I am glad to be back with another chapter update for this story. I am also quite disappointed with myself for not having kept up with updates as I would like. This is one of my many accomplishments that I am proud of. Trust when I say I take no pleasure in making my favorite characters suffer but alas this is an angst fic. As much as it pains me to say this, it will not have a happy ending. No I don't mean that Ciel will die at the end. I mean that it will end on a bittersweet note. This story is nearing the climax and will shock you.

Warning: drug abuse, mentions of eating disorders, language, incorrect medical references, confrontation, and many other controversial topics.

Disclaimer: Yana Toboso owns the rights to Kuroshitsuji manga and anime.

Chapter 24: Cracked Teardrops

Things at the clinic had quieted down significantly. About a month and a half since Ciel was admitted to the hospital for his eating disorder. Four weeks since the Midford's visited him. Two weeks since his supposed rival confessed to him. One week since he began to retake his 'diet' regiment. And one week exactly since Marcus and he had that heated argument regarding his long deceased grandfather. All these things pushed a great burden on the already burdened lad's shoulders. He walked down the hallways making sure to avoid contact with anyone. He wobbled unsteadily trying to get his footing. He had lost the weight he had gained and was back to his normal skinny weight. He passed by Collin who merely waved back to him awkwardly. After the transgression, as Ciel called it; the two boys made an unspoken agreement not to talk to one another for the remainder of his stay. Besides, Collin was due to leave soon anyway. Just four days prior, Collin's parents had arrived to withdraw their son from the clinic. It had finally sunk in that their attempts to integrate him into aristocracy had done great damage to their child and wanted to make things right. It was a longshot considering the depth of Collin's addiction but hopefully with time, a full recovery could be possible and hopefully…reconciliation and trust. Odessa and Seth knew it was near impossible since their last conversation had ended on an ugly note but it would be worth it in the end.

Ciel was unsure of what to make of the news. In all honesty, he was sort of relieved he would never have to see the boy again or deal with his interest. Then again, it would be a tad troublesome now that he had to go find a new fencing partner. It would also be sort of sad to see the McCrullin's leave all they had come to know behind. Perhaps though it was for the best; they didn't belong in that world anyway. The young Earl soon reached the Back Alley and sat himself by the fountain. He of course kept his guard up lest another similar incident took place. He still had goosebumps from the last time when that woman tried to-well he just did not want to think about it. Ciel bid his time just enjoying the sights of the garden and the rippling of the water in the fountain. They were simply two of the only things he liked about being here. They were far more welcoming than the pale white walls of his room. Alas, good things never lasted long enough for the young Earl. His relatives were due for another visit; something he was not too fond of. Knowing them, they will likely comment on his appearance being far from the ideal image of a young lord. (1) He scoffed bitterly desperately clinging to the delusion that he was at a perfect weight of 45 kilos (100 lbs). Just a few pounds lower and he would be set.

()

Ciel was just returning to his room when his sharp hearing caught wind of something. He raised an eyebrow and began to hone in on the noise. It appeared to be coming from the direction of hallway where Chelsea's room resided. He got closer and peeked over his shoulder to catch sight of Chelsea talking to two adults. At first, he thought they were doctors but as he looked closer, they were actually wearing civilian outfits. One was woman in her mid 30's with long brown hair tied in a low ponytail. The man had darker brown hair with a mustache. Ciel speculated that these two people were her parents. And judging by the nature of the conversation, he surmised it was quite nasty.

"You know father I really wish that all our conversations didn't begin with 'are you cured yet?' Chelsea droned crossing her arms. Chelsea's mother Josette stepped up. "Chelsea, your father and I are only trying to help. I don't seem to understand why you can't understand that?!" she exclaimed. Chelsea clenched her teeth.

