Warnings: Contains yaoi, slight cursing, bringing the dead back to life
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~Act 1 - Experiment~

The gray sky did not comfort him. Even here, in the middle of this isolated forest, he could still feel the pain of being ridiculed for being who he was, a monster. Monster. Yes, that was truly what he was, a blasphemy against God, as he had been told on countless occasions by the ignorant Frenchman.

"Master..." he cried out, gently touching the bark of a dying tree, feeling the scratchy texture of it beneath his hand, this hand that belonged to a body that should have been long dead. "Arthur, why? Why must you leave me! Please! You are the one who brought me back! Surely there must have been a reason! I love you so much that it hurts!"

The experiment closed his hand into a fist and punched at the dead tree, leaving a small indent in the bark.

He gazed up at the sky. At least he could trust the sky, forever unfeeling, to always be there. White specks began to flutter down from the gray clouds. It was snowing.

He held out his hand, catching a handful of fresh snowflakes, the first of the season. The flakes melted upon impact with his palm. He was warm on the outside, but cold on the inside. He let out his tears, hidden from all save nature. What was the point in living again if what he felt was not being requited by the one he loved?
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He didn't remember much of his second birth, his resurrection into this world.

Harsh drops of rain tapped against the worn roof of the old castle. The booming claps of thunder echoed throughout the empty hallways. Thick ribbons of lightening lit of the sky, putting on a grand show of nature. All was ready for the experiment to take place.

The conductor of this experiment walked over to the main lever of his lab, ready to get this done with. He was the world renowned scientist, Arthur Kirkland, a specialist in biology that was constantly studying life's phenomenons. Should this experiment succeed, he would surpass limitations that had once been thought to been impossible to break. Kirkland flicked the lever and his experiment that lay there covered by a white cloth on the operating table before him began to soar upwards, going out into the storm.

"Now then, let us dance with death," he said.

His experiment was immediately greeted by harsh winds and sheets of rain upon reaching the roof of the castle. Arthur looked above him in noted interest, encouraging and pleading for a strike of lightening to hit the experiment.

Soon enough, his wish was granted. The electricity filled the experiment, shocking it. Once Arthur saw that his prayer had been answered, he hit the lever again. This time, the operating table came back down, making a loud sound as it crashed on to the floor of the lab.

The Englishman gazed at the table. The outline of a human being could be seen through the white cloth that he had used to cover his experiment with.

He walked up to his experiment and took a deep breath before ripping the white sheet off quickly, like he would a band aid.

There before him lay a corpse, prominent stitches across the body, a result of his handiwork. The once tanned skin was now a sickly pale. The stitches had been Arthur's attempt to keep the body together as it stubbornly decomposed.

The scientist reached a careful hand and gently caressed the corpse's cheek.

"I promise to bring you back, no matter how many years it takes or what the cost is," he told the body sweetly. "Please, let it have worked this time."

He leaned down and pressed his lips to dead man's, giving him a kiss. Arthur then broke the kiss, watching for even the slightest trace of movement. At first there was nothing. Then the fingers on the dead man's right hand began to move slightly, tapping against the table. The movement became stronger and soon the entire hand was flexing. A moment later, a pair of clouded azure eyes fluttered open, taking in his first sight since his death.

Arthur smiled brightly, watching his experiment succeed after so much work and sleepless nights.

"He lives! He lives!" Arthur shouted ecstatically and jumped up and down with excitement.

The experiment sat up on the table and watched his new master prance around, rather happy with himself. A moment later, although the celebration was far from over, the scientist turned his attention back on to the boy. He held out a hand for the young man to take.

"Welcome back, Alfred," Arthur greeted his creation properly.

Alfred took his hand and it was the beginning of a whole new life.

It was a night that neither of them would ever forget.
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The young man watched the scientist before him work. It wasn't that the task that his boss was doing was particularly interesting, but the boy was constantly drawn to the man. Something about the scientist attracted him and made him fall madly in love with the Brit.

The Englishman stared at the piece of paper on the desk before him in frustration. Worked out on to the paper were various formulas that he had hoped would prove to be successful in the experiment that the pair of them had been working on. But for some reason, something wasn't adding up, something was missing. But what?

"Dammit all!" the scientist spoke, continuing to glare at the paper. "What is wrong!"

His assistant walked over to the desk and placed a mug filled to the brim with Earl Gray tea before him.

"Darling, don't stress yourself," the American told him, taking the paper out of his beloved's hands and setting it back down on the desk. "Here. Take a break and have some tea. You always like tea."

The Brit glanced up at his assistant. The boy was as handsome as always and he did look rather dashing in his lab coat. His lover smiled at him, brightening Arthur's day.

"Yes," Arthur agreed.

He reached for the mug and began to drink. The tea was slightly over brewed and the tea should be in a tea cup, not a mug, but he had to give Alfred points for trying.

"You know, Alfred, I don't know what I'd do without you," he said.

Yes. If not for Alfred ,he would never have gotten the confidence in himself to do the experiments that he was now doing, nor would he have had any love life to speak of.

