Friends¡I have returned!

Firstly, I am 100% gomen for taking 4 long months to complete this. I've been focusing hard on school since this will be my final year high school. I've been trying to raise my ACT scores, apply for scholarships since the college I want to attend is $20000 a year not including books, and I've looking for some part time work.

Luckily I've mostly gotten my shit together so now it's time to write!

But it's the last chapter!1!

This is a bit different though. It's set six years in the future after Ciel's death. Even so their father's death doesn't sit well with them. Abigail and Elliot are 16, Louis is 12, and Elizabeth is 38.

I hope you all enjoy~

~O~

'Parry, parry, thrust.' His mother's teachings chant its mantra in Elliot's mind.

Elliot's sweaty fingers coil harder around the foil's handle. His conscience is drunk on adrenaline and determination, but his mother's words continue to sing their dulcet harmonies in his ears.

Parry, parry, thrust. His eyes strain to watch his opponent through the black twine of the mask.

Sweat is dripping from nearly every pore on his body and his breathing is labored, but this does nothing to break his steadfast concentration.

Elliot notices an open spot on his opponent's body: the leg.

His lips curl from behind his mask.

He can do this. After another, hopefully, successful fend, he can go for his rival's left leg and win. Finally he will be the one that is victorious and not the one perched on the floor in shame, mulling over what he could have done differently.

Not today.

'Parry.' He muses as he raises his foil to thwart his opponent from striking him in the ribs.

'Parry.' His mind screams at him as his eyes lock onto his rival's open area.

'Thrust!' He gnashes his teeth together in anticipation and bends his elbow and aims.

BANG!A gunshot is fired a few feet from the left of him.

Elliot jumps in fright and nearly trips over his feet. With widened eyes, he turns to the sound in surprise.

What on earth?

The boy's breath is stolen from him as his opponent's foil stabs him harshly in the chest. His heart, to be exact.

The sound of familiar, obnoxious, cackling reaches Elliot's pounding ears. He frowns and looks to his left.

Abigail.

Frances crosses her arms, lips down turning into a solemn frown. "You must learn to better your concentration Elliot. Had that been a real battle you have been dead by now." She berates.

Elliot falls to his knees and wraps his quaking fingers around the wiring of his mask and yanks it off his head, throwing it in frustration. His balled fists clench the soft earth beneath him, tearing blades of grass from its home on the ground.

He lost. Again.

He was so close.

Abigail grins haughtily him as she rests her rifle against her shoulder. "Grandmother is right, Ellie. In a split second, your heart would have been on the tip of their blade and you would be six feet under. What a shame. From the looks of it, you were just about to win too." She giggles.

Elliot growls thunderously at her. So she fired the bullet.

A few feet away, Elliot's opponent doffs her mask, freeing the wild curls underneath it. Elizabeth looks to her son with sympathetic eyes.

She walks over to the boy and places a gentle hand on his head. "Remember Elliot, no matter what is happening around you, your eyes must not leave your opponent. Let them be the ones distracted, not you." She advises gently.

Elliot nods sullenly. He still does not make to move from his position on the grass, however.

Abigail rolls her eyes at the melodramatic display. "You aren't going to cry, are you?" She gibes.

"That is enough, Abby." Elizabeth scolds, her lilt succinctly expressing her deprecation at the girl's taunts.

"You fired that shot on purpose, Abby!" Elliot accuses, turning to her with wild, fiery eyes.

Abigail places her hand over her chest and takes a step back in mock hurt. "I did nothing of the sort brother! I merely saw a rabbit running across the glade and made to shoot it, that's all."

"Then where is the rabbit?" Elliot counters.

Abigail smiles. "I missed."

"Liar!"

"That is enough! Hold your tongues, the both of you!" Frances roars.

The passing animals residing in the land, pause before quickly scampering away from the noisy one. Silence falls over the forest.

Frances sighs, realizing her mistake. She has now scared off all the game Abigail and she has been hunting all morning.

'I suppose this wraps up rifle practice for Abigail.' She muses.

Frances turns back to her grandson. "Whether there was a rabbit or not, Elliot your focus needs adjustment. Starting tomorrow we will begin to train for maintaining your attentiveness in battle." She says and begins to stride back to the manor. Abigail skips after her.

Elliot stands, clutching the rubber grip of his foil. "Yes ma'am." He whispers.

Elizabeth begins walking back as well, but not before placing her arms around her son's shoulders and drawing him into a doting embrace.

Without any prying eyes watching him, Elliot leans against her bosom and heaves a relaxed sigh at the much appreciated affection.

Though he would not dare to say this aloud, Elliot feels the thing that provides the most solace after a hard day is his mother's embrace.

"You did well." Elizabeth smiles encouragingly, and lays a kiss on his brow.

As his mother turns away, Elliot sighs and begins collecting his gear from the forest floor.

Abigail, who had stopped walking after noticing her brother was behind, gazes at him whilst guiltily tapping her booted toe against the grass.

She had not presumed her brother would become so dejected because of her small prank.

Pissed off beyond belief? Yes.

Plagued with poignancy? No.

Does defeating their mother in battle really mean this much to him?

"I was only playing a small joke, Ellie." She calls out to him.

Elliot glances up at her with stoic eyes that so much reminded Abigail of her father, despite the difference of color in Elliot's and Ciel's eyes. "I didn't find it all that humorous." He says as he garners his fallen mask.

Abigail pouts, unappreciative of her brother's way of brushing her off. "I fail to understand why you are so upset, Elliot. It's not like this is the first time you've lost—" She pauses when her brother turns sharply towards her.

She suppresses a flinch when Elliot's booming voice echoes throughout the woodland. "The reason I am upset, Abigail, is because I came very close to defeating mother today and you sullied it!" He hisses.

Abigail swallows thickly, but continues to hold her ground as an act of petulance. "I told you I saw a rabbit! And in any case, why is defeating mother such an important factor in your life?"

Elliot sends her a steely glare for several seconds before sighing in retreat. He glances back up at her with a forlorn expression.

"Do you remember the last thing father said to me before he passed?" He asks, his voice much more hushed than before.

Abigail tenses. Even after six long years, the subject of their father is still a sensitive spot for her. "No, I do not. What did he say?" She asks.

Elliot turns to stare up at the gray clouds above. "He told me he believed that I would one day surpass mother and grandmother and that I would become a sole protector of this family. I made him a promise that I would. That I would train hard enough so I could protect myself and my family. That I would make him proud of me." He says, a smile that deeply portrays the nostalgia he feels graces his lips.

Abigail pauses, looking her brother with apologetic eyes.

So that is the reason. She feels terrible now.

"Ellie…" She breathes. She had no idea. "I'm so sorry." She whispers.

Elliot glances away from the clouds and over at her. "Don't be. Today just wasn't the day." He says as he walks past her.

"But Ellie—"

"It's fine. Let's hurry and get back. It looks like rain is approaching." Elliot calls over his shoulder.

Abigail stares pitifully at his departing form before running to catch up with him.

~O~

Louis stares out at the rolling scenery from the carriage window in hopes of a distraction. A fruitless effort, he must admit though.

He raises his fingers to his mouth to chew at the cuticles of his nails before immediately catching himself and placing his hands back into the comfy nest of his lap. His mother has lectured him several times about this unsanitary habit, as well as his deceased butler.

Louis scrunches his nose at the thought of that butler.

Even at a young age, he was never fond of Sebastian, not in the way his siblings were. There was just something so positively eerie about the man that he could not shake. Even now a chill runs down Louis' spine at the thought of him.

Just everything about the man was so creepy to Louis. The butler's mannerism, how his words held such ominous implications, how he stood in the shadows watching, listening, waiting.

Waiting for what, exactly, Louis could not place a finger on it, but the feeling was still there.

Sebastian's appearance did nothing to help his case either. His black clothes, black hair, and his eyes—oh god, those eyes!

Louis blanches at the thought.

Sebastian's eyes, Louis recalls, would sometimes shimmer in the most inhuman way. Louis had seen it before. When he awoken one night when he was a child (for what, he cannot remember, but mostly likely to sneak some of the treats from the kitchen) he saw it.

