The Beginning And The End

The Beginning And The End



Part Five



Vincent paled at the food placed before him. It took every ounce of his strength and breeding not to lunge to his feet with the water closet being his destination. He would not defame his nobility in doing so. Not once while he suffered from the punishment of over imbibing did he show his malaise to the servants. Only in the privacy of his chambers could he visibly wince in pain or vomit into the hidden chamber pot. This new malady threatened to break down his hard earned control.



His routine rarely deviated from its daily route. He rose in the mornings and proceeded with his usual routine of bathing and dressing before joining Alastair for breakfast. It was when he sat down and the morning food was placed before him did the waves of nausea wash over him with such force, it was a wonder he didn’t release what little he might have on his stomach for all the see.



Alastair noticed his pallor with a frown. “Are you alright?”



Until this morning in particular, he’d well hidden his rolling stomach and been able to keep down toast and tea with some success. This morning, he found his stomach rebelling and he was on his feet with a quickness. Desperation swirled within him. There was no fighting it. His chamber pot called and the rising bile in his throat urged him to return to it with quickness.



Servants jumped from his path as he flung open the doors of his chambers and fell to his knees over the newly cleaned chamber pot. The gagging and heaving could be heard by all, many expressing their distress over the beloved master’s apparent illness.



Alastair was quick to follow, as was Tanaka who shooed away the gawking servants and closed the doors to the chamber with a faint click.



“My lord, do you require me to send for the physician?” inquired Tanaka with a worried glance.



Vincent, having gotten control of his contracting stomach, slumped at the bedside and sent a weak glare in the two onlooker’s direction. “I’m fine. It’s nothing and I’m sure it will pass in a few hours. Probably only something which didn‘t agree with my stomach.”



With the way his stomach continued to churn, he wasn’t sure he believed his own words. Alastair leaned down and whispered in Tanaka’s ear. The man nodded and exited the room.



“What did you tell him?” Vincent looked wearily towards Vincent. He steeled himself to be very upset with Tanaka if he was going to summon the physician when Vincent had just told him such services weren’t needed.



“I asked him to bring you some ginger tea and dry biscuits. Ginger is what sailors use when the waves of a ship make their stomachs queasy,” he answered easily and leaned over to wrinkle his nose at the obvious contents of the bowl. “Well, it’s obvious that it wasn’t something you ate as it is mostly liquid.”



“I know that much.” Vincent wobbled to his feet, and shrugged away the touch of his lover. “It’s just a stomach ailment. It will be gone in a few hours and I’ll be right as rain.”



Alastair nodded his acceptance and settled in the chair across from his companion. “I’m going to take a ride around the countryside this afternoon. Would you care to join me, Lord Phantomhive?”



Vincent’s lips quirked at the use of his title. Only Alastair could make a simple question sound like so much more. They’d been lovers for nearly two months. It was still cold, spring another two months off at the least but everyday, Alastair would ride along Vincent’s property. Occasionally Vincent would join him, but not today. He wasn’t sure he would be up for it even if the nausea passed. He needed to answer missives and meet with his accountant for their monthly review of his estate holdings and earnings.



“I think I’ll pass today. Perhaps we can take a turn around the garden once you’ve returned.” It felt almost like a relationship and Vincent found himself growing more and more attached to the man. He’d told himself it was merely a physical relationship–a satisfying of mutual lust. It seemed each day to become something more than he’d first intended. They’d formed some strange sort of partnership that had transformed into a deep affection. It wasn’t an emotion he was familiar with and as such, left him somewhat disconcerted. If Alastair felt the same, he couldn’t say but somewhere deep inside he hoped it was mutual.



“I look forward to it.” Alastair rose as Tanaka entered with the tea. “I’ll leave you to your tea.”



Vincent watched Alastair leave with a strange look on his face. Their relationship would forever be kept secret. Men were not allowed such pleasure and time would come when a Phantomhive heir would be needed. It was a fate he could never hope to avoid. Many things were required of nobility in exchange for the wealth and comfort they received.



