Chapter Text
Walter Payne had grown accustomed to the French countryside. It wasn’t quite as pleasant as the seaside home he visited as a boy, but this little village had its charm. Thankfully, the town that started up after the war was built over the field he died in. Walter thinks he’d die of boredom if he was just tied to a stretch of grass and a handful of trees.
The town helped them keep track of the passing time. It started construction a few years after the war, not far from where he died. It wasn't a big town, but it spread into his field. So now he had half a field and half a town to meander.
One hundred and nine years, that’s how long Walter’s been dead. A lot had changed, the war ended for one. Then another started and ended. Probably others too, ones that weren’t fought in quaint French towns. The fashions and technologies and languages changed exponentially. It was hard to keep up with, being stuck in this damn place.
Walter had wanted to travel the world, ever since he was a boy. He was supposed to travel the continent for a few years before coming back and taking over his family’s business. Then the war came. His father told him he’d still get to as an officer- even though Walter was stationed in France and Walter’s been to France a hundred times. Then Walter died there, and his wish couldn’t be granted even as a ghost.
Instead he gets to spend an eternity in a random field with a random town, with nothing to do but people watch and think.
His heart aches to think of his poor mother. She had been devastated when they lost little Georgie, Walter can only hope she survived the loss of her first born too. Walter doubts it, and he hates himself for doubting his mother. But Victoria Payne was only just recovering from youngest when Walter died less than a decade later.
His heart hurts worse when he thinks of his sweetheart, Alice. They were going to marry first thing when Walter returned. He wonders how long she mourned him, he wonders if she married someone else, if she still thought about him long after he was long gone.
He tries not to follow that train of thought for too long. Otherwise his mind twists his memories until they are bitter and selfish. If he sits with it too long, innocuous questions turn into accusations. About why he was forgotten in France. About why the world moved on without him. It’s hard not to be bitter, when the world moves on without you, forgets you ever existed. He gave his life for his country and all he gets in return is his name etched in a stone in an empty field turned park.
He doesn’t want to be bitter. He doesn’t like the way the feel wraps around and chokes him like a snake. He doesn’t like they way it makes his spectral form change into a bloodied and battered soldier.
That’s why he prefers to think of his siblings. He hasn’t the slightest clue what happened to them, but there are endless possibilities to comfort himself with.
Augusta was eighteen when he last saw her. She had been pestering their father into letting her go to a women’s college in Oxford, and she was quite close to succeeding after roping Walter and their mother into it. A courtship was budding between her and a Viscount's son, before he went off to war too.
Perhaps Augusta did go to a school in Oxford. Perhaps she studied literature and writing, she had always been a prolific writer. Perhaps she kept writing to the Viscount’s son during the war. Perhaps she graduated, became an author, then a Viscountess. Mother would have loved that- her eldest daughter being accomplished and the first in the Payne family to have a genuine title. She probably wrote something important, a novel or essay, that was still taught to children in schools. Augusta always wanted to become something great.
Edwin was only fourteen when Walter left and still nervous about going to St. Hilarion's. Walter tried to assure him it was a good school and he’d make plenty of friends, but he didn’t seem convinced. Edwin had been more frightened about Walter enlisting then Walter had been. Walter promised him he’d be home by Christmas, which did not end up being true of course. Walter hopes Edwin didn’t hold the unintentioned lie against him.
Edwin was clever and studious, he always excelled in his academic lessons. He would write to Walter, telling him about every last book he read and every last fact he learned with a precision that always impressed Walter. Edwin probably became a scholar- an expert in the classics and dead languages. He was probably a professor at Oxford. The war didn’t end until 1918, Edwin might have been forced into combat for a short while. Walter hopes it didn’t break him- Edwin was always a gentle-hearted boy no matter what their father did to try and toughen him up. After the war, if Edwin had to go at all, he became a scholar.
Little Esme was only eleven. Esme liked embroidery, horses, and music. There was an infinite number of things Esme could have done after Walter died. She could have followed after Augusta and gotten higher education. She could have fallen in love. She could have become a nurse- she always did love helping people, especially the sick. Walter thinks that’s because it’s how they lost Georgie.
