Hi everyone, I hope you like this chapter. It's a bit different to the series and also...it has something that wasn't in the series.

I sat in front of the vanity mirror, not seeing my reflected image as I brushed my hair out. All I saw as I brushed my hair was my mother. It was like an out of body experience, seeing myself in place of my mother. She had blonde hair, as I did now, and when she was busy thinking, you could find her in front of the mirror brushing her hair.

"Mama?" I heard a phantom version of myself call out.

"He killed him," I said softly to the mirror, "I saw him stab Alois Trancy."

What was I supposed to do with that information? Who could I talk to about it? It was like seeing Ciel fall from Tower Bridge, as Undertaker had wanted. But he had said I was supposed to see it, and no one else. Was this another one of those things only I was supposed to see? No, Sebastian had seen it as well…but he had been there at the Tower Bridge.

"I'm still alone," I whispered as I put down the hairbrush, "there is no one to talk to."

A light knock on my door made me see my reflection before I spotted Ciel Phantomhive. He was wearing a blue suit today, his navy hair was brushed as per the normal and his blue eye was bright. How could he look at me like nothing had happened? Maybe it was our pasts…he had been tortured, made to feel far worse than any animal so death…it must be like breathing to him. But for me…I'm certain I had hurt people, but I hadn't killed them. I had used guns for Berrymore…but that didn't mean I could turn them against a person. Oh wait, and I shivered at the memory. Angela Blanc, an avenging angel had given me a demon spice and I had gone on a killing rampage…

"Elena," Ciel said and I continued to look in the mirror, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes, young master?" I said to the reflection and Ciel sighed.

"Would you look at me?" Ciel asked and I took a deep breath before I turned around, so I could look into his blue eye.

"What can I help you with?" I asked as I clasped my hands over my nightdress.

"You mentioned something during the costume ball, a name," Ciel explained as Sebastian entered the room and held out a cup of tea for him and then to me, "do you remember?"

"Jim Macken," I answered as I held the cup tight, "the Trancy family secret."

"I want to know more about Jim Macken," Ciel said as Sebastian took a spot by his shoulder, "you must have heard something."

"I was told the full story," I said as I looked down at the tea in the cup, "and I was told to never mention it to outsiders or I would be punished."

"This was while you were in the employ of Alois Trancy, correct?" Sebastian asked and I nodded.

"Hannah and Claude told me the story, with Hannah telling me a bit more. She loved Alois; I didn't understand that considering he hurt her more than he did me. But…what do you want to know?"

"His origins," Ciel answered and I nodded before putting the teacup down.

"Jim Macken…he was a villager who had a little brother named Luka. When their parents died, they were treated like dirt. They were orphans nobody wanted to see, and I think that made Alois the person he was. They lived by a small river, in a cottage that was damaged. I think I was told it was his family home," I said as I looked down at my hands, "but they lived there alone. They stole what they had to survive, as I did when my parents died."

"What do you mean by that?" Ciel asked.

"Food mostly," I said as I fidgeted, "Lord Berrymore hardly fed me and the money he paid me was rather…low. I couldn't feed myself, so I stole what I needed to. I never took more then what I needed to survive, my conscience wouldn't let me."

"So Alois Trancy did the same?"

"Yes," I said with a sigh, "but he had Luka to consider. They would need food and…he wouldn't let his brother be without a meal."

"You informed me of how your wage used to be spent. You bought dog treats for your dog and milk for cats," Sebastian said simply.

"I ate bean cakes for years," I said softly, "not a fond memory of mine. But it got Julius by, and any cat that stayed with me."

"How did they get their food?" Ciel asked, clearly trying to put me back on topic.

"They stole it from other villagers, but they were children with holes in their clothes. They wouldn't have been able to carry it all in their arms. From the story, they stole bags from older people with the hopes of getting something to eat. But Jim Macken hated the villagers, and that meant he took more than he needed to survive. I was told he wasn't targeted as much as Luka was…"

"How so?" Ciel asked and I sighed.

"Luka had rocks thrown at him, taunts yelled out…but I was told he was a boy that wouldn't let things like that stop him smiling. His brother however, took each hit as something that needed to be punished. He was out of control when he lived in the village with his brother. He wanted them all dead."

