Removing the Shroud

Almost there.

xxx

Claude earned a substantial lead in the race. He already reached the next location of the second riddle. Though he cannot afford to be cocky with the finish line so far away. Sebastian has more than likely discovered a clever way of escaping the garden's trap. Alliahnna is possibly on the offensive and taking the lead to clear the way for him. Separated, both prove to be a thorn in his side. Together, however, they are more formidable than an army. He must tread lightly. The night and victory are not yet his. The lead may be his, but time was not strictly on his side. He must answer Alois's inane questions quick. Lest he lose to Sebastian and his immature protege.

"Question: What is Alois Trancy's favorite thing to eat?" Claude read aloud with a drole tone. This task was so far beneath him it was almost insulting. Nevertheless, for a chance at Ciel's soul, he answered the question. "That's simple enough to answer. Greasy fish and chips."

Ding-ding, ding-ding! Claude answers correctly again. A small, arched passage opened to his right. He was impassive to his progress. "Foolish. Whatever is the point of this?!" He huffed impatiently.

xxx

Alois was having the time of his life from his perch atop the ominous clocktower. The spectacle before him was absolutely riveting. He was living in the display. As if he were the ringmaster of three clowns he has racing about his circus for his own pleasure. Sebastian tied up in a silly trap, Alliahnna tossed about like a ball. Alois was laughing so hard he thought he would choke. But Claude - the third clown of his ring - was living up to Alois's expectations. Just as Alois knew he would. This game is arrange for him, anyway. Why shouldn't Claude be great at it.

"Brilliant. JUST BRILLIANT!" Alois shouted jubilantly. He cruely scratched at Ciel's exposed stomach. His excitement over Claude's progress made his hand run back and forth faster and more aggressively. He dug his nails into the pristine skin, tearing and reddening the flesh. "See how well Claude knows me? He doesn't hesitate!" He boasted to Hannah who watched with a passive stare. "He knows all of me! Every last inch, right down to the tender parts!"

Hannah listened to Alois live in this prolonged amusement. She was happy he was enjoying himself. However, in his joy he was starting to scar his new body. He tore to the blood vessel, releasing thin trickles of blood. He did not care. The body was not his. He held no qualms with giving pretty little Ciel a couple of scars. His old body was full of them. Still, Hannah worried for him. For Alois. Not Ciel.

"Perhaps you should be more careful, My Lord." Her plight was met with a twisted look of rage from Alois. In Ciel's face she can see her platinum blond master seething at her.

"Worried about this body, are you?! THIS PRECIOUS BODY!" He growled. He shoved his shirt down. "You like Ciel Phantomhive more than me TOO!" Alois dealt a swift kick to her stomach, knocking her off her feet. "Why's he so special?! What does he have that I DON'T?!" He continued his feverish thrashing, stomping and kicking at her ribs. "Answer me, Hannah! ANSWER-ME!" He commanded her. Hannah lied there silently, grunting and whimpering as he thrashed her. Not yet, My Lord. Just a while longer!

xxx

Alliahnna was turned around ass backwards in that damnable maze. She wasn't sure if she was getting closer to the tower, the entrance, or Sebastian. Was Claude around the next corner? Was he at the goal? For that matter, where has she wandered to in the maze? She can't even see the manor. She doesn't hear Ciel - Alois - shouting his berating comments anymore. The unease that she can't sense Ciel in his own body was tearing at her too. Adding to the apprehension, a sense of isolation was beginning to set in. A fear of...being alone again. Because, when this is all over, that's where she'll be. She'll be all alone. Sure she'll have Sebastian. And there's Lizzie and the others...for however long they are alive. The truth is...will she be able to handle a world that moves on while she remains forever idle?

Lost in her thoughts, Alliahnna nearly passed the dead end housing the next pedestal with the box containing her question. Hope filled her, but she was nervous of what the question would pertain to. Sebastian's gone to the village where Alois grew up and was educated on what made Alois what he is. He has a slight advantage. But Alliahnna doesn't know the first thing about Alois. She never bothered to know. She's starting to regret it. Claude has the ultimate advantage in this game. He's been partnered to Alois for years. He knows him right down to his black core.

"So what?! Let that spider have his bond with Alois!" Alliahnna declared, opening the box with confidence. "I was named Schneizel's second for a number of reasons! Number one being my ability for elementary deductions!" She opened the envelope, finding the letter. "I can do this. I have to. Ciel...I won't let you down again." With a heavy heart she opened the letter. This was a question she knew.

