Author's Note: Happy New Year everyone. I know this is a little late, however I got called into work both New Years Eve and Day, which annoyed me. A little advice, if you want a relatively stress free job, don't work in a deli that does catering during the Holidays especially New Years. Anyway I want to thank all of you for the reviews, many of you have been trying to guess what was on the cart, and now you will find out. As always those of you who have been reviewing will find your reply at the bottom of this installment.

Chapter 42: Dates and Wontons

Vincent's eyes flickered over the crowd as he held the beautiful sheet in his hands, resting on the table was another knife block. This block was radically different from the others, it was smaller and made of a darker wood, cherry from the looks of it, with the crest of the show on the front and both Phantom and Faust industries on the sides. The knives were the same cool steel, yet this time they had black grips. "Your performance was so beautiful that in the end we couldn't determine who won the challenge," he said with a smile, "You tied." Sebastian stared at the man and looked at the block, he could believe he tied with Ash, they both did well, but this block frightened him, somehow the concept of having more knives was soothing, it meant more chances of there being something recognizable in them. "This naturally won't do, we want to know who the best is. While Sebastian has won a bulk of the challenges it wouldn't be fair to Ash, who has just gotten his groove back," Vincent shouted as he looked at the crowd, his voice echoed through the room and there was a round of applause, "The other judges and myself conversed, and came to the realization that there was one thing we never asked you to do," Vincent continued, Sebastian felt confused. Thus far he had worked with some of the most difficult ingredients, and stretched the limits of what he could do in the time allowed. Yet Vincent was saying there was something they hadn't done. He looked at the man as though he were insane.

"Since you both won the last challenge you both must agree on which of the two knives to pull," he instructed, "Think of this as a tiebreaker, winner takes all." Sebastian and Ash looked at one another, it wasn't over yet. The raven haired patissier was exhausted, yet again he was asked to fight, he drew a deep breath and looked at Ash, the other chef looked equally tired. He noticed that Ash's was pale and his postured had sagged slightly in comparison to how he was walking in. Even though it was clear to him, obviously it wasn't on camera. Sebastian turned to face him and said simply, "One more? Or do we settle for the tie?" asked Sebastian simply. A number of emotions flickered across Ash's face, as the man thought for a moment, it seemed only fair to ask. After all his life wasn't the only one affected by this, Ash was at the man's mercy as well. "Depends, think you'll slip up?" he asked with a hint of mirth. Sebastian smirked, he couldn't resist, he didn't want to settle for a tie and clearly neither did Ash, even if it meant fighting.

Sebastian shook his head, "Nope. Are you planning on taking a dive anytime soon?" Ash shrugged and pointed at the block, "Depends on what we pull, if I don't like it we can always kill them, starting with Vincent," he reasoned. There was a chuckle in the audience. Sebastian looked over at the judges, Hugo was grinning broadly, he had heard the man had an interesting sense of humor. "We can't do that, not here. You'll get blood on the set and the crew will kill us." Sebastian said with mock sincerity. The laughter in the room increased and he heard a familiar chuckle, Sebastian looked over his shoulder and spotted Claude, his jacket was gone and he had rolled his shirt sleeves up, his tie was gone and he had opened his collar. Even disheveled Claude looked delectable. The pair stood before the block and hummed as Ash crossed his arms and Sebastian looked pensively at the knives. "We are only allowed to pull one knife, so how do we pick?" asked Ash as he glared at the knives as though they would somehow whisper to him what was on the blade.

Sebastian shrugged, "No clue. Flip a coin?" he asked as he fished one out of his pocket. He knew he was leaving it all up to chance, but at this point there was no point in taking it sincerely. It was clear that the judges and host had decided to have their fun and were going to ask them to work magic. Ash sighed and retorted, "Honestly how old are we? Coins are for school children." Sebastian sighed as he closed his hand and went to slip it back into his pocket. "Oh alright, give it here. With our luck the damn thing will stand vertically without verdict," Ash said hastily and there was a chuckle in the crowd. Sebastian glared at the white haired chef and stated, "I thought you were questioning my maturity, and now you're going to use my method. How old are you?" Ash snorted as he attempted to snatch the coin from Sebastian's hands, "No seriously because you look 50," Sebastian stated earning a laugh from a number of viewers. Ash growled before replying, "I'm 29, thank you," he then snatched the silver coin. Sebastian looked him over and stared, "No way, you look older. It's the hair, got to be the hair," he said simply.

