AN: I've just had this idea and I'm taking a break from writing the world's longest essay (I'm 3000 words in and barely halfway) to write this. I think the idea's come from because I've just started replaying all the games again, so I've been thinking about them lots.
This chapter is set after Pandora's/Diabolical Box but before Lost/Unwound Future.
Anyway, hope you guys enjoy!
Lillyesque
Pancakes, Letters and Family
Sunday 15th October 1965
"Good morning- Oh!"
Lilly sighed and rubbed her eyes, one hand on the handle of her front door. She yawned and then forced a smile.
"Morning," Lilly greeted. Having now rubbed the sleep out of her eyes she could see her father standing in the doorway to her flat, who looked rather surprised at her attire. Her dressing gown.
"I'm not early am I...?" The Professor checked, looking at his watch.
"Not at all. I slept in," Lilly said and then yawned again. She pulled the door open wider. "Come on in."
"Is it work again?" The Professor asked as he followed his daughter into her flat and into the kitchen.
"You guessed it," Lily said, filling the kettle up with water before placing it on the stove to boil. "The doorbell was my alarm clock this morning it appears."
From a look at her, the Professor could see that she was right. She did look tired and her hair was un-brushed. She sat down at the small dining table, careful to keep the baggy sleeves of her purple dressing gown from being caught on the back of the chair as she pulled it out from under the table. It was odd seeing her in her pyjamas now that she'd moved out.
"Were you working last night?" The Professor queried.
"Until one AM," Lilly replied with a small sigh.
"I thought the Bistro closed at twelve on a Saturday night?" The Professor said.
"They do, but cleaning up after a Saturday night takes a while," Lilly said with a small chuckle.
Yawning again, she looked up to see her father still standing in the kitchen doorway. She shook her head and laughed slightly.
"You can sit down, you know. You don't have to wait for me ask you to," Lilly said.
"I suppose not," The Professor said, taking the other chair and sitting down. "But it's a habit."
"You're too polite, father," Lilly said with another shake of her head. "I was going to make myself pancakes for breakfast. Would you like some, too?"
"That sounds lovely, dear," the Professor said with a smile.
There was a pause and then Lilly gave a small smirk.
"Is Flora's cooking still no good?" She said, before standing up to the whistling of the boiling kettle.
"Well..." The Professor paused, looking for a kind way to put it. "She tries. That's what counts."
"I think nutrition counts for something as well. Perhaps you should try talking to her about it," Lilly suggested, taking the kettle from the stove. "Tea, I take it?"
"That woud be lovely, thank you," The Professor said with a smile.
"Not at all," Lilly said, reaching for a teapot. "How is Flora, anyway? Is she adjusting to school all right?"
"She is. She has your old maths teacher," the Professor replied.
"Oh, no. Poor girl," Lilly said with a sigh.
"Why? Mr Drummer is a good teacher."
"He couldn't stand me. I was hopeless with algebra and it drove him mad. He thinks Flora and me are cousins, doesn't he? What if he thinks being bad at maths is genetic, or something? You know, how teachers always look out for siblings of older pupils who they didn't like. It's probably a good thing Alfendi and me went to different schools," Lilly remarked, as she finished preparing a pot of tea and placed it on the table with a teacup.
"Thank you," the Professor said with a chuckle. "Flora's reported no problems with any teachers. Besides, you're not as bad at maths as you think you are. You can solve a puzzle, can't you?"
"With a hint or three," Lilly admitted. "Good. I'm glad she's okay. You are paying her attention, aren't you? I don't want her dragging me away on anymore luxury trains in chase of you. I told you, didn't I? I'm done with all of that. I don't want to get caught up in it again just because she feels left out."
"And I want her out of danger," The Professor replied. "You know as well as I do that it's not always safe."
"Yet you always brought me along with you. I was only thirteen when I came face to face with that spectre," Lilly responded, her tone getting slightly angrier, which she quickly realised and stopped herself. She sighed. Arguing over it again would do nothing.
