Author's Note: I want to take a chance to thank those of you who have been reviewing without a Fan-fiction account. You're replies will be at the bottom of the chapter, I know a bunch of you are excited to read this coming installment.

I also want to thank all of you who have been adding his to favorites and following it, I haven't had a chance to get through all the thank you notes. I started posting a Potter Fan-fiction at the same time and apparently people like that one as well. I've been busy.

Chapter 40: Two Knives, One Challenge

Morning had come; the light flooded the large landscape window of Claude's room causing one of the two lovers to stir. A sleepy hum emanated from the bed as one of the figures began to stir. The warm silk sheets and plush duvet had cocooned them and made a wonderful warm safe haven. Crimson eyes opened slowly, he felt a pleasant weight around his waste and warmth pressed against his back. Sebastian looked over his shoulder too see Claude, he was being spooned, it was a wonderful feeling to be held even in his sleep. Somehow Claude chased all the monsters away; it had been a while since Sebastian had slept so well. He paused when he realized the last time was when Claude had been in bed with him. He smiled as he slowly unwound Claude's arms and looked down at Claude's sleeping face. The man was so relaxed in his slumber, he wanted to stay in bed forever with this clever chef. However, he also knew today was the final challenge, and he desperately needed to shower. Sebastian smiled blissfully as he pressed a kiss to Claude's head and slipped out of the sheets.

The flat was a little cold, but no where near as cold as the flat he had lived in when he first moved to London. Sebastian continued through the room and into the bathroom, he could feel the remnants of the night before on his skin. While he loved being held he didn't like the stickiness of sweat on his skin, it was irritating. His jaw dropped when he walked into the bathroom. It was covered in marble, black marble no less with silver fixtures, a tub large enough to fit two people along with a shower. "Wow, he really makes a lot," he whispered as his bare feet hit the cold floor, he noticed several towels and realized that they were for the floor outside the basin of the shower. He pulled one from the silver towel bar and placed it on the floor before turning on the water. He listened to it fall and held his hand out to test it. He loved the feeling of a warm shower in the morning, it used to wash the grime of his nightmares away, yet now it was to wake up and wash away the evidence of their passion. It wasn't that he was ashamed; it was more the feeling of clammy skin which bugged him. The warm water fell over his arm, and he hummed before stepping into the cascade of warm water.

A sigh of content filled the room as he felt the warm water caress his skin. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back as he reveled in the warm water. He could feel the dull aches from the night before slowly relax and knew that there was probably ibuprofen in his future. The aches were welcome though, especially since they only proved how much Claude loved him. Sebastian slowly looked at the shelves in the shower and spotted the man's soap. A blush rose to his cheeks, if he used it he would smell like Claude. The notion was an inviting one, tentatively collected the bottle and a sponge and lathered the white bar in his hands. He could smell the spices and hummed, but it smelt a little different. Eucalyptus and spearmint, the bar looked practically new, he paused as he remembered Claude having gotten up and going to the bathroom, he had taken a bit and now he knew why. This soap was brand new; the name of the store was still visible. Began to rub it on his skin and drew a deep breath, the sent was soothing, calming actually. He continued to scrub when he noticed a nice numbing to the pain in his stiff body. His muscles relaxed slowly and he hummed before putting the bar back, he was going to have to thank Claude later for the soap, it helped a great deal. Once his body was done he took some shampoo and began to tend to his tangled and greasy hair. His fingers gently messaged it before rinsing. He had time before the next challenge but wasn't interested in being late.

Sebastian turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. He smiled as he wrapped himself in a fluffy towel and began to dry himself; the only issue now was that he didn't have any clothing, which meant a little closet raiding. Sebastian hummed as he wrapped the towel around his waist and left the bathroom to go looking in the man's closet. His eyes widened as he took a step inside of it, "Holy walk in closet," he whispered as he stared at the drawers and racks which lined the walls. He felt as though he had walked into the man's mall. Sebastian opened a drawer and looked at the large selection of boxers, needless to say he was impressed by not only the selection but the materials and colors as well. In the end he chose a pair of navy blue silk boxers, after a little looking he realized he wouldn't fit into anything else and settled for gathering his clothing which had been cast to the floor the night before.

