Y/n was floating in some sort of yellowish water, eyes closed. Her lashes fluttered open revealing a woman with long red hair, wearing a beautiful yellow dress and holding some flowers. Y/n brows furrowed with concern as she stared at the woman.
The woman turned her head, revealing the woman haunting that house. Sure enough, she was beautiful with soft pleasant facial features, long red hair stunning greenish blue eyes and red lips.
"Let go of me." Echoed
Y/n's eyes widened a little in panic.
"Let go of me..." She said in an enchanting voice.
The woman's fingers let go of the bouquet of flowers and it made it's way to Y/n.
"Let go of me..."
"Let go of me!"
The woman stared at Y/n.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Y/n's hand twitched a little as they finally found it's feeling. Her hand grasped the ring in her palm. Y/n groaned softly as she got up from jumping off a burning building.
She coughed into her elbow, looking around for Lockwood. "Lockwood?" Y/n calls out brokenly.
"Lockwood?" Y/n asked.
Y/n coughed once again, the fumes were very strong. "Lockwood?" She calls out again.
"Found one!" A voice said
"Lockwood!" Y/n calls out in panic.
"Over her!" Someone calls as Y/n coughs once again.
"Lockwood!" Y/n yells.
"We're DEPRAC." Someone said. "Is there anyone else here?"
"Lockwood!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A hospital curtain opened up, revealing Y/n wearing an hospital gown connected to an IV.
"Miss Lockwood?" The nurse asked.
"No, that's the agency's name. My name is Y/n Carlyle." Y/n corrects.
"Sorry, there must have been a mix-up." The nurse apologizes.
"Lockwood's my partner." Y/n said.
The nurse looked at her.
"Well, um, more like my employer, so he is my boss technically." Y/n said giggling awkwardly.
"Is he here?" Y/n asks.
"No. We called your mother." The nurse told her.
Y/n eyes widened with panic, "I-um, You didn't tell her where I was right?" Y/n asks hopefully.
"She didn't ask, love, she sounded very busy, I'll get the doctor to check you over. Stay there. Rest up until the doctor tells you all is well." The nurse told her.
Y/n smiled awkwardly and watched the nurse leave. Once she did, Y/n ripped the IV from her arm and climbed off the bed. She grabbed her boots and jacket from the chair and walked to a bouquet of flowers, similar to the ones the woman had. She grabbed a few from the bouquet.
Y/n opened the door and saw a lift.
"Miss Carlyle?" The doctor asked. "Y/n Carlyle?" The doctor asked again.
Y/n opened another door, revealing a large room with multiple patients inside with IV's and many other wires connected to them, some sort of wore was connected to their head as well, keeping track.
"Oh my god." Y/n whispers.
Y/n walked past the body of a young girl, who looked a little bit like Norrie, these patients were clearly ghost-locked, their eyes said it all, milky white and completely unmoving.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lockwood was sitting in the questioning room hands interlocked and looking down, his coat hung behind him.
The door opened and closed, revealing a man. He walked to the desk, dropping a file.
"Mr. Lockwood." The man said.
"Yes. Hello." Lockwood greets. "Who do I have the pleasure-"
"Inspector Barnes." The man interrupts sitting down. "From the department of Psychical research and Control."
Lockwood stared at him.
"And I don't like meeting agents who burn homes to the ground, put lives at risk, and break the laws in so many ways they might as well not know they exist." Barnes finished.
Lockwood nods, understanding. "If you just give me a moment to tell you my side of the story." Lockwood requests.
Inspector Barnes nods in reply, permitting him to speak.
"You may not be aware, but we were given an entirely misleading account of the situation of the premises..." Lockwood starts and Barnes handed him a file. "We were then violently ambushed by..." Lockwood read the paper and traced his finger over a number 60,000 euros to be paid to the woman who owned the house.
"This can't be right." Lockwood said looking at Barnes.
"You owe Mrs. Hope 60,000 euros in damages to be paid withing two weeks, or her lawyers will have to shut you down." Barnes informs.
"I think you'll find you owe it, as we're covered by DEPRAC insurance." Lockwood said.
"You used a magnesium flare indoors, and had no iron chains. Your policy is void." Barnes said coldly.
Lockwood folded his arms across his chest.
"I pulled your file, says here you've set up on your own. No supervision. Maybe leave it to the adults before somebody dies."
"No one died. And nobody will whilst I am in charge." Lockwood promised.
"You're not in charge, I am." Barnes warned. "Pay up or get shut down."
Lockwood stared at him furiously as Barnes picked up his coat and left.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Y/n was now walking home, she was still wearing her hospital gown so she put on her jacket to make it look a little less weird. She rang the bell, George ran up and opened it.
"Where's Lockwood?" George asked panicked.
"Don't sound too pleased to see me." Y/n said sarcastically. "How about 'Oh my god Y/n, I'm so glad you're okay' or 'I'm so glad you're still alive" Y/n grumbled as she walked into the kitchen.
George rushed after her. "Oh my god Y/n, I'm so glad you're okay. I'm so relieved you're still alive." George repeats sarcastically.
Y/n turned around, glaring at him. "Don't just say those exact words!" Y/n scolds.
"Y/n, where is Lockwood?" George asked again.
Y/n washed her hands in the sink. "How the hell should I know? He just...disappeared."
"You've been in a hospital, why were you in the hospital?" George asked concerned.
"George, please give me a second." Y/n pleads closing her eyes.
"If you're talking metaphorically, please tell me what you mean by a second. Because if it's longer than minute then I'll occupy myself while you waste your time-"
"In the last 12 hours, I have nearly been murdered by a type two. Twice. I've jumped from a burning house, fallen 20 feet face-first into a bush, and had a tube shoved down my throat to hoover out my lungs, so just give me a second!" Y/n whisper-shouts.
"If you'd waited for me, none of this would have happened." George scolds as Y/n sat down drinking water.
"You were late." Y/n deadpans.
"I was doing my job so we'd know what we were walking in to." George told her. "Which I am assuming wasn't just an old man who fell down the stairs-"
Y/n looked down, seeing something. "That's her." She whispered.
"How exactly did the house catch fire, Y/n?" George asked.
"God, she was young." Y/n mutters sadly.
"You burnt it down, didn't you?" George asked.
"This woman, who was she?" Y/n asked grabbing the newspaper and pointing at a black and white photograph of the woman.
"You're not even listening." George said in disbelief.
"George. This picture." Y/n pleads. "This is the woman whose ghost attacked us last night." Y/n told him.
"It felt like...she needed my help." Y/n explains unsurely. "Tell me who she was, please."