Sighing, he glanced up as the door to his chamber opened. Two female servants entered the chamber and dealt with the disgusting chamber pot. He heard the older of the two muttering to herself as they exited. “If he was a lady, I’d think him with child.”



Vincent scoffed at the comment, equally amused as the younger of the two servants appeared to be. At least that was one thing he didn’t have to worry about. It made him grateful to be a man. His only purpose was to plant the seed; it was the female’s duty to bear it.



oOo



As the winter months began to fade and spring renewed the earth, Vincent noticed a change taking form with his body. His abdomen, always taunt and tight began to show a firm roundness. Unlike with overindulgence, this roundness was firm and did not seem to be created from fat. It formed just beneath where he now possessed a scar from his attack with the killer several months prior. It bothered him. It could be a growth, a cancer of which he knew his death could be imminent. Without an heir, it made his worry all the more gripping.



“Vincent, are you alright?”



Vincent glanced up from the book he wasn’t reading towards his lover. “Do you notice anything different about me?”



Alastair paused, his eyes drifting over where Vincent sat in the study, book on his lap. “What should I see? Have you found a gray hair, or perhaps a lost tooth?”



Vincent chuckled mirthlessly. “Nothing. Are you going riding today?”



“Don’t I always,” grinned Alastair, his eyes dancing over the rim of the glasses he continued to wear.



Though he refused to dwell on the thought, he couldn’t shake the sensation that his time with Alastair was growing to an end. He was loathe to even consider the thought. Be it death or marriage, their parting of ways was an inevitable certainty. His one hope was that the parting would be amicable and that he would be able to look back on their affair with a fondness and not the sourness of a spoiled relationship.



Vincent stood and moved to the large pull string–summoning Tanaka with a quick motion. Within moments, his butler arrived and bowed. “My lord?”



Alastair left the room to make his way to the stable as was his routine. Vincent watched him leave and wondered what his lover did on the days he didn’t accompany him. Today, however, he was grateful for the absence. “Tanaka, would you summon the family physician to the manor?”



“Are you ill, my lord?”



Vincent didn’t answer, instead turned from his servant to move towards the large window. The trees were still bare but the snow had melted under the every warming sun. His eyes immediately focused on the stables where the Phantomhive horses were housed along with Alastair’s attractive bay. Several minutes passed before he saw Alastair’s dark overcoat as he lead a large bay stallion from the stables. The man lifted a hand to his top hat and performed a mock bow before leaping onto the horse. Vincent’s eyes narrowed and he turned from the window. How did he do that?



Vincent sat staring into the flames, watching the intricate dance of red, orange, and yellow. When a knock on the study door broke his thoughts, he glanced up in time to see Tanaka standing with Dr. Albright. He stood and greeted the doctor with a slight bow. “Doctor.”



“Lord Phantomhive, may I inquire as to the reason behind my visit? You look hale to me.” Dr. Albright adjusted his silver spectacles and scanned Vincent for any physical problems.



“Tanaka, the curtains please.” Vincent gestured to the thick drapes and didn’t speak again until Tanaka was bowing out of the room. “It started that I was ill most mornings. I could barely eat more than some dry toast and tea. Then it changed so that I was vomiting at the mere thought of food. Thankfully it passed, and these last few weeks have been pleasant.”



“But…” said the doctor.



Vincent chuckled to himself. “But, I’ve found myself growing a bit round in the middle. And before you ask, no I have not changed my diet and have in fact been participating in more exercise than normal. It is just beneath where I was injured several months ago, and I thought it could possibly be a growth or a cancer of some sort.”



The doctor hummed and approached Vincent. “Well, let us take a look.”



Dr. Albright motioned for Vincent to lift his shirt to reveal his slightly protruding abdomen. “Have you had any pain?”



“No.”



The doctor pressed lightly on the pink scar before beginning to palpitate the abdomen. There was a growing frown on his brow the longer he pressed against the slight bulge. It sent worry through Vincent and he wondered if his next call should be for his solicitor.



Dr. Albright stepped back and scratched his balding head in confusion. “It doesn’t feel like a cancer. Though, without being able to see it, I can only guess. The strange part is that were you a woman, I would be informing you of your impending child. As a man, well, I am quite at a loss.”



