WHOOPS I had this chapter finished awhile ago but I forgot to post. Haaaaah...

"Francis!" A woman called from behind the counter. She had several boxes of pansies balanced in her arms and the man she called for set his watering can down to help her.

"Yes, Eliza?"

"Can you take these out front for the display?"

"Sure thing, mon amie," he said with a flourish of his words and he took the boxes from her arms only to find they were much heavier than she let on. Little purple and yellow flowers tickled his nose and he could hardly see over them as he shifted the weight so it wouldn't topple over. Francis wasted no time bringing them to their destination so he could give his already straining arms a rest. The little bell on the door jingled when he opened it with his hip and stepped onto the busy sidewalk of Paris.

The man hummed to himself cheerfully as he set the load down and started to arrange the delicate flowers on a display cart under the shop window. It was nearing the end of his shift and he was practically bouncing on his toes in excitement for the night to come. It was Friday and he and his pals were planning to hit the town hard. It was going to be nothing but drinking, partying, and lots of big breasted wome-

CRASH!

Suddenly Francis was on the ground. He didn't really know how he got there but when he came to he was aware that something heavy was weighing him down. Around him was the messy remains of what used to be pansies in cracked plastic cups and dirt littered his green apron.

"Ahhh, blimey that smarts!" the thing on top of him hissed and cringed. It was a man and he struggled to get up on his elbows with his eyes squeezed shut. They opened cautiously at first, then went wide no more than a few inches away from Francis's face. They were such a lovely shade of green… "Wha-WAH!" The man yelped, flailed, and rolled off the one he just landed on. Francis sat up and shook his head noting that some strands of his silky hair were loose from the small tie he kept them in. However, rather than fixing it, he simply stared at the one to his side.

He had short wind tousled flaxen locks with small bits of plant and dirt sticking out, creamy peach skin, and a young face. His build was slim which was easily noticeable by what the guy was wearing. It looked like some kind of white toga wrapped over one shoulder and synched at the waist with silver hemming. The man wore no shoes, instead sporting golden lace that wrapped up his shins in a crisscross fashion. He didn't appear to have any body hair other than on top of his head and he had to double take to make sure it was not a girl. Those clothes sure were…revealing. The toga covered only half his chest and didn't go past his knees. The material was lifted up a little showing off his hip where he sat looking around in pure bewilderment. How cute!

"Wh-what the bloody bullocks?" he gasped. Ah, so he was English. How disappointing. Still, this person was undeniably attractive. "Peter, you little berk! I'm going to tear you limb from limb when I get back up there!"

"Sir? Are you alright?" Francis tried to ask but he was ignored as the man continued to yell at something in the sky. He looked up and saw nothing. "Excuse me!" A tap to the shoulder startled the other and made him look at the puzzled man joining him on the ground. Francis put on the best suave face he could and offered his hand as he stood. "Mon ami, I believe you fell on me. Are you alright?"

Instead of apologizing or explaining himself, the stranger in odd clothes instead turned bright red and nearly fell over himself trying to scoot away. "Woah, don't touch me!"

That wasn't very nice. "I believe you fell on me. How rude." He then realized the guy was scooting backwards farther than he should. If he went any more he was going to fall off the curb and get hit by a speeding car. "Watch out!" The stranger froze up when Francis jumped and grabbed him by his white garments to pull him forward. It was just in time, too. A second later and the man might have been a pancake. "What are you trying to do, get yourself killed? This is a street, not a playground!" The other merely looked at him with wide eyes and…woah, those were some big eyebrows. But they seemed to fit his young face so he guessed even they were endearing. Childlike, even.

"S-sod off," the guy mumbled under his breath and it looked like he was trying to get up. Francis watched as he struggled to stand but it was like he didn't know how to walk or something. He kept muttering something under his breath and was looking anywhere but at Francis.