George took in a deep breath. "She was a rising star in the 80s, all set for Hollywood, until she went missing." George explained.
We found her body bricked up in a chimney. Someone did that to her." Y/n said as she glanced down at the picture of the woman.
"Maybe if you'd been more interested before you went charging-" George lectures.
"That was Lockwood's decision ! I have only just started." Y/n said truthfully. "What am I supposed to say to him?" Y/n asks.
"You're meant to say no !" George huffed. "You have to, or you'll make him worse."
"Glad to see you two getting on without me. I'd like to say the house is on fire, but-" Lockwood starts.
Y/n whirled around to see Lockwood standing there with his coat on his arm, his hair sweaty looking more attractive than ever.
George stood up. "Where have you been?" George asked.
"Aren't you hurt?" Y/n asks standing up as well.
"Why didn't you wait?" George asked again.
"George knows who that ghost was." Y/n told Lockwood. "He said-"
"Can we please do this later?" Lockwood asks. "I need to sleep, let's catch up over breakfast, yeah?" Lockwood asks.
The two just stared at him.
"If you can make your ghormeh sabzi, with a shedload of rice, I'd love you forever mate." Lockwood said and turned around to leave but stopped and turned around again to look at Y/n, his eyes trailed up and down her body. "Interesting outfit, Y/n/n" he said confused. "Didn't have you down as a fan of unicorns or...rainbows."
Y/n looked down at the hospital gown embarrassed, she knew she should have changed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Y/n sat down on her bed, now wearing grey shorts and a blue over sized t-shirt. She looked down at the newspaper clipping of the woman, lots of clippings surrounded her of the articles of the woman. Y/n turned around and reached into her bag taking out the ring she took from the bones of the woman.
Y/n gently cupped the ring in her hand and closed her eyes as an attempt to contact the woman. And sure enough, Y/n was floating in water once again with the redhead in front of her, she passed the flowers to Y/n once again who took them in her hands.
"Let go of me..." said a whisper.
"Let go of me!" the voice whisper shouts once again.
The woman opened her eyes revealing a shocking current blue eyes.
Y/n opened her eyes once again. She looked down at the flowers on the newspaper. She grabbed the cup of water and looked into it, seeing herself in the water floating with eyes closed.
"Y/n?" A distant voice calls out.
"Y/n?" The voice asked again.
"Y/n!"
Y/n gasped for breath as she rose from the water filled tub.
"What are you doing?" George asked.
Y/n's wet clothes stuck to her body, her Y/h/l Y/h/c slicked back. She was attempting to make connect with the woman under water as she seems to like water quite a lot.
She took in a deep breath as coughed a little. "Attempting to make a connection." She answered.
"Well there's a lock you know, and other people who need to use the toilet." George told her.
"Oh don't act as if you lock the door." Y/n scolds. "Besides, I'm fully clothed and attempting make contact with a ghost."
George looked at her offended. "I do lock the door!" George said, clearly lying and Y/n rolled her eyes.
"I'm getting out now, THANK YOU millions for interrupting the connection." Y/n said sarcastically as she got up wringing her hair from the water and she drained the tub.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey Norrie." Y/n greets with her voice recorder. "You'd never guess where I am. Kept our promise."
Y/n wrote on the little label on the recorder 'To Norrie'.
"I'm in London." Y/n told her best friend sadly and looked outside. "Fittes and Rotwell wouldn't even look at me, so I've ended up in a ... " Y/n scoffed a little leaning against the window. "I don't even know where I've ended up. Some tiny agency...run by two boys, one of them is really cute though, and then there is his weird mate with zero social skills." Y/n said with a small laugh. "Last night we burnt a house fighting a type 2. Her ghost...she really reminded me of you. When I made contact with her...it was like, I don't know, it was something I haven't felt before. Like she was...this sounds so crazy. Like she was inside my head. Like she needed me, right? Like...like I HAD to help her. Like how I should have helped you." Y/n closed her eyes in sadness, she really missed Norrie. She pressed the button to stop the recording.
"I think I might be loosing it...I wish you were here with me, Norrie. I miss you, so much." A tear rolled down her soft cheeks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George placed some food down on the table, Lockwood sat down in the chair wearing his usual white button up shirt and black formal pants.
"Thanks, it looks great." Lockwood complimented.
"No, it doesn't, it looks like I cooked it in an active volcano." George huffed.
"So, I've got the whole story now." George informed Lockwood, handing him a newspaper which Lockwood took reading the headlines. "And so has the rest of London."
Lockwood read for a few seconds. "'Rogue' sounds pretty good." He comments.
"Blamed for blaze kinda takes the shine off it." George remarks.
"Great, they called me Andrew Lockwood." Lockwood said with a small scoff and handed the newspaper back to him.
"I hardly think that's our biggest problem. We've had a bunch of cancellations. And DEPRAC will be furious."
"We'll be fine, I'll fix it." Lockwood reassured.
"Okay, but it's not just that." George whispered, Lockwood looked at him confused.
George shifted a little in his seat. "I think there is something wrong with Y/n."
"We're all a little on edge today." Lockwood told George.
"She had a bath with her clothes on and claimed she was making contact with a ghost." George explained quickly.
Lockwood just looked at him confused. "Girls are funny about baths, best to leave them to it. Besides what if she was making contact with a ghost?"
"It's not funny." George huffed as Lockwood leaned back with a smile. "Ever since you hired her, things have gone downhill. What if she's unhinged?" George rambled as Lockwood chuckled.
"She's not 'unhinged'." Lockwood told him.
"You're hardly the best judge. You need normal people around you." George warned.
"Oh, and you're normal?" Lockwood scoffed. "If you were, then you would never be here, you'd have stayed at Fittes and Rotwell, and we'd never be friends."
George stayed silent his eyes flickering between Lockwood and food. Lockwood leaned forward to look a this friend.
"You know, everyone pretends that they have everything under control. DEPRAC, the big agencies. It's all a facade. The world is mad, and normal never fixed anything. We understand that. It's our USP. You get way to lost in the research, but you find all the gold that everyone misses. And, yeah, Y/n can be a bit...quirky, but she's one of us. I'm sure of it." Lockwood says a small smile formed on his face at the thought of her.
"She burned down a house. She's going mad, you need to fire her, Lockwood." George told him seriously.
Lockwood sighed. "Let me...sleep on it." Lockwood says nodding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Y/n's room she had a black pen along with a small white envelope with two little daisies on it. That had the words:
Dear Mrs. White,
I hope you are doing well, and I hope Norrie is doing well too. Please play this audiotape to Norrie, if you can. I'm sure she would love it. And please, tell her that I love her.