"Who?" Sebastian asked.

"The villagers. Alois Trancy…Jim Macken, he wanted them dead for what they had done to him and his brother. An eye for an eye; that was his opinion. Luka was also the person who called him 'Highness'. I assume that's why he ordered Claude to say, "Yes, Your Highness." But I digress…one evening, Alois went out for water. The river had decent water so they drank it most of the time but this evening…it was different. A body floated by and they saw the village was burning."

"Burning?" Ciel asked as he looked to Sebastian.

"His 'wish' had come true. The villagers who had been cruel were dead. They went to the village to see the damage and decided that as the only survivors…anything they found was theirs."

"I assume someone had to pay for this wish," Sebastian said calmly.

"Alois told me I had that 'sickening glow' in my eyes," I said and I looked up at Ciel.

"Sickening glow?" Ciel asked and Sebastian looked confused as well.

"My eyes showed the glow of my soul," I said, "a reflection of light."

"And Alois considered this a bad thing?" Ciel asked.

"His brother was the payment," I said with a sigh, "he didn't have the glow anymore so…"

"A demon burnt down the village," Sebastian filled in for me and I nodded, "but why did this Luka pay?"

"He was the one who made the contract," I said simply, "he wanted his brother's wish to come true. He couldn't burn the village himself; he would need someone…else to help him. So he contracted a demon, and didn't tell his brother. Alois went looking for Luka after a while to bring him back to their home when he found his brother, he was lifeless and without a soul. Jim was alone."

"Alone?" Ciel asked.

"He was the sole survivor when the village burnt to the ground. So he lived precariously on the possessions of the dead. Years past and he was eleven when a carriage stopped at the village. Alois had grown up, alone and as you could guess, he had no one to talk to. He became quiet…until this carriage came up."

"What was this carriage for?" Ciel asked.

"The previous Lord Trancy, the Queen's Spider, was a paedophile," I said as I returned to fidgeting, "he liked young boys and this carriage…was a collection service. Alois was picked up and since he hadn't spoken with anyone in years, he went without considering what this man would do. He was brought to the Trancy Estate and presented to Lord Trancy. Ciel…have you ever seen a picture of the previous head of the Trancy family?"

"Once," Ciel said as he sipped his tea, "he was an old man, big in the gut…correct?"

"Yes," I said as I returned to picking my fingers, "Jim Macken became a slave to the Spider's wishes. Any boy that was brought to the Estate didn't escape or leave. It is believed that most of them were buried on the property…I found that to be true and I cleaned some of their headstones."

"Was that your job?" Ciel asked and I shook my head.

"It only seemed right," I said as I wiped my eyes, "there was no one else to tend to their graves. I would request flowers to be brought in when someone went out for the shopping. Alois found me one of the days, cleaning headstones and arranging flowers. He asked me why I was bothering with them, and I told him everyone deserves to be remembered. He had a grave stone for Luka and I made sure it was clean with fresh bluebells on it, according to Hannah's suggestion."

"Do you know why she suggested that?" Ciel asked and I shook my head.

"She saw me putting forget-me-nots on the grave and suggested bluebells as well. She got me a bunch of the flower and told me to add them so I did."

"Please continue with the story," Ciel said after a moment.

"Lord Trancy lined each of the boys up, so he could decide who would grace his bed that night. I was told it depended on the group, what mood he was in…among other things. Jim was called up and Lord Trancy hated him immediately. He compared his eyes to filthy rainwater, and then beat him for having eyes that colour."

"What happened next?"

"Lord Trancy picked out the boys he liked and they were washed, so they could be presented to him in pristine condition. The boys who weren't picked were left to watch the others. It was there that Jim heard a story about a fairy that granted wishes. You made a pact with them, and they would grant any wish you wanted. Sound familiar?" I asked.

"A demon's contract," Ciel said plainly.

"Jim called out to the fairy," I said with sigh, "this is what I'm assuming. But he stayed a slave for a while longer so…he mustn't have had a wish."

"It was Claude Faustus, correct?" Sebastian asked and I clenched my hands into fists, "Elena, is something the matter?"

"I hate him," I whispered with my head down, "he made me feel like…like Jim Macken. Like a troublesome orphan. I was ignored, treated like I didn't exist because it was an order. He made me wish…wish for a demon. But no, no one was listening."

