#bbc ghosts fic

[nortism]

Nor's Ultimate BBC Ghosts Fic Recommendations

I decided to put my obsessive AO3 bookmarking to good use and recommend you all some of my favourite ghosts fics (not all, there will likely be a part two). I tried my best to include a variety of fics centring different characters and ships as well as lesser known fics. Please feel free to reblog this post and add your own recs (self promo very much allowed). I've tried to add tumblrs were applicable but if you wrote one of these fics or know who did, please let me know and I'll edit the post. Happy reading!

It by Scriblit

Rating: M

Ships: Mary/Robin, Julian/Robin

Summary:

You lose three mates, ten babies, both parents, all your siblings and then every friend for scores of millennia and still entertain the concept of being 'sweet' on a dead woman still consumed by her own pain. Doing It never had much meaning to Robin, even when he was alive. Now that he's dead, it's really just something to while away all the years. At some point, he's asked most of the ghosts if they want to do it. Some said no, some said yes. His only rule is, they have to genuinely want to do it, too. And, they mustn't be too sad. One of the ghosts was too sad, for so long, so he waited. And waited.

Notes: The first two chapters of this fic are an amusing exploration of caveman sex and the boredom that comes with eternal purgatory but the last chapter is where it gets really, really good. Genuinely one of the most poignant and devastating explorations of grief I've ever read, I cannot recommend it enough.

The Curse by Scriblit

Rating: T

Ships: Robin/OFC, Humphrey/Sophie

Summary:

Over the years, the centuries, the millennia, the residents of, and visitors to Button House and the land it's built on have experienced strange things, and heard strange tales. Multiple mysterious, macabre deaths. Unruly electrics. Blurry shapes in photos. St Elmo's Fire. Burning smells, a mysterious, singing voice in the cellar. Rumours of witchcraft, an ancient amulet and visions of Satan himself. Is the land truly cursed? Or is this just a place of 250,000 years worth of human sadness?

Notes: I only wanted to include one work from each author but I couldn't take this off my list. The only way I can describe this fic is clever. It's one of those things you just have to experience for yourself. Criminally underrated. Just read all of Scriblit's work, I'm their biggest fan.

Family, Family, Family by MadameReveuse

Rating: T

Ships: Primarily gen with side Julian/Robin

Summary:

Green Party Fundraiser Time! Rachel Fawcett comes to Button House, despite struggling with her feelings regarding a certain extremely unfortunate death there. Ghosts and the living alike are thrown into turmoil, especially when it begins to look like someone at the event may be attempting to harm the up-and-coming young politician. Can Julian stand idly by? Well, he's a ghost, so yeah, he has to.

Notes: This fic has it all; father/daughter bonding, a murder mystery and plenty of tory bashing. My entire perception of who Rachel Fawcett is comes from this fic, I was almost glad we never met her in canon as the author does such a fantastic job characterising her.

Ten friends total by notupforpolo (@notupforpolo)

Rating: G

Ships: Mary/Annie

Summary:

After the initial shock of dying wore off, Kitty was so excited to have Mary and Annie as friends. Kitty would notice how they spoke and gossiped just like Eleanor and her friends would do. They were potential friends until they just became friends. Then, when Annie was sucked off, Kitty was there to comfort Mary. Until Mary followed.

Notes: There is a severe lack of both Kitty-centric and Mary/Annie fic in this fandom and this fic covers both bases. Just a really excellent Kitty character study and a great exploration of grief

House Share by Sheepyblue (@ginevralinton)

Rating: G

Ships: Alison/Mike

Summary:

In which Mike makes a New Year's Resolution, with varying degrees of success (Or, a story of Mike spending time with the ghosts)

Notes: I've read a few variants of Mike spending time with the ghosts but I really like this one. My favourite chapter was definitely the Humphrey one, I won't spoil it but it's very funny. This author has far too many Ghosts fics for me to include in this post so I'd recommend you look through their other works

...And A Rainbow! by Spineless_Lobster (@spineless-lobster )

Rating: G

Ships: None

Summary:

Alison buys the Captain some pride merchandise, Kitty gets very excited that an entire room in the house is covered in rainbows. The two ghosts decide to have a sleepover to celebrate the (gay) occasion.

Notes: For all my Cap & Kitty lovers, this is pure fluff. Made me giggle.

Nothing Like a Round on 'The Krypton Factor' by neverfaraway

Rating: T

Ships: The Captain/Pat

Summary:

Wedding season approaches at Button House and, for once, everything is going off without a hitch. Of course, there’s the slight issue of Pat’s recent epiphany about his sexuality, Kitty’s determination to get her hands on as much badly-written erotica as possible, and the peasants becoming decidedly revolting. Still, if only the ghosts can refrain from murdering any of the builders, Alison is fairly sure they can pull this off. Or, Pat and the Captain negotiate coming out, even if it's only to each other.

Notes: Even if you, like myself, aren't a Patcap shipper, this fic is worth the read solely for the the subplot about the Plague Ghosts staging a leftist uprising. The perfect blend of comedy and heartfelt moments, this fic feels like it could have been an actual episode of Ghosts.

Don't Let The Good Life Pass You By by Impossibly_Izzy (@impossiblyizzy)

Rating: M

Ships: The Captain/Pat, Alison/Mike, minor Robin/Julian

Summary:

When the ghosts are mysteriously resurrected, life at Button House only gets more chaotic. Asking, how do you live in a world that wasn't built for you? How do you find meaning in a cold uncaring universe? And what does the Captain eat for breakfast?

Notes: Crack treated seriously is one of my fav AO3 genres and this fic is the cream of the crop. Despite being a Patcap fic, all the characters reactions to living in the modern world were explored in a detailed and hysterical way. I think about the scene where the whole gang goes to the pub constantly.

Queer Eye (The Captain Edition) by swimmingfox

Rating: Not Rated but I'd give it T

Ships: Past The Captain/Havers

Summary:

In a miraculous world where they have the ability to see ghosts, the Fab 5 descend upon Button House to transform the Captain (and, well, everyone).

