Green Eyes and Cat Ears: A Kuroshitsuji fan-fiction.

Synopsis: Ellia Cross has been involved in her father's business for quite a while. She works alongside her handsome escort and fake fiancee, Sebastian, and her dangerous, alluring partner, Henry. Living with the guilt of her love and her parents' deaths, Ellia lives between both men, hanging by a thread of luck to get away alive when her time is up. But is luck really to blame?

Author's Note: Kuroshitsuji is property of Yana Toboso.

Thanks to all my readers who have been following the story. This chapter is the finale.

PART TWO OF TWO

Chapter Fifteen: Cat Ears – Part 2

Ellia's eyes narrowed in anger and she dropped the gun, launching herself at him full force.

He didn't go very far on account of being heavier than her by a good amount. He pushed her back and punched her hard in the stomach, then slapped her across the face. Ellia was stunned but quickly recovered. She turned back to him and struck, clawing at him almost blindly. She drew blood on his neck and face. This seemed to really unleash what sanity he had left.

"Your signature for the merge would be ideal," he growled, and grabbed hold of her long hair, pulling her to him. Horrible pain exploded on her head as he twisted it tighter to make her stop struggling. She yelped and held back tears, but he didn't ease his grip.

"But that doesn't mean you have to be in perfect condition to wield the pen. I'll put you in so much pain you'll wish you were dead. You'll sign that fucking agreement in the hospital if that's what it takes." He sneered and jerked her forward, bringing her face close to his. "Just looking at you now, it really pisses me off."

No sooner had those words left his mouth when he suddenly released her and shouted sharply in pain. He looked down to see Gatlin tearing away at his right ankle with her incredibly sharp teeth and claws. Once he was facing the animal, the cat looked up quickly and jumped, as if she were expecting him to do so. Using her claws she anchored herself to his neck and began digging into his skin with her deadly fangs.

Henry stumbled in different directions, dropping his knife in the process, trying to pull the cat off of him. He growled and cursed in pain as blood began to drip down his neck and seep into the material of his black suit.

Ellia used this distraction to recover her breath and her energy. There was a sudden pain in her chest from the poison, but it wasn't as bad as before. It was tolerable because of all the adrenaline pumping through her system. Henry saw her sudden reaction, though, and grabbed the cat with enough force to break bone. He threw the animal aside. Gatlin landed on the tiled floor and slid about a foot before stopping. She laid still, shaking, patches of her white fur tainted red.

"So the poison's really set in, ey?" he said, looking satisfied. "I could just give you this." He reached into a pocket within his suit and produced a vial of dark gray liquid. "It's the complementing mixture to what's already in your system. It will triple your pain, if not more. Even on its own it's a nightmare."

He picked up the knife he'd dropped in the struggle with Gatlin and eyed her. "Just one cut and this'll reach your organs so fast you won't know what hit you."

"What does it do?" she asked, no longer feeling threatened by his chemical weapon of choice.

"It causes excruciating pain and hallucinations. So, bitch, where should the first cut be?"

Ellia glared at him and charged. The man clearly wasn't expecting this, because she succeeded in knocking the vial from his hand. It flew up and behind him, landing several feet away on the floor. The glass cracked easily from the distance it fell. In seconds it had pooled on the tiled floor, a deep gray shade promising horror.

Henry growled in anger and shoved her backwards. She fought back and grabbed onto his suit, bringing him with her. The momentum of bring pulled forward was enough to make it five times more painful when she brought her knee up between his legs. Ellia pushed him away a moment later and watched him fall to his knees, holding his injured manhood. The woman didn't hold back her smirk. "Get up and fight," she hissed. "I'm not done with you." Her voice was for the most part calm; but in her eyes was a contained, precise rage.

Henry, not wanting to be defeated by the little wench, forced himself to stand, not bothering to pick up the knife again. He raised his hands to fight but was punched in the face as soon as he was on his feet. One little punch from the young woman didn't do much. But she didn't stop at one. She punched him again. Then again. And again. And again. Each time he turned to face her again she hit him. And when he tried to maneuver away from her, she used her light weight to beat him to it and would punch him in the gut, the side, the face again. Over and over she threw punches, most with her stronger right hand.

This went on for almost two minutes. All he could see in the flurry of strikes was the woman's cold green eyes, filled with such anger that he wasn't sure he had any hold over her anymore. Then he remembered the cat. Bruised and moderately bloodied, now, he waited for her to throw another punch and he ducked backwards, just out of reach. He stepped backwards and she swung again, stepping forward, just as he knew she would. She wasn't going to let him go.

He lead her toward him, slowly making his way to the injured animal still laying on the floor. When there was a pause in her strikes, he picked the cat up by the scruff and shoved it forward as a shield of sorts. Ellia froze mid-punch, eyes wide. "Gatlin!" She glared daggers at the brunette. "Release her!" she demanded. He didn't move.

"What kind of coward hides behind a defenseless animal?"

"She's not defenseless. Not yet, anyway." Without warning he smirked and dropped the cat. Gatlin hit the cold floor and cried out quietly. Henry brought his leg back and kicked her hard in the ribs. The creature cried again in pain and flew forward across the floor. A small trail of blood followed her. She laid sprawled against the white tiles, motionless.

Ellia stared at her for several seconds. A chilling fear rose in her chest – what if she was dead? But then it was replaced by that familiar rage. She turned back to Henry with the wrath of hell in her eyes. "You...you...I-" She was so upset that she couldn't finish her sentence. The man looked down at her smugly. "Well? What then?" he teased. Somehow he could still speak coherently, even with all the damage she'd done to his face with her fists.

Ellia took in a deep breath and went at him again, clawing at him as hard as she could with her nails anywhere she could reach. At the speed she moved, Henry was only able to block half of her strikes, but the remainder was still enough to do great damage. Blood ran from his face and neck, and she'd succeeded in ripping open his shirt. She punched him again in the face and took a swift step back when he threw a punch of his own. Ellia dodged his returns, taking careful steps backward. Then she was in range of the man's dropped knife. She ducked beneath his swing and grabbed it before he could register what she was doing.

