Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji

When You Wake

Mid-spring sunlight shone through the white curtains, naturally lighting the spacious room with a peaceful atmosphere. All was quiet in the elaborate mansion, everything was content. The servants worked quietly in the kitchen readying the household's breakfast and the butler prepared for another laborious day as he overlooked the provisions and schedules.

Everything was warm and calm as Ciel turned over, snuggling into the luxurious bed sheets and soft mattress. Stretching as he floated into consciousness, Ciel lay for a moment on his side as he lazily opened his eyes to the white sunrays just ahead.

He could smell the faint scent of tea and scones wafting from the kitchen, and he felt his stomach rumble. Glancing at the clock, he suspected that Sebastian would arrive any minute. Pressing his face into the cool pillow as he waited, Ciel let out a content sigh, wondering how hectic today would prove to be.

Minutes ticked by in comfortable silence, but Sebastian still had yet to show up. Rubbing at his drooping eyes, Ciel was just about to get out of bed to stretch when something moved behind him. He froze on the spot as something warm wrapped around his waist, weakly tugging him back to the center of the bed.

"Mmm, don't go Ciel," came a sleepy voice with long blonde hair, and Ciel held his breath as the other occupant turned its head, blurry green eyes staring at him with a relaxed smile. "It's too early for a Saturday."

"Eli-Elizabeth-!" Ciel stuttered as he scrambled out of the young woman's hold, nearly tumbling off the bed. "What are you-?"

His fiancée sat up, rubbing at her eyes. Her long blonde hair was unkempt as it cascaded down her shoulders and down her back. She wore a modest nightgown, but Ciel could tell that she was older just by the way her body curved and swelled under the fabric. He felt his face heat up as he realized he was staring and ran a hand through his hair as he tried to make sense of it all.

"Is everything alright, dear?" Elizabeth asked, her voice not as sleepy now, her eyes brighter as she observed him. "Did you have a nightmare?"

It was so unlike him to burst out with rude questions, but he couldn't help himself as he blurted, "What are you doing here? Why are you in my bed?"

Elizabeth looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. Then she smiled, assuming that this was all just some joke. "I'm your wife, silly. Now come back to bed."

Ciel blinked, shaking his head as she patted his spot, urging him to slip back under the sheets with her. What was she talking about, his wife? They weren't married yet, they were still just engaged!

His silence caused Elizabeth to frown with concern. "Ciel? What's wrong?" She slipped out from under the bedcovers and walked toward him. He flinched as his hands were gently taken into hers. They felt so real…this had to be a dream, it had to be!

She gave him a kind smile as he continued to stand there. "If you want proof, we married last year, April the ninth, three days after my eighteenth birthday. Don't you remember? You were so happy that day."

Whatever stupor he'd been in, he snapped out of it as he snatched his hands away from Elizabeth's. "No, we're not married, we're still engaged. You're only sixteen and I'm…" he trailed off, thoughts of his past consuming him for a moment. Then he met Elizabeth's eye sharply, startling the young woman. "Where's Sebastian?"

"Sebastian?"

No, she had to remember Sebastian. Who could forget a perfect butler like him? "Sebastian Michaelis, my butler?" he tried, looking over her shoulder, double checking to confirm that this was really his room. It was.

"Ciel, you're scaring me," Elizabeth told him softly, a look of utter confusion on her face. "There's never been a butler by that name here. It's just Tanaka, you know that."

His heart thud sickeningly in his chest, and he felt like everything was starting to slowly spin out of control. Sebastian wasn't here? He ran a hand over his right eye for a moment, but nothing felt wrong. In his doubt, he moved to the large full view mirror and pushed back his bangs.

Two blue, unmarked eyes started back at him, and Ciel found himself dumbstruck. The contract wasn't there. Despite Elizabeth being behind him, he reached under his nightshirt and felt along his back, searching. The brand mark wasn't there either. They weren't there…and he looked older.

"Are you feeling alright?" Elizabeth had come up behind him and placed a delicate hand upon his shoulder. She turned him towards her, searching for an unseen answer as she moved her hand to rest against his forehead. "Please, tell me what's wrong. Should I call for –"

She gasped as he swatted her hand away, and she backed up at the frightful look her husband gave her. "No, Elizabeth. Tell me what's going on," Ciel demanded, holding strong against Elizabeth's frightened and confused expression.

