5. Sebastian's Chocolate is Boss

JO here...

This chapter doesn't have a lot of action but don't worry, the next one promises to have plenty. Also, do listen to the Kuroshitsuji soundtrack if you have a chance. If you're like me, it'll inspire you as you write.

Also, here are some answers to questions reviewers have asked me...

1. The dream Hero had does have a purpose. It is not random and does fit into the scheme of things. It'll be explained properly in the sequel.

EDITED 06/27/23

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji.

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5. Sebastian's Chocolate is Boss

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Another week passed and to my surprise, I found my stay at the Phantomhive Manor quite enjoyable.

Of course, I kept telling myself that this was a great vacation because if I think about the long-term too much, I start to feel hysterical. That aside, since this was the infamous Victorian era, TV's, the Internet, video games, electronic devices, movie theaters, and well, anything remotely fun hasn't been invented yet. Which was a bummer I tell you. It was a given that I was bored most of the time so whenever Ciel was really busy with work, I would hang with the servants, helping them with some of their duties.

In doing so, I learned a few things about them over the course of the week. For example, I discovered just how deep Bard's addiction to fire hazard tools were. And how Mey-Rin was a closet pervert—don't ask how I found that out though, she swore me to secrecy. Another thing that I learned was that I worried too much when it came to Finny. After a day spent gardening and dazzling him with stories, I wasn't sure if telling him about Transformers had been a good idea because he seemed almost obsessed with it the minute I told him. In the end, I figured there was no harm.

In getting to know the foreign boy, I revealed to him my unnatural strength, an ability we both seemed to possess. Finny had asked if I too had been experimented on but I simply told him I had been born with it. There was a difference in our abilities as well. Finny seemed to have no control over his strength; he could bring it about whenever he wanted. I, on the other hand, had to concentrate like crazy and summon my strength like some sort of Sayan. But once I did, I had control over it. It didn't always used to be like that though. It took a lot of self-discipline to make sure I didn't hurt anyone by accident. This led me to teach Finny about controlling his strength and using it in moderate measures. Our practices were slow, but there always some bit of progress.

However, Sebastian had not been amused when Finny had accidentally crushed the nearby oak tree into smithereens last week.

Speaking of Sebastian, I've taken the liberty of observing him and comparing this real-life version of him to the manga/anime. My conclusion was that the flesh looked way better than paper and that was saying something. I admit it wasn't easy tailing him since it felt the man had eyes on the back of his head but it was definitely rewarding. Why?

Because I managed to see Sebastian Michaelis, the most perfect butler in the whole freaking universe, lose his cool.

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A Butler begins his day early. He is the last to finish his work late at night, and the first to begin work in the morning. Such is the duty of a butler who manages the household.

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"Hmm, my hair has grown rather long. What a pity I cannot trim it as I please," murmured Sebastian Michaelis as he fingered his growing sable tresses through the mirror in his small simple bedroom. He sighed before grabbing his coat and placed it on. "Humans are most troublesome," he added. Tugging on his white gloves, Sebastian looked up into the mirror once more and smiled.

It was early morning and several days had passed since Lady Elizabeth's eventful visit. No important assignments from Her Majesty have come up so as a result the Phantomhive household was in a rather peaceful lull because of it.

"Now then," he said, "off we go."

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His first task is to assign the day's work to the servants.

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Sebastian found Bard, Finny, Mey-Rin and Tanaka waiting for him in the kitchen, looking dazed, mostly sleepy.

"Good morning, everyone," he said. "It is about time you should all be getting to work. Mey-Rin, see to the linens. Finny, tend to the trees in the garden, and Bard, please make preparations for lunch."

He then spotted Tanaka. "And Mister Tanaka, please go have some tea." The Ex-butler happily complied.

Sebastian glanced at the other servants sternly. "Provided you have understood your duties, off you go! Step lively!"

The servants scurried to their tasks.

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Once he has dispatched the servants he prepares early morning tea and orange juice—the current mistress demands it in the mornings—and breakfast in time for the master and mistress's awakening.

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The trolley's wheels squeaked lightly as Sebastian walked down the hall towards the master's bedroom. Halting before a familiar door, he lifted a hand and knocked on it softly.

"Pardon me," he said before entering the dark room. "Good morning young master, Miss Hero. It is time for you to wake up."

Sebastian approached the large window and drew the curtains back. The occupants on the bed groaned miserably.

Sebastian smiled. "It is a fine day today."