His father would detest one of his daughters working. Their grandfather built their business precisely so all of them wouldn’t have to work so hard. Father may have tolerated Augusta’s writing, since it was more leisurely to him and more sensible for a woman. He wouldn’t have protested, so long as she still married well. Nursing was good work for women, but for working women and the Paynes no longer needed working women. Esme probably would do it anyway. She loved making people smile and doing things with her hands. She had a big heart and a strong will, she wouldn’t let Father discourage her.
On especially boring days, or especially sad days. Walter would turn these thoughts around in his head. He fought for his country, and for his family. When the war was over, his siblings could do any number of things. Walter helped do that. He didn’t get to see it through or be there for brotherly advice, but he still helped in this way.
This was an especially boring day. Or it had been.
Walter was wandering the field, admiring the wildflowers and pretending he could feel the warm sun. He thinks Esme could have become a singer. Then he spies a young woman under a tree.
She must have been between Augusta and Edwin’s age. Her curly hair was done up half-hazardly and she was sporting a unique assortment of modern fashions. It did not look like she was from the town, there were only so many people there and Walter did not recognize this one. She brought her hand up to the tree- and the strangest thing happened.
Her head shot back and she stood frozen for a few moments. Then she wretched her hand away and tumbled to the floor gasping.
Walter approached her with concern. Perhaps she had a medical condition? That could be troublesome, there were no hospitals nearby and if she was a tourist people may not notice this girl was missing.
She sat up by the time Walter reached her, which boded well for her health. Then something even stranger happened.
She turned to her left and made eye-contact with Walter, who had been dead for one hundred and nine years. She gasped again and jumped a little.
“Jesus! Sorry, I didn’t see you coming,” she sighed and pulled herself up using the tree to steady her.
Walter only gapes at her, a living person has not spoken to him in a long time. Or was she even living? Was she dying?
The girl noticed his state of shock, “Right, yeah, hi. Yes, I can see you. I’m a psychic medium.”
“A medium?” Walter mused, “I thought they were all hacks”
She laughed slightly, “Most are, honestly.” She stuck out her hand, “I’m Crystal.”
He shook it, it did not feel like anything, “Walter. Are you alright? I saw you fall, do you need directions to the town’s medical facility?”
She shook her head, “No, I’m fine. Just read the tree by accident and got overwhelmed…” her voice trailed off. “Was that you?” she asked, looking him up and down. “The soldiers that… died here, I mean.
The night he died, it had been dark yet peaceful. Not a cloud in the sky, giving them a full view of the stars. Alice could have named every constellation he looked at that night. They had been moving secretly, to join up with a battalion in need of reinforcements. No one else was supposed to know their location. The gunfire and explosions started anyway.
“Yes, the whole platoon was killed here,” he answered, “you saw all that, by touching the tree?”
“Yup, told you, psychic!” She waved her hand awkwardly. “Sorry for your loss,” she added.
Walter laughed unexpectedly. That phrase was for the living, for his grieving mother. No one’s said it to him before, not over his own death. He smiled, “Thank you, for your condolences.” he looks around, “Are you here for a holiday?”
Crystal shrugs, “Technically. My parents are in Paris for an art thing and I went with them. Got tired of them ignoring me and decided to gallivant around France on my own.”
“Oh, well I hope you are enjoying your stay. It’s a rather nice place to visit.”
Crystal nodded, “It’s pretty, I just wish I knew it was an old battlefield.”
It wasn’t much of a battle, people use that word but it just because it sounds nicer than slaughter. “There’s a memorial over there,” he pointed in the direction and gestured for Crystal to follow, “It has all our names written in it.”
They walked over to the marble fixture in the field’s center. “We can’t leave the area, we don’t know why. Lieutenant Dalton thinks it’s because of the mole.”
“The mole?” Crystal questioned.
“We were ambushed, only a few people knew the path we were taking. So Dalton is convinced someone squealed.” Walter tried to keep his shoulders from slumping, “It’s hard to investigate when you are stuck here. Most of his suspects are outside the platoon. One can not exactly accuse the men he’s spending eternity with of treason.”
