Author's Note: I want to thank you guys for bing so patient, my finger is doing much better! I still like my job for hose of you who were wondering. I hope you enjoy the coming chapter, for those who are wondering when the food will return, Chapter 20 has something special planned. So hang in there.

I also want to thank all of the guests who had been reviewing without accounts. I'm thrilled this story has such a large following.

Thanks dear king for editing!

Chapter 19: Fractured

Alois ran a hand lazily through his hair, his head was still pounding, it was considerably worse than before after Claude's lecture. Naturally the Head Chef felt the need to berate him for his behavior. It was mainly about how his actions could reflect poorly on the reputation of Ciel. He honestly didn't have the desire to tell Claude that the photos had already ended up on Facebook, thanks to Grell's assistance in selecting the photos. The blond sighed as he walked through the doors leading to the kitchen, "I suppose I will deal with it when we get there, and why the fuck did they bring my supplies back here!" he shouted frustration. Usually his boxes were brought to the bar so he could unload them with ease. Yet this time the crates were still in the back, he never liked walking through the kitchen, it belonged to Claude. He paused and blinked as he looked at the slender form cloaked in black leaning against the counter, his elbows were resting on it and he had a pen tucked between his fingers, he smiled before correcting himself, it was both Claude and Sebastian's domain.

As Alois drew closer he realized something was off, the piece of paper before the chef was blank and his expression was contorted with pain. His hair was messier than usual and bright red marks around his wrists were visible as they peeked out from under the Pậtissier's pristine cuffs. His burgundy eyes were filled with fear and apprehension, it seemed as though he were honestly waiting for punishment. "Sebastian?" he asked slowly as he drew closer. He watched Sebastian's entire body jump as though someone had just shot a round off. He looked like an injured animal, starved of affection and longing to be saved. A painfully familiar look, "Oh, it's you," he breathed with relief as he relaxed a little. Alois nodded as he approached the man slowly, he was careful to not frighten him anymore, part of him was scared to know what had happened.

Claude had been trying to contact the Pậtissier all morning, he honestly prayed that this wasn't the reason why he couldn't answer the phone. "I'm sorry I don't remember your name," he replied slowly as he shifted a little, his movements were hesitant and he watched as pain flickered across the Pậtissier's pale face. "It's alright, we weren't properly introduced. I'm Alois, Alois Trancy," he replied as he held out his hand. Sebastian looked at it hesitantly, clearly he was attempting to determine if Alois was a friend or potential aggressor. "The bartender," Sebastian said after a moment as he took Alois' hand. His skin was sticky and Alois became slightly more concerned, "You okay?" he asked slowly. His hands felt as though Sebastian had slept in oil, "Yes, just tired, I didn't get much sleep," he replied. Alois released his hand and watched as the Pậtissier stepped back in an attempt to gain a little more space between them.

"Ciel's not going to be happy, aren't you staying with him?" Alois asked curiously, Sebastian shuddered as he gripped his biceps. His eyes closed as he replied, "I am, he got home late, I had to c-cook." Alois' cerulean eyes narrowed as he looked at the chef, that wasn't a good reaction, Sebastian was trying to comfort himself. "Sebastian? Did Ciel do something to you?" asked Alois after a moment. The Pậtissier stared at the blond, his eyes were wide and he looked as though he were a child who had just been caught in a lie. Burgundy eyes looked away, he was conflicted and frightened. "I won't tell anyone," Alois said tenderly as he reached out to touch the trembling Pậtissier. "It's nothing," he replied as he pulled away, Alois was about to pursue when William appeared. "Alois, Ciel wants to speak with you," he said gruffly.

Alois looked over, William's usually pristine appearance was mangled, he looked as though someone had stroked him the wrong way. "Okay, I was grabbing a case of Bombay Sapphire though," he commented. The Sommelier looked at the blond and sighed, he honestly was never a fan of incompetence and Alois knew that better than anyone. Alois nodded before leaving the kitchen, William's emerald eyes gave him more than he needed to go hunting for Ciel. It was one thing to ruffle the feathers of William, however Alois had a feeling Ciel had done something unforgivable. There were many things Alois would and could tolerate, rape wasn't one of them. He marched down the hallway only to see Agni attempting to block him, "Ah, Alois, we need to talk," he said quickly. Alois shoved the Indian out of his way, "Not now, I need to see Ciel," he hissed.

