Staring from where he was perched on the floor by the floating chair, Alfred poked at the body on the chair, and then stared at the little bird on the man's head. It cheeped once, and the man shifted in his sleep, snoring loudly again. His silver hair proved to be a nice little nest bed for the little bird, which seemed quite happy to stay where it was. Looking back to the man's uniform – taking in the white slacks, white shirt and the nearby hat, Alfred decided that this was the Captain. Gently, Alfred poked him in the leg again.

A hand then flew out from the man's side and belted him around the head, hitting his glasses arm hard – and setting off the MP3 in it. As Alfred hit the floor in a daze, the man sat up with a yelp as he called out 'All hands on deck!'

Alfred grumbled as he set his slightly off kilter spectacles back to their proper position on his face, and as he finished, 3 bodies ran into the room from the lift. They all ran to the Captain, and started to dote on him – brushing his hair, brushing his teeth, massaging him into awareness. Alfred looked back to the lift, and then quietly and slowly started to move towards it.

Alfred jumped up when the chair moved outwards and then turned to follow the newly lighted line in the floor backwards. Alfred shuffled backwards quickly as the Captain moved back into the lift, and as the chair stopped, Alfred was stuck behind it as the doors closed. Alfred looked down at the Captain, as he was stood flat against the wall; he looked down to the small bird that was staring up at him. He blinked, and it blinked back before turning its back to him, and nestling down into the silver hair again.

The doors opened soundlessly as the lift came to a halt, and the Captain yawned, and then clapped his hands weakly. Lights turned on all around the room, and illuminated the consoles and revealed the figures from before, the man – Vice Captain Ivan – who was stood by the door, and the woman – Natasha – was stood by Arthur, who was still on that trolley. The chair moved out of the lift, and as the Captain moved forward, the Vice-Captain moved along with him, along with the eyes of Natasha. Alfred quickly darted out of the lift, narrowly missing the closing lift doors, and hid in the darkness under the illuminated consoles.

Watching the Captain collect a steaming cup of coffee, brushing off the Vice-Captain's calls of 'Captain', all of which sounded droll and a little threatening as the Captain continued to ignore him.

"Protocol, Ivan…As un-awesome as it is, it still needs to be done." The Captain told Ivan over his shoulder, before taking a sip from the luke-warm looking coffee. Pushing a button on the arm of the chair, the chair moved away from the coffee dispenser and slowly around the consoles around the room. Thin screens appeared, displaying levels of the ships engine, person counts, and other levels of importance. Alfred watched him for a moment, before shuffling closer to the trolley that held Arthur.

The Captain reached the end of the console, and Ivan attempted to talk to him again.

"Captain Gilbert, an E.V.E. attendant has –" He started coolly, but was cut off by an angry growl.

"12:30? 12:30? Why the hell didn't you wake me for morning announcements, Ivan? Mein Gott!" Gilbert snapped at the taller man, glaring at him with red eyes, even as the chair flew around the room to one particular panel with times and temperature displayed.

"The only thing I get to do to show my awesomeness on this ship, I swear!" He hissed as he moved a sun that was in the middle of the panel to the left. As he did so, the outside 'world' seemed to move backwards too. The sun on the large ceiling moving in tandem with the sun under the Captain's fingers, the monorails suddenly stopping for a moment before moving in the direction it had just come, and food dispensers retracting the lunch option and replacing it with breakfast.

Ivan glared at the man, who had started to talk to the masses through a camera screen, from the other side of the room; he then looked over to Natasha who was looking back (truly, her gaze had never left him, not for long at least.) She nodded her head the once, and then smiled at him. Ivan smirked slightly but then moved a few steps forward towards the Captain's back.

While Gilbert was going on about the 700th anniversary of the 5 year cruise, and the Septuacennial cupcake in a cup – Ivan moved closer. Gilbert suddenly faltered in his speech when he saw the circular green button that was flashing at him.

"Hey, Ivan – what's this?" He asked, and the screen flickered off, showing the speech to the masses had ended and life could continue.

"Captain Gilbert, da, E.V.E. attendant, Arthur Kirkland, has returned positive." Ivan told him, coldly.

Gilbert's eyes widened slightly, and then he looked over to the trolley that held the comatose man, whom he hadn't bothered to question about.

"Positive? None of them have ever come back positive before!" He exclaimed as Ivan pushed at a button on the side of Arthur's visor. To Alfred's surprise and delight, Arthur sat up and he could see the glow of his eyes through the visor, blinking slowly as he moved off the trolley. Standing up straight, and looking pointedly at the Captain, Arthur saluted to him.

Gilbert looked between Arthur, Ivan and the flashing button. He stared at the button, and then pushed it. Suddenly, all the windows that showed the inside of the ship were covered with shutters, and all the illuminated consoles were darkened, letting a large screen appear at the other side of the room. It soon showed the BNL logo, and played the company's trill in welcoming.

Unfortunately for Alfred, this screen had appeared over his hiding place, just as he had started to move away. Alfred hurled himself back under the console and cringed slightly at almost being caught.