Crystal is quiet for a moment, “You know, my friends back home are ghosts and we run a detective agency together. Mostly helping ghosts move on to their afterlives. Maybe we could help you?”
Walter feels his spirits lift for the first time in decades, “Is that so? We would greatly appreciate your assistance if it’s not too much trouble.”
“I’ll see how quickly I can get back to London, I’m sure this case will be an easy sell for the boys.” Crystal assures him.
Walter smiled, if this supposed ghost detective agency was any good, he could be out of here before the end of the year. He could travel the world finally, or go to Heaven where his family and friends- who were long dead by now- were waiting for him.
They stopped in front of the memorial, Walter bent down and tapped the Private Walter R. Payne etched into the rock. “There I am, and here’s the rest of our men. They are probably wandering about.”
Crystal crouches down and before Walter can rattled off the rest of the names she goes, “Wait… Payne? Your last name is Payne?”
Walter blinks, “Yes? Something wrong?”
Crystal stares at the etching, “No- It’s just… one of the friends I mentioned, that’s his last name. And I guess technically he lived during World War I.” She looks up at him, "You don’t happen to know an Edwin, Do you?”
If Walter still had a heart it would be pounding out of his chest, “Yes! Yes, that’s my little brother, Edwin Payne- he’s my younger brother!” He gripped her arm and pulled her up, “You know Edwin?” He could jump with glee, but it was uncouth to show such garish displays of emotion and he was already pushing it. Walter thinks it’s a little justified in this instance. He has not seen nor heard any mention of his family in a century.
Crystal nodded slowly, “Yeah, he’s my friend. He never mentioned a brother…”
Walter ignored the second sentence and fumbled to pull his photographs out of his uniform pocket. He kept two photos on him during the war. One was of his Alice, and another was a full family portrait Mother ordered for Christmas. It was taken the year before Walter enlisted.
He pulled out the family photo to show Crystal. “That’s Edwin right there,” he tapped the photograph with the tip of his finger, “Next to him is Esme and that there is Augusta. And me, and our parents, of course” His platoon has seen these pictures a thousand times, just like Walter’s seen their keepsakes over and over. There is little else to do but share memories with each other. Walter is buzzing with excitement, both from talking to someone new and the prospect of seeing one of his siblings again. He had so many questions for him.
“Shit,” Crystal breathed, “Yeah that’s definitely him.”
Walter laughed breathlessly, “You said he was one of your detective friends? Oh, that sounds like Edwin; he always loved those mystery penny novels. Father thought they were rather frivolous but Edwin would beg me to smuggle him some when I went out.” Walter always assumed Edwin would be a scholar, but detective is well suited too. Edwin loved mysteries and Sherlock Holmes and he was sharp as a whip. It’s been so long since he’s had good news.
Crystal nodded slowly, seemingly shocked, “Yeah… I uh, I’ll try and fly back tonight. It might take a few days to get back here again.”
Walter nodded “Of course, of course. I’ll tell the others, you get back to London… and Edwin will come here with you?” He asked hopefully.
Crystal confirmed, “and Charles, he’s our other friend.”
Crystal went to catch a train back into the city and Walter went to tell his brothers in arms about the news. Walter did nothing to hide his excitement from them, it was good news for them too. Not as good as it was for him- he was going to see his family again after all- but the whole platoon was ready to move on.
Walter reckons he’ll travel a bit before Heaven, and catch up with Edwin, of course. Maybe his sisters stayed on Earth too. Perhaps they could take a family holiday again, for old times sake. They have lots of catching up to do, evidently.
Detective! Edwin was a detective, Walter was sure he loved it. A supernatural one at that! It had to be exciting. Now that he thinks about it, Crystal had seemed a touch young for that sort of work. But a lot has changed over the century and Walter is not quite caught up.
He’ll have to ask when they get back to France. It will only be a few days and after a century of sitting in the French countryside, Walter has learned to be patient.
*
Crystal b-lines to the agency as soon as she gets back to London. Well, as soon as she has a nap and lunch after getting back to London. She’s only human, literally.
