"Hello, Hershel.."
The Professor was nearly shocked, as he saw how Remi looked like: She walked with a stoop, holding the injury on her back with her left arm. The yellow coat, she wore, was covered with dark blood. Her long, wavy hair was soaking wet and those brown eyes she had, signalized more than just exhaustion. All in one: Remi needed help.. urgently!
"My word.."
Hershel merely stared at her, while he searched other injuries, she might of suffered, while she pushed Ben's assistant away from the explosion.
"Don't worry, I'll be alright. I just wanted to tell you that I saw Ben's assistant at the secondhand shop."
"You where there, with a bleeding back?"
He asked, quiet concerned about it, as he raised an eyebrow:
"Yes, I was. He's still waiting. If you don't mind, I would like to accompany you."
"Of course, I don't mind, but you can't go outside like that, once more. And I'm aware that it's 4 o'clock."
Remi only sighed and sneaked into the apartment, with her head hanging lowly.
"Thank you..."
She murmured, when she stepped into his little house, and saw that someone heated his beloved teapot up. The whistling was getting loud and louder, as the time passed by:
"You're welcome, Remi. Do you want a cup of tea, my dear?"
She only giggled because of the 'dear' thing, but she assumed that he was accustomed to it, before she answered politely:
"Do you really think that this is the right moment for a cup of tea?"
Trying to walk to the next seat in his proximity, he slightly made a grimace from the pain which purchased in his face. Hershel couldn't stand it... the bad feeling just didn't went. And he knew that he still had to go, to find Ben's assistant. Thinking of it, make's him shiver inside: The cold and the darkness wasn't destined for his weak body! It only would make it worse..
He either couldn't left Flora and Claire alone. They were both hurt and needed tenders... but that he also needed a care, wasn't even in his mind...
"Ouch.. Of course. There's always time for a proper cup of tea."
Remi raised an eyebrow at him and answered:
"That is actually correct.. but this is an exception! Just make it once in your lifetime, would be glad if you did."
Layton smirked, as he looked down to the ground, holding his cup near to his mouth:
"Certainly, may I ask for a few seconds? I'll finish my cup and then I'll inform Luke."
Nodding back at him, she moved to the side and let him entrance to Floras Room.
In Flora's Room:
"I can't sleep in peace, when I know that you're by someone, who nearly killed us all, Luke!"
Flora still lied on his lap, gazing up into his eyes, as she finally spoke out that she was seriously concerned about the whole 'finding Ben's assistant' thing.
"I'm sorry, but I have to know who he is. If it's Ben I'll.. ki..."
She hushed him with an unbelievable facial expression. Her face showed so many things, like confusion and strangeness, which made together a rather annoyed look on her pretty face. Luke had to pull himself together, so that he won't laugh.. then he realized that it was serious!
"Sorry again, but I really have to. I'll come back as soon as possible. I already promised you that. And I meant it!"
She sighed, when suddenly someone knocked on the little Door:
"Can I enter, Please?"
They've recognized Hershel's voice immediately and shouted back:
"Step in."
The Professor saw the two, sitting on her Bed in an awkward position (for him), as he promptly asked:
"Luke, Remi just gave us the honor to visit us and she wanted to accompany me for the trip to the secondhand shop. I'm sorry, but someone has to stay with the women. Could you do that job?"
Luke was clearly disappointed. He was all excited for the adventure he would of witness with his dear Professor, but that won't happen.
Remi... Is she now his assistant or what?,Luke thought, when he replied:
"Agreed. I guess I have no choice. Hurry, please. Want to know what happened. Now leave!"
The two last words, were indeed rude, Luke knew that. His feelings were just hurt somehow.
"Thank you, my boy. Till then... Bye Flora."
Hershel waved farewell to them, as he left her room, with Remi to his right.
"Luke? You're alright?"
She felt that something was wrong with him. The huge sigh he made, when the Professor closed the door, made Flora sure of her suspicion.
