And Then She Was Gone

Chapter 1

A/N: This takes place after The Hollow Boy, so obviously it's full of spoilers. If you haven't read THB, I strongly suggest you read it, because it is amazing and life ruining and nothing but pain. And then if you feel like it, maybe read my fic as a sort of therapy maybe? You know, only if you want to ;) Thank you!

George's POV

Lockwood had stopped smiling. It hadn't been a gradual thing, with the brightness in his eyes and that trademark grin slowly fading away. It hadn't happened in a way you could watch, little by little, and record the difference each day made in neat tables and graphs. No. It was just suddenly gone, leaving no trace behind but the wrongness of its absence.

And George could tell you exactly when it had disappeared. He could tell you who had been there, what they had been wearing, the room they had been sitting in and precisely how it had looked, even the shade of the sky outside. And of course, he could tell you what had been said. Word for word, George could remember the words that had come out of Lucy's mouth. But for the life of him, he couldn't fathom why they had been said. How could she believe that because of a few mistakes she was unfit to be an agent, to be part of Lockwood & Co.? Didn't she realize that it didn't matter to them, that they would support her? Didn't she remember that she wasn't the only of them to be responsible for making a mess of a case? Why, George himself had certainly caused problems during the whole bone glass debacle, and of course he'd felt guilty, but that guilt had most definitely not sent him into a spiral of odd behavior and withdrawal, or eventually resulted in a resignation that was completely uncalled for and unexpected. Of course, he'd told Lucy as much when he begged her to stay, but she refused to listen. She simply shook her head and retreated to her room in the attic, where she'd promptly begun to pack.

Two days later, Lucy was gone. She left quickly, and could barely be convinced to stay even one day after announcing her resignation, but after some argument, she gave in, and they used their last day together to say their goodbyes. George supposed she was hoping to leave before she had a chance to change her mind, or before any of them could convince her to stay. When the morning of Lucy's departure came, they took a cab to the station. They stood there together on the platform as they waited for the train that would take Lucy back to her home town, George and Holly huddled together and bundled up against the December chill, Lockwood in his long coat with his hands shoved deep in his pockets, and Lucy with her two heavy suitcases, one of which was an old but sturdy red case that Holly had given her the previous day. Lucy took Holly aside and they held a quite conversation just out of earshot. As the train pulled in, Holly pulled her into a hug before pushing a surprised Lucy back towards Lockwood and George and stepping back.

"So," George said as the train pulled into the station, "I guess this is goodbye then."

"I guess it is," Lucy smiled sadly. "I'm going to miss you George Cubbins, your weird habits and all."

George shook his head and smiled. "I'm touched."

"Sorry... I'm not great at goodbyes."

"Well, neither am I. C'mere." George pulled Lucy into a hug. "I'm going to miss you too Luce, especially your weird habits"

Lucy stepped back, that sad smile still fixed in place. "Stay safe George, try not to get into too much trouble.

"Oh, you know me. I generally try to avoid things that could get me killed. It's why I'm an agent. I'll look out for myself, just make sure you do the same."

Lucy nodded, "While you're at it, promise me you'll look out for Lockwood, I'm not sure he's got the same sense of vital self preservation you do, and - well you know how he is."

"Don't worry, you've given me plenty of practice keeping people from doing stupid things. I'll watch out for him."

Lucy gave George one last smile before turning to Lockwood, who hurriedly bent to pick up her bags, avoiding her gaze. The two of them walked together to the steps of the train, where they stood talking for several moments, still not meeting each others's eyes. The train's whistle blew and Lucy picked up her bags, ducking into the train and out of sight without looking back. As the train began to move, Lockwood stood beside the train, staring at the spot where Lucy had disappeared. The train began to pick up speed, and Lockwood stepped suddenly forward as if to run after the train, before stopping a moment later, as if realizing it was too late. He stood, still and silent, until the train rounded a bend and raced out of view. As the train disappeared around the corner, he turned sharply on his heel and stepped deliberately back towards the platform's exit.

"Right," Lockwood said briskly as he passed Holly and George, "Cab's waiting. We should be going."

The pair still standing on the platform exchanged a glance before hurrying after Lockwood. George turned back to the spot he'd last seen Lucy, with her sad smile and her souvenirs from life at the agency all packed up in those two heavy suitcases. As Lucy's train raced away, the three remaining agents of Lockwood & Co. pilled into a cab and began their silent way back to 35 Portland Row.

A/N: Yes, another. I'm sorry, I know people hate these. This is my first fanfiction, so please don't judge me to harshly ;) constructive criticism is of course always welcome and would be really appreciated! Also, if you felt like there were parts missing during Lucy's interactions with Holly and Lockwood, don't worry, I'll clear that up in the next couple of chapters :) Thank you so much for reading!