After two years of being held against her will, Ursula Phantomhive escapes the mysterious Cavendish Academy for Young Ladies and finds out that her brother, Ciel, is alive. Returning to the manor, she soon discovers she is a bit out of her depth with cultists, reapers and demons and ends up making a deal with a certain handsome butler to help her protect her family. Sebastian/OC

Chapter One: A Reunion

Ursula gripped tightly to her wet traveling coat as she stared at the steady flames dancing calmly in the fireplace. This was the perfect place to take shelter from the rain, she thought wearily. Tucking her feet under her chair, she laid her head on the table. Her fingers slipped from her mug of cider letting it sit unattended.

She had never been to a pub before. Why would she? It would be a scandal to see a Lady enter one of these establishments. But she was no longer a Lady. In fact, she supposed she was nobody now. What a sobering thought.

When she was a girl, she often dreamed of being a gypsy. She could travel the world free from responsibility. Her imaginary vagabond life was far quainter and certainly less dangerous than what it actually turned out to be.

Deep inside the pub was cozy and comforting. She could have stayed there all night if she wished, hiding from the darkness and the rain. But the risk was too high. The safety she felt there was only an illusion, a dangerous one that could get her caught. Just the thought of it brought her to her feet. They were sore and her balance was off but she wasn't going to sit back down. Those who hunted her could be anywhere among the crowd.

Approaching the bar she paid for her drink and made for the door. As she turned to leave, something she overheard stopped her. The man next to her dropped the name Phantomhive. Ursula's sapphire eyes widened in shock. She had not expected to hear that name from a stranger's lips. Not since her family's death two years ago. Holding in a gasp, she inconspicuously leaned her back against the bar to listen in.

"Strangest thing really. After two years the Phantomhive boy just appeared out of thin air. Built the manor back up and everything." The elder of the two men commented.

There was a derisive snort from the youngest. "I'm sure the people running the Funtom Toy Company are happy to hear there's a master back in the house."

Ursula gripped onto her the edges of her coat, desperately kneading them with her hands.

"Don't you know it? They're probably putting their heads together right now, planning on how to get rid of him."

That was all she needed to hear to set her in motion. Pushing through the crowd, she ran out into the rain.

Impossible, she thought, bringing her hands up to cover her mouth. She knew her shock was evident to anyone who saw her but she couldn't help it. She felt as if someone had just knocked her clean off her feet. The downpour began drenching her to the bone, sufficiently hiding the large tears that welled up in her eyes. Her breathing was short, coming out in small gasps but she kept moving down the road.

Could Ciel really be alive after all this time? The hope of something so miraculous had never crossed her mind. But those men were speaking of it as lightly as one would the weather. It must be true, she thought. How she hoped it were true.

Wasting no time, she reversed her direction and headed back towards the countryside. If there was even the slightest of truth in what the men were saying, she had to know. Fighting through the wind and the rain, she slowly made her way toward Phantomhive Manor.

It had taken her two days traveling on foot but she had finally made it. When Ursula came upon the familiar little bend in the driveway, her heart jumped into her throat. The manor would be just a little ways beyond. She began to run down the muddy road hoping beyond hope she would find something other than a charred pile of rubble.

Rounding the bend, she dug the heels of her boots into the wet ground. Unable to hold back a cry, she stared up at the structure in front of her with large tears in her eyes. Before her stood Phantomhive Manor in all it's glory. Every white stone, every tree was just how she remembered it. She did not know how, but there it was. In fact, she was too overjoyed to care.

She continued on towards the house, slowly, tentatively. As if it would disappear at any moment. The pebble walkway crunched pleasantly underfoot, clearly sounding her approach. Every bush and flowerbed stood proudly in their planters, presenting themselves to her as she walked by. It all was immaculate. The entire house was recreated perfectly, down to every detail.

Ursula placed her hand on the front door, almost as if she were waiting to feel a pulse. It was strange to think she would have to knock and wait to be received like a stranger in her own home. Curling her fingers into an unfamiliar fist, she rapped twice on the finished wood. She could hear it echo from inside. The whole place sounded empty. Wringing her hands together in nervous anticipation, she couldn't help but wonder if that was loud enough. After a moment Ursula pressed her ear to the door and listened for any sound of approaching footsteps. There was nothing. Suddenly she felt the door give way and she jumped back.

Startled, she slowly gazed up at the person who answered the door. He was tall, lean, and incredibly handsome. His jet-black hair fell over his eyes like brushstrokes, framing the most beautiful red eyes she had ever seen. His aura was ethereal in a way and shaded by mystery. And his posture was nothing short of immaculate. He stared down at her with a polite smile that never quite reached his eyes. It took a good long moment for her to realize he was the butler.

"Good afternoon, madam. Welcome to Phantomhive Manor. How may I help you?" His voice was like black velvet but it did not cover up the fact that she was a stranger in this house. She did not expect to be recognized in the least but it still made her feel slightly hallow inside.

What would this man say if she were to tell him she was the long lost Phantomhive daughter? He would think she was crazy and send her on her way. She had to see Ciel. But in order to get to him, she had to lie. What story should she tell him, though? He seemed smarter than your average butler. Pursing her lips, she took in a thoughtful breath and then put on a proper smile.

"Good day, I'm... Ursula Underwood, secretary to Mr. Thomas Bartelbee director of the Funtom Toy Company, India branch. I have an urgent message for Lord Phantomhive about several ongoing discrepancies in our shipment manifests. It seems that someone in the company is stealing merchandise during transport. We were hoping to get permission to look over your master's ledgers- see at what point in the rout the shipments are being thinned out and by how much."

