Author's Note: I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has been reading this piece. I know things are getting complicated and I'm sorry for not posting for a bit. College started again and I had to deal with some billing issues and a class issue. I was going to take a Creative Writing Class but between scheduling issues and the fact that I was required to pass out 20 copies of a piece to my class and couldn't collect it later, which honestly terrifies me I don't want to lose my work. I had decided to drop it.

Anyway, thank you again for reading and those of you without accounts, your review reply is on the bottom. Oh and just in case you are wondering, yes my birthday is today and I'll be 20... wow that's terrifying.

Chapter 46: CVP1204

Ronald took a seat in one of the chairs and placed his laptop on his lap, out of the corner of his eye he noticed William doing the same excepted he stretched his arms up and then proceeded to cracking his fingers. The slick keys beneath his fingers were new and he admired the latest in workstation technology in a machine which he had total control. Who ever had selected their computers knew just what they liked and what they didn't in a complex machine. His eyes were locked on the screen as he watched the modem in the laptop pick up the wireless signal. His mind still went back to the directions in his card, he was supposed to help William find a file. Rather than a name which gave anything away the file was simply a number, CVP1204. Ronald wasn't comfortable and asked, "Proof, how the hell do I know you aren't MI6 or something?" There was silence in the carriage as Snake smiled and commented, "You show me yours, I'll show you ours."

Ronald crossed his arms and glanced at Pluto who seemed to be off in his own world, either that or was pretending to be. "This isn't a joke, we are about to do something very illegal, and to be honest I don't want to go to prison," Ronald stated simply. Years ago he would have happily jumped at the chance to be a keyboard cowboy and cause damage, but now he had a job, a lover, a life really. A life he didn't want to lose, and if either of them were caught it would destroy him. "Oh come now Blondie, surely the geezer will be fine without you. I'm more worried about Father Time over here," commented Snake as he pointed at William with his chin and leaned on the table. "Unless you prove to be slower, then again it probably takes all he's got to get it up," sneered Snake as he looked at his nails nonchalantly smiling with triumph. Ronald growled and stormed toward the man with every intention of beating his face in, "You, leave my man alone!" he hissed. Rage blinded the blond as he felt what little self control he had slip through his fingers. He was about to launch himself at the slender man with a serpent around his shoulders when he felt a hand on his stomach.

Standing ramrod straight with his eyes narrowed in a dangerous glare, which honestly rivaled those of Claude during rush hour. He seemed to tower over all of the occupants in the carriage, Ronald included. His powerful back was outlined by a glow from the moon which was now in the sky, he paused as he looked at his lover. He remembered when William had taken the punch dealt by Harold Knox, his father. That day William had thrown himself between them and refused to stand down, his knight in shining armor, a knight which seemed more than happy to arm himself once more. William kept his arm out and reached deftly into his jacket, with the snap of his wrist the card was between his fingers, he held it out to Snake, "I've shown my proof, now where is yours?" he asked icily. Snake took a step back, and Pluto shot up, Ronald was about to ask why when he finally noticed it. They were staring at the card which was between his lover's fingers, he had the same card but obviously they didn't. It was a clear plastic one, with a black magnetic strip on the back, the silver letters VP were on it in bold print with thin black curled around it.

"What?" asked Snake as he slowly approached and eyed the card wearily as though it would bite him. He reached into his own pocket and pulled out a thin white card which looked more like a Subway pass from New York City, only it too had the letters VP on the front. Obviously he could tell who was more valued. "They're from the same person, just why is ours thinner?" asked Snake in confusion Pluto snatched the card from William's fingers and then looked at the man, "This, this has more than just the instructions for this meeting on it," he stated as he turned the card over, looking for something that would give their boss away. William held the card between his index finger and thumb before smiling knowingly and snatching it back. "Let's finish setting up shall we?" he asked as he looked at Ronald. The Head Waiter was slowly relaxing after realizing who actually had the power in the room. Snake's silver hair bobbed as he nodded his head and took a seat on the other side of the carriage and pulled out a silver laptop. William took a glance at his watch and hummed, "10 seconds," he stated.