Take care,
Y/n x
Along with the audiotape that had a little postcard inside which said: To my best friend, forever and always. With little decorations all over.
Y/n was sleeping soundly on the bed wearing a tight blue full sleeves t-shirt that hugged her body and a pair of grey sweat pants, she was sleeping the ring in her hand. Y/n turned around in her sleep, making her drop the ring. Once it clattered to the ground, it froze the area around it, making a snowflake, and 3 fingers rose out of the ring. A crackling sound was heard and the spirit of the woman fully appeared, she slowly floated up and stared at the sleeping form of Y/n.
The woman was now hovering over Y/n, waiting for her to get up. And sure enough Y/n opened her eyes and saw the woman's face hovering over hers. Y/n's eyes widened in fear as she looked at the woman.
"If you hurt me, I can't help you." Y/n whispered gently to her. "Let me go." Y/n whispered. The woman instantly became furious and started screaming at her. Y/n rolled off her bed and ran down the steps off the attic, the woman continuing to scream after her. Y/n turned around to see if she was still following her, she quickly ran down the next flight of stairs and ran into Lockwood's room, where he was sleeping.
"Lockwood, wake up!" Y/n said, shaking his shoulder softly. "She's here!"
Lockwood's eyes opened and met Y/n's panicked ones, "who?"
"Annabel Ward, the ghost from sheen road." Y/n told him, then noticed he was shirtless, Y/n blinked twice, and looked away to hide her blush, this was not the time to check out Lockwood. "Come one, where's your kit bag?"
Lockwood pointed in a direction. "Downstairs, grab those boots." He informed.
"Boots?" Y/n wonders and looked around and saw boots outside George's room which was opening up and George stepped outside to look at Lockwood who was wearing a white t-shirt.
"Can't you even be bothered to cross the landing to wind me up?" George whispered.
"Annabel Ward's ghost is here." Lockwood informed.
"Well, that's impossible." George huffed.
Y/n appeared in the doorway next to Lockwood. "Why would I be lying? She was in my room just now."
George looked into her eyes, seeing only truth. "Okay, 20 seconds, non-metaphorical." George informed then closed the door.
Lockwood's eyes went up to the stairs, watching. George then stepped out, in literally 20 seconds, still not wearing pants and dressed in armor. Lockwood chuckled, amused.
"All of that, and still no trousers?"
"Trousers are for wimps." George said seriously.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George, Lockwood and Y/n headed up the stairs quietly and reached the top of the first flight of stairs.
"I don't feel anything." George informed.
"I don't see anything." Lockwood whispered.
"She was here, I swear." Y/n whispered.
Lockwood grabbed some chains as Y/n pointed her flashlight at the attic door. The three were climbing up the stairs to Y/n's room which looked fairly clean. A bag was placed in the corner that had Y/n's things, a bag with her rapier and some pictures of her with Norrie and her friends were strung up on the wall.
"You woke up and she was floating above you?" George asked.
"Yes." Y/n whispered back.
"It makes no sense that she'd be here." Lockwood whispered. "We contained her source. Covered her body with a silver net."
Y/n looked around her room with her flashlight. "How did she even get in here? It's not like her source is in the house." George remarked.
Lockwood turned around to face Y/n who was looking around to avoiding the questions. "Is it?" He asked her softly.
Y/n pointed her flashlight at a random space only to see a flash of golden light and a soft whine. "Uh...she's back." Y/n informed.
"She's playing with us." George said.
Y/n continued looking around with her flashlight. The light stopped on George and Y/n froze.
"George." Lockwood said and George looked at him. "Don't...move." Lockwood said slowly.
"Please tell me it's a wasp." George whispered as the woman appeared fully and her eyes landed on George.
"Stand perfectly still." Lockwood told him and wrapped the chain around his hand, making the veins in hand become more clear which Y/n found very attractive but she scolded herself because now was not the time to concentrate on Lockwood's hands.
Lockwood noticed the woman become angry. "On second thought...move!" The woman rushed to Lockwood screaming who swung the chain, making the woman disappear.
"Not a wasp then." George muttered.
The two boys began to look around frantically for the ghost. "Y/n, if you have any idea what the source may be. Now would be a really good idea to tell us." Lockwood orders.
"Oh, um...I'm starting to think that...I mean I have an idea on what it is," Y/n told him.
"Take your time. We're not under any pressure." Lockwood told her gently.
Y/n gasped as a sudden light appeared and she jumped back instantly. Lockwood went in front of her and swung his chain again, making her disappear.
"Where is it, Y/n?" Lockwood asked.
"Well, I had her ring in my hand, and then I fell asleep with it." Y/n told him.
"Oh. And now we're all gonna die." George whispered fearfully.
The three were now standing in a circle, back to back.
"So, it's in the bed?" Lockwood questioned.
"Yeah. Well, maybe. But I...I don't know. it could be." Y/n told him.
"We need to contain it." Lockwood said gravely.
The woman's light appeared once again. "Oh shit." Y/n whispers terrified.
"George, switch." Lockwood orders and George took the chains while Lockwood took the rapier.
"She's here." Y/n informed.
"Get behind me, and hold the chains." Lockwood commands.
The woman began flying towards them while screaming. "Watch out!" Lockwood shouts and sliced the ghost with the rapier and she faded away.
"Woah!" George and Y/n exclaim.
"Got her!" Lockwood pants.
Annabel reformed again and Y/n threw a salt bomb at her as it burnt a hole through her ghostly body.
"George, throw it all! Everything you've got!" Lockwood shouts.
George took off his armor and threw it at her as she screamed and she exploded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I didn't know that it was the source." Y/n told them. "I took it because it was like I could feel what she was feeling. What she wants." Y/n explained, she paused for a second tapping a photograph on the table, "uh, no, it's hard to explain."
Lockwood gazed at her for a few seconds. "A psychic connection." He offered.
"Yes!" Y/n said gratefully.
"I literally cannot believe you stole a source from a crime scene." George scolds. "DEPRAC will bury us."
Y/n just glared and folded her arms over her chest sassily. "Excuse me, I'm not the only one round here who steals sources. What about that ridiculous skull you're always experimenting on? Annabel was stuck behind a wall for 40 years with nobody knowing and DEPRAC doing sod all. She need our help." Y/n said and unfolded her arms as Lockwood smiled at her.
"And what exactly does she expect you to do, exactly, after all this time?" George asked.
"Solve this. Get justice." Y/n said nodding.
