Pleasures of Easter

Six days had passed and it's now Easter.

Elizabeth sent the Barnetts invitation to come to Phantomhive Manor to take part in Easter.

'Humm, we should come.' said Madam Red as Allen recovered from the medicine he took. 'And we should take Rose with us so she can see two of her brothers for good again now that she's educated enough to work.'

'That's true.' said Allen. 'But what of her bandages?'

'Well, surgery takes a while to heal. Normally for an eye transplant, it takes time before she can get the eyepatch off and she can remove the bandages from her facial surgery today.' said Madam Red. 'Next month, she'll have to come back to me for a final check-up.'

'Very well. I'll tell her to get packing then.' Allen left his mother's office to go find Rose. Rose is doing self-study in her room when he knocked.

'Yes?'

'Get packing Rose! Time for you to move to Phantomhive Manor and live with Joker and Dagger!'

'REALLY?!'

'Really, now get packing!' next thing Allen knew, he heard various loud sounds in her room with her rushing. Chuckling, he left the servants' quarters. Well, the First-Tiers were a close 'family' since they only had each other in the gutters of East End, working together to survive and kept each other company and sane from the cruel lives they survived from. And Rose was mostly dependent on Joker and Beast but who knows where Beast is right now...

They left that morning and arrived by lunch time.

'Brother Joker! Brother Dagger!' Rose cried as she jumped on her two 'brothers'.

'Doll! You can finally stay here!' Dagger chimed as Joker lifted Rose up high-high. The former circus members and Finny were wearing bunny-ear headbands.

'Well, you two are very loved because she studied hard in her lessons just so she can be with you sooner!' Madam Red chuckled. 'You must have been great siblings to this girl.'

'Welcome, Madam Red, young master Allen.' Finny greeted. 'Let's have fun in Easter! Lady Elizabeth organized a really great party!' he chimed happily.

'As much as I'd want to, I just recovered from illness and I'd rather not exert myself.' said Allen sheepishly. 'Sorry.'

'Awwww!'

'Yeah, we heard about that scary incident from Snake. Better from him than some sensationalized newspaper...' said Joker as they went inside the house. 'He was terrified out of his wits and cried hard when he got home because he had to maintain his cool on the ship to come home in one piece! And he never DID hear the ending of that case. All we know is that Queen Victoria got really mad again worser than she did with us!'

'Hey Angel, can you tell us your side of the story?' Dagger asked Allen pleadingly.

'Sure but mine is much worse, since I had to lop heads off...'

'EHHHHH?!'

xxx

Second Floor...

'Welcome Madam Red, Allen!' Elizabeth greeted happily as she gave them bunny-eared headbands. 'I'm so glad you could come!'

'We wouldn't miss this for the world!' Madam Red beamed. 'If I EVER miss a party, it's the end of the world!' she said jokingly with a laugh.

'Welcome my dear friend! It's been a while since I last saw you~!' Soma wailed as he glomped Allen much to Dagger's dismay and Joker had to hold him back.

'P-Prince Soma...c-can't breathe...' Allen comically choked out.

'Your highness, he's turning blue!' Agni squeaked as Soma blinked and looked to see Allen quite blue.

'Waaaah! I'm sooo sorry!'

'I'm surprised he can make it...I heard he got really sick after going home...he even looked terrible and vomited upon regrouping with my family.' Edward frowned worriedly at Madam Red.

'Well, he's still recovering.' said Madam Red with a weak smile. 'The ordeal from the voyage made him really ill. Nonstop zombie-slaying on a cold atlantic night is just asking for it.'

'...he got really sick?' Dagger frowned upon hearing that and muttered to himself. He'll talk to him later. Soon, Ciel and Sebastian came and they could finally enjoy Easter Festivities although Easter had to be explained to Soma and Agni because their faith is different.

Allen passed out Easter Bunny cards he's made to drive Sebastian's point home. Although Elizabeth's and Ciel's were different...theirs is one hell of a creative card-a red rose card. He told them to 'pluck off the paper petals together' and when they did, it was a beautiful drawing of adult versions of Ciel and Elizabeth in fashionable clothes with bunny-ear headbands with adult-Ciel hugging adult-Elizabeth from behind who was holding a baby resembling THEM in a bunny onesie in her arms, and the adult-version couple is surrounded by red roses and sparkles. Elizabeth gasped as she blushed with a squeal, Ciel froze in shock with a stark-red blush-everybody else gaped at the card Elizabeth happily showed them(they were impressed with the drawing) and looked forward to make it a reality. Edward was HORRIFIED and in utter comical despair. Elizabeth asked Allen to make a copy for Ciel even if they meant to share the card together.

