Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt...and I don't know Japanese. Fair warning, the translations are brutal...
The kettle whistled as Luella Davis pulled the box of cereal out of the cupboard. Rushing over to the stove, she moved the container of boiling water off the heat source before quickly doing the same for the sizzling pan of sausages. Taking a fork, she pushed the piece of meat around on the pan, frowning at how black it looked. This breakfast had to be perfect, for it was the twins' first morning in England.
A yawn came from behind her. Luella turned to find one of her newly adopted sons standing in the doorway of the kitchen, rubbing his eyes as he looked around the room.
"Good morning dear," Luella said, smiling at the boy. She watched as the child glance around the room before hesitantly making his way to the table. Luella was pretty sure this was Oliver. He was wearing the blue pajamas she had bought for him, but she wasn't completely sure. She knew she needed to work on telling her sons apart. What kind of mother would she be if she couldn't even tell which child was Oliver, and which was Eugene?
"Morning," the boy said, sitting down at the table. Luella noticed him staring at the plate of toast in front of him.
"You can eat as much toast as you want," Luella said, smiling as she placed a plate in front of her son. The boy looked up at her before looking back at the plate. Luella's smile brightened as she watched the child grab a piece of toast and place it on his plate.
"Do you want some jam, or perhaps some butter?" she asked. The boy nodded, as Luella placed the butter tray in front of him, as well as three jars of jam. "We have blueberry, strawberry, and apricot jam. Help yourself." The boy frowned, most likely at the idea he had three different jams to choose from. Luella tried not to let her smile falter as she watched the boy spread blueberry jam on the toast. She knew life at the orphanage was certainly no picnic. It broke her heart to think of what her sons must have gone through.
Another yawn attracted Luella's attention, and she turned her head to the doorway. Another boy, identical to the one who sat at the table, with the exception of his green pajamas and his tired expression, stood at the entrance of the kitchen.
"Good morning," Luella said. The boy looked at her for a second before smiling a smile that meted Luella's heart. Only Eugene smiled like that so easily. That meant the boy eating the toast was indeed Oliver.
"Come sit down," Luella said, motioning for Eugene to come into the kitchen. "You look tired. Did you not sleep well?"
"I'm just not used to sleeping in such a quiet house," Eugene said as he sat down across from his brother.
"Soreha-betsu no yumedeshita ka?" Oliver whispered to his brother. Luella frowned as she went to place a plate in front of Eugene. She had seen the boys do this multiple times at the orphanage. She made a mental note to learn a bit of Japanese. Maybe it would help her connect with them more.
"Urusai," Eugene moaned as he grabbed a piece of toast. He, much like his brother, frowned at the sight of three jars of jam.
"Blueberry, strawberry, apricot," Oliver listed as he pointed to each jar.
"Apricot?" Eugene asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's a fruit," his brother supplied. Eugene rolled his eyes.
"I figured that," he replied. He studied the jars again before grabbing the one containing the apricots.
"Would you boys like some sausages as well?" Luella asked. Both boys shared a look before slowly nodding. Luella smiled as she went to empty the pan of sausages onto a plate. She placed the plate in front of the boys who slowly transferred the meat onto their own plates.
"What would you boys like to drink?" Luella asked.
"Coffee," Eugene answered. Before Luella could react, his brother chimed in.
"There is no way we're giving you caffeine," Oliver said, glaring at his brother. Eugene yawned. "That's not going to change my mind."
"I'm afraid we don't have coffee Gene," Luella injected before an argument could begin. "We have tea. Would you like some of that?"
"I suppose so," Eugene said, unsure. Luella went to prepare the tea. She came back and placed a cup of tea in front of each boy. Eugene took a sip and grimaced at the taste. Luella chuckled as she placed some milk and the sugar bowl in front of her sons. Oliver mixed in some milk and added a spoonful of sugar to his. She ended up having to take the bowl away from Eugene when he poured nearly half of it into his tea.
"Alright, I think you've had enough," Luella said, making Eugene sigh. She almost gave in to the dejected look when her husband Martin walked into the room.
"Morning boys," Martin said, kissing his wife on the cheek before taking a seat at the table. Luella smiled as she placed a plate and cup of tea in front of him.
"Morning Martin," the boys chorused. Luella tried not to grimace at the sound of her husband's name. She had been hoping the children would call them "mum" and "dad", or even "mother" and "father". She knew it was selfish of her. She didn't want to replace the boys' own mother and father.
