A Kuroshitsuji Fanfic

Summary: One-shot. Countess of Shirewood, Lady Vanessa Barnette was found barely alive one evening in late spring. Queen Victoria sends her beloved Guard Dog, Earl Ciel Phantomhive, to investigate what happened and to protect the young Countess at all costs due to her relation with the teen. Will our favorite duo find the being stalking the poor teen to her untimely death or will they fail in not only catching it but keeping the Countess alive as well?

Warnings: A curse, some mentions of blood and rape.

Rating: I'd say T, but I'm not really sure so...

Author's Note: This fanfiction is for Book of Murder and Mystery Contest for the Kuroshitsuji-club on Deviantart. I've been working on it for a while so critique and feedback is most welcome! ^-^ Also I don't have a beta-reader so any mistakes that I missed, just let me know and I'll go back and correct them.

The Hunting of Lady Barnette

The scent of her blood is like ambrosia to your nostrils as she passes you by in twilight light on the noble-filled street of Shirewood. Her escort, a simple butler, will be easy to take care of as you slowly but surely stalk her from a slight distance in the shadows of the alleys on the side. No one will take notice of you as you are but a common street urchin in their eyes as she comes across an alley entrance with no one in it. With ease, you take both her and her butler into the alley and snap the butler's neck as the young noble woman watches on with horror-filled eyes. The teen goes to scream but a hand over her mouth is easy enough to muffle as you grab her from behind. Your lips glide ever so gently over her virgin neck before they pull back into a blood-thirsty smile and she struggles more. The muffled screaming becomes slightly louder as your other hand trails over the swell of her breasts almost teasingly, her heart rate picking up even more, but you don't worry about getting caught as you claim her neck with practiced ease, the scent of her blood rushing through her veins makes you almost ravenous with hunger.

After all...

No has ever noticed a victim of yours screams before, muffled or otherwise.

)~0o0~(

"I don't understand why I have to travel to Shirewood when the Queen's niece can stay at the Manor," the child Earl huffed slightly as he stared out the window with his one eye. His companion, a butler with silky black hair and wine colored eyes, only smiled at his master attitude, clearly enjoying it if the small smirk on his face was anything to go by.

"Young Master," he gently scolded with his smooth, silky voice as amusement danced merrily deeply within his wine eyes, "one must never pout in such a childish manner. It is quite unbecoming for one of your stature."

The bluenette turned to pierce his butler with an one-eye glare, the cerulean orb flashing in obvious anger. "What was that, Sebastian?"

The butler smiles. "Nothing, Young Master."

"Are you trying to imply that I'm throwing a tantrum like a common child?"

"Nothing of the sort, Young Master. I simply said that you were pouting in a childish manner."

"Blasted demon, you put emphasis on childish for a reason! You were clearly insinuating that I'm acting like a child!"

"You're hearing things, my Lord. Perhaps a small nap will alleviate some of your frustrations?"

"I don't want a nap!" the child Earl snapped as he crossed his arms and glared even more at the butler across from him. Sebastian only smirked in reply as he directed his attention purposely to the young lord's posture. Said lord only scowled but otherwise made himself appear for dignified before once again gazing out the window in a bored manner, his thoughts on the letter the Queen sent him not even three days ago. He really hated her pet name for himself.

My sweet boy,
A great travesty has befallen upon my poor heart. The Countess of Shirewood, Lady Vanessa Barnette, was found barely alive a little more than three days ago, her escort murdered. It appeared that she was drained of blood and her clothing were in shambles. It pains my heart to hear that such a thing happened to my great niece.
Go to Shirewood and find out what happened while also keeping an eye on her. You're the only one I can trust with this task, my dear sweet boy. Do my proud.
-Victoria

The child Earl found himself scowling once more at the Queen's term of endearment. He understood that he was the only thirteen but honestly! He wasn't a child any longer! Hadn't been for quite some time now.

"Sebastian," he called without looking away from the window instantly drawing the attention of his butler. "When we arrive at the Barnette home, check the crime scene once we've settled in at a time you won't be needed. Don't be seen."

"Are you sure you want to be left alone at a time like this, Young Master?"

The Earl narrowed his eye but still continued to look away from the searching gaze of his main protector. "The Countess of Shirewood has more than adequate protection due to her relation to the Queen." He itched to take off his eye patch but refrained from doing so. "Do you plan on disobeying your master, demon?"

A heartbeat before, "No, my Lord."

His master nodded his understanding but otherwise did nothing else. The rest of the journey to Shirewood was quiet as master and servant speculated on their recent case.

(~~~)

"Welcome, Earl Phantomhive, to the house of Lady Barnette. I apologize for my Young Mistress. I am afraid that she is still very weak," the Head Butler, a man in his seventies at the very least, said with a bow as he let the duo in. The Earl said nothing as he allowed his own butler to take his coat off of him. "If you would follow me? The Countess wishes to meet the ones watching over her for the time being."

Master and servant shared a quick, unnoticeable glance before following the other butler through the double story manor to the study connected to the Countess' personal bedchambers. The Head Butler to the Barnette Estate knocked twice with his knuckles before a raspy voice bade them to enter.

"Excuse me, Young Mistress," the older looking butler said with a small bow as he opened the giant oak door, "but Earl Ciel Phantomhive and his butler, Sebastian Michaelis, have arrived."

