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It had started out as a normal day.
A lot had changed since the second trip to Forbodium. Alfendi’s two sides had started getting along much more now that their origins were fully understood. And while Fendi still preferred the sanctity of the Mystery Room and the reconstruction machine, he had agreed to go to more crime scenes, knowing that Al lived for them. Lucy, of course, continued to balance them out, much to the astonishment of basically everyone at the yard, and soon the Mystery Room team was the biggest force to be reckoned with in the yard.
Meanwhile, Hilda, much to her own surprise, had grown close to Alfendi and especially Lucy. It was as if learning the truth behind the first trip to Forbodium had finally allowed her and Alfendi to finally move on and become friends again. She hadn’t expected to become so close to Lucy though.
Lucy whose presence could brighten up any room. Lucy whose endless optimism should annoy Hilda but for some reason doesn’t. Lucy who somehow understood Alfendi and balanced out both sides better than Hilda would have thought possible.
Of course, that might be her own personal feelings and history with Al talking.
She had thought that Lucy and Alfendi’s relationship might turn into a romantic one considering the connection they seemed to share, but as the months passed nothing about their dynamic changed much to Hilda’s surprise. She’d confronted Lucy about it once, during one of their lunches together but Lucy had just shrugged.
“It just ain’t like that with us. Yeah, we complement each other well but we wouldn’t in that way. Besides,” she smirked, “he ain’t where my preferences lie.”
Hilda had ignored the sense of relief that knowledge had given her. It wasn’t like she had any reason to be worried, her and Al’s relationship was long in the past and she had fully moved on, why would there have been need for jealousy?
And so, life had gone on. Hilda had just returned from a rather longwinded case abroad the day before and was looking forward to spending the next while in London. She finished off the paperwork that was due that day and glanced at the clock. If she called now, she might just be able to catch Lucy before she left the yard for the day and see if she was free for lunch the following day. But before she could pick up the phone to dial, it rang.
“Pertinax,” she answered.
“Hilda? Oh, thank god you’re back.” Hilda recognized it as Fendi on the other end of the line.
Hilda’s brow furrowed at the urgency in his voice. “What’s going on?”
“Lucy’s been shot.”
Hilda wasn’t sure how the conversation went after that. She felt as if she was in a haze as she rushed out of the Interpol office to her car and to the hospital. Fendi hadn’t given her much detail, just that Lucy was in surgery and which hospital they were at. She made it there in record time and ran inside, a quick glance around the lobby revealing no one from the yard so she went to the desk instead. “Lucy Baker?” She asked somewhat breathlessly.
“Waiting room 3A.”
Hilda barely got out a thanks before she had taken off again. She burst into the waiting room, quickly locating a head of crimson hair. “Al,” she said, approaching him. “What the hell happened?”
“We were told the suspect had fled the scene after the murder but apparently whoever cleared the house was a bloody idiot,” Al snarled. “We came across him as we were examining the scene and he managed to get a shot in before he was subdued.” Al sagged though Hilda could see the fire in his eyes, ready to be unleashed should someone from the initial team to visit the site dared cross him.
“How bad?” Hilda whispered, sinking down into the chair next to Al. The urgency from earlier had left her and she felt defeated, knowing there was nothing she could do at this point. It suddenly hit her that the last time she had felt like this was after the initial trip to Forbodium when it was Al in surgery.
Yeah, she could unpack that realization later.
“Her right shoulder. She’ll live but rehab is going to take a while, assuming she ever regains full function in her arm.” Al’s voice took on a bitter tone. “All because of those blasted idiots who couldn’t fucking clear a scene properly.” He got louder as the rage grew once again.
“Hey!” Hilda snapped. “You bloody well know there’s nothing you can do about that now, but you need to remember that this is a hospital and you will get kicked out if you cause a scene. So, if you can’t stay calm, take a step back for a moment.” She softened as Al slumped in his chair once again. “I’m worried about her too,” she murmured.
“I always hate it when you’re right,” Al griped.
“You think you’d be used to me being right by now,” Hilda quipped with a smirk.
Al didn’t seem to have the energy left to respond and for a while they lapsed into silence. As time passed his hair shifted from the bright crimson to more of a purple hue. “He and I both agree that it’s best if I’m the one to speak to the doctor,” Fendi said by way of explanation.
“Bet he’s still fuming though.” Hilda chuckled wanly; Al may know when to take a step back but that didn’t mean he liked to.
“He did call me a dick as soon as I said that,” Fendi agreed.
Any further conversation was put on hold by the doctor entering the room. “Lucy Baker?”
Hilda and Fendi were immediately on their feet and making their way over to her. “How is she?” Fendi asked.
“All in all, lucky. The bullet went through cleanly causing minimal damage. We removed the fragments and stitched her shoulder back up, but while she should regain full movement, it will take a while.” The doctor explained.
Hilda let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in relief. “Can we see her?”
“As soon as she’s settled in her room,” the doctor confirmed. “Someone should come for you shortly.” With that, she excused herself and disappeared once more.
“Well, that wasn’t very informative,” Fendi muttered, frustrated by how little the doctor had revealed.
“Al really is a bad influence on you.” That comment got Hilda a glare, though not one as withering as the one Al would have given her. “She’ll probably explain more once Lucy’s awake and can be told as well,” Hilda reasoned.
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Fendi sighed.
Hilda grinned. “You hate me being right too, don’t you?”
“He does have some influence,” Fendi admitted.
Just then a nurse appeared. “Lucy Baker?” She checked with them. “Follow me,” she continued once they had nodded, leading them to Lucy’s room. “She should wake up soon, call button is above the bed.”
She had barely finished speaking before Fendi had entered the room, Hilda at least took the time to mutter a quick thanks to the nurse before following him, stopping short as soon as she was through the door.
Lucy wasn’t a big person to begin with, but she looked absolutely tiny in the stark white hospital bed, especially with her skin pale and her hair limp. Her right arm was in a sling, Hilda noted, hoping for Lucy’s sake that she wouldn’t have to wear it too long, not being able to use her arm was going to drive her crazy.
Fendi had sunken down into a chair next to the bed looking stricken. He reached out, placing a tentative hand over Lucy’s where it rested on top of the blankets, unsure what else to do having never been in this position before. Not that the experience seemed to be helping Hilda as she slowly approached the bed. She’d never seen Lucy without her signature hat Hilda realized as she brushed a stray lock of hair from Lucy’s face. She wished that this had happened the first time under different circumstances. She took a seat on the opposite side of the bed from Fendi. All they could do now was wait.
They were about ten minutes into their silent vigil when Lucy stirred with a groan, blinking awake slowly. “Prof? Hilda?” She croaked out, trying to sit up.
Hilda was up immediately, easing Lucy back onto the pillows. “Easy now, Lucy, everything’s alright.”
