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Chapter Text

The horn of a large boat blared to signal passengers to get onboard. A young boy dressed in blue stood next to his suitcase and a man wearing a tall top hat. “I guess this is...goodbye…” he said softly, his small cap covering his eyes.

Layton shook his head, “Oh no my boy, this is so long, not goodbye.” he corrected. That didn’t help the boy’s eyes stay dry. His small shoulders shook and the Professor shook his head, “Now Luke, you know a gentleman never makes a scene in public.”

Luke finally faced his mentor with tears flowing from his eyes, “I’m sorry Professor...but I’m not a gentleman yet!” And with that, he broke down into sobs and buried his face in the Professor’s chest.

“There there…” the Professor said softly, hugging the boy back. Luke boarded the boat with his parents and it wasn’t long before they set sail.

Luke gazed back at the shore, watching as the Professor and London slowly shrunk out of sight…

Luke gasped as his eyes flew open, only to squint from the harsh sunlight above him. His whole body felt sore and stiff as he felt hard wood beneath him. He rubbed his head as he slowly got up, trying to get his memories together.

He sat up to see the hunched over figures of multiple people around him. A thick blanket was draped around his shoulders as well as many other people. He saw the ocean around him as, whatever he was in, rocked gently like a cradle. It took him a moment to realize that the people around him looked absolutely distraught. They were pale and wide eyed as some of them rocked back and forth. It was like they had just seen a ghost.

Suddenly, a boom echoed through the air causing everyone, including Luke, to jump and the rocking to increase. Luke got to his knees and looked towards the sound and his heart stopped.

The ship, the ship he was traveling on with his parents, was sitting on the ocean. It was absolutely still as smoke and flames consumed it. Everything finally came crashing down on Luke; he was in a lifeboat, among the survivors.

The ship had sunk.

Once his senses came back to him, two people flashed through his head, “Mum...dad…” he whispered. He turned back to the people on the boat with him and scanned it for his parents. His heart sank; they were nowhere in sight.

However, his hopes rose when he saw multiple lifeboats around them full of people. Luke felt a bit better knowing he and a handful of people weren’t the ship’s only survivors, and almost hopeful that there was a chance his parents were on one of those boats.

His head hurt quite badly, but he couldn’t feel a bump or any injury on his skull. He couldn’t remember the crash or becoming separated from his family no matter how hard he tried.

All he could do was sit in the lifeboat, pull his blanket around him, and wait.

Chapter Text

It was only a few hours until they reached shore, but to Luke it felt like an eternity. His legs felt shaky once he finally set foot onto the harbor. He paid his rubbery limbs no mind as he looked around desperately for any sign of his parents.

“Mum! Dad! Where are you?” he called. “Mum! Dad! It’s Luke!” But his voice was lost among the hundreds of other people calling for their loved ones. After a while, Luke felt like he had wandered around the same area a hundred times; his parents were still nowhere in sight. Luke felt a lump come to his throat when he bumped into someone. He looked up to see it was a police officer.

The officer looked down at him, “What’s wrong, son?” he asked, seeing Luke’s glassy eyes, “Where are your parents?”

Luke bit back a sob, “I...I don’t know.” he choked.

The officer frowned, "Were they on the rescue boat?" He asked.

"I don't know," Luke repeated, trying to keep his throat from constricting, "I-I didn't see them on the lifeboat either; I can't find them anywhere."

The officer nodded in sympathy and took out a notepad, “Well, we’ll be sure to keep an eye out for them; what’s your name, son?”

Luke swallowed, “L-Luke Triton, sir.” He said as steadily as he could.

The officer wrote down the name before giving the boy a pat on the head, “Don’t worry Luke, if we see them, we’ll let them know you’re here.” he reassured.

Luke nodded but was too impatient to wait for the authorities to handle it. He couldn’t just stand around and wait, he had to keep looking. He ventured further down the docks when he heard the sounds of people wailing and moaning in despair. He started to go towards them, but stopped himself out of fear. He didn’t want to go over there, he really didn’t. But he had too! His parents could be there!

Luke took a deep breath and marched over, only to immediately wish he hadn’t.

Sailors had lay multiple blankets on the ground making a long line where multiple bodies were laid. These were the dead; the poor souls who didn’t make out of the boat in time.

Luke felt like throwing up as he took in their pale, clammy skin, their empty eyes, and unmoving chests. He slowly walked along the row of corpses, praying to whatever holy force was out there that he wouldn’t find his parents among them.

He forced himself to look directly at all their faces, taking in every detail, making sure the face he was looking at wasn’t his mother or father’s. He eventually reached the end of the line and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He heard the sailors nearby talking to one another.

“Well that’s all of them.”

“Are you sure?”

“Well, these are all the ones we could find anyway. If there were any other bodies out there, they sunk long ago.”

The weight Luke felt on his shoulders that he thought was removed was quickly replaced by doubt. Until his parents found him or vice versa, Luke had no idea if they were alive. What could he do now? His mind, out of habit, went to the Professor and Flora, but what help could they be? He had no money and no way to contact them. They were an ocean away.

He just wished he could remember what happened to his parents. His mind was blatantly refusing to let see into his memories on the boat. When was he separated from his parents? How did the ship sink? What made him pass out just so he could wake up on a lifeboat? These questions were driving him mad!

With a heavy heart, he made his way back to where the police were standing and was directed over to an area where they were gathering any lost children. Luke found a corner, sat down, drew his knees to his chest, and buried his face in his arms.

All he could do now was wait. ~~~~~~~

The day ended. The docks were nearly empty. The dead had been taken away and the living had gone off to where they belonged...all except for one small boy.

Out of all the children, he was the only one who didn’t have any relatives left to take him in. The officer he had given his name to couldn’t find anyone by the name of Triton, meaning both his parents were dead or stranded god knows where. Luke hadn’t moved from the position he was in when he first sat down, nor had he spoken to or looked at anyone.

Finally, when Luke could no longer stand the utter feeling of loneliness any longer, the officer came up to him and knelt down in front of him, “C’mon son,” he said gently, “It’s time to go.”

Luke wordlessly got up and followed the officer into his car where he was driven to the police station. Luke sat silently in an office, speaking only when spoken to. The officers asked him simple questions about himself, like his name, age, where he was from, and other things Luke had no trouble answering. When the question about any remaining family came up, Luke simply shook his head.

He had told them about the Professor, but the police were only interested in his immediate family, of which he had none.

Once the questions were finished, Luke was left alone in the office. He stared at his feet, twiddling his thumbs for over two hours until the friendly officer, whose name he learned was Mr. Andrews, knelt in front of him again. “Hey Luke,” he greeted.

Luke didn’t respond.

Andrews sighed and decided to get straight to the point. “Listen Luke, since you have no family members or guardians to take you in in this country-” Luke flinched as he thought of the Professor once again. “-we’ve arranged for you to stay with a Foster Home.” Luke looked at him in confusion; he had never heard of such a place before.

Sensing his confusion, Andrews elaborated, “Basically, it’s a home for children without a family. They live there until they grow up or until they’re adopted by a new family.”

Luke felt a bit taken aback; a new family? Did he want a new family? What if his parents were still out there somewhere? How would they find each other if Luke was put into a new family of strangers he didn’t know? He remembered the Professor was given a new family when he was a kid, and he had turned out fine, Luke knew that first hand. Would the same thing happen to him?

“The Foster Home that agreed to take you is in Los Angeles California,” Andrews went on, “So tomorrow, I’ll be taking you to the airport, okay?” Luke nodded and Andrews got up. “Alright, you’re going to be staying with me overnight, so let’s get going.” he said with a smile.

A smile barely graced over Luke’s face as he slowly got up and followed Mr. Andrews out of the station and into his car. It wasn’t long before they arrived at Andrew’s house, where he lived alone. Luke looked around the house; it was quite decent, but seemed a bit too big just for one person.

“Are you hungry? Do you need anything?” Luke shook his head; his chest was too heavy to even consider food. Andrews led Luke upstairs and gave him a set of clothes which Luke assumed were his sleep wear for the night.

“They might be a bit big, but I think they’ll do for the night.” Andrews said, before he led Luke to the bathroom. “You go wash up and get changed; just call if you need anything.”

