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Description
                                                   I'll Protect her!

"Hershel? Is everything okay?" Claire recognized these words as he picked up a portrait of himself and his beloved woman. She didn't saw what he grabbed from the ground. Nervously chuckling Layton stuffed the Paper in his trouser pocket , while he turned her around, saying:
"Yes. It was only a photo from my neighbor. I'll return it back tomorrow."  Skeptical she smiled at him:
"Why do you think that this picture's from your neighbor?" Curiously she fallowed his steps, when she felt that his palm began to sweat slightly. In his glimpse was sadness and at the same time fear.
"His face's on it. Could we please... go?" Not looking at her, Hershel linked his arm in hers, to help her, walk straightly.
"If you want.. sure." Claire knew something was wrong with the photo he found: 'He wouldn't tell me what it actually is. But he has to, if I'm involved in the thing.', she thought as they reached the apartment.
"Lady's first." Pushing the door open for her, he leaved her in the floor.
"Professor?" Luke came in the living room with his reddish eyes. The Scene a few minutes ago was still clear in his mind. To Flora he told that everything's fine but honestly it wasn't. Ben's handsome, funny and romantic just like himself, which made him jealous. He was glad that Hershel came, maybe he could forget the situation:
"Luke..." The ordinarily deep voice changed into a weak, weepy sound.
"I can tell that you're sad... or concerned?" Taking off his Hat, he tried to gain his normal voice, as he glanced at Claire, standing at the end of the floor. His eyes were filling up with tears, but she didn't moved. Instead of that she unlocked the door from Floras room and entered.
Her slim figure disappeared in the door frame. Luke stared up at Hershel, watching him slowly closing his eyes. Two big tears ran down his cheeks. This was the first time, he allowed himself to cry.
"Would you please leave me alone for a moment?" Without an answer, he went to the bathroom, making sure that he could be alone as well.
Sitting down on the couch, he tugged the piece of paper out of his pocket . A single drop ended his way in one of his mouth corners. Hershel wiped the tear away with his thumb, while he peered at the portrait. What he saw imparted him   in a state of shock. Anxiety over came everything: "God, Claire!": What he held was a drawing of him and Claire. Both were in the same park as they where today. But all was different. She was laying in his arms with a Laceration on her forehead. He was depicted crying, nearly screaming at her. Over his Top hat stood: 'Please don't go!!' written with a red thick pencil. All looked so brutal. Luke was in the background, running away with Flora by his side. It was night and so realistic. Was this a vision? Something that'll happen in the future? He was 99,9 percent sure that it was a message from the murderer, who killed Mr. Burwell.
With shaking hands he wanted to placed the provocative Image away, but Luke crawled out of the tiny room. He crossed Layton's way passively and saw the horrible piece. Open-mouthed, looking up, Luke understood now why he was so whiny.
"You're scared to lose her." It was hard to keep his serious face, when he nodded to reply him. New amounts of tears welled up in his eyes, but he suppressed them. Luke pulled him closer and hugged him. The Paper glided out of his Hand. Squinting down to the image he spotted himself with Flora. A shiver ran down his spine, when he thought: 'I must of be there when she'll...', the last word was too much. Over the weeks he started to like her, even imagined her as his real mother. Hershel lifted up his head from his shoulder and said:
"She's the one. I don't know what I would do when she passes away. I wont let it go that far!" His voice sounded strong and determined.
"How could Claire die when she has you? You're her Protector." He smiled a little and walked in his room, while he said on his way:
"Thank you, my Boy."

"I'm not here. I just searched a place to be by myself but I'll leave quickly." Flora gazed up from her Bed and said mousy:
"No, don't go. I would like to talk to you." Her Hand was already on the Door handle, but she turned around once more and sat right next to her.
"What troubles you, dear?" She sighed and looked forward to her wooden closet,  where the same heart's incised with their names, like in Luke's room. Claire smiled and said:
"Is it because of Luke? Or the Date with Ben?" As if she could read minds...
"Who told you, that I was meeting him?" Flora leaned her head on her shoulder and spoke along:
"Yes, you're right. Ben kissed me, and Luke's upset now, which is normal I guess."
Resting her Head against hers she just smiled and muttered: "oh how I wish that I could have such problems..."
"What?" Her ears are very good, so she heard every word of it. Now both looked at each other and Flora asked:
"What do you mean with 'such' Problems? Something wrong with Hershel?"
"Yes. But I can't tell why. We were in the park today and somehow he found something on the ground, and after that he was totally strange. He said that it was a picture from his neighbor, what I don't believe." She stood up and added:
"I'll ask him, what's going on." So did she...

