Sebastian's Daughter REVISED VERSION (COMPLETE)

Chapter 9

The next morning, I awoke to find a letter on my bed, along with a box. I sat up to look at them, and noticed the pain in my chest was significantly less than it was the night before. I opened the letter, which basically stated that if I felt well enough, I could start up on my chores, and if not, to stay in bed and rest.

The last thing I wanted to do was stay in bed all day, so I decided to deal with the pain that still existed and get to work. The letter consisted of a list of chores that I was assigned to, including jobs such as sweeping the halls, cleaning the bathrooms, making the beds, and helping someone named Finnian in the gardens. The letter made it clear that these could be done in no particular order, but said to be in the gardens around three to be sure to help.

I checked the clock; it was just past nine a.m.. I tried to focus on the remaining contents of the letter, but my eyes kept drifting over to the box. It more than likely contained a new uniform, since my other one was ruined. I sighed and opened the box.

Sure enough, there was a new maid outfit, same as the other. Only this one was black instead of blue, like the one had I received upon coming here. There was also a black ribbon to tie my long hair back.

I quickly put on the dress, and was immediately surprised by how well it fit. I was able to move my wings around inside of it, and when I glanced in the mirror, you couldn't tell they were there. I went to move my wings again, but this time noticed that my angel wing was being constrained by something holding it in place. I removed the dress and stared in horror at my wing. I almost fainted. My snow white angel wing was wrapped in bandages. Whoever had removed the bullets from my body and bandaged me knew about my wings.

Please let it have been my father, I thought with a soft sob.

*

I started my chores, beginning with sweeping the halls, and tried to avoid eye contact with everyone. When Ciel asked something of me, I looked at the ground. When Sebastian asked for assistance, I nodded, and stayed focused on my work, never glancing at him.

I accidentally made eye contact with Finnian once, but it made me smile instead of freeze, like I had expected. His kind eyes lifted my spirits, and it was fun to garden with him. He taught me about all the plants in the garden, and what made each one unique. I picked out my favorite of the bunch. It was the rare black rose. It reminded me a little of myself: dark, mysterious and rare, but also beautiful and delicate. At least, that had always been how my mother had described me.

"Thank you for teaching me all of this cool stuff, Finnian," I said as we stood from our hard work.

"Call me Finny," he said with a warm smile, brushing off his hands.

I smiled back. "Alright. Thanks for everything, Finny."

Finny laughed. "How long are you staying here?" he asked.

Everyone knew of the story I had told Ciel, and that I wasn't planning on staying very long. To them, I was just some random girl who needed some money so she could get back on her feet.

"I'm not sure. I need to get out of here as soon as possible. And those guys might come back for me. I don't want to put any of you in danger because they believe me to be a demon or something."

Finny laughed. "Why do they think that?"

I shrugged, glancing back down at the flowers. I hated lying to him. We could've been good friends if the situation was different.

"Well, there's no need for you to leave."

I looked up at him, confused. He seemed serious, like he wasn't kidding about any of this.

He explained. "We Phantomhive servants can take care of ourselves and anyone else we need to. Trust me, you'll be safer here than anywhere else."

"Really?" I asked, hope filling me. "You don't mind me staying here and being a burden?"

"You won't be a burden," he assured. "Mey-Rin could teach you to shoot."

"No, thanks," I said a little too hastily. "I don't do guns." My mind filled with memories of my mother, and I glanced away again.

"Then I guess you can be the pretty lady we are trying to protect from harm," Finny smiled.

I smiled back, feeling myself blushing slightly. "You've convinced me."

"Yes!" he cheered.

I laughed. I said goodbye to Finny and walked back inside to finish my chores. The bathrooms were next. Yay...

*

I scrubbed toilets, mopped floors, and wiped sinks. The job wasn't fun, as most would expect, but also wasn't as horrible as I had assumed. Once I was finished, I immediately went to my bedroom. I collapsed on the bed with a sigh.

I was beyond exhausted from all of the chores, and ready for some restful sleep. But I also didn't want to sleep. I was so scared of having those horrible nightmares. The night before, I had waited until dawn to finally drift off, and had drifted into a restless sleep for about an hour before waking up and getting to work.

The pain in my chest had also returned, and the pain brought about the dread of someone knowing about me. I had yet to figure out who it was that knew about my wings. If it was my father, then he now knew who I was. I was the only one of my kind, so it wouldn't take long for him to put two and two together. If it had been someone else who had bandaged me, then that was the end of my stay here. They could easily turn me in, and there was very few ways that could turn out.

I fought hard against the urge to sleep, but lost, and fell into a deep slumber.

*

Dad opened the door to our house and let me in first. He followed me inside and locked the door behind us.

"Do you have what you went out after?" Dad asked, finally breaking the silence.

I nodded, showing him the small vial Mom had given me before sending me off.

He seemed to relax a little, happy that our trek wasn't completely in vain. "Make sure you drink that medicine. We can't have you getting sick again."

I nodded as I started over to a chair in the corner of the room, but never made it. I fell about halfway there.

I sat up and glanced at the floor. Nothing had tripped me. I drew my attention to the skirt of my dress, and for the first time, my father and I noticed it was soaked with blood. My blood.

I instantly started crying, the pain from the wound finally beginning to affect me. My father came over and gingerly lifted my skirt up to above my knee, trying to see where the blood was coming from.

I had been shot in the knee by one of those stupid hunters' guns. I had no idea if the bullet was anti-demon or anti-angel, but either way, it burned, and it had to be taken out.

Daddy wiped the blood off of my leg with a cloth and pulled the bullet out with a pair of tweezers. It appeared to be an anti-demon bullet, and my father confirmed my conclusion by disposing of it quickly.

By the time he returned, I had quieted myself to soft sobbing, I watched him as he busied himself gathering some of Mom's things into a box. He placed the box in the closet and locked the door. The only thing he left out was our family portrait, which had been made shortly after I had been born.

Dad then came back to me with a clean dress and helped me change, then he sent me to my room to rest. I extended my wings, sore from flying so fast away from my mother, drank the contents of the vial Mom had died to get for me, and lay on the bed, crying myself to sleep.