Luke nodded and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He made himself a hot bath, undressed and lowered himself into the warm soapy water. It felt like forever since he had gotten a proper wash. Once he was done, he changed into the new clothes Andrews had given him, which consisted of a large t-shirt and shorts, tucked his regular clothes under his arm and exited the bathroom where Andrews was waiting for him.

“You can give those to me; I’ll give them a quick wash before we leave tomorrow.” he said reaching towards Luke’s old clothes. Luke hesitantly handed them over as if he wouldn’t get them back if he gave them up, and Andrews led Luke to another room.

“You’ll sleep in here tonight,” he said, opening the door that led to a small bedroom. “You get some sleep; you have a big day ahead of you tomorrow.”

Luke said nothing as Andrews closed the door, shutting Luke inside the room, alone. Luke walked over to the single bed and climbed on it, snuggling into the clean sheets upon it. He hadn’t realized just how exhausted he was until his head hit the pillow.

As he gazed at the dark room around him, the weight of everything that had taken place crashed down upon the small boy. His parents were gone. He was all alone in America and heading to a new home tomorrow; a home full of strangers. He felt more scared and alone than he had ever been in his life.

A lump came to his throat as tears filled his eyes and he silently wept until he fell fast asleep.

Chapter Text

Luke woke up to the sunlight streaming on his face. He squinted and rubbed his eyes, slowly sitting up in his bed. He took in the room around him and he tensed ever so slightly. He wasn’t at his home in London. Mum and Dad weren’t here. He was in America, alone, and about to be shipped to a new home.

Luke looked at the foot of his bed and spied his clothes, neatly folded in a pile, clean and good as new. Luke smiled slightly remembering the kind man who had given him a place to stay. Luke quickly got dressed, feeling a bit more at ease in his familiar clothes, folded his borrowed pajamas and placed them on the bed. He then peeked out the door and crept downstairs. He eventually found Mr. Andrews in the kitchen, cooking breakfast.

Andrews looked up and smiled at him, “Good morning, Luke,” he greeted, “Did you sleep well?” Luke nodded with a small smile. Andrews nodded back, “That’s good, “he gestured to the table, “Take a seat, son, breakfast will be ready in just a second.”

Luke nodded and sat himself at the table. He was finally starting to feel the pang of hunger again and was anxious for some real food. Andrews soon approached the table with two plates containing scrambled eggs and toast with strawberry jam as well as a cup of orange juice for Luke and a mug of coffee for himself.

Luke ate quickly and silently, cleaning his plate in no time. However, he hadn’t made a mess or seemed to have offended Mr. Andrews with his eating in any way. Luke inwardly smirked, the Professor’s lessons on being a gentleman were still there it seemed.

That thought made Luke feel a little stronger; he was going to have to work even harder to become a proper gentleman since the Professor was no longer there to teach him. He swore he wouldn’t forget his lessons, as well as everything he and the Professor went through together, no matter what came his way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~

A mere hour later, Luke and Andrews stood at the entrance of the plane at the airport. Luke couldn't help but feel nervous. He had just gotten off a boat the other day and now he was going on an airplane, going to a new home. He would be a fish out of water, he would know no one.

He took a deep breath as he and Andrews handed the stewardess their passes and boarded the large plane. They took their seats and it wasn't long before the pilot took over the intercom.

“Hello and Welcome aboard New York Airlines. We will be traveling non-stop to Los Angeles California. We hope you enjoy your trip.”

Luke’s grip on the seat tensed ever so slightly as the plane eventually moved and began to lift off. Luke looked out the window at the shrinking city of New York and felt another surge of sadness. If his parents were somehow alive and wandering New York, if the Professor somehow got word of the boat sinking and traveled to New York to see if he was alright...it would all be in vain. Luke was off to a new life, a life he wasn’t sure he wanted. The fear of the unknown events that would befall his life in Los Angeles was slowly enveloping him.

The plane ride was only around five hours so they arrived in Los Angeles around noon. They exited the place and walked to the entrance of the airport and Andrews began looking around the area. Luke assumed he was looking for whoever was going to pick them up and his thoughts were soon confirmed.

“Thomas!”

Luke and Andrews turned towards the voice to see a very pretty young woman coming towards them. She had long brown hair that reached her middle back, bright green eyes and a kind but dazzling smile.

“Hello Sarah!” Andrews greeted, “It’s been a long time.”

“Too long.” Sarah agreed with a nod. Her eyes fell on Luke who immediately felt a bit shy. “Is this the boy?” she asked.

Andrews nodded and put his hands on Luke’s shoulders, “This is Luke Triton,” he said, “Luke, this is Sarah Williams, she’s going to be looking after you from now on.”

Sarah smiled and bent down to meet the boy’s eyes, “It’s nice to meet you Luke, you can call me Miss Sarah.” she said kindly, holding out her hand.

Luke slowly took it, his gentleman side showing through again, “Nice to meet you, ma’am.” he said quietly.

Sarah seemed impressed by the boy’s politeness, but also seemed to see right into Luke’s heart. “I understand you’ve been through a lot lately,” she said gently, causing Luke to look at the ground. Sarah smiled sadly and gently lifted Luke’s chin to look at her directly. “I can’t imagine what you must be going through, and I can’t replace your parents, but I will do all that I can to care for you as if you were my own.” Luke saw the sincerity in her expression and couldn’t help but give a small nod.

Andrews smiled and nodded, “Well, I’ll leave the rest to you then.” he said facing Luke. “I guess this is goodbye Luke,” he said, “I wish you luck, son.” He held out his hand which Luke took and a grateful smile made it’s way to his face.

“Thank you for everything Mr. Andrews.” he said. Andrews seemed to light up as the boy had finally spoken to him after so long and gave Luke a pat before getting up. He bid farewell to Sarah before turning, and with a final wave, he disappeared into the crowds of the airport.

Sarah looked down at Luke and realized the boy was empty handed, save for a small satchel on his shoulder. “Luke, do you have any extra clothes or supplies?” she asked. Luke shook his head and Sarah took his hand, “Well then, before we get to your new home why don’t we go get you some new clothes?” she offered.

Luke gave a small smile and nodded at the suggestion; having some new clothes would be good considering his luggage was most likely at the bottom of the ocean. He was lucky that his satchel was on his person when he passed out and made it onto the lifeboat with him. It held his most precious possessions like his trusty notepad and pencil.

He followed Sarah out of the airport and to her car which was a dark blue van. Luke strapped himself into the passenger’s seat and Sarah drove off. As they drove to the store, Luke couldn't help but marvel at the large city of Los Angeles. The buildings towered over them and people bustled to and fro going about their lives.

Sarah noticed his expression and smiled, “That’s right, you’re from London aren’t you, Luke?”

Luke nodded, “This place is so big!” he exclaimed, feeling his shell slowly disappearing. Sarah beamed that the child was finally opening up and they arrived at the store.

A few hours later, the two emerged, bags in tow, full of clothes and supplies. Luke found that he really liked Miss Sarah. She was so happy and kind, and he couldn’t help but feel happy around her. But as they drove through the suburban neighborhood and approached the dwelling that was to be his new home, Luke felt the previous fear take root again. The house was a bit large but seemed quite average. It was two stories and didn’t stick out in any way like it was anything special.

Sarah carried the shopping bags with one arm while the other struggled to find her house key. She eventually found it and Luke opened the door allowing her to enter. “Thank you Luke.” she said as she entered.

Luke closed the door and followed her into the house, taking it in. The stairs were right in front of the door slightly to the left, covered with tan carpeting which led to a long hallway with a banister so one could overlook the people entering and exiting the house from above. There were rooms to the left and right of the foyer, one leading to dining room and the other to a kind of sitting area.

Luke followed Sarah past the stairs which led to a kitchen, complete with white tiles, a wooden table in the middle, cupboards and shining kitchen appliances. So much so, the place almost looked brand new.

To the left of the kitchen was a large area with wall to wall tan carpeting like the stairs. A large couch, and T.V. were set there as well as shelves containing numerous games and (to Luke’s delight) puzzles. Luke also spied a video game system next to the TV and a coffee table in the middle of the room. All in all, Luke liked this house, quite a lot.