Notes: Exactly what it says on the tin. Just pure hijinks, I can't fault it. Don't let the script format put you off, the author has done an excellent job of characterising everyone's voice

Fabrications by SwaggerStick

Rating: T

Ships: The Captain/Julian

Summary:

"It's true," said Julian. "You lot couldn't lie to save your lives." The Captain took personal offence at that statement. So, apparently, did Pat. "Oh give over," he said. "Like you can do better." ---------- The ghosts decide to figure out which one of them is the best liar. Competitively.

Notes: Another fic that really feels like it could be an actual episode. Very funny and also provides an explanation to the ghosts' pee turning to dust thing that has been bothering me since last Christmas so honestly you should just read it for that. Ship content is minor if Julicap isn't your thing (it's not really mine either)

Good Boy by Ailendolin (@ailendolin)

Rating: T

Ships: Mike/Alison

Summary:

"I’ve been thinking – Robin saved my life, didn’t he? Last week when I was out in the storm.” “Because of the stupid bear,” Alison couldn’t help but remind him. “Yeah, whatever,” Mike said with a roll of his eyes. “So when he redirected the lightning I saw him for a brief moment and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that.” Alison felt her eyes soften. “Oh Mike, why didn’t you say anything?” “No, it’s not like that,” Mike waved her worry away. “I know we’ve thanked him for what he did but with the gatehouse burning down and the whole insurance mess it feels like we haven’t really appreciated it enough, you know?” Mike and Alison plan a surprise for Robin.

Notes: Very sweet addition to the season 4 finale. Would have loved to see something like this in season 5 but this is almost as good.

fieri sentio et excrucior by oui_oui_mon_ami (@sunshine-soprano)

Rating: T

Ships: The Captain/OMC

Summary:

It all begins when the Captain meets the Roman centurion ghost next door.

Notes: An absolute fandom classic, I couldn't not include it. Not normally a huge fan of ocs but this one is vey well done. You can tell the author is very passionate about Latin and roman history which I always enjoy seeing (the passion not necessarily roman history).

The Moneypot by someplsloverobbierotten (@caps-clever-girl)

Rating: T

Ships: Julian/Robin

Summary:

Julian bet Robin a tenner over Heather getting sucked off. He of course tries squirrel his way out, but Robin’s not letting him off that easily. OR: Robin and Julian like their bets, but what's a ghost to spend imaginary money on?

Notes: Another fic that is basically canon to me. The author absolutely nailed Julian's voice. Overall just a fun read with some genuinely sweet moments.

Thanks, Skipper by NaughtyBees

Rating: G

Ships: None

Summary: Button House gets a visitor, someone specifically looking for Pat.

Notes: No 1 trans ally Pat Butcher, what more could you ask for? The definition of short and sweet

smoke gets in your eyes by sidelined

Rating: T

Ships: Alison/Mike, The Captain/Havers, minor Julian/Robin

Summary:

Alison and Mike move into Button House and, completely unintentionally, teach the ghosts valuable lessons about love. (In which Alison worries about a first date, Robin and Julian discuss marriage, Thomas accidentally humbles himself, Kitty discovers that romance can live everywhere, and the Captain ponders his loneliness

Notes: A really sweet set of vignettes about the ghosts and love. The Mike and Alison first date scene is canon to me, the author nailed Mike.

[hillvalleywrites]

Title: May the Best Man Win

Relationship(s): The Captain/Thomas Thorne

Rating: M

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting; Rivals to Lovers; 2000s Rom-Com Vibes

Summary:  

Captain James Byron is a wedding planner who's given up on love for himself. He lives a quiet life and he’s happy that way. When Fanny Button asks him to plan a shotgun wedding for her nephew, he has no idea what he's gotten himself into.

Forced to be the best man for his ex’s wedding, Thomas Thorne has a plan to win Isabelle back at any cost. All he has to do is keep the pesky wedding planner out of the way. Except, strangely, Thomas quite likes having him around.

May the best man win. If they don't kill each other first.

So excited to finally start posting this! I've been working on it on and off since February and it really has my heart. Planning to post new chapters every Sunday!

[little-cereal-draws]

Idea for a BBC Ghosts episode (based off the head canon that Thomas is scared of sudden loud noises)

It’s Guy Fawkes day and the Coopers realize that the field in front of their house would be a pretty good spot to have a firework show

It would be an easy event to make some money so they start gathering supplies and marketing. It’s aimed at families so tickets are pretty cheap

The ghosts are excited bc they’ve either never seen a firework before or haven’t seen one in ages. They spend most of the day bothering Alison with questions and getting in the way while they set up

The Captain’s interested in the organization, Pat and Julian are interested in the guests arriving, and Kitty is so excited for the fireworks themselves that she’s thrown up three times

Night finally falls and the show starts. Mike fumbles the first one, in true Mike fashion, and it nearly hits the house. Alison gets after him about it but it’s more out of love and worry than anger

Mike gets the hang of it eventually and the crowd is “oohing” and “awwing.” The ghosts are having the time of their lives. Pat, Julian, and the Captain are recounting fond memories of fireworks they had from their lives. Kitty is loosing her mind and absolutely adores the sparkly ones. Fanny initially was put off by them because they were too loud but she ends up enjoying herself quite a bit and laughing along with the crowd. Robin was terrified because it was a bit too much like lightning and thunder but once it becomes obvious that the fireworks can’t hurt him, he’s entranced. It looks like fire in the sky

About halfway through, Alison asks them all how they’re liking it and they say it’s a good time. But… Thomas is missing. She asks around but no one’s seen him since the show started. Alison tells Mike to keep it going without her and goes off to find him

She searches the whole house until she finds him curled up at the bottom of the stairs by the basement. When he sees her approaching, instead of an outdated pickup line or a dreamy sigh, he quickly wipes tears away and tries to straighten himself out

She sits next to him and asks what’s wrong; this is very out of character for him. He tries to play it off but can’t come up with a good cover up. She asks him a bit more sternly and he admits that loud noises frighten him

Alison’s confused for a second until she sees how he grips his bullet wound and everything falls into place. Another firework bursts and he jumps and screams