"Question - Alois' Trancy's leg injury was due to: A - his own clumsiness? Or B - the outburst of Alliahnna Phantomhive?" The portion of maze she stumble upon was divided like a fork in the road. Large portcullis doors barred both ways.

The obvious answer was B. Alliahnna broke his leg for what he did to a servant who was he close friend. Reminiscing on the agony and pain she inflicted, and how he babied that very leg, made her toes tingle in an ecstasy. Although, taking into account what resulted in Sebastian's answer, B would be a truth Alois refuses to accept. Too bad Grell or Will aren't with her so she can test the doors. So…time to swallow her pride.

She's going to need to wash her mouth out for this. "The answer is A. The Young Earl can be clumsy indeed." She mumbled with noteable disgust.

Ding-ding, ding-ding! The left portcullis opened. A rosey pathway rewarding Alliahnna for her proper answer. She rolled her eyes, sauntering through the tunnel to the desk with the stamp pad. She pressed it to the first circle on her notebook. The image of a pirate filled the circle. "Ugh. This kid is a headache! Pirates would shoot him on sight." She snarled. She meandered on her way with her hands to her hips.

"FAREWELL, MY LOVE!" Alliahnna caught Grell's scream. There was silence. She wondered if she was hearing things. An explosion shook the entire maze. Alliahnna saw a smoke stack coming from a mere 100 yards from her.

"Sebastian!" She cheered. She broke into a run. Her destination being the direction of the smoke.

xxx

"I have to remember!" Ciel commanded himself. He obviously was not leaving that space any time soon. He must see through the haze that was consuming him. Lest he be defeated by that filthy Earl indefinitely. "There was a fire…" He laid the bases block by block, taking it slow so he'd be able to process it. "Our parents were killed, and then I signed a contract with Sebastian. Alliahnna later left to live in Paris."

Thus far his summary sounded correct. He signed a contract while Alliahnna was still living in the manor with him. He ordered Sebastian to remain hidden so she wouldn't ask too many questions. He...he didn't want her to know. To be ashamed of her brother. To be drawn into the war he was immersing himself in. Then, after Alliahnna left for Paris, Sebastian began making his presence known. It was too late to bring Alliahnna back, so Ciel set his focus on his original objective.

"I vowed to get revenge! To punish the people responsible for it all!" For taking his parents. For feeding the wedge driving between him and Alliahnna. For causing EVERYTHING that brought them to this HELL! He would make every last one of them pay.

The people...responsible...he knows the culprit. He just can't quite jostle the memory free. He was in a room. Row of seats spanning. Bars belonging to a bridge. A woman seated at the end of the chair filled room, hiding her face behind a widow's vale. Ciel knows that woman. He's taken thousands of orders from her.

xxx

Hannah remained at the mercy of Alois's violent kicks. Luck was on her side that she was a demon, healing by the second as he retracted his foot for another kick. Alois would not tire for a long while still. He would thrash her until she breaks, or his leg breaks.

"WELL? ANSWER ME!" He commanded. Why was Ciel so special? Why was he painted in gold while Alois was ignored like brass? Why was that pathetic brat so damn coveted?

Alois's onslaught was stopped by a pain in his chest. He clutched at the pain, staggering away from Hannah. "My Lord! What is it!?" She fretted, rushing to his side.

"He's pitching some kind of fit! The little brat!" Alois was running out of time. His possession of Ciel wasn't permanent. But he figured he'd have a while before the boy started fighting. He stormed to the edge of the edge, boring daggers to the labyrinth. "NOW, CLAUDE, HURRY UP! I MEAN IT! GET UP HERE!" He roared venomously. "STOP DAWDLING! I GAVE YOU AN ADVANTAGE IN THIS GAME!"

xxx

Claude sneered at the shouts. "Such pointless encouragement." He huffed. It still eludes him what Alois hopes to gain from this idiotic game. He moved on to the next card before he went mad. "Next up: Repeat the phrase ' Yes, Your Highness,' three full times." Another easy task. He titled his attention to the garden. "Yes, Your Highness. Yes, Your Highness. Yes, Your Highness." He recited with the most dull tone in his voice. The next stamp that was his was a heart. The proverbial symbol of love. "Silly." He scoffed.

xxx

Alois was moved to tears by his words. He was laughing on the outside. But as his flowing tears professed, he was driven to sorrow on the inside. "Yes, Your Highness." He sniffled. Hannah moved to his side. Without touching him, she comforted him during his tears. "Don't you see, Hannah? He's still my butler! He loves me!" He only cried harder, slipping into his woes. "I knew he did! Claude really loves me!"