Ciel is the first to wake with a lazy rub to his eye. Beside him, a girl with brown skin took her pillow and stuffed her face under it.

"Go away," she mumbled.

"Today's tea is the Assam, hm?" Ciel inquired, yawning as he sat up.

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The master of the house, Earl Ciel Phantomhive, rules a vast domain at the age of twelve. He is also the President of "Funtom", a toy and confectionery company that has grown into a massive corporation within a very short amount of time with his gifts of cunning and management.

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Sebastian smiled. "Just as I would expect from the young master. I had heard that good tea leaves were ready in Assam, so I had some sent here."

"Boring," Hero commented, peeking from under her pillow as she reluctantly sat up as well. "I don't understand how you can enjoy that. Maybe it's the British genes? Who knows. Now orange juice on the other hand is much healthier." She grabbed a cup carefully and took a sip. "And tasty."

Sebastian looked over at the girl and smiled. "I'm glad you're enjoying the juice. It is freshly squeezed. I had to have the oranges imported as well."

Hero beamed. "You're a doll, Sebastian. No wonder this taste so good! Even the pulp is killin' it. I know some people don't like it, but I don't mind."

Ciel glanced over at the juice and wrinkled his nose. "Is that supposed to be an American thing?"

"A little. I think it's supposed to be a Florida thing. We are famous for producing the best oranges in the world you know. That's my opinion of course. Still, they don't call it Florida's Natural Orange Juice for nothing," she added as she continued to drink.

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Now the mistress of the house was the resident time-traveler, Miss Hero Sanders, self-proclaimed Detective Extraordinaire. She's a curious American teenager whose arrival at the Phantomhive Manor has caused much excitement in the last two weeks. She is Earl Ciel's pawn and an amusing source of entertainment for the butler, not including the fact that she is also said butler's demon mate. A fact that both mistress and master remain unaware of.

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Ciel glanced down at the newspaper he had in his hands. "By the way, I've invited the children of Earl Burton's orphanage to the manor."

Hero suddenly shrieked and hugged the startled young master, causing the boy to almost spill his tea. "You kind child you! Even though I knew you were gonna do this anyways, I'm still proud of you! You're doing a wonderful thing for those children! I bet they'll be so happy!"

Ciel looked partly puzzled and partly embarrassed, his cheeks reddening. "You're quite welcome?"

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A noble's wealth exists to contribute to society. They practice charity using their abundant fortunes. The distinguished Phantomhive family also engages in volunteer activities without exception.

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"That is a splendid idea," Sebastian agreed. "When will they be joining?"

"Tomorrow," Ciel said as Hero climbed off the bed.

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Why, this little bra—ahem, young master. Does he believe he can get anything done so long as I am here to take care of it?

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Sebastian smiled, hiding his real feelings and thoughts inside. "Very well, sir."

Hero glanced casually at Sebastian's face and snickered.

"And Sebastian," she said, capturing his attention. "Be sure to make the preparation absolutely spectacular! I want the children to be absolutely amazed by the Phantomhive's hospitality."

He bowed. "I will make certain of that, Miss Hero. I shall entertain even the littlest guests in a manner worthy of the Phantomhive name."

She clapped in excitement, her face merry with joy. "Yay! You guys rock!" With that she left the room, her vision tinted with sparkly flowers. Ciel, back in bed, looked at the closed door she went through in puzzlement.

"I wonder why she is so happy about it," he said to himself. "And what does 'you guys rock' mean?"

"That," Sebastian said, taking Ciel's teacup. "I believe is a modern American expression that is meant be translated as a way of saying 'you did well', young master."

"Then why does she not just say so?"

Sebastian shook his head in answer but smiled nevertheless.

"Oh yes, that reminds me. The Herond Chinoiserie tea set you ordered just the other day has arrived, sir." He proceeded to dress Ciel. "Therefore, afternoon tea for today will be Keemun. Also, Miss Hero insisted she have lemonade instead, as she is still unused to tea. We also have berries, so I think a summer pudding of currants and other berries might do nicely. What do you think?"

"I do not understand why Hero has an obsession with fruits, but it is fine I suppose. Do what you will."

"Very good, sir," Sebastian praised as he tied the boy's ribbon. "Then I shall set about the preparations for tomorrow at once."

"Nn," was the boy's nonchalant reply.

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Now then, here begins the butler's true work.

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In the kitchen, Sebastian got himself ready before getting down to business.