Vincent froze; the words making him recall the comment of the servants on the first day of his violent stomach ailment. She’s said just the same thing. It was impossible, and yet, he couldn’t help the way the impossible seemed likely. “Is it possible…for a man…Have you ever heard of such a thing?”



“No. It is absolutely impossible. Men lack a uterus, ovaries, and birth canal. Even were it possible, as far as I know, you have no such formations. I was present at your birth, my lord. You are perfectly normal. Even if you possess a uterus and ovaries hidden in your body, you lack the delivery route of a vagina and cervix.” The doctor patted Vincent on the arm. “Many ailments resemble other illnesses. I had a patient once who presented symptoms totally opposite of what every other patient of the same illness presented. It was quite a bit of trouble. I’m sure you are a similar case.”



“Should I then prepare my affairs?”



“Have you had any sensations of illness, after the vomiting issue several months back?” asked the doctor.



“No. I’ve felt fine, other than the increase in my abdomen,” answered Vincent.



The doctor nodded and smiled. “Then I wouldn’t worry. I’ll come to see you once a week to chart your progress. If you continue to feel well, then I would not worry.”



Vincent nodded and allowed Tanaka to show the doctor out. He wasn’t so sure of the doctor’s confidence but had no one else he dared ask. He would have to trust the man’s reasoning for now.



Elsewhere on the estate, Alastair sat on a large boulder staring off into the moors. He didn’t acknowledge the man standing behind him though he was completely aware of him. Instead, he continued to think on his relationship with the human Vincent Phantomhive. Love was such a fleeting emotion, what he’d grown to feel for Vincent was so much more. He only hoped he would be forgiven for what he’d allowed to happen.



He was tempted to ask for permission to stay with him permanently. He was retired after all, and only on call for emergency missions. Of course, there would be much to be said to him once Vincent’s condition was known to the council and the powers that be–if they didn’t know already.



“How long are you going to ignore me?”



Alastair’s lips quirked but he continued to stare off into nothing. “As long as I wish it, William.”



Alastair turned and smirked at the neatly dressed reaper. “I’m surprised to see you. I thought I would have at least a year of relaxation before the powers that be called me back into service.”



“This is not a joking matter.” William Spears adjusted his tie and sent a glare in Alastair’s direction. “You’ve created an abomination.”



“I didn’t create it.”



“You allowed it. You knew what Michael did, and you ignored the risks. The powers that be don’t care if you fuck a man. They are neutral in that aspect. But when you willfully impregnate him, that’s another thing entirely.” William heaved a breath. “There will be consequences for this.”



“You really do overreact. There is nothing to be done. I’ll take the man into hiding for a few months until the child is born. He’ll claim it as a bastard and all will be well.” Alastair shrugged his shoulders and grinned at William. “That’s all they fear. Is the other world being revealed? Demons. Reapers. Other things that can not be explained. The world is like that and I chose to allow Michael’s last act of rebellion to be my chance at a family. They have allowed far worse transgressions than mine pass without notice. This will be no exception.”



William shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry but you’re wrong. I have to take you in. Already the silence has been broken and reapers have been dispatched to deal with the physician your lover summoned to examine him. Your trial is at hand and your fate and that of your lover will be determined. It is why I am here. I am to arrest you for your crimes.”



William stepped forward and before Alastair could move to defend himself or run, he was being pulled back to the world he’d all but left. The powerful twisting in his gut created by moving between dimensions was a familiar feeling. He’d barely blinked and suddenly he was in the world of his birth–if one could call his coming into existence a birth. It was one of many alternate worlds overlapping the one true dimension, which was the home of the humans. Demons, reapers, vampires, and angels all existed in their own realm–moving between the barriers to the human world as they saw fit and able to do.



He glared at his companion but the breath was taken from him at the sight he beheld. A large cathedral like building rose up before them like a sentinel. It was a familiar sight, but never ceased to install awe into him. Now its sight was the cause of a trickle of fear.



“I suppose welcome home would be a bit of a spit in your face.” William adjusted his glasses.



