A/N: There is some sexual content is in this chapter! There will be a line where it starts and ends!
Chapter 16: A Place to Truly Call Home
Frances stood at the nose of the ship, the sun breaking through the cloudy sky, smiling, and touching her tingling arm as this time love and happiness filled her. She smiled even wider as London came into view. As it was docking, her eyes instantly found Sebastian's reddish-brown eyes. Her soul jumped, the song entered her soul, the tingles increased, and the smile upon her face grew wider. He smiled at her, once he caught her eyes. The boat docked. She made her way through the crowd, easily. In less than five minutes, she was close to the carriage. Sebastian made his way towards her. Once he reached her, he smiled at her, his eyes held… longing? She looked up at him, smiling so wide that her cheeks hurt. He caressed her arm where the tingles were at, sliding down her arm to her luggage. The tingles disappeared. He leaned in a bit closer, making her heart jump.
"Welcome back, Frances." He said, softly.
She smiled, "Thank you, Sebastian."
His smile widen. He took her luggage from her before leading her to the carriage. She opened the door, smiling at the Young Master who was wearing a green overcoat with a white shirt, and black pants. She got in and sat down.
"Good afternoon, Young Master." She greeted.
He nodded at her, "Good afternoon, Frances."
Ciel tapped the hood with his cane. Sebastian rode towards home.
"How did your siblings take the news?" Ciel asked.
"Better than I expected. They cried, of course, but they are finally at peace. Thank you, Young Master."
"So, you enjoyed your trip, then?"
"Yes, I did. Thank you for allowing me to see them and spend time with them and making sure they're alright."
"Of course." He said, dismissively.
She smiled. She had missed him.
"When we get to the manor, you may do what you wish, but I would like to discuss your employment and your powers after dinner." Ciel said, commandingly.
She paused a moment, staring at him. Briefly wondering what he wished to discuss about her powers. She inclined her head.
"Of course, Young Master. Thank you." She said.
He gave a small smile before looking out the window. She smiled at him before looking out the window as well. They arrived at the manor. She helped the Young Master out. She went to the back where Sebastian already had her luggage down. She smiled as he handed it to her.
"Thank you, Sebastian."
He smiled at her. She turned and began walking towards the mansion, feeling his eyes upon her. The Young Master was already inside. She made her way towards the entrance and stopped. She blinked several times. The greenery garden in the front was gone! It was a sand garden now!
*Finny must have used undiluted weed killer again.* She thought, *Though this is nice too.*
She went inside and gasped. The Phantomhive portrait was gone! Leaving a giant imprint indicating something was there.
*What did I miss while I was away?* She wondered.
Suddenly, she felt his presence behind her. She turned to see him smiling at her. She couldn't help, but smile back. His hand reached for her suitcase.
"I can manage." She said, smiling.
"I know you can." He said, smirking at her.
She smiled.
"Very well, then." She said, releasing it, "Thank you."
He smiled at her. They walked to her room. He opened the door for her, she thanked him before walking into her room. She heard the door close. She turned around to see his face extremely close to hers. He lifted his hand and caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand.
"You left me all alone with them." He stated, slightly harshly.
She reopened her eyes, smiling softly into his smirking face.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, softly.
He smirked even more. He leaned his lips to her ear.
"You will be."
A shiver coursed through her. She felt his hands instantly on her. In less than a second, she was completely undressed and he had laid her upon her bed. His hands danced upon her skin making her body sing.
"Sebastian." She sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck.
She could feel him smile before starting to nibble her neck. One hand running up and down her side while the other traced her scars. She closed her eyes as she moaned, gasped, and made come-hither whimpers. He traced every single scar upon the front of her body. His lips went to her ear.
"I missed you, Frances." He said, softly.
"I missed you, Sebastian." She said, breathlessly.
He lifted his head. She opened her eyes to see his reddish-brown eyes looking at her hungrily. She moved her hand to gently caress his cheek, smiling at him. He smiled back at her. He stopped his caresses upon her body. He leaned back, letting her hand slide off his cheek. She sat up, watching him.
"So," She started, "let me guess, we had a guest. Finny used undiluted weed killer, Mey-rin spilled some wine, and Baldroy blew up the kitchen."