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Finely chop the best dark and milk coverture and mix. Melt over a bowl of 60 degrees' Celsius water. After boiling and then cooling slightly, add some fresh cream. Cool while stirring, add some Cointreau when the mixture is at body temperature. Then pour into the mold—

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"GYAAAAA!"

Sebastian turned around when he heard Mey-Rin's scream.

"What is going on?" he said to himself in confusion. When Sebastian investigated the cause, he was stunned to see the laundry room flooded with bubbles, a hysterical Mey-Rin reaching for him in tears the moment he appeared.

"MISTER SEBASTIAN!" she cried.

"Why are there bubbles everywhere?" Sebastian demanded, looking around the plain but large room filled with several round cisterns overflowing with bubbles. He could hardly see half the room because of it!

"This detergent I put in," Mey-Rin explained. "Thirty spoonful's, just as the directions say, but something seems to have gone wrong!"

Sebastian took the box from Mey-Rin and read the instructions. His face was not amused.

"Mey-Rin," he said, "this reads three spoonful's. Not thirty."

The clumsy maid gaped in shock. "EH?"

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Why this imbec—that is to say, housemaid. It would seem the problem no longer lies in her eyesight. Why does she fail to realize that there is something clearly wrong with her own brain and not the instructions? Word was it that the public adores silly maids, but I do not think I will ever stand it and I have no intention of even trying to do so. I MYSELF WOULD LIKE TO WRING HER NECK.

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Sebastian heard a familiar giggle in the hall. He looked outside briefly, but found the place empty. Only creme colored walls and dark tiles remained. He raised a brow in suspicion before looking back at the still stunned maid.

Sebastian sighed. "All right. For the moment, please leave this to me."

And in no time, the brilliant Phantomhive butler had the mess in order as a freshly laundered set of sheets were hung to dry in the breeze outside by the servants courtyard. Sebastian rubbed his wrist against his forehead, a satisfied smile on his handsome face.

"I still have much to do," he said, "so I shall be taking my leave. Please return to your work."

The dazed looking Mey-Rin gazed at Sebastian in awe as he walked away.

In the hall, Sebastian's expression morphed into annoyance.

"Really, all this when I am running short on time," he murmured. He entered the kitchen and shut the door closed. "Now, where was I?"

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Place the butter and the water in a skillet and bring to a boil. Extinguish the gas. Sift the flower and baking powder into the mixture. After stirring the mixture quickly with a wooden spatula, heat on a low flame—

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An explosion sounded from somewhere. The sound and vibrations halted Sebastian's movements and he irritably glanced at the door.

"What is it this time!"

In the downstairs kitchen that was predominately Bard's domain, black smoke filtered out of the room as ash and charcoal dust littered the corridor. The look Sebastian sent the charred chef when he entered had the man quickly telling the butler everything.

"Well, ya see, I got this new weapon from back home, but…it doesn't work at all," Bard confessed.

"Making roast lamb with lavender does not require that much heat…," Sebastian uselessly explained in exhaustion. "To begin with, is that even a tool for cooking?"

"Don' cha sweat the details! Cooking is art! And art is explosion!"

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Why the imbec—AHEM, rather chef. You should talk about cooking after you have actually "cooked" something. I believe EIGHTY PERCENT of what you have managed to "cook" has been CHARCOAL. The other twenty percent is hazardous waste. Save your art for your hairstyle and cook something edible…otherwise…I WISH FOR YOU TO BECOME CHARCOAL YOURSELF.

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Another familiar set of giggles had Sebastian rushing to the hall only to become frustrated that the perpetrator wasn't in sight. He'd get her if he found her. Then he'd show her why she shouldn't laugh.

"Haah, all right," Sebastian sighed. "We still have the ground meat and vegetables, so let us make do with that."

Chop. Roll. Steam. One, two, three and it was done. Sebastian wiped the sweat from his forehead as the day's lunch (stuffed cabbage and mint potato salad) was prepared. An impressed Bard looked on.

"This should suffice for the time being. I leave the tidying up to you." Sebastian rushed back to his workstation, complaining all the while about not a shred of his work getting done. He closed the door, prepared for peace.

"Let us finish this right away," he said again, opening the bag of flour.

But before Sebastian's narration could even start, a bump from behind had him faceplanting into the flour as a wailing Finny tackled him.

"Now it is your turn, I take it," muttered a tired looking Sebastian.

"UWHAAA! MISTER SEBASTIAN!"