Then, much like Gatlin had done earlier, she sprang up with all the strength and speed her legs could grant her and forced the knife into his chest – the right side. He gasped at the sudden pain and looked down at the blade in moderate surprise. "You bitch."

Ellia, panting from all the fighting, sneered at him. "You're not so scary with all that blood on your face." She took hold of the handle on the knife and pulled it from his body. Henry seemed to choke on the air itself as she did this. And then she stabbed him again in the stomach. She pulled the blade out slowly and landed a third hit straight into the shoulder of his stronger right arm, slicing through the muscle and lodging the knife alongside the bone. Henry was so far past gone that he didn't think to scream in agony. There was so much pain that it was as if it hadn't completely registered in his mind yet.

Ellia stepped back and looked at her handiwork: his clothes were torn up, cuts and claw marks were bleeding pretty bad, and he was finally rid of that triumphant expression from having the upper hand with her all the time.

Ellia's victory was short-lived, though. Henry, lacking sanity, pulled the blade from his shoulder with a crazed, angry countenance. And combining insanity with anger never had a good outcome.

The man, still standing somehow, took an awkward step forward and lunged at her with the knife. She just barely dodged him. He swung again and missed, but this time took hold of her upper arm. He then pulled her forward and sent the knife straight into her abdomen. Ellia gasped in pain and fell to her knees, holding the area around the pierced skin.

She didn't try pulling the knife out, for risk of bleeding to death. Henry glared at her and reached for her hair, pulling it down in the back so she was forced to look up at him. Ellia didn't look away. She remained defiant, but it was uncomprehendingly difficult. The pain made her want to scream.

Then she heard something that broke her heart. A small, far away "meow" reached her ears. Her love was suffering, and there was nothing she could do. She turned against his grip to find where her companion was in the large room, and spotted her a good ways off. She turned back around and saw Henry readying a punch. She watched him, then, and was shocked and confused to see him knocked away from her and against the wall opposite the door. She saw the man was being held down by knives. He was completely immobile now, and was mumbling to himself.

Ellia turned and saw Sebastian standing in the doorway, looking royally pissed off. "I told you to stay in your room, Miss Ellia."

Ellia smiled and was filled with joy at the sight of him. "I'm sorry, Sebastian." She slumped to the floor and laid there on her side, no longer possessing the energy to kneel upright. The butler ran past her and threw more knives at the pinned man. They pierced his arms, legs, his chest and neck, everywhere.

The pain began to get through, and Henry's swollen mouth emitted horrid screams and howls of pain. Sebastian only glared at him in composed contempt. He drew a final knife to personally deal him even more torture, but stopped when he heard Ellia behind him. "No more," she said weakly. "Let him die slowly. Let him suffer."

Sebastian hesitated, then returned the blade to his pocket. He then approached the man and knelt before him, eyes level with Henry's.

"Where's the antidote?" Sebastian demanded.

Henry didn't say anything at first. It was all he could do not to scream. Then the demon's eyes began to glow and the brunette's body pulsed with a deep, chilling fear. "The dresser," he said, feeling a sense of dread that only a powerful, unworldly demon could provoke with a mere stare.

"And where are the merge documents?" he asked, leaning closer. He inspired fear that shook even Henry Darbren - a trained fighter, drug trafficker, and murderer. Of course, ANY human would fear Sebastian if they had any sense at all.

Maybe it was the insanity. Or the unexplained fear. Or the sensation of his soul being torn to shreds by ice-sculpted swords. Whatever it was, Henry felt compelled to tell the butler where he'd hidden the gems of the great merge of every company involved in the ring. Such a precious collection of information, but a part of Henry didn't want to tell this man "no." He felt it dangerous to do so.

"Third drawer in the desk. Secret compartment." He choked then as blood came spilling from his mouth. With the answers he wanted, Sebastian stood and stepped away from him. He went to Ellia and picked her up gently, eying the knife.

"Gatlin," she called tiredly, eyes closed. The butler turned and saw the cat beginning to stand again. Her yellow eyes met his. She took a few small steps forward, and though she was limping and in pain from the broken bones, she was still doing okay.

"She'll be fine," he assured her. Ellia smiled. "Good. Can I have her?"

He turned back to the animal. The cat hissed at him, as if she wanted him to stay away. The demon shook his head. "No, Ellia. You can have her later. She has to rest, too. Let's get what we need and leave."

Ellia uttered a faint "okay" before she fainted. With lightning speed Sebastian went upstairs to the third floor and grabbed both the antidote and the papers he needed. Then he jumped out the window and began running full speed toward town, glad to hear the howls of Henry die out as they got farther away. Just a ways beyond the house he encountered the bodyguards returning from one of their trips. With barely any effort, he struck them all down and continued on his way.

The doctor had removed the knife and stopped the woman's bleeding. He'd also administered the fishy antidote that Sebastian had provided for the poison ravaging her body. The young blond, Dr. Shigoe, said it was miraculous that she was still breathing. Standing by her bedside, he checked over her chart and looked to Sebastian. "I'm not going to interrogate you both. What's important is that she gets treated for her internal wounds. We have to patch up her stomach and a section of her intestine as soon as possible, so she's scheduled for surgery in just a few minutes. We'll be able to halt the bleeding permanently and sew her up. After that, all she'll need is rest."

He looked down at her broken, bloodied nails. "And a touch up on her manicure, it seems." He smiled reassuringly. "She'll heal quickly. She's already responding well to the antidote."

Sebastian acknowledged him with a small smile then turned his attention to Ellia. "Thank you," he said. He then resumed watching her from his chair beside the bed, expression void of anything significant, like usual.

