21. Epilogue: The Wheels of Fate

As the sun rose on the 13th of July 1866, Vincent was woken up by the Weston College staff and brought back to the summerhouse of the Phantomhive family. Nobody had told him anything, but the atmosphere hanging in the air was enough for him to know that something terrible had happened. Natalie, one of her mother's maids, greeted him at the door, her eyes moist and reddened from crying. She led him through the summerhouse and into the banquet hall, where Vincent found his sister curled up on a chair crying and his father sitting at the table with a face as white as snow. His mother was nowhere to be seen and when his father raised his head to look at him, Vincent could tell what had happened even without him saying anything: his mother had died.

He didn't learn until later about the feint that had lured her into death, that it was his own life she had wanted to protect when she had knowingly stepped into a trap. She had been betrayed by her own ally, the butler who had even served her father. The man who had looked out for her when she had just been a child, who had looked out for Vincent himself ever since he could remember. Vincent had always been aware of the dangers the title of the Queen's Watchdog brought, but… He never would have expected this turn of events. Not from Andrew.

Despite the worries raised by Andrew's betrayal, it appeared that he was alone in his actions. The other servants had met up with the back-up long before they had found his mother in the backyard of the Manor, just as shocked as everyone else. Nobody could imagine what had driven him to turn on her – and nobody would ever be able to ask him.

He had vanished temporarily after his mother's death. Two days later his corpse had been found not far from London, his body violently slashed to bits by a large weapon. His murderer was never found and the investigation was soon closed. Scotland Yard suspected he might have been betrayed by the group he had sided with in the assassination of the Queen's Watchdog. With the way the man's body had been torn apart Vincent personally suspected it had been an act of revenge, probably executed by the Evil Noblemen themselves. Of course, they didn't admit to the murder - and Vincent didn't care. He had wanted to see this man dead anyway – and he had. The state he had been in was a horrible sight, an image that would probably haunt his nightmares for decades to come.

Even though Scotland Yard and the Evil Noblemen were operating at full strength, the grand scheme behind his mother's death remained wrapped in mystery. Those pulling the strings seemed to have disappeared from earth, as if they had never existed. The few footmen they could capture were utterly clueless, just as the ones his mother had managed to capture over the course of the last month. A few of them showed up dead, scattered in various places around London, and suspicion was that they had learned too much or that there had been conflicts in the group of criminals. The investigation was still on-going, but there wasn't much hope of unravelling the mystery of the last month. From the 13th July onwards, no more dead dogs showed up, the Evil Noblemen were no longer the target of attacks and the cases of arson in London had dwindled to nothing. In the end, Vincent might have to accept that he wouldn't get the satisfaction of capturing and punishing the criminals who had brought so much pain upon him and his family – but he was determined to at least try.

Just as his mother had stated in her testament, Vincent became the new Earl of Phantomhive and thus also obtained the title of the Queen's Watchdog. He was just fifteen years old, but he would follow in his mother's wake and carry out her duty to the fullest, like his ancestors had before him. Like she had done herself after her father had died young.

He had always been aware that the title of the Queen's Watchdog was a burden, like a target marking you for an early death. Still, now that his mother was gone, he felt unprepared and alone. His father was unfamiliar with the tasks his mother had been given over the past years, but he had taken on the leadership of the Funtom Company for as long as Vincent was still going to college to lighten his workload at least a bit.

It was two days since his mother's funeral. Most of the time, Vincent felt like a machine, hollow and numb, as he ran from appointment to appointment. He had already been contacted by the Queen as well. He hadn't even been allowed a single day to .

It was only when his father handed him a letter from his mother that had been enclosed with her testament, addressed to him and him alone, that he was finally able to be alone for a while and cry over the last words, the last advice she had left to help prepare him for what was to come.

