A/N: *EDIT* Oh Lord, I went back to read this, and found SO MANY MISTAKES! It was awful! Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy this better chapter. Also, I can have a church service in here if I want! England was a Christian superpower dangit!
I clutched my son's hand, making sure he didn't let go of it in the huge crowd we had been pushed into. America was literally hell on earth on Saturday mornings in the fall.
After I had divorced my wife Franny, I had received full custody of our son, and made it so she could not see him, stupid drunken whore, I had moved us to the United States from our small town in the United Kingdom. Our new home was in a southern state; Texas, the friendliest of the states. Well that was a lie!
I saw a small bench in which we could sit on to wait out the crowd over to my left, so I pulled us in that direction, pushing against the mall crowd.
That had been when Alfred was only a baby, which was only a year ago. He was still so small, and would probably grow up not knowing about her at all. Good, the whore didn't deserve his love. She had nine other kids anyway, what did she care about us?
My angry memories were interrupted by Alfred pulling sharply on my sleeve, I looked down and he held up his arms, letting go of my hand in the process. I smiled down at him, "I'm sorry, I know you must be tired." I picked him up, carrying him over to the bench and sitting down, resting as the hundreds of shoppers pressed by.
"Well, that was an adventure wasn't it?" I joked, petting his head as he looked around with wide, fearful eyes. "Are you alright? Alfred?" I asked, now concerned as he continued to gaze around.
"Daddy..." he whimpered, clutching my collar. "S-scared..." he whispered, leaning in close.
"Do you want to leave now? We can come back on a different day where it won't have so many people." I suggested, standing up and trying to figure out the best way to get out without being swept away again.
Alfred nodded his small blonde head, his face relaxing as he leaned against my shoulder, his bright blue eyes drooping.
I smiled again, looking down fondly at my son, he was perfect.
I spotted an opening and sprinted, headed for a large exit sign. I only made it halfway across when I ran smack into someone else hurrying by.
"I am so sorry sir!" I exclaimed, stopping in my tracks and helping him up.
"Non, non it is alright. Thank goodness you didn't wake little Mathieu." the man replied, smiling at his own little toddler that looked even smaller and more delicate than Alfred. The man had shoulder-length golden blonde hair, and bright blue eyes, deeper and more intelligent than Alfred's as well. I stiffened at the french accent. Just like Franny.
"Oh!" I exclaimed awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot, "I am deeply sorry for running into you, I was trying to escape to the exit."
He smiled, the smile almost made me melt it was so charming. "It's really alright, would you like me to help? It seems like you haven't been here too long, and we wouldn't like your own little boy to get disturbed now would we?" he asked, grabbing my wrist anyway, and dragging me to the exit sign.
"Ah!" I cried, stumbling outside into the cooling air. I clutched at my son, immediately going on the defensive as the strange French man turned to face me.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked, a confused look on his face.
"You don't just go around touching random strangers! Where I come from, we don't touch strangers!" I said, hurrying to my car far back in the huge parking lot.
"But cher, is this not the state of friendship? Here we love and help everybody." the man said, his accent lilting the words. He was following after me!
"That doesn't mean-!" I froze, "You know what? Forget it, I'm sorry for overreacting, but I don't like it when other people touch me. Got it Frog?" I told him. I faced him, smiling slightly. "I'm still recovering from a bad relationship so I'm on edge."
"Ah, I apologize cher," The man said, stopping before he ran into me. "I have also been incredibly rude, my name is Francis." he smiled, bowing slightly.
I stiffened, so much like Franny. "My name is Arthur," I offered, trying to not let my unease show.
"Is something the matter?" Francis asked, looking puzzled.
"I am sorry, I really am in a rush, my son can't be out in this chill for too long. Maybe we will see each other around town sometime okay?" I suggested, easing off into the direction of my car.
Francis smiled, "Of course cher, I shall see you around!" he called, waving as I got to my car and buckled Alfred in his little carrier before getting into the drivers seat. It was still so weird after driving my entire life on the right side, I was now driving on the left. America was so weird.
I frowned, starting the car and turning in my seat, backing out of the parking spot. I almost hoped to never see that Frenchman again.
Later...
I was in the kitchen, looking over the ingredients on the counter. Oh god I would never be able to cook!
"Now, this recipe says to boil the water first, and then once it's bubbling a lot, to put the noodles in. but how long do I leave those in?" I wondered, putting the stove on high as the water began to heat up over it.
"Daddy!" a small voice cried, running into the kitchen was Alfred. In his arms was a very squirmy kitten.
"Alfred! Where did you find this little guy?" I asked, kneeling down, careful of the handle on the water. Alfred was beaming and the kitten had started mewling. "Alfred?"
"Ahh, ou' 'side." he replied, his toddler speech unclear.
"Where did you find him outside?" I asked, trying to keep my face serious.
"In 'a yard thingy tha' wa' makin' noises." he struggled to explain to me, holding onto the kitten so tight it squeaked.
"What kind of noises? Good or bad?" I asked, wondering if more kittens were in the 'yard thingy'.
"Ahh, ba' I thin'." Alfred replied, thoughtfully stroking the kitten's head.
"Can you show me? We won't take the kitten back, but can you show me where it is?" I asked, hurrying to explain we wouldn't leave the kitten when he got an angry look on his face.
The angry look disappeared, "A'tay!" he smiled, running to the door, the poor kitten clutched in his hands still.
I followed after him, smiling at my sons behaviour.
When we came to the part of the yard that was making noises Alfred stopped and pointed. "Tha' kitty came a runnin' from dere." he explained, stopping before he got too close.
