Mathilde and Matthias. They always had been together, even in bad times in their lives. They were twins after all….

Christmas day 2003
Mathias's POV
It was cold, really reallycold outside. "Matt…can we just stop? My feet are numb…" I looked back at my sister, she always had been the smaller and frailer one of us, and that's why I was so scared for her. We were alone. I tried to remember how long we had been walking, and it hit me, we had been walking as long as we lost our mother and father, so around a year and a half. We were 4 years old, but we learned everything we needed at a young age.

"matt! Matt I can't feel my feet matt please, help!" I was shaken from my thoughts and I looked into my sister's eyes. Her curly hair was everywhere since the wind had picked up. She tried to walk closer to me, but she stumbled and fell. I quickly went to help her up, and supported her weight with my own as we kept going, "Lide, don't give up please. I know we are almost there I can feel it." I heard a soft groan, and looked at mathilde; she was lying on the ground, not moving at all, I don't even think she was breathing. Tears sprung to my eyes, and I started to scream and cry hysterically, trying to shake my sister awake, "help! Someone help!" I kept screaming for help, and it seemed like forever until I heard some footsteps running our way.
"she's ice cold!" one voice called, touching and lifting my sister up. I grew angry, and tried to hit whoever took my sister, "put her down!"
"kid, she's almost dead, we need to get her warm, just come with us!" I glared, but let a man pick me up, and held on tightly as the two adults ran towards the safety of a cabin. When I could see who they were, I blinked. One was a man with blond hair and blue eyes and the woman was a younger looking adult, she had brighter blond hair and brilliant green eyes.

The woman laid Mathilde on the couch, and the man set me down on the floor and went to get some blankets and a drink for me. The woman crouched down at my eye level, and smiled softly, "my name is Alice Bonefoy. What's your name?"
"u-um… Mathias."
"Matthias what?"
"Mathias Kohler…"
"ah, I see. What's your little sister'sname?"
"she's not younger than me... we are twins.. and her name is Mathilde." Alice looked at me, then at Mathilde before smiling, "do you have parents?"
"…yes…um..no…i.." I felt tears pour down my cheeks, "n-nej! They died almost a year ago" Alice looked wide-eyed at me before hugging me tightly. "we'll keep you."
"we'll?" the man stood in the door way and Alice looked at him, "Francis, love, Please. They are orphans." Francis looked at me, then at Mathilde, and sighed before placing the blankets on Mathilde, who was curled up on the couch, fast asleep. "are you sure mon ami?"
"yes. Im sure."
"fine… we'll get adoption forms tomorrow." Alice smiled, and hugged him, smiling brightly. I looked around, slightly unsure of what to do, and made a soft shriek when I felt myself get picked up, then relaxed seeing Francis's blue eyes meet my sky blue ones. The ruckus of Alice's celebration made Mathilde wake up, and she was clearly shaken and scared of her surroundings, "m-matt?" she called out, her voice soft and small. I looked at her, and saw she was crying, whimpering looking feeble. Alice walked over, and crouched so she could look mathilde in the eyes, and gently wiped her tears off her freckled cheeks, "shh sweetie… shh… calm down." She scooped my sister up, and held her close. "poor thing is shaken…" she murmured, and looked at Francis, a clear need in her eyes, and Francis ruffled my hair and held me close as well, noticing the time, "both of you can sleep in the room across the hall, its getting late. Mon petites." I nodded feebly, and let Francis carry me up stairs.

The next day, I woke up really late in the afternoon, and even then I wanted to go back to sleep. Mathilde was curled up next to me, clearly had warmed up quickly when we were taken into the cabin. I looked down at her, then the old grimy clothes we both wore. We both had on blue jeans, her wearing pink high tops me wearing red. And we both had a once white t-shirt on. What can I say? Our parents dressed us identical to each other. I ran a hand through my grimy hair, and laid back down, curling up against Mathilde.

I slept for a good three more hours before I was woken up.
"Mathias, Mathilde. Come downstairs, lunch is ready!" I rubbed my eyes, and slowly sat up before shaking mathilde gently. She whined, and rolled over, not facing me anymore, "lide…lunch is ready." I said softly, before getting off the bed. If she wasn't coming the easy way, I'd make her come down the hard way. I grabbed her ankle which was conveniently sticking out from under the blankets, and pulled. Mathilde was at my feet on the floor in a matter of two seconds. Her eyes wide and angry, "LET ME GO YOU DOOFUS!" she shrieked, and I didn't, I just kept dragging her by her ankle, her screaming and hitting the ground with her fists. I had gotten her to the stairs when Francis was coming up to see what the issue was,"what – how- what?" he seemed confused, so I instantly explained myself, "she wouldn't wake up like we were told, so I made her wake up.".
"that's a lie and you know it you stupid head!" she kept trying to get free, until she finally moved a bit, and bit my leg. I screamed, and let her go before she ran and hid behind Francis.

