Author's Note: I want to take the chance to thank everyone for reading. I know it's rare to see me post chapters back to back, however since this one was written long before the rest it was only reasonable that I post it so soon. I hope you enjoy this one. You'll see things coming around.

Chapter 56: Taking Flight

The night soon gave way to dawn; the sky was filled with a resilient orange hue signifying the arrival of the sun. Sitting with his knees drawn to his chest was a rather tired Patissier, the month had been a nightmare and yet the night before was a dream. Burgundy eyes fell on the sleeping form beside him, under silk sheets was a very naked Claude, with powerful shoulders, a broad warm chest and a kind heart that he had wrapped in thorns as the man he had fallen in love with slumbered locked away with in. Only for the Patissier to reach in anyway, he knew the man beside him loved him at one point but didn't know now. He had waited a month and in that time it felt like a century for that moment for Claude to recognize him. To spend every moment of his existence waiting for a man who had gotten lost in his own mind, was perhaps more painful than all the years he had lived under Francis and Angela combined.

He wanted to wait for Claude, but at the same time he didn't feel worthy. Part of him wondered how a man as wonderful as Claude who couldn't remember who he was want to spend his life with the man who never knew who he was. Sebastian had always been so preoccupied with the fact that he was never his own man, that he had forgotten who he was. He knew his flavor, and his style of food, but aside from that, he didn't know a thing about who he wanted to be. All he knew was that he didn't like being the damsel in distress, he wanted to be a man who was strong enough to stand on his own and be there for Claude when he needed to be. The thought terrified him, but he knew what he had to do.

He slowly drew a deep breath and ran his fingers through Claude's soft hair. They lingered in it as he drew a deep breath. Claude couldn't remember him, people wanted to hurt them both, and even Lucius thought it was damaging. He could remember the day Victoria had walked in, she was beautiful, a woman truly worthy of standing beside Claude. She was strong, intelligent and looked perfect beside the Head Chef. He was in the way of that. It didn't take much for him to realize this, it was a simple equation, all he had to do was disappear. Even though the thought hurt, it made his chest ache. He pulled out his mobile and shot a text to the one person he knew could help him.

Sebastian: Dee, I need to get out of here.

The Patissier stared at the device and waited, he loved Ronald and William, they were wonderful but they would try to talk him out of leaving. He had to leave and become a man who was worthy of standing beside Claude. He could still remember the day the German had given him the number it was after the incident with Angela and being kidnapped. Apparently the tort merited a numbed in return. The slick black phone in his hands vibrated and he looked at the message on the screen.

Diederich: Meet me outside in 5 minutes.

Sebastian quickly replied, he felt an invisible hand squeeze his heart. The young man's fingers paused before caressing Claude's cheek. He had one more thing to do before he left, his last chance for Claude to remember. He slowly slipped out of bed, the room was slightly nippy, but nothing compared to the ones of darkness and pain he had known as a child.

Slowly the raven began to adjust his clothes, he draped the plum scarf around his neck and smiled. He knew he shouldn't take it with him but he couldn't resist taking a piece of the man with him, his heart ached as he looked at the bed. He was going to leave the one person who would always have his heart, his soul and his love. The warmth he had craved since childhood, just to keep him safe. He had packed the suitcase the night before with all his coats, sauté pants and knives. He left the beautiful suits and outfits Claude had bought him hanging in the wardrobe. He was going to leave the books behind, there wasn't much he could do, it would give Claude something to hang onto, just a piece of him so the Chef could remember, or use to forget if he chose. In reality he had no right to ask Claude to love him forever, to hold onto his heart and keep it safe, yet he wanted it so badly, especially when the Head Chef didn't even remember him.

Sebastian slipped the strap of the suitcase over his shoulder and slowly approached the bed, he smiled as he slipped a piece of black hair from out of the Head Chef's face and looked at his features. He leaned in slowly inhaling the scent he would never forget, Rosemary and Thyme before pressing a kiss to Claude's head. His eyes were burning, he couldn't let his tears fall now, he just couldn't. With what little strength he had left he whispered, "I love you," which was then followed by, "Good Bye."

Sebastian walked through the flat until he stopped in the kitchen. His fingers caressed the counter top as he walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a beautiful cake dome, the flat was cool enough and the dessert he had made would be safe. He placed the crystal platter and dome on counter before walking over to the fridge. After a moment he placed an all too familiar white ricotta cheese cake with a cherry swirl on the platter. He took one last look at the treat before placing the dome on it and grabbing Claude's knife bag, he had a feeling the chef would be looking for them since they weren't on the kitchen counter. He placed the black bag on it and smiled as he swept his fingers over the bag again. He was going to miss seeing this black bag and knowing that the chef wasn't far from his soul.