Alastair frowned but said nothing as William urged him towards the massive mahogany doors intricately carved with images of reapers, humans, and demons. They opened upon their approach, another proof to their expected arrival. Things did not bode well but he hoped to be able to convince the council of his intentions.



William led him through a barely lit hall into a dark room and stood with him in the singular ray of light in what he could only assume was the center. His purpose as a reaper had not led him to ever need to be present for such hearings. Now he wished he’d had such opportunities to experience them as something other than the defendant.



“William Spears, have you brought forth the accused.”



The voice broke through the darkness and suddenly the room was alight, filled with seated reapers. All faces were neutral but he couldn’t help but wonder if they truly were so neutral in their thoughts.



“I have.” William bowed and left Alastair alone in the center of the room under the harsh gazes of the judges. “You, Alastair Allegro are charged with creating something which goes against the nature of humans and the law of Reapers. That abomination housed inside the human male will draw the attention of demons. His soul will be both reaper and human. Can you imagine the consequences of your union? Are you even the slightest contrite for what you have allowed to be done?”



A smirk teased his lips. “Honorable persons, I feel great humility at earning such attention but it is truly unnecessary for you to worry over what has happened between me and Vincent Phantomhive. Any offspring we have will be completely cared for and kept from the attention of demons. You can not even consider to end the life of the child without express order from the powers that be…”



Alastair’s eyes narrowed. “…which you don’t have.”



The disgruntled figures before him shifted under his gaze as he removed his shaded glasses and gazed at them with unhidden eyes. Only the most stringent of them was able to keep from shifting under the gaze of one who had been a high profile reaper until very recently.



“Take him away while we decide his fate.”



Alastair didn’t bother to struggle upon feeling the press of a blade against his back. Reapers were far from immortal, though the slice of a scythe could easily end his life. It was perhaps their greatest weakness.



“That hardly seemed fair, did it?” commented Alastair as he was lead away by William.



He could practically hear William’s thoughts on the matter before he ever spoke. “Did you expect it to be fair? Our power over human lives is why the rules are in place. You were stupid to think they wouldn’t know your actions. Don’t think for a moment you weren’t watched even in your retirement.”



“You don’t approve of my actions.” Alastair wasn’t surprised. William was perhaps the most stringent when it came to following the rules of their kind.



“You broke the laws. Of course I don’t approve. What you do for your sexual pleasure is your choice, but when you willfully create something…why did you do it?” asked William.



Alastair grinned widely and settled onto the wooden bench that would serve as his bed in the small cell. “Is because I could the wrong answer?”



“You think this is a joke? Do you think they will go easy on you?” William looked a mixture of exasperation and frustration. It was amusing to watch the emotions play across his fellow reaper’s face.



“I think there is nothing they can do. Strip me of my title? Fine. I don’t want it. Vincent is not under the command of the Reapers. He and our child are safe from them.”



William sighed and moved to leave the cell. “They may be, but you are not.”



The heavy wooden door closed with a resounding click. Alastair remained seated. Vincent and their child were safe, for now. Unless the powers that be sent orders for the child to die, he was safe but it was only a matter of time before Vincent began to show more prominently.



He wondered if he’d done the right thing. When he’d realized what Michael had done, he’d laughed at the pure ridiculous nature of the curse. It was nearly redundant. Giving a man such a talent was almost worthless unless he’d assumed Vincent would be open to the attentions of another man. Or perhaps, he’d seen how Alastair looked on him with care and protection. Whatever the reaper’s reasoning, Michael had used his scythe and the last of his energy to alter Vincent’s physiology. It was a dangerous and forbidden action. Facing death, perhaps he thought there nothing to lose.



His punishment was likely to be a farce used as a warning for those who wished to travel down similar paths. It bothered him to be away from Vincent. He was uncertain how his lover would take to his being pregnant. Not well, he would imagine. He knew his lover. He supposed he would need to make it up to the man.



oOo



Vincent frowned at the document before him listing the estate expenditures and earnings. He couldn’t focus. Alastair had been gone for nearly two weeks and worry over him ate away at Vincent’s soul. He’d sent out riders to search for him but none found any trace of him save for the shoe marks of his horse.