I frowned, not liking the sounds coming from the bush. I bent over it, pushing aside a branch or two. "Bloody hell!" I exclaimed, looking back at Alfred to make sure he didn't hear my curse; he hadn't. Inside the bush was a whole litter of kittens, they were all crowded around the body of their dead mother. Something must've gotten to it, because it was bloody. "Oh you poor things..." I cooed, reaching in and grabbing a few more kittens.
They mewled and cried but they were too helpless to do anything but cry. A few of the little kittens had their eyes open, but the smallest one wasn't even crying. "Alfred, we need to get these kitties to see the doctor, most of them aren't well." I said gently, walking towards my car.
He trailed behind, "A'tay, bu' do all of 'em have to see 'im?"
I smiled, "Yes, to make sure that they're all doing fine we should make sure they all see the doctor. You know we can't keep all of them right?" I told him, allowing him to hold the kittens in his car-seat.
He frowned, "Why?"
"We don't have the money to keep all these little babies, we can keep maybe two of them, but we have to give the rest to our friends, is that okay? Then at least we'll be able to visit them." I reasoned, starting the car and pulling out of the driveway.
He frowned but nodded, clutching the mewling kittens to his chest as I drove to the vet's office.
The lady at the front desk smiled at me as I walked in, Alfred following. We were both carrying kittens. "How may I help y'all two young gentlemen?" she asked, her Texas twang not altogether unpleasant.
"Ah yes. I recently moved here, and my son here was playing outside, when he heard some noises coming from a bush. A kitten ran out and he brought it inside to me. He showed me the bush it had run out of and we found all these kittens crowded around the body of their mother. Some of them don't look too healthy, and who knows how long their mother has been dead. I was hoping a doctor could take a look at the litter." I explained.
"Oh my! Oh of course, I'll see if I can get Dr. Carriedo out here for you." she hurried into the back, her loud voice bouncing back in here. "Dr. Carriedo! We have a situation that requires your immediate attention!"
She hurried back in behind the desk, her red hair in a disarray as she reached for a kitten. She was wearing latex gloves and bright blue scrubs.
I leaned away, "Why can't I carry them? I plan on keeping at least two." she shrugged and rolled her eyes.
"Then follow me, Dr. Carriedo will see your kittens." her voice was still cheerful, but she had a sense of urgency around her. At least she was serious about her job.
"Come this way Alfred." I beckoned to my son, the kittens squirming in our arms.
He started giggling and followed us into a medium-sized room that had a table in one corner, and cabinets with counters everywhere else.
"I hope I remembered to turn off the stove..." I whispered, placing the kittens on the table as directed by a lanky man that had already been in the room.
"Hello, my name is Dr. Carriedo. What seems to be the problem?" he asked, examining the kittens.
"I found these kittens in my yard. Their mother is dead and they had been around the body for who knows how long. I was wanting to make sure they were healthy." I explained, motioning Alfred forward to place his own kittens on the table.
He did so reluctantly and ended up keeping the one he had originally found, no matter how much I pleaded with him to put it on the table.
"It's alright, that little tike looks just fine, my only concern, is these two." Dr. Carriedo sighed, indicating the smallest one that hadn't really been moving, and another one that had a little bit of blood on its paw.
"Oh, well that's a relief, I thought they might all need serious help."
"Well they do need to be fed, but we don't currently have a cat that could allow all five of them to nurse. We can try to switch them off, but then some might get more than others..." he frowned, taking an ointment and rubbing it on the bloody paw, causing the little thing to mewl. "There you go sweetie, it'll be alright..." he murmured soothingly, stroking its head.
I smiled, "Thank you so much for doing this on such short notice. What about the runt? Can we save her?" I asked, picking up the smallest of them.
Dr. Carriedo frowned, taking her into his hands, gently rolling her around. A sad look came over his face, "I don't think we'll be able to, but she has a chance." he informed me, placing her back on the table.
"Get the sickest fed first, I can try bottle feeding with the healthier ones." I offered, looking down at my son as he played with two of the kittens.
Dr. Carriedo smiled, "That would be a wonderful thing to do. I will get that arranged."
Two hours later...
I smiled as I looked into the back seat to see Alfred clutching a kitten to his chest as he slept.
We had to leave all but one of the kittens at the vet. It seemed that Alfred had fallen in love with the first one he had seen, a little blue tabby.
I pulled into the driveway, parking the car and then getting Alfred and the kitten into the house. It was rather humorous to see Alfred stumbling through the house carrying the kitten while it just hung in his arms limply.
I already knew that we would have to keep the little thing, but I had fallen in love with another, however hard it was to think of parting permanently with the rest of the litter.
I laid the sleeping kitten and son on the couch, hurrying to the kitchen. Thank god the stove was off! Everything was still set up to make spaghetti, just like I had planned. I turned the stove back on, and began to boil the water once more. It was simmering what I assumed was the perfect time to put in the noodles when the phone rang.
"Hello?" I answered, a little peeved that I hadn't decided to get caller ID.
"Why did you leave me? I thought everything was going perfectly! You just upped and left me and your only son!" a very loud and angry French voice yelled through the phone.
"Ah, I'm sorry sir I think you have the wrong number..." I tried to explain, holding the phone away from my head as he continued to yell.
"Don't give me that shit! I can tell what your voice sounds like! How is Matthew going to grow up without a mom?!" the voice continued to shout.
"I'm sorry sir but I'm actually a man..." I winced, "That's it!" I yelled into the phone, "Either you get your number right or I'm hanging up the phone! I did not pick up to be abused by some idiot Frog!" I yelled above the still shouting voice, causing the other end to go silent.