"May I come in?" Claire knocked politely on the bedroom door.
"Please." Hershel never broke up the eye contact, when she slinked in and overlooked the dark shoe. She stumbled over it, right in his arms, after he sprung up from his bed.
"Watch out!" His mind was earnest but she laughed out loud, when she saw these eyes full of fear.
"Hey! No harm done!" Shaking him out of this mood, Hershel smiled too, but only played it. The next few days were just like that: every step that could hurt Claire was a reason to pull her away, to hold her and even to cover her with the craziest things. Until the Day came, when she wanted to visit the park again.:
Both of them were sitting at the table, eating their regular breakfasts, as she suddenly asked the question:
"Will you join me when I'll go to the park, this evening?" A Morsel stuck in his throat. Hershel retched it down and dabbed his mouth clean, before he replied:
"Would you mind to go somewhere else?" She stopped eating and frowned.
"Why, I'd love to watch the stars with you." Smiling at him, she grabbed his hand and waited for a soft return but all what came was:
"Of course we can, just not there." Holding the newspaper up, to hide the nervous face he made, Claire pushed them down and asked:
"Why on earth are you so scared?" He stared in her eyes , while he said:
"I can't explain it to you." His heart was literally breaking. Lying at her wasn't even the worst, no, it was the fact that she was on a list to be killed soon.
"Is someone extorting you?" Around them was all silent, but the air was gloomy.
"No!" Hershel was near to tears, near to fury against the person who wants to hurt her, when he stood up from the table. On the second layer of the table was the horror portrait, which flew to the ground after his fast action. Claire couldn't believe her eyes. 'Me? Dying in Hershel's arms?', she thought, while she lifting up the paper and regarded it more precisely.
"No...Why didn't you told me that earlier? You knew that I was going to die? " Screaming back at him under tears, she backed off. Trying to comfort her, he stroke her arm, earning:
"Don't ever touch me again!" She was angry, but the stronger feeling was: pain. Nothing could hurt her more than Hershel could. The Lie was massively hard to suffer and then the content?! He was lost, how could he turn this to an happy ending?
"Listen to me Claire: When I've found this I was shocked. I cried like a baby, when I was alone. And I sweared to god that I would protect you with everything I have..." Her eyes went watery with each word he said...: "But why di..." He came closer and continued:
"I would never forgive me if you died and I wasn't there to save you. Claire I..." Catching some breath he added the last words with a tear: "I Love you."

"Uhh.. who's calling so early?" Flora removed the arm from Luke around her waist, grabbed her phone and answered with closed eyes: "Flora's on the phone." immediately opening her eyes, she dropped the phone after she heard:

                                           It's me... Ben.

To be Continued...

Description
                                                   I'll Protect her!

"Hershel? Is everything okay?" Claire recognized these words as he picked up a portrait of himself and his beloved woman. She didn't saw what he grabbed from the ground. Nervously chuckling Layton stuffed the Paper in his trouser pocket , while he turned her around, saying:
"Yes. It was only a photo from my neighbor. I'll return it back tomorrow."  Skeptical she smiled at him:
"Why do you think that this picture's from your neighbor?" Curiously she fallowed his steps, when she felt that his palm began to sweat slightly. In his glimpse was sadness and at the same time fear.
"His face's on it. Could we please... go?" Not looking at her, Hershel linked his arm in hers, to help her, walk straightly.
"If you want.. sure." Claire knew something was wrong with the photo he found: 'He wouldn't tell me what it actually is. But he has to, if I'm involved in the thing.', she thought as they reached the apartment.
"Lady's first." Pushing the door open for her, he leaved her in the floor.
"Professor?" Luke came in the living room with his reddish eyes. The Scene a few minutes ago was still clear in his mind. To Flora he told that everything's fine but honestly it wasn't. Ben's handsome, funny and romantic just like himself, which made him jealous. He was glad that Hershel came, maybe he could forget the situation:
"Luke..." The ordinarily deep voice changed into a weak, weepy sound.
"I can tell that you're sad... or concerned?" Taking off his Hat, he tried to gain his normal voice, as he glanced at Claire, standing at the end of the floor. His eyes were filling up with tears, but she didn't moved. Instead of that she unlocked the door from Floras room and entered.
Her slim figure disappeared in the door frame. Luke stared up at Hershel, watching him slowly closing his eyes. Two big tears ran down his cheeks. This was the first time, he allowed himself to cry.
"Would you please leave me alone for a moment?" Without an answer, he went to the bathroom, making sure that he could be alone as well.
Sitting down on the couch, he tugged the piece of paper out of his pocket . A single drop ended his way in one of his mouth corners. Hershel wiped the tear away with his thumb, while he peered at the portrait. What he saw imparted him   in a state of shock. Anxiety over came everything: "God, Claire!": What he held was a drawing of him and Claire. Both were in the same park as they where today. But all was different. She was laying in his arms with a Laceration on her forehead. He was depicted crying, nearly screaming at her. Over his Top hat stood: 'Please don't go!!' written with a red thick pencil. All looked so brutal. Luke was in the background, running away with Flora by his side. It was night and so realistic. Was this a vision? Something that'll happen in the future? He was 99,9 percent sure that it was a message from the murderer, who killed Mr. Burwell.
With shaking hands he wanted to placed the provocative Image away, but Luke crawled out of the tiny room. He crossed Layton's way passively and saw the horrible piece. Open-mouthed, looking up, Luke understood now why he was so whiny.
"You're scared to lose her." It was hard to keep his serious face, when he nodded to reply him. New amounts of tears welled up in his eyes, but he suppressed them. Luke pulled him closer and hugged him. The Paper glided out of his Hand. Squinting down to the image he spotted himself with Flora. A shiver ran down his spine, when he thought: 'I must of be there when she'll...', the last word was too much. Over the weeks he started to like her, even imagined her as his real mother. Hershel lifted up his head from his shoulder and said:
"She's the one. I don't know what I would do when she passes away. I wont let it go that far!" His voice sounded strong and determined.
"How could Claire die when she has you? You're her Protector." He smiled a little and walked in his room, while he said on his way:
"Thank you, my Boy."