"I can discern not a word if you persist with your crying. What happened?"

He needn't ask. In fact, Sebastian greatly regretted doing so as he looked at the garden, or to put it more accurately, the treeless garden where the once lush grass and vibrant greenery was now dead and gone.

"I was going to trim the branches…," Finny began.

"…the lawn," said Sebastian, looking at the crumpled dead leaves on the ground.

"…but I forgot all about the herbicide sprayer being broken a while back!" Finny wailed, red faced and embarrassed.

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Why, this imbec—THIS IMBECILE! How can a gardener be so clumsy? Though the saying goes, "An idiot and a pair of scissors can both be of use" giving this useless idiot a pair of scissors is trouble in itself. He refers to something that happened two or three days ago as being "a while back". The way his brain can easily cast aside a blunder of that degree…

...I have surpassed anger and am, in fact, rather impressed.

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There! That giggle! Sebastian looked wildly around but found, to his growing frustration, that the time-traveler had disappeared yet again. Where has this girl gone too? He looked back at Finny and sighed heavily.

"There is nothing even I can do about this. Go and buy some trees at the garden shop," Sebastian instructed, taking out some of his own pocket money.

"What sort of trees should I get?" Finny asked, his crying subsiding.

"You are the gardener. The design of the garden is your responsibility. Purchase whatever you deem appropriate," Sebastian answered.

"Then! Then! I wanna make a garden as cool as a transformer combo robot! Just like the one Miss Hero told me about!"

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I have lived for quite some time but this is my first encounter with a BEING FROM OUTER SPACE. How does he expect me to respond to his beaming smile? And why would Miss Hero help add to his idiocy?

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Lost in his own thoughts, Finny couldn't help but interject. "Mister Sebastian? The young master'll get angry so do please give me the money right quick! Sheesh, you can't just let your mind wander off like that!"

In the end, a happy Finny walked his way to the garden store, leaving a poor Sebastian to waste away. A single strand of his luscious black hair gave up and fell out.

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I have had enough. At times like these, yes—I want to see her. A supple body, flowing black hair, fierce eyes that shine like amber. I must hurry to the place where she awaits me.

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Sebastian dashed to the other side of the gardens where Finny hadn't touched. He panted, looking in the direction of her…only her wasn't there. In fact, she was nowhere to be seen. Sebastian looked around, utterly confused.

Where could she be? He thought desperately. She always waits for me here. She knows I come and feed her around this hour. Where could she have gone?

Sebastian contemplated a million scenarios until a familiar voice registered.

"This isn't over! You're going down. Literally!" rang Miss Hero's voice, not too far away from where Sebastian was standing. At least, there she is, thought Sebastian as he began walking towards her. The little she-devil who had been trailing him and laughing at his predicaments all day. Now what could she be doing?

Whatever Sebastian had thought; he knew it wasn't this.

The little miss was currently up in a tree, several feet off the ground, trying to rescue her. Now why would the cat be up there? Catching the mischievous glint in the feline's eyes had Sebastian smiling in comprehension. So that's why. The cat was purposefully playing and teasing the oblivious petite she-devil. Miss Hero grabbed a sturdy branch and climbed higher, bringing her closer to the waiting smug feline. Sebastian stood silent for a few minutes before he felt compelled to make his presence known.

"May I ask what you're doing up there, Miss Hero?"

Hero hadn't known Sebastian had been watching her, let alone standing below at the base of the tree. She had been concentrating so intently that she was startled by the sound of his voice. As a result, she accidentally let the branch go. She gave a little yelp, surprising Sebastian as he neared to catch her. Thankfully, at the last second, Hero grabbed a random branch. She looked down at him and glared in mild annoyance.

"Don't sneak up on me, Sebastian! I was so close! That Moriarty is a crafty one," she muttered, speaking the last sentence with a withering glance at the feline above.

Sebastian raised a brow. What worried him more was that she had commented on the cat first rather than her safety. "Moriarty? You named her after a villain?"

Hero climbed higher. "Moriarty isn't just a villain. He's a confused genius, worthy of being Sherlock's twin. I guess his only fault is the fact that he chose to be a bad guy, but hey, to each his own. And little miss thang up there deserves such a title. She's lucky I didn't call her Mycroft!"

The cat meowed in amusement. Sebastian chuckled. "Right then, but how about coming down. I can fetch…Moriarty for you."

"It's okay," she told him, grabbing another branch. "She isn't that far and this new outfit I'm wearing is perfectly ideal for tree climbing!"

