Back at last. Work has been hell, had inventory and I haven't had any time to think about anything outside the realm of health and beauty 9-9

I broke this chapter up, since its like two halves anyway.

Hope you all are fantastic, and enjoy!

"How did I know?" Sebastian growled, stepping up into the city he had vacated only days ago. Never had he paid much mind to the small town, but now it was almost a hot spot for him.

"This town is grating at my nerves." With a quick crack of his neck, the demon stepped forward following the duel prints of his wandering lover and negligent subject. He dodged townsfolk as they ran through the streets, oblivious to his person, and paraded around like there was no tomorrow. A smile lined his lips as a thought occurred to him. This had been a town plagued with fear, and now the people skipped around in merriment. Such simple creatures humans, how they ceased to lose his fancy.

He rounded a corner and felt his fading irritation rise once more as he sensed Nero's aura within a pub, an all too familiar pub. Dark gloved fingers brushed the wooden door and pushed them open, revealing a well lit establishment within. It was quite busy today. Barmaids bustled and ran from table to table, smiling and taking in their customer's needs. A group of gamblers sat towards the back, barking in laughter as one of the men cursed his frustration, claiming his mates had cheated. Another group of patrons sang as a man with a lute played a merry tune, but none of that mattered. All that mattered was the group standing next to the rear exit.

Ciel sat at one of the tables, smiling of all things, and was engaging another man Sebastian had suspected was the true reason his lover had come here in the first place. Nero stood behind the boy with an expression of impatient desperation. Sebastian grinned, he couldn't help it, Nero's discomfort amused him greatly. He straightened his jacket and moved to walk across the pub, but was stopped by a curvy barmaid.

"Ello Sir! What can I do you for?!" She chimed, her voice loud enough to be heard over the noisy drunkards. The woman leaned into him, giving him a obvious once over. He took a step back and offered her a polite smile.

"I have come to meet with some of my friends, please pay me no mind."

"Like that is possible!" She smiled and nudged him with her outstretched elbow and the demon laughed, moving to step around her.

"If you will excuse me…"

"What's the rush now?! You don't look the type to be shy-"

"He isn't shy, nor is he interested, madam." A voice from behind spoke and the pair looked back, and then down. Ciel stood there, looking irritated.

"Now if you'll excuse us, he happens to be late." Ciel reached out and grabbed the demon's wrist and pulled him over to the table. Sebastian offered the woman a nod and walked after the boy.

"I believe I missed my invitation to your little rendezvous."

"I wrote a note."

"You would call such a limited letter a note?"

"Yes, but you found me no?" Ciel glanced back and smirked, "I only wrote the note so your subjects would quit pestering me."

Sebastian's eyebrow twitched and he snatched the boy's wrist, pulling him back "surely you could have waited for me to return."

Ciel glared at the conduct and broke the hold at his wrist "and I am sure you are aware when it is I awake from my rest." The two's eyes met and they glared at one another. They would of continued this endless battle, but Nero broke them from their concentration.

"My lord, I apologize for taking him into town, I had no other choice."

Sebastian dragged his eyes up to give Nero an equally annoyed look "No other choice? Whatever do you mean?"

Nero cast his gaze away, looking towards the ground "the boy is vampire, I did not wish to get bit."

Sebastian's eyes moved back to the boy and he lifted an eyebrow in question, however it was wasted, as Ciel was picking at his nails in boredom.

"I see, well, Ciel. I can assume why you are here, but perhaps you could tell me anyway." Sebastian looked up at the man still sitting in the booth. The man chewed on a toothpick and when their eyes met, the corners of his mouth perked up.

"He came to see me of course. Sounds like you got some serious shit going on, mate."

"Kincade, good evening" he nodded at the man in greeting "and yes, things have be relatively difficult as of late, so you must understand how crucial it is that we take our leave immediately and not waste time here on earth." His eyes moved to glare at Ciel, but yet again his actions went unnoticed as Ciel was now picking at his collar, attempting to fix the tie there. The demon's eye twitched and he reached out to smack the boy's hands away and fixed it himself.

"I could of gotten it." Ciel mumbled, but he looked up so his neck and chin wouldn't be in the way.

"You frustrate me."

