AN: Odji here~! I come to you with another exciting Claude/Grell fic, a longer fic at that! This fic will contain spoilers for season two of Kuroshitsuji, just as a warning. I am aware that some readers may not have finished season two, and took that into consideration while creating this fic. This first chapter will give a general explanation regarding the end of the series, as this fic begins during the last episode of season two. With that said, I hope you enjoy the story!

Side note: I would like to thank my awesome kinda-beta for her help with this fic, Phoenix of Starlight. My grammar sucks, and without her you all would have to see just how bad it really is D: So thank you darling, you're awesome!

Warnings for this chapter: None

Savior

Chapter One: Recovery Mission

'Oh, what a mess~! And for once it's not even MY mess, but I'm still going to have to clean it up!' Grell thought to himself with a whimper. An annoyed William stood in front of him, fingers threaded together and eyes closed as he considered the story Grell had told him.

Under obligation to the Reaper Association, Grell had approached his boss William T. Spears at the beginning of his shift. Just last night, Sebastian had risked his life fighting the demonic butler of the Trancy estate for the soul of Ciel Phantomhive.

Grell recalled the sight of the large maze, full of lies and secrets, controlled by the thoughts of Ciel and Jim Macken, better known as Alois Trancy. Though the maze has been perilous, Grell had braved the danger with his lovely Sebas-chan by his side, and had even been useful!

Images of the handsome demon butler holding Grell in his arms, bridal style no less~, flooded the reaper's mind. A silly smile made its way onto his face, and Grell giggled as he thought of the breathtaking photos he had taken of the demon. He really would have to develop those photos as quickly as possible…

His darling Sebastian had made it through the maze, only to be thwarted by a technicality! His master, Ciel Phantomhive, had given him an order days ago to stay out of his sight. In completing the maze, the bratty child had seen Sebastian, and the demon had violated his order as a butler, resulting in the termination of their contract.

Then, on top of that, the female demon that Grell had pierced with his death scythe had shown up alive, making a contract with the spirit of Jim Macken while he resided in the body of Ciel Phantomhive. Grell had remained undetected as he spied on the situation from outside the doorway, knowing it would be foolish to follow Sebastian inside. A room full of demon's wouldn't welcome his presence, he was sure, and if Sebastian began to play hard to get again Grell would've been in a world of trouble.

The small group of demons had disappeared soon after that, much to Grell's dismay. An hour later, however, Sebastian has reappeared holding the body of his master, a bitter look plastered on his face. When the reaper has pestered him, the demon simply said that the others were dead, that he had killed Claude with his own sword, and then he had walked away into the night. Most likely heading back to the Phantomhive estate.

The situation was complex and messy, and for once Grell was thrilled to only have been minimally involved. Of course, any involvement was too much for his handsome boss, William. After Grell had explained the complicated situation, William had gone silent, considering all the information the red head had given him.

"Mr. Sutcliff," William said, startling Grell from his thoughts. "The island that you say Mr. Michaelis traveled to, I've heard of it before. It is abandoned. However, although it is rare, it is not unheard of for humans to find it of their own accord. Because of this, you will travel there and retrieve the sword that spider demon left behind. For a human or even another demon to get their hands on such a thing could mean quite a bit of trouble for us. A preemptive strike would be best, to avoid more trouble than necessary. While there, dispose of any bodies you may find. Remember, the only way to completely destroy a demonic body is with flames. The damned will be destroyed by the flames of hell." William concluded, a cross look on his face.

"But Will~! I don't want to have to search an entire island! Besides, who's to say that another demon hasn't already came along and taken the sword?" Grell whined, pouting in an attempt to get out of the extra assignment.

Grell's case was dismissed with a heated glare from his boss, and the reaper was caught between the fear of being jabbed with the man's death scythe, and lusting over the incredibly sexy look he was being given. 'Oh Will~, you steal my heart away with every passionately hateful look! Won't you stop playing hard to get?'

"William." The irritated reaper immediately corrected. "And you will go there regardless. The island is small, and rarely occupied. It is not likely that you will have any troubles completing this assignment. That having been said, if you do not return with that demonic sword, believe me Mr. Sutcliff, you will be in over your head with paperwork." William threatened.

With a huff, Grell crossed his arms over his chest and turned to leave. William really was too cruel, forcing him to clean up after a bunch of demon. 'Even if one of those demons was the lovely Sebas-chan~!' Grell thought with a pout.

Closing William's office door behind him, Grell made his way down to the ground floor. The easiest way to travel for a reaper was to simply create a portal to the appropriate destination. Although Grell didn't know exactly where he needed to go, with enough concentration and information, he would reach the appropriate destination.

Making a quick stop at the second floor, Grell stopped at the service window to request his customized death scythe. Signing the appropriate paperwork, a bright red chain saw was handed to him, gleaming with the promise of death and destruction. His scythe was beautiful, and embodied his intentions and desires perfectly.

With a small giggle, Grell hugged the chain saw. He certainly wasn't going to travel to some demonic island without his scythe! Satisfied, the reaper continued to his destination.

