Chapter Text
"So, what do you think Mike?" Alison asked her partner as she added the finishing touches to the screen.
"Huh?... Oh yeah.. looks good enough, i guess" Replied her husband, dropping the newly clean dishes from his arms to look over his wife's shoulder.
"Only good enough? Thanks" remarked Alison with a light laugh.
"I think it looks wonderful!" Added the childish voice of the Georgian noblewoman.
"Oh thank you Kitty. See Mike? Someone appreciates my hard work!"
She joked, turning her attention from her friend back to the laptop.
"Oh, they are here are they?" He asked.
"They are always around, you just cant see them remember?"
"Yes i know!" Mike replied in a jokingly - annoyed tone. He really wanted to experience what Alison did, her gift, just so he could understand them better - even if the ghosts were a bit scary. He left the chilly kitchen to poke at the fire in the main room, a feeble attempt at keeping the house warm during the cold January.
Currently, Alison Cooper was setting up a page on Facebook to promote the large house that they had inherited for a lodger to stay.
To be quite honest, it had got a bit lonely in the house. Weddings and bookings were scarce in the winter months and, despite the eight ghosts and the plague people in the basement, the couple only had eachother and the occasional neighbours dog that did a lap around the house once, stopped to be 'pet' by Patrick, and run off again.
They had came up with the idea -or rather Julian had (plus an added sexual anecdote)- when they were watching TV and the main character on screen was a renter of a small room in a family home.
Facebook was the place for everything, and so it would be the place for their call for friendship (and some money of course).
The Captain and Thomas watched Mike leave as they entered the kitchen and wandered over to Alison and Kitty who seemed to be enjoying something on the computer that folds.
"Salutations" was all the soldier said.
"Hi Cap! Finished stretching now?" Alison wondered why The Captain still tried. After being proven that he didnt actually get his two minutes twenty nine, he kept trying but, despite his best efforts, still got stuck at two minutes thirty. She admired his determination though.
"Yup. I have tried a new routine that will definitely get me faster, i can feel it!" The Captain smiled as he slung his swagger stick under his arm and peered over Alison's right shoulder (Kitty and Thomas equally shared the left). "Whats that your doing on your communications device?"
"Its called a lap-top" whispered Thomas to Cap. He had seemed to have grasped the concept and designs of modern technology better than the other ghosts (apart from Julian of course) and took immense pride in showing off to them whenever he could.
"I have just posted an advertisement in hopes we find someone who would want to come and live here for a while. Its a good way of earning some money to renovate the house and get some new company!" Alison finished with a grin as she hit 'post' and leant back in her wobbly chair.
"Well, where would they stay? All the rooms are in use" stated The Captain. He wasn't going to move rooms anytime soon, he had bartered for his garden view.
"You will have to make do. Besides, it will only be one bed, there is loads of space." She countered, "how can you sleep anyway? I still dont understand it".
"I dont either" Perked up Kitty, she wanted in on the conversation that was going on around her. "But it happens every night".
"So it does" said Thomas.
---------------------------------------------------------
They stared at the phone screen infront of them. This. Was. Perfect!
A huuge house all to themself and just two other people for a cheap price, considering the size of the place.
Ashton knew that the post had only been up for a couple hours but still decided to reply back as quick as they could before they exploded from excitement.
They had been looked for a suitable home for the past year. Nothing had seemed right until now and Button House looked like it had a lot of history - an amazing place to live whist studying for their degree. A place to get away from it all and start a new, fresh slate of friends and work. Ash's uni would have to put up with no assignments turned in for the next 2 weeks to settle in nicely.
Oh what were they saying? They hadn't even sent the reply yet! Talk about getting ahead of yourself.
They hit reply and leaned back against their parents grimy sofa. It would be good to leave, at least for a while.
They glanced at the figure in the armchair opposite. "Im going to miss you".
The figure smiled a warm, tired smile.
---------------------------------------------------------
During that day, Alison stressed at what she had put out. What if nobody replied? What would happen if a total creep decided to come? What about the whole haunted ghost house thing that happened? I mean, it was on TV! Had that jeopardised the whole thing?
Mike wasn't that worried about it as his partner was. He was lonely with just his wife - no ghosts in his site. He thought it would be fun to do this and when he had heard about Julian's idea, he was very pleased.
The ghosts reactions varied, as expected from the array of characters that occupied the house.
The Captain, Thomas, Julian and Robin just agreed with it- they didnt form strong hearted opinions but they all new it would be nice to have a new face around, even if they couldn't see them.
Although Julian clearly stated that the new person was NOT allowed to sleep in his room unless it was a sexy woman to share his bed.
Pat and Kitty were over the moon about a new visitor. Pat suggested to Alison that he could give a tour around Button House and have her as his speaker - a bit like what Alison does when Lady Button speaks sometimes.
Kitty just wanted a new friend.
Unlike the other's, Fanny was not pleased. She understood that it was a good idea, in theory but she was clear to express that if this new person was not to her approval, then they would have to leave.
That was not going to happen.
And Humphrey? Well his head agreed but god knows where his other half was at that moment.
A yell erupted from downstairs that reverberated around the old walls. Mike could hear it from the part of the roof he was fixing. It was also a good opportunity to take the shoes that he had thrown up there before. He hadn't got round to it just yet.
Eventually he climbed downstairs and into the main room to see Alison staring at the computer in front of her.
"We have got a response!"
"What, already?" Mike asked. "Its only been a couple hours!"
"Right?! I have checked out this persons profile and they look perfectly legit. I have private messaged them and asked for a phone number so we can chat and talk about it!" Alison replied, setting the device on the small coffee table to go and hug her husband in pure delight.
"Thats great Ali! Lets hope they can't see the ghosts though or they will have a bit of a shock"
"Just a bit?!"