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Description
                                                      "How do you feel?"

The mood was despondent this night: Rain was still pouring furiously down at everyone, most of them were injured, some of them even unconsciousness. Unfortunately they've already reached the end of their plan...resume :
-Ben was involved in the whole Mr. Burwell case.
-Ben was also there to hurt Claire, for unknown reasons.
-Another man assisted him... But who was he?
-Both of them had the same body structure, which Remi confirmed.
One thing what they didn't knew, was where the culprits were, or where they were hiding. Maybe the men were closer than everyone thought:

"Claire! Wake up! Please.."
Hershel tried to shake her awake, as she promptly fainted again, after she warned the whole group around her. A tear ran down Flora's pale cheek, when she realized that Claire was terribly weak. She lied in Hershel's arms. Then suddenly she opened her dark eyes again, smiling slightly.
"Oh Dear, please stay strong. I just need you to be awake till we're at home. And don' worry I'm... Ahhh."
Hershel folded his arms in front of his stomach, wanting to push the pain away.
"What's wrong Professor?"
Luke asked, worried about his 'father'. No-one cared about his injuries, at that point.
"I assume, it's from the hit I received from the assistant. I don't know how he did that, but I passed away immediately."
"Uh.. you aren't fine at all.."
Finally Claire found her voice, after she frowned in anxiety.
"Don't fret my love. I'll be okay. Just try to be awake. Could you.. give me... your arm?"
She held it up, as he bend down, to pull her up. Her arms were around his wet T-shirt on his waist.
"Do you think you can walk back home?"
Remi said from behind. She quiet concerned, after all both were weak and looked as if they were near to die.
"Thank you, but I think I can. It isn't very far from here. I..."

"There you are, Layton!!"
'Ben' ran towards the group, screaming:
"You really thought, you hung me up!"
Laughing devilish, he made his way to Luke and Flora.
"Remi! Call Chelmey!"
Hershel threw her, his phone with a strong pass to. Then she eagerly searched his name on the phone display, as Flora yelped!
"What?!"
Luke totally forget to watch over her, between Claire and Hershel's Conversation. 'Ben' utilized the situation shameless.
"If you call the Inspector, then she'll have to pay that with her little princess life!"
His eyes widened, when he saw that the man placed a sharp knife right on her chin:
"Don't. Call. Him!"
Luke yelled at Remi, before she nearly pushed the 'call' button.
"Ha ha, you're so easy to extort! Now.. let me play this game along.."
'Ben' walked a few meters back, with Flora in tow. Shocked, Claire watched the scene; but didn't intervened. How could she? She barely spoke a bit at this time.
"Luke, Hel-"
"Shut up, Princess!"
He said, while he roughly put his long hand over her mouth. Flora only stared at her Boyfriend, showing him that she's afraid. Massively afraid.
"So, Layton... How do you feel?"
'Ben' questioned sarcastically, while he paced up and down, through the crowd.
"What do you want from us?"
Hershel returned hard.
"What I want from you? Oh.. there are many things, to hate about you. Did you ever lost a thought on that?"
He shook his head in disbelieve, as he got closer and closer to him, with every step he made towards the two.
"Don't you even dare to come a millimeter closer! I've got a knife.. you know that, right?"
"Or course I do! No one question to you: Would you really kill this innocent girl for hurting me?"
The knife on Flora's chin, wandered down to her neck..
"Certainly. Why not?"
"You're a sick man!"
Luke couldn't hold it any longer..
In the meantime of this little talk, Remi, who everyone included 'Ben' ignored, lurked up right behind his back...ready to kick his a**.
Hershel knew what she was doing and helped her by distracting him...Then the instant came..
"Haaa!"
She screamed loudly. Just then 'Ben' turned around, when she struck.
"Yes!"
"Luke, Luke!"
Flora ran up to him, as fast as she could and found herself in his wet arms.
"Thank you again, Remi!"
Hershel said, waving her to him and Claire over.
"I can't leave.. he still hears us."
"Oh, very well then. Luke could you help Claire for a second, please ?"
He nodded, walked to her and took her arm around his shoulders to support her. Luke grew pretty fast the past year, so.. that it would be an easy job to keep Claire straight up.
Meanwhile Hershel went to 'Ben', kneed down and asked him:
"How do you feel, Ben? Isn't it just marvelous to your own face, right in the mud?"
Smiling at him, Layton added:
"Tell me where your assistant is!?"
The man on the ground moved slightly, spitted grass out of his little mouth and replied:
"Over my dead body, Layton! I won't!"
He was quiet stubborn with that:
"No Problem, I can arrange that.. Remi!?"
Feeling her foot moving away from his slender back, he feared to die.. This woman was just too tough for him..
"Do that! I'd rather die with my pride than giving up so easily!"
Remi smirked at the Professor and told:
"Get ready to go K.O. in... 5, 4.... 3, 2... and..."
"Alright, Alright! Stop it!!! Please!!"
Luke raised an eyebrow: 'Layton, you evil genius.', He thought and glanced at the two women in his arms..
"Tell me.. where is he?!"
Then 'Ben' finally spoke barely audible:
"He's waiting for me.. near to the second hand shop."
"Oh, that's why we bumped into you, when we went to the shop. You visited your assistant. Perhaps, you were planning all this at the moment!"
Luke remembered back to the scene that happened yesterday.
"..."
No comment.. was he leaked out? Maybe.. But they had to find his assistant and know who he even is!
"It was nice to meet you... sir. Sadly we all have to leave you now. We need to find a certain man who aided you."
Layton said, with a little smile on his lips. After that he shook his head to the direction of the girls and his apprentice.. which Remi followed. The group left the park.. injured but with new knowledge.