He quietly gathered his clothes and took them back into the bathroom; he could hear a soft moan and then a yawn. He smiled as he thought about a sleepy Claude slipping out of bed and getting dressed. He remembered that at some point the man had showered that night. He heard some footsteps and listened intently as the man wandered into the kitchen, he suppressed a chuckle, even half asleep the man's first instinct was to wander into the kitchen. Sebastian slipped into his sauté pants and looked at his reflection in the mirror; he smiled to himself as he looked over the love bites from the night before. Claude had given him a phenomenal round of sex; he still had a hard time believing that the man wanted him. Claude was a god in bed, and honestly sexy as hell, it made Sebastian dizzy thinking about it. He slipped a shirt over his torso and hummed, the sound of Claude roaming through the apartment ceased and he turned his attention to his hair. He ran a comb through it in an attempt to tame it when he noticed a pair of golden eyes staring at him in the mirror.

Claude was standing in the doorway, "We are going to a different set today," he commented. Sebastian's red eyes narrowed in confusion as he looked at the chef. "Let's just say that this Finale will be like nothing else, and we've upped the anti," Claude commented, he was standing in a beautiful three piece suit. Sebastian's mouth popped open, the man looked delicious and now that he knew what was under the clothing his fingers were itching to grab the man's tie and hold him captive. He was standing in a beautiful wine colored suit; the purple was deep and looked nearly red and made his golden eyes pop. He was wearing a white shirt and had a tie lying around his neck untied. He had a black leather belt around his waist and Sebastian stared at the cut of the jacket, it was perfect, ideal actually. He made a mental note to compliment Allen later for it. The collar of his shirt was open and his hair was still a bit of a mess. His glasses were resting on his nose and he was leaning in the doorway. Claude's golden eyes were filled with mirth as he grinned, "How?" asked Sebastian, as he swallowed. He was practically drooling, and he honestly wasn't ashamed. Claude chuckled, it was a wonderful sound as he watched the man shift, his eyes fell on the custom made oxfords on his feet, they were shined so beautifully it were as though they had never seen the street. "Simple, it appears that both Vincent and my father want to see how it ends," he replied. Claude ran a hand through his hair and looked at Sebastian with a smirk, the cuffs of his shirt peaked out from the sleeves showing off his custom cuff links and Tudor watch. Although it seemed odd at first it looked good on his wrist, Claude wasn't the type to roll with a Rolex or an Omega, although Sebastian swore he had seen the chef sport one during another event. Claude liked to make a statement, his clothing did and so did his food.

"Apparently we've made so much noise world wide that my father wants us to get a bit of attention," Claude continued as he crossed his arms and long legs, "We will be broad casting world wide, live on not only BBC but several stations in the US, Canada, Asia and apparently Australia." Sebastian's eyes widened, that was a ton of coverage, he thought it was big before but it just grew an unimaginable amount. "Not to mention parts of South America will get to see as well, basically anyone with an internet connection," Claude said simply with a shrug. Sebastian looked at his attire and then to Claude's, "In fact, things have become so large that I have to ask you to put this on," he said as he hung a garment bag on the door. The garment bag which immediately caught Sebastian's attention, on the right side was a very familiar logo. He knew the logo, it was from Allen's shop. That alone told Sebastian two things, the first was that the suit was tailored and crafted by the man who made Claude's, which in turn would make him look as sexy as the man before him. The second was that it was expensive, really expensive. "I can't," whispered Sebastian in shock. Claude stared at him as though he were a moron and sighed, "It's a gift, every man needs a killer suit, and believe me this one is going to turn heads," he stated. Sebastian turned and looked in the mirror, he could still see Claude's gaze but had to get his head clear.

Claude left his place in the doorway and walked over to Sebastian he stood before him and pressed a kiss to Sebastian's head, "You know, I'm not sure what's more of a turn on, knowing that a pair of my boxers was missing and that you are in them, or the fact that you smell like my body wash, making you mine," he whispered. Sebastian shivered as he felt a very familiar fire being kindled, Claude's hands roaming his skin from the night before, his fierce lips leaving their mark, his voice commanding him to stay with him, and his feverish skin. Sebastian moaned as he felt the chef's hands run over his chest in a teasing fashion. The chef's lips slid down his neck, and Sebastian tipped his head back, he whimpered in an attempt to block Claude's touches, he had to finish getting dressed.