The butler was there at the end of the corridor, his form invisible due to the absence of light there. But those eyes were visible. They shone brightly and illuminated the hallway.

Louis was struck with fright, cool perspiration leaked from every pore on his body. His legs could do nothing but quiver and cramp up uselessly. It felt as if the air was trying to suffocate him! He remembers he struggled to breathe through his mouth. Despite all this, he could not bring himself to look away those eyes.

When he awoke, he was in bed. His siblings and mother were crowded around his bedside worriedly. His mother informed that he had a dreadfully, high, fever and when his siblings found him that morning, he was panting and writhing against his bed sheets.

At first Louis believed the incident in the hallway to be nothing more than a lucid dream until he spotted Sebastian standing in the corner of his bedroom.

The butler's eyes were narrowed dangerously at him, as if threatening him not to tell what took place in the corridor and that what happened was most certainly not a dream.

This took place just a few days before Sebastian and Ciel's demise.

The news made papers all across England. Tragedy has struck the unfortunate Phantomhive's anew for the Earl is dead.

Miles from their home a wrecked carriage was found. The horses were dead, lacerations across the animals' throats and stomach.

Inside the broken carriage were the Earl of Phantomhive and his loyal servant.

The Earl's body was in no better shape than the horses. His left eye was torn from the socket; blood ran in rivulets down his cheek. His shirt was torn and ripped. Scratches and bruises marred his skin, especially near his lower back where one could barely make out the remnants of a branding scar of some sort.

And the butler?

Nothing other than his left arm was missing. He received no other injuries, unlike his master. It was speculated that blood loss was the cause of his death.

Due to the torn carriage cushions and the mangled horses, the Scotland Yard ruled the case to be an animal attack as the cause of death, though the animal was never found, nor was the butler's arm.

The funeral was small since Elizabeth only granted Ciel's closest friends and family entrance and Sebastian's family was never located.

Nevertheless, the funeral was still sad. Abigail had practically thrown herself on top of her father's corpse, her tears soaking the fabric of his suit and in turn the cloth muffled her cries.

For a moment, no one in the room had the heart to remove her. Finally, Elliot slipped his arm around her shoulders and escorted her back to her seat, where the servants did their best to console her.

Sebastian's casket had been closed, which now that Louis thought about it, was odd since their father suffered far worse injuries than Sebastian did and their father's casket was open.

He briefly remembers Abigail and Elliot begging the funeral director to open the casket, so they could see Sebastian one last time. Their mother put a stop to it though, saying a closed casket is nothing for a child's eyes to gaze upon.

Louis could not care less if he never saw the butler again though. Good riddance to that creepy man, were his impenitent thoughts. To this day, he will never comprehend his siblings or the servants adoration for the butler when Sebastian looks like something conjured up out of child's nightmare. He thanks the heavens for his grandmother and her resistance to the butler's charms.

The carriage wheels come to a brisk stop and Louis is nearly thrown off the seat.

He glances out the window and sees he has reached his destination.

"We're here master, says Oscar." Snakes reports as he opens the door and helps the boy out of the carriage.

Louis steps down and looks up at the building in front of him.

Black is the first thing that greets his sight. Next are the elegant coffins that are placed against the building. He glances up at the dingy letters painted on the building's roof.

The Undertaker

The familiar fire of vehemence that ignited in his gut at the funeral starts again. He is convinced that ominous butler had something to do with his beloved father's death and he vows to undercover the truth.

~O~

"There you two are! I thought we were going to have to call the Yard for a search warrant!" Alexis Midford smiles, spotting the twins' shadows approaching the patio.

"Abigail had to help me get my gear together." Elliot explains, setting his bag on the ground and plopping down on one of the nearby lawn chairs.

"How was the hunt, Abby?" Edward inquires next to Elizabeth, who he had been conversing quietly with until the twins approached.

Abigail beams, hugging her rifle to her chest. "It was great! I nearly bested grandma!" She says, throwing a cheeky grin to her grandmother.

Frances rolls her eyes. "It will be another five years before you can best me, child." She says.

Abigail laughs. "Oh come now, grandma! I think shooting a hawk in flight is far more impressive than a few foxes and a couple of pheasants." She smirks at her grandfather's applause and her uncle's impressed whistle.

"You are forgetting, granddaughter, that you only shot that, a couple of rabbits, and a doe. The rest that you gunned down were trees." The marchioness reminds, eliciting laughter from the others. "The final score was seven to four." She adds.

Abigail pouts, her cheeks stinging with pinkness. "Well I think a doe and a hawk are worth far more than one point." She argues.

"Hunting is a sport of quantity dear, not quality." Frances says simply, flicking her cowlick over her shoulder.

Abigail places her hands on her hips before stomping over to an empty seat next to her grandfather. She plops down in it and folds her arms in frustration.

Alexis pats her head with a smile. "Don't worry, Abby. At least Fanny said five years instead of ten like usual. That shows you have potential." He soothes.

Abigail perks up at this. "I suppose you're right, grandpa." She chuckles. "I'll train hard then."

Alexis grins. "Ah, that's my spunky granddaughter." He pecks her forehead.

Frances smiles.

"How did your fencing practice fare, Elliot?" Edward calls, acknowledging the silent boy at the end of the patio.

Elizabeth sends a worried glance to her son. The match is a sensitive matter, especially since Elliot had full intent of defeating her. She prays the reminder of his loss does not open up any wounds.

"I became distracted during the battle and lost." He explains simply.

"Distracted?" Edward questions.

"That does not seem like you, El. What broke your focus?" Alexis asks.

"A gunshot went off and it surprised me." Elliot replies with a sigh.

Abigail bites her lip. "But Ellie was really close to winning though! I saw it, he nearly had mother!" She quickly adds.

"Nearly winning is not a win, Abigail, especially in life and death situations. I am going to train Elliot tomorrow on holding his concentration in battle." Frances cuts in.

Abigail slumps in her seat. Well, there goes her attempt to make Elliot feel better. Ruined by their strict grandmother.

Elliot chuckles quietly after having spotted his sister's actions. He supposes this is her way of making it up to him.

He leans over to pat her knee reassuringly, much to her surprise.

He smiles at her before turning to his grandmother. "I appreciate your instruction grandma. I will be ready first thing tomorrow." Elliot beams at the older woman.

Frances' countenance adorns a look of surprise before fading away into a smirk. "I would expect nothing less." She harrumphs.

Elliot turns to Abigail. "Help me polish my blades?" He asks her. "I couldn't possibly battle the almighty marchioness with filthy blades." He adds slyly, glancing over at his grandmother.

Frances frowns. "Are you teasing me, boy?"

Elliot laughs, "Not at all. Let's go, Abby." He motions, gathering his things.

Abigail beams and happily follows after him. 'Thank god he's returned to his normal self.' She thinks.

Frances watches their departing forms disappear inside the manor before chuckling. "They have certainly grown." She comments.

Elizabeth sighs, "Too fast for my liking. Elliot will be off to university soon. And before I know it, Abby will be married." She says, gazing down at the embroidery of her gloves.

Edward leans over and places his hands over hers. "You will still have Lou for some time. And I will see to it that Christian will keep you company every day."

Elizabeth chortles softly at the good natured gesture. "You don't have to do that. Christian is becoming a young man. I am sure he'd much rather socialize than hang around his auntie. It's his season after all." She says.

"Where is Louis by the way?" Alexis asks. "I have not seen him since morning."

Elizabeth thinks for a bit. "I believe he took Snake and set out for town." She replies.

Frances raises an eyebrow. "By himself?"

"He has Snake with him." Elizabeth says before adding with a chuckle, "And Snake's snakes."

Edward frowns. "Where on earth did Ciel obtain such peculiar servants?"

Elizabeth laughs at this. "He never told me, but I am grateful he found them. I do not know what I would do without them." She says with a fond smile on her lips.

"Where does Louis keep going? He isn't getting into trouble is he?" Frances asks, wanting to stick with the topic at hand.