"I would be so lost without you," he went on. "I love you so much."

"And I love you. Even in death, let us never part," his assistant replied.

"If you die before me, I would bring you back to life, no matter how long it would take or what the cost. I cannot survive in this world without you," Arthur told him.

"Then I'll do my best to live a long life, forever by your side," Alfred promised.

He then took Arthur's hands and dragged him up and out of the chair. Before the scientist could protest, he felt the boy hold the small of his back. The other hand kept a firm, yet gentle grasp on one of his hands. It was only then did Arthur realized that Alfred had set them in a position for a tango.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" the boy replied, gazing at his lover. "May I have this dance, my love?"

"Dance? Whatever for? Why do we need to dance?"

"Let us dance to a happy life together. You should consider yourself lucky. Not everyone ends up with a hero," Alfred said.

A moment later, they began to dance, Alfred leading him. Arthur found himself rather embarrassed. His face flushed red. Dancing was not his forte and he felt as though he had two left feet. But Alfred kept complimenting him on what a fine dancer he was.

"Now for the passion," Alfred decided, stopping their dance.

He pressed his lips to Arthur's and began to kiss him passionately. Arthur found himself unable to resist and soon enough, Alfred's tongue gained entry into his mouth. The flame of their love was eternal, forever burning.

Their kiss finished. Alfred reached a hand to caress his beloved's face. But his hand was now deathly pale with a prominent stitch on the back of his hand.

Arthur disappeared into a wisp of smoke and the scene came crashing down around Alfred.

"Now, let us dance with death!" a voice spoke.

"Alfred! Alfred! Alfred!"
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"Alfred! Alfred! Alfred!" a voice cried out.

Clouded blue eyes snapped opened. The experiment looked around himself before seeing his master, the one who had created him, at his side, gazing down at him with concerned emerald eyes.

"You're awake. Thank goodness," the Englishman breathed out in relief. "I thought that I may have lost you there for a second. You nearly stopped breathing."

The experiment sat up in the bed of the bedroom that his creator had given him. Yes. That's right. His name was Alfred F. Jones and he had been reborn, brought back to life, a few days ago. His creator was Arthur Kirkland, a world renowned scientist. He remembered now.

Kirkland, pressed his hand against the young man's chest, feeling for his heart beat. Alfred's heart and breathing rates had returned to normal. All was good now. Arthur removed his hand after doing his check and smiled up at his experiment.

"Good morning, Alfred. How are you feeling today?" he greeted the boy properly.

"Okay, I guess," Alfred replied.

He was still getting used to this new life. He had little idea about what had happened before he had been resurrected, what kind of life he had had or who he had met. Arthur reassured him that it was alright if he didn't know these things right away. The memories would come back, the scientist promised him. For the moment, all Alfred knew was his master and that Arthur was the only that he could trust. But still, that dream. It had felt more like a memory than a dream. Perhaps he should ask Arthur about it.

"Good," Arthur replied. "Now come. I have a gift for you."

"A gift, master?" the experiment repeated.

"Yes."

Arthur placed a box before the boy. Alfred smiled when he saw the box and opened it up. There inside was a magnificent black trench coat with a high collar that would keep him warm in the upcoming cold months.

"Thank you, master," he said.

"Come. How about you try it on," Arthur suggested.

He held out his hand and Alfred took it, getting out of his bed. They walked over to the full length mirror in his bedroom. His master helped him put the coat on.

"There now," the Brit said, observing his experiment. He found that the trench coat looked rather good on Alfred. "What do you think, Alfred? Do you like it?"

"It's nice," the American replied, gazing at his reflection.

There in the mirror was him as his master had made him, stitches across his body, the particularly noticeable stitches on his face and hands. Even so, the coat flattered his body quite well.

"I thought that you would like it," Arthur replied. "Now come. You must be hungry. I shall make you some breakfast. How does that sound?"

"That would be lovely, master," his creation answered.

The Englishman smiled.

"You should get dressed while I cook. I'll call for you when its ready," his master told him sweetly.

"Yes, master."

With that, the scientist disappeared out of Alfred's bedroom. All was good now that he had Alfred. Everything was as it should be.
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"Are you sure that's where he is?" a man asked his guide, an old man from the nearby village.

The Frenchman indicated the old castle in the distance.

"Aye, sir," the old man replied. "He fits your description."

"Very well. Thank you for your help, monsieur," he said before dropping some coins in the old man's hands before making his way to the castle.

Francis Bonnefoy was another genius of the sciences who had been searching for his dear friend for a while now. Ever since that, the Brit was said to have lost his mind. For years, the Englishman had been missing. He had left London, the center in which he had practiced, without letting anyone know of his whereabouts.

Francis couldn't help but have doubts in his mind that Kirkland was really residing in this old castle in the middle of nowhere, and yet if Arthur was mad, like people said, then he might find a place like this to be suitable for his needs.

The Frenchman sighed and continued to walk towards the castle, unaware of what he would find there.
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to be continued...