A chuckle emanated from the chef and traveled through Sebastian's skin, it was like a pleasant shiver. One of those beautiful broad hands slipped under Sebastian's shirt and played with the skin beneath them. Clearly Claude had other ideas, "I'm trying to get dressed," Sebastian gasped as he felt the man lick the shell of his ear, that tongue which slung insults that were coated in venom in one minute and caressed his name with care the next was hot against his ear. "I'm assisting," Claude commented before nipping Sebastian's ear lobe. Sebastian's resolve was tumbling, he leaned into Claude's chest as the man tugged at his sauté pants. "No," he gasped, "You're not." He felt Claude's smile against his neck before he hummed and gently began tugging the pants out of the way. "Yes I am," he said happily. Sebastian glared at the man and attempted to pull away, "No you're not. I'm trying to get dressed, and here you are undressing me," he pointed out. Claude flashed a smile as he looked at Sebastian, "You have to put on the suit, so I am helping you undress," he replied.

Sebastian resisted the urge to roll his eyes, a smile curved his lips, the man was insufferable and he liked it. Those experienced hands had brought him to the peak of heaven and sent him spiraling to earth so many times that night. He wanted more, he was becoming addicted to Claude, and honestly didn't care. Claude's hands slipped down his sides before forcing the sauté pants off, causing them to flutter to the floor. He hummed as he tugged at the waist band of a familiar pair of boxers. "Interesting choice," he commented as he played with the silk material, they were navy blue with a raven on them. Sebastian chuckled and replied, "I thought it was funny that you even had them." Everything the man owned dealt with spiders, yet here was a raven, "They look better on you than me," he commented before pulling Sebastian's shirt over his head. There was no way Sebastian could push Claude away, even if he wanted to. He stepped out of his pants and slipped a hand into Claude's hair. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked as he felt Claude slide his hand into his boxers.

"Assisting," he replied smugly. Sebastian hissed as he felt Claude grab his member, he was already bothered from the shower, Claude's menstruation weren't helping him either. "With?" asked Sebastian breathlessly as he gripped Claude's wrist he couldn't help it, he loved the way the man's hands felt on his skin. "This, you seem rather awake this morning," he commented. Sebastian moaned as he felt Claude's fingers slip of his slit, in truth the shower had helped, but his sleep fogged brain was really awake now. Sebastian leaned into Claude's embrace and closed his eyes before moaning loudly as Claude's hand grew bolder. "Fuck," Sebastian cried as he felt the man stroke him his grip was tight but not harsh, it took everything to keep himself from bucking into Claude's hand. "Tell me what you desire," whispered Claude dangerously.

Sebastian's brain was fogged, all that mattered was Claude was touching him, last he checked they had three hours, plenty of time. He didn't want to be sore for a challenge though, he bit his lip as he debated, "I won't penetrate if you don't want it," he replied. Sebastian smiled, the man always knew what he was thinking, "You, touch me please," he whispered in reply. Claude grinned as he replied, "With pleasure." He managed to get the boxers out of the way when he heard the buzz of the intercom. Claude stiffened and mumbled, "Ignore it." Sebastian chuckled as he felt Claude growl, clearly the interruption wasn't welcome as the buzzing continued. Claude released his hold on Sebastian and muttered, "Who ever it is better have a damn good reason." Sebastian watched Claude stalk out of the room and sighed, he was still hard but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

~~xXx~~

Claude growled at the sight of Grell, he had Sebastian reaming in his arms, moaning and enjoying every touch. "This better be good," he sneered as he leaned in the doorway of his flat, he looked at the redhead and internally cringed. Once again Grell was dressed like a woman, he didn't mind transvestites, and it was just this one that irritated him. Grell was unable to keep his hands to himself. "Claude, for once I'm not here to bug you, nice hickey by the way," he commented. Claude crossed his arms and ignored the comment about the hickey and asked, "Well?" Grell hummed and looked toward the bedroom, he waited a moment, "The location of the set and this," he said as he handed Claude an envelope. Golden eyes narrowed as he ripped it open and he stared, "What is this?" he asked as he pulled it's contents out and looked at the white business card with VP on the front and number on the back. Grell shrugged, "I have no clue, I was told to give it to you," he replied.