Ash was about to flip the coin when he heard that comment and put his hands on his hips and asked, "What about it?" Sebastian shook his head and pointed to the reflective metal cart, "It's white, or did you think it was a good idea to leave the bleach in that long?" There was another laugh from the crowd, Sebastian figured his antics would release some of the tension in the room and he watched as Ash chuckled. "Says the man who looks like he stuck his in a pot of black ink," he retorted. Sebastian scowled and grumbled, "Better black and than white, at least I don't have to worry about stains." There was another round of laughter which spread through the room as Ash glared at Sebastian. The raven haired Patissier suddenly found the opposite wall very interesting. "Shush now, I'm trying to work," Ash chided which resulted in Sebastian smiled crookedly as he looked at both the coin in the man's hand and Ash's stern face. "Really I thought we were tossing a coin?" he added, "Unless you plan on transporting the coin through time and several dimensions, I don't think it's that tough." Ash growled with irritation as he stopped mid motion once again. Ash rolled his eyes and asked, "You want to do this?" as he jabbed the coin at Sebastian the other Patissier held his hands up and shook his head. "Oh no. If I touch it we will lose it surely," Sebastian reasoned, "It will fly off some where way over there." He gestured to the far corner of the studio.

Ash groaned as he glared daggers at Sebastian his lavender eyes locked onto crimson orbs, however it wasn't just agitation but it was clearly taking him everything he had no to laugh. "Heads, knife one. Tails, knife two," he announced before flicking the coin off his thumb, and it shot into the air. The silver coin spun in the air over and over again as it fell, each rotation the odds seemed to multiply. Even though in theory it was an even chance between the two knives, watching the coin spin only made it seem as though the odds were greater. The coin plummeted through the air and quickly passed their heads before finally falling to the floor, it landed with a soft thunk, which resounded through the room. The silver coin glistened in the harsh lights of the stage, "Heads," they said in unison before Ash reached out and grabbed the knife.

In moments the blade was in their hands and the pair stared at it, "Minimalism?" read Ash. Sebastian froze he knew that term, it had been a while since he had heard it mentioned. Hugo stepped out with a microphone in hand, Harmon was at his side as well as Porrot. "Minimalism was a movement started a few years back, it's the notion that cooking doesn't require fancy gadgets and that a chef can cook just about anything in the space," explained Harmon, and Sebastian froze, it was as though he were going to be catering Lau's event, only this kitchen was bound to be stocked even more poorly. "A real chef is able to cook in any condition of the kitchen, well we are a little restricted when it comes to the access to an oven but it's not impossible," stated Hugo briskly.

With a snap there were crew members flooding the set, Sebastian turned around and stared at the people dressed in black and tilted his head. He watched in awe as each of them grabbed various appliances, hands were grappling to gather what they had been instructed, "What on earth?" asked Ash in confusion and Sebastian sighed, he knew this was coming at some point but he didn't expect this. He watched the crew extinguish a majority of the ovens, save one and stove tops. Mixers, blenders, food processors, whisks, edges and even icing bags went missing. There was a murmur of confusion in the crowd before one man stood and shouted, "What the hell is going on?" his face was red with irritation and Sebastian withheld a groan.

"Minimalism is as the name implies, the necessities only. No fancy gizmos which serve one purpose. One oven, a refrigerator, a cutting board, knives, forks, spoons, a few glass mixing bowls some pots and pans. That's it," explained Sebastian, "Nothing else. It's the most basic kitchen." There was silence as they all looked at the raven haired Patissier, of course he knew what it was, he had lived in apartments with basic kitchens for years, nothing expensive or complex, it was the most basic kitchen possible since it was all he could afford. For years he was cooking in even soup kitchens to practice, he shrugged, "We all have to practice somewhere," he stated. The crew finished removing items and walked out of the room in a line like ducks, all following the commands of the one person who was feared on the set, the Director, Joker, who winked at Sebastian.

"Naturally you will only be allowed to use the tools Mister Michaelis has stated, but we have changed the time limit, you have 30 minutes to impress us," Vincent stated broadly, there was a glint in his eyes, clearly he wasn't about to show them mercy. He was right about one thing, this challenge was going to be the toughest yet. A minimal kitchen with a ton of viewers and high expectations it was a wonder that they weren't going to limit ingredients, "Naturally you still have access to wine, you know what we have, now amaze us," Vincent commanded. In a flash Sebastian was on the other side of the kitchen, he had to make one last dish that was creative, simple and well constructed. He smiled as he spotted several kiwis and strawberries, simplicity was key to winning this. Sebastian picked up a canister of all purpose flour, eggs, salt, some heavy cream, a lemon and confectioners sugar, as well as refined. He left the walk in and pantry and dashed back to his station, he noticed that Ash had been forced to move next to him and the result was a rather tight squeeze.

Sebastian tuned this out, he was reminded of the soup kitchens he worked in when he didn't have access to the kitchen at the college. He set up the glass mixing bowl and made quick work of beating the egg with a fork, everything was methodical, now wasn't the time to lose focus he had to win this once and for all. He added the water to the bowl in which he had beaten the egg and hummed. The bright yellow egg was flooded with water and became thinner in comparison to what it had once been. With his fork in hand Sebastian gave it a few more rapid stirs and turned his attention to the cutting board, he was about to attempt something truly insane. Out of all the craziness he decided to make wontons from scratch, which traditionally too 30 minutes on their own, and he was going to attempt to do it in 20. He knew it was nearly impossible but he felt a surge of confidence run through him as he remembered what Claude had told him the so long ago, "Ingredients are just ingredients," he muttered as he finished crafting a well using flour as the walls. He had done this method thousands of times, it was how he started all pastries.