At Hershel's Apartment:

"Flora? Do you feel alright?"
Luke sat on the edge of his bed, as he stroke her wet hair out of her face.
"My Hands and my feet feel numb, but otherwise I'm fine."
Weakly she smiled back at him.
He was so glad that everyone survived after this dangerous night. Still.. something was bothering him: 'Ben's assistant. They still had to approach him and interrogate the unknown man. But when? Sooner or later? Luke knew that he would be gone, if they wouldn't show up the next 15 minutes. Another question was: would Hershel even be able to leave the Apartment again? After his blood loss? Actually Claire, Flora and the Professor should be in the Hospital. But we all know them: They would go nowhere before the whole nightmare was ultimately over.
"Luke?"
Flora finally tore him out of his thoughts.
"I'm sorry. Please, give me your Hands... I'll warm them up.."
Softly he grabbed her small Hands and squeezed slightly, so that they would get faster to their normal temperature. Flora merely closed her eyes, feeling the heat returning to her subcooled body. Then she unforeseenly said into the silence:

"Luke.. I love you."
He fondly smiled at her, letting her Hands slip out of his own and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"I love you too, Flora."
Giggling, She moved to his lap and looked up to him, saying:
"Too sad that you'll have to leave.."
Luke frowned, as he removed his Hand from her cheek:
"Regrettably I have to. But I'll return soon."
"Promise?"
"I Promise!"
Flora sleepy grinned at him, as she suddenly felt his soft lips upon hers. Why couldn't this moment last longer?

In Layton's Room:

"Hershel, don't go. You have to rest a while and treat your injuries. It's important!"
Claire said quietly from his bed.
She was dressed in one of his long, dark brown suit trousers and wore a white chemise he possessed. Her hair remained moist, which she got use to.
"I've no time for that. 'Ben's assistant is waiting for us. Ouch.. Ahh.."
Once more he stood up from the chair he sat on and felt the pain of his foot grow stronger every second he moved it in any way. His Hands were already cleaned and in white bandages.
"But you have to take the Time! No matter how. This is about your well being Hershel, not about a puzzle you can't solve that easily."
She almost had to get angry to get his attention.
"Well then. I hope you realized that I'm ready to go."
He murmured the last sentence, as he took off his black shoes, he bought knew on a market. After that he sat down right next to her and wrapped her in an embrace. "I'm just concerned about you, Hershel. And you also know why."
She averted her glimpse from him..
"Do I, dear?"
He said clueless.
"Yes, you do. I told you that I never had it easy with men.. I can't lose you. It would be too much to stand."
'Hershel.. you're unbelievable!'
He thought, after forgetting such a thing.

* knock, knock *

"Who might that be?"
Layton asked himself, when he clambered out of his bed and ignored the pain as he slowly opened the door:

                                                                 "Remi?!"

To be continued...

