A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this one, so apologies if I went on a bit...but I wrote it on holiday after we were woken up at 2 in the morning because of a fire behind us, so yeah I needed a distraction and took it out by writing XD anyways...enjoy! :D
-RiddleMeThis15
Whatever happened to jelly and ice cream? Hershel Layton sighed and watched as the two opposing teams made their way onto the frosty grass pitch. Being a gentleman, the professor could hardly refuse Emmy's request of going to see a football match for her birthday. After all, he had asked and Luke was too frightened of Emmy to raise an argument. No wonder, the professor thought as his brunet assistant jumped up and down, shouting at the top of her lungs. He smiled at the sight and timidly offered a shout of his own... only to receive looks of pure evil from surrounding people, including Emmy herself, who growled "You...Didn't!"
Feeling very much like he had been thrown into the lions den, Layton turned towards Luke who whispered "um...professor?"
"Yes my boy?"
"That's...the er...wrong team."
"Ah."
Well, that explained the sudden shift in atmosphere. Ashamed at his mistake, Hershel sunk back into his chair, cradling a flask of tea for comfort. He shivered, wrapping his red scarf around his neck. The weather really was dreadful, frost and mist hanging over the stadium.A gloomy, ghostlike arena.
The sharp sound of a whistle broke the awkward silence that had descended in the stand. Signalling that the first half was under way.
"Kill him!" Emmy screamed, angry at the referee for some apparent reason.
"Now Emmy that is not very lady-"
"Shut up!"
The professor gasped, horrified. He had never seen his companion so wound up before, all because of a game. An important match no less, but a game all the same. There was a thump as one of the players aimed for the goal. The ball missed, flying wide. The professor ducked, narrowly avoiding getting his hat knocked off as the ball came speeding in his direction. Football was dangerous. Even Luke had not asked for a puzzle since the game had started. In fact, that near miss had just reminded him of one...
"Luke?"
No answer.
"Huh?" The professor turned in his seat. The boy was nowhere to be found. Alarmed, the professor called out "Emmy! Luke is missing"
But the girl didn't seem to hear him, too engrossed in the match. Realising that his efforts were futile, the professor stood and hurried from his seat, approaching a rough looking man who was carrying a tray of chips and beer. "Excuse me my good man?" The professor had to shout over the noise.
"You talkin' ta me?!" The man peered down at him. Layton swallowed, the man towered over him a great deal, his bald head and large stomach made him seem even more intimidating and the horrid smell of cigarette smoke did not help his appearance. Still, the professor thought, no harm in asking.
"Have you seen a small boy around here? Wears a blue cap and-"
"No." The man replied, scowling at the professor.
Had the man even heard what he had said?
"Oh er...thank you anyway I suppose"
"What for?"
"Just...nevermind"
The gruff man shoved his way past and kicked a bin over in the process. The professor tutted and then proceeded to tidy the mess up.
Layton felt someone poke him in the back. Expecting Luke, he began to smile, relief washing over him,
"Now Luke, what did I tell you about wandering off?"
But the man who stood behind him was not Luke. The stranger was dressed in a high vis jacket and brandished a litter picker "Eh?...look you must be the new guy but erm,the toilets down there need doin' "
Realising the misunderstanding, Hershel tried to back away.
"Oi! Don't you run off! C'mere" and with that, the man grabbed the professor and more or less dragged him to the toilet block "Come on,all it needs is a scrub!"
Layton tried countless times to tell the man that he was mistaken but,all he received in return was laughter or an insult. Then someone who appeared to be a colleague of the man arrived and soon enough, both parties were in deep conversation. This was his chance. The professor bolted from the loos and hurried down a corridor, almost running straight into a vending machine.
Of course, he wasn't running away...that would be ungentlemanly. Rather he was...debating the most important priority. However, that important priority was still nowhere to be seen. The professor scratched his neck, consulting the map on the wall. Where would Luke go?...perhaps the food stalls? Or maybe he had returned to Emmy by now. Layton was shocked out of his thoughts when there was an outrageous roar from the stadium. Someone had obviously scored. The professor couldn't smile though "I haven't got my goal yet" he muttered, wandering further into the stadiums interior.
The whistle called half time, thousands of spectators would be making their way here very soon. If he couldn't find Luke in practically deserted corridors, how was he suppose to find him in a sea of drunk, post-goal, football fans?.Puzzles were his speciality, but usually they had a certain logic or method to them. They weren't based on pure guesses like this.
Of course, there was always the possibility of asking the staff to broadcast a message, but the professor didn't want to cause unnecessary panic. If he knew Luke, and he did, the boy wouldn't stray too far. Although, Luke always told the professor where he was going...
No. Luke obviously didn't think the professor needed to know. Despite this, the boy wasn't exactly old enough to stroll around alone and the professor was getting desperate to find him now. Especially with all these people here. Sighing deeply, the professor spotted the familiar yellow coat of Emmy Altava. He moved over to her, apologising to people he bumped into, even though it was so packed that he had little choice in the matter.
Emmy greeted him with an excited grin, her eyes glistening in the dim lighting "Professor! We scored!"
The professor smiled back, but couldn't help wondering if Emmy had noticed Luke's absence at all.
"That's wonderful Emmy. Have you seen Luke by any chance?"
Emmy frowned "Luke?...I thought he was with you?"
Now the professor panicked "I...no. Didn't you hear me? I said that I was looking for him."
