Ciel was up even before his twin was and nervously rubbed his eyes, recalling today was the day the Midfords would return home. That thought filled him with a small twinge of sadness; if the Midfords were gone, then that meant the Diedrichs would be next and then he'd have to go to school again-!

He got out of bed and saw the outfit of the day was a flouncy brown playsuit with bows at the neck and waist. He stuck his tongue out at it involuntarily. The colour was ugly and the amount of bows was silly. Yet he knew he still had to wear it.

He coughed heavily just before the maid came in and smiled, waking up his twin and helping the two get dressed. Ciel stared into the mirror again after getting dressed, still bewildered at the sight of two aqua eyes twinkling back at him and not just one.

"I bet Lizzy arranged a special breakfast for us today!" His brother smiled eagerly, making Ciel nod.

"Maybe," He started to cough heavily again before hurrying after his brother, slowing down his run because he suddenly felt a bit dizzy.

"Morning!" Rachel greeted brightly as the twins arrived at the table. "Elizabeth wanted us to have a special breakfast today in her honor!"

"I knew it!" His brother gasped before nudging Ciel and whispering: "That makes it sound like she's dead,"

"What's for breakfast?" He asked instead, smiling nervously.

"It would ruin the surprise!" Rachel scolded.

The Diedrichs showed up for breakfast next; Sieglinde pulling Ciel into a large hug the moment she saw him.

"Good morning!" She chirped. Diedrich frowned a bit at the display but said nothing.

A few minutes later, the Midfords arrived, and no sooner did they sit down did a large group of servants arrive, placing the breakfast on the table.

"A smorgasbord!" Sieglinde gasped, her eyes sparkling.

Elizabeth smiled a bit. "Yes, my family wanted to give everyone a little bit of their favourite breakfast food, so..." She folded her hands into her lap.

Even Ciel was impressed by the large variety offered, even hot chocolate, though as he reached for some strawberries and cream, he felt his stomach sort-of flip-flop and he forced himself to lean back in his seat.

"Is something wrong?" Rachel asked immediately, staring at him.

"I'm fine! Just...a bit overwhelmed," Ciel shook his head, reaching for the strawberries anyway. He then had some hot chocolate with them and managed to drink a few sips before his stomach flipped again, making him bulge out his cheeks in surprise.

"You really don't look good," Rachel warned. "Why don't you go back to bed? I promise the Midfords won't be offended,"

"I feel fine," Ciel declined again, trying to sip more of the drink but finding he had little appetite. "I want to be here to see them off..." Right as he picked up his fork to start eating, his stomach painfully flipped and he placed his other hand on it before he was forced to drop the fork and cover his mouth.

"Cedric?"

"Cedric!"

Both parents shouted at once as Ciel pushed his chair out from under the table and vomited; the puke landing in his lap and chest from inbetween his fingers. Nobody moved or spoke as Ciel continued to cough, tears coming to his eyes.

Of course he had to throw up. Of course he did. The final straw was that; now they would never take him seriously again. It wasn't even the puking he had a problem with, he had puked many times before on his various missions. But at those times, it had mainly just been him and Sebastian who bore witness to it. Even when he was younger, his brother tended to be the only one who saw. But today, it was practically his whole family.

His face burned red; from embarrassment or fever? Ciel couldn't tell. His throat burned and the vomit cooled on his clothes, leaving a stain.

"Cedric? Sweetheart? Can you please stand up for me? Or do you need your father to carry you?" Rachel's voice finally reached him, and he looked over at her.

"...Mother...?" He croaked out. She nodded. "I-I...I'm not sick..." He tried to manage before he coughed again and vomited, this time on the floor. He barely missed her dress.

"I know sweetheart, I know. You likely just became stressed-out," She gently rubbed his head. "I'll get a servant to clean this all up,"

"I...I...would like to take a bath," He managed, just barely controlling his sudden urge to bury himself in her chest.

She nodded. "A bath would be good," She helped him stand up and he shakily walked over to the bathroom; he somehow managed to get himself undressed and lowered into the tub. He shivered despite the hot water.

Rachel left him alone after taking away the dirty clothes and promising she'd just be a call away if he needed her, but Ciel still couldn't shake the shame he felt. If he had to get sick, why couldn't it have been while he was stuck at Weston? Then his parents wouldn't have had to see what a child they clearly still thought he was. He sighed a bit and leaned back in the water, still shivering. He knew he was expected to actually wash himself clean, but he had little energy to do much else aside from just rest. Surely his parents would understand, right?

