Chapter 12: The Adventures of Cassandra and Louie
By the pond, our laughs trickled off and I sighed. "Seriously though, you are a git. You need to think words over in your head before you say them."
L kicked off his tennis shoes and stretched out on the warm grass. "I've done that my entire life. I knew what I would claim about B was appalling, but I also knew you weren't going to burst into tears or faint dead away because of it. There would be no lasting emotional trauma. The pros outweighed the cons, you see."
I shot him a look as he placed his hands behind his head and directed his gaze upwards to the clear sky. "Let me rephrase. You shouldn't speak at all. Every word you say makes me want to punch you."
His lips curled up into a smile as a slight breeze ruffled his sable hair. "Go on, then. I won't stop you."
"Don't tempt me." I drew my knees up to my chest and looked out on to the still gray water. "Masochist."
He chuckled softly. "If you'd like, you can tell me why you came home a mess earlier on. Did you have a physical altercation with Andrew as well?"
I stewed instead of answering and L laughed. "Apparently so! Do tell me you won."
"When does a Wammy's kid not win? But no, I didn't hit him, although I should have." Thinking again about the reason for the drive made my blood boil. I still couldn't believe him.
L turned his head and lazily peered up at me, "Are you going to elaborate or am I going to just watch your face darken by the moment and make my own deductions?"
I didn't want to be reminded of how he probably wouldn't mind watching me and made an effort to explain. "The drive, I thought it was just a trip around the countryside. Not too far from home, I just needed to get out of here for a bit. I didn't know he had an ulterior motive. If I had known, I'd never have went-" I cut myself off with a shriek when L sprung up to his feet and crouched in front of me with a face like thunder.
"Tell me that cur didn't touch you, Grace," His voice was terrifying. Every syllable was extended to allow the seriousness of his words to penetrate. "Or so help me, I'll tear him apart."
I was speechless as I believed him capable of every threat he had made. "No! He didn't do any such thing and neither will you! It was a different sort of ulterior motive. He was taking me to visit his parents. I refused, got out of the car and walked home. Calm down!"
L's fury slowly disappeared and he sat back on his haunches, taking a moment to breathe deeply. "My apologies, I just, I don't know why I thought that. You walked home? How far did you have to travel?"
"A kilometer and a half, believe me it was worth it. I wasn't lasting another minute in that car with his claims of love and talk of marriage…" My sentence died as I realized what I myself should have thought about before speaking. "Er, romantic nonsense he kept spouting. Why he felt I would be suitable to see Lord and Lady Hargrove today I'll never know. Why he didn't ask me first I would pay money to find out."
L had become quiet and every second of silence was painful. Andrew's sneer came back to me. "I hate the way he looks at you." and "I thought he would gone soon." The way he had looked as he spat out the words mirrored the way L looked now. And still he wouldn't speak.
I unstuck my tongue to press on. "Plus, the sheep didn't help matters."
Finally, a reaction was produced across L's still features. "Sheep?" he repeated, his curiosity getting the best of him. "Was that another of his grand gestures of love? Is that part of the Hargrove mating ritual, gifting the intended with livestock?'
"No, it was in the middle of the road, not allowing the car to pass. That's when I got out, and he thought I was going to move it out of the way." I lamely explained. "It saved me from having to jump out of a moving car at least; although that's a danger I would have gladly embraced."
L tilted his head to the side, as his intrusive eyes captured me again. "I must say, G. You are odd."
"Odd?!" I sputtered in disbelief. "Are you certain you have the correct adjective?"
"One hundred percent."
"Well, fine." I huffed, breaking from his gaze to watch a sparrow fly low over the water, and then soar up over the trees. I envied it. "Thank you very much. I value your opinion on eccentricity so highly since you are an expert."
"Come now, you're claiming that you aren't?"
"Yes, I am, and unless you have evidence pointing to another conclusion that's the end of it."
I thought I was less odd and more crazy to think I could spend any part of the day relaxing with L. I couldn't let my guard down around him when he was intent on using a bloody catapult.
"I do. Going anywhere with Andrew Hargrove at all proves it."
"Why didn't you stop me then?" It was daring, and I couldn't believe it had tumbled out of my mouth, but it at least gave him pause.
"Would you have listened to me?"
"Perhaps, if you'd given a decent reason."
He pushed a handful of hair away from his burning glare. "Besides the fact that he's a known imbecile? Or how he wishes to use you as a trophy and nothing more? No, I've got it. How he'd never appreciate who you really are? Would that have caused you to stop your rebelliousness and leave his side? I think you know all of those points already, what good would my reminding have done?"
Good Lord.
I blinked rapidly as my heart began to increase its rhythm; he was commanding my attention yet again and seriously troubling my head. "We all, er, lose our sense now and then. It's part of what makes us human."
L leaned forward again, his smile wry and oh so knowing. "So tell me, Miss Deacon, have you finally come to your senses?"