Inside he was disappointed that Ellia hadn't heeded his words. He'd told her to stay in her room because he knew Henry was still in the house. But he assumed the man would behave until his planned merge was completed. The trafficker and captain had snapped at the most inconvenient time, however. Sebastian assumed the dead woman lying on the floor upon his arrival was probably the cause. He understood her to be Caplan's wife; this didn't surprise him.

Looking after Ellia wasn't a problem as long as she listened to warnings and instructions. Ciel was not one to do this, of course, but it made little difference. Ciel shared with Sebastian the Faustian contract. The two were connected, and so the demon always knew when his master was in danger and would undoubtedly come to his aid. Ellia, however, had no such mark. She was a fragile flower whose only savior was time. This being because she herself had finally snapped out of her shock at the precise moment she needed strength to defend herself. The second reason being Sebastian had returned to the house in time to prevent Ellia from taking a final blow to her pretty young face.

Dr. Shigoe nodded. "I'll have a nurse come in to fully sedate her in just a moment." He noticed the ring on the young lady's finger and the way Sebastian was now looking at her. He quietly took his leave.

A moment later, Ellia turned her head in her sleep, mumbling. She was only half awake, but she knew she'd been transported. "W-where?" she whispered.

"The hospital. But don't talk, Miss Ellia. You'll be sedated for your surgery soon."

Ellia's eyes opened just a bit wider when she felt the empty bed on either side of her with her hands.

Tired as she was, though, she began to sink back into sleep just as suddenly as she'd woken up. Her green irises locked on the demon beside her. The only thing she could whisper before fading again was, "Where's Gatlin?"

Meanwhile in the house, the sun was beginning to rise. The light of early dawn began to shine in through the windows.

In the massive kitchen on the first floor of the house, a white cat stood staring at a man across the room. She had several broken bones, some internal bleeding, blood on her beautiful fur. But she was able to stand, able to move. Henry, on the other hand...

When the flustered, crazed man saw the cat turn to him, he sneered. "You fucking cat. What the hell do you want, huh? Go follow that bitch like you always do. Or run away, since you seem to like doing it so much."

The cat stared at him a moment longer, and then she took a step forward. Her little legs threatened to give out on her at first, but she took another silent step. Then another. Slowly she approached the man, like a lion on the prowl. In her golden eyes was a predatory gleam that would scare any prey. Her current target only glared. As the animal drew ever closer, Henry gestured to the dead woman across the room to his left with a small movement of his head. "You wanna end up like her? You'll just-"

He stopped speaking when he saw what the cat did. Gatlin was headed straight for him, but she didn't bother to avoid what was in her path. It was the puddle of liquid on the floor from the broken vial. The poison. A dark gray mixture of terror surrounded by glass. But if Gatlin stepped on any shards, she didn't show any signs of pain. Her shining eyes remained glued on the man several feet away as she deliberately soaked her paws and nails in the liquid. Then she resumed her hunt.

Henry began to struggle again, trying to free himself, but the knives were embedded deep in the floor and the wall. He found it near impossible that Ellia's fiancee had been able to throw them with such force so as to pierce tile. Yet here he was.

"You cursed animal, stay the fuck away from me! Go on! Don't come near me with that stuff!" His blue eyes were wide. Then he began to laugh. It was the laugh of a man who no longer felt the presence of a sound mind. And just as the demon's terrifying, inhuman eyes had compelled him to reveal where he kept his documents, the situation he now found himself in made him laugh hysterically.

And then she was there. Gatlin. She sat down in front of the man, sitting up straight in the space between his spread legs. She stared up at him for what seemed like forever. Henry was breathing raggedly, his icy eyes wild. His expression was twisted in a demented, hateful grin, as if he thought to challenge death itself. "Fuck you," he growled.

Gatlin's tail curved upward at the man's words. And then she struck. She pounced on his chest first, tearing into the remaining fabric and exposed skin with her poisoned claws. Henry tried to get free once again, but it was futile. Sebastian had secured his place slumped backwards against the wall, vulnerable to any assault that might come his way, as if he knew the cat's intentions from the start.

The cat hissed loudly and bit into his neck and shoulder, adding to the pain that was already coursing through him from the knives and Ellia's earlier attacks. Over and over Gatlin scratched and tore at him deeply, delivering poison to his bloodstream with every strike. In little time there was muscle exposed, and this only seemed to fuel her strength.

All the while Henry roared in anguish, his heart pounding heavily from the stress. Blood drenched him now, but the cat didn't stop. She clawed at him unrelentingly, shredding his skin and clothes to ribbons. Every now and then she would hiss and growl loudly in anger.

Even though her broken ribs pained her, Gatlin kept attacking, her loyalty to Ellia giving her strength. She attacked his chest, his stomach, his neck, arms, and then moved down to his legs. Each area protected by muscle she destroyed, watching as blood spilled from every wound she inflicted.

When the man's screams seemed to be at their height, Gatlin stopped to watch him, taking her previous place between his legs. She sat in a gradually widening pool of his blood. Her yellow eyes fixed on him. Then his screams stopped abruptly. The torment from the poison was no doubt hellish, but his mind's attention was elsewhere. It was no longer registering the torture. It was taking in the wretched illusions caused by his own mixture of hallucinogens and pain-inducers. The deep gray liquid was sending wildly vivid, real, horrifying images straight to the still functioning parts of his mind.

Gatlin wasn't there anymore. No, she had disappeared. In her place stood a giant, golden tiger. Its eyes were crimson red; its claws dripped with blood. And behind this predator stood ten more – waiting for their turn with him. The tiger's eyes glowed with rage and its fur stood on end, glimmering with an almost divine power. It brought its paw up and raked its claws across his body, causing a pain so incredibly terrible that his body couldn't muster the strength to let a cry escape his throat.

