I apologize for not posting sooner; I've been battling migraines and attempting to attend classes. Let's just say I can get through my classes, but writing with a migraine has proven to be a challenge.

Claude, Sebastian and Alex return to London, only to be greeted by a massive amount of fanfare. Reporters' swarm them wondering what will occur after the death of Arnold Sterling, the owner of Intrigue. However, this isn't the only issue brought to light, something sinister is amiss and Alex's role will finally be revealed.

What has Claude been hiding?

How will Sebastian handle the new issues of loosing his biggest client?

What does Ash know that's set the Undertaker on edge?

Enjoy,

~Kuro

Chapter 68: An Unwelcomed Fanfare

Alex looked out the window of the plane to see the runway bellow, "Buckle your seat belt," said Claude. Alex was jolted from her thoughts she looked up to see Claude's golden eyes looking down at her. He had taken his glasses off and seemed slightly more intimidating than usual. She stretched and nodded as her fingers wrapped around the seatbelt straps. Sebastian had a pair of readers resting on his nose and was looking over a news paper which he had grabbed before take off. He looked relaxed and like he had the day they had jumped on the plane and flown to Rio. There was a rustle as Sebastian neatly folded the paper; his red eyes were locked on his fingers as he made the creases. Once he had finished doing so he slipped the glasses off his nose and slipped them into his coat pocket. It always amused her that he wore readers, his eye sight was even better than a humans, the very notion it's self confused her. Claude wore glasses to hide his piercing gaze, which served him well in court, but failed at public functions. Alex felt the plane touch the runway and heard the squeak of the tires as they connected with the runway. "Welcome back to England," said Sebastian as he waited for the plane to come to a stop. He slowly got up and looked at her; he was dressed in his signature black suit, with a crisp white shirt, ruby red tie and beautiful black vest. His hair was tussled as always and he looked at her with a smile. It was clear he liked what he had read in the paper. Alex looked over her shoulder at Claude, he was in a charcoal suite, oddly gray and the demon was stunning. It brought out the gold in his eyes more than usual and gave him a rather welcoming appearance. He slipped a pair of glasses over his nose and smiled as he held a hand out to Alex. "Ready?" he asked with a smile. She slowly took his hand and nodded, "Why?" she asked curiously.

Claude smiled and looked at Sebastian, "Will you tell her or shall I?" he asked. Alex's ocean blue eyes met a pair of playful crimson's and she watched a smirk shape his lips. "Oh she'll see, from what I've been informed there is a pack of reporters waiting for us to step into the terminal," said Sebastian with joy. Alex looked even more confused as she fallowed him out of the plane. Before leaving for London, Sebastian had instructed her to put on the three piece women's suite, without a dress shirt underneath, a white scarf and white leather belt. Claude styled her short brown hair to look like a stylish mess, and she could remember how he pulled a beautiful white trench he had purchased in the town at the foot of the mountain. Claude was wearing his long black coat and Sebastian was wrapped in his camel hair coat as always. She slowly stepped out into the cold air and followed Sebastian into the terminal. Claude had taken the liberty of covering the visas and they flew through customs with ease. "Ready for the show?" asked Sebastian with a grin of delight. Alex looked confused until she walked out of the VIP lounge and was greeted by the bright flash of cameras and chatter. Sebastian gave a coy smile and Alex felt as though she had just been put on the spot. "Mr. Michaelis with the turn of events in Switzerland what will happen to the contract between Intrigue and Artistry?" asked a reporter. Alex felt as though she was being overwhelmed by the clamor and Sebastian responded swiftly, "I do not know at this time, I need more information." She held her breath and slowly exhaled, every part of her was trembling. This was out of her comfort zone, previously she had only dealt with possible clients, she had never been fed to the sharks. She took a step forward only to nearly slip, before she could fall she felt Claude slip an arm around her waist and he whispered, "Relax and walk like you own the place." Alex looked up at him in confusion; Claude always looked like he owned the place. Sebastian glanced over his shoulder and gave her a confused glanced before she realized they didn't notice who she was. She slipped off her sunglasses and there was a roar of excitement, "Stark! What do you plan on doing after the success of the Dom Perignon campaign launch in Switzerland?" asked a reporter. There were even more flashes, and Alex smiled coyly, "Simple, work," she replied in a teasing tone. The crowd went berserk and Sebastian was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "What's you next project?" asked another reporter and Alex looked at Sebastian. She smiled and responded, "What ever he gives me."

