|London|

Undertaker had to firmly resist the need to confirm it was no specter haunting him from the grave. And though he had touched her cheek - a warmth like the sun he had never expected to feel once more - there was still doubt. Because after her death there had been dreams. Rafael's blade had left a grievous wound and in his fevered hallucinations he had tried to save her again and again. Each time he had succeeded, only to wake up to hear that he had been dreaming. And his dreams had been so real. There had been warm touch and sweet scents and a lilting laugh. For years after that he had seen her everywhere.

And now once more a ghost from his past walked beside him, half a step slower than him. The sight was too much to look at directly, like one was an idiot for looking at the sun. Instead he observed her through his long bangs, from in between half-lidded he took a route that required walking through puddles and past laundry hanging to dry.
Madeleine's feet splashed through water and left wet footprints across the muddy streets, her hands lifted sheets that got in her way as she tried to keep up, sputtering questions all the while. He answered with cryptic messages in the hope she would stop asking because her voice raised hope in him. How could he not be weak when confronted with eyes the color of a lake during a storm?

The Reaper had thought he had recovered from his past wounds. Just like the wounds from an angelic blade had healed, he had learned to believe that the wounds inflicted by a mortal heart had come to heal. But here she was and all he wanted to do was embrace her, hold tight to never let go.

But now there was more than just his perceived duty standing in between them. Laid between them was a chasm of two centuries of his pain and loneliness, his sins and plans. The lack of recognition in her eyes had devastated him. And he had known they would have altered her memory, but still he had hoped. For so long he had hoped.

"Master Undertaker, I was asking how you know what I am? Did I… betray something?" The question rendered the remains of his heart asunder. What to answer? How could he tell her that for one season he had loved her against reason, and that she had loved him as well?

He turned around with a grin, bending over her. Madeleine paused with a fierce fire in her eyes as he let his index finger ghost against her cheek. The Reaper feared touching her again because she might vanish into smoke and leave him alone once more. She might prove to be real and still forsake him.
"Why would you betray something, my dear? Maybe I just am a special sort of person that knows this kind of thing."

There it was, that Phantomhive look he had come to know so well during the generations he had kept an eye on in memory of her. First the eyes opened up a tad, before narrowing ever so slightly. The nose would twitch, just the tip of it that would move almost like that of a bunny. His eyes settled on her lips, the way they drew into a small pout before she opened her mouth again.
"Who do I look like?"

The question caused him to withdraw quickly, lest he betray something. He started to walk once more, grateful that his bangs along with his height made it harder for her to actually gauge his reactions. When she repeated the question he answered at long last. "You look an awful lot like yourself."
Perhaps that was the key to dealing with this current situation, at least until he had gathered his wits about him. All he needed to do was convince himself she looked like the Madeleine he knew and he'd be fine.

Still, she didn't remember him.

"That's not a reply. You know that, right?" she asked him, hands clasped behind her back as she looked up at him. He regretted looking back at her in that moment because he knew that pose. He knew it well because that's how his dearest always asked questions.

"We've arrived," he announced instead, waving up a hand to indicate they had arrived at the construction site. The place was deserted, cleared by the police force. Not that it would mean a lot to Madeleine. Her concept of police force was a bit…outdated. The entire trip here she'd looked around in wonder and surprise. A few of the food shops had even made her forget questions, or that she was supposed to follow him.

Now she scanned the scene with an air of professionalism, her eyes darting up to the sky every once in a while. From the way she held herself he saw she was having an internal battle. Go along with him and keep the strange man safe? Or go back to her superiors? Which order had prevalence? Though he didn't have details, he did know some of the rules when it came to angels. He had to ask. "How long?"

"How long what?" she asked him again, dark brown eyelashes fluttering up and down as she appeared to be taken aback.

How much longer was he supposed to endure this agony? "How long have you been a full angel now?"

The angel's eyes narrowed once more, a hand placed on her hip as she scratched the back of her head. Her hair was in a low ponytail which he disliked immediately because it didn't match with his fondest memories. "Little less than a week now, I suppose. This is my first assignment and I really don't want to screw things up. So could you please just tell me how you know?"

"Oh well… I have my ways," he muttered, preparing to step inside. His heart felt like it might implode when she grabbed his arm with both hands, stopping him. Hoping his smile wasn't shaky he glanced sideways, moving his head a little to the side to see her better. "Is there a problem?"

"Something smells funny in there," she muttered, holding his arm tightly. He jolted when she looked straight in his eyes, even though she couldn't possibly know she was doing it. "Every time… every time I touch you, you flinch. There's no need to worry, I'm supposed to protect humans."

"I'm still going in ahead first," he replied in what he hoped was a suave tone of voice. Undertaker needed some way to make sure she would come back to him. This one chance meeting couldn't be it. There needed to be some way to unbalance whatever it was they did to angels that made them so… light-loving and human-protecting as they were. He entered the underground tunnel where the foundations for the bridge were being laid, burrowing in the corners of his mind for a solution.

