Paradox Lost Outtakes: Rejected PL Chapter 15
While my troubles with PL's next chapter continue, I'm going to be posting the rejected and alternate chapters for some of the previous posts. Maybe this will help me get out of my rut as well, since the newest chapter is looking to be a very long one. So many flashbacks....
Anyway! Here is an alternate version of Chapter 15, when Luke and Hershel arrived in the timeline of Layton and Young Luke. This isn't the first version that I had posted that didn't sit well with maskalade (sadly, it was somehow lost in the move so no record of it exists anywhere) but it is a second version that was written before I replaced it with the updated first version. Half of it will be familiar to you, but things change DRASTICALLY in the second half. Hence why it was rejected. Enjoy the outtake!
***
The day was bright and pleasant, perfect weather for children to go out and play in the park or have a picnic. For Luke and Flora, two youngsters in the care of famed archaeologist and puzzle-solving teacher Professor Layton, sunny days like this meant one thing.
Spring cleaning.
Normally, children would run screaming for escape at the idea of spring cleaning, but these two found themselves enjoying the chores as each one became a game or a puzzle. And the sight of the great Professor Layton in an apron with a feather duster was simply icing on the cake. Bustling from top to bottom of their modest two-story house, the odd little 'family' dusted and scrubbed and swept and polished until everything was gleaming like new.
"Ahhh! That's so much nicer now!" the Professor remarked with a happy sigh, lifting a window to let the breeze in, "Like a brand new house. Cleaning brings its own reward, you know."
"Yes, Professor." Luke replied, flopping back in a chair and splaying limbs all over the place, "But I'd still like something a bit more... tangible?" Flora fanned herself as she sat more demurely on the couch, her ponytail tied up in a bun and kerchief to keep it out of the way. She nodded hesitantly in agreement, still a bit unsure of herself as the newer member of the household.
"A small treat would be rather lovely." she murmured with a smile, "If it's not too much, that is." Layton stepped back from the window, lifting a hand to his mouth in his usual pensive pose before smiling at the children.
"Well, since you did so well on your chores with little complaint, I suppose a treat isn't uncalled for." he remarked and chuckled at the bright and hopeful expressions on his two assistants' faces, "How about some ice cream? We can run down to the market...."
A violent explosion shook the house suddenly, startling them all as the force rattled dishes, furniture, picture frames and sent the Professor sprawling onto the floor. Yelping in alarm, Luke leaped from his seat and was at his side in a flash, helping the man sit up as Flora retrieved his silk top hat and handed it back, shaken by the blast.
"What was that?" Luke asked fearfully as Layton placed the hat carefully on his head, then lowered his hands, eyes dimming for the quickest second before blinking back to awareness.
"Hmm. I... I'm not sure." he replied and stood up, dusting himself off, "Well, let's go and see what caused that racket before any more harm happens. Are the two of you all right?" Luke and Flora both nodded and followed him out the door, searching for the source of the explosion.
They didn't have to go very far. A search of the immediate area had Flora cry out in fright, bringing Luke and Layton to her side almost instantly, peering into the shadows of a nearby alley where she pointed shakily. A young man clad in a long blue coat and blue cap lay on his back in the alley, a small boy dressed in brown coat and top hat slumped on top of him. Neither one moved at the sound of Flora's cry.
"Blimey! Dead people!" Luke exclaimed in awe, causing Flora to shriek again and Layton winced at the volume, shooting a stern look at his apprentice, who smiled sheepishly back. "Ah! Sorry, Professor...." he apologized. They hurried forward, Flora not so quickly, and watched in trepidation as Layton knelt by the two forms and checked for pulses.
"They're alive, just unconscious. Flora, take the little boy; I'll carry the larger one. Luke, gather their possessions. We'll treat them in the house." the Professor ordered quickly and calmly, lifting the small child and handing him to Flora. She struggled a bit but was able to hold the weight. Luke picked up the two fallen satchels and blinked at them before looking at his own.
"Hey, Professor...?" he began curiously as Layton worked on lifting the young man up himself, hooking his arms around his shoulders and under his knees.