"That is a terrible way to thank someone after they broke your fall and saved your life," Francis said with his hand once again extended. The man didn't take it preferring to get up himself. His knees were shaking a bit and he gave Francis a look that was hard to decipher. "Are you hurt?"

"Yeah, but I'll be fine. Thanks, I guess. Goodbye." He immediately turned to leave but Francis wouldn't have any of that. He grabbed the man by the back of his toga and yanked him slightly. It was supposed to stop him from walking away but instead made him yelp and topple over. Francis had to catch him before he hit the pavement. It was like he had no balance at all!

"L-let go of me!" the other grunted through his teeth. He was starting to cause a scene as people walked by giving the two strange looks. Francis held onto the man's shoulders and shook his head with a little smirk.

"Non. Someone has to explain to my boss why all our pansies are suddenly un-sellable." Francis made sure the other was upright before gently tugging him by his arm towards the door to the flower shop. The man fought to be free but he couldn't do so without falling over again so ended up along for the ride. The little bell dinged when the door was opened and Eliza was already there with a narrow-eyed glare. She saw the whole thing from the window and wasn't too happy.

"Look at what you did!" Her accent was slightly Hungarian. "That was a whole crate of pansies, now gone. I hope you intend to pay for the flowers you ruined."

"Pay?" the man quirked an eyebrow like the idea was ridiculous.

"Yes, pay. You better carry a wallet in that frilly dress of yours. Have you been drinking today?"

"Of course not, and this is not a dress. I'm sorry about the flowers but I really have to go," he snapped and made a rush for the door. Francis blocked him from getting away.

"The destruction of store property is a crime," he said sadly. "Please, mon ami, comply with her before she does anything brash." …and give me a chance to get your number.

"Oh, just what I need… Look, I'm not supposed to be here. If you won't get out of my way then you leave me no choice." The man bent his knees and looked up at the ceiling. He then put his arms out and jumped like he was expecting to go somewhere but instead went crashing into yet another display of flowers, these ones tulips. The two winced as shattered vases and crumpled blossoms were strewn over the floor and the man was face down in a puddle of spilled water and bent stems. "Ow! Wha-what the devil is going on…? Where are my wings, and why can mortals see me?"

Ah, so this guy was an escapee from the funny farm. Francis was utterly crushed. Even though he took an interest in this one, not even the cutest of the cute could overshadow the turn off that is lunacy. Francis had enough dates with crazies to know that it was never a good idea. What a shame. He gave the brunette girl a look and she took the hint. While he distracted the man not right in the head, she brushed her long hair behind her ear and went to the counter to pick up the phone. Great, this is just what they needed at the end of a long shift…

"Sir, calm down and stop breaking things!" Francis went to the mess on the floor and kicked away some broken pottery and glass. The Englishman got off his face and tried to get up again but only fell right back down when his bare foot stepped on something sharp.

"YAH! Oh God, that hurts!" he practically screamed.

"Keep him quiet," Eliza pleaded to her employee as she dialed a number. The one on the floor turned around to see what she was doing. "Hello, police? Yes, my name is Elizave-"

The phone suddenly jumped from the woman's hand. It magically flew across the room and into the waiting open palm of the clumsy intruder who quickly hit the off button.

"Don't do that, please." The room was suddenly silent. Everyone stared at the one on the ground still clutching his foot. Did the phone just jump from one side of the room to the other? How did he do that? "A little help? Something is wrong, I am hurt! This pain is unbearable, errrgh…"

"Hold still," the pretty brunette woman with a white flower tucked behind one ear demanded as she held Arthur's foot in one hand and was bandaging it with another. The white strips of tape were wound around his arch where a small cut from a shard of glass made a red line. Never had the angel bled before. It was a sharp pain that made his entire leg shake, not to mention the blood coming out made him feel sick. He sat on the counter of the flower shop clutching the edge like a lifeline while the other man, the one Peter shot, stood there with his hands on his hips watching Arthur closely.

"…You are a what?" he asked again slowly. For the third time Arthur answered through gritted teeth.