"I don't understand why you insist on locking me up in this hellhole and allowing the doctors to force feed me that poisonous shit that is supposed to cure me?" she retorted hotly. Chelsea's father, Benjamin slammed his fist on the table. "That there is the answer to your question" he snarled. "At the rate you keep going, we're gonna go bankrupt paying for your treatment here and all you can seem to do is try my patience. Everyday we sit at home hoping beyond all hope you don't get committed" he reasoned. Chelsea glared at both her parents before facing away from them. Chelsea knew she was hurting her parents but how was she supposed to tell her parents that she just could not stop what she was doing. That her powers were not something one could turn off and on. Also, she still had a mission to attend to.

Josette got up. "Please Chelsea, understand that we only want to help you" she pleaded tearfully. Chelsea looked up at her mother. "Then try actually believing me for once" she replied. Benjamin sighed heavily. "How about we try this alternative; we bring in an exorcist because it is plain to see that you being possessed by some devil. That way you can finally lead a normal li-

SLAM!

The china ware clanged loudly from where Chelsea slammed her fist on the table. Her face was flushed, her eyes fiery, and her mouth upturned in a dark snarl.

"That is your brilliant solution, Father! Send in some priest to do weird stuff to me all for the sake of ridding me of my disease! Surely you must be freaking insane or you're just really blind. There is nothing wrong with me. Except that I have a father who cares nothing for me. Only for his reputation!"

SLAP!

A resounding slap echoed the room. Time halted for a few seconds. Ciel's breathing shuddered. He planted his back firm against the juncture between the wall and the door. In the room, everyone sat flabbergasted. Benjamin sat open mouthed and looked back from his daughter to his hand. It was outstretched and red from the contact it had just made seconds ago. Josette clasped both hands over her mouth horrified. Chelsea stood wide-eyed, mouth open in a silent gasp, her pale face now housed a red hand print mark. She slowly turned her eyes upon her father. Never in her life, had either of her parents ever laid a hand on her. Benjamin hung his head. He got up not wanting to face the distraught face of his own daughter.

He shook his fist trying not to let his new inner battle drag him down. He got up abruptly surprising his wife. He stopped at the door. "I only ask…that you get better not just for us…but yourself as well". With that Benjamin disappeared from the hall. Josette stood up after recovering from her shock. She donned a saddened yet stoic façade. She placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder and smiled at her. "Please don't judge your father and I for what we do. It is only because we love you. I just…take care of yourself, my dear".

Just like that, both parents left the facility with heavy hearts and guilt. Chelsea was now alone. Her form shook with rage and anger. Anger at her father for admitting her forcefully in the first place. For outright denying her as his daughter. And for suggesting such an outrageous idea. She was angry with her mother for idly standing by her husband's decision to cure his daughter by sending her to some god forsaken building to drive out her 'demons' and all that bull. It was not to say it was all bad. She had found a couple of young women like herself who she could call friends. They were but the few who did not judge nor condemn her as lunatic; nor ostracize her as a witch/demon. The only adult in this facility she trusted in the entire place was Dean Zephyr. He was all that stood between her and the machinations of certain deviants. She exhaled heavily and decided to venture outside to cool her temper somewhat. As she turned a corner, her peripheral caught hold of her younger companion.

"Oh Ciel' she said tiredly 'I, I did not notice you there". Ciel bit his lip not sure how to speak to her. "I wasn't spying. I mean t-t-to say. I just…" he rambled nervously as if expecting the female to attack. Chelsea shook her head. "I guess you saw that" she uttered sadly. "Sorry you had to witness that Ciel. I sort of brought that on myself" she assured half-heartedly. Ciel pursed his lips. Last he checked, parents were not supposed to hit their own children unless needed to. (2) Of course, that was from his own perspective and experience. He had only been spanked a few times by his parents but that was only for disciplinary reasons. "What are you going to do now?" he inquired. Chelsea sighed. "I think it best if I venture outside for a while and get my thoughts in order. It is a beautiful day outside and we all could use a little sunshine" she replied listlessly. She turned away quickly not wanting the younger boy to see her break down. She left down the hall. Ciel was left feeling confused. In spite of the months he spent at the clinic, he still felt like a stranger among his peers. Until the death of his parents, he had grown up with not a care in the world and protected from the evils that plagued it. He leaned against the wall. He was at a loss of what to do. Then it dawned on him that he had not visited Rita or any of the other patients since the quarrel with Marcus. He then went his way to visit the frail woman and talk for a while.