Sebastian sighed and nodded.
"Mey-rin also broke some dishes."
Frances smiled, "I see."
"How was your trip?" He asked her, suddenly changing the subject.
She smiled even more.
"Wonderful, thank you. They took the news of our parents' death very well. It took a little convincing for them to understand that I wanted to stay here, but in the end they understood." She said, smiling at him.
He gave her a nod.
"Good. I am glad they took the news well." He said.
He glanced at the door before turning back to her, standing and bowing to her.
"Please, excuse me, Frances. I must attend to the Young Master."
She nodded, "Of course."
She watched him get up and walk towards the door. He glanced back at her with a smile before closing the door behind him. She smiled as the overwhelming feeling of happiness coursed through her. She hummed softly as she redressed. After getting redressed, she went to her suitcase that he left just inside her door, singing softly.
Frances: Ah! Je ris de me voir, si belle en ce miroir. Ah! Je ris de me voir, si belle en ce miroir. Est-ce toi, Marguerite, est-ce toi? Reponds-moi, reponds-moi, reponds, reponds, reponds vite!
As Sebastian walked to the Young Master's study, he closed his eyes, a wide smile gracing his lips as the feeling inside him grew. He sighed in content.
"Frances."
She placed the suitcase on her bed before opening it up. She took out everything, but her clothes. She quickly put all the non-clothing items away. Afterwards, she took the clothes to the washer. Once they were done, she hung them outside, still singing.
Frances: Non! Non! Ce n'est plus toi! Non… non, ce n'est plus ton visage. C'est la fille d'un roi, c'est la fille d'un roi! Ce n'est plus toi, ce n'est plus toi. C'est la fille d'un roi. Qu'on salut au passage! Ah s'il etait ici! S'il me voyait ainsi! Comme une demoiselle. Il me trouverait belle, ah! Comme une demoiselle, il me trouverait belle, comme une demoiselle, il me trouverait belle! Marguerite, ce n'est plus toi! Ce n'est plus ton visage. La, ce n'est plus ton visage. Qu'on salut au….
"FRANCCCCCCCES!" Finny's voice shouted out, interrupting her singing.
She looked up in time to see Finny running towards her. He had his arms open wide and kept running not slowing down as he crashed into her. They rolled upon the ground with several grunts and groans. Once they stopped, Finny was on top of her. He lifted his head up, a look of horror passed his face, and he quickly got off of her.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He shouted, waving his arms up and down.
Frances laughed.
"It's alright. I missed you too, Finny."
She got up as the other three rounded the corner. They ran up to her.
"Frances!" Mey-rin and Baldroy exclaimed.
"Welcome back! We missed you!" Mey-rin said, about to hug her when she stopped, saying, "Woah!"
Frances noticed she was looking at her dress causing her to look down too. She was grass-stained.
"Oh." She laughed, looking up at them, "Finny got a little excited."
Finny blushed. Mey-rin turned to him.
"You need to be more careful, Finny." Mey-rin scolded.
"It's alright. I'm not hurt." Frances said, smiling.
"How was your trip?" Baldroy asked.
"It was great. My siblings are doing rather well. Thank you. I missed you all, too! Tell me, what happened while I was away?"
The four of them looked at each other before looking back at her.
"Well," Baldroy said, scratching the back of his head, "I burnt some food…"
"I dropped some plates…" Mey-rin said, putting her pointer fingers together.
"I used undiluted weed killer…" Finny said, looking down.
She smiled with a small shake of her head.
"But, Sebastian was a wee bit… different these past two weeks." Mey-rin whispered, placing a hand near her mouth.
"What do you mean?" Frances asked, her head tilting in confusion.
"Well, he seemed more…" Mey-rin paused, searching for the right word.
"Irritable?" Baldroy tried.
"Annoyed." Finny said.
"I see." Frances said, giggling slightly.
"Yeah… Hey, could we bake cookies tonight, please?" Baldroy asked.
"Would you mind terribly if we did it tomorrow night? I have a meeting with the Young Master, after dinner."
"Yeah, that's fine. Oh, excuse us, we got to get back to our chores. See ya later, Frances!" Mey-rin said, waving to her as they walked away.
She waved back, "See you later!"