Count Gray and Master Phipps joined the party and the Easter Egg Hunt Game.

Allen didn't join because he's still recovering from the medicine he took to feign illness and settled for playing on Ciel's piano...with a catch. Using the ol' tin-can-wire telephone, he set up and elaborate system with Sebastian's help with the biggest tin can directly connected to the piano. This way, the melody could be heard by everyone in the manor while they play the Hunt.

The ones who played were Sebastian and Ciel, Double Charles, Soma and Agni, Bard and Maylene, Finny and Snake, Joker and Rose, Dagger and Edward, and Madam Red and Nina Hopkins.

Allen happily played cheerful music on Ciel's piano until the game ended while Elizabeth was fawning over the 'thoughtful cards' he made for her and Ciel.

'This is what we'd really look like when we're older~? Wow!' Elizabeth chimed happily as she fawned over the card. 'How could you predict this so accurately? This is marvellous!'

'Well, I studied pictures of you and Ciel that mother has back when you were kids.' said Allen. 'Then I had to do various drawings of you growing older and older until I came up with that drawing of both of you in your twenties. It was no easy task though because I'm no fortune-teller.' Allen giggled. 'I'm glad you like my card and it's worth seeing Ciel red like a tomato! Heeheeheehoohoohoo! It's just so cute! Now I know what to draw for Valentine's Day next year!'

'Ehhh?! I didn't see that! Noooo!' came Elizabeth's wail of dismay. 'I wanna see him blush!'

'Haha, don't worry, I'll make that blush darker on Valentine's Day next year so watch him closely! It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!'

'I can't wait for Valentine's Day already!' Elizabeth sighed blissfully. 'Uhhh by the way...the old tin can phone trick...you had Sebastian set up a system for you right?' she croaked as she saw the giant Tin Can over the piano.

'Yeeeesss...'

'Oh my! That means everyone heard us by now!' Elizabeth gasped in horror with a pink tinge on her cheeks.

'Hahahaha! Ciel's probably stark red by now! Sebastian! Get us a picture!'

Well, with the tin can phone wire system, naturally, everyone can hear them LOUD AND CLEAR, much to Ciel's chagrin and Sebastian snickering.

'That bastard...' Ciel growled with a blush.

'You're becoming a tomato again, young master.' Sebastian sniggered.

'S-shut up!' Elsewhere, Madam Red was cackling. Edward moaned at the scarier card next year and how he really didn't want to give his sister away to Ciel. Dagger remarked that Allen can be pure evil. Soma was enjoying this and was in stitches. To be safe, Agni safeguarded their egg because Soma was laughing too hard. Count Gray was remarking 'good blackmail material' and Phipps shook his head in bemusement.

xxx

Ciel got Elizabeth's egg after his team fought over it with team Charles. Elizabeth was very happy that Ciel found her egg and it ended with a splendid Easter Banquet-and Ciel gave Allen a noogie for what he did and for losing, Count Gray had fun in his expense.

By the end of it, Ciel got a love letter from the Queen.

He hid it from Elizabeth in favor of celebrating with her just to keep her happy.

By nightfall when the party ended with everyone having their fill of Easter Food and merrymaking...Ciel, Sebastian, Madam Red and Allen gathered in his office.

'I saw~that~!' Allen chirped as he lounged on the sofa with his shoes off. 'A love letter from the Queen yes? And to think we just got over the last one...'

'Cases pile up one after another.' said Ciel as he opened the letter. 'There's no rest for Phantomhives.'

'So what's it say?' Madam Red asked him as he scanned the letter with his eyes.

'...we're to investigate why students aren't going home.' said Ciel. 'It's a personal request because one of these students is Duke Clemens' son Derek Arden. He and some others stopped coming home since last summer and letters stopped too. It wasn't a rebellious phase either.'

