Where It All Began
Moving on.
xxx
Horns bellowed across the French Harbor. Seagulls, in a frenzy, took to the sky, shrieking as they sought refuge in a port less occupied. "PORT FACILIER DE PARIS!" The man in the crow's nest bellowed. Deck hands scrambled to prepare to pull in portside. Men on the docks raced with ropes and secured them to the posts. As the ship was guided to a dock, a trench coated figure maneuvered feasibly past the racing deck hands, pinching the brim of their top hat so to obscure their face. Coming to the foremost bow of the ship the figure grabbed hold of the rope and jumped to the bow point of the ship, crouching above the mermaid figurehead. The figure tilted the brim of her top hat. Glistening sapphire eyes and a smirk absorbed the glorious seaside of Paris, France. He once home for...eight wonderful years. Her surrogate father - Schneizel el Britannia - about to receive a surprise visit from her doting, and aggravatingly efficient daughter. Part of her is dreading whether or not she'll be able to see the floor of his office.
"Excuse me?!" The captain roared. Alliahnna rolled her eyes, lifting a brow at him. That malignant sneer showed through his scraggly beard. "Would you mind showing some decorum and getting down from there?"
"You'll have to forgive her, Captain." Esmeralda interjected. The captain scrunched his nose at her. "She's restless on a ship."
"I WAS NOT SPEAKING TO YOU, GYPSY FILTH!" The captain lifted the back of his hand. Alliahnna snickered under her breath. The captain's hand darted. Esmeralda caught it, twisted it behind his back. A sharp pop ushered an agonized wail, dropping the captain to his knees.
"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The first mate roared. He and his aids ran for the captain. Guns were drawn.
"Halt in the name of Count Schneizel el Britannia!" Alliahnna let the wind waft her trench coat open. The seal gifted to her by Schneizel made the crew stiffen nervously. Alliahnna marched beside Esmeralda, motioning her head to the side. Esmeralda nodded and shoved the captain into the arms of his faithful crew. "The Avengers Stalemate…" Alliahnna mockingly hummed the name, tapping her toe to the deck. "Quite the ironic name for a ship given how poorly you handle passengers," She knocked over a barrel, spilling water and airtight sealed packaged powder to the deck, "And the contraband you smuggle between your Algeria, England, and France tours."
"I know of you!" The captain frothed, cringing against the pain. He glared at Esmeralda. She might have dislocated his shoulder. "You're nothing but an insect carrying an obsolete pendant! The REAL leader of the Count's guard-"
"IS MY HUSBAND!" Esmeralda bellowed. Mouths dropped. Noteable skepticism in their stares had Esmeralda tingling. She enjoys that look. "Don't want to believe me? That's fine." She shrugged indifferently. Her hands whipped from her back, aiming a pair of pistols. "He'll thank me when this ship sinks at the harbor." The Captain searched himself. Those were his. The aghast crew rose to arms. Alliahnna flicked a set of silverware knives, grazing the wrist of each foolish hand gripping a gun. "See you haven't lost your touch."
"And those hands of yours are as swift as ever." Alliahnna flirted back. Esmeralda tauntingly spun the guns, blowing barrels still cold. "Kick your guns over to us. Now!" Alliahnna commanded.
"OR WHAT?!" The captain dared.
"Or we'll kill you where you stand!" Another female passenger tore off her obscuring cloak. Her cut short blond hair gleamed in the sea air, the breeze flowing up her loose fitting midriff shirt. Frayed edged from where she cut it. The straps of her tight fitting green pants jingled against her hip twin side hip holster as she drew both her guns. Her knee high boots back kicked a sneaky deck swabber in the throat. He'll be choking on his own bile for a while. "Bonjour Former Commander!" The woman winked, spinning a green police hat to her head. "Wondering how long it would be before you landed in trouble."
"Why, hello there Captain Lisa Robbes! Or should I be calling you Commandant now?" Alliahnna lifted a snarky brow. The Captain and his treasonous crew mouthed her title, gaping in shock of not just her attire but her intimidating persona. That woman before them, spiked bangs combed toward one side, was the head of Paris's finest police force.
"Should have known you'd keep an ear to Paris." Lisa snorted. "Bet you know who took a shit where at what time before walking into City Hall last week."
"I wouldn't go that far. Last time left me with nightmares of Groves and his wrinkled ass." She, Esmeralda, and Lisa shuddered, then giggled while the crew ogled them curiously. "On the other note, I had to know if you and Michael would destroy Paris while Phoebus tries to fix it."
"Come on…!" Lisa moaned. Meanwhile, the Captain nudged his head in their direction. "Have a little faith."
Three more deckhands rose from the shadows of the passengers, converging on Lisa. "Please don't do that." A click and cold metal touching one Hand's ear made him stiffen and lift his hands. The other two whipped around, gaping in disbelief. A man whose lengthy black hair was tied in a ponytail locked sharp hazel eyes on the frightened deckhand. Taunt black shirt shaped to his firm abdomen while both hands held a rifle to the quivering man's head. "Gentlemen, it is very impolite to interrupt lovely women when they are talking."
"Michael Pierre!" Alliahnna squealed, eyeing him like a piece of sweet, delightfully missed candy. "Looking good, Capitaine." She winked.
"And you as well!" Michael bobbed the rifle toward the ground. The not so sly Hands slowly lowered their weapons, then placed their hands behind their heads. "Madam Commander, if you'll pardon the digression. Fish School!" Michael bellowed. Fish School? Question mark popped around Alliahnna's head. Esmeralda's smirk confirmed it was a good thing. Alliahnna stumbled when the ship suddenly jerked. The ship was brought to dock. The second the gang plank was extended, officers swarmed the deck - top and below. The Captain and his crew were arrested in a matter of seconds. Crates broken open and the contraband long sought after spilled and laid bare, testifying to a long honored crew's turn to the darkside.