Description
                                                      "How do you feel?"

The mood was despondent this night: Rain was still pouring furiously down at everyone, most of them were injured, some of them even unconsciousness. Unfortunately they've already reached the end of their plan...resume :
-Ben was involved in the whole Mr. Burwell case.
-Ben was also there to hurt Claire, for unknown reasons.
-Another man assisted him... But who was he?
-Both of them had the same body structure, which Remi confirmed.
One thing what they didn't knew, was where the culprits were, or where they were hiding. Maybe the men were closer than everyone thought:

"Claire! Wake up! Please.."
Hershel tried to shake her awake, as she promptly fainted again, after she warned the whole group around her. A tear ran down Flora's pale cheek, when she realized that Claire was terribly weak. She lied in Hershel's arms. Then suddenly she opened her dark eyes again, smiling slightly.
"Oh Dear, please stay strong. I just need you to be awake till we're at home. And don' worry I'm... Ahhh."
Hershel folded his arms in front of his stomach, wanting to push the pain away.
"What's wrong Professor?"
Luke asked, worried about his 'father'. No-one cared about his injuries, at that point.
"I assume, it's from the hit I received from the assistant. I don't know how he did that, but I passed away immediately."
"Uh.. you aren't fine at all.."
Finally Claire found her voice, after she frowned in anxiety.
"Don't fret my love. I'll be okay. Just try to be awake. Could you.. give me... your arm?"
She held it up, as he bend down, to pull her up. Her arms were around his wet T-shirt on his waist.
"Do you think you can walk back home?"
Remi said from behind. She quiet concerned, after all both were weak and looked as if they were near to die.
"Thank you, but I think I can. It isn't very far from here. I..."

"There you are, Layton!!"
'Ben' ran towards the group, screaming:
"You really thought, you hung me up!"
Laughing devilish, he made his way to Luke and Flora.
"Remi! Call Chelmey!"
Hershel threw her, his phone with a strong pass to. Then she eagerly searched his name on the phone display, as Flora yelped!
"What?!"
Luke totally forget to watch over her, between Claire and Hershel's Conversation. 'Ben' utilized the situation shameless.
"If you call the Inspector, then she'll have to pay that with her little princess life!"
His eyes widened, when he saw that the man placed a sharp knife right on her chin:
"Don't. Call. Him!"
Luke yelled at Remi, before she nearly pushed the 'call' button.
"Ha ha, you're so easy to extort! Now.. let me play this game along.."
'Ben' walked a few meters back, with Flora in tow. Shocked, Claire watched the scene; but didn't intervened. How could she? She barely spoke a bit at this time.
"Luke, Hel-"
"Shut up, Princess!"
He said, while he roughly put his long hand over her mouth. Flora only stared at her Boyfriend, showing him that she's afraid. Massively afraid.
"So, Layton... How do you feel?"
'Ben' questioned sarcastically, while he paced up and down, through the crowd.
"What do you want from us?"
Hershel returned hard.
"What I want from you? Oh.. there are many things, to hate about you. Did you ever lost a thought on that?"
He shook his head in disbelieve, as he got closer and closer to him, with every step he made towards the two.
"Don't you even dare to come a millimeter closer! I've got a knife.. you know that, right?"
"Or course I do! No one question to you: Would you really kill this innocent girl for hurting me?"
The knife on Flora's chin, wandered down to her neck..
"Certainly. Why not?"
"You're a sick man!"
Luke couldn't hold it any longer..
In the meantime of this little talk, Remi, who everyone included 'Ben' ignored, lurked up right behind his back...ready to kick his a**.
Hershel knew what she was doing and helped her by distracting him...Then the instant came..
"Haaa!"
She screamed loudly. Just then 'Ben' turned around, when she struck.
"Yes!"
"Luke, Luke!"
Flora ran up to him, as fast as she could and found herself in his wet arms.
"Thank you again, Remi!"
Hershel said, waving her to him and Claire over.
"I can't leave.. he still hears us."
"Oh, very well then. Luke could you help Claire for a second, please ?"
He nodded, walked to her and took her arm around his shoulders to support her. Luke grew pretty fast the past year, so.. that it would be an easy job to keep Claire straight up.
Meanwhile Hershel went to 'Ben', kneed down and asked him:
"How do you feel, Ben? Isn't it just marvelous to your own face, right in the mud?"
Smiling at him, Layton added:
"Tell me where your assistant is!?"
The man on the ground moved slightly, spitted grass out of his little mouth and replied:
"Over my dead body, Layton! I won't!"
He was quiet stubborn with that:
"No Problem, I can arrange that.. Remi!?"
Feeling her foot moving away from his slender back, he feared to die.. This woman was just too tough for him..
"Do that! I'd rather die with my pride than giving up so easily!"
Remi smirked at the Professor and told:
"Get ready to go K.O. in... 5, 4.... 3, 2... and..."
"Alright, Alright! Stop it!!! Please!!"
Luke raised an eyebrow: 'Layton, you evil genius.', He thought and glanced at the two women in his arms..
"Tell me.. where is he?!"
Then 'Ben' finally spoke barely audible:
"He's waiting for me.. near to the second hand shop."
"Oh, that's why we bumped into you, when we went to the shop. You visited your assistant. Perhaps, you were planning all this at the moment!"
Luke remembered back to the scene that happened yesterday.
"..."
No comment.. was he leaked out? Maybe.. But they had to find his assistant and know who he even is!
"It was nice to meet you... sir. Sadly we all have to leave you now. We need to find a certain man who aided you."
Layton said, with a little smile on his lips. After that he shook his head to the direction of the girls and his apprentice.. which Remi followed. The group left the park.. injured but with new knowledge.

