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Claude struggled to understand, listening intently to his words and remembering what he had said before: "make me suffer by watching my true love die......live the rest of my life without him."
"And you would spend an eternity in such suffering....." Claude said, anger filling him. He put his other hand on Sebastian's waist and pulled him closer. The movement wasn't out of lust but out of a rebellious impulse. "...that I would not have. Sebastian...I want to remember it, my love for you, if only to deny Satan that much. God, I want it back!" he said in a soft growl.
Then he felt it, his kiss, soft and undemanding, it pleaded gently for him. and he responded by parting his lips, allowing him to do as he wished, for the first time he could remember, offering his complete and utter submission to another.

It felt like a wave crashing into him, sweeping him away, pain, agony, loss. Underneath all that was a tender warmth, something so frail and weak and yet....so powerful it felt him gasping in it's wake.
He didn't want that kiss to ever end, it felt like he had found something that he had been looking for, longing for. something so easy to lose.

Claude's arms tightened around Sebastian.

....Sebastian...My Sebastian.....




~~~~~~~~~~


Isabella was reading a book when the first loud crack of thunder startled out of her story. It had been an overcast morning, but it never looked like a storm, or rain for that matter.
She put her book down and shivered as the wind howled from the windows. "C-Ciel.....I feel cold."

Isabella gave him a tentative smile, she could feel it in her bones that this storm wasn't a natural one.

Hearing those words, he nearly broke down.Swollowing back the tears that threatened, Claude whispered back. "I love you, Sebastian."
As soon as he said it, he realized that the emptiness in his chest was gone. By some miracle, he had it back. He pulled back for just a moment, an expression of complete wounder and surprise on his face. The look faded into a smile. "I love you so, so much." He said, placing kisses on Sebastian's lips and all over his face, not minding how silly it was. He relief was overwhelming.

Sammael was watching with surprise as well, what on earth had happened? Satan just wouldn't give him his heart back just like that.
As he was pondering this mystery, Mey-rin came in with a letter in hand.
"Sebastian! Sebatian! This just came in for you, the postman said it was urgent!"
On the envelope was written: 'To Sebastian Michaelis and Claude Faustus.' in gold ink.

Claude opened the letter with a growing apprehension. His eyes trailed over the words widening a little. “The Postman, was it our regular postman, or someone new?” he asked the maid.
“Uhm....I think that he was a new one, looked right handsome he was.” Mey-rin said blushing. Claude frowned. The crashing thunder catching his attention. “It looks like it’s going to rain, Mey-rin have you gotten all the laundry in?”
The maid gulped. “I-I think so.”
“Be prudent and double check.”
Now that he had gotten rid of the maid for the moment he read the letter outloud for Sebastian.

" No doubt by the time this letter gets to you, you would have figured out that Mr.Faustus has been returned to you. It was not done by the will of Lucifer but by mine. I will keep his wrath contained for now. I cannot interfere more then this. You have three days, use them well.

Michael,
Arch Angel of the Lord, "

“Seriously? A letter from Michael himself?” Sammael press close to Claude in order to read the letter.
“It explains this sudden storm....”

" 'use them well' " Claude put the letter back in the envelope. "I don't understand it either."

The meeting had not been going on for too long, Lucifer sat at one end, with a few demons with him including Lilith. On the other end, sat Michael with the Arch Angels Gabriel and Ariel.
"That was uncalled for brother!" Lucifer said angerly. "They are mine, I made them and it is my right to unmake them. It was by our agreement that we only allow one such traitor would be allowed for research purposes."

"The specimen called 'Sammael' has been listed as a successful experiment, we are ready to go forth with the next stage." Ariel said, the angel was dressed as a doctor/scientist flipping through a file that had his records in them. "Which includes the addition of more specimens."
"You mean Baliel and Thammuz? What would allowing them to retain their human hearts serve to further your so called research?" Lucifer countered.

"By having more of them, we can observe our first specimen's interactions with the new ones. And to have satisfactory results, we would have to observe them for a minimum of 50 years." Ariel closed the file and pushes his glasses up his face.
Micheal smiled from his place. "I have already sent a petition to Father to request to cancel the execution of Thammuz. in interests of research and moral grounds."
"Moral Grounds? " Lilith was snarling. "They are demons, they have no morals any more then the rest of us does."

"That's not exactly true." Gabriel shook his head, this angel was dressed like a lawyer with a bluetooth device in one ear. He opened up his briefcase and pulled out a piece of paper. "We have evediance that the subjects have exhibited a strong moral character. Here is just but a single page of their deeds." He slid it over the marble table towards Lilth, She didn't bother to read it, she was scowling.

Gabriel continued. "As God's laws state, We angels must
do what we can to protect the human heart. Thammuz had earned his, and you have given Belial his and we object to you taking that away."

Micheal smiled. "As you can see, once they have hearts, we are obliged to try and protect them."

"Very weird..." Isabella sighed. "I hope that this isn't anything bad."


Lucifer gave Micheal a calm look. "I'm impressed brother, You are almost as good as twisting the laws for your own benefit as I am. You scraped by on a technicality. but you forget that they are still mine. They are still demons, they will continue to do as I bid them, consuming souls under my orders for an eternity. They won't deny their natures for long."
"Sammael had for over 4 centuries."
"He was a fluke!"
"He was a success."
Lucifer took a deep breath. "I don't know what you are getting at Micheal, But I will not lose my pawns, you will see, they will come back to me one day....and on that day, I will kill them both."
Micheal scowled. It was true. Even thought they had human hearts, they where still and always will be demons.

Suddenly the fax-machine in the middle of the board-meeting table started printing out a message. Curious, Micheal pulled it free when it was finished and read it outloud.:


Michael and Lucifer,

I have read both of your requests regarding the matter of these two souls. I have given it serious consideration and will allow one messenger from each of you to contact these souls.
Make them a deal, and respect their free will.

<3 Father

Lucifer smiled. "A deal is it?"
Michael glared at the devil. "I still won't allow you to win."

Isabella took a deep breath of the air. It was cooler today, pretty soon, all the leaves would be turning yellow, orange and reds. Autumn in Spain wasn't as colorful, She wondered what it would be like.

"Ciel, When is your birthday?" She asked as they where talking a walk around the grounds. She was wrapped in a fur stole against the cooling wind.

"I was just wondering, I want to throw a big party for it." She said smiling.

Claude was busy cooking, his nervousness translating into a spree of not only cooking supper but a banquet.
"Whoa, I don't think that they could eat all of this.What are you doing?" Sam asked as he caught Claude making his third cake.
Claude frowned, then sighed.