Agni quickened his pace to match Alois, "It's urgent," he said quickly and Alois glared at him. "Nothing's more urgent than what I need to say to Phantomhive," he barked before throwing Ciel's office door open. The beautiful door swung violently, sitting across from Ciel was Bard Roy, "Not now Alois," said Ciel coolly, his eyes were glued to a document. The small blond stormed across the office, his footsteps echoed and violently slammed his hands on his desk, "What the fuck have you done to Sebastian?" Alois hissed. The slate haired young man sighed and rubbed his temples with his fingers, "Bard, leave us and close the door," he said with the wave of his hand. "What makes you think I did something to him?" asked Ciel smoothly. He was hiding something and Alois wasn't going to leave until he knew what. "Simple, he went home with you and now he's like this, you must have done something," Alois stated. It was the only explanation he could think of.

A chuckle left the young man's lips, "So therefore I must be the cause of his distress," he commented. There was silence Ciel was poking fun at him, "The game was to make the other person fall, not this," Alois commented. He should have known Ciel would do this, "Never to do something like this," he said softly as he glared at Ciel. He could accept Ciel's business and how he tended to operate, he could accept the fact that he practically lived for sex, but he never anticipated that he would stoop so low. "He has night terrors and was in the hands of some unsavory people," Ciel stated, "I'm not sure what happened to him, however those wounds I imagine are part of it." Alois didn't believe him for a moment. The young owner would hide anything that he thought would tarnish himself and the face of the restaurant. "I don't believe you," he commented.

Ciel hummed as he looked at the blond seriously, "I don't expect you to," he replied, "However it's the truth. The reason I called for you is because I need you to grab Lizzy from Heathrow tonight, she's coming home and I'm not available," he stated. It was normal for him to pick Elizabeth up when Ciel was busy, she was one of the few women Alois actually got along with, she also accepted him for himself. Yet, it didn't make him feel any less guilty around her, after all the object of his desire was her fiancée. "Sure, just give me the time," he said coolly as Ciel scratched something on a sheet and held it out to him. Alois knew full well Ciel was lying, he was resisting a smug grin from forming on his lips, the look that was Ciel's tell. "Thanks," he said smoothly as he pivoted to leave, once he was outside the office he pulled out his phone. "He's lying," he muttered as he walked down the hallway.

Alois Trancy:

Something's wrong with Sebastian, see if you can get him to talk.

~~xXx~~

Diedrich was holding a thick folder with the Scotland Yard Emblem on the cover. Vincent's reach honestly scared him sometimes, after he had let Sebastian out Vincent immediately called. It was honestly like he had eyes on the German. Vincent's smooth voice hummed in his ears as he remembered the conversation. As always the man was asking for the moon and beyond, "I want anything you can find on Michaelis as well as Angela Blanc. Her name has shown up several times and I need to know just who is bringing this stuff into my port," Vincent had demanded. Naturally Diedrich went to the yard and expected a small file, however the name Blanc had been tied into several cases, which meant a stack and a half. Oddly there wasn't much on a Sebastian Michaelis, but a mountain on Lucifer Michaelis, Sebastian's father. He was informed that if he wanted to know about Sebastian he would have to contact the French Authorities for the records.

The towering German continued to walk toward his car and opened it smoothly, "Always asking for the moon," he grumbled as he started the car. He reached into his pocket and pulled his mobile, "Where is he?" he muttered as he scrolled through his contacts. Once he found the number to the contact in France he had been given he quickly placed the call. It rang a few times before being picked up. "'Allo, this is inspector Slingby, French Interpol," replied the man on the other end. Oddly his accent was a cross between British and French, it was an unusual sound and difficult for him to grasp. "Yes, this is Diedrich, I work for Vincent Phantomhive. I'm interested in records you have on a Sebastian Michaelis," he stated as he pulled out of the parking spot and into the street. There was a rustle in the background and some muffled chatter, "Oh, good! I was wondering when I would receive your call. The file is brief, I can email it to you," Slingby replied happily.

"That would be wonderful, send the file as an attachment," he said swiftly before rattling off his email address. Slingby read it back once to ensure it was correct before hanging up. He was finally going to find out just why this Pậtissier interested Ciel so much. He would have never dropped a line if Sebastian wasn't important, yet there was something else. The look on the man's face, he looked as though he were a cornered animal, frightened and alone. It was a look he would never forget, the emotional part of him told him to take Sebastian to Vincent so he could be helped, while the rational part told him to do as Ciel asked, so he wouldn't hear it later. His broad shoulders dropped as a heaved a sigh before pulling into a parking spot outside of the large glass building labeled Funtom Toys on the front. The company had existed for over one hundred years and they were known for both quality and ingenuity.

