Re: Duty Calls (Case 3)

by Officer Kirkland Tue Sep 25, 2012 4:05 am

"Smores...?" Arthur frowned but couldn't think of an image to fit the name. What on earth was a 'smore'? The thought only distracted him for a moment though, before he turned his attention back to the other issue. He wasn't stupid. Alfred obviously didn't want to eat his cooking. In truth, he was more than a bit hurt but he didn't feel like pressing the matter, not now that things finally seemed to be going s little bit better for the two of them.

He hung back and watched as Alfred prepared and cooked their dinner. Arthur wasn't terribly opposed to fish, but he had no idea what to expect from this meal. Obviously it would be rather plain, since he hadn't seen Alfred adding much to the fish at all. At least it would be fresh though, he supposed.

When the fish were cooked, Arthur accepted one and hesitantly took a bite of it. The meat was tender and sweet. Arthur looked up in surprise and a bit of jealousy. Why couldn't his cooking turn out like this? "... It's good," he mumbled, taking another bite. They ate quietly for a while, content to just sit side by side and bask in each other's presence.

by **Detective Jones** Sat Sep 29, 2012 4:35 pm

Alfred sat close to Arthur as they ate their small but nice dinner. He held onto one of Arthur's hands the whole time slightly leaning against him. The fish was good, it tasted the same as all the other times that he had had it on trips like this, an almost nostalgic taste.

He noticed though that Arthur hadn't quite for the hang of making dessert. "Don't tell me you've never had one before? Seriously?" Alfred laughs lightly. He pulls a few marshmallows out of his pack and puts them on a stick holding them over the fire for a moment before sticking them onto two gram crackers and a piece of chocolate. It's a dripping sticky mess of sugar but Alfred looks excited about it all the same. Then his expression turns the slightest mischievous and he sticks the end of one piece in his mouth and leans over offering the other end to Arthur along with a case of bedroom eyes.

by Officer Kirkland Wed Oct 03, 2012 10:12 pm

Arthur flushed and shifted uncomfortably. What was Alfred trying to hint at? He glanced back up at the biscuit protruding from Alfred's mouth and frowned at the look he was being given. Then again, Alfred was dong so much for him. Surely he could give a little back, right? It wasn't as if Alfred was directly propositioning him, anyway.

Reluctantly, Arthur leaned forward and nibbled at the end of the biscuit. Almost instantly, he recoiled from the overpowering sweetness and pulled away, trying not to pull a face. He enjoyed sweet things, but this was too much. Marshmallows and chocolate together? It was a wonder that Americans could stomach such a thing.

He felt guilty, though. Alfred was sharing this with him, yet he couldn't even bring himself to relax and enjoy this tiny part of Alfred's childhood. "I think I ought to sleep now," he said hurriedly, looking away.

by **Detective Jones** Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:22 pm

Alfred was slightly disappointed that Arthur only toke a small bite but he supposed that was far better than nothing. Maybe next time he could try it with a treat that Arthur liked, the results might fair better then he figured as he put the rest of the whole s'more into his mouth, teeth gumming up from all the marshmallow.

When he was finally able to speak again without food blocking his words he nodded at Arthur's idea. "Sleep? I suppose it is getting late and we've had a long day." He replies casting an eye at the sky above, it was colored in purple hues and the stars were peeking out, a large moon overhead. "Just let me clean up out here a bit." He suggests waving for Arthur to go on to the tent before him.

He toke his time letting Arthur have enough time to change into his clothes for the night and soaked the ire down and covered it with dirt for good measure. He packed up all their food to keep animals from being attracted and went ahead and changed his own clothes out in the open air. It was a bit chilly but nothing he couldn't handle. From there he hurried to the tent, entering it and zipping up the door flap. Inside was dark except for the moonlight shining in from the clear top overhead. It was like being in a small house with a glass roof. Alfred unrolled his sleeping bag, covered robots clearly from his childhood and more than a tad too small for him. He squirmed his way down into it though as far as he could.