"Is there anything you boys want to do today?" Martin asked as he helped himself to some toast and sausage. "We can take a tour of town. Maybe we can even stop by the University where I work."
"You're a professor, right?" Eugene asked.
"At the University of Cambridge, correct," Martin answered. "Classes aren't in session at the moment, since the autumn term is over, but we can still walk around. It's a beautiful campus, though maybe not in December."
"What is it that you teach exactly?" Oliver asked. Martin opened his mouth to answer, only to be cut off by Luella.
"Well, you boys better get a move on if you want Martin to show you around today," Luella said. "There's plenty to see. Make sure to dress warmly."
"Anata wa kanojo ga hi hyōji ni shiyou to shite iru dōomoimasuka?" Eugene whispered to Oliver as they both got up from the table.
"Watashi wa ki ni shimasen," Oliver answered as they left the kitchen, leaving their adoptive parents alone.
"You know we can't hide what I do forever Luella," Martin said. Luella sighed.
"I know," Luella said. "But I'm afraid of what they'll think if we tell them you study ghosts for a living. I really want them to like us."
"And they will," Martin said. "We just need to give them some time to adjust. A new home is a lot to take in, especially when it's in a new country."
"You're right," Luella said. "But don't you start dragging them to exorcisms when they find out. I feel uncomfortable enough having you around ghosts all day. I don't want them wrapped into this as well." Martin laughed.
"Relax Luella," Martin said. "I highly doubt someone like Noll would be interested in studying ghosts."
"Wow, this place is amazing," Eugene said, craning his head to get a better look at the building in front of him. Though he didn't show it on his face, Eugene could easily see that his little brother was just as impressed.
"I'm glad you like it," Martin said. Despite wanting to take the boys on a tour of town to show them where everything was, their first stop ended up being the University, after some pleading from his sons. Well, Eugene pleaded. Oliver didn't look like he cared all that much where they went. Luella had passed on joining their excursion. She had wanted to do some Christmas shopping for the boys.
"What building is this?" Oliver asked.
"The Psychology building," Martin answered as he waved his key card over the sensor on the door. There was a 'click' as the light on the sensor turned green. Martin opened the door, and ushered his sons out of the cold and into the warm building.
"Do you teach psychology?" Eugene asked.
"Something like that," Martin said. Eugene turned to look at his brother, who frowned at the cryptic answer.
"Professor Davis!" a voice called out. The three Davises turned towards the newcomer who was walking down the hall towards them. He was quite tall, though that wasn't saying much since Eugene and Oliver were only eight, and were my no means as tall as a college student. He had short black hair, though the bangs on his right side were much longer than those on the left, thus cutting his face in half and effectively covering his right eye.
"Ah, Mr. Lin," Martin said. "You didn't tell me you would be staying on campus for the holidays."
"It was too expensive to fly home," Mr. Lin answered.
"Well you must come over for Christmas supper then," Martin said.
"That is alright sir," Mr. Lin said, but Martin shook his head.
"You know I will tell Luella that you're on campus all alone, and she will come drag you to our house whether you want to or not." Mr. Lin smiled at this.
"I guess I have no choice, do I?" Mr. Lin said. Eugene had been watching the exchange when something caught his attention. A speck of blue peaked out from behind Mr. Lin's bangs. He nudged his brother.
"Oi Naru," Gene whispered. "Sono otoko wa, aoimoku o shite imasu." Eugene was quite surprised when Mr. Lin's expression quickly turned dark.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Martin said, completely oblivious to the change in his student's demeanor. "Boys, this is one of my students Mr. Lin. Mr. Lin, these are my sons Oliver and Eugene." He pointed to each boy as he introduced them. Eugene smiled and held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Lin," Eugene said. Mr. Lin ignored him and turned to Martin.
"I wasn't aware you had sons," he said. Martin chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well, I've only had them for a couple of days," he answered. "Luella and I adopted them from the States while we were visiting ASPR."
"They're American?" Mr. Lin asked, eyeing the boys suspiciously. "But that one just spoke Japanese."
"We're half-Japanese," Oliver answered, frowning at the student. Eugene had noticed the hostility in the young man's voice as he said the word "Japanese".
"Wonderful," Mr. Lin mumbled.
"I was about to show them around the building," Martin continued. "Would you like to join us?" Just as Mr. Lin was about to answer, a young woman came barreling towards them.