What made the Funtom name interesting was the fact that there were two sides to the company, on that was fast paced and modern and the other that was strictly traditional. They still produced the same stuffed animals, the same method, hand stitched and stuffed. He smiled as he walked toward the building. The technological end was strictly for the savvy buyer who wanted the latest and greatest. Traditional toys were Vincent and Rachel's passion, Rachel would sit by the window and sketch all the designs. In fact, Vincent didn't care for the line until he sat at her side while she battled for her life. The reason the entire line was pulled out of retirement was for her, it was true that it was expensive to produce stuffed animals of such quality, and there was a small market for them. However, the young earl was willing to do anything to make her smile. To the point where he called in a woman who used to work for Levi to sew together the prototype of the first rabbit.

He pushed open the door and entered the factory, sitting behind the desk in a glass case was the prototype. It was a light gray color, with floppy ears, large black eyes and dressed to what Diedrich considered the nines. He had been wrapped in a beautifully tailored navy and gold pinstripe vest with large brass buttons down the front. A massive navy bow was wrapped around his throat and tied expertly, the points of a pair of black triangular tails were visible through the glass pedestal he sat on, and a large black top hat with a navy blue bow rested on his head. The only other hint to it's origin was the signature black tag hanging out of it's ear. "Good morning Diedrich," chimed the secretary as he walked by. Diedrich held up a hand and continued through the factory, as he walked by there were massive glass windows displaying each pieced of the production of stuffed animals.

It was like watching a massive army produce parachutes for world war two. He was honestly amazed by how efficient Vincent had made the process, naturally the Earl was proud of the achievement, hence the windows. He continued through the building to the makeshift office he had in the building. Usually he was working in his mansion in Germany, however since Vincent's call he was forced to work in the building. He rounded the corner and pushed opened the door labeled "Forging Liaison". He sighed, Vincent always did have a sense of humor, he walked into his office and looked took a seat at his desk. Resting on the side was a sleek desktop with a black flat panel. He honestly preferred his tablet but Vincent being Vincent bought him a state of the art workstation for him to use whenever he bothered coming.

He took a seat at the desk and signed in, "I wonder how thick his file is," he commented as he waited for the screen to load. Resting on the side of his desk was his well worn leather satchel, it was a gift from Vincent, honestly he never expected something like that when he was younger. It was a Christmas gift. When he had first received it he didn't understand why the man had given it to him and thought it was the best gift for him. Oddly it came in handy more times than he realized, it was the only thing that had survived his many travels. He roamed all over the globe with that satchel, to villages off the beaten path for a sample of fabric, looking for just the right plants to create dyes for the bears. To the metropolitan to Tokyo for the latest in microchips, even New York to look at the New York extension of Funtom. The bag had seen airports, jungles of all kinds, oceans and deserts, all for Vincent. The greatest gift he had ever received a bag that could withstand adventure. Stamped on the front was his crest, Vincent had said it was the ultimate form of identification.

He reached into it and pulled out the two files, he had heard the name Michaelis whispered with a hint of disdain at social gatherings, he never knew why. Diedrich opened the thick file and looked at the picture of the man, "The only thing that proves they are father and son is the eye color," he commented as he looked at a picture of Sebastian's father. He was tall, muscular and had blond hair, his complexion was lily white and he was rather intimidating. Sebastian looked nothing like that, he was far more feminine. Diedrich looked at the report before him. "So this is why you are afraid of everyone," he whispered. Lucifer had embezzled millions out of noblemen, million heirs, mobsters, and even government officials. Later he vanished with all the funds abandoning his son at an orphanage. He was married to Sarah Elise Taylor, a young woman from New York. A bright young Vassar girl, she was strong and intelligent. A wonderful woman with a bright smile, she had beautiful black hair slightly pink skin and ocean blue eyes. She was the one who was responsible for Sebastian's looks.