Heavy clouds drained all colour from the grass and the trees around him, making the world look dull and sad as Vincent passed through the garden and headed towards the graveyard of the Phantomhive family. Silently, he repeated the last paragraph of his mother's letter inside his mind. The letter dated back to a summer day two years ago. He kept it safely folded and stored in the pocket of his pitch-black clothing.

I do hope that you will never have to read this letter, for it means I died too young and passed my burden onto you far too early. But should you have to read it, I want you to know that I am deeply sorry for all the pain and pressure you will have to endure. I strongly believe that you will find your way, no matter how harshly fate struck. And should a time come when you don't know what to do and whom to trust, then head for Undertaker's funeral parlour. No matter what the future brings, I am sure that he will remain by your side.

With love,

Claudia Phantomhive

Unconsciously, Vincent's hand slid over the pocket in which he had stored the letter. Undertaker…

He had been by his mother's side ever since Vincent could remember. He had always been there, the faceless man clad in black who so many people seemed to be afraid of. Yet Vincent had never held an ounce of fear for him inside his heart. He vividly remembered the many times he had seen Undertaker passing down a hallway with his mother, walking side by side, talking, smiling and laughing. He also remembered the few times they had spoken and the events of an Easter day many years in the past.

Vincent had never thought too hard about the bond that connected them, but it had always appeared to be very close and trusting. Sometimes he had thought that they held whole conversations by just exchanging a silent gaze. Vincent had seen him crying during her funeral. Those tears had been full of grief and anguish, not shed out of a sense of duty but emotions that ran deep.

And not for the first time Vincent silently wondered if he had loved her and if she had loved him in return. The way his mother had laughed around him, the smiles she had given him had always been different from those she had given her husband. Vincent had never said anything about this to anyone – he wasn't stupid after all - but it was only in Undertaker's presence that his mother had appeared sincerely happy. Thinking about it, he was strangely alright with the thought of his mother loving someone other than her husband. He knew that his parent's marriage had been arranged and that the Queen had pressured his mother to take this step. And even though he was still young, Vincent was observant enough to know that they had not loved each other. They had been kind and understanding when they interacted, but his mother's joyous laughter and sparkling smiles had always only been directed at Undertaker.

Vincent stopped at the graveyard gate when he spotted Undertaker kneeling in front of his mother's grave. He had never been one to believe in destiny, but at that moment he could feel the wheels of fate turning. What a moment to meet him of all people.

Vincent was aware that his eyes were still red from crying, but he still approached the grave and knelt beside the man he had seen so many times in his life and yet barely ever exchanged a word with. Despite his unfamiliarity, his presence didn't feel unpleasant, but strangely comforting.

His mother's grave was covered with the most beautiful flowers Vincent had ever seen, elegantly arranged by skilled hands. Not a single one of them was wilting, every flower blooming in all its splendour. Majestic white lilies encircled the gravestone as if they were nestling against the dark stone into which his mother's name had been engraved: Claudia Phantomhive.

"She loved flowers," Vincent whispered, his voice wavering with emotion at the sight of her grave. His mother had been a tough and sometimes aloof woman, but she had adored flowers of every colour and shape.

"I know," Undertaker responded just as quietly. When Vincent listened closely, he heard that his voice was unsteady as well, thick with emotion. "That's why I'm taking care of them." The grin he usually wore was nowhere to be seen. "I was wondering when I would meet you here."

"The Queen keeps summoning me," Vincent answered as he lowered his gaze to the flowers and gently traced one of the petals with the tip of his finger. He had wanted to visit her grave much more often and much longer, but he had barely found the time to. "I'm not given much time. I'll... get decorated soon."

"I see…" Undertaker made a noise that almost sounded repulsed. "So she's already blowing on the dog whistle."

Vincent shrugged, but the strain of the past days was taking a toll on him. He blinked as he felt his eyes stinging with tears and swallowed to prevent a lump from building in his throat. "I guess. I inherited mother's title, so it's my duty to do this, even though I wish she'd grant me a few more days of peace."

