Philip and Frances stared in awe at the spirit swirling out the locket, Frances having to take a step back to really look at it. Process it, even.

"You weren't kidding," Frances murmured, which prompted Philip to chuckle, slightly due to annoyance. "Well, of course I wasn't. Why on Earth would I want to do that?"

Frances shook her head and pushed him gently out of the way, making Philip huff a little. Frances held the spirit in her palms, smiling at it. "Well, what brought you here? Why have you been reduced to a spirit?"

The spirit shook her head, floating away, making the two gasp in surprise. "Where are you going?" Philip called after her. By now, however, the spirit had taken the form of a beautiful butterfly.

"Well," Frances started. "That sucks." Philip frowned, sighing and plopping down. "What if she got hurt?"

"She won't."

"But what if--"

"Nothing will happen, Pip. Mark my word. That spirit holds power. I can tell."

Phillip looked down, picking at the grass and sighing once more. "Yeah. I suppose you're right."

Frances chuckled. "Of course I'm right. Now come on, no point sitting here being all gloomy. Let's head up to the garden, hm?"

Philip's eyes lit up. "Our favorite?" Frances nodded. "Our favorite." Frances lended Philip a hand, pulling him up and dragging him up to the garden, taking in all the gorgeous flowers in the area.

"I'll never get over how pretty this place is," Frances smiled, glancing over at Philip, who seemed just as delighted to be there. For a public space, it was kept in fantastic condition. No trash to be seen, no angry words to be said.

A quiet place. A happy place. Filled with nothing but good feelings. Good thoughts, hope, bravery, every good feeling you could think of. It was all there.

"Wow," Philip whispered quietly. "Still neat, huh?" Frances commented, Philip agreeing with a nod. "Y'know," Frances spoke. "I wouldn't mind this being the place I die. All the flowers. The birds, the trees, it's all wonderful."

"I agree," Philip replied. He looked around at the place a bit more, taking everything in. Then he noticed somebody.

"Hm?" Frances questioned at the sudden change of interest, looking over in the same direction. "Oh. It's a boy."

"Should I talk to him?" Philip asked. Frances tilted her head. "Why? What's got you interested?" Philip shrugged. "I don't know. A gut feeling, I guess?"

Frances shrugged. "You're always having gut feelings, but alright, I guess. He looks only a year or two older than you, might work out." Philip smiled.

Philip approached the stranger hesitantly, clearing his throat as he tapped his shoulder. "Hello, er-"

"Salut!" The boy greeted, swiftly turning around. "How are you?" Philip quickly realized he was French. "I, uh, I'm doing okay!"

Georges scanned the other up and down. "What is your name?" Philip quickly regained his posture. "Oh, uh, Philip. And you are--?"

"Je m' appelle Georges. Do you speak French?"

Philip nodded. "Oui."

Georges clapped his hands together. "Neat!" He glanced over at Frances. "And who is this lady?"

"That's my friend, Frances."

Georges paused. "You sure you are not, what's it called..Lovers?" Philip almost gagged at the thought. "Of course not! We are more siblings than anything."

By now Frances had made her way over, giving Philip a small shove in response to the gagging. "I'm not that bad!" Georges chuckled. "I see you are very close, yes?"

Philip smiled very slightly at the comment. Frances did not, but they both believed that she secretely thought the same, deep in her head.

"Well, uh, tell me a bit about yourselves. Why are you here?" Georges inquired. "We like the flowers," Frances responded. Philip nodded.

"Oh, oh, they're very beautiful, yes?" Georges grinned. Frances smiled a little. "And why are you here?" She asked.

"I came here since there was a lot of arguing going on..I'm not able to see my mother, so, I came here to pass the time." Philip frowned. "Why can't you see her?"

Georges shrugged. "I'm not sure..." Frances laid a hand on Georges shoulder, giving him a warm, comforting smile. "It's okay. I can't see my mother either."

Georges gave a sad smile. "And why not?" Frances paused, thinking for a moment. "Actually, now that I think of it, we can. Right now."

"I- right now?" Philip clarified.

Frances nodded, taking both of their hands, leading them out of the garden and up a hill. Georges looked around, unfamiliar with the surroundings, and Philip was just trying to catch his breath.

"Not a fan of walking up hills, ey?" Georges chuckled.

Philip felt his cheeks grow hot, too embarrassed to respond. Instead he just glanced away with a tiny pout, prompting Georges to let out a laugh.

Frances rolled her eyes playfully at the boys' banter, leading them to a place even Philip hadn't recognized.

This place wasn't like the garden at all. The complete opposite, actually. The only flowers there were in boquets, and they certainly weren't there to grow or to represent peace.

These flowers signalled mourning, the passing on of loved ones. There were trees, but their leaves weren't anything like the ones in the garden. They were more gloomy, dark.

Nothing about this place was happy. Philip didn't like that, not at all. He was beginning to wish that they never came here at all. It was too spooky, that's what he thought anyway.

Georges immedientally understood the situation, only an 'oh' escaping his lips. Frances led them over to a tombstone, wiping any leaves or dust off to reveal the writing.

'Here Lies Martha Laurens
1899-1924'

"Died only this year," Frances murmured. Philip hugged her after a moment, before whispering, "You miss her, don't you?" Followed by a kiss on her cheek.