"Master, then why are you crying?" Hannah quized him. Alois may fool other, but he cannot fool Hannah. She can see as if peering inside of him that Alois was hurting. The worst pain imaginable was plaguing him. My Lord. Only wait and I will show you REAL love. Not this petty, false, duty filled adulation Claude projects.

The pain came back again, effectively stopping Alois's tears. Ciel was having another episode.

xxx

"That's right!" Ciel remembers clearly now. The Faustian seal binding him to Sebastian returned to his right eye. The seal's outline was dim, in tandem to his dim recollection of his obscure past. Slowly but surely, the gleam will return to the seal, and Ciel will return to where he rightfully belongs.

"Sebastian and I learned that the Queen was responsible!" Queen Victoria herself was the culprit who cost him his parents and his sister. "SHE was the target for my revenge. An angel was involved as well." The Angel and Sebastian fought. Queen Victoria...she was lying dead on her bed. She was the figure in black watching him, and now she is...dead. "Wait...what am I seeing?! The Queen is dead? But the angel…" The Angel was escaping into the night. "The angel...escaped? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!"

xxx

Have I... have I...Alois could hear Ciel's thoughts. The boy was growing stronger. It was giving him a headache. The the unprecedented happened. The maze began to shift and change. The rosy hedges disconnected at certain point, adjoining to others. The looping, silly pattern the previous maze created was replaced with a more austere, straightforward pattern.

Hannah and Alois were taken aback by this shift. The labyrinth was specifically designed to follow the dictates of Alois's heart. And now, as Alois is experiencing, Ciel's own will was exerting itself. It will be asking the questions now.

xxx

Alliahnna was meandering at a leisurely pace. The smoke long evaporated, leaving her walking blind with no sense of direction. As she entered into an intersection, the garden began to shift and turn. The walls separating and reconnecting almost caught her in their vice. Alliahnna watched in awe of the garden, baffled by what could be causing this odd change. Accompanying the garden's change came a shift in the air. The ominous presence was replaced by a familiar essence. One that made her feel more comfortable and less imposed on. And the roses. A different scent was coming off of them.

"Ciel?"

xxx

Somewhere else in the labyrinth, Sebastian found his way to the next question. Grell was lying somewhere in a smolder pile. Throwing him through the false door in response to a question really did a number on him and his camera. For now, that was one pest off his back.

"Question…" Sebastian wasn't looking forward to another of Alois's delusional quizzes, "Ciel Phantomhive was wronged. Has he already acheived his revenge?" Sebastian lowered the card, absolutely confused. "This one is different…" He mumbled. The maze originally permitted questions only pertaining to Alois. Now Ciel is in the mix. "Alright…" Sebastian decided to go along with it. "The answer, I'm afraid, is partially." He sighed dismally. "Your revenge against the Queen was complete when she died. Revenge against the butler, hower, was not. Therefore only a portion of your contract was complete."

There was a moment of silence. Then trumpets resounded. The garden opened to him. Sebastian was surprised that the half answer worked. When he added a stamp to his book, it was a rabbit with an eyepatch. It's known as Bitter Rabbit, the Funtom Company's best selling items. And a particular favorite of Alliahnna's and Ciel's.

"Young Master…" He hummed, gazing to the tower housing his master, "You're up there right now, aren't you?"

xxx

"A portion?!" Ciel huffed in utter confusion. "That's not right! I got my revenge!" The Queen was dead. The Angel is too. The contract should have been completed. He can see the angel dying in a rubble of ash. The angel was dead.

Sebastian rowed him to the isle of demons. He knows he did. He can see it clearly in his mind right now. He was placed to a bench where Sebastian ogled him. The demon was drawing in close to him. And then he...he…took Ciel's...

"No. He didn't!" Ciel was lied to a bench. His eyes were closed as if he were sleeping soundly. Sebastian was present. But he did not take his soul. Because...he couldn't. Sebastian opened Ciel's eye. The seal was faded like it had done previously, but it was not gone. "The contract...wasn't completed?" He pondered over and over why that was. Why was the contract incomplete?