"Oh? Do I?" Was it just Sebastian, or did the boy sound pleased?

"The boy has asked me for my help, and I intend to do so, but I do have some requirements-"

"Your assistance will not be necessary, we have all the help we need." Sebastian beamed at the monster hunter and then pushed Ciel away, headed to the door. The boy looked up at him, irritated but allowed the pushing.

"He could be useful, I don't waste my time with simpletons."

"I do not care."

Ciel scoffed, his eyes widening in shock "You don't care?!"

"No, I do not. I do not wish for his help, nor is it needed. Now be a good lad and get the door, we are leaving."

Ciel, at a complete loss on how to handle the situation grabs the door and opens it. He blinks, realizing what he just did, and slams the door in Sebastian's face before he could depart.

"We are hiring him."

Sebastian's eyes began to glow and small whisks of shadow curled off his coat. "Ciel."

"Sebastian" Ciel countered, glaring back with his metallic eyes. The normal flat irises became liquid silver as he pointed at Kincade. "He knows of the void, therefore we are hiring him."

A sigh escaped the demon's throat as he knew the look, tone and posture the boy had about him. Ciel wasn't backing down from this and he didn't have time to argue about it, so then plan B it was.

"Kincade, what are you demanding from him?" he transfers his glare to the already approaching man.

"My usual pay of course, but I have a specific request for you, demon."

"Oh?" His voice spoke of amusement, but his expression denied all sense of it.

"Yes, you are to keep whatever demon I spared with in that cave the other day at bay."

A smile at last touched Sebastian's lips and he chuckled "you needn't worry about that. That particular demon has quite the disadvantage as of late."

"Disadvantage? Your father?" Ciel asks, the glare falling from his features. It was soon replaced by genuine amusement. "This I must see."

"That ancient is your father? Christ, no wonder the sight of you makes me sick."

"I assure you the feeling is mutual" Sebastian grinned and looked to Ciel "may we go now? Or perhaps there are other errands you need not run whilst there is an investigation underway."

"There is one, but I shall have you assist me with that later this evening. We may leave."

Such a snot. Sebastian thought, brushing his bangs back. He glanced at Kincade, then at Nero.

"Nero, escort the man back to my father's estate so we may…" Sebastian's words trailed off and his expression became flat.

"My father is an idiot."

"I am aware. What is it this time?" Ciel moved over and looked up at Sebastian in curiousity.

"I haven't the faintest idea on how to travel to the Sands of Time." He closed his eyes and enjoyed the pressure that built there before he looked down at the boy. Silver eyes gazed up at him from beneath Ciel's long dark bangs, and without thought he brushed the hair away so he could look into them better. "Whatever shall we do?"

Ciel grins and leans into Sebastian, looking over at the two other men, who were completely lost at this point.

"What shall we do indeed…"

"This is not what I had in mind." Ciel griped, standing close to Sebastian as they approached the ever familiar gates of Cain's residence in hell. The terrors that usually stood guard at the overly large gates were no longer there, but it was Karma, the demoness from before, that greeted them. Well, he believed it was a greeting.

The woman looked up and scanned them with what Sebastian thought were hopeful eyes, but after a few seconds, her exuberance died. She promptly walked over and leaned on one of the posts and glowered up at the group.

"What do you all want?"

Sebastian's eyebrows lifted at the complete one eighty the woman had shifted and smirked.

"Is your master home?"

"I thought he was with you" she grumbled as she brought her fingers up to her hair. She began braiding the strands and sauntered over to the raven haired demon. "Now what has happened to my lord?"

"He is taking care of some business. I was told to come here and await his return."

"Oh!" She looks up then, smiling "why didn't you just say so, come in come in!"

"That was quite the mood swing." Ciel murmured and Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle as the rainbow haired demoness opened the gates for them. The ancient steel groaned as the mechanisms parted and created an opening. The group followed her up the long pathway that led to his father's estate.

Sebastian couldn't help but notice small differences in his father's landscape along the way. It had remained the same all his years of growing up and never had he thought the elder would change it. What was once just plain dark stone as a pathway was now decorated by large obsidian statues. They were of people, but before he could analyze any of them, a voice from behind spoke up.