"Arthur?" the voice was terribly familiar.
"Y-yes... oh god Francis? This is now really weird." I said, continuing with my cooking, dumping the noodles in the boiling pot.
"This has gone from weird to creepy, I am so sorry for yelling at you. I was trying to contact my wi- well my ex-wife I guess I should say now... anyway, what are the odds?" the voice was nervous, but it held sadness.
"I don't know, but I do know what you're going through. I only divorced two or three months ago. It's a hard life I'd say." For some reason I was really talking with this guy! As odd as it was, I felt obligated to comfort the poor man.
"Oh my, and you only moved here recently too... you moved here to get away from him didn't you?" I froze.
"Bloody hell? I'm not gay you prat!" I nearly shouted into the phone, my face burning as I began to mix up the meat sauce, probably adding more onions than really needed.
There was silence on the other end of the phone, "Well... I really am just killing the whole chance at us being friends aren't I?" I could hear him trying to stifle his laughter, my face burning hotter.
"Yea just a little bit. So... what happened?" I asked, stirring the noodles a bit, making sure the strainer was in the sink so I wouldn't dump the boiling water all over the floor.
"I honestly don't know... I'm always the one calming her down, I just don't know why she left... especially since our baby is only a toddler!" his voice sounded worn, but I could tell he loved her quite a bit, even when he had been yelling, there was a desperate edge to it, as if he was literally going to die without her.
"He's only a toddler-? How could she do that?! A baby grows best with his mothers' milk! I waited to divorce until Alfred wasn't so dependent on her. How cruel must you be to leave your own son like that?" I was shocked, knowing that I had only given her second chances for Alfred's sake.
"Ha!" he sounded tired, "I doubt she even remembered him, I always had to remind her about Mathieu, even though he is the most beautiful baby you could ask for..." I smiled, grabbing a spoon and pulling out a noodle to taste, seeing it was properly flimsy and taking the pot in both hands, placing the phone on my shoulder.
"I don't doubt that. But a mother forgetting her own child... there is no other low. I don't care if I sound insensitive right now, but that is no kind of mother that you would want for your son. Be happy she's gone, no matter how much you miss her, for Matthew's sake if nothing else." I said, dumping the noodles into the strainer, holding my head back as a huge amount of steam rushed into my face. I coughed, trying to keep the moisture from entering my mouth.
"Are you alright? What are you doing anyway?" Francis asked, changing the subject very skillfully.
"I'm making spaghetti." almost laughing as I poured the noodles back into the empty pot, walking back to the couch to try to wake Alfred before he wouldn't sleep that night. I glanced at the clock and nearly blanched, it was only now 6:27!
"Sounds yummy. Why were you coughing though?" Francis asked, sounding rather amused.
"I was coughing because I was straining the noodles and a bunch of steam blew up in my face." I nearly growled, hauling Alfred up into a sitting position. "Look, I've got to go, I need to eat dinner and feed Alfred, we just got back from the vet's office." I explained, trying to wake up my son.
"Oh my, well call me back after dinner and we can set up some time to get together, I really have enjoyed talking with you. Maybe when we see each other next, you can tell me your own story."
"Whatever Frog, I will. Talk with you later. Bye." I replied, shutting off the connection before he replied, blushing for some reason. "Alfred... you need to wake up. It's time for dinner." I said, gently shaking his shoulder.
His blue eyes opened sleepily, unfocussed and searching. I laughed as he sat up, rubbing his eyes and still trying to clutch to the now squirming kitten. "So, what are you going to call him?" I asked, referring to the blue tabby in his unyielding grasp.
"Ahh... I don' know..." he mumbled, reaching his arms up and finally dropping the poor thing. I picked Alfred up, taking him to his high-chair, placing in front of him a bowl of spaghetti and meat-sauce.
"Hmm, well how about... Mr. Whiskers?" I asked, knowing he would hate the name and decide by himself.
He shook his blonde head vigorously, "No! S'upid name!"
"Then what would you name him?" I asked, getting my own food and setting it down in front of me, pausing to look at him before I dug in.
"Ahh... maybe... Tony?" he suggested.
I had taken a bite of spaghetti and found it blissfully wonderful (a miracle in itself) and was still chewing, so I thought it over. "You know? That's actually a very good name! So he shall be Tony, but what about that little girl? We're keeping her too."
"Ick, you like her, you name her."
My huge eyebrows shot up, "What? That's just about the most grownup thing I've ever heard you say!" I exclaimed, smiling. "Then I guess if you don't even want her, then she will be my cat. Her name shall be... Mint, I can feel that her eyes are going to turn a blue-green."
Alfred frowned but dug in, an almost comical surprised expression on his face. The rest of the dinner was silent, and afterwards I took him up to his room and we picked out some pajamas for him to wear. Of course he picked Super Man, and I then made him take a bath, which he actually doesn't mind too much.
"As they sang to each other, the sailors would cry! 'Bye-bye seagulls! Come back some other time!'" I sang, pouring some water from a plastic pitcher onto Alfred's head, causing him to laugh merrily.
"Ah!" he squealed, splashing water on my sleeve, smiling as I bent him over and began to scrub at his back. "No, no! 'oo low Daddy! No' my bo'om!" he cried as I tried to scrub his little bottom.
I smiled, "Then you do it, don't come complaining to me when it's not clean to your liking!" I joked, standing up as if I was going to leave.
"Wai'! Don' leave Daddy!" he cried, trying to follow after me.