Lisa and Michael volunteered as undercover operatives in hopes of busting the captain and his crew somewhere between their stops. As luck would have it, Alliahnna's flame for the troublesome moths is burning as ferociously as it used to be. Their threat towards Esmeralda and Alliahnna, and their positions, with deadly firearms and force warranted exigent circumstances. Giving them cause to bust the entire ship wide open. Not before everyone was disembarked. Although harbor patrol may wonder about the sunken ship in the harbor. Best leave those creative stories for the HR department. Nuances like these prompt Lisa to drink, and make Michael her ticket home. Highlight of his nights.
Alliahnna exited the ship with Esmeralda and her two favorite officers, watching in awe as 15 scurvy ridden men and 10 crates of illegal contraband were hauled away. Never to see the light of day again. Alliahnna whistled impressed. "And here I doubted the two of you." Lisa and Michael leaned on her shoulders.
"We may not be scrappy teens with sadistic tendencies…" Lisa teased.
"But we have our ways of getting our targets." Michael snorted.
"And you guys are very efficient at it." She twisted a smirk at Michael, "Fish School? Really?"
"What? School of fish would have been too long." Michael shrugged. Alliahnna shook her head. Fish School was a term Michael would use to describe a large gathering of crooks in one area. And like a school of fish they would simultaneously avoid the dangers before regrouping. Lisa wanted to probe Alliahnna for answers behind her return. Unfortunately she had statements to make and higher ups breathing down her neck. She left that to Michael. Michael walked with Esmeralda and Alliahnna toward Coach Services. "What's brought you back to Paris?" Esmeralda went rigid at his question.
Several months forged into a list of reasons that would leave Michael writhing on the ground in disbelief. "I found myself missing my old stomping grounds." She half lied. She has missed Paris. A lot in the last recent days. "Phoebus, Schneizel, Esmeralda, and others were always visiting. The least I can do is return the favor."
"Make a habit of it." Michael hugged her around the shoulders. "You've been missed since Maes, Carmichael, and Taylor died." Alliahnna swallowed back the sadness. Carmichael and Taylor died for her. The strength of their loyalty prompted Ash and Angela to kill them. Maes...Maes died doing what he loved. She'll need to visit them before leaving. "Welcome back, Commander. Visit us at the precinct some time."
"I will, Michael. And you don't have to call me commander anymore. It's just Alliahnna." Keeping it to herself, she liked being addressed by her old honorific.
"Earless or Commander," Michael kissed both her cheeks, "You're welcome to still call the shots if you want." Alliahnna smiled and nodded graciously. Michael pat her back and went to join his Commandant. She's carrying her old pendant. Might as well put it to use while she's in town.
Esmeralda leaned to her ear. "Funny how your visit is in tandem to your breakup with Sebastian." Alliahnna blushed when she touched her stomach. "Running to Paris won't conceal the truth."
"I don't want to conceal the truth, Esmeralda." Alliahnna reassured her. "I just can't trust him with it. Not right now." Not after what happened.
'WHY ARE YOU GETTING COLD FEET AFTER COMING SO FAR?!' Sebastian's voice roared in the recesses of her fractured heart. Arms strong as serpents meant to protect and secure her restraining her, and wrestling her, forcing her to be helpless to stop Ciel from making a mistake she helped to orchestrate. Sebastian's usually soft eyes fuming with rage and disdain for her actions.
'BECAUSE I CAN'T LET HIM DO THIS!' Her own voice pricked her heart. She flailed in his arms, wanting desperately to stop Ciel before his clean hands becoming further tainted by an innocent boy's blood. A boy wailing pitifully as he bleeds half his life onto the floor of his home. 'NOT FOR A SERIES OF LIES!'
Alliahnna vested her absolute trust in Sebastian's plans. Ciel memories were lost to him when Claude interceded the collection of his soul. The shock of the theft caused the soul to rupture. And because Sebastian's Faustian Seal was damaged, the soul was glorified bait for anyone to steal. In order to help Ciel recover, it was necessary to give him a target for a revenge claimed long ago. Because her hate for him was greater than any driving force, Alliahnna lent him her unwavering fealty in the matter. Claude, too, extended a hand. In the end...by the same unyielding force...Alliahnna's better nature - her honor - stopped Ciel from claiming an innocent life. Regardless of the terrible things Alois has done, Alliahnna will not allow him to pay for their parents murder. Not unless he forces her hand. Which has yet to happen.
"I understand. Phoebus and I go through rough patches. Even after Zephyr was born." Esmeralda offered her sympathies. Alliahnna wished she could prove to her how little it is that she understands. "And no matter how far I tried to get away from him, I always left him a way of finding me."
"Why would you do that?" She asks, forgetting that she left a letter with Tanaka about her whereabouts.
"Because I love Phoebus. And he shows he loves me whenever he comes to take me home."
"What if you don't want to come home? What if you want him to stay as far away as possible?"
"Then I would just leave without a word."
A jolt struck the back of Alliahnna's mind. The letter she left. She told Ciel and Sebastian where she would be. Knowing them they'll come looking. Or...true to Ciel's form...he'll just make her irrelevant in his life and sacrifice her for his own needs. Like he did nine years ago.
xxx
"LAO!" Ciel tore the curtain to Lao's office open.
"MY LORD!" Lao gleefully welcomed from behind his desk. Ran-Mao wasn't disturbed from straddling his hips. She did, however, shift to sit on his lap, draping her arm around his shoulder. "How can I help you this glorious morning?" He acted oblivious to Ciel's fuming temperament storming through his shop.
"DO NOT PLAY DUMB WITH ME!" Ciel ordered, slamming his fists to the table. Sebastian was right behind him, in less of a mood for Lao's deceiving idiocy. He just might kill this man. And this time he and his female half will not emerge from the Thames River underscathed. "A barge under the name The Avenger's Stalemate left for Paris at five this morning! A ship that is under the proprietorship of you and your company!"
"The Avengers Stalemate...The Avenger's Stalemate…" Lao pensively hummed, stroking his chin. While he was determining if the ship was familiar to him or not, Sebastian help his cognitive recollection by surreptitiously unsheathed a fan of sharpened knives. Several sweat drops drooped behind his head. "OH YES! The Avenger's Stalemate! Won it at an auction! Nasty business!" The nervousness ushered an obnoxious laugh. He calmed when Sebastian put the knives away. "Why the interest, My Lord? Looking to buy it off me?"