"Not now, Luke! Hurry inside!" the Professor returned shortly, scanning the area around them quickly before rushing off with Flora at his heels. Luke tilted his head in confusion, shrugged and picked up a pocket-watch that had been in the older boy's hand, shouldering the extra bags, then following his mentor.
--
He stood on the walkway, gazing down at the staff he had assembled for the sole purpose of bringing his two concepts to life. He was far younger than any of them, yet they all looked at him with adoration, the light of hero worship in their eyes. He was young, but he was incredibly intelligent; his mentor, bless his soul, was the one to thank for that.
One of the scientists hurried up to him with freshly printed reports in his hand, an excited look on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but paused to rethink what he was about to say at the warning glare shot at him. Then the excitement returned full force.
"Sir Penford, we've done it! We've successfully transferred the test subject two hours into the future and brought it back!" the man declared and gestured with the papers at the cluster of scientists standing around the test subject, a small robotic dog. Luke leaped down from the walkway, a drop of only a few feet, and made his way to the cluster. The group parted upon noticing him, showing him the dog with a ribbon tied around its tail and a golden pocket-watch hanging around its neck. He studied it carefully, then looked to his staff.
"Where is the ribbon of this time?" he asked and a woman passed him a length of ribbon the same color as the one tied to the dog. Luke eyed it just as critically, looked back at the other ribbon, then promptly tore the one in his hand almost in two. The ribbon on the dog suddenly ripped as well, and Luke lifted an eyebrow in contemplation.
"Had the timeline been locked when you brought Gozo back?" he asked the group of scientists. They blinked at him and Luke frowned more sternly, "Let me make it more clear for you. Did the watch ring when you brought my dog back from the future?" The group shook their heads and Luke lifted the ribbon before himself. "If the watch did not ring, then time is not locked, which means you have just opened a paradox." he lectured, "This ribbon is now torn, which means two hours after the dog left, you tied a torn ribbon to its tail and sent it back to this time. But the ribbon that arrived was whole, which means the ribbon that was tied was also whole, which means I had not torn the ribbon. Yet you have witnessed me do such a thing." Luke threw the ribbon aside, glaring up at the scientists as they all stepped back nervously, "You were so caught up in the sending of the dog that you completely forgot to cover for casual loops! What the bloody hell were you thinking; you could have gotten yourselves caught in the loop!"
"But, Professor-!" one of the women began and the group gasped collectively, hands flying up to their mouths as Luke reached into his pocket and brought out a small mason jar half full of coins. He opened the jar and held it out sternly, waiting as the woman groaned and dug out her change to toss inside. The staff had been warned about this sort of thing and always dreaded seeing Luke pull his little jar at any slip-up. The new coins clinked against the glass and Luke shook it, gazing at the red line painted on it with an unreadable expression.
"One more slip and you should reach the limit." he commented flatly, "The song you will be performing will be 'Modern Major General' if you call me that title again." He pocketed the jar and turned a firm gaze at the group of scientists. "Now, burn both of these ribbons and review your data. Check for errors and close the time stream immediately." he ordered, gesturing at the large machine set against the far wall of the room, "I don't want any significant temporal corruption escaping this facility!"
"Right away, Sir Penford!" the staff exclaimed and scattered to get to work. Luke sighed, shaking his head before heading out of the room. Another failure; until he could master time, he couldn't afford to waste a second of it. The technology had to be sound, all contingencies accounted for, absolutely nothing could be allowed to go wrong. After all...
Its maiden mission was intended to be its swan song as well....
--
Luke gazed down at the boy in the bed, uncertain if he should feel worried for the number of burns covering the young man's body, annoyed that he seemed to be copying his style in almost every way, or jealous of the amount of care and attention Professor Layton was paying him. He fidgeted in place, sighed just slightly more dramatically than before, and tried to look innocent when Layton paused his work to give him a steady, not-quite glare.
"Is there a problem, Luke?" he asked simply and Luke shook his head automatically, not really wanting to bother his mentor, but still yearning for some attention himself, "Is Flora finished taking care of the younger boy?"
"Um, I don't really know...." the young apprentice mumbled, clutching the tray of bandages, tape and lotion. Layton picked up another roll from the tray and resumed carefully wrapping the teen's arm, having already applied the burn cream to it.
