Author's Note: *trumpets sound* Here it is! Chapter Five! It took me a while, but I got it done nonetheless.
Thanks to all of those who have read and have added it to your favorites. And thanks to those who have reviewed that last chapter: dionne dance and linalove. You are awesome! Wow, I just realized that I didn't get that many reviews. *shrugs* Oh well.
Anyway, enjoy!
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own From Hell...or dear Frederick. I wish I did, but I don't :(
Chapter Five
Lucy felt movement behind her, causing her to slightly stir. She snuggled closer to the pillow, not really wanting to wake up. So, since she refused to open her eyes, she missed the inspector smiling at her futile attempt to stay asleep.
He had woken up before her, by two hours. Fred had trouble sleeping, as was normal for him as anyone would know. What sleep he did get only brought on nightmares. But on the bright side, he did get to watch Lucy sleep peacefully. As he watched her sleep, Frederick gently brushed her hair away from face so that he could get a better look at her.
She looks even more beautiful asleep, he thought.
Before he could help himself, Frederick brushed his fingers lightly on her shoulder and down her arm. This was the action that caused Lucy to awaken fully and turn. She couldn't help but release a squeal of not only fright, but embarrassment.
"Fred!" she squealed, slapping his arm.
Frederick couldn't help but laugh.
Lucy glared at him. "I'm glad I seem to amuse you, but it's not funny! You gave me a fright!"
Through his stifled laughter, the inspector managed to say, "I'm sorry, love. Didn't mean to startle you. Did you sleep well?"
Lucy got up from the bed and pulled on her robe. She folded her arms and said, "I slept well, and good morning by the way."
"Good morning to you, too."
The two of them just stared at each other or around the room, each having their own separate train of thought.
Well, it wasn't the worst way to wake up, Lucy thought. He must have climbed in during the night. Is that why I slept so well?
She looked at her friend and asked, "Do you have work today?"
He shook his head. "No. I'm free for the day. But I'll have to go in later this evening."
Lucy nodded. "I see. Would you like some breakfast?"
"Yes, please."
"Okay." With that, she walked out of the room and headed for the kitchen.
Frederick smiled at how she went from being upset with him to being kind in a matter of seconds. She hasn't changed much over the years, he mused. She still can't stay mad at me for long. But then, I never did much to make her mad.
He removed himself from the bed and then followed her down the hall. He made it to the kitchen and stood at the entryway while she went about making eggs and bacon. Lucy was cracking the eggs over the skillet when she saw him standing there.
She couldn't help but smile. "What are you smirking at?" she asked him.
Frederick stood up straight. "I was just admiring the view."
She put the finished eggs on a plate and set about frying up the bacon. "Wipe that silly grin off your face and sit down."
Frederick did as he was told and sat down at the table. Lucy put a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him, and asked, "Would you like a cup of tea?"
"Yes, please."
Lucy grabbed two cups and poured the inspector and herself a cup each, and grabbed a plate for herself. She sat down at the table across from him. The two sat in silence, finishing their meal and sipping on their tea.
I need to tell her, Frederick thought. I can't keep her in the dark. I mean…I told Mary Kelley when she was involved in that case, didn't I? It wouldn't be fair to Lucy.
He looked up at her, noticing that she had gazed off and had her hand around something. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that it a simple necklace, a claddagh ring hanging from the silver chain.
A Claddagh ring? he wondered. Right, her mother was part Irish. She must have given it to her.
"Fred?"
Her voice, albeit a bit quiet, broke him from his thoughts. "Yes?"
"What was your vision about?"
Frederick couldn't say that he was surprised that she remembered. "I told you."
"I know, but…I have a feeling that you weren't telling me everything."
Damn it! he thought. Forgot how perceptive she is.
"Frederick," she said softly. "You can tell me. You know you can trust me, right?"
He sighed, not sure how to go about telling her that she was the woman he had seen being murdered by a mysterious figure. But he knew he had to, for her sake. "Lucy," he began. "You know 'ow I said I saw a man killin' a woman in my vision?"
"Yes," she said. "You had said you didn't recognize her."