“Your grace?”



Vincent blinked back into his current thoughts and turned to meet the gaze of his accountant. “Are the farmers taken care of for the spring planting? Last year’s drought hurt the estate income. We need to make up that loss this year. I don’t like relying on our warehouses in the docks in order to stay afloat.”



“Yes, my lord. Within the next two weeks, the farmers will begin planting,” acknowledged the accountant.



“Good, but mind the weather,” ordered Vincent. “I don’t want a late frost killing our crops.”



“I will inform the tenants of your requests.”



Vincent nodded and returned the documents to his accounts manager. “I’ll see you next month, Mr. Howard.”



“Your grace,” said Mr. Howard with a slight bow.



Vincent rose and returned to his study, leaving Tanaka to show the man out. Once in his study, he paused upon seeing a finely dressed man. “Who are you and how dare you enter my residence without permission?”



“My name is William Spears and I come to inform you of what your lover failed to before he was taken.” William adjusted his spectacles with a hand.



“I do not know of what you speak,” evaded Vincent. That anyone could know of his relationship with Alastair bothered him greatly. If word of his relationship escaped, it could ruin him.



William sniffed an eyed Vincent. “I don’t care what acts you performed with the man. In fact, I would prefer not thinking on it. However, it is my duty to inform you of your condition as a result of it.”



“What condition?”



William’s eyes dropped to Vincent’s hidden abdomen. “Your pregnancy.”



Vincent’s eyes bugged outward and his jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”



“Your attack to your stomach was more than a wound. It created a womb inside you. Your relations with Alastair Allegro joined each of your essences and created the child now growing inside you. I feel it is my duty to inform you that as of yet, the fate of your child and that of Alastair are yet undetermined. Alastair has been taken into custody awaiting his pending judgment.” William kept a straight and emotionless face as Vincent attempted to soak up what was said to him.



William was about to continue when a pistol was shoved in his face, taken from a hidden drawer in the study. “I don’t know who you are, or why you’re hear but unless you leave I will kill you.”



The reaper arched his brow and cleared his throat. “Forgive me, Lord Phantomhive but you cannot escape the truth. I would advise you to keep your condition hidden for as long as possible.”



“I don’t give a fuck about my condition. Where is Alastair?” Vincent shoved the pistol even more firmly against William’s clean shaven cheek.



“He is imprisoned for his crimes. That is all I may say on the matter. Good day, my lord.” William bowed slightly before disappearing before Vincent’s eyes. The shock was so great he felt himself become light headed.



The gravity of what was said began to sink in and his eyes dropped to the slight bulge in his abdomen. All the signs pointed towards pregnancy. Even the servants and his own physician had informed him of how like pregnancy his symptoms were. If he was a woman, he was informed it would be apparent. As a man…it was impossible…wasn’t it?



Now he was without Alastair who apparently was aware of this situation, and no way to find him. Vincent rubbed a hand over his eyes and attempted to push back the wave of panic and fear. He had no way to deliver the baby unless he was supposed to shit it out. What would he do?



Elsewhere, Alastair glared at William. “Why did you tell him?”



“He needed to know so not to bring any unnecessary attention to himself or his pregnancy. I did such as a favor to you.” William sniffed indignantly at the ungrateful look on Alastair’s face. “Show a little gratitude.”



“Why should I? You shouldn’t have told him anything.” Alastair felt cheated. It was his job to tell Vincent. It didn’t matter he wasn’t in any position to tell Vincent. As the second parent, it was his right.



William wiped his spectacles with a cloth. “Forgive me for depriving you of the pleasure of informing the man. I felt it prudent to inform him. The more people who know, the greater the chance the powers that be will send a request for the death of the child, and perhaps Vincent Phantomhive with it.”



Alastair calmed, but only slightly. William spoke the truth. As long as Vincent remained incognito for the most part, the powers would probably allow him and the child be. “When will my sentence be handed down?”



