AN: Set shortly after 2nd chapter: Do You Love Her?

Lillyesque

Blackmail

10th August 1962

It was a hot Summer. A very hot one at that. In the Mystery Room, Alfendi had opened all windows and had installed a large fan he bought from a store, because Scotland Yard's air conditioning system was in all honesty, rubbish. More cold air could be generated by a fly's wings, and Alfendi had the evidence to prove that; for the smell of a hot and busy city was indeed a rotten one, and flies were crowded the darkest of corners and that of course included the Mystery Room.

Alfendi, as always, had a lot of paperwork to, which was one of the lesser perks of his career as an Inspector. He was dying for a new case to crack, but the Superintendent was refusing to send one to his department unless he got through at least half of his paperwork, before he added anymore to the pile that was growing on his desk.

In a grumbling fashion, Alfendi was bent over his desk, scribbling and scrawling, writing the exact amount he needed to, so he wouldn't have to rewrite them if they were found to be dissatisfactory by his superior, and so he wouldn't be wasting anymore time than necessary. He couldn't wait to get the paperwork over and done with. Nevertheless, he was glad when the door opened, so he would have a reasonable excuse for a quick break... Even when he saw who it was.

"Lillian? How did you get in here?" The Inspector frowned. "Don't say 'the door'. You need a security card."

"I asked the receptionist to buzz me down here," Lilly, who very much hated being called Lillian, shrugged.

"And she just let you?" Alfendi furrowed his brow.

"Well, I asked nicely... Just kidding, I told her I was your sister and then she remembered seeing me here before."

"Of course she did... Typical. I should technically report her for that."

"For letting your own sister into your office?"

Alfendi sighed, but then gave a smile. A slight one. After all, he was glad to push his mountain of paperwork to the side for a short while.

"What do you want?" He asked his sister, who had taken the liberty to take a seat in his office.

"Just to chat," Lilly replied with an innocent smile. "Nothing in particular."

"That's a lie," Alfendi smirked. "I'm an Inspector and you're a rubbish liar."

Lilly paused.

"Where's your DC? Lucy, wasn't it...?"

"It's her day off," Alfendi replied. "I have no cases at the moment. Just paperwork."

"So, you don't mind me being here for a bit?"

"It all depends on your motives."

"My motives?"

"Yes. Everyone has a motive for doing everything. Every robber, killer, dealer... They all have their motives. Usually money. Is that yours, too?"

"Well, I've not robbed, killed or dealt," Lilly replied with a strange look, before sighing and shaking her head. She was used to her brother. "Look, I just... Need a tiny favour and I'll do pretty much anything you want me to in return."

"What do you want?" Alfendi said, with a roll of his eyes.

Lilly took a deep breath.

"You know how our Father can be sometimes... In terms of not letting Flora go with us on adventures, and it not letting me go some places that I may want to go to. With friends..."

"Are you saying you want to go to a party, but don't think that your Father's going to let you and so in turn, want me to tell your Father something like you're with me," Alfendi said, not even having to wait for Lilly to nod in response; he knew he was right. "Which is a ridiculous idea, because what on earth would we be doing together?"

"I don't know. Maybe we could say we're going to the cinema, or... You need to use me as bait to catch some serial killer?" Lilly suggested.

"And your Father would prefer that to you going to a party, would he?" Alfendi pointed out.

"Well, we say the cinema then. I'll be home by eleven, just a few hours, I need you to make up something... Or, just at least cover for me... Please...?"

Alfendi sighed. He supposed this was his job as an elder brother. He didn't want to particularly have to lie for her, but then again it wasn't like he was doing a bad thing. After all, one of the reasons his relationship with his adopted Father was so strained was because how over-protective he could be at the strangest of times for the strangest of reasons. The Professor encouraged Lilly to come to expeditions and investigations with him, but with the excuse that that was so he could keep an eye on her and so she could be by his side. A teenage party did sound like something he would be against. Even if she kept her promise to be back before eleven (which Alfendi was beginning to think was a little late for a fourteen year old).

"I'll do anything you want... Anything..." Lilly pleaded.

An idea popped into Alfendi's head.

"Right, okay. I have an idea," Alfendi said with a slight hesitant tone.

"Great!" Lilly beamed.

"But... I need you to do something for me in return," Alfendi continued. "And if you tell anyone I've asked you... I'll tell your Father about the party."

"Isn't that blackmail?" Lilly asked.

"It is. But I'm your brother, so it's fine."

"What do you want me to do then?"

"I..." Alfendi sighed. "I need you to tell me how to ask Lucy out for... Dinner."

Lilly frowned.

"You say 'Lucy, are you free this Thursday for dinner?' or something like that," Lilly shrugged.

"No, I mean... I mean...Er..."

"Oh! You mean... Oh! Wait, you... What?" Lilly stuttered, in shock with a gasp at the end of her sentence. "You want to ask Lucy out...?"

Alfendi paused.

"Yes, but you can't tell anyone!"

"I know. I won't... Oh, this is so great!" Lilly beamed and clapped her hands, whilst in contrast, Alfendi sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, this is so brilliant. I always wondered when you'd get a girlfriend and get married and..."

"Okay, moving on, or backwards, as it were," Alfendi cut her off. "I need some advise. How do I ask her... Out. How do I do it?"

"Hmm... I guess you just do it how you think you should," Lilly shrugged. "Everyone says you should just be yourself, and I suppose normally that would be a problem for you, but... Well, I think Lucy likes you. She gave you that nickname, didn't she?"

"'Prof'?"

"Yes, that nickname. Yes, with that nickname, she definitely likes you. So just go for it."

"And say what?"

"You just ask if she wants to go to dinner. It's quite simple really. I imagine so, I mean I've not actually ever been asked to go on a date, but I imagine it would be easy. It's just people get all so nervous, I guess," Lilly shrugged, before smiling. "So my advise would be to just go for it. And don't be nervous."

"You're not keeping up your end of the bargain. This is... I can't do anything with that advise. How am I supposed to not be nervous?"

"Well, that's all the advise I know from magazines and what people say at school. How am I supposed to know how to ask someone out?"

"Okay, how about this: only if Lucy says yes, I'll cover for you so you can go out," Alfendi suggested. "Deal?"

"Deal!" Lilly replied, confidently.

Safe to say, Lilly did indeed get to go to the party.

AN: This was a request from Saorise.

Massive thank you to MabelLover for your lovely review. :)

I shall try and do another update soon, but chances are it will be between 18th December and Christmas.

Reviews are great, folks!

Nikki~