The creeping shadow according to lockwood

Two heads II

'An unspecified dangerous task, requested by Penelope fittes? And in need of a good listener? Great, where are we going to find one of those?
Lucy.
It was all I was thinking, but I didn't want to give off an air of desperateness.
'Lockwood, there's no point in hiding it, we both know you're thinking of Lucy. We miss her too.' Holly placed a small hand on my shoulder and gave a reassuring smile.
'But you heard her, she doesn't want to come back for whatever fake reason she gave us, I can't remember.'
I looked down at my hands at the scar that I had from a case when I hadn't given George enough time to research the history of the place, and I was only expecting one ghost but there was another raw-bones lurking up behind me when I was only expecting one. I ended up having to improvise cutting myself on iron chains. George told me I was getting more reckless by the day since Lucy left. I didn't like to agree, but it was true. I couldn't help it.

'Well' holly said abruptly, interrupting my train of thought. 'Lets go downstairs to discuss this with George.'

'Lockwood, do you realise? This is you're chance to get Lucy back on the team!' Exclaimed George.
'George, Lucy is a freelance operative, we could hire her into the case, but she wouldn't stay!' I said as I examined one of the rotwell ghost-detectors lying on George's desk.
George sighed. 'Don't you get it? She'll be so happy to see us that she won't want to leave us ever again, and she'll forget her stupid nonsensical reasons that she left!'
I picked up another useless object.
'George, no. It's more complicated. I think she left because she couldn't put up with us anymore. Us being me. George, you know me. I normally don't get upset a lot, but Lucy's different. I don't know why, she just is. She won't want to work with me.'

George and holly looked at each other in disbelief.
The phone rang.
'I'm going to go get that'
Holly left me and George alone.

George chuckled. 'Lockwood, since when have you been so blind, I mean, arent you supposed to be good with sight? Anyway, jokes aside, if this makes you feel any better, I know that Lucy was in love with you!'
'Lucy what? Did she tell you?
'No, not quite, but I thought it was obvious! She kept snatching glances at you from afar, and only smiled when she was around you. To be honest, I'm surprised she smiles at all.'
'George, you're lying'
'Well, you can see for yourself! If you go to her apartment and ask to hire her for our next job, you can ask her!'
'George, that is not happening!'
'What, going to her apartment, or asking her if she loves you'
'BOTH!'
'Lockwood, its Penelope fitted were reasoning with here, you know that right? Holly didn't forget to tell yo-'
'Alright alright, I'll go pay her a visit this afternoon. But only because Penelope wants her'
'Right... and one last thing, Penelope Fittes specifically requested that we convince Lucy to rejoin the team. She can't work for us as a freelance operative in this case. I wasn't told the reason for this.