"I lied."
Lucy's eyes widened. He said it so simply. "What do you mean?"
"I recognized the woman, Lucy." He took a deep breath, and then said, "Luce, that woman…it was…it was you."
At that statement, her eyes widened even more, and she covered her mouth. "My God…me?"
He nodded with a slight grimace. "Yes."
Her breathing picked up slightly, her hand shaking slightly. "Why…why didn't you tell me, Fred? Why?"
Frederick told her hands in his, and rubbed his thumbs on the top of them. "After everythin' that's happened, I didn't want to worry you."
Lucy couldn't believe what she was hearing. There was someone out there, who wanted her blood, and she had been walking around the streets of London, alone.
"How long have you known?" she asked quietly, trying to keep from becoming hysterical.
"I 'ad the vision last night," Frederick said. "That's why I—"
She nodded. "I see," she said, understanding what he was saying.
"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, Luce. I just—"
"I understand. I really do. But next time, Fred, if you have a vision that has anything to do with me, please tell me, okay? I'd rather know about it than walk around at night and get attacked not knowing."
Frederick breathed a sigh of relief. "I promise."
Lucy smiled. "Now, you, sir, are going to help me with the dishes."
"Fair enough."
The two got up and cleared the table. While they did, they asked questions about what they'd been up to in the past few years, talked about some of the many cases Frederick had solved and about his promotion to Chief Inspector. He mentioned Mary Kelley to her as well, but in small detail. Lucy delved into her brother George's life, talking about how he was doing as far as schooling, but other than that, he was doing fine. Somewhere in their conversation, Frederick let slip that he had been married to his wife, Victoria, who had passed away while giving birth to what was supposed to be their son.
It was at this that she stopped what she was doing. "I'm sorry, Fred," Lucy said, putting a hand on his arm.
He looked to her, giving her a small smile. "It's alright."
"Well, the only thing you can do now is to keep moving on with your life. It does no good to dwell on what happened. It only leads to doing things you might later regret."
Frederick's smile widened. "You always know what to say."
"I try."
He chuckled and continued drying off the plates. It wasn't long before they were done with the dishes and retired to his small parlor. It was then that Lucy asked him a startling question. "How long?"
"What?" he asked, turning to her.
"How long have you been chasing the dragon?"
Frederick froze? "How did you know about that?"
"I could smell the laudanum on your breath last night. I didn't want to ask about it in front of the Godleys."
Frederick gave her a concerned look. Only doctors and addicts knew about laudanum, and though her brother was becoming a doctor, it was doubtful he would have told Lucy. She wouldn't know, unless…
"Luce, you don't…"
At first, Lucy was confused about what he was asking, but when she realized it, she quickly said, "Oh, no. I don't smoke that stuff, Fred."
"Then how do you recognize the smell of laudanum?"
Lucy looked towards the floor and then back at Frederick. "Papa. He picked up the habit after some gentleman became interested in the farm and cottage. He wanted to purchase it from Papa, but…"
"Your father didn't want to."
Lucy shook her head.
"Do you remember the gentleman's name?"
"I don't. I only remember that he was persistent."
Frederick nodded. The two of them remained silent, each of them staring off in different directions. It wasn't until Lucy found herself staring at the wall clock that the silence was broken.
"Oh my, I better get dressed. I need to get back to the Godleys'."
Frederick couldn't help but frown. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I promised Mrs. Godley that I would help her with the shopping."
"Oh," was all the inspector could manage to say.
Lucy disappeared into the guest bedroom and began getting dressed. As she did, a million thoughts were running through her mind. His frown didn't go unnoticed by her.
Poor, Frederick, she thought. He's lost his wife and child, and then the woman he cared about left for Ireland. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of Frederick finding someone to care for, even if he had tried to hide it. He's had it pretty rough, hasn't he?
She continued to dress, and when she was done, she grabbed her brush out of her small bag and ran it through her raven locks. She couldn't help but notice how Frederick had acted around her lately. It was like when they were children, but it felt as if it had gradually turned into something more. She thought about the way she had woken up, him laying behind her with his arms wrapped around her.