Damn. I bit my lip and looked away. Why was he doing this? "He's a fool." I dismissed, not wanting to answer the question straight on. "But we've seen our last of him."
"I'm not so sure about that, but I am hopeful." And he left it at that, a hidden warning that if Andrew Hargrove ever darkened Wammy's doorway then, he wouldn't be able to get past L. I wondered about how he would differ if Andrew wasn't at times the irritating buffoon he had proved himself to be. Was it the superiority L obviously felt that caused him to not tolerate him? Or would any man have brought out this side of my confusing, brilliant friend who truly did have the most soul searching eyes I'd ever come across? I was almost afraid to know.
"Don't think I won't have my spies out after I leave, either." L joked, once again giving me room to breathe. "Watari dislikes him immensely."
I was surprised by that, but didn't let on. "Well then that makes three of us. You don't need to worry your head about it, Andrew's not coming back. "
"We'll see." His voice was a cool as the wind.
"Doesn't my word mean anything?" I protested.
"Not when you've said this previously and didn't hold to it, Cassandra Grace."
"I'm not the one who lured him into a tennis game. He was about to leave, you know. You brought this on yourself… Louie."
"LOUIE?!" L's face twisted in amused revulsion. "Who may I ask, is that?"
"I've decided that if you're going to taunt me with that name whenever you please, I shall do the same." I loved that I had ticked him off yet again, it was far too enjoyable. "So Louie you shall be. I'm sure it'll catch on like wildfire."
"You will desist immediately." Though I had rendered a smirk on his lips, I knew he was annoyed.
"Aw, Louie, the only way I'm doing that is if you never call me Cassandra again, and since you obviously can't resist, you should get used to it."
"You're incorrigible." L groaned, standing up and walking to the sandy edge of the pond, his slouched back to me. "At least Cassandra is a pretty name, Louie is just unfortunate."
"This isn't a question of how pleasing it is to the ear, because I still detest hearing it." I answered, trying my best to be severe when I was smiling. "I like being called Grace. Grace, for all purposes is my name, whether you find it pretty or not!"
"I don't find it just pretty.." he admitted, kicking a pebble into the water with his toe.
Embarrassed, I forced my eyes down to my lap, so when he turned and devastated me with another of his mystifying gazes again, I would be fortified. "Thank you. I'm sure my mother wanted lovely names for me."
"She succeeded. Which means calling you by either of them shouldn't be an insult. Louie on the other hand…"
I finally lifted my eyes to him and beamed, clasping my hands together as I dropped them into my lap. "I like Louie. It fits. After all, French kings never found it to be an insult."
"I think it's dreadful."
"You don't like it because I thought it up. Don't worry, you'll warm to it soon enough." I couldn't keep the laughter out of my voice. He seemed so utterly horrified at being called such a name and leaving him so disgusted was tempting. I changed conversation away from the prettiness of my name and the complete unsuitability of Louie as one for L. "Any road, how is mentoring Jude working for you? Are you ready to throw in the towel yet?"
He was indignant. "I never give up, G. Especially only after one day. That would be humiliating."
"Well, I'm only asking because you've already pawned him off on Fritz who will bore the child to death with talk of gears and flight schematics. I assumed you'd had enough."
"No, I wanted to, as Mello says "hang out" with you. So I planned to mention it to Jude, and instead he sneers and says. "Fine, go see her. I'm glad have some peace in this stupid place."
I do think he can read minds. I hadn't said a word to him about my intentions."
I felt another chill at the mention of Jude's ability. I could remember Mrs. C and her complaining about how people would see Wammy's as a haven for the paranormal. Years later, that was becoming a reality. "Will you talk to him about why he doesn't want to be a detective? And ask what he plans to do instead?"
L played with one of the sleeve cuffs that hung over his hands. "I already did. The answer is something I can't argue with."
"Enlighten me."
"Jude states that every day he sees guilty people walking free. If he became a detective someday, he may catch them, but they are never punished the way they should be. And most end up being released. He doesn't want any part of what he calls a "corrupt system"."
I wasn't as laissez faire about the answer as L. "So he isn't going to undergo training because he thinks enough people wouldn't be punished? What about the fact the he could save lives? Doesn't he care about that?"
"His belief that not enough criminals would receive their just desserts overrides any help he would give, apparently. I was lucky to obtain that much information from him."
"Well, you are vastly skilled in interrogation, but I think he's being terribly selfish." I dwelled on the subject, disliking Jude Call more and more. In my heart, one life saved was worth months of work solving a case. For being an orphan he didn't value life as he should.
L was less offended. "Give him time," he coaxed. "Once he sees the good work we do, he may change his mind."
"Or become even more polarizing just to be difficult."
L smiled. "Perhaps. You're not the most optimistic of people, are you Grace?"
I ran my hand over the wild grass, feeling the prickly shoots tickle my palm. "Learning more about me every day, hmm?"