"An angel. Ah, not too tight!"

"It isn't tight at all. Don't be a baby."

"I'm n-not a baby! I just haven't ever been hurt like this…"

The Frenchman simply stared at him in wonder. He looked Arthur over with scrutinizing eyes and it made him feel utterly nervous. The angel watched mortals all the time but he was not used to being watched by one of them. Especially one of them that may be at risk for falling in love with him. There was no telling if the arrow would even work on an angel and human! "Is that how you levitated the phone from Eliza?"

The woman named Eliza finished wrapping the cut and stood back to admire her handiwork. Arthur examined it himself suddenly feeling relief. The pain was starting to fade away. So this is the fabled magic of band-aids? "There has to be some explanation for how the phone went from my hand to his," she said. "That just isn't possible…"

"For you, perhaps, but for me it is nothing."

"If you actually are an angel then what the hell are you doing here?"

Arthur restrained himself from scolding her for using foul language. "Er, there was an accident…I fell."

"What kind of accident?"

"I was shot."

"Oh? I didn't know they have guns in heaven."

"It wasn't a gun, it was an arrow. My own arrow. Ugh, I'm going to throttle Peter when I get my hands on him!"

"Who's Peter?"

"My student." Arthur was getting tired of these questions. Now that he was calmed down and bandaged up he had to start thinking of what he was going to do. "I don't know what is going to happen to me. I don't belong on Earth and with me gone, the only one that can take my place is that brat and he hasn't completed his training enough to have a clue about what to do. I can't fly, I seem to be vulnerable to injury, and mortals can see me. But at least I still have some power left…"

"How unfortunate! M'ange, you have my sympathy." The Frenchman took Arthur's hand and brought it to his lips in a courteous bow. He kissed the top, throwing a devious look at the angel who turned pink and instantly pulled away.

"Sh-shut it, frog! I never asked for your sympathy, did I?" Usually he was a little more polite but there was something about this man that Arthur really wanted to slap in the face.

"There is no reason to be so rude, I was simply-"

"Okay, settle down boys," the woman put her hands out as if to keep them from fighting. She turned to the one on the counter. "What is your name?"

"Arthur," he replied. "What are yours?"

"I am Eliza and this is Francis," Eliza gestured to the blue-eyed one in the green apron still eyeing him. "Welcome to Earth, I guess."

"Thanks, love."

"Arthur!" The angel suddenly flinched and looked at the front of the store where the voice was coming from. The other two followed his eyes but they probably couldn't see Peter fly through the store window like a ghost still carrying Arthur's golden bow and heavy quiver. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry!"

Arthur got ready for yet another lecture to his ill-mannered student. "You better be. Look at what you did to me! I told you to listen but you couldn't, could you? Always doing things your way. Always disregarding my advice. Look at what you have done now!" Francis and Eliza looked to where Arthur was speaking but didn't see anything. To them, the man was talking to the air.

"I'll try to undo it, I swear!"

"No, don't you try to do anything. Just go and get some real help, okay? Find someone who knows what they are doing." It was about then that Arthur realized the boy was starting to tear up. He hovered over the floor casting a slight glow on the surfaces around him clutching the elegant golden bow to his chest.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…you probably hate me now…"

A wave of guilt washed over the fallen angel when he saw his student make that face. He already knew he was in deep trouble and yelling at him wasn't going to help matters. Peter could be annoying, but he never meant any kind of harm. He just wasn't aware of the consequences to his actions. "…I know, I know. It is okay, I just hope you learn from this. I don't hate you."

"Y-you don't?"

"No."

The boy wiped his eyes on his wide sleeve and produced a tiny cautious smile at his mentor who sighed and motioned for him to come closer. He did and Arthur took him into a small hug. The cherub felt so light and warm in his arms, unlike anything he'd ever felt. Is this what heaven's warmth felt like to a mortal? It was amazing. "There, there. It was a mistake, I just hope you learn from it. Find someone who can help and we will get back to your lessons as soon as I am back."