"What do you mean?" Ciel asked and I lifted my head.

"No demon would listen to me!" I snapped as I stood, "there was no God to pray to the moment I walked through the front door."

"Why would you want a demon to sign a contract with?" Ciel asked and I turned my back on him, "why wouldn't a demon form a contract with her, Sebastian?"

"Because I'm half," I muttered, "I'm only half human."

"And the other half?" Ciel asked and I looked back at him.

"Demon," I said with a sigh, "my father was a demon."

"Was…he died?" Ciel asked and I nodded.

"He died at least fifteen years ago, by some unknown force," I waved my hand away, "but because of my father, I can't form a contract with a demon."

"What would you have wished for?" Sebastian asked and I walked over to the window, put my hand over it and took a deep breath.

"Freedom," I said softly, "I would have given my soul for freedom. He or she would have helped me escape and then I would have asked to be brought somewhere peaceful before they took my soul."

"What happened next in the story?" Ciel asked, clearly not sure how to deal with this new information.

"Lord Trancy heard some of his…slaves had gotten ill and died. He was upset, and demanded that the room be cleaned thoroughly. One of the servants told him they had prepared Jim for him that day. He didn't want Jim…but then he saw him. Jim had been washed, his hair brushed and his lips glossed. All to make him appealing and Lord Trancy forgot his hatred. I found it strange however…when Alois Trancy came up."

"What do you mean?"

"Alois Trancy was the son of Lord Trancy and his wife. The boy was kidnapped as a baby and the wife committed suicide. Lord Trancy looked for the boy everywhere but couldn't find him…and Jim Macken must have been similar. He asked Jim to call him Father while he referred to him Alois. It was a rather…mixed up situation, one I'm grateful not to understand."

"So where does that bring us?" Ciel asked and I sat back down at the vanity.

"He had a wish," I said softly, "one only a demon could help him with."

"What was it?" Ciel asked and I sighed again.

"Luka had contracted a demon to burn down their village, and paid with his soul. What Alois's wish was, he wanted to make the demon who had 'killed' Luka to suffer a fate worse than death. At the time, Claude wasn't contracted to him, so didn't have to speak the truth. They met one morning while Lord Trancy was asleep, he had given Jim more freedom than the other slaves, dressed him nicer…all in an effort to play house. Claude gave him a name, not the true name of the demon, but a name for Alois to hate."

"Whose name?" Ciel asked.

"Sebastian Michaelis," I said as I put my head down, "he said that Sebastian had formed a contract with Luka Macken to burn down the village. Alois wanted Sebastian to suffer when he heard this. The only way he could think of making a demon suffer, was to take away his contracted soul. That's why he wanted you, Ciel. He wanted to possess you and hurt Sebastian. I didn't know his plans for either of you after that had been accomplished, but that was Claude's main purpose."

"The old Lord Trancy died by some infection not long later and Alois Trancy inherited everything. He had been his favourite. Once the will was read and Alois became the new head of the family, he freed the other boys. They held no purpose for him. Claude became his servant from then on, with Hannah joining not long later with her triplets."

"How did you find out this story?" Sebastian asked, "you were there four months."

"Claude told me some of it as a threat…Hannah mentioned Luka," I took a deep breath, "and there were days I couldn't sleep so I read old diaries. A family secret…and I've just told you."

I turned to face the mirror and brushed out my hair slowly, wondering who my father had been. Had he been a nice man? Had he treated my mother well? What was his name? Had he ever signed a contract?

"I wonder what he had been like," I said to my reflection, not really seeing Ciel on my bed.

I put the brush down again and opened my locket to look down at the picture. My mother with her beautiful blonde hair and my father…his hair black like my own. Had she loved him?

"Elena," Sebastian said and I looked up to see he was standing at my shoulder, "do you wish to know more?"

"More?" I asked, not sure what he was talking about.

"Your father," Sebastian said with a smile, "I'm certain I could find something on him."

"One thing," I said as I held the locket out to him, "here, you may need this. I would like to know a name…even if it was a contract name. I want to have something to call him other than Demon. It doesn't feel right."

"Very well," Sebastian said as he looked towards my door, "I believe someone is at the front door."