He laid there in the tub for a while until he felt sufficiently clean and called for Rachel, who arrived just a minute later with a towel and clean pajamas.

"Up you go!" She teased as she lifted Ciel out of the tub and gently wrapped the towel around his figure, letting him lean against her. His skin felt hotter after the bath and the room spun slightly. He tightly clung onto her dress as she led him into his bedroom and back to bed. "Just lay here," She slipped the nightshirt onto his figure and tucked him into bed, leaving him there. Ciel would've complained about the childish treatment if the room wasn't spinning rapidly, forcing him to catch his breath.

"Make it stop...please.." He panted, burying his face in his pillow in the hopes it'd help. Maybe he could just fall back asleep.

#####

Rachel returned to the breakfast table, taking her seat and smiling at everyone. "He will be perfectly fine. If he's not better by tomorrow, we'll postpone his return to Weston,"

"Will you send for your sister?" Vincent asked curiously.

"I suppose it depends on how bad he is," She responded softly.

Sieglinde anxiously glanced back at the hallway, pouting.

"Sweetheart, I am sure he's alright. Why don't you finish your breakfast?" Diedrich coaxed her, referring to the large helping of eggs and sausage still on her plate, next to a big bowl of cereal.

"Hm..." She responded, still staring at the hallway.

Elizabeth folded her hands in her lap politely, suddenly having no appetite. Her fiancé smiled at her.

"Lizzy, why are you so upset all of a sudden? Cedric gets sick a lot, it's a fact. You're acting as though he is on death's door!" He laughed, stabbing a strawberry on her plate. The red juice leaked out onto the spotless white plate and ran down; she stared at that curiously.

"I am just thinking of all of the nice dresses that will come into my possession soon. Mother spoke of expanding my summer collection and I am very excited," She forced a sweet smile onto her face.

"I know, Aunt Frances always picks out the best dresses, does she not?" He offered the strawberry to her and she slowly ate it off the fork.

Edward frowned at that, but still said nothing.

"It tastes delicious," Elizabeth told her fiancé, pushing her plate away. "Please pardon me, Aunt Rachel and Uncle Vincent. I'd like to be excused early," She curtsied in her seat, and her relatives nodded. She quickly slid from her seat, walking from the room. Once she was sure she was out of sight, she started to run, picking up her skirts so she could run easier. She still had quite a bit of energy left once she reached Cedric's room; she pushed the door open.

He was already asleep when she arrived, as she expected. She knelt beside him and placed a hand on his forehead, frowning at how hot he was.

"...Cedric," She mumbled. "Why...do you seem so...strange?" She asked herself. "You're like a stranger. I feel different too...as if...something's wrong,"

Cedric didn't respond, just rolled over in his sleep slightly. She remained standing by his side, trying to place a name on the feelings she currently felt. Her heart fluttered, though she wasn't sure if it was due to love or just familiarity.

"Lizzy? Where are you?" Edward's voice called out. "There you are! Come on, you might get sick if you're in here much longer!" He scolded, taking her hand and hurrying her out. She took a brief glance back at Cedric.

"Big Brother...have you ever had a moment of thought, that...maybe you're in the wrong world? That something went wrong and how things are...aren't the way they're supposed to be?" Her features darkened slightly as Edward stared at her, recalling what Cedric told him the previous afternoon.

"Every so often," He lied, leading her out of the twins' bedroom.

What was going on? It was expected for Cedric to be a bit loopy, but Elizabeth? She was always the more level-headed and grounded of the family, evenmoreso than their mother.

Edward frowned a bit. He needed to get to the bottom of things quickly, him and Sieglinde both. Something was clearly troubling the family. Something had clearly happened to Cedric a few days ago to make him distant. But what? He wasn't sure he even wanted to find out, but he promised himself he would.

For his family.

######

Ciel woke up the next morning with a heavy body and a slightly-dizzy outlook on life, but otherwise perfectly fine. He frowned at that, upset that whatever illness he suddenly had was gone in just a day. He had to be treated like a child for almost no reason.

Still, there was much to do that day. If he remembered correctly, the Midfords would be taking their leave, and he assumed that since he was feeling fine, he'd have to go see them off.

His brother was nowhere to be seen, but a light blue sailor suit had been laid out for him. He got out of bed and took it off the rack, eyeing it wearily. Why were his parents' fashion choices for him and his brother so childish?

