"Edna, please, I need to do this alone."

"No, I'm coming with you! We are in this together."

"I know...but I really don't want you to see him..."

"Why, what is he going to do? Grell, you know I can handle myself."

"I know but he is just...just weird."

"Is that all? And after you find this 'weird undertaker,' what are you going to do then?"

I sighed heavily.

Here I was, trying to leave the townhouse by myself while Edna used herself to block the front door, refusing to move unless I let her come with me. The man I wanted to see, the man who I believed to be a shinigami, was a person...I did not want around Edna. Going after Lord Black...it was going to be very dangerous, and even more so for Edna with her being a human. I had wanted to sneak out of the house before she woke up, but apparently she figured out that I would do something like this and so...

Edna narrowed her firm eyes.

"Grell, if you really did not want to involve me is this, you shouldn't have mentioned Meriwether at all to me. If our positions were reverse, do you think you would allow me to go off on my own like this?"

"No, of course not," I answered. "But, Edna, this isn't a simple matter. What we are dealing with here could kill us without a second thought and..."

I can't allow you to get hurt. I can't lose you like I did Angelina.

I wanted to say those words, however I held myself back. But though I did not confess my fears out loud, my expression gave it away, as Edna's gaze softened.

"You are just as vulnerable as I am in all of this, even if you are a shinigami. I want to protect you just as much as you want to protect me. And if we go into this together, no matter what happens, we'll be there for each other."

I was silent for a long moment, strong conflicting emotions roaring inside me as I, for once, wished that Edna was a little less stubborn. She did have a point, if I really wanted her out of this, I shouldn't have told her Lord Black's true nature. But my emotions got in the way at the moment...and I guess this was the consequences.

"...Fine," I finally said with a sigh, knowing I wouldn't be able to convince her otherwise. "But I will warn you, this guy is weird."

Edna smiled.

"I can deal with a little weirdness. I can deal with you, after all."

She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before turning around and walking out the door. A tiny smile escaped me as I gingerly touched the place she kissed me. Soon, I caught up with Edna as we got into the carriage and headed towards the Undertaker's parlor.

Through the little sleep, I was able to remember who the Undertaker was, where his parlor was, and that I, Angelina, Ciel, Sebastian, and this slightly handsome Chinese man went there to investigate Jack the Ripper. Ironically, Jack the Ripper was right in the room, but I can recall clearly that Undertaker was... Well, he wasn't someone who I would have thought was a grim reaper. It would seem that the more I regained my memory, the more questions that would arrive with it.

Parking as close as I could to Undertaker's parlor, Edna and I then walked up to the entrance. I felt my body grow stiff, as the area the parlor stood in was in the areas where Angelina and I would make our killings. Painful memories tried to take over, a faint pain coming from the back of my skull.

"Grell...?"

At the sound of Edna's voice, I shook my head and took a firm grip on the doorknob. I had much more control over my memories then I did last time I was in this dark part of London, and I will not allow it to distract me. I opened the door with full force, even though it was unlocked and nothing held it back, and went inside. Edna came in right behind me, blinking a couple of times as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

"Why...why is it so dark in here?"

Even with the light coming in through the windows, the small, musty funeral parlor felt like a suffocating prison.

"Is anyone here?" I called out as we stepped further inside.

However, after a few steps, my feet collided with one of the many coffins that laid all over the room, causing me to lose my balance for a moment. Edna gasped, her eyes widening at the coffins.

"He he he! Be careful where you step..."

From the corner of our eyes, one of the coffin lids opened up to reveal the Undertaker, a large crooked grin on his scarred face. Edna put her hand over her mouth, her face paling as Undertaker stepped out of his sleeping place and let out small chuckles.

"...I told you he was weird," I whispered over to her. "Though he won't hurt you."

At least...I don't think he would...

Undertaker laughed.

"He he he! This is most unexpected," he said cheerfully. "I did not think I would be seeing you again, my red-haired friend!"

He paused for a moment, in which I could sense his hidden gaze moving from me to Edna.

"...And with a lovely lady by your side as well. Most interesting..."

"Don't talk to me like that!"

Edna's voice held aggression, though I could feel her move closer to me, telling me how uneasy she was. Undertaker laughed as I glared at him, where he took a seat behind his desk and sat like a...semi-normal person would.

"He he he! I mean you no harm, m'dear lady. I was only teasing you."

He rested his head against his hand.

"However," he said to me, "for you to have found me again...you must have regained some of your memory, haven't you?"

I nodded. Undertaker smiled.

"And with that, have you remembered who you truly are, my little grim reaper?"

Again, I nodded.

"I have. And from the way you talked to me last time we met...you are a grim reaper as well, are you not?"

There was a small pause.

"...He he...you are quite smart, surprisingly," Undertaker mused. "I congratulate you on figuring it out by yourself, as I have fooled so many shinigami in the past with this oh so simple disguise."