That's when Sebastian noticed what Miss Hero was wearing. Shorts underneath her appallingly short dress. Stockings, boots, and no corset. In total, completely inappropriate for a Victorian lady. He could only conclude that Miss Hopkins had a hand in this.

"Still, the young master would not be amused if you got hurt," Sebastian added.

"Pfft. I told Ciel I'd let him try protecting me. Never said I couldn't continue my hero duties. Get it? Hero?" Finally she made it to the same branch as the resting Moriarty. The feline meowed but stayed where she was. Hero slowly crawled over and gathered the cat into her arms. She glanced down at Sebastian. "Got her! I'll try coming down now!"

Sebastian was alert and ready in case Miss Hero should fall along with…Moriarty. He sighed. Really, this demon mate of his was quite a handful. If he wasn't careful she'd best him without even trying and-

"Watch out!" Miss Hero shrieked as she jumped the last few branches down on purpose. Quick as a flash, Sebastian caught her without much difficulty. Surprisingly, she was quite light in his arms and smelled of tropical fruits. She looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks Sebastian! That was close!"

He set her down. She smiled and brought Moriarty to him. "Here she is. I was gonna head back to Ciel's when I found her trailing after me. I knew you would see her later, not to mention Ciel is allergic to cats, so I tried telling her to stay here, but instead she climbed up the tree. I thought she might hurt herself so I performed my civic duty and saved her. No need to thank me."

Sebastian refrained from telling her that it was the feline's scheme all along to keep her here longer. Instead he smiled.

"I'm glad you're safe," he said.

Hero smiled as she pet the purring Moriarty. Funny how the name stuck.

"I have a question," Hero began, glancing at him, brown eyes wide with curiosity. "Is it true that the pets in wherever you're from are much different than the ones here?"

"They don't compare at all," Sebastian assured her. "I find cats most agreeable. They do that which is necessary, not wasting a moment of energy. That and I find them quite adorable."

Hero giggled. "I guess. Cats are okay because they don't make as much noise when I sneak into private residences for clues."

Sebastian decided to keep silent about that instead of chiding her for getting into such dangerous situations. No doubt she'd do it anyways, even after he'd warned her not to.

"But," she said apologetically. "I find cats troublesome. For some reason, they always fuss around me and get themselves into impossible situations where my conscious forces me to save them." She sighed as if inconvenienced.

This information surprised Sebastian. Then again, he remembered something about Hero owning a dog named Noodle—what was it with her name choices? Why did it have to be so odd?

Hero suddenly leaned in close to Sebastian's face. The unexpected proximity startled him, causing him to stay still. She held up a hand and touched his growing front locks.

"Hey, I just remembered your hair has gotten longer. It's a shame you can't cut it, but it does look good on you regardless," said Hero, eyes sparkling.

Sebastian felt himself drawn in by her wide doe-like eyes. They held so much light and depth, such simplicity and innocence that he could feel it radiating from her soul. His gaze darkened slightly, imagining what a small sip of her soul must taste like. It would be incredible, ambrosial. She was his demon mate, after all. It could only be an elixir of the highest caliber to satisfy his hunger. Only she could end his slaving away at humanity for meals.

That was the beauty of demon mates. Their souls were endless. One sip was enough to cure a demon's hunger and make them stronger than before. And they would never die like humans do from a demon's attention. The demon mark on them, once black, would ensure that.

"Well, I'm off!" Hero told him suddenly, breaking Sebastian from his thoughts. "Make sure those preparation for the children come along splendidly!" She gave the cat a little peck on her head, which the feline responded by hissing at her. Hero gave him the "see?" look before she shook her head and went back inside the manor.

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Gosh that was so refreshing!

Moriarty sure gave me a work out and Sebastian looked all sexy and adorable when flustered. He was usually so capable and perfect that seeing him off kilter made me smile. I was so giddy with my discovery of Sebastian's character that I didn't even notice I had entered the salon used for large gatherings until I gasped at the sight before me.

Wow.

I didn't even know Sebastian had gone this far into the preparations for the children. In the middle of the room, a half-finished statue of what looked like the Wild Earl on a horse sat proudly on a table covered in a white cloth. It was made entirely of chocolate and smelled heavenly from where I stood. I was about to investigate it when I noticed Ciel enter the room from another open doorway.

"Ciel?"

Said boy turned his head to look me in surprise.