"Answer it," Ciel muttered and Sebastian left to do that.

"Did I answer your questions?" I asked as I turned to look at him.

"Your wish was pathetic," Ciel said rather calmly.

"You were tortured, treated far worse than anyone would treat an animal," I said as I smiled, "but you escaped. Now imagine if there had been no escape, it was a never-ending cycle of pain and grief. I would have needed a demon to free me."

"How did you leave Alois's employ?" Ciel asked and I sighed.

"A distraction," I said with a laugh, "I left because Claude and Alois were distracted."

Sebastian entered the room again, only this time he had a letter in his hands. Ciel looked at it and put his hand out but Sebastian held it out to me. I took it and saw my named scratched onto the paper.

"For me?" I asked as I turned it over, "from the Trancy Estate?"

"It seems that way," Sebastian answered as I ripped the top of the envelope to get the letter. I opened it and looked at the words, not seeing their true meaning before I read it out loud:

"Dear Elena Hamilton, on behalf of the Trancy Household, I regret to inform you that Lord Alois Trancy died two days ago. As a previous member of the household, it would be considered your obligation to attend the funeral. From here on however, your contract, and thus your position as maid of this manor, will cease. Any payment due to you will not be paid as you received your last payment before you left the estate. The funeral will be held in London at 3pm this afternoon. Yours sincerely, Claude Faustus."

"Who delivered that letter?" Ciel asked as I read the letter again.

"A young boy from London. He was paid to hand myself or Elena the letter by a man with golden eyes," Sebastian replied.

"He's dead," I said with a sigh, "he's gone."

"Are you upset?" Sebastian asked and I shook my head, "then why are you crying?"

I lifted my hand to wipe my eyes, feeling the tears and recognised them for what they were.

"I'm not sad," I said as I turned and brushed my hair again, "they're happy tears."

"Will you be attending?" Ciel asked.

"Yes," I said rather simply, "it would be expected. I'll dress quickly and go."

"I would suggest you bring company," Sebastian said rather calmly, "and look sadder."

"Who would I bring?" I asked as I looked to him, then Ciel and then to the rose on my bedside table, "whose safe to be with me?"

"I'll go," Ciel said as he stood, "give me a few moments to dress appropriately."

"I'll…I don't have a funeral dress," I said as I stood to look at my dresses.

"Sebastian, retrieve the dress from the trunk in the spare room. I'm sure that will suit her," Ciel said as he started walking out of the room.

"That dress?" Sebastian asked and Ciel nodded, "very good sir."

They left me alone to stare into the mirror, seeing my mother's face again. Andrea Hamilton before she had died. I lifted the brush again and saw a memory, a distorted image of myself.

"Mama?" my childish voice called out, "mama, where is daddy?"

"He's away," she had answered, "and he can't come back."

"Where is he?" my voice asked.

"Where the dead sleep," Mother had answered, "and one day, we will join him there."

At the time, Mother had explained to me that Martin Hamilton wasn't my real father. I had been angry with her, but then I had seen how much she had loved the demon. I was a fool to think she hadn't loved him. It had broken her heart when she had received a letter informing her of his death. It was around the same time that a stray cat that had been staying with me left as well.

"That cat made Julius growl," I said with a sigh, "and yet…it returned every evening."

Had my real father wanted to know me? Had he cared that I existed? Since I had never met him, I couldn't say for certain that he had known of my birth.

I put my hair into a low bun of curls, my fringe pulled out over my right eye as I powdered my face. I attached the rose to my hair before standing and locating a pair of dark boots. I found black stockings and put them on along with my underclothes. A knock at the door told me Sebastian was back so I opened it and lifted out a fresh corset.

"Can you pull the ribbon?" I asked him and the corset was done up. He put me into a black dress with lace arms. The lace showed roses before it stopped at the top of the arms. The bodice was laced at the back and the skirt flared at my hips. Sebastian quickly dressed me before I looked myself over in the mirror.

"These were with the dress," Sebastian said and I turned to see black wristlets.

"Thank you," I whispered as I put them on.