She smiled before walking towards the garden. She hummed softly as she walked through the garden, caressing the roses as she passed by. She sat on the bench, laid her head on the arm of the bench, looking up at the broken cloudy sky. She smiled.
*I've found a place to truly call home.* She thought, happily.
She closed her eyes for a moment.
She felt his presence leaning over her. She slowly opened her eyes to see Sebastian's face looming over hers. He looked like he was about to pick her up.
"Sebastian, what time is it?" She asked, rubbing her eye as she sat up.
"It's dinnertime." He said, straightening.
"Oh. I'm sorry you had to come get me… again." She said, sorrowfully.
He smiled at her.
"Your trip was a long one, you needed the rest."
She smiled and stood. They walked side by side to the mansion. She thanked him as he opened the door for her. She was about to walk towards the kitchen when she paused as she remembered something. She turned to Sebastian who was looking at her expectantly.
"I'm going to go change really quick." She said, before walking off to her room.
She could feel his smile as she walked away. She changed quickly, throwing on a dark blue dress and dark blue heels. She nodded before making her way to the kitchen where she saw a plate waiting for her. She smiled. It was one of her favorites. Parisian style flank meat with scalloped potatoes. She ate happily. Once she finished eating, she saw Sebastian had done the rest of the dishes so she quickly did her own. After she put them away, she walked outside to take care of her clothes. She quickly put them away before walking to the Young Master's office. She knocked quietly.
"Come in." She heard his voice call.
She entered the room, closing the door behind her. She walked further into the room. The Young Master was sitting in his chair while Sebastian stood off to the right side of him.
"Frances, please sit down." The Young Master said, gesturing to the seats in front of his desk.
She sat down in the right chair.
"You will get a monthly salary which will be given to you at the first of the month. You will continue doing the chores you have been given before your leave, including helping the others, and picking up extra chores. You will no longer fight with Sebastian; you have proven yourself more than enough. Though when you are finished with your chores, you may do as you please, play the violin, spar with Sebastian, it's your prerogative. Depending on when we need your help with any investigations, you will join us, as well as being my bodyguard, though you will still be required to complete your chores. I also still require you to keep making your oils and potions. If you could, make double the amount, seeing as you took a sudden leave of absence. I had Sebastian restock anything you were low on."
"Of course, Young Master." She said, inclining her head.
"Very well. Any questions?"
"Would you like me to make double the amount a regular thing?" She asked.
"Yes, if you are able."
"I will require a trolley please. They won't all fit on trays."
"That can be arranged." He turned to Sebastian, "Sebastian, put a trolley in her room."
Sebastian bowed slightly, "Very well."
He took his leave. He was back within ten seconds. Frances smiled.
"Any other questions?" He asked.
"Yes. Guests you've entertained in the past know me as Eloise…" She started.
The Young Master smirked slightly.
"I will simply tell them that I changed your name for safety reasons."
Frances smiled and nodded.
"Any other concerns?" He asked her.
"No, Young Master."
"Very well, then. Now, your powers…" He said.
"Yes?" She asked.
"I had Sebastian look into your family history to see if there was any magical blood in your bloodline." He stated plainly.
Her eyes widened. There was a pause.
"There is no magical blood in your bloodline. You are the first to display having these abilities." Sebastian said, looking at her.
Frances was silent for just a moment.
"I thank you for looking into my bloodline to see if there is an explanation for these powers, however, I accepted them a long time ago. I may not ever know where they come from, but I don't really care about that. They've always been a part of me. They are a part of who I am." She said, smiling.
Sebastian and Ciel both smirked at her.
"Very well, then." Ciel said, dismissing her.
She stood and bowed.
"Good night, Young Master. Thank you again."
She turned and bowed to Sebastian.
"Good night, Sebastian. Thank you for dinner and the trolley."
She turned and walked away. She made her way to her room and began working on her oils and potions. Since she took a nap, she wasn't too tired. It was almost midnight when she felt thirsty. She finished making the tag for her potion before wiping her hands on her apron. She took it off before making her way to the kitchen. She got herself a glass of water. She finished drinking the water and had begun washing it when she felt his presence behind her.
"Can't sleep, Frances?" He asked her.
She turned towards him, drying the glass.
