Author's Note: I want to take a chance to thank two individuals, I never say thank you enough and now I will. Manake_719 and Colleen Winter. You two have been my muses, my second pair of eyes, my sound boards, without you two I wouldn't have gotten this far. So Thank You. Now to the rest of you, I love all of you. You guys are wonderful and I can't thank you enough for taking the time out of your day to read my story. It means more than you know when you leave commnts, follow me, this work, add it to favorites, it means so much. Thank You.

As always replies to those who have been reviewing without accounts will be posted at the end.

Chapter 43: Existance

Each of the chefs stared at Vincent with disbelieve and he could tell that on top of his usually heavy load of work, Diedrich would also have to figure out who was sending out all of these cards. What really bothered him was the card which was in Monsieur Foist's hand, he was holding two, a pearl white one and one which had looked as though it had been through hell and back. The corners were folded and it had yellowed a touch, the black ink was still vibrant and bold but he could tell that wherever the first card came from it was a long time ago, longer than when this compactions was put in play. His brown eyes narrowed, he had teams around the building looking for the people who should have been only for his phone to vibrate. Diedrich pulled out the sleek device and stared in shock, "Blanc," he whispered. In moments he was whispering in Vincent's ear, naturally Vincent was furious and demanding that the pair be found immediately. Before he could dismiss the chefs Deidrich's phone vibrated, he quickly answered it to hear four dreaded words, "Sebastian has been kidnapped."

Those words hung in his ears as his eyes widened and he turned to Vincent and Lucius, "We have a problem," he said briskly. Vincent and Lucius stared at him intently and he noticed both Hugo and Renoir also listening in, "What?" asked Vincent, his tone was dark and Diedrich had a feeling that the man would shout as soon as he learned what had happened, he was still holding the phone in his hand and said swiftly, "Sebastian's been kidnapped." The Phantomhive Lord paled for a moment before growling and looking Lucius. He looked beyond irritated and he could tell that whatever had happened the man was going to shout for. Vincent ran his hand through his slate hair; his lordship ring glistened in the light as he straightened his suit. Hugo walked over and asked, "What do you mean Sebastian's been kidnapped?" he sounded nervous but irritated at the same time. Vincent ignored the man and turned to Diedrich, "I want everyone here, contact Lau and tell him to watch the ports no one leaves this city. Tanaka," he called the elderly man stood before him and bowed, "I want all the security footage as well as internet chatter on Angela Blanc and her guest. I want to know it all from where they were born to their barbers and even dry cleaners. If it has a receipt I want it. Passports, visas, and plane tickets included."

Lucius stared at Vincent as he began to call in his troops, "Tell Claude to stay put, we will meet him there," he stated. Diedrich nodded as he returned to the call, "Claude, stay there, we will meet you," he said simply. He heard a groan and could tell Claude was on the verge of screaming, "You better have a damn good reason for keeping me caged," he hissed. Diedrich shuttered at the tone and realized that Claude was on speaker, which meant his father could also hear him. "We are calling in the cavalry, I don't need this blowing up," Vincent replied, his voice was like silk as he looked over at Lucius. He'd be damned if Claude blew this up, "Get Madame Red on standby, I have a feeling this is going to be violent," he stated as he looked at Diedrich out of the corner of his eye he could see William and Ronald jogging over. "You two, contact the Chief Constable, I want this city torn apart," he instructed as he pointed at the Sommelier and Head Waiter.

Lucius' jaw dropped as he watched Vincent play every single card in his hand, "Contact the Undertaker, if anyone can track down this pair," he paused when Diedrich showed him the photo from a security camera. His eyes raked over the image, standing in the hallway grinning from ear to ear was Angela Blanc, she was in her signature white trench coat, violet eyes glowing and her white hair was styled in short spikes, she looked nothing like the other photos which had been taken of her. She stood in a pair of stilettos and blew a kiss to the camera. Vincent hissed as he watched a lanky man walk by, he had grey hair, wrinkles and oddly looked more like a dried date than a man. The difference in their appearances was astounding, "Find out who her accomplice is," he commanded with ease before turning on his heel and heading toward the door which lead to the Green Rooms.

His mind was reeling as he attempted to put piece together, he would know more once he got in the room, the question now was how they managed to get in and out in so little time without being noticed. Sure a majority of the building had been on set watching the after party and chefs part, however, the place was surrounded by reporters, surely someone would have photos. "Knox! Get the reporters' photos and files, someone had to see something, sweet talk them if you must," he called down the hallway. His black oxford shoes clicked against the white linoleum floors, he could hear people behind him and instantly knew who they were, Diedrich, Lucius and Hugo, he paused and grinned there was one more set of footsteps he failed to notice. He paused before the corner of the corridor and glanced over his shoulder with a knowing smile. "Landers, you better not leak this to you sister, if you do I will dispose of you quickly," he said simply. Lucius' paled visibly, his golden eyes widened as he stared in shock at Vincent, Landers simply nodded. "I doubt you can make him disappear," said Lucius skeptically which caused the noblemen to laugh. Unlike his normal light flittering laugh which charmed women this one was dark, cold and almost numbing.

