Luke Triton and the Great Farewell –Part 3-

"P-please, sit down," the professor offered, motioning to the ancient couch in his office. Luke accepted politely, smiling as he watched the professor frantically brew some tea.

"You haven't asked how I've been, professor."

"Right you are, my boy! How have the years treated you?"

Luke smirked. "As well as could have been expected."

"What do you mean?" The professor sat across from his student, sliding a teacup across the coffee table.

"How about you, professor? How have you been?"

"Lonely, mostly. I'm afraid Flora never really shared the same interests we did."

Luke stared at his tea. "Is that all?"

"All?" Layton repeated. "What do you—"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Luke sipped the hot beverage. "Mm. Do I detect cinderhorse?"

"Ah, yes, I did put some—"

"Very good."

Unsure of what to say now, the professor merely drank his tea. "How is your father?"

"Dead."

Layton choked. "W-what? When did this—"

"Quite recently, actually."

"I'm so sorry, my boy, I had no—"

"It's fine," Luke replied absently.

"It's…that's not fine, Luke. You must be heartbroken."

Luke shrugged. "It doesn't bother me. With the inheritance, I certainly have enough money to support myself through university."

"Luke…" the professor began.

"I said it was fine, didn't I?" Luke blew steam away from the tea.

"He was your father, Luke. It can't be 'fine'."

Luke chuckled. "After my mother died, he never really recovered, you know."

"R-really?" the professor asked awkwardly.

"No…that's why I spent most of my time with you, professor. That changed when I moved, of course. Everything changed. I was forced to spend a lot more time with the man."

"I'm sure you two managed to bon—"

"No." Luke's eyes narrowed. "Never."

"Even so, after you got past the initial difficulty, it must have been at least tolerable."

"It probably would have been, had we done so. Unfortunately, he was a rather volatile man. It wasn't easy to reason with him."

"Yes, I do remember your father." Layton sighed. "He was hard to deal with on his off days, but for the most part he was rather the gentleman."

"Every day was an off day, professor. You just didn't see it." Luke downed the rest of his cup. "May I have more? I've missed the taste."

"Of course." Layton hurried to fetch the kettle. Why had the boy never mentioned this before? Why was he telling him now? "Luke…"

"Don't pity me, professor. Others have had worse."

"I would never pity you, Luke."

"Then what is the expression you're showing me now? It certainly looks like pity from this side of the table. Ah, thank you." Luke took the fresh cup, stirring it gently with a small spoon.

"Luke, I honestly had no idea this was happening. You have to believe me."

"I never said I didn't believe you. It is quite believable."

"Then…when you asked to stay with me all those years ago…"

"Yes, that was a last desperate bid for freedom. It was unfortunate that it didn't turn out, but I can't blame you."

"Blame me, Luke. I should have known."

"I'm afraid I'll have to deny you that," Luke replied. "You kept me going, you know. Whenever I thought it was the end, I would just remember the adventures we shared. I understood then what you meant when you told me about Claire."

"I would never have wished such a fate upon you."

"I know. Forgive me. I am still rather bitter over the whole ordeal."

"We'll make up for lost time, Luke."

"Impossible," Luke said. "Implausible."

"Why?"

"You can't disrupt the flow of time, professor. I thought our little adventure with Stahngan."

"We can go back to how it was."

"I don't want to."

"I…I see." The professor frowned slightly. "I'm sorry that I—"

"I don't want to go back to how it was. This is a new time. We must make new memories." Luke shook his head.

"Then…will you be my number one apprentice again?"

"I always have been, professor," Luke said with a slight smile. "Not everything has changed."