Ciel...he was bleeding...profusely. "Sebastian never devoured my soul...because…" Ciel placed a hand over his chest. There was no wound, but he felt warm crimson liquid pooling to his palms, "I was injured!" There was a fight...a pipe was...plunged into him. The angel...he was alive. The angel is the one who attacked him. No...he attacked Alliahnna! He was going to kill her for...for attacking HIM! She tried to save Ciel, already aware she had no chance against him. After that...it fades to that blasted island, and his seal remaining. "My contract...it was only partially complete!"

xxx

Alliahnna finally arrived to the next question. The maze was making her go stir crazy. The last time she was stuck in a place like this, it was a carnival game and there were men in costumes trying to scare her. This is far more unnerving. Answering questions wrong will land her in a series of traps. Avoiding them will get her absolutely nowhere.

Opening the envelope, she arched her brow. The context was different. "Why was the contract only partially fulfilled? Why was the seal not removed?" She read the question closely. "Wait. This is about Ciel." She remarked.

Alliahnna blinked in shock. She peered to the tower in awe. "Ciel's becoming self aware." Alliahnna gazed dreamily up to the warring boy on the tower. "He's starting to break free of the fetters we placed him in. He's recounting the last six years he's lost." There is no point in continuing the farce now. "Your heart is seeking the truth in a great mystery. I see."

She took a deep breath, outlined her answer in her mind. "The night on the London Bridge, The butler in the service of Queen Victoria - the co-conspirator in our parents' murder, Ash Landers - had escaped." She found a silent victory in her answer. A sense of closure washed over her knowing she beat the spell Claude placed on her. The next portion, on the other hand, pulled at her heart. "You sustained life threatening injuries that left you unable to see your contract through. Your revenge was incomplete. Therefore only part of your contract was fulfilled."

Trumpets resounded to her answer, catching her off guard. The garden parted to the stamphead. She was wrapped in nostalgia by Bitter Rabbit as the marker. It was hers and Ciel's favorite of the Funtom Toys. Before it was symbols Alois liked. Now they are symbols belonging to Ciel.

"Ciel..." She whispered, staring at the tower, "Are you the one standing up there?"

xxx

"That's...that's right!" Ciel clawed at his mind. It was all coming together. Ciel was mortally wounded, dying in Alliahnna's arms. He apologized for being a horrible brother, and she apologized for leaving. It was the first time Ciel felt sorrow for what he allowed to happen as a result of his actions.

Past mistakes aside, Ash Lander was going to kill Alliahnna because she attacked him with a rusted pipe she found. Ciel threw himself in the line of fire, receiving the full brunt of his attack. He...died in her arms. Seemingly, considering he is able to stand there and talk aloud to himself. "And then…"

And then...when his death was imminent, when he was unable to complete the contract, another become the recipient. "Alliahnna…"

xxx

Sebastian was next. "How did Alliahnna Phantomhive come to be in possession of Sebastian Michaelis?" A simple question to answer. And one he came to expect. By Sebastian's answer, Ciel has learned one of the reason behind his sister coming to possess a demon's powers.

"I named Alliahnna as the inheritor of your contract. The seal was placed upon her chest." He step by step explained. "I transferred the contract to her so that she may finish what your apparent death left unfinished." He added one more note in case Ciel was baffled by what etched their bond in stone. "Securing my contract to her was her desire to avenge your death."

xxx

Ciel's eyes widened with utter dismay. They were glossy with sorrow. "Alliahnna...you took on my burden. Why?" He bit at his lower lip, squeezing his eyes closed. "Why would you take on something so dangerous? Why would you become leashed to a demon?" He pleaded for answers, but feared what would be said.

Sebastian answered his questions when proceeding through the maze. She craved revenge just as he did. The thirst for vengeance - to heal the pride wounded by their enemies - was thick as blood within the Phantomhive's. The longing to end the life of the monster that stole her brother from her was poisonous. Thankfully it never consumed her. The downside was Alliahnna becoming a demon for her choice.

"Oh yes. I forgot." Ciel nearly forgot the most important factor. Alliahnna's demonstrated her demon prowess countless times. He's disappointed he let it slip from his knowledge. "Sebastian offered her the power to take matters into her own hands." The strength, agility, and speed of a demon. On top of an ability to instill fear in her opponents. Alliahnna chose a method that would allow her to achieve her revenge by her means an on her terms. "Not surprising. Alliahnna despised having servants."

"But she said her contract was completed, and that it was my turn." "Yes. I see it! She killed the Angel. Two of them." Impressive work. "But...still...she said it was my turn again." That could not have been right. "My turn...ended...technically. This isn't making sense."

xxx

Alliahnna soon arrived to the next question. "The terms of any contract stipulate that a soul must be surrendered when the contract is complete. Why was Alliahnna Phantomhive's soul not collected?" Alliahnna was confused by the question. It seemed out of place. Then again, if Ciel is the one asking the questions, she and Sebastian have an advantage. Undoubtedly, Sebastian has encountered questions by Ciel already. He's likely whisking through the maze as she speaks.