"Greetings and congratulations, Captain! If you're seeing this, that means your Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator, or E.V.E. attendant has returned from Earth with a confirmed specimen of ongoing photosynthesis!"

Gilbert stared at the man talking, almost in shock, as said man was the BNL CEO.

"We're going back? To Earth?" Gilbert whispered to himself, gripping the arms of the chair. The bird on his head shook itself in what appeared to be discomfort, as the little bird listened along with everyone else.

"Now that Earth has been restored to a life-sustaining status, by golly, be can begin 'Operation Recolonise'!" The man continued. Alfred attempted to remove himself from under the console that had attracted everyone's attention, and just when he was almost home free, a red book flew out of a hatch and into his hands. Looking at it in shock, he threw it onto the console he was aiming to hide under, and then dove under it finally.

Gilbert hovered over to the console, unaware of the man hidden underneath it, and took the book from the surface. Looking at the title 'Operation Recolonise' he then glanced back to the large screen.

"Simply follow this manual's instructions to place the plant in your ship's holo-detector and the 'Axiom' will immediately navigate your return to Earth! It's that easy!" During this speech, a stick man had replaced the man on screen and demonstrated what to do, briefly. At the end of this speech, Gilbert had nodded with a little 'huh' of vague understanding, and Alfred also.

Removing his attention from the man on the screen, Alfred looked around, and saw Arthur standing proudly not to far away from him. Smiling, as he noticed there was nothing in his way this time, he shuffled around under the console to get even closer.

"Now, due to the effects of micro-gravity, you and your passengers may have suffered some slight bone loss. But, I'm sure a few laps around your ship's jogging track will get you back in shape in no time!"

Gilbert frowned at the man on screen and looked to his right leg, and then his left. He wiggled his left foot with ease, but when it came to wiggling his right, he cringed and gently grasped the top of his thigh.

"If you have any further questions just consult your operation manual. See you back home real soon!"

And then the transmission ended.

Gilbert looked at the manual in his hands and shook it lightly. Holding it out in front of him, Gilbert cleared his throat.

"Manual, relay instructions." He told it sternly. But, when it did not reciprocate, he frowned and shook it again.

Ivan stepped forward and took the book from the man, and then opened it, before putting it back into the Captain's lap. Gilbert stared in bemusement as he flicked the pages back and forth on closer inspection with his fingers, smiling slightly as he did so.

"Awesome – Would ya' look at that?" He uttered, totally captured on the simple red book.

To be frank, Arthur was getting a little bored.

He stood a few metres back from the Captain and Vice Captain, and a few minutes prior he had been awakened to inform them of his endeavour. He had collected a sample of photosynthesis, and had obviously been returned to his home, the Axiom. He was waiting for them to dismiss him, but they were too transfixed on a book to care.

Arthur frowned slightly, but to pass the time, he recalled his last memories before being awakened in the Axiom's bridge. It was filled with curiosity, interest, and to some extent, happiness. Thinking back to the episode in that truck, he smiled faintly at the trouble someone had gone to, just to help him.

Alfred.

The poor sod is probably stuck on Earth, confused. Arthur mused, before turning his attention back to the people in front of him.

He felt an insistent tap on his shoulder, and waving his hand at it, he hoped its source would go away. But when his shoulder was tapped again, Arthur turned to the source.

"Not now, Alfred." Arthur told the tall man as he looked back in front of him.

It took exactly 3 seconds before Arthur realised what he had just said and seen, before he looked back with wide eyes and a slack jaw.

"Alfred?" Arthur hissed quietly in surprise.

"Arthur!" Alfred replied with a large grin, quietly too and he went to hug the newly awakened man. However, Arthur pushed Alfred back and down under the console before Alfred could get his arms around him. Arthur looked at the other people in the room, and seeing that they were preoccupied with that book, he turned to Alfred.

"Alfred – what are you doing here? Do you have any idea where you are! You are going to get both of us in so much trouble, you git!" Arthur hissed at him as he shook Alfred by the shoulders. Arthur glared at him when he realised his questions were not going to be answered; as Alfred was staring at him in such a way it confused him. Dopey smile, big eyes and a small sigh before he pulled Arthur into a hug.

"I'm so happy you're not asleep anymore! You scared me there, Artie!" Alfred told Arthur, ignoring Arthur's attempts to be removed from the hug.

"Arthur, my name is Arthur!" Arthur hissed at him, as he finally broke free of the strong hug, and stood up.

Gilbert read through the page marked 'Instructions, Step One' and nodded in acknowledgment.

"Ok then, lets see what Arthur collected then." Gilbert announced, trailing his finger to the top of the page and the first instruction. "Voice Command, 'Confirm Acquisition'."

His voice was echoed by the Ship's computer, which quickly turned on green lights in the ceiling and dropped down a machine from a hatch, which moved into the centre of the room and proceeded to scan the room. When it stopped on Arthur, the scanning light flashed, Arthur looked at the machine in confusion as it moved towards, and above him. From its sides, two arms unfolded from it and moved down to grasp Arthur's arms firmly. They pulled the now startled Arthur into the centre of the light emitting from the machine above him. Another arm unfolded from the machine, and extended itself to Gilbert.

"Voice authorisation required."