Claude chuckled and grinned, she was much more loyal than all the other designers at Sebastian's firm. "Mr. Faustus, what will happen to Intrigue? Is there a new CEO in the midst?" asked a reporter. Claude turned his attention to the young man and replied, "I won't know until I speak with the board of directors, share holders and other company representatives," his tone was firm and exceedingly formal. There was silence and it occurred to her that both Sebastian and Claude were always handling the press. The continued to walk through the terminal to a town car which Sebastian had requested prior to take off. It was longer than usual however short compared to a stretch limonene. Sebastian and Claude waited for Alex to enter the car. She sat in the seat facing them and she watched as Sebastian slipped inside and then Claude. "Everything is going to change," said Sebastian once the door was closed. Alex noticed how his expression changed to one cloaked with mystery. The car slowed as they pulled in front of Intrigue, the massive glass building was still there and she smiled. Claude slipped out for a moment and said, "I'm off to work." His voice was serious and he smiled at Sebastian, who nodded and turned on his heel. Claude watched as Alex scurried after him. He sighed before slipping back into the car. "My office," he said smoothly. The driver nodded and he looked out the window. Canterbury had proven to be a great deal of assistance, so he hired the young demon to work as his paralegal and secretary. Thompson and Timber returned to Shadow Pont with their cases and were going to drop Alex's luggage off at her apartment. "Sir, there is a great deal of press outside the main entrance, shall I take you to the back?" asked the driver carefully. Claude nodded and replied absent mindedly, "Please." The driver looked up in the mirror and grinned with delight as he pulled behind the building.

The golden eyed demons stepped out of the car into the back; he looked around and noticed how quiet it seemed. Silence in this part of London was unusual for him. He slipped his glasses up his nose and looked up at the chauffeur, he reeked. "I should have known," he mumbled as he looked at the young man. The chauffeur smiled as he held a piece of paper between his fingers, "You were never quick on your feet Faustus," said the Chauffer with a grin. Claude slowly raised his hands, he wasn't recovered from the near death experience in Switzerland yet, there was no way he could handle this guy on his own. "However, I will cause you agony," he whispered. Claude was about to attack when he heard a flute, he stiffened and glared. "What the?" he asked as he felt his wounds burn, it was as though they were about to reopen. It sounded like a traditional wooden flute from China and he cringed. "Han," he whispered as the world began to spin, "Shit," his ears were ringing violently. He was slowly loosing consciousness when he heard the familiar roar of a lawn mower, "Yo," called the youthful voice of Ronald. Claude was doubled over in agony as he attacked the sorcerer. "Knox, the flute," he whimpered in agony, he felt as though his wounds were going to reopen. He squeezed his eyes closed and groaned. Ronald managed to knock the sorcerer on his side yet before he could possibly managed to kill him, he vanished.

"What the?" he asked in confusion, his gold and green eyes floated over toward Claude. He noticed how pale he had become and quickly walked over toward him, "You okay?" asked Ronald as he slowly extended a hand to Claude. The golden eyed demon was hesitant and slightly disoriented, "I've been better," he replied as he slowly took Ronald's small hand. Ronald remembered the sight of Claude on the bed and came to the realization that he wasn't back up to speed yet. He looked at Claude and smiled, "This is the second time I've seen you look this week Faustus," he commented. Claude looked up at him and replied, "Sorry for screwing up your day." The blonde looked slightly confused and was about to ask something when he noticed one of the purple haired triplets approach, "I heard the flute, it looks like I didn't get here soon enough," he said. Canterbury wrapped his arm around his boss and hoisted him up. "Thanks Mr. Knox," said Canterbury kindly as he slowly began to carry his boss to his office. Ronald jogged after the small demon and asked, "What was that exactly?" Canterbury looked at him and asked, "Shouldn't you be working?" It was apparent Canterbury had put up his defenses, and Knox was slightly offended. He grossed his arms and responded, "Oh and you didn't need any assistance in Switzerland, if I remember correctly it was a pair of Shinigami which saved him the first time." Canterbury was about to argue when he heard the distinct clicking of Italian leather shoes, "Canterbury we aren't here to meddle, however that flute does raise some concerns," he said slowly.