Fendi, meanwhile, had poured a glass of water from the jug sitting on the table next to him. “Here, drink this.” He held the back of her head up with one hand as she quickly drained the glass.
“Thanks, Prof. God, that feels better. Did we get the guy?” Figures that would be the first thing Lucy would ask Hilda thought, taking in the keen look in her eye that she often saw the few times they had the opportunity to work together with amusement.
“Really? You got shot and the only thing you care about is if we got the guy?” Al had pushed his way forward again.
“Of course, I care about other things, that’s just the easiest one to answer,” Lucy told him with an eyeroll.
“They did,” Hilda interjected, cutting off the retort that was very clearly on Al’s tongue.
“Good, I hope he got a good walloping for what he did.” Lucy ginned sleepily.
A knock turned their attention to the door. “Oh good, you’re awake,” the doctor said as she entered. “How do you feel?”
“Like I’ve been shot,” Lucy quipped with a grin. Hilda rolled her eyes and Fendi, who had reappeared as soon as the knock came on the door, pinched the bridge of his nose. “Not too bad right now but I assume that’s the pain meds talking.”
The doctor chuckled. “Yes, I’m afraid that the pain is going to get worse before it gets better. You seem to be in good spirits though.”
“For now. How long ‘til I get this sling off?” Lucy gave the doctor a hopeful look.
“Not for a while, I’m sorry to say.”
Lucy groaned. “Please tell me I at least get to go home soon.”
“In a couple of days assuming all is well,” the doctor assured her.
“That’s good at least,” Lucy said with a yawn.
“Rest,” Hilda told her. “Don’t worry, Alfendi and I aren’t going anywhere.” Fendi murmured an assent and Lucy nodded, already most of the way to sleep.
“Might I have a word with the two of you?” The doctor asked quietly, beckoning towards the hallway. Fendi stood immediately though Hilda hesitated slightly, glancing down at a now sleeping Lucy before relenting and following them. “So, as you can probably guess, things are likely to be a bit difficult for her for a while without the use of her dominant arm.”
“If anyone can handle it, it’s Lucy,” Fendi interrupted her.
“I don’t doubt it,” the doctor grinned. “But that doesn’t change the fact that she’s going to be in pain and down an arm for a while. Does she have any roommates?”
Fendi shook his head. “No, she lives alone.”
“Family? She has you listed as her emergency contact, Inspector Layton, but there’s no mention of family in her file.”
Fendi paused for a moment before shaking his head with a sigh. “I don’t know, she’s never spoken about her family the entire time I’ve known her.”
Hilda felt a pang, she hadn’t realized that. Lucy was always such a ball of sunshine, she just assumed that her life reflected that. “I could stay with her,” she said suddenly.
“Are you sure?” Fendi asked her. “I could always ask Katrielle, I’m sure between the two of us we’d have it covered.”
Hilda shook her head. “Kat’s got enough going on with her business and I’m supposed to be in London for at least the next month.”
“Really?” This seemed to surprise Fendi.
“I’ve got a couple things I need to wrap up but then I’ve got some leave.” Hilda shrugged.
“They’re finally forcing you to take vacation, huh?” Fendi chuckled. “Well, that certainly is perfect timing.”
“Perfect,” the doctor spoke up, reminding them that she was there. “She’ll have to stay a couple days still to make sure everything’s alright, but after that you’ll be able to take her home.”
“She’ll certainly be itching to get out of here by then,” Fendi commented. “Thank you, doctor.”
The doctor took her leave once more and Fendi and Hilda went back in Lucy’s room, taking their seats by her bed once more. Hilda reached out a hand, placing it over Lucy’s as if to assure her that they were there, feeling a warmth in her chest as Lucy unconsciously gripped it. Her first realization from when she initially got to the hospital forced itself to the forefront of her mind once more.
The next few weeks were certainly shaping up to be interesting.
Lucy was released from hospital two days later and immediately upon release asked if she could go back to work.
Al had rolled his eyes and said to her, “if you seriously think you’re going to be allowed back only two days after being shot than you’re dumber than I thought. You are to take at least the next week off, brass’s orders, then we’ll talk.”
And so, Hilda had driven Lucy home as Al went back to the yard. They spent the drive in silence, neither really knowing what to say. The silence continued into Lucy’s flat until Hilda finally broke it. “I need to go into the office for a bit, you going to be okay on your own?”
“I’ll be fine, it’s not like I need a babysitter,” Lucy grumbled.
Hilda raised an eyebrow. “Really? Let’s see you make yourself something to eat then.”
“Okay.” Lucy walked into the kitchen; head held up in determination. Hilda trailed after her, watching in interest as Lucy opened a cupboard and took out a box of pasta and jar of sauce and then stopped. Hilda raised an eyebrow as Lucy attempted to manoeuvre the jar open before opening a drawer and holding up a takeout menu instead.
“Case in point,” Hilda remarked. “At any rate, I won’t be long, and I’ll pick up something on the way back. How do you feel about Thai?”
“Sounds good to me.” Lucy glanced at the jar sitting on the counter with a blush. “Ee, Hilda? Thanks.”
“Of course,” Hilda said sincerely. “Now, go relax, I’ll be back soon.”
True to her word, Hilda was back soon bearing the promised food and the paperwork she needed to complete in the next couple of days. She entered the flat to find Lucy fast asleep on the couch. She put the bags down with a grin, going to gently shake Lucy awake. “Lucy, food’s here.”
“Food?” Lucy perked up. “Great, I’m starving.” Hilda rolled her eyes affectionately as Lucy jumped up and went into the kitchen. She followed, pulling containers out the bag as Lucy fetched plates.
Dinner was a pleasant affair, leading into a lazy evening. The pair settled onto the couch, Lucy flipping the television on to a random Rector film, Hilda picking up one of the files she needed to finish working on.
“You really didn’t need to take off work for me, you know?” Lucy said quietly at one point, not looking away from the television as she did.
Hilda shrugged. “I’m on mandatory leave once this load of paperwork is done anyway.”
“Mandatory leave, eh? Is that code for you never take time off so they’re forcing you?” Lucy teased her, giggling as Hilda made an indignant sound.
“Well, however you phrase it, it meant that I was going to be off for a few weeks anyway. At least this way I get to spend time with a dear friend.” She flashed Lucy a bright smile, hoping she would buy it.
“Dear friend, yep,” Lucy muttered barely above her breath, returning Hilda’s smile with a somewhat weak one.
Hilda just chalked it up to tiredness.
The first hurdle came that evening as Lucy went to get ready for bed.
She was able to take the sling off to do things like change, but she was supposed to move her arm as little as possible and quite frankly she was in far too much pain to move it much currently. She had changed into pajama bottoms easily enough, but she found herself unable to get the t-shirt she had been wearing that day off. She sighed, as much as she hated sleeping in a bra, it looked like that was what she was going to do tonight.