"Koujo," she wheezed as she arrived in front of Mr. Lin, leaning over to catch her breath. "Koujo, Professor Abney needs-Professor Davis?" she asked, noticing she and Mr. Lin were not alone.
"Ms. Mori," Martin said. "What's wrong?"
"Professor Abney is in the lab working on an experiment," Ms. Mori answered. "It's not going as planned. He needs Koujo's help."
"I told him to wait until the spring term started before beginning any experiments," Martin said, sighing. "I suppose Mr. Lin and I will assist him. Would you mind watching my sons while we work?"
"Your sons?" Ms. Mori asked, turning to look at the young boys.
"Yes, Luella and I just adopted them from the States," Martin said. "Ms. Mori, this is Eugene and Oliver. Boys, this is another one of my students, Ms. Mori."
"Please call me Madoka," Ms. Mori, Madoka, said. Eugene smiled and held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you Madoka," he said. "My name's Gene." Madoka smiled as she took his hand in hers.
"Nice to meet you Gene," she said.
"Well, now that's settled," Martin said. "I shouldn't be gone long. Behave for Ms. Mori, alright boys?"
"Alright Martin," Eugene and Oliver chorused. Martin smiled at his sons before he and Mr. Lin rushed down the hallway Madoka had just come from.
"Well, what do you boys want to do?" Madoka asked, looking between the two. "We could get some ice cream or something."
"It's like, forty degrees out," Oliver said. Madoka looked at him funny.
"It's not that hot outside," she said before her eyes got big. "Oh, you lads are from the US, so you use Fahrenheit, not Celsius." Oliver frowned.
"Manuke," Oliver whispered to himself. Eugene sighed as he watched his brother berate himself for forgetting something Eugene felt was unimportant.
"Hey, don't call yourself stupid," Madoka said, causing both boys to stare up at their babysitter. Even Oliver looked surprised at this new development.
"You understood what I said?" Oliver asked, making Madoka laugh.
"Of course," she answered. "I'm part Japanese, learned the language from my father. He's half-Japanese while my mother is French. I actually know quite a few languages."
"Wow!" Eugene said. "Can you teach me some languages?"
"Of course I can," Madoka said. "Come on. We can head over to the language building and use some of their resources."
"You want to start teaching him right now?" Oliver asked.
"No time like the present Noll," Eugene said, rushing towards the door. "Come on. It will be fun." Oliver sighed as he followed his brother and Madoka into the cold English air.
"The Language building isn't too far," Madoka said. But before they could get any further, they heard someone calling Madoka's name.
"Oh hey Lucy," Madoka said, waving to the girl who had grabbed their attention. "That's my roommate's cousin Lucy," she explained to the boys as Lucy made her way over to them. "She's studying business here."
"Hey Madoka," Lucy said as she caught up to them. "Who are your adorable friends?"
"Oh these are Professor Davis' adopted sons," Madoka answered. "This is Oliver and Eugene."
"I didn't know Professor Davis adopted twins," Lucy said. "When did this happen?"
"Last week," Eugene answered. "Today is our first day here."
"Whoa," Lucy said. "He adopted Americans? Do you guys like ghosts too?" At the word "ghosts", Eugene and Oliver's faces paled.
"What do you mean by "ghosts"?" Eugene asked, trying to keep his voice level. Lucy didn't seem to notice she had made the boys uncomfortable. Madoka raised an eyebrow at their behavior.
"We should take them to the haunted chapel on campus," Lucy said making Madoka roll her eyes.
"The chapel is not haunted," Madoka said. "How many times do I have to tell you that?"
"A haunted chapel?" Oliver asked. Eugene nudged his brother.
"Naru," he warned. Oliver hushed him.
"It's not haunted," Madoka said, glaring at Lucy. "Professor Davis already confirmed that." Lucy rolled her eyes.
"Relax," she said. "It's all in good fun. So boys, what do you say?"
"Sounds interesting," Oliver said as Eugene's eyes widened.
"Naru!" he exclaimed. Oliver rolled his eyes.
"Kanojo wa sore ga yūrei sa rete inai to nobemashita," Oliver whispered. Eugene sighed.
"Come on Madoka," Lucy said, linking their arms together. "It will be fun."
"Fine," Madoka said as the four began making their way to the chapel.
"It looks pathetic," Oliver said. Eugene nudged him in the side.