The flour held the beaten egg that had been combined with water, with ease as he began folding the flour over the golden yellow thin liquid he had added to the well. White dust covered his hands and jacket as he continuously began to fold the flour into the bottom of the well. His hands were covered in the soft and slick substance soon enough and he felt the stickiness of the egg between his fingers. Over and over he kneaded the flour, and slowly what had looked like a mess on the table became a wad of soft and supple dough. It was similar to elastic between his fingers and Sebastian hummed as he broke the ball into two pieces and dashed over to the sink to dampen two paper towels. His hands were damp as he quickly returned to the table and then wrapped the two balls in the paper towels. Now he had to heat the oven, in his head he was checking things off his mental check list before calling, "Ash what temp do you need?" The other chef paused and looked at him in confusion, "Sorry?" He looked lost in what he was doing, "Oh what ever you have it on should be fine, I don't need it." Sebastian looked over to see Ash with date on the cutting board and Ash dutifully removing the pits. "Fine," he stated before tuning his attention to the oven. He tapped his toe and unconsciously found himself gliding across the floor to the same rhythm.

When ever Sebastian was under stress he slipped into his odd way of keeping track of time, keeping it like a metronome would. His toe tapped as he stood still and his hands moved rapidly across the bench, he didn't even have to look at where they were to know what was in his grasp. Sebastian grabbed several kiwis and picked up a large knife, without flinching he was running the silver blade over the kiwi removing the brown skin to reveal the vibrant green interior of the fruit. It was brighter than the matcha and seemed to make a smile of playfulness curve his lips. It wasn't common to see green in desserts, in fact the only time it was seen was either when the chef was using a untraditional ingredient or had dyed and icing, sometimes mint would be green but they usually cooked it down to white. The stickiness of the juices covered the blade and his fingers as he continued to peel them, all the while their sweet scent filled his nose and made him smile a little. He always did love the combination of a succulent strawberry and a slightly tart kiwi. Once he had finished peeling he began to slice the kiwi thinly and placed them on a clean white plastic cutting board. His fingers ran over the succulent red fruit before he placed them on the board and began to slice them lengthwise from tip to the green top. He set half of the slices off to the side and then began to cut the others in half to make wedges. After finishing this he picked up the strawberries and washed them. He made quick work of this and then returned to the dough. He covered his hands with flour and clapped them together to remove the excess, a white cloud of dust followed in his wake as he broke the dough several more times and began sculpting small square like dishes out of them and placing them on a tray that he had lined with parchment. They were lined up like soldiers in straight lines, he took a small glass and cracked two eggs into it, beat it with a fork and then began to take the fork and gently smear it onto the pastry squares. By doing this he would ensure that they would be the right golden color. The protein in the egg would ensure that the wash would allow the wonton to crispen and give it color.

The applied a thin coating, it made the small squared glistening the light. He smiled as he began to measure out the cream and sugar as well as the vanilla extract and lemon. Sebastian sighed as he looked at his limited options, he wanted to use a whisk, however thanks to the rules he would have to settle for a fork, it wasn't ideal, but also not impossible. Sebastian picked up the fork and began to quickly fold the cream and sugar together; his movements became more and more rapid as he did so. Slowly the liquid began to transform from the liquid white concoction in the bowl into something stiffer, and familiar. He continued to work the cream; it was more difficult with the whisk because of the position of his hand and how little area the fork covered in comparison to the whisk. His arm was beginning the ache from the abuse as he continued to stir the concoction, it wasn't nearly done. He needed a good stiff cream to do what he wanted. His eyes were locked on it, if he over beat the cream it would become lumpy, similar to cottage cheese, but not enough and the ingredients wouldn't fuse together. He managed to get the stiff peaks as the cream took shape, he picked up the lemon and with the edge of a butter knife he scraped off some of the rind and scraped it into the bowl. Once the bright yellow substance was added, he folded it into the cream and hummed, the scent of lemons again filled the air.

There was something about the tart fruit which made him feel secure. He smiled as he wiped his hands on a towel. He glanced over to see Ash covering the dates with chocolate and smiled, they both had the same idea, small simple and elegant. He pulled the tray out of the oven and Ash called, "Time?" Sebastian looked over at the clock which was glowing on the wall. The massive red numbers made it look as though it were counting down the detonation of an explosive device rather than the time left. "10," he shouted as he opened the door to the oven and grabbed the dark pan with golden yellow wanton like bowls on the tray. They were crisp and gorgeous in color, he loved making them from scratch, the golden color was going to contrast greatly with the bright red and rich greens of the dish as well as the beautiful white. He allowed them to cool and watched as the numbers seemed to slip away he sighed as he set up his plates and then lifted a wanton off of the tray and placed them on the square plate. He loved the presentation and realized this was going to be one of his favorites.