"Bookstores, I believe. He is not gone long and he always returns with stacks of books." Elizabeth notes, absentmindedly recalling the many instances of Snake and Louis waltzing in carrying books.

"What types of books?" Alexis inquires, curious about his youngest grandson's behavior.

"Will the books in the study not suffice?" Frances asks.

"Apparently not since he's leaving and returning with more books. And from some of the ones I have seen, he enjoys informational books like encyclopedias and atlases."

"It sounds like he enjoys learning." Edward notes.

"His instructor tells me that Louis is his most attentive pupil." Elizabeth smiles before her eyes grow a bit sad.

Edward immediately notices this and squeezes her hand, waiting for her to speak again.

She sighs. "It just feels as if Louis is always busy. He does not talk with me as much as he used to and he's almost always in his bedroom when he's not doing his daily tasks. He reminds me of Ciel." She explains shakily, clutching Edward's hand.

Edward soothingly draws his younger sister to his chest and wraps his arm around her.

Frances sends her husband a look.

Alexis nods at her.

Frances clears her throat to gain her daughter's attention. "Perhaps Louis is in need of a father figure." She says softly.

Elizabeth pauses. She slowly raises herself from the nest of her brother's comforting embrace to gaze at her mother. "What?" She asks.

Frances sighs. "Elizabeth, it's been six years." She starts. "Elliot will be off to university soon and Abigail will begin pursuing a husband. Louis will go through changes you will not be able to help him with. He needs a man in the house to guide him."

Elizabeth frowns. "What are you suggesting mother?" She asks.

"Mother please." Edward begs. "Now isn't the time…"

"Silence Edward." Frances says before turning to her daughter again. "Elizabeth I think it would be in everyone's best interest if you remarried."

Elizabeth stares at her mother for long, hard, seconds before continuing. "Mother I have told you that Ciel is the only man I could ever love."

"Elizabeth, he is gone! Ciel is gone for good! I understand that you loved him, but you need to think about your children! Louis cannot get through life without a father to help guide him!" Frances shouts.

"I can raise him just fine mother!" Elizabeth argues, trying to ignore the burning feeling behind her lids.

"Elizabeth for God sake! You haven't even hired a new butler since they died! You need to stop living in the past! It's not benefiting you or your children."

Elizabeth can only stare at her mother with stark disbelief. Tears begin to stream down her eyes.

Alexis hands clench at his side. He had been terrified of this kind of reaction from his youngest. Tears were not meant on her sweet face.

He glances at his wife. "Frances." He calls, getting up from his seat. "We need to leave."

Frances turns to him in alarm and anger. "No Alexis! She needs to understand that—"

"Frances." Alexis repeats firmly this time, gazing into his wife's eyes.

After a several seconds of exchanging challenging glances, Frances sighs and gathers her things. She turns to Elizabeth, who is dabbing her wet eyes with a handkerchief. "Elizabeth, I may seem cruel, but I am only trying to do what is beneficiary to both you and my grandchildren. It would be best if you heed my words." She says before turning her heels and walking out the door.

Alexis leans down places a kiss on her daughter's head and wordlessly follows after his wife.

Edward watches them leave and turns back to his sister. Her hands are knotted in her hair and her elbows rest against her knees. "She is only trying to help, Lizzy." He says quietly.

"I don't want to hear it Edward." Elizabeth says with exasperation in her lilt.

Edward gets up from his chair and places a soft hand on her shoulder. "Just promise me you will at least consider mother's words."

"You already know the answer to that, brother." Elizabeth answers.

Edward chuckles, "Unfortunately I do." He says sadly before collecting his jacket and shrugging it on. "Goodbye Lizzy." He says.

"Goodbye." She replies hoarsely.

Edward bestows her one more departing gaze before turning to leave.

Once his footsteps are out of range, Elizabeth sits up. She pushes her bangs out of her eyes and looks up at the cloudy sky. "What should I do, Ciel?" She asks the clouds.

The clash of thunder is her only reply.

~O~

The inside of the Undertaker's shop is not much different from the exterior. It is dark and coffins are strewn about the room.

Louis peers inside, noting his surroundings.

"Master Louis? Are you sure this the correct place, says Oscar." Snake inquires, looking around cautiously.

Louis nods, "I'm almost sure of it."

Louis wanders over to the front of the shop to the desk. Along with unorganized documents, pens and notepads is a shiny golden bell. He taps it with a resounding chime.

Snake and Louis wait patiently, but nothing happens.

"Hello?" Louis calls, a bit of impatience in his tone.

"Maybe the person isn't he—" Snake is cut off when several candles alight all at once.

A coffin in the far corner of the shop slowly creaks open. Maniacal laughter resounds.

Snake jumps while Louis struggles to keep a brave face. Perhaps he should have brought a weapon.

A black figure rises from out of the coffin and grins. "Welcome guests~" It croons.

Louis swallows thickly. "Are you the one they call the Undertaker?" He asks, mentally berating himself for sounding like a scared child.

The figure steps out of the shadows and reveals a man with long gray hair and black nails, elongated and sharp as a blade.

He grins, "Why, yes I am. What can I help you with, young one? Are you in need of a coffin today?"

Louis shakes his head. "No. I have come looking for information. Six years ago you held my father's funeral. I am under the impression you were acquaintances with him. His name was—"

"—Ciel Phantomhive." The Undertaker cuts in, finishing the boy's sentence.

Louis' eyes widen. "How did you know that? Don't tell me you remember me from all those years." He asks incredulously.

Undertaker smiles. "How could I not, boy? You look just like Vincent." He snickers before adding, "A blonde, curly haired, Vincent."

Louis raises an eyebrow. "You know my grandfather as well?"

"Child, I know more about the Phantomhive's than you could ever know." He replies solemnly before reaching behind the coffin he appeared from and pulling out a jar. "Cookie?" He offers, holding out the jar of bone shaped treats.

Louis stares warily at the offered snack."Uh, no thank you." He shakes his head.

Undertaker shrugs and holds out the jar to Snake.

"N-No thank you, says Oscar." Snake says nervously.

"Suit yourselves." Undertaker giggles, happily munching on the biscuits.

Louis turns to Snake, "Go wait outside for me Snake. I'll be out shortly." He tells him.

The footman looks at the Undertaker warily. "I'm not sure. I don't think Lady Elizabeth would be comfortable with you being here alone, or at all for that matter, says Wordsmith." Snake whispers.

Louis frowns. "What mother doesn't know won't kill her. I promise I'll call for you if anything goes wrong, so just wait outside, will you." He begs.

Snake eyes the boy then Undertaker then back at the boy. "All right, says Wordsmith." He replies with reluctance evident in his tone. Louis ignores that little tidbit.

Snake bows to the Undertaker and nearly sprints out the door, praying that Louis knows what he is doing and will come out alive.

At the jingling of the bell on top of the door, Louis inhales a deep breath and turns to the man in front of him. "I've come to ask a few questions about my father and his butler, Sebastian." He says, silently preening himself for not sounding as frightened as before.

Undertaker hums. "I don't know, boy. The Earl gave me strict orders not to talk about his personal affairs with anyone, family included. Does your mother even know you are here? I'm sure the Lady Phantomhive is worried."

Louis scowls. Who does this man think he is talking to him like his some lost child?

"My mother is busy at the moment." Louis replies tightly. "And this is urgent. I feel like my father's butler had something to do with his murder." He admits.

He had not intended on telling anyone his suspicions until he had further evidence, but this man is being difficult.

Undertaker cocks his head to the side. "Oh? And what makes you think such a thing? It was to my understanding that the Phantomhive children were very close to the butler." He says, recalling the brief conversations with Ciel when he spoke of his children.

Let Ciel tell it, the children were absolutely smitten with the demon, so much so that it unnerved the Earl. So why would one accuse their beloved servant as something as serious as murdering his own master?

Louis frowns, looking down at his shoelaces. "That was my brother and sister. I held no such feelings for that man nor will I ever." He states firmly.