He helped me into a coat before the boots went on. I made sure the bracelet with the family crest was visible before I left the room, holding up my skirts. Ciel was downstairs already, dressed for a funeral. Sebastian opened the front door for us and then followed to a carriage to open the door. Ciel went up first and I followed slowly, making sure to not damage the dress. Tanaka was driving us to the church and we left the estate. I wasn't sure what to expect…and I still didn't when we got to the church.

I opened the door and stepped out, keeping it open for Ciel to step down. My hope had been that the church was full and we would have to stay in the back, away from sight but I should have known better. Alois Trancy had not made friends in this life, or the ones he had…they had died. I walked forward with Ciel at my side before we reached the first three rows of the pews.

Ciel sat in while I sat on the outside, viewing it as the best place to protect him in. Viscount Druitt spotted me and I stood to undo my coat. He walked over to hold one of my hands, and I sighed.

"He went before his time," I whispered to the man who was crying.

"He was young," Druitt answered and I raised his head to wipe away his tears.

"Is his uncle here?" I asked and Druitt nodded.

"Uncle Arnold is in the front row," Druitt said before he held onto my hand tight, "I thought more people would be here."

"When I worked with him," I said with a shake of my head, "he didn't do much other than work. There was no real time for him to socialise."

"Uncle Arnold," Druitt called out, "remember Elena?"

"She was one of the maids," Arnold said, "bring her over."

I didn't want to leave Ciel alone so I smiled to Druitt.

"Give me a moment," I whispered, "I just need to speak to someone."

Druitt nodded and I leaned down to Ciel. I undid the ribbon around my waist and made sure Druitt couldn't see Ciel.

"Ciel," I said as he leaned closer, "do you mind pretending to be my blind brother?"

"Why?" Ciel asked.

"I don't trust the people here, so if you will stay with me," and he nodded, "your name will be James. For the cover, call me Leny or Lena or Ellie."

I undid the eye-patch and stuck it into my jacket pocket. I wrapped his eyes like bandages with the ribbon and then ruffled his hair. Druitt wouldn't see Ciel as the noble boy; he wouldn't see half the people here. Grief had a way of clouding everything. I helped Ciel out of the pew and wrapped my coat around his shoulders before bringing him over to Arnold. I spotted Claude and the others sitting nearby, showing faux respect to their dead master.

"Hello," I said as I kept one of Ciel's hands in mine, "our deepest condolences for your loss."

"You were his maid," Arnold said, "I was told you had left."

"It is out of respect that I attend Lord Alois Trancy's funeral," I said as I wiped away a tear.

"Who did you bring?" he asked and I pulled Ciel a little closer to my side.

"This is my brother, James," I said as I squeezed his hand tight, "it was a choice between bringing him here or leaving him at home."

"Leny," Ciel asked, "who are you talking to?"

"James, this is Lord Trancy's uncle, Arnold Trancy," I said softly to the boy, "I used to work with his nephew."

"Oh," Ciel said in a soft voice, clouding his English accent.

"My nephew hardly spoke of you," Arnold said and I shrugged my shoulders.

"I was the maid," I said with a smile, "I doubt I was mentioned at all."

"The butler said my nephew died in his sleep," Arnold said rather lamely.

"It is better than any other way," I said as I squeezed Ciel's hand, "my brother and I understand the other ways."

"How so?" Druitt asked and I put a hand out to him.

"Our parents died in a fire," I said as I sniffled, "my brother and I are the only survivors."

"Uncle Arnold, the priest is ready to start," Druitt said and I nodded in both of their directions.

"Come on James, we'll sit here," I said as I put us behind Claude and the others.

"We are not here to mourn," the priest said to us, "we are here to remember the life of Alois Trancy…"

The funeral continued in that vein, with a priest who had never met Alois in this life. Druitt stood halfway through with a basket in his arms. He brought it over to me before he handed me a red rose.

"To put on the grave," he said as he held another one out for James.

"Thank you," I whispered as I handed Ciel the other rose.

"When can I take this ribbon off?" Ciel asked, his voice sounded rather annoyed.

"After the burial," I whispered to him, "Arnold and Druitt won't let us go that quickly."

The coffin was closed and brought outside to be put into a carriage. I spotted the Undertaker and he saw us.

"Hello," Undertaker said as I walked towards him.

"Oh hello," I said with a smile to him, "thank you for burying Lord Trancy."