"Because I was a Substitute Demon. Not a full human and not a full demon. And substitutes have a choice in collateral." Her soul or her humanity. That's a choice that still weighs heavily on her. Even after she made her choice. "I was offered a choice of either giving up my soul or giving up my humanity when our contract was complete. I chose to be a demon for all eternity." For eternity. Those words rang in her ears. Until the realm of humans ends, she will remain as she is. I am curious if I'll age like Jasper. She shook off the irrelevant thoughts. "In turn, my humanity was moved to you. It healed you," She swallowed a lump in her throat, "And Sebastian was free to consume your soul." Her voice cracked.

The trumpets resounded aloud. Alliahnna's next stamp was a cutesy bear. Ciel didn't like bears. This was for Elizabeth.

xxx

"Yes! That's right! She told me as much!" Ciel gasped in revelation. Alliahnna became a demon in order to complete Ciel's revenge. Because of these powers, she was virtually unstoppable. But...to surrender her humanity...in order for Ciel to be revived. Why would she do such a thing instead of giving up her own soul? More importantly, how was Alliahnna able to transfer her humanity to Ciel? "Sebastian said the process of extracting a soul would be painful. Therefore...he can't do it where others might spot him." That has to be where the island he sees in his dreams is coming from.

xxx

Alliahnna must be doing a better job than she thought. She was already at the next question. "What became of Ciel Phantomhive after the night on the London bridge?"

Ciel really covering his bases. He's not skipping a beat. Good. Alliahnna thought with a hopeful tone. She's tired of the lies she's bathed him in. Perhaps, had the truth come out in the first place, all of this could have been avoided. Oh well. No sense in griping about the past. If it could be changed...maybe Alliahnna wouldn't be a demon. Hope Sebastian never asks me about my deeper feelings on the matter. She loves the power and agility it gives her. She just can't bear watching her friends and family age before her eyes.

"Sebastian transported you to the isle of demons where you were preserved and kept alive." For five years he was lying on that island. Outsight, partially out of mind, and out of Alliahnna's reach for five years. Sorrow glossed her eyes as she smiled warmly to the boy on the tower. Ciel...if you can hear me...hear this now, "You were gone for five years, Baby Brother. I would say you don't know the loneliness I felt," She wrapped her arms around her body, imagining Ciel in her embrace. Holding him close and refusing to let him go, "But I know that would be false and hypocritical of me to say."

Her next awarded stamp was a goose. A silly, little goose. How fitting.

xxx

Ciel drummed fingers on his skull, lining the pieces up as Sebastian and Alliahnna laid them out brick by brick. Mosaic bricks displaying play by play images laid out before him. Childhood - his happier times, to Sebastian's contract - the second darkest moment, to reuniting with Alliahnna - the happiest time of his life. Ciel walked the pathway. They tugged at his heart strings. But the time for sentiment was not now. He needed to collect his thoughts, put the fragments of his broken mind back together. Incidentally, he arrived to the brick where he was taken away.

"Yes. I was gone...for years." New bricks materialized beside his own. They depicted Alliahnna entering her contract to Sebastian. The seal being placed upon her chest. Ciel still isn't sure how he feels about an aged demon earning a sly peek at her femininity. She was 13 at the time. She does possess modesty.

"All the while...Sebastian was looking after her." The bricks went on and on, jumping to significant times between Alliahnna and Sebastian. Their laughs, their arguments, Sebastian comforting her when she cried. He was there for her. Constantly. And...she was there for him. "Sebastian watched over her, protected her...cared for her. Growing closer with her than I ever was." A sad, pitiful, and envious statement to make. And yet, it was valid to say. As her brother, Ciel should be closer to her than the air that brushes around her. Or the sheets she covers herself in. Instead, he can't help but feel they couldn't be any further apart. "They fell in love. They...moved on...without me." He gripped at his elbows, sinking into a jealousy he did not think was there.

"But they couldn't move on. Not yet." Ciel furrowed his brow darkly. "My soul had yet to be devoured, in spite of their contract being completed."

xxx

The next question Sebastian stumbled upon was situated next to a bird cage. A proper setting considering Ciel is a cage bird at the moment. One Sebastian will see free and spreading his wings.