"I see." Undertaker chuckles lightly. "But what makes you think the butler had something to do with it. He was murdered as well wasn't he? This isn't some mystery novel where the butler is always the culprit."

Louis looks up at him. "I know that, but I just can't shake this feeling that he was involved. During my father's final days, he hardly interacted with Sebastian. When we went on vacation, he told Sebastian to stay back or stay behind at the hotel. Father had never done that before! And Sebastian would seem so angry at him all the time. And not just him! Angry and irritated at everyone! I didn't realize what was going on because I was young, but now that I think about it, put the pieces together, I feel that Sebastian never really cared for my family, he was using my father! For what, I don't know, but Sebastian never cared for him. Why else would he allow father to become injured and vandalized when he himself suffered one injury. Sebastian had never allowed anyone to touch a hand on father's head so why then? Why when he became irritated at my father?" Louis balled his clothes into his fists. His eyes began to shimmer due to the glassy film of tears covering his eyes.

He quickly blinks them away. "I just want to know the truth." Louis says finally, sniffing.

Undertaker falls silent. The boy is perceptive, he would give him that. He really should not expect anything less though, since the boy is the scion of the Phantomhive's.

"So you believe I may know something." The mortician starts.

Louis nods. "Yes. You have known my father and his butler for a long time. Will you give the information I am seeking?" He asks hopefully.

Undertaker hums. "Of course I will need payment for this information, yes?"

Louis smirks. "I had considered this to be a possibility." He reaches into his pants pocket and fishes out his wallet.

"I don't won't any of your money, boy." Undertaker says.

Louis raises an eyebrow. "What is it you want then?"

Undertaker leans back in his seat, a sly smile dancing on his lips. "A laugh." He states simply.

Louis frowns. "A laugh?" He asks bewilderedly. Was this man making fun of him?

Undertaker nods. "Yes! A laugh is what I require. It gets boring around this shop, you know? If you can make me laugh, I will help you." He grins.

Louis deadpans at him. Were all of his father's friends such nutters?

"Well? Go on." Undertaker smiles, sitting cross legged on one of the coffins.

Louis scratches his head. "I don't really know any good jokes," he starts. "But one time mother bought a frilly, pink, eye patch from a tailor named Nina Hopkins. One day when father was sleeping in his office, mother untied the eye patch he was wearing and tied on the pink frilly one. Father walked around the whole day unknowingly wearing the frilly patch until Sebastian said something." Louis recalls with an amused smile. It is one of his favorite memories of his father.

Silence befalls the room and Louis believes the man did not appreciate that story, when Undertaker collapses into convulsions.

Louis jumps in surprise.

Undertaker sighs contently when he finally calms himself. "How funny. You wouldn't happen to have a photo of that, would you?" He asks Louis.

Louis shakes his head. "Unfortunately, I do not."

"A pity, but still hilarious with just imagination." Undertaker sits up. "As promised, I will help you." He replies.

Louis smiles. "Thank you! I suppose what I want to know the most is—" He ceases his words when he watches Undertaker rise from his makeshift seat and wander over to the bookshelf.

The mortician's fingers dance across the shelf before he finds the book he is searching for. He slides the thick tome from its place and walks back over to Louis.

He hands it to the boy.

"What is this?" Louis inquires inspecting the book. It has no title or cover, unless you count the layer of dust on it.

"The answer to all your questions." Undertaker replies.

Louis looks back up at him, anger in his eyes. "But you said—"

"Listen to me." Undertaker interrupts for the umpteenth time that day. "There is a reason your father's eye and the butler's arm were missing. The eye and the arm are connected. If you know the meaning of the secrets that lay below your father's eye patch, you have your answer."

Louis looks down at the tome and back at Undertaker. "So this book is supposed to tell me the answers?" He asks.

Undertaker nods, turning away. "Now go boy. I have told you too much already. The Earl would most surely rise from the dead and haunt my dreams if I told you anymore." He says, shooing the boy off.

Louis frowns, not sure how this book is supposed to help at all. He thanks the Undertaker nevertheless and walks out of the shop.

"Master, says Emily! You're alive!" Snake sighs in relief.

"Yes, but I feel as though my time was wasted." Louis sulks, staring down at the black book in his hands.

Should he read it? Is it worth his time? Could it really answer his questions?

'Humph, if it doesn't, I will save it for winter. It will be perfect kindling.' He muses, stepping inside the carriage.

~O~

"Grandma is such a sore loser." Abigail groans, swinging her legs back and forth whilst sitting on Elliot's bed. "I mean really! Shooting a hawk in the air is far more difficult than shooting a measly pheasant and a stupid fox." She grouses.

Elliot looks up from his place on the floor at her. "But grandma shot more animals than you and she also said that your aim is not precise as it should be since most of your shots missed." He reminds the girl.

Abigail pouts. "I still think shooting a doe and a hawk should count as three pheasants and two foxes." She adds stubbornly.

Elliot rolls his eyes and continues his task of polishing his swords. "Why are you so infatuated with shooting anyhow? You are a master at fencing. Wouldn't you much rather practice something you are good at?" He asks, running the wash cloth up and down the blade.

Abigail looks shocked and tears her gaze away from Elliot's to the paint on the walls. Eventually, she sighs and sprawls down against the bed, her booted feet staining the sheets.

Elliot scowls at her. "I'm fine with you lying on my bed, but is it necessary to do so in your hunting attire, with your boots on no less?"

Abigail ignores him. "I like hunting because papa used to do it." She says, staring up at the ceiling. "Grandma is so insistent with keeping the Midford line alive with fencing, but what about the Phantomhive line? I want something to tell my future children that, hey my papa used to hunt, he was good at it too."

Abigail sits up and looks Elliot in the eye. "I want something to remember him by. I don't want him to be forgotten." She says.

Elliot eyes widen. He had not expected this from his sister. He feels a bit ashamed that he did not though.

After all, Abigail loved their father just as much as he did.

Elliot nods. "Then it is settled. We will keep our promises to our late father and continue his legacy."

Abigail beams. "Okay!" She stands and picks up her discarded rifle on the floor. "I am going to change."

Elliot nods to her and continues his cleaning.

As Abigail walks out the door, she hears her brother's thunderous cry of, "Damn it Abby! You left muddy footprints on my sheets!"

She laughs and continues to her room.

~O~

Louis settles into his bed curled up with the book Undertaker had given him.

He had returned some time ago. After having made Snake swear not to tell anyone where they went that day, he slipped to his room.

He opens the book and coughs at the abundance of dust he is greeted with. The book is old to say in the least. The scent of old paper is very prevalent.

He flips to the first page.

The Legend of Faust

The tale of a German scholar who sold his soul to the demon Mephistopheles in exchange for worldly pleasures and all human knowledge.

The pact betwixt the two was called the Faustian Contract, the link and bargain betwixt a human and a demon whereas the latter offers specific services and fulfils the individual human's wish in compensation of consuming the said human's soul after the contract is completed.

Since then demons from the underworld will answer the call from humans to create a contract in exchange for their souls.

Louis eyes widen. He drops the book in shock.

That lunatic mortician had given him a book about devil worship!

His hands begin to shake. If his siblings or mother or god forbid his grandmother were to see this type of literature in his possession, he would never hear the end of it.

The question is though, why had Undertaker given him this book? What does it have to do with his father?

'He said that father's eye and Sebastian's arm were connected and this book would tell me why.' He muses.

Louis glances at the book hiding under the mess of his blankets. With a shaky sigh, he picks up the tome and continues reading.

Occasionally, he sneaks split second side glances at his door, which is tightly locked. Lest, someone decides to come in during this moment.

The next few pages go into about detail Faust and Mephistopheles' contract. The others explain how to summon a demon to which Louis hurriedly flipped to another page. He had been told not mess with spirits, so he has no interest in summoning one.

Finally, something catches his eye at the mentioning of contract seals.

Once the contract forms, a seal is placed on the human's body. This is so that the demon is able to find the human.

The human can never escape.

Louis gulps. What a horrible fate. He flips the page.

What he sees next is what he is unprepared for.