"I can do better than that, I can make it look as though he never existed and he knows it," he stated simply before turning. Lucius looked in confusion at Diedrich who simply whipped out his mobile and began calling all of the parties who had been stated before hand, ignoring the stammering New York Billion heir. "He can't," he whispered as he looked at Lander. The man shook his head and commented, "Oh yes he can, you think this is the Queen's or Prime Minister's country?" Lucius looked at the man, Vincent could see them in the mirrored columns. "You're wrong, he is. The Queen just happens to be the only one who can call him off and gives him the ability to do as he pleases. If she hadn't I'm sure he would overthrow the government," he commented. A smile tugged at Vincent's lips as he gazed over his shoulder lazily, "Who's to say I haven't?" he asked with a smirk before turning the final corner to find Claude passing. His head was bowed and his hands were gripping the back of his neck, he looked as though he had just lost his fortune, only Vincent knew differently. His brown eyes narrowed as he looked into the doorway, he knew at that moment all he had to do was point in Angela's direction and Claude would destroy her. Anger radiated off the man in waves, and he looked ready to kill. He stopped mid stride and looked at Vincent, the nobleman smiled when he saw something very familiar. Claude's golden eyes were narrowed and there was a glint of pure rage in them, he could work with that.

Claude was silent as Vincent entered the Green Room, now he knew what the chef was upset. The room was disaster, he slowly crouched down on the floor and looked over the room, his knee was resting on the floor as he touched the tiles with his gloved fingers. "What is he-" Lucius began only for Diedrich to shoot him a glare. Vincent looked at the blood on the floor, he had seen the lock on the door, they didn't use traditional keys, they had key cards. Slowly he began to figure out what had happened, it was an unusual gift for the Lord, and he had been told a number of times that he would make a great detective. To which he always had the same reply, 'Great detectives don't make money, nobles do.' He smiled as he looked at the chair, the various objects on the floor and then turned his attention to the shattered vase. It happened fast from what he could tell, he slowly walked around the blood and Lucius shouted, "Shouldn't you wait for the authorities?"

Vincent ignored him and reached behind a tall umbrella stand, the noblemen pulled out his phone and snapped several photos, resting against the wall was a white handkerchief, he snapped his fingers and held his hand out. In seconds Diedrich had placed a plastic bag and pair of tweezers in the man's open hand. "This must have been done by a pro," commented Luicus. He lifted the white cloth up and looked at the edge which was held together with black thread, he was honestly hoping that the handkerchief was monogrammed. The white piece of fabric was cheap, it was made of very thin and rather rough silk, he could tell it was given to the individual who either didn't have the care to take care of it or could afford to. The corners were coming unraveled and he noticed that the thread which had been woven to make the handkerchief was loose and coming unraveled as well. The texture of the silk was off from either wear and tear or age,. he was going with the latter. He held it up to his face and smirked when he smelt something all too familiar, ether. He looked at Diedrich and opened the bag for the handkerchief before dropping it in. The German handed him a marker and he watched as the man wrote down on the lines the information required to keep inventory.

"It wasn't, this is far too clumsy for a professional to have done it," he stated firmly as he sealed the ziplock bag and handed it to the German. "How do you know?" asked Ash slowly, clearly he knew that his sister had connections. "Simple, it's sloppy," he replied as he looked at the state of the room. "A professional would never leave this much of a mess or his rag behind. Clearly it was planned since the door isn't broken and the lock is still in place, which indicates that either he managed to get the Master Key or he had someone hack it, since the lock is digital," he explained. He rose from the floor and looked at the blood on the floor, he could understand Claude's concern since it was a considerable puddle, however he had no idea who it belonged to. "Second, this pan was thrown off by a single detail, something the assailant didn't count on," he stated simply as he looked at the group. "What?" asked Lucius after a moment as he looked at the man who was grinning, "Sebastian fighting back, look at the vase. A professional would never allowed it to break it would possibly alert someone to the scene. This was supposed to be a simple snatch, which turned into something else," he explained.

Diedrich's mobile rang causing the German noble to slip away, "There are two other things she didn't count on," stated Ash after a moment, he was thoughtful as he turned his attention from the rather large puddle of blood on the floor to Vincent. Brown eyes narrowed as Vincent slipped his hands into his pockets and looked at the white haired Patissier. "Us, she thinks that I'm still on her side and I'm afraid she grossly underestimates you," he stated after a moment. The corner's of Vincent's lips quirked up as he asked, "Oh? What on earth does she have to fear from Little Ole me?" Landers scoffed and shook his head, "You, innocent? Never. Besides you and I both know who runs this city," he stated simply.

