Frankenstein had promised. Master had given him an order, a seal, and Frankenstein had promised to stop. He had too. No more experimenting on rogue nobles or evil mortals, no more killing or research even on himself which alone said volumes about the seriousness of this promise.

Frankenstein had promised. But. But he had sworn to always do everything in his power to protect Master. If that meant giving his life, something he knew full well Master would disapprove of, so be it. If that meant taking the lives of others, something else Master normally did not encourage, then he would slaughter (discreetly).

However, this was something he could not kill, beat into submission, or threaten out of their lives. Not even the great Frankenstein could stop the passage of time or turn back the clock, reverse the systematic breakdown of cells that had seen humanity's ancestors take their first stumbling steps.

He had no formula, no equation, no plan, no concoction that would help. But. But maybe he could find one. If he disobeyed Master's orders for Master's safety – to create something totally new and functional required test subjects (because Frankenstein would rather take his own eyes out with a poker before he gave Master anything potentially harmful).

† They tell me you have taken countless lives for your experiments. †

It would be for Master's own good! Frankenstein could handle a century of disappointment and the loss of all of his powers as long as Master was alive to be disappointed in him. Even if he was banished from Master's presence and ignored – it would be worth, be more than worth, the suffering.

† Everyone is saying that your powers are dangerous. †

But Master had spoken for him, defended him from the Lord and the Nobles, even after everything he'd done, all the sin he had committed, even when he'd still been young and impulsive and idiotic. How was betraying everything Master stood for, everything Master had ever asked Frankenstein to do, anyway to repay him?

How can sitting by while Master dies be anyway to repay your savior? his traitorous mind cried in response. That was what it boiled down to in the end – obeying Master and allowing his decline or again becoming the thing that Master had never liked, the person who heartlessly took and took.

When he looked at it like that, there really wasn't any real choice, was there? Oh well, forever doomed to disappoint. He'd start immediately – run all the possible combinations and permutations, formulate scenarios, identify possible additional symptoms, and then…find a test subject.

Perhaps, if he could capture one of the Union traitors (or more) then he could begin experiments and it would be okay, it would be fine because he still didn't know what the hell they'd done to his Master. There would be time to find out and then administer the suitable punishment. Gruesome death was an attractive possibility, certainly –

"Frankenstein."

"Yes, Master?"

"More tea."

"Of course, Master."

"And Frankenstein."

There was a beat of silence during which Frankenstein cursed himself for ten times more the fool – losing control of his thoughts, around Master no less! Disgraceful.

"I am…happy now. This life is good…for you."

The wave of shame threatened to drown Frankenstein. He had a vividly brief fantasy involving apologies, sobbing, and bowing on his part. Judging by the expression, or rather careful lack thereof, on his face Master did too.

"I should like you to keep it…like this. When I am gone."

And to his caring, infinitely kind Master, who had always been so good to him, his savior, and object of his questionable at times affection – what should he say? What could Frankenstein say? Only one thing, as always. Only one.

"I will do my best Master."

~.~

A/N: There was no plan to continue this, but I got such a lovely review that I changed my mind. Ergo lecontinuation. What are you talking about, I'm the writer – I can totally do that. Anyway, everything else I write for Noblesse will be in a separate posting. This is complete.

Thank you, wonderful reviewers. (Wonderful reviewers, tell me, am I being too mean to Frankenstein? I feel like I am.)