Claude stared at the pages which had been enclosed; they numbers from the looks of a few they were bank accounts and others eluded him. "Is this a joke?" he asked as he looked at the sheets. Numbers this early in the morning weren't Claude's idea of a good morning. He turned the business card over in his hands, "I remember this, I got one before applying to Ciel," he commented. Grell looked at him as though he were insane, "You did too? I thought I was the only one, I was waiting on a table one night and the next thing I knew it was there with a note on the back instructing me to apply to Ciel," Grell said curiously. Claude felt the raised letters against his finger tips, they were the same as Vincent Phantomhive's initials, but why Phantomhive would give him information like this was unusual.

He continued looking through the sheets and noticed that there were several street addressed, all in Paris. "Odd," he said slowly as he looked at Grell, "Who did you say gave this to you?" he asked. Grell shrugged and replied, "I didn't and even if I did know, I might not tell you. Honestly, how would I know it was sitting on the bar counter this morning along with £200 and a note to make sure that got to you. Claude felt the stiff cardstock from the business card between his fingers as he read over the number again, it made no sense, "I never thought I would see one of these again," he commented before placing the envelope's contents back inside of it and then setting it on the table. Grell turned to leave and said, "By the way you should really look out the window, this place is swarmed with reporters." Claude sighed, he knew this was coming all too soon, he also had a feeling that Sebastian's sauté pants weren't going to cut it. He had dressed well for the interview and the photo shoot which meant Claude had to bring out something which made more of a statement hence the suit. "Thanks for the heads up," he commented before Grell lazily waved and walked away. Now all that he had to do was tell Sebastian what was going on.

He closed the door and slowly made his way back to the bathroom. Grell may have interrupted his time with Sebastian, however this time it actually seemed helpful. Yet he couldn't seem to get one thing out of his head and that was the envelope with the business card. While the card was made of beautiful card-stock it was simple and didn't seem like it belonged to anyone. Claude heaved a sigh as he walked into the bedroom and stood in the bathroom door, his eyes fell on a gorgeous sight, Sebastian slipping into a suit. He smiled to himself and crossed his arms, he had to get the man into a suit more often.

~~xXx~~

"The press is lined up downstairs, and it's going to be one hell of a ride to the studio," he stated. Sebastian slipped out of his clothing and looked at the suit, "How bad?" Claude chuckled as he walked over to the window and gestured for the man to com over. Sebastian's jaw dropped when he saw the mob waiting for him. "Whoa," he whispered in shock.

Claude was grinning, "You are currently one of the most famous chefs in the world, and everyone who is anyone is out there waiting to catch a glimpse of you," he replied. Sebastian knew that the images on the billboards had driven the city wild; after all he was dressed in the hottest of clothing and looked nothing like the innocent and naive chef that everyone had expected. Sebastian slipped into the trousers, they were perfectly tailored, and he couldn't help but gape at the feeling of the fabric against his skin. He felt his heart pound and suddenly realized why it was called a suit. Honestly he could understand why Claude wore them when ever he had to deal with crowds, it gave you a hint of confidence and the ability to look at everyone else in the room and stand up for yourself. Sebastian rolled his shoulders as he adjusted the crisp black shirt, he smiled as he felt the silk against his skin. Claude had once again gone above and beyond his expectations; he had realized the night before that nearly every article of clothing he owned was made of soft and supple fabrics. Sebastian slipped into the jacket and popped the collar before slipping the tie around his neck.

He looked over and watched as the man put in his contacts, his jaw dropped when he looked at Claude's eyes without the glasses in the way, that intense gaze was back and this time it was going to stay. His almond shaped eyes seemed more intense and it made him stare, "What?" asked Claude after straightening his tie and looking over at Sebastian. His eyes looked unbelievable without the lenses in the way, it was as though a simple look could look through his soul. "Wow," whispered Sebastian as he finished tying his tie, Claude was smirking he really did look better without the glasses.