"It's kinda sad to know, that you could be replaced by a woman, which he met a few hours ago."
Luke's head hung down, his mouth corners also. To comfort him, she placed her thin arm around his waist and pulled him closer to herself. Laying her head on his shoulders, Flora gently whispered in his ears:
"Don't be so upset about it. And you know that she isn't just a woman from the streets. She's very nice and saved us all. Hershel isn't replacing you either. He just wanted someone, who would take care of me and Claire. And that could be only you.."
"You're right. Thank you dear.."
He softly bent a little down, right next to the girl in his arms and kissed her front fondly. As response, Flora smiled up to him and snuggled her way even closer to Luke...
In Layton's Room:
"Is that you, Hershel?"
Claire questioned clueless, while the Door opened slowly, making a squeaky sound.
"Verily! Do you think that, I can leave you here with Luke?"
She looked to the face in the gloomy atmosphere, when she nodded in agreement. Her beautiful voice faded away, when she lost consciousness. It didn't returned till now.
"Alright. I'll hurry up. Try to sleep, dear. Bye."
Looking in his room once more, Hershel finally closed the Door again and decided to leave the apartment completely.
"Let's solve this Mystery..."
Remi affiliated to him, closed the entrance and followed Layton nearly bowing from the pain...
"There he is!"
The woman in the yellow coat pointed on the Man in black. He was standing in front of the secondhand shop, still waiting for 'Ben'. It seemed as if the weather didn't mattered to him, he only stood there, waiting for his boss. Just how he got told it... good boy!
"Okay. Firstly i recommend, that we'll act like normal customers.. Then we'll approach him, with those prices and then we're already in a conversation."
"Brilliant!"
She whispered back at him, while they were slowly walking on.. because of his injured foot.
"But wait..this won't work. He already saw us in the gear."
Hershel merely smiled and continued his save plan:
"It will.. Would you talk with the people you nearly killed in the public? It would only cause a sensation, which he probably wants to avoid. So he'll rather hide from us, than kidnapping us again."
Shaking her head from side to side, she couldn't believe that he made that all up, while they were on their way to the shop. What a genius...
"Now, come on. Let's go."
The Professor blinked at her and shoved her into the shop, forgetting her injury as well.
She bit her lips to suppress her pain on her back, as he apologized silently.
"Oh.. what's over there?"
Remi asked conspicuously, with an extremely happy expression on her face, when she found some random jeans, hanging right next to 'Ben's assistant. Both of them walked to the pair of jeans and oddly looked at them.. searching the price tag.
"Mister? Could you help us finding the Price t..."
"I knew it..."
The Man in black turned around, reviling his real face... Ben's face.
"Sure, I..Shit!"
Even his voice was the same like Ben's.. It had to be him! But how could that be?
Remi gloriously smiled, when her suspicion confirmed. She knew that something was odd with the two... when she beat them up, she realized that they had the same physique, as if they were twins!
"How can this be possible.. Ben?"
"I'm not Ben! I'm just looking like this 'Ben'"
Now he was trying to act like he didn't knew what they were thinking, or meaning.
"Don't play the fool. You're leaked out!"
Hershel said seriously.. putting the pieces of the puzzle together back in one.
"I'm so glad that you're still here, 'B'.."
Another Man walked by, and confronted the three, especially 'Ben'. But wait.. why did he looked like Ben as well? What were they playing?
"What's going on here?"
Layton questioned confused.. Remi merely stood next to him, not knowing what to do or say.
"You don't get it , Layton!"
The man said, who came to them a few seconds ago. Hershel's glimpse remained the same, which showed the men that he was totally lost. Then they suddenly laughed at once.. it sounded synchronous and sent many shivers through Remi's and the Professor's Body.
"Who's playing the Fool here? What if I tell you that we're both Ben!"
Author's Note: Soo a sequel again.. Please R&R and tell me what you think about the whole Ben twist... hope you've liked it! And sorry for the little swearing in between.. Thanks for reading again! :)