He says it’s pathetic and childish but she assures him he’s not. There’s nothing wrong with being scared of something that reminds him of a very painful and traumatic experience

He thanks her and another firework goes off. Alison is glad they had this talk but isn’t sure how to help him. She can’t give him earplugs or earmuffs and he can’t leave the house to get away from them

Another firework goes off and she makes up her mind. She goes back outside and tells Mike to stop the show early. He’s resistant because they promised an hour long show and people might get mad but she explains the situation and he gives in

People do get upset but Alison says that they’re decided to jump to the next part of their program instead. She starts giving the kids sparklers and party snaps. The kids go wild and the parents calm down a bit

The ghosts ask what happened but she doesn’t tell them. Thankfully, their questioning gets cut short by Kitty begging for a sparkler. Alison waves one around for her and everyone has a good night

[beatrixluv]

me when i finish my monthly reread of lost then found on ao3

[ghosts-of-love]

have chosen to update The Quick and The Dead on a random Sunday afternoon. here is chapter 15. i know it's been 10 months since i last updated but still. be nice! <3 <3

[shebeafancyflapjack]

"So you're telling me, that not only did my wife speak to you more she ever spoke to me in thirty years, but you also touched her more than I ever got to?!"

Robin cringed so badly that he nearly slipped off the chair; "Ew! Don't say like that! It not that way. She only twelve."

"She didn't stay twelve though, did she!" Humphrey pointed out, almost as if he was digging for an excuse to pick a fight.

The caveman looked down at his feet and replied, quietly; "She did to me."

[moo9395]

My AAW piece :))

BBC Ghosts alloaro Robin and Julian QPR

Expand to get the full fic on Tumblr :)

Julian Fawcett didn’t understand love. 

At least not the romantic kind. 

He loved his daughter and, though he’d never admit it, he loved his new family.

But romance is something he didn’t get.

He’d married Margot mainly to satisfy his parents nagging. 

He’d liked her of course.

She was funny, smart, and absolutely gorgeous. 

He’d even say he loved her. 

But a small part of him always knew he didn’t love her properly. 

Not like other couples loved each other. 

Not like his parents. 

Not like the way she loved him despite the long list of reasons she shouldn’t.

And he couldn’t understand why.

There wasn’t anyone else he wanted, he’d looked, perhaps in the wrong places on occasion but he’d looked all the same. 

He’d even tried men and while the sex was just as good with them there still wasn’t that spark people talked about.

The one in films that he’d always thought was for show.

Because nobody actually felt that. Did they?

Robin didn’t believe in romance. 

Back when he was alive there weren’t silly traditions involving white dresses and rings.

People just had sex and moved on.

And Robin liked it that way.

He was able to do who he wanted when he wanted. 

But since his death Robin had noticed that not everyone felt that way.

He’d look at the way Humphrey looked at Sophie with a kind of longing in his eyes that Robin couldn’t understand.

He’d watched how Mary and Annie behaved together, pressing soft kisses to one another's hands when they thought nobody was looking.

He’d seen Thomas fall apart countless times watching Isabelle with Francis.

He’d seen the Captain and the way he and his ‘friend’ would spend each evening together, fingers brushing together gently as they walked about the grounds.  

Robin noticed these little details over his time at Button House and realised that not everyone felt like he did.

Except him.

Everyone in Button House knew about Robin and Julians ‘escapades’ (as Lady B put it), bar possibly Kitty but then again nobody really knew how much Kitty understood about it all. 

Nobody really understood their relationship, they had sex (a lot), and it was clear there was something between them but it didn’t really seem romantic. 

The others didn’t understand it but then again they didn’t really need to.

Because Julian and Robin did. 

And they were happy.

[pigeonsgobrrr]

So in my collecting of art for my various fics, I'm now stuck with a decision. Do I make a new chapter at the end of each work where I throw any art I have for it (including fan art because I'm just that cool) in there. Or I make a new work where I use it like an art gallery of all my fics so the writing and the art is separate?

Help me decide!!!!

The works I have are

BBC Ghosts:

"The best and worst secret Santa they've ever had"

"Everybody loves Maddox" (there's no art for this one but I might do depending on the results here)

Darkside Detective:

"How many McQueens are too many?"

"Occult officer: first time for everything"

"We've been through hell but it was worth it"

[ailendolin]

Wounded (1/5)

Title: Wounded [AO3]

Characters: The Captain/Havers

Warnings: Spoilers for Series 5

Summary: 3 ways the Captain didn’t find out about Havers’s wound, 1 way he did, and 1 way he might have if life had been a little kinder to them both.

Chapters: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

————

Wounded

Chapter 1: The Medal

The Captain had always known that Havers would do great deeds one day. He might not have been fortunate enough to see Havers’s brilliant mind in action on the battlefield but he’d known from the very first manoeuvre they’d done together at Button House that his lieutenant had all the necessary qualities to become an exemplary leader one day. Because Havers was not the kind of man to shout orders from the relative safety behind the lines. He was someone who led from the front; someone who didn’t mind getting his hands dirty and would never ask his men to do anything he wasn’t willing to do himself.

It was a quality the Captain had admired about him from practically day one – and desperately wished he didn’t have when he had to watch him leave for the North African front. Men like Havers rarely survived wars. The one they have found themselves entangled in might be over by Christmas – the Captain certainly thought so – but Christmas was still several months away. A lot could happen in those months, and every time a casualty list landed on his desk the Captain dreaded reading it, terrified of seeing Havers’s name in the column marked KIA – killed in action. The mere thought of Havers dying so far away from home, alone and probably scared, and without ever knowing–

The Captain shook his head. It was no use to dwell on things like that.

When Havers’s name inevitably stared up at him from an action report just a few days before Christmas in 1941, it was not in the context the Captain had expected and feared, thank god.  

Lieutenant A. P. Havers: awarded the Military Cross for an act of exemplary gallantry against the enemy during the Siege of Tobruk.

The Captain’s eyes flew back to the top of the page, suddenly a lot more interested in the report than he’d been a moment ago. Havers’s actions during the siege had not only gained him the Military Cross but also a battlefield commission, making him a captain by rank just like him. Upon reading that, a smile began to tug at the Captain’s lips. He knew it wouldn’t take long for other people to notice Havers’s potential.

