Chapter Ten: Reggie Reunited
"How is everyone?" Luna asked, entering the neighborhood. Tricksy looked up at her, hurt in her eyes.
"A handful are dead," she sobbed. "Others are injured, but Hatter thinks they'll recover."
"That's good. Hey," Luna replied. "Where can I find Hatter?"
"Up in his house probably," Tricksy answered. "Why?"
"I need to talk to him," Luna said, and she headed for the house where this Hatter lived. She knocked at his door, fully knowing it was eight 'o clock, not a time for visiting, but she knew he was awake. The man answered the door.
"Ah, you're that girl...um, what is your name again?" Hatter asked.
"Luna," she answered. "May I come in?"
"Sure," Hatter said, opening the door wider and she stepped inside. As the door was shut behind her, Luna looked about the house, seeing it needed repairs here and there in all sorts of places.
"Tea?" he asked.
"No, just a question," Luna said, getting straight to the point. "How did you know who Christiana Heart was?"
"Oh," Hatter said. "That's classified information."
"I'm sorry," Luna said. "Then perhaps you didn't hear it from a man named Reginald."
"Reginald?" Hatter asked. "How do you know him?"
"So you do know?" Luna asked, eyebrows lifted. He nodded, urging her to keep explaining.
"I was sent by his father to find him," Luna said. Hatter told her that he found Reg on the streets and that he was in the next room, fast asleep. Hatter was glad to know his family was worried about him, then described his wounds from the fighting he was put through for the money. Luna took all this information in, saying that she would like to have him back tomorrow so he can be brought back to his father.
"No problem," Hatter said.
"You should come too," Luna said. "I'm sure his father will want to thank you, as would Agent White and Ten."
"For what?" he asked sheepishly.
"For the fight. I heard you stepped in at the right time," Luna explained.
"I don't know..." he stuttered.
"I'm dragging you with me, whether you like it or not," Luna said then, crossing her arms. Hatter complied, asking if she had a place to stay tonight. Luna did have a place, but she wasn't too keen on returning to it.
"I can help with the people down below until I retire," Luna said. "Thanks for the offer." With that she left, a satisfied look about her face and in her mind. By tomorrow, everything would be fine.
"So, we're out in an hour?" Luna asked that morning. Everyone seemed to be up eating and Luna had taken herself down to a coffee shop earlier. Wide awake, she found Hatter out on his porch.
"Yeah, Reg ain't even up yet," Hatter explained. "I could freshen up myself..."
"I'll wait," Luna sighed. "No need to hint it." He smiled and went straight back in the house. He went into his guest room where the boy was sleep on his side. Hatter shook him hard and rolled him off the bed when he didn't get up.
"Oof!" Reg's voice came as he hit the floor. Hatter then proceeded to hit him with a pillow, laughing as he did so.
"All right, all right I'm up," Reg said, shielding himself from the pillow attack. Hatter stopped, still laughing.
"You want to see your girlfriend?" Hatter asked.
"Is she here?" Reg asked, jolting up now so he sat on the floor.
"No, she's back home," Hatter explained. "Luna brought her home last night. There was an ambush out in the city streets, apparently there was a little search party out for you two."
"That's where you went last night," Reg said, narrowing his eyes.
"Yep, that's why I asked her name. If they were looking for her, they were looking for you was how I interpreted it. I didn't think even the queen's own followers hated her as much as her own daughter," Hatter said.
"Well, Ten practically raised her," Reg told him.
"Ten?" Hatter asked. "As in the Ten of Clubs, Ten?" Hatter asked.
"Yeah, sorry," Reg shrugged. "Informality's been there for a while between us."
"That poor girl," Hatter sighed. "I can't imagine what she went through after you left. Those men were brutal to us, and I guess you could say your kidnapping helped us a little. Some good came from it." Reg stood up, asking when they were leaving.
"Oh yeah," Hatter said, smiling. "You have an hour..."
"An hour?" Reg exclaimed, throwing sheets at Hatter. "I have to take a shower yet!"