There on the page is a design. A design he is far too familiar with.

Tears of astonishment blind Louis' eyes. His head is spinning and his heart is pounding like it is trying to hammer its way out of his chest.

'Father's eye!' He tries not to scream as he reads the text underneath.

An example of a Faustian contract symbol. The mark can be placed anywhere on the human's body with just a touch of the demon's hand.

Louis finds himself unable to hold tome any longer for his hands are trembling too hard to support it.

A cold sweat soaks his forehead.

It all makes sense now! Why his father had to wear an eye patch when his eye did not look damaged, Sebastian's eye color, Sebastian's perfect skill.

'The contract seal can form at the touch of demon's hand. The eye and arm are connected because they hold the same symbol! Sebastian was a demon…!' Louis muses.

"Louuu!" A voice at the door calls.

Louis nearly jumps twenty feet in the air.

"Louuu! Open the door!" Louis sighs in relief. It is only Abigail.

"J-Just a second!" He says, trying to muster some calmness back into his voice.

He hurriedly kicks the tome under the bed and rearranges the bed sheets.

He wipes away the sweat on his forehead and opens the door.

Louis is immediately greeted with his sister's stern visage; her hands are placed impatiently on her hips. "About time! Just what were you doing in there? Your hair is messier than usual!" She shouts, placing her hands on his head in attempts to fix his wild curls.

Louis slaps her protruding hands away and walks over to his bed. "I told you to stop messing with my hair! You are worse than mother!" He frowns.

Abigail rolls her eyes and shuts the door behind her. "You are grumpy as ever."

Louis scowls at her. "I am not grumpy."

Abigail snickers and leans down to pinch his cheeks. "Yesss you areee!" She drawls.

Louis angrily shifts and flails away from his sister's iron grip. He rubs the sore skin as he gives her a scathing look.

Abigail giggles, his expression reminding her of an angry cat who had its tail yanked. She pats his head. "I was only teasing. I apologize, I won't do it again." She says.

'Liar.' Louis thinks, but nods in forgiveness anyway.

Abigail beams and lies down against the sheets, wrinkling her dress a bit in the process. Louis lies down next to her.

The two are very close. He is close with brother as well, but Abigail more so on a physical level.

"How was hunting with grandma?" Louis asks.

Abigail's countenance sours. "I do not want to talk about it. Long story short, I should have won." She pouts.

"You say that every time you go hunting with grandma." He deadpans.

"Because grandma is a cheater!" She roars with fury.

But then, she smiles and Louis is amazed at her ability of switching her emotions with such quickness. "I'll get her one day though. I'll do it for papa." She says determinedly.

"Do your best." Louis smiles.

Abigail glances at him and grins. "Thanks." She turns over on her side to face him. "How was your day? I hardly get to see you anymore since you are so busy."

Her smile turns cheeky and Louis can practically the see insult dancing on her tongue, waiting to be released. "You remind of a diligent little worker ant; so busy and always on the go. You are certainly short enough to be one." She grins.

Louis picks up one of the pillows on the bed and whacks her with it. "You are not funny." He growls, turning on his side away from her.

She cackles hardily and wraps her arms around him. "I know, I know. But seriously, how are you? It's been a while since we have talked like this." She asks, her previous joking tone vanished.

Louis bites his lips, clutching one of the arms around his waist.

Abigail grows worried at his silence. "Louis?" She asks.

When Louis turns around in her arms, tears are in his eyes. Abigail gasps quietly under her breath.

He buries his head in her chest. Though the boy is silent, Abigail can feel the telltale wetness garnering on her collar.

She runs her fingers through his hair soothingly. "What happened, Louis?" She asks gently. It is the first time she has seen her younger brother cry in years.

Louis clutches the fabric of her dress. Could he tell her his new discovery? Would she believe him? Would she become angry at him? Would she accuse him of being affiliated with black magic and have him locked away?

The thought causes his soul to wretch. He sobs harder.

Abigail pulls away and looks into his watery eyes. "Please tell me what's wrong, Lou."

Louis shakes his head and looks away.

"I promise not to tell anyone." She says. "Not grandma and grandpa, not uncle Eddie, not mother or Ellie. It will be just between us." She promises, making an 'x' shape over her heart with her index finger.

Louis swallows. "What if it's something bad? What if I broke the law?" He asks, bringing his nails to his mouth.

Abigail grabs his wrist to prevent him from biting the abused cuticles and smiles. "Then we will just have to work something out." She laughs.

Louis' eyes widen before closing in thought.

Abigail is a smart girl. She suspected something was amiss with their father much earlier than he did. Louis remembers how panicked she had been when their mother had gotten them up that day to say goodbye to their father and Sebastian before their departure for another mission for the King.

She saw how all the events that day were wrong, that all of their father's final months were strange and unlike him.

He has decided.

"Abby." He whispers, licking his suddenly dry lips. "Please…you can't tell anyone." He begs.

Abigail sits up and tenderly takes his hands in hers. "I promise I won't." She nods.

Louis' eyes dart aimlessly to side. "I found out something about father." He whispers.

Abigail tries her best not frown or raise an eyebrow. She does not want to scare her brother away from the subject, so she adorns a neutral expression. "What did you find out?" She asks. A spot of dread pools in her stomach. It must be terrible if it brought her brother to tears.

Louis' wandering eyes train on the edge of the bed. Slowly, he crawls over to his bedside and reaches for the book underneath.

He turns back to his sister and shows her the tome.

Abigail stares questioning at the book, but waits patiently for her sibling to continue.

"I…I went to see one of father's associates today because lately I have been thinking a lot about father and how strange his murder was and I wanted more information about it." He begins.

"Is that why you are always leaving the manor? You were researching?" Abigail asks.

Louis nods. "Today I went to see the man that held father's funeral. I asked him about my suspicions and gave me this book." He says, holding it up for her to see.

"And?" She asks, practically on pins and needles.

Louis flips to the front page. "Read this." He instructs.

Abigail frowns, but does as she is told.

She gasps after having skimmed through it. "Louis! Is this book about black magic?!" She squeaks.

"Yes." He nods.

"Louis! If someone were to see you with this!" She begins, shaking the boy's thin form.

"I know, but please keep listening. This is important." He begs.

Abigail gives him an uneasy look before answering. "All right." She nods; the sense of dread in her becoming significantly heavier.

Louis continues. "The book goes on telling you about how demon contracts are formed, how the demon gets to eat the human's soul at the end and how to summon a demon."

Abigail freezes at his last statement.

Louis shakes his head. "I didn't read it. I promise." He says.

She sighs.

"But then it says that when these contracts are formed that the human must wear this type of seal on their body so the demon will always know where the human is." He takes a shaky breath as his fingers latch onto the corner of the page.

"Abby, do you recognize this sign?" He asks flipping the page and holding it up for his sister to see.

Abigail is silent for several minutes. The tension suffocates him.

Finally, she lifts her hand and wordlessly strokes the rough print.

"This looks like father's eye." She croaks.

"The Undertaker said that father's eye and Sebastian's arm are connected. Meaning that—"

"—Sebastian was the demon with whom father had a contract with." Abigail whispers.

Louis nods.

Tears silently dribble down Abigail's cheeks and onto the underside of her chin. Her eyes do not leave the page, however.

"Abby?" Louis asks.

"I knew something was off that day!" Abigail shrieks suddenly, slapping the book from Louis' grasp.

"He was hardly in his office anymore, we took more vacations, and he was being affectionate with mama, the black clothes!" She shouts, springing up from the bed and pulling at her hair in frustration.

"Abby." Louis urges, futilely trying to calm his sister.

"I knew something was wrong! He was dying and he knew it! Mama knew it! I know she did!" Her voice is in a near scream.

Louis watches helplessly on the bed. His sister is too far gone.

"And Sebastian! He knew he was going to kill him! Kill our father!" At this, the rage in the girl abates, sorrow settling in its stead.

Abigail sits back on the bed. She mechanically straightens her hair back into its original style.

"Sebastian was a demon?" She asks, more to herself than anything.

