Locklyle, George, and a Haunted Coffee Shop.

2

"So the biggest question here, is how to get that door open. Any ideas?" Lockwood asks with a tense smile.

We had just finished setting the chains up outside of the door to the kitchen. We had decided to do it outside of the door because when we open the door the ghost could catch us without protection.

"Well, the door doesn't have a knob,so try pushing it with your rapier?" George suggests.

"Wow, George. Best idea you've come up with Alll daayy." I deadpan.

"Lucy, that's the only thing we have, we need to try it." Lockwood says softly.

When I look back at him, he's looking at me. I've noticed recently, that whenever he looks at me he has the weirdest look in his gaze.

I've also noticed how he isn't quite as strict with me as he used to be. Usually, he would snap at me for that comment towards George.

And another thing is, that, his arms...his sleeves are rolled back... And his hair is so...messy...and his eyes are so mysterious...

Lucy no.

Bad Lucy.

Lockwood takes his rapier and gently shoves the edge of the door, and when it moves forward slightly he pushes harder.

As soon as the door opens there's a woosh of air, and my inner senses kick in.

It's a kind of rattling noise. Like a coin falling down a grate.

The noise gets louder and louder, and then it stops.

When I open my eyes, Lockwood and George are staring at the spirit.

It looks like a woman with really long hair. Her clothing is oversized over a seemingly malnourished body.

"She hadn't eaten well before her death." George mutters.

Her face is scared, and most of her chest is covered with a fog.

She looks at me, and smiles, the haze rising from her chest.

When the fog lifted from her chest, it looked as if there was a large, gash? Bullet hole... I don't know.

She looked straight at me, and then flew backwards just as the sun rose.

Suddenly our long night comes to me and I stumble out of the chains and against the wall.

As soon as my shoulder touched the wallpaper I could feel the victim, the way her heart hurt when she was murdered, and how angry her murderer was while doing the deed.

The coin sound came again, this time sounding like more than one coin falling down a grate.

I felt pressure on my chest, and then heard a scream.

Coming out of my daze I slowly slid down the wall and slumped over. I heard Lockwood tell George to go into the kitchen so that he could make sure I was OK.

"Luce? A-are you alright?" He whispers softly while putting his hand on my cheek.

"Lockwood, don't worry about me. Worry about the ghost please." I respond.

He puts his hand on my cheek and looks at me with concerned eyes.

Honestly, I've never noticed before but his eyes are beautiful. They make me feel safe in a way I haven't felt in a long time.

Normally we would be in the kitchen looking for a source, not conversing and being soft.

I don't know what happened with Lockwood, but he's been so much warmer towards us recently. He was always a kind man, but his laughter has gotten more joyous and his smiles have gotten more real.

..............................

We were in the midst of scoping out the scene when I noticed the door.

"Hey Lockwood... I'm going to go check out the area behind that door." I say to him quickly.

"Ok Luce, but be careful." He responds, while looking at a scratch mark on a counter.

"You do realize that I have a rapier, right? No one in their right mind would try to attack me and expect to win." I retort sarcastically.

"You know Lucy, I worry about you and your violent tendencies sometimes." George calls over his shoulder, leaving Lockwood chuckling softly.

I flip George off because I don't want to deal with his bull shit right now.

I exit the kitchen through the door, only to find out that it leads outside by the dumpsters. The dumpster to the far left has some sort of fabric sticking out from behind it, so I go to investigate.

Whan I get there, all I find is a ragged tent and rotting food scraps.

There is no one living here anymore, quite obviously, so I go through the meager things decorating this old shelter. Finding nothing but a can, I go back inside.

When I open the door, the first thing i hear is yelling.

"YOU ENDANGERED MY TEAM AND I. THAT'S WHY WE CALLED THE COPS MA'AM!" Lockwood yells. Lockwood almost never yells.

I stand silently, crossing my arms to look more intimidating.

"YOU'RE ONLY SAYING THAT BECAUSE I STOPPED YOU FROM YOUR NIGHT WITH YOUR LITTLE GIRL TOY HERE." She replies pulling my arm so I'm shoved toward her.

Lockwood's eyes are ablaze with fury, and he pinches the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb in frustration.

"You let her go right now Ma'am. Lucy is  my best agent and friend, so if you ever think about taking about her or touching her like that again, I will not hesitate to apprehend you for putting an agent in danger." Lockwood says in an eerily calm voice.

The owner of the store lets out a pretentious 'hmph' and leaves the store with her rather large nose stuck straight in the air.

"Well, she's an asshole." George says to lighten the mood.

"Go get us some donuts, George." Lockwood says to him even though he's staring intently at me.

After George leaves the store, Lockwood practically leaps at me, and gathers me in a hug.

"Are you ok? Did she hurt you? I couldn't ever forgive myself if she hurt you..." Lockwood rambles, placing his chin on top of my head.

He then pushes me to an arms length. Lifts my chin up and moves my head all around as if to look for injuries.

The last thing he does?

Hug me again.
.....................................

Y'all probably thought they were gonna kiss, huh? Well that's probably not gonna happen any time soon

I don't really like it when they get together to early in the story.