A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who added to story alert/favorites/reviewed. Because I got so much of a reaction, here's the next chapter! (A little earlier than I intended.)

Next was the wedding. He'd been in love for a long time before he finally worked out a way to propose without causing offense. With his boyfriend, offense was easily perceived and not so easily forgiven, but he had done it. A few months after the wedding, he finally brought it up.

"Arthur, what do you think about having kids?" Arthur choked on his tea and looked up at Francis, who was watching him carefully.

"We're both men, idiot," Arthur replied. Francis blinked in surprise and straightened up.

"I know that, I was thinking of adopting." He leaned on his hands again, a wistful expression coming over his face. "Just think, a little bébé we can call our own…" Arthur's expression softened at his husband's.

"Give me some time to think about it," he said. Francis immediately brightened.

"Oh, thank you Arthur!"

"I didn't say yes, I said I'd think about it!"

"But I know you will come to agree with me!"

Sure enough, by the end of the week Arthur had agreed to go down and see the orphanage. The woman at the desk greeted them with a smile.

"Hello! How may I help you gentlemen?" she asked. Arthur cleared his throat while Francis looked around excitedly.

"Um…well, ah…we were thinking of looking into the adoption procedures—"

"Oh Arthur, they are all so cute!" Francis said, grabbing his arm excitedly while watching some children run by. The woman smiled at the couple.

"If you come this way I can have you get started on the paperwork," she said. Arthur nodded.

"Alright." He followed the woman down a hall, pulling Francis with him. She led them to her office and they sat down. As the woman explained all the parts of adoption, Francis stared out the window behind her head. It looked out onto the yard, where several children were playing. Francis smiled. Arthur nudged his arm to get his attention.

"Francis, you have to sign this." Arthur handed him a piece of paper. Francis glanced at it briefly before he took the pen Arthur was holding out and signing his name at the bottom. The woman took the form and smiled.

"If you like, you can go meet the children. Most of them are playing outside," she said. Francis sat up straight, excited.

"Can we?" The woman nodded.

"It's right this way." She stood and led them to the door that went out into the yard. As soon as the two men stepped outside, a large group of children ran over to them, immediately flocking around Arthur.

"Whoa mister, your eyebrows are huge!"

"Why are they so big?"

"They look like caterpillars!" Arthur frowned. Francis laughed and slipped away from the group, walking further into the yard. He went past the playground when a flash of yellow caught his attention. There was a child sitting under a tree, idly watching the other kids. The blond boy looked up as he approached, then stood up and ran around the tree, hiding from him. Francis knelt when he reached the tree and called out to the child.

"Hello little boy, there is no need to hide from me, I will not hurt you. Won't you come out so I can meet you?" the boy stayed behind the tree.

"Je ne vous connais pas," he whispered. Francis blinked in surprise.

"Parlez-vous français?" he asked. The boy peeked out at him.

"O-oui," he whispered. "Je ne parle pas très bon anglais."

"That is alright, cher. Tell me, what is your name?"

/linebreakthingy/

Arthur finally extracted himself from the group of curious children only to have one run full speed into the back of his legs, making him stumble. He turned and frowned at the boy, who looked up at him with bright blue eyes.

"Oops! Sorry Mister! I didn't see you!" Arthur sighed.

"That's alright." The boy pointed up at his face, and Arthur, expecting another jab at his eyebrows, was surprised at what the boy said.

"What's your name?" Arthur blinked.

"Arthur."

"Like King Arthur from Camelot?"

"Yes."

"That's cool! King Arthur was a hero! I'm Alfred! I'm a hero too!" Arthur smiled.

"Are you now?"

"Yep! I protect my friend Mattie from all sorts of stuff!"

"Oh, like what?"

"Like thunderstorms, and bad dreams, and the dark, and the big kids on the playground, and mean people that want to adopt him!"

"That's very brave of you," Arthur said. Alfred smiled a tad shyly.

"Thanks!" He searched around himself for a moment. "Oh, I forgot, I was looking for Mattie! Do you want to come with me? Normally I'd protect him from people that come here, but you seem nice so I'll let you meet him!" Arthur gave an indulgent smile.

"Sure, why not?"

"Cool!" Alfred ran out into the yard, Arthur and the woman following slowly.

Kid Alfred is fun to write, but also tiring. So full of energy...! There is a reason he didn't say anything about Arthur's eyebrows, which will come up later in the story.

Je ne vous connais pas-I don't know you

Parlez-vous français?-Do you speak French?

Je ne parle pas très bon anglais-I don't speak very good English

Feedback is greatly appreciated!