A knock came at her door. “Lucy? Everything okay?”
“Yeah, it’s fine.” Lucy didn’t succeed in keeping the exasperation out of her voice.
Even with a door between them, Hilda saw right through her of course. “Can I come in?”
“Yeah.” Lucy sighed, collapsing on to her bed.
Hilda entered, raising an eyebrow as she noticed that Lucy was still wearing the same shirt. “Let me guess, having trouble with the shirt?” Lucy said nothing, refusing to meet her eyes. “You know that’s why I’m here, right?
“I know, it’s jus’ embarrassing,” Lucy mumbled. “I’m used to doing things on my own.”
Hilda gave Lucy a sympathetic smile, going to sit next to her. “Well, maybe this is your chance to learn to let other’s help you then.” She rubbed Lucy’s back. “If you’ll let me? You’d be a lot more comfortable.”
“Yeah, that’d be good,” Lucy relented. “It hurts to move my bad arm at all, but I can’t get it off myself with only one arm.”
Hilda nodded. “Okay, let’s get your good arm and your head through it, then it should be easy enough to slide off your other arm.” Lucy nodded, allowing Hilda to help her get her good arm through the sleeve before pulling the shirt up and over her head and then gently down her injured arm.
Left in just her bra, Lucy resisted the urge to curl into herself, getting up and fetching the shirt she normally slept in instead. “In reverse I guess?”
Hilda gave her a look. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those weird people who sleep in a bra. I don’t understand how anyone could put up with underwire poking them all night.”
Lucy blushed. “I’m not, actually.”
The sympathetic look returned. “I know this isn’t exactly an ideal situation and you’re probably rather uncomfortable but remember, I’m not here to judge, just help. And I think we both know you’ll be more comfortable if you let me help you.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Lucy grumbled.
Hilda decided to take a slight risk. “I could take my shirt off too if it would make you feel more comfortable.”
Lucy’s blush returned with a vengeance. “Ah, no, that’s fine,” she choked out. “I’ll take the help though.”
Hilda giggled at Lucy’s fluster; she certainly was distracted now. “If I unhook it for you, you should be able to wiggle out I would think.”
Lucy agreed and they made fairly quick work of getting Lucy the rest of the way ready for bed. Hilda was just finishing fastening Lucy’s sling back in place when Lucy said, “thanks by the way. You’re right, this isn’t the most comfortable experience ever, but I’m glad it’s you here, I wouldn’t want anyone else.”
Not for the first time in the past few days, Hilda wondered about the relationship between Lucy and her family. This wasn’t the time to approach it, however. “The circumstances may be unfortunate, but there’s nowhere I’d rather be.” She caught Lucy’s eye, the pair sharing a meaningful look, one that was interrupted by Lucy yawning. “It’s been a long day; you should get some sleep.” Hilda stood, making her way to the door.
Lucy nodded. “G’night, Hilda.”
Hilda paused in the doorway. “Good night, Lucy,” she said before closing the door behind her.
The second hurdle came the next morning.
Lucy desperately needed a shower. She had been too tired the night before but now all she wanted to do was wash the hospital off of her. But, once more, the limited movement in her arm was causing problems. She sighed. As much as she didn’t want to deal with this, there was no point in avoiding it. She left her room, easily finding Hilda in the kitchen, stopping short at the sight of her still in her sleepwear, including a pair of very short shorts.
Oh, sweet hell.
“Lucy,” Hilda greeted her brightly as she turned around. “How did you sleep?”
Lucy took probably just a second too long to shake herself out of her stupor but answered, “surprisingly well, actually.”
“Glad to hear.” Hilda flashed Lucy a bright smile. “I was just about to make us breakfast, fancy anything in particular?”
“Actually,” Lucy rubbed the back of her neck somewhat sheepishly, the embarrassment seeping in again. “I could really use a shower, but considering the limited range of motion I’ve got,” she trailed off.
“You need help.” Was that a hint of a blush Lucy saw? “Alright, let’s figure this out.”
They made their way into the bathroom, Lucy hanging back in the doorway while Hilda seemed to be considering the options. Lucy felt like bolting, or perhaps dying of embarrassment, but knew that this was unavoidable. Hilda was just glad for her excellent poker face as she tried to figure out the best way to go about this in order to minimize mortification. “Do you have any bubble bath?” Hilda finally asked Lucy.
“Aye, it’s in the cabinet, why?”
“You could use the bubbles to cover up while I help you with what you can’t do on your own and then you have a nice relaxing bath afterwards which you could probably use after these last few days,” Hilda explained. She turned to face Lucy. “What do you think? This is probably about the least uncomfortable way for you I can think of.” She chose to ignore the discomfort it was going to cause her.
Lucy thought about it and was taken aback somewhat to realize that there were other circumstances in which she would be much more enthused by this proposal. Still, “that should work,” she agreed.
“Perfect.” Hilda got the water running, fetching the bottle of bubble bath from the cabinet and adding some to the tub. Within a few minutes she had what was, Lucy had to admit, a very tempting looking bath drawn. Hilda turned towards Lucy once more, helping her out of the sling and her shirt. “Give me a yell when you’re ready for me,” she said, disappearing into the hallway to wait.
Lucy finished getting undressed with a fair amount of ease all things considered and slipped into the bath, sighing contently as the heat helped relax her tense muscles. She let herself enjoy the warmth for a moment before calling out, “you can come in now.”
Hilda re-entered. “Temperature alright?” She checked.
Lucy nodded. “Aye, it’s perfect.”
“Good,” Hilda said. “Shall we start with your hair and then I’ll help you with whatever else you need?” Lucy nodded again.
Despite the circumstances, the whole situation still felt oddly intimate. The pair fell into silence as Hilda went through the motions save for one soft sound Lucy made as Hilda massaged her scalp with the shampoo that had her feeling glad Lucy couldn’t see her face as she felt the heat spread. She finished helping Lucy with what she needed and retreated, telling her to yell when she needed help again.
Hilda retreated back to the living room which doubled as Lucy’s guest room in her one bedroom flat. She collapsed onto the couch, covering her face with a groan. It had been torture being that close to Lucy, but she had to get it together. She almost wished she hadn’t had that revelation in the hospital, this whole situation certainly would have been a lot easier, but there was nothing to be done now.
Except perhaps take a cold shower after breakfast.
She had gone back into the kitchen and continued putting together a simple breakfast for the two of them when she heard Lucy call for her again. She went back to the bathroom to find Lucy half dressed, easily slipping into the role of helping her get dressed, pausing only when Lucy let out a hiss of pain. “How bad is it right now?” Hilda asked.
“It’s bearable,” Lucy said, though the contorted look on her face and clenched jaw indicated otherwise.
“Well, breakfast is nearly ready, and I will be serving yours with your next dose of painkillers.” Hilda grinned at Lucy, helping her get her shirt on before replacing her sling. “And no, they’re not optional, there’s no point in making yourself suffer.” She pre-emptively answered Lucy’s question as she opened her mouth.
