Xaviers!

"What would you like to happen next with us?" He asked still not actually looking at her.

"Next?" Colette was a little at a loss for words. "All I have wanted for so long was for you to be safe and happy, I... had not zought beyond wanting zings to be back ze way zey were - no, zat is not entirely sure. Back ze way zey should have been. In ze townhouse togezer, meals togezer. Seeing you at your desk or armchair when I come to freshen up your tea. Doing ze washing up togezer. Being wiz ze man I love, and not being ze reason for his melancholy.

"But most of all, I want you to be happy, to be yourself again, and to be safe. And if my dream would prevent zis, if I truly am a lost cause, zen..." She trailed off for some time before she spoke again.

"You have spent much of your life doing what benefited ozers ze most. You must now recover, and do what will best benefit you."

"I'm not entirely opposed to the idea of continuing our relationship." he clarified, finally looking up to look at her directly.

"However, there will need to be some changes as to how we operate going forward.

I will never pretend to be perfect. However, I can't improve either if I try to behave different ways and continue to get the same outcome because what I'm being taught by your responses is that there is no proper behavior to avoid the outcome.

And I fear that the only way you're going to learn when you're acting inappropriately is if I call you out directly. But also, I'm not your parent and it feels... weird to have to do that."

"I... am certain zat zere is a form of communication zat we can use to express our displeasure zat is neizer scolding nor yelling...." Colette mused softly, not opposed to this "concession".

"How do you propose we actualize that?"

"Zat... is ze part I do not know. There are always professional options, or..."

"Or?"

"... when was ze last time you took a proper vacation?"

"I don't know. Probably never.

At least, not one that I felt wasn't worth throwing on the fire."

"How do you feel about working holidays?" Colette was delaying getting to the point.

"I think leaving the UK would likely jeopardize your learning visa."

"A sudden departure wizout good reason would, yes. But zere is a clause zat allows one to apply for an extension because of a work placement or study abroad program." Colette had been thinking about this for a little while, it seemed, perhaps she had been looking into it before Basil's disappearance.

"You must want to spend time wiz your friends, and your grandparents - I do not wish to interfere wiz zis, and if I can I want to be zere wiz you, to help you if I can. But if you feel later zat you need some solitude, a distraction, a change of scenery.... I did have an idea. I zought zat perhaps someday, for a little vacation, we could go to some little chateau in France, or Spain, or Romania, or anywhere for zat matter. Just you, and me, and ze grounds and countryside."

Colette fidgeted a bit, because she wasn't totally certain of this idea herself. "Zere are, zhroughout France and mainland Europe, chateaus and estates zat have fallen into disrepair or been abandoned. Some are available for sale, some countries like Italy will give you ze property if you apply wiz a plan to manage it, and some have owners already zat are looking for property managers. It would be hard work, a lot of learning as one goes, but... it would present an amazing challenge and experience. And perhaps an opportunity to truly work togezer, to grow and develop, and perhaps test to see if our relationship is capable of becoming healzy. Turning some beautiful little forgotten place into a place where people could take a relaxing holiday, or act as a wedding venue."

Basil smiled that wistful smile and chuckled despite himself.

"How terribly romantic. They'll never allow it. "

"It would not be ze first time zat someone has tried to stop us. And zey will fail, yet again." Colette smiled back softly. It was a bold, impractical, half-baked, impulsive plan that they would probably regret... but it WAS a plan.

"Perhaps.... but I'd rather be the thing that forces their failure than stand and wait for it...


Have you ever heard the phrase 'shaking the tree'?"

Colette half-lidded her eyes as she watched Basil, a slight smirk coming to her lips as she rested her cheek in one palm.

"I have... and now you have aroused my curiosity, matou."

"Good.

Because I'm about to shake so many trees you'd think I was making good on a campaign promise as a bid for reelection. And there's no doubt that people who are close to me are going to receive some backlash because of it.

That's why I seem so fixated on your behavior.

If there's anyone next to me, I need those in the circle to be capable of being discreet, and composure is part of discretion.  You popping off at the mouth with some mental nonsense could not only hurt what I'm working towards, it could hurt you as well.  It already has, and they had no way of knowing that the reason I left that day was because you were upset. Imagine how they could manipulate a situation if they knew how easily they could rile up someone in the circle."

"... who are 'they'?" Colette asked. She felt that her ordeal had taught her a little bit about keeping her feelings in check, even if she'd broken down in the waiting room. She hadn't stormed the strip club after all.

"Whoever put me in that prison. I am uncertain precisely just yet who they are... but they're definitely related to the Absens Pater and Falsus Pater. To the Board."

"We had assumed zat it was George Benson. Do you not believe zis also?"

Basil furrowed his brow, making the connection between the name he was being called by now, and this 'George'.

"Ah. So that's his name...

Yes, him and also, whoever stands to gain by disappearing the real one." Basil paused, trying to put together the words he meant to say, the ones that made sense to people outside of his own distorted inner monologue.

"My birth father."