"Hardly!" Ciel rifled in his suit pocket. "Ships do not depart from the docks before the sun rises UNLESS," He erected a finger that halted Lao's rebuttal, "Cargo or passengers of great importance need to move swiftly." He slapped Alliahnna's letter to the table, tapping it impatiently. "The Wife of Count Schneizel's Commander and the Earless Phantomhive constitute IMPORTANT." Lao's ego was punctured, and he deflated like a balloon in his chair. Ran-Mao slid off Lao's lap, stepping behind him for this tense situation."So how much longer are you going to stall before I take matters into my own hands?"
Lao knows Ciel is polar opposite to Alliahnna. Matters involving sweat, exertion, or bothersome tasks fall to Sebastian. Who, coincidentally, was cracking his knuckles to beat the truth out of him. Alliahnna is far more terrifying. Skimming the contents of the letter, Lao surmised rather quickly under the duress of Sebastian's wrath that Ciel put two and two together. The glares warned him not to be smart or stupid. Unfortunately, given the barge he sent has questionable cargo being laundered without his direct knowledge, he can't be sure if Alliahnna arrived to Paris by this time, or if she's still on the water. And she gave explicit instructions to forstal Ciel and Sebastian should they come asking. One to two days of time to think was her wish. She knew full well they'd look to Lao. Who else can charter a boat in a short amount of time. He was more than happy to help her. Her track record for handling messy ordeals was impressive as well. He killed two birds with one stone by her departure. Now here he is about to be stoned by two very angry birds.
"Arrange two tickets to Paris, Mr. Lao." Ciel and Sebastian twisted to the cherub voice. A stoic Elizabeth, Soma, and Agni arrived. They were none too happy with Ciel's violent outburst. Or Sebastian's tolerance for it. "You know as well as we do that Ciel won't stop at you." Elizabeth strolled in, nonchalantly removing her gloves. "He'll find some means of going to Paris and dragging Alliahnna back when she clearly doesn't want to be here right now!" She directed the last half of the statement aggressively toward Ciel, taking him aback. Soma and Agni shared her anger. Ciel swallowed a lump in his throat. He's never seen Elizabeth so upset at him.
"Very well, My Lady." Lao bowed. He felt a weight lift off his shoulders. At the same time, the tension swelling between Ciel and Elizabeth was making him very uncomfortable. Sebastian was unnerved by the glares coming from Soma and Agni. There was a storm brewing. And Lao intended to be as far away from it when it hit.
"I'd very much like to know what you did this time to upset her, but I don't think you'll tell me!" Elizabeth snapped at Ciel.
"Why is it my fault she left?!" Ciel roared back, refusing to take that lying down.
"Because the last time she jetted off to Paris was because you shunned her from your life!" Elizabeth rarely ever mentioned Alliahnna's departure all those years ago. Only in positive rhetoric, or idle thought occupying her mind did she mention missing Alliahnna. However, in her moments of sorrow, a small part of her resented the cause behind her leaving. "She left, Ciel, and refused to come back. All because you turned cold and pushed her away!" The hate in her voice stabbed Ciel in his core. He was shaking slightly.
"And then there's you!" Soma snarled, catching Sebastian off guard. Agni clamped a hand on his shoulder, reminding the Prince to be wise with his next act. Soma tenderly removed the hand, marching up to Sebastian. He locked his fiery golden orbs to ever deadpanned crimson orbs of Sebastian. "I don't know why, but before she left I asked her if she wanted you to come. Relive the time you shared in Paris. The very idea almost made her burst into tears she was in such agony." Sebastian's stone expression cracked, chipping to absolute shock. He grunted rancorously, cursing himself for staying so silent. How could he retort? Alliahnna cried….when thinking about me?
She received the greatest news of her life, and instead of glee there was sorrow.
"That is enough, my friends. They have heard your plights." Agni calmed the savage waters, resting a hand on the young trembling shoulders. "Let us go." Guiding them to the door, Agni briefly turned to Ciel and Sebastian and muttered, "Go to her if you so desire. But do not take her from her sanctuary before she desires." A mild reprimanding compared to Elizabeth's and Soma's.
When the aggravated trio left, Ciel felt sort of winded by their words. Alliahnna left for Paris to escape Ciel...again. All because of the debacle at Trancy Manor. 'WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!' Ciel's virulent tone echoed. 'STOPPING YOU FROM MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE!'Alliahnna's plight tore at him. A huge mistake? Why would killing Alois be a mistake? Perhaps it is the fact that he's asking that question she's chosen to leave. She did him a courtesy leaving him a note this time around. But what if it isn't meant as an invitation to follow her? What if it's a message that she's distancing herself from him?
"What shall we do, Master?" Sebastian interjected his raging thought train. He shared Ciel indecision to chase Alliahnna across the channel. Unknown, though widely surmised in silence, he and Alliahnna are no longer bound at the hip. She may want to see him less than anyone.
"I let her go once and we were nearly separated for the rest of our lives. Dissolutions nested between us where they festered." Ciel mumbled. The bangs on his lowered head obscured his woe. "If Alliahnna wishes to remain in Paris then we shall respect her wishes."
"But…" Sebastian assumed there was an ulterior behind his decision.
"But I will not allow our parting to be on sour terms. Not again." Ciel is partially lost on how they've reached this juncture a second time in the same life time. stomped a foot, squaring to Sebastian with steadfast determination. "We depart to Paris within the hour! We are to find Alliahnna! And…" He brushed fingers reminiscently over his eyepatch, "What happens afterward will be her choice solely."
Sebastian's orders were clear. The task is to mend a fraying bond before it is broken entirely. "Yes," Sebastian crossed a hand over his chest, "My Lord."
xxx
Schneizel and Phoebus moseyed aimlessly about the courtyard, absorbing the fresh air that was mildly tainted by the smell of feces. Zephyr, stumbling and wobbling around the fountain, laughed exuberantly at the bugs escaped his short fingered grasp. While the morning, soon to be noon, was crisp and clean, the ambiance was stunted by the broken fountain. Maintenance blamed it on a problem in the irrigation running under the manor. A blockage that was creating a build in water pressure that is likely causing the leak that destroyed his wine cellar. Thankfully, the wine was safe. The same can't be said for his front yard, however.
