Merry Christmas (a bit late, but yeah) and a Happy New Year (a bit early, but yeah)! I'm not sure whether I will update before Wednesday or not, so I'm say it now just in case.

This actually isn't the exciting chapter that I was talking about before, because after some thinking I wanted to do this (bit of a filler) chapter.

I don't own Kuroshitsuji, but I do own Clarissa.

Enjoy chapter twenty-three, everyone! Love you guys! And sorry for the typos (again)

XxX

Chapter 23

I was really happy that Ciel trusted me (or actually Sebastian, since he told Ciel that I really didn't have the ring on me anymore, without having to do a body search, which was both a blessing and a shame), just sighed and then said that we still had some time to walk around the Frost Fair.

But my happy-time was kind of done by now. Certainly after the ring-disappearing accident. I usually wouldn't have believed such bullshit, but with demons making contracts with little children, I left like anything could happen.

But what really killed the mood was walking around with Sebastian. All the girls stared, whether they recognized him or not, and if they did, they asked Ciel and Sebastian if they could take a picture with them. Luckily for me, Ciel never agreed and Sebastian also always declined saying 'my Lord doesn't want any pictures to be taken from either him or me' so that worked out. But it was still really annoying.

The other thing that was not only annoying, but wasn't something I liked was the fact that there was some on this market, a musician or something, that was playing London bridge is falling down over and over again. I didn't always hear it and I never saw the musician, but from time to time I would hear the melody and I would freeze for a few seconds before getting myself back together and continue to walk.

When Ciel finally decided to go home, it was because Sebastian had said that he wanted to make preparations for lunch.

Though I really did doubt that that was the reason why Sebastian wanted to leave. Even though he was polite towards everyone who talked to him, I could almost feel his annoyance over simple teenage girls. And honestly, I didn't blame him.

XxX

I followed Sebastian towards the kitchen as he went there, not because I wanted to stalk him, but because I thought of a response to his words from earlier in the car.

'Hey, Seb,' I said, too lazy to say his whole name.

'Yes, my Lady?' he answered as he started to get ingredients out of the fridge.

I went to sit of the table in the kitchen again, ignoring the fact that there were chairs. 'You said that Noah was arrogant, right?' I asked, sweeping my legs up and down and up and down, blocking his way so that he couldn't reach the pans.

'Hmm, yes, I do believe I've said that,' he said as he grabbed my legs and put them on the table, turning me around in the process. 'What about it?'

I waited for a while, thought about how to say it. 'Don't you think it's more arrogant, not to mention foolish, to think you can save everyone?'

Sebastian was silent for about three seconds before answering. 'So it would seem,' he said. 'Too humans, certainly.' He was already busy preparing Ciel's lunch.

I frowned. 'What's that supposed to mean?'

He turned around, looked at me with a strange look in his eyes. 'Well, a human wouldn't be able to save everyone, but a demon would be able to.'

'And maybe that's exactly why demons have that sort of power and humans don't,' I said, wanting to – for once – be smarter than him. 'Because demons can handle such power. I human could most probably not.'

'Oh?' Sebastian said leaving the lunch to stand close to me. 'You think a demon can handle such power?'

I wasn't sure what he wanted me to say. 'Don't you think so?'

A amused smile appeared on his face. 'Maybe I do, but I never thought you would think that. Most certainly since you know about my contract with Ciel.'

That reminded me of I question that I wanted to ask. 'Ciel has a seal of your contract on his eye.' I frowned. 'Or in his eye. I'm not really sure.' I shook my head. 'What I don't get is, why don't you?'

Sebastian's smile faded and he turned to the kitchen counter again. 'I do have one,' he said. 'It's just not on or in my eye. The only reason he was it close to his eye is because it makes him easier to find. A seal close to the eye makes it impossible to run from a demon.' His words were cold, but he didn't sound like he was proud, as I thought he would. He just sounded casual, as if he was explaining math to me.

'Where's your seal?' I asked, hoping that I wasn't asking an indecent question.

Sebastian waved with his left hand and that was the only answer I got from him.

But I wasn't going to accept that as an answer.

I grabbed his gloved hand, turning him around in the process. He looked at me surprised, but allowed me to take the glove off. I kind of felt like Tarzan, when he took Jane's glove.

The hand was pale and had black nails, just like his right hand. But his right hand didn't have a mark on him.

