{Sebastian's P.O.V.}

"What's this?"

"A letter. Or, more so, a document."

It's been weeks since the catastrophe at the church. What occurred hasn't left my mind, though it has faded from my memory. I've worked to attain further proof of her claims, or, principally, claim, that she is a Phantomhive after all.

"What is it?"

It's late, and my master has retired early. His work caught up with him, again, and now that we've began preparations for a dinner party at the manor in the next few weeks, he's been dreading the idea of entertaining guests. I knew the Queen's scorn would find him after the events of the circus. Though, I wonder how she'll react to the presence of Victoria. It's humorous. I'm sure that it was no accident she was named what she was. Service of the crown is a family legacy, and in spite of her illness (so it's called) she is regal. She's sure to impress more than one aristocrat. There are a few things even I can't explain, and I plan to address them tonight. It's all quite peculiar, but I feel confident all will be sorted out soon.

"It's your birth certificate."

"What?!?!?" She leaps from the chair on which she was sitting, tearing the paper away from me. She scans the text, raising her face towards mine. "How did you get this?" She looks happy, complimented, and I can't deny it causes some sort of reaction from me. I haven't explained what happened before. I did react emotionally to seeing her all but die, and I haven't been in full control since. I take it back, gently.

"I went back to the hospital you stayed in." She blinks, confused, unsure of what would prompt me to do such a thing. "I wanted to..."

The way she's looking at me...she seems embarrassed. "Sebastian. Before, back at that place..." She glances up at the sky, through the windows to our right, as dim gleam filters through. A light dusting of ivory moonlight shines down upon her, and she asks again, a question I can't answer. "Did you...do you...what made you do that? You've been doing things for me for weeks now. Kind things. Ciel, too. What changed?"

I turn, and she follows me, as I place the proof of her lineage down on a nearby table. She nods, pointing to another set of chairs. "Sit down." It's a command. I'm not truly beholden to do as she instructs, so I protest.

"It's not exactly common for a butler to-" She actually places her hands on me, shoving me into the seat.

"Sit. Down."

"No need to be so forceful." I smile. "Though, I can't say I dislike that side of you."

She sits down herself, facing me. "I want you to answer some questions, okay?"

I don't really know why I did it, or what caused me to respond in such a formal way, but I offer the same rehearsed gesture I give to my own master, agreeing in that moment to do whatever she asked of me. It was curious, how quickly I changed my mind. The way she reacted, her expression alone was enough to prove at least part of what those priests accused us of.

We did make some kind of unspoken pact, and whether or not I care to admit it, I knew from the start she'd affect me in a way I would care about.

I care about her, and that is something I never expected to experience with a human. Even so, I knew too, that there had always been something unique about my master. So too, would his family be unlike any other.

___________________

{Victoria's P.O.V.}

"So, you did kill them."

"Yes. You saw that."

"So, you did cry."

"Yes. You witnessed that as well."

"So, we did make some sort of-"

I'm cut off, hushed again. The sun has almost risen. I've been grilling Sebastian for hours, asking him all sorts of questions, ensuring I get the answers I want. So far, its been fairly simple. Ciel doesn't remember me for some reason I still don't fully understand. I know those men influenced him, and I've been forced to accept that they somehow erased his memory of me entirely. Sebastian and I did make some sort of deal, some sort of connection when we did what we did, but I have no idea how or why. It seems pretty stupid, honestly, that simple accusations and historical documentation of what makes a witch could actually be true for us, and not one other woman he'd used in a similar way. I asked something which angered him, and he's still irritated any time I bring it up again.

"So, I want to ask..." He already knows what I'm getting at.

"I told you. No."

"Doesn't it make sense, though?" I shield my eyes as a bright ray of light filters in through the adjacent windows. It's almost fitting, ironically inspiring, given the nature of my inquiry. "Couldn't just once, in this instance, God have intervened? I believed in Him once, and I prayed for a miracle in that place. What if your reaction was-"

"Was what?" He nearly hisses at me. "Was what, Victoria? Compassion? Honesty? Oh." Yep. He's angry, all right. "Do you think I love you?"

"Why else would something like you cry?" I chose my words carefully.

"Don't you still hate me?" He changes the subject, forcefully, with fervent hostility. "Didn't you practically hold onto that with everything you had?"

"I think I've changed my mind." I rise. "I think I've changed in more than one way." I actually smile, in spite of Sebastian's ire. He can't do anything about it. "I haven't had a single mad thought, no impulse, no crazed manic desire to run, anything since that night. It's why I think something helped us."

"I did. I helped you. I'm the reason you're here." He crosses his leg, turning his face to the sun as well. The darkness of his hair, his clothes, everything is a direct counter to the evidence around us. Something has happened. I know it. I was insane, mad, delusional all my life, and I genuinely believe that's gone. It's gone for some inexplicable reason, and all my hopes and prayers have been answered. One in particular stands out among the rest.

Ciel has welcomed me home again. I'm with my brother, and Sebastian, this terrible, awful force has agreed to help me, help him, help us reconnect, and I can only thank one power for altering the evil within a demon.

"God intervenes, Sebastian."

"God didn't do a damn thing!" He almost leaps up. "I have to go. Your brother will be rising soon." He turns, preparing to do just as he said, before I stop him. I take his hand, and force him to look at me.

"I don't hate you anymore." I don't do anything else, not physically. I still plan on finding some way to save my brother, even if I have to trade places with him. If I have to offer up my own soul, I will. He can get out alive. He can make our family proud again. Sebastian looks down, and I'm certain his grip tightens. "I don't care what you think you're capable of, or not capable of. I think you can change. Just like me. Even you can tell I'm different."

"You're wrong." It's all he says before he leaves me alone. I can't tell to what exactly he was referring, whether or not he truly noticed what I did, how I'm normal, as normal as I can be, free of an illness which plagued me my whole life, or if he thought he couldn't be different, too, but I don't care.

I was right about him before, and I'm right now.

I told him myself, what I believe, what truly made me rethink my previous hatred, and it's the only explanation I have.

God intervenes.

I think, for once in his entire existence, that he might be frightened.

Who else but God could ever scare a demon like Sebastian Michaelis?