The man only sighed, and scooped her up in one arm, and me in the other before heading back down, "what are we going to do with these two lil'stinkers?" he was highly amused, and so was Alice who was making food.
"love, let them be, they are twins. I know me and Arthur were the same way." I blinked, now curious.
"who's aouthor?" mathilde was just as curious as I was, but she actually asked. Francis chuckled, "its Arthur sweetheart. And he's Alice's twin brother.".
"ohhhh okay."
I yawned and attempted to go back to sleep again before I smelled what was being made in the kitchen, "macaroni and cheese!" me and mathilde looked at each other our eyes huge, we absolutely LOVED mac-and-cheese. Alice and Francis chuckled amused, and Francis set us down at the table before Alice placed two bowls of the delicious food in front of us. Mathilde's eyes were big, because for one, no one ever has made us food willingly, and two, we hadn't eaten in days. Alice smiled softly and ruffled both of our hair, "go ahead." Me and mathilde exchanged glances before digging in. we were scarfing it down like there was no tomorrow.

When we were done, we thanked Alice and Francis so many times I couldn't even count the times. Alice was highly amused and so was Francis, and when we were heading out the door, Alice looked confused, "where are you two going?"
"we need to keep going, besides, you helped us enough already." Francis scooped us both up before heading into the living room, "you two aren't going anywhere. We are adopting you." Me and mathilde looked at each other, then at Francis and Alice. Alice nodded, "the social worker is going to be here later today." Francis smiled down at us, and then something sparked in his eyes, and he set us on the couch ebfore running upstairs, returning with a comb and hair brush. "come here. Let me do your hair." He had a gentle smile on his face that we couldn't pass up, and we nodded, letting him do so, even though every other second one of us was saying "ow". Finally, he gave up, and helped us take a bath instead, cleaning us of all the dirt and grime that had stuck to our hair and skin. I almost forgot how pale me and mathilde are, and that we had freckles on almost every area of our skin. Or that Mathilde had big curious eyes that were surrounded by stunning black eyelashes. We both had pixie like noses, though mine was more straight then my sisters'. I almost forgot how our hair shone like gold in sunlight… Francis smiled at us when we were wrapped up in towels, out hair sop and wet, "there, much better." Mathilde pushed back her bangs, and laughed, since she clearly was very happy here, and so was i. Francis looked at Mathilde curiously and amused, "what is it mon petite? Why are you giggling?" Mathilde giggled even more, and pointed to his face, he had soap bubbles on his cheeks, and in his shoulder length wavy hair. I started to laugh as well, and soon both of us were on the floor, smiling and laughing happily. Francis picked us up, and smiled before going into the room we were sleeping in a while ago, and set us on the bed, "wait here. I have a surprise for you two."

He came back holding two bags full of stuff, and we looked at each other again. Mathilde shrugged, and I did too before Francis sat down in between us, handing us each a bag. Mathilde opened it, and gasped, "new clothes!" I looked down into the bag in my lap, and opened it. Indeed there was new clothes, "no way!"
Francis looked very surprised by how we reacted, "haven't you to gotten new clothes before?" Mathilde shook her head, "nej, not for two years. The last year mor and far were alive they didn't buy us anything. Our uncle had to do it. So he got us hand-me-downs." She scrunched up her nose, but smiled, "like this one!" she held up a pretty pink and brown shirt and a pair of sneakers her size. "I thought you would." Francis smiled, and then looked at me. I was looking at a red t-shirt with a fire truck, and a pair of sneakers that looked like Mathilde's only a bit bigger. We both got new blue jeans, and we eagerly put them on, with help from Francis. "there you two go. Good as new." He smiled, and then started to put Mathilde's wavy/curly hair in a ponytail, tying a pink ribbon in it as well.

"francis! Love, the social worker is here, can you bring the twins downstairs with you?" Alice called up the stairwell, and Francis stood up, holding each of our hands before heading down. Next to Alice was a tall woman with dark brown hair. She smiled down at us, then crouched to our level to shake out hands,"hi there, im Elizabeth. But you can call me Liza if want." Me and Mathilde were kinda scared of the new woman, so we hid quickly behind Francis's legs. The man only chuckled, and sat down on the couch followed by the two women. "come here you two." Liza was smiling softly, and waved us over. "alice tells me you are orphans."
"j-ja that's true…" I murmured, and I heard Mathilde sniffle. I patted her arm softly, and looked at lizi,"why does it matter?"
"Because if Alice and Francis want to adopt you, we have to know where you lived, and where your mother and father are."
"Our mor and far are in their graves. In Denmark." Mathilde spoke up this time, her voice soft, and Alice looked at us with huge eyes, "y-you two walked all this way from d-Denmark?!" I shrugged nodding, "ja why?"
"You're not a citizen here! No wonder I don't have you two in my records." Liza face palmed, and looked at us, "I guess I should get some citizen forums signed for you two, and also I should welcome you to France."
"fwance?" mathilde repeated, her eyes confused. "What's that?"
Francis chuckled, "it's the country we are living in. Alice is from England, while I was born here." He smiled sweetly at Alice, who rolled her eyes amused. Mathilde blinked a few times, before shrugging it off.

It was official a week later that I and mathilde were Alice and Francis's children, and all of us were happy and excited.