isn't your fault."

"I know but…"

Strands of his hair brushed across my face as he leaned forward, and I opened my eyes to find his own red-brown ones gazing back into my own. A small, ghost of a smile spread across his face when I brushed back some of his hair. I left my fingers buried in his hair and lifted my shoulders a few inches off the ground so I could kiss him. Sebastian trailed kissed along the sides of my face, returning to my mouth several times for measured, chaste kisses. He coaxed me into a sitting position, then I slowly rose to my feet. Sebastian led me into the house, and I sat myself on the counter while he finished preparing the rest of afternoon tea. He left me sitting there with a large slice of strawberry cake and a cup of tea while he went to tend to Ciel. As the tingling in my cheeks subsided from the initial rush of sugar, some of my tension melted away. Sebastian's right, whatever happens happens. There's nothing I can do to change it.

All morning I had been wandering aimlessly around Ciel's large house, unable to sit still for more than a few moments at a time. My stomach was in knots, and my heart started to pound whenever I let myself think about what was about to happen. I was stuck in some weird mixture of excitement and dread. For what felt like the hundredth time this morning, I found myself standing on the front stoop gazing across the horizon. When Undertaker called yesterday, he conveniently forgot to mention a time. Ciel was carrying on with business as usual, and whenever I happened to wander across Sebastian's path, he did his best to try to distract me for a few minutes, whether it was putting away the dishes, or asking me to track down one of his cats (and there were plenty to choose from). As of right now, I think he had given up on trying to keep me busy, and the last time I saw him, he was taking a break in the garden with his black cat. Part of me wanted to go sit with him, but I knew I wouldn't be able to remain still for that long. I'm ready for this to be over.

I bounded down the cement stairs and started wandering towards the back yard again. Standing there for much longer would have only warranted unwanted thoughts of 'what if he doesn't show up' or 'what if it really doesn't work'? It had to work, I couldn't really be stuck here. I had to go home. Sebastian was still crouched under the tree, but his cat was long gone. He had his head tipped towards one side as if he was listening to something.

Afraid of disturbing him, I stopped a few feet behind him and waited. Electricity hummed in the air, and put my fur on end. Maybe he was trying to figure out where the strange sensation was coming from. It wasn't really hot enough for heat lightning, but maybe a storm was brewing. By the feel of it, it was going to be a big one.

Sebastian rose with a sigh and turned to me, "Back so soon?"

I nodded and he fondly stroked one of my ears. Balancing on my toes, I pressed my head against the palm of his hand. This much I would miss. Maybe, I should look for a boyfriend when I get back. Sebastian pulled away and I dropped back to the ground, ready to follow him back to the house. He stood there long enough for me to start getting antsy then locked eyes with me. "He's here."

I turned around, trying in vain to see the front of the house. "How do you know?"

Sebastian didn't bother to explain, and headed for the back door to meet Undertaker half-way. I scampered after him, only to have them intercept me halfway through the western hallway. Ciel had joined them, and together we made our way to the back yard. Sebastian slowed to match my pace. Even with home so close, this made me nervous. All I could think about was Sebastian implying that magic wasn't reliable. I could have gotten sent back to the wrong place, or get dropped further ahead than I was supposed to be. It had to work, this is my only option.

When Undertaker began setting up, I hung back, not wanting to get in the way of anything. Ciel stood off to the side as well, leaving Sebastian and Undertaker to set up the large circle. They talked among each other, and Sebastian caught my eyes several times during the conversation, but nothing in his movements gave an indication to how he was feeling. Unless he just came out with it, I probably wouldn't ever figure it out. Sebastian came over when Undertaker and Ciel cleared out of the circle. Undertaker stood in the center of the smaller circle. He clasped his hands together and the symbols started to glow a florescent blue. The wind picked up, and stripped the leaves off several branches until the portal reached its full glory. From where I stood, I couldn't see the other side, just a swirling vortex of hyper saturated color.

My ears flattened against my head, and my first thought was to back away from the strange source of energy. If Sebastian hadn't ushered me forward, I might have remained cemented to the spot. I don't think I can do this. I don't want to go in that. The air hummed faintly the closer Sebastian pushed me, but he stopped before we were in ear shot of the Undertaker and asked, "Will you wait for me?"

"What are you talking about?" I tipped my head back to get a better look at his shadowed face. Determination sparkled in the depths of his now pink eyes, as he pinned me to his chest, and firmly repeated, "Wait for me."

There's no way. He's not making any sense. I glanced at the wobbling portal and bit my bottom lip, refusing to entertain the thought of staying here. It wouldn't work. I had to go. Promising him I would wait, felt better than saying goodbye, even if was impossible for us to meet again. I nodded weakly, staring down at the swaying grass. "I will. Just don't take too long."

"I wouldn't dream of it." He kissed the top of my head one final time then released me with a well measured shove in the right direction. I took a deep breath and hesitated, before carefully placing one foot in front of the other, and inched closer to the portal. The wind swirled around me, and there was a bright flash of light. Everything around me disappeared. There was no sound, or anything to see. It was as if I had been stripped of all of my senses, then all at once it came back, threatening to overwhelm me.