"How do you know the deceased?" Undertaker as he caught my hand.

"I was his maid. My name is Elena Hamilton and this is my brother, James," I said as I put Ciel closer to my back.

"It appears some people want to speak with you, Elena," Undertaker said and I turned to see Claude.

"James has always had a wish," I said as I held onto Undertaker's arm, "if it wouldn't trouble you, could he ride on the carriage with you?"

"I'm certain that could be arranged," Undertaker said, "I was about to start my trip to the cemetery."

"Oh thank you so very much. Come James," I held onto Ciel before getting him onto the seat. It was harder than I had originally thought but Ciel couldn't see and he lost his balance easily. When he was seated, I wrapped my coat around him and kissed him lightly on the cheeks.

"I'll be with the procession, James," I said as I squeezed his hand.

"Can't I be with you, Elena?" Ciel demanded.

"It's not safe for you to walk with me," I whispered back.

Ciel sighed before he nodded. The carriage went forward and I waited until Druitt and Arnold had started walking. I stayed behind them, feeling Claude's presence before he said a word.

"You got the letter then," Claude said as way of introduction.

"I did," I said as I kept my face forward, "I'm surprised you didn't show your face at the manor."

"Why would I?" he said as he took off his glasses to clean.

"You should keep your distance," I said calmly.

"I have yet to complete my master's wish," he said as he put his glasses back on.

"In case you hadn't noticed, your master is dead. And from your story, I doubt he died in his sleep," I muttered to him, "so how did he really die?"

"I did what was necessary," Claude replied.

"You killed him," I summed up, "and he probably didn't expect it. He doted on you, Claude Faustus."

"Until his wish is complete…" and I shook my head.

"Sebastian told me what happened," I said as we entered the cemetery, "that you tasted Ciel's blood. He also told me you want his soul. Claude," and I kept my face forward, "I won't allow you to touch a hair on my master's head while I'm alive."

"Is that so?" Claude said with a smirk.

The carriage came to a stop and the coffin was taken out. I went to Ciel and stayed at the carriage for a moment before Druitt waved for us to come along.

The next few minutes passed quickly, the priest wishing Alois only the best in Heaven and that his family would only remember the happy times. Arnold and Druitt threw roses first and then the servants before we did. I held Ciel's hand over the grave so he could mimic a blind boy. I put in my rose and stepped back with Ciel before we started the walk back up.

Arnold and Druitt's carriage drove past us and when it did, I undid Ciel's blindfold and wrapped it around my waist once more. He blinked against the sudden glare and I held out the eye-patch. He put it in front of his right eye and I tied it behind his head before fixing his hair.

"Why was I blindfolded?" Ciel asked and I kept walking.

"It was the only way to keep you with me," I said simply, "it would have been rather awkward to explain that I was at a funeral for a previous master with my current one. Being my brother seemed to easiest solution."

"James Hamilton…did you have a brother named James?" Ciel asked.

"No," I said, "only child. Last name is mine, obviously, but I named you after a friend of mine from Houndsworth."

"James…that name seems familiar," Ciel said before we reached the carriage lot. I couldn't see Tanaka.

"I don't see Tanaka," I said to Ciel, "where is he?"

"You didn't tell him which cemetery," Ciel said rather simply, "and if he couldn't find us, he probably went back to the manor."

"Looks like we're walking," I said as I started, but I only heard my footsteps, "Ciel?"

"Do you miss him?" Ciel asked as he looked down at the ground.

"Alois Trancy?" and I walked back to him, "no."

"He was cruel to me," I continued, "and you told me you remembered hearing my voice. Did you hear him?"

Ciel nodded and I caught his hand, making him look up at me.

"I have only one master," I said as I put a hand over my heart, "and his name is Ciel Phantomhive."

Ciel didn't answer and started walking. I followed beside him, holding my skirts to make sure I didn't trip. We didn't speak which gave me time to think about what Claude had said. It sent shivers up my spine, and I clenched my fists.

'No one will touch my master,' I thought to myself, 'not against his will…not while I'm his faithful bodyguard anyway…'

It's a bit short but don't worry...it was only really a middle part to the story. So what did you think of the funeral? Please review or PM with your thoughts, it's nice to know what my readers think :)