Under the Floorboards (and In the Walls)

In the Sun (I Hear Your Laughter)-Lucy

"George get over here!"

"Little busy, Lockwood!"

"I'm stuck behind a bookshelf and I need a crowbar."

"Where is yours?"

"Just come here!"

I smiled to myself from upstairs. The boys were busy below searching for sources. Lockwood was pretty sure that there was one in library somewhere. There had been a chill yesterday. I had checked the bathroom and found a haunted towel. I knew immediately it was a source because it was pink and fluffy. Not a single one of us owned anything that nice and that bright. Bad move on Saunders. For all the stalking they did, they didn't know us very well.

Now I stood in front of Lockwood's room. It felt a little awkward going in to touch everything and listen, but, unless we wanted to spend several nights staying up in our own house waiting for visitors to manifest, George or I had to touch everything. And Lockwood had given me the upstairs to search.

Never hesitate at a door.

I stepped through. Touching the bed, I concentrated. Nothing.

Lockwood's room wasn't messy, but there was a lot a stuff. Kind of like him. Organized, but a lot of drama if you looked close enough.

I touched wardrobe and heard... crunching. Like footsteps in snow. Tinkling bells and laughter? A feeling of excitement washed over me. And despair. And pride. Anger. Sadness. A thousand emotions from what felt like a thousand souls. A thousand lives. Armor clanking in the rush of battle. A lion's roar. Before I got too washed up in it all I pulled back. Hmmm. I didn't think there was a source in there, but the wardrobe definitely had a lot of physic charge. I should ask Lockwood where his parents got it latter.

The side table by his bed had a lamp and a pile of random bits. A salt bomb. Business cards from clients. A discarded tie. Chapstick. Slowly, I went through it all. If I was going to kill someone with a source I would put it by their bed. If I was that kind of person, of course.

There was a photo lying there as well. Face down. I picked it up and a faint blush of pleasure spread across my cheeks.

"Hey Luce."

I spun to see Lockwood standing in the door. For a moment I thought maybe he was mad that I was in his room but his bright smile washed away any doubts. He came towards me, holding out a newspaper.

"Any luck?"

"Not in here."

"They must have hid it well. I'm sure there is a source in every bedroom. And we already got yours." He held the newspaper out now for me to see. "We just got the paper," he said, pointing to an article. "Look what they wrote about Saunders!"

Barnes had given an exclusive interview about how Saunders was a huge scam and DEPRAC could confirm "several unfortunate deaths of civilians and agents as well as multiple serious injuries." When questioned on how DEPRAC caught the charlatans Barnes only said that they had been looking into them and with a tip off the night before by private investigators they had made a search of the head quarters. The article had gone on to praise Inspector Barnes for his stunning work of keeping London safe.

I looked up apprehensively at Lockwood. "Are you mad?"

He smiled slightly. "I was," he admitted. "But then George pointed out that this was protecting us. Technically, what we did was illegal. We don't get any glory for this, but we don't get arrested either."

"Thankfully," I said, tossing the newspaper on the bed cover, "that wasn't our focus, right?"

"Ah yes, this was a revenge story," Lockwood said with a smirk. "Do you think sending them all to jail and receiving a check for pain and suffering to be adequate?"

"Their faces when George pulled out that source was enough for me. But I'll take the money."

Lockwood laughed and I grinned at him.

Then Lockwood saw the picture that I still held pinched in my left hand.

"What's this?"

I held it up so he could see what it was of and blushed again but this time I looked up at him.

He shot me a quick look. "Is it ok? I mean, do you mind?"

"Mind what?" I asked demurely.

"That I have that?"

"What does that mean to you, Lockwood?" I asked seriously. No more dancing around. I wanted to know.

Lockwood actually looked nervous. I hadn't seen him look so ruffled since Mrs. Barrett's tomb. Red crept up his neck and his scuffed his foot against the floor. Even his smile looked unsure.

"Sometimes you don't quite realize something until you see it from another point of view." He finally said. "And I can see something there that I want."

I raised my eyebrows.

"You're not making this easy for me," he groaned.

"You're confusing," I replied, "you're not making it easy to understand."

"I like you," he blurted. I blinked. Its what I wanted to hear but I didn't expect him to be so blunt. "I mean, I like you like you. You're my best friend but I don't think that covers how I feel about you anymore." He rubbed back of his neck with one hand and grimaced. "If you don't' feel the same way or if it makes you uncomfortable, that's fine. I won't change anything, but you should probably know." He said the last bit in a rush and finally lifted his head to meet my eyes.

My smile was so big I thought it might split my face. "I really hope things change," I said, dropping the picture on the bed and taking hold of his hands. "I like you too.  And not just as a friend."

He smiled for real now. Soft and bright. "So it's official?"

"that you wont just come out and say it?"

"Lucy Carlyle, will you go on a date with me on Thursday. Not as friends. Not platonically. As my girlfriend?"

I pretended to think about it for a movement and then happily gave my answer.

He bent his head down to kiss me and I surged up on my toes to meet him halfway.

On the bed, forgotten, what the photograph.

Two teenagers were walking together on a busy sidewalk. The sun was warm. Birds sang. The scent of lavender rode on the breeze from a nearby shop. The boy said something witty, earning a laugh from the girl. That was all he had wanted to hear. To those walking by they looked like a very happy couple. And they were.

Ahhh I cant believe it's over. I had so much fun writing this. Thank you to everyone who was reading this while I was writing and giving me support and thank you to everyone who read it after it was finished. I can't express how encouraging you all are. Please leave a comment if you liked something. I am starting a new Lockwood and Co fic and I'd love to know what I did wrong (so I can stop that) and what I did right (so I can keep doing that). Again, thank you all who made it to the end. I love you guys. The books/show lives on in the fans. #SaveLockwoodandCo