Chapter Four! I like this chapter.


"I have a request though, Mister Paolo." Flora played with the frayed hem of her collar idly. When Paolo gave her a frustrated sideways glance, she assured, "It's only small."

His silence gave her permission.

"May I see the Professor and Luke once more? I don't know how long I will be here, so I just want to see them for a day."

The scoff she received was the only answer that she needed but Paolo indulged her with a short explanation, "No. You'll try to escape or you'll alert them. You can't see 'em."

"I won't! What about if I see them... from a distance? Would that be okay?" She asked tentatively. Paolo's jaw visibly clenched.

"Fine. I'll drop by tonight and I'll get some food for you as well."

The front door was slammed shut before she could thank him.


Flora's eyes widened in shock before she saw pitch black and heard the silver spoon from her teacup fall to floor. She felt a loud throbbing pain in her head before she hit the cool surface of the wooden flooring.


Don had arrived at Layton's house earlier than expected. Strangely there were no police lurking around the corners to intercept him so it made his journey that much easier. Before he left, he gave Flora the puzzle she had asked for. He gave her a quick riddle and watched with sick pleasure when her face twisted in confusion. It was unrefined, he decided when he departed, but it would do: "I can be purchased or bartered for. I can be promised yet I will never promise. I can be used and I will use. I cannot be locked away yet I can lock others away. What is it that those desire most? It is I."

He hadn't intended for it to be a riddle, but there weren't many other choices that would allow her to think that she had enough time to figure it out without being able to. If Flora knew what he wanted, though he was certain that she already had an inkling, then she would surely inform her precious Professor. Bah, there was no sense in thinking about it, Don thought to himself, she wouldn't get it in time- especially if he made the whole ordeal quick.

With that in mind, he awkwardly changed into his Flora disguise in the Laytonmobile. The truth was, he'd completely forgotten to change back at the house. He supposed that it saved the trouble of having to deal with Flora freaking out at seeing her double, though she knew who it was. Careful not to hit the horn while changing, he became another rather quickly. Flora stepped out from the Laytonmobile with her grey case that held Don's clothes and climbed the wall to her room with the open window.

Upon entering she hid the case and made her way downstairs, feigning yawns as she passed the Professor's room, if in case he was awake. However, when Flora walked into the kitchen area, now completely refurbished after the accident that she caused, Luke was hunched over the dining table and the Professor was pacing the space between the cooker and the worktop where she had been huddled all those days ago.

Flora cleared her throat and drew immediate attention to herself.

"Where have you been?" Hershel demanded sternly. Flora only gaped silently as she looked between the two, Luke having stood from his seat promptly.

"Well?" Luke urged, equally angry as the Professor. She had no idea what to say, Don hadn't thought about this.

"Um, well, I was out." The Professor's cheek caved as he bit the inside of it with frustration.

"Of course, Flora, but where were you?" Flora cleared her throat again.

"I was out walking. I've a lot on my mind right now, Professor, so I thought that a walk would do me some good." She stated almost flawlessly if not for the small crack in her voice at the beginning. Still looking between them, she thought that they needed more.

"I didn't go far, Professor, you have my word!" She said desperately. It was all she could do to not wring her hands, an uncommon nervous habit of Dons. The Professor's gaze softened only slightly before he left her with a warning.

"Do not do that again, my girl. You've no idea how dangerous it can be- especially at these early hours. Now, do you need to speak with me about what is troubling you? I assure you that I will do only my best and more to help you, if this is what you must resort to."

"N-no, Professor."

"Well, if you need to, then you know where I am. Try to get some rest." He dismissed as he sat at the table and hid behind the large newspaper. Judging by the forlorn expression on Luke's face as he looked at his mentor, Flora mused that the Professor's face may have been similar. She left the kitchen for her room.

In some ways, she was glad to be sent to bed because she was exhausted, and hadn't had a wink of sleep last night. Then again, it was the Professor who had sent her, the Great Don Paolo, to bed. Glad of the sight of the pink and orange bed, Flora got under the luscious covers happily. Though Don had stayed in the room for the past few days at night, whenever he checked up on Flora, he had slept there (much to the silent dismay of the kid when he took 'her' bed) and the bed didn't have any covers.

Thinking about the kid, Don wondered if she was okay...- When had that started happening? The questioning thought was banished, however, when he realised how naturally the feeling came to him. How natural it felt to worry about another's well-being. Obviously, she was his captive so he certainly had to have responsibility of her- he couldn't have her dying on him, could he now? But there was a more familiar feeling that walked with the thought. He didn't know, and if he didn't know then he definitely did not want to know.

He wafted the obtrusive and somehow nostalgic notions away with the fingers of his mind, which soon grasped the remnants of sleep and clung to them strongly.


Flora was woken by Luke knocking on the door. When he entered, she roused elegantly, like how Don had seen Flora do the other day, and yawned behind a slender hand.

"Good morning, Luke."