The smile faded when he reached the casualty report and Havers’s name glared up at him from the paper next to words like wounded, grenade blast and pieces of shrapnel to the face and neck. Havers had survived – the report made that clear – but the Captain’s chest still constricted as his mind conjured up horrible images of Havers’s face covered in blood and shaking hands reaching up to assess the damage.

He had seen wounds like that before – born by soldiers who were recuperating in the hospital on the neighbouring estate. Not a single one of them had escaped without suffering trauma to the eyes as well. The report didn’t clarify whether or not Havers had met the same fate but that did not mean he hadn’t.

Guilt churned in the Captain’s stomach. He should have been there. He should have been by Havers’s side and held his hand when the medic pulled the pieces of shrapnel from his skin; should have kept him company at the aid station and hospital and surprised him with his favourite chocolate to take his mind off the pain. Even better yet, he should have never let him go. He should have gone in his stead instead of staying home in England where it was safe and warm and war was nothing more than an abstract concept other people experienced in countries far away.

“I’m sorry,” the Captain whispered to the empty room. “I’m so sorry.”

His eyes strayed towards the window, past the gates that led away from the house, and for one desperate moment he wished he were looking out over a hot desert and saw Havers walk up to him, his gentle eyes smiling as if to say, “It’s all right.”

[jamesandanthony]

so I found some signal in the wilds of colombia and the final chapter is up!

WEREN'T WE FOOLS

Words: 23,848 | Rated: M

BBC Ghosts | The Captain/Lieutenant Havers

Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence | POV The Captain | Reunions

He stops mid-stride when he sees the man standing by the window, sucking in a breath as a shock of recognition hits him. The weak morning sunlight shines through the glass, illuminating a face that the Captain would know anywhere, and his knees almost buckle beneath him. “Havers?” ____________________ A delve into the attic brings back more than just memories for the Captain.

[nortism]

Unburied Secrets (BBC Ghosts fic)

A/N Since ao3 is down I’ve decided to upload my recent fic here. Stay strong gang 

A/N ao3 is back! you can read my fic here

summary:

“Why me?” he said, conscious that he was starting to sound like a whiny teenager while also being far too tired to care.

“Well Kitty was quite insistent that it be you, she’s in my room picking out blankets for your sleepover.”

“Our sleepover?”

After Sam and Clare’s wedding, the Captain wants nothing more than a quiet night to himself. But the snowstorm forces guests to stay at Button House overnight, the Captain gets roped into having a sleepover with Kitty in which secrets are revealed.

Set immediately after S2 Ep6

word count: 5,161

relationships: The Captain & Kitty, Alison & The Captain, The Captain/Lieutenant Havers

tags: coming out, sleepovers, late night conversations, angst, emotional hurt/comfort, the captain is gay, bisexual kitty, the captain needs a hug, and he gets one

Unburied Secrets

The clock had almost struck midnight by the time the guests started filing out of Button House and into an assortment of cabs waiting to take them home or to nearby hotels where they could sleep off the events of the day. The Captain was very much looking forward to doing the same as he stood by the door, making a show of ferrying the guests away, actions that were entirely futile but comforting all the same. His fellow ghosts were no doubt lounging about, enjoying the aftermath of the party but not him. He had a sense of duty. There was no excuse to let standards slip.

Sam and Clare were the last out, having thanked all their guests. Together they gave Alison a final hug and made their way out into the night, their hands intertwined. They shared a peck before slipping into the cab. Through the frosted glass, the Captain saw Clare slip an arm around her new wife’s shoulder. They were the picture of domestic bliss and something about their joy made the Captain’s long unbeating heart ache. He was distracted from thinking about this too hard by Alison approaching him from behind.

“Thank you for tonight,” she said, her sincerity catching him off guard, “If I’m honest, I wasn't sure how you’d react to a wedding party, especially after the one me and Mike threw last month.”

The Captain shuddered at the memory.

“Yes, well this was a rather more dignified affair,” he replied primly, “And I wouldn't have wanted to ruin Clare and Samantha’s big day.”

Alison gave him a knowing smile that the Captain did not want to decipher.

“Speaking of, I’ve got one more mission for you. Clare’s aunt and Sam’s parents can’t drive home in this weather so I’m going to have to commandeer your room.”

“Absolutely not Alison, I’ve had a long day and as ranking officer it is vital that I get the proper rest-”

Alison cut him off mid rant, “Mike’s already showed them to their rooms so unless you want to share your bed with an elderly woman who can’t see you, you’re going to have to move. I’m bringing the sofas back into the ballroom, you can sleep on one of those.”

It was a fine plan, the Captain mused. There was just one thing missing.

“Where are Sam’s parents going to sleep?”

“Well,” Alison began, slightly sheepishly, “Kitty volunteered her room- in the name of love apparently. She’ll be joining you in the ballroom.”

Clearly whatever God was out there was not just content to let him peacefully rot in purgatory. Katherine was a sweet girl, certainly one of the more tolerable of his fellow dead people but he was really not in the mood for her antics tonight.

“Why me?” he said, conscious that he was starting to sound like a whiny teenager while also being far too tired to care.

“Well Kitty was quite insistent that it be you, she’s in my room picking out blankets for your sleepover.”

“Our sleepover?”

Alison gave him an apologetic smile, “You know how she gets when she’s excited, I couldn’t bring myself to talk her out of it.”

“I could refuse to go.”

“Right…” Alison raised her eyebrows at him, “And you’re prepared to deal with the aftermath of that are you? The crying? The emotions?”

The Captain grimaced. Alison could clearly sense she was winning and went in to deal the final blow.

“If you keep her entertained, there's a new BBC docuseries about assassination attempts on Hitler in it for you.”

“Done.”

Realistically, the Captain would have done it to avoid Kitty’s wide eyed, tearful stare which has the uncanny ability to actually make him feel sorry for his actions but he wasn’t above using the situation to his advantage. 

“Thank you so much!” Alison beamed at him, “Do you want to come and help us set up? I know how much you like bossing me around.”

