Unravel
~
As night fell, Elizabeth felt a twinge of uneasiness. She also felt a migraine coming on strongly, as well a wave of nausea. She sat on the edge of the large bed and gave a heavy sigh. Being pregnant was great and all but it did have it's disadvantages. For example, everyone acted as if she were suddenly fragile, and she also tired out easily, she ate nearly two times what she was used to, and her bladder was now the worlds smallest balloon. As she crawled up on the bed and pulled the covers over her knees, her delicate arm hair stood on end. A groan escaped her lips as she snuggled down into her fortress of blankets and sleep stole her away before her head even touched the pillows.
Elizabeth was normally a sound sleeper, even though she felt as though she hadn't been resting much lately. As she laid there fast asleep, a slim arm slid its way the small crack of the door and flipped the light switch off, "Goodnight, Lizzie." Lord Phantomhive carefully closed the bedroom door and made his way to his office, leaving a trail of crimson for Sebastian to clean up on his way in.
Going out in search of game and vampires during the midst of his blind rage had originally seemed like a good idea. Though, his wound wasn't life threatening, he had been lucky this time around. However, he hadn't left without taking a few heads, just not the correct one. Ciel pushed open the doors to his office and stripped the blood soaked shirt from his pale torso. With a loud groan, he sat at his desk and began to assess the real damage.
He had assumed correctly, the man he was looking for hadn't been present in his own home. His intent wasn't to go there and expect to see him, no, his intentions were much worse. He knew he wouldn't be there.
His shoulder was busted open and leaking streams of crimson down his chest. He sighed as he heard the swoosh of a towel being thrown over an arm, "Finally cleaning up that mess, Sebastian?" He had leaned back with his eyes closed, in a relaxed state. "It's about time, I'm surprised it hasn't dried by now."
He received no answer, instead he jerked to life at the sound of his office doors slamming shut. Standing a few feet in front of his desk was a small yet fierce looking Elizabeth, a towel soaked in blood hanging over her forearm. It had appeared she was the one doing the cleaning. "Elizabeth.." He quickly grabbed for his jacket and she jerked it from his hands.
"What have you done?" Her voice cracked as if she had already known.
"I didn't know you were awake, I had just stopped by the bedroom a moment ago and you were sound asleep." She didn't give any attention to his statement, she had a much clearer concern at hand. "What. Did. You. Do."
"You should go back to bed, Lady Phantomhive." Ciel stated, with a more serious look on his face, "I didn't mean to wake you."
"I woke to the smell of blood; your blood mixed with multiple others..You want to explain that to me?"
"I don't have to, Lizzie. Go back to bed."
"Do you think killing innocent people is okay? Because they did it to us??"
"Do you think eavesdropping is okay?!" Ciel burst into anger, "Because it's not, Elizabeth!"
"If I didn't then I would have no idea what was going on around here! You don't share anything with me!" Ciel stood from his seat and sent his chair flying off to the side of the room. "You don't need to know!!"
"Yes, I think I do!" She tossed the blood soaked towel to the floor. "When you come home coated in blood of innocent people, it intrigues me!!!"
"That's because you're bloody nosy, Cordelia!"
"I just don't want to miss anything..!"
"Miss anything?! Miss what?! My suffering?!!" He slammed his fists down on his desk in an effort to reign in some of his brash anger, "Elizabeth, I am trying- ! I am trying to do so many things, including protect you and everyone in this manor! Don't you get that?! Do you have any idea how difficult this is?!" His unhinged expression melted away any hint of anger that had marked her face. She just stared up into his deep blue eyes. "Do you see me taking extravagant vacations or running around England like a high and mighty business man?! I am confined to this room, this paperwork, these factories, and this wretched last name!"
"Don't spew that at me! You're treating this like one of your games! If not, then what exactly does all of that have to do with you killing innocent people? What are you? A man or a blood craving demon?"