"She's dead, Y/n. We can't help a ghost. We need to destroy her source and move on. Let her go." Lockwood said.
Y/n's eyes filled up with tears, she didn't want this woman to go away without getting justice. "Come on George, please, back me up." Y/n leaned off the wall and walked towards the two, "you love a new experiment, why throw away the chance to investigate a new phenomenon?" Y/n suggests.
George smirked and moved away a little. "Nice try, but psychic connections are weak science. You felt sorry for her. You heard her death loop. End of story."
"So prove it," Y/n said and placed a hand on her hip. "Before you destroy the ring, let me try to connect with her one last time. See what else I can feel. Let me prove to you that it is real." Y/n insists.
"No way. Too dangerous." Lockwood denied.
George cleared his throat. "It is almost dawn, her ghost will be much weaker."
Y/n smiled at him.
"No. We've only just escaped with our lives. Twice." Lockwood said and raised his eyebrows at the younger girl.
"Because you were unprepared. Twice. This time, we will do it properly." George told him.
George got up and moved to stand next to Y/n who smiled.
"Please, I need to this." Y/n told him looking into Lockwood's eyes.
Lockwood sighed a little and looked away, not liking the idea. Lockwood smiled a little to himself, "what was it you were saying about normal people?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lockwood was in the library wearing a blue jacket and, setting up the equipment. George closed the curtains and Y/n moved away from setting up the equipment and sat down a chair.
George walked out as Lockwood walked in, he stood in front of Y/n, holding the ring.
"If she takes any liberties, we're right here, okay?" Lockwood reassured.
Y/ nodded with a small smile. "Okay."
Lockwood stretched out his hand, Y/n outstretched hers and he dropped the ring into her small palm their fingers brushing. Lockwood smiled down at her and tucked a lock of her soft y/h/c hair behind her ear and caressed her soft y/s/c cheek.
"Be careful." He whispered to her.
Y/n blushed and smiled back at him, liking his touch on her face. He smiled down at her again dropping his had from her face and left the room.
Once Lockwood exited and stood in front of the door frame, he crossed his arms and nodded at the young girl.
Y/n closed her eyes absorbing the ring's energy.
The ring flashed a silver light and the solver spread along Y/n's small palm. Y/n closed her fingers around the ring and placed it on her lap. Y/n sensed the fear of Annabel through the ring, realizing she felt afraid to come out.
"It's okay, Annabel, it's safe." Y/n softly reassured her.
Y/n's eyes were still closed.
"There is a song playing in the room." Y/n announced.
"Dance with me!" Annabel's voice said.
"I'm not in the mood." A man's voice said.
Y/n smiled. "She loves it." She chuckled.
"It's our song, come on." Annabel pleads.
"It's their song." Y/n said a smile still on her face.
"Who's they? Annabel and-" George spoke up.
"Shh." Lockwood hushed George.
"She's so happy." Y/n whispered a smile still on her face. "She loves him."
"Go on. I'll watch." The man's voice said.
"If you insist." Annabel said in a teasing voice and laughed at her lover.
"She's dancing to the song." Y/n told the two. "He's watching her."
"Are you honest?" The man asked.
"My lord..." Annabel mutters.
Y/n suddenly got up from her chair, eyes still closed. Lockwood's arms unfolded as he gazed at Y/n in slight worry.
"Have you told him where to go?" The man asked.
"No..." Annabel said.
"He wants her, but it's just..."
"I said I'd give..." Annabel said.
"Uh..." Y/n trailed off.
"What is it?" Lockwood asked.
"I did nothing-" Annabel's voice shouts.
Y/n's eyes opened, her y/e/c eyes met Lockwood's ebony ones.
"You're lying to me." The man shouts angrily.
"He's angry." Y/n told him.
"I swear. Let me go!" Annabel pleads.
"Jealous." Y/n said.
"I'm not!" Annabel shouts.
"You're lying." The man said angrily.
"I swear, let me go." Annabel pleads again.
"She's afraid." Y/n said sorrowfully. "Again."
"You know this-" The man shouts.
Y/n let out small laugh. "Yes." She nods.
"You're lying to me Annabel!" The man shouts angrily.
Y/n's hand gently reached out and cupped Lockwood's face which made him look down at her confused as he captured her wrist. "It's all right." Y/n whispers, moving closer.
"I swear." Annabel shouts.
"He loves me." Y/n said. Y/n's arms wrapped around Lockwood's neck pulling him closer to her, Lockwood looking incredibly conflicted. Lockwood's hand landed on her waist, trying pushing Y/n away gently.
"You love me, don't you?" Y/n asks. "You gave me the ring. He'd never hurt me. He'd never..." Y/n said softly as she cupped Lockwood's face again.
"We have to stop this." Lockwood told George who looked like he was having the time of his life watching the two.
"Look at me. Look at me. Look." Y/n told him.
"Let's just see what happens." George suggests.
"No stop. Stop. Stop, please!" Y/n pleads as she kept pushing away an imaginary arm they assumed.
"Ow! You're hurting me! Don't!" Y/n pleads.
"Please!" Annabel's voice shouts.
Lockwood gazed at Y/n conflicted as he was unsure if he should stop...whatever this is or let Y/n continue narrating what happened to Annabel.
"No don't. Look at me. Look at me." Y/n said frantically.
"Y/n." Lockwood mutters.
"Look! Stop, please! Let me go!" Y/n shouts, sounding choked up.
She clawed at her neck as if someone was holding onto her neck, choking her. Lockwood watched concerned.
"I can't...let me breathe!" Y/n pleads as she choked for air.
"Let go of me!"
"Stop it!" The man growls.
George was also now concerned.
"Y/n. Stop it! Annabel!" Lockwood commands.
"Stop it!" Y/n said gasping violently.
Lockwood's hand landed on Y/n shoulders, stopping her from moving as she let out another gasp of air.
George ran to the window and opened the curtains. As soon as he did that the chair that Y/n was sitting on was flung at Lockwood and Y/n, he pushed the both of them aside and on the sofa. The chair was flung into a book case and it burst into light. Lockwood was on top of Y/n on the sofa, his hand on her waist, protecting her and hers around his neck.
There was small explosion of light because of the salt bombs that was on the equipment table set by Y/n.
George looked at the wo on the sofa. Lockwood's eyes were on Y/n who was panting softly.
"He choked her to death." Y/n told him, her voice full of anger for Annabel. Lockwood pulled the two of them, not realizing they were still in the same position, Y/n shyly moved her arms away form Lockwood and he removed his hands from her waist. Although he didn't want to.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The ring stays in the basement until we take it to the furnaces, alright?" Lockwood instructs.