Madeleine slipped past him so she could walk in front, muttering something about first line of defense. Not that it mattered much, he could still perfectly well look over her head to… well seeing wasn't really an option without his glasses. But at least he was used to getting around like this. The light that came from torches at regular intervals helped some.
As they walked he studied her, hardly noticing how the scent of blood got thicker with every step they took. First he needed some way to make sure she would return. Kidnapping probably wasn't the best way to rekindle an old flame. And then he would need something to spark her memory. After that he could tell her everything that had happened to her family.

When she raised a hand to warn him the Reaper fought himself so he wouldn't take hold of it. "Did you hear that?"

"Mhm?" he asked, having been so lost in making plans and fitting her in already existing ones he hadn't been paying attention.

"Listen."

There it was. A faint, wailing sound. Almost like… "That sounds like a child."

"Not just a child. That's a baby," Madeleine replied, reaching for her belt. For the first time Undertaker noted that his sweetheart was armed with a dagger. Judging from the smell the thing that was waiting for them was more than a match for that weapon.
"That woman in your shop… any idea who she was?"

Undertaker shook his head when she turned back to look at him, the conversation occurring in hushed whispers. "No idea. My guests aren't usually that mangled and this one didn't even have a name tag."

He could see the angel she was weighing the decisions the human in her would make. "I'm saving that baby. You stay here where it's safe."

"No. I can help you," Undertaker at once said, not daring to touch her. If he touched her he might lose control and confess everything.

"You're human. You stay here," Madeleine ordered, pointing a finger at his nose.

He inclined his head with a smile, happy to see his dear had gotten such a confidence boost. Still he couldn't quite let her walk towards her doom without some assistance. Between the two of them he was far more suitable to receive a few extra scars. Pretending to obey her wishes he walked towards the only two lit torches in the corridor. With his shoulder he bumped into one, sending it to the ground and into a puddle. "Oops!"

When she turned to him he made a show of being startled by the first torch, walking straight into the second one which followed en suite. Within five seconds the place was doused in darkness. "Clumsy me."

"Master Undertaker!" she hissed in the dark, like a cat feeling uncomfortable.

He giggled, pressing a hand against his mouth to prevent a full-blown laugh. How cute when she got annoyed. "I can't help it, once you're a certain age you get all clumsy, m'dear."

"Stay. Put."

Well, that was a pretty solid suggestion had she been talking to a human. Judging from the dull sound he'd heard just now she wasn't quite that good at getting around in the dark. With a sly smile he tip-toed to where she was, and then around her while she slowly walked through the dark. Though they were both following the sound of the crying baby, he was just a tad quicker. A useful side-effect from having learned to get by without his glasses and one for which he was now quite thankful.

He'd gotten adjusted to the darkness quick enough and entered the round space before the angel did. Perhaps her being night blind wasn't so easily cured simply by dying. Something moved in the dark, a swishing sound like fur and padded feet on dirt. A faint light illuminated a crying bundle on the ground, the creature they were hunting moving around it but not daring to come close.
Then it stopped, like ink on dark velvet. Undertaker could hear moist air being breathed in and out by the thing before a low growl sounded. Quickly he moved away from the corridor, Madeleine still lagging behind far enough so he wouldn't have to worry the creature would go after her.

The Reaper was right. The sound of padded paws followed after him. With his hand he reached for the amulet that would open the rip where he had stashed his scythe. It hadn't been easy taking it with him at the time, but he had never once regretted the decision. Then the creature stopped walking.
Undertaker raised his head, turning to the side so that he might listen better. The sound of soft leather shoes had entered the room. Madeleine's breathing was slow and even, though still audible. The creature sniffed in the dark and chose a new prey.

That was not counting Undertaker. With the familiar weight of his scythe in hand he ran towards the creature. It smelled of wet fur and mold, howling when he hit it. Snarling it turned back to him. Undertaker moved back, feeling teeth snap closed in front of him. What a quick beastie it was.
It jumped him. He retaliated by hitting it with the flat blade of his scythe. Howling it moved back again. The next attack Undertaker applied a slight cut, enough to make clear this prey had teeth. Still, he had no idea what it was. Most likely a creature that was just trying to make a living, though there were hints in the air of someone having messed with it.

The creature yelped and fell back. Pleased to have scared it Undertaker listened to the sound of heavy paws retreating. Relieved he turned around only to be hit squarely in the chest by Madeleine. "Gotcha!"

The laws of gravity had to be obeyed, and Undertaker had to keep some secrets. So they fell back, he cushioning the angel's fall as they landed on the dirt floor. Somehow the fighting had scared the baby into silence, the only sound around them the steady dripping of water.
The light source near the child was enough to bathe the angel in a soft amber glow. Hurriedly Undertaker covered her eyes as he realized his face was exposed.