I stood in the center of my room, a weak light filtering in through the curtains. I could hear a few cars driving by in the distance, and the streetlamp outside my window blinked off. Everything was just at I had left it. My father muse have been getting ready for work, because I could hear someone shuffling around downstairs. The clock on my nightstand reading six o'clock only confirmed my beliefs. While it seemed like only a few hours had passed, there was no way to be certain unless I went down there.

The door to my room creaked as I eased it open, and crept down the stairs. My dad was in the process of pouring coffee into a mug when I peered into the kitchen. Thankfully my mom wasn't in sight, otherwise she would have made a fuss out of me being up so early. I didn't even thing Seimei was awake yet. He started when he spied me standing there and sighed, moving around the room as he finished getting ready for work. "What are you doing up so early?"

I shook my head and stared at the floor. It really has only been a few hours. How is that even possible? "I couldn't sleep."

He ruffled my hair on the way to the door, and paused long enough to put his shoes on, "don't make too much noise, you'll wake your mother." I nodded and waited until the front door had closed before creeping back upstairs. I pressed my back against the door of my room, Sebastian's last words rang in my ears. Wait for me.

Yuiko happily chattered on as we headed for the front gates together. I had long forgotten when she was even talking about, but she seemed happen enough with the occasional smile and nod. She stopped suddenly, staring at the front gates and whispered, "Say, do you know who that is?"

I followed where she was not so discreetly pointing and froze in my tracks. Even with shorter hair and casual clothes I recognized him almost instantly. How…? He smiled coyly at me, and brushed back some of his black hair, patiently waiting for me. "I…I have to go, I'll see you later."

"Wait, tell me who it is!"

I waved her off, already halfway to where he was standing. I stopped just out of reach, slightly out of breath, and hesitant to go to him. It had only been a few hours…but in the same times decades had passed in the blink of an eye. Is it really him? No. It has to be. Sebastian rested his hand on top of my head and stroked one of my ears. The sunlight reflected off his black nails, and I caught a glimpse of some pentagram shaped tattoo. What was he up to all these years? "I hope I didn't take too long."

I shook my head weakly, and Sebastian peered over the top of my head where I figured Yuiko was stubbornly waiting for an explanation. "Your friend is waiting for you."

"You've been waiting longer." He smiled, his eyes turning that strange pink color again. He worked his fingers through my hair, and locked eyes with me. I found myself unable to look away, and inched closer until I could bury my face in his chest. "How did you find me?"

"It wasn't as hard as you would think."

"Magic."

Sebastian shook his head, running his long fingers through my hair. "Something easier than that. I'll tell you…" I gazed up at him again and took a step back, waiting for him to continue. Only he didn't. He stared just past me at Yuiko. "If you take your friend home like you're supposed to."

"Will you come with me?"

Sebastian chuckled, and took his hand off my head. "I suppose I can." I slid my hand into his and rejoined Yuiko, who had a lot more questions than there were stars in the sky. She paid little mind to Sebastian, and directed any questions about him to me, even though he would have been answering many of them himself, especially the ones regarding how we met. I couldn't very well say I got thrown into the past for a few hours. Sebastian squeezed my hand and came to explain, "I saw him taking photos in the park one day."

I glanced back at him, wondering how he had found out about that. From there on Sebastian took charge of answering questions, weaving an almost unbelievable tale of romance. But each answer only seemed to win Yuiko even more. By time she had reached her front door she had gotten his opinion about nearly everything and everything. "Ritsuka, we should all hang out some time. Me, You, Sebastian, and Yayoi!"

Sebastian looked to me for an answer, and shrugged, "Maybe, we aren't really official or anything."

Yuiko pouted, and started taking her shoes off. "Make sure you call me later Ritsuka, this isn't over."

She closed the door back and I turned to Sebastian, bundling myself against his chest. "So, how did you find me."

He hummed thoughtfully, working his fingers through my hair. "I'm a demon."

I rolled my eyes and pulled away from him, leading the way back to my house. "Get real."

Sebastian followed closely behind me, occasionally reaching out to stroke one of my ears. "I am being entirely serious."

He pulled me against his chest and stared down at me, his eyes turning that strange pink color again. I couldn't quite l place what I had seen reflected back, but whatever it was, whether the chill that crept down my spine, or the ominous black cloud that briefly blocked out the sun, I knew there was no way he was human. "Are you afraid?"

"Are you going to take my soul?"

He swiped his thumb across my bottom lip. studying me with a predatory intensity. "I might. But not now." I tilted my head back in anticipation when he moved one of his hands to my neck and pressed my back against my chest. "It still needs time to grow." He ran his thumb along my neck and barely brushed his lips against mine. "Then I'll consider it."

I laced my fingers together behind his neck and pulled him in for another kiss. "You can have it."