Vincent chuckled as he pivoted on the ball of his foot and walked out the door, Claude was leaning on the wall across from the room, his eyes were lowered as he looked at the floor. Diedrich strode back over, his mask was in place as he stood before them, "Phipps is on it, as is Grey, apparently Alois has a new lover. We didn't get plates and so far Knox has shaken a few trees but none of them are willing to give up their fruit," he stated simply. Claude looked even more irritated, if that was even possible, "Basically we have nothing," spat Claude, "Just a rag." Lucius was about to berate Claude when Vincent held his hand up, "Claude, what do you know of Sebastian's past?" he asked after a moment. Both Claude and Diedrich perked up and looked at the noble. "A bit, why?" he asked.

Vincent hummed, "How well did you know him in Paris?" he asked after a moment, Claude's eyes narrowed as though the man were interrogating him. "As well as anyone else, which was barely," he replied. Vincent looked at Diedrich, "This began in Paris, perhaps even his child hood, we need to know why Angela is after him and we might be able to figure out just who the man is," Vincent said. He knew he was grasping at straws, but he would have to run with this. Claude closed his eyes for a moment and froze, there was a look as though he had just solved the puzzle. "Where is he?" asked Claude with wide eyes. Vincent was confused for a moment, "I don't-" he began and Claude shook his head. He tugged at the strands of his hair, "No, the other chef," he struggled to remember as he snapped his fingers as though the clicking would help him remember. "FOIST! Monsieur Foist! Where is he?" he asked after a moment. Vincent looked at Claude critically, as he attempted to determine if the man was playing him. "Why?" he asked after a moment.

"Because, he's from Sebastian's home town, if anyone would know the past it would be him."

~~xXx~~

There is a place between dreaming and being awake, a no man's land of consciousness where you simply float freely. This feeling of being lost was one in which Sebastian was familiar with, here there was no pain, but also no hope. It was a void in which what little remained of his soul seemed to float. He could remember seeing Francis and knew that he had been snatched, the question was what would happen to him, and how bad would the beating be this time. Francis had a temper, he knew all too well that the man would stop at nothing to harm him, if only he could understand why fate was so cruel to him. He didn't know what he had done to deserve this, and honestly was beyond caring.

Pain began to seep through his once numb limbs, it spread like a fire, searing every nerve ending, it took everything he had not to scream. His eyes slowly opened and he found himself in a hazy world, his vision was blurred and he felt a burning sensation in his mouth and throat, which could have only been from the rag. He was laying on something hard and cold, he could only figure it was a concrete floor some where, at least it wasn't dirt. "Oh look who's awake," drawled a familiar voice, Sebastian flinched which only caused him more pain. Her voice, the one of the woman who allowed his demons to return to his life. His eyes shifted as to the side, he could see her heels before his face and watched as she knelt on the floor. "Haven't you been having fun," she sneered with a smirk as she tipped Sebastian's head up to look at her. His vision had cleared by now and he found himself staring into a pair of violet pools that he never wished to see again. He went to speak only for the words to become lost in his throat.

She slowly traced down his throat with her finger and hummed, "At least there is a little more meat on you, looks like that Spider is good for something isn't he?" she asked darkly. Sebastian grit his teeth, "His food is good but when it comes to social value he has very little, come to think of it he's practically a pauper. Now why you turned down the little slate haired prince for the pauper is beyond me," she mused as she slipped one of her hands down his chest, admiring the scars she had given him. Somewhere down the line he had lost his suit, and now he realized he was laying stark naked before the woman. That was never a good thing, "He's worth more than you know," he hissed, his voice was scratchy and his throat was burning. She chuckled as she gripped his chin harshly, her nails dug into his skin and he could smell the distinct scent of her perfume, it was nauseating. She shook her head and hissed through her teeth, "His father has the money not him." Sebastian jerked his head away and refused to make eye contact, "That's where you're wrong, he has money of his own, he doesn't have to work for Ciel," he stated.

There was silence as Sebastian began to pray that Claude would rescue him. "Then why does he work for Ciel and not open his own place?" she asked. Sebastian was quiet, he didn't know the reason, he never thought to ask. Claude knew so much about him, even his past but then he realized he barely knew Claude, it was as though their relationship was based on pity. Sebastian shoved those feelings aside, Claude had loved him for so long, and that moment when they held one another he knew they were meant for each other. "Perhaps he isn't ready," he stated, "Besides we will move on when the time comes." Angela laughed and pressed something cold and sharp against his neck, Sebastian was still as he felt the implement move down his skin, "We? You sound optimistic. If he loved you then why didn't he protect you better? Why didn't he purchase you from Ciel or better yet purchase you from me?" her questions rang in his ears and Sebastian tried to tune her out. He knew Claude loved him, he couldn't explain it but he knew, he had to believe that the man did, it was the only way for him to survive and he knew that. "What makes you think that he even wants you? You're just a whore, you always have been and always will be," she stated as she took the knife and dragged it down his chest.