Canterbury's eyes flickered and looked at the pair of shinigami, "Help me get him into his office, and then I'll answer your questions," he said slowly. William nodded and opened the door; Canterbury continued to carry Claude through the hall and then turned into his office. Ronald's eyes widened as he looked at the view and the furniture in the room, "He's the real thing huh?" he asked in shock. He slowly walked over to the wall and spotted a degree from Oxford and shoved his hands in his pockets, "Who knew?" he mused as he watched Canterbury place Claude on the massive white sofa. He looked at the glass tables and admired Claude's choice in furniture. "So this flute, why did it hurt him?" asked Ronald as he turned to face Canterbury. The purple haired demon sighed before turning his attention to Ronald, "It's a legendary tool. It's used to call humans to follow, however with demons it hurts. In fact, it has the ability to kill a lower level demon," he commented. William looked at Ronald and then to the young demon, "Who would have such an article?" he asked. William's eyes narrowed as he waited for the response, Canterbury looked over at Claude. His face twisted with disdain and he replied, "It wasn't a demon, however it did once belong to one. The auction is in two days time, the number of demonic and angelic articles in this city alone would make the Vatican tremble," he said as he slowly walked across the floor, his arms were crossed and he looked deep in thought. "The last time that particular flute was heard was during the Renaissance, it was played for a lord in Venice prior to it's collapse," he stated. Canterbury was always well informed when it came to demonic relics, for a number of reasons. The first was that the three had always come across them and the second was that in the past the three had dealt in them.

Ronald looked at Canterbury and sighed, "So you're saying this flute belonged to a demon once, and yet it works for humans?" he asked. Canterbury looked at him and chuckled, "It's not that confusing, I'm not entirely sure how it works though," he commented. William looked at Canterbury and then to Claude, "Should we call Sebastian?" he asked after a moment. There was a chance that Sebastian would know about the flute and its previous owners which would ultimately change the game. "He has enough to deal with this morning, he's returning to a firm which just lost it's largest contract due to the death of the chairman of the company," Canterbury stated, it was apparent that he was to fulfill the open post of paralegal. Ronald looked at him and asked sheepishly, "Which one are you anyway?" Canterbury smiled a little and chuckled, "I'm Canterbury, Mr. Knox," he replied lightly. William looked at the laughing demon and then to Ronald who had turned several shades red and was attempting to conceal his embarrassment. He held a gloved hand over his face as he tried to regain composure. William cleared his throat and asked, "This auction how many demons will it bring to the city?" Canterbury suddenly realized that he had once again crossed a boundary.

There was a rustle and he turned to see Claude slowly sitting up, "Thousands," he said firmly as he rose to his feet. He was still rather pale however the ringing in his ears wouldn't cease. His vision was fuzzy and for once he was grateful for the glasses, which managed to make things slightly clearer. "Thousands of demons and the sorcerers will only increase," he said as he ran his long fingers through his curly black hair. "Sebastian's summoning Tome is on the block, which will attract a great deal of attention," he said after a moment, "Now we need to protect Alex the most." Canterbury walked over to the side board and Claude could hear the young demon setting out saucers and a tea kettle. There was a tap as the tin was placed on the side board, Ronald looked confused and Claude sighed. "There's something you need to know about the Campbell family, something which she doesn't even know," he said slowly. Ronald pushed his glasses up, "What haven't you told us Claude?" asked William sternly. Claude's golden eyes shifted and he looked over at Canterbury, "Please leave, Canterbury," he said softly. The young demon's hands stilled and he stiffened. There was something very wrong with this, yet he obeyed. There was a click as the door closed and Claude slowly walked over to his desk and sat on it. "Okay, what do you know of the Pied Piper?" he asked his voice was dark, and it was apparent that this wasn't a nice tale. William shifted and responded, "Only what humans have seen." Claude's head dropped as he slowly looked at his desk, "The Pied Piper is much older than you think, believe me, he's been around since Xie dynasty in China. It wasn't until the Bubonic Plague in the Dark Ages in which he made his first appearance," he said. He looked at the pair of reapers; both seemed to question the reason behind why Claude was telling them this. "Originally the piper could only move rats, it wasn't until he experimented with children that it became possible for him to enchant children. He was one of the first unique demons," he stated as he looked over at Ronald.