"You know I would never actually leave you right? I will always be here." I reassured him, sitting down again and dipping the pitcher back into the water, rinsing out the remaining soap in his hair. "Time to get out little one." I smiled, picking him up and placing him on the mat in front of the tub. I grabbed a towel and began to vigorously rub him down, causing him to squirm.
After I had gotten him settled down in his bed, with Tony in his crib of course, I put away the dishes, cleaning up the mess in the kitchen before I sat on the couch. I frowned, I didn't have anything that the kitten needed. I didn't even know what they needed.
"Damnit..." I murmured, standing up. Now I had to go to the pet store. But what about Alfred? I knew I really shouldn't just leave him here, but what else could I do?
I walked over to my shoes and slipped them on. I smiled, grabbing my keys and slipping out the back door, locking it behind me. Alfred would be fine for a half hour, he would be out for the rest of the night anyway.
I got in my car, pulling out of the driveway and driving to the pet store. When I walked into the pet store I was greeted by the strong smell of litter, dog food, and... other things.
"Hello there!" a lady with a vest saying she was part of the staff exclaimed, smiling at me.
"Hello ma'am." I replied, smiling back.
"What can I get for you?" she asked politely.
"I need help, my son found a kitten and I'm letting him keep it, but I have no idea what to get for the little thing. It's mother died..." I said, trying to smile.
"Oh my, oh... I'm so sorry sir... would you like to get some toys?" she asked, dragging me to an aisle that was covered in all kinds of toys, along with beds, food, litter boxes, treats, and kitty accessories.
"Yes please, preferably child-proof stuff, my son is very young." I explained, feeling a pang of guilt that I had left him at home.
She smiled, "Now, this one is rather popular with kittens, but these are pretty fun too."
"Alright..." I complied, grabbing one of the toys she had pointed out. "What food do you recommend? They aren't really old enough to be eating solid food yet, but just for when I need it."
"Well it's best to start with something like this;" the lady handed me a bag the said 'Kitten starters'
"Thank you," I said, "I think I'm going to need a cart before we're done." I laughed, walking back to the front and grabbing one before plopping the bag and toy inside.
Together me and the lady (I found out her name was Lili) picked out the perfect things for my new kittens. After almost twenty minutes I looked at my watch.
"Oh my god! Is that the time?! I am terribly sorry Lili, but I have to go! My son has been left alone for nearly twenty minutes! Can you ring me up? I really need to hurry!" I said, rushing to the counter and unloading my cart.
"How old is your son?" she asked worriedly, ringing up my purchases.
"Not even two..." I mumbled, hanging my head when she gasped.
"Where is his mother?!"
I stiffened, paying for my purchases and taking the plastic bags. "Thank you for helping me out, it is much appreciated, but I must really head home." My words were short and clipped, not quite rude, but terribly cold compared to before. "I'm sorry, my ex-wife is a rather sensitive subject..." I whispered, walking from the store to my car.
I drove home as fast as I dared pulling into the driveway and leaping out, grabbing my purchases and running to the back door, panicking the entire way.
When I unlocked the door and stepped inside the kitchen, I nearly had a heart attack. I could hear crying coming from Alfred's room. I rushed up the stairs and into his room, scooping my son up from his crib.
"Shh, shh, it's okay Alfred! What's wrong honey?" I cooed, cradling his small body in my arms and taking him to the rocking chair in the corner of the room, looking into his blue eyes. For some reason they weren't really focused, but I didn't really pay attention to that.
"D-Daddy... you weren' there! You left me!" he cried, tears running down his face.
"Of course I didn't leave you! I just had to run and get your new friend food, and toys." I explained, knowing he would sob and not allow me to leave him again for the next week.
"Y-you weren' there! An' I was sc-scared! You even wen' and go' toys withou' me!" he cried, clutching me closer to him.
"Shh, shh, I promised you I wouldn't leave you, but our kitty needs these things. Would you like to come downstairs and look at them?" I asked, knowing he wouldn't go to bed for a while now.
He nodded, still sniffling. I carried him downstairs and into the kitchen, the little kitten following us.
"I'm sorry little one, it's time for you to be fed isn't that correct?" I asked, petting Tony's head as he rubbed up against my thigh. I sat Alfred down on the tile floor and grabbed the plastic bags, dumping them out on the floor. "We'll have to go back and get a litter box tomorrow, you can come with me this time though." I decided, smiling as I shifted through the supplies to pull out the kitten chow. I stood and grabbed a bowl from the cabinet, pouring some of the food into it.
I placed it on the ground and Tony pounced on it, apparently he was so hungry he didn't really care that it wasn't his mother's milk. "Look at all these toys Alfred, don't they look fun? The kitty should enjoy them, I had a lady help me pick them out."
Alfred smiled, but squinted his eyes, "Daddy? Why are de toys fuzzy?" he asked, squinting harder.
"Fuzzy? Oh, for the kitties enjoyment, they like fuzzy things." I replied.
"Oh, bu' why are you fuzzy?" he asked, rubbing his eyes a little.
I noticed that they wouldn't focus on me, and I frowned, "Fuzzy how?"
"I 'asing a hard 'ime seeing your eyes..." he replied, trailing off and petting Tony as it came up to him.
"That's not good..." I frowned, standing up, "Maybe you need to see the doctor..." I said, looking at the doctor's number on the fridge. I grabbed the phone, dialing the number and waiting as it rang. I glanced at the clock and scowled, 8:57. the office closed at 6:30. "I guess I'll call in tomorrow then, hopefully they're open on Sundays." I murmured, sitting back down on the tile, "Now come on, we need to get some sleep, we have that new church to check out." I grunted, scooping up my son into my arms.
