Hey everyone, I've finally found time to write the next chapter! I've been busy with end-of-the-school-year activities, and my internet has been uncooperative, but I'm finally back! Hope you enjoy chapter 5!

March 13, 1962 8: 15 A.M.

Lance and Chelsea had been quiet ever since their guests had left, sitting in their living room chairs, staring at the television that hadn't been turned on. Finally, Chelsea broke the silence. "Dear... is there a reason you didn't want to start right away, or did you just want to watch a blank TV screen for the next hour?"

Lance, who had been thinking, looked at the dark screen. "Oh," he muttered, turning the TV on. For a moment, he and Chelsea both stared at the commercial for toothpaste, not really taking it in. Lance sighed and clicked the "off" button on the remote, watching the smiling face of the woman who had been advertising the toothpaste disappear, wishing he could do the same. "Well, Chelsea... I guess I wanted to be alone for a bit. Besides, I needed to talk to you privately."

"What's so important about this information that you have to hide it from your team?" Chelsea asked, lifting her eyebrow.

"It's not like I want to keep this from them, it's just that it would make things more complicated, and possibly make them think badly of me."

"What do you mean, Lance? It's not..."

"The letters from that woman? I'm afraid it is," Lance shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, "If they knew the only reason I took up this case was because she made me, and not only because Inspector Chelmey asked me, I don't know what they'd do."

Chelsea got up from her seat and walked behind Lance's, rubbing her husband's shoulders. "I don't know why she singled you out of the whole Scotland Yard. There's plenty of other people working on the same case you are."

"Maybe she wanted me because I have less to lose. Most of the other men have full families, I mean, Charles Bolver has 6 children! But this letter was different than the rest. The first few just instructed me to accept the case, request to Chelmey that we recruit Layton, and leave the dirty work up to her. But this one…here, read it for yourself," Lance left the room, and a few seconds later returned with the newest letter from the mysterious sender.

Chelsea slipped the note out of the envelope and read it:

Dear Lance,

My, my, my, you're quite an obedient man aren't you? That means I can trust you with this next task. I already have my beloved apprentice helping me, but she's a bit too young and frail to help me with major tasks. I need more than one person to help me deal with Layton.

My apprentice has already dropped a note for him, one that will confuse him enough to help her figure out his weak spot. Once we figure this out, I'll need you to attack him where it'll hurt the most. As for me, I've set my sight on a new victim, so while I dispose of him, you two will have to help me with Layton. Besides, it touches my heart to know I have such loyal helpers Just remember the consequences if you fail to complete this request, Lance.

Yours truly,

L.I.V.E

Chelsea looked up, "So now she's personally asking you to help attack Layton?"

Lance nodded, "Yes."

"Are you going to help? It's bad enough she threatened you into getting Layton put on the case, but asking you to possibly physically or mentally hurt him? That's just low."

"What other choice do I have?"

"Lotty," Chelsea said, going up to lance, placing the envelope into his hand and kissing his cheek, "You always have two choices: to be scared and comply with a demand, or be strong and ignore it, even though the consequence may be severe. What do you think the right choice is?"

Lance thought for a moment, letting his wife's words sink in. He then took the envelope and crumpled it up, tossing it into a nearby wastebasket. "There," he said, feeling a strong weight lift off his shoulders, "That's my answer. Now all I have to do is brace myself for what L.I.V.E will do when she figures it out." With that, he went into his room to change into his uniform. He had half and hour left until it was time to meet up with Layton and his crew at the Thames.

March 13, 1962 8:32 A.M.

Why was this puzzle so difficult? Layton had been staring at the note for who knows how long, and still the hidden message was a complete mystery to him. He was convinced there was hidden message…after all, the girl hadn't dropped it for no reason, had she? Then again, she could have simply lost her grip and had been to busy running to realize she had lost the note…

Layton shook his head and re-focused on the paper. Was the food code for something, like and alchemy recipe? Or perhaps they spelled something when read backwards...Was he simply over thinking?

Sighing, he pushed the paper away, and rubbed his temples to try and clear his mind. He'd have to look at the puzzle later, due to the fact there were only about 30 more minutes left until he, Remi and the children had to go to the Thames and meet up with Lance and Chelsea.

"What's this paper you've been staring at for the past half hour?" a voice asked, and before Layton could answer, Remi's hand reached down and plucked the note off the table he was sitting at.

"Remi!" Layton yelped, just as she gave him a puzzled look, "Really, Hershel? A grocery list? This is what's so intriguing?" He snatched the paper out of her hand before she could read who the sender was. He wasn't quite sure he should trust even Remi with the fact London's most wanted killer had been casually sending him notes. "Oh, a bit frazzled, are we?" Remi smirked, "honestly, what has gotten into you? First you oversleep, then you get all touchy over your shopping list."

"It's...I'm tired, Remi, sorry If I've been a bit more anxious then usual."

"Hershel Layton, I've known you for how many years, and you think you can start hiding things from me?" She pulled up a chair and sat on the other end of the table, "Now, what's eating you? I promise if it's something Luke and Flora would be affected by, I won't scare them."

She could just read him like a book, couldn't she? "Well, you see… I don't exactly know how you'll react either. The whole situations—"

"Complicated? Please, Hershel, I've heard better excuses from Luke's hamster! Does it have anything to do with the case we're working on, perhaps?"

He nodded, adjusted his top hat, and sighed. "I've been getting letters from L.I.V.E."

Remi stared at him for a moment, no emotion showing on her face. "You're not kidding, are you?"

"Would I kid about something so serious, something that could not only put us, but Lance, Chelsea and the children in danger as well?"

"Always thinking of others, aren't you?" Remi smiled, and then furrowed her brow, "But why is this happening? What could you possibly have that L.I.V.E wants?"

Layton shook his head, "I don't think it's what I have. It's more like the fact I'm working on her case that's sparked this sudden interest, or maybe she's been spying on me for months and has decided to notify me now?"

"Perhaps she has, perhaps she hasn't, but you do realize that this has made the case more dangerous for you?"

"Not just me, but everyone I'm now working with. What if she decides to hurt the children or…" He stopped himself, not just because of this gruesome thought, but because he had been about to say: What if she decides to take you away? That would have been embarrassing… maybe even misleading. But He'd deal with his feeling later on.

"Well, we just will have to find her and stop her before she stops us, won't we? Or you can drop the case completely, I'm sure I could make the children understand without giving them the real reason," Remi said, winking at the Professor as she stood up and pushed in her chair. "Remember, Hershel, you always have at least two options: to risk everything to stop a threat, or to protect those closest to you from said threat, without getting too involved. Think about it, I'm sure you'll make the right decision." She walked away, and just before leaving the room, she called over her shoulder, "By the way, we only have ten minutes left, so I'd choose quickly if I were you."

Layton let her words sink in, then looked again at the note. Suddenly, he thought of a simple solution, one that he'd used himself as a child when he and his friends sent secret notes to eachother: the skip letter method. He quickly grabbed a pen and paper, copied down the jumbled letters from the note, and began to read every other letter in the message until he had uncovered it's meaning: Find Layton's Weakness. To his surprise, however, he wasn't startled by this. "Go ahead, L.I.V.E, try to find my weakness. But I'll do everything in my power to stop you before you get the chance." He tipped his top hat, as if accepting a challenge, and walked out of the room, leaving the note lying in the middle of the table.

He had a case to settle. He had people to save. And in less than eight minutes, He'd have some suspects to investigate.

Thanks for reading, and remember, Reviews make me happy! (they also give me the will to write and let me know people are enjoying the story ;D)

~Lizz