Frances nodded, tears burning at her eyes. Georges stood still, not sure what he should do. "She must still love you. In the afterlife, I mean."

Frances' face broke into a small, grateful smile. "Thank you," she spoke, letting a small, pained laughter afterwards, making Philip tighten his arms around her more.

"Enough of this being sad..I've mourned enough already now. Should we head back to our place?" She spoke. Philip nodded. Georges kept quiet, before saying, "I'm not sure I'd be able to..What with everything going on and all.."

Frances rolled her eyes a little. "C'mon, you only live once! Do you really want to follow the rules your entire life?" Georges thought about this for a moment.

"No. No I do not. You've convinced me, let's go."

Philip cheered in delight, making the other two start to giggle. Philip and Frances began to lead Georges back to their home, Philip running in excitement.

"Goodness, slow down, my friend, you might trip and fall," Georges chuckled, Philip blowing a raspberry at him in response, making both of the others roll their eyes.

"You're so childish sometimes," Frances commented.

"I am not!"

"You're proving her point," Georges added with a small snicker. Philip just huffed and crossed his arms.

Georges paused, before asking, "how old are you two?"

"Thirteen," Philip responded.

"And I'm fourteen," Frances told him.

Georges smiled. "Well, we're all pretty much the same age then. Except I'm turning fifteen this year in December." Frances grinned. "I'm turning fifteen in January."

"What about you, Pip?" Georges inquired.

"I'm turning fourteen in January," Philip replied.

"Ooo! Very close birthdays then, hm?"

"Yeah, but Pip is still a baby," Frances giggled, pinching Philip's cheek. "Gah! I'm not a baby!" Philip protested. "I'll show you- I can fight!"

"Yeah, you keep saying that," Georges snickered a little, feeling like he was family already with their banter.

"You two are the worst!"

The three finally made it back home, Frances knocking on the door confidentally. John, who was currently reading a newspaper, reluctantaly got up, opening the door for the three.

"Well, welcome back kiddos, and who's this?" He glared down at Georges. He looked familiar, he just didn't know how.

Philip, not wanting there to be tension again between John and Frances, decided to answer for her. "This is our new friend, Georges," he told him.

"He's come to stay for a little. If that's okay?"

John eyed the boy up and down, before sighing and agreeing, nodding his head. "Alright, then, he can stay. Just for a bit, yeah?"

"Woop!" Philip cheered. John kept his attention on Georges, however. "Do your parents know you've come to stay?"

"No, Sir. But my Father wouldn't find out," Georges whispered. He could hardly find any courage in his voice. He knew it was wrong to lie or rebel against his fathers words, but it felt so thrilling.

"Right..Make sure to tell him where you've been afterwards, then, alright?" John told him. Philip and Frances were both very surprised by this response, as he wasn't the type of man to let this sort of thing slide.

"Yes, Sir!" Georges said franticly, terrified that John would hate him for whatever reason. John just chuckled. "Relax. I don't bite."

Frances, now being completely done with talking, muttered a 'let's go,' before taking both of the boys' hands and leading them into another room, which was the bedroom.

The whole household shared the same room, as, money wise, they weren't doing too good. John's close friend, Alexander, moved in, bringing along Philip.

Nobody knew what happened with Alex and Eliza, they just know it ended badly, and it had been hard on Philip. John let them both move in on one condition; that Alex was to work and bring in more money.

Alex, of course, agreed, since he was already working and had nowhere else to go. It was a no-brainer. He got a job as a farmer, which paid alright he supposed.

And he was coming home now, making a noticable entrance. "I'm home!" He announced, swinging the door open. He seemed far too enthusiastic for what's going on in his life. Perhaps it was because if he wasn't positive in the house, who would be?

"Ah, John, my beloved!" He joked, John rolling his eyes and patting his shoulder awkwardly. "Good to see you, Alex." Philip ran out of the room, grinning up at his father.

"Hi, dad!" He greeted.

"Hello, son," Alex replied, lifting him up into his arms as soon as he got the chance. "What have you been up to today?"

Frances followed Philip out, Georges carefully poking his head out the door.

"Ah! I see you've brought a lad over!" Alex chuckled. "What's your name, boy?"

"Georges, Sir."

"And age?"

"Fourteen, Sir."

Alex nodded a little. John crept up behind him, tapping his shoulder. "I, er," he started. "His parents don't know that he's here, Alex."

Alex looked at him puzzled for a moment, before turning his eyes back on Georges. "Oh, I see. We have a troublemaker here then, ey?"

George's cheeks warmed up a little, Alex just snickering. "Relax, boy. I don't care." John tried to speak.

"Alex, I--"

"It'll be okay, John," Alex interrupted.

"It's always been okay, hasn't it?" He gave a smile, which always made John feel like everything was going to be okay.

'Everything will be okay John.'

'It isn't okay!'

'But it will be'

John choked on air at the sudden memory, Alex looking at him with a slight look of worry in his eyes. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah," John lied.

The three children still in the room, paused for a moment, before Frances spoke up. "Let's go." Philip and Georges nodded, following Frances outside.

"Well, what now?" Philip asked.

A/N: EYYY WE DONE NOW-