"I'm not here. I just searched a place to be by myself but I'll leave quickly." Flora gazed up from her Bed and said mousy:
"No, don't go. I would like to talk to you." Her Hand was already on the Door handle, but she turned around once more and sat right next to her.
"What troubles you, dear?" She sighed and looked forward to her wooden closet,  where the same heart's incised with their names, like in Luke's room. Claire smiled and said:
"Is it because of Luke? Or the Date with Ben?" As if she could read minds...
"Who told you, that I was meeting him?" Flora leaned her head on her shoulder and spoke along:
"Yes, you're right. Ben kissed me, and Luke's upset now, which is normal I guess."
Resting her Head against hers she just smiled and muttered: "oh how I wish that I could have such problems..."
"What?" Her ears are very good, so she heard every word of it. Now both looked at each other and Flora asked:
"What do you mean with 'such' Problems? Something wrong with Hershel?"
"Yes. But I can't tell why. We were in the park today and somehow he found something on the ground, and after that he was totally strange. He said that it was a picture from his neighbor, what I don't believe." She stood up and added:
"I'll ask him, what's going on." So did she...

"May I come in?" Claire knocked politely on the bedroom door.
"Please." Hershel never broke up the eye contact, when she slinked in and overlooked the dark shoe. She stumbled over it, right in his arms, after he sprung up from his bed.
"Watch out!" His mind was earnest but she laughed out loud, when she saw these eyes full of fear.
"Hey! No harm done!" Shaking him out of this mood, Hershel smiled too, but only played it. The next few days were just like that: every step that could hurt Claire was a reason to pull her away, to hold her and even to cover her with the craziest things. Until the Day came, when she wanted to visit the park again.:
Both of them were sitting at the table, eating their regular breakfasts, as she suddenly asked the question:
"Will you join me when I'll go to the park, this evening?" A Morsel stuck in his throat. Hershel retched it down and dabbed his mouth clean, before he replied:
"Would you mind to go somewhere else?" She stopped eating and frowned.
"Why, I'd love to watch the stars with you." Smiling at him, she grabbed his hand and waited for a soft return but all what came was:
"Of course we can, just not there." Holding the newspaper up, to hide the nervous face he made, Claire pushed them down and asked:
"Why on earth are you so scared?" He stared in her eyes , while he said:
"I can't explain it to you." His heart was literally breaking. Lying at her wasn't even the worst, no, it was the fact that she was on a list to be killed soon.
"Is someone extorting you?" Around them was all silent, but the air was gloomy.
"No!" Hershel was near to tears, near to fury against the person who wants to hurt her, when he stood up from the table. On the second layer of the table was the horror portrait, which flew to the ground after his fast action. Claire couldn't believe her eyes. 'Me? Dying in Hershel's arms?', she thought, while she lifting up the paper and regarded it more precisely.
"No...Why didn't you told me that earlier? You knew that I was going to die? " Screaming back at him under tears, she backed off. Trying to comfort her, he stroke her arm, earning:
"Don't ever touch me again!" She was angry, but the stronger feeling was: pain. Nothing could hurt her more than Hershel could. The Lie was massively hard to suffer and then the content?! He was lost, how could he turn this to an happy ending?
"Listen to me Claire: When I've found this I was shocked. I cried like a baby, when I was alone. And I sweared to god that I would protect you with everything I have..." Her eyes went watery with each word he said...: "But why di..." He came closer and continued:
"I would never forgive me if you died and I wasn't there to save you. Claire I..." Catching some breath he added the last words with a tear: "I Love you."

"Uhh.. who's calling so early?" Flora removed the arm from Luke around her waist, grabbed her phone and answered with closed eyes: "Flora's on the phone." immediately opening her eyes, she dropped the phone after she heard:

                                           It's me... Ben.

To be Continued...