The blond shinigami was looking at him inquisitively and he finally asked, "What made them unique in comparison to yourself and Sebastian?" Claude's hand covered the edges of his silver square framed glasses as he adjusted them with his nose. "Simple they were Halflings, hybrids of humans and demons," he responded, "Unlike Sebastian who hails from the longest and most powerful line of demons, and myself who is a bastard. The Piper resulted from the dabbling in black arts; he was turned human as he was corrupted with power. This was done one of two ways, intercourse with a demon or contracting one" William held up a hand and shook his head, "That violates the treaty between shinigami and demons, how is that possible?" he asked angrily. Claude smiled playfully and asked, "Did you really think that demons in exile wouldn't find partners, believe me you thought my libido was messed up, you should see some of these guys." Ronald stared at the floor and mumbled, "What does this have to do with Alex?" Claude smiled coyly and chuckled, his eyes glistened darkly and he looked at them. He licked his bottom lip and asked, "Why do you think she smells so wonderful to a demon?"

William was silent and his eyes widened as he watched the arachnid move, "The Campbell family has some of the most powerful blood in the world, it reeks of demonic magic," he replied as he looked at them, he looked as though he were starving. "She is able to do so much more than you realize, she could potentially bear a child or be used as a sacrifice to summon the Prince of Hell himself," he commented. His long legs crossed as he shifted on the desk, he looked even more demonic than before. "She is perhaps the most valuable thing here in London, just as valuable as Sebastian's Tome, in fact, she may be worth just a little more," said Claude with a smirk. William's poker face transformed into one of shock, "She doesn't reek like you do," he commented. It was clear he was beside himself, something so pure could never be tainted with something so foul. Yet there was also Sebastian's true self which was just a pure and beautiful, so unusual for a demon. "Claude, whose bloodline is she related to?" William asked slowly. Claude's lips curled into a smile which didn't pass his eyes. Those golden orbs were cold and darker than they had ever been, "Who do you think?" he asked snidely. There was silence in the room, and Ronald asked, "Then the piper's flute has something to do with her?"

Claude looked at him and chuckled, "No, that was an example of a half demon, he probably smelt her coming a mile away," he replied and waved his hand at the window. Now that he thought about it, that sorcerer could have taken her in the car, something was wrong. "He could have had her in the car," Claude whispered after a moment. He looked at the pair of shinigami and William stared at him. "The sorcerer was the Chauffer, he could have had us all in the car," he mused, his eyes were wide as he began to realize what had actually occurred. "We were in a confined space, why did he wait for her to be out of it?" he asked.

Alex smiled as she walked through the foyer and noticed how banners of her work were hanging from the ceiling. They were even larger than the pieces which had premiered at Intrigue. Her heels clicked as she walked across the floors, designers and numerous office workers stopped and applauded as they walked through. "Whoa," she whispered, she felt this rush of excitement as she heard the compliments spill out of the mouths of people which at one point wondered if she were sleeping with Sebastian. She could still remember the day she had passed out on the floor. Those horrible memories plagued her, yet without them she would have never met the two gorgeous demons who looked after her. "Is that really the girl who was wearing the jeans that day and passed out on the floor?" asked one of the men. She looked over her shoulder and recognized him immediately. He was one of the men who spread the rumor that she was sleeping with Sebastian. The man next to him nodded and whispered, "I almost didn't recognize her. She looks totally different." Alex peeked up at Sebastian who was grinning; this must have been why he had asked her to wear this outfit. She looked both powerful and sensual; apparently it was one of his new requirements for her work attire. He got into the lift and looked over at her, "So what did you think of that welcome home?" he asked with a smirk. It was clear he was planning on elevating her as high as he possibly could. "Different," she replied and noticed how Sebastian was savoring this moment. "Sebastian, why are you doing this? You don't spend this much time with Allen and Jodie," she asked slowly. The air in the elevator seemed much stuffier and he looked down at her, his crimson eyes were filled with their usual light demeanor. "You're different, special in comparison," he replied simply. Alex's ocean blue eyes narrowed and she asked, "How?"