Sebastian's eyes fell on a piece of scrap paper; it looked as though it were a recipe at one point and scribbled a note on it. He knew this wasn't an ideal way to go but if he didn't leave before Claude woke, he never would be able to. Sebastian straightened and turned to the door, it was time to go and he knew it.

He left the flat quickly to get away, he had to, if he stayed longer he would simply run back up the stairs and wake Claude to tell him what he was doing. This would only work if he vanished, so no one would try to hurt him again, including himself. Without realizing it he was outside the building and looking at the street, just across from it was a pair of gentleman hanging around an all too familiar car. Sebastian sighed, it had begun to drizzle, and the sun was shielded from view, only making this more painful. The water slipped down his face as he walked toward the car, only to meet the gaze of a familiar duo, which never in his life he would have expected to be his knights in shining armor.

Sebastian paused and looked at elderly man, he looked the same as the day he had tossed him the business card. The same man who had wished him luck, the same who had given him another chance to live life the way he had always wanted. "You?" asked Sebastian as he looked at the elderly butler, he was wearing the Phantomhive crest on his lapel, a hat rested on his head, the silver fob watch chain hung over his abdomen from the buttons on his vest. His hands were in his pockets as he waited for Sebastian with black umbrella in hand. Standing beside him was Deidrich, the German he had met when he went he attempted to run from Ciel. His black hair was slicked back as always and he looked slightly indifferent. "My name is Tanaka, we weren't introduced properly the first time," the butler said smoothly as he extended a hand.

Sebastian slowly took it, "I'm the butler of the Phantomhive house and I work for Vincent Phantomhive, Ciel's father," he stated as he gave Sebastian's hand a squeeze. The patissier stared at him in confusion; nothing was adding up, if he worked for Vincent the entire time, this must have all been a game. Tanaka seemed to read this, and shook his head, he reached into his coat and produced a white card with VP on the front. It was one he had been seeing a great deal of lately, and the same as the one which had been handed to him the day he cracked up on his Roadster.

"Vincent doesn't know," Dietrich commented coolly. There was a pause as Sebastian looked at them nervously, Diedrich was holding another manila envelope in his hand, his brown eyes were filled with kindness as he held out the thick envelope. Sebastian took a step under the umbrella to get out of the drizzle and slowly took it. The corners were slightly crumpled and he noticed his name crisply written on the front. His eyebrows lifted after a moment, it was the same script that was on all of the business cards.

"Open it," instructed Diedrich. Sebastian slipped his finger under the lip of the envelope tearing into it with ease, nestled inside shocked him. The Patissier slowly reached inside and pulled out a familiar maroon book with the words across the top, Union Europeanne Republique francias. His eyes widened as he flipped the cover open and looked at his picture, it was indeed his passport, his full name was inside as well as date and even stamps from when he entered England. Tucked behind the next page was a ticket to British Airways. His eyes widened as he looked at the First Class ticket, it was one way. "What is this?" he asked in confusion.

Tanaka smiled and looked at him, "Inside that envelope is your new life, it's entirely yours. You have been given four months pay, as well as a sizable amount from an anonymous benefactor. There is directions to a location in New York for you, when you arrive at the air port you will meet a man named Earl Gray, you've met him before from the Yard, he was helping them out on a case. He's a damn good lawyer, don't worry about him. He works with us and for Lady Victoria. Gray will go over the rest of the information," he stated. Sebastian's mind was a fury of questions. He was free, yet it seemed like he was running away, "Why?" he asked finally.

Diedrich who had been quiet for much of Tanaka's explanation finally spoke, "I don't really know, but if I had to guess, it's because everyone deserves a chance at happiness," he stated firmly. Sebastian held the envelope in his hands tightly, "Think of this as your first chance to actually live your life," said Diedrich gently, "With no one to rule over you." Sebastian paused and looked up at the flat window he knew to be Claude's. He half expected to see a pair of golden eyes gazing down at him, through the curtains, yet there wasn't. No one was telling him to stay or chasing after him, stating he was wanted and loved. "And Claude?" he asked as he looked up at the window. There was a pregnant pause, clearly they didn't have a plan to help him. Of course they didn't, as far as they were concerned he was a board rich child who was rebelling from his father.

