NOTE: I do not own anything related to Black Butler. Credit for that goes to the genius known as Yana Toboso. I only own/created the OCs and story line :)

"We'll be back later this evening." Lady Miranda Phantomhive stated as she entered the foyer, a 2 year old Violet in her arms. Earl Matthew Phantomhive followed, briefcase in hand.

"Sebastian, will you have Mey-Rin bathe Violet? She's gotten into the dirt in the plants again. And please see to it that Charles gets his school work done?" Lady Miranda asked, setting Violet down in front of a pile of wooden blocks and giving her a quick kiss on top of her head.

"Of course, my lady," he responded, helping her into her jacket.

"Where is that kid anyway? I haven't heard a sound from him all morning," Earl Matthew asked no one in particular, setting his fedora atop his head.

"I believe he is in his tree house out back. Would you like me to fetch him?" the butler asked.

"No, no. Just as long as he's in by nightfall." Matthew ruffled Violet's hair as he headed to the door, which Sebastian held open.

Outside, their driver waited beside a black Mercedes. He opened the rear door as the couple approached. Sebastian stood atop the steps to see them off. Violet had abandoned her blocks and made her way out there as well, giggling and waving while her parents got into their vehicle.

"Goodbye dear! Mummy and daddy love you!" Miranda called.

Their car slowly took off and disappeared out of the drive and down the road. Sebastian picked up Violet and went back into the manor.

"Let's go find Mey-Rin, kitten, shall we?" he looked down at the girl, who babbled an unintelligible response and laughed, her silver-gray eyes sparkling. She had dirt smudged in various places on her face. "Precisely." Sebastian smirked and set off to look for the maid.

While he didn't really care for children most of the time, over the course of serving seven generations of Phantomhives, it became easier to tolerate them, at the least. He found their sense of imagination and adventure amusing, even intriguing at times. And though he'd never admit it to anyone, Sebastian actually enjoyed his interactions with the two children of Earl Matthew and Lady Miranda, particularly little Violet.

Charles, a 10 year old boy and protective big brother, was a loner mostly. He often stayed locked away in his room, reading or writing, and liked to isolate himself in his tree house in the back yard. He was also rather fond of science, and spent hours with his chemistry set and microscope.

Violet, being only 2, didn't have any such hobbies, though she did love to hang out with Sebastian. He often carried her around with him as he went about his duties, showing her little trinkets and explaining what stuff was, making up entertaining tales and telling stories of past adventures. He wasn't sure why, but he was quite fond of the child. Perhaps it was just her charming toddler mannerisms, or how her eyes were always filled with wonder and fascination as he spoke to her, as though whatever he was telling her was the most interesting and important information ever... or the way she would smile and run to him in the morning after waking up. Whatever it was, he'd never felt such a connection with any of the children he'd worked for over the many years.

After walking around for a bit, they finally found Mey-Rin stacking some boxes in a closet.

"Mey-Rin, would you tend to Miss Violet please? She's in need of a bath." Sebastian smirked again as he wiped a smudge of dirt off the child's cheek.

"Of course, I'll get the bubbles going!" she answered, blushing and taking Violet from Sebastian before heading down the hall to the bathroom.

Later that evening, after the kids were bathed and in their night clothes, Charles sat in front of the fireplace with Violet by his side, reading to her. Sebastian stood nearby, while Mey-Rin, Finny, Baldroy, and Tanaka sat in chairs sipping tea, having finished all their chores for the day. Thunder roared and rattled the house, as lightning flashed through the curtains. Rain hammered against the windows, and the wind howled menacingly through the trees.

Suddenly, there was a series of sharp knocks on the door. Sebastian approached it and opened it to find three police officers.

"Pardon the late visit. May we speak to you for a few moments?"

"Of course," Sebastian stepped aside and gestured for the men to enter, closing the door after they were inside. He turned to face them. "What can I help you with?"

The lead officer took a deep breath as they all removed their hats. "There's been an accident involving Earl and Lady Phantomhive."

"Oh?"

Just then, Charles stopped reading and turned his attention to the foyer, as did the others.

"I'm... I'm afraid they've been killed." He held his hat to his chest and bowed his head.

The four servants gasped, while Charles got to his feet and walked over to the policemen.

"It's not true! What a foul thing to say! How dare you come in here and tell such stories!" he growled at them.

The man knelt down and looked at Charles. "I'm sorry son, I wish it weren't true, but-"

"NO! You're wrong! They're not dead!" Tears started streaming down his face as Finny hurried to his side.

"Young master-"

"They're not gone!" he yelled, then took off up the stairs. Finny ran after him.

The head police officer stood and turned back to Sebastian, whose expression remained emotionless as was usual. "I'm truly sorry. Please expect a visit from our Chief tomorrow to go over some things." With that, the men placed their hats back on and left.