"What? Why would we stop when we're getting somewhere?" Y/n asks confused.
"No more pet projects. There is bills to pay."
"Uh, what bills?" George asked. Lockwood handed him a sheet of paper as Lockwood sat down in a seat across from Y/n.
"60,000 pounds." George mutters incredulously.
"What?" Y/n asks with wide eyes as George gave her the sheet. "In two weeks, what the hell?" George asks.
"Why didn't you say something?" Y/n asks concerned.
"Because it's my name on the door. It's my responsibility. I'll find a way." Lockwood reassures.
"How? We hardly break even when things are going well!" George huffed.
"What about a loan? This place must be worth a bucket load." Y/n suggests.
"This place is all that is left of my parents." Lockwood told her hesitantly.
Y/n covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize." She said apologetically.
"He's already borrowed against it to set up the business." George informs Y/n.
"Jesus, Lockwood, we're screwed." George told him.
"No, we're not, all it takes is a few big cases." Lockwood said.
The telephone began ringing.
"Maybe that's one right now." George told him.
Lockwood got off his chair and picked up the phone.
"Lockwood & Co., how may I help you?" Lockwood asks in a professional voice.
"By firing Y/n Carlyle." The voice on the other end said. "Immediately."
"And why would I do that, inspector?"
"Because you and I don't want anymore bad press. And I barely had to scratch the surface to find you'd employed and agent at full status when she hasn't attained a grade four. Which is illegal. Now I'm assuming she lied to you, because if not-"
"Surely you have bigger problems to deal with?" Lockwood suggests.
The inspector chuckled. "See, the little things helps me to take out the bigger problems. Your agency is a big problem."
"Come on now, Inspector." Lockwood sighed.
"Get rid of her, Mr. Lockwood." The inspector said and hung up.
Y/n and George were standing a few feet away form him.
"What's wrong? Is everything alright?" Y/n asked seeing the look on his face.
"Wrong number." Lockwood answers smiling reassuringly. "Listen. Exactly how famous did you say Annabel was?" Lockwood asks.
"We've been looking at it the wrong way round." Lockwood said. "It's not about us helping Annabel, it's about her helping us."
The three were walking across the street. Y/n wearing a light blue top, her denim jacket and a denim skirt. Lockwood wearing his usual white shirt, tie, black formal pants and large coat. His hair slicked back. And George wearing a red oversized t-shirt, orange pants and a grey jacket.
"Really? How?"
"It's all about media exposure. Annabel's disappearance was a big story. It's far bigger than us burning a house down." Lockwood told them. "If we solve her murder, the headlines we'll get. It will cancel out all our bad press overnight."
"I thought you said no more pet projects?" Y/n asked.
"It's not a pet project anymore, it's the main event. It won't make us 60 grand. It could make us more. I mean think of the millions old people sat at home, nothing to do but reminisce and read papers. They love murder mystery. It's a bona fide front-page splash. Barnes won't dare to make a move against us." Lockwood said, the victory tasting sweet in his mouth.
"Please leave me out of it. I don't like my name on the newspapers. Had enough of that back home." Y/n pleads her cheeks flushed a soft pink form the cold.
"You have to know how to deal with them. Leave it to me." Lockwood reassures.
But Y/n placed a hand on his arm to stop him. "Please, Lockwood. You have no idea what it has cost me. Please, keep me out of the spotlight. Plus, it's more important to solve the case, right?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The three were now at The British Archives library.
"This is where it all happens. So behave yourselves, okay?" George requests.
The three were reading old newspapers to search for any clues about Annabel's disappearance. Who she was last seen with, specifically.
"This is it. She was in Hamlet, playing Ophelia." George announces quietly.
"What does that tell us?" Y/n asked.
George rolled his eyes. "Why must I be surrounded by philistines? Wait here." He grumbles and walked off to a section in the library.
Y/n reached over and took George's newspaper and read it.
"Annabel Ward's moving Ophelia captures the depths of a moving romance." Y/n read out loud.
"Precisely." Lockwood told her.
George walked over to them and set the book down on the table. "These kind of depths." He said proudly and showed a picture in the book of a beautiful woman with long red hair adorned by flowers her lips parted, eyes closed, she looked like she was sleeping inside a wooden bath tub, the woman was dressed elegantly wearing an expensive peach pink dress and heavy jewelry on her neck.
"That's why you were lying in the bath tub, fully dressed. Ophelia drowned with daisies." George explained.
Y/n gasped in realization. "That's why I took them!"
Lockwood set his paper down and leaned across the table to read the book.
"She went mad, killed herself 'cause how Hamlet treated her." George told her.
"But Annabel didn't kill herself." Y/n told him quietly.
"But the part that she played, and what happened in her life started mirroring each other. Hamlet and Ophelia, Annabel and her abusive lover." George explained with wide eyes.
Y/n's eyes widened too in realization. "Wait, so whoever played Hamlet, did this to her."
"Hugo Blake." Lockwood said, George and Y/n looked at him confused. "That's his name. Look." He gestured the two of them to come closer.
"The case of Annabel Ward took another twist last night when actor Hugo Blake was arrested in connection with her disappearance. Ward was rumored to be in a relationship with her dashing Hamlet co-star after the pair was spotted together having an intimate dinner at a private member's club." Lockwood read and looked at Y/n proudly after he finished.
"Nice one, Lockwood. Not bad for a philistine." George grinned.
Lockwood smiled back and looked at Y/n again who too was smiling. "Look! She is wearing the ring." George said and pointed at a black and white picture of Annabel.
"Wait, so Blake was arrested, but he still got away with it?" Y/n questioned.
"Well, there was no hard evidence. No eye witnesses, no body." Lockwood explains.
"Hey! Blake was released Monday night without charge. Police said that their investigation had run dry." George read.
Lockwood folded up his paper. "Unlike ours." He said smirking.
A laugh sounded behind them. "Well done, Tony. Doing your research BEFORE the job this time."
A boy walked up to them wearing a questionable attire which consisted of a dark grey tight jumpsuit and a light grey padded armor with a rapier tucked into it. His team behind him was wearing the same uniform an ugly white boy, with black curly hair and a black girl with her hair pulled into a ponytail and beautiful dark skin.
"Hmm. Is it Tony? Or is it Andrew now?" The girl snarkily asked and Kipps smirked at her.
"Keep it down, Kipps. This is a library not a braying gallery for bellends." George roasts.
Kipps regarded him with a stony look and his light blue eyes landed on Y/n and his gaze softened immediately. "Ah...this must be you new...assistant."