Servants darted on all sides of them, racing to help clean up a mess left by a bunch of pranksters the previous night. Handkerchiefs doused by animal excrement were tossed from one side of the front courtyard to the other. A handful of the more daredevil of the servants had to traverse the roof to get what was flung all the way up there. By the height, it wasn't too far a guess that they used a cannon of compressed air of sorts.
It frustrates Schneizel to know that his home wasn't the first to be hit. Several complaints to the local authorities have sprouted about this unprovoked vandalism. Unfortunately, harmless pranks do not take precedence over S-Ranked crimes. And Schneizel and Phoebus cannot exhaust resources on leads that do not exist. At blush there is no identifiable pattern to their onslaught. No rhyme or reason. They are just bored vandals looking to blow off steam. One of their acts caused a pregnant woman to topple. She slipped on one of their pranks. Her baby was fine, and the vandals sent her a letter of apology with treatment options in the event she or her baby were harmed. Their humanity and integrity leave the jury out on how to properly label them.
"OPEN THE GATES!" The guard bellowed. Phoebus and Schneizel's head shot up. Elation beamed in their eyes. "Lady Esmeralda has returned!" The large black gates ground shrilly parting ways. Horses trotted, leading a coach along the stone laden path. Phoebus lit up like the sun, speeding to greet his gorgeous wife. He picked up Zephyr, cooing about mommy returning home. Schneizel was glad to hear Esmeralda was home. Although, there was a slight sadness that only one lady love returned to Paris.
The coachman parked the coach, tipping his hat to Schneizel and Phoebus. The two gentlemen returned the bow, pleased to know he had a smooth travel to the estate. The coachman skipped to the ground and opened the doors without further delay. Esmeralda picked up her dress, prancing down the tiny steps with her hand in the coachman's. Zephyr giggled boisterously, waving his stretched arms for his mom.
"Hello, Sweetie!" Esmeralda's heart warmed like a bonfire. She scooped up her big man, hugging him tight. She kissed his cheek, cradling him at her breast. "Did you miss Mommy while she was across the pond?" She cooed lovingly, tickling his tummy.
"I know I did." Phoebus hinted with open arms. He wolfishly bounced his brow.
"Of course you did, Dear." Esmeralda twisted a smirk at the blatant hint. "Who else is going to change or feed Zephyr?"
"HEY! I'll have you know...I was quite lonely without you!" Phoebus whined, hooking Esmeralda by the waist. She laughed as he spun her, pulling her into a kiss. Schneizel closed his eyes, charmed by how their love hasn't dimmed. He hopes he and Lydia will have the same bliss when they are married.
The coachman extended another hand, firmly grasping one more feminine hand. Schneizel and Phoebus gazed upon the hand, wondering anxiously who else Esmeralda traveled with. As Alliahnna emerged from the coach, Schneizel wasn't able to contain himself. "ALLIAHNNA!" He ran to her. The coachman swiftly moved aside, fearing he'd be trampled. Schneizel lifted Alliahnna, the two laughing as he enveloped her in a loving hug. "Alliahnna! You came!" He cheered, clamping entangling fingers in her hair.
"SCHNEIZEL...CAN'T BREATH!" Alliahnna's scream was muffled in his shirt.
"OH! SORRY!" Alliahnna gasped for air, holding her chest. She saw her life flashing before her eyes. And it was basked with...fancily dressed men with shrimp cocktails. She shuddered at the life. "I'm just so delighted you could make it! I feared England would keep you forever."
"You know me, Schneizel. I go where I please on a whim." She winked. He knows all too well of that fact. "By the by…" Alliahnna cringed at the smell and filth tainting one of her favorite places of Schneizel's home, "What happened here?"
"A string of vandalisms no one can seem to cut." Phoebus groaned irritably. An idea conjured a lightbulb over his head. "Maybe, while you're here…" He slyly wrapped an arm to her shoulders, "We can relive the glory days of your first term?" More of a wish than anything else. Alliahnna was an expert in tracking rats to their holes. Pranksters running amuck should be child's play. Her acquiescent sigh meant she was in a consideration stage. Phoebus guffawed and patted her shoulder as if she said yes. "I'm looking forward to your stay."
"Justified enabler!" Alliahnna snarled, a vein pulsing in her head.
"Alright, alright! Business can come after we've all had a chance to rest." Schneizel clapped his hands, breaking up the fest of reunited friends. "Let's adjourn to the lounge for refreshments."
"Sounds nice." Alliahnna stretched her arms behind her head. She lapped the salty sea taste stuck to her tongue. "I could use a cleanser from the ocean." She isn't sure why, but the ocean isn't her favorite place to be in the world. Vulnerability in the open ocean is as vast as those waters. Regardless of the ships passing.
"Then let us not dally." Schneizel led the charge for his home. Phoebus kissed Esmeralda and Alliahnna, welcoming them home before walking on Schneizel's heels.
Meanwhile, Esmeralda let Alliahnna hold Zephyr. He sputtered flamboyantly, flapping his arms, begging Alliahnna to hold him. She couldn't resist those big blue eyes. As pushy as his mother that one. She was admittedly sheepish to hold him. A reaction brought on by the bundle in her own tummy. Esmeralda helped Alliahnna cradle her arms to properly hold him. Aligning his back to sit along her arm so her bicep would be a headrest. The other arm would act as a shield to keep him from falling, or protect him otherwise. In spite of her hesitation, Zephyr was bubbly in her arms, kicking and flaring his arms at the new person mothering him. He found a clump of Alliahnna's hair and started to chew on it. The baby spit was gross, but Alliahnna was thrilled to be holding him all the same. The innocence of the precious child. How he looks at a world that is plagued by crime and despair and is able to laugh at the flowers blossoming in the chaos. It was enough to bring a tear to her eye. She wished she could see the world through Zephyr's eyes. Be able to laugh and smile, carry on without a care in the world. Have hope that the next day will bring a smile to her face.
