AN: So, I had an OC called Lilly Layton like three years ago and did nothing but write stories about her... Sorry now I'm gonna do it again.

I was gonna call this "100 Ways To Be A Lady" but I don't wanna limit myself to 100 one shots. In all fairness, it's unlikely I'll even reach 20. So I stole the name from an old, deleted fic of mine and... Ta-da! Enjoy!

I own Lilly, but the rest is borrowed from the lovely Level-5.


Her

7th June, 1948

Hershel Layton smiled as he watched the countryside rush past from outside the window. The coach journey was rather rickety, but the scenery radiating from outside was so tranquil that anyone could fall asleep after losing themselves into the beauty of the rich trees, bright blue sky, and small delicate flowers... And almost everyone had. In fact, Hershel was the only passenger to remain awake.

The week long archaeological expedition had been much more exhausting than all of the students had been anticipating. It really was no wonder that so many had fallen asleep on the journey home, and Hershel, too, was tired, but with so much on his mind, the Professor could not doze off. Nor did he want to.

It was rather strange how things had worked out remarkably well for the man so far. Here he was, the young age of twenty-two; the youngest ever to make it onto a Professorship scholarship course. The course would take another five years to complete, but the bursaries included in the scholarship meant he was able to pay for the bills that the small flat that he accommodated in a slightly cheaper area of London with no issue. Then, if things couldn't be better than that, he did not live alone, but with a wife.

Hershel met Claire Foley not far into their first year at University and, in short, it was from then on that he believed in love at first sight. The couple had never had any problems, unless you were to count the discovery that Claire was with child, which had occurred seven months ago. Those short months ago, Hershel and Claire had been unmarried and Claire an assistant in an experimental research laboratory (when the two had met, Claire had been studying for a degree in physics) which proved dangerous towards an unborn child, due to radioactive substances. This was quickly sorted out and Claire was temporarily placed in a new department at the in the research institue: peer assessment. The strict enforcement on behalf of Claire's parents meant that the two were married within a month. Of course, Hershel couldn't complain about marrying the love of his life, but ideally he would have liked the ceremony to have been completed after he became a Professor, simply because that had been what he had planned. But he couldn't complain. Really, he had no reason to. There was not an aspect of his life that he did not like.

Their child was expected to arrive in just over two weeks. He was extremely frightened about becoming a Father, but similarly, he knew that there was no way for a person to be excited without being the least bit terrified, too.

-X-

The coach stopped outside the block of flats Hershel lived in not even an hour later. Stepping outside, the Professor found that the air really was much heavier in London than it was in the countryside. Since he was in London a majority of the time, he sometimes forgot how crowded and vast the city really was... Yet he still liked it. London was the heart of England; there was nowhere else he wanted to be.

Hershel unlocked the door to the block and made his way up the stairs; his and Claire's flat was on the third floor. He didn't need to knock, after all it was his own flat. Besides, there was no way of surprising his wife, when she knew he would be home that afternoon, and it was nearly two o'clock. He swiftly opened the door and wandered into the flat.

It was a small flat, as obviously the couple were on a rather tight budget. They'd moved into a two bedroom flat recently, with the financial help of Claire's parents. His parents in law were also loaning money to them on a monthly basis in order to help pay for the needs of a child. Of course, all the money would be paid off when he became a Professor.

"Hello!" Hershel called, placing his bags down beside the door. He made his way into the living room, expecting to see his heavily expectant redheaded wife on the couch, perhaps asleep or reading.

The living room was empty. So was the dining room. And kitchen. However, the door had been unlocked, so there was clearly someone else in the flat. The only room left unchecked was the bedroom, but Claire wasn't the sort to sleep in, or to go to bed in the middle of the day- even in her condition. Yet it was the only place she could be (neither was she the type to forget to lock the door on her way out).

"Claire...? Oh!" Hershel gasped suddenly as he opened the bedroom door. Claire was indeed in the bedroom; she lay on her back, on top of the covers, and with her auburn curls tied up hurriedly on the top of her head. Hershel had been expecting to see her swollen stomach, but in its place was a bundle of blankets... "Oh my..."

Claire smiled brightly towards him, her arms holding the blankets close to her chest.

"Hershel," Claire beamed with a hushed voice, as Hershel cautiously walked over to the bed. "I'm sorry I didn't call you in here. I just didn't want to startle her."

The archaeologist bent down and sat himself besides her on the bed. A small smile crept onto his face.

"Her...?" He repeated, quickly becoming dazed.

"Yes, her..." Claire nodded, carefully pushing herself up with one hand, the other still firmly against the torso and head of the infant, to keep her in a sturdy position as she moved. "Here, come and meet her..."

Hershel gently brushed the hood of the blanket to the side, to reveal the small child's face. Even as a newborn, aspects of Claire were visible in her... Their daughter. Dark tufts of brown hair, which were unlike Claire's red streaks, stuck out of the top of the blanket, but her small nose was definitely Claire's.

"Oh..." Hershel murmured in wonder.

Claire let out a small giggle. "Here, take her..." Claire carefully adjusted herself before gently placing their child in Hershel's cradled arms.

As the baby girl was handed over to him, he smiled gently at the warmth and the weight of her against his chest, and looked at her very carefully. He couldn't help but study every detail of her face, it seemed all so perfect. Being manoeuvred made the infant jump slightly, her eyes slowly widened and she glanced around the room, as if she were checking the surroundings, before she looked up and caught her first glance of her Father.

"She knows it's you..." Claire whispered, "She knows who you are."

The Professor barely acknowledged the statement, he was so mesmerized by the child that was his. She smelt so warm, and her hair was so rich in colour, then her eyes were a bright blue like the countryside sky, and her small fingers and tows that poked out the blankets were small and delicate. Never had he seen anything so beautiful.

"She's... She's wonderful..." Hershel mumbled quietly; he wasn't quite aware he was speaking.

"She's two days old," Claire told him, her eyes on their daughter, too. "She decided to surprise us and come early."

"Oh no," the Professor shook his head. "A lady is never early. Everyone else is simply late."


AN: It was pointed out to me that the phrase is "A lady is never late, everyone else is simply late". That was the point. Just to be clear.

Righteo thanks for reading, a review would be great, and so would a request if you have any ideas.

If you're a big fan of the Layton/Claire ship than you can also put in a one word request for my new story (should be published sometime this week) "A Hundred Snap Shots of Their Lost Future". It will be a collection of 100 one-shots on what could have been if Claire had not lost her life. And it will all be based off of 1 word requests made by you lovely lot. So someone one words would be FAB!

Nikki ~