Sebastian turned to her, his hands were in his pockets and he replied, "Simple, you have the ability to push the envelope. To take your projects to the next level and create something completely new. For instance," he paused and smiled, "I want you to do me a favor, you're going to have several messages on your machine, I want you to listen to each one carefully and come to my office once you're done." She couldn't stand when he played games, and yet she found it attractive as hell. Surely Claude was an avid player of Sebastian's games, "Sebastian is Claude the only one who has defeated you in your games?" she asked after a moment. Sebastian smiled and chuckled, "Believe me he's never won either, in fact he's always lost to me. He does give me a run for it though," he commented. Alex looked at him in confusion and suddenly realized that Sebastian played Claude and he always knew the outcome. She shook her head and laughed, "You know he still believes that he won," he replied and Sebastian smiled crookedly. "And we are going to let him keep thinking that," he said as the lift doors opened and he stepped out. Jodie was at her desk and practically bolted when she saw Alex. "Al!" she exclaimed and Allen was up as well.

Alex felt Jodie's arms warp around her as she gave her a squeeze, "Oh my you look hot," she commented with a playful smile as she mokingly fanned. Alex chuckled, she missed hanging out with Jodie and Allen interjected, "Yeah what happened to that conservative designer? You know the one which none of us even realized she had breasts?" he asked playfully. Alex's mouth fell open, for a second she swore she was dealing with Claude, "What the hell? Why does everyone criticize them?" she shouted. Allen was grinning and replied, "Under such baggy clothes its impossible to tell." Alex rolled her eyes and looked at Jodie who was wearing a soft angora cardigan, "How's Lin?" she asked quietly. She had sent Lin to Jodie's house. Jodie's kids happened to love the cat and she chuckled. "She misses her mom," she replied happily Alex smiled and watched as Jodie pulled out her phone. "Look," she said with a smile. On a bed with all of Jodie's kids was a little black and white fur ball, they were all sleeping peacefully. She smiled as she looked at the peaceful faces of the twins. "Cute," she commented and Jodie was about to comment when she heard the phone ring. Alex watched as Jodie grabbed the handset and turned her attention to Allen. He held an envelope in his hand and whispered, "Open this." Alex looked at him only to see a smug grin on his face, which told her that he had indeed found what he was looking for.

Alex walked over toward her desk and noticed how the receiver was flashing and she slowly picked up the handset. Her eyes widened with shock as she heard the interviews, usually a graphic designer was forgotten and yet she was being asked for interviews. There were a total of 27 calls on the machine and each of them was requesting an exclusive interview with her. She slowly stood up and walked toward Sebastian's office, she knocked on the door hesitantly only to hear him call, "Enter." She opened the door to see Sebastian at his desk looking over designs with a warm smile on his face. It was clear he knew what had occurred while they were recovering from the recent attack. "So, what do you plan on doing again?" he asked playfully as he picked up a blue folder and held it out to her. She blushed and realized that this was a designer's dream, "I'll do what ever you ask," she replied. Sebastian nodded and slipped his readers off of his nose, "Good, in the envelope is your next contract, you may recognize the name," he commented. Alex's fingers wrapped around the envelope and she stared at the contents, "I've been asked to redesign Zoar?" she asked. Sebastian's bangs swayed as he nodded his smile and tapped a pen to his lips, "Unless you don't think you can handle a contract with the top Russian Jeweler in the world," he commented. She looked at him and grinned with delight, she had landed all the luxury brands. "Of course I can," she replied with an air of confidence. Sebastian's red eyes glistened in the sun light and he replied, "Wonderful." He nodded and watched her leave his office. Once the door had clicked shut he pulled out the massive file which he had been reading.