Gatlin sat in silence, watching as he squirmed and gasped, never able to catch his breath, constantly in a recurring pain. His eyes were seeing things she could not, but she could sense his fear; she could smell it in the air. Henry was beyond insane and was scared out of his already shattered mind. For fifteen minutes he writhed in agony. Then his breathing came to a sudden halt. Gatlin stayed where she was, analyzing him. She listened. His heart had stopped, too.

Without a sound she stood up and turned away from the man. She walked slowly to the doorway of the kitchen to make her way out of the house. Only when she was no longer in the room did she allow herself to limp every other step.

Ellia woke to the sensation of cloth on her cheek. Her mind was still in a fog from the anesthesia due to the surgery, but the feeling was so familiar...

"Gatlin?" she called out sleepily. The feeling went away. She opened her heavy eyes and looked around the room, vision blurry. Sebastian, though not crystal clear, was easy to recognize. He was sitting in the chair to the left of her bed, watching her.

"She's not here," he said in his usual emotionless, dutiful tone. "How're you feeling, Miss Ellia?"

"Tired." The young woman moved to sit up but immediately fell back against her pillow with a startled cry. She looked down at where the sudden pain had come from. Images of her brawl in the kitchen came back to her now, and tears filled her eyes.

"What happened?" she asked, and looked around the room somewhat frantically before her green eyes settled on the demon. "Where's Henry? His bodyguards? Oh God, where's Gatlin?"

Seeing her panicked state, Sebastian rose from the chair in complete calm and took a step forward. He leaned down toward the woman and placed his finger to her lips. She froze for a second, and in that second Sebastian kissed her. He lingered against her lips for a long few moments before pulling back and taking his seat again. Ellia looked at him, her expression much less urgent. Then she watched him raise his hand a bit and casually point to something across the room.

Ellia turned to see what he was pointing at. In the doorway stood a blond-haired nurse. The woman was holding a cleaned and bandaged Gatlin. Her fur was washed and snow white, and despite the cloth wrapped around her ribs, she looked healthier and happier than she ever had. Her yellow eyes appeared to beam at Ellia.

"Gatlin!" she exclaimed. The nurse brought the animal to the bed and set her down beside Ellia. Ellia took care to pet her gently, not wanting to hurt her. "These bandages...what happened to you?" she asked quietly, looking over the animal.

The nurse gave Sebastian a glance and then left the room.

The demon sighed, observing the young woman for a little longer. Then he revealed what she'd missed during her long rest.

"You took them all out by yourself?" Ellia asked, sounding awed. "Those guards looked strong..."

"I was in a hurry," Sebastian explained. "While you were asleep and recovering from surgery this morning, I kept watch on the house. The representatives arrived today, about 4 p.m."

"What happened to them?"

"Remember when I instructed you to stay in your room because I was running into town for errands?"

Ellia nodded. "Yes."

"My purpose there was to inform the local authorities of the planned rendezvous. I told them to wait until later in the day so they would catch them all as they arrived. Most got there at about the same time, but even the men that showed up later were caught by the police and arrested."

"And the bodies? What happened to-"

"The corpses of the guards were carried off by the authorities, as was the body of the wife of Mr. Caplan. Henry himself was found dead in the most horrid fashion."

"I didn't think I did that much damage," Ellia said, surprised. "I mean, I was very angry and everything, but-"

"The police believed, after they inspected his body upon arriving, that his heart gave out. They said the blood loss was next on the list to kill him, though."

"His heart?"

"He was exposed to the very poison that was to enter your veins."

"But that's impossible! He dropped the vial; I saw him do it. There's no way-"

"I saw his body, Miss Ellia, both before and after your fight with him. When I first arrived, he looked bloodied and very near death. When I went back while the police were there today, he looked beyond dead. He was full of gaping wounds, holes, blood was everywhere. His eyes were still open, showing a hint of some kind of terror. Muscle and bone were visible in some places."

He paused when he saw the horrified and confused look on Ellia's face. She hadn't done anything THAT serious – she had been too injured herself to do damage that bad.

The butler looked her in the eye and said, "Henry looked like he'd been mauled by a tiger."

Ellia gasped inaudibly and slowly turned to look down at Gatlin. The cat beamed her golden eyes up and purred, tail swinging. "Meow?"

Ellia gently took hold of one of her paws and squeezed, exposing the nails. "Your claws are so short...and dull." She picked up another paw and did the same thing. "A few look chipped... Gatlin, you really...attacked him yourself? And the poison?"

Sebastian saw her connecting the dots and added, "Gatlin is an intelligent animal. It didn't surprise me when I saw gray paw prints on the tiles leading to Henry's body. She stayed behind for you, Miss Ellia, to ensure his death."

Ellia blinked a few times to hold back her tears, then brought the cat closer and kissed the top of her head. "I'm not sure what I should say, but, thank you love." She smiled and set Gatlin back down comfortably on her lap.

"The other errand I took care of while in town," Sebastian continued, "was locating a messenger. Using a few connections I sent a letter to Bard with due haste. He will be here in a few days to pick us up and bring us back to report on the assignment."

"What about the papers?"

"I took care of them. Because Henry wrote them shortly before the scheduled merge, they have all the information needed to prosecute the entire ring. The police are looking over them now as evidence. Word will be given to the Queen by Young Master that her request for this issue to be resolved has been granted. She will be pleased, I'm sure."

Ellia smiled at him in response and couldn't help but let her eyes drift closed as a wave of fatigue hit her. The drugs used during the surgery had effectively knocked her out, and though she'd woken up long enough to hear Sebastian's lengthy explanation of what she'd missed while out, sleep was fast-approaching so she let herself fade away. The butler at her bedside didn't mind. He watched her sink back into sleep and afterwards left the room. He turned back to the cat before stepping out.

