A/N

So I was going to write the chapter that I had outlined but I felt like Lucy and Lockwood needed some alone time to work things out but out of the line of fire during a mission. So, I wrote this thing. Consider it Chapter 12.5

It's rather disconcerting to wake up with a man in bed next to you. Particularly when your last memory is of battling in a relic-man's basement. The hotel room was half dark, faint light trickling in through the parted curtains. The traffic on the street below was a soft flurry of background noise. Blinking sleep out of my eyes, my gaze fell on Lockwood's head on the pillow next to mine, fast asleep.

Once I had finished scrambling out of bed and checking that all clothes were on their proper owners, I stepped beside the bed once more and patted his cheek.

Anthony waking up is a slow process. It consists of a lot of grunts, sighs and rubbing fists into eyes. When he was at last conscious he had the nerve to look at me as though I was the intruder. "Lucy what's the matter."

"The matter at hand is that you are in my bed." I crossed my arms over my chest, partly to display my indignance and partly because my bra was missing. Scanning the room quickly, I found it neatly folded next to my overcoat and shoes on an armchair. I also found that this room was not my room, which made my prior statement awkward. As if finding myself asleep next to Lockwood after the words we had had with each other wasn't awkward enough.

"The hotel removed you from your suite. Something about keeping up the other guests and graffiti on the walls. I had them move you here while you were unconscious."

"Ah," I said, shifting nervously. Anthony sat up in the bed, his dress shirt rumpled with sleep. "You can sit on the bed, Lucy." I nodded, my head spinning and as I rubbed the ache in my side I felt bandages padding my ribs.

Perching on the edge of the bed, I kept my eyes on the duvet, seething with unequivocal embarrassment. I was mortified. We had cuddled, kissed passionately but had never done anything. We may have done, but France had ruined that for us. But at that moment, I had almost wished that everything could have gone back to normal. That I missed how things had been at Portland row. Here in France, I had a purpose, but at Portland Row, I had a home.

"Did they find Mr. Tann?" I asked, folding and unfolding my hands in my lap.

"Francis vanished with him. Police can't find traces of them anywhere. It was as if they disappeared into thin air."

"Curious," I said, "who..who did all this?" I gestured at my torso, meaning both the bandaging and the missing undergarments.

"Holly fixed you up," Anthony dragged a hand across his face to stifle a yawn. "Bruised rib, I think."

We sat in silence after that. Not even comfortable, companionable silence but it was a great pregnant pause that involved many sweeps f our gazes across the room and intent clearing of our throats. I looked around the small living space, and out the window at the now brightening sky beyond before opening my mouth to speak.

"Anthony-"

"Lucy-"

"Sorry," I said, blushing.

"You go ahead," Lockwood said, courteously.

"Thanks," I cleared my throat and looked over at his bedhead state. "Anthony, I'm sorry that I yelled at you like that. I should have told you about the ghost children."

He nodded. "Thank you, Lucy, but I am at fault too. I'm sorry that I said you betrayed our trust and I apologize for suspending you from your duties for so long. It was petty of me."

I dipped my head, twisting the duvet between my thumb and forefinger. "Thanks for saying that."

"No problem."

We lapsed into silence again. Our apologies had been said. Our manners back into play, we had nothing else to say. Which was now more awkward than having a million things to say.

"Lucy," Lockwood said. "I must ask you something. What was your plan?" I settled back against the headboard. We were now but inches apart but it felt like miles. I thought for a minute then said, "I don't really have a plan. I just have a person I want to help."

"Francis."

"He needs to be guided. He needs to be trained. I know what it is like to have a power that seems to control you instead of you it." my heart pounded, voicing the passion that I felt for this far better than my words ever could. I could help him. I could help Asha. both children who were too young for the weight on their shoulders. "The relic men must be responsible for The Problem spreading to France but Francis is like a catalyst.

"You should have seen it, Anthony, he can control the ectoplasm, maybe even the ghosts themselves."

He glanced at me, eyes trying to catch mine. "But what can we do?"

"He's the power behind The Problem, I can feel it, but if we take him, if we train him, we can stop this. We have the ghost children; they know the Charon Club, they know spirits, and they know Francis. We can fix this."

"Then we can go home," Anthony whispered. I finally met his gaze, hope flowering in my chest. We could go home. Damn a purpose, I just wanted to go home. Lockwood was silent for a moment than dipped his head. My breath caught in my throat, he had agreed.

"All right. Let's get George on this. He'll do some digging but we can't do anything until we know where Francis and Louis are."

"Thank you, Lockwood," I said. Something flickered in his eyes when I spoke his surname, not Anthony.

I had to build up the walls again. We had apologized but there was still something that held me back. There would always be something that would make him not trust me. There would always be another skull or another locket and I couldn't let myself be hurt by his distrust. And I couldn't do that to him again.

"I… I don't think we can be as we were."

His face didn't flash anger or hurt but instead, understanding. "I see."

"I...I love you, Anthony, I do but here, in France, I can't let myself."

We both stared at the far wall, pain stabbing my heart as my arms yearned to hold onto him. But I could not and I would not. So I sat, fingers folded and eyes prickling as my soul screamed for me to take it back, and I did not.

A/N

Look at my little babies being all mature; apologizing and breaking up with each other all in one chapter. Ugh, so proud. And it really is the best for both of them. Your regularly scheduled programming will return with catacombs, Shining Boys and Kipps! Oh my!

Thanks for reading this bonus upload. Chapter thirteen will be up by next Sunday!