While married Lucifer was a successful trader in London, until the market crashed. His wife died a year after in a car accident. The man had over extended himself and took Sebastian to an orphanage. Later he was found dead in the Seine River, several months before Sebastian entered university. Prior to his death, Lucifer was living in a high rise, surrounded by jewels, silks and women. There wasn't even a hint of Sebastian in his mind, the apartment photos were included. Diedrich sat back and sighed, Sebastian's file was digital, something told him to not open it. He didn't want to see what was responsible for causing his pain. "I need to know," he said slowly. He sat up and opened the file, the email but found something else. His eyes widened as he read the email, more than one attachment there were five, and the note which Slingby wrote sent shivers up his spine. His eyes stung and Diedrich covered his mouth, "Dee?" asked a familiar voice. The German looked up at the doorway and blinked away his tears, "Vin-cent," he said softly his voice cracked. The usually happy young earl lost his smile as he walked into the office, "Anna said you were back, did something happen?" he asked slowly was he walked over to Diedrich's desk. For once the German hound was at a loss for words, he simply turned the screen for Vincent to read what he had.

Diedrich Ferdinand von Wolff,

I was going to send the one file, however the name of the orphanage rang some bells and I decided to look farther into it. Sebastian Michealis' file is brief, however, the one on where he grew up isn't. I'm afraid there was a child molester running the facility while he was a resident. After looking at a picture and the profile, Sebastian fits his preference set. We have photos which were collected from the Priest's study, he vanished before we could speak with him. He received no treatment, Father Francis Malone vanished. The report is enclosed.

I have never had to write an email of this nature. I am truly sorry for the young man in question.

Eric Slingby

Interpol

Vincent was silent, as he read the e-mail and looked at the now upset German. He slowly leaned over the desk and opened the attachment, the file was enormous since the priest had taken photos of all the boys he had raped. Each of them terrified, tied up, gagged, injured, and covered in semen. None of them were as startling as Sebastian's photos.

After several boys came Sebastian, he was clearly the mans' favorite. With each image he was tied to the same cast iron bed with blue rose petals covering his chest and the black sheets. His white slender body was covered in more purple and black bruises with every photo. Each image was more vindictive than the next. He paused when he saw the young boy stretched by a long rope from the ceiling, his back was bare and covered in bleeding gashes, bright red streams of blood flowed down his back, evidence of the pain he had endured. He honestly looked as though he were nothing but livestock to the priest. A small pool of blood had formed around his feet and his head was bowed, the only reason Vincent knew it was Sebastian was a profile view, the boy's eyes were puffy and swollen, his lip had been split and his face was damp with tears. It was heart wrenching to look at, "W-what-" stammered Vincent as he browsed the images.

Photo after photo Sebastian was tied up as though he were a cow being bled out, covered in lacerations, his red eyes narrowed and showed that spark of defiance. Vincent opened another image and watched as Sebastian was forced into different positions and slowly the fire left his eyes and he looked more and more like a doll. Lifeless, emotionless, and empty, it was frightening to see a child that looked just like a porcelain doll. He closed the images and opened the article, "A total of thirteen boys were abused, six of them killed, and one disappeared," Vincent read aloud. His voice echoed in the office, it was as though it were possible to hear their cries.

"A mass grave was found, all six boys were found in the forest, one is still unaccounted for, Sebastian Michaelis," he read, "Francis vanished a day after the accusations were made and a farmer found the bodies. His dog had run in carrying a human arm." He stopped reading at that point when he noticed tears falling from Diedrich's eyes. It wasn't the violence that upset him, Vincent knew that. Diedrich had been responsible for something far worse, it was the fact that they were young boys. Innocent children who were punished unjustly, Sebastian was clearly his favorite. Words failed the pair as they stared in shock at the photos, the images of the young boys violated before a camera were ingrained in their minds. To see someone overcome such darkness, there wasn't a hint of it when Vincent had met him. He closed the file and looked at Diedrich, "This, doesn't leave this room," he whispered firmly. Diedrich nodded as he swept his tears away with a handkerchief. Vincent drew a shaky breath and looked at the German, "You mentioned Ciel called you, don't tell my son about this, if he is to learn of it. It's going to be from Sebastian. I want you to keep an eye on him," Vincent stated as he looked at the Blanc file on his desk. "I don't want anything to happen to him, Tanaka had given Sebastian the location of Ciel and information. Even if he won't say why, I trust his judgment," he said slowly.