Ronald felt his heart pound in his ears, he had forgotten that they both had a simple task, find the file and transfer all the documents to another system. The countdown began and William watched as Pluto pulled up his gear and tossed them headsets, "Okay, if one of us gets caught some how, kill the machine and tell the others. I can only bounce you around so long," he stated, his eyes were latched on the screen. Ronald stared at his face, which was now eerily lit by the shining blue light from the monitor, his eyes were brown and his white hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, his bangs framed his face and his eyes seemed to pierce the screen. Snake caught one deftly before two more went flying through the air for the Sommelier and Head Waiter. "Just do us a favor Grandpa and don't fall behind," shot Pluto. At this point Ronald realized that they would be in for a shock when the saw William pick up a keyboard. The carriage swung forward slowly and Snake smiled, "Alright boys, let's go," he stated.

Ronald listened to a symphony of keys being struck rapidly, his lips parted as he stared openly at William, "I have managed to get through the mess and patched through to the back door of the system," he stated. Snake and Pluto looked over at the Sommelier, who was working on something new, "He's set up a nice little puzzle for me, it's a rather sophisticated encryption, I'm impressed," he commented as his fingers flew across the keys. Ronald grinned as he managed to get into the system beside William. "What? I'm still trying to get past the firewall," growled Snake. William's lips quirked up, his green eyes glistened as his long skilled fingers which usually pulled corks from bottles danced across the harsh keys of the laptop. His hair had fallen out it's usually strict combed back style and was falling in his eyes, as his appearance slowly unraveled the years seemed to disappear, and the Sommelier looked as he had the first time they had met in New York all those years ago. The only difference was William had a slight tan this time. His glasses showed the reflection of what he was working on cracking and Ronald's jaw dropped. "Is that? No way, someone is using Cyprus?" he asked.

"We're screwed," stated Snake as he attempted to find another way in, back doors weren't usually encrypted but this one was, which meant who ever crafted the system knew their stuff. William simply smirked as he began to solve the puzzle which had been left. Unlike a traditional lock, Cyprus was a code crafted by a clever Englishman who was hiding some very deadly secrets, so naturally it was complicated. It was set up with six blocks across the top and six down the side. Unlike a normal lock which only required a password, Cyprus had to be solved for the code to stop twisting, it was set up on the principle that as it rotated the chances of solving it were impossible, unless you happened to know who set it up. Ronald watched the number shift before his eyes on the screen, he had managed to push that far in the system and watched as William worked his magic. After a total of nine minutes the rotating code was put to a halt and like a skeleton key in a lock, the door opened. "And they say Old Dogs can't learn new tricks," commented William.

"I'm in," William simply stated, as he began perusing, his eyes shifted rapidly as he scrolled looking for the file number, "Sending the link so you can start siphoning the files out." Snake's eyes widened as the link appeared on his screen and he entered the mainframe, "Shit, how did you manage to crack that?" he asked. William ignored him as his fingers flew across the keys, it was a mess and he had to figure out how it was organized. File after file with just letters and numbers attached. Then he noticed it, VIP File. "Is it really that simple?" he asked as he double clicked on it, sure enough there was the file they were looking for, as well as several others. "Ronald, I'm sending it your way," he stated. Ronald pulled out a flashdrive from his pocket and slipped it into a side port of the laptop, he had been instructed to hide it from the other two.

As soon as the USB key was inserted into the side he downloaded the entire file and then ejected it, "Okay set and going to start now," he stated. Before they even realized it they were perched on the top of the wheel and Ronald's eyes widened, he could see all of London from there. "Whoa," he whispered, he had never ridden the London Eye and now he was hacking into a mainframe on it. They were cruising through it, and oddly it seemed as though this would go flawlessly. Ronald watched as the files were moved, it was millions of pieces of data, all of it shooting across the internet to be recepted in servers far away. It amazed him how a person's life could be so small and insignificant that a hacker could slingshot it anywhere in the world, and they would never know. He hummed before opening the file, CVP1204, he wanted to make sure it wasn't fragmented.

His fingers froze as his eyes fell on the image staring at him, sapphire blue eyes, slate blue hair and a beautiful three piece suit. He was wearing a ring with the Phantomhive Crest on it and he froze. "Ciel?" he asked in shock. The Sommelier's head snapped up as he looked at Ronald inquisitively. The other two were so lost in the motions of moving data that none of them had opened the files. "Open it," Ronald mouthed to William. He ran a hand through his brown hair as he looked at Ronald cautiously, Ronald snorted and crossed his arms, he wasn't going to shout this across the cabin. He knew that the man was stubborn but he had to see this. The brown haired Sommelier rolled his eyes before opening the file and turning pale.