Miss Sarah placed the shopping bags on the table and fished out Luke’s new clothes. “Come with me Luke, I’ll show you to your room.” she said. Luke took his pile of new clothes and followed Miss Sarah up the stairs and to an average sized bedroom. Multiple beds, three in total, were lined along the wall, the headboards against the wall. A dresser stood across from each bed, two of which held pictures, toys, and memorabilia.

“This is where the boys stay; the girls have a separate room.” Sarah led Luke to the bed and dresser at the far end of the room, next to the window, placing the bed in the corner of the room. “This will be your bed,” she said, “Just put your clothes here for now and I’ll show you around.”

Luke did as he was told and followed Miss Sarah out of the bedroom and into the hallway. She showed him the bathroom, where her room was as well as the girl’s room, where to put dirty clothes, and things like that. “The other children should be coming home soon, so we can introduce you.”

Luke nodded and tried to keep his nervousness down. He had forgotten to consider that he would be living with other kids. Judging by the three beds in each room Miss Sarah had given to the children, he would only be with five other kids, two boys and three girls. But even that seemed like a bit much at the moment. Luke and Miss Sarah perked up as they heard the front door open, accompanied by excited chattering.

“Well, speak of the devil, there they are now,” Miss Sarah said with a smile, “Come on Luke, let’s get you introduced.” Luke silently gulped and followed Miss Sarah out of the bedroom.

Miss Sarah looked over the railing, “Welcome home kids, did you have a good day?” she greeted. The kids voiced their positive answer while Luke tried not to shrink behind Miss Sarah out of shyness. “Before you go anywhere, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.” Miss Sarah gestured for Luke to follow and they descended the stairs. Luke kept his eyes trained on the ground allowing his cap to hide his eyes as he was presented in front of the five children.

Miss Sarah placed a hand on his back, “This is Luke Triton, the newest addition to our home.” Luke glanced at the kids who seemed both excited and surprised at his presence. “He’s been through quite a lot lately, so I want all of you to treat him nicely and make him feel comfortable,” Miss Sarah went on, “Now, why don’t you introduce yourselves.”

Luke finally decided to fully look at the kids who were now his housemates. They all seemed to vary in age with the youngest being about seven and the oldest around fourteen or fifteen. The youngest, a little girl with brown hair tied up in a ponytail, stepped forwards and smiled at Luke, “Are you our new big brother?” she asked innocently.

Luke looked at the girl and couldn’t stop the pang of familiarity from just the look of her hair and eyes. Luke rubbed his hands nervously, “Um...I guess I am.” he eventually answered.

The little girl’s eyes lit up and threw her arms around Luke’s waist in happiness, “I have another big brother!” she squealed. She looked up at Luke brightly, “My name’s Daisy! Nice to meet you big brother Luke!”

Luke felt warmth inside his chest; even their names were similar. Oh how he missed Flora...and the Professor...Luke struggled to keep a lump from coming to his throat when another one of the girls with long dark brown hair, who looked to be thirteen, stepped forwards.

“Daisy’s always clingy like that, you get used to it,” she said smiling and held out her hand, “My name’s Emily, by the way.”

Luke, now trying his hardest to keep his eyes dry, took a deep breath and put on a brave face as he shook Emily’s hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Emily.” he said sincerely. Emily giggled and flushed slightly at the boy’s politeness, when the last girl who looked like she was around nine or ten with black hair that brushed her shoulders, stepped forwards excitedly.

“My name’s Susie!” she exclaimed, holding out her hand, obviously wanting to be called Miss like Emily.

Luke smiled and shook her hand, not wanting to disappoint a lady. “Nice to meet you Miss Susie.”

Susie laughed excitedly and jumped around happily. After that, one of the two boys who looked Luke’s age with black hair that had a tinge of blue to it, stepped forwards, “Your voice sounds weird,” he said bluntly, “Where are you from?”

The second boy, who was clearly the oldest, looking to be about fifteen, gave him a light smack. “Brian, be nice!” he scolded.

The first boy, Brian, pouted, “I was just asking…” he muttered.

Luke held the tip of his blue cap, “Well, I’m from London,” he answered a bit hesitantly.

Brian looked at him with interest, “London? Where’s that?” he asked eagerly.

Miss Sarah took over from there, “It’s a country across the sea.” she answered.

Brian’s eyes lit up, “Wow, that’s so cool!” he exclaimed, “My name’s Brian!”

Finally, the last and oldest boy stepped up. His hair was actually quite bizarre. It was brown and slicked back with two pieces sticking up in the front like antennae. “And my name’s Apollo, nice to meet you.”

Luke took his outstretched hand and smiled at his name. It was odd like his hair, but still nice. Though the feeling was small, Luke actually thought that he may like it here.

Miss Sarah nodded with a smile, “Well, now that that’s out of the way, Brian, Apollo, why don’t you two help Luke get settled in while the girls help me get dinner started?” she suggested.

“Sure,” Apollo said nodding. Brian grabbed Luke’s arm and began pulling him back up the stairs with Apollo following while the girls followed Miss Sarah back into the kitchen.

The three boys entered their room and Brian flopped on his bed which resided in the middle. “So you got Sam’s bed, huh? Lucky, it’s the most comfy!” he commented.

“Sam?” Luke asked.

“He’s the boy that lived here before you came,” Apollo explained, “He got adopted a few months ago.”

Luke nodded in understanding and decided to start putting his clothes into his dresser. He placed his satchel on his bed and placed his newly folded clothes into the drawers when Brian piped up again, “What’s this?”

Luke turned around to see Brian sitting on his bed and holding his notebook. Luke quickly got up and took it out of Brian’s hands, “It’s just...my notebook.” he answered.

“What’cha need a notebook for?” Brian asked, cocking his head at the object.

Luke put it back in his satchel, “Just for taking notes and...solving puzzles.”

‘Professor...’

“Puzzles?” Brian asked.

“You like solving puzzles?” Apollo asked, now just as curious.

Luke seemed to brighten a bit at their response. “Mm-hm! Back in London the Professor and I would solve puzzles all the time!” Luke pinched the tip of his cap and put a proud face on, “I’m his number-one apprentice after all!”

Brian’s eyes seemed to sparkle in awe, “Number-one apprentice? That’s so cool!” he exclaimed.

Apollo sat down on Brian’s bed, “Who the Professor?” he asked.

Luke smiled widely, “He’s Professor Layton, the world’s number-one puzzle solver and true gentleman,” he said proudly.

“So does that mean you can solve any puzzles? Even really hard ones?” Brian asked.

Luke let his pride deflate a bit; a true gentleman never boasted, after all. “I’m still in training, but I can solve most puzzles I come across.” he answered.

“Maybe you can help us solve those puzzle games Miss Sarah has in the living room,” Apollo said with a smile, “We’ve solved a few, but the rest have all of us stumped, even Miss Sarah.”

Luke nodded, “Sure, maybe I could teach you how to solve really hard puzzles.”

Brian leapt off the bed, “That would be awesome!” he exclaimed. “No one at school will stump me anymore!” Apollo and Luke laughed at the younger boy’s mischievous face.

“What about you Apollo?” Luke asked looking at the older boy, “What do you like to do?”

Apollo looked surprised, “Me? Well…” he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’d actually like...to be a lawyer one day…”

“A lawyer?” Luke asked. He briefly thought of two particular friends he and the Professor had made when exploring the town of Labyrinthia.

Apollo nodded, “Yeah! I want to defend the innocent and bring people to justice; they don’t call me Apollo Justice for nothing!” Luke chuckled at the boy’s obviously self-appointed last name; he certainly had enthusiasm.

“Luke! Apollo! Brian!” The three boys looked towards the door as Daisy poked her head in, “Let’s go play!”

Susie appeared next to Daisy, “Miss Sarah said we have some time before dinner; let’s go outside!”

“Yeah! Let’s go!” Brian agreed. The three boys got up and exited the bedroom, following the girls into the backyard. It was decent size for a suburban yard and lots of toys and playthings were scattered about the grass. There was also a swing set and a sandbox in the corner of the yard.