"Hero?" Then he noticed my outfit and his cheeks became red. "What happened to the rest of your dress?"

I gave him a pose and laughed at his adorable expression.

"Nothing's wrong. This is exactly how my dress is supposed to look like." My dress was a soft red that reached my thighs. You could barely see the khaki tight-fitting Bermuda shorts underneath the extra layers of ruffles and skirt. The black knee high stockings seemed appropriate, as were my signature brown lace-up ankle boots—Nina had assured me they could pass for appropriate outdoor footwear. "Since I refuse to get dressy for stay-at-home days, this will be my typical casual wear. So expect short dresses and Bermuda shorts."

Ciel just shook his head in resignation. "I do not know why I asked. If you absolutely insist, then only wear these…clothes when you are inside the manor."

I saluted him. "Duh, little boy blue. Now feast your eyes and look at that!" I pointed to the statue. "Isn't it cool? Not even the giant Chocolate Mayan sculpture in the Guinness's World Record can compare."

Ciel ambled over and stared at it curiously. "I don't know what your alluding to but I admit its passable enough."

I tilted my head as I stared at the sculpture. "It would have been even more epic if it was the Headless Horseman from Sleepy Hallow. The one with Johnny Depp in it. Totally a classic."

"Headless Horseman?" Ciel stayed silent for a moment before facing me with a small smirk. "Very well." He grabbed a nearby chair, stood on it and popped the Earl's head from its shoulders. My jaw dropped. "Wish granted."

"Sebastian will be very upset."

Ciel shrugged. "I am curious to see what he will do about it."

"You like testing him don't you?"

"Naturally."

I smiled. "What'll you do with the head?"

Ciel looked at the chocolate head in his hands before tearing a piece off and munching on it. "As expected of Sebastian. Very fine chocolate."

I stared at him in stunned surprise before laughing. "Oh Ciel! If you're having an early snack, do share! And let's head towards your study before Sebastian gets back."

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Outside, an oblivious Sebastian squished Moriarty's paws, finding his happy place at long last.

"Ah, your paw is so soft. I want to hold you like this forever," he said. In that moment, Miss Hero's smiling face flashed through his mind. He smiled to himself.

What an amusing demon mate, he thought. The time to seduce her seemed about right. Sebastian placed Moriarty on the ground. "I must go now. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow."

An hour or two later, Sebastian stepped back from his masterpiece in the ballroom salon. "After countless interruptions, this is all I could manage, hm?" he murmured to himself.

Suddenly the first set of doors to the salon burst wide open, revealing the idiotic trio crying his name.

Sighing, Sebastian turned around. "Yes? Now what?"

They only gasped at the sheer perfection of all the chocolate sculptures and decorations placed around the room.

"Wow!" Finny exclaimed at last, gesturing towards the sculpture Sebastian had been working on. "It's chocolate!"

"So this is what you were up to while you made us do all the work?" Bard complained.

"Are these all sweets?" Mey-Rin exclaimed in awe.

"We are inviting children here tomorrow, so this is for them. I was specifically ordered by Miss Hero to make the preparation spectacular for the children and worthy of the Phantomhive name," Sebastian explained.

Bard crossed his arms. "All this just for some brats? Crazy."

"That's Mister Sebastian for you!" Complimented Finny and Mey-Rin. Finny approached the main chocolate sculpture but stared at it in confusion.

"But, what sort of statue is this?" he asked, eyes wide from confusion.

Sebastian walked over, a little annoyed. "What do you mean? It is the Wild Earl of whom you are so fon-!"

He stood speechless. The head. It was gone!

"The head of the Earl I casted so precisely is-!" Sebastian turned around and glared at the trio, ready to commit murder. The trio trembled.

"Hey, hey! We were working up until now!" Bard defended.

"Yes, quite right. We could not have stolen the Earl's head!" Mey-Rin exclaimed. Finny nodded his head in agreement.

"That means…Mister Tanaka!" Everyone began searching for him like crazy all over the manor. Sebastian was about to lead the expedition to the left wing on the second floor when his inner butler senses tingled. He checked his stop watch. "I cannot deal with this now! It is time for afternoon tea! I will prepare it so please do your utmost to search out Mister Tanaka!"

The B-M-F trio saluted. "Yes, sir!"

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Leaving matters in the hands of those good-for-nothings causes me no end of worry. I must return as soon as possible.