Louis answers her anyway. "Yes, father formed a contract with him."

Abigail blankly looks up at the ceiling. "We have to tell Elliot." She says.

Louis' eyes widen, anger and betrayal flashing in each of them. "No! You swore you wouldn't tell a soul!" He shouts.

"I know." Abigail sighs. "But he was papa's child as well. He has a right to know." She says, turning to him.

"But Elliot might tell someone though. You know how much he follows the rules." He argues.

Abigail shakes her head. "Elliot wouldn't do that. He made a promise to papa that he would protect us. He wouldn't do anything to put this family in danger." She says, getting up.

Louis considers the girl's words. With a sigh, he gets up as well. "All right." He nods in agreement.

~O~

Elliot is in his room, sitting at his desk reading over a few brochures for various colleges.

Though the offers are tempting, he has already made up his mind. He will attend Weston College like so many of the men in his family have; like his father had.

He hears a knock at the door. "Come in." He says absently.

The door opens and his older sister and younger brother appear. The two are wearing solemn expressions like masks.

Elliot smiles at them. "What's wrong with you two? You look as though you have seen a ghost." He chuckles.

Louis flinches.

Abigail clears her throat, "We have something to tell you Elliot." She says shakily.

Elliot frowns, getting up from his seat to close the door and give them privacy. "What's going on?" He asks.

Louis clutches his sister's dress and looks pleadingly into her eyes.

Elliot spies his brother's uncharacteristic actions and uneasiness creeps on him. "Lou? What's wrong? Are you okay?" He queries nervously.

Abigail nods silently to her youngest brother before turning to Elliot. "Elliot, Louis discovered something about father and Sebastian today." She begins.

Elliot frowns at this, glancing from Louis to Abigail. "Discovered what?"

"It may seem hard to believe at first, but Elliot, please promise me that you will listen until the end. It's imperative that you do." Abigail says, her voice wavering a bit.

Elliot swallows thickly. "Abby, you are scaring me. I do not think I have ever seen you so serious." He jokes lightly, trying to ease some of this insufferable tension.

"This is serious, El!" Abigail shouts defensively.

Elliot smiles. "I guess it really is since you are—"

"Elliot, we think Sebastian killed father!" She exclaims over him. She needs him to listen!

Louis' mouth falls open and Elliot's eyes widen.

"What are you talking about?" Elliot questions sharply.

Abigail inhales deeply before replying. "Louis did some investigating and he went to one of father's acquaintances. He found out some things about Sebastian."

"And just what did Louis find out?!" Elliot shouts.

"Stop yelling and listen!" Abigail shrieks, ire becoming well provoked at her brother's accusing tone.

She breathes again before continuing. "Louis found out that Sebastian was a demon and we believe that he might be the reason for father's death." She says.

Silence engulfs the room.

Louis finds it is becoming hard to breathe.

Elliot laughs spitefully. "Abigail you sound bloody mad! Sebastian was not a demon nor did he kill our father. If this is your idea of another joke, it is not in the least bit funny!" He snarls.

"She isn't joking, Elliot!" Louis pipes up, growing angry at his brother's accusations.

"And you expect me to believe that Sebastian was the devil? Just what about was Sebastian evil? He was a normal man who was kind to our family! How could you say such things?!" He roars.

"Think it about it, Elliot!" Abigail shouts. "You know something about that man was amiss! He had red eyes and was practically perfect!"

"That man practically raised us Abby! He played with us, dressed us in the morning, and not once laid a finger on any of us. How can you say such things about him?" Elliot cries.

"Because father most likely ordered him not to!" Louis adds, gazing into his eyes.

Elliot shakes his head. "No. Regardless of what our father told him to do, he would have never brought harm to us. You are only spewing these ludicrous accusations because you never liked him Louis and you wish to taint his good name!" He shouts before turning to his sister. "And you! Sebastian was the only person in this god forsaken manor who wouldn't spoil you rotten as a child!"

"That's not it!" Abigail shrieks. "I loved Sebastian like he was my own kin, but he was strange and you know it! Do you know how much it pains me to know that the one person I trusted more than anyone else was a demon who possibly played a hand in our father's death?"

Elliot stares at her in disbelief. "This is a new low for you Abby! How dare you accuse our late father and late butler slash caretaker as being satanists! You two have absolutely no proof!" He screams, enraged.

"What about father's left eye?!" Louis blurts, glaring fiercely up at his older brother. He just wants this bickering to end.

Elliot turns to his brother in shock, his anger extinguishing like water on a flame "W-What?" He croaks.

Abigail fists her dress. "Elliot, do you remember when mother and father used to lay together and how we would join them sometimes." She starts, her melancholic eyes focused on the laces on her heels.

"And how father would leave his eye patch off sometimes and stare into both our eyes and give us a small, sad, smile. And how father's eye was an unusual shade of purple with a peculiar design." She whispers.

Elliot's throat tightens as tears begin to accumulate in his eyes. "Mother said that father was abducted many years ago and was abused. T-They must have done something to his eye!" He counters.

"That would be impossible." Louis says. "The skin around father's eye was free of any scars or burn marks." He reminds.

Finally, Abigail glances up at Elliot with tears freely streaming down her cheeks. "Louis, show Elliot the book." She lightly commands him. Her eyes do not leave Elliot's own though.

Louis nods and turns his attention to the small book in his hands and flips to the page he has bookmarked.

"Brother, this is a book I acquired recently from someone about demons and black magic." The boy explains.

Elliot's hackles rise. "Where on earth did you obtain such a thing, Louis?! If mother were to see something like that—"

Abigail silences him with the raise of her hand. "Please just listen, Ellie." She begs.

Louis nods gratefully to his sister before turning back to Elliot. Anxiously, he raises the book to his brother's line of vantage. "Elliot, does this symbol look identical to the one on father's eye?" He asks.

Elliot stares at the page for several minutes with seemly unblinking eyes. A thick silence blankets the room for what feels like centuries.

Finally, Elliot begins to weep harshly into his hands. "I can't believe it." His voice quivers. His knees buckle underneath him. "I can't believe it."

Abigail rushes over to her twin and wraps her arms around him. "I know, right under our noses." She whimpers.

Louis stares at siblings in mourning. His mind flashes back to just hours after their father's funeral when the three of them had wandered into their father's study together and cried. They stayed there for hours, their tears unrelenting as time ticked on. Their mother eventually found them huddled together, a miserable, teary mess. She stared pitifully at them before ushering them out of the study.

Louis lowers the book onto a nearby night table next to Elliot's bed. He is surprised to see a small, glimmering, droplet of water resting on the book's cover.

Louis gently touches his cheeks to find it is drenched with wetness.

He too is crying, he realizes somberly.

~O~

Hours later the siblings lay together on Elliot's bed, wrapped in one another's arms.

Elliot stares blankly at the ceiling above him. "Why did father do it, I wonder? Contracted a demon I mean." He asks; his voice hoarse.

Abigail glances at him. "Mother had always said that when father was abducted, Sebastian had shown up and rescued him, but who knows how much of that story is true." She sighs, absently fiddling with her loose hair.

"I do not know what to believe anymore." Elliot whispers.

He turns to his silent younger brother, who is staring idly out the window and into the benighted sky. "Lou, I want to apologize for the things I said to you earlier. I just did not want to believe it. In the end, I guess you were more cognizant than all of us, seeing how you have disliked Sebastian since birth." He apologizes with genuine regret.

Louis turns to his older brother. "It's okay. I did not want to believe it either." He says.

Elliot smiles in relief before turning to his sister. "I'm sorry for the things I said to you as well, Abby." He adds.

Abigail smiles back. "It's fine. I know you didn't mean it." She says, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

The siblings are silent again; listening to the dull song of crickets chirping.

"What don't understand," Elliot starts again. "At father's funeral, Sebastian's body was buried as well. Does this mean that Sebastian was murdered as well?" He asks.

"I hadn't thought of that." Abigail whispers.

"We can find out." Louis says, turning to his brother.

Abigail frowns. "How?"