Rita buried her face into her pillow. She lightly pounded her bed frame muttering "no, no no, no".

She had just been measured and it was not to her liking. Her previous weight had gone from a perfect 90 lbs. to a heavy 100 lb. Her frail body shook with tears. She had lost her bottle of pills somewhere and the doctors had probably poisoned her food to make her fat. She cursed herself for allowing herself to fall prey to her stupidity. Dr. Archibald had promised to supply her annually with as much 'assistance' as needed to reach her goal. However, since Chelsea interfered the staff all made sure to keep a close watch on her. And it was near impossible for the man to get near her much less talk with her alone as the dean limited the amount of time that a physician could spend with their patients. It was sad the poor girl could not see that Archibald only saw her fit to fulfill his own ends. After expending some of her energy into crying, she sat up shakily. She ventured over to her bathroom mirror to oversee her reflection. In her mind, she saw a flabby, over weight, chubby disgusting version of herself that she wish would hurry up and die. For everyone else, there stood a horribly thin, emaciated, dying woman with an unnaturally gaunt face containing eyes that were devoid of the life they once held. In its place was a sad, defeated, pathetic woman wasting away for an unrequited love. Just then the door knocked.

"Come in" she answered shakily. The door creaked open to allow the form of the blue haired Earl. Rita donned a crooked smile and sat down to talk with Ciel. At least he could sympathize with her plight.

The next day…

It felt rather good to be able to talk down with Rita. He talked about how he could sneak some of his portion given to him by Archibald without anyone noticing. However, he would first have to put up with another lovely visit from his relatives. And how lovely it was…

The minute Elizabeth saw Ciel, she immediately ran up to him and hugged him tightly. "Oh Ciel! It is sooo good to see you. You have no idea how sad and worried I've been about you" she gushed. Ciel grit his teeth and tried to pry his exuberant fiancée off of him.

"Elizabeth, now really! Release your cousin immediately. We need him better not worse than when he came in" shouted Alexis laughingly. Elizabeth pouted slightly but did as complied. Ciel tugged at his shirt to clear out any wrinkles. He smiled awkwardly before sitting down.

"It is nice to see you again, Uncle Alexis and Aunt Francis" he lied smoothly. "Tell me about how things in the outside world are of right now?" he asked. Alexis looked to his wife before speaking. "As you know, your other cousin is still at Kingston" he began sadly. Apparently, Alexis must have thought bringing up Edward would be a sore subject though honestly, he had not thought of the brute in so long. "Then there is the upcoming wedding of Irene Diaz and Grimsby Keane which they are hoping you will attend. In fact, they were so disappointed you would not be able to attend the arranged time, they offered to hold off the wedding until your return". Ciel smiled genuinely at that statement. At least, he could have an excuse for the soon to be wedded couple. Elizabeth piped up.

"Oh and of course, your mansion in his the capable hands of your trustworthy butler, Sebastian" she added cheerily. Ciel inwardly shuddered at the mention of the dark haired butler. Instead of showing his revulsion, he donned a mask of excitement and relief. "That is good to know Elizabeth. At least I can take some constellation in knowing my home is well taken care of and that I won't come back to a pile of cinder upon my return" he joked to his cousin. Elizabeth's heart elated at seeing her cousin give her one of his rare smiles. Deep down, Ciel was mentally wishing for a fiery death on his charming butler. Quite ironic if you think about it.

