Chapter Text
The high was fading faster than she would have liked. With every kill, the rush seemed further and further away. She knew it was only a matter of time before she became bored of her newest game, Angelina, in all her crimson beauty, was beginning to lose her shine. As Grell turned to look at the woman, the door to the back of the house slammed open revealing in a burst of street light the demon and his charge. Oh, well that was an interesting turn she thought, the sight of them reniewing the fading rush in her head.
“You’ve made quite a mess of things in there” Sebastian's voice echoed through the alley, “Jack the Ripper,” He paused alowing the silence to hang between them “or rather, Grell Sutcliffe”
Grell allowed a smile to form, cutting her face open and jagged as she approached the door. Lights, she stepped over the wretched corpse of what was once Mary Kelly. Camera, her footsteps leaving the floor stamped in the woman's blood. Action, she stepped through the doorway and into the alley. The rain fell heavily on her hair as she stumbled out, “No, you're wrong, I-I heard the screams, I rushed to help, I-” her stuttering explanations were cut short.
“You can drop the innocent act, Grell, It's over” he smirked, “you know this is the first time I’ve met someone like you in the human realm, you had everyone almost completely fooled” he stared her down from across the damp cobblestones, the dim light reflecting in the rain.
“Really?” she asked as a grin grew across her face, “well I’m pleased to hear it, after all, I am an actress” As she said this she began to shed herself of her horribly plain disguise, combing through her dark hair lighting it to a bright red, it felt wonderful to look like herself again, her eyes brightening to acid green, she turned to the man “of course you aren't really Sebastian are you?”
“Sebastian is the name my master gave me, so that is who I am,” he replied, “for the time being at least.” His grip tightened almost imperceptibly around his young master's waist.
“How wonderful to meet you as I truly am, allow me to re-introduce myself!” she exclaimed excitedly “ I am the Grim Reaper, Grell Sutcliffe, and I would just love to get more familiar with you as I am now”
Across from her, the demon grimaced as if the thought of her company physically pained him. How rude of him she thought petulantly, I am a delight. Well, if he didn’t appreciate her company she would simply have to make him.
“You know I never thought I’d see a demon playing house for a little human boy,” she remarked “It’s so subservient of you”
“I could say the same of you,” Sebastian replied “What is an intermediary like yourself doing meddling in human affairs?” he followed this with a pointed look.
“Let’s just say it was out of interest in a certain woman,” she responded playfully.
“And that woman would be?” Sebastian trailed off,
“You don’t truly have to ask that, do you?” came Angelina's voice from behind her, her footsteps soft as she came to stand at Grell’s side “Well, I didn’t count on this” She seemed almost amused by the turn their night had taken.
“Madam,” Grell startled slightly at the Earl's voice, it was the first time she had heard him speak all night, “naturally you were on the suspect list from the very beginning, but all your alibis checked out”
“You truly suspected your own Aunt?” Angelina asked, hurt bleeding into voice
“I was searching for a murderer, whether we shared blood or not was irrelevant, you fit the profile regardless of my personal feelings,” The boys said coldly, Grell had never met someone so young who had a heart so hard. It was off-putting to see in one Ciel’s age.
“Not a single person on the suspect list could have been responsible for the murders,” Ciel continued, “not any human suspect at least, so we had to look further, in the end, the two of you were the only ones it could have been, especially once Sebastian determined Grell’s true nature”
“Of course, once we realized it had to be the pair of you we looked into the victims and saw that they had all undergone a certain procedure before seeking aid from the surgery where you work, we found the last of the woman you helped, Mary Kelly” Ciel paused here, his gaze shifting to the still open door, “we knew you would come for her eventually, but we where to late”
It was refreshing to see a crack in the boy's exterior at the mention of his failure to save the woman, not that it mattered in the long run, mortals were all the same, living and dying in endless boring cycles.
“Oh nephew,” Angelina sighed beside him, “If only you had let it go, we could have played chess one more time” She turned to look at Grell as she said this, “but now, you have taken everything from me!”
At her cry, Grell leaped into action pulling her Scythe from the interdimensional pocket she stored it in and swinging it down on the boy's head, just before she made contact the demon leaped in her way and caught the blade between his palms.