His crooked grin grew, making me feel that something was not completely right with him. I ignored these uneasy feelings, for he was the only thing that stood a chance against Lord Black. We need his cooperation, whether we liked it or not.

"So," Undertaker continued, "I assume you have come here to ask me questions about our kind? I am curious to know how you figured it out all by yourself, considering you were completely clueless last time we met."

"...Yes, I suppose I do have some questions," I replied slowly. "But that is not why we have come. We need...your help with killing a demon."

Undertaker's face glowed with interest.

"A demon?"

I nodded, then explaining our situation with Lord Black and how my fellow servants were in danger. I also mentioned that I figured out Lord Black was a demon by saying we ran into Ciel and Sebastian, where Sebastian's attitude and eyes reminded me of his. I could see Undertaker's smile grow slightly from that little detail, and that he was taking in every detail into deep thought. After I finished speaking, Edna quickly cut in before Undertaker could reply, as if to add some extra persuasion.

"I can understand if our request is troublesome to you," she said, trying her best to make eye contact with him. "But I promise you I will pay anything that you would want in return. I do not know what a grim reaper would want, being a powerful godlike being...but I will make sure we give it to you, whatever it is."

It took a moment for Undertaker to reply, and I could feel his gaze move between me and Edna.

"He he he! It would seem that you have come quite attached to your mistress and other mortal friends, my little shinigami," Undertaker said, his voice having a strange tone to it. "Along with them becoming attached to you in return."

He tapped his fingernails to the desk.

"Normally the type of payment I would ask for is to be shown the choicest of laughters. However...this is a far different matter then giving the queen's watchdog petty information about a case."

He paused for a long moment, ceasing the tapping of the desk.

"Answer me this, shinigami. What do you plan to do now that you know your true nature? Are you going to go back to the reapers or do you plan on continuing your life here, among the humans?"

I blinked, surprised slightly by the question.

I...hadn't thought about anything like that, even when I first lost my memory, I didn't think that I would potentially leave the Redwood Manor. I guess...I could go back, it would be the reasonable thing to do, to be back with my own kind. But...do I really want to?

I glanced down at Edna, who was staring at me with big eyes. Faintly, I could see her shake, her eyes watering up as she waited to hear my answer. Hidden from Undertaker's view, I took a firm grip on her hand and kept my gaze on him.

"...I don't know," I answered sincerely. "I can't say what will happen when this is all over, however, I do know that I want to spend as much time as I can with Edna and make sure she is safe, if I am ever forced to leave her. I will not run from the shinigami, but I will also not abandon the people who have helped when my kind did not. For if it wasn't for them...who knows what could have happened to me."

I tighten my grip on Edna's hand.

"That is my answer, and if you won't help us, I will find someone who will. Or even force you to give me your death scythe so I can slay this demon. It is up to you whether to do this the easy way or the hard way."

"...Grell..."

Edna's speechless response made my protective nature over her grow. Undertaker continued to sit calmly in his chair, no doubt coming up with some sort of reaction. I did not know what to expect when I gave him that half answer, half threat, reply, but I had to be ready for anything he might pull. Eventually, after a long uncomfortable silence, Undertaker gave a small smile and chuckled softly.

"...Your devotion to this human is to be admired. You really have changed since I saw you before you lost your memory. And with that amusing response of yours...I have decided to help you. After all, it has been a long time since I've fought a dangerous demon."

He chuckled to himself.

"He he he...oh how fun this shall be!"

He got up from his chair and walked up to us.

"For the remainder of the day, we shall discuss how we will try to kill this demon without bringing too much attention to any other supernatural creatures, or other humans, in the nearby area," Undertaker said. "Also, I will need to know what kind of demon we are facing, as similar to humans, they do have different tastes and weaknesses depending on their nature."

I nodded.

"Alright. So long as the other servants do not get hurt in the process, we will do whatever you ask."

Undertaker grinned.

"He he he! Of course. They are top priority."

He turned to face Edna.

"While it would be natural to take Grell with me, as he is a grim reaper, it would be best if you were to stay here in London, m'lady. This demon might use you to his advantage and we can't afford Grell being distracted if you are in danger."

Edna narrowed her eyes.

"If you think I am just going to sit here and do nothing while my manor is in the hands of some vile demon, you are wrong. I am going with you."

"Edna..."

She quickly flashed a glare at me.

"Like I told you on the way here, I'm not going to let you do this alone. If you were to get hurt while going after him, I would never forgive myself for not being there."

Her eyes grew dark.

"Besides...I have my own business with him. And if we can, I would like to capture him alive so I can...question him."

I stared at her for a moment. Undertaker giggled.

"He he he! Strong willed you are, m'lady. Strong enough to have an immortal death god on a tight leash to do as you bid..."

Both Edna and I glared at him as he continued to laugh.

"He he he! I gave you my warning, take it as you please. Just remember that I have yet to see a human encounter a demon, without first forming a contract, come out alive."