“No thank you, Alison. These grounds won’t patrol themselves.”

She gave him a quizzical look but didn’t push it.

“Right... Well, have fun.”

Before she could leave the Captain called out, “Oh and well played Alison. We’ll make a commanding officer of you yet.”

She gave him a mock salute and went upstairs.

                                                                —

The Captain had only come to appreciate snow after his death. In life, it was a disruption, forcing the events of the day to be rescheduled around it. But in death, he couldn't feel the bite of the wind or the sensation of cold damp trickling through his boots into his socks. As he walked, he left no footprints, no evidence he was there. The swirling flakes fell to the ground, transforming the landscape he’d been haunting for the better part of seventy years into something new. 

Logically, the Captain knew he didn't actually need to patrol the grounds of Button House. Even when he was alive, the chances of the Germans invading a remote country estate in Surrey were slim and each decade that passed since the end of the war saw that chance become slimmer. And even if something were to happen, in his current state there was very little the Captain could do against corporal beings, as the recent home invasion had demonstrated. But routine had defined the Captain’s life and it was only fitting it define his death. The ritual of following the perimeter of the grounds, observing the occasional passerby was comforting to him and especially after a day like this, gave him a chance to untangle his thoughts.

He’d been running on autopilot ever since Sam had stepped out of the car. Keeping busy was the best way to keep the façade up, to make sure that no one in the house could suspect him of being any more interested in this particular wedding than he would be any other. He’d turned off his mind and his heart and let the events of the day sweep him up. It had been far too easy to remain unaffected with the general chaos that accompanied all occasions at Button House. 

But now, out here in the quiet night, the Captain’s thoughts turned to Sam and Clare and what their wedding meant for him. Sure, he'd had an inkling that things had gotten better for people like him (even in the privacy of his own thoughts, he couldn't quite bring himself to say it) but to see two women getting married in front of his eyes was another thing. What had hit him was the sheer normalcy of it all. It was just two people in love, surrounded by the love and support of their friends and family, without any opposition or backlash besides from the ghost of an Edwardian lady who neither of the brides could see nor hear. But even she had come around in the end, he reminded himself, something he’d never seen Fanny do in his over seventy years of haunting. How could times have changed so much?

He was happy for them, he thought. Yes, happy. But even in his own head that didn't feel quite right. Looking at the brides, he felt that warm glow of pride at their courage to be themselves in ways he never would have dared but underneath there was something else. It wasn't the fault of these women but watching their happiness brought out something ugly in the Captain. Perhaps a few decades ago it would have been jealousy and before then even repulsion but after all these years alone, all he could feel was a sense of grief. He mourned the life he could have lived, the lives so many could have lived. He wondered if two men could do that, could get married, move out to a cottage by the sea, away from the roar of gunfire and simply be together, in peace. It still scarcely seemed possible. Banishing the incriminating thoughts from his head, the Captain spun on his heel back towards the house.

                                                              —

When he arrived in the ballroom, the furniture had been moved back to its usual positions with the two sofas running parallel in front of the fireplace. The only evidence that it had served as a makeshift chapel just hours earlier were the string lights the Captain had helped (ordered) Alison to hang from the ceiling. Kitty was following Alison as she arranged a truly obscene number of cushions on one of the sofas, chattering away all the while.

Kitty let out an ungodly squeal when she saw him, immediately rushing over to explain her blanket choices to him. She’d selected a simple knitted blanket for him in an army green which would have probably been quite soft if he was able to touch it. All of Button House’s various stuffed animals (the locations of which Kitty had memorised over her time haunting the house) were arranged on and around both sofas so that they could all join in on the fun. 

After Kitty had introduced the Captain to each and every toy (she’d insisted he pretended to shake their hands), the pair retired to their respective sofas. Alison mimed draping the blanket over Kitty, and although it just passed through her ghostly form, it seemed to please her.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it,” Alison said, moving to turn off the string lights.

“Wait, leave them on,” the Captain called.

“Okay, goodnight,” Alison smiled as she closed the door. 

The soft glow of the fairy lights illuminated the otherwise dark room. If anyone had looked out the window, they would have seen that the night sky bore a remarkable resemblance to the ceiling. The Captain stiffly lay down on his sofa and relaxed as best as a ghost who was unable to touch the blankets or cushions could. The rustling of petticoats from the other side of the room suggested Kitty was doing the same. The Captain let out a deep sigh. Perhaps he was going to get away with his night of rest after all. 

Five minutes later, Kitty let out a giggle. 

“Katherine,” the Captain called lowly, “Are you quite alright?”

“Oh yes!” came the lilting reply, “I’m just far too excited to sleep yet!”

The Captain stayed silent in hopes that she’d realise he wasn't in the mood but those hopes were dashed when the voice spoke again.

“You missed our conversation earlier, when all the others were telling me about their weddings!”

This was very quickly moving into uncomfortable territory for the Captain. He carefully pondered his reply.

“Yes, well I must have been helping Alison with the decorating.”

Undeterred Kitty continued, “Oh that’s a shame, it was most interesting! Well Julian just said horrible things and Lady Button just started listing people I didn't know. Oh, and then Thomas started wallowing about the wedding he never had. But Pat’s sounded nice!”

That was all pretty much as the Captain expected such a conversation to go, which probably said a lot about the amount of time he spent with the other ghosts. Truthfully, he’d heard that line of inquiry starting up and had immediately left the room in search of a distraction. He hadn’t initially been all that interested in the wedding, seeing it as another disruption to his sacred routine, but the topic of romance was to be avoided at all costs. However with the intimate nature of a sleepover, he may not be so lucky this time.

“Were you ever married?”

The question ricocheted off the Captain’s armoured heart like a bullet. He cleared his throat.

“Um, no Katherine, I never was.”

“Why not?”

That dreaded question had followed the Captain throughout his life and it seemed now it had come back to haunt him in death. He’d given many answers over the years. As a teenager he said he was too focused on his studies. Immediately out of school, he’d enlisted and been shipped off to the Western Front. His fellow soldiers seemed to be obsessed with girls and he was often asked if there was anyone back home, but the backdrop of the trenches was the perfect excuse for his lack of experience. After the Great War, he stayed in the army. The question gained new urgency as one by one his old schoolmates and surviving comrades paired off. The Captain became skilled in the art of avoidance, citing a busy schedule, his devotion to the forces and “never meeting the right one” as excuses for his perpetual singleness. 

