The first phone call! Woo! This is much easier than the letters, if I'm being honest...heh. I still have yet to truly get their flow-it still feels slightly unnatural-but when I do, it's over for you lot. :P

The Prof is in bold.

Lucy is in italics.

Florence is in regular text.


"..."

"..."

"Will I have the pleasure of learning who I'm speaking to or will we waste time breathing idly on the phone? I was in the middle of something and I'm not very keen in it being interrupted if this isn't important."

"Ee, is this Alfendi Layton?"

"You're calling a rehabilitation center for a specific patient. You lot are all so simple it's simply unacceptable."

"Blimey, you didn't lie in your letters when ya said that you were abrasive. Not that I don't mind it! Just off-puttin' to hear it on the phone rather than reading it on paper. Heh."

"...Lucy?"

"Surprise! This is the surprise I told ya in the post. Asked Florence for the phone number to your rehab center and here we are! Now I can say that I've had a conversation with you on the phone. Can't use that excuse anymore. And by the way, it's Detective Constable Lucy Baker to you, Prof!"

"...I see. What a surprise indeed. I almost thought your surprise would revolve around rescuing me from this revolting place. Also, I believe you agreed in ignoring the constructs of formality within the first four letters of our correspondence. Isn't it...yes, it's only noon. Why are you calling during work hours? Please tell me you aren't calling me with Bratwright in the room."

"Of course not! Inspector Dartwright is still reviewin' what I wrote in the paperwork and tryin' to find all the errors. Told 'im I was takin' my break, so I'm in the Mystery Room loadin' up a case. He's not much of a talker when he gets into it, so he let me go easy...er...wait..."

"What?"

"By 'eck, is that what you used to call Inspector Dartwright? Bratwright? Oh my-Ahahaha...Oh my stars. Blimey! Do you think if I pull it from nowhere he'd have steam out of his ears?"

"That's almost as lovely as pools of blood, Lucy. I'm almost inclined to tell you to try it, but Bratwright upset can be a challenge to work with atop his mind numbingly stupid self."

"Eh...steady on, Prof. It's one thing to see what you write on paper about blood n' all that, it's another to hear it in the timbre of your voice."

"I see. Does it bother you?"

"...Not really. I kinda expected it, actually."

"Hm. Do you have a reason for placing this call? As it seems so far, this call doesn't seem to be much of a social one."

"Eh? What makes ya say that? I've asked you a bunch if we could 'ave a phone call! Just had the right timing now. Aye, I'm at work, but who cares? Hmph. Now I almost don't feel bad that I'm eatin' one of Jenny's new cupcakes. Mm...it's real good. Practically to die for...mmm..."

"...Lucy, choose your words ever so carefully."

"Don't even worry about it, Prof! It's a flavour Flo said ya wouldn't like anyway. Carrot cake!"

"You like that flavour? Appalling."

"It's good! You just haven't had good carrot cake-flavoured things in the past. This is really good. Jenny really outdid herself with this one. I'll get you one when I visit."

"If your judgement in individuals you find interesting to converse with is anything to go off of, I do not think your tastes in flavour can be trusted either."

"Oi! I 'appen to have a good palate, thank you very much. Hmph...I read your letter, by the way, last night. Are you actually gonna try to get clean? Truly, properly now?"

"Perhaps. I have one particular motivator that has become a need, rather than a want at this point. Perhaps two, if I want to be specific."

"And they are?"

"The desire to go back into the Yard."

"That's a good motivator, Prof! You love the work, based on what you told me so I suppose—"

"And...you."

"...oh. Prof, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were flirtin' with me. "

"..."

"Ooooh, are you? I'ma take that silence as a yes, hehe. Blimey, Prof, you know your way to a girl's heart, eh?"

"...it is merely fact. I am not flirting with you. You are not learning properly underneath Bratwright's tutelage. It is only fair that I show you how to be a proper DI."

"Pah, alright. Whatever you say, Prof. I'm glad you have some motivations to actually attempt gettin' clean. That's what happened with my old friend. He had me and his sister as his motivators, along with everything else rehab doesn't have. Like freedom and the like! You know, he hasn't had a single temptation since then! Now he has a wife and some kids, I think. So I think it's possible for you too. Never too late, I'd say."

"...Your cheerfulness drawls even in regular conversation. That's not very common in most people."

"Heh, that's what everyone says about me. I'm not 'most people' am I? I'm a big ball of sunshine and energy, they'd say."

"I'm sure it is a common enough compliment. I can practically hear your smile through the wire."

"You can't hear smiles through the phone! Hey, er, by the way...is my voice alright to your ears?"

"That's quite the strange question to ask. Unprompted as well. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I'm kinda fond of my tongue, Prof. I'd much rather prefer if you didn't cut it out, y'know...?"

"Mm...You remembered."

"Course I remembered, Prof! You made it clear with that...Bratwright example. Heh."

"Yes, well, Bratwright has a horrible voice. You have experience from working with the imbecile. It drawls far too long whenever he tries to create a feeble excuse as to why he hasn't solved a certain case...No, admittedly, I quite like the lilt of your voice. You never expressed you were from Yorkshire before in your previous letters."

"Never found the moment to...wait. Now you're really trying to flirt with me, Prof! First you go on about wantin' to get clean for me and then now you're talkin' about how you like my voice!"

"Hmm."

"Hmm?! Is that a 'hmm' yes, I am or 'hmm' you're being delusional? I can't quite tell. I can't see you."

"Take it how ever you see fit. You're the one forcing down romantic tropes on my words when they have no meaning. I think you've been in fantasy land for too long, Lucy. Stuffing words in my mouth, as some would say."

"Prof!"