"Okay…" A brilliant idea went through Peter's mind and he broke the hug with a wide grin. "I know, I'll get Alfred!"

"Yes, go and get – wait, what?"

"Alfred will know what to do. He always does, he's the hero!" Peter zoomed away with a confident smile before Arthur could say anything. "I'll be back, I promise!"

"Peter? Peter! No, don't get that fool! …Oh, bollocks." Arthur could crawl into a hole and die for all he cared. Not only was that Alfred git coming to 'save the day' but he also had to deal with these two mortals, one of which was staring at him like he was a mental case and the other…well, he didn't quite know if the arrows took or if the man was flirtatious with everyone. It kind of seemed like the latter. "What, do I have something on my face? It is rude to stare."

Eliza cleared her throat and gave Francis a sheepish glance. Arthur could see the skepticism written on her face clear as day. She didn't seem to be buying the angel story. "Right, well. Francis, you watch him while I clean up this mess." She pointed to the floor littered with debris from Arthur's clumsiness. The woman grabbed a broom and dustpan from behind the counter but their guest put a hand out to stop her.

"Let me get that for you, dear. It is my fault after all."

Francis cocked his head to the side and gave him an inquisitive look. "How are you going to help when you can hardly stand up by yourself?"

"Like this." Arthur waved his hand towards the mess and immediately something started to happen. Shards of glass and crushed tulips shuddered in place for a moment before suddenly being drawn together as if pulled by a magnet into a pile. Any vases that were miraculously unscathed were set up in a row and undamaged tulips placed in them by an unseen hand. It took all of a few seconds to have that done leaving only a puddle of water and Arthur looked back at the blonde with a smug look. His jaw was nearly on the floor at what he just witnessed. Eliza's, too.

"You…you just…but how did you…"

The man brought a single tulip to his hand from the counter and nonchalantly inspected its yellow petals with a smirk before handing it to the dumbfounded brunette. "I am an angel. Didn't I tell you this?"

"…Y-yeah, but…"

"I don't blame you for finding this hard to believe. It isn't every day an angel comes to Earth this way. Usually they need special privileges, but I seem to have accidentally found a loophole."

"Which is?"

Arthur hesitated to answer. Yes, they needed to know he was an angel so they didn't call the cops on him or something drastic like that. But he didn't quite want them to know exactly what kind he was, either. He already said something about his arrows but hopefully neither would connect the dots and discover they came from Cupid's bow. "…None of your concern. Sorry, but I am not at liberty to disclose very much information."

"Well then…you are far from home," Eliza reached out and touched Arthur's arm experimentally as if she thought he would feel different from other mortals. She seemed disappointed when it was like any other arm. "What are you going to do? Where are you going to go? Is there anyone coming for you?"

Arthur tapped his chin and crossed his legs dangling over the counter in thought. "I…I'm not sure. I admit that I am very lost at the moment… My student just left to get some assistance so there is someone coming for me and I doubt that I am stuck here forever. It is only a matter of time, but until then I am stuck in this mortal form."

The florist clasped her hands together and looked at him with shimmering eyes. "You poor thing! I can't believe it, an angel is here in my presence needing help! This is amazing! Francis, isn't this simply amazing?" Looks like she finally believes.

"Oui." The man, who had been rather silent, blinked as he stared at Arthur. Fascination was engraved in his features putting the angel on his toes.

"Do you need a place to stay until your help arrives?" Eliza asked.

"That would be smashing," Arthur agreed with a nod. Now that she knew she was dealing with a divine presence she seemed more eager to help, just as planned. "Your hospitality would be highly appreciated and I will see to it that you are rewarded for your generosity. Thank you, Eliza."

