Alfendi Layton was in love, and his assistant knew it, for she too, was in love as well. Lucy and the Prof,, together, made an excellent crime fighting duo, with his genius and her persistence, there wasn't a criminal they couldn't crack. But after hours, they were much more than that. Lucy and Alfendi were the Mystery Room couple. Lucy was the only one who could truly handle both sides of the Prof, whether it be Potty of Placid, and Alfendi felt at peace whenever they were together. The two of them fit into place perfectly, just like the one of the Prof's father's puzzles.
Today, however, they were in quite the predicament. Lucy, who was supposed to have the day off to baby-sit her cousins, had come in to crack a case that was particularly difficult to solve. Soon the afternoon clock was nearing 4:30, and Lucy let out a gasp.
"Oi! I'm gonna be late! I'm supposta meet them at five," she cried. The Prof jolted awake, part of the case file stuck to his cheek.
"Hunh," Prof gurgled. "What do you mean, Lucy?" Looking at the clock, he recalled that Lucy had to baby-sit at five. "Oh, that's right. Here." Alfendi began to pack of the case, peeling of the small bit of his cheek with a sigh. He chuckled as Lucy raced around the room, gathering her stuff strewn around the room. Shoving the case into his seemingly mile deep pockets, Alfendi picked Lucy up in his arms and carried her out of the Scotland Yard.
"Prof! Let me down, will ya?" Lucy tried to squirm out of Alfendi's grasp, but to no avail. "I still havta baby-sit, Prof," she yelled.
"Where did you think we were going? Are you completely blind?" Potty Prof was out now. Lucy realized that they had arrived at a automobile. It was a small car, with a metallic black finish. The inside was lined with leather, but the deciding factor that is was the Prof's was the fact that the interior was cluttered with newspapers and old file cases. "You can feel free to get in now, Lucy. You've been staring at my car for awhile now."
"Whada you mean, get in?" Lucy was so going to be late. Alfendi's hair stayed crimson, the shade of fresh blood.
"Well unless you would like to be late I don't have to lend my form of transport to you," he growled. Lucy rolled her eyes and got in the car.
The whole ride there Potty Prof stayed in control. Lucy hung on for dear life to the car handle as Alfendi raced through the streets of London. If a person was to slow for his tastes, he would blow them off, curse words flying out of his mouth a mile a minute. Lucy saw her flat out of the corner of her eye.
"STOP!" Potty Prof slammed on the brakes, screeching into a parking space. The sudden jolt pushed the two of them forward against their seatbelts, and rammed them backwards immediately after. The impact knocked Placid Prof right back into control.
"Wot," Lucy's heart was beating to the point of bursting, "was that." The Prof was breathing hard, but didn't look surprised about his other side's driving.
"How do you think I get to work on time on Mondays?" He said with a tired smile. "Oh, look at the time. Your cousins should be here any moment now. How old are they?" Alfendi was actually quite scarred of children. Their germs, their tendency to break everything. He shuddered.
"They be twins, Prof. One lass, an' on boy. Aged 6 to be exact." Lucy replied. The Prof was acting very strange.
"Then I'll be off-" he started.
"Oh, no, Prof. It'll be good for ya," she said with a smile. Alfendi tried to protest, but she was already dragging him inside her flat.
Lucy's flat, while rather large for one person, was going to be crowded with four tonight. The place was always nice and in order, which was in huge contrast to the Prof's own. It's nice and cozy though, Alfendi thought. It was time to come up with excuse, however, to get him away from the children.
"Lucy, erm, I really can't stay. I'd just be a nuisance around kids, " he started.
"I know tat you don't like 'em, Prof. You can just hide in ta kitchen, if you like. We still need to figure out da case weeve been on," Lucy said with a smile. "Ta kids ain't allowed in ta kitchen any ways." Relief washed over Alfendi. Leaning down, he planted a kiss on Lucy's cheek.
"You do know me best, don't you, Lucy?" He smiled, and then rushed off to the kitchen to hide.
Just then, the doorbell of the flat rung out. Lucy rushed to the door, opening it to face her aunt, flanked by her twin cousins.
"Ello, Auntie! I avn't seen you in awhile!" Lucy hugged her aunt, who pecked her on her still blushed cheek. "And now where are me favorite cousins?" The twins pulled her down into a group hug. Even with her small stature, Lucy proceeded to pick the two up in each arm.
"Ta very much, Lucy. This means a lot to me," her aunt said. "I'll be by to pick 'em up in the morn. How does ten sound?"
"Any time is good for me, Auntie. 'Ave a nice time!" Lucy smiled as the twins waved good-bye to their mom. Putting them down, Lucy realized just how much they had grown. "Wow, guys! The way you be growin' is mighty sus, if you ask me!" Lucy went over the rules with them, the main rule being no tykes in the kitchen, so not to give away the Prof.
"What are we gonna do, Aunt Lucy? I want to play a game," a small feminine voice questioned.
"Well, I dunno any good games, Emma. Oi! 'Ow bout ' 'ide and seek? Just remember! No idin' in ta kitchen!"
Alfendi could hear almost everything that was going on. Through out the night, Lucy had only come into the kitchen once, to prepare dinner. Smiling, she winked at the Prof and handed him a tray of the soup she's prepared. Before he could protest, Lucy held a finger up to her lips to shush him. Grudgingly, he took the food. With that, Lucy triumphantly smiled and walked of to feed her cousins.
After many rounds of hide and seek, and even a makeover by Emma and James, Lucy was exhausted, and it showed in the kids as well. Checking the time, she saw that it was almost time for bed.
"So," Lucy yawned. "ow 'bout a story before I put tat two of you ta bed?"
"I want one about superheroes, aunt Lucy!" James said excitedly.
"Yeah, me, too!" Emma added.
"'Ell, I dunno If I have ny ta spare…" Lucy though for a moment, before an idea struck her. "Alright. I've got one. But before I go annawhere wit it, you better get read for bed. Squealing, the twins ran off to bed as Lucy tiptoed into the kitchen. She found the Prof flipping through a cook-book.
"Ah, Lucy. Are the kids finally asleep?" Alfendi prayed that they were.
"Nope. But it's story time, Prof, and I believe tat you might wanna 'ear this one," she said. Pulling him up, she led him to a place right by her bedroom, which the twins now inhabited, where Alfendi would be able to hear the story. "I'll be right back, Prof," she whispered, slipping into the room.
Now what could this be about? Alfendi was stumped. Silently, he pressed his ear to the door, waiting for Lucy;s story.