His fingers moved delicately as he caressed the still warm but crisp outside of the wanton, his fingers never lingered in a place too long as he placed the thinly cut kiwi to line the bottom of the dish shaped wanton. His fingers were gentle as he arranged them, the black seeds only seemed to add to the dramatic presentation as he spooned out a small portion of whipping cream and placed it on top of each of the kiwi squares. He added a few of the cut strawberries and then added another wonton wrapper on top of this. He smiled as he looked at one of his small towers, they reminded him of Pagodas. He added a generous dollop of whipped cream on the top wanton and placed a strawberry which he had cut in half on top of each of the small towers. His eyes traveled down the clean edges of each of the wanton squares, the green and red only made the small towers seem brighter. "10!" shouted the audience and Sebastian looked up to see Vincent standing before them he was waving his hands in the air and encouraged them. He walked in a circle and joined them as they screamed "9!" Sebastian felt his heart pound as he attempted to finish the last two towers, he had to be careful otherwise the wantons would shatter in his fingers like glass. Seconds were ticking away as his fingers released the second one layer, one left.

"6!" they cried even louder, out of the corner of his eye he could see Ash attempting to place each of the dates in a porcelain spoon. "5!" rang through the studio and he looked up to see the audience on it's feet, they looked as excited as they felt. Men, Women and even children were holding their fingers up as the clock counted down. "4!" Sebastian slipped into overdrive to finish the last tower, "3!" He managed to get the last dollop of whip cream on the final tower, "2!" they screamed as though they were counting down the New Year in Time Square, their voices echoed through the room and he felt as though in seconds he was going to watch the ball drop the rest of the way down the staff before the bells rang and everyone greeted the New Year. He managed to place the final strawberry on the top of the tower. "TIME!" they screamed as Sebastian and Ash put their hands in the air. It was over, that was it and now all they had to do was stand for judgment.

They stepped away from the benches and Sebastian slowly exhaled, he finally had time to breathe, he had pushed himself so hard that at some point he had forgotten to breathe. Ash looked just as bad as he ran a hand through his hair, his cap was in his hand, in an attempt to tame it, his brow was covered with a sheen of sweat. "Thank god that's over," he commented before sagging against the counter. Sebastian nodded as he watched a series of crew members carry the plates up to the Head Table, the judges were already waiting for them. Sebastian and Claude watched intently as the dishes left their hands. It was as though they were awaiting judgment from god, then again the people who were sitting at that table were perhaps tougher than god. His chest was tight as he watched the judges look over the plates. It was with a single glance from Hugo, that they remembered they had to introduce the dishes.

Ash and Sebastian walked toward the table and stopped just a breath before it. "You two look terrible, have fun?" asked Porrot with a wide grin. Clearly he had enjoyed watching the chefs struggle with a minimal number of tools and restricted time. "It was a ball," replied Sebastian with a wide grin, even if it was nerve wracking nothing screamed that it was fun to work in a kitchen, except the heat and pressure of a deadline. He chuckled as he looked at Sebastian, "Glad to hear it," stated Renoir with a bright smile, his teeth were stunningly white, which wasn't much of a stretch considering he was one of the younger chefs at the table. Hugo swept a lock of his black hair behind his ear and leaned his elbows on the table. "Mister Michaelis, what have you made us?" he asked after a moment. Sebastian looked at the chefs and replied simply, "It doesn't have a name really, it's simply wontons stacked with kiwi, strawberries and fresh whipped cream." Everyone stared at him as though he had lost it and Sebastian asked, "What?" There was a chuckle from Hugo, he shook his head, "You have a clever name for everything," stated Vincent.

Sebastian blushed a little and shrugged, "I don't actually, I usually name things after people," he replied. Lucius picked up one of the forks and slowly attempted to cut into it, "It would be easier to just pick it up," said Sebastian softly which made everyone stare at one another, having forgotten clearly that wantons were traditionally eaten with fingers or chopsticks. Faustus picked it up as though he were picking up a cracker that was covered with cheese by the corner and took a bite. Sebastian heard the soft crunch of the wanton and watched as the man began to chew slowly and savor it as it rolled across his tongue. His golden eyes opened slowly as he eagerly took another bite and finished the small portion. Everyone at the table was staring at him as he licked his thumb, some of the whipped cream had gotten on it and he looked like a child enjoying the cream of a cannoli after all of it was finished, and all that remained was the signature powdered sugar and cream on his fingers. The other judges took this as a hint to dive in and Sebastian watched each of the judges help themselves, all of them eating with their fingers and looking like children.