"You may want to go and see if you can help her. I'll be fine on my own for the moment." the professor remarked quietly. Luke nodded slowly, but made no attempt to move. "Luke." the gentleman spoke more firmly and the boy sighed again.
"Professor, I really don't like this! I don't trust either one of these blokes!" he declared almost defiantly, "They look like trouble, the both of 'em do!" Layton only smiled as though indulging in some secret joke and reached out to gently place a hand on Luke's shoulder.
"There's nothing to worry about now. Be assured that in their condition, neither of these boys can do us any harm. And I get the feeling that harming us is the furthest thing from their minds." he told his apprentice calmly, "One is a child just your age, and the other appears to be his caretaker. Look at his injuries." Layton gestured towards the unconscious young man's face and half-wrapped torso, both still reddened from burns that were only beginning to fade with the application of medicinal lotion. Luke peered at them, then sighed, nodding reluctantly. They were worse than the ones on the little boy that Flora was tending to, even covering his back whereas the child had pockmarks of burns scattered over his body. "He used himself to shield that child from whatever caused these burns in that explosion. I very much doubt they would bring harm to anyone else."
"If you say so, Professor." Luke finally admitted defeat and pulled himself together enough to crack a grin, "I'll see how Flora's doing with the little one. Then I'll make us some tea; you're looking a bit pale yourself." The older man chuckled softly, returning to his work.
"Must still be the shock of this ordeal. I'll be fine." he replied and Luke finally hurried off with the tray, eager to finish up with Flora so he could start on the tea. Layton waited until his senses told him he was clear before shaking his head ruefully. "You can open your eyes now, young sir. He's left the room and I know you've been awake for at least five minutes now." he added with a grin. The teen lying before him growled softly before opening blue eyes to focus on him in annoyance.
"He calls you Professor?" he asked hoarsely. Layton nodded absently, snipping the end of the bandage with scissors and affixing a strip of tape to hold it down before reaching out to help him sit up. The young man jerked away, a warning glare on his face.
"It is my title, sir. Professor Hershel Layton of London. And you are?" the gentleman remarked, unruffled by the rejection of his aid as the teen struggled to sit up on his own. He hissed in pain, one hand flying up to his still unbandaged left shoulder before jerking away at the contact that sent another jolt of pain through him. "I would recommend against unneccesary movement or contact with your skin for now. Your burns are rather severe." the Professor went on.
"Don't feed me that line...." his guest seemed to be searching for some term, lips moving over one that made Layton lift an eyebrow at him before settling on what appeared to be his safest bet, "Professor." He growled again, clenching hands into fists despite his pain. "You know damn well who I am. You've known it the moment I arrived!" the teen spat out. Layton merely gazed back at him, then looked away in thought.
"Luke will be making tea soon. I'll have him bring it up to your room first and Flora can bring your companion in here for convenience. Both of them are quite curious to know who you two are." he remarked evenly, noting the suddenly flush that spread over the teen's face at the mention of Flora, "So, you have three choices from which to continue your path. You can tell us all who you truly are and why you are here; perhaps we can help you with your troubles. You can also fabricate a story to hide your identities, and face attempts to thwart your plans by my apprentice, as he doesn't seem to take to you that kindly."
"I will blame you for that." the teen grumbled softly. Layton ignored those words.
"Or you may simply remain silent and leave this household to continue your journey, taking your chances with what unexpected events may hamper or help you." the gentleman finished and stood up, "This may be quite rude of me, so I apologize in advance, but for the sake of my apprentice, could you refrain from using your full name if you choose to tell us the truth?" The teenager laughed at that, a harsh sound given the condition of his throat and his obvious irritation with him.
"His sake, Professor? Or perhaps your own?" he returned softly, eyes glittering with simmering anger, "As a former student of yours, I remembered you as a great man and praised your name; perhaps I was mistaken. You're hiding secrets just as I am. Will you keep them hidden until they can cause the most pain to the ones you claim to love?" Now the Professor looked confused and the teen smiled, tapping at his temple, "I'm far different from your apprentice, Professor Layton; the pain you've caused me has made my personality what it is today. All you can hope for is that your little boy never suffers my fate."
