A/N: Please read and review! I know this chapter is kind of random, but oh well. ^^ (Also, it was my birthday four days ago, so your reviews are kind of like birthday presents!) hee hee xD

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC(s).

Chapter Four:
Rats and Cats

"You want me to be yer…what?"

The pickpocket watched him with an incredulous look in her eyes, her face contorted in confusion, silently pleading he was joking.

He wasn't.

"A page."

"…Like in a book?" Ash again tried to dodge his meaning, hopelessly failing at doing so. She knew what he meant, but sometimes playing dumb worked. Ciel sighed, rubbing his temples with one hand, whilst the other clutched the edge of the table in exasperation. At that moment, he wished he had let Sebastian do the explaining to this 'boy', instead.

Nonetheless, his butler stood nearby, hands folded politely.

"A servant boy. You cannot expect me to allow you to live in my home after what you attempted at me. I need some sort of payment in return for your actions. In fact, you should consider yourself fortunate that I had enough decency to even think about offering you another chance."

"But, I—"

"Unless, of course, you would rather be sent to the gallows. Both possibilities are fine with me," Ciel finished, smirking as he knew what this street rat would do. Ah, the ease of manipulation. Such fun.

Knowing she was without defense on the subject, Ash pressed her lips together in a tight line. This was a sticky situation, but even she knew that being this boy's page would be better than dying. …She hoped. Even so, she knew it would be difficult. She was a pickpocket! How on earth could one go from a thief to a servant in one day?

Sebastian watched the change of expression on the young girl's countenance. It was funny to see a human that wasn't afraid to show what they were thinking. Ciel was often so emotionless, but Sebastian still found a way to decipher his feelings. That was one of the advantages of being a demon.

Finally, a sigh escaped Ash's mouth and she grinned, surrendering to Ciel. The expressions in her eyes were conflicted. It seemed to hold a varied amount of both hate and respect for this navy-haired boy before her.

She just got blackmailed, beaten at her own game.

Badger would have laughed.

"Well, Earl…you sure know how t' make a person grovel, I'll give you that…"

Ash abruptly stood up and spit directly into her right hand, shoving it at Ciel.

"You got a deal! Put it 'ere!"

Ciel stared at the hand, then up at her, and then back to the hand. A faint expression of revulsion leaked through the stolid mask he wore, and he had to fight to not run out of the room at that moment.

"You're joking," he deadpanned, silently pleading she was.

She wasn't.

Despite his reluctance, Ash clasped his hand without warning, shaking it briskly, a big shit-eating grin plastered on her face.

"…"

Ciel's eyes widened. Never in his whole life had he wanted to scream out for Sebastian more. His butler noticed the boy's sudden tensing, but instead of helping his master, his mouth curled upward, the infamous leer settled upon his handsome features.

"If you want this to work, Earl, you gotta be tougher than that. It's jus' a handshake. Don't you nobles know how to shake hands?" Ash said, her tone somewhat scolding. Apparently she was missing the bigger picture.

The navy-haired boy grimaced and immediately pulled away, wiping his hands with a handkerchief. It had been one of the most disgusting things he had experienced, and frankly, he was not happy about it. Then again, this was how those repulsive thieves exchanged their words—or rather, their saliva.

"It's the spitting we do not tolerate," he corrected, annoyed. "Sebastian, you must teach this urchin some manners before I allow him to accompany me on my tasks."

"Yes, My Lord," Sebastian replied. Ash furrowed her eyebrows at his words.

"Again with the 'urchin'? Did you forget—"

"One of the obligations as a servant is to avoid speaking to your master unless spoken to," Ciel interrupted, yet again, maintaining a level of superiority. Ash could no nothing but stand there, the fire in her eyes glowing dangerously, her fist clenching involuntarily.

"The name's Ash. I won't respond to anythin' else," she said through gritted teeth, not caring whether or not she would receive punishment for her brashness.

Ciel frowned and stared at her for a moment, midnight blue eye unreadable. He truly hadn't expected this 'boy' to answer like that. So, this… Ash was stubborn, it seemed.

Just like him.

At length, Ciel nodded.

"So be it."

It had been three days and no sign of her at all. Ash was never gone this long, and if she was, she often left some sort of note for her absence. Scamp's thoughts were racing. Where was she? Why hadn't she come back? Was she captured? Taken to prison?

Or worse.

…Dead?

No! Ash can take care o' 'erself! She's the best, ain't she? Stop worrying over nothin'!