Hugo wasn't an exception, the serious chef was grinning childishly as he took a bite and licked his fingers. His green eyes sparkled, and he looked years younger, a smile curved his lips as he looked at the plate with longing. The small tower was now gone and he looked as though he could enjoy even more of it. "Fantastic," Hugo cheered as he wiped his hands on a napkin, "It's simple but elegant, and the presentation is wonderful. I wouldn't have even dared to make wontons from scratch in such a short period, however I have to admit it didn't go unnoticed." His hands were slipping through the napkin as he spoke, for the first time his voice was filled with childlike wonder and joy, two elements which made a smile curve Sebastian's lips. It wasn't the fact that the chef was singing compliments for his skill or even courage but the fact that he was smiling. Sebastian loved it when people smiled after enjoying one of his treats, it meant that he had somehow made them better. He looked at his hands, he noticed the scar which was running down the palm of one of them from the knife, the calloused from spoons and whisks and his short nails which were trimmed but not manicured. His hands were rough from the amount that he had to wash his hands, and yet he was able to create something beautiful for another person. His hands, the ones which belonged to someone who had been shattered by others, could make someone's day just a little brighter. "The texture and finish on the wonton is idea, it's crisp and golden but not over cooked, it takes a great deal of skill to execute them this well," stated Hugo as he looked at Sebastian. The Patissier had heard him but wasn't paying attention; his eyes were on his hands. "Mister Michaelis?" asked Renoir, he held his hand up to stop Hugo and the chef faltered for a moment.

Sebastian felt joy blossom in his chest, he had done that, he had seen people smile countless times. Claude was beaming after the ice cream, but it took a smile from the Hugo Garrett, the chef who never smiled, was smiling because of his dish. "Sebastian?" asked Renoir softly there was a sense of urgency in his voice. The room was quiet as he looked up, his red eyes were sparkling brightly, "I'm honored you like my dish," he said slowly, "I'm also glad I made you smile." There was a stillness in the room and Sebastian looked at the judges who were sitting at the table and felt Ash's eyes on him. Oddly at that moment he could feel the eyes of everyone who was watching on him and felt their confusion. "My smile?" asked Hugo slowly and Sebastian paused, he blushed and nodded. "Why?" asked Vincent curiously, his eyes were trained on the chef, and Sebastian looked to see Claude smirking, his eyes were filled with pride and a little curiosity.

Sebastian looked at them and drew a deep breath, "It means that I managed to make your day just a little brighter, no matter how badly the day had been before I managed to make you smile," he explained. There was a pause as they looked at Sebastian, he could tell that he had just made a bunch of people stare at him as though he had said something outlandish. He felt a little nervous standing before all of them. There was silence and the Patissier looked up to see soft smiles in his direction, they looked a little sad but oddly happy. It was as though he had just revealed the secret to life, or at least to the life of a Patissier. Hugo hummed and looked at Sebastian, "It seems as though some of us have forgotten why we bake treats and some of us just need a little reminder," he commented as he looked at Ash, who simply nodded.

"Sebastian, you're technique was flawless, and the flavor was heavenly," stated Renoir, his voice was smooth and supportive. He looked over to Hugo, who seemed to take this as his cue and picked up where Renoir seemed to have left off, "It was daring to make wontons from scratch but beyond daring to use a fork to make whipped cream, and that was quite the feat," he stated. Sebastian smiled as he looked at them and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Monsieur Landers what have you made for us?" asked Porrot his French accent slipped through his speech like ink on thin paper, making everyone in the room snap to attention. Everyone's attention was turned to Ash as he smiled and looked at judges. "I made Mascarpone- Stuffed Dates," he replied. Sebastian looked at him and suddenly remembered all of the steps he had taken before, the part he must have missed was when the chef had added the Mascarpone to them. Sebastian watched as each of the judges lifted a spoon and slipped it between their lips he was smiling and still a little high from the compliments which had been paid to him when he felt a chill run down his spine. His eyes widened and he stiffened, it was the same feeling from so long ago. He wanted to run away, he could handle eager young people and chefs, and even just hobbyist watching him but that gaze he couldn't take, it made his stomach twist unbearably.

"This date is lovely, and the ingenuity of combining deep dark chocolate with the sweetness of the mascarpone and the date was ingenious. It was sweet but not overly so," said Harmon with a grin, "While it may not have been as brazen as homemade wontons it was still a well thought out dish." Ash drew a deep breath and nodded almost mechanically, Sebastian didn't smile at the second hand compliment, he couldn't, he felt as though all the warmth of his body had been stolen. He tuned out for the rest until Vincent stated, "We will adjourn to determine the winner." There was another applause as they watched the chefs vanish from view. As they did this, he became trapped in the view of the cameras.

~~xXx~~

Claude watched intently as the pair listened to the judges, only to notice Sebastian's body stiffen, even though he wasn't being criticized. His eyes narrowed critically as he looked at the chef, something was wrong, it was very wrong. He knew it, and honestly couldn't wait until the cameras would stop rolling. He had to get to Sebastian and see what was upsetting him. It took everything he had to not run onto the set once the judges announced that they would be adjourning for the decision. His golden eyes were transfixed on Sebastian, as thousands of concerns ran through his head. He didn't care about the dessert that had been made, all that mattered was his raven. He paused and began to wonder just when he had started to call Sebastian that, raven. He ran his hand through his hair and gently tugged at it, the suspense was killing him, he wanted to see what was wrong with Sebastian but he also wanted to know the outcome of the challenge.