"I see," he whispered before turning around to face the pair, they were offering him a chance to run and yet now when the chance had arrived and he would be able to escape hell, he didn't want to leave. "Sebastian, I can't guarantee Claude's memory won't resturn and when it does I have a feeling he'll tare the world apart looking for you. Are you ready for that?" Tanaka said, making Sebastian's heart stutter, only to nodd in reply. "I can assure you, you haven't seen the last of him," Tanaka said smoothly as he smiled a little. The raven haired patissier sighed and he looked at the car and whispered, "Promise me, he will be happy, and safe," he whispered. He knew Ciel would be pissed with him, he had run to Claude, slept with the Head Chef and was in for another beating. Claude's love was tender but Ciel was threatening to destroy the Head Chef. "I will," said Diedrich firmly with a nod. He Sebastian felt tears sting his eyes as Diedrich opened the car door and he whispered, "Good bye, Love."

~~xXx~~

Claude woke with a start, the other side of the bed was cold, "Huh?" he moaned as he sat up and looked around the room. "Sebastian?" he called curiously, he had gotten so wrapped up in making love to the man that he had forgotten to ask why Sebastian hadn't told him the truth in the hospital. He couldn't remember who Sebastian was, he was special and attractive, but he just couldn't place it. He ran his hand through his hair and slid on a pair of loungers, leaving his boxers discarded on the floor, there was no point to them if he was going to slip out of them again and ravage the Patissier. He walked into the kitchen and looked around for a moment, he was even more confused when he didn't see the chef in his usual place. "Must be in his room getting dressed," he commented as he walked over to the counter.

Sitting on it was a cake dome and his eyes fell on a beautiful white cake with a vibrant red swirl. It's graham cracker crust was golden brown and the marbeling was perfect. He froze, that cake, he had seen it before. His head hurt as he looked at it and he hissed. Claude gripped his head as he whimpered, it was as though he were trying to break a wall in his head, that cake, he knew it but didn't. It drove him crazy, like so many of Sebastian's desserts he knew them but didn't.

Resting beside it was a note written on a recipe card he had tossed onto the counter days ago, "Thank you for the confidence all those years ago," he read aloud. "Confidence?" he asked as he lifted the dome, he quickly opened his bag and grabbed a knife. He quickly sliced a piece and sighed before walking to the cabinet and grabbing a plate. There was just something about that cake. Claude placed the slice on the plate and took a bite. He wasn't going to deny the fact that man who had taken care of him was a phenomenal chef, he had tasted every dessert. Claude slipped the fork between his lips and hummed as the familiar taste of cherries, ricotta, and almerato played on his tongue. He hummed and muttered, "At least he didn't use too much this time." There was silence as he looked at the slice of cake on the table.

He paused and asked, "Where?" He had never had this cake before, he had seen it many times but never tried it. Claude shook his head and went to move his bag when he noticed a yellowing slip, he was honestly sick of Hannah or Ash sticking notes in his bag, he wished they were like normal people and left them in a place he could see. He growled as he pulled out the crinkled yellow sheet. Only for his heart to stop, those words, they were his. "Ingredients are just ingredients, until they are combined by someone into something more. Memories, passion, and a touch of magic is all it takes to craft a wonderful treat. Good luck. ~CF"

Images of a lecture hall flashed in his head and a certain chef at the helm lecturing on technique, he had a pair of familiar red eyes and a tentative smile. "Sebastian?" he asked only to fall once more into another memory, far more recent the Patissier standing in Noir's kitchen with a food critic and serving the same cake. He remembered cleaning the tools after Sebastian had been called away and then writing that note. "Sebastian?" he asked again his brows furrow.

His eyes fell on the crimson swirl, he could remember how Sebastian's eyes danced and his smiles, and those three words. His heart was pounding as he stared in shock, "Sebastian," he whispered in shock as he sprinted from the kitchen into the raven's bedroom. He looked around frantically as he remembered the man's chuckle and the word, "Spider," fall from his lips. "Raven!" he shouted as he looked into the bathroom, he was gone. Claude's world spun, he remembered it all, and he loved him. That was all there was to it, he loved Sebastian and now he had to catch him. It had taken him so long the first time.

In what felt like minutes he was out the door and dashing down the stairs, he had bedded the raven for the night and now he was running. Everything seemed to hurl through Claude's head, the past few days had been a dream, Sebastian had been in his flat, and Sebastian was the man he loved. The man he desired for so long had been there, playing on the floor with Nightshade, baking just for him, giving him confidence when no one else seemed to. It wasn't long before everything he thought about delt with Sebastian in some way. His bare feet pounded against the cool tile as he raced out of the foyer to the street bellow, "SEBASTIAN!" he shouted at the top of his lungs as he bolted onto the street. The air was cold and he could feel the cool rain against his skin.