He wanted to believe it, but in spite of it all, a sinking feeling seemed to engulf his body. His stomach tightened. Scamp didn't want to lose her. She was the devastatingly irresponsible older sister/brother he never had. That and he admit that he had a little crush on her, too. Scamp felt himself redden at the thought, but immediately sent it elsewhere.

"But Badger! What if somethin' happens to her?"

"Listen, boy, don't you worry for 'er, hear? You gotta look after yerself. Besides, for all we know, she could've peached on us ever since she disappeared," Badger admonished him, not wanting to hear him go on about it again. Scamp stared, wide-eyed at the old man, shocked to hear him utter these words.

"Ash'd never do that! She's our family!"

The grimy-faced lad from before, Snatcher, smiled weakly, attempting to console the younger boy.

"Jus' calm down, Scamp. She'll prob'ly turn up in a couple days. You wait and see."

Billy, on the other hand, laughed cruelly, never forgiving Ash for kneeing him in his groin. "Ha, she got what was comin', she did! Serves her right for being a bitch!"

Scamp shot him a dirty look. "You talk tough, but she could knock the livin' daylights out o' you!"

"Ooh! I'm tremblin' all over! Haha!"

"Why you—"

"Shut yer mouths, godddamnit!" Badger roared, causing everyone to freeze in their places. He normally didn't curse, so this was a surprise. As expected, not a sound escaped from anyone's lips.

"I don't wanna hear another word about Ash, all of you got it? If she got caught, she got caught. There's nothing' else to it."

He appeared to be unfeeling for his best apprentice, which would have been considered odd in any normal person's opinion, but as he grumbled these words, something indescribable passed through his coal black eyes.

He wasn't angry because they mentioned her.

He was angry because she was gone.

The boys nodded solemnly, not daring to roll their eyes or stick out their tongues, something they usually did in every other situation. When Badger spoke like that, there was sure to be a belt lash for any misbehavior. The air felt tense as Badger stood up, and candlelight flickered in the corner of the dark, dusty room.

The old man finally disappeared, along with the rest of the boys that retired to their cots, eyes suddenly heavy with sleep and minds unable to stay awake any longer. Conversely, Scamp skittered over to the small shuttered up window and peeked through, his fingers wrapping around the metal rod hanging on the side. The sky was a dark shade of blue-violet, tiny stars glimmering from far away distances.

A soft whisper escaped the small, mousy-haired boy, his green eyes trembling in the dark.

"…When will you learn, Ash?"

He did not expect anyone to reply.

Five days had passed.

After another one of their brief, seasonal breaks, the Phantomhive servants returned to the manor, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and prepared for work. However, they hadn't expected to find a scrawny, dark-haired boy in their place.

It was an awkward introduction, to say the least.

Sebastian opened the door, greeting the three pleasantly, a hand on his chest in a respectful manner. Allowing them to step in, the servants could hear the distant, yet, booming orders of a certain thirteen-year-old Earl.

"Those linens are not folded properly!"

"Do not toss those shoes there!"

"Pick up that silverware this instant!"

"Hmph! Do you call that sweeping?"

As if in a hurry, a gawky boy in oversized clothes and pageboy hat raced through the manor, up and down, right and left, an irritated vein throbbing in his forehead. Ash growled something unintelligible under her breath as Ciel barked out another order. She should've just gone to prison! Or even get hanged! Why, oh, why was she stuck with this brat?

I swear, if he gives me somethin' else to do, I'll throw these bloody plates at him!

Not looking where she was going, the young page-in-training bumped into someone.

"—oof!"

She fell to the ground, the cutlery escaping her hands. Ash gasped.

Thankfully, two hands grabbed the plates before they touched the ground. Ash looked up, her round, golden orbs focusing on a young man with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. There was dark blonde stubble on his chin, as well as a cigarette was dangling from his mouth, and he seemed to be slightly surprised, if not concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a distinct American accent to his voice. Ash glanced behind him, catching sight of the three other persons that were staring at her. One was a teenage boy, not much older than herself, with strawberry blonde hair and large turquoise eyes with a large brimmed hat strapped to his back. The other was a young woman with unusual red hair and thick, round spectacles that concealed her eyes as well as dress that ended at her knees. The last was an elderly man with graying hair, glasses, and a formal, yet simple black suit.

"Yea, I, uh—"Ash muttered hurriedly, trying to conceal her embarrassment. The man from earlier helped her stand up, handing the plates back to her. She set them on the table, out of the way. "Thanks," she added, coughing in one hand and grinning sheepishly, her cheeks slowly losing their flushed appearance.