Gilbert, in confusion, simply grunted at it.

"Accepted." And the arm retracted and folded back into the machine's body.

As a fourth arm extended, and pushed buttons on the box bag on Arthur's hip, Gilbert started to lean forward in anticipation. The arm retracted as the box bag clicked open, the lid opening and then the surrounding sides opened shortly afterward, just leaving a dish to act as the bottom which would show the object in question.

It would, if there was an object in question there.

"Where is the, uh, thingy?" Gilbert asked hurriedly.

"The Plant." Ivan corrected him.

"Yeah, that. Where is it?" Gilbert asked, ignoring the shocked look on Arthur's face, and then looked back at the book in his lap. "Maybe we missed a step, Ivan –" Gilbert turned away and begrudgingly let Ivan take the book from him to examine the book.

Arthur stared at the empty box bag on his hip, and shaking off the arms that were holding him in place. He grasped the box and looked at in shock, almost willing the plant to appear.

"Where is it?" Arthur whispered, then he realised that when he found the plant, he wasn't alone.

"Alfred." He said darkly to himself, spinning on his heel, he glared at the man hidden behind him. "Alfred!"

Alfred flinched in surprise at his outburst and he was dragged out by Arthur, and then was quickly patted down.

"What are you doing, Art-" Alfred started, before being silenced by Arthur who cut him off.

"The plant, where is it Alfred?" Arthur asked him urgently. "Look for it!" Arthur snapped at him. Alfred nodded and then started to look around the floor with Arthur.

"Why don't you scan him again to be sure?" Captain Gilbert asked, and Alfred looked to Arthur, who had obviously heard him as well, as he jumped back into the light.

Alfred hid slightly under the console again, watching as Ivan moved towards Arthur and stopped a few inches in front of him. Arthur looked up at him as Ivan loomed over, he held up a hand, and let a pan of light scan Arthur head to toe.

Arthur's green eyes met Ivan's violet, and he quickly looked away when Ivan's eyes narrowed. Ivan looked back to Gilbert, and then walked back to the man's side.

"There is no specimen, I suppose that the attendant's implant has made him… faulty." Ivan told Gilbert.

Gilbert looked at the book in his hands, and then back at Ivan.

"So, we aren't going to Earth?"

"Net,"

"…Everything goes back to normal?" Gilbert asked curiously.

"Da,"

Gilbert looked back in the book, before smirking and closing it sharply. "False alarm!"

In response, the ship removed the machine that loomed over Arthur's head, turned the green lights off, and relit the consoles as the shutters on the windows retracted, revealing life again.

Gilbert threw the book at Ivan, who caught it with ease, and turned to look at Arthur again.

"Must be defective – Natasha, send 'im to the Repair Ward." Gilbert ordered the woman who had been silently stood by the trolley all this time.

Arthur looked at him in disbelief, and then rage at the accusation of being 'defective'. Arthur would've loved to smack the Captain around the head a few times, but he was caught in the red beam that was sourced from Natasha's hand. Natasha moved him back to the trolley, much to Arthur's annoyance, and secured him on it.

"Run diagnostics on him, make sure he's not being an a—Who the hell is that!" Gilbert exclaimed as he pointed at Alfred who was crouched down and still looking for the plant, somewhat fruitlessly.

Alfred felt the eyes on his back, and he turned to see everyone in the room staring at him. Standing up, Alfred walked over to Gilbert, and he quickly shook his hand once he was in reach.

"Alfred, the awesome hero." Alfred introduced himself as, and as he removed his gloved hand, he left a small clump of dirt in Gilbert's palm. Gilbert looked at Alfred in disbelief, and then looked at this hand, namely the dirt in his hand. Chuckling, he looked back up at Alfred, who had stuffed his hands in his pockets. Gilbert glanced up at Ivan.

"Get Alfred cleaned."

Ivan nodded, and then looked at Alfred, who looked back. His smile dropped slightly at the sight of Ivan's childish smile, Alfred decided immediately that there was something wrong with it.

The lift doors opened again, and Alfred was sat with Arthur in the trolley he had chased across the ship, which Natasha was driving again. He looked at the small boy behind the plinth, who was now waving somewhat enthusiastically at him (although, he was still shaking like a leaf.) Alfred waved back with a smile, before turning to the grumbling man beside him.

"Artie?" Alfred asked.

"It is Arthur, you stupid idiot." Arthur replied angrily, before turning away from Alfred somewhat, and crossing his arms in frustration.

Alfred stared at Arthur's back, and a little sadly, he looked out into the life around them as they zoomed off to the Repair Ward.

A/N

Sorry for the long wait for this, life has been heavy x_x This chapter was evil to write, but I'm happy with it nonetheless.
And check this out :http: /lordofpaperclips .deviantart. com/art/ Starting-a-new- life- 19172 6178 (Remove the spaces)

It is so awesome. So so AWESOME. :D

Also, while we are on the subject of DA, here is my DA account where I shall post doodles or actual art from time to time : http:/ /ukidiot. / (Remove the spaces)

Reviews are welcome, as is fanart now x] Thanks for reading again, you lover~ly bunch!

UKIdiot