Susie picked up a big red bouncy ball, “Let’s play catch!” she suggested and threw the ball to Brian. Brian quickly ran up and bounced the ball with his hands towards Daisy, who in turn, hit to Emily. Emily hit it towards Luke who promptly hit it to Apollo, and the game was on.

Luke laughed as Apollo fell backwards, trying to hit the ball that had been hit too high. He couldn’t remember the last time he had had so much fun with kids his age. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t really have any kids his age that he knew. The Professor was really his only friend, as well as some animals he found on the street.

The game of catch somehow evolved into a game of tag, and the kids were chasing one another until the sky turned pink. Eventually, they heard Miss Sarah from the back door. “Dinner!” The kids dropped what they were doing and headed back towards the house, but Miss Sarah blocked their way before they could enter, “Remember to wash your hands.” she warned.

Daisy, Brian, and Susie pouted, but Emily, Apollo and Luke didn’t mind. Hands were washed, complaints were made, and the six kids made their way to the dining room. It was quite fancy, with the same tan carpeting as the stairs and upstairs. The table was wooden and wide with a white tablecloth over it. The chairs were made of the same wood as the table, with white, comfy cushions on the seat and back of the chair.

Luke waited until the others had sat down until he found his seat. He figured the kids had their own special seats and didn’t want to impose on someone’s spot. His seat ended up between Daisy and Emily, while the three other kids sat across from them, Apollo across from Luke, Susie across from Emily, and Brian across from Daisy. Miss Sarah’s chair was at the head of the table. Tall glasses of ice water were at every place.

It wasn’t long before Miss Sarah entered the dining room with two plates. She placed them in front of Brian and Apollo before going back to the kitchen to get the rest of the plates. In a matter of minutes, everyone was seated at the table with a full plate of food in front of them. Luke sighed as the smell of the hot food entered his nose.

Everyone’s plate contained a small piece of steak, a pile of mashed potatoes, and string beans; it was no exaggeration to say it looked delicious. Luke placed his napkin on his lap, remembering his lessons and everyone began to dig in. It wasn’t long before the kids began engaging in conversation about their day.

Luke listened politely, taking in every word and eating his food. It tasted amazing, better than anything he ever tasted (unless that was just his hunger talking). It wasn’t until Brian said something that made Luke stop eating.

“Luke says he’s gonna teach Apollo and me how to solve puzzles!” Daisy and Susie looked at Luke questioningly causing him to blush and look at his lap.

“Well...I really like solving puzzles and...they can be a lot of fun so…”

“Could you teach us too?” Daisy asked, interested at the idea that puzzles could be fun.

“Why do you like puzzles?” Emily asked, hoping to start a conversation with him.

“Back in London, I was friends with a professor named Professor Layton. He’s the world’s best puzzle solver and true gentleman.” Luke explained, “He loves solving puzzles; almost everything we came across on our adventures reminded him of one, and it was always fun finding the answer!”

“You went on adventures?” Susie asked.

Luke nodded, “The Professor’s brilliant; he’s always getting letters asking him to solve mysteries and crimes.” Luke smiled fondly, “He always finds the real culprit behind it all.”

The younger kids’ eyes grew wide with amazement and Apollo seemed to light up, “He’s almost like a lawyer!” he exclaimed. “He always makes sure to find the person truly guilty and clears innocent people of suspicion, right?”

Luke smiled, remembering the witch’s court in Labyrinthia, “Yes, I suppose he sort of is like one.” he answered.

Miss Sarah sipped her water, “Well Apollo, it looks like you’ve finally found someone with the same interests as you.” Apollo and Luke looked at each other with a smile, a kind of smile that friends give each other.

“Looks like you’ve already found your place in the family!” Susie said.

Luke’s head shot up, “Family?” he asked.

Susie nodded, “You live here now, so you’re a part of the family now!” she said happily.

Daisy leaned over and hugged Luke’s arm, “You’ll stay with us forever, won’t you, big brother?” she asked hopefully.

Luke didn’t answer. He looked around the table at Miss Sarah and the other kids. They were smiling at him and Daisy genuinely, but Luke couldn’t tell if it was because of how cute Daisy looked at the moment, or if they were waiting for him to give his answer.

At that moment, feeling Daisy’s warm but firm grip on his arm, wanting him to stay, to be a part of their family, Luke felt...happy. The fact that these complete strangers who he had just met a few hours ago wanted him to stay with them...as their new brother.

Luke's breath hitched as he felt his emotions well up inside him once again. He looked back at Daisy, "Yeah..." He said softly, "I'll stay for as long as you want Daisy." Daisy's face brightened and she hugged his arm tighter. Luke attempted to half hug her back and Miss Sarah nodded.

"Welcome to the family, Luke." She said softly as her children continued to eat and laugh amongst each other.

Chapter Text

Once dinner was finished, Miss Sarah told the children to help clean up. The little ones complained, as children do when given chores. Once the table was cleared and the dishes were cleaned, Miss Sarah instructed them to get ready for bed.

"But we wanna play outside more!" Brian protested.

"Yeah, we wanna play more catch!" Susie added.

Miss Sarah shook her head, "It's too dark outside now," she said gesturing to the window, "Once you get ready for bed you can play inside until I say so."

Emily stepped forwards and placed a hand on Luke's shoulder, "Should Luke wash up first, since he's new here?" She asked.

Miss Sarah nodded, "You read my mind; why don't you and Apollo show Luke the ropes?" Apollo and Emily nodded and motioned for Luke to follow them up the stairs.

“There’s only one bathroom so we have to take turns,” Emily explained. Luke nodded and quickly ran to his room to get his washing supplies consisting of a washcloth, toothbrush, and toothpaste.

Apollo took Luke to the decent sized bathroom and opened one of the cabinet doors next to the mirror. “You can put your toothbrushing stuff in here.” he said.

Luke nodded, “Thanks, I think I can take it from here.” Apollo nodded and exited the bathroom, leaving Luke to his devices. Luke bathed quickly, not wanting to waste water, changed into his pajamas, and brushed his teeth. He grabbed his dirty clothes and opened the bathroom door to see Brian waiting outside with his towel and pajamas in hand. “Did I keep you waiting?” Luke asked.

Brian shook his head, “Nah, I just like to be ready to jump in; I wanna have as much time to play as possible before I go to sleep!” he explained.

Luke simply stepped to the side, allowing the younger boy to enter. He threw his dirty clothes where Miss Sarah told him to and entered his bedroom where Apollo was lying on his bed, staring into space. Luke walked over to his own bed and sat down, leaning against the wall. He picked up his satchel from where he was sitting and took out his notebook.

He slowly began flipping through the pages, reminiscing on all the notes he had taken on his adventures in London. Answers and hints to puzzles, notes on suspects and clients from past mysteries...names of all the friends he and the Professor had made and kept in touch with after every investigation.

Flora, Emmy, Aurora, Melina, Janice, Clive (sort of), Espella and the townsfolk of Labyrinthia, just to name a few. He wondered how they were all doing. Were they well? He wondered how the Professor was doing most of all.

Had he heard about what became of the boat Luke was traveling on? Did he know what became of Luke and his parents? Did he even know if Luke was alive or not? Luke’s eyes fell on his pen inside his satchel and an idea sprung to mind. He couldn’t believe he didn’t think of this sooner!

He grabbed his pen, flipped to the blank pages near the back of his book and began to write a letter to the Professor. He had a right to know what had really happened to him and his parents and would want to know that he was alright.

Dear Professor Layton,

I am writing to you from my new home in America, however I am not at the address my parents told you. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever see that house. I don’t know if you’ve heard already, but the ship I was traveling on tragically sank during our voyage. Unfortunately, I don’t remember how or when it happened, it’s all just a blur to me. Rest assured that I am perfectly safe and unhurt in every way. However, I can’t say the same about my parents. They weren’t among the survivors but they weren’t among the dead either. There’s a chance that they are still alive, but a small one at that. Just like the sinking of the ship, I don’t remember the last time I saw them on the voyage. In fact, the entire trip seems very fuzzy in my memory, except for when we said our goodbyes and boarded. But don’t worry Professor, all my other memories are still intact.