This was the first time Diedrich had ever seen Vincent so adamant about keeping a secret. "This will come out eventually," the German stated once he had collected his emotions. He watched the limber slate haired man sit on the edge of his desk, his hand rested on top of the Blanc file and he crossed his legs. Vincent wasn't a bulky man, he never had been, however he wasn't a wimp either. He was by far the best marksmen Diedrich had ever met and could win a boxing match if he had to. He closed his brown eyes and hummed, "He has been through enough, what he needs is therapy and a gentle hand. No matter what, no one must know of what happened to him," Vincent replied. Diedrich nodded and watched as the Earl slipped off his desk, "I'm going to see my wife," he said slowly as he walked across the room, "I need a break before Blanc, we will get into her files tomorrow," he stated before leaving the room.

~~xXx~~

The kitchen was quiet as Claude walked in, he had been trying to call Sebastian the entire morning, and got nothing. He was honestly starting to wonder if something horrible had happened to him. He had to hear his voice, just to know that he was safe, in honesty it was more than that he wanted. He wanted to wrap his arms around the chef and press his lips to those coy ones, to hold him tightly and never let him go. Alois had only satisfied his sexual desire, not the rest, not the desire to love Sebastian. Claude sighed as he walked through the kitchen, he had yet to tell Sebastian that he had an appointment with Durless to remove the stitches. "Please be safe," he whispered as he rounded the corner. Standing in his black coat was an exhausted looking Pậtissier. Even though the man looked exhausted, he was still breathing which was good. "Michaelis, may I have a word?" asked Claude after a moment. Sebastian jumped slightly at the calling of his name, it was odd, usually he would just look up. Something was off, "I didn't mean to startle you," Claude said gently.

He stood before the chef, only now did he smell the tinge of olive oil, he could see the red marks around his wrists and he could see the pain in his eyes. "Sebastian?" he asked softly as he reached out to check the man's temperature. The Pậtissier pulled back slightly and asked, "Can I help you, Faustus?" There it was, the venom which hurt his heart, that bitter poison, a reminder that they weren't lovers. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, his gaze softened a little as he looked over the chef, his wrists were bruising, it looked as though someone had tied them together. Burgundy eyes looked up, with an emotion he had never seen in them before, they were helpless and hurting. "Yes," he replied hesitantly, it was a lie and Claude could tell. The young man was trying hard to stay on his feet.

"Madame Red called last night, she would like to remove the stitches today," he stated as he watched Sebastian's expression carefully. There was a hint of fear as he gently touched his chest, "I see," he managed after a moment, "What time?" he asked. Claude pushed his glasses up his nose and replied, "1, however since I couldn't get a hold of you I had her move it to 3 this afternoon." The Pậtissier looked at the clock that was hanging on the wall and then to Claude, "It's 2:30 now, so if we leave now we can get this done and over with?" he asked. The golden eyed chef nodded and smiled encouragingly. Sebastian sighed and set his edge down, "Fine," he replied as he rinsed the blade and slipped it back in the bag. "You can leave those in my office," he stated. The raven haired chef nodded as he placed it in Claude's office and followed the man to his Jaguar. "What were you going to make anyway?" asked Claude curiously. The Pậtissier hummed and replied, "Sugar roses for a cake." The Head Chef felt a spark of hope in his chest, those roses which drew him to the Pậtissier. The forbidden flowers he had admired and dreamed of licking each of the man's fingers in his dreams, worshiping them and holding them in his own. "Sounds beautiful," he replied with a soft smile.

Claude and Sebastian were leaving when Claude felt his phone vibrate. His eyes narrowed as he pulled it out and looked at the message. "I know Alois, but he would never talk to me," he whispered as he typed a fast reply and shoved the irritating devise in his pocket. He didn't want to be reminded that he was in love with an individual who was so guarded that he would never allow himself to be stripped of it. Of course he knew that, yet it didn't stop him from falling. He was falling fast, he had been falling so long, ever since he had caught a glimpse of him making the roses, he was in love with Sebastian.

The drive was quiet to Madame Red's practice, as always she was dressed in red with a white lab coat on standing before them in heels. "Hello again Sebastian," she said happily, "You don't know me but I remember when he brought you here." Sebastian blinked and looked at her, his eyes were locked on her coat and Claude could tell he was trying to fill in the blanks from when he had been picked up off the floor and awoke in his bed. "I'm afraid I don't know you," replied the Pậtissier sheepishly. Madame Red chuckled and held out her hand, "I'm sorry dear, I'm Angie," she said as gently took his. "Lets remove those sutures," she said sweetly as she gestured to the side room with a cot. Claude was about to follow when she shot him a warning glare, "Do you mind if Faustus is with you?" she asked. Sebastian looked a little nervous as he glanced at the head chef, he then shook his head. "No, I'm fine," he said swiftly. Claude drew back and took a seat in the chair. Once again he was asked to wait, which he didn't mind, he would wait a lifetime to see a genuine smile on those lips.