Across the street he noticed the Patissier slipping into the black car. The black car pulled away from view and he stopped panting, "Sebastian," his chest was pounding and he realized he was standing in merely track pants. He drew a deep breath as he dashed back inside and took the elevator to his flat. Once through the door he had snatched his mobile from the side table. "Call Alois," he commanded. The ringing of the other line split the air as he reached into the hamper and pulled out a shirt and then slipped on a pair of trainers. With his wallet and keys in hand he continued out the door. "Claude, what the hell, it's five in the morning," Alois groaned. Claude ignored the complaint and got into the lift, a number of tenants were staring at him as he changed the phone from speaker to regular. "Alois, he's gone, he got into a black town car. Do you think the cop you're laying beside can trace the plate number?" he asked. There was a giggle in the background and he could tell the man was enjoying himself.

"Yeah, sure," he replied as he handed the phone to the officer, in seconds Claude relayed the number. "'ang on! This is Diedrich's car, he mentioned dropping someone off at Heathrow yesterday," said officer. Claude's eyes widened as he got into the garage and dashed over to his car. The black jaguar awaited him as he threw the door open, "What's the fastest way to Heathrow this time of day?" he asked quickly. In seconds he was in the driver's seat and starting the black vehicle, it purred before growling when Claude stepped on the accelerator.

He had to get to him, to stop him from vanishing before his eyes, he finally had a reason to return to his cold flat, a reason to fight, a reason to truly be himself and love food again. He wanted to wake up every morning and cook just for Sebastian. "Take A4, Northeast and stay on it," the police man said with ease as Claude shifted the car into gear and left the lot. "You're going to take that until you reach M4, then move on from there," he said quickly. Claude passed several cars on the street in an attempt to catch up with the black town car.

"Claude, you do know you'll be late for work right?" asked Alois after a moment as the time which he normally clocked in ticked by. Claude smiled as he shifted and stated, "Tell Ciel I'm taking a mental health day," he stated as he pulled down the street. There was a bustle in the background and he could hear someone knocking, "A what?" asked Alois in shock. Claude chuckled of course he was shocked, in all his years of working for Ciel, not once did he take the day off. His first day off in ten years, "I'm taking the day off," he stated with a grin as he passed a slow driver. He heard a gasp in the background and heard the distant voice of William chiding the young Head Waiter. "No way, stick in the mud is taking a day off?" asked Ronald in shock.

There was a squeak as -what Claude assumed- would be William smacking Ronald in the back of the head. He hummed and replied, "Alois put me on speaker, and yes I'm taking the day off," he stated. Alois did as he asked and he could tell since now every comment reached his ears clearly. "You, take a day off? Will there be locus and hail tomorrow?" asked William teasingly. Claude shook his head and grinned, it wasn't the end of the world, and perhaps it was the beginning of his.

"No, I need to catch a raven before he flees," he stated. "You remember?" asked a familiar voice, it was William's. Claude nodded as he shifted once again, "Yes, I had a piece of mind blowing cheese cake," he explained. Chuckles were heard in the background and William replied, "It's good to have you back Claude. It certainly took you long enough." Claude snorted as he passed a car, "Yeah well, you didn't help me any. Thanks buddy, weren't you the one who walked in the valley of question marks before me?" he spat. There was a chuckle the background as the Sommelier replied cheekily, "Where's the fun in that."

There was a clamor as he heard Ronald looking through his pockets, "Hang on, Joker and Beast are at the airport! They were going to film something for some series there, I've got their numbers," exclaimed Ronald. He could hear the Head Waiter making a quick call with his phone. He never though he would have heard the Head Waiter going to aid him. He was about to say something when he saw a pair of police cars riding up behind him, he paled when he heard the sirens, he was obeying the limit.

"Fuck," he whispered as he was about to pull over. "What?" asked the officer, his voice was quick and he could tell the young man was confused. "Simple, there are officers tailing me," he stated. His eyes floated up to his rearview mirror where he could see the violent strobes. "Don't, they're an escort. I told my friends what was going on and that you were going after your lover. All I had to do was say it was Sebastian Michaelis and they jumped on board," he said with a hint of joy. Claude was quiet as he listened to the young man, "You mean to say you asked police officer to escort me?" The officer hummed, his laughter filled the car before commenting, "We can't have you getting lost while you chase after him."

Claude grinned to himself as he watched one of the cars pull in front of him. "Thank you," he said sincerely, the words themselves held so much power. His heart was fluttering when the young officer replied, "No problem, thanks for giving him the courage to show what he could do, and its Phipps, Constable Charles Phipps, not officer," he stated. Claude's jaw popped open, Alois had shagged the Constable, and was probably parading around in the man's boxers. "Okay Joker and Beast are looking out for him!" stated Ronald. Claude hummed as he continued down M4, "Do we know his departure time?" he asked after a moment.