"He loves me," he shouted, his voice echoed in the room. He ached for Claude to hold him tight and keep the demons away but now it seemed that his demons had a chance to play and weren't about it give it up. "You're damaged goods, Sebastian. No one wants those," she said coolly before looking over her shoulder, "Do with him what you want Francis, just don't kill him. I want Claude to see his true colors." Sebastian's eyes widened, as Francis came into view, the demon of his nightmares was before him, grinning like a madman. Sebastian felt the blood in his veins freeze, "Oh you've grown up quite well since you escaped me," crooned Francis as he placed one of his massive hands on Sebastian's chest, he hummed with delight as his thick fingers circled one of Sebastian's nipples causing the raven to bite his lip. He wouldn't cry out, that would give him satisfaction and he wasn't going to have that. He couldn't give into the man's whims, even if it killed him. He could taste copper in his mouth as his teeth cut through his lower lip, the man's hand went even lower and Sebastian closed his eyes.

"Do you know how long I've been searching for you?" he asked darkly. Sebastian was quiet as he began to pray that Claude would come. There wasn't a god for him, he had tired god and gotten Francis, he asked the devil and received Angela, all he had left was Claude. "Open your eyes, slut," spat Francis as Sebastian felt the man slip a riding crop down his chest. His red eyes opened as the crop rested on his cheek. "Such a beautiful color red, so fickle too," he mused, Francis smelt of liquor and cheap after shave, the only difference between the man now and then was the age and the fact that he no longer wore a Roman Collar. He glared at the man before asking, "Why me? Of all the children you picked me to sleep with every night, why?" He thought he was entitled to at least that much. Francis grinned wickedly, his teeth had yellowed substantially since then, "Because you enticed me, everyday with those innocent eyes, bright red like rubies and that slender physique. Always 'yes, father,' and 'no, father,' never disrespectful," he replied. Sebastian felt sick to his stomach, this man really was a monster.

"Even when I touched you, you never shouted or made noise," he said softly as he grasped Sebastian's limp length and squeezed it harshly. The Patissier hissed and seethed, "I was a terrified child who simply wanted love," Francis paused and looked up to see those red eyes narrowed. "Oh?" he asked, "You have teeth now?" He looked more amused and this seemed to arouse the man, "That's good, I was tired of meek little boys," he stated. Sebastian's body tightened as he felt Francis attempt to spread his legs, his head was between Sebastian's knees, admiring his thin body. Sebastian had enough, he managed to muster up what little courage remained and wrapped his legs around Francis' neck. The Priest choked as Sebastian tightened his grip, he refused to be the victim, "I'm not a child anymore," he stated darkly as he tightened his legs. He watched Francis' face turn bright red as he attempted to break free, in the back of his mind Sebastian was thankful for the muscles from cycling. "Release... me," he choked. Sebastian shook his head as he strained against the rope that was holding his hands. "No, not unless you released me," he hissed. Francis nodded quickly his eyes were wide with hope, they glistened with unshed tears. Sebastian knew he was causing pain and while he hated to do so he had to escape.

Yet, Sebastian didn't believe him, he simply tightened his grip, "Promise?" he asked through clenched teeth. Francis' lips were turning blue, "Yes," he gasped. Sebastian slowly unwound his legs and eyed Francis. The priest looked at him and grinned as he jumped back and picked up a knife. Sebastian looked at the silver blade, it was one of his own, the same blade he had cut his hand on during that challenge. It had already been soiled by his blood once, there was a grin on his face as he drew shallow breaths, he honestly couldn't seem to breath. "Nice, but I'm not cutting you free," Francis commented. Sebastian watched as the man towered over him with the knife, he traced the insides of Sebastian's arms with it, his shoulders hurt from being strung up and he could feel the sharp blade moving up it. Sebastian hated the feeling, his hand wrapped around the blade as he twisted, Francis yelped as he fell to the floor, his head hit the concrete with a sickening crack. Sebastian looked down to see the man in a daze, he couldn't waste anymore time, he had to break away.

With his sharp knife in hand Sebastian began cutting the ropes which were cutting into his skin, it was difficult but not impossible. He had to get out of them, even if he was in a locked room he would have a greater chance defending himself it he did. The knife fought the ropes, it was a smooth blade meant to dice fruits and vegetables not his serrated. This meant his job would only become more difficult. His heart was pounding as he continued to slice through the thick rope, knowing all too well that Francis would rouse at any moment and attempt to claim his prize. He should have known that as soon as Foist appeared that Francis would as well.