"Colleague." Y/n corrects and straightened her posture. "And you must be Quill Kipps. I've read about you. Haven't you got the highest mortality rate of any team leader?"
Kipps looked at Lockwood for a second. "I'm the top supervisor at the country's top agency." Kipps told her.
Lockwood scoffed at that. And Kipps glared at him. "I get the most dangerous jobs because of well, good I am." Kipps said nodding and smirking.
Kipps glared at Lockwood who simply smirked in amusement. "But I handle it. Unlike him." He glared at Lockwood again. "But you won't stick around too long, sweetheart. Not when you find out what he's really like. Everyone leaves him in the end."
Y/n just stared emotionlessly. Lockwood suddenly got up and pulled out his rapier, Kipps did the exact same and their rapiers clashed with a clang. Lockwood smirked.
"Her name is Y/n." George mutters.
"My name is Lockwood." Lockwood said. "And you need a ladder."
Kipps looked at Y/n. "Uh...no I don't."
Lockwood frowned at him. "Yes you do." And swished his rapier in a very attractive way making Kipps' rapier fly into the very high ceiling. Kipps eyes widened as he stared at his beloved rapier on the ceiling, he glared at Lockwood who smiled at him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"He doesn't like you much, does he?" Y/n asked.
"He's an irrelevant prick. Ignore him." Lockwood told her.
"We need to track down Hugo Blake." George reminds.
"There's something else I need to do first. Why don't you two grab dinner? My treat." Lockwood said and pulled some money, handing it to Y/n who looked confused. Lockwood walked behind her, their hands brushing making Y/n blush and Lockwood smirk as he walked away.
Y/n stared at George awkwardly.
"Do you like...Italian?" George suggests and Y/n's eyes lit up.
"Yes!" She said happily.
George smiled. "Come on, I know a really good place." He said and walked away.
Y/n ran after him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The two were sitting outside and eating food. George was eating pizza and Y/n was drinking mushroom soup.
"Mm, this is literally the best mushroom soup I have ever had." She said and drank another sip.
"Have you always lived here?" She asked.
George nodded. "Zone six, much nicer and safer."
"Why did you leave?" Y/n asked carefully, not wanting to ask something that may be on a touchy subject.
"My mum and dad are lovely, but I couldn't stay. They had four kids. Engineer, engineer, engineer, and weirdo." He said a chuckled sadly.
"So have you always been a bit..." Y/n trailed off, not knowing the word.
"Obsessed?" George asked and Y/n nodded taking another sip. "Yeah! The problem is all I've ever known. All any of us have ever known. And that's not okay, so I wanna find out..."
"What?" Y/n asked curiously.
"Everything! That's why I got fired at Fittes, didn't Lockwood tell you?" George asked.
"No!" Y/n said is a disbelieving voice.
"It's true." George laughed. "For asking too many questions, visiting floors above my pay grade." He explained.
"George Karim, I am shocked!" Y/n said laughing, she did not expect George to be so...fun.
"Don't worry, I took the skull as compensation." George said grinning.
"So, do you think like, we're being lied to about everything?" Y/n asked.
"Of course we're being lied to. But by who? And why? And what can we do about it?" George explains.
"You know I had this friend, he was convinced that none of it made any sense. How it started, how it spread, how it only seems to get worse, not better, no matter what we do. Well, he is dead now. Maybe he's got answers on the other side." Y/n said sadly.
"Is he the one who you dreamed about coming to London with?" George asked carefully.
Y/n shook her head. "No. That was someone else. But we were all on the same job. It went wrong, horribly. My boss blamed me. Everyone did. Even my mum. So I had to get away, somewhere I might actually matter." She felt tears prick at the corner of her eyes, but she held them back. Her best friends wouldn't want this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lockwood was on TV answering questions that some reporter was asking him. He looked amazing as always wearing his white shirt, black trousers, tie and coat.
"Yes, we risked our lives, but that is how important this case is to us. Annabel Ward could have been a super star, but instead, she was cruelly murdered. For far too long, the authorities at DEPRAC have stood by and allowed this cruel injustice to remain unsolved. They've let the public down." Lockwood told the press.
The detective shut off the TV and looked down as a red-haired woman stood there arms folded and glaring.
"Was I too nice to Mr. Lockwood?" The detective asked.
"Undoubtedly." The woman huffed.
"Dragging DEPRAC through the mud so he can save his school project of an agency. Who the hell does he think he is?" The detective said angrily.
"He's a little shit, sir." The woman said nodding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George, Y/n and Lockwood were watching the news while Lockwood was grinning proudly.
"Just because it happened decades ago, doesn't mean it matters now. Luckily, at Lockwood & Co., we have our very own superstar, Miss Y/n Carlyle, who not only helped neutralize a vicious type two, but also used her extraordinary listening talents to connect with Annabel's ghost. And as a result, we believe we are closer to finding out Annabel's true murderer than the police or the DEPRAC-"
Y/n reached over and shut off the TV, Y/n was genuinely feeling happy as Lockwood spoke about what they were going to do, but all of that vanished as soon as he mentioned her name.
"Why would you do that? I told you to leave me out of the press." Y/n told him calmly.
"And I told you that I would handle it. What are you so worried about? It's all true." Lockwood told her.
"But we haven't even solved the case yet." Y/n told him confused. "What if Hugo Blake sees that and comes after me?"
Lockwood got up and smiled reassuringly. "Well then we'll look after you, Y/n/n. You're our biggest asset."
Y/n's eyes widened at what he just said. "Asset?" Y/n hissed.
Lockwood glanced at her.
"Is that all I am then? Just something to make you money?" Y/n asks in disbelief and Lockwood lowered his eyes while George walked. "You think that you do things so differently. But you're just like the rest of them. You're as bad as everyone back home. I can't believe I trusted you." Y/n said with a small scoff and slammed the remote down, and walked out of the room.
"Dick move, Lockwood." George scolded.
"How?" Lockwood asks. "I flattered her on National Television." Lockwood huffs.
"After she specifically asked you to leave her out of it." George said protectively.
"What's your problem? You wanted me to fire her last night."
Y/n's eyes widened at that and she felt sadness and hurt engulf her.
"Maybe you were right." Lockwood said.
Y/n's eyes closed as she looked away.
"Maybe...my judgement's been a little off lately. Barnes knows she is illegal. I had to do something." Lockwood said as he pushed his feelings for her away.
"My judgement has been off too. She's got nowhere else to go. I don't think you should fire her." George advises.