"Well, it is pretty old," Lucy answered as they walked up the steps. "It's been in my family for generations, but since it's in the middle of campus, we sometimes let the school use it for functions. But it hasn't been used in years." She took a key out of her pocket and walked up the steps to the chapel. She unlocked the door and turned to her companions.
"Well come on," she said, opening the door. Madoka rolled her eyes and walked up the steps. Oliver glanced at his brother before following. Eugene eventually followed as well.
The inside was not much better than the outside, in Oliver's opinion. There were some pews and an altar, as well as a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, which Oliver found quite odd. Why was there a chandelier in a church?"
"E.C?" Oliver knew his brother was having a difficult time calling him by his new name. Even Oliver was having a hard time remembering that his brother was "Eugene" and not "A.J." Oliver sighed and turned around so he could remind his brother. But he stopped when he noticed his brother, who was standing close to the doorway, had a distressed look on his face.
"What's wrong Gene?" Oliver asked, emphasizing his brother's name so he would know he had messed up earlier. But Eugene didn't seem to recognize he had said something wrong.
"There's a woman in here," he answered, his voice quiet. Oliver rolled his eyes.
"Of course there's a woman in here," Oliver said, gesturing to Madoka and Lucy, who hadn't noticed what was transpiring between the two brothers a few feet away. "In fact, there are two."
"No, you don't understand," Eugene said. He looked like he was about to cry. "We have to get out of here." Just as he said that, the room grew unusually cold. Oliver's eyes widened.
"Madoka we need-" Oliver began, but before he could finish his sentence, the door behind Eugene slammed shut.
"No," Eugene said, rushing to the door and pulling on it. It wouldn't budge.
"Oliver, what's wrong?" Madoka asked. Oliver ignored her and rushed to help his brother open the door.
"The door won't open," Oliver finally answered. He saw Madoka and Lucy share a look out of the corner of his eye before they came over to help them.
"I'm going to call my father," Lucy said, taking out her cell phone. "Maybe he can pry the door open with something." Before she could dial a number, however, a knocking sound began.
"This is just great," Oliver mumbled.
"Is it a ghost?" Lucy asked, looking around.
"Maybe," Madoka said, surprising Oliver and Eugene.
"Well, what do we do?" Lucy asked. "Are you going to exorcise it?"
"We don't even know if it is a ghost," Madoka answered. It sounded to Oliver like she believed it was a ghost.
"We could try calling it," Eugene said. Oliver glared at him. "Maybe it's friendly." Oliver sighed, relieved. His brother just indirectly told him what they were dealing with was harmless. The scared look on his face earlier was most likely from the fact that one wrong move and their secret would be out, and they would get a one-way ticket back to the orphanage.
"What?" Madoka asked, looking at Eugene like he was insane.
"Oliver, bring me a candle from the altar," Eugene said, ignoring the woman. "We can set it in the middle of us. Find a match as well." Oliver obliged. It didn't take him long to find the necessary materials his brother needed.
"Eugene, what's going on?" Madoka asked as Eugene grabbed Lucy's hand.
"Grab hold of Lucy's hand Madoka," Eugene instructed as Oliver took his place beside his brother. "Noll's too. Form a circle around the lit candle."
"It's something the kids would do at the orphanage," Oliver said, and it was true. They had done it at the orphanage, but this explanation didn't say that they were the ones who did it, or how often they did it, which was quite often in Oliver's opinion.
"There were a lot of ghosts haunting the orphanage," Eugene answered when he noticed Madoka's confused look. "Now hush. I need to concentrate."
"Gene, this is serious," Madoka began, but shut up when she noticed Oliver glaring at her.
"Oh spirit who haunts this chapel," Eugene began, his voice taking on an unnaturally ominous tone for an eight year-old. "We wish to speak with you. Please come speak with us." Oliver watched as his brother's eyes closed before they quickly reopened. They were glazed over. It had worked.
"Are you the ghost who haunts this chapel?" Oliver asked. Eugene nodded his head. He could see Madoka's eyes widened. Hopefully she believed their earlier explanation.
"You know you are dead?" Oliver asked. Eugene nodded his head again.
"Why are you here?" Oliver asked. Eugene opened his mouth.
"Je dois lui dire quelque chose," Eugene said. Oliver felt like ending the session right then and there.
"I didn't know your brother knew French," Madoka whispered to him. Oliver sighed.
