Merry Christmas, Professor Layton
It was Christmas Time in London and the Professor had still some work before he could go home and enjoy the holidays. It was the first Christmas that he spends without his apprentice Luke. Suddenly someone knocked at his door.
"Who could that be?", the professor wondered. He stood up and opened the door.
"Are you Professor Hershel Layton?", a young woman asked. She seemed not older than 18 years old.
"I am, indeed, Professor Layton. Come on in, young lady.", Layton replied and offered her to enter his office. The girl nodded and smiled a bit. She sat down on the couch in the office.
"I'm sorry to disturb you so shortly before the holidays, but the mailman lost a letter that was addressed to you. Before it became unreadable I decided to bring it to you, Professor.", the girl stated and handed a letter to the Professor. Layton took the letter and thanked the girl for her acting.
"You acted the right way, my dear. Now you should go home, your parents may be worried about you.", Layton said. The girl was silent. She seemed to have a secret that she didn't want to tell the Professor.
"Can't I stay a little longer? I mean, only if you allow me to, Professor Layton.", the girl wanted to know.
"Of course you can stay a little longer, young lady. As a true gentleman I would be the last to just send you away. But I have a question for you.", the Professor nodded and sat next to the girl.
"What is it Professor?", the girl wondered. The Professor was silent for a little while, because he read the letter the girl brought him. The silence was interrupted by sneezing from the girl.
"Why are you scared to go home? Is there something wrong?", the Professor asked.
"Everything is fine, but I have no home.", the girl just replied. The Professor could hear sobs, though her eyes were covered by her hair.
"I see. I can't just bring you to Scotland yard, they just bring you to an orphanage and I doubt that until you reach the age of 18 someone will adopt you, young lady.", the Professor thought out loud.
"Laura. Please call me Laura, Professor. That's the name my sister gave me.", the girl whispered. Layton looked a bit confused at the girl but if that was her name then he will call her that.
"Why did your sister gave you a name? What about your parents?", he was confused. It's a bit funny that a master of puzzles is confused.
"I never knew my parents. They died, shortly after I was born. I only had my sister to grow up with, though she wasn't my biological sister, she was the world for me. She taught me everything.", Laura explained.
"Do you mind if I take you with me? My work is done and I just can't a young girl like you walk through the streets of London on her own.", Layton smiled at her. Laura smiled back, some tears still ran down her cheeks.
"It would be the best Christmas gift I've ever got. My sister had told me that you are a true gentleman. She was right.", Laura said, smiling widely. The Professor giggled a bit.
"Your sister must have been a very intelligent young lady. Besides it's the task of every gentleman to protect a lady in need.", Layton stated. Laura giggled too. The two stood up, Layton took his top hat and the two left the office.
Laura and Professor Layton sat in the Layton mobile and drove to the apartment of the Professor.
"May I read the letter you got, Professor? I'm interested about it.", Laura asked. The Professor handed her the letter, without taking his eyes from the street. Laura read the letter and smiled. It was a letter from Luke Triton, the apprentice of the Professor.
"We arrived. I have to warn you, I'm not the cleanest person.", the Professor said. Laura started to laugh.
"I know. Your office isn't clean itself. Also my sister told me about that.", Laura grinned. The Professor smiled, but he wondered who her sister was.
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It was Christmas eve and Laura was cooking for the Professor while he was still trying to find out, who her sister was. Her sister knew very much about him, and still Laura never said her name.
"May I ask you something about your sister, Laura?", Layton sounded very thoughtful.
"What is it, Professor Layton?", Laura wanted to know. She wasn't really paying attention to the Professor.
"What was your sister's name?", Layton asked. Laura dropped the cooking spoon and looked a bit concerned.
"She…never told you about me, did she, Professor?", Laura wondered.
"Who do you mean?", Layton was seriously not aware of who she was talking.
"You'll know tomorrow, Professor Layton. I think it's better if I don't tell you yet.", Laura just smiled. Then she served the meal and some tea.
"What do you mean?", Layton was confused. Laura was silent. The two ate something and drank some tea.
"How was Luke as your apprentice?", Laura asked.
"Oh, Luke was a great boy. It's kind of sad that he had to move away. But he is a good boy.", Layton answered looking at the ceiling.
"You seem to miss him, Professor, but that's alright. Even a gentleman is allowed to cry and miss someone. And it's also allowed for a lady.", Laura stated. Then she stood up and cleaned up the table.
"You are a very nice girl. Your sister has raised you well.", Layton smiled.
"Yes, she was the world to me. She died in an accident.", Laura said. Layton was shocked. The same thing happened to his Girlfriend Claire. Could it be that she was the sister of Claire?
Laura sat down again and the two talked a long while. They laughed and talked until Laura fell asleep on the sofa.
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The next day, Laura was already gone, but she left a small present for the Professor. Layton found the little present on his couch table and read the letter that was attached to it.
"You gave this present once to my sister Claire. She really loved it and she loved you. I'm sorry that the two of us lost her in an accident, but you know, Professor. I never got the chance to say good-bye, not like you. Thank you, for making Claire happy, Professor. Laura.", was written in it. "P.S Merry Christmas, Professor Layton."
Hershel Layton smiled, Laura was a very nice girl and a very well-raised lady.
"Merry Christmas to you too, Laura. And to Claire as well.", he said to himself.
Author's Note: I don't own any of the original characters, I just own Laura. All rights for the original characters go to Level 5. Thank you for reading this and please review if you like.