The Pain Within (Sequel To 'Trapped Without You')

Left Behind

Waking up with a boy sprawled out across you is never a good thing especially when he's your boss and your other male co-worker is pounding on your door. Unfortunately for Lucy this is exactly what she woke up to.

"Luce! Where's Lockwood?" George asked for the second time.

"Crushing me," Lucy muttered trying her hardest to move out from underneath him. "Check his room. I don't know." Lucy lied. After she heard George leave she shook Lockwood.

"Wake up idiot." Lucy whispered. "Get off of me." Lockwood rolled off of her with a groan. Lucy stood and straightened her nightgown, she spotted Lockwood's stuffed bear laying on the ground halfway under her bed. Picking it up she could feel how worn and old it was, it's blue button eyes falling off.

"You must really love this little guy." Lucy set it down in front of Lockwood, grabbed clean clothes and went to take a shower.

Lockwood rolled off the edge of the bed, landing with a loud thud. Rubbing his now bruised arm he sat up, the sound of rushing water and humming in the distance reminded him of the previous night. Closing his eyes he could see it as it had happened.

First the suicidal Lucy walking out into the water. Then that desperate loneliness he'd felt waking up, and the feeling of vulnerability when he'd knocked on Lucy's door tears streaming down his face. He remembered the warmth of Lucy, her soft hair brushing against his cheek as he slept, so close they had been.

Sitting alone on Lucy's floor Lockwood found himself yearning for that closeness, for that warmth, for Lucy. Despite this he ran out of her room and down to the kitchen as fast as he could, he had now cried in front of both his co-workers, he had let his guard down and become vulnerable.

When he was young he had made a promise to himself that he wouldn't let anyone in so they'd never have to bear his pain, so that those around him could live happy lives, and so that if he were to die during a case no one would feel the pain he felt when his family had died. So he took a deep breath and pushed back the memory of what happened the night before, not the fear and depression of the nightmare but instead the memory of Lucy's touch. Her warmth and comfort, and with it, he pushed back the desire to feel it again then made his way into the kitchen for a late breakfast.

Lucy made her way downstairs, already her face was flushed with embarrassment, she also had been going over the events of the night before. She remembered the bad parts, the worry, and confusion upon seeing a crying Lockwood, but she also remembered the other parts. She remembered the weight of Lockwood leaning on her, the heat of his breath upon her neck.

It reminded her of when he had helped her practice fighting, but then it had only been minutes of such intimacy, last night it had been hours, and she had been in her nightgown and him in his pajamas. The whole situation seemed fine at three in the morning when Lucy was too tired to think, but looking back at it she couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

Lockwood & Co. sat through an awkwardly silent breakfast with a red-faced Lucy, a dead-eyed Lockwood, and a suspicious George. Putting away the dishes George reminded Lockwood they had a client coming soon and reminded Lucy she wasn't allowed to be a part of the case.

After Lucy finished eating she decided if she couldn't go out on cases she'd do what George normally did, she gathered the boys work belts and checked and restocked their equipment. Then she grabbed their rapiers and polished them, by that time their new client had arrived and Lucy was told she couldn't come upstairs.

It had stung to hear George say that, it was like he and Lockwood were ashamed of her and didn't want their client to see her. She went over to her desk and sat in her dusty chair. Opening the bottom drawer she pulled out a hand mirror, normally she only used mirrors out in cases when she needed to watch her back while in tight spaces, but she wasn't allowed to go on cases anymore. She wiped off the glass and stared at her reflection, there was a deep scar running along her cheek. Starting under her eye going down diagonally across her cheek, she remembered when she got it. She had kneed her captor in his weak spot, he cut her in rage.