As for what’s become of me? Well, it’s a long story. The rescue boat dropped all the survivors off at our intended location, New York city. Once I learned that my parents were nowhere in sight, I went to the police. A nice officer named Mr. Andrews took me in for the night and told me he was bringing me to a new home. We flew to Los Angeles the next day and we met a woman named Miss Sarah Williams. I was put into her care and taken to her home which is called a Foster Home. Mr. Andrews told me I’m to stay here until I grow up or until I’m adopted. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about being adopted into a new family, not when my parents could still be alive and looking for me. However, I find that I like living here with Miss Sarah and the other kids here. I think I’ve already become good friends with them and they have already accepted me as a part of their family. Miss Sarah is very kind and takes good care of all of us.

It’s almost overwhelming Professor, the kindness that all these people have shown me. Mr. Andrews treated me like his own even though I only stayed with him for one day and one night, and Miss Sarah is no different. Even Daisy, one of the kids I’m living with, already calls me her big brother.

I don’t know what lies ahead for me in the future. I don’t know if I’ll ever find my parents or even see you again Professor, but it will be enough knowing that you got this letter from me. I really miss you, Flora, and everyone else back in London, but I won’t let that discourage me. I’m sure that with everything you’ve taught me, I’ll be able to go out on my own and become a true gentleman. I’ll also be sure to do my best if any new puzzles come my way.

Give Flora my best as well as any of our friends. I’ll miss you Professor and I’ll never forget you. Please don’t worry yourself over me, and I’ll be sure to contact you immediately if anything goes wrong. Thank you for everything Professor, and I hope our paths cross again someday.

Sincerely, your Number One Apprentice,

Luke Triton

Luke sighed and capped his pen. He carefully tore out the pages that contained his letter and put his notebook and pen away. Holding the papers tightly, he quickly made his way downstairs and found Miss Sarah in the sitting area, reading a book. “Um...excuse me, Miss Sarah?” Luke slowly entered the room as Miss Sarah looked up from her book. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you had any envelopes?” he asked.

Miss Sarah placed her bookmark in her book and closed it, “What do you need one for, Luke?” she asked.

“Well…” Luke looked at the letter in his hands, “I wrote a letter to the Professor about everything that’s happened, about me being here.” he explained, “I don’t know if he knows about what happened to me or...or my parents...and I’d like to send it to him, just to let him know I’m alright.”

Miss Sarah smiled and got up, “Come over here, let’s get your letter properly addressed.” Luke smiled and followed Miss Sarah over to a wooden desk in the corner of the room. She pulled out an envelope, a pen, and some stamps. “Do you know the Professor’s address?” she asked, handing Luke the pen.

Luke nodded; he knew the Professor’s home address like the back of his hand, he had practically lived there after all. Luke neatly wrote the Professor’s address on the back of the envelope before gently folding up his letter and placing it safely inside. He licked the envelope closed and gave it to Miss Sarah to put the proper stamps on.

“Now, I’ll put this at your place at the table,” Miss Sarah said once they were done, “That way when you wake up, you’ll remember to put it in the mailbox tomorrow.”

Luke nodded, “Thank you Miss Sarah.” he said sincerely.

Miss Sarah smiled and placed a hand on his head, “It’s no trouble at all Luke,” she said warmly, “I’m sure the Professor will be very happy to get your letter.” “I hope so.” Luke said before letting out a yawn. Miss Sarah giggled, “Looks like someone’s ready for bed, you’ve had a long day,” she led Luke to the staircase, “You head on up, I’ll be up shortly.”

Luke nodded as he slowly began to climb the stairs. “Good night Miss Sarah.”

“Good night Luke.”

By the time Luke had made it to his room, Apollo and Brian were already in their pajamas, sitting and talking on their beds. Luke made his way towards his own bed when Apollo spoke up, “Hey, where were you?” he asked, “You were writing and then you just disappeared.”

Luke smiled, “I was just writing a letter to the Professor,” he answered, “I want to let him know that I’m okay.”

Brian lay on his stomach, facing Luke, “Think he’ll write back?” he asked.

“I’m sure he will, he’s a gentleman after all.” Luke said, “What are we doing tomorrow?”

Apollo shrugged, “Tomorrow’s Saturday so we can do whatever we want.”

Brian nodded, “You’re lucky you came today; you don’t have to go to school yet.”

Luke’s smile faded at the mention of school. Miss Sarah would most likely send him to one now that he was living here. Maybe if he was lucky he would be at the same school as some of the other kids. “What’s your school like?” Luke asked.

“Normal.” Brian answered vaguely.

Apollo rolled his eyes, “He means there’s nothing special about it, it’s just a regular school.”

Luke felt a little relieved to hear that. It hopefully wouldn’t be any different than the school that he attended before he met the Professor. “Do you all go to the same school?” he asked.

“Kind of,” Apollo answered, “The schools are pretty close to each other, Emily and I go to the local High School, Brian goes to Middle School, and Susie and Daisy are in Elementary school; how old are you by the way?”

“I’m thirteen, but I’ll be fourteen in a few months.” Luke answered. (According to my math anyway)

Apollo nodded, “Then you might be in the same school as Susie, until the year ends,” Apollo said thoughtfully, “Next year you may end up in the same school as Emily and me.”

Luke put his hand on his chin thoughtfully. It was about Spring time now, meaning the school year was more than half over. Would Luke have any time to catch up with the other kids? “If I started school now, I’d be pretty far behind,” Luke voiced his thoughts, “Maybe I wouldn’t go to school until the new year starts.”

Brian gaped, “What?! That’s not fair!” he complained.

“Don’t worry Brian, I was just guessing,” Luke reassured him, “I may still be able to go this year.”

“Oh, okay!” Brian responded, his sadness forgotten.

Luke looked at the ceiling, “It’s been a long time since I’ve gone to school,” he said, “When I became the Professor’s apprentice, he always taught me what I needed to know.”

“Maybe you won’t even have to go at all, since you’re from a different place and all.” Brian suggested.

“We’ll let the school be the judge of that.” The three boys looked up to see Miss Sarah in the doorway. “I’m going to call the school board tomorrow to decide what to do with you grade-wise, so don’t worry about it.” she explained. “Now, everyone into bed.”

“Awww!” Brian whined, but did as he was told anyway.

Luke got under the covers and Miss Sarah walked over Brian’s bed. “Good night Brian,” she said softly, giving him a kiss. Apollo pulled his own covers up and Miss Sarah touched his shoulder, “Good night Apollo.” she said.

“Good night.” Apollo said softly.

She then walked over to Luke’s bed and pulled the covered up, tucking him in. “Good night Luke,” she said, placing a gentle hand on his head.

“Good night.” Luke responded, feeling sleepy already.

She walked over to the door and turned off the lights, “Sweet dreams.” she whispered before softly closing the door and going to bid the girls good night. Luke let his eyes slowly shut, as he almost instantly fell asleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luke was floating. He was in a sea of blackness that stretched for miles around him. His limbs felt heavy as he tried to move. He tried to call out but bubbles came out of his mouth. Luke’s chest tightened as he tasted the tang of salt on his tongue; he was underwater.

Luke began looking around for the surface as he couldn’t tell which way was up. A low moan filled the area and Luke looked to see two dark figures materializing in the distance. They appeared to be flailing in distress like he was. Luke swam closer to them and finally made out their faces.

It was his parents.

Brenda’s eyes were wide as she was more visibly panicked than her husband. Clark was trying to hold onto her and get to the surface, but no matter how hard they tried, they seemed to be getting lower.

Luke swam over and reached out to them, “M-Mum! Dad!” he yelled, bubbles coming from his mouth as he spoke. He tried to swim towards them, but something kept him from progressing any lower to get to them.

Brenda looked up at her son with sad and slowly dying eyes, “Luke…” she moaned softly, small bubbles emerging, indicating her breath was almost gone. “Luke...why did you leave us?”

“What…?” Luke stopped swimming.

“Why did you leave us? Why did you leave us?” Brenda droned over and over, getting softer each time.

“I...I didn’t…”

“You betrayed us, Luke.” Clark said so flatly that it was almost haunting. “You left us for another family.”

Luke’s eyes widened. “No, I-I didn’t!” he protested, “I-I didn’t have a choice!”