"Question: After the terms of Alliahnna's contract were complete, why didn't Sebastian Michaelis eat Ciel Phantomhive's soul?" There's a question he was hoping to avoid. It was forever etched in stone to celebritize his shame. "Our contract…" Sebastian tore the glove off his left hand with his teeth . He showed his Faustian Seal to his master. "

"During the process of transferring Lady Alliahnna's humanity to you, my contract to her was in the process of being ended. My contract to you had yet to be reinstated." In short term, both were null and void. Sebastian masked a hand over his eye, scowling heatedly. "Knowing all of this, the demon, Claude Faustus, seized the opportunity. He took advantage of the situation to steal your soul from me." The rest is history unless he is asked.

Trumpets resounded for his accomplishment. The silly goose stamp was his to have. How like his Young Master. Now to find his way to Ciel, and find Alliahnna in the process.

Another set of trumpets blared nearby. Just a few pathways away from his current location. It must have been Alliahnna. Or Claude. Either way, Sebastian was heading for them. Hopefully he will find that person before the game ended.

xxx

Alliahnna was at the brink of having a mental breakdown. The maze was all starting to look the same to her. Her sense of direction was completely numbed, and a slopping mess on the ground. At least the tower seemed closer. That's progress, and brought her menial closure. She'd feel a lot better if this ridiculous game was over. Coming across another box containing questions was not helping her mood.

Alois has that uncanny knack for causing headache from the farthest reaches of his domain. Hell, she wouldn't be surprised if his catastrophic reach extended to the four corners of the world. From causing the amputation of a woman's leg, to stealing the body of her brother. Now this garden, the representation of his wayward heart, was battering her like a party favor. The saving grace is Ciel seems to have taken over. For how long is a guess mathematicians cannot speculate.

Foreign footsteps crunched on fallen leaves. Alliahnna snapped her stance, whipping around with a hidden dagger unsheathed to her hand. Her eyes narrowed like knives, shredding the shadow that was slithering up the adjacent wall as the figure drew closer. She growled gutturally, bearing her fangs. Her fingers tensed to the dagger. Her forearm twitched to let it fly and pierce the heart of the bastard approaching.

A black shoe emerged from the corner. Sebastian soon came into full view, taken aback by the less than warm welcome by his lady. Alliahnna relaxed her offensive pose, releasing a sigh of relief. Usually this would be where they engage in a warm reception. Kissing, hugging, soppy words, and then threats of punishing her later in the night. They've already done three of those four things at the beginning of this game. The last one...will undoubtedly come later.

"Finally caught up, I see." She crooned, folding her arms.

"Or you caught up to me." Sebastian joked back. He walked up to her, resting hands to her shoulders. He needed to ensure he wasn't dreaming. His warm smile faded to an ominous frown. "The Young Master…"

"Yeah. He's up there right now." The two gazed to the tower, spying the boy stamping in a fit on the ledge. "He's been asking me all sorts of questions. I'm touched he wants to fill in the blanks."

"Well, since you're the one who beat me to this point," Sebastian retrieved the envelope, handing it to her, "Why don't you answer this one?"

"Okay." Alliahnna opened the letter, moving close so Sebastian could see it clearly. "The five years Sebastian was in service to Alliahnna, was their romance a constant factor?" Alliahnna exploded cherry red, steam whistling out of her ears. She was shaking with the card in her hand. Sebastian laughing was not helping. In fact, she just might kick him for sniggering. How could he not. He found her so adorable when she's embarrassed.

"Well? Go on. Answer." Sebastian teased her. "Was our romance a constant?"

Alliahnna hissed through gritted teeth. T's for Ciel. It's for Ciel! She chanted, preventing her hand from flying upside his head. "In an obscure way, yes it was." She raised her nose on her response. She surprised him by taking his hand and snuggling in close to him. "But only in the recent year did we act and consummate it." She blushed. Sebastian was warmed by her response. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

The trumpets sounded again. The maze opened to a set of stairs leading to their next stamp. "My Baby Brother is curious about us."

"Not a real surprise." Sebastian shrugged, leading her by the hand up the stairs. "You have seen how he watches us."

"Indeed I have." She shivered. Ciel watches them like a hawk sometimes. It's very unnerving.

xxx

Ciel were reeling at the answer. He shouldn't be too shocked. But, at the same time, he was wounded that she made an effort to hide it from him. Had their relationship truly gotten so gnarled and twisted that she's resort to secrecy.