There was a knock at the door and the Professor seemed to not hear it for a moment. A second knock and he snapped to attention, turning to open it and let in whoever was on the other side. Flora hurried inside in a graceful swirl of skirt and ponytail, the bandaged little boy cradled in her arms as she smiled shyly at the blushing teen in the bed. A smile that faded slowly until it was replaced by a startled look, the girl quickly moving to hide behind the Professor.
"Sir... he's... indecent." she whispered with flushed cheeks, averting her eyes as much as possible. The young man in bed blinked and looked down at himself for the first time, finally registering her words and his eyes widened in shock and embarrassment. He'd been stripped down to the barest of underclothes, all for the sake of wrapping his burns. The job was only half done, so....
He shot a glare at the Professor, clearly blaming him for this as well, while snatching for the sheets and dragging them over his legs to cover up. Flora snuck another peek at him, looked relieved and emerged to place the sleeping boy beside him on the bed. The teen fidgeted nervously for a moment, then reached out to brush his companion's hair out of his face. Flora smiled sweetly at him and he blushed a brighter red, the color reaching the tops of his ears as the Professor lifted his hand to his mouth and coughed delicately to catch their attentions. Luke returned to the room, now carrying a tray of teacups, teapot, cream, and sugar. He took one look at the scene before him and scowled, face turning red.
"'Ey! Clear off! Flora's too good for someone like you!" he yelled and Flora jumped back, hands flying up to her face in shock and embarrassment, the young man glaring daggers at the young apprentice as the uproar woke the little boy up. Layton seemed to suddenly rear back, one hand flying up to pinch the bridge of his nose, a grimace of pain spreading over his face, and the little boy looked around himself groggily. His honey-brown eyes finally settled on Luke's face and widened in surprise.
"Sir Luke! That boy stole your hat!" he declared, pointing at Luke accusingly before noticing Professor Layton near the door, attempting to recompose himself. His finger shifted and his voice rose higher. "And that old man stole my hat!" he added in childish outrage.
Luke dropped his tray of tea, too stunned to do anything else. The teen in the bed only groaned and lifted his hand to his face. Apparently, his decision had just been made for him.
***
It doesn't have the full formatting as the regular chapters, but meh. So show of hands; which chapter version do you like better, the official one or this rejected one? XD No, I'm not switching chapters no matter the vote. Just curious.
Anyway! Here is an alternate version of Chapter 15, when Luke and Hershel arrived in the timeline of Layton and Young Luke. This isn't the first version that I had posted that didn't sit well with maskalade (sadly, it was somehow lost in the move so no record of it exists anywhere) but it is a second version that was written before I replaced it with the updated first version. Half of it will be familiar to you, but things change DRASTICALLY in the second half. Hence why it was rejected. Enjoy the outtake!
***
The day was bright and pleasant, perfect weather for children to go out and play in the park or have a picnic. For Luke and Flora, two youngsters in the care of famed archaeologist and puzzle-solving teacher Professor Layton, sunny days like this meant one thing.
Spring cleaning.
Normally, children would run screaming for escape at the idea of spring cleaning, but these two found themselves enjoying the chores as each one became a game or a puzzle. And the sight of the great Professor Layton in an apron with a feather duster was simply icing on the cake. Bustling from top to bottom of their modest two-story house, the odd little 'family' dusted and scrubbed and swept and polished until everything was gleaming like new.
"Ahhh! That's so much nicer now!" the Professor remarked with a happy sigh, lifting a window to let the breeze in, "Like a brand new house. Cleaning brings its own reward, you know."
"Yes, Professor." Luke replied, flopping back in a chair and splaying limbs all over the place, "But I'd still like something a bit more... tangible?" Flora fanned herself as she sat more demurely on the couch, her ponytail tied up in a bun and kerchief to keep it out of the way. She nodded hesitantly in agreement, still a bit unsure of herself as the newer member of the household.
"A small treat would be rather lovely." she murmured with a smile, "If it's not too much, that is." Layton stepped back from the window, lifting a hand to his mouth in his usual pensive pose before smiling at the children.
"Well, since you did so well on your chores with little complaint, I suppose a treat isn't uncalled for." he remarked and chuckled at the bright and hopeful expressions on his two assistants' faces, "How about some ice cream? We can run down to the market...."