~~xXx~~

Sebastian eyed the cot, his hips were killing him and it was only now he was totally aware of the fact that he was standing in front of a doctor. He could feel the residue of the olive oil on his skin, it was sticky, uncomfortable and irritated him. If he collapsed now, she would know and ask questions, Sebastian didn't want to be punished. Punishment implied pain and he didn't want to see what would happen to him with Ciel. "Sebastian?" the woman in red asked. The Pậtissier smiled as he managed to lift himself onto the cot, he didn't collapse, even if he was in excruciating pain, the medication was wearing off and his body was screaming for relief. "Shirt off please," she said encouragingly as she picked up a silver tray with scissors and tweezers. He slowly laid down and she paused, "You were in the kitchen right? I thought you were only a Pậtissier, you smell of olives," she commented as she slowly touched his skin with one of her gloved hands. Her eyes widened and she looked at him, her eyes glided across the fresh bruises on his body and his wrists.

Sebastian felt panic rise in his body, "Sebastian, what you tell me won't leave this room," she began. He knew where this was going, he didn't want to be put on the spot, he didn't want people to know how bad he was, that he was so dirty that no amount of soap could was away his sins. "Did someone rape you?" she asked sincerely. In reality she couldn't tell anyone, he knew that, he chewed on his lip as he mulled it over in his head. She placed a hand on one of his encouragingly, "Yes," he whispered. He couldn't deny the evidence, "Please don't tell anyone," he begged. Durless was silent as she looked at him, "Did he use olive oil as lubricant?" she asked after a moment. The chef nodded, he watched as the sweet angel slowly turned, her expression was one of anger and disgust. "Wait here, I need to grab a few things, removal comes after this," she said swiftly. She got up from the stool only for Sebastian to grab her wrist. "No, if he sees you leave he will know," he whispered.

Madame Red glared at the door, "Did he do this to you?" she hissed, she looked as though she were about to rip Claude's head off. "No! I was drugged and woke up like this! He wasn't even in the area," he said in a panic. He couldn't tell her that Ciel had done it, and he was under the influence of liquor, somehow in Sebastian's head his lie was legitimate. She sighed and looked at him, "Sebastian, you will get an infection I need to do this," she stated as she gently removed his hand. He sighed and closed his eyes, before nodding, he could tell she was being serious. "Okay," he replied. He watched her vanish from view and began to wonder just what was going to happen to him. He needed help but not from Claude, never from him.

He wrapped his arms around himself, Claude was like the sun, warm, comforting and out of his reach. No matter what he did he would be dragged into the darkness. He was drowning and the only one who seemed to find him was the last person he ever wanted to. The door opened and he stared at her, "Okay, I need you to apply this to tears," she stated as she held out a sterile silver tin. Sebastian nodded and looked at her. She gave him a small smile before settling on the stool to remove the stitches. She was silent the rest of the time, he knew it was because it was awkward to help a rape victim, it had always been like this. He would never be able to escape from this, it would follow him for the rest of his life.

"Finished," she said with a note of triumph, Sebastian sat up and looked in the mirror. Three long scars were down his chest, he slowly ran his fingers over them. His back was covered in similar scars which weren't missed by the keen eyes of the doctor. "I'll let you put that on and get dressed," she said smoothly before leaving the room.

~~xXx~~

Claude was sitting in a chair and she looked at him, "We need to talk privately," she whispered as she lead him into the hallway. He knew this urgency, it was the same as the first night she had treated Sebastian. "I'm going to tell you something, even though I shouldn't, but you seem to be the only person looking out for him," she said softly as she walked. Claude didn't like the sound of this, that phrase always meant trouble. "Sebastian has been raped recently, and from the looks of it he was abused in the past," she said slowly. Her words were like boulders in a serene pond. Claude's jaw slacked as he stared at her, no words left his lips as he attempted to understand what she just told him. "What?" he asked with anger ebbing into his voice.