I shouldn't think much of it, she thought. He must have had trouble sleeping. A combination of opium and gin can do that to you. But, why did it feel so…right?
If there was one fact she couldn't ignore, it was the fact that not only did it feel right to wake up in his arms, but for Lucy, it was the first time in what seemed like a long time that she had slept so peacefully.
xxx
"Well, that's that," Mrs. Godley said, wiping her hands on her apron. She walked into the parlor with Lucy trailing behind her. With an exasperated breath, she sat on the sofa. The two of them were busy cleaning the house and running errands, making the poor woman exhausted.
"Would you like me to make some tea?" Lucy asked.
"Oh, yes dear. A cup for you and me please." Seeing that the girl was about to object to a cup, she added. "And don't skip out on yourself, Lucy. You deserve it as much as I do."
Lucy smiled at the woman's perceptiveness, and hurried to the kitchen, pulling out the kettle, teapot, and a packet of herbal tea. When the tea was ready, she poured some in two cups and put them on a tray, along with milk and a bowl of lumps of sugar. She was carrying it into the parlor when there was a knock on the door. She quickly put the tray on the small table and went to open the door.
She came face to face with someone she hadn't expected seeing at all, and wasn't happy about it.
"Lucy Miller?" an unsuspecting Lt. Withers asked.
She gave him a curt nod. "Yes."
Withers fidgeted a little. "Sergeant Godley asked me to bring these to his house immediately. He said that they were urgent. He also said to give you this."
It was the first time she noticed that he was carrying small stack of folders and an even smaller stack of letters. There were only two letters, both addressed to her. She took them from Withers, and in the most polite way as possible, she said, "Thank you, Withers. I'll make sure his folders are put on his desk."
He nodded and giving her a small smile before turning on his heel and running off back towards the Metropolitan building.
Lucy walked back into the house, closing the door behind her. She walked upstairs to put the files in Godley's office, and then went back into the parlor to join Mrs. Godley.
"Who was it, Lucy?" she asked, taking a sip of her tea.
"It was Withers, dropping off some files for Mrs. Godley. And apparently he serves as a postman now as well."
"Why do you say that?" the older woman asked with amusement.
"Some letters came for me." Lucy looked at the two letters that were in her hands. One was larger and heavier than the other. The smaller, lighter one was covered in elegant handwriting that she didn't recognize. She turned it over and recognized the official seal of Cambridge. She laid the larger envelope on the table and opened the letter from Cambridge.
Lucy became excited, thinking that maybe her brother had written to her again, but was possibly sick and had someone write it for him. But after she pulled the letter out and her eyes read it line by line, letter by letter, she realized that was not the case at all. A feeling of dread filled her as she came across one particular line that sent her to a standing position, covering her mouth with her free hand. She all of a sudden felt cold.
"Lucy, what is the matter?" Helen asked her.
Lucy never answered her. Her breathing picked up, she whispered a small, "No," and then fell to the floor, her world going black.
Her brother George had been murdered.
xxx
~Later that night~
Frederick knocked on the door of the Godley residence. Just as he thought, it was Helen who had opened the door.
"How is she?" he asked.
Mrs. Godley shook her head. "She hasn't left her room, the poor thing." She opened the door wider to allow him entrance. She showed him to the parlor, where the sergeant was sitting with a notary.
"Notary Johnson," Frederick said, nodding to the gentleman.
"Inspector Abberline," the older man said.
"What brings you here?"
"I'm here on behalf of Miss Miller's father, Jonathan Miller," he said, holding up a large bit of parchment. This was the contents of the second 'letter' that was addressed to Lucy. "I'm here to go over his will."
"I see."
"But, in order to do that, I must be in the presence of Miss Lucy, for these matters include her as well."
Frederick nodded. "I'll see if I can bring her down."
"No need," Notary Johnson. "The sergeant and I will accompany you."
Frederick nodded, and led them up the stairs. When they made it to her room, he knocked on the door. "Lucy?"
There was no answer. He tried again. "Lucy?"