"Oh. From my understanding, Monsieur Spencer's exile was self-imposed. Zough I did not press ze topic when I spoke to him...."

"I don't know what you were told, but I don't believe that.

He was there in the background, watching after me... until I became a man.

Why would he randomly decide that his presence was a bad idea?"

"I do not know, zough my understanding was zat he removed himself from ze entire world, not just your life. Perhaps it would be best if we asked him? Zough I do not know if he would want to discuss it at all - or wish anozer visit - or how you would feel about visiting him. But Chii-tan should be able to arrange one if so desired."

"I believe there's a much more important visit that should be made if you are wanting to continue this arrangement.

It's high time I met your parents. As shitty as they might be, my family has at least given you the opportunity to defend yourself against their admittedly impossible standards. I am spoken of in the third person to people who have had one polite phone conversation with me, and then my behavior is judged. That's fine for gossipy social cliques, but not for a serious relationship. I don't know if it's proximity or our multiple differences in culture that make them judge me so harshly, but I've the money to fix one of those at least long enough for them to make an accurate assessment of me.

If they still find me lacking, we'll have to discuss what to do from there."

Colette seemed a little startled, but the more she thought about it the more it made sense. She'd met Basil's parents, and his grandparents, and some other relatives, and the... "in-laws". She'd even met his biological father. Wasn't it only natural that he meet her family, as little as it was?

"Zat... is not untrue. Nor is it a bad idea. My parents should meet you in person. Zough I should warn you, ze accommodations may be a little... lacking. Compared to what you are accustomed to." It wasn't meant as a jab at him, she was just trying to politely remind him that her parents weren't exactly well-off, and their flat would reflect this.

"However, would it not be prudent to retrieve your memories first? You do not wish to answer questions about yourself wiz 'I do not know', do you?"

"Not sure how possible that is.

The things I have I still have because I hid them. The things I don't, I sacrificed to keep the things I wanted hid."

"Ze doctors have not had any success?" Colette sounded very concerned.

"If anyone is going to get this shite connected again, it's going to be a therapist after many many many sessions.

All they're doing in here is making sure I'm not a danger to the others around me."

Colette had her doubts about that. Not that Basil couldn't be a danger to others, he was looking pretty ripped and something else had changed about him - something more than lost memories. But if he was a danger to anyone, it was himself.

"You are probably right. Ze last time I was invited into your head, zings... could have gone better. Perhaps it is best to stick to traditional mezods wiz ze professionals."

"I've been told I'm cleared for release." He stated, letting that hang in the air for a moment.

Colette looked a little nervous about the possible answer, but asked the question anyway.

"Shall we go home, zen?"

"Not just yet... I have something else to tell you." Basil replied.

"When I was in the facility, I did some things you need to know about.

I pretended I was interested in another woman in order to convince the establishment we were settling in. She knew it was a ruse and she played along with me because we wanted out and we each knew the other was the only person we could rely on to see it through.

It didn't go far in reality, but we definitely made people think it went further than it did. If we're staying together, you need to know about that. And I will answer any questions you have about it. "

Colette's cheeks flushed a bit, but if Basil had any memory of her earlier "outbursts" when it came to his fidelity to her (and her perceptions of it), he'd probably have been shocked by how well she'd taken it. Maybe she was becoming a better listener.

"Zat... sounds like you. Ze clever plan, I mean, not ze particulars of said plan. Is she... ze black-haired one, yes?"

Basil paused for a moment thinking on the question.

"Yes. I would normally attempt to conceal her identity for the sake of her discretion, but somehow I don't think certain others are going to be as quiet on the matter."

"You do not need to worry, Basil. I am not going to attack her or anyzing." Colette reassured him, though her HAVING to say that was a little disconcerting.

"Was zere... anyzing ozer zan convenience in ze reasoning for you choosing her as your confidant and partner?"

"To be clear: I would be discreet for her comfort whether I was single or not." Basil added, looking a bit put off at the implication that he was trying to hide something from her.


"Well she didn't try to kill me, so that helped. It was clear to me early on that the telepath manipulating all of us was attempting to pair me with one of the two single girls there in order to make me feel more comfortable in my cage. And the other single girl was absolutely mental."

"Of course you would Basil, you are a gentleman. I just know zat in ze past you have held concerns about my... temper? When ozer women are involved in some way? I simply wished to reassure you zat it would not be an issue. I have gotten better at zis."

Colette listened to Basil and nodded softly, holding her chin with one finger across her lips as he spoke.

"Zat... would be a good reason, yes. I suppose I was just curious as to whezer or not she had... ozer desirable qualities."

"This again?" Basil sighed, realizing what Colette was trying to fish out of him.

"I'm not answering that question here." He stood from the bed and fixed the bedspread for no reason: they'd change the bedding when he left.

"Let's go home then."

"Do you not want to say goodbye to your friend first?" Colette asked. "If you are not comfortable wiz me meeting zem, I can wait in ze lobby. But I would like to zank zem for what zey have done."