Lockwood looks at the door that she just left through. "Let's lets her cool off a bit." Lockwood suggests.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Y/n was down in the basement practicing or also known as taking her anger out with her rapier with the ghost stimulator. She swished her rapier and bent backward to avoid a blast, then flipped over perfectly taking out another ghost. She kept doing this until it was done and she landed Black Widow style on the ground. Once she was done, she was all sweaty, her hair slightly messy and panting heavily.
Y/n entered the top secret room and gazed down at the captive necklace which held the ring of Annabel Ward.
Suddenly a voice shouting upstairs made her look up.
"OPEN UP!" A woman shouts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lockwood open the door revealing the red-headed woman who was part of DEPRAC.
"Get the girl." She commands.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lockwood and Y/n were sitting down in the waiting area of DEPRAC. Y/n's arms were folded across her chest, she still wasn't going to talk to Lockwood nor look at him, no matter what she feels for him she won't let it get in the way.
"You'll be fine. I promise. Whatever it is, I'll deal with it." Lockwood reassures but Y/n didn't care.
The inspector and red-headed woman stood in front. Lockwood immediately got up.
"You can wait here." The detective told him. "It's Miss Carlyle that I need."
"No. There is nothing you need to say to her that you can't say to me." Lockwood defends.
Y/n just rolled her eyes and walked to the detective.
"I said wait here, or you can wait in the cells." The detective said strictly.
Y/n stood beside Lockwood. "What do you need me for?" She asked the detective. "Also, I don't need to be protected. I can do it by myself, and especially not by you." Y/n glared at Lockwood.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We're very excited to have a celebrity like you at DEPRAC." The detective told her.
"I'm not a celebrity." Y/n told him.
"I hear you have been getting full statements from Type Twos." He said impressed.
"I never said that." Y/n said confused.
"Hmm. I thought you were using your extraordinary talent to find out who Annabel's killer was?" The Detective interrogates.
"Yeah. Yeah, his name is Hugo Blake." Y/n confirms.
"Is it?" The Detective asked.
"Yes." Y/n nodded.
"Sure you haven't read that in the old newspaper?" The Detective asks.
"No. It's much more than that."
"Oh. Good. Cause we have brought him in, but we don't have enough to charge him. Maybe you can help." The detective suggests.
The woman opened a door and gestured the two to go in. Barnes walked in first, then Y/n.
"Sheen house used to be a lodging house." Barnes said. "Blake said he dropped her off, but he never went inside. He's always maintained they were just friends."
"Well, that's not true." Y/n said.
"Then get us the evidence." Barnes said nodding.
Y/n sat in a chair.
"You're accusing him of murder." Barnes said. "Use your extraordinary connection to Annabel to prove it."
The lights turned on and y/n was met with the face of Annabel's potential murderers.
Blake was now an old man he too sat in a chair looking around the room.
"Wait, no, no, it...it doesn't work like this." Y/n stutters. "I can't just switch it on. I connected with Annabel because I felt something for her. I was trying to do something good." Y/n defends.
"Well, here's your chance to do more good. Help us put him away." Barnes said.
Y/n just stared at him in disbelief. Did he not understand what she just said? "No, I've told you, I can't."
"He can't see you. He doesn't even know you're here. Come on, try." Barnes persuades.
"What do you expect me to do?" She asked confused.
"Channel her." The red headed woman said. "Give us something only she'd know."
"Identify him as her killer. Go on, if you're sure he is guilty." Barnes said.
"Oh my god." Y/n whispers.
Barnes sat down on the floor.
"You're getting something, aren't you?" Barnes asks quietly.
"I...I...can't." Y/n breathes, feeling the feeling of being choked once again.
Blake walked towards the mirror his strict face shining.
"Tell me what you're getting." Barnes asked gently.
"I need to get out of here." Y/n pleads.
"Not before you tell us what we need to know." Barnes yelled.
Blake banged at the mirror making Y/n jump in fear as she scrambled out of her chair.
"I don't know anything! I can't feel anything, there's nothing there." Y/n sobs.
"You lied, to save yourself from being fired." Barnes accused.
"Let me go." Y/n shouts glaring at the redhead.
"-and your agency from being shut down." Barnes accused.
"Let me out of here! Let me go!" Y/n shouts.
The red headed woman outstretched her arms trying to calm Y/n down.
Barnes switched off the light, exasperated and Y/n pants, relieved.
"It's okay. He's gone." Barnes reassured.
Y/n stared at Barnes with tear filled eyes. "But listen to me, he still has friends in high places. They have some very good lawyers. We won't be able to hold him for long. Unless...you've got anything else?"
Y/n shook her head no. She was partially lying since she only knew that Annabel was murdered by choking they still don't know who it was.
"Shame." Barnes sighed.
He reached into his pocket and held out a card. Y/n took it and looked at it. "It's a one free pass for a journey back home."
"That's not my home anymore." Y/n said strongly.
"Lockwood's a charlatan. He cuts corners and puts lives at risk. He saw a vulnerable girl, without the right qualifications, alone and out of her depth in the big city, and he took advantage of her. Please. Go home while you still can." Barnes advises and walks away.
Y/n knew that Lockwood can have an emotional range of a teaspoon, but that didn't mean he was all of those things.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I knew it. I knew that's what he was going to do the minute Wade turned up at our door. God, they make the most boring, unimaginative moves possible, don't they? Trying to use your talent to extract evidence? That just proves we've got nothing. You were brilliant, Y/n/n, by the way. Really."
Y/n closed her eyes pain and hurt filling her heart, her feelings for Lockwood just amplified by those words. She didn't want to leave, of course not. No way she was going back to that hell hole. But Lockwood had to know what he did was wrong. She was exhausted at being used for her talent.
"Can you stop the car, please?" Y/n asks brokenly. Lockwood stared at her puzzled.
The taxi pulled up at the side of the road for her.
"What are you doing?" Lockwood asks.
"Leaving." Y/n said and opened the door. "I quit." She climbed across and opened the door.
"Uh-" Lockwood starts. Lockwood leapt out of the cab and rushed after her.
"Y/n/n! Y/n!" He calls out. "Can we please talk about this in the car?" He pleads. "It's too dangerous here."
"There's nothing to do talk about!" Y/n said angrily as tears streamed down her face. "You wanted me fired anyway, you only kept me because I am an asset to you."
"What? No, no. That's not true." Lockwood denied instantly.
"There's clearly been a misunderstanding." Lockwood said.
"Funny, that." Y/n starts and spins around to face him, hurt clearly written on her face. "When you don't understand anything about me. You haven't got a clue what I feel, what I am going through. You couldn't care less as long as it gets you money and fame." Y/n said crying.