Sebastian closed the door behind them and turned towards the parlor again. Mey-Rin, Baldroy, and Tanaka stood quietly with mournful expressions on their faces. Violet sat with the book Charles had been reading to her, looking between the three remaining servants and Sebastian. Just as he was wondering if she understood what was going on, Violet got up and ran over to him, arms outstretched. He picked her up and studied her face, noticing her eyes had welled up with tears.

"I suppose it's time for us to turn in for the night," Sebastian said to the others. They silently nodded in agreement and headed to their own quarters. Sebastian brought Violet to her room and put her into her bed. As he was tucking her in, she held her arms out again to him and sniffled as tears streamed from her eyes. Seeing her upset gave Sebastian an odd feeling he could only assume was sadness. If he had a heart, it would be broken.

"Alright. Come here then," he said, picking the girl back up. She clung onto him and rested her head against his chest as he sat down on a big plush chair that faced the window. The rain still pelted against the glass, filling the silence of the night.

Sebastian looked down at the small girl he held in his arms, who stared off blankly, her eyelashes still wet with tears. Slowly, her eyelids grew heavy and would drift shut every now and again.

"Everything is going to be okay," he said softly, placing a hand on her head. "I promise."

After a few more minutes, Violet had fallen asleep. Not wanting to wake her or leave her alone, Sebastian stayed in place through the night.

*5 Years old*

"Sebastian!" Violet exclaimed in her tiny voice, running down the hall to him.

"Little kitten, you're up early," he replied, turning from his dusting, catching her and picking her up. Her long black hair was messy from sleep, and her nightgown terribly wrinkled. "You look like you've been dragged to hell by a most viscous monster." he added in a whisper, running his hand down the mess of hair. She put her hands to her mouth and giggled behind them. It was a bit of an inside joke between them. For, if Lady Carol ever heard it, she would be appalled by such dark humor being shared with such a small child.

"Nope, no monsters from hell," she giggled again.

"Ah, good. I would have to destroy them. Speaking of hell..." he said, still keeping his voice low. He set her down, dug something from his pocket, and knelt to her level. "I brought something back for you from my errands last night. Hold out your hands."

Her eyes shining, Violet held out her hands. Sebastian placed a large black stone in them, which had sparkling cracks of red in it. It was somewhat shaped like a heart. The girl gasped.

"Oh cool! It's so pretty!" She turned it over in her hands in awe, eyes wide. "Thank you Sebastian!" she said, throwing her arms around his neck in a hug.

"You're most welcome, Lady Violet," he said, an actual smile on his face. He picked her up again and started back towards her room. "Shall we find Mey-Rin to help you get in order for the day?"

She nodded. "I wanna go put this with the others!"

Once they arrived back to Violet's room, Sebastian went over to the tall shelves that held assorted books and toys. On one of the upper shelves, there was a row of various stones of all shapes and sizes that he had brought back for her over the last couple years. She reached out and placed the newest one right in the middle of all the others.

"There," she said, clasping her hands together, both of them admiring the collection.

Mey-Rin appeared in the doorway. "Lady Violet, let's get you dressed and cleaned up before breakfast, yes!"

Sebastian set the girl down and gave a small bow. "I'll see you in the dining room, Lady Violet." With that, he left Mey-Rin to tend to her.

*14 years old*

Violet awoke with a start and sat up in her bed. Lightning illuminated the room briefly, followed by a startling crack of thunder. Rain hammered down, leaving no room for quiet. She closed her eyes and focused on slowing her heart, which was pounding in her chest. She'd had another nightmare.

"I wish this would stop already," she mumbled, getting out of bed and quietly opening her door to the hallway. I'm 14, for god's sake. I shouldn't be afraid of a nightmare.

Tiptoeing through the dark, she shivered. I wish I'd put my robe on... Her oversized black t-shirt slipped down off one shoulder, and her pajama shorts left her legs to the cool night air. Why does auntie leave the heat off at night?

Just as she knew she would, she found Sebastian in the study. He looked up as she entered the room.

"Another nightmare, my lady?" he asked, one eyebrow raised, before looking back down at the papers.

"Yes," she sighed, plopping down in an armchair across the desk from him. Lately, this had become her routine. She'd go sit with Sebastian for awhile, eventually falling asleep in the chair as he told her some kind of story. Sebastian would then carry her back to her room after finishing the paperwork, and put her to bed again before continuing his preparations for the following day.

"I can assure you, Miss Violet, whatever it is that troubles you in these nightmares, will never come to be in reality. I promise." he stated. He pretended to be unaware of what she feared the most, but he knew exactly what it was.

"I hope not..." she said quietly, running her hands through her long black hair. She curled up and laid her head against the arm of the chair, feeling better in the presence of Sebastian, as he started in on one of is many tales.

- Sebastian's POV -

Violet had fallen asleep in the chair she was in, as she usually did. I admired her new found sense of calm and turned to the next page of the record book to finish up, only to find a note that had been neatly tucked away between the pages. Curious, I picked it up and opened it.

