The Deprac team had cleared everything up in a matter of hours, interviewing and containing the senior citizen. As we of Lockwood and Co. were given blankets and cups of tea, Barnes gave us the rundown of the history of the case. The Old Doctor Potter had been an accomplice to the murders of nearly six people and had avoided trail numerous times. He had kidnapped Holly as a demented way to relive the glory days with Rosemary's ghost. George found it fascinating but it thoroughly disgusted me and I, covered in glass, ash and sweat, was ready to go home.

Lockwood and I reconvined after a nap and a bath, in the kitchen, thinking cloth in place and of course, tea. George was on the phone talking with a prospective client, Holly still at her apartment and Kipps, Lord only knew where he went during the day. That left me and Lockwood alone. It felt nice. The table was filled with whatever food Lockwood could find in the pantry, toast, eggs, and a bowl of Holly's dried fruit which we both failed to taste but left it on the table to give a semblance of healthy eating.

Lockwood leaned back in his chair, dress shirt untucked, hair a wild mess that I longed to run my fingers through. "Well, Luce. I'd say it was a interesting case."

I nodded, sipping my tea and wincing as my shoulder muscles seized up. I would have to stretch after my next case if i wanted any use of my limbs.

"Really gave our skills a test." Lockwood continued.

I nibbled on my toast, thinking on the case. Yes, it had been a good one. Tricky but not overly so.

"Lockwood," I said slowly, putting my toast back on my plate. "About the staircase incident. Something you said, while you were holding me up…"

"I swear i didn't know the ground was so close."

I laughed nervously in memory. "Right…"

I wanted to hurry up and say it but I didn't want to put my foot in my mouth. What if he hadn't meant it? That he hadn't wanted to lose me too? People say things they don't mean all the time.

"Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?

"Mean what you said, when I told you to let go?"

"I mean every word I say to you, Lucy."

"Even when you said I was the worse chess player you had ever seen?"

"Especially that."

I made a face at him but we both laughed. Sitting across from Lockwood, tea in my hand, sun shining through the open window, the whole world felt at peace. I wished silently, that it could be like this forever but I had such a sense of dread.

That something would change, that one day, I would not be able to sit in this spot without a melancholy state of mourning. Something would happen to prevent an eternity of Portland Row breakfasts.

"There was something I noticed too, on the staircase." Lockwood said. I met his gaze with confusion and a churning embarrassment in my stomach. I knew what he was going to say.

" You called me Anthony."

There it was.

My cheeks flushed a brighter red than Holly's dried strawberries. I couldn't meet Lockwood's gaze. "I…..Um….well, you see…."

George burst in the room at that exact moment, blessedly before I could overcome my stutter to endevor a reply.

"New case" he said. "A Scottish reverend haunted by his deceased church members."

George had not noticed ,my blush but Lockwood had.

Somehow I didn't think he minded being called Anthony and my suspicions were confirmed. As he listened to George's account of the haunting, he looked across the doughnut plate and winked.