But the girl merely shook her head, tears starting to brim along her eyelashes. "Ciel, I don't understand, please, don't get so mad," she pleaded, looking utterly helpless. "If there's anything I can do…"

It was obvious at that moment that Elizabeth wasn't going to be of any help. Remembering where he was despite it all being unreal, Ciel calmed himself down enough to be gentleman-like. Taking Elizabeth's hands in his, he led her back to the bed and motioned for her to sit. "I'm sorry," he apologized, thinking of excuses. "I'm just a little startled over a dream I had. I'll go see about getting a glass of water." He mustered up what he hoped looked like a reassuring smile.

"I'll go with you," Elizabeth suggested, but Ciel shook his head. He didn't need her tagging along in this new investigation; she would only cause unneeded commotion.

"No, I'll be fine. You just try to get some more sleep and I'll be back soon," he attempted to coerce, but Elizabeth still looked worried if not skeptical. "I promise," he added for the effect, kissing the top of her hand.

Sighing, she gave him a tiny smile and traced his face with her hand, a wary look still lurking behind those green eyes. "Alright, I'll keep the bed warm for you."

"Thank you." Relief washed over him at this small victory as he left her side and went out of the room. But it didn't last long as he closed the door behind him and stared down the familiar hallway. Before he knew it, he had broken out into a run for the kitchen, not caring that he was still in his nightclothes.

"Master Ciel," a servant addressed him with a curt bow as he burst into the kitchen. The man was holding a bowl of fruit and had a very perplexed look on his face, probably as a result of his uncanny entrance. Ciel ignored him and moved past him and some other servants preparing breakfast, unable to find the trio he was looking for.

"Philips, where are servants Bardroy, Finnian, and Maylene?" he asked, just barely catching the fact that he recognized the head servant of the kitchen. He felt out of place for a moment as he realized this, but the head cook brought him back to reality.

"Sir?" Philips answered with an uncomprehending look on his face as he stirred batter. "I do not recall working with servants addressed as such."

No, they had to be here. They had to exist, they worked for him! But the more he stared at Philips, the old family cook, the more he felt uncertainty growing within him. Most of the staff had fled during that fire long ago. He had told Sebastian to find him reliable servants that could protect him and the Phantomhive estate, not wanting to be burdened with finding all his old house servants, knowing that they'd be useless even if they did wish to come back.

Someone was touching his shoulder. "Sir, are alright? You look a little pale," Philips commented beside him, and Ciel realized that he'd relapsed back into thought again. He shrugged the man's hand off.

"Continue the morning preparations," he ordered without conviction, another thought coming to him. "Where would I find Tanaka?" Elizabeth said that he was the butler, maybe he had some knowledge of what was happening.

The cook scratched the back of his head in thought, glancing at the small wall clock. "He should just be starting to make his rounds. If anything, he'd be in your and the lady's chambers, sir."

Nodding, Ciel dashed back to his room, noticing that the mansion didn't look any different. He nearly stopped, however, when he noticed a painting he had taken down long ago. The one of his mother and father, he had Sebastian take it down, hadn't he? Why was it still up?

Nevertheless, he soon was back in his bedchambers where he found Tanaka serving Elizabeth tea. His fiancée looked up and smiled at him, getting up from the bed. "There you are, Ciel. Are you feeling any better?"

Ignoring her, Ciel turned his attention to the butler, who'd also stopped his ministrations to greet him. He had aged and looked borderline frail, but still held himself as a person of importance. "Sir," he addressed formally, bowing politely as Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him.

"Tanaka, what's going on?" Ciel demanded, getting over his initial shock of the elderly man, "Where's Sebastian and the other three?"

Again he was given a look of confusion. "I know no one by the name of Sebastian, sir, and I haven't gotten any reports of three missing servants," he said blatantly, and it was the truth.

"Oh Ciel!" Elizabeth cried out with apprehension, tugging him towards the bed. "Tanaka, go fetch some cold water and a cloth, will you? Come, lie down, dear."

"No!" Ciel protested, wrenching his arm out of the girl's grasp. "No, I will not! Not until I understand what's going on." He didn't notice that he had raised his voice, a mix of fear and anxiety coursing through him.

Elizabeth had taken a hold of his arm again, and Tanaka advanced to aid her. Ciel thrashed as he was pinned beneath the frail looking butler. He felt like a trapped animal that no one would even attempt to explain why he was being caged. All he wanted were answers. He wanted to wake up from this nightmare!