Gatlin was staring at him, tail swinging. He assumed she was showing gratitude in her own feline way. Though he hadn't told Ellia, he'd gone back to the house while she was in surgery to find the cat. Gatlin wasn't even halfway down the road to town when he found her, limping little by little in the dirt to reach her owner. He had scooped her up and rushed back to the hospital. Upon arriving he'd given the cat to one of the nurses, the blond one, to get treated for her injuries. One of the doctors and his assistant and a few nurses had done well to patch her up quickly so that she'd be able to greet the young woman when she woke up.

With her heart no doubt relieved about the success of the assignment and the imminent dissolution of the trafficking ring, Ellia was able to get some quality rest while at the hospital. Gatlin stayed beside her sleeping form the whole time, only eating when Ellia was barely coherent enough to lift a spoon, herself. The rest of the time she guarded her and made sure she was okay.

On the rare occasion Gatlin's body was too tired and forced her to sleep for a bit, Sebastian was at the woman's side, reading a book. Sometimes she would mumble in her sleep, and though most of her words were gibberish, some of what she said was understandable. Words like "strawberries," "love," "eyes," and of course, "Sebastian." Hearing these things, the demon would look over the top of the book at the unconscious girl, more often than not smirking faintly behind the pages.

A week passed and Ellia was cleared to leave the hospital under orders not to do anything too strenuous. Upon being discharged, she answered a few questions for the police, and was then escorted by Sebastian to the awaiting carriage outside the building. She held Gatlin in her arms, taking careful steps down the stairs to the exit. Thoughts of the fight replayed in her mind. Then her time on the ship. The carriage. Then the murder in Cardiff. Then the events in Ireland. Then way back to the day she'd left for the assignment to begin with. At the end of the cycle she sighed and couldn't help but feel happy about all she'd accomplished with Sebastian. And she'd lived through it all.

I couldn't save my parents, she thought, walking down another flight of stairs. But I lived for them. The ring will be destroyed, and none of those men will harm anyone anytime soon. I'd say that's enough to repay my hesitation. And concerning Sebastian...well, I don't feel quite so bad anymore. Our job is done, I can feel for him freely without reminders of a debt I can't repay, of thoughts I might not live through the night with poison in my system. I'm free to live normally again, and to...

She boarded the carriage, offering an absent-minded wave to Bard, and sat down, Gatlin in her lap. Sebastian sat across from her. She focused her gaze on the window and watched as the town outside began to move. The horses drew them onward, heading home.

I'm free to love him...if he'll have me. Not as a savior anymore, but as a man. I can only hope he'll see me not only as a recovering designer, but as a woman, as well. Ellia turned to look at the demon and her heart skipped in an eager fashion when she saw he was looking right back at her. His deep red eyes were so intense, like they were gazing at her core essence, her very soul. Ellia turned away after a few moments and looked down at her dress. It was white with black lace and trim. Sebastian had picked it up for her to wear once she was able to leave the hospital. It was beautiful and elegant-looking, like a casual gala gown.

With her hands in her lap beside the sleeping cat, Ellia had ample time to gaze down at the ring on her finger. It was such a pretty red color, a pristine gem. Despite its beauty, though, it stood for something that wasn't real. She looked up again.

"Sebastian?" she started quietly, caressing the ruby with her fingertips.

"Yes, Miss Ellia?"

"This ring...you know why I picked it out from all the others?"

He raised an eyebrow. "The color?"

Ellia nodded and smiled, laughing a bit. Her gaze went back down to the ring again. "Yeah, you're right. The color. It's such a nice shade of red. It really is beautiful. I loved it right away because it reminded me of your eyes."

Sebastian didn't say anything to this, and in the silence she couldn't bring herself to lift her eyes to look at him. So she continued.

"I'm overjoyed that our assignment is done. I'm glad we're going back to safety. I'm grateful we were successful and that the Young Master and the Queen will be pleased with what we've accomplished. I've gotten over the shock of my parents' deaths and have grown a bit in the process, I think. And in killing the man who had my family destroyed and caused me so much suffering, I've been able to let go of the feelings, provoked by him, that have held me back. That all is wonderful, but...what now?"

He still didn't answer her, so she kept talking, gazing at the ring and running her fingers against the gem and the metal. "I really care about you. At first I felt guilty. You saved me, but that wasn't grounds for me to care. And my feelings for you made me dismiss their deaths. My parents...I felt so guilty." Ellia took in a deep breath and continued. "I just went on going as I could, and it was only until last week that I was able to let go of everything I'd been keeping in. But it's not just what you did anymore. It's what you are. Well, who you are. You're still a mystery to me, but from what I do know, I care about you. A lot. And I think that's reason for a desire to learn more."

The demon was quiet once again. Ellia, still looking down at the ring, shook her head. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything. It's a little embarrassing for me, to have said all that. But, I just thought I should. I mean, if I'm not needed anymore when we return-"

"Who said you wouldn't be needed?" the man asked suddenly.

Ellia looked up. His expression hadn't changed. But at least he was talking now.

"Well...I've been thinking that...since the assignment is finished...that your master wouldn't have enough need for me to stay. I assumed halfway through this that his original intent was to use me for the mission, am I right?"

The demon only looked at her. She smiled sadly and looked back down at the ring. "I had a thought in the back of my mind as we were shopping for this ring. I thought it might be the only one I ever get. I didn't know what the outcome would be. I didn't know if I was going to live once things really got going. When I knew he really wanted me dead, I just kept thinking, 'Well I have the ring. A nice little thing to look at before I die, to think about him.' And if I lived, what then? If I had no place in that house with you, I expected to leave and make it on my own. But I'd have this ring. I could look at it when I'd be alone, and I'd remember the first guy I really fell for." She laughed nervously. "I'm sure that sounds weird to you, though, huh? Or maybe just familiar? You've probably been pursued by many women."

Sebastian smirked. "That may be true, Ellia, but you're the only pursuer I've not been tempted to strangle." At this Ellia finally looked up. She hesitated at first, then began laughing. "Really?"