Ciel walked into the room, one hand on his cane, a discreet smile creeping up on his mouth.

"Welcome back. Bard. Finny. Mey-Rin," he nodded to each one of them as he spoke their names. "I take your holiday had gone well."

"Oh, yes, thank you, Young Master!" they laughed, nodding vigorously and eyes brightening upon seeing the boy. It was obvious that the servants held quite a bit respect for Ciel, which Ash failed to understand.

"During your absence, I found it essential to hire another servant to assist you with tasks and accompany Sebastian and me on errands," Ciel continued as he gestured to Ash, purposely leaving out the fact that this new 'servant' was actually a former pickpocket.

Ash waved meekly as she gnawed on the inside of her mouth, not knowing what to say. It was awkward enough with them staring, but now she was really put on the spot. She managed an introduction.

"Er, 'ello. I'm—"

"—Asher," Ciel interrupted, suddenly. The dark-haired girl shot him an irritated glare, but seemed to understand his insistence on her name. "Ash" only, as a given name would be strange. However, she wouldn't allow him to be satisfied. She pushed further.

"But you can call me 'Ash'," she finished, receiving an eye roll from the Earl. Smiling cheerfully, the strawberry-blonde teenager stepped forward and shook her hand, unexpectedly, causing her to jump as he made contact.

"Hello, Ash! I'm the Phantomhive gardener! My name is Finnian, but everyone calls me Finny!"

After this, the other three shook her hand, and introduced themselves. She found out that the gardener was Finny, the maid was Mey-Rin, the cook was Baldroy, or Bard, and the steward was Tanaka. But before Ash could begin speaking again, Ciel stepped forward, cutting her off.

"He is quite inexperienced so he will need some time to adjust to servant life. I want you three to teach him the basics of gardening, cooking, cleaning and…"

Ciel glanced at Ash, emphasizing his last point.

"…folding the clothes properly…"

"Hey! It ain't my fault yer fancy, little, bloomers are so damn difficult to work with…" she muttered, not bothering to control her rude language. The others gaped at Ash, horrorstruck at the way this 'boy' was answering to his master. Speaking of which, 'his' English accent also seemed to be strange, as if he had been given poor education or had been living on the streets for the majority of his life.

Where had the Young Master acquired someone as ill-mannered at him? And why, exactly would he do it in the first place?

Ciel ignored the 'boy's' comment, aware of the previous affiliates that could have caused his horrid social behavior. He turned to Sebastian.

"Sebastian. Please show the servants to their new quarters… I'll take Ash to his."

"Yes, My Lord."

He then proceeded to lead the others up the staircase and over the ramp, leaving Ciel and Ash alone.

Ash's ears perked up at his words. "Wait a 'mint…" she said, processing what he said. "Yer sayin' that I get my own room? I don't got to sleep in that teeny closet no more?"

She could've sworn she saw a hint of amusement pass through Ciel's stolid blue eye. Absentmindedly, her gaze wandered over his eye patch. (That was strange. She had noticed it before, but she had never thought of questioning him about it).

"You are moving from the closet, correct…" Ciel replied, but his tone made the girl's stomach tighten. The way he said it… he was surely planning something… something she wouldn't like…

"…to the cellar."

Unbelievable.

Stupid prig.

Ash's expression fell immediately, a blatant look of disappointment in her eyes. But she quickly shook it off and replaced it with a look of vanity, managing a laugh. She couldn't let him know that it bothered her. Where was the fun in that?

"You really are somethin', Earl, you know that? And here I thought I was bein' upgraded, because of my extraordinary skills, but I know yer just savin' my reward till' the end. You don't have to say it; I got you," she replied, pointing at him and smiling cockily, with an obvious air conceit.

Ciel sighed, running a hand through his navy hair. "Just come with me."

She shrugged, stuffing her hands into her vest pockets, and followed behind the younger teenager.

Entering the cellar, a familiar, musky aroma entered Ash's nose. A pang of nostalgia hit her chest, and she froze. The scent… it wasn't a particularly bad scent, no, but it was stuffy and slightly alcoholic, the perfect combination of her former home. Ash almost felt guilty for leaving Badger and her friends like that. Not that she had a choice. She wanted to go back, even if it meant surviving on less than a meal each day and pickpocketing for a living.

A lump formed in her throat and she bit back tears.

Ciel, awaiting Ash to make some sort of snarky comment, immediately noticed the 'boy's' sudden silence and thought it had to do with the downgrade. He turned to her, watching her as she lowered her head, her hat blocking her eyes.