Ash had done better than Claude expected this time, even with a simple dish it was well thought out and even though it didn't take time to prepare, it was really him. The doors opened again, and the judges appeared, this time it was faster, a simple 20 minutes was all it took to come up with a decision. Claude stood rigid for a moment as he watched them enter and take their seats at the table. The air was thick with anticipation as they all took their places, it was silent in the room, in fact it was so quiet that Claude swore he could hear a pin drop in the outside hallway. Vincent rose from his seat, and Lucius followed suit. "For the past four challenges you have managed to dazzle us, to make us rethink convention, and even reminded us what it means to be a chef," Vincent began, his hand was wrapped around the microphone, his brown eyes looked over the crowd as the lights made his slate hair seem strangely more blue. "With each knife we gave you a new ingredient to tinker with," Vincent continued, "and now it has all come to an end." There was a pause as everyone looked at the judges.

Vincent pulled out a beautiful black parchment envelope with a teal ribbon around it. Everyone stared at the envelope as the Lord popped the wax seal and pulled out the card.

"For the winner of the challenge and the overall competition," he said broadly, "Sebastian Michaelis, congratulations, you have won."

There was a scream which flooded the room, a standing ovation occurred for the chef who was staring at the judges in shock, it was as though the gods had sent thunder to congratulate the chef. Claude smiled as he clapped and looked at the very confused Patissier, shouting was heard in every direction, none of it discouraging, rather it was a congratulations to both chefs, not just the winner. His eyes were locked on the pair and he watched as Ash held out his hand and said, "Congratulations, clearly you are the better chef." Sebastian looked at his hand and shook his head which confused the hell out of Claude, he figured Sebastian would take the chance to rise above Ash. "No, we both are better chefs, if we could survive this, we can survive anything," he said simply as he held out his hand, "thank you though." Ash was grinning as he accepted Sebastian's hand and gave it a firm shake. The pair looked at the crowd and Ash tilted his head to the side, "I just realized something, I can actually cook in my own kitchen for a change," commented Ash. Sebastian chuckled and hummed in agreement. Yet through all of this he still looked uncomfortable.

Claude stared at the man looked at him and flashed him a smile, but there was a different emotion in Sebastian's eyes, fear. He didn't like seeing that emotion in the man, it was an oman in so many ways. Claude wasn't superstitious, however with Sebastian it seemed that those small beliefs were actually rather accurate. Claude looked over and pointed at Dagger before beckoning him to come forward. Dagger huffed and stood before Claude, his eyes narrowed. Dagger was the shortest member of the crew, he had spiky blond hair, blue eyes and a temper. "I need you to do me a favor, someone in this room shouldn't be here, find out who. Sebastian's looking nervous and that's never a good sign," stated Claude. Dagger paused and stared at the Head Chef, "We have high security as it is, why do you think that there is someone in here who shouldn't be?" he asked slowly. Claude looked over the audience, "A feeling, an unpleasant one at that," he stated as his eyes scanned for familiar faces. Absently he heard Doll call over Dagger's headset that the two chefs were off the floor and heading to get changed. Something felt very wrong.

Abruptly, he turned and went toward Sebastian's Green Room, he honestly would feel so much more comfortable if he was around the man. He didn't like leaving Sebastian alone, too many bad things happened when he was alone.

~~xXx~~

The room was energized after the announcement, it was infectious as they all congratulated Sebastian and shouted their best wishes to Ash. Sebastian and Ash were long gone leaving Vincent to close it up, he was the host after all. His brown eyes scanned the area as he shook the hands of crew members and joked with the chefs. He was blown away by Sebastian he hadn't expected the chef to attempt wontons in a low tech kitchen, and with that kind of time limit. He looked at Lucius who oddly seemed to be more relaxed, he pegged the man for the wound up tight type. Yet here he was relaxed and chatting freely with the other chefs. He ran a hand through his hair and smiled brightly. Vincent watched as the man slowly dropped his guard. "I'm impressed, Sebastian managed to honestly surprise us. Vincent, mind if I swing by your place tonight?" asked Lucius.

Vincent paused and looked at him, he had heard the racket that Lucius had made the night before and was straightened out by both Claude and Sebastian. However, he wasn't interested in having another round. He walked over to Lucius as asked smoothly, "If I allow you, will you insult both my Head Chef and patissier?" There was a pause as Lucius looked at them again. His golden eyes softened as he looked at his son who was leaning against the wall staring at his watch. He looked calm for a moment before turning on his heel abruptly and walking off the set, he was clearly on a mission. Lucius sighed, "I know I was wrong, but he is my son. I just want him to have a safe future and to be happy," he explained as he looked at Vincent, his golden eyes glistened with sincerity.