There was silence in the room until the familiar voice of William T. Spears spoke up, "You better hurry Claude, you may miss him," he stated. Claude nodded and quickly shifted up a gear keeping the escorts with him as he went. He had to catch him, he was so close, he took the exit to get to Heathrow only to run into traffic. "Shit, traffic, not even the escort can get through," cursed Claude as he tapped his thumb on the steering wheel. Phipps groaned in the background with irritation, "You've got to be joking," he commented.

Claude sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, "I wish I was." Phipps hummed and he could hear the Constable giving his man a long line of orders, "We're working on it, sit tight," said Phipps sharply as he returned to shouting at the incompetence of his man. Claude's eyes fell on the LED display nestled inside the dash, the minutes were ticking by, he had ten minutes to get there. "Got it," he shouted as the cars began to move out of the way. He could hear a shout of happiness that was from a very high pitched voice, "Hear that Agni, he's getting closer," said a very happy Indian Concierge, Soma.

Part of Claude wondered when they had arrived, however now didn't seem like a good time to ask. He had been there for Sebastian through the nightmare, the tears and pain, even facing his childhood demons. The held Sebastian and protected him, and in return Sebastian had given him the warmth he long desired. "Why would he run from me?" he asked as he continued through the crowd, he had six minutes. Six minutes to catch the love of his life and hold him tight. "I don't know, just catch him," said Phipps furiously. Apparently he was trying to see if he could get airport security to work with him, without calling him a threat to international security.

The Jaguar pulled in front of the doors, Claude got out and expected to find no one there only for Dagger to bold out of the doors, "Give me the keys!" he called over the noise of the cars idling. Claude tossed the keys with ease over to the skilled camera man who leapt into the seat and pulled away. A rush of cool air greeted Claude as he entered the terminal. "Four minutes," he whispered as he looked up at one of the displays. His eyes darted to the boards searching in vain, "I need his number," said Claude hastily.

"Hang on! I'm looking for a clue," said Soma. Time was slipping away as he looked at the boards. "France!" shouted Claude, which had to be Sebastian. He sprinted toward the desk only for a loud whistle to pierce his ears. "FAUSTUS!" called a familiar voice. Claude looked over his shoulder to see Joker waving his arms like a maniac to get his attention. Claude dashed across the terminal ignoring the people yelling at him to stop running. Joker tossed him a lanyard, "Go! You don't have time!" he shouted as Claude ran through the gates toward Terminal 4C. He had to get there, his heart was pounding in his ears, "Two Minutes," called someone from his phone. Claude felt a rush of adrenalin as he drew nearer to the terminal. He slip to a stop on the carpet just past a movie poster. He watched a flight attendant leave the desk laughing, the gate was closed and he paused. His heart fell as he looked out the window across from him, a jet pulled onto the runway and sped down it. "One," he whispered as he watched the front two wheels of the jet lift off of the runway and the metallic bird lift off the ground and pull into the sky. The sound of the engines began to fade as he placed his hand on the glass and watched it slip into the vast blue sky.

There was silence, it was defining and made everything hurt, "I'm so sorry," said Phipps after a moment, Claude was squeezing the lanyard. His vision blurred a little before he felt something wet slip down his cheeks. Staring back at him was a red eyed version of himself, tears staining his cheeks and he drew a deep breath. "Claude, I can try to track him down, it will take time," said Phipps encouragingly. Claude blinked his tears away and leaned his head against the cool tinted glass. "No need," he stated, "Clearly he's gone." With that he hung up, he had no idea where Sebastian had gone, it was over. He hung his head as he walked through the terminal, Joker, Beast and Snake were standing in the doorway along with a crew of reporters looking at him curiously.

Claude walked toward them, his tears were gone as he replaced his heart break with a mask of indifference. Joker backed off immediately from the man as did the press, there were no words to describe his pain. His raven had flown away, and now he had to face Ciel and Vincent, perhaps it was better for the darkness to swallow him whole.

~~xXx~~

Finnian looked around wildly, the air was filled with chatter as wine experts and enthusiasts chatted about different vintages and wineries. He could smell the wine in the air and listened to the distinct pop of a cork, as well as the ringing of wine glasses. Languages were thrown about, yet there was one word which rang above them all, wine. Lizzie was standing in her stunning red dress, hanging on Eric's arm. The grower felt out of place at such an event, it made him rather nervous to say the least. He had learned a great deal in the time he had spent at the winery, Terrie, Lizzie, and Eric had been wonderful teachers. Yet, nothing they did prepared him for this chaos.