The demon didn't reply, but his eyes were back to being so full of...intensity...that he really didn't need to say anything at all. Ellia watched him, unsure of what to respond to him with.

She felt something on her cheek and reached up to touch it. Tears. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't realize I was, uh, crying." She dried her eyes and laughed in that same nervous way again. "I guess it's just...I'm happy it's all over and that...we're still here...both of us."

Without a word Sebastian held out his hand. Ellia hesitated, confused, but then placed her left hand in his. She watched as he leaned forward and brought her hand toward him. He kissed the top of it in such a graceful, gentle way, it made her heart flutter.

When he eased away from her and released her hand, Ellia slowly brought it back to her and sat in silence, waiting for him to say something, to say anything. He'd been quiet most of the conversation, and it made her feel like an idiot for having talked so much.

When he only stared back at her, Ellia turned to gaze out the window, trying to hide her face behind a curtain of hair. Sebastian seemed to find this amusing. "Ellia, look at me," he instructed, his tone calm and even.

She did so, and was surprised at what she saw. The look on this man's face, it reminded her of something. His radiant, red eyes meeting her own green ones. The slight curve of his lips in a seductive smirk. There was an air of raw energy around him now as he sat there, watching her. Ellia's heart skipped when she realized where she'd seen this expression before. It was the same way her father used to gaze at her mother before leading her upstairs. It was like a flash fire that burned brightly with passion, barely contained by the person who felt it. And the recipient standing near could feel the heat – just as Ellia could now.

She didn't say anything, though, and neither did the demon. Gatlin awoke moments later and effectively shattered the silence with her meows of hunger. Ellia only laughed and gave her some of the cat food from the travel bag Sebastian had placed in the carriage for her before boarding. It had most of her things in it, with the exception of the green dress she'd worn during the fight. Not that it mattered. He planned to buy her a few more once they were settled in again back at the mansion.

For a long time during the ride Ellia was silent, thinking over all of what had happened. Sebastian didn't initiate any meaningful conversation, but he often gave her long stares when she wasn't looking. Peripherally, though, she could feel the man's eyes on her, and on several occasions he saw her trying to hide her smiles – unsuccessfully.

Ciel received the news with no expressed excitement or joy of any kind. The most he seemed to be feeling while Sebastian was explaining the sequence of events was a strange mixture of annoyance, apathy, and a barely contained sense of satisfaction. He didn't smile. But he was no doubt pleased with the information his butler was giving him. The demon even graced the young boy with all the details, not minding that Ellia was standing only a few feet behind him in the room.

When the reporting was finished on Sebastian's part, Ciel turned his gaze to Ellia. For a moment she thought she saw a difference, a glimmer of sorts, in his exposed blue eye, like he was in better spirits now that the assignment was finished. It was difficult to tell with him, but she liked the thought, anyway. Master Ciel and Sebastian seemed close, but they never really acted like it. She enjoyed watching them interact; Ciel somehow appeared more his age when he was speaking to the butler.

Maybe he even relaxed around the man a little, considering Sebastian was still technically under his service. The fact Ciel was at the top of a major company and had a handful of workers taking his every order at such a young age, it made her smile. It was admirable, but at the same time she couldn't help but think he seemed a little out of place. Did he ever take breaks from paperwork to play like a normal thirteen-year-old? Ellia giggled at the thoughts that came to mind, but then Ciel cleared his throat and she stopped abruptly.

"Ellia," he said sharply, sounding annoyed. She calmed herself and looked at the boy. "Y-yes?"

"You did well. You may go back to your room for the night. The trip here was probably tiring, so Sebastian will escort you to make sure you don't pass out in one of the halls somewhere." The said demon bowed to him and then approached Ellia. She quickly shook her head. "That's okay, really," she said, bringing her hands up a bit as a gesture of dismissal. "I'll be okay. If something happens, Gatlin will alert you, I'm sure." She smiled and picked the cat up from beside her on the floor. Gatlin only stared ahead at the boy behind the desk.

Ciel gave her a strange look then sent her off with a wave of his hand. "Fine. Sebastian." The butler moved for the door and held it open for her to exit. Ellia took her leave and paused to smile at him. Sebastian didn't smile back, though. He only closed the door softly once she had cleared the immediate area. Ellia sighed and walked to her room, assuming she'd be able to sleep there and not with Maylene, now that everything had been taken care of.

The servants were all asleep due to the late time of night, so Ellia had a quiet, almost lonely walk to her bedroom. It was nice to be back, but she wondered how long she'd get to stay. Would they really need a clothing designer full-time? And sure, she could design toys to some degree, to make them look more appealing to children, but she wasn't an expert. They could always hire someone more capable for that, or even for the clothing. Ellia chose not to dwell on these thoughts and instead occupied her mind with sleep. She wasn't overly tired, though.

Ellia had refused the butler's escort because she got the impression that it would be better to let the two talk alone without her presence. She felt the best thing to do was to just be on her way to bed and not disturb them. The butler and his master no doubt had a lot to talk about. Laying on her bed in only a thin blue slip and underwear (as she wasn't compelled enough to really dress for bed), Ellia stared up at the ceiling with her feline companion beside her on the sheets. Having washed up only minutes before, her hair was still wet and made her somewhat chilly, but she was too busy thinking of other things to really take much notice.

"Ciel is still young, and though he may be mature for his age, he probably missed him," she thought aloud. "If my mother had left me alone for weeks at a time when I was younger, I surely would've missed her. The emotional attachment is different, of course, but if someone tends to your every need for years and then suddenly goes off without you...it'd be kinda lonely, I bet. And the other servants here don't really seem like they'd be an adequate substitute compared to Sebastian."

"Meow?"

Ellia smiled and closed her eyes, petting the animal with her left hand. "Yeah you're right, I'm thinking too much about it, huh? Guess it's just all the excitement." She turned on her side to look at her beloved directly, watching the cat swing her tail and look lazily around the room, waiting for sleep.