Vincent sighed and looked at Lucius with a knowing glance, "I know, boy don't I know. I arranged a marriage for my son and then I learn that she has left him. I don't want my empire to fall but I also don't want my son to be unhappy," he explained. Lucius nodded and looked at Hugo as well as Harmon and Renoir, they seemed comfortable in each other's company despite the fact that they were always competing with one another. "And your son's sexual preferences?" asked Vincent after a moment. The Phaontomive Lord never had issues with a person's sexual preferences, truth be told he was interested in both. He had chosen Rachel because the other person he loved never seemed interested in him. He had dropped hints over and over, only to meet the same wall. He had given up and married Rachel, he loved her and wished to support her, but knew that there would always be that young man in his heart.

"I may not be happy about not having grand children but," he paused as he looked at the remains of Sebastian's dish, "if that man can make him happy, I'll give him a chance." Vincent nodded and was about to say something when he over heard something unusual.

"I wasn't called actually, this was left for me on the table," said Harmon as he pulled out a white business card with the letters VP on the front in black. Vincent looked at the chefs and held his hand up to stop Lucius who looked slightly insulted. "There was a note with it, telling me to call the number on the back and state that I wanted to be a judge," he commented. Hugo looked a little shocked as he reached into his own pockets and produced the same card with a note on the back, "Odd I received the same thing, the hand writing was beautiful," he commented. There was a murmur among the chefs as they all fished the same white card out of their pockets, they were identical, down to the instructions on the back.

Vincent stared at the cards and then looked to Lucius, "Did you get one?" he asked in confusion. Golden eyes widened as he nodded and pulled the white card out, "I thought it was from you, although I never thought a Lord would have such a simple card," he commented. Vincent held his hand out for the card, which Lucius surrendered without a second thought. The card was heavy in his hand and parchment it was made of was of the highest quality he knew. He slowly ran his fingers over the VP and realized that they had been embossed. The ink was dark and beautifully tinted, "That's not yours?" asked Lucius slowly. Vincent shook his head and looked over, he was about to ask Tanaka when he noticed that Tanaka was holding one of them, "Sir?" he asked curiously. Vincent stared at the card and then looked at him, "You didn't send these?" Everyone was quiet as they looked at Vincent as though he had just said something offensive. "No, I didn't," he replied slowly. Now he was spooked, he thought that these chefs volunteered, only to find out that even Tanaka had gotten a card.

"Tanaka where did you find your card?" he asked after a moment. Tanaka looked at him curiously, his head tipped to the side as he replied, "It was in the pile of ingredients you had agreed too, I thought you had slipped it in," he replied. Vincent felt all eyes on him after realizing that he hadn't contacted any of them, and yet he was cutting them checks and speaking to them as though they had volunteered, when they thought he had called them. He was about to continue when he felt a hand on his back and looked up to see Diedrich, his eyes were filled with urgency as he leaned down and whispered, "Someone got past security, they shouldn't be here." Vincent looked slightly confused as Deiderich pulled out his phone and showed him a still from one of the cameras, "What is she doing here? I thought he cut ties with her," Vincent hissed as he looked at the familiar face of a grinning Angela Blanc, and beside her was a sheepish man named Francis, he knew those two and paled. "Search the building, I want them found," he stated darkly, "and Deiderich once located bring them to my office."

Lucius looked at Vincent as the nobleman pinched the bridge of his nose. "What's wrong?" he asked quickly in a low voice. Vincent looked up at him and replied, "Security trouble." Lucius groaned, clearly the man understood more than he was saying. He pulled out his mobile and asked, "Who?"

~~xXx~~

Ash and Sebastian walked out the door side by side and waited for them to close before Ash commented, "He's delicious isn't he?" A smile curved the man's lips as he spoke he was clearly enjoying this. He looked at Ash and asked, "Who?" The white haired chef chuckled as he smiled deviously, "You know who, you have excellent taste by the way," Ash commented. Sebastian looked at the man in confusion until he realized just who he was talking about and turned crimson, "He is delectable, especially disheveled," commented Sebastian as he attempted to control his growing blush. He didn't realize Ash had caught him looking, it was difficult not to with how attractive Claude was, impossible actually. Ash grabbed his arm and stopped him, "Just so you know, I did date him but I don't want him back. If you do anything to hurt him though, don't expect me to go easy on you," Ash stated. There was a look of sincerity in his eyes as he squeezed Sebastian's arm. The Patissier felt odd for a moment, he didn't realize that Ash had dated Claude but at the same time felt relieved that the man had the decency to tell him. Yet it left one thing to question, why Claude hadn't. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Ash patted him on the back, "Make him happy, he deserves some happiness," stated Ash before he walked off in the other direction. Sebastian was awe struck for a moment until he realized that he had to get to his Green Room to change. For the moment Ash had made him forget about the fear he flt and the chill down his spine, now it was back and he felt the desire to run as fast as he could away from them.