~~xXx~~

Vincent looked at Claude as though the man had just solved everything, "Is Foist in the building?" he asked quickly," looking at Diedrich who was already making a call. The German cradled the phone against his ear and said swiftly, "He's on his way, oddly the Undertaker is escorting him." There was silence as the Undertaker arrived, he was dressed in a leather jacket with black dress slacks, a long black shirt and a black vest, a silver chain was around his waist with what looked like lockets on it. His silver hair was pulled back and the scar across his face was visible. Standing beside him was the familiar chef, his eyes seemed to see through them all. "You asked for me?" he asked slowly. Claude nodded and looked at Foist, his golden eyes were eager to learn as much as possible. "Monsieur, I need you to tell me about Sebastian's childhood. You know him, you wouldn't have agreed to be a judge if you didn't," Claude said slowly. The others looked at the Head Chef in shock, they had expected Vincent to be the one to ask only for Claude to jump in. The Frenchmen shook his head and stated, "Non, I will not, that is for him to tell you." Lucius was red in the face and was about to shout when Claude held up his hand.

"Please sir, I know of the abuse he was under as a child, I need a name. Just a name," Claude pleaded. He noticed Vincent's brown eyes widen as the Frenchmen looked at him curiously. "He told you?" he asked slowly, as though to ensure that Claude was telling the truth. Claude placed a hand on the short man's shoulder and looked into his eyes earnestly, "I do, he said that there was a baker, long ago who had helped him. Gave him a haven to keep the man away, and yet one day this changed you pushed him away. Now is the time to tell the truth," he said softly. Foist's eyes darted from one face to the next and he seemed to age a century in a second. He looked at his hands and drew a deep breath. "Francis, Father Francis," he stated, "He was a priest at the orphanage. The night I met Sebastian alone I knew what had happened. He loved little boys, but Sebastian was different, with his looks he was ideal."

There was silence as people began to substitute words and actually understand what was just said, "How so?" asked Claude. There was a moment in which Claude had a feeling he would understand just what the answer might have been. "His eyes were red and he looked like a beauty from hell. A demon to be trained," he stated. Claude felt a shiver run through him and looked at Foist, there were a number of questions which filled his head all of them from the funds, to the reason why he sent Sebastian away. However one of the most pressing was, "Why did you push Sebastian away?" Foist slowly looked at Claude and replied, "Francis threatened to put me under by smearing my name."

Claude looked at Foist and realized that he was speaking the truth, Francis wasn't just a priest, he was the head of the church and orphanage, what the man said went. "Monsieur I need to know one thing, is he here in London," he stated. Foist looked at him wide eyed and then to the others, "Is Sebastian missing?" Vincent nodded and suddenly stepped in, "Yes," he replied quickly. The Frenchmen paled and stared at them, "He was busted and ran from the church, I haven't seen him in years," Foist replied. Diedrich tapped away on his phone and quickly turned it around, "Is this him?" he asked quickly. Foist's eyes widened as he looked at the photo, "That's him, if he's here Sebastian's in danger. The man has no control," he stated quickly, urgency was in his voice and made Claude feel as though he hit with a hot iron. He jumped to attention and looked at them, "I can't stand by and watch, I'm sorry but that isn't me," he said briskly before looking at Ash.

"You must know something," he said after a moment, "The slightest detail could help." Ash hummed for a moment as he attempted to remember details of their meetings, phone calls and texts. He ran his hand through his hair and paused, "She mentioned a warehouse, by the docks, it's huge and used to import South American goods," he said slowly, "She had said something about a sensitive shipment before." Vincent gave Diedrich a meaningful look which told the German to get the number as quickly as he could. Claude's teeth were on edge as he watched the noblemen work, searching high and low for where his Raven had been taken. He couldn't stand it, he had to get there, he had this feeling that Sebastian was in danger, and with every passing second it only seemed to grow.

~~xXx~~

The knife finally tore through the last strand of rope as Sebastian felt his arms slowly fall to his sides, they burned from being stretched so far above his head. His red eyes looked around the room, and it was then he realized that he wasn't in a room, but a large empty warehouse that must have been in a stockyard by the docks. He could smell the water of the bay and had a sinking feeling that he wasn't in London anymore, or at least in the part he knew. His feet hit the hard and cold concrete sending a shiver through him, it must have gotten late since it was beginning to get cold and Sebastian slowly approached Francis. The man was breathing and he couldn't see blood, which put him at ease a little, he hadn't killed him. Of all the dark things that had happened to him, he didn't want to commit murder, he couldn't.

Crimson eyes glanced around the room, sitting off to the side was a tray of what looked like goodies for Francis. There were whips, crops, handcuffs, knives and assorted toys. A shiver traveled down his spine when he spotted the one thing that shouldn't have been there, sitting in its glory was a sleek black friend, with a mat finish and an oddly sized grip. A friend that he had only seen in the movies, a gun, a Glock to be precise. He stared at it as though it were an old friend, Guns were illegal in England, and how Angela had managed to get it was beyond him. His mind began to wander as he began to wonder just what it was for, Angela had asked to make a statement and not kill him. Then again it could have been a way to show him mercy if Francis had taken it too far. Part of him wondered where this weapon was when he was a child. It would have been so much easier to end it if he had access to it.