The child Earl stepped through first and felt his visible eye widen in shock at the sight before him. Lady Vanessa Barnette was very pale, with large, dark circles around her dull yet dark blue eyes, and heavy bandages wrapped around her neck with a bit of dark red blood seeping through. She wore a simple summer dress (no corset) with stringy, brown hair loose about her shoulders and back. She sat behind a desk writing something with slightly shaking hands as she nibbled a bit on a cracked lower lip. The Countess looked as if she were at Death's Door.

"Thank you, Gregory," she replied without once looking up, her voice obviously the one that let them enter. "I believe tea should be in order?"

"Of course, my Lady. What snack do you wish to have with your tea?"

"Whatever goes with the tea shall do." The older looking butler bowed before closing the door to the study behind him, leaving Ciel and Sebastian standing there. Vanessa looked up a few moments later and set down her pen with a polite smile though her eyes showed a deep wariness. "You may be seated, Earl Phantomhive. I assume that the Queen sent you here?"

Sebastian pulled out a chair for his master before standing behind his seated form. The child Earl simply pulled out an envelope from his vest pocket and passed it to her. The Countess accepted it graciously and pulled out the letter. She put it back in the envelope a minute later and handed it back to him, her mind whirring with the information. They sat there staring at each other until her butler came back pushing a trolley with tea and food placed upon it. After he was done serving, the old butler stood behind his mistress with an unreadable expression.

"I apologize for not being properly dressed," she said after a sip of tea. "I am unable to wear anything that could be strenuous to my recovering health. If I were to go against the orders of not only my personal physician but the Queen as well, it would be disastrous to my position."

Phantomhive only nodded before setting down his own tea and staring at the Countess with his uncovered cerulean orb. To his ever growing respect, the older teen met his unblinking gaze head on without so much as a single flinch. "Do you remember the assailant, Lady Barnette?"

Her already pale complexion paled even further at the sudden question. She shook her head and glanced down to look into her tea cup. "I only remember a substantial amount of pain. Anything before or after is nothing but a nondescript blur. I wish I could be of more assistance but..."

"That is perfectly understandable," the bluenette said with a small nod as he took another sip of his Earl Grey. "As you read the letter sent to me from the Queen, you should now understand why I was sent in, don't you?"

"'The Queen's Guard Dog', I believe is your unofficial title?" Phantomhive nodded. "Then, yes, I believe I do. Aunt Toria wouldn't have contacted someone of your... skillset if she didn't think it wasn't connected to the Underground in someway or another."

"Correct." He didn't need to the meet the eyes of his butler to know that they were sharing the same thought. And as he gazed deeper into the dark blue eyes of the Countess before him, he inwardly smirked in victory. There couldn't have been a more perfect timing.

"You shouldn't strain yourself, Lady Barnette," the child Earl chastised lightly causing the young Countess to start a bit. "Your physician has probably told you not to over-exert yourself. If he or she found out you even left your bed, a guarantee a letter would be sent to the Queen."

Vanessa only stared at the child Earl for a few moments before a small sigh was heard and she nodded her understanding. With help for her older butler, Vanessa stood from her seat and curtsied.

"Gregory will give you a tour of my manor. If you will excuse me, Lord Phantomhive, I taxed a bit too much energy and must retire early." And the old butler helped escort is Young Mistress into her private bedchambers for rest leaving Ciel and Sebastian alone long enough to formulate a plan.

(~~~)

Sebastian gave a disdainful sniff at the scent in the alleyway the young Countess was attacked in. It was faint, at least five days old, but still highly familiar. It had been centuries since he last came across such an odor and he could say with a scowl on his face that it was still a day too soon. These were nasty creatures to get rid of, and once they set their sights on their prey, it was impossible to sway them short of killing them. Even for a demon with his power, it would be a difficult task to do.

The Young Master will certainly want it dead, he thought to himself as he inspected a piece of torn cloth. With ease, he memorized the scent of the creature and made his way back to the Barnette Manor, all the while aware of the eyes following him.

)~0o0~(

You are downwind enough from the Black Butler for him not to notice your scent as you sneer in his direction. His Master must have sent him to investigate the attack of that delectable noble human that makes your very senses scream with desire and hunger, not that it will stop you from hunting the teenage girl. You knew at the time you should have just killed the bitch after having your fill of her blood and body but the call of the hunt of prey is too strong a thing for a creature such as yourself to resist.

Besides...

It will all end tomorrow anyway. This much you're sure of.

)~0o0~(

"It shall come to a close tomorrow, Young Master."

The silky, smooth voice was enough to catch the attention of the child Earl. The bluenette looked over his shoulder to meet the wine-colored eyes of his butler with his single one before glancing at the chessboard already in motion on the table at his side. So many carefully calculated moves on his part as soon as he received the letter three days prior but the game could still go either way as his adversary made many as well. If he played it just right...

"Prepare for sunset tomorrow, Sebastian," he said as he had his Knight take out the Queen guarding the King for a checkmate. He knocked the white King over with his forefinger with a small smirk.

"We have a guest to take care of."

Author's Note: That was the ending. Sue me. I left it open a bit for your interpretation to how they defeated the "creature". If you couldn't guess what the creature was... it was a vampire. :D I know! I know. Cliché and all that but can you imagine a battle between a vampire and a demon and then trying to write that out? *groans and shudders* Worst nightmare for me so I decided to leave it open for the readers.

No pairings or anything. Just a good, old-fashioned mystery. What do you guys think? Is it passable for Kuroshitsuji?

Wish me luck on the contest! ^-^