Sebastian had always been a good actor, it was one of the many ways he had managed to survive Francis. He was shocked honestly to be the winner, but he knew if he didn't smile for the camera they would think he was ungrateful, not understanding the bone chilling shiver that had run down his spine. He knew when he was being watched Francis had watched him for years, it was something he became very good at noting. Sebastian parted ways with Ash and continued down the hallway, with each step he became more and more uneasy. Something in his head was screaming to return to the set and get Claude, yet he was just so tired he wanted to sit and catch his breath. Seeing Claude meant dealing with fans, and he wasn't interested in that.

Sebastian paused outside his green room, the door was open widely and all the lights were on just like when he had left. He sighed held his breath for a moment as he slowly entered the room, his eyes darted to the corners first and then behind objects, he was searching for anything that was out of place or didn't belong. His eyes fell on the mirror for a moment and he was about to leave when he noticed something out of the corner of his when he watched the glass longer he didn't see it again. Yet he heard something, someone breathing and honestly he began to top it was his own, only he had been holding his breath. His heart began to pound as he whispered, "It's not real, it's not real," each time he could feel himself shaking. The room became cold as Sebastian began to feel that same prickling at the back of his neck, he was about to turn and run only to find himself face to face with the one person he never wanted to see.

Staring back at him with hazel eyes and now rather grey hair was the demon of his childhood, "Sebastian, my child, you look good. It's been a while," he said with a sinister smile, which made Sebastian's blood run cold. He wanted to reply but the words became lost in his throat as he began to panic. "So beautiful, you've grown into a gorgeous creature," Francis drawled as he he took a step forward. In a frenzy Sebastian attempted to dart past the elderly man only to find a pair of powerful arms wrapped around his neck. Instincts took over as Sebastian thrashed in an attempt to break free, his body jerked in an attempt to find some way to escape. He smashed his head back only to hear a loud crack and found himself being released, a howl filled the room as this occurred. He turned around to see two large rivers of blood streaming from the mans, what now looked to be broken, nose. "You bitch," Francis spat as he lunged for Sebastian. The Patissier attempted to evade him only for Francis to slam him into the table, his weight pinned the slender man down. Sebastian stiffened as he felt his skin crawl. "No, please no. I promise to be good, I've been good," he whimpered as he felt the man's weight on him, he stared at the man, there was a vindictive spark in Francis' eyes. Sebastian squirmed as a rag was pressed to his nose and mouth. It stung, and smelt horrid as Sebastian attempted to fight only to feel light headed and in the end he slipped into unconsciousness. Praying, that he would be able to return to Claude's arms when it was over.

~~xXx~~

Ciel had been there, which was all Claude needed to go lateral on the young man. After learning just what the young man had done to Sebastian he was furious, this entire time he had been attempting to figure out just how to destroy Ciel and not anger Vincent. He knew that the noblemen would be furious with Ciel, however, he also knew that if left to him this incident would be swept under the rug. He continued down the hallway when the sudden feeling of something not being right came full force as he looked around. There was supposed to be a security detail outside of Sebastian's room, and now there wasn't. Claude felt his heart skip a beat as he pushed open the door to see a smashed vase on the floor. He paused when he saw it, blood. His stomach churned as he clung to the wall in an attempt to keep himself from falling.

"No," he muttered as he looked at the state of the room. It was a mess, he could tell that Sebastian had put up a fight. His hands shook with anger as he reached for his phone, he had had it. His hands gripped the sleek device as he used it to call Diederich. He had to get help, there was blood on the floor and Sebastian was gone, he wasn't even sure who's blood it was. All he knew as that there was a great deal of it, and it made him nervous. His imagination began to run wild as he wondered how badly Sebastian was injured.

He stared at the small puddle on the floor and ran a hand through his hair. Sebastian could have been seriously injured. He gripped at his hair as he muttered over and over again, "Please, please, please, pick up." He hung his head as he listened to the phone connect. Finally it did and he heard a gruff, "Diederich," come from the other man. Claude wasted no time, knowing that the only way to communicate with the German was directly, "Sebastian has been kidnapped."

Review Replies:

Anonymous: I'm glad that you enjoy them, I enjoy writing them. Anyway I hope what was under the fabric was a good suprise, I thought it would be quite the twist. I'm sure Ash is more than happy with himself at this point, he managed to redeem himself. The question now is, what next?

CrimsonTears: I'm glad you enjoyed thm walking in as gods, to be honest I thought it suited them. I mean lets be honest with ourselves, I would kill for both of them to do that, they're good looking, sexy as hell and I would scrabmble for a chance to see them. I hope I lived up to your expectations with the sheet, Vincent is that kind of guy and we all love him for it. Claude may be strong but he has cute moments as well.

Guest: Thank you for your review and I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Yu Ping: I realized it wouldn't be nice to not reply and since you took the time to write the review it would be rude if I didn't. I'm glad you're as excited as I am, to be honest I've been lining things up for so long it's going to be fun. To be honest the quote you shared with me is beautiful in English as well. I'm envious though, I wish I knew Chinese... I haven't been able to find a teacher for that. I took French in High School and intened to take a few more courses in college since I enjoyed it.