“You betrayed us.” Clark repeated. “You betrayed us, son.”

“No...no I didn’t!”

“Why did you leave us? Why Luke?”

Luke grasped his head, shaking it in denial. “I didn’t...I didn’t leave you!”

“You betrayed us.”

“Why did you leave us?”

“You betrayed us.”

“Why did you leave us?”

Betray...Leave...Betray...Leave…

“No…” Luke whispered, “I’m sorry...it wasn’t my fault!”

“Why did you leave us? Why did you betray us?”

“Why Luke?” “Why…?”

Why…? Luke… Luke…”

“Luke...Luke...wake up!”

Luke’s eyes flew open and he felt two hands gripping his shoulders. Luke squirmed out of their grasp and sat up, sweat beading his forehead.

“Luke?”

Luke’s head whipped towards the whisper of his name and saw Apollo next to him. He could make out a concerned expression on his face despite the dark. “A...Apollo?” Luke whispered.

Apollo nodded, “You were having a nightmare, are you okay?” he asked.

Luke took a few deep breaths and nodded, “Yeah I...I think so…” He glanced past Apollo to see that Brian was thankfully still asleep. He didn’t want to wake the whole house from a simple nightmare. “Sorry I woke you.” He murmured and made to lie back down.

Apollo glanced at his bracelet and grasped his shoulder, “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, “You don’t want to talk or anything?”

Luke hesitated, but nodded nonetheless, “Yeah, I’m sure; I’m fine.”

Apollo’s arm seemed to tense as he glanced at his bracelet again and then back at Luke. “You’re lying…” he whispered.

“What?”

“You’re lying Luke, you’re not okay,” Apollo said firmly.

“H-How do you know?” Luke asked, intrigued by how Apollo could see through him so easily.

Apollo smirked, “If you tell me what’s bothering you, I’ll tell you how.” he challenged.

Luke opened his mouth to protest, but deep down, he knew it was pointless. “Alright, I’ll tell you,” he said softly, pulling his knees up to his chest. “It was...it was about my parents.” Luke started. “I saw them drowning; I tried to help them but I couldn’t reach.” Luke squeezed his eyes shut, “They kept saying that I left them, that I betrayed them...and they wouldn’t stop. I had to watch them...watch them...”

Luke buried his face in his knees, “I wish I knew...I wish I knew!” he exclaimed quietly. His head began to hurt again from the simple thought of his memories.

“Knew what?” Apollo asked.

“If they’re still alive!”

Apollo’s eyes widened in surprise, “You mean...your parent are still out there somewhere?” he asked.

Luke shook his head, “I don’t know! We...we were on a boat and-and it sank. I...I don’t remember how it happened, but my parents weren’t anywhere! They weren’t with the survivors but they weren’t with the dead!” Luke’s shoulders began to shake as his eyes became wet. “I wish...I just wish I could remember what happened to them! I want to know if they’re still alive!”

Luke proceeded to bury his face in his arms and cry silently, his jerking shoulders and short breaths as the only indication that he was crying. Apollo hesitantly put his arm around Luke in a half-hug. Luke unconsciously leaned into the older boy, not bothering to try and stop his tears.

Apollo couldn’t help but feel for Luke. He also knew the pain of not knowing what happened to his parents. He remembered he would spend countless nights lying awake in bed, wondering what had happened to his parents. Wondered if they were even still alive at this point and why they had given him up.

Apollo and Luke leaned against the wall, still in each other’s embrace. He rubbed Luke’s arm soothingly as Luke silently wept and tried to keep his own eyes dry as well.

The next morning, Miss Sarah entered the boy’s room to let them know that breakfast was ready. Brian and the girls had woken up a while ago but Luke and Apollo hadn’t come down yet.

She looked at Luke’s bed and stared at the sight. A warm smile spread across her face; Apollo and Luke were sound asleep in Luke’s bed. The two boys were cuddled against each other tightly, their expressions peaceful in their slumber.

It seemed Susie was right; Luke had found his place in the family after all.

Chapter Text

True to her word, Miss Sarah called the school board that afternoon. She balanced the phone between her ear and her shoulder while she sat at the small computer in her room. The police had sent her all of Luke’s schooling and personal info just in case the board asked about it. A half hour later, the board had decided on what to do with Luke school-wise. She thanked them and hung up before heading downstairs to find Luke. He found him sitting in the playroom with Apollo, a puzzle game between them.

“Luke,” The two boys looked up at her. “I just finished calling the school board.”

Luke perked up, “Really? What did they say?”

“They aren’t sure which grade to place you in since you’ve been learning from the Professor,” Miss Sarah answered, “So tomorrow, I’m going to take you to the school so they can give you test so they can determine where to place you.”

Luke nodded in understanding, “Okay, that makes sense.” Miss Sarah nodded and left the boys to their devices. “By the way Apollo, you need to hold up your end of the deal.” Luke said as they observed the puzzle game.

“Huh?” Apollo asked dumbly.

Luke smirked at him, “You said if I told you about my nightmare, you would tell me how you were able to tell I was lying,” he clarified. Luke sat up a bit straighter, all ears, “So? How could you tell?”

Apollo smiled and held up his left arm where his large golden bracelet rested. “It was this bracelet,” he answered, “Every time someone lies, it squeezes my arm.”

Luke’s face became puzzled, “Really? Are you sure it’s not a coincidence?”

Apollo nodded, “I’m sure; it only squeezes my arm when someone lies and it gets even tighter if it’s a really big lie!”

“Where did you get it?” Luke asked.

Apollo looked at it, “I’ve had it as long as I can remember; Miss Sarah said it was with me when I first came here.” he answered.

“How long have you been here?” Luke asked. Apollo’s expression became reminiscent, “All my life.” Luke’s eyes widened. “Well, almost my whole life,” Apollo resolved, “I was dropped off here when I was about one or two.”

“Dropped off?” Luke asked.

Apollo nodded, “Miss Sarah said that a woman came by one night and gave me to her asking if she would take care of me,” he explained, “She had no idea who that woman was and didn’t see her face either, said she was wearing a cloak, but she never saw her again and I’ve been here ever since.”

“Wow,” Luke breathed. That was certainly an intriguing story. Just like his, Apollo's parents were surrounded in mystery. Both boys had no idea where they were or if they were still alive. "So, neither of us know what happened to our parents." Luke concluded.

"Yeah." Apollo agreed, looking away from Luke, not wanting the younger boy to see his expression.

Luke smiled sympathetically, "I'm sure we'll find them." He said softly.

"What?" Apollo looked back at him.

Luke's expression became determined and a bit optimistic, "Our parents. Just because they're gone now it doesn't mean we won't find them." He explained. "I'm sure one day, we'll find out what happened to them."

Apollo seemed taken aback by his words. "What makes you so sure?" He asked.

Luke held up a finger, "What happened to them, where they are and why, it's like one big puzzle." He smirked, "And every puzzle has an answer; we just have to know where to find it."

Apollo looked thoughtful, "A puzzle..."

Luke nodded, "We don't know how long it will be, but we'll find the answer together, I'm sure of it."

Apollo slowly smiled and nodded, "Yeah, we will find them, together!"

“It’s a deal, then!” Luke declared, holding out his hand. The two boys shook hands just as Brian entered the room.

“Hey guys! Are you doing puzzles?” he asked.

Luke smiled, “Yeah; want me to teach you?”

Brian’s face lit up, “You bet!” he placed himself between Apollo and Luke and looked at the puzzle game, “So how does it work?”

Luke scooted a bit closer to the board so he could explain the puzzle. “Alright, it goes like this…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh relax Luke, I’m sure you did fine!” Susie said. The kids were all sitting at the table eating dinner. Luke had returned from his placement test a few hours ago and he was still a bit worried about the results.

“Did you know most of the questions?” Emily asked. Luke nodded.

“Then what are you worried about?” Apollo asked.

Luke shrugged, “It’s just, there were so many questions...I don’t remember if the answers were really right or not.” The test had multiple parts with twenty or more questions pertaining to a different subject, like math, science, etc. Luke wasn’t stumped by any of the questions, but there were still some that required him to take an educated guess. He tried to look at those questions like a puzzle, crossing off answers that he knew weren’t right. He had to say, he was glad that all the Professor’s lessons stuck with him during that test. Now all he had to do was wait for the results, which would arrive in a few days.