"Bu' I'm no' 'ired Daddy!" he cried, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Can we sleep wi' the ki'y?" he asked, reaching over my shoulder.
I sighed, "Yes, we can. But first you're going to at least lay down in bed so I can get in my pj's." I sighed again, knowing he wouldn't stand for it.
"No! You'll weave me!" he nearly screamed, kicking at me.
"Fine..." I whispered, carrying him upstairs, Tony clasped in his embrace.
When we reached my room, I opened the door and dumped the lot of them on my bed.
"Now, I have to go take a shower, do you want to retake your shower with me or just watch?" I asked tiredly, hoping he would opt to just stay there and fall asleep. Of course he didn't.
"Na-uh, I'm s'aying wi' you Daddy." he replied smiling, "I'm going 'o 'ake another shower." he declared, hopping off the bed and running towards me, only to end up almost smacking into the wall. I caught him just in time though.
"Alfred what are you doing?! You could have hurt yourself!" I cried, hauling him up on his feet, whilst going into my master bathroom.
He began to cry, "Bu', bu', I though' you were over dere!" he wailed pathetically, making me take pity on him.
"I'm sorry Alfred, but you need to be more careful, can't you see where you're going?" I asked, turning on the water in the big walk-in shower that had glass surrounding it.
"N-no..." he murmured, he was so quiet I almost didn't hear him over the water.
"So are you sure you want to retake your bath?" I asked, shedding my sweater and short-sleeved white undershirt, and throwing it in the hamper.
"Yes!" he cried, taking off his own top...sort of. He only got it partway off his head before it got stuck. I started laughing, which of course did not make him happy. "Help me Daddy!" he finally asked, sitting on the ground on the verge of tears.
"Of course," I replied, now only in my boxers. I went over and undid the first two buttons, before I was able to tug it off the rest of the way. I folded it neatly on the side of the tub we weren't using. "Now I trust you can get out of your own pants?" I asked, earning a smack.
I laughed, turning to make sure the water wasn't too hot for him, even though he liked really hot baths.
We were both finally naked, and I picked him up, plopping him down in the shower with me, closing the glass door and wetting my hair. He giggled, trying to copy me.
"Daddy! You 'oo big for dis shower!" he cried in his small voice, trying to push me out of the way. I laughed some more, stepping back so that he could try to wash himself.
"Now, here is what you put on your head, you just squeeze some out on your hand, and rub it in your hair." I explained, squirting out my favorite shampoo in his hands, watching him to make sure he didn't stick his hand inside his mouth. "Good, now scrub it in, feel the clean as it bubbles on your head." I laugh, the expression on his face comical as he frowned before finally rubbing it in.
I showed him how to rinse off, and also how to condition his hair to make it fluffy and poofy. He loved the bubbles and screamed in glee when I showed him my shower gel, squealing something about magic soap.
"Where did you hear that?" I laughed, sputtering as he splashed soapy water in my face.
"Mum said dat stuff in dat 'ube in her drawer was magic soap, and you used i' alo'." Alfred said happily, not realizing what he had just said.
I gaped, "Don't ask for magic soap okay Alfred? Also, this isn't magic soap, it's gel, but the nice kind." I explained, horrified that my son had found that in my wife's drawer. The nerve of that woman!
"O'tay Daddy." he replied, happily going back to washing himself.
After we got done with that, I helped him towel off again, making sure he wouldn't drip too much and get sick from the cold.
He yawned again, stretching as I helped him with his pajamas, pulling up the pants on my own simple teal pajamas.
I carried him to bed, settling him amongst the kitten that attacked him when I sat down. I smiled, too tired to do much else as I reached over and shut off the light, plunging the entire room into darkness. Alfred yawned again, clinging to me. Thank god it wasn't too hot...
The next morning...
I awoke to mewling in my ear and the soft snoring of my son. I stared at the ceiling, trying to remember something from the night before... crap! We had church to go to at 9:45! I glanced at the clock and relaxed, it was only 7:32 right now, we had two hours to get ready, but that didn't mean we could slack off until then.
I got up and went to the bathroom, careful to leave the door open in case Alfred woke up without me next to him. I sighed as I got up and washed my hands, running my hands over my face to help wake up. After I had brushed my teeth, I went to my closet to pick out something to wear to the church.
Nothing too formal, but not too casual. I decided to go with a nice collared shirt and khaki slacks. I walked back to my bed and found Alfred still sleeping.
"Wake up Alfred, we need to get ready for church," I insisted, shaking his shoulder gently, making sure he saw me. "Come now, wake up. You wouldn't want to miss it now would you?" I asked; ever since he was born, my wife and I had taken him to church, putting the fear of god into him at an early age. He got up warily, making me follow him into his own room and picking out something for him to wear.
I settled on a red flannel shirt along with nice jeans. Until I saw that I had brought his favorite footie. Even if it was girly, he loved the darn thing. It was an adorable light pink bunny suit; with bunny ears and tail.
"Alfred, how would you like to wear this?" I asked, holding it out to him. He studied the footie for a second, then his face lit up, and he squealed with excitement.
"Yay! Bunny Man is here 'oo save da day!" he cried, grabbing it from my hands.
I smiled, and helped him out of his pajamas, even though he tried to again take them off by himself. I laughed as I picked him up, realizing I wouldn't be able to let him down in this thing at church, we would be stuck like glue.
"Are you ready to go?" I asked once he had had his breakfast, and I had had my Earl Grey Tea. Alfred nodded eagerly, reaching out to be picked up.
