Hello all! I need to become more frequent with my updates... Like seriously. I've been watching a lot of anime lately, but I've finally got my writer's groove back. I haven't worked on this story in so long that it may be a bit different than the other chapters, but I'll try my best.

Disclaimer: I do not own Lockwood & Co.

Mixed emotions threaded my thoughts with rapid procession, and I clutched the diary to my chest as I walked. I didn't know whether to feel sad, or even happy about the fact that I knew more about Elizabeth's fate. I had seen very little of her this time, which was unusual. I hesitated as I reached the infamous landing, where I had seen her ghost several times before. I used my free hand to grip my rapier, making sure not to let my guard down. I could feel the psychic pressure building in my ears, and I pushed it away. Now where did Lockwood say he was going to be? George was in the basement, which meant that Lockwood would be in the living room. Which was downstairs. I gave the staircase a black look.

"Smashing." I sighed, shoving the diary into one of the inner pockets of my coat. Grip tight on my rapier, I began the procession down the stairs.

Nothing good can come out of psychic pressure. Why the hell did I ignore it? Because I'm an idiot. I tipped my head back so it was closer to my backpack. In a low whisper, I hissed the skull's name to get it's malicious attention. It replied in a few seconds, it's jeering voice filling my inner ear.

"What now?"

"Do you sense anything on the staircase?"

"Set me free and I may sense more." It said, it's voice venomous. I rolled my eyes.

"No," I said through gritted teeth, "You know I can't"

"Worth a shot."

"No it wasn't," I deadpanned.

"So how are things with Lockwood?" The Skull asked with disinterest.

I paused, furrowing my brow. "This is so not the time to be discussing my love life."

"It's always time to talk about your previously non-existent love life. How about you take me out and we have a little heart to heart chat."

"I can't take you out of the jar, Skull. We've been over this."

I could hear the spectral sigh, though the Skull has no need to breathe. "Out of the bag, you nimrod. I don't ask twice in one night for freedom."

"You have before." I snarled.

"Oh, I suppose I have. But let's girl talk. Just you and me."

"Skull, you aren't a girl." I said flatly.

"How do you know? I could have been a girl." It said airily.

"Skull, your voice is very male."

It gave a dark chuckle. "Lucy, I'd be less worried about my gender and more about the Spector creeping up behind you."

I gave a string of not-so-nice words and swung around, coming face to face with the aforementioned ghost. Her long fingers were stretched out towards me, and I cut a warding knot around her transparent form. She shot backwards with a howl, and I flung a salt bomb in her direction, and her form fizzed as she disappeared.

I glared at the backpack as best I could over my shoulder. "You could have warned me about that, I reckon."

The skull chuckled darkly again, "Oh, that would be no fun at all."

"Screw you," I growled, stalking down the stairs, this time a bit more cautiously.

Lockwood was in the living room, alright. He was sitting cross legged in the middle of the iron circle of chains around him, hands folded under his chin, eyes closed. The moonlight highlighted his slim face, and his hair stood in a stark contrast against his pale skin. I stepped forward, and the sound of my footsteps caused him to look at me, his trademark grin spreading across his face.

"You find anything good, Luce?" Lockwood said, pushing himself off the ground. He rose to his full height, shuffling over to make room for me in the circle of chains. I stepped inside with a nod. Reaching into my coat, I pulled out the diary and the ring. I handed them to him.

"It's a diary. It was Elizabeth's, I reckon, because nobody else in this house was named Elizabeth Allen Anthonyson. I found out J's name; it's apparently James. At least I think it is. The diary doesn't mention his last name, but it's a good lead."

Lockwood grinned, his teeth making a half-moon in the dim light. "Good work, Luce. We've gotta keep plugging away, though. Did you run into Elizabeth?"

I nodded. "Yeah, on the staircase. I got past her, obviously, no thanks to the skull."

"You know you love me." It jeered. I rolled my eyes.

Lockwood chuckled. "Well, let's see it, then."

I nodded, slipping the diary into his hand.

He read in silence while I stared out the window. The moon was a sliver in the sky, but still cast enough light for vision to be decent. Lockwood kept reading on in the dark, his dark eyes tracing the words slowly. He did not turn on his flashlight as not to ruin his night vision. I stood awkwardly, rocking on my heels. He looked up at me and back to the pages a few times, his dark eyes glittering in the dim moonlight.

I cleared my throat hesitantly. "Interesting, yeah?"

"Hmm," He hummed, "It certainly gives us some clues. We now have our man's first name, but no more. What a bother." His slim eyebrows furrowed as he said the last bit, and he went quiet again.

I took time to examine his face. The aforementioned dim lighting highlighted his handsome face in a way that made it seem without flaw. His dark hair was flopped across his brow in a coordinated manner. I would know he spends ages on his hair. If you open the cupboard beside the bath on the second floor, you have to be careful that you don't accidentally jostle a tube of hair gel or some other obscure and probably expensive product that Lockwood uses on his hair. One time I went to get some deodorant which I had thought I'd put in there - it turns out I hadn't- and I was struck in the middle of the chest by a plummeting tube of some hair product. I was too annoyed with the offending object that I didn't glance at the label, I just shoved it back in the cupboard, which was a big mistake, because I sent more objects flying. One struck the top of my head, another landed on my foot, and one somehow fell down my shirt. I was much more careful when I was putting them back this time. The deodorant was, meanwhile, innocently sitting on the sink.

Lockwood closed the journal with a snap and handed it back to me. I took it, replacing it inside my coat.

"Did you find anything else, Luce?"

I nearly shook my head before remembering the engagement ring. I reached inside my coat again, withdrawing the box. "Yeah. I think it's an engagement ring. I got some echoes from it... I heard crying, and laughing, and yelling. I think James used it to propose. It describes the ring that Benjamin used in the diary as gold. So this must be the one belonging to James."

Lockwood studied my face for a few seconds before breaking into a megawatt grin. I unconsciously smiled back. He just affected people that way. He would smile at someone, and they would smile back with a faded echo of what he'd delivered.

"Well done, Lucy. This means we're this closer to solving this mystery. We're lucky to have such a good listener." His dark eyes glittered gleefully. I felt my cheeks heat up.

I sighed, turning towards the moon-lit window. It really did look silvery tonight. Just a slipper of a thing. I looked back at Lockwood, giving him a half smile. "Thanks. You're a good leader." He grinned at me. He stepped closer to me, pulling me against his much taller frame. I could feel him bury his nose in the hair at the top of my head. I frapped my arms around his slim waist, and we held each other in the moonlight.

Both of knew this house held more secrets that where yet to be uncovered, but we just were too lost in each other at that moment to think about that.

Oh my goodness I'm so sorry that took so long to update. I'm also sorry this chapter is so short. I'm really working on my mystery writing skills, and I don't really know how good I am. But I love this story so much. Don't worry, I plan to see it through to the end. Stay tuned for more, I'll really try to update soon.

~Starry