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"Pardon me, sir," Sebastian said as he entered the master's study. Upon stepping inside, the petrified Wild Earl's half eaten head greeted him. The culprits? A sleeping young master with a chocolate stained cheek. He sat in his over sized chair while a slumbering American teen lay partially sprawled over the master's desk with chocolate stained lips.

Sebastian slouched over in exhaustion. "Really, young master. Miss Hero!" He walked over to the window and closed it. "You even left the window open. Despite my presence here, leaving yourselves completely vulnerable will never do." He then walked over to Miss Hero's sleeping form. "Must the two of you cause so much mischief for me?"

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Useless servants…

A demanding master…

A mercurial demon mate…

Being a butler is far from easy. But I feel living in this manner is not too bad…

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Suddenly a scheming thought came to mind.

Ten minutes later:

"Young master! Please wake up! How many times have I told you not to snack on the sly? And Miss Hero, I can't believe you'd go along with this!"

"Sebastian!"

"Moriarty get off Ciel! He's allergic to you!"

"Achoo!"

=/=/=

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Next Day

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I was immensely pleased to see Ciel's charity event work out so well. The children were having a grand time and the staff were impressed with Sebastian's decorations. I looked over at the chocolate Earl's body with his missing head and snickered, but stopped when I remembered Sebastian's little "payback."

Poor Ciel had been sneezing for the rest of the afternoon. Still, I had to admit one thing: Sebastian's chocolate was beast. It was pure bliss, completely mouthwatering. Not even Hershey's or Godiva's could compare and that was saying something.

At the moment, Ciel was currently talking to the person in charge of the orphanage while Sebastian and the other servants catered to the little children. I smiled at the scene. Nostalgia creeped on me as I remembered Casa de Maria. I had some good memories tucked away, some not so good, some fun, and some I'd rather wish didn't happen. But overall, Casa de Maria allowed me to grow up strong as an individual, if not a little scarred (hence me not being able to sleep alone).

I noticed a couple of the little ones grab some crème puffs and retreat under the table cloth. I grinned. I grabbed a puff and followed after them. It was a difficult task since I had to dress up more formally for the event and my large skirt got in the way, but I made it in, startling some of the other kids inside.

"Shh," I told them, settling down. "It's rather comfortable down here. You kids had the right idea."

They all looked at one another first before shrugging and continuing to eat. The crème puff tasted rather good. It only made me determined to dub Sebastian as a Willy Wonka in disguise.

We were all content for a few minutes when a little girl with a piece of chocolate in hand decided to come under the table as well. She hesitated, seeing all of us already under here.

"Come on in," I encouraged her. "There's plenty of space left." The other children nodded. The girl timidly entered before sitting down. She ate her chocolate blissfully.

"Good chocolate, huh?" I said.

She nodded.

"You wanna know who made it?"

She looked at me curiously.

"That tall handsome butler in black," I whispered conspiratorially. She blushed. Another one of the girls under here spoke up.

"Really? He did?" Looks like Sebastian had an admirer.

I nodded. "So when you guys see him, tell him thank you and give him a big hug. He'll appreciate that, trust me. And so would the little boy in blue with an eye patch! He's the Earl and thought to do this for you guys."

"He's an Earl?" asked a little boy with a messy chocolate mouth and bright red hair.

I grinned. "Yup. And if you guys do just that I might even teach you how to play baseball."

"Baseball?"

In less than five minutes the kids were hooked as I explained the game. I admit that I had a weakness for the sport. And how could I not with a Miami Marlins fan for a dad? They all exited the table, spreading the word to the rest of the children. When I emerged from underneath the table, I gave Chocolate Mouth a thumbs up before he signaled the rest of the kids. I saw Ciel and Sebastian eye me suspiciously but I smiled as innocently as I could. That's when the kids started to swarm Sebastian and Ciel, muttering their heartfelt thanks.

"Aw!" I said to one of the staff members. "They're so adorable!"

"Oh, uh. I'm not sure what's gotten into them all of a sudden, but its nice to see them express their thanks. They're usually a solemn bunch."

Sebastian and Ciel didn't quite know what to say, but I clapped loudly, gathering their attention.

"That was great little ones! Now let's play some baseball!" The children cheered and followed me outside. Inside, Ciel, Sebastian, and the rest of the adults looked a little confused.

"My, what an energetic batch of children," commented Sebastian with a smile.

"I have no idea what came over them," muttered the man in charge.

Ciel looked down at his chocolate stained coat. "I'm sure I do. But what is baseball I wonder?"

