Listen to "You're having my baby" by Paul Anka and "I'd love you to want me" by Lobo

This continues from "The Experiment" and "Romance and Lord Kirkland" two other stories I have written. The premise is that Arthur Kirkland accidentally built a time machine, it sent Francis back into 1827 where he fell in love with Arthur Hindley Kirkland, Arthurs Great Grandfather. In this story the nations are not immortal beings but pass their memories and knowledg on to the next generation. Francis' 1828 counterpart has been transported to 1946 and takes the place that Francis left behind. Arthur and Francis had planned to develop a chemical that would allow a man to carry a baby for nine months.

Three months had gone by since Francis Marcel from 1828 had arrived in 1946. He had, after a couple of weeks, been able to tell Arthur what exactly had happened, and no prizes for guessing that Arthur was quite annoyed, and by British terms that is absolutely seething mad. Francis Marcel wasn't going to be able to get back to his 1828, and he spent a lot of time in Arthur's company, getting to know him. In the weeks that followed. however, he established himself as France again, and was happy to move into that role. Over the time he'd spent at Arthur's home, growing closer to the Englishman he'd actually become fond of him, but he hadn't actually said that to him and Arthur too had become fond of Francis Marcel, even though it seemed completely unlikely that he would. The day came when Francis was to leave to go and take his place as the new France, nobody knew any different but he had to fit into the role as if the 1946 France had never left and who better to help him than England, who shared his secret. They left on the train, then the ferry and another train heading for Paris…

"I can only thank you for helping me settle in Arthur." Francis said as they sat in a carriage on the train. "I um… do feel unfamiliar with everything in this time… I appreciate your help."

"Well… what else was I supposed to do?" He replied. "France needs you there, and… it was all my fault for inventing the time machine in the first place." He sighed. "I just can't believe Francis and Hindley did this to you."

"Believe me Arthur, your ancestor Hindley is a rogue… so unrefined… so… difficult." He said with a hefty sigh. "You I find to be much …nicer…"

"Well that's very kind of you to say so Marcel." Arthur said sadly. "I will not deny that I miss Francis a lot, but I do like your company ."

"Really?" Francis Marcel said as a little smile graced his features. "Why is that?"

"Well…" Arthur began "You are more honest I think… and I don't know exactly… we just seem to get on better."

"Perhaps it is because you are not an arrogant child like your predecessor." Francis Marcel replied. "He was insufferable, always thought he was in control of everything." He said "If you want to know, it was he who started all the fighting."

"I can well believe it… after all he challenged me to a duel… " Arthur said, remembering that time.

"I know." Francis Marcel replied. "What a control freak that man was." He said "I hated him." He said and paused "I don't hate you though, I want you to know that."

"I don't hate you either…" Arthur said with a smile. "You know I was just thinking… no its ridiculous…"

"What is it?" Francis asked curiously.

"Well… maybe you are supposed to be here in this time after all. My Francis was weak and you are strong… maybe France needs to be strong now."

Francis smiled at him with a certain fondness he'd never felt for Hindley, and they talked of how he could settle into his new role, and what to expect from 1946.

Arriving in Paris they made their way to the palace that used to belong to Francis Marcel in 1828 only to find that it had been bombed into oblivion during the war and no longer existed. Only the ruins remained, standing in the ground as if long forgotten. Not only was Marcel getting used to the automobile, but to see his former home decimated, and ruined, was too much. On the way back to the centre of Paris, Arthur could see how it had affected him and as they sat talking in a town house owned by Marcel, the conversation seemed to get a little deeper.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "I mean… I can imagine all this must be difficult for you… after all we have gone through two world wars… everything is different to your time."

"It most certainly is Angleterre." He replied "I must take control and help France become great again… I would never have allowed such a thing to happen if I was here…"

"Well… maybe you would have been stronger than my Francis. He just didn't want to fight the Nazi's… I think he was scared you know. I helped him through it but he just couldn't do it by himself… It was down to myself and America to free him from Germany's clutches in the end.

"I would never have allowed Allemagne to take over… he must have been spineless." Sighed Marcel. "What twist of fate meant that the great France should sire a weakling like that?"

"You're right he was weak… "Arthur replied. "And selfish too… leaving me to go to Hindley… I expect it was because he had everything, and I had nothing." He said sadly. "I feel so betrayed…" uttered Arthur, letting the pain sink in, "…then making me believe you were him… it just defies any reasonable explanation. All I wanted was a bit of honesty from him… I never got it…"

Francis Marcel seemed to understand somehow. He didn't quite know what to say or how to say anything, he just listened to him. "Honesty is a virtue." He eventually said. "A man like you deserves that at least… and I actually feel ashamed Arthur, that he did that to you."