Sebastian shivered, Francis may not have violated him but the itch was there. That ever present itch he felt after slicing his hand open, it was a nagging feeling that took everything to control. Sebastian closed his eyes as he attempted to remember the night Amalie had save him, his nun, the only person he could trust then. Francis had done a number on him, he was bleeding severely and honestly couldn't hold on anymore, he was slipping and knew already that he had fallen from grace. He was sitting in the bathroom on his floor, he had taken a long shower in an attempt to scrub away every trace of the man but couldn't. He couldn't wash it away no matter how he tried. No amount of scrubbing would remove the memories; he had tried so hard, that his skin was red and raw. At that moment he had the idea to do the unthinkable; he had picked up a straight blade which the nuns used to assist the older boys in shaving. He looked at the silver blade and remembered the feeling of released when the blade sliced through his skin. How the small, thin red ribbon seemed to soothe him. It was numbing like Novocain before it began to sting, he was about to cut himself again when the door opened. Amalie looked horrified. He could remember the look on her face and the promise whispered in haste as she grabbed his wrist and attempted to stop the blood.

"If only you were there before," he whispered as he glanced at the faint line on his wrist, the line that not even Claude had seen. It was light so light that it would be missed if you weren't looking for it. "Who?" asked a dark voice, Sebastian stiffened after realizing he had just touched the gun, Francis was awake. "No one," he replied quickly. There was a chuckle and he looked over his shoulder to see the man on his feet, a chill ran down him, he thought Francis would stay down, clearly this wasn't over yet. He stared as the man began to advance, he was about to say something when the door opened, he could hear a pair of heels hitting the floor, each step echoed in his head, and now he had to think of how to get away. He might have been able to slip by Francis but there was no way he could take on both Francis and Angela. His eyes fell on the fun and he shook his head, he couldn't shoot them, he didn't have that kind of strength.

Francis drew closer and closer, "Come now Sebastian, Claude wouldn't want my hand me downs now would he?" he asked simply. Sebastian shook his head, his black hair swayed as he did so, "No, I know he loves me," he stated. Sebastian heard a snort and he looked over to see Angela standing there with a gun in hand. He stared at the glinting silver muzzle, it seemed to be winking at him as she looked down the barrel. "Francis, I told you to keep him tied up, he's not a little boy anymore," she stated as she cocked the revolver and took her aim. Sebastian's eyes widened, she was for real, she wanted to hurt him. "Why?" he asked after a moment, he had to know, even if it killed him. She smiled crookedly and tipped her head to the side, it looked as though she were weighting him in an attempt to see if he were even worthy of knowing the truth. "You have destroyed my life, I have a right to know why," he commanded, Sebastian's voice was strong but his body was shaking, he couldn't help it, he had to know. She smiled and replied simply, "You're father destroyed us, my parents are gone because of him. Ash accepted you as a Chef and stated it wasn't your fault, but I know you have the money," she stated and hissed, "Where is it?"

Sebastian froze, his father, the man had abandoned him in a hell hole for money. He felt rage bubble up inside of him like black bile, threatening to spew out of him to make itself known. "I don't know. Why would I know where my useless and disgusting father hid his money?" he asked as his voice became louder and stronger, rage was speaking now, rationality and fear had left him. Money, it wasn't a debt, his father had stolen it, and he could only imagine what happened after word. Now he understood why she hated him, why she had tricked him into believing that she would help him only to sell him to the highest bidder. "You're his son! I was hoping that Ciel would lead us to it, but he was too busy screwing you and not his fiancée, we tried to contact the girl only to find out she left Ciel because of you," she explained. Guilt filled him, he never wanted to sleep with Ciel and he had destroyed another person's life. He was a home wrecker. "A son he had forgotten when he left me with him," shouted Sebastian and he pointed to Francis, "He left me with a child molester! A Rapist! I didn't ask for that!" he screamed. Francis snorted, he looked slightly insulted and at that moment Sebastian didn't care.

"Not my problem, you deserve it!" she spat and Sebastian stared at her as though she were insane, "What did a child ever do to you? I was a kid, what the hell could I have done to you?" He felt behind him and found his hand gripping the gun, he felt the cold handle of the Glock in his hand and looked at her, "Simple, you exist!" she shrieked.

Sebastian picked the gun up in his hand and flipped the safety off before holding it before him, he was aiming at Angela. She paled a little and asked, "How the hell did you get that?" Sebastian didn't reply he glared at her, he didn't want to shoot, he couldn't become a murderer but that didn't mean he couldn't point it. It was Francis who spoke next, "I brought it, to end his suffering and send the ultimate message to the spider," Francis stated. Angela looked shocked and hissed, "You did what? No I wanted him alive," she stated. Francis chuckled as he looked at her and licked his lips like a wild animal, "No, I didn't want to ever share him again. I don't care what you say, he's mine, you promised me that," he stated. Sebastian could tell that this disconnect would give him a chance to slip away and he slowly began to back away in hopes that he would be able to use the back entrance of the warehouse. "Don't even think it Michaelis!" shouted Angela as she aimed the gun at him.