"Lords of hell really do have too much time on their hands…"

"Perhaps, but there is one thing for certain…" Sebastian looked over his shoulder and grinned "you are truly inhuman."

Kincade gave Sebastian a glare before glancing up at the statues as well.

"Truly terrifying, you lot. Next time I see a demon in town I'll be sure to ask them to redecorate my cabin."

"So you live in a cabin, how suiting. I suppose it must be quite easy for a man with your capabilities to live such a distance from town." Sebastian recalled the large wings the man had. He had been convinced the man was an angel of some sort, but if he were, he couldn't be there. He couldn't glare at him like he was doing at that moment, nor would he be able to reach out and touch a statue.

"This one's a beaut."

Sebastian shook his head, at a loss for what the man was and he moved to look at the statue with Kincade. However when he looked up, he looked away once again. Emotions swelled inside him, emotions he now was all too aware of since meeting his pint sized lover. Anger, love, sorrow, they all fought for a way to his forefront and he bit the inside of his cheek, knowing sometime he would have to come to terms with her absence. When a hand touched his arm, he looked back at Ciel, who was reaching out to touch the statue as well.

"It's Rivalee…"

With her name being said, Sebastian looked back up at the woman in stone. The details were exact, chiseled with fine detail and he could feel thorns curling around his heart. His hand moved of its own accord and touched the material almost with hesitation, a part of him fearing what the art had been constructed out of. Relief filled him as he realized in fact the statue was made with stone and not a cast. It was then that another realization occurred to him, and with it a memory came.

"Can you see with those eyes you have been birthed with?" Cain loomed over the small form of a boy sitting at a table. The elder's his hair was tied back with a bit of lace and he appeared frustrated. He slammed his hand down and pointed to the illustration before the child.

"Surely I don't have three eyes, Mammon."

A giggle sounded and the elder glared over at the small girl sitting across from Mammon.

"Hush Rivalee. Do not encourage such disrespectful behaviour."

The girl's eyes widened and she sucked in her lips, nodding fiercely. However, when he looked back to his son she made a face at Cain, sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes. Mammon bit his lip, and looked up at his father, his courage returning to him.

"My apologies father, but when your temper flares, the wrinkles in your skin at your brow resembles a third eye."

The paper ignited and turned to ash as Cain leaned into his son, his eyes glowing ember red.

"If you will not take drawing serious, then I have a different artistic outlet for you, you little wretch."

Cain grinned as he set a chisel before the boy and chuckled as Mammon's bravado died.

"Shall we see how long it takes this time for your hands to heal?"

Sebastian's hand brushed the stone and with a painful sigh, he chuckled. The stone was chiseled to perfection and he only knew of one with such skill. His father had painstakingly made this statue, taking care that each curve and wrinkle in the clothes were exact and perfect. He felt sorrow grip at his throat as his eyes forced their way up to her face. She was smiling, as she always was, and as his eyes met hers his eyes widened.

Two large glittering emeralds served as her eyes, and as he reached up to brush them he was shocked to find them warm. Just like she had been.

"Cain made this… Didn't he?" Ciel asked, his voice low.

Sebastian nodded, as he couldn't form words. He was unable to speak, the pain in his throat suffocating. Ciel moved beside him and leaned into him.

"He has done well."

"I thought you wanted to come inside, not stand here petting a statue. If they are going to be this distracting, then I will have to move them back inside." Karma crossed her arms, raising her voice as she stood quite the distance from them so they could hear her. She rolled her eyes and gestured to the large building.

"There are the doors. Just go in when you're done gawking at the statues. I must return to my post." With a blur of color, the woman was gone.

"...that is one of your father's servants?"

Sebastian nods again, trailing his fingers down the statue's cheeks, still in awe of the likeness.

"He must be thrilled" sarcasm dripped from the boy's words and he brought a hand up to force the demon to look at him.

"I will help you steal this, if you would like."

His stone mask melts at the gesture and he smiles, the pressure at his throat lessening.

"Thank you."

Ciel nodded and pushed Sebastian away from the statue towards the estate.

"Let's go inside, I don't much care for remaining outside here…"

The group moves to the doors and enters the mansion without further interruption.

To be continued.

Thanks again for the reviews, keeps me writing!

See you all next chapter!