All Too Well

♚ Chapter Twenty Six ♚

As we reached the top, we spotted Elizabeth's brother directing a road of people onto the lowering lifeboats. "Brother!" Elizabeth cried as she ran toward him.

"I'm glad you're okay!" He sighed with relief as he held his arms out and they embraced each other.

"Edward, I have a favor to ask," Smile stated. "Instead of me, let these three on." He gestured to Snake, Freckles and I. "I can't get on the boat just yet."

"What are saying? No!" Elizabeth protested as she approached Smile and Black.

"'It's dangerous!' ...Says Oscar," Snake cried.

"S-Smile!" Freckles gasped, shocked at his noble gesture.

"Don't be bloody stupid!" I yelled.

"If Ciel's staying I'm also..." Elizabeth continued but Black whacked he back of her neck, knocking her out. Freckles and I covered our mouths in shock as Black caught the unconscious Elizabeth's his free arm.

"Butler!" Edward shouted.

"It would take too much time to make Lady Elizabeth understand..." Black explained.

"Please take care of Lizzy," Smile pleaded.

"I understand," Edward nodded. "Leave it to me."

"Let's go Sebastian," Smile said as soon as Black handed Elizabeth over to Edward. He placed her into the loading lifeboat and began to help Snake, Freckles and I on.

"Yes," Black nodded as they headed off.

"You don't have to come back," Edward yelled. "I'll be fine not having to give you my little sister as a bride."

"I'll be sure to make it back then," Smile smirked.

As soon as we got on, Edward helped more people onto the lifeboat until it was full. He handed us thick blankets and then lowered the lifeboats into the water. One of the crew members began to row us into the dark ocean.

Snake shivered as he curled up tight into his blanket. Freckles and I snuggled up on each side of him in order to share our body heat as we threw our blankets over the three of us as well.

We set out into the night, but as the hours passed on, I began to lose hope of finding help. There was no way in this bloody ocean was there going to be another ship that would rescue us. We were stranded, surrounded by water we couldn't drink and without food. Unless you count Snake's snakes, but you have to fight us three to the death if you want to make a meal out them.

I began to doze off, drowsy from the cold when somebody shrieked, "A ship!"

Snapping my head up, awake, I looked around in the fog until I saw the dark outline of a ship heading right towards us. "We're saved!" People cheered as the crew member shot off a flare, revealing our location through the dark and fog.

The ship honked its horn as it pulled up to the side of us and ropes with hooks were let down. The crew member attacked the hooks to the lifeboat and we were pulled onto the ship where we were going to be rescued.

*~*~*~*~*~

After tracking down a doctor to look at my ankle, they told me that all it needed was ointment and bandages, as despite it being bitten by an undead guy, it actually wasn't infected. And, thanks to my makeshift bandages, I didn't lose that much blood either. I just needed to change the bandages every few hours and once we dock, find another doctor to take a closer look at it.

Elizabeth regained consciousness a few hours ago and remembering what had happened, went hysterical. No one could calm her down, not us, her family nor her maid, as she insisted that all she wanted was Smile.

The run began to rise as Snake, Freckles and I, still wrapped up in blankets, watched the sight in front of us until one of this ship's crew members said they spotted another lifeboat.

The staff ran around and helped boat up, revealing a bloody Smile and Black. Black placed a blanket over Smile as Elizabeth teared up and she dropped her blanket, running up to Smile, crying out, "Ciel!" She tackled him into a hug, knocking the blanket off Smile and the both of them to the ground. "Ciel!"

She sobbed as she buried her face into his chest. "Ouch, ouch," Smile muttered as he laid in her grasp. "Lizzy!"

"I'm so glad!" She wailed as she nuzzled his neck, still crying. "Ciel! Ciel!"

Black smiled at the tender moment in front of him as Ciel sat up, wrapping his around around Elizabeth and giving her a proper hug. He looked up and our eyes locked. I smiled and nodded, closing my eyes as I turned my back to Smile and went over to the railing, dropping my blanket as I grasped the metal railing, looking out into the rising sun as the ocean glittered underneath it.

"Hey, what was that all about?" Freckles asked as she and Snake came up beside me. "You seem like you're at peace..."

"Smile and I came to a realization in the moments that we were alone," I stated.

"Really?" Freckles raised a brow at me. "Your lives were in danger and all you two could think about was your relationship?"

"Smile and I realized that we were in love with projected images of each other," I explained, ignoring Freckles.

"Huh?" Freckles and Snake gave me confused looks.

"We never truly were in love with each other," I restated as I grasped my best friends's hands and placed them onto the railing. "And I'm okay with that and so is he."

"I'm glad that's over," Freckles sighed. "But, at least you're happy."

I smile and nodded and Freckles gave me a closed eye grin and Snake gave a curt nod, a small smile on his face as well. We looked out into the rising sun as it inched it's way towards the top of the sky, still holding onto each other's hands.

As long as I have my family by my side, I don't need anyone else.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Whelp this closes the book and concludes the story of Violet's and Ciel's relationship.
No, I am not planning to adapt the rest of the manga into this story, even if they make more Black Butler anime.
After looking further into the manga, Snake doesn't play a particularly very important role besides being just a lovable side character, so I think it would be boring just to write out the manga chapters with only Freckles, Snake and Violet saying a few lines here and there and maybe providing some comedy. In fact here, he's only present for like, five minutes of the movie an doesn't have that much dialogue to begin with.
So, I'm closing off the book at Book of Atlantic, one of my top three favorite arcs in the manga, which is bested by Book of Murder and Book of Circus.
Plus, I don't really want to get into the twin section...
Anyways, I'm glad this fan fiction provided me with an opportunity to save Freckles' life because I love her so much and why did she have to die and expand a bit more on her character with Violet along with Snake. I just love writing about the circus trio and yes, that is the nickname I gave to them.
God, my friends and I had so much fun writing headcannons for these characters, maybe I'll share a few if nyall ask.
Thanks for reading this story and I hope you all have a fantastic day.