"Good morning!" The straw-haired maid smiled as she walked inside. "You woke up a bit late, but you were sick yesterday, so the Earl and Countess told me it was fine," She nodded towards the suit. "Need some help?"

Ciel flinched again, but knew arguing with the maid would get him nowhere, so he nodded numbly and stood rigidly as the maid eagerly buttoned him up into the suit.

"Do you have an appetite?" She asked kindly, but Ciel shook his head. "Alright. Everyone is in the parlor,"

Were they awaiting him? He sort-of hoped they weren't.

"Morning!" Rachel smiled happily when he walked into the room, motioning him over to her seat.

"Are you feeling better?" Vincent asked as Ciel gingerly sat next to his mother.

"A little." He said quietly.

"It's always so sad when we have to leave!" Elizabeth began, looking on the verge of tears. "I always miss Ciel and Cedric and Sieglinde, my dear friend..."

"When will you guys come see us again?" His brother asked politely.

"Most likely around the holiday season," Frances commented. "Only for a day or two though, since we have plans of traveling this year,"

"Oh! Where are you going?" Sieglinde asked happily.

"We don't know yet," Alexis said. "We're still in the process of deciding,"

Elizabeth hurried over to Sieglinde and pulled her into a tight hug; the two girls laughed when Frances pulled her away. She then nodded politely at her fiancé and patted Ciel's head.

"See you later," Edward nodded politely at the boys. Right, he still had to attend Weston with them.

"You should visit Germany!" Sieglinde smiled. "There's a really fancy Christmas market they do every year, and everyone is all dressed up in their traditional clothes..!"

"We'll consider it!" Alexis beamed.

"It was pleasant getting together, as it always is," Frances said stiffly. "I hope that you take my words of advice to heed," She shot Vincent a pointed glance, then motioned her children over to her. "Come along, let us wait for our carriage outside,"

"Goodbye!"

"So long!"

"See you soon!"

"Come back!" Everyone waved to each other as the Midfords headed outside. Ciel waved back shyly as well, feeling a sinking in his stomach. At least Sieglinde and Diedrich were still visiting, though he knew that wouldn't be for much longer either.

"What are our plans for today?" His brother asked boredly once the Midfords had left. "I can't remember for the life of me,"

"Have you boys even started packing yet? You're leaving for Weston in just a day or two," Vincent reminded them. "I suggest you spend all of your day doing that instead,"

"But..." Ciel gave Sieglinde an unreadable expression.

"You'll see each other at dinner!" Rachel promised, ushering the twins into their bedroom.

"She's right. Focus on packing," Vincent scolded them, and the twins nodded and headed back into their room. Ciel already felt out-of-breath, especially as he remembered what one was expected to pack for a semester at a boarding school.

"Why do we have to pack all of our things ourselves?" His brother pouted a bit as he glanced around the room.

"Because...they're our things...?" Ciel blinked, confused by the implication.

"What are you going to bring?" His brother asked instead, sitting on his bed and making no move to pack his things.

"...Maybe some books...? They have a library there, but it doesn't have the sorts of things I like," Ciel thought about it. "Clothes obviously..."

"It's hard, isn't it? They provide us with pretty much everything we could need," The twin laughed. "If we were younger, I'd probably suggest toys or something similar,"

Ciel found a light green traveling case placed under the bed, so he dragged it out and unclasped it, pulling it open. He glanced around the room, trying to figure out what else he'd even need to bring aside from clothing. His brother remained sitting on their bed, watching him carefully. The sharp gaze made Ciel falter inwardly. Did he somehow suspect something was wrong? It made sense to tell Edward and Sieglinde; he knew they'd keep his secret due to how close they supposedly were in this new world. But his brother still acted the same as he had always remembered and thus he didn't have a lot of trust towards him.

Besides, his brother was always a bit more logical and calculating than him. He wouldn't believe such a story.

"Do we have any school-books we need to bring back?" Ciel asked softly, trying to pry without seeming confused. His brother nodded.

"Yes. It's really strange how we bring them home even though we do not receive homework over holiday," He played with a strand of his hair. "It's a rule, I believe."

"They're in Father's study, right?" That seemed to be the most logical place for them. He didn't recall seeing any on the small shelf in their room.

"Nope, they're right here," The twin motioned over to the bookshelf, tossing several books at him that Ciel managed to barely dodge. He snickered. "You were supposed to catch those!"