"I do hope Sebastian puts in a good word with his master to let me continue working here. My original purpose was that assignment, so...hopefully he lets me hang around." Ellia closed her eyes again and not a minute later was enveloped in a light sleep.

It was 10:14 p.m. when Ellia woke up, but not by her own choosing. She was softly shaken awake. "Miss Ellia," a deep voice whispered.

She opened her eyes and was greeted by Sebastian's face very close to hers. She quickly sat up in bed and immediately wondered why he was standing before her now of all times.

"What is it?" she asked quietly.

"I thought it would ease your mind to know that your stay here is indefinite. So long as I am here to serve Young Master, you will be, as well. He has several projects lined up for you."

Ellia smiled. "I'm happy to hear that, really. But are you sure you can make use of me? He must already have an extensive wardrobe."

"Young Master is still growing. Far too often we've had to call in his wardrobe staff to make adjustments and fit new attire. With you living on the grounds, we won't be wasting the time and extra funds on those women."

"Funds...wait, so I'm not getting paid?"

"Anything you require while living here will be taken care of. But if a salary is what concerns you, Miss Ellia," he said, and smirked, "then I assure you, you'll be fully compensated for your work."

Ellia smiled and felt a small rush of heat within her body upon hearing the tone the man was using. There was something about the situation they were in, the silence of the house, the fact the other servants were asleep, that they were alone, whispering to each other in double meanings. Like a secret meeting of two not-so-secret-but-not-explicitly-stated lovers.

"Thanks," she said, and watched him in the darkness. In one word she was thanking him for everything he'd done, and somehow it was enough for now. A drawn-out confession of gratitude would've ruined the moment. Already standing, he bowed out of courtesy. "You're very welcome, Miss Ellia." He turned then, his good news delivered, and walked to the door. Gatlin perked her ears up suddenly when he opened it and jumped from the bed. She landed softly on the floor and casually trotted out of the room, as if she'd heard something and had decided to go investigate.

Ellia was tempted to call out to her but feared being loud would wake the other sleeping workers. Sebastian paused in the open doorway, watching as the animal made her way down the hall and around a dimly-lit corner. Then he moved to leave.

"Wait," Ellia said, and moved so that her legs were over the side of the bed, her feet against the cold floor. The butler turned to face her fully. "Yes?"

Ellia hesitated, then asked, "Is Master Ciel...asleep?"

"Yes, I put him to bed before coming to see you, Miss Ellia."

"Oh. Well...I mean...all you came here for...was to tell me I could stay?" She sounded expectant, which did not go unnoticed by the demon.

"Yes. Is there something wrong?" he asked.

Ellia played with the edge of the slip's skirt and stared off at some random dark corner, avoiding direct eye contact despite it already being hard to see. "No, there isn't. I was just thinking that it might be nice if...if you didn't have to be off so quickly."

"Would you like me to stay?" he asked, calm and composed as usual. But there was a small smile on his lips now, signaling his prior assumption of the woman's thoughts.

Ellia looked at him, unsure of how to answer his question without sounding too lustful, and watched as he shut the door. This made the room darker, so she nearly jumped when seconds later he appeared before her again, kneeling down to her level. He extended his hand and placed his gloved palm to her warmed cheek. He caressed it gently and gradually moved down to run his thumb over her lips. Ellia leaned into his touch and showed a small smile. In the dark she felt a bit more bold and took hold of his other hand, easing it off of the bed beside her and then beneath the skirt to rest on her thigh.

Sebastian let his hand rest along her jawline when she opened her mouth to speak, not wanting to distract her too much. "Sebastian, I know our assignment together is done with, and maybe this sounds stupid to you, but..." she took a breath and continued, "I was hoping that maybe you'd consider...being my fiancee for just one more night?"

She looked into his eyes and waited for answer. What she got was the same expression he'd given her in the carriage shortly after leaving Oxford. "I'll do more than consider it, Ellia," he purred, moving his hand further up her leg to tease her. She smiled and was about to open her legs when he brought back his hand and picked her up without a word. Then he laid her down fully on the bed, removed his gloves, jacket, and shirt, and climbed on top of her. Her heart began to pound with excitement.

The demon smirked, and for a moment Ellia would've sworn she saw his eyes glow faintly in the darkness as he looked down at her. But then he kissed her, and her thoughts faded away until the only thing on her mind was how long she'd waited for the night he'd make her his. This night.

Ellia woke up the next morning to an empty bed. She turned over, felt nothing (not even Gatlin), and sat up, looking for who was missing. Just then there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," she called, trying not to look directly at the bright sunlight shining in through the window across the room. The door opened and in walked a fully dressed, business-as-usual Sebastian holding a silver tray of food. Breakfast.

He set the delicious assortment of noble-class sustenance on the end table beside the bed and greeted the young woman with a pleasant, polite smile. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

Ellia smiled. "Very." She picked up the tea cup on the tray and took a sip. Then she noticed one of the small plates and what was on it: a piece of strawberry cake. "What's this for?"

"I thought you'd like it," he said simply.

Ellia grinned. "It's one of my favorites. Lucky guess."

Sebastian watched her for a moment longer before walking to the door. He stopped in the doorway and turned back to her. "Gatlin is waiting for you at your desk in the work room. Also, Young Master has informed me of your current project."

Ellia paused in cutting the strawberry cake to look at him. "What is it?"

"He'd like you to create a dress of the finest caliber for his fiancee, Elizabeth. Her birthday is next month, so he'd like something specially-made."

Ellia, though she was surprised to hear the boy had a fiancee at his age, nodded. "Okay."

The butler then left the room and closed the door behind him. Ellia smiled to herself and finished eating. Later that day she was greeted by Maylene and the other two servants. After chatting for a little while, Ellia was soon after sitting alone at her desk with Gatlin. She drew a few random sketches to get back into the swing of things and then took some time to draw out possible patterns. To her right sitting on top of the desk was her cat, watching her with interest.