"Comfy?" He asked turning to look at Arthur, the tent wide enough to allow them both room but there was only so much space between them. Alfred could very well reach over and loop an arm around Arthur if he wanted, he left choice up to Arthur though. If he didn't want it than Alfred would not push the contact.

by Officer Kirkland Sat Oct 13, 2012 2:35 am

Arthur lay still for a long moment with his back to the other man, feigning sleep. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to relax. The sounds of the insects outside seemed to grow louder and louder, and the moonlight seemed so very bright. He felt strangely vulnerable sleeping out here, even though it was far from the first time he'd gone camping. Finally he rolled over to face Alfred, sighing loudly. He felt as if he had to say something.

"Thank you," he said quietly, his voice sounding oddly loud in the silence of the tent. "For bringing me here, I mean. It really... I'm really grateful." He knew that Alfred was trying his best to mend their relationship. And truly, they had been making progress. But Arthur was still ashamed of his lack of action. Saying these things out loud was too embarrassing though, and Arthur found the words choking up in his throat. What could he say?

After a long moment, Arthur deliberately wiggled closer to the other man and pressed up against him. He wanted to feel Alfred's familiar arms around him. What had happened during the previous case suddenly seemed unimportant when compared to the fact that Alfred wasn't touching him. Alfred wasn't tired of trying so hard, was he? A sudden, irrational fear of rejection swept through Arthur, and he reached out to grip a handful of Alfred's sleeping bag.

by **Detective Jones** Sat Oct 13, 2012 9:08 am

When Alfred didn't get a reply he fell silent and tried to close his eyes and get some sleep. It didn't seem to take long though until he heard a rustling of blankets and he peeked one eye open to see Arthur rolling over to face him. A sleepy smile pulled up on Alfred lips at the stumbled words. "I'm glad." He says and when Arthur moves even closer he raises an arm, yawning, and wraps it around Arthur securely even going so far as to duck his head and rest his chin against Arthur's fringe.

"I was worried you weren't having a good time but..i really wanted to show you this place." Alfred mutters in a quiet voice. "It's important to me..like you are."

After that Alfred seems to finally settle down comfortable now that Arthur is close. He drifts off to sleep rather peacefully. The natural cuddler that he is only serves for him to get closer in his sleep.

by Officer Kirkland Fri Nov 16, 2012 4:29 pm

Arthur woke quite suddenly, a thin sheen of sweat covering his body. He couldn't quite remember what he'd been dreaming about, and he blinked blearily in the darkness as he tried to untangle himself from his sleeping bag. Something didn't feel right. He peered over at Alfred, only to find the man still peacefully asleep. He didn't want to disturb the American, so Arthur gently eased out of Alfred's grip and stepped outside the tent.

Things outside were peaceful and quiet too. It should have soothed Arthur, but instead it only intensified the nagging sense of worry that was growing in his chest. Something definitely wasn't right, but he had no idea what it could be. Maybe it was his dream, he told himself. He'd just had a bad dream, and it was making him feel uneasy. That was all.

Arthur crawled back inside the tent. He hesitated, hand on Alfred's shoulder, before deciding that it wasn't worth waking the man up. Alfred shouldn't have to suffer sleep deprivation just because Arthur felt uneasy. Instead, he curled up in his sleeping bag again, facing away from his boyfriend.

He tossed and turned, unable to sleep again, until morning.

by **Detective Jones** Mon Nov 19, 2012 4:05 pm

Alfred didn't stir much during the night although he remembers being semi conscious as Arthur moved beside him at some point but he quickly drifted right back off to sleep. It wasn't until morning that he woke up to the sound of birds chirping and light pouring in through the top of the tent. He covered his eyes as they squinted open and he sat up pulling his sleeping bag up further at the chill in the air. He yawns and stretches as best he can while trying to stay in the nice warm blankets.

Then he looks over to Arthur he's scooted away during the night it seems but he's still sleeping so Alfred won't bother him. Instead he finally gets up and peers outside shuffling around as he puts together a small breakfast for the two of them of what was left over last night. Some gramcrackers and fish. It's not much but it'll hold them until they can get back to Alfred's place.