Louis' eyes flash. "We will dig up his casket."

~O~

Dinner at the Phantomhive's is unusually quiet tonight.

Elizabeth moves to take her usual spot at the end of the dining table. Finnian pulls out her chair for her and the woman quietly thanks him.

Snake and Mey-Rin comes trotting in pushing the cart of food for tonight's dinner.

After Sebastian's passing, Snake (and his snakes) had proven themselves to be quite talented in the art of cooking, much to everyone's surprise.

Of course, his meals were no match to Sebastian's, but one could eat it and be satisfied.

Snake takes one of the plates from the cart and places it in front of Elizabeth. "Here you are my lady, says Emily." He says.

The meal is simple, yet tasteful. Roasted duck garnished with green peas.

Elizabeth smiles. "It looks lovely, Snake. Thank you very much." She nods approvingly.

Snake blushes "It's not trouble, says Goethe." He murmurs quietly and returns to his place next to Mey-Rin.

Bardroy, figuring he should contribute something to the meal since he is technically the chef, pours Elizabeth a glass of wine.

The woman thanks him and takes a large sip. Her mother's earlier words have left her frazzled all day, so she could desperately use a drink.

Elizabeth sets her glass on the table and sighs. She has loved Ciel since she was a child. She stuck with him when she learned about his contract him, she fought alongside him when he permitted her to join him on missions, and she showed him love during his rare moments of weakness.

How could she be expected to move on after all they had been through?

But then again…she is not a child anymore, Elizabeth realizes somberly.

She has children of her own now. With motherhood came sacrifices, she knows that. But is having to remarry one of them?

Elizabeth's mind wanders over to thoughts of Louis. The boy seems so withdrawn now. Is it because he does not have a male figure to disclose matters with just as France's said?

Louis cannot confide in Elliot all the time for Elliot is still young and has not experienced nearly as much as an adult has and there is only so much you can tell your mother.

Elizabeth bites her lip. The more she thinks about it the more she believes her mother's words to be true.

No, Elizabeth shakes her head. Even if she did posses an inkling of interest in remarrying, how would she?

Is rare to find a man her age not married. If she were to find one, would he like her children, could he trusted running the Funtom Company (her family manages it as of now, but she knows the minute she marries some else, her family will hand the responsibility to him)?

Would he be a protector like Ciel had been? There are just too many factors to consider.

Elizabeth picks up her fork and begins to cut into her meal.

Ciel died when the twins were only ten and she raised them just fine. Surely, Louis will be no exception. Louis is a good boy after all.

'I can do this. I am a good mother. I know how to raise a child properly. To hell with mother's worries.' She muses with a grin, plopping piece of the roasted duck in her mouth and chewing it enthusiastically.

"Ah, welcome Master Elliot, Lady Abigail, Master Louis!" Mey-Rin bows. The other servants follow suit.

The three Phantomhive's nod in acknowledgement and take their respective seats.

Once their meals are placed in front of them, they wordlessly pick up their forks and begin eating in small morsels.

"You are all awfully quiet. Is everything all right?" Elizabeth asks.

The three flinch in surprise.

"Ah, everything's fine mother." Abigail waves her hand dismissively. "It's just we are not that hungry at the moment." She adds quietly.

Elizabeth looks in askance. "Neither of you?" She asks.

"Ah, we might have partaken in a bit of afternoon snacks before the meal." Elliot chuckles nervously.

Elizabeth scowls. "I thought you all had outgrown such a habit! Now you have ruined your appetites! Snake worked on this meal, I will have you know." Elizabeth chastises, gesturing over to Snake.

Snake shakes head frantically. "N-No milady, it was no trouble at all, says Goethe." He explains.

"We're sorry Snake, it's just that we're not that hungry right now, so if we could be excused." Abigail says, hopping up for her seat.

Elliot and Louis do the same and make to exit the dining hall.

"Wait—" Elizabeth shouts after them.

"Sorry mother!" Louis calls behind himself.

Elizabeth sighs and leans back in her seat. She picks up her wine glass and take another large gulp.

"What was that about?" Bardroy asks, scratching his head in bewilderment.

Mey-Rin shrugs.

"I hope they aren't sick!" Finnian wails.

Elizabeth clicks her tongue in an annoyed fashion. "No, they are just up to something." She says as she sets her glass back down against the table.

"Up to something?" Bardroy repeats.

Elizabeth nods.

"Oh, I hope it isn't something troublesome!" Mey-Rin frets.

"I wouldn't know. It seems they never tell me anything anymore." Elizabeth sighs, absently studying her fogged finger prints on the clear wine glass.

The servants exchange worried glances.

"I'm sure they will tell you in time, milady. The four of you are very close." Mey-Rin assures her.

Elizabeth turns to the maid. "Truly?" She asks.

Finnian nods. "Oh yes, milady! I have never seen a more tight knit family." He chimes exuberantly.

Elizabeth chortles lightly. "Thank you." She smiles and continues eating.

~O~

Ciel and Sebastian were buried at the Phantomhive manor at Elizabeth's behest.

Next to their headstone was someone whom the children never met, but heard many pleasant things about.

Tanaka.

They were told that Tanaka was the former head butler of the Phantomhive estate before Sebastian. He was described as being wise and wonderfully kind.

Despite never having the pleasure to meet Tanaka, they respect him.

"This is wrong." Abigail says; her shaking fingers barely able to hold onto her shovel. "This is so very wrong."

"It's necessary." Elliot says. "We need to find out if Sebastian really killed father."

"But he was at the funeral! Surely he isn't the culprit." She cries.

"His casket was closed, remember? The only time caskets are closed is if the death is too gruesome to see. The only thing that happened to Sebastian was that his arm was missing. Don't you think that's suspicious?" Louis whispers.

Abigail bites her lip.

Elliot pulls his chain watch from his pocket. "We don't have much time. Finny and Snake will be making their nightly vigils soon so we have to dig it up and put it back before then." He says, picking up his shovel.

He plants it in the ground and heaves it, throwing the dirt over his shoulder.

Louis picks up his shovel and looks to Abigail, who is fidgeting nervously. "We have come this far, Abby. It is worth knowing what really happened to father." He says.

Louis takes the opposite side of his brother and begins to dig.

Abigail sighs and looks up at the sky. The moon is full and the stars are bright. 'What were you hiding, papa?' She muses.

She glances at her siblings. 'I guess this is our only method of finding out.' She picks up her shovel and joins them.

The three dig in silence to avoid waking their mother or rousing the servant's attention.

After Elliot's brilliant lie at the dinner table, the siblings waited until nightfall to sneak to the greenhouse and filch some shovels.

Thankfully, their mother retired to bed early tonight on account of her saying she was not feeling well and wanted rest. Normally, they would have prodded about their mother's condition, but they have a task tonight.

To uncover the truth of their father's death.

As expected the digging takes hours, especially since Louis is younger and smaller than his well endowed siblings. The twins are blessed with Midford strength and he is stuck with Phantomhive intelligence, Louis muses sullenly.

Luckily his siblings make up for Louis' lack of brawn at the given moment because their shovels are the first to hit something.

"I can see the casket!" Elliot cheers.

"See if you can pull it out!" Louis whispers, setting his shovel aside.

Abigail drops her shovel quietly and aids her brother in pulling up the gold coffin.

The twins successfully cull it from the ground and fall against the dirt with a relieved sigh.

Louis walks over and inspects the tomb. "There is a lock." He observes, fingers brushing over the rusted padlock.

Abigail gets up and retrieves her shovel again. She aims it and hits the lock, smashing it.

"Wow. Good job." Louis praises, softly clapping his hands.

"Let's just get this over with." Abigail sighs, dropping the shovel.

Louis nods.

With perspired hands, he slowly eases his fingers under the top and gently raises it. The worn, rusted, hinges squeak and wail in protest.

The lid is opened fully and the two peek inside.

Abigail gasps. Louis feels nauseous.

Elliot walks over to the casket and peers down inside it. He chuckles mirthlessly. "I'll be damned."

The casket is empty.