“Fine,” Lucy grumbled good-naturedly. “Ee, Hilda?”
“Yeah?” Hilda looked up from where she had been fastening the sling to meet Lucy’s eyes.
Lucy almost melted at the soft look in Hilda’s eyes. She was so used to seeing her look so severe that seeing this softer side of her that only seemed to exist behind closed doors always made her heart flutter. “Thanks again,” she murmured, whatever she had planned to say before gone from her head.
“Of course.” Hilda gave Lucy a gentle smile. “Now, come on, it’s breakfast time.”
As if on cue Lucy’s stomach gave a loud rumble. “Don’t have to tell me twice,” she giggled, following Hilda out of the bathroom.
They fell into an easy routine over the next few days.
Lucy was still experiencing some drowsiness due to the painkillers and therefore was content to spend most of the day curled up with a book and taking the occasional nap while Hilda worked on Interpol stuff. They went grocery shopping one day as apparently Lucy wasn’t much of a cook and didn’t keep much in stock in her kitchen at any time. Hilda had giggled the whole way through the store as Lucy kept trying to sneak various biscuits and candy into the trolley like a toddler, even joining in by sneaking a couple pints of ice cream in when Lucy’s back was turned. Hilda had to admit, it was the most fun she’d ever had grocery shopping.
Their whole situation had come to feel strangely domestic. They spent their time during the day on their separate activities in companionable silence, meals were filled with stories and laughter, and the evenings were spent working through Rector’s filmography after a horrified Lucy had found out that Hilda hadn’t seen many of them.
“What do you mean you haven’t seen many Rector films?” Lucy asked, fork stopping halfway to her mouth in shock.
Hilda shrugged. “I’ve never really had much time for movies.”
Lucy’s eyes widened comically. “But Rector’s films are classics.”
Hilda raised an eyebrow. “You have read the titles of some of them, haven’t you?”
“They’re fringe,” Lucy protested. “That’s what makes them so great.”
“If you say so,” Hilda said with a shrug, going back to her meal.
“Now I know how Ernest felt,” Lucy muttered, rolling her eyes.
Hilda chuckled. “To be fair, Kat’s never been much into movies, I think it might be because she doesn’t usually have the attention span for them.”
Lucy hummed in response. “Well, she might be a lost cause, but you’re not getting off the hook so easily. I’ve got them all on disc and we’ve got plenty of free time.” Hilda was figuring out how to protest when Lucy tossed out, “you’re not going to say no to your poor injured friend, are you?” She pouted.
“Oh, now that’s evil,” Hilda said. She sighed dramatically. “Fine, guess you win.”
“Yay!” Lucy went back to her meal cheerfully. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, Hilda thought.
Yeah, she was whipped alright.
It was a few nights into what Lucy was calling Hilda’s cinematic education that Hilda awoke one morning only to realize that Lucy was next to her.
She froze. They took advantage of the sofa bed’s presence in the living room during movie nights and last night they must have fallen asleep during it, moving at some point during the night so that Hilda was curled into Lucy’s good side, an arm flung over her stomach, Lucy’s good arm wrapped around her, and their legs tangled together.
It felt domestic, intimate, and like complete and total torture.
Lucy appeared to still be asleep and so Hilda carefully detangled herself and got up, pausing to brush a stray lock of hair from Lucy’s face. It was risky, she knew, but at the same time it felt right. She stood, deciding to leave Lucy be and get started on breakfast. The smell would wake her soon enough anyway.
What Hilda didn’t know was that Lucy had actually woken up before she did and had also discovered the position they had ended up in. It had still been dark out at this point and so Lucy decided to take advantage of it, letting Hilda’s warmth and soothing presence lull her back to sleep. When she awoke the second time, it was to the smell of sausages and the bed cold next to her. She got up, stretching with a yawn before heading into the kitchen where she found Hilda at the stove, humming softly as she minded the sizzling sausages and eggs. Lucy felt a warmth in her chest at the sight, pausing in the doorway content to just watch for a moment.
It wasn’t long before Hilda glanced her way, a smile lighting up her face as she did. “Perfect timing, breakfast is just about ready. Why don’t you set the table while I plate up?”
Lucy nodded, heading for the drawer to get cutlery. Before long they were settled at the table where Lucy asked, “there a special occasion or something I ain’t aware of?”
Hilda gave her a strange look. “Of course, it’s your first physiotherapy session today, that means you need a good breakfast to build your strength.”
So apparently they weren’t discussing last night. “Right, how could I forget?”
“I have to run some files in, so I’ll drop you off and then pick you up afterwards, that alright?” Hilda checked.
“Aye, not like there’ll be anything else for you to do,” Lucy said.
Which is how Hilda found herself heading into Scotland Yard a few hours later. She hadn’t expected to need to go there, but as soon as she had brought the files to her boss at Interpol, he had shoved another stack at her and told her to take them to the yard, stat. She rolled her eyes internally, just because she was the liaison to the yard didn’t mean she needed to be sent there for every single tiny errand.
Well, at least this afforded her the opportunity to go visit Alfendi.
She entered the Mystery Room to see papers covering every single available surface, coffee cups everywhere, various other items strewn about. “You know, Lucy’s going to absolutely murder you when she returns to this mess,” she commented, earning a glare from Al.
“I’d like to see her try,” Al growled. “Besides, who has time for cleaning when there are criminals to be caught?”
“Right.” Hilda rolled her eyes.
“What are doing here, anyway? And where’s Lucy?” Al put down his file in a huff, but his eyes gave away his concern for Lucy.
“She’s at physiotherapy right now. As for your first question, the boss sent me over with some things for the commissioner, so I thought I’d drop by. Probably should have called ahead though, maybe you would have found some time to clean this pig sty you call an office.” Hilda glanced around the room in disgust.
“As if you would find any state of this room to be acceptable,” Al scoffed. “Now, unless you have something of actual importance to say, I’ll be getting back to work now.”
Before Hilda could respond to that, crimson shifted to purple as Fendi took control. “Sorry about that, this case is particularly stumping and it’s annoying him. Before you go, how is Lucy doing?”
Thankfully, Hilda knew Al well enough to not take offense at his lack of curiosity as to how Lucy was getting on. “She’s doing quite well actually; it was a bit of an adjustment period, but we’ve got a good rhythm going now.” This morning’s awkwardness aside at any rate.
“So, things between you two are good then?” Fendi inquired, giving Hilda a look she couldn’t decipher much to her frustration.
“Well, we haven’t gotten on each other’s nerves yet so I would say so, yes. It’s been nice getting to actually spend time with her outside of just lunch whenever we can make it work with our schedules.” Hilda smiled to herself, it wasn’t how she expected to spend her time off, but she was enjoying her time with Lucy even if she wished it had been under different circumstances.
