That Butler, New Face

That Butler, Nurturing

"Tom, he was a piper's son," Joker sang as he dressed himself for the day in Baron Kelvin's, Father's, mansion. But there was no joy in his voice. "He  learnt to play when he was young, And all the tune that he could play,  Was over the hills and far away... Over the hills and a great way off, the  wind shall blow my top-knot off." He stopped singing as he glanced  at the photo sitting out on the night table. It was a much more recent  picture of himself and Father, but the glare from the sunlight streaming  in through the window was hitting it in such a way that the older man's  face was blocked by the shiny reflection of light. "Over the hills and  far away... eh?" Joker said, furrowing his brow.

=Flashback=

{Not long ago, during the dark, early hours between the end of night and beginning of morning...}

BANG.

The  great double doors of the main hall burst open when Joker gave them a  great shove. The main part of the mansion was still just as dark and  gloomy as ever.

"Father," Joker called out, letting the doors slam  shut behind him, as he stepped into the hall and made his way towards  the stairs. "I've just now returned. Father, may I come in?" he asked,  knocking on the door. He received no reply, but entered regardless. "I  apologize for my late arrival," Joker said politely, excusing himself,  as he joined Father in his room. "The thing is, I've had word that..."

"Ooh!  Ooh... Welcome back, Joker. What a good lad you are, returning so early," Father greeted him from the other side of the room. Even though very  few of the candles in this particular room had been lit, there was  enough moonlight streaming in through the windows for Joker to make out  that the older man was lounging on the settee with two beautiful  children who had dull, half-dead eyes, still in his dressing gown.  "Well? What about him?" Father prompted. "He is with you too, isn't he?"

"Nay, we've yet to..." Joker replied a bit hesitantly.

"Oh," Father said, clearly disappointed. "That makes you a bad boy," he told  Joker, causing a bead of cold, nervous sweat rolled down the side of the  younger man's face. Father was not a man you wanted to disappoint.

"Forgive me," Joker said, kneeling humbly before him, "but about that matter... we fear the Yard might have its eyes on us."

"Let's  hear the whole story," Father said, signaling for the little girl on  his lap to feed him his tea, while the young boy next to him filed his  nails.

"It seems the newcomers who joined the troupe a few days  ago snuck into our tents. It is possible they saw your letter, Father," Joker informed him. "If they are with the Yard, we cannot do away with  them heedlessly. Doing so would amount to admitting our guilt outright.  That trio did strike me as odd from the start... that page..."

SHATTER!

"A page, you say?" Father asked trembling, so startled that he accidently knocked his teacup to the floor, breaking it.

"Father?" Joker asked, confused by this sudden change in the man's behavior.

"Was  it a child?" Father asked, shaking, as he struggled to stand, placing  one of his hands on top of the little boy's head to brace himself. "A  child and his butler!!"

"Now that you mention it... one of  the other ones was a former butler..." Joker said, furrowing his brow as  his eyes widened slightly. "... and the girl with them was a former maid..."

"A small maid with green eyes!? I'm sure of it! Yes! It's them!" Father exclaimed excitedly, shooting to his feet. "We've done it—!! It is he! Earl Ciel Phantomhive!!"  he declared, illuminated by the pale moonlight, as his face twisted  into a mad grin of ecstasy beneath the many bandages covering his old  and tired face. His exposed eye widened as he shivered with delight at  the very thought.