"Alliahnna fell head over heels for him. Because of this, she was able to recover from her grief while I toiled in it." Ciel continued his self loathing. "I cannot begin to count the nights I would accidentally hear their late night tumbles. Ugh! I wish I could forget those." He shuddered. He silenced the darkness as it tried to bring those noises to life.

Those two would go at it all night long. Their behavior during the day was nothing short of shameless. Alliahnna changed so much because of her relationship with him. "I hardly recognize her anymore." Could she be growing up? Or has her time with Sebastian bred something within her?

Adding to her odd behavior, she started to become secretive, distant. She was always sick. Especially in the morning. Her stomach always seemed to be upset. And her moods were all over the place. The way she ate was strange too. Pickles with sandwiches. Craving jerk. The insatiable appetite for chocolate and watermelon. Only to vomit up what she's consumed in a few short hours.

"Wait a moment! Sickness in the morning, vomiting sporadically, cradling her stomach, rampant moods, cravings." He's pretty sure she hasn't caught an incurable disease. And she's always been immune to food poisoning. The evidence doesn't lie. "She couldn't have been…"

xxx

Alliahnna yawned loudly, stretching her arms above her head. Pleasant cracks popped down her spine. Sebastian empathized with her fatigue. The maze was weighing on his patience. "I wonder how much farther we have." Alliahnna mumbled, shuffling her shoulders.

"We should be nearing the end." Sebastian checked his stamp book. The circles were almost filled. "We are running out of stamps." Alliahnna was losing space as well. She hopes the end is near. She can't take much more of Alois Trancy.

As luck would have it, they stumbled upon the next box containing their next question. The pair couldn't help rolling their eyes. Alliahnna approached the box, freeing the inane envelope from its prison. "Alright. Next question." She said with a drawn out breath, opening the letter. "In the course of their relationship, did Sebastian Michaelis: A- Propose marriage to Alliahnna Phantomhive?"

"I am afraid I am still too cowardly for that step." Sebastian leaned in with a suggestive hand to his chin. "Unless, of course, you wish me to."

"Perhaps during a more romantic setting." And not while they are racing for Ciel's soul. "B- Adopt Alliahnna Phantomhive into his family?" That's a thought right there. She mulled it over in her head. "Alliahnna Michaelis…? I do like that ring."

"Then this is something to ponder." Sebastian felt hopeful for their future.

"Or C- im-" A vice clutched Alliahnna's heart, effectively stopping it. She started to shake uncontrollably. Shudders escaped her trembling jaw.

"Alliahnna? What is it? What's the final-" Sebastian approached behind her, reaching for the card. Alliahnna abruptly spun, backing away and hiding the card behind her back. "Alliahnna?"

"N-NOTHING! The final one said nothing!" She fought to control her voice. She was dripping in nervous sweat. "IT'S DEFINITELY NOT THE RIGHT ANSWER!"

Sebastian blinked in dismay by her behavior. This is an unexpected and uncharacteristic 180 from earlier. What clinched she was hiding something was her inability to meet his gaze. Sebastian grunted impatiently, scowling harshly. "Alliahnna Marie Phantomhive!" Her skin prickled at her full name. She was in serious trouble. Sebastian stretched a hand to her, motioning a commanding finger. "Let me see it this instant!"

"I told you It was nothing!" She laughed nervously. Alliahnna tried to edge to the side. If she can just make it past him.

Sebastian anticipated her escape and blocked it. He had his lips pursed. The twitch in his brow jolted Alliahnna's nerves. "You do realize what will happen if you don't cooperate?" Sebastian loosened his tie.

"Huh?" Sebastian slipped in behind her, wrapping a leg to one of hers. Removing his tie, he restrained Alliahnna's hands behind her. "OYE! What are you-hey!" He snaked one hand up her shirt, placing the full palm at her breast. The other hand clamped to her hip. "SEBASTIAN!" Sebastian proceeded to insert his tongue inside her ear, twisting it and tracing the outer ear. "AH! SEBASTIAN!" She moaned.

He missed these sounds. A shame he cannot prolong her suffering. "About five minutes of this and you will be screaming my name. Two more after that, you will as moist as morning dew."

"S-stop it…! Sebas...not there…" Her body was betraying her. Heat was swelling between her legs. Her muscles were trembling. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head. "Claude will…"

"Then hand over the card." He rumbled. Alliahnna silently longed for his hands to continue their dance over her. But...she can ill-afford to be selfish right now. She handed him the card. "Thank you!" He crooned, plucking it from her. She dropped to her knees, fresh out of breath. But great god above she missed those hands.