At Hershel's Apartment:

"Flora? Do you feel alright?"
Luke sat on the edge of his bed, as he stroke her wet hair out of her face.
"My Hands and my feet feel numb, but otherwise I'm fine."
Weakly she smiled back at him.
He was so glad that everyone survived after this dangerous night. Still.. something was bothering him: 'Ben's assistant. They still had to approach him and interrogate the unknown man. But when? Sooner or later? Luke knew that he would be gone, if they wouldn't show up the next 15 minutes. Another question was: would Hershel even be able to leave the Apartment again? After his blood loss? Actually Claire, Flora and the Professor should be in the Hospital. But we all know them: They would go nowhere before the whole nightmare was ultimately over.
"Luke?"
Flora finally tore him out of his thoughts.
"I'm sorry. Please, give me your Hands... I'll warm them up.."
Softly he grabbed her small Hands and squeezed slightly, so that they would get faster to their normal temperature. Flora merely closed her eyes, feeling the heat returning to her subcooled body. Then she unforeseenly said into the silence:

"Luke.. I love you."
He fondly smiled at her, letting her Hands slip out of his own and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"I love you too, Flora."
Giggling, She moved to his lap and looked up to him, saying:
"Too sad that you'll have to leave.."
Luke frowned, as he removed his Hand from her cheek:
"Regrettably I have to. But I'll return soon."
"Promise?"
"I Promise!"
Flora sleepy grinned at him, as she suddenly felt his soft lips upon hers. Why couldn't this moment last longer?

In Layton's Room:

"Hershel, don't go. You have to rest a while and treat your injuries. It's important!"
Claire said quietly from his bed.
She was dressed in one of his long, dark brown suit trousers and wore a white chemise he possessed. Her hair remained moist, which she got use to.
"I've no time for that. 'Ben's assistant is waiting for us. Ouch.. Ahh.."
Once more he stood up from the chair he sat on and felt the pain of his foot grow stronger every second he moved it in any way. His Hands were already cleaned and in white bandages.
"But you have to take the Time! No matter how. This is about your well being Hershel, not about a puzzle you can't solve that easily."
She almost had to get angry to get his attention.
"Well then. I hope you realized that I'm ready to go."
He murmured the last sentence, as he took off his black shoes, he bought knew on a market. After that he sat down right next to her and wrapped her in an embrace. "I'm just concerned about you, Hershel. And you also know why."
She averted her glimpse from him..
"Do I, dear?"
He said clueless.
"Yes, you do. I told you that I never had it easy with men.. I can't lose you. It would be too much to stand."
'Hershel.. you're unbelievable!'
He thought, after forgetting such a thing.

* knock, knock *

"Who might that be?"
Layton asked himself, when he clambered out of his bed and ignored the pain as he slowly opened the door:

                                                                 "Remi?!"

To be continued...