He smiled as he tied it smoothly, now he was going to enjoy himself. Claude was hanging out in the doorway and asked playfully, "Ready?" Sebastian nodded and turned to him he ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to play with it when Claude shook his head, "Don't," he commented. Claude's fingers slipped through Sebastian's hair, "Now we are going to have some fun," he said simply. Sebastian stared at his reflection in the mirror the clothes were perfect and he stood out even beside Claude, it was impressive what Allan could do with a needle, thread and bolt of fabric. Claude had selected a beautiful steel grey suit with a silver tie and black shirt, his red eyes stood out and his hair was just right, he looked as though he had just had sex, then again being near Claude was the equivalent of it. His waist was trim and the trousers were tailored perfectly showing off his long legs, the jacket was perfectly fit in the shoulders and the back was brought in a touch to emphasize his proportions. Claude's hands were in his pockets as he grinned at Sebastian, "I told you, you look sexy as hell," commented Claude. Sebastian flashed a smile and walked toward Claude, "Says the demon himself," Sebastian said smoothly before kissing him and pulling away. Claude felt a smile curve his lips as Sebastian looked over his shoulder, "Coming?" asked Sebastian as he continued toward the door.

Sebastian waited by the lift and looked over at Claude who was holding a black case out to him, "You need these, the flashes are going to be bright," Claude commented. Sebastian opened the black eye glass case and gaped, he had seen Claude's Revos but these, these were different from his aviators. They were red and black with green polarized lenses, he stared at the silver detailing on the side and gaped at the logo, "Persol, these," he stammered . Claude pulled a set out of his pocket and smiled as the lift doors opened Sebastian stared at the people who had their faces pressed against the glass. There was a different car waiting, it wasn't the jaguar, it was something hotter a Lotus Elise in a beautiful blue with a pair of thick white stripes running from the tail to the nose of the car. "You have two cars?" asked Sebastian in confusion as he looked at the beautiful curves of the exotic car before him. He thought the Jaguar was special but this car was clearly custom, it had a rag top and was meant for a big entrance. "Actually I have three, if you count the Vanquish in the States," he stated as he continued across the foyer.

Sebastian sighed, no matter what he thought this man was practically made of money, he didn't even want to think about how much it cost to ensure those three cars. Claude slipped out the front door and Sebastian followed only to be greeted by a roar, his eyes widened as he listened to the shutters of cameras close and the shouting. Claude smiled and looked around at Sebastian who nodded and in a smooth motion they slipped the glasses on and walked over to the car. Claude's hands were in his pockets as he smiled and looked at the reporters, Sebastian understood what it felt like to walk the red carpet, the thrill of being the center of attention, he heard a scream as he looked over his shoulder and nodded to a group of reporters, it was a rush. His heart was pounding in his ears and he felt as though he were gliding. He watched a glint of silver out of the corner of his eye as Claude and the valet tossed the Head Chef the keys to the Lotus. This was certainly going to be a day to remember.

~~xXx~~

Grell left the apartment building through the backdoor and sighed, those business cards were becoming more and more common now, as well as the shadow which seemed to accompany them. The long red haired waiter sighed as he walked around the front of the building away from the swarm of reporters. His red high heels clicked against the pavement as his mind wandered back to the envelope, he had no idea what was in it, however it had to be complicated for Claude to look like that. Grell wasn't a fool, he knew Claude was overly qualified for the position of Head Chef at Ciel, he could own his own placed with both his finds and resources. Grell reached into the pocket of his long red coat and pulled out one of the familiar cards as well as a sheet of paper which had a note on it.

He looked at the simple VP on the front before re-reading the script on the page attached. Grell had read the note nearly one hundred times and yet he still couldn't believe what the sender had asked him to do. He had been instructed by an anonymous individual to set Lizy free, to convince her to leave Ciel. What was more startling was that the note appeared on the counter after a rush and just before Lizy arrived. As the note stated Lizy would arrive two hours later. He stared at the neat penmanship on the page, it wasn't Vincent's he had seen the man's hand writing and while it was neat it was nothing like this. Who ever had written the note had years of practice holding a pen, the strokes seemed to flow, yet had a hint of authority to them.

