This is meant to be delightfully mysterious. Don't knock it.

I quite love trains.Holding mirrors up to mirrors,

Kelsey

CHAPTER 49: THE MOLENTARY EXPRESS

"I can't believe that lady's 'boy' ended up being a dog… Do you remember that?" Luke shook his head as he gripped the railing of the caboose veranda. He stared out past the horizon, watching the shrinking line of track that they'd travelled, and he crossed his cardigan-covered arms. "Last time we were on this train? Remember that?"

Flora giggled. "Of course I remember. And I met up with you and the Professor again."

Since he left his top hat back in their room, the Professor felt the breeze rushing through his hair as the Molentary Express pressed further and further into the English countryside. He poured them each a cup of tea. "Come, you two, before your tea gets cold." The children took their seats at the small, metal table. "You don't need a lot of sugar for this one, Luke…"

The three sipped their glasses quietly, enjoying the click-clack of the train rails, the shrill call of the whistle, the billowing plume of smoke from the engine's smokestack as it dissipated behind them. It was rather dark, and unusually so, considering it was almost two hours past noon. The smoke provided an interesting contrast against the overcast sky.

"Looks like rain," Layton mused, lazily staring at the hurried scenery. His hopes of loosening his mind and tempering his restless spirits by taking a short vacation by train wasn't really working as expected. He constantly had to divert his attention from himself, to the children and whatever activity they were engaging in, back to other personal matters…repeat and repeat.

Laura had been assigned to a cell. For two years. It wasn't the harshest of sentences by any means (she had a loose set of restrictions and wasn't heavily monitored), nor was it a terribly long time to serve her punishment. Overall, the Professor was extremely thankful, not to mention incredibly surprised that she'd received such a minor sentence in comparison to what she might have gotten (Edward got ten years…ten years times every life lost in his company's negligence and obscurely devious motives). It was apparent that the judge hadn't completely given in to every one of Mr. Buxtehude's blood-thirsty 'suggestions'.

Two years she had to be put away. But for the Professor, it was an eternity. And it had only been ten months since she began serving her sentence…

After their last adventure, he didn't like the idea of her being away from him anymore. That much he had realized in her absence. It was incredibly aggravating to constantly cut through the silences with some sort of internal monologue, or some kind of mental prayer, or perhaps an extra sip of tea, just to alleviate the quiet. He missed the conversation.

The Professor went to take another gulp of tea and found only cold dregs against his lips.

'I guess I sat thinking too long… Oh well.'

The door that led back into the train car opened, but the Professor didn't look up to see whether anyone had joined them on the deck. Only from the corner of his eye did he see the blur of a person walk towards the children, now at the railing, but he or she stopped short of reaching them. Layton looked up now and assessed their company. He assumed it was a woman, as this person sported a rather large-brimmed ivory sun hat and cropped pants, but he could only see the person from behind. Could have been an oddly dressed man, for all he knew…

Luke glanced slightly to his right, but seemed to not immediately pay any heed to the guest. Then he whispered something to Flora, who also looked quickly at the person. They tried not to be rude about it, but failed miserably as they continued glancing and talking amongst themselves.

Whoever it was suddenly took a seat across from the Professor. It was obvious now that the person was a young lady. Beneath her oversized sunglasses was a scrunched up nose and a smirk; and that was the most telling thing she could have wore.

Layton almost dropped the teapot in surprise.

"Hello, Hershel," the woman said. "Long time no see?"

He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

"L…Laura."

He reached towards her and, despite his dumb confusion, he laughed.

END.

And you can laugh too. Because there's only one chapter left.