Sebastian immediately knew there was something not right with her story. If there were anything wrong with the company's numbers he would have caught it himself. He was about to dismiss the young lady- redirect her to their office in London where she would most certainly be turned away as well- but there was something about her that stopped him. That straight blonde hair, those large sapphire blue eyes. Though they were dulled by her traveler's garb, he had seen them somewhere before- the woman in the portrait above the stairs. Lady Phantomhive. Though the girl before him looked to be no older than 18, the family resemblance was unmistakable.

Ciel had spoken only once of his sister- that she was alive but voluntarily absent. He once overheard Madam Red say she had been sent away to secondary school only a month before the incident. With that knowledge one would conclude she had gotten out before any tragedy struck her. But if this young woman was indeed the mysterious Ursula Phantomhive, as he suspected, she certainly didn't look as if she had escaped her family's tragedy.

Regardless if his hunch were right or not, his curiosity was piqued and he wasn't averse to having a bit of excitement for today. Worst-case scenario would end with him escorting her off the property. In the end, this was too delicious of an opportunity to pass up.

"I'm sure my master would be more than happy to show you his ledgers, Miss Underwood. Please, right this way." He said, stepping aside to let her in.

As she passed over the threshold she couldn't help herself and stole a sidelong glance at the handsome butler. Unfortunately, he caught her staring and she immediately averted her gaze. Sebastian watched her cheeks turn pink from embarrassment with some pleasure. If she really was Ciel's sister, life in the manor could become quite interesting indeed, the demon thought to himself.

Once she was inside, Sebastian watched her take in the lavish sight of the entry hall. Her face turned white as a sheet, her large eyes widening as she looked around. It was as if she had seen a ghost.

"Beautiful, is it not?" He smiled, looking down at her.

"Yes. Breathtaking," she managed to say, still unable to take her eyes off of the vision before her.

The parquet floors, the Louis XIV couches, the marble staircase… they were exactly the same as before she left two years ago. And there it was, unmistakable, the portrait of her mother and father hanging above the stairs. She wanted to run up to it, to gaze upon their faces once more and remember exactly what they looked like. But she held back knowing it would only arouse suspicion.

Sebastian then took the lead. "This way, Miss Underwood. The young master is in his study."

She nodded, following him up the stairs. The demon noticed her stealing glances at the painting as they passed and smiled to himself. Her resemblance to Lady Phantomhive was striking. She was pretty under that layer of dirt, rather distinguished looking despite her middle class garb, not to mention she was gifted with Ciel's same haughty air. He could readily assume now that pride was simply a Phantomhive trait.

He made sure to lead her down the hallway slowly so that he could enjoy her taking everything in. After all, the reconstruction was a marvel to anyone who knew the original manor. The awestruck expression on Ursula's face told him she was either going to run away or faint. In any case, he was ready for either situation.

Soon they arrived at her father's old study. Sebastian politely asked her to wait outside as he went in to announce her.

Inside, Ciel Phantomhive was pouring over some plans for a store opening in Belgravia next month. Hearing his butler enter the room, he glanced up at him briefly with his good eye.

"Yes, Sebastian?" He asked, not bothering to pull himself away from his work.

"There is a Miss Underwood from Funtom's India branch here to see you," the demon informed him.

Ciel let out a tired sigh as if he couldn't be bothered. "What's the nature of her visit?"

"I believe…"

"Ciel?"

Both men turned their heads to see Ursula looking into the study from the hallway. Ciel stared at her in disbelief, his mouth slightly agape as he stood up and rounded the desk. "Ursula," he breathed in recognition.

The young lady then ran through the doorway past Sebastian who made no attempt to stop her. Reaching Ciel, she fell to her knees and enveloped him in her arms.

"Oh Ciel!" she cried in relief. Ursula had never thought it could really be him but there he was, safe and sound. It was beyond her most hopeful imaginings.

Pulling back, she looked into his good eye. It felt as if the bottom dropped out of her stomach then. He wasn't smiling, or happy, or relieved. He looked… utterly dejected.

To Be Continued!

Author's Note: Going into this story I was a tad worried about how it might be received. OCs are dodgy at the best of times. However, the idea of Ciel having an older sister kept gnawing at me. I had this vision of a strong woman who would always be a bit out of her depth once she enters Ciel's world. So I decided to give it a go. As I began writing I found that Ursula isn't simply a ride-along OC. She's quite the standalone figure who opens up a lot of new doors in the Black Butler world. Along with the original storyline blossoms a whole new set of stories that center around the Phantomhive family as well as the occult that was popular in London at the time.

What makes Ursula an interesting character to follow is that, though she is a human and not under the protection of a demon, she still manages to keep in-step with Sebastian and Ciel. She is so determined to watch out for her family that she's willing to run the gauntlet to make sure Ciel is safe. She's learned at an early age that family is everything. So whatever dangerous mission Ciel accepts from the queen, we see that she is brave enough to follow him. Whereas Ciel has Sebastian to protect him, Ursula must always go into battle unarmed and I think that is what really makes her a compelling OC.

I hope you have enjoyed the first chapter and look forward to reading the second.

Next Time: Ciel is suspicious of his sister's sudden reappearance after two years of being inexplicably absent. In order to gather more information he puts his butler on the job. Ursula soon learns her brother is not the same boy she remembers and that his loyalty to the queen makes protecting him a much harder task than she had imagined.