Sentry of the Arcane: Befall

Chapter Eighteen: Fitz

 Apparently, when Sophie and I burst into the laboratory, we startle Caroline so much that she drops an empty sample tray. But when she sees us, she shrieks excitedly and practically tackles the two of us into a hug. Smiling, we use our free hand to hug her as well, our fingertips brushing slightly behind her back. Caroline then pulls away and shrieks even louder at our hands. Blushing, we let our hands fall separately to our sides as she exclaims, "You two..! Finally!"

We turn to see Steven rubbing his head as he appears from behind a table. "What are you screaming about..." Steven's voice trails off when he sees the two of us. After hugging us in a similar fashion compared to his wife, Steven steps back. "What's new?"

Before either one of us can speak, though, Caroline squeals, "They were holding hands! It's finally happened! You owe me a fancy dinner date and twenty dollars, dearie!"

Sophie and I stare at them in utter shock. "Did you seriously bet on whether or not we'd be together?" I finally manage to choke out, my face already flushed to begin with.

The couple nods without any guilt.

Sophie shakes her head, her face bright red. "We aren't dating..." she says, blushing deeply. When I see the shocked faces of the married scientists, I blush more, suddenly feeling very awkward and nervous.

"Yet!" Steven says, catching us off guard. "And I don't have to pay anything!" Laughing at Caroline's pout, he explains, "Caroline and I made a deal after we saw you two for the first time- how long it'd take for you two to either be in a relationship or kiss." He raises his eyebrows at the last word, making both of us redden a lot and avoid looking at each other.

Caroline giggles. "Anyways, I said that for either one, it'd take about two years or less. Steven thinks that it'll take three years or more," she adds in.

Although they're betting on when we'll kiss, Sophie and I both nod in comprehension. Shaking my head, I clear my throat, fiddling with my collar from all the blushing. "Actually, we'll need a chemical analysis of something," I begin, looking over at Caroline.

"What specifically?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

Sophie shrugs. "That's what we're trying to figure out," she comments.

"We're dealing with the murders of Arien Leroy and now, Susan Goldberg," I explain. "Both of them had some green liquid dripping from their mouth and in a puddle. The glass around them implies that the liquid was in a bottle before."

"It may be prescription medicine," Sophie adds. "But Fitz and I think that poison makes more sense. But we need actual proof of what it is."

Steven nods. "Mr. Wallace came by earlier to hand the autopsy reports to me, along with their death photographs," he tells us. "It's such a shame that two women had to die because of a murderer."

Caroline nods in agreement. "Did they know each other?" she asks us.

"They were friends," I respond. "And Susan went to Arien's 'wedding'."

"Arien eloped with her boyfriend, Fitton," Sophie explains. "And Fitton also knew the two of them."

Caroline gasps at the elopement and Steven's eyes widen in surprise. "Is Fitton dead?" Steven asks after a moment.

I shake my head. "He has an official death certificate that states that he died three years ago in a car crash," I say. "But Susan, before she died, admitted that Fitton went back to visit Arien."

Steven asks, "Susan died here?"

I nod. "Donovan, Benen, and I found her dead early this morning," I say grimly.