A Demons Mate

How do you do it ....

Serena walked into the salon a little apprehensive about what Elizabeth had wanted to talk about. No one had known what she wanted to talk about and in the end, Serena had no other choice but to face the younger girl head on. The blonde was seated in front of the fireplace and didn't acknowledge her until she sat in the chair that was opposite the lady. Even then, her eyes didn't leave the fire in front of her.

"How do you do it?"

"I'm sorry?" Serena tried to get the younger girl to look at her.

"You and Ciel. You've only known each other a short time, but yet, you act like you've known each other forever."

'Because I know a hell of a lot more about your fiancé. I've only been watching his life on a TV show for the last few years, of course I feel like I've known him forever.'

"I'm not sure." The red head looked into the fire, hoping to find an answer that would satisfy Elizabeth. "My grandmother used to say that some people just click. That they don't need to know each other to know each other."

"Why won't he click with me?" She choked out.

Serena tried to find something to say as the blonde broke down.

"Why won't he tell me about anything? I thought it was just his work for the Queen, but lately, it's like I don't know anything about him."

"Because he doesn't want to tell you about his life." Lizzy looked up, eyes full of tears. "Ciel's life is very...dark and you're not. He's doesn't want to show you that."

"But I can handle it."

"He doesn't think that you can."

"Why? I've been raised my entire life to handle it."

"Because you act like a normal girl." Serena leaned back in her chair. "A normal girl can't handle the life that Ciel lives. So, he'd rather be alone than bring someone in that's going to end up scarred for life or dead. You can't be an airhead and that's what you always show him."

"But, men want the weak lady they can protect. They want the girl who looks pretty and gossips and occupies herself with embroidery and shopping."

Serena sighed. "I don't disagree with that. Most men in this time want the woman that's going to sit home and be the perfect little countess."

Lizzy nodded and looked back to the flames.

"But, Ciel is not most men. He's a genius and is annoyed with normal people. He's not a fighter. Why do you think he surrounds himself with them? He doesn't want the woman that he has to worry about protecting. He's still going to worry, but it would ease him a little if he married someone that knew a little about protecting themselves, physically and mentally."

"He doesn't have to protect me." Her voice was small, quiet as she let out her biggest secret. "Mother insisted that I learn fencing, as well as other forms of swordsmanship. I also know how to shoot. But, Ciel doesn't want that wife."

"Yes, he does." The red head rubbed a hand over her face. "Alright, you two obviously aren't going to figure this out yourselves. I'll tell you."

"What?"

She looked around the room, toward the door, making sure that no one was around.

"From what I gather, your aunt was like the side that you show Ciel all the time? She was pretty, and perfect. She spent most of her time focused on making the manor a home and making her husband's life as comfortable as possible. Once Ciel came, she made perfect mother another of her priorities. I don't know if she knew about Vincent's work for the Queen, but if she did, she spent her time acting like it didn't exist. She knew no self-defense and wouldn't even think of something so outside of what a lady should do."

Lizzy nodded.

"You know that his parents were murdered, that it wasn't the fire that killed them. Ciel saw that." The lady gasped and she pushed on. "And that is what pushes him away from you. You act like there is not a thought going on up there other than the latest fashion and the latest gossip and what's Ciel doing. Vincent wanted a wife like that. Ciel doesn't."

"I don't want him to think that I can't be a good wife or a mother. I don't want to push him away because I'm stronger." She twisted the handkerchief in her hands.

"Yeah, unfortunately men seem to think that women can't be both. However, like I said, the man that we're talking about is different. He thinks a little differently than normal men. I think that Ciel would be able to see that." She stood up and looked outside. The salon looked over the part of the garden that was currently home to the two cats. They were playing some kind of game, chasing each other. "It's like cats."

"Cats?" Lizzy stood and came over to the window to look outside.

"See, he knows that she could easily come back and claw his face off. But, in some ways that is a good thing because it makes her a good protector for their offspring. Granted, Ciel doesn't like cats but there are a lot of animals that have that thought process. I honestly think that, taking his past into account, he would think like that as well."

"You really think so?"

"I do."

Her eyes brightened and a smile returned to her face. Lizzy spun around and started for the door.

"I have to talk to Ciel. Cccciiiiieeelll!"

Serena caught the other girl as she opened the door. The red head closed the door quickly. Pulling the younger girl back into the room, she pushed Lizzy back into her seat.

"Okay, you need to stop that too." Serena pointed at her.

"But, that's what I always do."

"Didn't we just talk about changing what side you show Ciel?" She sat back down in her own chair and rubbed her forehead.

"But..."

"Listen, you can't approach like that."

"Why?"

Serena looked around, rubbed a hand over her face and then twisted her hands in her lap.

"Because it's annoying. You yelling through the house for him makes everybody cringe."

The blonde sunk into her chair.

"Look, you want him to look at you as a woman that he would marry?" She waited for the other's nod. "Then act like it. Ladies don't go running through the house, yelling at the top of their lungs. If nobody is dying, they walk calmly out of a room, up the stairs and knock on the door."

Lizzy nodded again.

"Ciel is a quiet person. He's very cerebral and you're loud. Very loud. He can't handle loud if nobody's dying. There is a lot going on up there. Every time that you yell, this," Serena waved her hands around her head. "Stops. And everything that was in there flies out the window. Which automatically puts him a bad mood."

"Why?"

"It's like reading a book. Someone comes screaming into the room and what do you do? You drop the book to find out what's going on and in the meantime, you've lost your place. It's irritating, isn't it, when you find out that it's not an emergency? That is what happens to strategic people. He loses his mental place. A gentle knock, allows him to put a mental bookmark in what he's thinking about and he can come back to it later. Therefore, leaving him more receptive to whatever it is that you want to talk about."

"Right." She stood and marched out of the room without a word.

"Well, it is an improvement." Serena watched her go and flopped back in her chair. "It'll work for now."