"Lady Elizabeth, for the safety of both of you, I believe that I need to resort to drastic measures," Tanaka spoke above him as he struggled to free himself.

The girl's answer was a sound of pure misery. "Just do something; I've never seen him like this before."

Ciel didn't see or feel the quick and harmless strike, but everything went abruptly black.

"…n't drinking last night, did he hit his head on something?"

"Nothing that I noticed on our way back. If anything, he was just tired, but that's normal with the kind of day he had yesterday."

"Indeed. That's to be expected."

The numerous voices all hushed as Ciel moved his shoulders and cracked his eyes open. The lighting looked like it was late afternoon at best, and he was back in bed with blankets tucked in around him, his head on a fluffy pillow.

"Ciel…oh Ciel, are you alright?" a woman's voice asked, and even through his blurry eyesight, Ciel could tell who it was, and he felt his breath catch in his throat as the voice's owner moved into his line of sight.

"Mother?"

Her face was aged but she still looked as beautiful as ever. Her orange-gold hair fell over her shoulders with a gleam that he remembered, her big blue eyes that he'd inherited shining with a motherly love he'd almost forgotten. She gave him a warm and familiar smile of relief, her hands moving to cup his face.

"You gave us all quite a scare," another voice he recognized joined in, and Ciel felt his eyes widen as his father sat down beside his mother. He, too, had aged gracefully, his voice smooth and warm like any father's should be. The smile he always remembered was on the man's face, the one that always reassured him that he could do anything.

Ciel found himself tongue-tied as he tried to comprehend the fact that his parents were right here with him, his mother's touch too real to be a dream. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Elizabeth, Tanaka and a family doctor were present as well, looks of relief washed on their faces upon seeing that he was alright.

But he wasn't alright. None of this should be alright.

No matter how much he wanted it to be.

"Mother…father," he breathed, his lips twitching upward. His throat felt unbearably dry as it all unconsciously started to settle in that his parents were here…alive, unscathed, and safe. Everyone he remembered losing all those years ago were here, everyone he had loved.

His mother delicately placed a damp cloth over his forehead. He closed his eyes at the coolness of it, sighing as long fingers brushed against his cheek comfortingly and he didn't cringe at the contact, instead trying to memorize the gentle touch to memory.

Elizabeth took his father's spot and smiled at him. "Are you feeling any better, Ciel?"

His vision blurred and he blinked a couple times. "I don't know." The appearance of his parents was an overwhelming one. He had thought to never see them again, but here they were, fussing over him. Everything seemed too real to be an illusion, and he found his mind warring with his heart. There were so many unanswered questions, and yet there weren't. Had his past really happened, had Sebastian and the others ever been a part of his life? Or did he just have a really mind-muddling nightmare?

The doctor that had remained silent up until this point stepped up. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but Ciel suffers from asthma and allergies, right?"

"Yes. Granted, they haven't acted up in the past few years," his father answered.

Pushing up his small glasses, the doctor nodded and looked directly at Ciel. "Well then, have you had any pains, dizziness, or feel short of breath? Have you felt sick for the past couple days?"

Ciel shook his head, and again the certainty of this all being a deception crept back.

"He did seem rather confused, Mr. Anders," Tanaka informed the man. "Perhaps he was hallucinating?"

Mr. Anders nodded. "Usually I'd say that'd be an indicator of mental illness, but he seems rather stable now," he explained. "But medical research is advancing every day, and this just may be another symptom caused by a flare in allergies."

His father slipped his hands into his pant pockets. "It is that time of year, I suppose."

"Quite," Mr. Anders dismissed, moving back and grabbing his medical bag. "Well I'd best be leaving. I hope I was of some service. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call."

"Of course. Tanaka." His father motioned for the elderly butler to show the man out, and the two men left quietly. He glanced at the clock on the table. "Rachel, I think Elizabeth can handle him for a while, he's seems a bit put out. We need to be getting ready."

Concerned blue eyes glanced at her husband for a moment and then flickered back to her son, a comforting smile curving her lips. "You'll be fine here, right? It's too bad you have to miss the Marchioness Jones' party tonight."

Well, if that was what he was missing… "It's fine," he said, suddenly feeling sad. If this were a dream, this could be the last time he saw his parents.

"Alright, we'll see you later, dear," she replied, leaning down to kiss his cheek. His father gave him a parting smile, and soon they were gone.

Elizabeth shuffled closer to him, taking his hand in hers. They were smooth and felt undeniably real, and he couldn't shake the feeling. "I've got news to cheer you up," she said quietly, a smile broadening across her face.