"Not really. Since I took a nap earlier, I'm not tired. Besides, I want to talk to you. Would you like to go for a walk outside?" She asked, smiling at him.
He looked at her with a head tilt and a smile.
"Alright."
She put the glass away before walking out the door with Sebastian. They walked in silence, letting their feet guide them through the forest. She could feel his eyes on her as they walked under the glowing full moon, she glanced at him and caught his brownish-red eyes smiling at her. She smiled back. They both looked away. Eventually, they came upon a clearing. Frances gasped in awe. There was a circular green grass clearing that seemed to sparkle as the moon shown its light upon the grass. Surrounding the clearing were stunning red rose bushes. They stepped into the middle of the clearing. Frances looked around in awe.
"It's beautiful." She whispered, softly.
"You're beautiful." His voice said beside her.
She smiled widely as her heart skipped a beat. She turned towards him only to see him kneeling down, cuddling a black cat.
*Oh…* She thought losing her smile.
Then it reappeared upon her face as she watched as his eyes softened, a blush coming across his face.
*He is really adorable.* She thought as she watched him petting the cat, speaking quietly to her.
"Such a limber body… such soft hands… so soft… ah, so soft… such beauty…"
The cat meowed at him and rubbed up against his chin.
*A demon who loves cats. How cute!* She thought, still smiling so wide.
He released her after a while. The cat walked over to her and rubbed against her legs. She leaned down and petted her.
"Hello, beautiful." She said.
She meowed at her before walking through the bush. The two of them watched her go. Sebastian stood back up. She turned to see him looking at her.
"You were saying?" He prompted.
She smiled at him, fully faced him, before taking a deep breath.
"I know that I lied about my name, age, and where I came from…" She stated.
He caressed her cheek.
"I understand why you did so." He said, letting his hand slide down her cheek before leaving it.
She smiled at him and continued, "Since coming here, you have made me feel safe, strong, and… happy. You challenge me, know when to push me, and you know when I need to be left alone. You've enhanced my powers even further than I thought possible. You taught me how to fight, fence, and how to play the violin. You allow me to play the music inside of me… When I left, there were tingles that I felt the entire time I was gone and once I came back and you touched me, it was gone, but the happiness I felt once I was near you… even while standing here with you… Whenever I am near you, I feel this overwhelming feeling of safety and happiness and… warmth… and I hear this song insistently, demanding that I sing it to you as it is now. I would like you to hear it, if you'd like?" She asked.
He nodded to her. She smiled even more and took a deep breath before opening her mouth to sing.
Frances: Your eyes see but my shadow. (His eyes widened in shock. He took a deep intake of breath.) My heart is overflowing, there's so much you could come to know. You're content not knowing. Tenderly, you will see my soul!
Sebastian stared at her in shock. She always sang beautifully, but this was more… pure. His breath caught. Her eyes held… love.
She paused a moment.
"I don't know anything about love except for friends' love and siblings' love, but I'd like to think this feeling inside me is love… I know you're a demon who doesn't love, but as I knew my parents were coming I had to tell you my feelings for you. I know I told you, you are my greatest friend, which, you are, but I want to be more than friends. I-I'm falling in love with you, Sebastian. I didn't tell you this before I left because I was going to go back quietly with my parents, but I realized that I couldn't leave this place. I couldn't leave you." She said, passionately.
Sebastian continued to stare at her in shock for a long while. The warmth he felt inside of him, overwhelmed him completely! He felt the urge to kiss her! Her admission of feelings for him, she does trust him! He felt the overwhelming feeling of happiness inside of him fill him completely! Frances didn't even look away from his shocked eyes watching her as a normal human would. Finally, a wide smile spread upon his face.