Fendi studied her, an eyebrow raised. Hilda suddenly felt rather naked under his gaze. “You really don’t see it, do you?”
“See what?” Hilda snapped, suddenly on the defensive.
This didn’t phase Fendi. “I can guarantee you that whatever it is that’s holding you back, there’s a 100% chance that it isn’t actually a concern.”
Hilda felt a rage course through her that only Alfendi seemed to be able to trigger. “You haven’t a clue what you’re talking about,” she scowled. She knew this level of ire was unnecessary, but she couldn’t overcome the instinct to fight back when confronted with something she was still attempting to deny.
“Denial doesn’t look good on you,” Fendi stated calmly, turning back to the case file.
“Fuck you too,” Hilda fumed, exiting the Mystery Room and slamming the door behind her. The rage stayed with her until she reached her car, upon which she deflated. If Alfendi could see right through her, there was a good chance Lucy could too. But if Lucy could, surely, she would have declined her help by now, wouldn’t she?
Was there something to what Fendi had said?
The rest of the day was pretty quiet.
Lucy had been fairly tired after her appointment and had gone for a nap, leaving Hilda alone with her thoughts. She picked up a book she had been intending to read for a while, but found herself unable to focus on it, head swimming with thoughts of her and Fendi’s conversation. She had become familiar with Fendi’s love of numbers and knew that he didn’t state anything with 100% certainty lightly, only when he truly meant it.
These thoughts stayed with her and into dinner where Lucy asked, “you feeling alright? You’re awfully quiet.”
Hilda shook herself out of her thoughts, forcing a smile for Lucy. “I’m alright, just lost in thought I suppose.”
Lucy gave her a concerned look. Hilda rarely let herself be vulnerable, so it had her on high alert. “Anything you want to talk about?”
Hilda shook her head. “It’s nothing, really.” Nothing that she was going to talk to Lucy about at any rate. “I think I’m just a bit tired is all.”
“Early to bed with you tonight then. Don’t forget we’re meeting Katrielle for lunch tomorrow,” Lucy said cheerfully.
The thought brought a genuine smile to Hilda’s face. It had been much too long since she had seen the younger Layton and she was looking forward to seeing her again. Besides, it would likely provide a much-needed distraction.
The third hurdle that Hilda had discovered only a few days into her stay with Lucy was that Lucy was easily bored and didn’t like to be idle. Lucy had pitched to be able to go back to work after only a few days but had been shot down immediately, saying she couldn’t return until she’d been cleared by the doctor. Which had left Hilda raking her brain, trying to come up with things to keep her busy.
Thankfully, Katrielle had called and suggested they meet for lunch. And so, the pair found themselves in a park in the business district, not too far from Guildhall, where Kat had suggested they have a picnic.
“Really is a beautiful day, ain’t it?” Lucy commented, stretching out on the blanket they had brought with them. “I’m glad Kat suggested this.”
Hilda hummed in agreement. “Are you sure we weren’t supposed to bring anything?” She checked.
Lucy shrugged as best as she could lying down. “She said she had it covered. She’s built up a bunch of connections with her detective work, guess she’s taking advantage of those.”
Kat appeared. “Sorry I’m late, I might have gotten slightly distracted by a case.” She put the bags she had with her down. “Sandwiches from the best restaurant on Chancer Lane and cupcakes from Lipski’s Patisserie, should all be easy enough to eat one-handed.”
Hilda raised an eyebrow. “We could have met you somewhere closer to Chancer Lane you know.”
“Oh, she does,” Lucy said before Kat could respond. “I guarantee you she picked this park for its proximity to Guildhall and therefore, a certain mayor.” She sat up, sending Kat a teasing look.
Kat blushed. “Okay so, maybe I was hoping I could talk her into taking even half an hour away from work to join us, but that’s because she doesn’t know how to take a break, so I’m trying to teach her that breaks are good for her like a good friend should.”
“Uh huh, that blush ain’t fooling anyone,” Lucy teased, causing Kat to blush even harder. Interesting, Hilda would have to file away that little tidbit of information for later. She had known that Kat and the mayor had become good friends after Kat did some detective work for her, but the fact that they might be something more was news.
“How about lunch?” Kat deflected a little bit too loudly. “Let’s eat.”
Lucy let it be though she shot Kat a knowing look as she glanced once more towards Guildhall as she passed out the sandwiches she had brought. Conversation slowly morphed to other topics as the three women settled in for what was a very enjoyable affair.
They were sharing a laugh at one of Kat’s case stories when Hilda’s phone chimed. She checked it with a groan. “I’ve apparently got to go to the yard.”
“Thought you were supposed to be off right now, boss’s orders,” Lucy commented, giving Hilda a inquisitive look.
“So did I.” Hilda rolled her eyes. “Shouldn’t be long though, you two continue enjoying the sunshine, I’ll be back soon.” She stood up, brushing off her skirt. “Call if you need anything, okay?” Lucy nodded an affirmative and Hilda was off.
As soon as Hilda was gone, Kat rounded on Lucy. “So,” she said, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
“So what?” Lucy gave Kat an exasperated look.
“Really? You teased me about Pipper – and there’s nothing going on there, by the way – you can’t possibly expect me to not tease you about Hilda.” Kat rolled her eyes, giving Lucy a look that said ‘well, duh’.
“And there’s nowt going on between me and Hilda,” Lucy insisted.
Kat studied Lucy for a moment, Lucy fidgeting under her scrutinizing gaze. “There isn’t,” Kat said slowly, “but you wish there was, don’t you? There’s no sense in denying it, you know,” she added as Lucy shot her a defiant look.
Lucy sighed, falling back on the blanket and staring at the sky. “Might as well, it’s not like accepting it is going to make it go anywhere,” she mumbled.
“And what makes you think that?” Kat laid down next to Lucy, following her gaze skyward. “That cloud sort of looks like Sherl, don’t you think,” she said after a few minutes of Lucy not responding.
“It does kind of,” Lucy chuckled wanly before sighing again. “It’s not like she likes me back.” Kat’s eyes snapped from watching the sky to looking at Lucy as she said that. “She’s never given any indication that she might be into lasses, forget me.”
This seemed to surprise Kat. “Really?” Lucy gave her a strange look. “Do you not hang out much outside of work?”
Lucy shrugged. “We grab lunch when we can and chat on the phone and such, but it can be hard with both our schedules. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re both workaholics.”
Kat rolled her eyes. “Both you two and my brother. Look, all I’m going to say is that just because something hasn’t come up doesn’t mean it isn’t true. You’re a detective, you know just as well as I do that some things only surface with time.”
This gave Lucy pause. Kat had known Hilda a lot longer than she had, maybe there was something Kat knew that she didn’t. Still, “I don’t want to ruin anything. Our friendship is good, it’s summat that I don’t want to lose.”