After the death of Arnold Sterling, investors were in a panic, he didn't name a successor. This would potentially harm Sebastian; his contract was only with Sterling and not with intrigue. He sighed and looked at the documents, at the time it seemed like the right move, simply because it gave her the ability to work for a number of designers. However, this posed a new question, "What will happen when the next CEO takes control?" he mumbled. His hands slipped through his hair in exasperation, he wasn't about to tell Alex that his firm was in a risky situation. She had just launched a major campaign; she didn't need this looming over her head. He could remember the night he had caught her vomiting in the bathroom thanks to stress. "No, I will do this myself," he said firmly as he opened the folder. There had to be someway for him to manipulate the election, "Even from the grade Sterling is screwing me," he growled as he threw the file across the room. He could only imagine the head ache Claude was about to go through.

The Undertaker had returned to the morgue, the dead rolled in and he was left without a soul to talk to. "You guys really aren't much company at times," he commented as he slowly snapped his gloves off and threw them in the waste bin. He looked at them and then back to his table, that vacation had given him a little rest and the up and coming auction gave him even more duress. His cell phone rang and he hummed with displeasure as he picked the black item up. He looked at the caller ID and shook his head, "It's been a long time since I saw that ID," he commented as he answered the call. "Hello Angela," he said with a note of disdain. Truth be told, he found angels to be more irritating than demons, yet he would never tell the other shinigami that. "Undertaker, I know I'm reaching when I ask but you would know," she started slowly. The Undertaker plopped into his chair and asked, "Hm?" There was a pause and she asked slowly, "Has Ash told you what happened that night? The night her parents never returned?" The Undertaker sat up immediately and his eyes narrowed, "Ash knows what occurred?" he asked, his voice was darker than usual and there was a hint of warning in it which had been sleeping for nearly a century. There was a paused and Angela replied, "Yes." The Undertaker slipped a hand through his hair and pulled back his bangs in frustration, his green and gold eyes were now visible, and it was possible to see the scar across his face. "How much?" he hissed, he didn't need this to happen with an auction of such importance in London. Angela replied swiftly, "More than even I knew." The Undertaker sat back, his chair groaned as he did so. "I see," he responded and looked over at his desk; there was a cold cup of tea sitting there and a number of dried tea bags. There were pages sprawled about and he looked as though he would soon be buried in pages of notes.

"Angela, has he told Claude and Sebastian?" he asked after a moment, if she had told them what had happened that night and how she ended up in the situation she was in, they would certainly feel disgusted. No one, human, demon, shinigami or angel should ever have to go through treatment like that. "Parts, he simply said that fate was cruel," she replied. He rose from his chair and slipped out of his lab coat before putting on his long black one. He slipped on his black baker's cap and commented, "I'm paying Ash a visit; please tell him to wait for me. I think it's time we had a midnight tea."

London was still rather cold, and oddly enough sleeping, Alex had Lin's carrier in hand as she slowly climbed the apartment steps and pulled out her key. After a moment it was in the lock and she quickly opened it, she hummed with delight as she flipped the light switch to find that everything was as she had left it. It felt like eons since she had been in her apartment, the carrier made a clack as she set it down and opened the door. Lin bolted out and ran through the apartment, "Looks like you're happy to be home too," she chuckled as she walked further into the apartment. She could smell the cleaner she had used and noticed that even the light on her answering machine was flashing. All day long she was taking calls relating to her projects and she sighed. Sebastian had made her a name, now she had to maintain this level of prestige. As she walked through the house, her fingers trailed the top of the sofa, it was still soft and she could feel the wear in the fabric. After a moment she smiled and slowly sat on it. "Home," she murmured before falling backward onto the sofa. Timber had been kind enough to bring her luggage home, which meant all she had to do was unpack it. She was about to do so when she looked at the envelope. "I should probably look at this," she mused as she reached for it and tore it open. Nestled inside was a thick stack of papers, she looked them over and stared, they were images of her as a child with her brother and two people who looked strikingly familiar. Her breath caught as she looked at them, "Mom? Dad?" she asked in confusion as she looked at the image.

The pages rustled as she slowly sifted through the documents, "Richard Campbell, Lord of Essex," she read and froze. Richard was the name of the Campbell's deceased son, her fingers loosened their grip and she asked, "What's going on here?"