Father Brown and the Baxter Twins
AvalonReeseFanFics
A/N: Hello my wonderful readers. We are back with another update. This one has cute stuff and funny stuff so I hope you guys enjoy it. As always don't forget to leave a review or a fav or a follow and I'll do my best to update soon!
Chapter 10: The Incident at the Bank
Father Brown and Mrs. McCarthy had gone to the bank with a specific mission in mind. They were there to ask Mr. Harrogate, the bank owner, to consider them for the Charitable trust he was setting up. They specifically needed two hundred and forty seven pounds to fix their roof.
They had been asking the congregation for donations, and they had been rather generous. They had even been supporting all the bake sales they had been having to try and raise funds for this, but they could only give so much. Mrs. McCarthy was rather upset with how little they had been getting, but Father Brown knew that his congregation was trying.
They were in the office at the bank, making their case to Mr. Harrogate successfully. He listened to them, nodded a them and then figured that he could make a sizeable contribution to their roof fund. Father Brown thought that was good. Mrs. McCarthy, however wanted more specific information.
As she grilled Mr. Harrogate about how much he meant when he said he'd think about giving them a sizeable contribution, outside on the floor some of their friends had come into the bank.
Lady Felicia and Sid had also come to the bank as well. Lady Felicia had come to withdraw some money from her account, Sid was simply there to escort her. He could have stayed with the car, but he had decided to come in.
Lady Felicia had just gotten to the front of the line when the robbers came in.
They had slammed open the door, fired into the ceiling and then shouted for everyone to get down or they'd shoot the lot of them.
Father Brown had heard the shots, but he hadn't gone out, he had stayed in the office to keep both Mrs. McCarthy and Mr. Harrogate calm.
But they could hear what was going on. So they heard one of the robbers demand that they open the vault. He couldn't see if they had pointed a gun at the clerk, but he rather figured that he would. He was right, but he didn't know it yet.
The first clerk had said that Mr. Harrogate wasn't there today and only he had the key. The only having the key part was true, him not being there was a lie. It was nice of that clerk to lie for them, he was clearly very loyal to his boss.
The robber then pointed the gun to the other clerk and asked if that was true. Now that Robber wasn't as loyal, and told him right away that Harrogate was in his office.
At that point the robber was shouting at him to come out, and Father Brown could tell that he was getting nervous. He told him to wait it out, he might go away.
But then the robber shouted that if he didn't come out he'd start shooting people. Well, now he had to go.
The problem came when Mrs. McCarthy said she was going to go out there and give them what for. Father Brown had tried to stop her but that didn't work. It never worked.
She went out there, told them off. Told them that they didn't go to war to have to deal with the likes of them, then, when they shoved the gun in her face she asked if he'd really shoot an unarmed little old lady.
To which the robber said, yes, he would. Gladly.
Well that wasn't good.
It got Mrs. McCarthy to go quiet, and the robbers got what they wanted. They got Mr. Harrogate. But they didn't just want him to go to the safe, they wanted Father Brown to go with them for some reason.
That was strange.
Why would they want him to go?
But then the safe was opened and body was found and now Father Brown was certain that they wanted him there as a witness. The problem was Mr. Harrogate was legitimately surprised, and the robber was unnerved by the discovery of a body as well.
So if they wanted him as a witness it was for something other than the finding of this body.
But the robbers ran, and Father Brown was left with a stunned Mr. Harrogate and the body. He performed a bit of a last rites' ritual, which was more of a brief prayer over the body and then the cops were there.
Mallory leading the charge, all gung-ho to catch some robbers. He was not happy to see Father Brown there at all. Especially when Father Brown mentioned that he had some observations that he wanted to share.
While Father Brown was trying to tell Mallory of what he saw, and gauging everyone's reactions to the murder, a couple of someone elses slipped in.
The first was Mr. Harrogate's daughter Laura, who was married to Billy Flanders, the man who died. And she was oddly calm about this whole situation.
The second person was Seraphina, and she was not calm at all.
Her eyes clapped eyes on Sid and then she was running towards him, practically bowling into him as she threw herself at him.
"Are you okay?" she kept asking him.
Sid was obviously very surprised by this turn of events, but he hugged his girlfriend back just as tightly as she was hugging him.
"I'm obviously fine," he said and then cleared his throat. "How did you know I was here?"
"I heard about the robbery and saw the car parked outside and you weren't with it and… and… I heard they were shooting…"
"Things not people," Sid clarified.
At this point Seraphina had sort of stepped away, Sid still had his hands to her arms, and her hands were gripping the sides of his emerald green jacket. She seemed to be looking him over as if attempting to determine if he was really okay, or if he was hiding an injury from her.
"I was so afraid…"
"I'm fine though," Sid said quickly. "See, you can see me, I'm fine."
Seraphina turned a smile up to him that quickly turned into tears now that the adrenaline and worry was leaving her body. Sid immediately clasped her to his chest and just let her get it all out.
Now that, that was a real reaction, unlike everyone else in this bank who were all acting… well… strangely.
At least, the suspects were anyway.
But then Mr. Harrogate was arrested for the murder of his own son-in-law, he was adamant he didn't do it and Father Brown was inclined to believe him.
It looked like he had a case. He loved it when he had a case.
Sid was supposed to go back to work, but Lady Felicia could see how upset Seraphina was over the situation, so she gave him the rest of the day off to help soothe her. It was very nice of her, and both Sid and Seraphina said that it would be alright if she needed him, but she kept saying that she didn't.
Lady Felicia let Seraphina hitch a ride back to her house, where she and Sidney could then walk back to their cottage in the country. It was a long walk, but neither of them minded. The day was mild, they could hold hands and chat as they walked.