It was actually pretty much the same as the mark on Ciel's eyes, only this was black and looked more like a tattoo or something. My fingers went across the mark, but it felt normal. Well, normal for Sebastian's skin, since that didn't feel all to normal. It felt like I was touching something incredible soft and-

I stopped thinking and dropped the hand, but held onto the glove. 'Is that why you wear these?' I asked. 'To hide the mark? Just like Ciel covers his eye with an eye-patch?'

He nodded, taking the glove out of my hands. While he put the glove back on he said: 'It's also part of the traditional butler attire. I wouldn't be worthy of the house of Phantomhive if I wasn't even dressed properly.'

'Ciel isn't dressed properly,' I murmured, but he ignored that.

XxX

'I bet you would love this story,' Ciel said the next morning, handing me a magazine that didn't look like his usual read.

And a very familiar face was on the front page.

'Wait, why am I on the front cover? And why with that awful Aleister?!' I said, immediately opening the magazine to look for the article.

Does Aleister Chamber, who was released from prison just a few days ago because of lach of evidence and good behaviour, have a knew love interest? We all might think so after yesterday's drama. Poor Sebastian is going to get some competition.

The details are still unclear, but we know that Aleister gave Clarissa a silver ring yesterday at the frost fair, which got him into trouble later on. Well, Aleister, maybe you shouldn't have ripped a finger from an ice sculpture's body to impress a lady?

But what's going on with Sebastian and Clarissa? Or is it Clarissa and Ciel? Who is after Clarissa and which one will Clarissa chose? I'm just saying it now, I'm team Ciel. Because Sebastian is better off single (all the girls would be heartbroken if he ever stopped being just that) and Aleister is a pervert.

'God!' I screamed, throwing the magazine on the ground. 'That's just bullshit!' Me and Ciel? I rather gauge my eyes out. 'Why are you two laughing?!' I asked angry when I saw that Sebastian and Ciel were chuckling.

'This is what you have to deal with if you want to keep hanging around me, Clarissa,' Ciel said. 'I don't mind and Sebastian is ordered not to mind. So please, ignore the gossip. Though I must admit that I think your reaction is rather amusing, it can also be annoying.'

I frowned and looked at my breakfast, not feeling hungry anymore. 'I still don't get why it isn't bothering you.'

'Why should it?' Ciel asked, pulling up an eyebrow. 'It isn't like what they are saying is true, nor do I care. They can say about me what they want, as long as they don't humiliate me. The moment that magazine is saying something about me that I cannot ignore, I will make sure to kill everyone responsible.'

The saddest part was that he was actually serious.

I looked at Sebastian. 'I should've known that it wouldn't bother you, but that doesn't mean that I'm not surprised.'

An amused smile appeared on the demon's face. 'I couldn't care less about what humans think of me.'

I sighed. 'I know, I know. And I don't necessarily care either, but it does bother me. I mean… Aleister? Really? Aleister?! Do they kind I'm stupid?!'

'Yes,' Ciel said. 'Quite correctly I'm afraid.'

I pulled a sour face. 'Thanks a lot, kid.'

XxX

I went outside after breakfast, not wanting to look at Ciel or Sebastian because the article was still flowing in my mind like some sort of ghost, who was torturing me from the inside.

I found Mei-Rin and Finnian in the garden, they looked surprisingly sad. 'What's going on?' I asked as I walked down the stairs that led towards them.

'Why can't we celebrate?' Finnian asked no one in particular. 'Tomorrow is…'

'It's a special occasion,' Mei-Rin said when Finnian didn't finish. 'So I wish it could me flashy and lively and fun, yes!'

I wasn't sure what they were talking about. 'What do you mean? Christmas is still far away. We still have ten days to go.'

Mei-Rin shook her head. 'We're not talking about Christmas, Clarissa. We're talking about an more important and more special occasion, yes!'

But before I could ask what this 'more important and more special occasion' was, I car drove towards us with a speed that was really dangerous. Most certainly since the road towards the mansion wasn't exactly fantastic quality.

The car stopped right before us and a familiar face jumped out. 'I'm here!' Elizabeth said, smiling happily.

I looked at Finnian and Mei-Rin, because I knew that their reactions were going to be hilarious. 'Lady Elizabeth!' they screamed in unison, sounding nervous but also really terrified.