'Aren't public schools independent institutions that refuse government intervention?' Allen piped up.

'More like they just want to hide their private affairs, so it's going to get tough. I'll have to come personally.' said Ciel. 'And infiltrate as a student. Normally, I'd send someone to infiltrate but the students are sons of nobility who know each other with few holding titles. The problem is if there's still spots available.'

'Then we can just make some!' Allen chirped. 'We can make two of them very sick and too sick to come~' he said cheerily with clapped hands.

'Oy oy...' Madam Red sweatdropped at her son's crazy ideas. 'Wait, two?!'

'It'll be good if Ciel has a shadow in school.' said Allen. 'And who'll suspect me, the sickly Barnett boy of tomfoolery, eh?' he chuckled darkly. Everyone gave him a (-_-) stare.

'And also, we'll have Sebastian infiltrate as a teacher.' said Ciel. 'He can also support me from the shadows using his status as an employee of the school.'

'It shall be arranged immediately.' Sebastian curtsied.

'By the way, how did your meeting with the Queen ended? We just heard from Joker that she's angry for the second time again since the Circus case.' Allen piped up.

'Oh, that? You see, there's more to Ryan Stoker's Aurora Society.' Ciel grunted. He explained about the Black Order to Allen and Madam Red causing Madam Red to gasp and Allen to stare at his cousin. 'And three days ago, the Queen summoned Sebastian and the day after that, the meeting with the Chief Supervisor, Komui Lee and his little sister who's an Exorcist, Lenalee. When they talked about the Aurora Society and suspected Order Members buying re-animated corpses, Lee was shocked and he really didn't know. He took out photos for Ryan Stoker and Ryan Stoker pointed Malcolm C. Lvellie and Renee Epstein as his main clients from 'Osiris' since he met up with them in Britain and some scientists who weren't in the profiles Lee brought along. But clearly, the American Branch and Central is responsible for the Campania Tragedy. That and Komui doesn't know the movements of Central because their authority is higher than his and if Orders directly came from the Pope himself, Chains of Command are skipped with even other Branch Heads kept ignorant of the situation...like now.

But the fact remains that because of the Black Order, 1100 corpses were desecrated and 414 victims killed by the zombies on Campania and the Black Order is liable for this tragedy that is why they are no longer welcome in Britain. Thing is, Headquarters is IN Britain, they couldn't just move out as Central cannot accomodate them anywhere else. So the Queen settled for another alternative...the Black Order will NO LONGER get free services in Britain. They will start paying just like anyone else, and deal with the law just like anyone else as punishment. No excuses, Innocence be damned and for how long this punishment will hold is years totalling the number of zombies they made and victims caused by them. Komui Lee agreed to the terms rather mournfully. In fact, orders from the Queen will be sent out as soon as they leave.

'That's the gist of it.' said Ciel. 'As for Ryan Stoker, since he knew of the Order's Existence and he's a citizen, he got recruited. The poor man was horrified of facing Lvellie again since Ryan outed his dirty laundry that got the Order semi-blacklisted. Well, that's his punishment.'

'I see...'

'But Allen, about your unusual powers...you might be an Exorcist too.' Ciel remarked.

'Hah, as if I'll give up the life I got in favor of a war that's never mine?' Allen snarked. 'A mother who doesn't hate me for being different, a family who accepted me, no more condemning cruel stares if they found out my secret and I have a place to call home. I will never give up any of that in favor of some machiavellian religious gang!' he said fiercely.

'Well said, young master.' Sebastian smiled. Ciel smirked as Madam Red sadly gazed on her son. She never knew his past much, until now.

xxx

That night, in Allen's assigned guest room...

Allen was fresh from the showers and wore pajamas before throwing himself on his bed. "Black Order...bah!'

Allen knew the truth a long time ago from Undertaker. About the Order, his right arm that was modified...and the power hiding in his arm. He also 'removed' the sentience from his arm and destroyed it, enabling him to achieve 100% synchronization at will on a whim and achieve its true ability. And Undertaker is currently playing with the sentience he took to better understand it. Talk about complicated. Ah well, it's not his problem anymore.

There's no way he's giving up the life he worked hard to build after Undertaker gave him the foundation, the bottom of the stair steps. He's the one who made the next few steps and climbed his way up the ladder to his life.