As she drew, Ellia's mind was at ease. She'd helped to take down the biggest drug ring known in Europe. She'd survived and helped to kill the man that had sought to make it even stronger. She'd let go of her guilt, come to terms with her feelings, and avenged her parents. And now she was here, after everything that had happened, drawing a picture of a dress for a young girl's birthday present – work as usual. No poison, no seasickness, and no worry about getting through the night. She felt liberated, and time and time again as she let her pencils flow freely, she caught herself thinking of Sebastian.

Ellia paused in her drawing to pet the feline and noticed that every pattern she'd come up with was a combination of red and black. She shook her head and set the papers aside, starting new designs with different colors. Gatlin nuzzled her hand. Ellia stroked her fur, being careful not to pull at the bandages.

Then the cat's ears suddenly perked up and she turned her attention to the open doorway of the room. Ellia looked to see what the animal was so interested in. Seconds later Sebastian walked by in the hall, carrying a few small boxes. The cat purred. "Meooow."

Ellia smiled to herself as thoughts of the previous night came to mind. "I was about to say the same thing, love." She continued her drawing then, and wondered what the handsome man thought about as he moved around the house doing chores. She turned to the cat. "You think maybe...I cross his mind when he has the extra time to let his thoughts wander?" Gatlin purred and her golden eyes met Ellia's with a somehow sure gaze. "Meooow," she replied, seeming to be suddenly happy.

Ellia set her pencil down and ran her thumb over the smooth ruby on her ring, feeling the cool gem against her skin. She then rested her chin against her palm and held out her left hand, admiring it. Ten minutes passed without her knowledge.

"Miss Ellia?" a voice chimed in from the doorway. She quickly sat up straight and turned, seeing Sebastian standing there watching her, having come back down the hall from his box delivery. Gatlin was sitting on the floor next to him, as if waiting for a command. "Are you feeling all right? You looked a bit dazed."

Ellia shook her head. "Oh, I'm okay. I was just thinking about...things."

The butler looked at her sternly. "If these 'things' slow your pace, then perhaps I will have to send Maylene in here before her work is done to assist you?"

"I'm fine working by myself, really," Ellia reasoned. "I'd hate to bother her when she already has so much to do. That and, with me it seems she always has something to talk about regarding the other servants in this house. Working together with her would get little done and we'd end up staying up all night chit-chatting." She laughed at the thought.

Sebastian was quiet for a moment, considering her words. Then he sent her a devilish smirk and said, "In regards to keeping you up, Miss Ellia, Maylene is not who you should worry about."

Ellia smiled playfully back at him. "Oh? Then who is?"

"Surely you haven't forgotten so easily, Ellia."

The woman feigned innocence, looking at him almost apologetically. "I do believe I have."

The demon sighed and stepped into the room. In a flash Gatlin was out of sight. Ellia barely noticed the cat's exit; the butler closed the door and was now walking towards her, his powerful, enigmatic aura filling the room. Ellia reveled in the man's embrace, the secrecy they kept making it all the better. This secret they were able to keep quite easily in part because of the servants being so oblivious to their exchanges in the halls. Gatlin was also to blame.

In the times Ellia felt in need of her lover's company, Gatlin usually distracted the servants who would've otherwise happened upon them. Because Sebastian's visit to her work room that day was such an occasion and Maylene had been slowly cleaning her way down that same hall, Gatlin had made the choice to liberate the maid of her glasses. Feeling exposed, the woman chased down the animal and only managed to capture her when Gatlin deemed fit. This, of course, was after Bard and Finny had joined in and were already well into the pursuit.

After a while, the cat was deemed "mischievous" when left up to her own devices, and was therefore avoided whenever she wasn't in Ellia's arms. From that point on, it was easy for her to keep the others in the house, especially Ciel, at bay. She would often be found standing "guard" outside Ellia's room. Other times it was the work room. Occasionally Sebastian's room, or one of the guest rooms. On a few rare occasions Finny and Bard had opened the door to the wine cellar to be greeted to glowing yellow eyes and angry snarls. They decided to send Sebastian in for the wine afterwards.

Ellia justified Gatlin's strange behavior by saying she was territorial and would often claim parts of the house when she knew her owner was too busy "working" to notice.

When the gown for Elizabeth was finished and Ciel was able to give it to her during her birthday visit, he had high hopes it would make her even slightly more tolerable for the remainder of the day. To his dismay it had the opposite effect. The young girl loved the green and white dress so much that she was nearly bouncing off the walls with joy. And though Ciel was not a fan of the designer's pet, his opinion of Ellia improved a bit when the woman diverted Elizabeth's attention to conversation instead of assaulting him with hugs.

On the days Ciel and Sebastian were out running various errands together, Ellia stayed in her little office and drew up new patterns and styles for dresses and suits for all kinds of events. Gatlin was there by her side, as always. Time passed and not much changed, with the exception of Ellia's sleeping schedule. It became quite erratic. When one day Maylene jokingly asked her if she was some kind of insomniac, Ellia only replied with, "If I was, I'd be the happiest one in England."

~FIN~

In place of individual review replies, I'd like to occupy this space for a collective statement of appreciation to all the people who took the time to read the story. This includes those that have been reviewing since I began writing it in August, those that are just now reading through it and have gotten this far, and those that will read it in the future (and hopefully review, as I do still check them). All those that have faved and alerted the story, thanks to all of you guys, too. It means a lot to know this fic was well-liked, considering it was just something I began typing up off the top of my head and only later decided to build on.

Regarding this chapter, it was to be the finale and therefore I took several days to write out everything I'd envisioned for the ending. It ended up being 32 pages out of the 145 page document, so I divided it into two smaller parts. I really enjoyed writing this fic and I hope it was a just as enjoyable read.

~Wings of Harmony~