Dear Sebastian,
I've left this note for you in hopes that you will find it on this day. Violet is now 14, and we have been gone for some time. If you haven't figured it out yet, she is marked to be claimed by you. Yes, Matthew and I know about it. Her mark was visible for the first few days of her life before it faded. It will only appear if you touch her skin. It is located on the front of her right shoulder.
Of course, you are aware of our family's bloodlines. Violet is half demon. And sooner or later, she'll realize it when that side of her starts taking over. Carol and Leon are no help in the matter.
You have been a great service to our family, so much better than we could ever have asked for. We wish we could be around to raise Violet knowing what she is, and knowing her family's history. Unfortunately, that is not the case, and we hope you can teach her these things when the time comes. With that, we do have a few final requests for you:
1) Please wait until Violet is at least 17 before you begin courting her.
2) Don't tell her about the mark (or anything) until the time is right, as mentioned above. We want you both to enjoy your time together as it is before your lives change drastically.
3) We would like it if you wait for her to express her feelings for you first. It's only fair to her that she doesn't feel forced into anything. However, I don't think that will be an issue. We know she adores you, and her feelings will only grow stronger.
Please take good care of our little girl. We know that will be no problem for you though. You both have our blessings as we watch over you.
Love always,
Matthew and Miranda

I folded it back up and set it down. They knew the whole time? And Violet is half demon? How did I ever miss that? Of course, it does make sense... I could never feel such a connection with a human...

I sighed and closed the book, tucking the note into my pocket, glancing back over to the sleeping girl. I wonder...

I quietly walked over to her, removing my left glove with my teeth. Her shirt had slipped down from her right shoulder, so I placed my ungloved hand on one of her arms and watched. Sure enough, the seal slowly faded in. I moved my hand so my mark was right next to hers and fell to one knee as I stared, not believing my eyes. Even though the Earl and Lady had left the note for me to find, I had to see it for myself.

I can't believe it. After all these years... you're finally here... this explains everything... why you've had such a profound effect on me... why we share such a strong bond... my little kitten, my sweet angel...

"My mate..." I whispered.

- Regular POV -

"Time to wake up, my lady," Sebastian said as he walked over to the windows.

Violet groaned and opened her eyes as he opened the curtains, letting in the morning sun.

"I kind of insist that you don't do that..." she said as she pulled the covers over her head and rolled over.

"Today's breakfast options are oatmeal with pear and vanilla puree, toast, fruit salad, and fresh wild berry muffins. What would you like?"

"I'd like for you to shut the curtains again and let me go back to sleep," Violet grumbled, nonetheless sitting up and rubbing her eyes. It was a useless battle.

"I'm truly sorry, but you must get up. You've got a History lesson in an hour, then your friends will be arriving at noon as you planned. Now, what can I get you for breakfast?"

"Fruit salad, I guess..."

"Here you go, my lady." Sebastian set a tray on her lap that held a bowl of various cubed and sliced fruits. He then proceeded to prepare tea.

Violet yawned and looked at the clock. 8am.

Bedtime is so far away...

-4 hours later-

Violet sat on the front steps, waiting for her friends. Her history lesson had been a bore as usual... she was surprised she managed to stay awake.

Just then, she heard a car approaching. It pulled up in front of her, let her three friends out, and left again.
"Vi!" her friend Abby exclaimed. She and her other friends, Tyler and James, ran over.

"Hey guys," Violet said, giving a lazy wave and standing up.

"You look tired," James said. "Are you still having those nightmares?"

"Yeh..." she replied, yawning for the millionth time. "But forget that. Let's hit the ramps. That'll wake me up."

Violet picked up her skateboard and headed around the side of the house, the others following with their boards. As they neared the skate ramp, Sebastian walked out the side door with a tray of tea.

"Welcome back, Abby, James, Tyler," he said, setting the tray down on the table near the ramp. "I've taken the liberty of bringing refreshments for you and your guests, Miss Violet."

"Thanks Sebastian," she smiled.

She walked over to the ramp to join her friends as Sebastian started walking back to the door.

"I don't care what you say, your butler gives me the creeps..." Abby said quietly.

"He's not creepy! He's the best!" Violet paused. "He's pretty hot too..." she added, immediately gasping and covering her mouth with her hand, face reddening.

Lately, she'd been having strange feelings about Sebastian. Like a crush, but different. She knew about crushes... she'd had one on James for awhile.

Noticing Abby's expression, to avoid any further questions and such, Violet dropped in on the ramp for a run. This was definitely different, something she couldn't even sum up in her own mind, let alone in words to her best friend.

She was clueless that Sebastian had still managed to hear her... he smirked as he went through the door into the house.

-THAT NIGHT-

Violet laid in bed staring up at the ceiling, feeling restless. She was thinking about how she'd confessed her attraction to Sebastian to Abby earlier that day.

Why have I been feeling this way about him...? she wondered. How does this just happen? This is weird...
With many more thoughts, Violet drifted off into a dream-filled slumber.