He wandered around aimlessly, looking at the different wineries and even venturing to try a few until he came across a table with the word's Fox Legacy Winery, Hudson Valley, New York. Finnian froze and looked at the logo, it was a beautiful châteaux, and pulled out the card. He was frozen in place, as he looked from the card to the banner on the table. Lined up on creates were glistening glass bottles of Point Noir, Caberenet, Merlot, Chardonnay, Riesling and sparkling wines.

Standing behind the counter was a man who looked eerily like Ronald, he was watching Finnian with a great deal of interest and asked, "Are you looking for something specific?" his voice was a little rough but his tone was warm. Finnian looked into a pair of hazel eyes and noticed how they seemed to sparkle. He was rather heavy in the face and his blonde hair was now graying but he reminded Finnian a lot of Ronald. "Yes, I was told if I wanted a job to see you," Finnian said after a moment.

The owner leaned back and looked at Finnian critically, his demeanor changed in a flash, clearly he should have been a little more tactful. "I see, you are?" he asked after a moment. Finnian smiled and replied, "Finnian, I've been working under Eric Slingbe." He watched a flash of recognition in those familiar eyes and a smile sweep across the man's face. "Oh! Eric's new guy! I've heard about you, rumor has it you've got some skills," he said brightly, now relaxing. Finnian nodded tentatively causing the man to laugh. "I'm Harold Knox, the owner of Fox Legacy," he stated as he held out his hand.

Finnian sighed before excepting it and noticed the man's weathered hands, clearly only writing checks wasn't something most winery owners did. "Eric emailed me and told me you were interested in learning more about grapes. I have a larger estate and he was hoping I would take you on," Harold explained. There was silence, which must have been the offer of a job. He looked at the card again and wondered just who had orchestrated this; it was uncanny how accurate these cards were.

"He hasn't told me," Finnian said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. Harold laughed loudly and replied, "Don't worry about it. How would you like to come back with me to New York? I would love to have you, he said you're pretty good with Chardonnay."

"I'd love to," was the only thing the man could get out. Harold simply smiled and began to rattle off information about his estate, yet Finnian couldn't really focus. As he walked around the table he noticed Lizzie and Eric standing a few feet away. The pair were grinning from ear to ear, holding flutes of Sparkling wine. With a glint of mirth in their eyes they lifted them in the form of a toast and nodded. Finnain smiled in return and looked at Harold, clearly someone had another part of his life planned for him. He was glad someone had a plan since he didn't and looked at Harold. Perhaps it wasn't a bad idea to see where the wind would blow him next.

~~xXx~~

There was silence in the flat after hearing the line go dead, and for a moment William thought his heart had shattered. They were so close, only for Sebastian to run, it hurt. He looked at Ronald who looked as though he were about to burst into tears, he wrapped his arms around the Head Waiter and whispered, "It's okay, we'll get through this." Ronald turned around and clutched him like a life line. "Will, they were so close," he sobbed. William closed his arms and held the trembling blonde tightly, he whispered sweetly to the blonde as he held back his own tears. It took everything he had not to join Ronald in sobbing over Claude's lost love.

A week had past since then and Harold Knox had called them to New York. Claude was a mere shadow of himself, Lucius had asked Vincent to excuse his son. Within days Noir was closing her doors, the food had once again become soulless and with a great deal of regret Vincent had allowed the place to close. The once elegant restaurant closed it's doors, eight pm on a Sunday night, with no customers. They all seemed to be mourning the chef who had fled. William and Ronald wanted to stand beside Claude but Harold was rather insistent that Ronald return to the winery.

Ever since that day Ronald looked conflicted, he didn't act like his usual carefree self, "Will, I," he stammered, "I…" William looked down at the Head Waiter who looked as though he was at war with himself, "Love?" he asked sweetly as he ran his fingers through Ronald's hair. The blonde was leaning his head on William's shoulder as they got into the taxi. The Head Waiter froze and looked at William, "American Beauty," he said quickly. William slowly relinquished his grip on the stout Head Waiter. Now he was confused, "American Beauty! The cocktail! It's as red as a rose!" he cried joyously. William was even more confused than before, "Every rose has it's thorns! Rose Hill!" he said ecstatically.

The Sommelier looked at Ronald in confusion, "Ronny?" he asked as the blonde leaned over and shouted, "Take us to 31st, second avenue," he stated to the cabby who simply confirmed it and drove off. "That's in Manhattan, you're father's estate is the other direction," he said slowly as he watched the cab take off the other direction. Confusion took over once again as he watched the scenery transform into that of the familiar concrete jungle of Manhattan.