The higher he rose through the ranks in the army, the less the question was asked. His position gave him authority and status and let him keep those around him at an arm's length. He told himself he was happy that way. His family eventually gave up asking and by the time the Second World War rolled around, it had been over a year since anyone had asked the Captain why he’d never married. That was until Havers came along: friendly, sincere and far, far too interested. He wormed his way into the Captain’s life, graduating from a Lieutenant to an actual friend, the first in far too long.   

The question reared its ugly head on a warm spring evening in 1940. A shared bottle of whiskey to celebrate a breakthrough in their secret project had quickly led the two men into the realm of the personal. The Captain’s carefully maintained walls, loosened by drink and the high of progress, were gently chipped away at by Haver’s persistent desire for information. They discussed their hometowns, their families, their old friends; everything but the omnipresent war that surrounded them during the day. 

“So how come you never married?” Havers finally asked. It was hard to tell if the red glow on his face was due to the alcohol or merely the setting sun warming his features. Either way, the Captain thought it suited him.

If he’d been sober, the Captain would have been able to pull out one of an assortment of well practised lines that answered the question without inviting further inquiry. As it was he spluttered and stammered in lieu of a response, his normally disciplined mind clouded by alcohol. The corners of Havers’ mouth slowly turned up into a knowing smile, like the Captain’s incompetence had answered all the questions he could ever wish to ask. Idly, the Captain wondered if the other man had always had dimples. Was Havers getting closer or was it just wishful thinking?

“I think I know why you never married,” Havers said, his usual close mouthed smile replaced with a grin that showed all his teeth right back to his molars. He was definitely getting closer.

 “I think you are just like me.”

The voice in the back of his head was screaming that this was a terrible idea, that everything he’d ever worked for could be lost if the Captain succumbed to temptation. But that voice was getting quieter and quieter and Havers was getting closer and closer and maybe he was moving too. Their faces were inches apart over the Captain’s desk and the man was aware that they must have both been leaning out of their seats to get here.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the Captain whispered in a last ditch attempt to delay the inevitable.

Havers just smiled and cupped his cheek with one hand. It was unclear who initiated it but suddenly they were kissing. Their bodies were too far apart and the side of the desk was sticking uncomfortably into the side of the Captain’s hip. Havers tasted of stale cigarettes and alcohol and his lips were slightly chapped. Everything about this experience should have been repulsive but to the Captain, it was a revelation. It could only have been a minute, maybe less, but he knew nothing could ever be the same again.

And then he felt it, his old friend, the slithering feeling of guilt that had made its home in his heart since he was a small boy. And like the coward he was, the Captain broke the kiss. His lieutenants' panic stricken face carved itself into his mind as he left him in his office, without a word of acknowledgement. 

Honestly, what had the man been thinking? He’d have to report him, the Captain thought as he paced the perimeter of the grounds. It was too cold to be outside without his jacket but that was back in his office and there was no way he was turning back. He should definitely report Havers. But even then, he knew wouldn’t, because the Captain could lie to himself, but he couldn't lie to a court. After a solid hour of circling the grounds, the Captain concluded that the best course of action would be to pretend it never happened. Havers was a good lieutenant, it hardly seemed worth it to disrupt their work over this. Sure, he was breaking the rules but there was a war on and every man was needed. It was really the Captain��s fault for letting a subordinate get too close. It wouldn’t happen again. 

The Captain went back inside, his fingers and nose red from the cold. His office was mercifully empty. As the Captain tidied his desk, he saw a hastily scribbled note in his Lieutenant’s handwriting:

Sir,

My apologies for what happened. I had too much to drink, it won’t happen again. Can we please pretend it never happened?

- W.H

So it seemed they were on the same page in regards to forgetting the night. The Captain tossed the note onto the dying fire and tried to convince himself that this was what he wanted.

Unfortunately, the Captain had been blessed with an excellent memory. Rather than forgetting about it, that night plagued the Captain’s mind, leaving him to stew in a cocktail of desire and regret. Still, he pushed on. They had a war to win after all. Havers upheld his end of their unspoken bargain. The pair never discussed it, nor anything unrelated to work, again. The Captain told himself he didn’t miss it.

Two months later, France surrendered and Havers left for the Front. The Captain considered for a brief moment, saying something, anything, to make him stay. He even wrote it down but in the end, he was still a coward and Havers left him. Life marched on. The Captain threw himself into his work and for a while, Havers’ absence helped to keep the memories from replaying in his mind. 

Then, almost a year later, Havers’ mother arrived at the House. Her son was dead and she needed to pick up his things. He’d been dead for a couple of months. The Captain hadn’t received any word of this. They weren’t family, they certainly weren’t married and now they never could be. To the record of history they were just a Captain and his former Lieutenant, nothing more, nothing less. All that remained of them was a letter he’d been too cowardly to send.

He gave himself an hour to cry that night, for the first time since he was a boy, before wiping his eyes, putting on his coat and finally burying the prototype mine, the one Havers was supposed to help him complete, alongside the letter. He’d hoped the symbolic burial would relieve him of the burden of memory, of wondering what might have been, but that night had stuck with the Captain to his own burial and beyond.

“Captain?” Kitty’s voice shook the man out of his reminiscence.

“Sorry Katherine,” he replied, straining to keep his voice level and calm, “I- uhm- suppose I never got married because I was too busy with the war.”

This was not his most convincing lie, there were several years in between the World Wars in which he could have settled down but hopefully Kitty’s memory of this period was limited. Whether she believed him or not, she didn’t push and instead moved the conversation to herself.

“I should have liked to have been married,” she began wistfully, “I didn’t live long enough to ever meet someone but I often imagined what my own wedding might be like. How the church would look adorned in flowers, what dress I would wear! And of course the handsome groom that would be waiting for me by the altar!” She let out a giggle at this. “Though I suppose nowadays it could be a handsome bride! Oh that would be wonderful!” 