“Well, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that sometimes the risk is worth the reward.” Lucy finally broke her gaze away from the sky, turning to look at Kat, whose words were accompanied by a sympathetic look.
“How bout I make you a deal?” Lucy suggested. “I tell Hilda how I feel, you tell Pipper how you feel.”
“In other words, let’s make a pact to stop being absolute lesbian disasters as Al would put it?” Kat giggled. Lucy couldn’t help but laugh, she could just imagine Al rolling his eyes in exasperation, snapping at them to stop being disasters.
“Well, clearly you’re having more fun without me,” came Hilda’s voice. The other two sat up to see Hilda giving them a wry look. “Maybe I should go back to work,” she teased.
“Don’t you dare,” Kat rebutted. “I was just about to bring out dessert. Unless, of course, you don’t want any. In that case, more for us.” She picked up the box from the bakery as she spoke, opening it to reveal a dozen chocolate cupcakes.
“You wish, Little Layton,” Hilda shot back, taking a seat on the blanket. “I’ve been looking forward to those the entire time I was over at the yard.”
“Can’t blame a girl for trying,” Kat giggled, passing Hilda a cupcake.
“I guess not,” Hilda said, automatically unwrapping and passing it to Lucy. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Lucy gave Hilda a small smile before biting into the cupcake, getting frosting everywhere.
Hilda started laughing. “You’ve got a little something,” she said between giggles, pointing at Lucy’s nose.
“Do I?” Lucy said before shrugging. “Just going to get more.” She took another bite of her cupcake, causing Hilda to laugh harder.
Kat watched as Hilda tried to get Lucy with a napkin, Lucy dodging as the pair laughed. For two detectives, they certainly were blind, weren’t they? Though, she had the distinct feeling that she was going to have to make good on her end of her and Lucy’s deal.
And so, life went on.
With each physiotherapy appointment, Lucy’s shoulder improved, slowly regaining her strength and range of movement, becoming more independent each week.
Even as Lucy grew more independent though, she and Hilda grew closer over the weeks. They had formed what felt more like a domestic partnership than a temporary roommate situation and with Hilda’s leave coming to an end and Lucy’s return to work imminent, neither wanted their time together to end even if they were both itching to get back to work.
The night before they were both due back at work was something of a subdued affair. Dinner had been quieter than usual and though they had watched the last couple episodes of the show they had started after running out of Rector films with their usual exuberance, they had fallen silent as the end credits ran for the final time. “Well, we couldn’t have timed finishing that better,” Hilda commented, trying to lighten the mood.
“Thank you,” Lucy said suddenly, causing Hilda to give her a curious look. “I know I’ve said it before, but truly, I can’t thank you enough. This whole ordeal would have been so awkward with the Prof and as much as I love Kat, she has no filter, she would have made it awkward too. I know this probably wasn’t how you intended on spending your break, but I really do appreciate it.”
“Hey now, I got to spend my time off with one of my favourite people, that’s a win for me. Would have preferred you to have not gotten shot though,” she added with a wry look. “If you wanted to hang out, all you had to do was ask.”
This coaxed a laugh out of Lucy. “Trust me, I could have done without the being shot thing too. Did help me realize that I could count on you guys no matter what though. Don’t get me wrong, I knew that I could, but I don’t think I fully understood that, you know what I mean?”
Hilda felt a pang of sadness at Lucy’s admission. She reached a tentative hand out, brushing Lucy’s hair out of her face and behind her ear. “Why do you think that is?” She asked softly.
Lucy sighed, leaning into Hilda. Whether the movement was subconscious or not, it had Hilda’s heart soaring. “I’ve never really been able to count on anyone like that before,” Lucy said so quietly that Hilda almost missed it.
“No one?” This stunned Hilda, Lucy was such a bright and positive presence, it was hard to believe that anyone could not be drawn in by her. “What about old friends? Your family?”
Lucy shrugged. “Never had friends like you before. And, well, I haven’t really spoken to my family in over a year so,” she trailed off.
“You haven’t?” Hilda did her best to keep her face neutral, knowing that Lucy wouldn’t appreciate anything that could be interpreted as pity.
Lucy shook her head. “My parents always wanted me to fit this perfect image of how girls should be according to them; quiet, demure, only plays with dolls as a child, go on to become a housewife, that sort of thing.” She rolled her eyes as she spoke. “This likely won’t surprise you, but I were none of those. I were loud, liked to run around and get dirty outside, and I certainly weren’t going to become a housewife.” She shuddered at the thought. “I think that were the last straw actually, when I told them I were gay. At least before that they could tell themselves there was the possibility of a husband and grandchildren, but once I came out it were like they finally gave up. We talk occasionally, but it’s mostly out of obligation, I can’t say I ever actually want to talk to them.”
Hilda felt her heart shatter. She would be the first to admit she didn’t have the best relationship with her mother, but she wouldn’t have gone that far. “That must have been hard for you growing up,” she said.
Another shrug. “It is what it is. I’m still where I want to be in life, now it’s just a hurdle I overcame, I’ve made my peace with it and moved on.”
“You’re a stronger woman than I,” Hilda quipped. “You know, I never would have guessed that considering what a ball of sunshine you are.”
“I used to be different,” Lucy confessed, “but one day I decided I weren’t going to let them have that effect on me. It would be so easy to be negative and see the bad in everything, but I didn’t want to be like that. I’m a positive person, I see the best in people, and I like that about me.”
“I like that about you too,” Hilda told her, their eyes meeting. For a moment it was as if the world, already quite small in Lucy’s flat, melted away. Hilda suddenly found herself breathless, Lucy’s eyes darkening as they leaned in closer…
“What about your parents?” Lucy asked abruptly, straightening up and shuffling away slightly as she snapped out of the almost trance she had fallen into. She couldn’t believe she had let herself slip like that, but at least she could distract from it. “What are they like?”
Hilda was once again thankful for her poker face as she hid her disappointment. “It was always just me and my mother,” she said. “We’ve managed to maintain a pretty good relationship even despite my rebellious streak as a teenager and her lack of understanding of some things.”
As curious as Lucy was about Hilda’s teenage rebellion, the second part is what piqued her interest. “What doesn’t she understand?”
“Saying she doesn’t understand probably isn’t fair,” Hilda admitted. “She understands the fact that I’m bisexual, she accepts it, I think she’s still just a bit fixated on the fact that I could still find a husband and it irritates me sometimes.”
Oh, so that’s why Kat had seemed so surprised. “Guess even the most accepting people can sometimes have trouble letting go of tradition.” Internally, Lucy was kicking herself now for letting that opportunity pass her by.
“Guess so,” Hilda whispered. She doubted Lucy had heard her though, she suddenly seemed a million miles away. She certainly didn’t notice the wistful look Hilda had given her.