"…You may have some blankets. It can get cold in here," he offered, expecting Ash to cheer up at his words. To his surprise, it almost seemed as if she hadn't heard him, the way she shifted from one foot to another and then finally raised her head.

Her eyes met his, but she immediately looked away. "Thanks, Earl."

Strange.

The young Earl was about to leave before Ash stopped him. She was bent to the ground, inspecting something curiously. Standing up again, she appeared to be holding a thin piece of hair.

"Is this… animal fur?"

"Damn it…" Ciel muttered, more to himself. No wonder his allergies were always acting up in here. "Sebastian let another one of his stupid cats in here. I told him to get rid of them!"

"Whoa, whoa, wait. Sea Bass has a thing for cats?" Ash almost laughed. Ciel nodded, too annoyed to even wonder about Ash's nickname for Sebastian. Figured. The people he was forced to see every day… Oh, the misery.

He sighed a last time before preparing to leave.

"I shall give you some time to adjust to your living space in here. Also, do not touch anything, either," Ciel said, opening the cellar door. "You'll probably break it…" he added, well aware that Ash could hear him.

"Good to know you have faith in me, Earl," Ash saluted him, sarcastically. He disappeared from view.

Hm… so, the butler likes kitties? Intre'stin'…

.*.*.*.

The rest of the day went by quickly.

As Ciel headed down the hallway to his chambers to wait for Sebastian to perform his nighttime routine of undressing him for bed, a sharp whisper entered his ears, causing him to jump.

"Oi, Earl! Over here!"

Ciel felt two hands grab him, but before he could make a sound, a hand was pressed over his mouth and he was pulled into the dark part of that hallway. Turning around, Ciel saw Ash smiling mischievously back. Gritting his teeth, the navy-haired boy could feel anger surge within him.

"What the hell are you—?"

"Shh!" she quieted him, putting a finger over his lips. While she looked around to see if anyone was listening, Ciel felt the heat creep up to his face at the close contact. For crying out loud, Ash was an urchin, let alone a boy! Cursing at his stupid humanly feelings, he was thankful it was too dark to notice. Eventually, the former pickpocket reached into her loose trouser pocket and pulled out something. Opening her palm, she revealed a small, gray rat, sitting on her hand. Ciel almost lost his balance.

"A rat?! What are you planning to do with that disgusting thing? Dispose of it once!" Ciel whispered, far too loudly.

"Geez, keep your knickers on, Earl!" she hushed him in reply. Ash closed her palms to keep the rodent from escaping. "Which door is yer butler behind?"

"Ehh? Why do you—?"

"Jus' com'on!" Ash urged, impatiently. Ciel sighed. It was of no use asking this 'boy' anything. He was much too persistent. The young Earl nodded to a nearby room: Sebastian's quarters.

A broad smile spread across the dark-haired girl's face. "Follow me," she commanded him, pulling him towards it. Ash tiptoed to the entrance, deftly turning the knob without a noise, slipping the rat inside, and closing it within seconds. She stepped back next to Ciel.

"What are you doing?" he finally asked, as he couldn't help but feel even slightly curious.

Instead of answering, she raised her eyebrows, giving him a very evasive look. She then put a finger over her lips to quiet him again and the two silently waited.

In moments, a loud screeching cat sound could be heard and several bangs as if things were breaking. Then there were the distant commands of Sebastian, who could be heard saying chiding words to his cats. Ash was laughing so much; she had to bite on her arm to keep quiet. Ciel was wide-eyed at first, puzzled as to what exactly was going on. Finally it hit him, and he couldn't help but let a little grin slip onto his face.

To most, this action would have been considered very odd for the boy, since he rarely exposed his emotions, but at that moment, all he could think of was how Sebastian must've looked, talking to his cats. Serves him right for sneaking them in there! It was funny! Was this how it felt to be a kid again?

The door opened abruptly and out came Sebastian holding the earlier rat by its tail, an obvious scowl on his face. Ciel gulped, mostly because the demon usually kept up a cheerful façade, and it was a bit unnerving to see his actual expression.

Sebastian glanced down, his eyes catching the navy-haired boy, the last person he would expect. He sighed, putting a hand to his head. "My, my, Young Master. I thought you were more mature than this. Could you not have waited for me to come and attend you?"

"Wha? No, wait! He—"

Ciel spun to the side, but Ash was already gone.

"…did it."

He frowned. He'd been played.

That imp.