A violent explosion shook the house suddenly, startling them all as the force rattled dishes, furniture, picture frames and sent the Professor sprawling onto the floor. Yelping in alarm, Luke leaped from his seat and was at his side in a flash, helping the man sit up as Flora retrieved his silk top hat and handed it back, shaken by the blast.
"What was that?" Luke asked fearfully as Layton placed the hat carefully on his head, then lowered his hands, eyes dimming for the quickest second before blinking back to awareness.
"Hmm. I... I'm not sure." he replied and stood up, dusting himself off, "Well, let's go and see what caused that racket before any more harm happens. Are the two of you all right?" Luke and Flora both nodded and followed him out the door, searching for the source of the explosion.
They didn't have to go very far. A search of the immediate area had Flora cry out in fright, bringing Luke and Layton to her side almost instantly, peering into the shadows of a nearby alley where she pointed shakily. A young man clad in a long blue coat and blue cap lay on his back in the alley, a small boy dressed in brown coat and top hat slumped on top of him. Neither one moved at the sound of Flora's cry.
"Blimey! Dead people!" Luke exclaimed in awe, causing Flora to shriek again and Layton winced at the volume, shooting a stern look at his apprentice, who smiled sheepishly back. "Ah! Sorry, Professor...." he apologized. They hurried forward, Flora not so quickly, and watched in trepidation as Layton knelt by the two forms and checked for pulses.
"They're alive, just unconscious. Flora, take the little boy; I'll carry the larger one. Luke, gather their possessions. We'll treat them in the house." the Professor ordered quickly and calmly, lifting the small child and handing him to Flora. She struggled a bit but was able to hold the weight. Luke picked up the two fallen satchels and blinked at them before looking at his own.
"Hey, Professor...?" he began curiously as Layton worked on lifting the young man up himself, hooking his arms around his shoulders and under his knees.
"Not now, Luke! Hurry inside!" the Professor returned shortly, scanning the area around them quickly before rushing off with Flora at his heels. Luke tilted his head in confusion, shrugged and picked up a pocket-watch that had been in the older boy's hand, shouldering the extra bags, then following his mentor.
--
He stood on the walkway, gazing down at the staff he had assembled for the sole purpose of bringing his two concepts to life. He was far younger than any of them, yet they all looked at him with adoration, the light of hero worship in their eyes. He was young, but he was incredibly intelligent; his mentor, bless his soul, was the one to thank for that.
One of the scientists hurried up to him with freshly printed reports in his hand, an excited look on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but paused to rethink what he was about to say at the warning glare shot at him. Then the excitement returned full force.
"Sir Penford, we've done it! We've successfully transferred the test subject two hours into the future and brought it back!" the man declared and gestured with the papers at the cluster of scientists standing around the test subject, a small robotic dog. Luke leaped down from the walkway, a drop of only a few feet, and made his way to the cluster. The group parted upon noticing him, showing him the dog with a ribbon tied around its tail and a golden pocket-watch hanging around its neck. He studied it carefully, then looked to his staff.
"Where is the ribbon of this time?" he asked and a woman passed him a length of ribbon the same color as the one tied to the dog. Luke eyed it just as critically, looked back at the other ribbon, then promptly tore the one in his hand almost in two. The ribbon on the dog suddenly ripped as well, and Luke lifted an eyebrow in contemplation.
"Had the timeline been locked when you brought Gozo back?" he asked the group of scientists. They blinked at him and Luke frowned more sternly, "Let me make it more clear for you. Did the watch ring when you brought my dog back from the future?" The group shook their heads and Luke lifted the ribbon before himself. "If the watch did not ring, then time is not locked, which means you have just opened a paradox." he lectured, "This ribbon is now torn, which means two hours after the dog left, you tied a torn ribbon to its tail and sent it back to this time. But the ribbon that arrived was whole, which means the ribbon that was tied was also whole, which means I had not torn the ribbon. Yet you have witnessed me do such a thing." Luke threw the ribbon aside, glaring up at the scientists as they all stepped back nervously, "You were so caught up in the sending of the dog that you completely forgot to cover for casual loops! What the bloody hell were you thinking; you could have gotten yourselves caught in the loop!"