“I would imagine soon. They rarely deliberate for this long.” William replaced the glasses to his face. “I wouldn’t be in such a rush for their judgment. They don’t look kindly on that attitude you presented to them previously.”



“I wish I could say I’m sorry,” Alastair grinned devilishly. “But I’m not.”



William rolled his eyes and turned to leave the cell. “Of course not. You’re not sorry for anything.”



When left alone, Alastair sat slowly on the bench. His head thumped against the wall and his fingers lifted to rub the scar on his face. He should have informed the council of Michael’s actions and allowed them to repair the damage. Why he didn’t, he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t because of some great love for Vincent Phantomhive, nor was it because of his desire for offspring with the man. Perhaps it was as William said–a spit in the face of those in power.



The hours turned into days, but it all ran together in Alastair’s head. When William finally came for him, he was grateful to discover his punishment. The long deliberation could be good or bad.



“Alastair Allegro, has your time alone allowed you to contemplate the gravity of what you have allowed to happen?”



Alastair stared up at the judges with a grin on his face. “I’ve thought on it a bit.”



“What say you?”



“I would do it again, if I had the chance.” He couldn’t help but chuckle at the outraged looks crossing the judges’ faces. It was worth whatever increase in his punishment he would receive.



The judges glanced at each other and then at the head judge. “Alastair Allegro, we have decided that your punishment shall be one year isolation imprisonment. A small slot in your door for nourishment shall be your only contact with the outside world. Upon release, you are to be banished to the human world. During that time, we sincerely hope you consider what you have done.”



Alastair had expected as much. He sent a glance to William, hoping the other would act generously and inform Vincent of his punishment. With any luck, he would be released to find his son and lover safe and waiting on him.



William turned to follow the procession from the courtroom when he was stopped. “William Spears…you will remain.”



“How may I be of service?” William felt the lump in the pit of his stomach grow with each passing moment.



“We have received orders concerning the child. The powers that be request that the child remains alive but as additional punishment for Alastair Allegro, the minds of Vincent Phantomhive and all persons familiar with his relationship to Alastair Allegro will be wiped. You will attend to Lord Phantomhive and deliver the baby. Upon doing so, your orders are to rewrite the fate and wed him to Rachel Durless. Her fate will be the easier as she already possesses feelings for him.”



“Your honors!” William was shocked and appalled by what was being ordered of him. “You would give him a lifetime of torture?”



“It is not our judgment but that of the powers. We cannot dispute it, and neither can you. Alastair Allegro is getting his due punishment.”



William shook his head emphatically. “But you’re punishing the innocent as well. Vincent Phantom will suffer as well.”



The head judge sighed heavily. “You are to instill love for his wife into him. We do not wish him to suffer an unhappy marriage.”



“But he will suffer and not know the reason. I’ve seen it in him. He loves Alastair and you can not erase that. We never stop. He’ll always feel an emptiness.” William continued his insistence but it fell on deaf ears.



“Such is an outcome we can live with. You have your orders. Take as many reapers as necessary and change the fates and memories of those closest to Vincent Phantomhive upon the birth of his child.” With those final words, the judges stood and left William alone in the courtroom. He staggered against the banister. He was to be an instrument in the destruction of a man.



oOo



One Year Later



Alastair stood anxiously awaiting his release. His child had been born and he was curious whether it was a boy or a girl. Though either was fine, he secretly hoped for a boy so to relieve Vincent of his need to provide an heir. He also was anxious because of Vincent. He missed the man terribly and the year seemed all the more longer without him. Perhaps they knew he would suffer as such. The year felt like one hundred instead of one.



“You’re looking well, William,” commented Alastair as the prison door creaked open to reveal William Spears.



“Alastair.” William could see the other had lost weight. His face and body seemed made of more hard angles yet he still had the wide mocking grin.



Alastair grinned broadly. “Come to see me off?”



“I’m your escort to the human realm,” answered William. “And bestow upon you your final punishment.”



The smile faltered, but only slightly. “What punishment?”



