Tangled Web II

Chapter Two

"Ciel, I'd like to stay here for a while," I said as I looked to him as we explored the rest of the manor while Sebastian was out. Oddly enough, he didn't tell us where he was going. I had a feeling it was to deal with Grell since we saw him in the cemetary.

"Why?"

"The nostalgia of it all. It feels like home to me," I said as I looked out the window to the once brilliant gardens that looked like hell puked on them. The flowers weren't as vibrant and there were weeds and overgrown bushes. "Of all our travels, this is manor still felt like home. Even after the century passed. It's hard to explain."

Ciel gave my hand a light squeeze letting me know he got what I was trying to say. I smiled to him.

Ciel looked to me. "We can stay here then, if you want to."

I looked to him, my smile faded a little. "Ciel, if you don't want to-"

Ciel interrupted me. "I do. I want you happy, too."

I almost hated it when Ciel did that. I wanted him happy as much as he wanted me happy and when he says something like that, I want to walk away from him. I never do. Instead, I gave him a weak smile. It still bothered me he doesn't think of his own happiness.

I gave him a smile. "Great!" I kissed his cheek, letting him turn a slight shade of pink.

We walked into his old office, again, nothing seemed like it changed. Everything was in it's place. It was like he never left. Just a thick layer of dust settled onto everything. I looked around, trying to fathom who might have kept everything like it was before Ciel and Sebastian left the manor. At first, I thought it would be his four workers: Mey-Rin, Bardroy, Finny, and Tanaka. But, no, they wouldn't have done that. They may have been Phantomhive servants but Ciel had released them when he left to get me.

"This manor may seem like home, but there is something eerie about it?"

"Like the four of them maintained this manor until the day they died?"

Ciel looked to me like I had been reading his mind. I've been doing that a lot since we arrived back in England. "I've been feeling the same Ciel." I looked around his study. "It was like the four of them wanted to maintain it like they knew you'd be coming back."

"But we didn't. We left for over a hundred years."

Yeah, Ciel, bring me into this.

"It's still your manor," I shot back, feeling my blood start to simmer with frustration. It was like I was human again. Normally now, I can maintain my composure and think my way through things when Ciel and I got on each other's nerves. But, this was different.

"We are still married, and you're still Selena Phantomhive as far as I know." He sounded dignified, just like he was when he was a human. I could see his muscles tense with frustration.

I sighed. He was right. As of April 14, 1912, a hundred years ago, we've been married. People would remember the day when this ship, Titanic, sank on it's maiden voyage from Liverpool, England to New York City, New York. I'll always remember it as the day when I forever renounced the name Midford and became a Phantomhive. We've been married and together since then. We've never been separated for more than a day or so. When that happened twice within the time we've been together since 1889.

"I am going for a walk in the gardens alone," I said, something I thought I'd never utter again in the Phantomhive manor.

Turning around, I started for the study door to leave Ciel alone before we argued and yelled at each other. I left Ciel standing there beside his desk like so many times before, back when we were human. Even after over a hundred years, I still knew the Phantomhive manor like the back of my hand as I made my way to the over grown gardens. Since Sebastian had some business to take care of in town, London will always be town to me, I was alone with my thoughts.

As I reached the terrace, seeing the over-grown garden and almost seeing the gardens in their former glory with Finny and Sebastian's help. I took off the black, heeled boots I was wearing with three buckles near the arch of my foot and stopped just before my shin. I let my toes wiggle in the warm sun, loving the feel of being barefoot in the warm spring air. I stepped across the cement, feeling the small crevaces the cement caused from years of wear and weather. I stepped onto the plush grass, knowing I'd never hear the end of it if Ciel caught me without my shoes on. He always worried like that.

It had sort of bothered me how overprotective Ciel had gotten since we arrived back  in England. It was like he knew something and I didn't. That bothered me every time Sebastian and Ciel did that to me. The last time was an anniversary surprise about two months ago when Ciel and I celebrated our centennial of being married. Before that was when they heard the news of Lizzy's death before me. I was mad at them for just over a week and didn't talk to either of them.

I walked through the gardens, seeing how much has changed since Ciel and I had left. I was passing one of the rose bushes when something caught my eye. I stopped with my boots in hand and looked. It was a white rose, my favorite flower still to this day since it reminded me of when I lived in the Phantomhive manor. The rose was barely in the light, but it was in full bloom. The rose was surrounded by thorns, making it impossible for me to get out with my bare hands and risk getting with it.

It looked like a prison for the rose. I sighed, knowing that is how I felt when Ciel and I fought. Just like the small spat we had  in his study. I was both relieved and frustrated that I didn't take the spat further than what I would have wanted. Both of us were still strong-headed and stubborn about a few things, which always made life mroe enjoyable, but there were some times when something would make both of us want to blow up with frustration and anger because the other wasn't seeing it our way. Oh the joys of being married to Ciel Phantomhive.

I kept walking through the gardens, remembering what flowers were planted where and clearly seeing them when they were in full bloom. I sighed, everything changes. Nothing stays the same, I thought as I stopped and sat on the ground where I would when I was hiding from people in the manor.

For the first time since I found out Lizzy died, I felt tears slide down my cheeks. Of all the years I've been a demon and traveled the world, I couldn't shake the feeling that Ciel and I have been fighting more and more. Maybe we needed time apart. Maybe this was a bad idea to begin with and we're just seeing the beginning of our own war.

                                                                  ~*~

"You can't tell me what I can't want. I will get what I want, even if it takes a lifetime or so to get it. I will get her back."

The man sighed behind him as the blond body looked out the window toward the cityscape. He vaguely wondered how this seventeen year old could want something so desparately without seeing this girl he's seen so much in his dreams. Seeing her smile, her eyes shining a bright shade of blue, and her hair a shinging blonde the color of the setting, deep yellow sun. Yes, he had peered into the seventeen year old boy's dream, wondering how he could help him find this girl that seemed too real to be real.

"Yes, Master," the man said as he bowed slightly to the blond. "Your wish is my command."