"Then, get going," Hatter replied, running out of the room to dodge the sheets, calling: "I'm putting tea on the stove!" Reg couldn't believe this. An ambush, and Ten was there with him. Had Agent White come as well then? Most likely, but Reg was too excited now that he knew Christy was safe and back home to worry about that. He knew his dad was probably worried sick about him, and that when he got home, he might be a bit of trouble.
Ten came downstairs the next morning to see Christy sleeping on the couch. He shook his head, walking quietly into the kitchen and scrambling up some eggs. There was a soft knock at the door, and Ten came to answer right away. It was White.
"Hey," Ten said, seeing the agent's state. "You look like you didn't sleep a wink last night."
"That's because I didn't," Agent White said as Ten let him in, pointing out that Christy was on the couch. "I was too worried over Reginald."
"Eggs?" Ten asked. "I'm not working today, as you could have guessed. I suppose the queen wants you back."
"She does," White told his friend. "If you ask me, she's completely taken me out of that equation with Christy, like it never had anything to do with me."
"Lucky," Ten told him. "She's given you that much work?"
"Well," White said, looking at the table when he sat down. Ten brought out another plate, putting some eggs and bacon on it. He opened the fridge and started the coffee pot. "The king was a bit merciful after they heard what happened. He convinced the queen to lighten my workload some, but I assume I'll be back to the way it was in no time."
"You need to take a vacation or something," Ten said, sitting down with him and eating.
"I would but work consumes me," White explained. "I don't know what I would do on a vacation, Ten. Besides, from the past few days, I'd like to be around." Ten nodded, hearing the click on the coffee pot and got up to pour some for himself, asking if White wanted any.
"Why not?" he said. "I won't have time to go to Patrick's this morning." Ten sat down again and finished eating with Agent White. He looked at Christy as he put the dishes in the sink.
"Hopefully everyone will know the story of her after this," White said as he followed Ten's eyes. "Then maybe this kind of thing won't happen again."
"I can only hope so," Ten said. White looked at the clock.
"Well, I suppose I should be off," White said. "I'll probably hit traffic and be late anyway I look at it." Ten smirked, knowing that happened quite often to the agent. "See you Ten."
"Bye White," Ten replied as he went to the front door, looking to Christy before he went out.
"Finally!" Luna sighed as she saw Hatter come out onto the porch again. Hatter jumped, surprised to see her around the corner.
"How long have you been standing there?" he asked, one hand over his chest.
"Too long," Luna replied. "Where's Reginald?"
"I'm comin', I'm comin'," came a voice from inside. Hatter spun his hat around, waiting for Reg to come out. The boy came out, seeing Luna on the side, some kind of weapon in her hands.
"Whoa," Reg said. "And you are?"
"My name is Luna and I've been asked to find you and bring you back home," Luna explained. "I also despise waiting, so come on!" They made their way through the neighborhood, seeing most of the people there were up and ready to go this morning. Those men wouldn't be on their case for a long time now. When they reached the outside of the town, heading into the city, Reg was asking about Christy.
"I don't know," Luna kept telling him. "I just brought her home only last night."
"You're a pretty quick spy," Hatter noted.
"I just talk to the right people," Luna said, shrugging. They walked a longer ways to the tea shop and Luna could see Reginald's nervousness.
"He'll be glad to see you," Luna told him. "I don't think he'll be too upset." Hatter pushed Reg forward and Luna came into the shop. She eyed Dormy at the front desk, and she held up her chakrams for him to see.
"Luna!" Dormy exclaimed.
"Get Patrick and tell him his son has come home," Luna told him walking to the front desk, Reg and Hatter behind her.
"Reg!" Dormy exclaimed, coming around. "I'm so sorry I put you through that ordeal." Dormy hugged Reg.
"I wasn't your fault," Reg said, wincing. Luna knew he still had wounds and she could tell from Hatter's face that they weren't quite healed yet. Dormy let Reg go and immediately ran to get Patrick. He ran back in so quickly all Luna had done was look back at the two boys.
"Reginald Theophilus!" Patrick came out shortly after, his voice filled with relief. Reg met his father and instantly wrapped his arms around him, no matter what the pain. "You had me worried sick about you."