Edwin’s older brother had been quite the shock. She is fairly certain Edwin never breathed a word about having siblings, let alone three, and let alone one that died in World War I. Crystal guesses it’s never really come up in conversation, but now that she really thinks about Edwin’s never said anything about his life at all. Maybe a vague, offhand comment here and there about In my day blah blah. But never anything substantial.
Crystal tries not to be offended that Edwin never told her about his family. For one, she’s never asked, so it’s a little on her. But the two of them have gotten closer and she does consider him to be her friend. She’s talked about her (albeit apparently-fucked-up) family since getting her memories back.
Honestly, knowing Edwin, he probably never considered it something worth talking about. It’s been a long time since he was alive. He might not think about it much.
Crystal likes her head into the agency, “Anyone home?”
Edwin is at the desk, presumably filling out the never ending case forms for the Night Nurse, and Charles is lounging on the couch tossing a ball in the air.
Charles greets her first, “Crystal!” He jumps from where he was laying down, “You are early!”
Edwin glances up from his case files, “Yes, I thought you said you’d be back Wednesday. It is Sunday.” he observes.
Crystal rolls her eyes, “I’ll make sure to be late next time, just for you.”
Charles laughs and ushers her into the office, “Seriously though Crys, what brings you back to London? I thought you were spending time with your parents.”
Crystal sighs, “Not a lot of time to spend between art shows. Went off on my own a few days in.”
Charles frowns sympathetically, “I’m sorry to hear that mate, did you still have a nice trip?”
“Actually… I think I may have a case for us.”
Edwin frowns, “In France?”
“In France,” she confirms. “Some World War I soldiers are stuck in the area where they died. They think there was a spy that gave away their location.” She hesitates, “Namely your brother.”
Edwin looks like a deer in the headlights, “Pardon?”
“You brother Walter, he asked for our help.”
“Woah, Woah, wait” Charles says putting his hands up, “Brother? You have a brother?” he asks Edwin, “Since when?”
Now that was surprising. Crystal could easily rationalize Edwin not telling her about his family but? Charles, who he’s essentially been handcuffed to for the last thirty odd years?
Edwin shifts like he’s been caught in a secret, “Two technically, but Georgie died when I was rather young.”
“Two!” Charles gapes, “You never said anything!”
Edwin shrugs slightly, “It never seemed like pertinent information.”
Charles looked like he had more to say but Crystal butted in, “Well, he’s trapped in France. And I kinda promised we’d help.”
“Of course we’ll help,” Charles scoffs, “I just can’t believe you’ve been hiding a whole brother.”
“I have not been hiding. I’ve simply… never mentioned it,” Edwin reasons. He squirms in his seat a little and fiddles with his cuffs.
“Did you not get along or something? Was he one of those shitheads that like… broke your stuff for fun or something,” Crystal asks. Crystal didn’t have siblings, but movies always made it seem like some siblings were down right bullies. Walter hadn’t seemed that way, he seemed friendly and was over the moon to hear about Edwin. But a century can change a person.
“Of course not, he was practically the perfect child,” Edwin says with just a touch of bitterness in his tone.
“Ah, I see,” Charles says and Edwin gives him a confused look, “Do you want to take the case?”
Edwin huffs, “Well we can’t just leave them all stranded,” he turns to Crystal, “Do you want us to accompany you the long way?”
They do this song and dance every time they travel for a case, no matter how far it is. It’s a tradition at this point. Edwin asks if they should travel with Crystal, Crystal says yes, Edwin whines about humans being slow, Crystal says something snarky back, then they bicker for a few minutes. Crystal likes their fights, there’s no heat behind them anymore. She also likes traveling with people instead of alone, but this instance may call for it.
“You can go ahead if you want, I get it.”
Edwin seems disappointed she broke their charade, “Nonsense, we can travel with you. It’s not like we can start working until you arrive. Did Walter mention anything else, just that they can’t leave?”
Crystal shook her head and watched Edwin go into Work Mode and pull books they may need off the shelf.
She shares a knowing look with Charles, because something else was definitely going on there. But she needs to pack and get her tickets paid for, so they’ll just have to figure it out in France.