"What's going on?" asked William curiously. Ronald looked over at him, there was a smile on his face when he replied, "Rose Hill." The Sommlier was quiet he was a Londoner, and clearly this was something New Yorkers knew, "It was a famous estate owned by a loyalist in the 1700s. Before Manhattan was even crafted into the concrete and steel jungle we know, it was rolling country side," he explained quickly. He knew most of that, except that Rose Hill was the name of an estate. He listened intently as Ronald continued, "While the estate was destroyed and the name Rose Hill was lost, recently people have been trying to revive the old names of the city which lay forgotten in records."

William froze and looked at him, "You mean to tell me, it's an address? That's a long shot isn't it?" he asked skeptically. Ronald's emerald green eyes glistened as he held up his finger and shook his head, "No, because of the poem, Pioneers. Never must you be divided, in our ranks you move united, Pioneers!" he recited. William was confused for a moment that wasn't the line on the card. "Guess what's on Rose Hill? The Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court, it holds trial for cases which occur in four departments. It protects and governs the citizens keeping us united," he explained.

He looked at Ronald and realized that portion made sense but the lines from the cards were different. "Then what about the lines from the cards and the backward script it was written in?" he asked. The Head Waiter sighed and looked out the windshield, "I don't know, but I can guess it has to do with when we get there," he replied. William's heart was pounding as he felt excitement was through him. This elaborate chase was a thrill and at the same time terrifying since he had no idea what was next most of the time. The cab floated through traffic, as always New York was swamped and loud. People were dashing to and fro in a haze. It was nothing like London, it was rapid, aggressive and always running on an internal timer. New York was a city of her own, with sky scrapers that challenged the imagination, it screamed innovation and individuality.

The cab turned the corner only to stop at the address which had been stated, Ronald pulled out cash and handed it to the driver before getting out and saying, "Wait here." The cabby sighed and replied, "Okay kid, but you do realize how large the estate is right?" Ronald chuckled as he looked at the heavy set man and replied, "Yup, I also know this is where the gate is." The cabby was silent as William slipped out and stood on the sidewalk. Just across a breath away were pewter gates, "Rose Hill," he read. Ronald looked around curiously when he heard a woman saying, "When is that new shop opening?"

William looked their way and then to Ronald with wide eyes, the lines in the poem, they predicted a reason why Sebastian would run. "Which one? There's two," said a young man who was trailing behind a pair of stunning young women. William listened intently as the girl replied, "No, one's open it's called Le Corbeau, it's a cute little Pastry shop! The chef is super cute!" William stared at them, there was only one person who would call the shop 'The Raven'. Ronald's grin widened as he continued to listen, "Not that one, the other one, um…" said the young woman before she gasped and clapped her hands, "Enigma! The shop with the drawing of an Ornithopter similar to da Vinci's on the sign."

The Sommelier fished the Nokia out of his pocket and looked at the image, now he knew where he had seen the handwriting. "Leonardo da Vinci, it's his backward script," he whispered in awe, how he hadn't seen that astounded him. He had been so preoccupied by the words on the cards that he had over looked the most obvious clue, it was backward script with an all too familiar slant. "You don't think?" he asked hesitantly before looking at Ronald. The blonde shrugged, his hair ruffled in the wind as it swept through the street. He slipped his glasses further up his nose and looked at the taxi, "There's one way to find out," Ronald replied as he walked over to the cab and got in. William followed suit and said simply, "Take us to Enigma."

The cabby looked over his shoulder, his brows knit together and he asked, "You do know that place isn't open yet, right?" William smiled and nodded, only causing the driver to snort in a rather undignified manner and shoot out of the spot. "Suit your self," he replied coolly as he drove down the block and turned, sitting on 32nd just a little further in was a shop without a single light on. It had a large glass window with the word "Enigma," in da Vinci's script and a rough outline of an ornathopter bellow. The cab came to a stop and William this time paid the man.

He slipped out of the cab only to come face to face with an all too familiar pixie. "Welcome to my town," she chirped. William chuckled and shook his head, when ever she was involved there was something interesting bound to occur. He stuck his head in the cab and said, "We're getting out here, come on Ronny. Mei's here." Ronald got out and walked around to the trunk. After a few minutes they had their bags and stood before the designer. "What's going on here?" asked Ronald in confusion.

The interior designer smiled as she tossed a key ring into the air, "It's been a while since we saw one another, Noir was my finest work, I'm upset to see it closed," she admitted. William nodded, it was a master piece, he had to admit it was perhaps one of her greatest accomplishments, that and she was able to do it over night, which for someone like her was in it's self miraculous. William's eyes fell on the key ring with fascination, "It was rather sad to leave it," he said after a moment. Mei-rin sighed as she turned on her heel and looked at the building behind her, "Now, who would like to open the door?" she asked as she held out the keys.

