The True Story of Emily Lockwood / g. karim

𝟙𝟜. ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕤

~ / Episode Four - Part One \ ~

"  softcore "

❀

--Once Lucy was safely tucked into bed, after her fainting spell, Emily noticed that Anthony hardly left her side. He sat by her bedside all day, while George and the other Lockwood raided the storeroom, to replace their kits which had been confiscated as "evidence" by DEPRAC after the assault on Combe Carey Hall. 

"You think she's okay?" George asked, as he loaded a bag with chains. Emily shrugged, continuing to funnel iron filings into various little jars. 

"Honestly?" she sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "She's probably like the rest us of - tired and a bit traumatized after the monks." George nodded. 

"That's true, it's just, why didn't she faint earlier?" Emiy pursed her lips. He did have a point. 

"Maybe she like me," she said quietly, not looking at him. "her ability was overwhelming, and something downstairs triggered it."

"But, what?" he mused aloud, his eyes sporting that far-off look he often got, when deep in thought. 

Emily couldn't answer that. 

About midafternoon, the phone rang. When Emily answered with the typical:

"Lockwood and Co., how may I help you?" The woman on the other line was jabbing incessantly, obvious in a panic. Emily could feel it over the phone as she talked. 

"Mhm," she hummed, jotting down the information on a notepad on the entryway table. "Alright! We'll be over soon, ma'am." George peeked around the corner. 

"I'll get the kit!" he said excitedly, before dashing off. Emily shook her head, smiling, as she took the stairs two at a time up to the attic. Anthony was asleep in the armchair beside Lucy's bed, reading the novel that had been on Emily's bed this morning - The Secret History. 

For a second, she simply admired the perfectly normal, and plainly adorable scene. Then, she roused her brother - who jerked awake immediately. "We've got a job," Emily informed him. "Right now. Wraiths."

He nodded, jumping off the chair. 

"Let's go hunt us a Wraith."

❀

--The job hadn't gone well. They had no time to research the property, nor its history, so they essentially walked in blind. It was partially Emily's fault, and she knew the boys blamed her partially for the embarrassing situation they found themselves in - being rescued by Kipps' team. 

They bickered the entire way home: Anthony blaming George because he did no research, George telling him off because he literally had no time. 

"I can't believe we left Lucy alone, just to be shit on by them," Anthony was fuming as they walked, 35 Portland Row in sight. 

"It happens, Lockwood," George sighed. 

"We needed the help," Emily said tentatively, although she found herself wanting to punch something the more she pictured Kipps' smug face - his grinning agents behind him.