Descending the stairs once again, Grell made his way to a small area of the Library dubbed 'The Portal Room.' The room was the location all active reapers used to travel between realms, and the red head was pleased to find it completely empty. The lack of commotion would make it easier to concentrate on the task at hand.

Closing his acidic green eyes, Grell began to concentrate on his destined location. A desolate island full of demonic energy, void of life and happiness. A place marked for death, used to rip the souls from humans who made the unfortunate choice to contract with a demon.

Grell could feel his energy draining as it began to form the portal, and he kept his eyes closed, reminding himself to concentrate. Because he had never seen his exact destination, he would have to have flawless concentration in order to find the appropriate place. A few moments later, the flow of energy stopped, and the reaper's eyes flickered open.

In front of him stood his portal, its light radiating so brightly it made Grell want to shield his eyes. 'After so many years of this, you think that the light wouldn't bother me anymore.' The reaper thought to himself as he winced.

Without a second thought, Grell clutched his death scythe firmly in his hand and walked into the light.

Just as quickly as the red head had entered the portal, he had exited it. The sight that greeted him could only be described as ruins. A crumbling building assaulted Grell's eyes, and across from it a stone bench stood on a stone floor. No grass grew on the island, which was draped in a dull grey color. Even the beautiful ocean that surrounded the island looked drab and dull.

A demonic presence assaulted Grell's senses next, causing a feeling of unease and paranoia to stop the reaper in his tracks. A chill ran through his spine as the sense of foreboding set in. This was not a place meant for a reaper. This was not a place meant for a human. This place was to be feared.

Shifting uncomfortably, Grell turned around in a circle as he took in the area surrounding him. The island held a promise of death and misfortune. The red head couldn't imagine why any human would dare approach it.

For a moment, the thought of Sebastian crossed the reaper's mind, and he silently wondered how the demon was faring. He could have to pay the butler a visit after he got out of work, after all, without Grell's help he wouldn't have made it as far as he did. Maybe he could wiggle a thank you kiss out of the handsome butler.

With a shrug and a sigh, Grell began to walk past the decaying building. Up ahead, the land looked like it had twisted and broken apart, a large crater dividing the island. 'Seems like as good of a place as any to search.' The reaper thought to himself.

The clicking of his heels could be heard on the stone ground beneath him as Grell approached the ravished land. The scene before him painted images of war and death, and the red head silently wished he could have seen his lovely Sebastian as he caused so much destruction. Oh, death was such~ a beautiful thing!

A large crater lay up ahead, and Grell concluded that it must have been the place of battle. Whatever had caused that crater had nearly split the island in two. As Grell approached, pieces of rubble that clung to the edge of the hole began to fall in. He would have to step carefully to avoid falling in himself. With careful steps, Grell came to the edge of the devastated land.

The crater went down quite a ways, and looked as though it had been flooded with rain water from the night before. Adjusting his glasses, the red head surveyed they land below. Rocks jutted out, creating small ledges. The bottom of the crater held large boulders and pieces of debris from the collapse, along with a pool of water. A moment later, on one of the lower ledges, Grell spotted exactly what he was looking for.

The gleam of the demonic sword, as well as two bodies, one male and the other female. Grell gave a flat look. 'Of course they're near the bottom. Anything to make this situation worse for me, right? And William expects me to dispose of those bodies as well~! Oh, sending a woman to do a man's job~' The reaper whined in his head, grimacing at the thought of dragging both bodies from the harsh land below.

Grell leapt from the ledge, descending into the pit and easily landing on the small jutting cliffs below. With a few more leaps, the reaper finally reached his destination. The small patch of land was covered with a thin layer of water, and the red head could feel it soaking into his shoes.

Grell turned and looked at the two bodies lying on the ground nearby. Drenched and dirty from rubble, the motionless bodies lie together. The man, Claude Faustus, appeared to have a stab wound through his upper chest, a result of his fight with Sebastian no doubt. Most likely stabbed with his own sword.

The woman, Hannah Annafellows, Grell recognized immediately. He recalled piercing her with his death scythe not too long ago, and vaguely wondered how the demon had managed to survive his attack. 'No matter, she's dead now anyways.' Grell thought to himself as he approached the bodies.

The woman had curled up atop the man's body, and Grell immediately thought of Romeo and Juliet. Such a lovely tale, really, a romantic tragedy. The reaper considered the idea that the pair had been in love, but dismissed the thought just as quickly as it had came. The night that the red head had came for Alois Trancy's soul and attempted to kill the female, Claude had shown no concern for the other demon, only mild curiosity about Grell's own intentions.

The demonic sword Grell had been sent to search for lie only a few feet away from the two, the odd green metal twisting like vines and meeting at a sharp point. The reaper would have to take it to the Undertaker sometime if he could get it away from William. The older reaper was a treasure trove of knowledge, and could probably tell him quite a bit about the demonic artifact.