"You know that was different. I worried when you weren't by my side. I still do now, you know," the Professor said, before taking a sip of his tea.
Lilly, who had been about to start making the pancakes before the tension began to rise, sighed and looked down.
"I know," Lilly gave a small smile when she looked up.
"Besides," the Professor said. "It turned out I was right to, didn't it? What with Targent watching you all that time."
"Targent was watching the both of us," Lilly corrected. "I know Emmy changed in the end, but don't forget she was reporting back to Targent, too. She was always with you. With the both of us."
"I suppose you're right," the Professor said with a sigh. "Still, I do wish you came back home. You didn't have to move out just because of Flora."
"I didn't. You know, I-"
As Lilly felt herself return to an angry state, she stopped herself. She really was tired of fighting. She paused for a moment and the Professor was sure he saw a look of hesitation on her face, but if it was there, it was only brief. Turning around, she began to look through a pile of letters that had been left on the kitchen counter, next to the fridge.
The Professor had seen them, but thought nothing of it. She wrote by hand weekly to both sets of Grandparents and occasionally- if she didn't have time to visit, which was often- the Tritons, who were her Godparents. In addition, now she had her own flat, she had her own bills to pay. The kitchen counter was an odd place to keep letters, but the Professor's organisational skills were just as bad, and so he hadn't said anything.
"I wasn't going to tell you, but... I suppose it will stop you from worrying," Lilly said, picking a certain letter from the pile and handing it to him, before sitting down across him.
With a slight frown, the Professor took the letter. It was a brown envelope, which had already been opened- presumably, by Lilly. The envelope had no postmark and no stamp. The letter was addressed to Miss Layton but there was no delivery address written on the envelope.
Miss Lillian Layton,
This letter may come as a shock. For your comfort, I will tell you that your address was obtained by one Emmy Altava, who I hear you were attempting to contact. I have had this letter delivered by hand by an assistant whom I have complete faith in. I have no written records of your current address or any other information about your whereabouts in my possession which could fall into the wrong hands.
I am writing to you to reassure you about the events of the past week. You may have noticed a man in your place of work, apartment building or in any other area you frequently visit. Although Targent has fallen apart since we last met, I felt it necessary to ensure that you and your family were no longer being watched by any Targent agents or other spies. This man who you may have noticed, I can ensure is an agent of mine, who had the job of ensuring that Targent truly had been disbanded, which I can now guarantee has. In addition, I can confirm that there are no spies, Targent or otherwise, currently watching you or your family.
For your further safety and comfort, I had my agent leave a contact number in your work locker, which you can use if you ever feel that your safety is again, compromised.
Sincerely,
Jean Descole
The Professor took his time, reading the letter at least three times (and some parts even more times) before he felt that he had retrieved all information the letter beared. He even looked over several parts, wondering if there was a secret message or puzzle hidden somewhere in the letter- perhaps one like the message in Luke's letter asking him to come to Misthallery- but there was nothing. After several minutes, during which Lilly had begun to make pancakes, and put a plate of three in front of him, along with a pot of jam, he put the letter down and looked up.
"I have several questions," the Professor said, looking over at Lilly, who was by the stove, carefully trying to turn over a half-cooked pancake with a spatula (she didn't trust herself to try and flip them).
"I thought you might. I'm guessing the first question is why I've been trying to get in contact with Emmy?" Lilly suggested, before piling the pancake onto a plate for herself and then returning to the stove to make another.
"Actually, I assumed you just missed her. She was a big part of your life for three years," the Professor replied. "But I am curious as to how you managed to get your address to her without having one for her. She moved out of the University accomodation when she resigned as my assistant. She refused to give me any new address."
"Inspector Grosky," Lilly replied. "I went to Scotland Yard and asked him if he knew where Emmy was. He said he didn't, but he still speaks with her sometimes. She comes in and gives tips about criminals. I think she's some sort of private investigator now or something. So I left him a letter to give her. I don't know why or how Descole found Emmy, though."