“As per the orders, the memories of Vincent Phantomhive and all those with knowledge of him were rewritten. He is now happily married to Rachel Durless Phantomhive and they have a son, Ciel. You are under strict instructions not to speak with them or approach them in any fashion. Should they approach you, you are relieved of obligation and may communicate with them.” William watched as the smile left the other’s face. The widening of eyes as understanding set in was enough to make him cringe internally. “You are free to do as you wish in the human world as long as you abide by the rules of silence.”



“What have you done?” Alastair lunged for William, only to have the other move quickly from his grasp. “That’s my family!”



“Not any longer. The powers that be gave these instructions. They are irrefutable,” argued William as he dodged another attack. “He’s forgotten you. In his mind, his wife Rachel gave birth to their son.”



“And I’ll rewrite them again.” Alastair moved to leave the room when William moved and slammed him into the wall.



“You will not. You cannot. Your scythe has been taken and should you attempt to do so without it, you could fracture them. Come, I’ll show you.”



The world warped and they stood on the Phantomhive estate just outside the manor. The colors of spring burst around them as William led Alastair towards the large hedges surrounding the garden. A quick look inside revealed a young woman cradling a baby in her arms. She smiled happily towards her husband who leaned down to kiss first her lips and then the downy head of his child. The love showing in his eyes was undeniable.



Alastair’s hands clenched in the shrubbery. He fought the growl of jealousy. If not for William’s touch on his arm, he would have likely charged into the garden and broken the happy moment. He wanted to claim Vincent and Ciel as his. They were not hers. Both were his by right, yet…



“I thought you might want this.”



Alastair turned to see a leather bond book in William’s hands. The name Vincent Phantomhive was blazed on the spine. He knew what this was.



“It is his life and thoughts before we altered him. I will take you to the nearby town.” William’s hand took Alastair’s arm. He didn’t seem broken as he’d expected. Angry and vengeful were the two words that came to mind.



They appeared outside of an old building at the end of the small village. “I purchased this in your name. You can stay here until you decide what you want to do. I am sorry.”



William disappeared and Alastair was left standing alone. This wasn’t what he’d expected. This wasn’t what he’d imagined. He’d imagined returning to Phantomhive estates and holding his son before proceeding to make love to his lover. He was certain Vincent had loved him.



Opening the book, he stared as the events played out before his eyes much like a moving picture.



“You again! Where is Alastair?” Vincent stood from his seat, his body barely able to move because of the large distended abdomen.



William bowed slightly. “I am here to remove your child from your abdomen. It is impossible for you to deliver naturally. I do apologize but I shall make it as painless as possible.”



William forced administered a drug that rendered Vincent unconscious and then carefully removed the screaming infant from the womb. He squalled loudly and Alastair smiled at how much life he had on the day of his birth. The wound was healed magically and the infant placed in a bassinet.



“What are you doing?” murmured Vincent, already rising from the drug.



“Forgive me. But we cannot allow you and Alastair to remain together. Don’t worry; I’ll remove your memories so that you will have no recollection of him.” William withdrew his scythe reluctantly.



Vincent struggled to sit, his body shaking visibly under the stress it had recently been under. “I won’t let you. I love him and I refuse to forget him for your pleasure.”



“Oh, I assure you, it is not my pleasure. And you will forget.” A quick slash of his scythe created the book and inside it all of Vincent’s memories were played.



Vincent’s eyes hazed over, yet still he fought for control. “I…refuse…to forget…Alastair…I love you.”



The pages went dark and Alastair knew that moment was the last of the Vincent he loved. To the current Vincent, he didn’t exist. What had happened between them was no more, only remembered by Alastair.



The hurt burned like a sun in his chest. His punishment was ongoing. What reasons the powers that be could have for enforcing such a harsh judgment was lost on him. He was left broken and alone, unable to bear the thought of hurting Vincent in an attempt to pull forth lost memories.



The days turned into weeks and he prayed for death. A reaper’s death was not something that came easily. He could use his scythe, still in his possession but he could not bear the thought of leaving Vincent. His memories were wiped but there was still the flicker of hope that some part of him still belonged to Alastair. His waking moments were spent watching and rewatching the book created when William had altered his life and memories. He became nothing. The son he would never call his own lay in the arms of a woman. It was just as well. The punishment matted out to him was severe. His body was free, but his soul remained chained and bound.