"But, Professor-!" one of the women began and the group gasped collectively, hands flying up to their mouths as Luke reached into his pocket and brought out a small mason jar half full of coins. He opened the jar and held it out sternly, waiting as the woman groaned and dug out her change to toss inside. The staff had been warned about this sort of thing and always dreaded seeing Luke pull his little jar at any slip-up. The new coins clinked against the glass and Luke shook it, gazing at the red line painted on it with an unreadable expression.
"One more slip and you should reach the limit." he commented flatly, "The song you will be performing will be 'Modern Major General' if you call me that title again." He pocketed the jar and turned a firm gaze at the group of scientists. "Now, burn both of these ribbons and review your data. Check for errors and close the time stream immediately." he ordered, gesturing at the large machine set against the far wall of the room, "I don't want any significant temporal corruption escaping this facility!"
"Right away, Sir Penford!" the staff exclaimed and scattered to get to work. Luke sighed, shaking his head before heading out of the room. Another failure; until he could master time, he couldn't afford to waste a second of it. The technology had to be sound, all contingencies accounted for, absolutely nothing could be allowed to go wrong. After all...
Its maiden mission was intended to be its swan song as well....
--
Luke gazed down at the boy in the bed, uncertain if he should feel worried for the number of burns covering the young man's body, annoyed that he seemed to be copying his style in almost every way, or jealous of the amount of care and attention Professor Layton was paying him. He fidgeted in place, sighed just slightly more dramatically than before, and tried to look innocent when Layton paused his work to give him a steady, not-quite glare.
"Is there a problem, Luke?" he asked simply and Luke shook his head automatically, not really wanting to bother his mentor, but still yearning for some attention himself, "Is Flora finished taking care of the younger boy?"
"Um, I don't really know...." the young apprentice mumbled, clutching the tray of bandages, tape and lotion. Layton picked up another roll from the tray and resumed carefully wrapping the teen's arm, having already applied the burn cream to it.
"You may want to go and see if you can help her. I'll be fine on my own for the moment." the professor remarked quietly. Luke nodded slowly, but made no attempt to move. "Luke." the gentleman spoke more firmly and the boy sighed again.
"Professor, I really don't like this! I don't trust either one of these blokes!" he declared almost defiantly, "They look like trouble, the both of 'em do!" Layton only smiled as though indulging in some secret joke and reached out to gently place a hand on Luke's shoulder.
"There's nothing to worry about now. Be assured that in their condition, neither of these boys can do us any harm. And I get the feeling that harming us is the furthest thing from their minds." he told his apprentice calmly, "One is a child just your age, and the other appears to be his caretaker. Look at his injuries." Layton gestured towards the unconscious young man's face and half-wrapped torso, both still reddened from burns that were only beginning to fade with the application of medicinal lotion. Luke peered at them, then sighed, nodding reluctantly. They were worse than the ones on the little boy that Flora was tending to, even covering his back whereas the child had pockmarks of burns scattered over his body. "He used himself to shield that child from whatever caused these burns in that explosion. I very much doubt they would bring harm to anyone else."
"If you say so, Professor." Luke finally admitted defeat and pulled himself together enough to crack a grin, "I'll see how Flora's doing with the little one. Then I'll make us some tea; you're looking a bit pale yourself." The older man chuckled softly, returning to his work.
"Must still be the shock of this ordeal. I'll be fine." he replied and Luke finally hurried off with the tray, eager to finish up with Flora so he could start on the tea. Layton waited until his senses told him he was clear before shaking his head ruefully. "You can open your eyes now, young sir. He's left the room and I know you've been awake for at least five minutes now." he added with a grin. The teen lying before him growled softly before opening blue eyes to focus on him in annoyance.
"He calls you Professor?" he asked hoarsely. Layton nodded absently, snipping the end of the bandage with scissors and affixing a strip of tape to hold it down before reaching out to help him sit up. The young man jerked away, a warning glare on his face.
"It is my title, sir. Professor Hershel Layton of London. And you are?" the gentleman remarked, unruffled by the rejection of his aid as the teen struggled to sit up on his own. He hissed in pain, one hand flying up to his still unbandaged left shoulder before jerking away at the contact that sent another jolt of pain through him. "I would recommend against unneccesary movement or contact with your skin for now. Your burns are rather severe." the Professor went on.