I carried him to the car, placing him in his car seat and pulling out of the driveway. I drove through town, finding the church just off Main Street.
"Here it is," I announced, pulling into the parking lot and finding a nice spot marked 'Visitors Only'. "How nice, they have spots for visitors." I said, climbing out and getting my son from the car, walking towards the glass doors.
Once inside, I was greeted by several people.
"Hello! Welcome to First United Methodist Church!" a very happy looking Asian man said, smiling as he shook my hand, "Is this your first time here?" he asked cheerfully.
I nodded, smiling nervously.
"Oh don't worry, we don't bite, well I don't know about Janice, but I sure don't." he smiled again, laugh lines showing on his youthful face. "Now who is this little guy?" he asked bending down to look at Alfred.
"This is my son Alfred." I introduced, "My name is Arthur, may I speak with the preacher?" I asked, looking around for a man in formal robes.
The Asian man smiled, "I am the preacher."
I gasped, "I am so sorry, I'm used to preachers that wear robes..." I frowned, looking at the people around me. Most of them were teenagers wearing jeans and T-shirts. "This is more casual than I thought, I feel overdressed!"
The preacher laughed, "Only the 9:45 service is this casual. It's more for the Youth there. Now, my name is David Len, if you have any problems you can talk with our Youth director Janice over there."
David pointed at a very young looking woman with short cropped brown hair. She was medium-sized in height, and slim. She wore purple glasses and a purple cardigan, blue-jeans, and a ruffled blue shirt with a silver necklace that had a pendant that I couldn't see clearly. She was talking eagerly to a bunch of the teens. One boy came up behind her and put her in a headlock. I gasped but she laughed, making him let go.
I noticed one girl staring at me. She had long brown hair that almost went down to her waist, and a round, open face with huge brown eyes framed in thick lashes. She wasn't very thin, but her bust certainly didn't complain. As I watched she got up from her group of friends and walked towards us.
"Hey David, how are you?" she asked, hugging the preacher. I was shocked that he hugged her back, having a small conversation with her. "Who's this?" she asked, looking at me.
"This is a visitor, it's his first time." David replied, but he needn't have, she was completely gaga over Alfred.
"Oh my god! How cute is he?!" she cooed, reaching out a hand as if to pat his head, but she paused, looking up at me. I was startled at how much intelligence I found staring at me. "May I?" she asked, her gaze flicking down to Alfred.
I nodded, and smiled as Alfred smiled and spoke some baby to her, causing her to smile in return.
"What's your name?" she asked my son, asking me silently to hold him. I allowed her to and she held him as I did, perfectly copying his mother.
"Alfred." He answered in his tiny baby voice, he smiled and nuzzled into her neck, causing her to blush and run her hands through his hair.
"You are perfect little one. Did you know that?" she asked, shocking me. Franny would say that.
Alfred smiled, "Yes, my mum would 'ell me so, and so does my Daddy." he declared proudly, clinging to her neck.
She frowned, "Oh, I never told you did I? My name is Alyssa. Alfred is a beautiful baby boy Arthur." she said, causing me to freeze. I had never told her my name.
"Well I gotta go, it's almost time to start." David said, making his exit.
"How do you know my name?" I asked, a little disturbed by this young girl.
She smiled and began to walk away with Alfred still in her arms, "C'mon, you don't want to miss your first service do you? I promise y'all like it." her eyes glinted with hidden glee, and I followed after her, stopping to get a bulletin. Her friends stood up and followed as well, trailing behind her like little ducklings.
She seemed to pick a pew at random, and sat down close to the very edge, leaving only enough space for one person to sit between her and the armrest. Alyssa gestured for me to take that seat, and the little blonde boy that was behind her pouted, it seemed I was taking his favorite spot.
Another blonde girl was behind the little blonde boy, but I could tell they weren't related. The blonde girl was scowling and her blue glasses were taped into place, making her expression even more sour. She wore a purple jacket with the cuffs barely hanging on they had been ripped so much. She sat down a seat away from Alyssa, allowing the little blonde boy to sit next to her instead.
"Let's see what we're singing today Alfred," Alyssa cooed, taking the smaller page off to view what we would be talking about. "Ah! I love this one!" she cried, pointing to the first hymn.
Prince of Peace
It looked like it would be good, but how would we know what words to sing? There was no page number to flip to, and no lyrics on the page.
"Just look at that wall, they project the lyrics now." Alyssa said, seemingly reading my mind. I nodded and looked at my watch. It was only now 9:46, so the service could start at any second.
"Hello and welcome to First United Methodist Church! My name is Donald, and I am so happy that you have decided to worship with us this wonderful Sunday morning!" a voice exclaimed, I realized it was coming from a young man that had an acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder, he was speaking into a microphone and had a wide smile on his unshaven face. "Now if you are a visitor I am especially happy that you're here with us today, if you look in the back we have a little gift bag for you that has information about the church if you're interested in coming back or becoming a member. And now let us rise and sing the lord's praises!" he cried, slinging the instrument into playing position.
You are holy (You are holy)
You are mighty (You are mighty)
You are worthy (You are worthy)
Worthy of praise! (Worthy of praise!)
I will follow (I will follow)
I will listen (I will listen)
I will love you (I will love you)
All of my days (All of my days)
Men:
Women: You're the Lord of Lords
Men:
Women: You're the King of Kings
Men:
Women: You're the mighty God, Lord of everything
Men:
Women: You're Emanuel, You're the Great I am
Men:
Women: You're the Prince of Peace who is the Lamb
Men:
Women: You're my saving God
Men:
Women: You're my saving Grace
Men:
Women: You will live forever, you are ancient of days
Men:
Women: You are Alpha, Omega, Beginning and End
Men:
Women: You're my Savior, Messiah, Redeemer and Friend!