Finally he goes to peek his head into the tent to wake Arthur up. "Morning sunshine." He says in a quiet voice as he steps further inside.

by Officer Kirkland Tue Dec 04, 2012 4:50 am

"Good morning," Arthur replied quietly, folding up the sleeping bags. The bad feeling hadn't gone away and even though he found himself feeling anxious and twitchy. He followed Alfred's lead, brushing his teeth and nibbling at the meagre breakfast, wanting to return to Alfred's family home quickly.

Soon enough they were on their way back through the field. The air was cool but as the sun shone down on them, everything began to heat up. Arthur stubbornly struggled with his pack, setting a brisk pace back towards where he knew the house to be.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he caught sight of familiar flashing lights from across the street. Even without the siren on, he could recognise those blue and red lights anywhere.

There were police cars parked outside Alfred's home.

"Alfred..." he grabbed at the man's sleeve, feeling the blood drain from his face. He'd known that something wasn't right, but Arthur hadn't said anything. Now, something had happened to Matthew and Mrs Jones. He might have been able to prevent that, if only he had been less timid. Guilt surged through him, but he tried to clamp down on it, knowing that the most important thing right now was making sure that Matthew and Mrs Jones were all right.

They broke into a run and arrived on the doorstep in no time at all. Arthur threw off his pack and stuck his head inside the house, only to be startled by someone in a police uniform. The man was blonde, blue-eyed and had a very familiar chinful of stubble.

"Ah-- What was your name again? I remember you. Arthur, was it?" The man's brows furrowed. "It's not what it looks like-- well, yes, it is, but I was undercover. You mustn't tell your friends at that university, understood? They needn't know my real job."

Arthur gaped at the man for a moment, before shaking his head. This was... Francis. That case seemed so long ago... but now wasn't the time to reminisce. "We need to see Matthew and Mrs Jones," he growled, pointedly trying to go around the man.

"I'm afraid you can't. In fact, the whole house is a crime scene, so I'll have to ask you to wait outside."

Arthur fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his police badge, shoving it in Francis' face. "Get out of my way, you frog!"

by **Detective Jones** Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:48 pm

Alfred only found it amusing at first that Arthur seemed to be so eager to get back to the house. He just assumed that he was trying to make up for his difficulty on the way down before by being extra capable this morning, something he found rather endearing. No it wasn't until they were close to the house and he found his sleeve being grabbed onto did he really start to think something wasn't right.

It seemed out of no where for Alfred. One minute they had been having a nice weekend and the next there were lights and Arthur was tugging on him and the hole world seemed to go silent for the longest moment he could imagine. He ran no even bothering to shoulder off his gear, just tearing after Arthur towards the house.

He stops short in the doorway of the house frantically looking for his brother and mother before pushing his way through ignoring the protests of the other policemen in the house. "Mom...Mattie...MOM! MATTIE!" He finally drops his pack against the floor and runs up through the stairs looking for them. This can't be happening. He never dreamed that anything like this would happen to his family, Sure he'd seen it tons of times int he city but never..never here, not like this.

A hand grabs his shoulder though to stop his hurried movements. He's breathing hard he realizes before trying to calm himself.

"Hey, it's alright. Stop with the panicking." And he turns then to find a vaguely familiar face staring back at him in a uniform he's more used to wearing than seeing. "You..Your names tony or something right?" Alfred says feeling a little shaky. "W-where is my mom and brother!?"

"They're going to be just fine. Just a little shocked like yourself." Alfred finds himself being wheeled back towards the front of the house were he finds Arthur and the other familiar.

by Officer Kirkland Thu Dec 06, 2012 3:52 am

Arthur was very close to coming to blows with Francis. The other man had snatched his badge away and studied it very closely before carelessly tossing it back and shrugging. "I'd thought you seemed too strange for a university student, he muttered. "Nonetheless, this case is out of your jurisdiction, Kirkland."

"I'll have you know that I am highly respected in the police force and I swear to God, if you don't let me through--"

"This is out of your jurisdiction," Francis repeated. "And do not think that I have forgiven you for blundering into my undercover operation and making a mess of everything."

"'A mess of everything'?" Arthur repeated, livid. He grabbed the other man by the collar and yanked him close. "We're the ones who got to the bottom of that case. You were useless -- couldn't even see it through to the end!"