It didn't take long for all of them to find out.

I stood with the kid explaining to them the rules of the game and how it went. They asked questions and nodded when I finished. The children then separated into two teams: Team Dragon and Team Fairy. It was a given that most of the girls were in Team Fairy, but a few of them were actually pretty good at pitching and batting. I decided to become Switzerland so I took a neutral stance and just coached/refereed the kids. It took probably thirty minutes for the kids to get use to the rules before they started playing it without my help. Much to the boy's surprise, Team Fairy won.

"Girl power!" I cheered with them, teaching the girls how to do a high five, something they found novel but enjoyed nevertheless. Before I knew it, the day was over.

"Well, what do you think?" I later asked Ciel as I helped hand out the goody bags (something I insisted upon) filled to the brim with sweets and a few Funtom toys as the children left.

"Think what?"

"Of today, silly! I was amazed to find that some of these kids have potential. If they were in my time, I think Chocolate Mouth could have been the next Ichiro. He was so fast."

Ciel looked at me with a blank face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

I smiled and poked him in the cheek. "Quit being a spoil sport. I'd love to bring you to a baseball game. I can teach you how to play if you want."

He scoffed. "No, thank you. I have no time to play such a silly game."

"That looked liked so much fun!" Finny exclaimed.

Mey-Rin nodded. "Yes it did!"

"I bet I could have helped the boys out," Bard said, puffing out his chest.

I laughed. "Sure you could of have. But this just reinforces the fact that women are better. We can do anything men can do, backwards and in high heels," I told him smugly.

Sebastian came back inside, closing the door in time to hear the children call out their good-byes as the carriages took them back home.

"Aren't they heartwarming? I'm glad they had fun today," I said.

Ciel turned to look at me. "I've been wondering, but why were you so happy to hear that I was doing this for the children?"

"Yes," agreed Sebastian, cleaning up a little of the mess left behind. "I've been wondering the same thing."

"Oh," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "Didn't I tell you before?"

"Tell us what?" Ciel asked as he took off his dirty chocolate stained coat and looked at it with distaste.

"Okay, well, remember when I said I was born and raised in Florida? Well it was partially true. I was raised in Florida, but I wasn't born there. I was actually born somewhere in Central America."

"But what does that have to do with the children?"

"I was adopted when I was ten silly. I thought I mentioned this."

Ciel looked at me in shock. Sebastian frowned. "Adopted?"

"Yup. My dad Phil adopted me from a catholic Mexican orphanage. Apparently the nuns found me on their door step one night when I was around five years old. They're not sure where I came from. Even I can't remember. My memory is kind of blurry and it's been so long. And really, who cares? It's old news now."

"That would explain your apparent happiness with the orphaned children," Ciel murmured. I was quick to glomp the bluenette and hug him tightly, making the squirming boy flush.

"Duh. Kids like that need all the attention and affection they can get or they'll turn into uncaring delinquent bastards, like some who shall remain unnamed."

Sebastian stared at me with a serious expression but said nothing. It was clear his thoughts had wandered to my incomplete childhood. In fact, I bet it must seem ironic to him that I was raised by nuns but where else was an orphaned child supposed to turn to?

"You alright, Sebastian?"

"Hmm? Of course, Miss Hero. I was merely thinking that my earlier plans will have a setback."

I blinked. "Plans? Setback? Because of my childhood?"

He smiled. "It's better to be prepared before going in for the, how you say, kill."

I stared at him in confusion. After a few minutes of silence, it was clear he wasn't going to elaborate. I shook my head, deciding to let it go. A sudden knock at the front door startled us all from our clean-up task. Sebastian walked over and opened it to find a courier with a personally delivered letter. He looked suspiciously like John Brown, the Queen's aide.

"What is it, Sebastian?" Ciel asked. He was still trying not to turn red from my face still being so close to his.

"It's a message, my lord. From the Queen."

That raised both our brows. I let Ciel go and waited as he read the letter. When he finished reading he looked up at Sebastian and I. He smirked.

"Well, well. It looks like we'll be heading to London tomorrow," he said. He sighed. "How bothersome. Sebastian make the necessary arrangements."

Sebastian bowed. "Yes, my lord. Bard, Finny, Mey-Rin, get all this cleaned up while I help with the packing."

The trio saluted. "Yes, sir!"

"Whoo!" I cheered as excitement coursed through me. I pumped my fists. "Jack the Ripper arc here we come!"