Still, no answer.
"Lucy, I'm coming in."
Frederick opened the door slowly and just enough that the three of them could enter. He saw that her back was facing them, so he walked around to the other side of the bed so that he could see her, and found that she was asleep. Hating to wake her, he gently shook her. "Lucy?"
She stirred and opened her eyes. They were a little puffy, with a slight tint of red from when she had been crying. She gave him a small smile. "Hi," she quietly said.
The inspector smiled. "Lucy, I know you probably don't want to 'ear this right now, but there is a notary here to discuss your father's will."
She nodded slightly, looking out towards the window. Lucy looked to him and then asked, "Will you stay with me?"
"Only if you want me to."
She sat up, wiping her eyes again. "Yes please."
He held her hand and gestured for Godley and the notary to enter. Notary Johnson stepped up closer to the bed, "Miss Miller, I'm here to discuss the matters of your father's will. The matters concerning you, that is."
"So I've been told."
"It has come to my attention, and I do apologize for the delay, but it seems that, according to your father's will, you are to be placed in the care of some of his distant relatives."
Lucy sniffed. "What do you mean?" She became worried. "Does that mean I have to leave the Godleys'?"
"On the contrary, Miss Miller," Notary Johnson said, "You are to stay with them."
"What?"
"It seems that your father was a distant cousin of mine," the sergeant stated. "And wanted us to care after you."
"You mean…we're actually cousins?"
"Yes," the notary said. "You are also to be given quite a sum of money your father had been saving up. It wanted you to make a decision on who would be in charge of looking after that. I recommend letting it be kept in the care of your cousins, that way you still have access."
Lucy could only nod. It was a lot to process.
Notary Johnson coughed, and then said, "Well, I must take my leave. I understand that it is a lot of information to process, and I'm sure you'll want to think on it, Miss Miller. Gentlemen," he added, nodding to both the inspector and sergeant. "Ladies, I must be on my way. I don't want to keep the missus waiting." With that, Helen showed him to the door, followed by Godley. Frederick was the only one who stayed behind.
Lucy hadn't moved much. It was definitely a lot to process. So much had happened in so little time.
What am I to do? she thought. If only George were here…
Frederick noticed her saddened and helpless expression. "Lucy?"
She couldn't hold them in for much longer. She let go of the tears she was holding back during that small meeting.
Frederick held out his hands to her, pulling her into a hug. "Come 'ere," he said.
Lucy didn't fight him. She leaned into him, crying into his chest. "Oh, Fred."
"Shh, shh, shh," he said, rocking her gently. "It's alright. I'm 'ere. I'm not goin' anywhere."
She sniffled. "How could this have happened? George hasn't done anything. Who would want to kill him?"
He tried to comfort her as much as possible. "I don't know. I got word of it and heard that they're search for him right now."
"It doesn't make sense."
"It never does."
For the next few moments, they sat there, Frederick holding Lucy in his arms. He couldn't help but think that it felt right to have her in his arms. But he put those feelings aside and just thought about how she needed him at that moment.
A few more minutes later, Lucy looked up at him and asked, "Fred?"
He looked down at her. "Yeah, Luce?"
"Will you stay with me?"
Frederick gave her a small smile and kissed her forehead. "I will. I promise."
He lay down on the bed next to her and pulled her close to him so that he could hold her close. Lucy snuggled closer into him, laying her head on his chest and placing her arm there as well. The two of them stayed like for a while, and within moments, they were asleep.
A/N: *sniff* Poor Lucy. *sniffs* Well, that's the end of the chapter. Let me know what you think by either messaging me or by clicking that awesome Review button at the bottom and drop a line or two. Or three. Reviews make me so very, very happy, and they motivate me to write more :)
Also, I found a plot bunny the other day, and in it's soft fur I found the makings of a Sweeney Todd fic. I have the first chapter halfway written, so be expecting that to be posted here soon.
Don't forget to join me on Facebook for updates, pictures, and more. The link is on my profile. *picks up bunny and pets him* (to the bunny) I think I'll name you Charlie :3
~Xanthe :3