"Oh, well, its rather afternoon!" Luke giggled, then continued, "We're leaving to go to the police station for any more leads on this case that we 'ave, so we made breakfast for you- it's downstairs. Bye!" Luke seemed to leave in a hurry. Damn, she was just about to ask about this new case, too.

She woke herself up properly, picked up her grey case, went downstairs. As soon as she was certain that the boys were gone, Flora ripped her face off again.

"Phew! Geez, that guy needs to buy the girl some pyjamas." Don muttered as he looked down at the dress that he was still in, before he changed into his usual outfit. With that done, he ate the neat breakfast laid out for him, drew a deep breath and changed into the disguise of an old lady. He left the house to the grocery store. This was going to be fun, he decided.


After successfully stealing her food, the old lady rushed back home. It was a hassle when citizens of fair London attempted to help her cross the road. Eventually, she arrived at the Layton household and emptied her pockets into bags while she slowly changed into Don. With only his shoes to change, the sound of a door closing reverberated through the whole house.

Don could have sworn he had never changed so fast in his life. He placed the grey case in the cooker.

As Luke stormed into the kitchen, Layton not far behind, he threw his satchel on the kitchen table and fell onto the nearest chair with a heaving sigh. Layton sat opposite with a greeting to Flora as she fixed her hair.

"My boy, don't get yourself so worked up. You are in the presence of a lady. Now, lets review our findings. If the police won't help us then we can only do our best." He said with a smile. Flora's attention was snatched from her hair to the police and "findings".

"What's this?" She asked quietly as she brewed three cups of tea.

"There's a kidnapper on the loose and the police won't do anything!" Luke fumed as he buried his head in his arms to muffle his anger.

"Oh? Who's been taken?" Flora stirred the tea.

"Five girls. Another today- well, its presumed. A witness reported seeing her being dragged to a car. So it's six now. Terrible, really." The Professor explained. He intertwined his fingers on the table.

"... And why won't the police help? That's pretty serious, if you ask me." Flora sat at the table with the cups of tea.

"Because they're ar-!"

"Luke!"

"... Sorry, Professor. I just get carried away with things like th-" Luke paused as he peered down at his cup of tea.

"Flora? I hate tea. I thought you knew that?" Flora swallowed and smiled sweetly.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I was just so wrapped up in what you were telling me! Um... what would you like?" She flustered.

"Erm... coffee? Like always?" Luke said in a rather dubious tone.

"Right! Just a minute." She stood and prepared the coffee, "Carry on, please."

Luke glanced at the Professor but his eyes were focused on his hands, now travelling to his chin. He leaned his elbows on the table and rested his chin atop his manus.

"Yes, well, tha' was it, really." Luke concluded disjointedly.

"Oh... that was b- nice!" Flora quickly corrected her small insult. She was not having a good day. The Professor's eyes tightened when Luke began digging through his satchel. Slowly, Layton turned to observe the girl. She was leaning over the counter with the cup between her hands, her elbows supporting her and one leg bent. He turned back to his original position.

"Here you are, Luke." She handed him his coffee and sat down, drank her tea quickly and quietly, was done within a matter of seconds. Flora stood with urgency and dusted her skirt.

"Excuse me, but I must be going, I'm still rather sleepy. Thank you very much for the food." She all but ran out of the kitchen.

The Professor hummed in deep thought and stood. He replaced Flora's space by the counter and asked Luke, "Luke, do you remember when we thought we travelled in time?"

Luke's head sprang up, alert, "O-of course I do!" He didn't want to say anything about Claire.

"And do you remember the friends that we made?"

"F-friends? Oh, you mean Don Paolo and the like?" The Professor nodded.

"Tell me, Luke, who does this remind you of?"

The Professor leaned over the worktop with a spare glass between his hands, his elbows supporting him and one leg bent. To complete his puzzle, his head hung over the glass like a drunk. Luke snapped his fingers.

"Don Paolo!"

"Indeed." The Professor stated somewhat gravely.

"Why?"

"No reas-"

The sound of glass breaking drew the attention of the two kitchen occupants to outside. They rushed out of the front door to see a car belonging to the house opposite shrieking with defeat for the window had been smashed. They gasped simultaneously and rushed over to the vandalised car to investigate it, like other neighbours, careful to avoid the aggressive shards of glass scattered across the floor.

Meanwhile, Flora rushed down the stairs to the kitchen's cooker and retrieved the grey case, before sprinting upstairs again. She looked out her open window to the car directly opposite. Nice throw, she thought smugly. She grimaced after a while of watching the people mill about the car; they didn't seem to be leaving anytime soon. She pouted and decided sullenly that her journey was going to a long one. Don apologised to his feet trapped in the tiny shoes before sneaking out of the back door to his house.


Oh, a kidnapper! And it's not Don? What?! Chapter five may be awhile because I have no idea what's going to happen next. Sploops!

You can try to figure the riddle out if you like.