"He doesn't. Will you translate?" Madoka raised an eyebrow but nodded.
"He said he needs to tell him something," she translated. Oliver frowned.
"Who do you need to tell?" Oliver asked.
"Je dois lui dis que je suis désolé," Eugene said.
"He said he needs to tell him he's sorry," Madoka translated.
"Who do you need to say sorry to?" Oliver asked.
"Mon fiancé. Je ne voulais pas le laisser seul," Eugene said.
"It's a female ghost?" Madoka said. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Uh, she said she needs to say sorry to her fiancé. She didn't mean to leave him alone."
"When did you die?" Oliver asked.
"Mille sept cent trente-deux."
"1732," Madoka translated.
"Your fiancée is dead," Oliver said. He could see Madoka glaring at him, most likely because he wasn't being too kind about it. "He is no longer on this earth." As he said this, the knocking sounds began again, this time much louder.
"What's her name?" Lucy suddenly asked. Oliver turned to look at the college student. He had forgotten she was even here.
"What is your name?" Oliver asked.
"Je m'appelle Eloise Boudreaux."
"Her name is Eloise Boudreaux," Madoka translated. Lucy gasped.
"Oh, I know this story," Lucy said. "Eloise Boudreaux was engaged to one of my ancestors but she died before they got married, a tragic accident in this chapel actually. That's why I thought this was place was haunted. Anyway, it's not like it mattered though. I've seen my ancestors journals. Apparently he was fooling around with-what?" Oliver wished looks could kill because the ones he and Madoka were giving Lucy would have shut her up before she made everything worse.
"We need to break the connection with Gene," Madoka said as Gene began to convulse. The knocking sounds got louder and the building began to shake.
"I can't let go of his hand," Lucy said as she tried to pull her hand away.
"Neither can I," Oliver said before turning towards his brother. "Gene you need to push her away." A cracking sound overhead diverted their attention to the ceiling, where the chandelier was swaying.
"We need to get out from under this thing," Oliver said as he attempted to pull them away. Unfortunately for them, Eugene wasn't budging.
Madoka's gasp alerted him to the fact that their time was up. The chandelier was falling. Oliver began focusing on the chandelier, watching as a couple of pews hit it in mid-air, effectively diverting its path away from their circle. Oliver sighed with relief before diverting his attention back to his brother.
"Fight her," he commanded. "Come on A.J," he said, hoping the sound of his original name would help ground him. He looked across him at Lucy, who was crying as she tried to get Gene to let go of her hand. If her arm was hit with enough force, it should pull her hand right out.
Madoka gasped again as she watched a large gospel book hit her friend's right arm with a large amount of force. Oliver sighed with relief again because the connection had been broken. Lucy was crying in pain, but at least they could let go of each other's hands.
The knocking subsided a bit, allowing for everyone to catch their breath. Lucy was rubbing her shoulder while Eugene was doubled-over. Oliver was starting to feel a bit dizzy himself, but he knew the fight wasn't over yet.
"We need to get out of here and find the-" Madoka began but the knocking sounds cut her off. They were getting louder once more, and the building was shaking as well. If they didn't get out soon, Oliver was sure the building would collapse.
"Please Eloise," Eugene wheezed. "I know you're upset. You loved him but he didn't love you." A pew flew at Eugene, but another flying pew knocked it off-course.
"Don't let what he did to you turn you into a monster," Eugene continued as the pew returned for another attack. It was deflected by another pew. "You're a good person, and he is not. Do not be like him. Be kind. I know you are a kind person. It's okay to be upset and angry, but don't let it turn you into a monster. He isn't worth it." The knocking disappeared and the building stopped shaking. The pews lay still as Oliver helped his brother up off the floor. They both turned to look up at the altar, where a young woman was standing.
"Vous avez raison," the woman said, smiling.
"It's time to move on," Eugene said as he smiled back. "Go towards the light. Let it fill your soul with warmth." The woman smiled.
"Merci Eugene," she said as she disappeared. Eugene sighed with relief once she was gone.
"Are you okay Noll?" Eugene asked his brother. Oliver rolled his eyes.
"I should be asking you that question," Oliver said. It was at that moment that the doors were forced open from the outside. The boys looked up to see Mr. Lin in the doorway. It looked like he had rammed the doors, forcing them off their hinges. It wasn't long before Martin had pushed his way inside.