"Is this what it will feel like?" Alliahnna whispered so Phoebus and schneizel wouldn't eavesdrop. "Whenever I look at my child, will I be immersed in the harmony?"
"And so much more." Esmeralda promised, patting Alliahnna's stomach. The trek to that moment will be long, arduous, and full of hormonal cravings that will drive her to the brink. Afterwards, the real work will bring her to a state of madness. Meaningless in the unbridled love that will come from her child, and joy he or she will bring to her. "Just think, if you and Sebastian decide to make up, he might be able to share in that joy." The mentioning of Sebastian curdled her stomach. Esmeralda hates to tread on sacred grounds. Especially when she has no clue what set the land mines between the two. What she does know is that a rift between and mother and father will adversely affect the child. Born or unborn.
Alliahnna appreciates Esmeralda looking out for her. She's been a sister to her since day one. The first day she used her eyes to save Esmeralda she's earned a special, mutual place. Telling her what she needs to hear, and when she needs to hear it. Sugarcoating arrows piercing tender areas she tried to mask. As Esmeralda tries to wean Alliahnna toward letting Sebastian close again, Alliahnna cannot help but think, If only you knew what we were about to do, then you'd truly understand. As one of the few who is ignorant of her secret, Alliahnna prays she'll never understand.
xxx
Coerced by the unwavering threat of Sebastian's ability to make a tablespoon seem intimidating, Lao chartered a private barge designated for Paris. Word to the Harbourmaster was sent via carrier pigeon of precious cargo en route to his docks. When the cargo arrives, there will be a sum to guarantee his silence. For the sake of the three children he is unable to feed due to the death of the mother three months ago. Lao expected a response to come well after Ciel and Sebastian depart. But he is confident in the Harbourmaster's cooperation. Especially if he didn't want his superiors learning of his other financial resources.
The ship was launched from port, tearing the open sea asunder as it jetted for Paris waters. Ciel's cloak flapped vigorously in the sea winds. He held the brim of his top hat, preventing the salty mist from stinging his one eye. Ahead, beyond the lapping horizon, lies the land that nurtured one of his own. The bobbing seas, or rough winds, or maybe just his paranoia - Ciel sensed a rough journey ahead of him.
Sebastian shared his anxiety. Alliahnna disappearing on a whim has always been a sure sign she wishes to distance herself from her frustrations. Schneizel and Phoebus always had to bring shackles and a wheelbarrow if they wanted to drag her back. Sebastian, well, thanked the gods she wasn't heavy. He was able to toss her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Tell me why?" Ciel rumbled to Sebastian whilst glaring to the open sea.
"Pardon me, Master?" Sebastian hadn't heard him.
"Tell me why she left, Sebastian!" Ciel demanded curtly. He is not a fool. He knows Sebastian knows something. He always does. The workings behind the curtain. The wheels spinning to obscure the inner mechanism driving toward a particular outcome.
Sebastian sighed somberly, shaking his head. "Master, I am not sure I understand-"
"I will not feign innocence when I am clearly one of the perpetrators!" Ciel roared at the top of his lungs, spinning on his heels to the secretive demon. "Do not affirm too do the same when Soma spotted your guilt a mile away!" Sebastian's brow furrowed. Ciel's hot breath showed, carrying the fire of his fury he would unleash, despite the advantage Sebastian held. "What happened between you and her?"
Sebastian lowered his head with defeat, closing his eyes so Ciel would not see the shame he was carrying. The reality is, as far as Ciel will not be privied, so much has happened between he and his love. Not just in the last year but in the last six. Turns on a road they wished they'd diverted from, words spoken they cannot take back, and actions wrought that have severed what they thought would last. Or maybe was never there.
"Lady Alliahnna and I..." He began reluctantly, sparing Ciel from issuing an order, "Decided our relationship was no longer necessary."
Rolling thunder crashed inside Ciel's mind. Horror rippled his sapphire eye. "Come again..." He heard wrong, surely.
Sebastian swallowed the large, apprehensive lump. Wrinkled formed as he furrowed his brow in absolute disgust with his words. Permitting such bitterness to brew from a source he was fueling her silent discontent. To have it explode after Alois was nearly killed - a powder keg looking for an excuse to ignite.
"The Lady Alliahnna and I are no longer romantically involved." He uttered once more. His voice trembled. Forcing himself to admit it to not only his master, but also himself. It made him sick. Sick enough to vomit.
"Why?" Ciel gasped. He isn' shy to say he was uncomfortable with Alliahnna's choice, but he surely respected and admired the care the pair shared. "Why would you both...break off what was...perfect?" Perfect was exaggerating. They had their issues. He noticed and heard them. Even so, Ciel's never known Alliahnna to be lifted to such adulation. She was a different person in more ways than one because of him.
"Because it was an illusion, Master." Sebastian spouted via Alliahnna's lips. He stayed himself from proceeding. Unable to bring himself to utter what nagged at him in his bowels. Ciel's hard stare bellowed an order for him to explain. Otherwise, he would tie Sebastian's hands and make it an order.
"Sebastian, tell me this instant!" Not an order, but far from a suggestion. To call what he was witness to for months an illusion drove him to the brink of exploding. "What part of your relationship was an illusion?!"
Sebastian inhaled and bellowed, "Alliahnna declared our relationship was the byproduct of our desire to rescue you." A knife impaled Ciel's heart. "By her own admission, she wants nothing to do with me."