He wanted to ask questions, but he didn't want to scare her again and cause another scene for people to worry and fuss over him. It'd eat him up for a while, but Ciel concentrated on figuring out what kind of life this supposedly was without his horrible past and need for daemons and clumsy servants.

"When we return home, mother said that she has a surprise for us," Elizabeth explained excitedly, but not with her childish mannerisms that he remembered. Looking at her, Ciel realized quickly she had changed significantly, and it wasn't just her physique. She was more mature in the way she acted and what he assumed, thought. It was a comforting prospect, given the situation. He didn't know what he'd be doing if she were still the hyper-active fiancée he remembered with clarity.

But wait…"return home"? A swell of panic rose in him, and he did his best not to let it show. From what he was able to gather, they all probably thought he was mad, throwing out names like he had. The thought of actually being married scared him.

"Why are we here?" he asked, hoping to feign weariness so it wouldn't raise too many questions.

Elizabeth gave him a worried look, but it quickly disappeared. "We're spending the Easter holiday here at the Phantomhive estate, remember? We were supposed to go to a party at Marchioness Jones', but because of your current condition…" she trailed off, lightly twisting her fingers with his. "But it's okay," she tried to amend with a smile, as if it were a great loss to Ciel and not her, "Just as long as you get better."

"And where is our home?"

His wife moved closer to him and eyed the closed door before stretching out next to him, resting her head against his shoulder, her hand drifting up and down his exposed arm. "North of London and just south of Bedford near Wilstead," she replied evenly. "Both our parents pitched in, and with the estate trusts my parents set up for me there we have a small manor of our own. The countryside is beautiful, and you enjoy hunting very much on the property."

There wasn't a hint of deviancy in her tired voice, and Ciel felt unbearably stuck. "And I'm how old?"

Elizabeth giggled beside him. "That's a silly question, Ciel. You should know very well that you're eighteen," she tut playfully.

"Just making sure," he assured. "What else do I do?" Ciel asked, feeling embarrassed to do so when it was expected that he already should have such knowledge.

"Two years ago, your father decided to let you finally take part in investments, and you created the largely successful Funtom Company," Elizabeth shared. "I always thought the toys you created were adorable, and the sweets you produce are addicting to any child anywhere in England. Just the other day, you were talking about expanding overseas…"

Somehow this shred of information anchored him. It was something that was part of his past that he remembered. He wondered if he had the same relations here with foreign companies and shares.

Suddenly Elizabeth stood up and stretched. "It's getting late. Do you want anything to eat? I can send for something light since you haven't eaten all day."

Ciel waved her off. "No, that's alright, I think I'll rest."

"Are you sure?" the girl persisted, glancing at the clock and Ciel knew that the party his parents had mentioned was on her mind.

"Of course," he managed with a fairly strong voice. "Don't worry about me, you can go to the party if you'd like." Somewhere he remembered that going to a social gathering without an escort would be most damaging to her status, but he brushed that thought away. "I'll be here when you get back."

It was odd when she pecked him lovingly on the cheek, another reason to make him think that this wasn't real. "I won't be going to any parties, but I think Paula will keep me company for a little while. Rest up, okay, Ciel?"

Nodding, he watched as she turned the lamps off, leaving the orange sunlight to be the only source of light when she left. Sighing, Ciel tried to recall what he'd last seen and done before he had woken up to this whole mess.

It was an uneventful day, for he had just finished up another case ordered by the Queen, which in all honesty had been a bore. He remembered Sebastian at one point remarking that it was bland. The only highlights were when Sebastian brought him his sweet snacks, drawing him away from his work. He'd had music lessons with one of the governesses, and his dinner tasted a little burnt. Sebastian had drawn him a bath and had briefly described his schedule for tomorrow concerning a meeting with a possible investor. And then he had fallen asleep like usual.

Those flat memories were clear as crystal in his mind, and he was certain that they had transpired. He could taste the chocolate strawberry cake Sebastian had made him, and he could remember his frustration over his work.

Closing his eyes and trying to relax into the soft bed, Ciel couldn't think of anything better to try than to fall asleep, hoping that when he'd wake, everything would be back to normal.

A/N: ^o^ I'm so excited about this new story~! It's already completely written ((a first for me~yay!)) so updates should come once a week. So thanks for reading, hope it's interesting, and feel free to tell me what you think!