Elizabeth's maid stepped out of the car as well, dressed in a brown coat and wearing a black hat that looked surprisingly cute.

I was surprised that I was the first one Elizabeth attacked. 'Clarissaaaa!' she screamed. 'I've missed you sooooooo much!' Then she released me. 'Where's Ciel?'

'Inside, I guess,' I said, but before I even finished she was already running up the stairs, hurrying to see Ciel. I wasn't sure why, but I ran after her, still not understanding how Ciel managed to like this girl, since he was always so easily annoyed and bored.

As she opened the door, which I unlocked as I walked out a few minutes ago, I saw Ciel walking up the big stairs in the entrance hall.

Ciel didn't even have time to turn around. Elizabeth ran towards him and spun him around while laughing a laugh that only children could laugh. This all happened while I was just standing in the entrance hall with the maid and Sebastian was standing next to Ciel and Elizabeth, just observing Elizabeth's enthusiasm.

Then Elizabeth realised Ciel and grabbed something from her purse that looked like a ring. That wouldn't been strange, except for the fact that we'd all seen that ring before. 'Ciel, I found this at home. It's yours, right?'

I walked up the stairs now, but only to be able to look at the ring properly. But it definitely was the ring that I'd lost yesterday. How the hell did it end up in Elizabeth's house?

As Ciel but out his hand to take the ring, Elizabeth grabbed his hand. 'Huh? I thought this was the ring! If this isn't the ring then it must be one of my parents' rings!' she said, immediately putting the ring back into her pocket. 'Aw, that's a shame! Now I really don't have anything for your birthday!'

I froze and Ciel frowned. 'Birthday?' I repeated, suddenly understanding Finnian and Mei-Rin's words.

Of course, I got ignored. 'But you see,' Elizabeth said, 'I didn't want to buy anything because a proper lady wouldn't try to win her gentleman with material things! That's disgraceful!' Then she smiled a smile way too innocent for my eyes. 'Well, then, good afternoon!' she then said, pulling her and her maid out of the house before anyone could argue.

'What was that about?' Ciel mumbled, a hand in his hair.

'Birthday?' I said, looking at him with one eyebrow pulled up.

He sighed. 'It's not important. What's important is that she somehow managed to get some sort of replica of a Hope Piece in her house.'

'You think that was a replica?' I asked, frowning.

'Of course it was,' Ciel said, talking to me as if I was stupid. 'The real Hope piece is probably in the Themes right now, because someone dropped it.'

'I didn't drop it,' I said, 'and I'm quite sure that that was the actual Hope piece. I don't know much, but I'm pretty sure about that.'

Ciel sighed. 'Even so, I have no orders from the Queen to return the piece to his rightful owners, so I won't bother myself with trivia like that.'

I sighed too, then decided to change the subject. 'Birthday?' I asked for the third time, hoping that this time, I would get more of a reaction.

Which I did get. Just not from Ciel. 'Tomorrow is your birthday,' Sebastian said, talking to Ciel. 'Well, Young Master? Why not hold a birthday party? After all, it seems there are others who wish to celebrate, too.'

Well, I actually didn't really want to go to a birthday party. Not because I didn't like Ciel, just because I didn't like parties. But that wasn't such a nice thing to say, so I just kept my mouth shut.

I saw a lot of emotions flash across Ciel's face and none of them were happy. That made me frown and also a bit sad. I understood why a boy such as Ciel wouldn't like his birthday. I hated mine ever since I was small. But it seemed to be more than that. 'My birthday…' was the only thing Ciel said. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. But when he finally snapped out of it, he didn't say anything else. He just walked away.

'Young Master?' Sebastian asked, but I could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew what was going on in Ciel's mind.

'This is nonsense,' Ciel then said, lost every emotion that he had the past few minutes. 'Bring tea to my room,' he added as he walked off.

Sebastian just smiled. 'Very good, my Lord.' Then he stood straight to look at me, but the look on his eyes made me from. He didn't look happy. He almost looked sad, as if something had cost him grief.

That was strange because I never thought that sadness was something that Sebastian could feel. Or anyone could make him feel.

XxX

Paula and Elizabeth were stuck in traffic.

'Ah, well, at least we can look at all the people on the street,' Paula said, looking out of the window. 'Look, young lady! A dog! So cute!'

'Paula,' Elizabeth said, sounding surprisingly sad.

