A few Lewvithur hints in here but this one mostly focuses on my headcanon that Arthur is originally from England (to further add to the King Arthur reference). Also, feels ahead. I cried a little while writing this.

It had been twelve years since he'd been home.

Everything looked so different, starting with the airport. Arthur supposed he should have been expecting it but that didn't deter his enthusiasm in the slightest. In fact it only made him more excited. This would be as much of an adventure for him as it would be for his travel companions.

He didn't even notice himself slipping back into his old accent almost immediately. It just felt so natural now. Here he had worked so hard to train himself to speak like everyone else in the new country, in his new home. All of that out the window in a second.

It didn't hit him until he saw his friends' stares. Even then it didn't register right away. But as soon as he figured it out, he slapped his hands over his mouth. "Oh fuck–Guys I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I swear it just slipped out, I'll never do it again-!" His accent was disgusting on him, it had to be. That was why they were staring at him like that right? But he was hearing it all around him and it was just so hard not to slip back into his old voice-!

Lewis placed a hand over his mouth this time and smiled gently at him. "Artie. Relax, would you?"

He almost fell over from the force of the hug Vivi gave him. "Seriously, don't apologize. It suits you so well so don't stop speaking like that!"

"Wh…no, no, it's stupid…"

"It's cute." Arthur huffed and swatted Lewis' shoulder, prompting a laugh from the taller man.

"Don't call me cute, Lew." Much to his chagrin, his accent was only getting stronger. This was not proving Lewis' point and he refused to believe otherwise.

"Stop being cute and maybe I will. But that's going to be hard for you."

Vivi giggled and straightened out Arthur's vest as she pulled away from her hug. "This is so cool though, isn't it? We're actually going to see your old neighborhood!"

"Yeah, who would've thought we'd get a case all the way out here, and where you used to live even?"

Arthur was just glad their client paid for their flights over. It was a job, sure, but he wouldn't lie and say he wasn't excited to see his old neighborhood again.

Maybe later he could stop at the graveyard. Say hello to his parents. He hadn't been to their graves in twelve years either.

"You'll show us around too, right Artie?" Vivi's smile was nearly blinding. Arthur was pretty sure she was the most excited to be here.

"Well yeah, 'course I will. But uh, keep in mind I haven't been here in years, Vi. It's gonna be a little different."

Their clients were an extremely generous family who were pleased to see them as they met up at the airport. The first stop was a car rental shop (and Vivi and Lewis were completely turned around by the driver's seat being on the right side of the car and driving on the left side of the road. Arthur was the one driving around here) and from there their clients led them to the hotel they'd be staying at. They had a whole week here, after all.

A day or two to take care of this haunting problem, and the rest of the time was vacation. It was perfect!

The case was as basic as they came. Their clients were a newlywed couple that had just moved into their home. Unfortunately, the place was haunted. They had tried other paranormal groups but none of them seemed to do the job. And since the Mystery Skulls were one of the most highly rated paranormal investigators (at least from the people who actually believed this sort of thing) they sent for them. Money wasn't an issue and they were happy to pay for the trip here if they could take care of the problem. How could they turn down an offer like that?

As for the ghosts themselves, there were at least two since they heard two different voices. One sounded male while the other sounded female, although it was hard to tell. The walls rumbled, lights flickered, furniture moved, rooms were rearranged when they came home from a long day of work…and the voices were screaming something about "finding their baby".

Lewis and Vivi handled the questioning while Arthur surveyed over the papers. It seemed like the place had a small history of being haunted. Nobody was sure if it was the same ghost (or ghosts) or not but it had been like that for years. A haunted house in his old neighborhood? Well that was certainly new.

But once Arthur got a look at the address, he froze.

N-no way.

It was his old address. What in the world? Since when was his old house haunted? It certainly wasn't like that when he lived there…at least as far as he was aware.

Then again, he'd been incredibly young at the time. Maybe he just didn't notice? Still, what a coincidence…

He felt a nudge on his robotic arm and looked down to see Mystery staring up at him curiously. The dog had to keep up appearances so he didn't talk, but his expression said it all.

"It's nothing, buddy…" Arthur responded before looking back at the papers and patting the dog on the head. "I'll…tell you later. When we're away from the clients and everything. Y'know." Mystery whined but he understood. As long as Arthur wasn't keeping secrets. They'd all agreed not to do that kind of thing anymore.

Vivi was stunned. "Whoa, Artie, you're seriously telling me you used to live in a place like this?" They knew their clients were pretty loaded but this house was more like a small mansion. Not nearly as big as Lewis' but still. They weren't expecting this! The outside was a little different than Arthur remembered. It looked like it had been recently remodeled.

"Well, my family's always been pretty loaded…" Arthur replied nervously, still wincing at the sound of his own voice. It was hard to hear himself speak like this again. "I guess I kinda inherited my parents' money when they…passed on. Couldn't use it 'till I was legal though." He had to get the money for his robotic patents somehow.

"So why does your uncle work in a shabby old repair shop?"

The mechanic huffed. "First of all, it's not shabby. Second of all, because it's what he likes to do. Just 'cause he has a lot of money doesn't mean he doesn't want to help people." And Arthur was more than happy to work there as well. So what happened to his parents…didn't happen to anyone else.