In the next instant, Francis grabbed Arthur's hand and twisted it harshly, breaking the Briton's hold. Arthur found himself being shoved backwards, where he was forcibly restrained by someone from behind. He tried to swing his head back, intent on breaking his captor's nose, but was forced into a chokehold.

"When you calm down, you'll be released." Francis straightened his shirt slowly. "In the meantime, I'd appreciate if you waited outside. I told you, this house is a crime scene and I won't have anyone contaminating it."

by **Detective Jones** Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:47 pm

Alfred instantly was at Arthur and Francis's side when he saw the scrap between them.

"I highly suggest you let go of my partner, bub" He says in a low tone. His family had been attacked and now his partner and boyfriend was being forcefully restrained and he wasn't going to have ANY of this anymore today. The day had been turned upside down and his emotions strung very tightly in a matter of a few minutes. He was going to get answer and he wanted them now.

He grabs Arthur's other arm with a surprising amount of protectiveness and steps between him and the other. "I'm not going to ask why your familiar face is here in my house but I am going to want to know where my family is..also I want a full report on what happened here, don't skip on the details cause I will find out one way or another." His tone is harsher than it's been in quite a long time but Alfred isn't playing around here.

Is something had happened...why hadn't he just stayed home last night. He could have stopped whatever it was right in its tracks. He and Arthur were capable of fending off pretty much anything he knew..but no they had been in the wood camping. It almost seemed like a selfish desire now.

by Officer Kirkland Fri Dec 07, 2012 3:45 pm

Arthur rubbed at his neck, glaring, as he was released. He wanted nothing more than to strike Francis in his stupid, smug face but restrained himself when he caught sight of Alfred's expression. The American looked very distressed, which was something that Alfred didn't need so soon after all that had happened. Arthur clamped down on his dislike of Francis and instead laced his fingers with Alfred's.

"You want a full report?" Francis narrowed his eyes. "Just who do you think you are? I highly doubt that your rank surpasses mine, and as my patience is now gone I am ordering both of you out of the house. Leave[/i}."

Arthur eyed the man's epaulettes and and snorted. "I outrank [i]both of you, so I am ordering you to give us a full report right now. Any insubordination will result in the head of your local division being contacted. Now talk."

Francis glared and refused to speak, but another officer piped up quietly. "There was some sort of break in. We don't know what happened exactly yet. The lady of the house is in shock and the son won't let us near her."

"Where are they?"

"In the main bedroom, I believe."

Arthur gave the softly-spoken officer a short nod and pushed past Francis, bumping shoulders on the way past.

by **Detective Jones** Mon Jan 21, 2013 6:56 pm

Alfred was about to snark back at Francis when Arthur beat him to it. It seemed to work though and Alfred cast a grateful expression towards Arthur and mouthed a 'thank you sweetie'.

Alfred pushed past the others on the way to his mother's room as well. He tried his best not to enter the room unexpectantly as he didn't want to startle them but he couldn't help the worried jerky motions he made as he opened the door and walked in. Inside His mother looked up obviously distressed, her eyes puffy from having been crying. Matthew was at her side being protective but when he saw it was Alfred he looked very relieved. "Thank god you two are back. We were worried something might have happened to you."

"Us? Ya'll are the ones that got attacked. Are you ok? Is mom alright?" Alfred asked moving to kneel in front of his mom to be at eye level with her. He put his arms around her and squeezed gently. "Mom everything's going to be okay now. I promise. Me and Arthur will catch whoever did this and make them pay!"

Mrs.Jones held onto her sons weakly and tried her best to pull herself together especially once she spotted Arthur. She prized herself on being a strong woman and didn't want to let them see her so shaken up. "I'm fine really boys. It was probably just a misguided young man. All we can do is forgive and forget. Really."

Alfred shook his head. "It's my job to protect people mom! especially when it comes to you guys! Right Arthur?" He looked back at his partner to confirm what he had said, eyes pleading almost.

by Officer Kirkland Fri Jan 25, 2013 4:47 am

Arthur slowed down as he reached the master bedroom, waiting for Alfred to enter first. When he finally made his way inside and caught sight of Mrs. Jones, his heart sank. She had welcomed him into her home and accepted him so easily, and he couldn't even protect her. He'd known that something was wrong last night, but he hadn't thought to check the house. God, why was he so stupid? The sight of her trying to act tough in front of them when it was obvious that all she wanted to do was break down made anger simmer in his chest.