Sidney had first unbuttoned his jacket, but then took it off entirely to drape over Seraphina's shoulders. It did it for two reasons, firstly because he was overheating as they walked, and secondly because she kept shivering.
By they time they got back to their cottage, Seraphina had buttoned up his jacket, and he had rolled the sleeves up on his shirt and even unbuttoned a few buttons on that. He got them in, put her in the armchair by the fireplace. He covered her in blankets, made her tea, and then got a fire going for her.
But even with all of that she was still shivering.
At that point Sidney was starting to worry.
Was it possible that she was sick?
"Fina," he said softly as he knelt before her. "What's wrong? Are you feeling okay?"
Seraphina shook her head. "No… I… I…" her mouth clamped shut as the tears welled up in her eyes, and Sidney realized that she was still upset about what had happened.
"Aww, Fina. I'm okay, honest. See, you can see me. I'm right in front of you. I'm alright."
"I know I just… I just…" she started, then stopped to wipe away the first of her tears to fall. "I just keep thinking about what would have happened if you did get hurt and… and I… I don't think I could take it."
At that Sid found himself chuckling. "Come on now, Fina. Don't be silly. You're strong… so much stronger than anyone else I know…"
Seraphina lurched forward, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. "But that's just it. I'm not. I'm not Sid, and if something happened to you… I… I'd be alone again and I don't think I could take that…"
Sid sort of understood how that felt. After finding something so perfect for him, a relationship he actually felt good in for once, he didn't think he could go back to the way he was without it. It would be pretty depressing for him. He'd probably be heart broken, a lot more than Seraphina would be if roles were reversed.
"I love you Sidney Carter, and I don't want to lose you."
It was silly but it was the first time she had said it out loud. Sidney had a feeling that she did, he knew he did, but it was the firs time she had vocalized that to him.
"I love you too," he whispered back to her. "And, for as long as I can manage, I'm going to stay with you. If I can swing forever… well… then that's what you're going to get."
At that Seraphina laughed at him. "You say it like it's a threat, but I'd absolutely love that."
Sid reached out, his hands darting for her waist and pulling her to him, depositing her right onto his lap. "Well then that settles it. You and me forever."
He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and then pulled away. "Would you be okay if I go for a quick bath? I'm roasting right now."
"I'll be okay," she said, leaning in to kiss him again.
The two of them kissed, for a long while after that. But eventually he put her back in the arm chair by the fire to take his bath.
The couple spent the rest of the day lounging after that. Seraphina made them dinner, and then they retired to their bed, where he spent the whole time reminding her that he planned to stay with her forever. Eventually they fell asleep in each other's arms, more content then they ever were before.
A day after the bank heist and the murder, Seraphina chose to stay home from work. The excitement from the day before had just wiped her out.
Sidney hadn't wanted to leave her side, but he had work. So he had spent the whole morning, before he had to go to work, making sure she was comfortable. He put a soup on the stove to simmer, he covered her with all the blankets so she'd be cozy and warm, and then left her with a giant mug of tea.
She planned to spend the day in comfortable clothes, reading some books, but he had apparently called Mrs. McCarthy at some point during the day. He told her she wasn't well and not only asked her to check in on her but had requested a better soup for her.
Mrs. McCarthy was more than prepared. She brought soup, her best cold remedies, and a few heartier meals to put in their fridge. Mostly for Sidney, Mrs. McCarthy had said. A good meal kept a man, and with her not being well she couldn't be expected to cook.
That and she wasn't that good at cooking anyway, but Sidney liked her despite that. But it made Mrs. McCarthy happy to organize her Tupperware in her fridge so she let her do it without complaining or commenting.
She stayed most of the afternoon doting on her, and pottering about the house cleaning things that she didn't need to clean. By the time Seraphina got her out of the place, she had done the dishes, and the laundry and had dusted all she could find.
By then Seraphina was determined to actually relax but then Sidney was home and he had brought Father Brown with him.
She had gotten up right away to go to Sidney, wanting to have his arms around her, because that was when she was really the most content and relaxed. She could tell right away that he was flustered about something, there was a red tinge to his ears and behind his collar that he only got when he was upset, and he kept glancing at Father Brown.
She started by offering tea and cookies, telling them that Mrs. McCarthy had dropped off some sustenance for them to choose from.
Sid just kept glaring at Father Brown, which was entirely unlike him.
Still she got the tea ready, handed them both their cups and then sat down with them at the kitchen table.
"So… what brings you for a visit?" she asked Father Brown. Not that she didn't mind him visiting but he usually only came for a reason. "I can assure you I'm not as ill as Sidney made me out to be, and I definitely don't need last rites."
"Don't even joke," Sidney snapped reaching a hand across the table for her.
"No, that's not why I've come," Father Brown said quite ominously. At that Sidney let go of her hand and shot Father Brown yet another glare. For a moment the man paused, seemed to think about what he wanted to say, how he wanted to phrase it. Before eventually said: "Seraphina, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind…"
"You don't have to say yes," Sid said quickly.
"I haven't even asked her yet."
"Yes, but I know you. You ask all politely, make her feel like she can't say no to you, cause you, the holy man, asked so nice. And I'm saying I don't want her involved so she don't have to say yes if she doesn't want to."
Seraphina sighed, it was nice to see Sidney so protective of her. "Let him ask me, and we'll see what I say okay?"
She then turned to Father Brown, gesturing for him to go on. He nodded deftly and did just that.
"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping us break into the bank."
Now, out of everything she thought he might ask of her, she never expected that.