The Captain’s heart skipped a beat at this revelation, which really shouldn’t have been possible considering he hadn’t had a functioning body since the 1940s. He put considerable effort into keeping his tone casual when he asked, “And would that be something you’d be interested in? A bride?”

Kitty’s voice remained as light and breezy as ever as she replied, “Well I’d never really thought about it until today but I think it would be lovely to marry a woman! We could wear matching dresses or even suits like Clare!”

The Captain almost wanted to scream that it wasn't that simple, that she couldn't just say things like that so casually. But a voice in the back of his head, a voice that sounded suspiciously like a man he’d known long ago, asked why shouldn’t it be? Why must it be so difficult for him?

“- And I’ve always thought women were beautiful, like Alison. Oh! Do you think Alison would wear matching dresses with me?”

Belatedly, the Captain realised he was supposed to reply.

“I’m sure she would Kitty, if it were possible.”

A slightly awkward silence followed, as it often did when one of the ghosts was confronted with the reality of their state of being. Determined to salvage what had been a not entirely unsuccessful social interaction, the Captain spoke:

“Well Katherine, if you were to ever get married, I would be honoured to attend.”

He could practically hear the smile in her voice when she replied, “Why thank you Captain! I would also be honoured to attend your wedding. Oooo could I be a bridesmaid? Please please please?”

“If you like Katherine, though I can't imagine anyone wanting to marry an old man like me.”

“I’m sure that’s not true!” Kitty sounded genuinely offended on his behalf, “There’s loads of people you could marry. What about Lady Button?”

The Captain almost choked on his own tongue.

“Now Kitty, I’m not sure that would be appropriate-”

“How about Pat?” the young woman continued, undeterred, “Or Julian!”

The Captain wondered if it was possible for a ghost to kill themself.

“I don’t think any of the other ghosts would make appropriate marriage candidates, I’m afraid.”

The room was silent for a moment and the Captain naively hoped that this topic of conversation had been dropped.

“What about your lieutenant?”

No such luck.

“I’m sorry?”

“You know, during the war?” Kitty continued, “I forget his name but he had kind eyes and a very handsome smile. He was the only soldier Lady Button could tolerate, she said the others had appalling manners.”

“Havers…”

“Hmm?”

“His name was Lieutenant William Havers,” the Captain was struggling to keep the tremor out of his voice, “He helped me develop the limpet mine, the one Alison blew up in the garden, before he left for the front.”

“Of course! I remember the two of you were very close.”

The Captain often forgot that Kitty was actually much older than him. He knew of course that the older ghosts would have seen him during his service at Button House but he tried not to think about it too much. But now the very real possibility that Kitty had seen the events of the night he’d been unsuccessfully trying to forget for the better part of eighty years was dawning on him.

“Well Katherine, I wouldn’t say we were very close, it was just the nature of the job you see.”

“Well to me it seemed as though you were good friends, we all thought so.”

So deflection wasn't going to work. It was time for a direct charge.

“You didn’t see anything, did you Katherine?”

“I don’t think so?” Kitty sounded puzzled, “I just meant that the pair of you spent a lot of time together in your office. I didn’t usually spend much time there, I couldn’t understand a word you and your lieutenant were saying.”

Well that had backfired. The Captain cursed himself internally. Kitty had genuinely thought he and Havers were good friends and now he’d ruined it with his excessive defensiveness.

After a moment, Kitty spoke up tentatively.

“Would you have liked to marry him, Captain? If you could have?”

There it was. The finishing blow. The Captain was open and exposed and he had nowhere to run. He considered his options. He could play dumb, pretend he didn't know who Kitty was talking about. But that wouldn’t work, he had volunteered the man’s name mere moments ago. Or he could just leave, find somewhere else in this giant house to sleep. But that would answer the question for him and upset Kitty. He was out of choices. This was it, he was going to lose everything he’d built up in this half life. The other ghosts would lose all respect for him.

But then he remembered this was Kitty he was talking to. Yes, she could be naive but she could keep a secret if she knew it was important, he was sure of it. And she wouldn’t judge him. Not out of a sense of moral obligation but more that the thought of judgement simply would not have crossed her mind. When the Captain thought back on the days of his youth spent in church under the fierce watch of his parents, he thought that if God truly was out there, His love would look far more like Kitty’s; unquestioning and unwavering. He took a deep breath, steeled his nerves and charged out over the top.

“Yes, I think I would have liked that.”

Looking up at the fairy lights he’d helped Alison string up earlier, the Captain didn't feel as though he was talking to another person but merely that he was confessing his secrets to the stars. 

The couple beats of silence afterwards were enough to send the Captain spiralling into a panic. 

“By which I mean of course that I would much prefer to marry him over say Julian, not that I-”

He was cut off by a soft weight landing on top of him which he realised was Kitty diving on top of him for a hug. Really these were not the optimal conditions for it: he was horizontal and he could hardly see Kitty in the dim lighting but she clung onto him until his muscles slowly melted into the embrace. 

“It’s okay,” she whispered into the crook of his neck, “And I’m sorry you couldn’t be wed.”

Dimly, the Captain realised there were tears running down his cheeks though by the sound of Kitty’s voice, she wasn’t faring much better.

“Yes, well there’s nothing I can do about it now, I suppose.”

The Captain awkwardly patted the girl on the back. He couldn't remember the last time he’d been touched like this and he was slightly out of his depth. Kitty seemed to notice his discomfort and slid off him to sit on the floor.

“I suppose not,” she said. The Captain could make out that she was wiping her eyes with her sleeves in the dim light. 

“Now, now Katherine,” he said, moving to join her on the floor despite his knees’ vocal protest, “It may be too late for us but things are getting better for the living. We may have not gotten our happy endings, but Sam and Clare did and so will many others. It’s a gift in itself that we get to stick around to witness their joy.”