Faulty brakes, they said. Couldn't stop when the other car swerved, they said. That's not gonna happen to anyone else on my watch.

"Are you two going to keep yapping or are we actually going to go inside?" Mystery rolled his eyes and gently pushed on the back of Vivi's legs with his head. "We do have a case to solve."

"Okay, okay!" Vivi chuckled and gave Mystery a little pat before leading the way. She had been given the keys to the old house and fumbled around to find them for a moment. Arthur felt a large hand on his shoulder.

Lewis looked concerned. "You're not nervous, are you?"

"W-who me? Nah Lew, why would I be nervous?"

"Just…you seemed lost in thought for a moment there."

The blonde fell silent for a few seconds as he contemplated an answer. "Well, I mean…it's gonna be weird walking through my old house again. You were right, what really are the chances? I'm not nervous, I'm just…"

"A little weirded out?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

Finally Vivi managed to get the door open and all four of them walked inside. It was a lot more different in here, though Arthur did feel a tad nostalgic. Different or not, he did recognize some things. The fireplace was the same. The stairs (and the little closet under it) were the same. It was little things like that that made the blonde smile.

After Arthur explained the general layout of the house, it was decided the four of them would split up to cover more ground. The house was a lot bigger on the inside than the outside.

Arthur took the upstairs. He was more curious about how his old room looked than the ghosts, if he was being completely honest with himself. But just as he was about to open the door, he felt a chill down his spine.

Oh no. Here? Now? He almost groaned but kept it turn and turned to see a faint figure disappear down another hallway and around a corner. Why is it always me?

But now that he saw it, he couldn't ignore it…as much as he wanted to. Swallowing nervously, Arthur followed the figure. Whoever it was, he faintly saw a white gown…was it a gown? It was hard to tell but he knew it was at least a skirt…so probably the person with the female voice. Where was the male one then?

Down the hall, Arthur came to a set of double doors and he felt a little sick. This had been his parents' room. He remembered always sneaking in there and hiding under their bed before popping up to surprise them.

Best not to think about that now. Unless she had gone through the floor, this was the only other place down this hallway. He could hear a faint sound coming from inside the room as well.

…Sobbing? "My baby…where is he…?"

Just like what their clients said.

"He was taken away…bring him back…"

There was the male voice, wanting the same thing. Steeling himself, Arthur pushed through the massive doors and peered around. "H…hello?"

It was deathly silent now (no pun intended) and Arthur couldn't see any ghosts in here. Had they moved somewhere else? But just as soon as he thought that, the soft sobbing came back. "Bring him back…!"

There they were. Hunched over near the bed, two figures were curled around each other. A couple maybe? A couple looking for their…son, it sounded like.

"Um…hello there?" Arthur tried again, causing the figures to snap their head in his direction.

And Arthur swore he forgot how to breathe.

Both of them were dressed in formal attire. The man had familiar spiky blonde hair while the female had beautiful white flowing locks. Their eyes were just like Lewis', hollowed out like a voice and glowing irises. The man had deep brown irises while the woman had radiant amber ones.

They stared at each other for what felt like ages before Arthur finally found the will to speak.

"M…Mum? Dad?"

Daniel and Theresa Kingsmen. Married for fourteen years with only one son. Cause of death: Side of the car hit and they tumbled off the road. Daniel with a broken spine and Theresa pierced by multiple shards of glass from the broken windshield. Time of death: 20:24. Only living relative located in the United States.

Those words had been drilled into his head for years. He was pretty sure the cops hadn't meant for him to hear it but he had. His parents were dead.

He had just seen them an hour ago… He was sick; they were just going to get him medicine…

And now they were suddenly standing right in front of him twelve years later. He felt himself start to tear up, despite fighting it. They looked no different than the last time he'd seen them (save for the eyes and the formal attire; Arthur was starting to become convinced that death made everyone dapper). He, on the other hand…he probably looked a lot different.

That was probably why they didn't recognize him. They were probably expecting a ten-year-old boy. "Who…?" The walls around them rattled from his father's, Daniel's, voice and Arthur shuddered. No, no he couldn't be scared. These were the ghosts of his parents. They hadn't moved on this whole time, confined to their old home. But why? "Who are you?"

"I-it's me!" Arthur tried again, gesturing to himself and a few tears rolling down his cheeks. "Dad, it's Arthur!"

The ghosts stared at him as if they couldn't believe their eyes. "A…Arthur…?" His mother, Theresa, floated forward to get a better look at the mechanic, who gave her a gentle smile.

"Yeah, Mum. It's me…" He didn't flinch away when the ghost of his mother put a hand to his cheek. She was freezing, but he didn't care. He was used to that by now.

"Arthur…" Her voice lost the small echo it carried before and before Arthur knew it, he was being squeezed tightly in a hug. "ARTHUR!" Soon enough his father joined in. Arthur wasn't normally one for close contact (unless it was with Vivi and Lewis) but this he didn't mind a bit. In fact he clung to them right back, choking out a small sob.