"If it keeps you safe, I will become the demon." Elizabeth paused with disbelief written all over her face,"That's right, Elizabeth, you're married to a demon. I will never again be like you, no matter what. You can pretend, play house, or just ignore it, but you know what I am and what I have done for my entire life. I built this place up from its ashes and I will be damned if I allow one monster to come in here and unravel it all. Call me selfish, call me a blood craving demon, but those people meant nothing to me. That's how easily I can kill someone, and not just someone, they were vampires. Does that frighten you?"
"You call him a monster, but what you have done makes you just as bad! Have you no pride in who you are? You made yourself look like a complete brute tonight, all because a vampire came along and spoke a few ill words to me..!" Her hands were on her hips, "I know this is difficult for you, I don't just eavesdrop! I watch you and I have been doing so since we were kids. Don't pretend like I was never there just because it slipped my mind for a short while! I know what you are, and this is not it. You are not a monster, so don't take the word demon and use it as your excuse. This entire family trusts you to lead us and take care of us, never did we say you were on your own. You chose to be and that is no ones fault but your own. I will never be afraid of you, so don't you dare.." She trailed off and took a deep, exhausted breath, "I'm finished quarreling, do you need me to tend to your shoulder? If not, I wish to lie down.."
The silence was deafening as she looked down at the tiled floor. Ciel cleared his throat before answering, "No need, it will heal quickly." He grabbed a cloth from his desk drawer and draped it over his shoulder. "Come, I'll walk you to the bedroom." His gaze met hers, as if looking for her approval. However, the strained look on her face came to his surprise. Her brows were furrowed and she was biting down on her bottom lip. Her eyes were clenched shut and a hand was draped, almost soothingly, over her stomach. "Lizzie?"
"No, I'm alright. Just got myself worked up and the baby doesn't much care for it.."
"Is the pain intolerable?"
"No, no it's fine. Just tightening.."
"Well come over here and sit down.." He gently took her in his arms and lifted her up to sit on his desk, since he had thrown his chair earlier. Ciel stood in front of her and watched her facial expressions, "Talk to me, Lizzie, should I call for the doctor?"
"No, I'm fine. I just need a moment.." A large, warm hand carefully rubbed over her stomach. Instantly, she sighed and relief flushed throughout her being. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gotten so irate with you. I don't mean to make you feel left out, I'm just trying to protect you the best way I know how..both of you now." He paused when he noticed her closed eyes and her overall reaction to him touching her, "However, I will never apologize for what I do to protect you."
Ciel ended up actually sharing a bed with Elizabeth that night though he had planned on doing paperwork. After having his shoulder wrapped up, he found he couldn't resist the urge to rub her belly. He did so until they both fell asleep.
Sebastian was reading a book in the downstairs tea room, Bard was coming out of the kitchen, discarding his apron. He had a worried look on his face but instead of asking, he lit a cigar and stretched. Sebastian rolled his eyes and closed his book, "What is it?" He asked Bard with an annoyed expression. "Did you.. did you hear all of that yelling a bit ago?..I'm just wondering if everything is alright up there.."
"You shouldn't." Sebastian stood and gathered his dishes, he was preparing to go upstairs and clean up the mess his master had made. With a smile on his face, he passed by Bard, "It would just seem as though our master was perhaps caught playing one of his games. Lady Elizabeth has an unforgiving wrath, you know, and even more so now that she is expecting."
"Right on that, she sure doesn't cut him any slack when it comes to his games." Bard nodded and took a long puff of his cigar. "So what did he do this time?"
"He simply evened the playing field."
"You mean he..-?"
Sebastian nodded, "All by himself?!" To say Bard looked shocked was an understatement, however, it was Sebastian who was lacking in reaction. "Why yes, of course. Now, if you're finished would you put that filth out? No smoking in the manor, remember? The smell makes the Lady sick."
"O-oh, right! Sorry.." He stumbled about to put his cigar out and toss it out of a nearby window in order to avoid both Sebastian and Elizabeth's wrath.