"Don't feed me that line...." his guest seemed to be searching for some term, lips moving over one that made Layton lift an eyebrow at him before settling on what appeared to be his safest bet, "Professor." He growled again, clenching hands into fists despite his pain. "You know damn well who I am. You've known it the moment I arrived!" the teen spat out. Layton merely gazed back at him, then looked away in thought.
"Luke will be making tea soon. I'll have him bring it up to your room first and Flora can bring your companion in here for convenience. Both of them are quite curious to know who you two are." he remarked evenly, noting the suddenly flush that spread over the teen's face at the mention of Flora, "So, you have three choices from which to continue your path. You can tell us all who you truly are and why you are here; perhaps we can help you with your troubles. You can also fabricate a story to hide your identities, and face attempts to thwart your plans by my apprentice, as he doesn't seem to take to you that kindly."
"I will blame you for that." the teen grumbled softly. Layton ignored those words.
"Or you may simply remain silent and leave this household to continue your journey, taking your chances with what unexpected events may hamper or help you." the gentleman finished and stood up, "This may be quite rude of me, so I apologize in advance, but for the sake of my apprentice, could you refrain from using your full name if you choose to tell us the truth?" The teenager laughed at that, a harsh sound given the condition of his throat and his obvious irritation with him.
"His sake, Professor? Or perhaps your own?" he returned softly, eyes glittering with simmering anger, "As a former student of yours, I remembered you as a great man and praised your name; perhaps I was mistaken. You're hiding secrets just as I am. Will you keep them hidden until they can cause the most pain to the ones you claim to love?" Now the Professor looked confused and the teen smiled, tapping at his temple, "I'm far different from your apprentice, Professor Layton; the pain you've caused me has made my personality what it is today. All you can hope for is that your little boy never suffers my fate."
There was a knock at the door and the Professor seemed to not hear it for a moment. A second knock and he snapped to attention, turning to open it and let in whoever was on the other side. Flora hurried inside in a graceful swirl of skirt and ponytail, the bandaged little boy cradled in her arms as she smiled shyly at the blushing teen in the bed. A smile that faded slowly until it was replaced by a startled look, the girl quickly moving to hide behind the Professor.
"Sir... he's... indecent." she whispered with flushed cheeks, averting her eyes as much as possible. The young man in bed blinked and looked down at himself for the first time, finally registering her words and his eyes widened in shock and embarrassment. He'd been stripped down to the barest of underclothes, all for the sake of wrapping his burns. The job was only half done, so....
He shot a glare at the Professor, clearly blaming him for this as well, while snatching for the sheets and dragging them over his legs to cover up. Flora snuck another peek at him, looked relieved and emerged to place the sleeping boy beside him on the bed. The teen fidgeted nervously for a moment, then reached out to brush his companion's hair out of his face. Flora smiled sweetly at him and he blushed a brighter red, the color reaching the tops of his ears as the Professor lifted his hand to his mouth and coughed delicately to catch their attentions. Luke returned to the room, now carrying a tray of teacups, teapot, cream, and sugar. He took one look at the scene before him and scowled, face turning red.
"'Ey! Clear off! Flora's too good for someone like you!" he yelled and Flora jumped back, hands flying up to her face in shock and embarrassment, the young man glaring daggers at the young apprentice as the uproar woke the little boy up. Layton seemed to suddenly rear back, one hand flying up to pinch the bridge of his nose, a grimace of pain spreading over his face, and the little boy looked around himself groggily. His honey-brown eyes finally settled on Luke's face and widened in surprise.
"Sir Luke! That boy stole your hat!" he declared, pointing at Luke accusingly before noticing Professor Layton near the door, attempting to recompose himself. His finger shifted and his voice rose higher. "And that old man stole my hat!" he added in childish outrage.
Luke dropped his tray of tea, too stunned to do anything else. The teen in the bed only groaned and lifted his hand to his face. Apparently, his decision had just been made for him.
***
It doesn't have the full formatting as the regular chapters, but meh. So show of hands; which chapter version do you like better, the official one or this rejected one? XD No, I'm not switching chapters no matter the vote. Just curious.