"What are you doing?" she demanded to know, turning her head in an attempt to see.

He chuckled. This entire fight had gone perfect and then he'd almost screwed up by letting her see his eyes. "Some things are better off remaining a mystery."

Annoyed she put one hand on the right side of his face, trailing over the scar tissue that lined his cheek towards his left eye. The other hand she placed on his chest, trying to raise herself away from him. He followed up, leaving her straddling his waist.
This closeness was almost painful. Her eyelashes quivered underneath his fingers as her cheeks flushed. For a moment he savored the feeling of her fingers on his cheek as she trailed the contours of his cheek. The warmth of her body seeped through his clothes as she so gently continued to trace the scar.

"This isn't funny," she told him, adding the other hand to his face. He allowed the action. It wasn't as if she could see his eyes like this and he longed so for her touch. Her touch was almost hot against his cool cheek, fingers soft as they moved carefully. It was obvious her touch lingered at the scar, following the line as her mouth took on an unhappy shape.

Of course she didn't see the joke. Because actually the situation was so tragically funny he couldn't help but start laughing out loud, deep and hearty. The noise made the baby gurgle in delight as well. Grinning he wiped his bangs back into place before allowing her to see once more.

At once her gaze turned towards the child and the light above it. She still looked so unhappy when she spotted the light and recognized it for a soul. "So that's why the baby is still alive."
Madeleine stood up and walked away from him, leaving him sitting there. Touching the amulet in his pocket once more Undertaker made the scythe disappear before following after her.
"You were protecting them. It's okay. Here," she offered the light a clear gemstone.
"I'll take care of things from now on. You can rest."

Undertaker bent over to retrieve the babe. Though it was cold and most likely hungry it seemed to be in a good condition. As Madeleine finished retrieving the stray soul she turned to him with a frown. "That was dangerous! You should have stayed in a safe place."

"And let a beautiful woman fight a monster on her own? Never," he offered with a grin as the baby grabbed the front of his funeral robes with a determined grasp. A delighted gurgle escaped once more from it.

Madeleine sighed, the only light in this space coming from the gemstone in her hand. "Well, that's that, I guess. Though I didn't see the thing that attacked people down here. I'll file a report and then we'll see."

"We?" Undertaker asked, not daring to let hope take root. The feeling of warm fingers across his scar still lingered.

With widened eyes Madeleine quickly corrected herself. "Well, I mean, I would see. You were of some help but… but…"
She smacked herself in the head. "What am I even getting nervous for? You're the human here. You should be freaking out and you're as calm as a demon in hell."

Undertaker held up the little bundle of joy in his hands for her to see. "And what are your plans for this?"
When she remained quiet he continued. "It would be a shame sending it to an orphanage when the parents might still be somewhere. At the very least we should be finding what it's named, don't you think, my dear?"

Madeleine sighed. "I suppose… but that's not my job."

"Or I could just take care of it. Raise it as my own in the shop."

When he mentioned the shop he got the desired effect. At once she held out her arms for the child. "Oh no. An undertaker shop is no place for a child."

Undertaker cradled the infant in his arms, feeling not quite as horrible as he could for manipulating his darling this way. All was fair in love and war and he needed to see her again. At least until he could find a way to restore her memory. "Well, the Upper Realm is no place for a human baby either. I suppose I'll take care of it until we find the parents."

"We?" Madeleine asked, sounding as if she already knew what he was going to answer.

Undertaker smiled, moving closer to Madeleine. In his arms the child stirred, not knowing it was being held by a Reaper who was blackmailing an angel. "We. I assume you'll want to bring your first mission to a happy ending."

"You know too much," she muttered in reply, gesturing towards the exit.

"And you're very curious to know how."

"Curiosity killed the cat," Madeleine replied, already sounding as if she regretted her decision.

Pleased that he would be seeing her again soon Undertaker nodded, smiling as she seemed to consider him anew. He would get to work on restoring her memory the moment he got back to his shop. "Yes. But satisfaction also brought it back."

I solemnly swear to make any tears I make you all shed up with just as many fluff moments in the fic. Starting from the next chapter, along with more plot and angelic bastards and stuff like that =)
Remember kiddo's, reviews make me a happy writer, and if you really want a specific fluff moment feel free to request it. If I can fit it in the story I'll happily make it so ^^

Razzeeberry : I'm weak because I can't stop myself from starting a new story when I'm convinced I have a good idea. Though I am happy you like it so far ^^

BoboMidorima : This is now officially a story, though I'll keep it tagged as complete due to the original one-shot status. Unless people think that's a bad idea?

CeruleanKiss : I'm so happy to hear from you again and I hope you've been alright! Also so sorry to make you cry T.T It's a compliment to me, that's for sure, but still I hope I'll be able to make you smile in the future as well ^^