Francis cleared her throat gathering all attention to her. "While it is splendid to see you again, I cannot say the same for your health" she replied bluntly. "You still look just as worse for wear as you did on our last visit. Are you certain this place is adequate enough for you?" she asked suspiciously. Alexis groaned in annoyance. "Give it a rest Francis. The boy is in good hands. Just give him more time" he reasoned. Francis did not lessen her suspicious glance. Finally she relented and sighed. "Very well Ciel. I will give you several more weeks. If in that time you have not made any significant progress, we are pulling you out of here. Understood" she demanded. Ciel did not interject a word. His only response was a curt nod.

"Well done. Now if there are no more inquiries or problems that should be discussed, it is best we take our leave. I pray that you make a full recovery, not just for your sake but for that of the people who care for you" she stated. Elizabeth sat up and gave Ciel one last hug; this time more gently. "Take care, Ciel" she whispered softly before releasing him. One by one, his relatives left the room. Ciel sighed raking his fingers through his hair. A small smile made his way to his lips. (3) "My family…you learn to love them" he muttered. He reached under his mattress and pulled out the bottle of pills. He shook it to test its 'fullness. His lips upturned in displeasure to find it was feeling rather light and seemed to be on its last few capsules. He squeezed it back into its hiding place. He got back on his bed and was about to lay down for a quick nap when he caught sight of someone, no somebodies walking toward the building.

His lifted his eyepatch to get a better look. His eyes widened in horror when he realized who those two somebodies were. The two men in question had on white lab coats, and their idyllic trademark half-moon spectacles perched on their noses. One had short side swept black hair and donned an aloof face while his companion had long red hair with messy bangs and a toothy grin. Their names were William T. Spears and Grell Sutcliffe. There was no sign of their usual choice weapon. However, it was pretty obvious the two men were not here for career ventures. A feeling of dread passed over Ciel as he ran out of the room. He stopped just a hair from his hallway as soon as he spotted the two men discussing something with the dean. Ciel wanted to shout out to the dean to not trust the two men as they were really death reapers who were here only to rip out someone's soul or possibly more than one. Of course, the ramifications of such an "accusation" would have him automatically transferred to the nut house. For now, he would just bide his time and wait to get the two scoundrels alone.

As usual though, luck was not on the last Phantomhive's side. No sooner did William finish talking with Dr. Zephyr, did his sharp eye catch hold of the lad hiding behind the corner.

"Ciel there you are. I was just about to come get you but it don't seem like that is needed as you have done that for me already. (4) These are the new interns working at the branch hospital outside of London. They will be overlooking things here at the clinic and report them to my superiors at the main branch" he explained.

Ciel folded his arms. "But…is that not your duty, doctor?" he asked. The man nodded. "Yes, but it is the main branch that determines whether or not this clinic gets funding or if improvements need to be made". Ciel glanced at the two reapers darkly. William only shrugged and snorted in contempt. "These two are here to overlook your situation before reporting back to London. Please try not to give them trouble" he pleaded. The dean left leaving Ciel to confront the supposed interns. Making sure the dean was out of earshot, Ciel turned his icy gaze on the Shinigami.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked directly. Grell opened his mouth to answer but was stopped by William. "We happen to be on business, young earl. Nothing you should concern yourself over" he drawled. Ciel furrowed his brow harder. "It is a concern of mine when you are posing as doctors and acting all casual. Don't make me laugh. I know quite well that you-

"Ciel is that you?" a female voice asked. William and Grell turned to see a woman in her late teens with cropped red hair and a peculiar state of dress. (5) It was Andromeda or at least he hoped it was Andromeda he was talking to. "How are you faring, Andromeda?"

Andromeda* grinned toothily. "I think you mean Tessa" she retorted. She crooked her head to the side and smiled at the two men. "Who are these fine studs you are with?" she asked. Ciel grimaced. "Oh these are just two new interns visiting from a branch hospital outside of London. "Tessa" sauntered up to William and craned her body to inspect him causing William to back away in disgust. Tessa purred. "You I like quite a lot. Not as handsome as the last man that was here but still just as good" she replied dragging a finger lightly against his chest. Ciel flinched and made to defuse the situation lest Tessa switch. Unfortunately, he made the mistake of grabbing her wrist which caused her to switch to her next persona. Andromeda's* face contorted into a snarl and grabbed the front of Ciel's shirt lifting him several inches off the floor.