"Mm. Perhaps you do want me to court you. You're very adamant on the matter."

"...I'm not gonna grace that wit an answer Prof. Nowt good will come from that, I'm sure."

"As you wish...my dear."

"Prof! My goodness...stop!"

"It's not my fault. You've brought it up twice."

"Aye, I concede to that. But I didn't ask ya to respond in kind!"

"Then you must be clearer with your intent. I doubt you'll find yourself a partner with such mixed messages."

"...Heh."

"What?"

"I still stand by what I said back then. You're not as bad as everyone says."

"...One phone call and a handful of letters and that's your assumption already?"

"Aye. I believe it. You're sober, talking to me, and you have yet to really threaten me. Properly. You're pleasant and I bet you're just hidin' under all that toughness and stuff about cuttin' tongues. You're not bad, Prof."

"Your faith for a drug addict is ever so strong, Lucy."

"Recovering drug addict, Prof. They say the same wit me bein' with Inspector Dartwright. They think it's torture that I still work with him because of the hours we put together in solving crime. I think it's fine, he does most of the work and takes most of the credit. I just help around as he sees fit."

"It's not acceptable. They would be correct that you've been torturing yourself by working with that insipid fool, Lucy."

"Yes, but it's better than nowt, ya know, Prof? Not like you're here to teach me...oh!"

"Hmm?"

"...er-hey, Flo! Oh, is Inspector Dartwright...oh, okay. Do you wanna talk to the Prof? He's on the phone-ah. Okay! Hey, Prof, Flo's here. I'll lend her my mobile so you can talk to her. I gotta dash. Dartwright's gettin' antsy since I haven't given him his cup of coffee yet. Did you know that man goes through five in one day?"

"Mm, still the same as ever. I'm surprised he hasn't evolved to energy drinks for his caffeine fix. Perhaps he doesn't want his brain cells rotting more than they already are."

"Don't give me any ideas, Prof. I'll catch you later! Here, Flo! You can give it back later..."

"..."

"...Al."

"Florence. I take it that you're doing as well as a sick person can be?"

"Of course-achoo!-I'm fine. 'Prof.' I'm not the one chatting up a woman on the phone."

"I'm not chatting her up. I will kill you in your sleep if you call me that again."

"Sure you will, 'Prof.'"

"For your sake, I will merely overlook that address. Still attached to the IV?"

"Mm. You've only been gone for more than half a year. My illness will not just magically go away because you off-Achoo!-and got yourself caught with a needle in your arm and blown out pupils."

"How foolish of me to think of miracles like so."

"Oh, I still think you believe in miracles. Achoo! Just different ones. Enough preamble, Al. Achoo! Lucy's grown quite fond of you. As it seems you are of her, if that address is enough to go by..."

"Has she? Her exorbitant amounts of personality certainly must be evidence enough. Her constant correspondence has been entertaining, I will admit to that. I am not, as you put it, 'fond of her.'"

"I won't try to force you to admit it; you're stubborn mule when you want to be. You know, she's grown to be quite the favorite around here. They ended up liking her though after the Potsby case though. Even Blaine was impressed."

"She has an impressionable mind. It's not a stretch for them to like her if she's so malleable. They could make her a great employee with the right push."

"You say that, but she's anything but impressionable. I doubt she told you that they tried erasing that positive mindset she has of you down after she started asking around about you."

"...Did she get in trouble?"

"I'm surprised you're concerned."

"She's my only access to the outside world, Florence. It is by mere luck that she works at the Yard. I don't think I would be as interested if she didn't work at the Yard."

"I find your stance very hard to believe, Al. Achoo! You're still talking to her and sending letters. You would have given up if it was anyone else. Your nurses wouldn't have forced you to continue if it made you worse rather than better. Achoo! Sniff. The Yard is just an excuse, is it not?"

"...Fine. Must you be so difficult ? Of course I'm concerned that they're giving her a hard time because of the mere mention of me. It's unfair for her to receive negative treatment because she's an optimist for a 'recovering' drug addict. My father even tried to dissuade her, but it only boosted her desire in communicating. She's an enigma, that Lucy."

"Mm...Believe me, I warned her of you as well. She clearly didn't listen and has a bigger tenacity to change you than I originally thought."

"That's the oddity of it, Florence. She's not even attempting to change me. If anything, she stood up to my father. She likes me without the cocaine. Without Placid in tow...it's jarring."

"And what am I, chopped liver? Must I remind you who visited you constantly during your first months of rehab?"

"No, you aren't. And I'm grateful for your company in the past, believe me. But you tolerate me enough because you pity me and my situation. It's not like how she is. She wants to know me. She wants to understand every bit of me because she's truly interested. No offense."

"Hm. Then don't throw this away, Al. You're apologizing and minding my emotions. She really must be quite the wonder to create such a change in a few short letters."

"I have no plans to. If I do, it is not by choice."

"Not by choice? You tried overdosing on cocaine, damn it! While still in contact with her, might I add. Achoo! Sniff. Do you know how destroyed she was in that week after the Commissioner talked to her? I don't think I've ever seen her in much of a strop until that point."

"...I wanted to see her reaction. To see if she was just like everyone else in that infernal Yard."

"Test her reaction? I don't...good grief...well, was she?"

"Hardly. Worried, but didn't push the issue. She wants me to change on my own pace and spares me the pity talk."

"Then you better work hard not to lose her."

"I know...I know."

"...I have to go, Al. Achoo! I'll visit with Lucy as soon as time allows and tell her to inform you via more letters. Your infraction has made it harder to allot time. Much harder."

"Don't remind me. Goodbye, Florence."

"Goodbye...'Prof.'"

"Florence-!"