"Will, why don't you, open it?" asked Ronald quickly, he was grinning and William could tell the blonde had figured out what was going on. The Sommelier hummed as he collected the keys from her, "Once you get inside, tell me what you think," she said simply. William nodded as he walked over to the brass lock in the door and slipped the silver key into it, with a click the latch was free and he was pushing the door open. It was dark but smelt of oak, lemons, furniture polish, and oddly cork. He stepped into the rather large space and looked around curiously for a switch. Mei-rin walked over to a panel in the wall and typed in the number, before flicking on the lights.

Before William was the one sight he missed the most, a shop, his shop. The floor was a beautiful dark cherry, it was polished to perfection. The walls were lined with built in shelves of golden oak, bottles rested on the racks, glistening with pride in the dim lighting. What little of the walls that weren't occupied by these beautiful racks was vine green, the very same shade of a grape vine in the Summer months. He slowly took a step forward, there was a beautiful granite counter lining one wall with cabinets beneath, he could see more wines, glasses, decanters and cleaning supplies there, the doors were glass and had beautiful brass handles. Yet it wasn't this which surprised him, or even the very neat flat screen sitting in the back corner with a counter but a very familiar old friend. The Sommelier walked across the room and slowly placed his hand on the beautiful mahogany horse-shoe shaped bar, "How?" he asked.

Mei-Rin had been quiet the entire time and finally now decided to speak, "You have a very powerful and loyal friend," she replied. William looked around with fascination at the molding around the ceiling and the golden yellow she had chosen to paint the ceiling above, it was the same color as a rich chardonnay. The Sommelier smiled as he ran his hand over the smooth surface of the bar counter, he looked at the stools which clearly she had spent some time hunting down to match such a piece. "I had no idea," he whispered as he looked over at Ronald who was smiling.

"You didn't have anything to do with this, did you?" he asked curiously. The blonde shook his head and replied, "Nah, I wish I did though, I haven't seen you smile this much in a while." William chuckled as he placed his bag on the floor and took a seat on one of the stools which lined the bar. "It's beautiful," he said softly, he heard a stool move and looked over to see Ronald sitting beside him. William was about to question why, when he felt a warm hand take his own and hold it, "Our shop?" he asked curiously. William grinned, he loved the sound of that, "Yes, our shop."

Mei-Rin clapped happily and bounded over to them, in a flash she had contracts before them and the pair were signing on the dotted line. "Everything is fully paid, you just have to worry about utilities, your stock and such. The mortgage is covered for the building, there are a few apartments above and your personal possessions have been shipped here," she explained as she looked over the documents. William was quiet as he looked around the shop, "Thank you," he said softly.

Her hands froze and she looked up blinking, "You're welcome, you know there was only one other person to thank me for my work," she mused and looked at the shop they had passed on the corner, "He owns that little Patisserie." William and Ronald looked at one another before the blonde asked, "What was his name?"

Mei-rin chuckled and replied, "Why don't you ask him?"

~~xXx~~

The hallways of the morgue were silent, it wasn't a place in which the living dwell after all. All that could be heard were the heavy footsteps of Constable Charles Phipps. He turned the corner and quickly slipped into autopsy, standing over a familiar corpse on a slab was the examiner. "You didn't tell him?" asked the medical examiner as he looked over the body. Phipps sighed and replied sternly, "It was for the best, after all who would believe that a corpse was driving a car?" he asked. The examiner was eerily silent as they looked at the body on the table. Phipps still couldn't believe that the University of Oxford had lost one of it's state of the art remote control cars. It was careless, the first time it went off the grid was to a little trip to the London Eye, this time however was very different.

Unlike the first where who ever was responsible for the side trip simply entered an address and appeared to have used an over ride, this time the code was splintered from what the techs told him. It wasn't as sleek or sophisticated and the address wasn't predetermined. It was being driven live by using the feeds of the traffic cameras. Phipps had spent over a month trying to track down the person responsible but couldn't find them. They vanished as though they never existed. "Are you ever going to?" asked the examiner as he covered the corpse with a sheet once more before gripping the end of the sliding tray the body had found peace on.

"No, this is between us. Vincent must never know," he replied before the examiner slammed the tray back into the cooler. Phipps looked at his watch and smiled, it was nearly time for dinner with Alois. He couldn't wait to return to his lover and leave this issue behind him. Vincent would have to stay in the dark, he couldn't risk the noble flying off the handle. "Gather everything you need to and then dispose of the body," Phipps commanded as he turned to leave. Vincent wasn't ready to face this, and part of him knew the noble never would be.