"Didja hear about Francis?"

Kyle watches his brother James for a reaction, and receives it in the form of a bemused look and a shake of the head. James seems to sense there is something strange in the atmosphere, and waits for Kyle to elaborate.

"Apparently he's got depression. It's bad."

James' face turns concerned, but he still looks like he's waiting for Kyle's point as he asks.

"Is he... going to be alright?"

It's a polite question, asked with the same attitude one might asked about an acquaintance, but not family. It's not a question Kyle can answer, so he only shrugs. He's concerned too, but the same as James, he isn't close enough with Alfred's other father to be to be emotionally distraught. In fact, he's more puzzled about the next thing Alfred had said.

"Alfred wants us to go visit, he said having family around would help."

James looks even more confused, and Kyle can tell his brother is searching his face to see if he's serious.

"Family? But we..."

James trails off, but Kyle knows what he was going to say. But we're not really his family. It's true. It's not that either of them dislike Francis, or rather, when they meet him they're on good terms, but it's obvious there's a distance between him. To him, it's always felt like and "Us" and "Them". Alfred, James, Kyle, and Arthur as one family. Mathew, his little sisters, and Francis as the other.

Logically, of course, he knows they're related, and that Michelle and Mathew are their half-siblings, but emotionally, it doesn't feel that way. Kyle can count the amount of times he spent with Francis (that wasn't a family setting) on one hand, and times it was just him and not James even less. He thinks that it's just because Alfred can't feel that divide that he'd asked, or at least, he had thought that.

"Actually, it was Mattie's idea. He really wants the whole family together."

Alfred had sounded both proud and embarrassed as he said that, and Kyle doesn't understand why Mathew thinks they'll be helpful. He can tell James is having the same questions. He watches James ponder for a moment, and when James looks up Kyle can tell he's made a decision.

"Might be nice to become a family."

James suggests the option thoughtfully, watching Kyle's face for a reaction, and Kyle grins a little as he pictures it. Arthur and their sisters, Alfred and Mathew, Francis and them, all together, all speaking to each other and fighting and depending on each other. No more split meals and separate conversations between the French side and the English. Just them, as a family.

Kyle's grin grows wider, and James smirks to match it as they both have an idea.

"Let's go. Besides, I want to make Francis try Vegemite."

James looks somewhat malicious as he pictures the culinary snob trying the Australian spread, and Kyle is sure he looks somewhat similar. He pulls out his phone to text Alfred back.

"Sure. We'll come soon."

Kyle's surprised to find he's looking forward to it.