The Head Waiter was quiet as he continued to scroll through the file. Ciel Vincent Phantomhive had made a purchase and used one of Vincent's accounts to get his hands on the money, because it certainly wasn't from his trust fund, the figure was enormous. The problem was figuring out what he had purchased. All he found was a number, he sighed as he looked at it, there was something about the number which drove him nuts, 1204, it had to mean something. Ronald rubbed the back of his neck as he attempted to figure it out, 1204, it was familiar. He sighed and closed his eyes, those numbers and then his eyes snapped open.

The last four numbers of Sebastian's mobile, 1204, but that didn't make sense. It wasn't a phone directory, he hummed as he scrolled down further and noticed a link, he was quick to open it, and gaped at the file, it was Sebastian. This was the purchase record and proof that Ciel had bought Sebastian, the man wasn't willing in anyway and in fact was treated like a good. under the picture was a medical history as well as previous owners and special notes. Everything about the chef was in the file, every scrap of information was present which sent a shiver through Ronald. To have a person's life at the tips of his fingers, was startling, even his previous address was present. Yet that wasn't the most disturbing concept, the fact that Ciel had purchased Sebastian through Angela. If he had used Angela as a broker, then all of the files which they were slinging through cyberspace were all of the people who had been ripped from their homes and sold. This went further than Angela and her goons, much further. The operation was huge, there were thousands of files in the mainframe, while they may not have all been people, he had an idea that it was a bulk of them.

"How far does this go?" he asked as he closed the file and continued siphoning the files out of one system and sending them to another. He looked over at William who nodded as Ronald opened an email and attached the file, his fingers swept across the keyboard as he typed the familiar address, and for once in his life he prayed that the email never reached the person it was intended for.

~~xXx~~

Stillness, it was a movement which in the past was soothing and now all it seemed to bring discomfort. Brown eyes were locked on a figure who was laying still in bed, the only sounds which could be heard in the room was the steady rhythm of the heart monitor and the breathing of the one person he couldn't lose. White fingers were wrapped around a large hand, it was tough and covered in callouses from guns, knives and ropes, for them to be still filled his heart with dread. Resting on the side table was an all too familiar tome, unlike the other thousands of books in this room, this one was different, it was the slumbering man's favorite. The night was dragging by and it had been a great deal of time since Rachel had vanished from his sight, now he was left on his own to face his demons, and no one would save him. Slate blue hair fell out of place and into his eyes as he slowly leaned over the slumbering man and brushed the dark brown hair from the German's brow. It was never supposed to be like this, things were never supposed to be this complicated. "Dee," he whispered as he carded his fingers through the man's thick hair, it was soft to the touch and made him smile. It had been nearly a decade since they were this close, in fact it had been longer than that.

He could remember the day as though it were yesterday, he had finally proposed to Rachel, after the German didn't seem to show any interest in him.

It was a beautiful afternoon and like always the tall and stoic German was sitting by the lake on the estate under a tree, with a book in his hands. It was a rare sight to see Diederich without a book of some kind in his hands in those days, the man had read every single book in both the Phantomhive and Wolvstrad libraries. His legs were crossed as he leaned his back against the tree and continued to read, at that moment Vincent felt hurt for knowing that he would have to give up on this man. "Dee," he had called, and the man lifted his gaze from the pages of the book to him, those eyes which were honestly the most expressive characteristic on the German gazed at him with happiness.

Vincent took a seat on the grass beside Diederich he smiled brightly as he asked, "What are you reading?" Dark brown brows knit together as he flipped the book so that Vincent could read the cover. "Tolkien? I thought you finished the Return of the King," commented the young Phantomhive earl as he tentatively reached out to look at the book. Only now did he notice how the cover was tattered and the pages were folded, the spine was clearly broken and it looked as though the book had been through war and back. There was a light Gray chord with a tassel on the end hanging from between the pages of the book, it was odd because the cord was the same shade as Vincent's hair. "I happen to like the book," commented Diederich as he continued to read. Vincent huffed, he hadn't read it until years later when Ciel was ill and he had run out of reading material.

The young earl snorted as he turned his gaze to the crystal water before him, no matter how many times he had looked at this lake, he still loved it. It was their place, a place where Vincent and Diederich could be themselves and not what everyone else expected. He sighed before feeling something warm and a little hard fall on his lap. Vincent jumped slightly when he noticed a pair of crystal blue eyes staring up at him. "It's nice out," Diederich breathed as he looked at the leaves above in the tree, golden rays of light shined through them creating a beautiful pattern on the floor. The beautiful lighting made Diederich's eyes even more intense as they seemed to glow on his face, his pale skin had gained a slight glow, and now Vincent realized that Diederich's hair wasn't nearly black but had highlights of red and even chocolate. His powerful features were softened by the light and he seemed even more relaxed as he looked up at Vincent. "Vince?" he asked slowly, it was as though he could tell just what the young earl was thinking, how nervous he was about telling the man about his desires and decision.