Both: You're my Prince of Peace, and I will live my life for you!
I soon realized when to echo and when to be the one singing. The song was actually pretty fun. I smiled as I sang, and began to wonder something. Somewhere close by it sounded as if an angel was singing. I looked around and couldn't find them. I leaned down next to Alyssa and then jerked back; she was the one singing like that!
Once that song was over, I leaned down next to her again, "Your voice is beautiful." I smiled, forgetting that she had creeped me out moments before.
She blushed, "Merci, it is always nice to get a compliment." her small bit of French sounded nice, I was about to say something else when new music started up.
You turned away when I looked you in the eye,
and hesitated when I asked if you were alright,
Seems like, you're fighting for your life,
But why, oh why?
Wide awake in the middle of your nightmare,
Saw it coming but it hit you out of nowhere,
And there's always scars,
When you fall that far!
We lose our way, Get back up again!
Never too late, Get back up again!
And one day, You're going to shine again,
Maybe knocked down, but not out forever!
Lose our way, Get back up again!
So get up, get up, you gonna shine again!
It's never too late, to get back up again,
Maybe knocked down but not out forever.
(Maybe knocked down but not out forever)
You rolled out at the dawning of the day,
Heart racing as you made your little getaway,
Feels like, you've been running all your life,
But why, oh why?
So you, pull away from the love that would've been there,
Stopped believing that your situation's unfair,
But there's always scars, when you fall that far!
We lose our way, Get back up again!
Never too late, Get back up again!
And one day, You're going to shine again,
Maybe knocked down, but not out forever!
Lose our way, Get back up again!
So get up, get up, you gonna shine again!
It's never too late, to get back up again,
Maybe knocked down but not out forever.
(Maybe knocked down but not out forever)
This is love calling, love calling,
Out to the broken,
This is love calling.
This is love calling, Love calling.
Out to the broken,
This is love calling,
This is love calling, love calling,
I am so broken,
This is love calling!
We lose our way... we get back up again...
It's never too late...
Maybe knocked down but not out forever!
We lose our way, Get back up again!
Never too late, Get back up again!
And one day, You're going to shine again,
Maybe knocked down, but not out forever!
Lose our way, Get back up again!
So get up, get up, you gonna shine again!
It's never too late, to get back up again,
Maybe knocked down but not out forever.
(Maybe knocked down but not out forever)
Once again Alyssa had sang like an angel, her voice ringing out over everybody else's. I turned and smiled as I saw Alfred clapping and smiling, his face flushed and perfect. I reached to grab him, but he began to cry, clinging to her neck, so I left him there for the time being.
"Lady's and gentlemen, thank you for coming today. Now greet the people around you, meet someone new, reunite with someone old, or just go up to someone and hug them! Spread the peace!" the young man called, his voice amplified. Immediately people swarmed out of the pews and walked around, hugging and smiling at other people, laughing.
I turned to see the blonde boy staring at Alfred, a smile on his face as he ran his hand over his hair.
"What's his name?" the boy asked, hugging Alyssa.
"This here is Alfred, and that's his father Arthur. I can assume you are his father correct?" Alyssa asked, turning towards me and edging her way out of the pew.
I nodded, and took Alfred, walking towards the front, wanting to find that familiar blonde head I had seen just a moment ago. After hugging multiple people whom I didn't know, which included an older version of Alyssa, I finally tapped a man on the shoulder.
He turned, and smiled.
"Fancy meeting you here Francis, I didn't know you went here." I said pleasantly, smiling back.
"Bonjour Monsieur, my, your little one is adorable in that." he replied, and I noticed that Matthew and Alfred were almost identical. Matthew was wearing a little white polar bear footie, the hood having bear ears just like Alfred's bunny ears.
"Oh wow, I didn't even plan on him wearing this until I saw it in his drawer this morning." I said, my eyebrows raised.
"As well as I, would you like to sit with me? I can hold Alfred if you want to hold Matthew." he offered, gesturing to the second middle row.
I thought back to the disturbing girl back where I had been sitting, and nodded, following him back as people began to sit down all around us.
"Good morning Saints!" David called, everybody answered, "Good morning Sinners!" he called, and everybody answered again. I had to hold back my laughter, this was going to be interesting to say the least...
Later...
I carried Matthew out of the sanctuary, walking next to Francis as he held Alfred. I could see Alyssa and her friends behind me. She looked put out, but not angry. I stopped to talk with David, another pleasant experience.
"Now where do I go?" I asked Francis, both of our sons were asleep, and we didn't really want to disturb them.
"Now we go to Sunday School." he said, walking down a long hallway.
"Alright," I replied, walking slightly behind him. We walked past a kitchen and a rather large room that had tables set inside it. I paused and got a soda, before I hurried to catch up. At the end of the hall was a turn, but opposite that turn was a parlor, filled with empty chairs.
We turned and walked down a hallway with classroom doors on either side. Francis paused in front of a door that could have only the top open sometimes.
"Do you want to leave Alfred in the nursery?" he asked, turning to the lady that stood there.
"No, I had to leave him alone last night to get kitten supplies and now he won't let me out of his sight. I'm going to keep him with me." I replied, "Do you?"
"No, I was merely making sure." he smiled, walking on after saying goodbye to the lady standing behind the door.
We came to a glass door that led outside, and Francis didn't even pause. He walked right out, and over to another building. I continued to follow, but I began to look around as we entered the dim building.