“Would you leave your son unprotected with your death?”



Blurry eyes fluttered open and stared at William. The messenger of his destruction stood before him. “To what do I own this pleasure? Have you come to report on me to the others so that they might gloat at me situation?”



“You are a worthless fool. You still have your son and you can be something to him. His life will be in constant danger. He will need protection. You have ties to all dimensions. You can offer him and his father aid. And they will seek it. It‘s in the Phantomhive nature, so I‘m told.” William wrinkled his noise at the vile smell coming from Alastair.



“How am I suppose to get them to notice me should I even desire to help them?”



William paused for a moment before answering. “I don’t know, Alastair. You’ll have to figure that out for yourself.”



“Death would be a help. One less reaper in the world to bring about the suffering of humans.”



William shrugged. “If that is your wish, I will lend you my scythe and end your suffering but is that what you really want? Do you truly wish for oblivion. Your feelings towards Phantomhive and his spawn must be weaker than I’d assumed.”



Alastair was on his feet, his scythe pointed dangerously at William’s throat. “Don’t you dare say I don’t care. They are my life and it was taken from me by my own hand. But I do not regret one moment. I do not regret Vincent, nor do I regret the seed I placed in his belly with full knowledge of what would happen.”



“Then why did you do it?”



He smiled–a shadow of what he’d once been. “Because I could. Because I wanted to. Because I sought to bind him to me for eternity and instead my actions now keep him from me.”



“Alastair…”



“No. That is not my name any longer.” Alastair stood quietly for a moment before closing the book in his hand and placing it safely on a shelf.



William frowned. “Then what shall I call you if not Alastair?”



“Undertaker,” laughed Alastair.



“What?”



“Alastair Allegro is no more. I’ll be Undertaker from now on. An appropriate name, no? My touch killed a man so thoroughly, his soul was rewritten so to forget my existence. But I don‘t quite look the part yet. Not macabre enough.” Alastair disappeared into the washroom, exiting nearly a half an hour later dressed in a fine black suit and top hat. His hair was parted so that it covered his eyes far better than any glasses.



William stood in awe at the transformation. “You look…different.”



A large smile creased his face. “It’s time for a funeral.”



“Whose?” he asked.



The undertaker merely smiled and set about hammering to create a casket. “I just told you, Alastair Allegro died just moments ago. It’s only right he have a proper funeral and be buried with his beloved Vincent.”



William gaped and for a moment thought the other had dropped off the deep end until he turned and swept his gray hair from his eyes. “I expect a boon from you one day, William Spears. For stealing my life from me.”



William nodded slowly and swallowed at the look. “And I freely offer it.”



The weeks and months following showed a surprising increase in business for the undertaker. Apparently the village had been lacking in a proper undertaker for some time. Business boomed so well, he set up a shop in London as well, splitting his time between the two.



A knock on his shop door brought a smile to his lips. He did enjoy his work. He liked the tears and the fear of people realizing their own mortality. Perhaps if they realized it, they would cherish what time they had with their loved ones. Time lost could not be regained as he was all too aware. His loss had driven him a little mad, but he always kept in his mind the memories of Vincent and his son.



“I was told this was where I could inquire about the services of an undertaker.”



Undertaker stiffed and his smile froze on his face. The voice was one that would haunt him, but he refused to forget. It was precious to him and his reason for existing. Slowly his smile resumed its place on his face and he stepped from the shadows into the light to greet the living ghost of his past.



“Then you’ve come to the right place. I deal in the dead.” He would do what he must. If this was all he was allowed then he would take it. In the eyes before him, he saw a strange sparkle of recognition before it vanished as quickly as it had come. In that moment he knew Vincent’s previous affection for him. For love left a mark and what his lover had said to him in the book was the truth. If he could not be at his side, he would do what he could to protect him and their son. It was his pleasure and pain. But it would never show upon his face, only in the eyes he kept hidden from view.



The end…



AN, I hope you enjoyed. Thank you for the reviews. They are appreciated.