Locked

Chapter Two

V raced from apothecary shops, to doctor's homes, and even to a hospital. No such luck. Either the attending physicians had no idea what she described, or they simply did not wish to help her. She couldn't blame them; she had no way to pay for any of their services.

Dejected and miserable, as the skies had released their own misery on her, she trudged home. So few people remained in the downpour, she hadn't even the chance to pick a pocket. Now with no new means of payment, no means to cure Clara, and no clue what ailed her, all she wanted to do was sit in a puddle and cry. Knowing that would be childish thing to do, never mind the dampness and cold would probably not help her situation, she refrained from doing so. Although her own feet had something else in mind.

V tripped over her own feet, flailing for something to hold onto, she fell squarely in the middle of an unfortunately placed puddle on her hands and knees. What a lousy day this is turning out to be.

"I thought thieves where supposed to be coordinated." A familiar voice sounded behind her. She nearly rolled her eyes. "I guess it's not an inherited trait." She could practically hear the smirk in his voice. "Need a hand?" She turned so her face was at his knees, still in the puddle. He extended a hand, against her own self-esteem; she took it, too weary to decline assistance. A firm hand pulled her up out of the wet, though it was no less wet up here.

He pulled her under the closest shops eaves, earning glares from behind the shopkeeper's window.

"Thanks." She murmured. Despite the chill in the air, she felt warm standing next to him. He pulled his ragged coat off and draped it around her shoulders. It was made of nicer material than her own; perhaps contributing to the fact it looked hardly worn out. Even though she hated looking weak, she accepted the coat without as much as a witty remark; it was warm.

"Shall we leave?" The boy continued – he didn't seem fazed by the cold. "It seems mister top hat here doesn't approve of our canoodling in his window.

"We aren't canoodling." V said defensively.

"Not yet we aren't." His smile reached ear to ear.

V rolled her eyes. They stepped out into the rain. V looked up, the falling droplets almost invisible against the grey skies. Why was the centre of the British Empire in such a dismal place? They raced along the streets, avoiding the larger puddles and splashing through the smaller ones. V was already soaked to the bone from her earlier misencounter. Finally, they arrived at the warehouse opening. Just inside the protection of the building, V was stopped by a soaked body. "What were you doing out in the rain like that? You could have caught a cold!" V choked back at the mention of illness. She had to look up slightly to meet her companion's eyes.

"I could ask you the same thing." She tried slipping past but he grabbed her wrist, holding her tight.

"V honestly why?" She glared at him, his brilliant green eyes boring down on her. She felt like a puppy that'd been caught chewing his master's shoes. He wouldn't release her until she answered. She relaxed a little, lowering her voice.

"Clara's sick, I was looking for someone to tell me what it is and possibly cure her." He loosened his grip on her. She stalked off around the corner.

"Look who I found out in the rain." She said, removing her jacket and shoes and placing them by the fire. Grateful for the heat of the flame, she rubbed her hands together and stretched them a few times. No use catching frostbite.

"Will!" Eddie raced to extricate himself from beside the makeshift bed and ran over to the newcomer.

"Hey there Eddie," Will ruffled the boys hair, "You're almost a man now!"