“Don’t worry big brother, I’m sure you got every question right.” Daisy chirped. Luke smiled slightly at the girl’s optimism.

“Well, we’ll find out in a few days,” Miss Sarah said. “In the meantime, we’ll have to get you all the right supplies for school so you’ll be ready when you start.” Luke nodded and took a sip of water.

“Luke showed me some puzzles today!” Brian piped up, deciding to change the subject.

“What kind of puzzles? Can you show us?” Daisy asked eagerly.

“Sure.” Luke said with a smile, “See if you can figure out this one…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day was Monday, so all the kids had to go to school, except for Luke. Miss Sarah said it would probably be a few days until they got the results so Luke wouldn’t be able to go to school until next week. So until then, Luke would have to stay at the house. Luckily, Miss Sarah worked from home so he wouldn’t be home alone, but Miss Sarah was a busy woman and there was no one or anywhere Luke knew to go for the time.

“Will you be alright by yourself Luke?” Miss Sarah asked as she headed up the stairs to her room.

Luke nodded and tipped his cap, “Don’t worry about me Miss Sarah, you go and do your work; I’ll find a way to entertain myself.”

“Well...alright,” Miss Sarah said, “I’ll come down and fix us lunch later, alright?”

“Okay.”

Miss Sarah disappeared into her room and Luke was left alone. He wandered into the playroom and looked around for anything to do. He perused the board games, but very few of them could be played alone. None of the playthings lying around caught his interest either; they were mostly little toys that Daisy or Brian played with, nothing he could use by himself.

His eyes then landed on the T.V. and on the game system hooked up to it. He knelt in front of the console, he had never played a videogame before. Mostly because his adventures with the Professor gave him all the excitement he needed.

He turned it on, picked up a controller and sat down on the carpeted floor. The title ‘Steel Samurai’ flashed on the screen and Luke pressed the start button on the controller; he may as well make use of all his free time by learning something new.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miss Sarah came down the stairs at around lunchtime so she could make something for her and Luke. She entered the kitchen to see Luke sitting on the floor, his eyes glued to the television. He seemed to be concentrating as hard as he could, slamming the buttons on the controller while the Steel Samurai on the screen fought and defeated his enemies. “Ha! Take that, Evil Magistrate!” he said triumphantly.

Miss Sarah barely suppressed a giggle as she went to the counter to start lunch.

Chapter Text

Three days passed and Luke found himself feeling more and more at home at Miss Sarah’s place. He had to admit, it was boring sitting in the house all day, but it wasn’t like he couldn’t find things to do. He would sometimes play Steel Samurai, but he could only sit in front of the T.V. for so long. Most times he found himself sitting on his bed or the couch and flipping through his notebook. He would look back at all the puzzles he had recorded for the few years he had lived with the Professor, which dated all the way back to when they first met.

He would kill massive amounts of time by seeing if he remembered the solutions to some really old puzzles, to keep his puzzle solving skills up to par. What kind of gentleman would he be if he couldn’t solve even the simplest puzzles? But despite how fun it was solving them, he still had the most fun when his...brothers and sisters...came home from school.

The kids would try to finish their homework as fast as possible so they could play and talk with Luke. Luke sometimes even helped the younger ones with difficult problems with Apollo and Emily. Luke would also listen to some of their school days if anything exciting happened and to hopefully, get a better grasp on where he was going to be going to school.

Whenever he thought about the school he would be going to, his pulse always sped up. He was still nervous about how the school board would think of his test results. But hearing about their schools made him feel a little better; for the most part, they sounded like normal schools. He was especially relieved to hear that none of their schools had major problems with bullies; that was the last thing Luke wanted to worry about in a new school.

But soon, the moment of truth arrived.

The kids had just arrived home and were all playing in the living room when Miss Sarah entered. “Guess what just came in!” she announced, holding up an envelope.

The kids all stopped what they were doing and stared at the letter, “Is that…?” Luke trailed off.

Miss Sarah nodded, “Your results came in.” she said.

“Well, what does it say?” Brian asked excitedly.

“Open it, open it!” Daisy jumped up and down.

Miss Sarah opened the envelope and Luke couldn’t help but gulp. Miss Sarah pulled out the folded papers, opened them, and skimmed the words. “We are pleased to announce,” she read, “That Mr. Luke Triton will be entering the 10th grade!”

Small cheers came from the younger kids as Miss Sarah read on. “Mr. Triton has displayed admirable intelligence beyond his years in all subjects on the test given to him. We believe that he will excel greatly in the 10th grade, but is welcome to jump back a grade if he so desires. Mr. Triton will be due for school on Tuesday of this week; we hope he enjoys his remaining school year at our school.”

Luke deflated from relief as he was assaulted by happy cheers from the other kids. He hadn’t messed up. The school board said he was smart, and smart enough to enter high school no less!

Miss Sarah gave the letter to Luke to read for himself, “Well, it seems we got all the right supplies for you.” she teased. Luke’s eyes ran over the list of school supplies near the bottom of the letter, and sure enough, just about everything Luke and Miss Sarah bought were on the list.

“You’re gonna love it at our school Luke.” Apollo said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Emily and I will show you the ropes.”

“Sure will! You’ll fit right in!” Emily agreed.

Luke smiled at them, feeling his previous nervousness for school almost completely die down into nothing. Almost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luke gulped as he the principal’s office of the high school, Apollo and Emily by his side. Luke’s brand new blue backpack was on his back, full of everything he would need for the day. His stomach was doing so many flips he thought he would throw up. He shakily looked at the small slip of paper he had been given, containing all his classes for the day. He thanked whatever great deity was out there that just about all of his classes he shared with Apollo or Emily, easing his fright if only by a tiny bit. Now all he had to do was make it through the day...that couldn’t be too hard, right?

The bell rang, making Luke jump about foot in the air, his nerves just about shot. Emily couldn’t help but laugh, making Luke blush slightly. “Boy, you’re really on edge today; just relax Luke!” she said. Luke nodded and took multiple shaky breaths to calm his beating heart as the other students began to flood into the school building.

“C’mon Luke.” Apollo said, leading him down the hall, “Your first few classes are with me.”

Emily waved after them, “I’ll see you two later!” she called, before disappearing into a current of student going the opposite direction.

Luke couldn’t help but stare at his feet as he let Apollo steer him through the crowded hallways. It had been so long since he had been in a real school; he had forgotten how small it made you feel, especially in his case. He felt like everyone around him was a giant, even Apollo. He was normally used to being the short one, but here it just felt like a disadvantage.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at their designated classroom. Kids who had arrived early were chatting with one another, catching up on work, or just hanging around. “There should be an empty desk for you near mine.” Apollo said. Luke barely heard him as he felt eyes begin to focus on him. The other kids had already noticed that he was a new face. He just prayed they didn’t act as intimidating as they looked.

“Hey, relax Luke.” Apollo said, snapping him out of his fear induced daze. He grasped both his shoulders and looked directly at him. “You’re gonna be fine, just say you’re gonna be fine.”

“W-What?” Luke asked. “Why?”

Apollo smiled, “Whenever I’m nervous, I just say I’m fine, and it actually feels like everything will be fine.” he explained. “Go on, give it a try.” he said. “You’re Luke Triton, and you’re fine.”

Luke took a shaky breath, “I-I’m Luke Triton, a-and I’m fine.” he said.

Apollo gave him a nudge, “Good, now say it again, with more confidence.” he encouraged.

“I-I’m Luke Triton, and I’m fine.” Luke said a little louder. To his surprise, his hands didn’t seem to be shaking as much anymore, and he no longer heard his heart beating in his ears. “I’m Luke Triton, and I’m fine!” he said, a determined look on his face.

“That’s the spirit!” Apollo said happily. “Isn’t that better?”

Luke nodded, “I really do feel fine now!” he exclaimed. “See? What I tell you?” Luke beamed as he felt all his nervousness from earlier completely melt. Maybe he really could make it through the day!