"Are you boys alright?" Martin asked as he rushed over. "We heard the chapel had started shaking, and someone said they had seen Madoka and Lucy headed towards the chapel. Are you boys okay?"
"We're fine Martin," Oliver began, before Martin enveloped them in a hug, cutting him off.
"I was so worried you boys were hurt," Martin said as he let them go. "I don't know what I would have done if you were. You are my sons after all."
"Everything's fine Dad," Eugene answered as he held a hand to his head and another to his nose. Oliver glared at his brother. He knew his brother most likely had a massive headache from channeling the spirit and was very confused. Martin mentioning the word "sons" had made Eugene call him "Dad" on impulse. Now there was no going back. Especially since Martin was smiling like that.
"Gene, you're bleeding," Martin said as Eugene took his hand away from his nose for a second.
"It's okay Dad," Eugene said. Oliver rolled his eyes. There was no way he was going to get roped into calling Martin "Dad". "This always happens after I channel a ghost."
"Gene, urusai!" Oliver hissed, but the damage had been done.
"Is there a reason you are telling your brother to shut up?" Mr. Lin asked, coming over. Oliver's eyes widened and he glanced at his brother.
"You can speak Japanese too?" Eugene asked as he tipped his head back in an attempt to stop his nose from bleeding.
"Unfortunately," Mr. Lin said before he turned his attention to the whimpering Lucy, who was cradling her right arm with her left. "What happened to her?"
"A book hit her arm really hard," Madoka said as she watched Mr. Lin make his way over to Lucy.
"It looks dislocated," Mr. Lin said. "This will only hurt for a second." Oliver glanced away as Lucy screamed. By the time he looked back, she was sniffling but no longer in any pain.
"Professor Davis, you are not going to believe what happened," Madoka said, her voice filled with glee. "Eugene channeled the spirit, and he got her to cross over." Martin's eyes widened.
"Really?" Martin said, turning to his son. Oliver's vision began to swim, but he tried to stay focused. He needed to stay conscious in case his brother blew their cover.
"Eugene that's fantastic," Martin said. Oliver and Eugene shared a look before staring back at their adoptive father.
"You're not mad?" Eugene asked. Martin laughed.
"Of course I'm not mad," Martin said. "What kind of Parapsychological researcher would I be if I wasn't proud of my son exorcising a spirit?"
"Parapsychology?" Oliver said, not believing his ears.
"You study ghosts?" Eugene added.
And that was the last thing Oliver remembered before blacking out.
Oliver winced at the obnoxious beeping that greeted him when he finally gained consciousness. As he blinked his eyes, he took notice of Luella and Martin on his right, and his older brother leaning over him.
"Would you stop that?" Oliver said, pushing his brother's face away. Eugene grinned at him before looking up at their adoptive parents.
"He's awake," he said, making Oliver roll his eyes.
"They can see that idiot," Oliver said as he slowly pushed himself into a seated position.
"How are you feeling son?" Martin asked, placing a hand on Oliver's shoulder. Oliver shrugged it off.
"Noll," Eugene warned, making Oliver sigh.
"Where am I?" Oliver asked, ignoring his brother.
"The hospital," Eugene answered. "You fainted. Don't you remember?"
"No," Oliver said, looking around. He was indeed in the hospital. There was an IV in his right arm, and that stupid heart monitor was still on. "Why did I faint?" Eugene frowned.
"They don't know," Eugene said. "That's why they brought you here. But they can't find anything wrong with you. I told Martin you get dizzy after ghost attacks, but you've never fainted before so we were worried." Oliver glared at his brother.
"Naze anata wa koto o kare ni iimashita?" Oliver whispered. Eugene rolled his eyes.
"There's no need to hide it from Martin," Eugene said. "He understands. He studies ghosts remember?" Oliver frowned. Eugene noticed and sighed.
"He told us right before you fainted," Eugene said. "He's a parapsychological researcher." Oliver winced at how his brother mispronounced the word. "He teaches a few parapsychology classes at the university, along with a few psychology classes as well."
"I wish you had told us about your brother," Martin said. Oliver glanced at his adoptive father and attempted to read his face. He seemed calm about the fact his brother had channeled a spirit. "Eugene mentioned he had seen the ghost beforehand, correct?"
"Yeah," Oliver said warily. "He knew she was there as soon as he walked in the chapel."
"A medium," Martin said, a smile forming on his face. "I knew it. How exciting Eugene." Eugene smiled, though Oliver noticed it wasn't as warm as usual.