Grell folded the thick parchment up again and slipped it back into his pocket before looking at the business card in question. He tried to think back to the shadow, yet he couldn't seem to remember him, all he could remember was a long coat and bowler hat. A description which didn't help and apparently had become a common one in London as of late, several other restaurants claimed to have seen the visitor, well what he had left. Grell sighed as he slipped the card back in his pocket and continued to work, he had a feeling who ever this person was, was just trying to make an impression.

~~xXx~~

The world seemed to be engulfed in a frenzy which didn't seem to end, people were scrambling to see what was happening next and Ash was nervous. The Undertaker had convinced him to cook with his soul, but the question became if that would even be remotely enough to stand up to Sebastian. He swept a hand through his white hair as he slipped into his car, he had been mobbed with the press he could hear their shouts and wondered just how large this event was. The driver of the limousine looked in the rear-view mirror and said briskly, "We are going to a different set, the production company just informed me." Ash's lavender eyes narrowed as he stared at the driver, a number of questions were teaming in his head, there were only a few reasons to have the even moved set wise. Most of them involved security issues and property damage, however there was one more option, change in audience size. He sighed and closed his eyes as he felt the car pull away, he would find out soon enough.

He felt as though everything was leading up to this, every moment, every dish, every idea was leading up to this challenge. His heart was pounding as he looked at a bulletin board they were driving by, Sebastian was breath taking and when they shared the board it made him wonder just what kind of fires gave birth to a chef of such a caliber. He watched the streets roll by when his eyes widened, they were going to a massive studio complex, he watched the as security pressed the press back and noticed a Lotus had arrived. Mindlessly he complimented Claude on his choice of car, the Elise was a sleek car and far better than his fleet of black town cars. The car stopped in front of the building and Ash waited for the door to open. He stepped out with his knife bag over his shoulder and looked over to see Sebastian. It took everything he had to not gape in shock at the man's appearance. He thought the look the man had on for the interview and shoot was astounding but this, the silver suit was a killer.

Claude's tailor clearly had gotten a hold of the man, he had never seen a suit fit someone so well. His eyes glided over Sebastian's slender physique and the silver fabric. Clearly all the stops were out, it was the end and obvious Sebastian was dressed to impress. Claude was at Sebastian's side, they looked stunning together, both smartly dressed and honestly seemed to knock women unconscious with a look. Ash was pulled from his musings when he found himself looking up at a sign which had Studio 9 in large red letters. Sebastian and Claude were at his sides, "So this is it?" asked Sebastian. Ash looked over to see a pair of inquisitive red eyes on him and nodded. "This is it, the ending," he replied. Sebastian nodded and whispered, "I'm not going to take it easy." Ash smiled, he could tell the chef meantit, and he honestly wasn't going to flicker out, he wanted to go out in style. "I know, and neither will I," he stated.

Sebastian and Claude slowly opened the double doors and were greeted with white hallways and two makeup artists. "Welcome, let's get you guys ready to go for one last round," said Beast happily. Ash was silent as he watched Sebastian walk toward her. The butterflies in his stomach refused to calm down, everything was ridding on this challenge, and he'd be damned if Angela screwed it up. At this point he wanted nothing to do with her and had blocked her from even being able to call him. He was ready to move on, regardless of whether or not she was. He followed one of the make up artists to the Green Room and stared at it, it was larger than the other one. He also noticed a new coat, his name was embroidered on the front and he smiled. This was clearly a show to remember. He sat still for the woman to put on his make up, all the while he was running through techniques in his head, patters, ideas and recopies he could do on the fly. He had spent the last 24 hours trying to build an arsenal of impressive ideas. He wasn't going to lose, he couldn't, he had to prove that he was still able to cook.

The make up artist finished quickly, and left the room for him to slip into his sauté pants and jacket. He didn't ever realize he was standing outside the set doors with Sebastian at his side until later, Doll was counting down and he felt his stomach clench, Sebastian looked calm, then again he looked calm the last time and practically fainted. He drew a deep breath and watched as Doll held up three fingers, he slowly released it as she pushed open the doors. He was greeted by a blast of music, Hooper had clearly been busy, he had composed a new and exciting piece for their entrance. He stepped into the blinding spotlight and paused, the kitchen was radically different, it was laid out the same way as the last but this one was dark purple colored with glistening stainless steel, glass and wood boards. He looked at the chefs who were seated at the front of the room at a long table on a platform. He looked at the two stations and the ovens which were waiting, lit and scorching hot. This definitely was a whole new game.

