Maddie POV

Maddie watched the others as they watched the computer screens. Alfred was watching the biggest of them all, sometimes going on about redecorating the place, of course, Alice always slapped him when he made a comment. Felicia had long since started her 'siesta' as she had put it, and was sleeping soundly on an armchair. Ludwig was checking on the equipment with Tao. Ivan was oddly enough sitting next to Alfred, laughing whenever Alice landed a hit to the head.

According to Francis, they normally did this, watch and wait for any sign of a ghost for the first night, having popcorn and treating it like a family movie night. It was part of the 'research' process, Alfred said. She was still in Francis's arms, resting on the couch. Tao, who was their, as Alfred had put it, company 'nurse', had looked her over and had told everyone that Maddie was fine, just a little shaken up and probably had a minor concussion. She was to take it easy and try not to do anything that might make anything worse. And she was absolutely fine with that, only problem was that Tao had said that she had to stay up for a couple hours just to make sure that she wasn't unknowingly damaged. Maddie snuggled closer against Francis, slightly cold.

He opened his arms for her to come closer without hesitation. "Froid?"

"Y-yes." Maddie whispered. She fought to keep her eyes open.

"Fatigué trop." He noted and got up. "Come on, let's go get some food." She followed his lead, only slightly dizzy.

"I think that is a splendid idea." Alice said, turning to them. "But I don't trust you to keep your hands to yourself, Frog."

"For the last time, Alice. I'm not a pervertir, I am a gentlemen. Not all handsome men who act like gentlemen are perverts."

"Yah, like me!" Alfred exclaimed.

"You aren't a gentlemen, you dolt!" Alice hissed, "You're too…"

"Loud?" Ivan suggested.

"Naive?" Tao mentioned.

"Immature is what I was looking for, but those others work as well." Alice finished.

"Well, you're too… smart. Yeah! That's why you can't get a boyfriend!" Alfred shot back. Maddie could have sworn that she could see the steam pouring from Alice's ears. Ivan, Ludwig, and Tao, all not to secretly scooted away from the two. Even Francis edged away from the Brit, dragging Maddie with him.

That's when Alice blew. "What did you just say?! I can't get a boyfriend because I'm smart?! THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE YOU BLOODY IDIOT! I CAN TOO GET A DATE!" She charged at Alfred, pinning him against a wall, her fist inches from his face.

This didn't even phase him. "Really, like who? You haven't been on a date the entire time I have known you, except for when you dated Francis for like a week! Your perfectly pretty enough so that must mean that it is your brains that get in the way of you getting a da-" He was cut off by a punch to the gut and then to his face. "What was that for?!"

"THAT WAS FOR INSULTING ME! AND THIS IS FOR YOUR POOR BRAIN THAT DOESN'T EVEN GET USED!" She yelled. As they continued to try and strangle each other, Alice having more success, Francis was able to write down the orders of what they were to get for dinner, like this was an everyday occurrence. It probably was.

Closing the shed door behind him, Francis smirked. "Poor, Alfred. Il est si aveugle à l'amour des autres." He smiled at Maddie again. "Now let us go find some, food." He helped her down the street so they could call a taxi, ignoring the van.

"Thank you, I needed to get out of there." She finally said once they were in a yellow cab.

"Je pense que tout le monde était un peu besoin d'une pause d'un autre."

"What was that? Sorry, you spoke a little too quickly."

"I said that everyone was in need of a break. The only one of us who never seems to be affected on cases is Alfred, but that is because he has this resistance to fear. He calls it being a hero, but I think it is more of being a tromper." She laughed, but had to stop as the world started to spin for a bit. "Are you okay, chère? Vous êtes sur le vomi?"

"No. Just a little dizzy."

"Come here," Maddie was pulled into his embrace once again. "Now, I haven't been able to ask, how are you holding up? It is not easy, our job."

"I-I have never actually been a part of any group. I fear my abilities, I honestly can't touch anything without the possibility of me seeing something and then passing out. My family wasn't a big fan of them either." Maddie looked away from Francis's probing gaze. Just the thought of her mom and dad made her on edge. Memories she had pushed back threatened to break loose.- "I-I d-didn't m-mean t-to." She whimpered as her mother glared at her.- The creak of the wooden floors as she opened the door, only to see the still figure of her father, blood pooling on the floor around him.- "You should never have been born."- She shook her head, trying to breathe. "Anyways, the agency is nice. The closest thing that I have to family now-a-days."

"What do you see when you have visions?" Francis thankfully changed the subject.

"Sometimes just a bundle of random memories, like if I touched a car I would hear a radio playing and feel dirt and stuff. It's not necessarily only my sight that is changed, but like I have been completely immersed in another thing's consciousness. Sounds crazy, eh."

"Not at all. Since we all have abilities, it has made it quite normal for us to be unable to explain what we go through. We don't rely on knowing what one goes through during the process. Half of the time when I dreamscape I see a jumble of images that I must make sense of to help the others. I cannot imagine what it must be like to have a fear of physical contact from this. Il doit être très dur sur vous." He paused to look out the window. "What were to happen if I touched you?"

"W-what do you mean?" Maddie's thoughts immediately went to those things that Alice had said about France being perverted.

"I want to know if you will ever be able to be touched by someone without being in pain."

"I-I guess you could try holding my hand. B-but only if you are okay with me maybe ending up looking into your past." She sputtered. He nodded, and held out a hand to her. Breathing in she took his hand and… nothing happened. She blinked at him "I… I didn't see anything." She whispered.

"No? Is that not normal?"

"I've never met someone that doesn't suck me into their memories." She admitted. There was an awkward silence in the car as the idea hung in the air. Fiddling with her sweater she broke it. "This is weird, eh?"

"Not at all," he whispered back as they reached their destination. Before they were able to leave the cab however, he leaned in closer to her. She closed her eyes, expectantly, knowing that she should be pushing the Frenchman away.

Translations:

Froid? - Cold?

Fatigué trop - Tired too

pervertir- pervert

Il est si aveugle à l'amour des autres- He is so blind to the love of others

Je pense que tout le monde était besoin d'une pause d'un autre- I think that everyone was needing a break from one another

tromper- fool

Vous êtes sur le vomi?- are you about to be sick?

Il doit être très dur sur vous- It must be very hard on you

Author's Note:

So yeah, I'm sorry for the awkward cliffhanger that I left you on (not really). Things should pick up soon-ish. And you have to admit that Alfred really is stupid. And yes, we will mention a fling between Alice and Francis, if briefly.