"Such a strong human. Knowing what I am and not showing or feeling an ounce of fear. You fought against me rather well and showed impressive restraint on not using your powers against me. (His smile widened.). Your manners and politeness far surpass any humans I have encountered. You hid your parents, siblings, and your real name from me without slipping once, even when you had your small emotional reaction. Your protective instincts and mindset are vastly incredible and the fact that you would willingly put yourself in harms way…. (He shook his head in disbelief.) In all my years, I have never met a human who is so willing to put themselves in harms way to protect the people they love. (He caressed her cheek, causing her to smile even more.). It is true, I am a demon who has no idea on the concept of love nor have I ever been interested in knowing about it… until I met you. I too have felt feelings… feelings I have never felt before. You've challenged me, a demon! I never thought a mere human would be able to challenge me in such a way. You impress me, Frances. You have created these… feelings inside of me that I can't explain… (He rubbed his thumb across her cheek.). You make me feel calm every time you smile, just being around you makes me feel… warm inside. I too felt tingles on my hand when you were gone and when I thought of you… they would increase. You bring me… an immense feeling of happiness, Frances. I don't understand these feelings myself, but I know that I desire you, I long for you." He said, his eyes soft and sincere.
"Sebastian." She whispered, breathlessly.
He smiled at her before leaning down and kissing her. Her eyes widened in surprise before her eyes closed and she kissed him back. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. The song she sang exploded loudly in her mind as they kissed. Sebastian was surprised as the song she had sung entered his mind as he kissed her. The kiss lasted about a minute before she desperately needed air, but he still didn't release her lips for another thirty seconds. He finally pulled away, his arms still lightly wrapped around her as her hands lowered to his shoulders. He watched as she gasped for air.
"I'm sorry." He said, softly.
"Don't be. That… was amazing." She said, still gasping slightly.
He looked at her in shock before smiling. Suddenly, he picked her up and began running towards the mansion. She looked at him in surprise at the sudden reaction.
The next instant, they were in her room, he undressed her, placed her on her bed, and began making her body sing.
"Sebastian." She sighed.
One hand caressed her side, while the other traced her scars. He captured her lips once more. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back. The song was as loud and persistent as the first kiss. His finger traced her scars in time with the song. He released her lips, enjoying her come-hither gasp. One of her hands went to his chest, she moved her hand up and down it. His finger that traced her scars slowly slid lower than he had before causing her to stop running her hand upon his chest.
"Sebastian." She said, softly.
His hands stopped. His reddish-brown eyes looked into her brown ones, which held slight shyness.
"I love you for who you are. I… am not ready for that and I don't think I will be for a while…" She said, shyly.
He smiled in understanding.
"I'm sorry, Frances." He said.
He looked away from her and began to move back.
"I… don't mind the touches." She started.
He snapped his eyes back to her, however she dropped her eyes for a moment before looking back up at him.
"I… find it fun trying to resist you…" She said, blush coloring her cheeks.
He looked at her with surprise, before a mischievous gleam entered his eyes, a smirk spreading upon his face.
"Oh? It is, is it?" He asked, his hand sliding down her side.
He watched with amusement as her eyes closed and a quiet sigh escaped her lips in response. He chuckled lightly. His hand lifted to her cheek, she opened her eyes and leaned into his hand.
"Such a strong human." He cooed, softly.
She smiled before she turned her head and kissed his gloved hand. She turned her head back to him. He smiled at her. He embraced her lips once again. She kissed him back. He caressed her cheek, sliding down her neck, down her shoulder, gently brushing across her breast, down to her stomach, once again tracing her scars. She arched her head back, breaking the kiss, moaning softly. He continued smirking at her before kissing her exposed neck. After planting a few kisses upon her neck, he lifted his head up to look at her beautiful face. His hands continued to dance as the song enter her again. It wasn't long before she found her resistance wavering.
"S-S-Se-bas-tian." She whimpered, as he traced one of her scars.
He chuckled lightly. He stopped his caressing hands. He lifted his hand, gently placing it upon her cheek, caressing it. She slowly opened her flashing eyes filled with desire. He smiled at her as she smiled at him.
"Get some sleep." He said, softly.
"Thank you, Sebastian." She said, quietly.
Her eyes closed as she allowed sleep to overcome her, feeling even safer in his presence. He watched her sleep soundly, a shrewd smile upon his lips.
*"The Jewel Song" from the 1989 version of 'The Phantom of the Opera' belongs to Charles Gounod and Misha Segal.
*"Don Juan Triumphant" from the 1989 version of 'The Phantom of the Opera' belongs to Harriet Schock and Misha Segal
Author's Note: Well, this is the final chapter for this book! Be on the lookout for Black Butler: TWWSP- Obtaining Ciel's Revenge! I hope you enjoyed this story as I have writing it! See you next time!