Vincent stepped down from the table, he was wearing a slick suit and smiling brightly, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Third Challenge!" he shouted over the roar of the applause, he was holding a black microphone in his hand and was beaming. Ash stared at Lucius Faustus he was sitting at the head table, as well as another face he didn't know but noticed Sebastian stiffen over. "I know it's exciting isn't it? We finally get to see how this all ends!" Vincent shouted energetically, Rachel was off to the side smiling at her husband, she looked a little pale but not too bad. Ash stared at the slate haired Lord who was grinning broadly, "Now this time we have pulled some of the oldest spices known to man, I hope you two are ready. Now Sebastian won the last challenge, which means you pull the knife, however we have an interesting twist," said Vincent as he walked over to a table which had a silver cloth over it. With a snap of his wrist the fabric was falling from the block like figures underneath, there was a rustle of silk as it floated through the air. Ash's eyes widened, there was more than one knife block. "Ash will pull the second knife," said Vincent happily. Sebastian and Ash looked at one another nervously, now they were both responsible for what they pulled.

"Sebastian the first knife must come from the largest center block," Vincent explained, "Once pulled I will point to the corresponding block and Ash will pull the second blade." The chefs nodded and Sebastian gathered his courage to walk up to the block. Ash stared at the chef, in some ways he felt bad for the chef, this was the first time there were two knives to be pulled and the last time either of them would go near these blocks. Sebastian stood behind the block and looked at the knives, his red eyes narrowed as his fingers skimmed their handles. Ash felt his heart race, this was nerve wracking to watch, Sebastian chose a knife and pulled it from the block with ease. His eyes widened a fraction as he looked at the blade and then flipped it in his fingers.

Proclaimed in large black letters was the category, "TEA." There was a gasp in the audience, they were in England and being asked to bake a dish using tea, not to serve with it. He sighed, there was no way this could get worse. There were thousands of teas, and from the look of the box there were ten knives. Ash faintly heard Vincent shout out the category and then watched the man stand before the proper box. Ash somehow found his will to walk and slowly walked over to the block. His hand was shaking as he reached for a blade, 10 knives, there was a 1 in ten shot he would know what the tea in question even looked like, let alone taste like. He sighed as he looked at the last knife in the block, "Let's go for it," he mumbled as he wrapped his hand around the tenth knife's grip. The blade came out of the block with ease, his heart was pounding in his ears, as he silently prayed he would know what it was. The block released the blade and he held the cold steel in his hands, his eyes widened as he looked at the blade. At that moment he thanked the gods above that he even knew what kind of tea that was and had in fact tasted it. He actually had a shot.

He could feel Sebastian's gaze on him and smiled as he flipped the blade.

Review Replies:

CrimsonTears: I find your user to be ironic, my first fan-fiction was called "Crimson Tears". Anyway I'm glad you liked the lemon, I wanted something hot, savory and tender, I think I managed it. It's also nice to hear that you like my pairing, I love the two but my versions. Ciel will get it, trust me. Just wait.

Anonymous: I'm glad you enjoyed Chapter 40 and love the piece in general. Usually I would indulge you on writing it from Claude's point of view, but I need to get moving with the challenge. Don't worry, it will be included as an extra at the end as well a special bonus for Christmas and Thanks Giving. So it's been written but I want to keep the ball rolling so have postponed it until the ending. I'm glad you picked up on the title by the way not many people have.

Joanna: Sebastian is going to get bolder, not with just flavor but his appearance and moves as well. Just wait a very familiar haughty young man is going to appear soon.

GentleGiant: I have no idea... I don't like Angela either. Which is why she's the bad guy in this. I don't think I have a typo, but I'll look later.

Yu Ping: I'm glad you are enjoying it so much, I write a little differently and love an involved plot. Believe me when I say the ending is going to be explosive. Expect to see bold moves from Sebastian in the future, he's got a knight at his side and has the strength to actually fight now. As for the sleeping habits, I can't judge, I don't sleep much to begin with. I get four hours if I'm lucky.