Emmy shook her head and bit her lip "Don't worry professor.I'll help you look. You take the North and East side, I'll take the South and West." She reached across and tapped his arm reassuringly. Then she set off, in search of Luke.
The professor stared after her for a moment, wondering whether this was a good idea. What if he lost Emmy? Or he got lost?.Halfway down the North Corridor, he realised that they hadn't agreed to a meeting time or place. Never mind he thought solemnly, he couldn't do anything about that now ,and besides one of them was bound to find Luke.
The clock ticked slowly by. The professor was certain he'd seen that café before, and that sign. Ringing his hands, he boldly strode up to an elderly man who was enjoying a chip butty. The professor smiled eagerly at the man, deciding to strike up conversation before diving into the subject. He had learnt that from the gruff man before.
"Excuse me sir?" He tipped his top hat "Forgive me for imposing but...might I ask, where did you purchase that chip butty?"
The man looked up, his white bushy eyebrows and glassy blue eyes moving nervously. He shakily lifted a wrinkled hand, adjusted his hearing aid, and in a calm voice replied "Hello sir!.The chip butty you say? A charming young boy gave me it. What was his name?...Duke...something like that...oh, I'm always forgetting names. He was standing by Starbucks, last time I saw him."
The professor thanked the man profusely and, grinning happily, walked in the direction he was now certain that his apprentice would be.
Emmy was having little luck at all. She had begun this search believing she would find Luke before the whistle sounded for the second half. That was fifteen minutes ago. Stomping angrily down the cold concrete of the stadium hallways, Emmy considered her dilemma. On one hand, she knew how important it was that she found Luke and yet, here she was on her birthday when she was supposed to be watching her currently winning team. Not following a young boy around. If he was back in his seat, waiting for them, she would absolutely kill him. Rounding what seemed like the hundredth corner, she sighed and decided to leave it to the professor. Anyway , she had checked the south and the west side thoroughly with no sign of the boy. Emmy glanced through the hallways one last time before returning to her seat. The score board had remained the same, 1-0 to Emmy's team. Sitting down with a contented sigh, she snapped a photo of the pitch and the mascot. The professor would be here with Luke soon, if not, then she would continue her search.
The glowing sign of Starbucks came into view and the professor rushed towards it. And to his relief, there stood Luke holding a tray of chip buttys and handing them out to the, thankfully smaller, group of hungry fans. The professor waited until the last customer left, before marching up to his apprentice. Upon seeing his mentor, Luke smiled sheepishly "Um...hi, professor"
The professor frowned "Luke, where have been? Myself and Emmy have been looking for you.I was worried, my boy"
The boy shuffled nervously under the professors's glare, setting the tray down on a nearby table. Then, he sat down with his mentor "Well, you know how it's Emmy's birthday?" He paused "I wanted them to announce her name at the end of the match, sort of like a present. But I didn't realise you had to pay in advance...anyway, the man at the till said that if I helped him with a few errands, he'd put it up. So...I agreed"
The professor nodded, listening intently, then his frown disappeared and was replaced with a gentle smile "Luke, that's a considerate idea. But perhaps you should have at least let me know?"
The boy shrugged "I'm sorry professor, I think I just got caught up with the idea.I really wanted to do something for Emmy"
The professor smiled and stood up, "Apology accepted my boy. I imagine Emmy will have finished her search, so maybe we should be making our way back"
Luke practically jumped off the chair, glad to be reunited with his friend, as was Layton. Although, after taking a few steps, he ran back and grabbed three chip buttys. Smiling to themselves, the duo walked down the hallway in a comfortable silence.
Surprisingly, the professor and Luke arrived at their seats without any more mishaps. Emmy was already there and was so caught up in the match, that she hardly acknowledged their arrival. Once she did however, she glared angrily at Luke "Where on earth have you been?! We scored Luke, and you missed it!"
Luke hung his head a little "Sorry Emmy but er...I got lost"
Emmy tilted her head and for a moment the professor grew concerned that she was about to press further, but she turned back to the football, satisfied. Both apprentice and tutor breathed a sigh of relief. The storm had passed. Just at that moment, the last whistle blew, announcing Emmy's team as the winners. The three of them including the professor,who had since learnt who the side he should be supporting was,leapt up shouting and cheering.
Emmy was laughing happily and when the voice operator announced "Thank you all for coming today, especially one Emmy Altava who is celebrating her birthday. Glad we gave her a match to remember. Safe journey home folks!"
The woman in question launched herself at Luke and the professor, tears forming in her eyes "Thank you" she whispered "It's been great"
The three walked back to the laytonmobile, chomping away at the chip buttees Luke had managed to save. The professor turned to Emmy "You know" he started "I think I've gotten the hang of football now"
Emmy smiled, raising a sceptical eyebrow "Yeah?"
"Oh it's not that complicated really. The players kick a ball around the pitch and, when they want more time, they aren't supposed to ask."
Emmy and Luke exchanged confused glances.
The professor continued, certain of his observations and totally unaware of his companions quizzical looks.
"All they have to do, is fall on the floor and act out an injury. Thus convincing the Referee, if he should give them more time. The better the performance, the longer the match!"
Emmy stopped, aghast, then she and Luke tumbled into fits of laughter. The professor giggled nervously along, not entirely sure of what his friends found so amusing. He had understood it...hadn't he?
That question plagued the professor for weeks on end, until Luke and Emmy taught him step by step. Not that either of them minded, least of all Emmy, who vowed never to take the professor to a match ever again. Jelly and icecream for her next birthday.
A/N: Please R&R! :D