"Dee, I have some good news," said Vincent slowly as he began to card his fingers through Diederich's hair, savoring the texture knowing full well that he might never feel it again. "Yes?" asked the German as his expression turned from one of joy to fear. Vincent's fingers stopped their path in the man's lush and silky hair, "I proposed to Rachel, that girl I met over the summer," he said slowly, internally he was begging for the German to jump up and shout at him, to tear him to shreds for not seeing the obvious, that Vincent was indeed in love with Diederich. Dark brown brows shot up as he smiled curiously and asked, "And?" Vincent sighed and smiled nervously, "She said yes."

Those three words hung in the silence between them, Vincent listened and waited to hear Diederich shout with protest, only for his hand to fall away from the man's scalp as the German noble got up. "I see, well congratulations, she's quite the catch," Diederich replied with a broad boyish grin, at that moment Vincent knew the line had been drawn between them, that no matter how he loved the man, his love would never be returned. He sat there dumbfounded as he watched the German retreated, the book was left sitting in the grass, the slate ribbon had been plucked out of it and at that moment Vincent was fairly certain his heart split.

Absentmindedly the Earl traced the ragged corners of the book which was now in his lap, he had the same book since that day in his library, but still couldn't find the ribbon. Now he realized that it was probably lost with time, like many other articles of his life, but the one thing he hadn't lost yet was laying before him, asleep and currently safe. His other hand gently carded through the man's hair, it had been a very long time since then and only now did he know the truth, that his love was returned. That somehow he had not seen it and in a move, which had been forced upon him by his family and expectations, he had inadvertently destroyed the one chance he had to be with the man he loved. Vincent placed the book on the chair and slowly rose from his seat, his legs were stiff from sitting so long, like much of the rest of his body, it was protesting against not moving for such a long period.

He slowly stood beside the bed which was covered in soft white sheets, he could still remember when there were pools of blood under the man as Madame Red worked to save him. His body shook as he remembered the feeling of terror as he watched Diederich's eyes close, his hands continued to tremble as he slowly reached out and touched the man's face, it was warm and soft, two things which made all the difference. Even though he could hear the monitor droning, proclaiming the man was alive, he had to see for himself. Vincent perched on the side of the bed and pressed his lips to the man's head, "I love you," he whispered softly. His eyes closed as he cradled Diederich's head and held him, "I love you so much, it hurts. I should have told you long ago." His eyes were burning and his chest became tight, he had destroyed any chance of ever being with him. It hurt, it hurt badly to know that the man he treasured and could never tell a word, had loved him all this time. Vincent's eyes stung as he silently trembled, it had been so long since he cried, in fact that last time he did was when Rachel was diagnosed. Rachel's cancer hurt him, he had lost his chance to love Diederich and then to learn that the woman he had traded him for was going to leave him, tore him apart. He felt moisture on his cheeks as he clung to his life line, he knew Rachel was dying and when he nearly lost Diederich he felt his heart stop. Ciel had already left him, the restaurant didn't need him, Tanaka simply served the family and could find another, and Diederich, his oldest friend almost lost his life.

"Vincent?" asked a hoarse voice, a pair of warm arms wrapped around Vincent's slender body and he stiffened. Suddenly the Earls mind slipped into overdrive as he attempted to pull away only for those arms he had longed for to hold him closer. "Why are you crying?" he asked. Vincent slowly looked over and noticed a pair of crystal blue eyes boring a hole into him, as though they could see into his vary soul. "Don't cry, Love, please don't cry," he rasped, his voice was rough from disuse and Vincent's eyes widened. A small smile curved Diederich's lips as he whispered, "Yes I heard you, and I knew. I just didn't want to hurt you, but it turns out by me not saying anything I did," he paused as he slowly reached up and tucked a strand of Vincent's hair behind his ear, "For that, I'm sorry."

Large tears fell from Vincent's eyes, even then Diederich was protecting him, always the protector. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner," he whispered as he gently nuzzled the man's neck. A large, protective arm wrapped around the Earl as he snuggled gently into Diederich's uninjured side. Vincent was basking in the warmth which the man offered, but was brought out of his state of serenity when he heard his mobile ping. Vincent pushed himself up and reached into his pants pocket with ease to pull the sleek phone out. He opened it and stared at the message.