Sebastian lifted the gun, he heard a fury of footsteps behind him and before he even realized it was surrounded by men in black suits. They were standing around him, forming a wall which couldn't possibly be broken. He was trapped by his demons, he lifted the gun and prayed that Claude was close by. He had to be to save him.

~~xXx~~

William and Ronald were dashing through the reporters working tirelessly to get a hold of a photograph anything that would help them. How none of the photographers had caught the vehicle or the struggle was beyond them. William sighed when Ronald turned up empty handed once again, the rain was beginning to fall and the reporters thinned out, they had said that they were looking for photos of a stolen car, someone had run off with the Producer's car and they were working to get it back. William sighed when he heard his phone ring and he waved Ronald over. "Claude shouldn't you be hunting?" asked William in confusion as he plugged one of his ears to tune out the roar of the reporters. He couldn't concentrate with their constant questioning.

"You said that you went to a warehouse, I need the address," Claude said swiftly on the other end, William could hear doors opening and closing as the chef seemed to move through the building. "I can text it to you, why? I doubt she would take him back there," commented William as he walked inside the building and slipped into the side hallway and put Claude on speaker. "Simple, I'm going to save his ass, and kill who ever took him," Claude hissed, it was only now that William realized that Claude was outside the building and very much alone. "Where is Vincent?" he asked. Claude snorted and hummed, "Chasing a lead, but I know where he is, and I'm not waiting for him. Sebastian's in danger and I'm not going to stand by and wait only for him to be broken," he stated before walking out the door.

William had a very bad feeling about this but sent the location from his mobile and listened to the chef slip into the Lotus Elise, he looked at Ronald and instantly the Head Waiter was on the line with Phipps. "Claude, please be careful, no matter how bad this gets, don't lose your head," William cautioned. The Head Chef ignored this and hung up, Ronald was instantly patched through to Phipps. "Charles, we have an issue, Claude is going after Blanc and Francis. He got his hands on the address and sounds like he's about to do something incredibly stupid," Ronald stated quickly. There was no point in dressing it up anymore; after all they were going to have to attempt to defuse the golden eyed chef. Ronald groaned and looked at William, "We may have given him the destination, look at the time we didn't think anything of it until we remembered something. There's a shipment due today and she doesn't seem like the type that would sit there and allow strangers to handle her merchandise without her watching," Ronald said quickly. He left out the fact that Ash had told them of the warehouse or the fact that the woman was trafficking people, he was going to leave that to Phipps to deal with, he was the Constable after all.

"He's driving a blue Lotus Elise with white racing stripes from the hood to tail, I can text you the plate number," Ronald said smoothly as William pulled out his phone and typed out the number and sent it to Phipps, he was happy to have gotten the man's number from Alois, since the blonde had let his phone die and had to use the constable's. Perhaps Alois had a better choice in men after all, Phipps was useful at least. "No don't pull him over, just send in a team and follow him, we don't need him hurt," stated Ronald, his nose scrunched up. William could tell that Phipps was being difficult, Ronald only made such a face when he was dealing with someone he considered impossible on the phone. "No you dolt, he is worth money! Billions, with a B. His name isn't Fairchild! It's Faustus! Claude Rabastian Fairchild- Faustus," Ronald shouted with irritation.

There was a crash of glass against the floor and William looked over to see the receptionist staring at them, she was pale as a sheet and what looked like the remains of a vase on the floor. Her mouth was agape as she stared at them, clearly she knew the name. "Just make sure the idiot doesn't get hurt while he plays knight in shining armor, okay?" Ronald snapped before hanging up. He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose before commenting, "Is it just me or do policemen get dumber and dumber?" William chuckled and ran one of his hands through Ronald's blonde hair, it was soft and he loved the feeling of it between his fingers. "That went well I take it," he commented and Ronald rolled. The blonde shot him a dirty look before saying, "Oh yeah, just peachy."

William hummed as he took the battery out of his mobile as well as the SD card and dropped the phone on the floor, "Oh my," he said simply before stepping on it, cracking the screen and slipping his hands in his pockets. Ronald stared at the remains of the phone and sighed, "Alas another one bites the dust." The Sommelier reached down and picked up the device and dropped it in the trash can, Ronald followed behind him quickly. As he walked he popped the back of his phone off and commented, "That bastard owes me a phone," he commented before slipping the SD card out as well as the battery and walked down the hallway, sitting in the middle of a large turn around in the corridor was a fountain that clearly belonged to another set. Ronald walked over and dropped the phone in the water. "Oops," he stated as he looked down his nose and watched the sleek black device fall to the bottom of the fountain, it left a trail of bubbles behind as it did so. William hummed as he pulled a second mobile out of his pocket, popped off the back and slipped both the SD card and battery into the back of it. Ronald looked at the mobile and then to William, the Sommeliers fingers moved like lightning as he tapped out a message and sent it. "Now what?" Ronald asked. William shrugged and replied, "We wait for instructions."