"It doesn't make sense though. The way people tend to gravitate toward you, you should be sweetness and light personified. Negativity normally draws people away."
"I'm careful to only be negative when it is in regard to myself or someone who won't care what I think. I always encourage the others. "
"Who encourages you?"
For someone who loved desserts, L wasn't fond of sugar-coating his words. My fingers gripped a clump of sod as I answered him. "Myself, of course. I'm the only one who can since Wammy is usually off with you."
"Well, we're here now."
I looked up to see L lowering himself back down to the grass by my side, the expression on his face one of gentle kindness. It took my breath away.
"Err, all right then. I'll let you know when I need encouraging." He was sitting much too close, his arm brushed mine as he reached up to scratch his temple. I trembled, hoping he didn't notice.
"Good. Have you finally forgiven me for New York?" L asked with a sense of uncertainty.
I sighed, knowing the last day and a half had made up for New York and then some. "I suppose. That doesn't mean I want something similar to happen again."
L relaxed. "I think it was more the case matter itself than anything else. I was completely against you being involved."
"That's not news."
"No, don't be hasty. You don't know why. The kidnappers were taking young women walking alone in Central Park. If you had been involved, the NYPD would have wished for you to be used as shall we say, "bait". Watari was more tolerant of the idea, I was adamantly against it."
The reason for his refusal of my participation didn't do much for making me feel better about everything. In fact, it made me more disappointed. "L, I can defend myself. Wammy knows that and so should you."
He turned to me then, and the pain had returned to his eyes. "What if you couldn't? What if the attacker had a firearm and it had turned into a hostage situation in the middle of a public place? I was so furious with Watari for not seeing all angles before seeking your involvement."
"Wammy isn't you. He has more trust in authority figures and me. I could have handled that, particularly if the park was crawling with police trying to nab the suspect."
L shook his head, rejecting everything I said. "You don't understand how terrifying that would be. I'd rather the kidnapper go free than see you hurt, or worse. You must be prepared for every possibility, Grace, when you deal with criminals. You would have had to accept that you could die from making yourself a target."
I could tell he was even more disturbed by the calmness in my returning gaze. "I would have. I'm in line for L, acceptance of danger is part of the code. Sure it would have been frightening, but at the same time, if the kidnapper was caught, how great would it have been to have been part of the force catching him?"
L appeared uncomfortable. "It wasn't that enjoyable, especially not wearing that wig."
My hands flew up to my mouth as I realized what he meant. "Oh no, you didn't…."
"That skirt wasn't comfortable either. I was truly the homeliest girl you've ever seen…"
Once I started giggling, I couldn't stop. "What was that about being in the hotel the whole time, then? Were you hoping I wouldn't find out?"
Offended that I was still laughing, L's look was fierce. "Yes."
I threw my head back and laughed harder. "Even though you were so "homely" the bloke still went after you, didn't he?!"
"Ahem, it doesn't matter. The culprit was caught and that's the end of it."
"Perhaps I should call you Louisa instead!"
"Grace Deacon, if you tell a soul…"
The grin plastered across my face refused to leave. "No more Cassandra, L. I mean it."
He sighed. "Very well. It was fun while it lasted."
"Shake on it."
His hand met mine and gripped it resolutely. I still felt off-kilter when we would touch but I was starting to realize I didn't mind it. While our hands were still connected, I spoke.
"L, even though that case would have been unbelievable, I must say I appreciate that you were concerned enough with my safety to dress in drag and take my place. In that way you may have saved my life after all."
"Then it was worth it. I'm thankful you see that."
My seriousness evaporated with my next question. "Surely there are pictures?"
He let go of my hand in a flash. "No."
"I can ask Matt to hack into the NYPD's database to see if you're lying, you know."
"Go ahead, I've destroyed all evidence."
I got up from the grass and L soon followed. "I have no way of knowing if that's true unless I look myself."
"Grace, I'm warning you…"
"Aha! So there is evidence! Bye, L! It's been quite illuminating if I do say so myself!"
"What about our handshake?!" he complained. "Didn't that keep me from untold mortification if I didn't call you Cas—er, your birth name?"
I hesitated. "It did, it does. I want to have the incriminating photos if you ever slip, or if I need to laugh like I've never laughed before!"
L came up to me then, silencing me with another stumbling gaze. "Let it be our little secret. Your name will be one as well, just for us to know. Don't friends share secrets?"
I had to relent then. "All right, I won't go searching for photos as long as you keep your word. I mean it, L."
He patted the top of my head and grinned. "Good. Now, I must be off."
"Rescuing Jude?"
L headed back toward the woods, and then spun around mischievously. "No, I have some file deletion to take care of. G, till we meet again."
I gasped as he tore back to the house, but didn't run to catch up. Some things are much better in the imagination than they ever are in reality, though I doubted L could have ever looked homely.
That was impossible.
AN: Chapter Song: Young Blood – The Naked and Famous
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