'Yes, young lady?' she asked, smiling a smile that women her age almost never smiled, but Paula seemed to smile like that all the time.

A sad smile appeared on Elizabeth's face. 'You always seem so happy,' she then says.

The bright smile on Paula's face disappeared immediately. 'I apologize, my lady!' she said, sounding extremely apologetic.

The sad smile remained on the girl's face. 'No, I'm not criticizing. You just seem so cheerful, with no cares in the world. I envy you.'

The maid didn't understand. 'B-but you're usually… that is, I mean to say…' She clearly wasn't sure how to say the thing she wanted to say. She decided that it would be best to just change the subject. 'At any rate, this traffic is really at a standstill, isn't it? What will we do if we're stuck until nightfall?'

Elizabeth wasn't listening anymore. She stared at the ring in her hands, which had started to glow. But it wasn't glowing for her.

As she heard a familiar melody in her ears she looked to the right, were an organ grinder was standing in the shadows of a dark alley. She stared at the man, seeing how he faded away when he melody disappeared.

She got out of the car, ignoring her maid, who was still talking and not looking at her, and followed the melody that seemed to be playing only in her head, with the ring in her hand as if it was her most precious possession.

She'd started to run now, chasing after the melody of the organ grinder as if it was her only hope. She stood still when she found a little shop. Angel's Wing Antique. Without hesitating she walked to the display window and looked at the dolls that were exhibit there. The one she stared at was a doll with blond hair and blue eyes that looked really sad for some reason. Then she just walked into the store, but hesitated as she entered.

Dolls. Dolls everywhere. More dolls wherever she looked. And it weren't dolls that you saw in the normal toy shops, this were dolls that looked like the dolls from old England, from before things as plastic existed.

The moment she closed the door was the moment the melody stopped.

'Welcome,' the organ grinder said, surprisingly monotone. He was sitting in a chair across the room, with the small organ on his lap and a expressionless face.

When he didn't say anything else, Elizabeth was forced to open her mouth. 'E-er,' she began, but then the man stood up and started to talk, almost as if he'd waited for her to say something so that he could interrupt her.

'That ring,' he said, 'what a shame. I did not select you as the owner,' but even though he said it was a shame, he sounded really indifferent about it. A normal human would start to wonder if this man could feel anything. He walked up to the girl and bowed down so that he could look her in the eyes properly. 'However, your eyes…' He reached out his hand, seeing the opportunities of such green eyes. They would look fantastic in one if his dolls.

Elizabeth did not get what the man was trying to say. 'E-Er… Ciel is the only boy I…'

The man didn't seem to listen. 'Your eyes have a very deep, sorrowful colour,' he said, surprising the little girl before him. 'I can tell… you are very sad,' he said, only coming closer to her, almost as if he wanted to touch her sadness and sorrow.

As the music started again, it seemed like the sad dolls in the room started to smile. It did not occur to the girl that an organ couldn't play without its grinder. It did not occur to the girl that her maid was looking for her.

It did not occur to anyone that this man wasn't alive anymore.

XxX

The end (of this chapter)!

D8nise: thank you! And a Merry Christmas to you, too! :)

wolf-akuma: Jup :) Though things might be different now, since Pluto isn't here (which I do not regret, I love him, but I had no idea how I could work him into the story in a way that would work)

Guest: thank you! Love to hear that people enjoy the story!

I actually finally had time to watch the Book of Circus season-thingy and I have to be honest and say that I liked it a hundred times more than season 2. Mostly because it followed the manga and I love the manga. And I cried! I almost never cry! Okay, I cried quite a lot during episode 23 and 24 of season 1, but that doesn't matter! It was sad!

I also really liked the opening and ending. The first time I saw them, I wasn't sure about them, but now I really love them! Especially the opening between 00:20 and 00:40, that just makes me shiver every single time (because it's awesome. And because Sebastian really does scare me from time to time).

Which reminds me of something. When I watched Kuroshitsuji for the first time, I loved explaining the story in a strange way to my friends, like: 'It's a story about a twelve-year old boy who lives in the middle of nowhere in this gigantic mansion and owns a toy company. Oh, and he's living with his butler, a man who's like a hundred years old and protecting him because he wants to eat him someday.' Their reactions are just perfect.

And I'm talking too much again, oops…

Anyway, see you soon, my little kittens!