"I know," Reg replied. "And I'm sorry."
"You know," Luna whispered to Hatter. "If Christy wasn't his girlfriend, none of this would have happened to him.
"Probably," Hatter whispered back. "But, she is."
"Is Christy alright?" Reg asked after they released one another.
"She's fine," Luna said. "Don't worry about her. You just got back!"
"I am going to worry about her! Those men kicked me out and I haven't seen her since..." Reg began.
"You need to get your bandages changed," Hatter said, nodding. He knew Reg didn't want to bring that up, but that was why Hatter did it.
Patrick was asking him what happened and called Dormy in to help with Reg's wounds. They all sat around the table in Patrick's main room behind the tea shop, Reginald being patched by Dormy who kept apologizing, Luna setting her blades down and taking tea, and Hatter who was only along for the ride. He felt a little out of place.
"So, that's basically what happened," Reg finished. "If it weren't for Hatter here, I'd have been on the streets." Hatter waved his hand.
"It was nothing," Hatter said, modestly. "I did it for everyone down in that neighborhood at some point."
"Well, I have a great deal to thank you for, Hatter," Patrick said, sipping his tea. "I hear you also assisted Agent White and Ten a while back." Hatter shrugged at that one.
"I know when my friends need help and after I heard the story of Christiana Heart, I was happy to have helped them," Hatter admitted.
"Reg told you the story?" Patrick gasped. "Surely the word spread fast enough around. It was all over the city newspapers." But, Hatter shook his head.
"Not to us," he said. "as far as we were concerned, Christy wasn't going to be the heir the throne, Jack would be. That was the end of the conversation. Nothing more was said, but that story shocked me beyond belief." Just then, a knock at the door came to their ears. Patrick stood at once, looking at the time.
"Late as always," he sighed, and the door opened to reveal Agent White.
"Sorry," White said, a slight pant in his voice. "I had to run down here, my break was delayed...Reg!" Patrick looked back, smiling as he let the agent in.
"In the flesh," Reg replied, Dormy finishing that last cut. "How's Christy?"
"Sleeping last I saw," White replied. "Luna! You went back and got Hatter too. I have to thank you in person Hatter for your assistance. We'd have been creamed."
"I'll say," Hatter said with a joking smile. "Never underestimate the size of an organization, especially one that may have wanted to overthrow the queen." White took a cup of tea and sat down with the group. It was here Patrick got an idea...
"Hatter," Patrick addressed, looking at his son then to the man who housed him for some time. "May I ask your real name?"
"David," Hatter replied. "Not much of a ring though, Hatter's what everyone calls me."
"Alright then," Patrick said. "How about you take up an apprenticeship under me?" Hatter's eyes widened. Patrick was asking him to one day run this shop?
"I must face it," Patrick said. "I know Reg isn't interested and I don't want to force anything on him, but I don't want to sell it to some random business owner. I can't run it forever, and I do owe you."
"I-I-I...I don't know what to say..." Hatter stuttered.
"Say yes," another voice came. They turned to see Ten in the doorway leading to the shop. "And I too must thank you for your services yesterday. It would be an honor to see you in this place one day...Reginald, you're alive!"
"Yes I am," Reg replied.
"Then excuse me for one moment," Ten stated before Hatter or Reg could say another word. Patrick and White glanced at each other, a smirk on both their faces. Reg looked to Hatter, who shrugged in confusion. They watched the doorway and Ten had Christy behind him.
"Reggie!" Christy exclaimed, running straight for him. Ten smiled, looking to White and Patrick. Luna and Dormy glanced to one another too as the two were joined once again.
"You had me worried sick the day they kicked you out! How are those wounds?" she asked at once.
"Vice versa," Reg replied, hugging her tight. "And the wounds are fine, thanks to Hatter."
"Hatter?" Christy questioned, and then she looked over Reg to see the newcomer. Hatter waved his hand at her. "Well, I'm just glad you're back safely."
"I'm taking this afternoon off," White announced. "This calls for a celebration. Barbecue at my place!" Ten's eyebrows lifted at his sudden announcement. White hated barbecues...
"Wahoo!" Dormy exclaimed.