“Hey ‘Pollo!”

Luke and Apollo turned to see a black haired boy wearing a royal blue jacket coming towards them. “Morning Clay!” Apollo greeted, giving the boy a wave.

The boy, Clay, approached them and looked at Luke, “Who’s this?” he asked. His eyes then lit up in realization. “Are the new kid everyone’s been going on about?”

Luke looked taken aback but nodded anyway, “Yes, but...people have been talking about me? he asked, pointing to himself.

Clay nodded, “Oh yeah, the school always gives an announcement when a new student is transferring; says it helps them keep track of all of us or something like that.”

Apollo shook his head, “This is Luke Triton; he just starting living with Emily and I.” he said.

“Nice to meet you.” Luke greeted, holding out his hand.

Clay took it and grinned, “You too Luke; name’s Clay Terran, Apollo’s best buddy!” Apollo rolled his eyes but Clay ignored him, releasing Luke’s hand. “So Luke, how are you liking this place so far?” he asked.

“Class hasn’t even started Clay.” Apollo said flatly.

“Well, I was nervous at first,” Luke admitted, “But I feel okay now, thanks to Apollo.”

Clay grinned, “Let me guess; I’m Clay Terran, and I’m fine!” Luke looked a bit surprised but nodded nonetheless. “Yeah, Apollo and I always say stuff like that when we’re feeling down.” Clay said, gesturing to Apollo. “Good to know we have a third member onboard.”

Luke smiled shyly, “Thanks.” So far, so good.

The bell suddenly rang again and the students in the classroom hurried to their desks. Luke went up to the front of the room as the teacher entered. She smiled down at him as he approached her, “Ah, you must be the new student.” she said.

“I’m Luke Triton, ma’am.” Luke said with a nod and handing her his schedule.

She looked it over briefly before giving it back to him and lead Luke to her desk. “Alright everyone, settle down!” she called. “As you know, we have a new student with us today.” she gestured to Luke who was bravely facing the curious and excited faces of his classmates. “Go ahead and introduce yourself.” she said to him.

Luke forced his body to stop shaking and took a deep breath ‘I’m fine; I’m Luke Triton, and I’m fine.’ “My name is Luke Triton.” he said. “I just moved here from London; it’s very nice to meet all of you.”

The teacher smiled, impressed with his mature introduction, “Thank you Luke; you can take your seat.” Luke nodded and took the empty desk in the middle next to the window. Apollo was a few seats behind him while Clay was a few seats up front, neither of them too far away.

The teacher picked up the chalk and Luke put his attention on her as the lesson began. As he listened, he felt all his worries melt off his shoulders. With Apollo, Emily, and Clay here, this school wasn’t going to be that bad at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One month later…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luke hummed softly to himself as he walked down the dark streets from school. He had been working as hard as he could to catch up with the other students which involved a lot of late night stays after school (since he preferred to spend his lunch and free time with Apollo, Emily, and Clay). Brian, Daisy and Susie had no idea how he put up with it, even Apollo and Emily were impressed with the work load he was taking in, but Luke really didn’t mind. Thanks to being around the Professor for so long, long hours of learning and work were no stranger to him and he learned to enjoy it.

And thanks to his diligence, his teachers all said that he would be caught up very soon. Plus, some of the assignments he was given were much easier than the past group projects his teachers had exempted him from. They really wanted to see him succeed.

He stopped under a street light and pulled a piece of paper out of his satchel; it was another letter from the Professor. He scanned his writing, reading and absorbing every word.

My dear Luke,

I am very pleased to hear that you are doing so well in your new school. I sincerely apologize again that I am unable to come down and see you, but it relieves me greatly knowing that you are happy at your new home. From what you’ve told me about the ones taking care of you, I can rest easy knowing that such wonderful people are taking care of you. Please pass on my thanks to Miss Williams if you would as I highly doubt I will be unable to visit her anytime soon.

I was able to pass your story on to our friends and acquaintances and they all wish you the best of luck. They all hoped to remain in contact with you, but I assure you, communication through our letters will suffice enough for them. Flora misses you greatly and is quite curious about your new home. I wouldn’t be surprised if she decided to save up her money in order to travel over to you in the near future.

I have been looking into what happened to the ship and have not found any leads. Even Scotland Yard have come to a dead end. Due to the ship sinking in under an hour and no one being able to identify where it has sunken yet, we have yet to discover how the ship sunk. Inspector Chelmey told me that whether the sinking was an accident or sabotage could change everything.

Judging by your last letter, your memories are still fuzzy correct? I imagine that it is simply a defense mechanism, keeping you from remembering that tragic event clearly. If you are able to remember anything at all about the incident, or if anything suspicious arises write to me immediately. In the mean time, you focus on your studies and your new family; I promise that I will keep looking for any clues and signs of your parents.

Good luck to you, my boy.

Sincerely,

Professor Layton

Luke smiled warmly, as he could almost hear the Professor’s voice through the letter. He also felt really good knowing that he wasn’t lying to him about anything. Before he started school, he was afraid that bullying would keep him from telling the truth about his new life, but to his delight, none of the students bothered him in the slightest. Plus, getting letters from the Professor always made him feel good; it was reassuring knowing that he could still keep in contact with him. It made the whole two weeks he had to wait worth it.

He had just finished reading when he heard a crash in the distance. He looked up and around, but saw nothing. Feeling a bit cautious, Luke slowly put the letter away and slowly continued walking. His eyes darted around a bit, but he took a deep breath to calm himself. “A gentleman doesn’t get scared.” he told himself softly.

He walked for a few more moments when a loud bang was heard, like the sound of something hard hitting solid metal. Luke jumped and looked around frantically until his eyes fell on an alleyway a few yards in front of him. His eyes widened as he watched a shadow portrayed on the wall due to the bright streetlights. The shadow of a person was holding something down. Hands from beneath the shadow flailed at it, confirming that someone was holding someone down.

Luke watched with baited breath as the first shadow was knocked out of sight and both shadows rolled away. One of the shadows then reappeared holding a large knife in his hand in a threatening position. Fear and concern overcame Luke and he ran towards the alley. Just as the knife began its descent, the streetlight illuminating the alley flickered and went out.

Luke skidded to a stop as the darkness swallowed the area. He didn’t move a muscle as he heard the sound of someone gurgling and frantic footsteps running away. A few moments later, the lights flickered back on again, lighting up the black area. Luke sighed in relief but let out a gasp as he took in the sight in front of him. A middle aged man was lying in the alley, unmoving. His throat was sliced open, the blood quickly creating a pool around the corpse.

Luke’s breath caught in his throat as his eyes locked with the empty open ones of the man in front of him and the thick smell of blood filled the air. Luke tried to keep his knees from knocking as he fought the urge to scream. With pure adrenaline pumping through him, Luke took off down the street, away from the gruesome scene. He didn’t stop or even slow down as he reached home.

He flew up the driveway, threw himself inside and slammed the door shut. He pressed his back against the door as if the body he just saw would try to break through at any moment.

Miss Sarah rushed out of the kitchen followed by the kids, startled from the noise of the door. “Luke?” she asked, taking in the frightened boy’s face. Luke’s breaths came out shaky and quickly, shaking his entire frame. “Luke, what’s wrong?” Miss Sarah asked frowning.

“Luke?” Apollo asked.

“Big brother?” Daisy asked timidly. Their words seemed to come out muffled to Luke as he slowly slid to the floor, his eyes still wide and unblinking.

Now very concerned, Miss Sarah knelt in front of Luke and grasped his shoulders, “Luke, what is it?” she asked firmly, “What’s the matter?”

Luke blinked a few times looking at her and struggled to get words out. “I...I…” he whispered.

“What?” Susie asked, leaning in closer to hear.

“I saw...a man...Mr. Wells...I saw…”

“You saw Mr. Wells?” Emily asked, recognizing her teacher’s name, “What about him?”

Luke grasped his head with both hands as he shook even more, “Mr. Wells...blood...alley...so much blood…” Apollo and Emily looked with growing horror at each other as they tried to piece together what Luke was saying. Luke gulped, finally finding the strength to speak normally. “I saw Mr. Wells in an alley...he’s...he’s dead…”