He felt Undertaker's eyes lingering on him, but as Vincent raised his head to meet his gaze the only thing he could see were the long silvery bangs covering the upper part of Undertaker's face. Silently he wondered what was behind the curtains of hair he had never seen past and if his mother had known.

Eventually, Vincent's gaze returned to the flowers. He thought his words over for a moment before he spoke them with difficulty. "I received… a letter from my mother today that had been enclosed in her testament." He paused and pulled it out, slowly unfolding it. He felt Undertaker leaning in a bit as Vincent's fingertip traced the lines of the last paragraph. "She wrote… That whenever I don't know what to do, I should seek you out."

Silence fell over them and when Undertaker spoke next, his voice sounded unfamiliarly gentle. "Do you know what to do?"

"I..." Vincent felt his throat going tight, but he pressed on. "I'm not… sure." He choked up on the last word. He had thought he was all cried out, but he had been wrong. Sitting in front of his mother's grave, becoming more and more aware of the fact that she would never come back, the uncertainty he felt in the face of his own future… It was just too much.

Vincent's shoulders shook with a mute sob as tears started to run down his cheeks and dripped onto the ground and his legs. When he felt Undertaker's hand on his back, he couldn't help but sobbing quietly. He closed his eyes and brought the back of his hand to his mouth to muffle his shuddering breath as he did his best to regain composure. All the while, Undertaker's hand gently moved over his back, reassuringly and soothingly, until his breathe slowly normalized and his tears had subsided.

Vincent's eyes widened in surprise when he felt Undertaker's thumb on his cheek, carefully wiping away a few tears. His touch lingered for a second longer before he pulled back and stood up. Vincent raised his head just in time to see Undertaker wiping away a few tears off his own cheeks.

Slowly, Vincent got up as well and dried the remnants of tears with his sleeve. Normally, he would have apologized to Undertaker for losing his composure like that, but the silence that lingered between them was strangely pleasant and held a mutual sympathy for their shared pain and grief.

The silence continued for a while longer and was only broken when Undertaker exhaled audibly. When Vincent raised his head to look at him, that familiar grin had returned to his lips, even though when he looked closer it became obvious that a lot of anguish and pain lay hidden beneath.

"My doors will always be open for you, Earl Phantomhive," Undertaker cooed as he crooked his head at him. "Feel free to visit me at any time."

A small but grateful smile formed on Vincent's lips. The knowledge that he was not alone with the burden he had to bear from now on was relieving. Undertaker's many years of experience would certainly be a great help in dealing with the work of the Queen's Watchdog. The knowledge that they shared the grief over his mother's death was comforting in its own way, they wouldn't have to put on masks or fake smiles to keep up appearances.

"Thank you. In that case, I will see you tomorrow." Vincent would have loved to stay a bit longer, but his next appointment was already around the corner. He just had enough time left to change his clothing and wash his face.

For a second, Vincent thought Undertaker looked like he wanted to say more. The wind pulled at his bangs, just barely leaving them in place. In the end, Undertaker just turned around and waved at him while he was leaving. "See~ you~."

Author's Note:

And this marks the end of this fanfiction :) I'm still sad that it had to end like this, even though it had been clear from the very start :'D

I want to thank everyone who read my story, it means a lot to me that you took the time to read it :) I'm also very grateful for all the reviews I received, I really enjoyed reading them :) And of course, I want to say thank you to my proof-read Catalog Cats. I would have never uploaded, likely never even finished this fanfiction if she hadn't offered proof-reading it for me as I'm no native English speaker and still make a bunch of mistakes and word-misuses she all needed to fix xD

I don't have much else to say xD I'll return to my original work for now that went on hiatus for this fanfiction. It was a very nice experience to write English fiction for once, I feel like my English improved too xD Overall, I had a lot of fun writing this fanfiction :3 (but it also caused me quite a bit of heartbreak :'D)

So, thanks again to all the readers and reviewers, sharing this fanfiction was a really nice experience :3 *waves*