This was real. They were dead but they were here. "Oh my baby! My baby boy!" Theresa shrieked with joy, pelting her son's face with kisses.

"I wouldn't say he's much of a baby anymore, Theresa," Daniel said with an echoing laugh. He turned Arthur to face him. "You've gotten so tall…"

"W-well yeah, I mean…" Arthur smiled sadly. "It's been twelve years, Dad."

"Has it truly been that long…?" A nod. "So that would make you 22 this year?" Another nod.

"Oh hush." Theresa wasn't having it. She clung to her son desperately. "You're still my baby boy, Arthur."

He'd let that slide, but only because it was his mum and he hadn't seen her in so long. "But where have you been all these years?" Daniel put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "We couldn't find you anywhere…"

And that's why they stayed behind; why they hadn't moved on. They were looking for him. Of course, they couldn't have known. Arthur's face fell. "I was…was… W-well y'know, I didn't have anywhere to go after you both…" He let that part drop. "S-so I was told I had to live with Uncle Lance. He was there at the funeral and…and took me to the States." Before living with Lance, Arthur had seen his uncle maybe once or twice. He barely knew the man but was sent to live with him anyway. Not that he was complaining. Now Arthur loved his uncle to pieces.

There was a beat of silence and Arthur's parents embraced him once again. "We're so sorry, Arthur…"

"We didn't want to leave you behind…"

Arthur shook his head. "It's n-not your fault. You guys didn't mean to get into an accident." He forced a smile for them. "Besides…I work at Lance's shop now. I make sure things like that won't happen to anyone else."

They beamed at him. They couldn't be more proud. That was just like their Arthur, always thinking of others…

"So, Lance's shop, huh? How's that old codger doing?"

He couldn't explain the feeling of catching up with his parents. It was unreal to have them here but at the same time it was as if they never left. Arthur explained everything. How school had been after moving to the US (though he left out the bullying parts), working at the shop, meeting Lewis and Vivi, the three of them along with Vivi's pet dog starting up a paranormal investigators group ("So that's why you weren't so shocked to see two ghosts floating around.")…even going on to say how he was dating his two best friends. They were more than thrilled for him.

"Don't worry, they're here too! I'll introduce you to the-!" Arthur paused and then smacked his forehead. "We were here on a case! I completely forgot about them…" How long had he been talking for? He was surprised Vivi hadn't called him up by now.

"Arthur…" Theresa's voice had gone so quiet. Once again she floated over to him but this time she put a hand on his arm.

His robotic arm. Arthur flinched, realizing he left that part out. "U-uh…"

"What…is this?"

"Um…my arm?"

Daniel narrowed an eye. "Why is it made of metal?"

Arthur suddenly found the floor extremely fascinating. "B-because I, uh…lost my real one. So I made another."

"You-?!" His parents looked at each other, horrified. "You lost your arm?!"

"H-how? What happened?"

Oh boy. That was a can of worms Arthur did not want to open ever again, especially not to his parents. He clutched onto his metal arm, a nervous habit he never managed to break. "I…"

"He's here!" Arthur counted his lucky stars when he heard Mystery's voice. He must have sniffed him out, because a second later Mystery came bounding in and was licking his face. "Wh-whoa hey! Down boy!"

Lewis and Vivi came in soon after. Vivi was about to chastise Arthur for not charging his phone again but stopped when she saw the ghosts. "Uhhhhh…Arthur?"

"What's going on here?" Lewis finished her sentence for her.

Looking in between the ghosts of his parents, Arthur grinned. "Guys? These are my parents. Mum, Dad, that's Lewis, Vivi, and Mystery. The ones I told you about."

"Hold on, what?!"

"Arthur dear, you didn't tell us your boyfriend was a ghost."

"Well geez Mum, he wasn't always a ghost, y'know."

Many more explanations were in order, and most of the questions came from Vivi. It was during that time that Arthur noticed something horrifying.

His parents were fading.

His heart sunk. It was bound to happen eventually. They had to move on and who was he to stop them?

Well their son, of course! He hugged them both tightly, refusing to let go. "I'm g-gonna miss you guys…" Arthur sniffled. Somehow their ghostly embrace had turned warm.

At least he had seen them again. At least he had seen them properly before they moved on… It was the closure he needed.

"Oh Arthur…" Theresa kissed her son's forehead and wiped some tears away. "We'll miss you too…but we're so glad you're safe. That's all we ever wanted…"

Daniel squeezed him tight. "We're so proud of you, son. You've already done so many wonderful things. We couldn't be happier for you."

Arthur flinched. He still hadn't told his parents about his arm. And from the way things were looking…he wouldn't get a chance to. "I'm n-not all that great, Dad…" And Lewis knew immediately what he was referring to… It broke his heart.

"You hush." Theresa gave him another peck. "You're a wonderful person, Arthur. And we love you."

"We'll always love you."

God he missed them saying that… "I l-love you guys too…" Arthur choked out.

And just like that, they vanished. Their embrace was soon replaced by Lewis and Vivi's arms in comfort as Arthur sobbed. He was so glad they were at peace now. They weren't suffering.

He made himself a promise that day. When he eventually saw them again, he'd tell them about his arm. They deserved to know.