"Did Sebastian Michaelis propose marriage - no. Adopt Alliahnna - no." Alliahnna felt the pressure mounting. She squeezed her eyes closed. Sebastian's eyes scrolled the final question. Utter disbelief widened his eyes. His breath hitched in his throat. "This question…" Alliahnna rose to her feet, had her hands folded behind her back. She was sinking into herself, twisting the ball of her foot on a tile crease. Her face was turning redder by the second. Sebastian swallowed the massive lump balling in his throat. Resisting the stiffness trying to hold him in place, he faced Alliahnna, bringing his aghast, rippling eyes to her flushed face. She tried to hide under her hair, but the guilt was as obvious as the moon in the night. She was biting fiercely at her lips, writhing to not speak in spite of wanting to scream. Instead of asking her directly, Sebastian read the final question, "Did Sebastian Michaelis...im...impregnate...Alliahnna Phantomhive?" He gaped at her, begging - pleading - for the smallest confirmation of the validity in the last question.

Alliahnna was unsure how to answer. Instead she turned her attention to Ciel, wondering how he would know to even ask. "Ciel...you knew?" She wasn't making it obvious. Not that she was entirely hiding it. He must have put two and two together with her constant vomiting. And then there's her strange, hormonal behavior. She scoffed in mental derision of herself. "Of course you knew. Why wouldn't you?" She slapped her hands to her thighs. Ciel eventually learns the truth somehow. She was stupid to think she could hide it from him forever.

"My Lady?" Sebastian veered around in front of her, bringing her undivided attention to him. He lightly cupped her hands. His eyes sparkled with abject elation. "Is this true?Are you…"

Alliahnna wordlessly nodded. Tears of joy flooded to her eyes. "It's true, Sebastian." He glistened like the stars. Alliahnna moved his hand to her stomach, letting him feel the offspring that was growing inside of her. His child. His family. "Within me, your child is growing."

"But...when?" He asked, still in shock.

"According to the doctor, a few weeks." Sebastian remembered a doctor leaving the manor. It all makes sense now. "I'm...I'm going to be a mom! You the father!" She started to cheer.

Sebastian grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her adamantly, "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep this a secret from me?"

"I was scared. And...we were going through our drama and…" And she was too cowardly to acknowledge that she and Sebastian were reaching a major step in the relationship. "Are you mad?"

"Mad? Alliahnna…" He snatched her up in a tremendous hug, running his fingers through her hair, "I'm so overcome with joy...I think I might break…" His voice choked to a whisper. He tightened the embrace, whispering softly, "I love you so much, My Lady."

Alliahnna was swallowed by the passion. She closed her eyes. She wrapped her arms to him, burying her face into his chest. "I love you too, My Lord…" My Lord. The last time those words were uttered, her humanity was being drained. This time...they are Alliahnna's declaration of her unconditional love to him. Sebastian was feeling butterflies in his stomach. Alliahnna too. In fact...she was starting to feel sick. Again.

Pressure balled in Alliahnna's stomach. She backed away from Sebastian, thinking she was going to vomit again. Protrusions kicked around, showing beneath the form fitting vest and undershirt. Alliahnna spread her hands away, staring horrifically at the lumps bouncing at her stomach, trying to sprout out of her. She and Sebastian have heard of baby's kicking, but never this early. And, by Sebastian's reaction, this was not normal. Not even by demon standards. The wild lumps scaled up her stomach, curdling the acids nauseatingly. It was rising to her chest. She gagged on the air, holding her mouth and stomach to quell whatever was coming. She choked when she tried to swallow it back down. Lurching forward, feeling the invader in her throat, her muscles forced the bile to her mouth. Eight little legs poked past her lips. Her mouth was spread open. The contents of her stomach spattered to the ground, along with an adolescent spider. Sebastian supported Alliahnna as she fell to her knees, gasping and choking at the bile still expelling from her throat. She and Sebastian were in disgust of the spider that was living within her. The spider wriggled in the bile he was coated in, spinning itself around and boring it's tiny, beady eyes into Alliahnna and Sebastian. Alliahnna felt her body paralyzed when she saw the spider swallow a fleshy bit. The hole she thought she recovered from the basement...just returned in the bowels of her stomach.

To be continued.

Did I rush towards the end? Oh yeah! I wasn't fond of the maze episode in the show, I don't want to take long with it here. Even though I'm leading into three chapters.

Also, I failed to mention, I got more hours at work so my updates will be slower than usual. Sorry. I need the money.