When the morning arrived, Lucy came out of her room to find Hilda’s bags packed and sitting by the front door ready to go back to her flat and felt a pang of disappointment. “Going to be weird coming home to an empty flat tonight,” she commented lightly. “I’ve gotten used to having you around.”
Hilda felt much the same, having put off packing her things until the last minute. “We could do dinner tonight,” she suggested. “Compare first days back. We could go out to celebrate your return.”
“Just us?” Lucy checked. Maybe now, after learning what she had last night and now that she was much more independent, she could find the courage to finally be honest with her.
Hilda nodded. “We can plan the proper party for this weekend,” she said with a wink. “We better get going though, neither of us wants to be late on the first day back. I know you usually carpool with a couple of the others, but I’d figured I’d drop you off this morning, that alright?”
“You just miss bickering with Al, don’t you?” Lucy accused her with an impish grin but picked up her bag, ready to head out with Hilda.
“Please, like I miss his insufferable presence.” Hilda rolled her eyes though Lucy saw right through her. “Actually, I’ve only got time to drop you off, the boss wants to meet as soon as I get in.”
“Not even back yet and already in trouble, huh? Are you sure that rebellious streak only applied to your teenage years?” Lucy grinned cheekily.
“Watch it or you’re walking to work,” Hilda grumbled, but still unlocked the passenger side door for Lucy as they got to her car.
“Least you won’t be going back to the mess I’m sure the Prof has made while I were gone. Whenever I take a single day off it’s bad enough, I dread to think what he’s managed over the weeks I’ve been gone.” Lucy groaned at the thought.
“I definitely do not miss sharing an office with him, he’s such a slob.” Hilda rolled her eyes.
They fell into a comfortable silence for the rest of the drive to Scotland Yard. “So, see you tonight?” Lucy checked as Hilda pulled up in front of the building.
“Of course.” Hilda gave Lucy that softer smile she had seen more and more over the last few weeks. “I’m looking forward to it. Good luck with your first day back.”
“Thanks.” Lucy smiled back before getting out of the car and heading up the steps of the building, turning to wave before disappearing inside. Hilda watched as the door closed behind Lucy before sighing and starting to make her way to Interpol.
As Lucy had predicted, the Mystery Room had looked as though a tornado has passed through it during her time away. She had scolded a somewhat remorseful looking Fendi soundly, though she suspected the main culprit was Al, who was yet to make an appearance, likely more than happy to let Fendi take the heat.
It had taken her the better part of the morning to clean the office and she was only just finally starting on the pile of paperwork waiting for her when her phone rang. “Baker,” she answered.
“Lucy? It’s Hilda.”
“Oh, hey.” Lucy brightened. “You got a case for us or summat?”
“I’m afraid not.” Hilda sighed. “I’ve actually called to say I have to cancel our dinner tonight.”
“You caught a case then? That’s alright, we can do another day this week. Tomorrow? Or is that too soon you think? I have physiotherapy Wednesday but could do Thursday.” She was rambling a bit, Lucy knew, but it was the best way to mask her disappointment at this development.
“I wish I could.” Lucy could hear Hilda’s own disappointment in her voice as she sighed again. “I’ve been assigned to a case out of country, I’m going to be gone for at least a few weeks.”
“Oh.” This time Lucy didn’t bother hiding her feelings.
“I tried to argue against it, I’ve only just gotten back and have enough to catch up on without any additional local cases forget international ones, but the boss wouldn’t have it. I’m really sorry, Lucy.”
“It ain’t your fault,” Lucy assured her. She was sure Hilda hated the situation as much as she did. “Just stay safe, okay? And maybe call when you have a chance,” she requested.
“Of course,” Hilda promised. “For now, though, I’m afraid I have to go. Hope your first day is going well, I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”
“Talk to you soon,” Lucy echoed. “Good luck with the case.”
“Thanks,” Hilda said before the line went silent. Lucy put her phone down with a sigh, suddenly feeling much more melancholic than she had in the morning.
“Oh, come off it,” Al snapped. “I know you two are in your ‘honeymoon’ phase or whatever, but you’ll survive a short separation.” He rolled his eyes. “Maybe this way you’ll be able to actually focus on your work and not be distracted.”
“Nice to see you too, glad to be back,” Lucy deadpanned. “And, for your information, being in a honeymoon phase requires there to be a relationship in the first place.”
“Wait, you two still haven’t fu-” a glare from Lucy caused Al to cut himself off. “I don’t know if I should call you both completely hopeless or just simply idiots.”
“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?” Lucy eyed him suspiciously.
Crimson shifted to purple. “Idiots might be a bit far though hopeless certainly may be right,” Fendi commented.
“And here I thought you were here to make me feel better,” Lucy muttered, rolling her eyes. “How do you mean, anyway?”
“I’ve had this conversation before. Interpret that as you may.” Fendi shrugged.
“Wait, you mean?” Lucy gave Fendi a desperate look though he said nothing. She deflated. “I were going to tell her tonight, we were meant to have dinner.” She wasn’t sure when she was going to get the chance now, she realized, if ever.
“Surely you could just talk to her when she returns,” Fendi interrupted Lucy’s thoughts as if sensing them.
“If there ever is another opportunity, I’m sure you’ve noticed we don’t get to spend a lot of time together.” Hilda was such a beauty, inside and out; it was only a matter of time before someone beat Lucy to confessing, she couldn’t expect Hilda to wait forever even if she did feel the same. Not to mention the more time that passed the more she would lose her nerve, Lucy knew. “It’s fine, I’ll get over it, you don’t need to worry about me.” It would suck but at least if things didn’t work out, she still had Hilda as a friend, she’d rather that than losing her.
Fendi gave her a strange look. “I all but explicitly told you that she feels the same way and yet you’re not planning how to make that opportunity happen. You’re usually much more of a go-getter than that, what’s going on?”
Lucy leaned back in her chair, unconsciously wrapping her arms around her midriff. “There’s just a lot to lose you know, maybe this is a sign.” Hilda’s call had left her feeling defeated, she may be a positive person, but she was finding that being so optimistic was hard when it was her heart at stake. “I’ve never had friends like you guys before, maybe her cancelling is the universe telling me not to risk her friendship.” And that was just it, with her plan gone out the window her confidence was waning.
Crimson. “For god’s sake, how dense are you?” Al snapped. “Do I need to spell it out for you? She. Likes. You. Back.”
“And what makes you so sure?” Lucy snapped in return. Even with the moment they had shared the evening before, she knew that she had been planning on taking a risk as she couldn’t know for sure.
“If she didn’t, she would have said so rather than saying fuck you when He insinuated that she liked you,” Al pointed out.
This took Lucy aback. Hilda had told Fendi that? She usually left that level of rage for Al. “Okay, fine, I believe you, now what do I do about it?” Al rolled his eyes, digging in his pocket for a set of keys and throwing them at her. “What are these for?” She asked, catching them.