"I imagine he wanted to see if she was still working for Targent," the Professor suggested.
"Most likely," Lilly agreed, piling a second pancake onto her plate.
"Second question: why didn't you tell me if noticed someone following you around? Even if you're just skeptical you should let me know immediately. Even if it's just as a precaution," The Professor said. Lilly noticed the stern tone to his voice, but knew it was only his protective side. Like it was when investigating, he preferred her in danger by his side than in unknown circumstances at home.
"The man Descole sent, you mean? Well..." Lilly put a the third pancake on her plate and then sat back at the table. "Truthfully, I never noticed him. Maybe he was just good at his job. Maybe I'm just unobservant."
"Do you have the contact number Descole mentions in this letter?"
"Yes. I found it in my locker at work the day after I received this letter. I have it in a drawer in my room. I doubt I'll ever have to use it, though."
"Hmm..." The Professor thought for a moment, before taking a sip of his tea.
"Anymore questions?"
"One more," the Professor said, putting down his teacup. "Why would Descole go to the trouble of doing all of this?"
"The same reason I wasn't invited to see the Eternal Diva, why I got sick onboard the Bostonius, and why I was put into a different room when we were arrested in Misthallery," Lilly said. She'd started to eat her breakfast but in light of the serious conversation she found herself unable to eat. "Thinking back to it all, he's always tried to keep me safe and away from potential danger."
"But what I don't understand is... Why? Why, you and not others?" The Professor said with a slight frown, as if he was trying to figure out a puzzle. "Not that I don't want you to be safe, dear, but it does seem odd, doesn't it?"
"It's because he had a daughter. He told Emmy and myself whilst we were in Missonia. And a wife," Lilly said somberly. "They both died at the hands of Targent. His daughter would have been the same age as me had she still have been alive."
The Professor blinked, but other than that was still. He opened his mouth to say something but promptly closed it again. Lilly could tell he was unsure what to say next.
"It's not just that, though. Well, I don't think so, anyway," Lilly went on. "He was nearly you. If he hadn't have said you were Hershel, he'd have gone off to live with the Grandma and Grandpa and he'd be Professor Hershel Layton, founder of the Golden Garden, amongst other things. And you'd be Theodore Bronev and perhaps lose your wife and daughter and become... Jean Descole. And I think he hoped that if it was the other way around, the way around, that you'd still keep his daughter safe. Or perhaps I'm reading too much into it."
Lilly sighed and gave him a faint smile before reaching across the table and taking his hand.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps not," the Professor replied with a smile and a squeeze of her hand.
"Papa, I know you lost your parents, even if you can't remember much of them. And Randall. And Mama. But at least you have me. And Luke and Flora. And Grandma and Grandpa," Lilly said gently, speaking in a hushed tone. "I think the both of you have been terribly unfortunate and it turned Descole into... Well, Descole. Maybe he worried that if you lost another person that you'd turn into a similar form of Descole. He's still your brother, even after all of that. He still cared."
"Perhaps, my dear. Perhaps," the Professor smiled, giving her another, tighter squeeze of her hand before letting go. "As long as you're safe. That's what counts."
"And I am," Lilly reassured. "Now, let's eat there pancakes, shall we? They're going cold!"
AN: So I can't write a 7500 word essay in two weeks (You guessed it. The paper's due in on Monday!) but I can bust out a 2500 word fanfiction in an hour and a half.
So, the plan for the next chapter: I'm revealing (though it's obvious) Lilly's husband. Then, the chapter after that I shall do a multi-chapter story of one of the games. Which game you ask? You decide!
Vote in reviews between Pandora/Diabolical Box and Azran Legacy!
Votes will be counted from this chapter and the next's reviews! If I get no reviews/votes, which understandably happens sometimes, I'll pick! :)
So guys, if you're reading: let me know!
Nikki~