AN: Well this is chapter 2 everyone! So this chapter is kind of a build up to some emotional and happy stuff in chapter 3, so bear with me!
Chapter 2
Darkness.
That was all Francis could see.
"What happened... why can't I see anything?" he thought aloud.
"You might want to try opening your eyes monsieur!" said a voice straining to hold back laughter.
Francis opened his eyes and gasped. Kneeling beside him was a woman with short golden hair and playful blue eyes. She pushed the blonde hair that had fallen into Francis's eyes away from his face.
"Joan? Is... Is that really you?" the French man stuttered.
"Oui, have you forgotten me already?" Joan exclaimed with a pouting look.
"Non, I could never forget about you, it's just that..." Francis tried to explain as he remembered the night he would never forget.
The night that he lost the only woman he ever loved came back to him in a rush. The air smelled of smoke. Fire trucks and police cars were parked all along the street, their lights flashing. People came out of their houses still in their pj's looking at the house that was being consumed in flames. Francis ran up to the scene but stopped when Antonio and Gilbert grabbed him by his arms.
"You can't go in there amigo!" Antonio tried to explain.
"It won't be awesome! So just..." Gilbert yelled but was cut off when a piercing scream filled the air.
"Joan! She's still in there! Let me go you bastards!" Francis broke free from his friends and started to run towards the house when it collapsed.
Everyone gasped; some let out small screams. The trio stood on the front lawn, their faces paled, Gilbert's jaw dropped. Francis's knees buckled and he fell to the ground, his eyes never leaving the ruble that used to be his house.
"Joan..." Francis whispered.
A slap rang through the quiet, white world and Francis's cheek stung. Francis jumped, his hand instantly lifting to his cheek.
"Sorry! But you were getting lost in a memory! Don't think too hard about anything that happened in the past." Joan explained.
"But you died that night! I saw the house... collapse." Francis said as he tried to make sense of everything.
A strange look crossed over Joan's face, and then she started laughing sadly, "Oui, I did die that day..."
"If only I didn't go out drinking with Antonio and Gilbert..." Francis whispered.
For the second time since Francis came to the white world, Joan slapped him. Francis's hand again held his cheek. Joan's eyes blazed with anger, "don't go and blame yourself!"
An awkward silence followed with Joan still glaring at Francis. It seemed that there was more to Joan's anger than just Francis blaming himself, but he couldn't figure out what.
"So is this heaven?" Francis asked abruptly, trying to change the topic to something lighter.
"No, this is Limbo. In this place we are supposed to find peace, but people who have been severely injured come here too." Joan explained.
"So there is a chance that I'm not dead?" Francis sounded almost excited.
Joan laughed, "I know for a fact that you are not dead! I can guarantee that you are very much alive."
"So... is there any way I can go and see everyone? You know, like in the movies?" Francis asked with a sheepish look on his face.
"After all these years of not seeing me and already you want to go back?!" Joan asked in mock anger, the corners of her mouth twitching trying to hold her frown in place.
"Don't be mad mon amour! I was just curious!" Francis said as he leaned over and gave Joan a deep passionate kiss that showed every emotion that he felt when she had been taken from his life.
Both their faces flushed crimson as they moved away from each other and stared at their hands in their laps. They were both excited but embarrassed by the passionate kiss. Joan jumped up, pulling Francis with her.
"Well you better go see your friends!" Joan said with an underlying hint of sadness that did not go undetected by Francis. He didn't mention it though, knowing that she would tell him if she wanted to. "All you have to do is think about whom you want to see or where you want to go and you will be there in a heartbeat!"
"Won't you be coming with me?" Francis asked.
Joan looked at her feet as she shifted from one foot to the other. Francis mentally kicked himself. He was always saying things without reading the situation.
"I'm sorry, you don't have to come if you don't want to..." Francis tried to lighten the mood as he smiled at Joan.
"I would love to but I'm afraid that you should make this first trip alone." Joan explained, still looking at her feet.
"All right... until we meet again Mon amour." Francis said as he gave Joan a quick hug and a kiss on the top of her head.
Francis closed his eyes and thought of Antonio and Gilbert. Gilbert's red eyes, white hair and trade mark smirk; Antonio's kind green eyes and his laugh that forced others to laugh with him. In an instant, Francis felt like he was spinning. He fought to keep his balance but soon fell to his knees as the world continued to spin.
Just as soon as it started, the spinning stopped and Francis found himself in Gilbert's kitchen.