"You weren't supposed to throw them at me!" Ciel shot back, going over to retrieve them. There were two identical copies of almost every book aside from a few. It was obvious he had more artsy classes, while his brother was taking more serious, business-oriented ones. Still, Ciel was a bit jarred by seeing not a single one of his spoke about business. Did this version of him really have no desire or drive to make his own business?

The twin pulled some clothes out of the wardrobe, laying them a bit haphazardly into his green bag. Strange how Ciel got the bigger suitcase and his brother just got a simple bag, but he couldn't dwell on that now.

A few books boasted they were for second-years, confirming Ciel's thoughts. If they started at Weston the year they turned twelve, as the pictures Rachel had suggested, then it made perfect sense for them to be second-years at that point. Was Edward still an eighth-year? He supposed that made sense as well.

Ciel stacked the books up neatly and set them down in his suitcase, making sure to spread them out evenly so he could still close the suitcase, feeling his brother's eyes on him constantly. He finally stood up and looked back at him.

"Wow, it seems as though you are already done," His brother smirked a bit, looking into the suitcase. "I thought you'd have more,"

"What else do I need? Just our clothes and books," Ciel responded back levelly.

"Hm...maybe...some sort of...weapon, to prevent yourself...from...getting...attacked!" His brother yelled, pouncing on Ciel and beginning to tickle him really roughly. "Tickle tickle tickle! I'm tickling you!"

"Stop, stop!" Ciel protested in annoyance, gasping for breath as his brother tickled him faster.

"You're being tickled!" He laughed, finally stopping and pulling away when Ciel took a shaky breath, coughing. "Are you sure you are well enough to go back to Weston with us?"

"Yes," Ciel nodded.

"Mother and Father would understand if you attended a day or two late. You do sometimes," His brother continued, staring him down. "Too much excitement all at once,"

"I'm perfectly fine. I can attend Weston tomorrow with you and Edward." Ciel stared back at his twin, trying to figure out his logic. "It's the first day, after all. We likely won't be made to do much work."

"If you say so," The twin shook his hand at Ciel before walking out. "I'll have a servant tend to my things later,"

Ciel watched him go, not saying anything else. Why was he so determined to keep him home? Did he have some sort of ulterior motive? Regardless, Ciel wouldn't give his brother that satisfaction. He'd attend Weston when he was supposed to, and figure out what had happened to him and Sebastian in the meantime.

#####

Ciel refused to eat dinner again that night, finding he had very little appetite once again. He knew all the days of barely eating would eventually catch up to him, but he could deal with that later. He needed to focus. He still hadn't met Madam Red yet and her version in this universe; he assumed he'd likely see her over the holiday. Or if he got extremely ill again, but that wasn't a preferable option.

A soft knock at the door got his attention, but instead of answering it, he threw his head down on his desk. A million questions with barely any answers.

"Sweetheart?" Rachel's worried voice reached his ears as she quietly walked over to him and placed a hand on his head. "You haven't been eating with your family lately,"

"I know," He wasn't used to eating with multiple people at all. Even when his family were alive still; he was isolated and quarantined more often than not and ate meals alone in his room. "I haven't had much of an appetite lately,"

"Are you nervous about going back to Weston? You shouldn't be. Your best friends will be standing right in front of those gates, holding up a large sign that reads: 'Welcome Back, C. Phantomhive!'" She chirped. Ciel stared at her in slight dread.

He'd rather die than suffer such humiliation as that.

"I brought a few things for you," She finally motioned to the tray in her hands. "Milk soup, chicken broth, tea, and for dessert..."

"Chocolate cake...?" Ciel asked in slight disbelief, eyeing that. It stuck out to him and shone in a way nothing else on the tray did, not even the tea.

"Only if you feel like it, and only after you eat everything else," Rachel warned as she set the tray down. She then ruffled Ciel's hair. "I hope you have a good night's sleep,"

"Mother," He called out as she turned to leave. "Um...how is Father doing with his work?"

Rachel continued to smile sweetly. "He's doing perfectly fine," She then left the room.

As soon as Rachel had left, Ciel picked up the silver fork on the tray and dig into the chocolate cake, ignoring the rest of the food. The gooey sweetness and richness of the cake left a burning ache in his stomach that he ignored. He recognized the taste of the cake and devoured every single bite. He even ate the remaining crumbs off the plate, glad he was alone. He didn't even realize that he had ever missed the taste of an ooey-gooey chocolate cake before.