The crisp white bedding inside the tomb is free of any wrinkles or stains. Louis speculates it was never inhabited at all.

"So you know the truth now children?" A voice purrs from the surface of the ground.

Abigail jumps back in surprise.

Elliot wields his shovel and points it at the stranger. "Who are you?" He asks fiercely.

Louis looks up and gasps. "Undertaker!" He shouts.

Abigail and Elliot turn to the boy. "You know who this man is?" Elliot asks.

Louis nods. "He's the person I went to see today and got the book from."

Undertaker glances at the twins. "Oh my, you two look just like the Earl." He snickers.

Abigail's eyes widen in realization. "I know who you are! You are the funeral director!" She shouts.

"You are correct, my lady." Undertaker grins down at her.

"Undertaker." Louis calls. "We have figured it out."

"Oh? Have you now boy?" Undertaker teases.

Louis nods. "Yes. Sebastian was a demon whom our father was contracted to. When the contract ended, Sebastian ate father's soul and pretended to die to avoid suspicion. His casket was closed at the funeral because it was empty. Sebastian remains alive to this day. Am I correct?" He asks.

Seconds pass before Undertaker bursts into laughter.

Abigail and Elliot raise their brows. They step in front of Louis and tightly clutch their shovels in case they may need to strike.

"That's exactly right, my boy! What a smart lad, you are!" Undertaker grins, wiping a tear from his eye, which formed due to his laughter.

"Who's out here?" A voice asks sharply behind the reaper.

Louis gasps. "It's mother!" He whispers.

Abigail and Elliot blanch.

Undertaker whirls around and smiles. "Hello, Lady Phantomhive." He greets, doffing his hat respectfully.

Elizabeth lowers her épée. "Undertaker?" She asks. "Why are you here?"

The reaper grins. "Your children have discovered the truth my lady!" He giggles.

Elizabeth frowns. "What are you talking about?"

Undertaker snickers. "See for yourself." He says, stepping aside and revealing the gaping hole behind him.

Elizabeth cautiously inches toward the pit and peers down inside. She gasps, seeing all of her children staring up at her next to an empty tomb.

"What are you three doing down there?!" She asks.

Elliot is the first to speak. "Did you know about this, mother?" He demands. "Did you know that Sebastian was a demon?"

Elizabeth gapes at her son. She then sighs and runs her fingers through her loose hair. "I did." She replies.

"Why didn't you tell us, mother?!" Abigail shouts. "I knew something was wrong with papa and I blamed myself for allowing him to die! Do you have any idea how guilty I have felt our these years!" She cries.

"How was Ciel supposed to tell his children, that he was contracted to a demon, Abby?! Your father loved the three of you more than anything! He did not want to hurt you!" Elizabeth screams. What a day this has been.

"Why mother?" Louis pleads, tears welling in his eyes. "Why did he do it? Were we not enough to make him happy?"

Elizabeth's eyes widen. "Oh Louis…" she murmurs wistfully."I have been asking myself that question for years."

She heaves a deep exhale and closes her eyes. "On your father's tenth birthday, the mansion was burned down and his parents were killed." She begins. "Ciel was kidnapped by noblemen who were trying to summon the devil. They claimed Ciel as their sacrifice and branded him like a cow to show that Ciel is their property."

The children gasp.

"The noblemen succeeded in summoning the demon, but instead of forming contracts with them, the demon formed with one with Ciel. In exchange for his soul, Ciel ordered the demon to help him get revenge on the ones that have wronged his family and mistreated him. This is how Sebastian came about." Elizabeth explains.

"I received a letter a couple of days after Ciel's soul was collected. It was written by him the night before his death. He told me that he is ordering Sebastian to destroy all evidence of him being affiliated with demons and the evil noblemen that kidnapped him, which is why Ciel's contracted eye was missing as well the reason why the yard were unable to identify the branding scar on his back. It also told that he ordered Sebastian to dispose of his contract arm as well." Elizabeth opens her eyes. "He did it because he did not want to shame our family." She says.

"I can't believe it." Abigail breathes.

"The question is what will you three do now?" Undertaker speaks behind Elizabeth.

"What do you mean?" Louis inquires.

"Will you three accept this information and go about your lives peacefully or will you become angry, grow with sick the need of revenge to kill the demon that took your beloved papa and contract a demon?" Undertaker grins.

Elizabeth splutters, "Be quiet! How dare you put such thoughts in their heads! After all I have been through!" She blusters while trying to hit the reaper, which were dodged effortlessly.

Abigail looks to her siblings with fright. "I…" she stutters.

Elliot bites his lip. "Should we?" He asks nervously.

"No." Louis says, turning to Undertaker and their squabbling mother. "While I understand my father's grief and hurt, I do not see the point in revenge and continuing a vicious cycle." He says firmly before adding, "I do, however, want to continue his legacy. I want to become an Earl and work for the King."

Elizabeth's eyes widen and she ceases her futile assault against Undertaker.

Undertaker grins. "Oh? And is this decision unanimous?" He asks, glancing at the twins.

Elliot nods his assent. "Yes. I will not go to Weston College in favor of continuing father's legacy."

"I want to as well!" Abigail adds.

Elliot turns to his sister in astonishment. "Are you sure, Abby? You will have a hard time finding a man to court you if you are out doing dangerous work."

Abigail chortles lightly. "I am having a hard time already since everyone believes the Phantomhive's are cursed. Besides, I do not possess an interest in nuptial things just yet." She smiles.

Undertaker hums. "Well, this is an interesting turnout. You realize the job will be hard, yes?" He reminds.

"We know. That is why we will dedicate ourselves to training for a few years." Abigail nods before turning to her mother. "Hopefully with mother's help." She adds hesitantly.

Elizabeth beams, wiping stray tears from her cheeks. Her greatest fear in life was the children somehow discovering their father's secrets and sealing their fates to revenge like he had. Now that she has nothing to worry about, she could not be happier. "Of course." She nods.

"And the servants can help us as well. They are all highly useful. I am sure they will agree since it is for father." Elliot says.

"And surely Christian would be willing to help as well!" Abigail adds.

"If I could get a hold of father's address book, I could contact his old acquaintances." Louis interjects.

Undertaker grins. "Such enthusiasm. They truly have no idea what they are getting into."

Elizabeth smiles at him. "Thank you Undertaker." She mumbles.

"What ever for, my lady?"

"Every since Ciel passed, I have worried myself sick wondering if the children will ever find out the truth and what would they do if they did. I thank you for helping Louis." She smiles.

Undertaker grins. "The next years will prove to be interesting with the new generation of guard dogs. The guard dog's puppies, if you will." He chuckles.

Elizabeth beams. "I'm sure they will." She says watching the sun rising on the horizon.

~O~

I am shedding real tears right now bECUASE OVER 26k VIEWS, 100+ FAVORITES and 90 FOLLOWS?! Im speechless thank you so much!

And so begins the journey of the new guard dogs: Abigail, Elliot and Louis! See how I incorporated the title in the ending there? Clever right? No? Yeah it was pretty cheesy lol

As for Snake cooking, idk I thought it would be cute if Snake and his snakes cooked. I got the idea from watching the Disney movie Ratatouille. Wouldn't that be just adorable if Snake's snakes handed him all the spices he needs to prepare the meal?!

I hope everyone liked the ending. I've been sitting here for weeks thinking, damn how should I close this thing? I hope everyone's not too pissed that Ciel's dead, ahaha *nervous sweats* I apologize that this is so rushed at the end. My computer crashed before I could save it so I lost a bit of the ending. I'm sorry it's so long you guys basically just read a novel, its 47 pages. oops

I'd like to thank all of you who have read this. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this as well as reading all your reviews. You're all so kind and funny! You have no idea how much you guys motivated me through this ^^ I must admit I am going to miss Abby and Ellie and Lou. My biggest regret is not getting to write more about baby Lou. Does anyone have a chapter in particular they like the most? Personally, I had the most fun writing ones where Ciel interacts with the children. Sentimental Papa Ciel is the best Ciel in my opinion :)

Thanks for reading!