"How dare you touch Cora or any woman in such a manner? Approach me with respect the next time you touch me!" she snarled. Thankfully, Cora reverted into her next form. She put Ciel down gently and grasped the wall and shook violently. Tears ran down her face and she whimpered. "Please. Please. Don't be mad at me. Amber is very, very, sorry she hurt Ciel. Don't tell master please" she cried out childishly. Ciel smiled crookedly and put his hand up reassuringly. "That is okay, Andromeda. Ciel forgives you" he uttered nervously. God this was embarrassing. He was certain that William and Grell were laughing their asses off beneath their breath. Soon, Andromeda resumed her normal persona and blinked. "Ciel what am I doing here? And why am I crying?" she asked. She then noticed the two men next to Ciel. "Who are these guys?"

William stepped up and offered his hand to the confused young woman. "An honor and a pleasure to meet young lady. I am William T. Spears, an assistant physician from Upper London and this is my assistant, Mr. Grell Sutcliffe. We are overlooking Master Ciel's case". Andromeda leered at the two men. She put a finger to her chin in what appeared to be a speculative glance. She then stood up, wiped her tear strained face and straightened out her appearance. Rhonda must have come out. "Is that the case? Well then gentlemen, I shall leave you all to your business. Oh by the way, the name is Rhonda. Do well to remember that. Farewell" she waved back facing forward as she did so. Ciel sweat-dropped as she did so. All three males blinked awkwardly.

Ciel returned his focus back to the two gentlemen. "Now that you have seen a bit of what goes on here, you can now tell me what your true purpose for being here is. And do not tell me it is because you wanted to look at all the young ladies this place had to offer?" he said sarcastically.

Grell scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Please! As if I'd ever cheat on my Sebby with any of those hussies" he flailed dramatically. Ciel grimaced when he said that hated name. "Aside from that, William and I are here on more urgent business" he sneered. Ciel looked back and forth between the two trying to understand what they meant. William pulled out a small rectangular book. "What my partner means to say; one week from today, we shall collect a young woman's soul and many others a week later" he stated cryptically. Ciel gulped not liking the sound of that statement. "What do you mean?" he demanded shakily. William opened the book and flipped through several pages before stopping at one. He turned it around for Ciel to see. As Ciel looked down the list of names, his heart nearly stopped when his eye spotted one in particular. And even more when he read the sentence next to it.

Rita Marinette

Age: 17

Cause of death: death by heart attack combined with prolonged malnutrition caused by eating disorder and continuous overdose of diet pills.

Ciel felt the strong urge to vomit. His eye dilated in horror as he stared back at the Shinigami. "Is-this-a-joke" he asked slowly. William kept an aloof and empty face as he shook his head in confirmation. "As difficult as it is, it is our duty as Shinigami. As such we will need to prepare for when that time comes and-" they failed to notice Ciel hang his head and grit his teeth.

"Get out" he snarled under his breath.

"What?" William said. Ciel rose up his head and leapt at William who side stepped out of the way leaving poor Grell to face the onslaught of Ciel's attacks to which he tried to stop by shielding himself with his arms to no avail.

"Get out! Get out! Get out! You stay away from her and everyone else in this place. Go take someone else but not them. I won't let you" he pushed and shoved which Grell responded with; Ow! Ow! Ow! Stop it! I'm not a punching bag!" William pinched the bridge of his nose before grabbing the back of Grell's coat out of the young Earl's reach. But the poor Earl was not ready to give up and focused his wrath toward the other occupant. Ciel reared back his arm to punch William only to be stopped when the elder palmed the top of his head and slammed the boy hard to the ground. Ciel laid there panting and heaving. William composed himself only stopping to sneer in disappointment. "So this is how the heir to the Phantomhive household handles unpleasant news no matter the truth…disgraceful" he spat shaking his head. Grell meanwhile only moaned as he massaged his pained head. "William…did you see what that brat did to your poor partner?" he moaned pitifully. The response was a hard knock to the head by yours truly.

