CHAPTER 17

Alice was numb.

Her own siblings had kicked her out of her house. Her home. Everything was cold, and wet, at trembling around her. She had nothing to keep her warm except her worn down, old trench coat. The case that Alastair had tossed at her was her violin case. She suspected he couldn't tell the difference because of how drunk he was.

Her warm, salty tears mixed with the rain.

She was somewhat glad for that. She may be homeless, without food and clothing, but at least she still had her dignity.

Alice had planned on just going back to her work and sleeping in her office, but it was closed.

She'd wandered some more and then she was lost. Alice didn't have her cellphone, so she couldn't call Alfred. And she had no money for a payphone, either. She'd just have to tough it out until morning and then she could-

"Alice?"

She looked up, face still covered in tears and rain. Not like she gave a shit. "...Francis?"

XXX

After he'd found her shivering on the streets, Francis immediately brought her back to his house.

He'd given her hot chocolat and one very large blanket. She was hardly talking, and didn't bother explaining to him why she was out on the streets with nothing but a violin case. He didn't have the heart to push her about it, anyway. Alice was crying in that rain.

He knew her long enough to know that she would never admit to that, not even over her dead body. Whatever it was, it had to be serious. More so than any gunshot wound or two. Speaking of that.

"Alice, que je peux voir le où vous avez été blessé?" She nodded mutely and took off the blanket and her coat. She didn't even have enough strength to call him wanker or frog. Surprisingly.

The bandaged were haggard and torn. The wound had reopened. "Avez-vous dans un combat?" His voice was harsher than he'd meant it to come out.

Alice flinched away from him. "Pardon, pardon." He apologized. "Pouvez-vous s'il vous plaît laissez-moi le vois? Je promets que je ne vais pas vous faire de mal."

Reluctantly, she let him come closer.

He slowly took of the bandages, his heart clenching as the bloody wound in her shoulder was unveiled. "Je suis désolé. Je suis tellement, tellement, tellement désolée." He felt the huge wave of guilt seep into his chest.

"Il est la faute de personne, mais de Vash." Alice whispered softly. "Merci...Pour aller avec moi à l'hôpital...Et merci à vous, de me prendre dans."

"I'm your assistant," Francis gave her a half-hearted grin. "It's my job to help you. Come on, let's get you to bed."

Alice nodded mutely, following him to a bedroom. It was small, smaller than her room back at the apartment. "Zis is ze only room zat I have besides Matthew's, so…" He scratched the back of head, sheepishly.

Alice shook her head. "You already did too much. I'll sleep in the living room."

"Non, non, non!" Francis shook his head. "I've already told you before zat a lady should not sleep on ze couch."

"You already saved me from being homeless." Alice said, "I'm not going to take your bed away from you."

Francis huffed. "Zen sleep wiz me." He watched her face blow up red. "Ohonhonhonhonhon~ You have such a dirty mind, mon chéri." Her face turned even more red, if that was even possible.

"...Like back in Venice?" Was all Alice muttered, looking away.

Francis wondered who he was looking at. Where was the strong, confident woman who didn't take shit from anyone? Where was woman who could scare murderers and rapists into bawling babies? "Oui, just like in Venice." He missed her. He missed the cantankerous, clever, and slave-driving boss of his.

He missed Alice.

Translations:

Chocolat = Chocolate.

Alice, que je peux voir le où vous avez été blessé? = Alice, can I see where you're injured?

Avez-vous dans un combat? = Did you get into a fight?

Pardon, pardon. = Sorry, sorry.

Pouvez-vous s'il vous plaît laissez-moi le vois? Je promets que je ne vais pas vous faire de mal. = Can you please let me see? I promise I won't hurt you.

Je suis désolé. Je suis tellement, tellement, tellement désolée. = I am sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry.

Il est la faute de personne, mais de Vash. = It's nobody's fault but Vash.

Merci...Pour aller avec moi à l'hôpital...Et merci à vous, de me prendre dans. = Thank you ... For going with me to the hospital ... And thank you, for taking me in.

Non, non, non! = No, no, no!

Mon chéri = My Dear.

Oui = Yes.