"I said I'm sorry about that." Lockwood said strictly.
"No, you haven't!" Y/n cried.
"Well, I am. And I am the one who tried to stop this before it got too dangerous." Lockwood reasoned.
"Yeah, which shows how little you know or care. You might be able to turn your feelings on and off like a tap, but I am drowning here, Lockwood. I was so scared, and confused and hurt. I just think I'd be better off dead, since no one cares about me, and those who do, leave me." Y/n said crying heavily.
Lockwood stared at her with care in his eyes. "I understand that. And it's not true, Y/n. We need you, and we care about you, truly. And no, it's not because you're an asset."
"Why, then?" Y/n asked.
"Because...because you're...Y/n Carlyle. You're amazing, beautiful, perfect, everything we need in our life. Y/n please...we can't let you go. I can't let you go." Lockwood pleads looking her in the eyes to show his truthfulness.
"You might have to, soon. Barnes will shut you down. He knows I'm illegal." Y/n said sadly.
Lockwood walked closer to her. "That's why I went on TV, silly. Jus to show Barnes he can shive his threats. Screw the rules. They bend the rules all the time, why shouldn't we? I mean, why can't we change the rules?"
Y/n's beautiful e/c eyes shone in the light. "Because we're nobodies." She whispered.
"No, we're not. We're Lockwood & Co. You, me, and George. I'm sorry Y/n, please stay." Lockwood said looking her in deep in the eyes.
Y/n wiped away her tears, looking away for a second. "Just...never lie to me again, please. Swear it."
"I will never lie to you again. I swear it." Lockwood promised.
Suddenly he pulled out a flare and lit it. Y/n looks at him confused.
"Why did you light that? Just to look cool?" Y/n asks laughing a bit.
"Because I can see five shades and three lurkers closing in on us." Lockwood said looking over her shoulder.
Y/n blinked in disbelief. "Are you lying?"
"What did I just swear?" Lockwood asks.
Y/n gulped and turned around. "Oh, shit."
"Well, we are right by the Tyburn Gallows. It's the most haunted place in London. Frankly, you're more of a liability than an asset, Y/n." Lockwood confesses staring at her, Y/n turned her head to look at him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George walked up the stairs from the kitchen holding a tray and glass but he stopped in his tracks when he noticed the front door open. George walked closer to investigate but a figure walked up behind him and covered his mouth.
Y/n walked up the stairs to Lockwood & Co, trying to open the door but it wouldn't budge.
"Lockwood, something is wrong." Y/n calls out worriedly.
Lockwood walked up behind her and stares at her questioningly.
"It's bolted...from the inside." She said nervously.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next think you know, the two are climbing inside from the window. Y/n climbed in last but paused when she heard something.
"What if it's Blake?" Y/n asks nervously.
Lockwood stared at her and she looked back fearfully.
The two walked out of the room where Lockwood pulled out his rapier and walked forward.
"Wait, Lockwood." Y/n whispers.
Lockwood walked quietly to the door and peered in there was a figure of an intruder using a torch to check for something. Lockwood closed the door softly and looked at Y/n whose eyes was wide. Lockwood reached out and wrapped and around her pulling her closer, Y/n gasped softly and looked at him questioningly.
"I'll take him. You find George." He whispers in her ear. Lockwood gave her a smile and a nod and opened the door where the intruder was.
Lockwood pointed his flashlight at the intruder who turned around at the light. "Can I offer you a cup of tea while you ransack my house?" He asked sarcastically. "One lump or two?" Lockwood threw something at the intruder who simply moved out of the way. The person slowly walked down the stairs and pulled out their rapier.
"Fine, we'll have it you way then." Lockwood said and held up his rapier.
The intruder kicked a knife in his direction, Lockwood moved immediately. "Run." He whispered to you.
Y/n ran for the the stairs but slammed into a mirror as the intruder pointed his rapier at her. Lockwood blocked him with his rapier, the intruder kicked Lockwood and he slammed into the book case, the glass falling. A lamp broke from the movement of the rapier.
Y/n reached down where she noticed George's glasses on the ground. She turned around and heard a familiar voice screaming.
"Help! Help!" George shouts and Y/n immediately ran.
Lockwood and the intruder were still fighting, the intruder being slashed with the rapier.
Y/n had hurried down the steps of the basement and looked around for George, she opened the secret door where George was sitting, tied up.
"Oh thank god. Hurry up, there is someone here! There's someone upstairs!" George said through the gag.
"Glad you didn't get me fired?" Y/n asks sassily.
"Please untie me!" George pleads with tears.
Meanwhile Lockwood seemed like he was dancing with the rapier from how elegant his moves were. While the thief was just looking weird. George used the chains to hit the thief, Y/n behind him.
Y/n took her rapier and knocked the handle into the thief's head. And slammed their head against the wall, the thief ran into a room, cornered. Y/n pointed her rapier at them, George had his chains and Lockwood pointed his umbrella. The intruder ran off and Lockwood followed, they jumped through the window and into the streets. Y/n and Lockwood ran to the broken window and watched as the figure ran away.
"Well, that was more exciting than an early night." George murmurs. "We should have people round more often." He said sarcastically.
"Who was it? Did he say anything? Give anything away?" Lockwood asks.
"No. But I know what he wanted." George answers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The three were standing inside the basement where the silver box which contained Annabel's ring was empty. George took it.
"Hugo must have found out about the ring." George said. "Sent that bastard to get it back in case it linked us to the case."
"Maybe, whoever it was, this proves its value as evidence." Lockwood concludes.
"Evidence we don't have anymore. We're screwed." George said defeated.
Lockwood growls in anger and kicks one of the crates.
"Every time we're a step ahead, someone kicks us in the nuts and knocks us back down again." Lockwood said angrily.
Y/n looked away for a second, hiding her smile. "What? Why are you making that face?" Lockwood asks his eyes on hers.
"What face?" Y/n asks.
"That face. That's not your normal face, that's your 'I know something you don't' face." George said.
Y/n smiled and bit her lip. "Promise me you won't get angry?" She asks raising an eyebrow.
"Why would we be angry?" Lockwood asks.
Y/n reached into her blue top and pulled out a familiar silver locket.
"You haven't. You didn't." Lockwood said in disbelief.
Y/n finally pulled out the rest of the necklace and everyone watched the ring bounce n the inside.
"The ring?" Lockwood asks in shock.
"You lunatic!" George exclaims.
Lockwood began laughing in relief. Y/n was smiling really wide at the two.
"What the f-" George starts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~end of chapter~