"Lord Phantomhive, I found something you need to see. Don't worry I'm a friend, I won't tell another soul. Open the attached and you will understand," read Vincent, "RHK." Vincent tapped the attachment open and stared at the file name, "CVP1204?" he asked as he waited. His eyes widened as he felt his jaw pop open. "Vince?" asked Diederich concern lacing his name. His eyes narrowed as he began to scroll through the attachment, "I'm going to kill him!" he shouted at the top of his lungs before jumping out of bed and slipping back into his suit. "Vince, what's wrong?" asked Diederich. Vincent's face was red, fury was spreading through his veins like poison and he whipped around to glare at the German. "Ciel stole from one of my accounts and purchased Sebastian. He didn't hire the Patissier, he bought him! He directly made a deal with Blanc!" he shouted, his voice echoed through the house. In moments he was striding across the room when he heard Diederich shout, "Vince, don't do anything stupid!"

Vincent huffed as he threw the doors open and replied, "Stupidity isn't in my nature, revenge and judgment are." In seconds he was marching toward Tanaka's office, he was about to start punishing Ciel, and the first thing he had to do was change the owner of Ciel. Once that was done he would start putting his son in his place.

~~xXx~~

Ringing filled the apartment, it was an irritating sound calling it's occupants to attention. It was irritating and made one of the occupants growl. Golden eyes opened as the man sighed and looked down to see his raven wrapped around him. A smile curved his lips as he kissed the man's head, he was about to go back to sleep when he heard his mobile ring once again. Who ever it was, was persistent he could give them that. He slowly slipped out of Sebastian's embrace and reached blindly for his mobile. After finding the device he was about to step out of the room when he heard a moan from the bed, a pair of sleepy red eyes were looking at him. A smile curled the man's lips as he looked at Sebastian's messy black hair and dazed expression. "Faustus," he said quickly as he answered the phone. "Turn on the TV," was all he was told by a clearly stressed Soma.

Claude sighed as he walked over to the Plasma in his living room, he honestly wasn't in the mood this morning, but knew that the man wouldn't leave him alone until he did so. He picked up the remote and waited for the TV to catch up with his commands, it honestly irritated him how slow technology was. The room came to life with the reporter from BBC world and his eyes widened at the headline. "The winner of the Phantomhive Challenges turns out to be gay, as is the Head Chef of Ciel. The two were seen in a heated moment after the Pastry Chef was rescued, the result is startling as people seem to have a split reaction to this development" the anchor announced, "A large portion of individuals support the pair and state that Gay couples have lived in the closet for too long, it's nice to have one come out of it. However the other side of the coin is infuriated, oddly however, it isn't chefs who have drawn this line but the customers." Claude felt his blood boil as he looked at the photo which had been plastered across the screen. It was one of him holding a trembling and shell shocked Sebastian, he had kissed the man in an attempt to get the man out of his haze. He held the phone to his ear and hissed, "How many people have canceled?" There was a pause and he could hear Soma and Agni converse between each other.

"So far we don't have any, but if we don't get the people out of here, it's gonna start," stated Agni, at some point he had taken the phone from Soma. Claude sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, he looked at the screen and watched another banner swing by. "There was a massive fire outside of London last night at a shipping Yard. The fire destroyed a large portion of the yard, and the companies which had goods in them will be refunded courtesy of Lotus Imports. The Police claim that whatever had been in the warehouse has been destroyed," the anchor continued. Claude looked over to the doorway and noticed Sebastian standing in it. His face was pale and his expression was now unreadable. The TV droned on in the background and Claude watched the patissier carefully. "Sebastian, you have to decided if you want to do this. If we go in today, we have to face the press, which will you choose? Denial or reassurance?" sked Claude. He didn't want to hide but he also was well aware of the amount of trouble this would cause. Sebastian slowly left the door frame and stood before him, his posture was perfect and his strides were confident.

He stood before Claude and placed his hands on the man's chest, "I don't care you're mine, and I love you," he stated before placing a kiss on Claude's lips. The Head Chef grinned as he looked at Sebastian, "Then we need something nice and sexy for you to wear," he commented. Sebastian grinned as he swept his hand through his hair lazily, "What do you think of that charcoal gray suit with a mint shirt and tie, as well as those beautiful brown leather oxfords?" asked Sebastian coyly. Claude licked his lips and hummed, "I think it will do," he commented. They were about to turn the TV off when the heard something else, "In other news, the RSB has been robbed and a generous donation was made to a fun used to pull children from abused homes, no one knows where the money has gone but there is speculation that whoever the hacker was knew his way around and set various red flags on other accounts," said the anchor man. Sebastian tipped his head to the side and asked, "How much do you want to bet that the funds from Angela landed in that account?"