The woman let out a short quiet laugh and looked to the side. "Oh, you are welcome. Though I and my husband were planning on going away for the weekend, but if it is for an angel I guess I can tell Roddy to cancel…" Everyone could tell she was disappointed. Francis shook his head of wavy hair making his ponytail bounce and objected.

"Ma chère, no! This is the weekend you have been talking about for an entire month! You two have been postponing this for ages and this may be your only chance to get away with your love before he goes on tour for a whole year," he stressed the last part dramatically.

"What else can I do? An angel is in need, you don't just ignore that. Unless…do you want to take him, Francis?" Eliza had the biggest puppy eyes Arthur had ever seen. You would have to be Satan himself not to be affected in some way.

The man looked at Arthur and smiled brightly. "Of course. It would be no problem."

"Oh no," Arthur immediately shook his head. "There is no possible way I will be going home with him."

"And why not? What have I done, besides saving your life twice?"

He was going to reply when he realized he had nothing to say. It wasn't like Arthur could tell him the truth! He was very wary of the man he was accidentally partnered with. Can his arrow even affect angels? As far as he knew, this hadn't ever happened before. "Because…that is classified."

"Classified?" Francis quirked an eyebrow. "Why on Earth would that be classified?"

"It just is."

"Well I don't see that as a good enough reason."

Eliza cut in. "Um, if it really is a problem than I can cancel my plans…"

"Non! You and Roderich have a wonderful time. I will baby-sit the angel."

"Why are you so insistent?" Arthur crossed his arms at the man and glared. Francis returned it with that sly look of his.

"Because I want to know what you are hiding."

"I am not hidinnhhnm-" Arthur threw his hands over his mouth when his speech turned to garble. Everyone looked at him funny.

"What was that?"

"Uh…angels aren't allowed to…lie."

"Aha!" Francis pointed a finger at him with a wide smile. "So there really is a secret. I want to know what is so special about me." Arthur's cheeks tinted pink and he started stuttering over his words.

"Th-that is none of your business! I don't have to tell you anything."

"Alright, I give up," Francis rolled his eyes and leaned on the counter next to Arthur who tilted away slightly from the one drawing ever-closer. "But do you really want to infringe on Eliza's big weekend? Surely you understand how important it is for a couple to have time for one another and these two have been neglecting that for some time. Look at her, doesn't it nearly break your heart to see this pretty woman in such a state?"

"What state?" Eliza gave Francis a dagger filled look and crossed her arms. "I am fine, honest!"

Arthur, having the ability to see more than just a face, knew she was lying. She might think it was the truth but her heart was saying another story. One look and he could see the edges were becoming frayed and it was clear how strained it was with the stress and longing. Francis was right, she really did need this weekend with her husband almost to the point of it being critical. His job was to pair and keep people together and if the Angel of Love got in the way of that it would be a crime. Arthur was trapped between his job and his feelings. As always, his job came first.

"…Alright," he sighed making the two currently bickering stop and look at him. "I will stay with Francis for now."

"Really?" both asked and blinked at the same time. What were the odds?

"Yes. Have a wonderful time with your husband."

"But…you said you aren't allowed to stay with Francis," Eliza pointed out.

"No, I said that I don't want to. But I will change my mind if it means not interfering with your plans."

She smiled brightly and took Arthur's hands in hers. "You are such a gentleman! Thank you so very much, but are you sure?"

"I am sure." Arthur replied with his own encouraging smile. "Don't worry about me. Francis is right, you do need this weekend with your husband…more than you know." He sneaked in a wink to her before Francis clapped his hands together and laughed.

"Ohonhon! Then it is settled. My shift is over so I will get my coat and we can be on our way."

Arthur couldn't help but let out a small groan in the back of his throat. Great, he had no choice but to be whisked away to whatever hole the frog came from. But it was either that or go against his sworn duties. He would have to deal with it for now until help arrived and hopefully he would survive. One look at Francis's heart told him all he needed to know.

This was going to suck.

I always laugh whenever I make France say 'I give up!' in any of my fics.