After a moment of debate, the reaper set his death scythe aside and began to undue his belt. It would be no good to make three trips, so securing the sword to himself would cut down on his work load.

Picking the sword off the ground, Grell ignored the pulse of demonic energy as he slid his belt through the twisting sword before refastening it. The sword hung heavily at his side, dragging his pants down a bit, but it would do for now.

Picking up his scythe again, Grell turned his attention back to the demons behind him, silently debating the easiest way to get them out of the deep crater. Walking over to the pair, Grell reached down and took hold of the woman's long hair, memories of William dragging him around by his hair after the Jack the Ripper incident coming to mind.

'Well,' Grell reasoned, 'if it worked for William, I suppose it will work just as well for me too.'

Dragging the carcass along, Grell leapt into the air, landing on the cliff above with minor difficulty. Adjusting his strength appropriately, the reaper leapt farther, pulling along the dead body of Hannah Annafellows.

A few minutes later, Grell exited the crater, sword and demon in tow.

'Remember, the only way to completely destroy a demonic body is with flames.' William's voice echoed in his head, almost seeming to mock him as he glanced around for anything that might catch fire. The stone island held nothing useful though, and Grell considered his options. He could leave the body and take his chances against William, or throw it into the ocean.

With the threat of overtime and paperwork looming in the air, Grell dragged the deceased demon to the closest edge of the small island. With one last look at the demon, Grell tossed her into the harsh waters below before making his way back to the crater.

Descending down the treacherous cliff again, Grell easily made his way back to the awaiting body of Claude Faustus. Landing at the bottom of the crater, Grell turned his attention to the second corpse. 'It really is a shame,' Grell thought to himself as he studied the demon before, 'Why must all demon men be so handsome~?'

After a moment of consideration, Grell reached out to take hold of the demon's arm. Getting a firm grip on the limb, Grell screamed in surprise when the demon's hand clamped down on his own arm in desperate grip. Jumping and pulling away, Grell fell to his butt facing the demon, a look of surprise on his face.

After a moment of hesitation, Grell crawled over to the demon and pulled off a glove. Gently placing a hand against the demon's cheek, the red head was surprised to find his body still faintly warm with life. Sliding his glove back over his slender hand, the reaper hovered over the demon, unsure what to do next.

His instincts told him that this fact didn't matter, that it was his duty as a reaper to bring an end to the demon without thought or question. But Grell had never been one to follow his sense of duty. Reaching out to stroke the face of the fallen demon with his gloved hand, and Grell knew that he couldn't leave the demon to die.

'Besides, he is handsome, and it's been so fun to watch him press Sebastian's buttons so delightfully!' Grell reasoned, a small smile on his face. His mind was made up.

Undoing his belt yet again, Grell slipped his death scythe next to the demonic sword, ignoring the uncomfortable weight at his side. It would do no good to drag an injured body along the side of a cliff, which left Grell with no choice but to carry the large man out of the crater.

Sliding an arm under the man's broad shoulders, and another under his knees, Grell stood with some difficulty, almost losing his balance and falling over. Regaining his balance, the reaper felt his arms tremble at the uncomfortable weight. 'A maiden like me carrying around a gentlemen, how unbecoming~!' Grell thought with a shudder. Leaping into the air, Grell began the awkward journey out of the crater.

The trip upward was perilous, and Grell found it much more difficult to carry another body out of the crater and remain balanced. Struggling, the red head finally made it to the top of the demolished land, lying Claude's body on the cold stone ground. Breathing heavily, Grell's mind raced. 'I can't take him back to the Library. The Association of Reaper's would kill him without a second thought. So where..?'

The Trancy estate crossed Grell's mind as well. The man was the butler of the Trancy estate, and all other members of the estate were now deceased. The mansion would be empty, and likely fully stocked. It really was the most logical choice, considering the fact that if William found out what Grell was about to do, he would probably be sent in front of council again and demoted. Grell shivered at the thought of losing his beloved chain saw death scythe once again.

But with the death of Alois Trancy, the Trancy's next of kin would soon come around to deal with the estate. It would be no good if they found an injured demon being cared for by a reaper inside the mansion. Too much to risk.

The only other place was his own home, which would mean transporting both himself and the unconscious demon through a portal. Highly illegal, but so was everything else he did. Shrugging to himself, the red head knew he didn't have any other choice in the matter.

With a destination in mind, the reaper cleared his mind of all unnecessary thoughts, the clear image his apartment coming to mind. Energy drew from his body as his eyes closed, and he could feel it swirling in front of him as the portal began to form. The flow of energy stopped, and the portal was presented to him as he opened his eyes.

The red head made his way over to Claude's body, lying cold, bloody, and dirty on the ground a few feet away. Picking the man up once again, Grell entered the portal with a toothy grin. He had a feeling life was about to get much more interesting.

AN: And here we are at the end of chapter one! No fluff yet, though I promise that WILL come later! I hope that you enjoyed the start of the story so far, and if you have, you should submit a review to let me know~! Just as demons love to nom souls, I love to nom on reviews T.T …Thanks for reading!