Claude hummed as he looked at the Parissier and smiled, that was probably what happened, the question was just who. He turned the TV off and sighed, today was going to be a tough one and he knew it. Sebastian chuckled as he sauntered into the bedroom to get dressed, there was only one thing Claude had to teach the man, to show that confidence when they pulled up to the restaurant and didn't make it seem like an accusation but a fact. That destiny had paired them before this all began. Sebastian slipped into the jacket with ease, he had become much faster at slipping into suits than before and Claude grinned, he couldn't help but think about all the fun that they would have with his improved speed of getting both dressed and undressed. Claude hummed as he slipped into a silver suit and crisp black shirt, he decided against the tie and swung the jacket over his shoulder. "Elise or XKR?" he asked curiously as he walked to his side table, he decided that they would eat breakfast later. Sebastian hummed as he looked at Claude, "The Jaguar, he makes a statement," stated Sebastian.

Claude grinned like a child as he tossed the keys in the air and caught them with minimal effort. He listened to them jingle before slipping the ring around his finger and twirling them a little. Sebastian was at his side in seconds and carrying his knife bag. The pair made it to the foyer when they were greeted by cameras and a roar of reporters. "I thought they were outside Ciel?" whispered Sebastian as he trailed Claude, the Head Chef hummed as he continued to glide across the floor. His hands were in his pants pockets as he smiled and looked at Sebastian, "Guess they couldn't wait," he commented, "they wanted a glimpse of you in the morning, which I can't blame them." Sebastian blushed a little and pulled out his sunglasses, he could tell that Sebastian was honestly thankful for the gift and understood why he was always wearing them he could hide his eyes which gave away his emotions. Sebastian stared at the XKR which was waiting for them, out of the corner of his eye he could see the young Patissier grinning like a loon. He turned on his heel and leaned against the car, the reporters were shouting and he could hear the shutters of cameras snap closed. "What's up?" he asked curiously. The reporters were quiet for a moment as they watched Sebastian chuckle and reply, "Who needs a knight on a white steed when I have a Lord who drives a Jaguar?" he asked. A chuckle spread through the reporters as Claude opened the door for Sebastian and he watched the chef do a smooth turn, flash the cameras a dazzling smile, his white teeth glistened in the light as he looked at them. It was now that Claude could appreciate his tailor's work, the suit made the Patissier look sleek and even more mischievous, hugging his curves and accenting just how his body seemed to move on it's own. He slipped around the car and was quick to start it. Now all they had to do was slip into Ciel, which was going to be far easier said than done.

The ride was smooth but he noticed how Sebastian seemed tense, "Raven?" he asked allowed and mentally began to berate himself, he had always used the man's pet name in his head, this was the first time using it out-loud. A sweet blush swept across his cheeks as he attempted to focus on the road, he could feel Sebastian's eyes bore into him. "What did you call me?" he asked softly, he sounded confused and a little shocked. Claude felt as though the car was suddenly getting smaller by the second and opened the window to let in a little air. His blush was getting brighter by the second and his cheeks were on fire, not even Ash had endearing nickname and yet Sebastian did. "Raven," he mumbled, his confidence was evaporating at an alarming rate as he kept his eyes on the road, all the while kicking himself for allowing it to slip. He came to a stop light and as soon as he stopped he smacked his forehead on the steering wheel and groaned. What he wouldn't give for the ground to open up and swallow him.

"I'm your Raven?" he asked with a hint of uncertainty, he then smiled and looked at Claude. The Head Chef watched as slender fingers wrapped around the black plastic frames and pulled them away from his eyes. A pair of crimson eyes looked at him, they were filled with both awe and tenderness. "If I'm a Raven then can I call you my Spider?" he asked curiously. Claude paused, he had expected to get scolded only for the man to come back not only accepting the name but offering one in return. The light changed and Claude quickly began moving once more, "If you like," he replied nervously in an attempt to regain composure, while internally he was dancing. He turned the corner and parked the XKR in the back and stroked the steering wheel affectionately as he listened to her fall silent. He slowly got out of the car and looked at Sebastian who seemed a little more nervous than before. "Sebastian, just breath, if you can survive those challenges, this should be a cake walk," Claude said with a grin.