"Thanks Dad," Eugene said.
"Mata, anata wa kare ni anata no yume o tsutaeru tsumoridesu ka?" Oliver grumbled. Eugene frowned, and opened his mouth to answer, but someone else beat him to it.
"What dreams are you referring to?" Mr. Lin asked as he and Madoka entered the room.
"Watashi wa anata o sukide wa arimasen," Oliver retorted.
"The feeling's mutual."
"It's so good to see you awake Noll," Madoka said, jumping in before a fight could break out. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," Oliver groaned as Mr. Lin rolled his eyes. Luella frowned.
"Koujo dear," Luella said, getting the young man's attention. "What did you mean by 'dreams'?"
"He had asked his brother if he was going to tell Martin about his dreams," Mr. Lin answered. Luella frowned once more before turning to her eldest son.
"Gene, sweetheart," she said. "Did you have one of these dreams last night? Is that why you were so tired?" Eugene sighed before nodding.
"Yes Mum," he answered, causing Oliver to roll his eyes and fall back onto his pillow. Whether it was because Eugene was blowing their secret, or calling her 'Mum', Oliver wasn't sure why he was annoyed at his brother.
"Naze anata wa kanojo no koto o yondemashita no?" Oliver whispered.
"Anata wa "haha" to "chichi" sorera o yobidasu hitsuyō ga arimasu. Sore wa karera ga shiawaseni shimasu," Eugene answered.
"What kind of dreams are they?" Martin asked before Oliver could retort. Oliver glared at his brother but Eugene paid him no mind.
"I have dreams about…about dead people," Eugene said. "Their past, how they died; things like that. It happened all the time at the orphanage, but we didn't know what they were about. We just thought they were nightmares."
"Visions," Martin said, as he, Mr. Lin, and Madoka shared a look. "Fascinating."
"Do you have these all the time?" Luella asked. Eugene shook his head.
"Only when there's a ghost around," Eugene said. Luella turned to glare at her husband.
"Now, why is there a ghost around our house?" Luella asked. Martin chuckled nervously.
"I may have forgotten to mention that the empty stables in the back might be haunted," Martin said. "But don't worry. The previous owner told me the hauntings were harmless."
"We have stables in our backyard?" Eugene asked, completely oblivious to the tension unfolding in front of him. "Can I get a horse?"
"What are you going to do with a horse?" Oliver asked, rolling his eyes. Eugene stuck his tongue out at his brother.
"I cannot believe you bought a haunted house and didn't tell me," Luella said, her voice rising. "Of all the irresponsible things you have done, this takes the cake."
"Now Luella," Martin began, but Luella wasn't finished.
"Look what almost happened to the boys," Luella continued. "They were almost hurt. What would have happened if this ghost in our home had attack Noll or Gene? They could have gotten hurt. And don't you think, for a second, I'm going to let you take Gene on one of your little trips to study ghosts."
"But Mum," Gene whined. "I want to go with Dad. I want to hunt ghosts."
"No," Luella said, crossing her arms. "I was considering it, but after what happened today, I've made up my mind. It's too dangerous Gene." Gene pouted, taking Oliver by surprise. He had never seen his brother pout before.
"But Mum," Gene whined again. Luella seemed firm on her decision. Oliver turned to look at his brother, who looked crestfallen at not getting the first thing he truly wanted. Oliver sighed.
"But Eugene and I really want to help Martin," Oliver finally said. He noticed his brother's surprised, and confused, face. If he were to be honest with himself, Oliver was surprised he had said it himself.
"No Noll," Luella said. Oliver frowned. He wasn't giving up that easily.
"But we want to be parapsychological researchers too," Oliver replied. He turned and smirked at his brother. Eugene frowned and crossed his arms, a bit peeved his brother had said the term correctly.
"You know," Martin said, "the first step to becoming a parapsychological researcher is pronouncing the name correctly."
"No Martin," Luella said.
"But Mother, please," Oliver finally said, causing his brother to look at him like he had sprouted another head. Martin raised an eyebrow at his youngest son before turning to look at his wife. Oliver noticed an expression on Luella's face, though he couldn't quite read it. She looked ecstatic and conflicted. Oliver wished he had kept his mouth shut.