“You know where the airfield is,” was all Al said.
Lucy stood, reaching for her jacket, mind already racing. She was already halfway out the door before she paused and turned around. “Thanks, Prof,” she told him sincerely. “I know this can’t be easy for you.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Al brushed her off. “Beats you moping around for the next god knows how long.”
Lucy saw right through him, of course. “Aw, you do care,” she teased. “I owe you one,” she called over her shoulder as she made her way out the office.
This was not how Hilda had anticipated her day going.
When the boss had said he wanted to see her first thing, she expected it to be about all the paperwork that had piled up in her absence – as the liaison to the yard she had to sign off on anything pertaining to them and any consults from them always went to her – and it had, but it had also been to tell her that she was being assigned to an international case and that the plane was leaving in an hour.
She had immediately protested. How the hell was he going to tell her about all the work she had to catch up on and then immediately turn around and tell her that all that had to wait, and she was being sent away? How did that make any sense? She had lost that battle in the end though, apparently her experiences were necessary for this particular case.
(A glance at the case file had confirmed why)
And so, she relegated herself to spending probably at least a good few weeks abroad. She immediately delved into her checklist for when she left on a case, conferring with the temporary liaison, changed the automated response on her email and her voicemail message. She checked her list again, thankful that she already had a packed bag in her car when it hit her.
Lucy.
She knew that Lucy would be fine on her own now, that wasn’t a concern, but she had had hopes for their dinner that night, ones that were now, unfortunately, shot.
The disappointment in Lucy’s voice when she had called her to tell her had felt like a dagger to the heart, but she knew there wasn’t anything she could do. So, she resolved herself to making up for the lost dinner when she returned instead.
She and the rest of the team had made it to the airfield and were conferring on the tarmac as they waited to board when one of the other agents looked at something behind her and smirked. “Hey, Pertinax, looks like your girlfriend came to see you off.”
Hilda gave him a confused look. “What are you talking,” she started to ask, turning around and seeing Lucy walking towards them, “about?” She finished with a whisper. She made her way over to Lucy, gently taking her by the arm and resisting the urge to flip off her coworkers as they whistled as she guided Lucy behind a nearby truck for some semblance of privacy. “What are you doing here?”
Lucy took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. “There were something I wanted to say to you tonight and I didn’t want to wait until you got back to say it.”
Hilda’s heart skipped a beat. Was Lucy saying what she thought she was saying, what she hoped she was saying? “What’s that?” Her voice was hardly more than a whisper, her posture impossibly still as if she was afraid this was all a dream that she was about to wake up from.
Lucy opened her mouth but suddenly found herself lacking words. “You know what, sometimes actions speak louder than words,” she said before pulling Hilda into a kiss.
Hilda was taken by surprise for only a second before responding enthusiastically, pulling Lucy close so that their bodies were flush, deepening the kiss. They broke apart after a moment. “Well, that certainly was surprising,” Hilda commented breathlessly.
“It were alright though, yeah?” Lucy’s brow furrowed in concern.
“You might need to run it by me once more.” Hilda grinned.
“Not paying attention, eh? That’s not like you,” Lucy teased before complying, kissing a giggling Hilda once again.
“How did you get here anyway?” Hilda asked as they exchanged a few more soft kisses.
“Al might have thrown the car keys at me, said it beat me moping around for the next however long,” Lucy confessed with a laugh. “Can you believe that that’s the first time he’s let me drive the car?”
“Some things never change,” Hilda rolled her eyes, “he’s always been that way, never lets anyone else drive.” She smiled softly. “I’ll have to remember to thank him next time I talk to him.” For a few reasons she realized. “You know, you just made it ten times harder to get on that plane,” she told Lucy.
“But hopefully I’ve given you all the more reason to make it back safely in one piece,” Lucy pointed out.
“Absolutely,” Hilda agreed.
Before either could say anything else another voice entered the foray. “Oi! Pertinax! If you’re quite done snogging your little girlfriend, we’re ready to take off!”
Hilda’s rage must have been obvious on her face because Lucy proceeded to say, “I’d prefer you to come back to me safely and not as a suspect in a murder case.”
Hilda sighed dramatically. “Fine.” She cracked a smile as Lucy giggled. “Our plan is to hit the ground running so I won’t be able to call when we land, but I will as soon as I can, okay?”
Lucy nodded. “Be safe.”
“Always am,” Hilda said before kissing Lucy soundly one last time. “I’ll talk to you soon, I promise.” She squeezed Lucy’s arm briefly before turning and heading back to rejoin her coworkers.
Lucy watched as Hilda and the rest of the team boarded the plane, waiting until the door had shut behind them before turning to head back to the car. And if she happened to skip slightly as she walked well then that was just a testament to how elated she was feeling.
Hilda got on the plane, immediately settling into a window seat and looking out the window just in time to see Lucy start skipping. She shifted so that her coworkers couldn’t see her face, unable to help the smile that crossed it but unwilling to give them anything more to tease her about. Her happiness was hers alone. Well, hers and Lucy’s in this case.
Hopefully this case wouldn’t take too long to solve.
Hilda ended up being abroad for about a month.
Lucy had followed the case both through Hilda’s calls and through the news, she knew it hadn’t been an easy one. She may not have known all the details, but the fact that Hilda had called her and Alfendi one day for their input due to their familiarity with the jigsaw killings had told her all she needed to know.
Hilda had been immensely relieved when they finally wrapped the case and boarded the plane to go home, it had been a long few weeks and all she wanted was to hug Lucy, to feel her arms around her. And so, when they landed around midday, her first destination was Scotland Yard.
When the door to the Mystery Room opened, Lucy had expected it to be either Sniffer or Florence with the information they needed for their latest case. “Hey, do you have the autopsy – Hilda!” She had started to ask as she turned around, instead stopping mid-sentence, stunned at who she was seeing.
“Autopsy report? I’m afraid I don’t,” Hilda said lightly, making her way across the room and wrapping her arms around Lucy, burying her face in her shoulder. “I’ve missed you.”
Lucy held Hilda tightly, sensing she needed it. “Me too,” she whispered.
Hilda held on for a moment before letting go somewhat reluctantly. “Shall we try for that dinner again tonight?”
“Of course.” Lucy nodded, taking the chance to inspect Hilda, noting the deep shadows beneath her eyes. “That gives you plenty of time to go home and take a nap, you look exhausted.”
“I am,” Hilda admitted. “See you tonight?” Lucy nodded, leaning forward to give Hilda a brief kiss.
“Stop distracting my assistant,” Al growled. “Some of us have work to do, you know.”
Lucy blushed; having forgotten he was there. Hilda, however, just rolled her eyes. “Nice to see you too, Al,” she commented before whispering to Lucy, “see you later,” giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out. Lucy watched her, dopey smile on her face.
“Baker!”
“Coming, coming!”