Sebastian chuckled and shook his head, clearly he still had his sense of humor, which was a good thing. Claude h drew a deep breath himself as he walked toward Ciel, this was going to be a huge deal, he wasn't going to tell Sebastian the prejudice which had followed them through it all, he couldn't do that. They continued their path to the restaurant and immediately Claude felt as though he were about to be ambushed, it honestly wouldn't surprise him if they were. In fact, he honestly expected it. He pushed open the back door and strode into the kitchen, his golden eyes widened, standing before him was a line of chefs. Each of them was wearing a white jacket but the restaurant emblem had changed, as well as the liner, cuffs and collar, they were black. Claude's lips parted as he stared at the bright blue seam which covered them and the black buttons, he hadn't seen a jacket like this before. His eyes glided to the logo, it had changed as well, it was the Phantomhive crest, it wasn't Ciel in blue script. "What?" he asked in confusion as he looked at Hannah, she was smiling as she held out a garment bag, "Chef," she said smoothly, her head bowed a little as she held out the bag.

Claude's brow knitted as he slowly collected the black garment bag, he was usually informed of any changes made to the uniform, and even had a say. Yet this time he didn't, he looked over to Sebastian who had been handed one as well by Hannah, she hadn't made a single remark which made him nervous. Hannah always had a scathing remark, and yet this time she didn't, he slowly unzipped the bag, his eyes widened at the sight of the jacket, it was still black, yet it was darker than before. He slowly felt the fabric and marveled at the attention to detail, the collar and cuffs were Merlot, it was a beautiful color and his lips parted when he noticed his title embroidered on the breast pocket, C. F. Faustus, Head Chef, in gold thread. He slowly looked at the other side and noticed the Phantomhive crest, the original name was no where in sight, it startled him. Immediately he searched for it, all of the jackets before had the restaurant name and yet this one it was missing. He even checked the arm only to discover something else, a surprise which made him stare at the garment in awe. Both school crests were there, in rich green thread was the crest of Culinary Institute of America and just below it in sapphire blue was that of Le Cordon Bleu in France, he slowly traced the threads, they were in their proper colors which made him feel even odder.

He slowly turned his head and looked at Sebastian's jacket, it had a crimson collar and sleeves, it made Sebastian's eyes brighter and he watched as the Patissier slowly traced his name with his nimble fingers, S. C. Michaelis, Patissier. He slowly turned the jacket to the side and admired the embroidery work on the sleeve, his school crest was beautiful and he smiled, it wasn't a false one which Claude had seen the chef use before cameras but a genuine one. Sebastian looked to the Head Chef and then to the rest, there was one thing which didn't add up, just why the logo of the restaurant was changed, that almost never happened and yet it was now. "Alright, let's start prep for tonight, Sebastian you should create a special dessert for tonight since it's our first night after the competition," Claude stated, they could use the boost in publicity with the stories that would be in print soon.

He watched the chef's jump to life and quickly went into his office to change, Sebastian had opted to change in the bathroom, which usually would have upset Claude, but he also understood that currently it was far more important to prepare for the rough night ahead. Claude's head was teaming with ideas as he began to attempt to put all the pieces together as to why their jackets and logos had been changed.

~~xXx~~

Light, although it is the best friend of the photographer, artist, and even architect when at work, it wasn't a friend of a completely trashed bartender. His head was pounding and he groaned, while waiting for the arrival of Phipps he had helped himself to a bottle of Brandy, he honestly had forgotten what the stuff did to him. His head was splitting, "Shit, why the fuck to I drink?" he moaned as he attempted to hide his head under a pillow and block out the sun. A chuckle filled the room, "I have no idea, but I must say that you are a lively drunk," commented a familiar voice which was filled with mirth. Alois growled before flinging a pillow violently at the spot in the doorway where the voice had emanated from, "Fuck you," he hissed as he sat up and glared daggers at Phipps who was standing in nothing but his loungers.