~~xXx~~

The engine purred as the driver shifted gears with ease and wove through traffic. The beautiful growl of the Elise and her commanding presence made cars move out of the way. Every followed her sleek blue body as she passed them, a few fellow drivers even gaped, while the car enthusiasts were busy snapping photos. Yet that wasn't the only thing they seemed to be taking note of, it was the driver. His hands were wrapped around the steering wheel tightly as he ran through the gears, he had a pair of Persols on, and his black hair was a mess as the wind blew in through the window. Sitting beside him in white was Ash Landers, the damn man had decided last minute to jump in the Elise, regardless of what Claude said. Oddly he hadn't been pulled over despite his aggressive driving, something told him that William had something to do with it. "I'll deal with the meddling Sommelier later," he growled.

Claude continued down the road, his heart was pounding in his ears, he didn't have much of a plan, but if he could get Landers to agree with him it was worth a shot. "Claude don't you think this is a bit reckless?" asked Ash cautiously as he looked at the speedometer. He looked a little pale as he gripped the car door. "No," he spat as he continued down the road, he was furious. He knew what he was doing was dangerous but he also knew a certain Head Waiter and Sommelier, "Trust me the two I called before will make sure I have back up. After all it would look really bad for a Billionheir to be shot by a lowly mob boss while he was trying to save a coworker, who happened to be sold to his boss and was being abused," he stated. Ash's mouth popped open as he stammered, "That would change things." Claude hummed as he kicked it into third and drifted around a corner. He loved how fast this car was, how she handled and in all honesty the fact that she was wicked looking as she sped by.

He slowed to a crawl as he pulled through one of the gates of the shipping yard, towers of shipping containers were everywhere, in bright oranges, greens, blues and yellows, each with white numbers on them and some even company logos. He growled in frustration as he entered the maze, "Where are you?" he muttered as he turned the corner and parked the car. "Foot would be better, the Elise may be quiet but she isn't the stealthiest car in the world," commented Ash. For once Claude agreed as he turned the car off and slipped out of her. The air was filled with the scent of the Thames and gulls, two scents he wasn't a fan of. He could remember the scent of the Hudson before it was cleaned and the smog of the City which towered above London, but honestly shook it away. He was standing in a sea of shipping containers, wondering just which way was up. If Angela could have picked a more difficult place to hide, he believed it was impossible. The place was a maze, the only thing that saved him was simply a little App. "How the fuck are we getting through this mess?" spat Ash. Claude could tell that the man was used to having a driver and chuckled as he pulled out his mobile. The map was up and he took the directions it disclosed. "GPS, the only useful thing the military gave us," he commented as he began to head toward the warehouse.

The walk was shorter than he expected and in a small period of time he found himself standing outside of a warehouse. Ash looked up and hummed, "Looks scarier at night," he commented. Claude looked at the large grey building with fans sticking out of the side of it, he could smell the Freon in the air. The massive metal doors were closed and the skylights had turned yellow from age. It was clearly meant for refrigeration and frozen imports, certainly not non perishables. This confused Claude, it didn't sound like the same place Ronald and William had snuck into. Claude stared at him as though he were a moron and shook his head, "Not going there." He was about to start slinging insults when he heard shouting. "What?" he asked in confusion as he made his way toward the door.

He was about to push it open when a gun spoke. The sound of the bullet being forced from the shell and through the barrel rang in his ears and he felt his blood run cold. "Sebastian," he whispered as he paled and frantically pulled the door open.

Review Replies:

CrimsonTears: I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter, I thought it would be fun to have Sebastian come out of his shell a little. So I have made him do so. Love gives people strength and I like to think in this case it's the source of Sebastian's. The cards, you haven't seen the last of them, trust me and you'll know who wrote them soon enough. Hang in there. Of course I would reply, you took the time to review it would be rude not to.

Anonymus: Rude word is forgiven because that's what I was going for. Its good to hear that you like the ending of challenges, I wanted to make it seem as though neither of them really lost, which is hard to do in a competition of that nature. Francis had to return he's one of Sebastian's demons, however I hope this chapter helps fill in some blanks about Angela. As you can see the Knight is on the move, now whether or not he can save Sebastian is a different story.

Yu Ping: Suprise! Told you I had something complicated and explosive planned! Now all we need is for our Knight in Shining Armor to rescue the Damsel... I mean Sebastian who is in distress. Slip of the tongue I assure you. French is fun, but it's a challange to write and congregate verbs sometimes. Chinese sounds tough but I would still love to learn. I might take you up on your offer... if I ever write more of Lau.