"I-" she began, looking between her two sons, then back to her husband. "Well, are you sure this is something you boys want?" Eugene nodded his head. Oliver seemed hesitant. He had only done this for his brother. He wasn't really interested in ghost hunting. But if it meant his brother got what he wanted, he would learn to live with it. He nodded as well.
"I suppose Martin…your father," she corrected, though she was a little hesitant as she eyed her youngest son's face. Oliver tried to keep his facial features as neutral as possible. "I suppose he could take you on a few cases, easy ones, mind you." Eugene grinned before rushing over to their mother, enveloping her in a hug.
"Thank you," he said, making Luella smile.
"Don't thank me yet," she said as she gently rustled his hair. "You may hate ghost hunting."
"No way," Eugene said, letting go of Luella and turning towards his brother. "Noll, this is going to be so much fun."
"Martin," Luella said, turning to her husband. "I want that ghost out of my house by the time Noll is released from the hospital. Is that understood?" Martin sighed.
"Yes dear," Martin said. "Come along Ms. Mori, Mr. Lin. We have some work to do." Mr. Lin and Madoka nodded as they followed their professor out the door.
"Are you hungry Noll?" Luella asked as she pushed the bangs out of her son's eyes. Oliver huffed as he resisted the urge to bat her hand away.
"No L-Mother," Oliver said, catching himself. If Luella noticed his slip-up, she didn't show it.
"Are you sure?" she asked. "I could get you something from the cafeteria. Do you want some tea instead?"
"Tea sounds good," Oliver answered. Luella smiled and walked out of the room to get her son some tea. Eugene was still grinning as she left, climbing onto the bed with his brother as soon as she left the room.
"You didn't have to do that, you know," Eugene said. "I know it makes you uncomfortable calling them that."
"It was something you wanted," Oliver said, trying to keep his voice even. "I was happy to help."
"Well, you're not going to regret it Noll," Eugene said. "You're going to love being a ghost hunter. It's going to change your life." Oliver rolled his eyes.
"Let's not get carried away," Oliver answered dryly.
"Do you think you can convince them to get me a horse?"
"Don't push your luck."
If you have a basic understanding of multiple languages, you know Google Translate does not work very well. The french should be more or less okay since I've studied it before. Sorry if I butchered the Japanese. I haven't gotten a chance to learn it, but I really want to.
Rough translation from Google Translate:
1. Did you have another dream?
2. Shut up
3. What do you think they are trying to hide?
4. I don't care.
5. Hey, Naru (Noll). That guy has a blue eye.
6. Idiot
7. She said it wasn't haunted.
8. I need to tell him something. (Fr.)
9. I need to tell him I'm sorry. (Fr.)
10. My fiancee. I didn't mean to leave him alone. (Fr.)
11. 1732 (Literal translation: One thousand seven hundred thirty-two) (Fr.)
12. My name is Eloise Boudreaux (Fr.)
13. You are right. (Fr.)
14. Thank you Eugene. (Fr.)
15. Gene, shut up!
16. Why did you tell him that?
17. Are you going to tell him about the dreams too?
18. I don't like you.
19. Why do you keep calling them that?
20. You should call them "mother" and "father". It makes them happy.
So Lin is 18, just moved from Hong Kong to England. Now, apparently Madoka is actually younger than Lin by about two years. I had not realized that. For some odd reason I thought she was older by two years. So for the purposes of this story, as well as my little GH universe, Madoka is 20.
Martin Davis is a professor at Cambridge because I wanted them to live in the Cambridge area since, apparently, Oliver eventually starts studying at Trinity College in Cambridge at 17. I figured since he was still a minor, he wouldn't move too far away to attend university.
I always figured Naru would call Martin and Luella by their first names, but I've seen a lot of stories where he calls them mother and father. So for this, I went with both. Gene, being a little more personal, calls them Dad and Mum, 'mum' because, despite being American, Luella is British so he takes that into consideration.
Headcannon of mine: Noll eventually adopts a British accent in an attempt to cut ties to his American history, though he finds himself slipping back into an American accent when he's tired or stressed. Gene, on the other hand, is constantly switching between his British and American accents, generally favoring his American accent when at home with his family, and his British accent in school. He finds his classmates understand him better when he uses his British accent, and it makes it harder for the twins' teachers to tell the boys apart. However, whenever the twins visit ASPR in the United States, both boys revert to their American accents so as not to attract much attention, though Gene will sometimes flirt to American girls using his British accent.
Though, in this story, since this is their first day in the UK, they still have their American accents.
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