Phipps sighed as he caught the pillow with one hand and smiled in triumph. "I thought you already did?" he asked. A bright red blush swept across the blonde's cheeks, his face felt hot as he looked away. "Yeah well," he mumbled before pointing angrily at him, "You shouldn't scare me like that! Now let me go back to sleep!" he shouted before throwing himself into the pile of pillows on the bed. He burrowed into the sky blue sheets and reveled in how they smelt just like Phipps. "Alright then," said Phipps, "I was just going to tell you that you're an hour late to work, and William's been trying to catch you for the past hour and a half." Azure eyes widened as he shot out of bed and sprinted across the room, "Why didn't you say it sooner you fucker!" he shouted as he frantically began tearing the room apart looking for his clothing, he was still stark naked. Phipps tilted his head to the side as he began to enjoy the view, "I did, I woke you an hour ago and you mumbled something about making a margarita for an owl and that the washer took your man," Phipps replied.

Alois stared at Phipps, his eyes were wide as he scratched his head, only making his bed head even more severe. "What the fuck was in that bottle man? I thought it was brandy," he commented, he had no idea what would give him such vivid dreams. He had made and consumed every cocktail in the book at some point or another, and none of them gave him dreams that bizarre. "What else did I say?" he asked as he slipped into his boxers and then pants. Phipps was pensive for a moment before replying, "Not said, more like did. For one thing I didn't know that you liked my ties that much… I had no idea it was even possible to," Alois plugged his ears and started humming the national anthem. "Okay stop!" he shouted.

Phipps fell silent as Alois removed his fingers, "It wasn't the Brandy that did you in but apparently you've never had the Devil's Cut," he stated. Alois stared at the bottle which was resting on the floor, he had been wanting to try it but hadn't had time. "Jim Beam's Devil's Cut, which uses a special technique to pull the liquor out of the barrel. This stuff is powerful," he stated as he looked at the bottle and then to Phipps. "I drank this?" he asked. Phipps hummed and grimaced, "Well three quarters of the bottle, I managed to swipe a little for myself," he replied.

Alois placed the bottle on the floor and sighed, now he had his answer, "It was good, I have to say you have good taste, I just didn't think you would raid my liquor cabinet," commented Phipps. Alois ran his hand through his hair and tugged at the roots as he looked around the room. "I couldn't handle knowing that you ran into the field after Vincent Phantomhive and his men. Not only that but you were at the scene when the Warehouse exploded, it didn't just catch fire Phipps, it exploded!" he hollered. Alois' shrill voice carried through the flat as he took his stand, he had to tell Phipps what he felt, Phipps had assured him that he didn't go into the field and yet he did. Phipps slowly walked over to Alois and asked, "So you drank yourself into a stupor because you were worried about me?" Grey eyes fell on him and Alois squirmed a little under the man's gaze. He felt as though he were being interrogated. "Yes," he mumbled.

Phipps hummed before pulling Alois into his chest, "Silly, I'll come home. Besides Vincent made sure we were clear before blowing the warehouse sky high," he commented. Alois looked up at him in confusion, "Vincent?" he asked. Phipps nodded simply when Alois shook his head, "He couldn't have, he was with Diederich the entire night, he wouldn't even pick up when I wanted to know if he had heard from you," Alois stated. There was silence, Alois had tried to contact Phipps several times and each time he called Vincent he ended up being pushed into voice-mail after waiting for so long.

"If the text wasn't from Vincent, then who sent it?" asked Phipps as he held the mobile out to Alois.

Review Replies:

Maya: I'm glad your okay with the rather brief reply, usually I'm a little more chatty. I like to know what you guys think and it's honestly fun to watch you guys try to unravel this story and figure out what is going on. I'm glad that you enjoyed the previous chapter, and I have a feeling that this one has the start of what you've been waiting to see, furious Lord Vincent Phantomhive. Don't worry you'll get the hang of it soon.

Glasses: Oh dear looks like someone got so caught up that they forgot about the biggest issue, Ciel. Don't worry this chapter started to tie that up, I also haven't messed with him in a bit. Don't worry about the premeture celebration, a few readers fell for it. You'll know when I'm done, don't worry the quesiton is just how I will finish.

Yu Ping: I hope you are feeling better, being sick isnt' fun. I am glad that the last two chapters have made you feel a little better. Vincent and Diederich are a pair and honestly I had to have him confess at that moment, you'll find out just how long they have had feelings for one another and never said anything. Of course Claude had to save his Raven. I'm glad you liked how action packed the chapter was, I wanted something explosive and honestly that was just the start.

Now for part two of your review, I'm glad you liked the lemon, I wanted Sebastian to be a little more assertive and confident, but at the same time maintain that innocence. You'll find out what was on Rachel's letter soon, by soon I mean before the end. Believe me there are things which can hurt both of them and you're going to see it soon enough.