Kitty didn’t reply, instead leaning into the older man’s side. They spent a little while like that, in total silence looking up at the lights twinkling like stars on the ceiling. Eventually the Captain noticed Kitty’s eyes beginning to droop. He took it upon himself to guide her onto her sofa and almost instinctively took off his jacket and draped it over her drowsy form. By the time the Captain had laid down himself, the jacket had reappeared on his body but he slept soundly that night with the image of Kitty tucked up cosily in her makeshift bed. 

                                                                —

“Alison?” the Captain called, bouncing on the balls of his feet at the kitchen door, “A word if you may?

It was the next morning. The final guests had left the house and Alison and Mike were just about to settle down for a well deserved breakfast.

“Sorry Mike, ghost thing.” Alison kissed her husband on the cheek, leaving him to make the tea. Mike grumbled sleepily under his breath but let his wife go deal with whatever problem their undead housemates had come up with this time.

“I’m sorry I didn’t time your run this morning but with guests-” Alison began, leading the pair of them into the hallway.

“No no no Alison it’s nothing like that, though I would like to make sure that you will be promptly on time tomorrow.”

“Yeah yeah yeah, will do,” Alison went to leave but was stopped by the ghost.

“That's not all. I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the wedding yesterday and,” the Captain looked at his feet, “And I was wondering if it was possible for two men to do something like that?”

Alison looked at him with the same knowing smile from yesterday.

“Of course they could, Cap.”

“Hmmm, well that’s excellent of course,'' he was still refusing to maintain eye contact and rocking back and forth on his feet, “Fascinating modern world this is.”

“Is there anything you’d like to tell me, Captain?” 

“Absolutely not Alison, just an intellectual curiosity is all.”

“Right,” Alison didn't sound entirely convinced but she didn’t push it, “Can I go back to my breakfast now?”

The Captain nodded. Alison turned back towards the kitchen only to be stopped once more.

“I say Alison!”

“Yes?”

“Those insipid romance novels that Katherine enjoys so much, do you know they have any featuring two girls?”

Alison raised her eyebrows at this.

“For Kitty, of course,” he added uncomfortably.

“Yeah I figured,” Alison said, “I didn’t know she was into that kind of thing. I’m sure I could find something on eBay.”

The Captain had no idea was an “E Bay” was but he decided that this was a mission accomplished.

“Well jolly good. I’ll see you this evening for my Hitler assassination show.” 

And with that the soldier spun on his heel and left. Alison shrugged and returned to the kitchen, ready to regale her husband with more tales of the weird ghosts that haunted their house.

[nyebevans]

The Christmas Gift

(BBC Ghosts, 3628 words, T: Alison/Mike, Alison & Button House Ghosts, Barclay Beg-Chetwynde & Mike)

Alison goes into labour while Mike's out grabbing some last minute Brussels sprouts from Tesco on Christmas Eve. When an unexpected blizzard leaves Mike stranded, she's left with the prospect of giving birth at Button House. At least she's got the ghosts' many years of combined expertise to help guide her through... right?

I wrote a Christmas Ghosts fic! Merry Christmas to all who celebrate; merry(?) Final Ever Episode to everyone else!

[little-cereal-draws]

Basically the summary of the first chapter of my modern au BBC Ghosts fic, Moral of the Story

[beatrixluv]

i need tp yap aboiut this fic bro

currently rereading the best patcap fic ever in my opinion i lobe it sm bro its called lost then found by @ghosts-of-love ao3 (their name is hounds_of_love on ao3) and i geniunly love ot sm like the writing is so good and the patcap slowburn is everything and when i read the lines i can actually picture the characters saying it

the plot is about the captain moving to a small village after his mother dies and he cutting of the man he was having an (unknowingly on his end) affair with. skipping part of the story bc i dont wanna like say how he meets all of the group but he ends up working in a library that humph takes him to where he meets pat his boss, and i think you all know where this goes.

sorry if this description sucks but i dont wanna just copy and paste the summary from ao3 bc thatd boring (not the summary but just copying it) and i wanted to kinda describe it myself but anyways if you madenit this far thx for listening to me yap about this fic i read and am now rereading bc why not!!! but i hope the writer sees this and knows that their work genuinely changed my life and im NEVER getting over lost then found 😁👍

[ghosts-of-love]

aware that this is so niche but im getting emotional thinking about Joanie, the Captain's sister from Lost then Found who then also appeared in every other fic I've written since then. like. what do you mean she isn't a real person? what do you mean she only exists as a fully-fledged person in my brain and no one else's? what do you mean she doesn't even appear in canon at all??

[shebeafancyflapjack]

Red Dwarf-inspired Ghosts fic idea.

A cursed object gets brought into the house (some antique Mike bought because he thought it looked cool and creepy). The ghosts are all drawn to it like moths to a flame until they get too close and it causes them to all pass out.

Alison comes home to find them all asleep on the floor and at first thinks they're all playing some kind of trick or doing Nap Club or something. But then a day or two goes by and they're still asleep so she really starts to get worried. She usually doesn't touch them because it causes them pain but this time she can't help but touch Cap's head.

Then she finds herself being pulled back in time, or so it seems. And she's watching a VE celebration take place. She's watching Cap try to make his way to Havers. Except this time he doesn't stop when he's challenged, he doesn't have a heart attack and the pair reach each other. No one one including Cap seems to notice Alison is there. She watches them smile at each other and leave. Then she manages to wake herself back up.

That was...odd. She touches another ghost, Fanny this time. She's taken back to the east wing bedroom at night. Only this time Fanny doesn't get pushed. Instead she orders George to leave her with everything unless he wants his secret spilled to the world.

Alison keeps going as she enters each ones heads. Pat is successfully teaching the kids before driving the bus home, excited to see Carol and Daley. Thomas wins the duel and kisses Isabelle. Mary is pardonned and reunited with her children. Humphrey doesn't knock the damn chimney and can walk on with his head attached. Kitty is waking up in bed and embracing Eleanor. Robin is returning to his tribe and being glomped by his kids. Julian is putting his trousers on.

They're all reliving their deaths except without the deaths happening. They're all smiling as they sleep thinking their lives are going to be OK. Alison can see the weird object Mike brought is glowing as if it's feeding off their desires. She thinks if she breaks it they might all wake up but would they thank her for it?