Arthur looked up at him and something passed between them, a moment perhaps, but something that made them both realise that this was going to be more than just a friendship. For a while they just looked at one another till Francis tentatively reached forward and held his hand

"Its funny… I feel like I've known you forever…" he said quietly.

"Our ancestors did…" Arthur replied. "We have their memories… most of them anyway…" He said. "Our countries have fought… or made up …or fought again… so…even though you never knew me or I never knew you… we do know… don't we Marcel?"

He nodded and looked thoughtful for a while before speaking. "You um…were in a close loving relationship with your Francis weren't you?"

"I wanted to be." He replied. "He assisted me, he worked for me… we fought alongside each other in the wars… it was a relationship at least I thought so. He on the other hand didn't seem to have much respect for it… and if he really loved me he wouldn't have left me for Hindley would he?"

"I expect that you miss him don't you?" he asked genuinely interested. "I expect that you… are finding it difficult to…live without him?"

"What else am I supposed to do?" Arthur replied, his voice faltering and going a little higher He looked away and tried to hide his distress. "I've got to carry on without him… I have no other choice."

They were quiet for a little while and then Marcel moved closer to him. He was being bold and brave, and he would never have done this with Hindley, but Arthur, though identical to Hindley was different. He wasn't arrogant, he wasn't a control freak, he was a very sweet young man, who'd been betrayed by a person he loved. It was hurtful… and Marcel at least understood that.

"Can I kiss you Arthur?" He whispered. "Please?"

In shock and surprise Arthur looked to him and the tears were beginning to show in his eyes. Marcel had caught him at a vulnerable moment and he didn't have the strength or energy to say no… for when he looked at Marcel he saw Francis… or at least the person he wanted Francis to be. Marcel leaned forward and gently kissed his lips, then cupped his cheek and kept kissing him, and Arthur responded as tears rolled down his cheeks, giving little emotional whimpers as the kiss deepened. That was something he truly did not expect but it was wonderful. "Can I ask you…" he uttered as they pulled away softly from one another "…why you wanted to do that...?" He asked "I thought you hated Hindley… therefore you would have disliked me at least…"

"I suppose I've … never seen a man so emotional before…" Marcel replied. "Men in my time… aren't supposed to cry… or be with other men..."

"It's still the s…same…" Arthur replied "…but… we um… exist, and although people know, they don't say anything. If you are this way… in this time… people let you be, of course it has to be secret."

"Even so… you are a very different sort to the men in my time." He replied. "Not pretentious… not arrogant… not selfish." He said "And I know I've resisted you up until now, but I want to be there for you and you said yourself I am stronger than your Francis. Do you believe that to be true?"

"Yes…" He replied. "Do you think that I… am not strong?" He said, ashamed to have cried in front of him.

"I just think you need someone. And for the life of me I cannot explain it but I want to be that someone. The wars must have taken it out of you, and you've had enough." He said "And the way your Francis treated you is horrible. Perhaps fate brought me to you… perhaps I was meant to be here."

"So you um... do like me then?" Arthur replied with a little smile. "I mean… more than friends…?"

"I want you to know something Arthur…" Marcel replied. "I have always been attracted to both men and women… but I kept my attraction to males secret." He said and continued "When I found out about Hindley and Francis… part of me actually liked it… although I never admitted it… not to anyone." He said trying to be brave and tell him how it was. "But I could never… love Hindley." He sighed. "You however, I can love… "

"I… I'm stunned…" Arthur replied "I never thought…that you… I mean…"

"I know you miss Francis." Marcel uttered softly "But maybe you could love me…"

Arthur nodded gently. Marcel was very different to Francis, he was stronger, he was more sure of himself and he was bold and forthright. These qualities Arthur saw in him from the start, and he knew he was attracted to him. "Maybe I could…" he whispered. "If you'll kiss me another time…."

Francis Marcel looked him in the eyes with all sincerity and pulled him close to kiss him again, deeper with more feeling, cupping his cheek he kissed him more and more, till neither of them could breathe.

They kissed for a while longer before Francis Marcel took him in his arms and held him, remembering how Hindley had stroked his hair that one time and how much he'd liked it, he thought maybe Arthur would like it, so he tentatively started to stroke his hair.

"I hope you can grow to love me Arthur…" he whispered "And maybe I can undo the damage that Francis did… if you will let me."

Arthur snuggled into his chest, and thought about the things he and Francis had planned. Maybe those plans could be revived now... he'd always wanted to be a father but being the way he was, he wasn't attracted to women. Somehow he felt that Marcel wouldn't want to be a male mother, but that didnt' mean he couldn't be... the solution was obvious... and he knew he had to do something about it. Marcel didn't have to know... unless his new experiment worked.