The byproduct...of rescuing me? His knees buckled. Sebastian swooped a crate under him, catching him as he fell. Ciel held his mouth and clamped a hand to his stomach. Sebastian watched silently as he shook like a leaf, the waves not helping in the slightest to keep his stomach in place. Throwing Ciel under the carriage with him barely lifted the weight off his shoulders. Ciel glanced horrified to Sebastian, then to the ground, envisioning Alliahnna sitting heartbroken in the wake of her severance. Alliahnna...left him...and England...because of me?
xxx
The lounge was almost just as Alliahnna left it. Albeit the walls were painted and the room was widened to accommodate for the extra seating. It's as if she stepped through a time machine. The hours she would spend in this lounge, overlooking the surrounding forest and gardens. She would sit on the window sill, sun bathing her skin, have a notepad in her hand and would create a 10 page anecdote. Girl trapped in a tower. Magical land beyond the window. A land created by drawing on a page. Publicists who wanted to approve tales of the Count wanted to publish them. She turned them down. She wasn't interested.
Warm tea chilled poured over ice in a small cup. The sweet and tangy aroma of peaches and honey climbed the evaporating steam. Schneizel sighed blissfully in the rapture, lavishing the taste washing over his tongue. Lydia was in the library when she whisked herself away to be with Schneizel and Alliahnna. She added essence of mango to her tea. A tangy tease for the sweetness. Phoebus and Esmeralda tapped their cups together in celebration of their reunion. England and the other side of Paris constantly occupy their unable to be divided attention. Crimes, family, family crimes. This is the first time in weeks they've been able to sit together with their sun. Zephyr sipped from a bottle, downing half his milk in a matter of seconds. Alliahnna giggled at Zephyr. The smallest thing and that smile of his lights up a room. She brought her tea to her lips. The smell summoned that all too familiar nausea fiercely and she put the cup to the saucer on her lap. Phoebus caught the aversion, eyeing her curiously.
"Alliahnna not partaking in peach tea?" He roused intrigued, making her blush. "As I recall, you used to drink three tankered of this tea."
"Must be why I can't tolerate it too much now." Her unnerved laugh and twisting of the hair around her finger and Phoebus and Schneizel arching their brows suspiciously. Esmeralda and Lydia exchanged perplexed stares, lost as to why it was so quiet all of a sudden. Alliahnna dazedly ran a finger along the rim. Her neck bounced when she swallowed.
"Okay…" Schneizel exhaled loudly, setting his cup down. Alliahnna jerked in her seat. She knew that sigh. Followed by his signature glower capable of peeling metal. "What are you hiding?" Alliahnna's breath hitched in her throat. Lydia ogled him strangely.
"Uhh...what do you...mean?" Alliahnna's voice shook under her pounding heart. Esmeralda instinctively gawked to Alliahnna's stomach. "I'm not hiding anything!" She squeaked. Totally convincing. She mentally cursed herself.
"Let's go down the list, shall we." Phoebus counted on his fingers, "You're avoiding your favorite beverage. You've been uncharacteristically silent, and haven't made a single snide comment about my ineptitude at catching vandals." That might have been tempting at the time. It passed over when a sickness curdled her stomach. No way they know. They couldn't possibly know. "And you won't stop holding your stomach." Phoebus' sly glance turned Alliahnna's red as a cherry. Esmeralda felt the proverbial jig give itself up. Alliahnna set her tea down and self consciously wrapped her arms to her stomach, sinking into the chair.
"Allie…" Schneizel crooned, reeling her flushed face to meet his scrutinizing gaze, "What is going on?" Alliahnna recognized his stern tone. Reprimanding words forbidding her from lying further.
Alliahnna looked to Esmeralda for support. Phoebus and Schneizel are ruthless when they detect falsehoods. She nodded submissively to Alliahnna, encouraging her to let them in on her secret. Lydia sat on the edge of her seat, wrangled by the suspense and Esmeralda's silent communication with Alliahnna. A defeated breath erected Schneizel and Phoebus like wooden planks. Their brows furrowed, discouraging further delay.
"Umm…" Alliahnna hasn't felt this much pressure since the police escorted her home for missing curfew. Schneizel grounded her for a month, subjecting her to pulling weeds in all seven gardens. "I-uh...ha! I don't know how to put this." She itched pulled her ear. She felt like she was going to explode. Esmeralda circled a hand up her body and exhaled slowly, reminding her to breathe. Alliahnna followed her lead. She breathed in and breathed out. There is no soft way to say this, so she came outright. "Schneizel, Phoebus, Lydia...I-am...pregnant." Jaws dropped. A crow flew past their heads, leaving baffled dots for their flatlining minds.
"I'm sorry…?" Schneizel's voice cracked. He cleaned his ear. "What was that?"
Alliahnna felt a bit better, and said with a confident voice, "According to a Doctor and Esmeralda," Esmeralda waved, taking credit, "I am three weeks pregnant."
Schneizel and Phoebus erupted, skyrocketing to the sky and exploding like fireworks. Alliahnna and Esmeralda weren't sure if they should be worried or relived. "CONGRATULATIONS!" Both men gushed, consuming her in a loving embrace. "Con-grat-u-la-tions!" Schneizel swooned, kissing her cheeks, forehead, chin, and lips. This is the greatest news he's heard since he proposed to Lydia. "Sweetheart, I'm so happy!"
"My little sister is going to be a mom!" Phoebus looped an arm to her neck, rubbing knuckles to her hair.
"FELICITATIONS!" Lydia blurted, hugging Alliahnna tightly. Alliahnna was swallowed by love. Elizabeth, Soma, Agni and the others were calm compared to this lot. Finnian, Mey-Rin, and Bardroy damn near started knitting clothes for him or her. "I demand to be invited to your baby shower! NO! I want to plan it!"
"OKAY! OKAY!" Alliahnna laughed.
Phoebus pat her on the back. "What did Sebastian say when you told him?" And the mood was killed. Alliahnna shattered like glass. She dimmed to a dismal grey, dropping to the couch. Phoebus stepped on a landmine. Schneizel and Lydia shook their heads, looking to Esmeralda for answers. Esmeralda folded her hands, sighing sadly. "The baby...is Sebastian's...right?" Alliahnna shot him a hateful glare. Phoebus threw his hands up. He knew she held respect in her body and standards. Alliahnna returned her stare to the floor. She wanted to change the subject to rainbows or talks of politics. Anything to not think about Sebastian.
"Allie…?" Schneizel leaned forward. "Did something happen?"