It looked more like a gym than anything else. It had two basketball hoops, and to the far right was a massive stage that was empty with portable steps at one end. The floor was purple tiles with green and gray swirling in around the entire place. To the left was a staircase and an elevator, and some bathrooms. In front of us I could see a hall to the left, and farther on another staircase on the other side of the building. Underneath that was a set of double doors and a door leading into another larger kitchen.
Francis immediately led the way up the staircase, which was only two flights before we came to a floor that wrapped all the way around the back of the room. He led me to a room that had a light on and had three couples and three single people sitting at a large table.
"Hello, has it started yet?" Francis asked, smiling.
A tall, sturdy bald man stood up, a scowl permanently on his face. "No, you're just fine Francis. Now who is this?" he asked, his voice rough and mean, but not altogether unkind.
"Hello, my name is Arthur, I moved here two months ago." I said, shaking his hand. It was firm and unyielding, a strong man's grip.
"Trent." he said, sitting back down. I noticed that his wife was the woman that I assumed was Alyssa's mother.
"Hello my name is Tianna," she said, standing up and smiling as she shook my hand. I smiled back. She was warm and very happy it seemed, very much unlike her husband.
I was introduced to the rest of the class, and then Francis gave me back Alfred, so I introduced him as well.
"Now, hold on... what is your last name?" a lady named Monica asked.
I had introduced Alfred, as Alfred F. Jones, which was his mother's last name.
"Oh, my last name is Kirkland, I took my wife's last name, and when he was born, it was given to him, but I divorced three months ago and changed my name back to Kirkland, but I kept Alfred's the same." I explained, my face softening in sadness.
Monica blanched and began to stutter an apology when I held up my hand to stop her.
"It's okay really, I moved here to get away from her." I smiled, sitting down with a sleeping Alfred still in my arms.
"Oh..." she murmured, "Where did you live?" she asked, trying to make it less awkward.
I almost didn't want to answer... "I moved here from a small town about ten miles from London." I deadpanned, deciding to just get it over with.
Monica paled, but kept a strained smile on her face, "Oh my, why did you choose this little place?" she asked, still trying to keep the atmosphere from getting scary awkward.
"I thought it would be a nice place to raise my son, I read up on where to move, and saw that this state advertised as the 'Friendship' state, so I guess that's why I picked it." I explained, not really caring if they got it.
"Well, maybe when you feel comfortable, you can tell us about your ex-wife." a woman named Janet asked, getting out a small book with a cross on the front.
"Alright," Trent rumbled, frowning as he got out his own little book, "I think it's time we start our class. Now, today we're going to be talking about..." I tuned him out, finally glancing at Francis.
He was staring at me, a very strange expression on his face. In that expression was pity, sadness, kindness, and tons of other things I couldn't read.
I looked away quickly, trying to concentrate on what Trent was saying. The entire time my eyes were drawn back to Francis, and it always seemed as if he was staring right back at me, those beautiful, sapphire eyes drowning me in their depth...
"I think that'll be it for this week, I hope to see all of you back next Sunday when we tackle the Last Supper." Trent's gruff voice broke in, causing me to shake my head. The class was already over, yet I didn't remember a thing that was said.
Francis stood up, he had seated himself next to me, so he waited for me to get up before he began to walk, pausing to talk to the others in the room. Trent stayed until everybody left, and politely held the door for me.
"Thank you," I mumbled, hurrying to catch up with Francis who was halfway to the stairs. "Wait!" I called, a little angry at him for leaving me.
"Yes Arthur?" he asked, a withdrawn expression on his face.
"Why are you acting like this? What is your problem?" I demanded, feeling weird for being so angry at him. Why did I care?
"I am sorry, but I think we should talk of this in private Oui? Follow me out to my car, then I shall tell you." he didn't seem angry, just sad, and a little hopeful.
I nodded, following him down the steps, making sure that Alfred was securely wrapped in my arms.
We got out to his car and he was finishing putting Matthew in his car seat when he turned to me. In a move too fast to react to, he hugged me fiercely, whispering something so fast I didn't understand what he was saying.
"What?" I asked, feeling like an idiot.
"I'm sorry that your wife did something so awful that you moved to a different country on the other side of the ocean. I wish it didn't happen like that." he repeated, letting go of me.
I was blushing, "Oh... w-well it's not your fault. Why'd you hug me though?" I totally ruined that one.
He smiled, "Because I think I like you," he replied, walking to his door.
"You're gay?" I asked, incredulously. Maybe that was why he had assumed I was gay the other day... I followed him around his car.
"Recently yes. I found out the reason why my wife divorced me was because she knew I was gay before I did! I still am very upset that she left us, even though her reasons were explained, she never told me why she couldn't stay, to at least help Matthew..." he bowed his head, ducking to get into his expensive car.
"Well, if you want, I could help with that." I offered, mentally kicking myself. This man was weird, and had the hots for me, helping him out, most likely at his house was not the best idea.
"Thank you monsuier, but I think I can handle it. I don't think you would be very comfortable with the whole thing." he declined, I rejoiced, but then almost clamped a hand over my mouth.
"No, no I insist. I had to learn a lot of new things when I left, so I think helping would have been the best choice. Please, I want to help so your son gets brought up in the best way possible without his mother." I said, my head screaming at my mouth to shut up! I began to think about how un-Christian like that would be to not help him. He needed me, whether we knew the right reasons why or not...
A/N: There you go folks! The first chapter to my new Hetalia fanfiction! Oh god the picture that inspired this is so cute I swear to god you're going to melt if you see it!