“I’m afraid I cannot allow you to do that,” Sebastian said as he pushed Grell back away from the Earl and himself,”
“What is that!” cried Ciel in alarm
“What this old thing?” Grell teased “This is my custom death scythe, It’s deadly efficient” She grinned down at the boy as she raised it to strike again. Before she could begin to formulate her attack Sebastian charged her forcing her attention to shift from the boy to the butler.
It had been a long time since she’d had a real fight with anyone, not counting her husband, but those were more playful than anything. This was a battle, her blood was singing with the violence of it. The two of them came together again and again, her blade crashing into the walls around them as he dodged. With a look towards his earl, Sebastian vaulted onto the roof of a nearby building forcing Grell to follow, leaving her Angelina behind.
As the two immortal beings twisted through the air, “I’ve always wondered what a Death Scythe could do to someone who wasn’t human” Grell said conversationally as Sebastian caught her blade yet again, just centimeters from his skin. “Perhaps we can find out together?” she purred into his ear before he thrust her away from him once again. As she was propelled back she caught sight of Angelina raiseing the dagger she had gifted her to plunge into the heart of her beloved nephew.
To her immense disappointment, she seemed to freeze, the blade falling to the alleyway with a clatter. How unfortunate, she thought, Angelina Dalles had been such fun to play with, but it seemed their game was up. With one movement she flipped herself back down from the rooftop and plunged her scythe into the woman in a spray of red. How beautiful she mused as Angela hit the paving with a thud.
“How disappointing Madam,” she sighed “We were having so much fun and you had to go and spoil it all” As her blade left her flesh, the cinematic record of Angelina Dalles began to pour from her, a macabre re-account of the life the woman had led. In her distraction, she failed to notice Sebastian's approach from behind her and he raised to strike her; she barely managed to turn and raise her scythe in defense.
The demon grabbed the blade between his hands and used it to fling her up into the air, tumbled through the air aiming to land herself on the roof in a roll before he was on her again.
“I didn't wish to use this method,” the butler seemed genuinely distressed by his next course of action, to her immense confusion he began to remove his outer jacket. “But it seems I have no other choice.” With that he lunged for her, she felt her scythe jam as the coat made contact with the rotating chain of her blade.
“No!,” she exclaimed “How dare you, do you know how much effort I put into customizing this!” outrage spilling from her in waves.
“There” smirked Sebastian “Fisticuffs?” he asked as he turned for her Oh dear she thought as his fist descended on her face sending her careening down onto the pavement below them. The sharp turn this fight was taking was not one she was enjoying and the throbbing in her face was a testiment to that.
“Where you never tought to never hit a woman!” she cried “It’s the most ungentlemanly behavior” Sebastian did not acknowledge her statement as he descended on her again, her scythe in hand, before he could reach her with her own weapon, a familiar pair of gardening clippers interfered.
“I apologize for interrupting” came the familiar voice of William, she had never felt so relieved to see that distainfull face. “I am William T. Spears, head of the Reaper Staffing Association, and I am here to retrieve that wayward reaper” he gestured with distaste towards Grell's prone form.
“William!” Grell cried, raising her head to meet his eyes from where he stood perched on one of the roofs overlooking the alley. “thank goodness you're here” he met her gaze with one so cold it cut straight through her.
“If you would kindly hand her over, it would be greatly appreciated,” William said looking at Sebastian with indifference, “She is in need of immediate remedial training”
“Perhaps if you trained your staff correctly the first time there would be no need for remediation,” suggested Sebastian “Of course, I am well versed in those that are a hopeless case”
William took that as an invitation to join them on the pavement, he held out a hand for Grell and helped her to her feet before pulling out that dreaded book of his, “Grell Sutcliffe, you stand accused of breaking several laws or the reaping code, fraternizing with a human, killing a mortal not on the to die list, and the unsanctioned modification of a death scythe, in light of these transgressions you are suspended effective immediately and sentenced to remedial training until you are deemed suitable”
Grell winced and groaned internally, now she would never get any free time, all she wanted right now was to fall into the arms of her husband and have him kiss away the unpleasantness of the evening, but she doubted she was going to get the chance.
“William please,” she appealed “It was only a bit of fun, the humans would have died anyway they always do” Willian did not dignify this with a response, he merely grabbed her by the wrist and turned to lead her out of the alley and into the portal he left waiting to take them the reaping headquarters.