"That's...why we're here." Esmeralda spoke up cautiously. "Lord Schneizel. Phoebus. Alliahnna isn't getting on so well with either Earl Phantomhive or Sebastian."
"What?! Why?" Phoebus gasped astonished. They seemed inseparable whenever he visited.
Alliahnna lifted and slapped a hand to her thigh. "Brother-Sister rivalry. Lovers spat." She's new to some of this. She can't classify it. "Ciel, Sebastian, and I hit a rough patch."
"Which has brought you to my doorstep for a second time." Schneizel will never forget the distraught mess she was when she came to him. Crying, covered in ash and rain, and wasting away in her grief. He sat beside her, wrapping those fatherly arms around her. "Alliahnna, please. I want to help you this time. Let me be your shoulder for once." Alliahnna closed her eyes, resting her head to his chest. She remembers those arms. The way Schneizel would hold her close whenever she was scared or sad. Many times she pushed him away when Ciel was presumed dead. He would come back in a vengeance, setting a pace for himself in her heart. A place she keeps warm for him.
Honestly, she didn't know where to start. Alois, Ciel, Sebastian - everything happened so quickly that night. The so called dance that took place occupied a grand majority of her attention. Fighting to stay alive while Alois's demons tried to kill them. Alliahnna decided to start with the Masquerade Ball. As it as the instigator that would lead to her arrival in Paris.
After Ciel's coma - a redacted version to feed to Lydia and Esmeralda - he lost memories leading up to his injuries. Alois Trancy, a rival for the Queen's favor - or so reports claim - intervened when Ciel was purportedly going to awaken. Because of his and his butler's interference, Ciel's mind - soul - was damaged. The last six years are virtually a haze that most likely will never clear. Ever since he awoke in the late summer, Sebastian and Alliahnna worked tirelessly to put him back on track and reintroduce him into society. Convince the world nothing was amiss, and that the Phantomhives have not gone extinct or into hiding. The Queen's Guard Dog returned in full force. On his side were a Bat and a Raven ready to execute his orders swiftly. Then the Masquerade Ball reared.
Alois was becoming an apparent thorn in both Ciel and Alliahnna's sides. The difference is, Alliahnna despised Alois for the orders he gave his butler. Sebastian and Alliahnna confronted Claude - nearly destroying the Manor in the process - and demanded answers. Why Alois was obsessed? Why the Trancy are crossing paths with the Phantomhives. Claude was on orders to abduct Ciel, ruin Sebastian, and do whatever he pleased with Alliahnna. As an elite butler like Sebastian - a demon - Alois' orders were absolute.
"How is it your family crossed paths wisz zese...Trancy people?" Lydia used kind terms. She's familiar with the history of the House Trancy. The first Earl's rumored choice in treats sickened her. "What is it zat has forced you bosz to wage war?"
That question takes her back to the very beginning. A tale taking such a drastic turn Alliahnna wasn't sure whose story took precedence of whose anymore. Whose life was leading the current flow. "Nine years ago, Ciel and I lost our parents in a fire. He became consumed with wanting revenge while I tried to avoid it and him by coming Paris." Tried and failed. Sebastian and Ciel followed her across the pond.
Lydia cupped a hand over her gaping mouth. "My Dear, I am so sorry…" She whimpered.
"Thank you…" It might be the demon half talking, but speaking of her parents death has becoming remarkably easy.
"Zese Trancy people are atrocious! Zey cannot be allowed to breasz one more day!" Lydia slapped the table. "Take me to che England, and I will eviscerate zem just as I did to the Marauders plaguing Toulouse!"
"That's the problem, Lydia." Alliahnna windedly leaned against the chair. "The ones who killed our parents died here in Paris over a year ago." Lydia was lost. She shook her head, trying to string the tale into a comprehensive line. "The killers tracked Sebastian when he came to work for me here. Thanks to him...I was able to end them and get revenge for my family." Lydia partially smiled for the acquired justice, but sensed the catch to her victory. "Unfortunately, when Ciel came to...he was in a fragile state. Our parents death fresh in his mind, and revenge hot in his heart."
"You didn't tell him you killed your parents killers." Schneizel concluded. Alliahnna confirmed his suspicions by shaking her head. "Why not?"
"Because has to get the revenge himself or he won't be healed." Alliahnna hated the vagueness of her explanation. She can't go into detail because of Esmeralda and Lydia. But...regardless of their presence...what happened between her, Sebastian, and Ciel shouldn't involve them. Her sole advantage was that what she's saying isn't a lie. Eases her conscience. "I've tried to tell him so many times, but Ciel's pride shows worse damage than his mind. He won't be satisfied unless he takes revenge himself."
"How do the Trancy's fit in?" Phoebus motioned a hand, wanting her to jump to present day.
"Sebastian and I made a deal with Claude, Alois head butler." Alliahnna sucked on her dry lips. "Alois becomes the target for Ciel's revenge, he earns the closure he needs to bring his soul to peace." And so Sebastian may devour it and bring his services to an end. "Sebastian and I held no qualms seeing as Alois and Claude instigated the feud with us."
"Am I right in assuming Ciel was about to claim that revenge?" Esmeralda piped in.
"He was."
"And…" Phoebus trailed off.
"And I stopped him." The shocked expression tied a noose to her neck. "Sebastian was ordered to hold me back, I went to Claude to stop Ciel." They can predict the rest.
"Why?" Lydia gasped. "Why stop him?"
"Because Alois is a monster by he's not responsible for what happened to our parents. Those people died last year!" She decreed firmly and wasn't going to change her mind. Phoebus and Schneizel admired her noble integrity. But Esmeralda and Lydia couldn't fathom why she showed mercy to a merciless boy. Alliahnna rifled in her collar. Schneizel was aghast to see the seal he entrusted her with when she became commanding officer of his guard. Golden swords crossed to a purple pendant. He was pleased and surprised she kept it. "The day you gave this to me...I swore to an oath. You remember?"
"I do indeed." He smiled warmly. He should remember. He's the one who swore her in.