"Enough of that, Grell. We have a job to do and we can't waste it here" he stated harshly. Ciel steadied himself on his knees giving a scathing glare to his assailant. William looked over his shoulder at the shocked child. "I can see you have a lot of feelings to sort out. I suggest you use that time wisely to ascertain how your actions affect those around you as well as yourself. Death is something that comes to all whether you want it or not. Until then, this is where we must part".

William said no more. Grell followed after him grumbling about his bruised head. Ciel shook with fury and shame. With a loud cry he ran for his room. He ignored the shouts of passing nurses and doctors. He reached his dorm and slammed the door shut. He collapsed on his bed and cried muffled sobs into the mattress. A torrent of sorrow overflowed from his body. It couldn't be true. No, William had to be lying. Rita dying. And many more were to join afterwards. It wasn't true, was it? Dr. Archibald promised with his help he would be able to convince the other physicians that he and Rita were as healthy as could be and they could be discharged early. Still, the cryptic news of the impending fate of the clinic's occupants hung heavy in his mind. If Rita was to die first, then who were the others?

He clenched his eyes shut as he tried desperately to block out the idea of something horrible happening to innocent people, specifically those he had come to view as a second family or possibly even friends. He slowly supported himself on his thin, lanky arms and sat criss-cross on his bed. He sat there meditating for some time before he was interrupted by another "dinner call" by Clarice. Today's lunch was a course of tomato soup and a loaf of bread. His stomach churned as he forced down the dosage of slop. It made him grimace thinking of the fat he was putting on. Little did Ciel realize, he would have much more to dread than unneeded calories.

I am going to end it there for now. I wanted to continue further but the chapter ended up being too long and would take too much focus away from Ciel. Andromeda certainly proved interesting for me to write about. People with split personality disorder like her can switch in an instant any time without warning and often times that can prove dangerous. I hope you don't judge Chelsea's parents too harshly. It was not uncommon for those in London society to put their reputation above anything else and to put those kinds of expectations on the younger generation. It does not exactly help if said child has a gift/ability he/she cannot control. In the case of Chelsea's parents, it is difficult to live in an adjusted London family while trying to cope with the strain of having an "abnormal" child while trying to live with the constant judgement of their neighbors. As horrid as it sounds, that is the reality present for the brunette. As to what her "mission" is, you will have to read to find out.

William sure is a vindictive bastard, ain't he? And Grell is just a whiny, obsessive, flamboyant baby. I felt rather sorry for Collin. He was just a young boy forced into a sordid, terrible life he never wanted. And because of his mother's selfishness, he paid the price for it. Will we ever see him again? Time will tell. Rita's situation is taking a deadly, downward spiral and worse is she trying to take Ciel with her. That Archibald guy really makes me quiver with fury and disgust. He is the archetype of the common sociopath; no regard for any life.

Next chapter will be quite a downer. Sebastian makes a return debut and for the young earl, it will not be pleasant. Spoiler alert: character death.

Chapter Footnotes:
(1) The normal weight ratio for a 12-13 year old boy is 80-100 lb. For Ciel, the 'normal' weight ratio is lessened.

(2) The entire issue of discipline v. abuse has been a long standing controversy among adults and children alike for over a century. Seriously though, those parents who chose not to spank wonder why so many children grow up to be delinquents.

(3) An allusion to The Lion King when Simba mutters "Timon and Pumba; you learn to love them".

(4) Like with every hospital, there is a main hospital and then there is a lesser variant like a clinic. For example, A hospital would be where major surgeries and primary care took place. The clinic would work like a pharmaceutical; where people got medicine and quick care.

(5) For a reminder about Andromeda or the other members of the La Dominica's; refer to Chapters 11 and 14. Her real name will be revealed near the end of the story.