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“What on earth and beyond possessed you to think that any of that was a good idea!” shouted William, his face had gone an uncharacteristic shade of red in his tirade. She had been sitting in his office listening to his lecture for the better part of an hour and by this point he was just repeating himself.
“Of all the idiotic, inane, absolutely inexcusable things!,” he stopped to catch his breath “I have never been this angry at you Grell, do you understand how wrong what you did was?”
“William,” she said placatingly “It was never meant to spiral so horribly, it was only ever meant to be a bit of fun”
“Fun,” he muttered, “what part of that was fun for you!?”
“Well, Most of it” she answered honestly,
“I can’t keep talking to you tonight,” He sighed deeply pincjing atthe bridge of his nose “get out of my office, your remedial lessons begin this coming Monday, in the meantime I do not want to see even a glimpse of you”
“You won't,” she promised “Not a glimpse”
With that she finally stood and exited into the hallways of upper management, he said he wanted her out of his sight, but not that she was required to remain in the realm. She smiled in excitement as she raced towards her private rooms.
Upon entering her bedroom she got to work, she quickly shed her bloody clothes and jumped into the shower for a quick scrub down. She could barely contain her excitement as she dressed herself in one of her favorite dresses, it was a loud burgundy affair, simple in its cut but still in fashion with the times, although she preferred the styles from earlier in the century, she always tried to stay on top of whatever trend was going around. She then proceeded to pack an overnight bag for the next three days, after all, William did not want to see her face until the following Monday.
With her bags packed and a hop in her step, she grabbed her issued portal pen, hers of course was customized to a bright red, ink and all, and drew a quick circle in the air, “The Undertaker's Parlor” she said as she stepped through. The sounds and smells of the city surrounded her as she passed through space time. Quickly age helped herself through the back door and into the shop.
“Knock, Knock,” she called out into the dim space “Anyone home?”
“Hee, hee,” came the ensuing chuckle, “what are you doing home early my dear” asked the Undertaker as he slipped up beside her from one of the darkened corners of the room.
“I don’t want to talk about it” she hmphed, she was exhausted and angry, all she wanted was to curl up in a cozy bed with him and sleep for the next century (something the undertaker told her he had done once, between the 1550’s and 1600’s)
“Oh, my lady’s in a mood tonight!” said the Undertaker in delight, as he did he moved to pull her flush against his chest “Tell me how I can help Dove,” he asked as he began to rock them side to side.
She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder, “A kiss?” she pouted.
“The lady wants a kiss, How could I refuse,” her husband said with a grin, and without warning he spun her around and pulled her into a soft kiss. His lips were slightly chapped and so familiar, she sighed into the kiss circling her own arms around him, this was exactly what she had needed.
“Thank you,” she said pulling away slightly to rest her forehead on his, “I’ve had a truly awful night”
“He, he, I could make it better,” Undertaker said suggestively, one of his hands creeping down towards her rump. She snorted into his shoulder and pulled back further to look him in the eyes,
“I would love to darling, but I’m just so tired, all I really want is a cuddle”
“We can do a cuddle,” he said, leaning forward to press another soft kiss to her lips.
“And no coffins,” she said quickly “I want you to hold me in our bed,” she said the last word with a pointed look. The Undertaker looked at her and chuckled,
“A bed it is, come dear” and he took hold of her hand leading her upstairs to their living compartments. It had been some time since she had actually lived at home with him, but in her absence, nothing had changed, nothing ever did she supposed, he rarely used the room when she wasn’t there.
“Do you want a bath before bed?” he asked her quietly.
“No, I showered before I came, I was positively filthy, and not the good kind,” she said with a pout.
“Oh my poor dear,” he said and pulled her towards the bed, lighting the lamp beside it so he could help her undress. And in doing so caught sight of her face in the light. “Who hit you” his voice went hard like steel in his intensity.
“It doesn't matter,” she looked at him and his face was saying that it did indeed matter quite a bit. “I will tell you the whole story in the morning, but right now all I want is to sleep in your arms.”
Undertaker looked unsatisfied with her answer but answered with a harumph, “You will tell me”
“In the morning” she promised.
With that settled he proceeded to help her into her night things, his hand wandering more than they needed to, but how could she mind that? He helped her into their bed before turning out the light and joining her beneath the covers. She snuggled her face into his chest, his arms wrapping around her as she did so. “Sleep” Undertaker pressed into her hair along with a kiss, it was the last thing she heard before the darkness overtook her.