"I upheld that oath - consciously or otherwise - even after I left." She swore passionately. "Alois is a monster that will pay in time. But I couldn't let Ciel kill a boy, wailing on his knees for mercy, be killed for a crime that's not his." She folded her hands in her lap, slouching solemnly. "Ciel didn't like it. We fought."
"And Sebastian…?" Schneizel sensed the underlying issue rests with her lover.
"Sebastian and I exchanged words when Ciel left. I was furious when he stopped me. He accused me of breaking the deal." Again, a master's orders are absolute. But Sebastian getting enraged like he did. More upset about breaking a cruel deal involving fractured boys than being set against his lover. "And...I…" She bit her lip so hard she nearly punctured the skin, "I called our relationship an illusion, and I severed it."
"YOU WHAT?!" Everyone shouted, frightening her. "Alliahnna?!" Schneizel put a hand to his sweating forehead. The air was sucked out of the room. "How...help us understand! How could you end your relationship with him." Schneizel and Phoebus are not too proud to say they didn't approve at first. But since their romantic union, Alliahnna has blossomed into an entirely new person. He marshalled the best of her, and helped her heal from her trauma. Sebastian himself changed as well. Became approachable after being with her.
"Sebastian's interest in me was derived from the long term arrangement he shared with Ciel." She stated deadpanned and with no remorse. She breathed heavily through her nose, suppressing her swelling rage. "The last year we spent taking care of Ciel, tracking the people after him - Sebastian's interest was only in helping Ciel. Reviving him. Having me along was just a notch to secure his place with his old master!"
"Allie, you can't believe zat." Lydia hummed woefully, cupping Alliahnna's hands. "I saw you two. Toulouse and England. Zere was - is - love between you two."
"An illusion, Lydia, I assure you." Alliahnna promised her. Sebastian doesn't...love me like he claims. He can't possibly love her. Not when Ciel's soul is so close to being his. I'm nothing but a notch. Insurance to keep Ciel in line. That has to be it. She raised her hands, halting the matter all together. "For now...I just need to keep my distance from them. I need to think, breathe, and maybe get past these hormones." She cradled her stomach.
Schneizel and the others respect her decision. This might be good for her and Sebastian. Ciel may benefit from the separation as well. Absence makes the heart grows fonder. "Do you plan to tell him about…" Phoebus pointed to his stomach.
"I'm not sure…" She doesn't how how he or Ciel will react. By her body language, Schneizel and the others caught the hint she'd really like to not talk about it anymore. "I really need a distraction." She felt like she was going to vomit again.
Phoebus slapped a fist to his palm, having a great idea to help Alliahnna get her spunk back. "How about that disturbance I told you about?" He blurted animatedly. Phoebus developed a habit of carrying manifestos of cases he picks up and decides to give a once over. Luckily, he had the latest vandalism case tucked away in a drawer in the lounge. Ten pages of complaints compiled in a report. Witness testimony, numerous complaints and cries for help. He handed the file to Alliahnna who immediately started to review it. "For the last two weeks vandals have run rampant about Paris, littering homes with fecal covered objects and minimally damaging property."
"Any suspects? Leads? Patterns?" Alliahnna curled fingers. Schneizel handed her a pen and she started outlining crucial passages.
"No suspects to speak of. Any leads take us to a dead end. As for patterns…" Phoebus pointed to the classification of people attacked. Poor, rich, young, old. Everyone was a target.
"What have witnesses said?" Alliahnna drew circles, X's, underlined passages. She squinted hard at certain parts, writing check marks beside them. Lydia was impressed by her diligence. She wasn't skipping a section.
"That...they see five, six, seven figures running in the night. Men and women by the voices." Alliahnna nodded comprehensively, making a note for reference. "Ages are assumed to be teens, given the immaturity. Possibly 20's."
"And with the police busy with the trouble at the ports, no one's investigating childish antics." Alliahnna stated studiously.
"What issue at the docks?" Schneizel hasn't heard about this.
"Drug running and abuse." Esmeralda summarized, tossing him a scrap of evidence she procured. Phoebus bobbed his head. Not surprised Esmeralda kept a scrap of evidence for records.
Alliahnna hummed thoughtfully, flipping two pages back and four pages ahead. Esmeralda and Schneizel watched as her eyes skimmed and stopped all over the reports. She saw something incriminating. "Have you found someszing?" Lydia leaned in close, wanting to identify what's caught her interest.
"Schneizel, everyone knows I'm your foster daughter, right?" Alliahnna's out of the blue question baffled Phoebus.
Schneizel tripped over his tongue to respond. "Yes. Why?" He;s never seen her as a foster child. He loves her like his own.
"Because six of these ten complaints came from foster families." Alliahnna handed him the report. Schneizel and Phoebus shared stunned expressions. They looked over the reports for the comparisons. "I recognize the foster families from a case we worked involving the insurance scams."
"Right, right! The child services fraud!" Phoebus adamantly recalled. It was coming back to him now. Six of those complaintants are cousins, uncles, dad's, sisters that are part of foster systems. The people handling their case restricted or sent no money due to circumstances they sugarcoated with legal talk as to why they don't have to pay. Full or at all. "You're right. These are foster families." Phoebus scoffed under his breath, shaking his head derisively. "How did I miss this?"
"A case like this doesn't happen often." Alliahnna haughtily snatched the reports, smirking impishly, "And I have the sharper eyes." She winked. Phoebus shoved her head down. Alliahnna laughed, fixing her hair. "If you're busy...I don't mind taking a look." She shrugged.
"Done!" Schneizel so ordered. He'll reinstate her authority within the hour. "Welcome back, Commander." He greeted.
"Nuh-uh! Phoebus is commander." She hooked his arm, volunteering to be his side-chick. "I'm a private contractor under his command."
"Done." Phoebus ruffled her hair. "The dream team is back."
"Paris scum, tremble in fear!"
Far from a great chapter. I would have gone farther, but I'm too sick to go all out.
Besides that, I want to prolong Alliahnna's stay in Paris for a few chapters. A reviewer said they wanted to see her in Paris again. No sense wrapping it in one or two chapters.