She had been so kind to him. Whoever did this to her was going to pay dearly. "Of course,' he answered his boyfriend instantly, stepping forward. He'd hung back awkwardly at the door but knew that Alfred needed his support. As soon as he reached Alfred's side he automatically opened his mouth to begin questioning Mrs. Jones but caught himself just in time. He had to tread carefully here. This was Alfred's mother, not some stranger. No matter how much he wanted to quickly find out what had happened, why and who the culprit was, no matter how much he wanted to clear himself of the guilt that was festering in his chest, he had to wait until both Alfred and Mrs. Jones were ready.

He gave the lady and her two sons another glance, suddenly feeling out of place. He wasn't supposed to be here. Arthur cleared his throat awkwardly and fiddled with his sleeves. "I'll make us some tea, shall I?" he said quickly, backtracking out of the room in order to give them some privacy. Maybe if he wasn't present, Mrs. Jones would feel less obligated to act strong.

Arthur fled to the kitchen and began brewing some nice, strong tea.

by **Detective Jones** Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:30 pm

Alfred continued to hold onto his mothers arms lightly, an anchor for both of them to hold onto something real and helpful. He was thankful for Arthur's presence as well but before he knew it his partner was backing out of the room saying something about tea. He would have liked Arthur to stay but he supposed something nice and warm would calm all of them down too. Maybe while he was down there Arthur would get the other police out of the house. Alfred simply didn't like them here. This was his home and he could take care of things just fine.

He turned to his mother with a questioning look knowing that he should question her about what had happened as well but his brother beat him too it. He had probably seen it in Alfred's eyes. It might be easier coming from him.

"Alfred, we hardly saw anything. Mom was in the kitchen making breakfast for when you two would get back and I was just getting up." Matthew explained but Mrs.Jones held up a hand to stop him.

"I DID see the their face. It was only for a moment before they ran but I did see..Does that help any?" She asked honestly wanting to be of some use to the boys.

by Officer Kirkland Wed Feb 27, 2013 2:55 am

Arthur quietly made his way down to the kitchen, ignoring the other policemen who were poking around the house. He turned the kettle on and found Mrs. Jones' supply of tea before preparing two cups. He noticed a jar of instant coffee on the bench top and, assuming that it belonged to Matthew, prepared two cups of coffee as well. He poured the water in and allowed the tea to seep for the proper amount of time. Sugar was a good idea. Lots of sugar. It would help to calm Mrs. Jones down, hopefully.

He loaded all four cups onto a tray and carefully made his way back out towards the stairs. Policemen were still loitering around just inside the doorway. He eyed them critically, his glare sending them slinking away outside. Only Francis had the gall to remain where he was, absently examining the family pictures on the walls.

"If you aren't doing anything useful, then I'll have to ask you to leave." Arthur's voice was firm. He was sick of having these people invading the Jones' privacy.

"We would like to interview the people who were here during the break-in. Then we should like to ask you all to relocate yourself, as this house is now a crime scene."

"Alfred and I will deal with this."

Francis stepped forward, bumping the tray lightly as he narrowed his gaze at Arthur. "As I understand it, you are currently on leave. This is my case, Kirkland."

"And I am telling you, we will handle this case. After all, we handled the last one that you were assigned to, didn't we?"

It obviously struck a sore point within Francis. The Frenchman balled up his fists, bristling. "Obviously you can't handle these things. After all, you weren't even here when the break-in occurred."

Arthur calmly set the tray down onto a nearby table. A split second later, the two of them were brawling on the floor, kicking and punching at each other.

by **Detective Jones** Mon Apr 08, 2013 8:59 am

Alfred toke down what details that his mother could remember of the faces that she said she saw for a moment on a notepad he had with him. He liked to hope that this information would help in aiding figuring out who had broken into the house but he knew that sometimes witness account were too vague, or even inaccurate and the short time frame that everything happened in could blurr details and make then seem different than they really were. Still though his mother was so eager to be of help he couldn't dismiss her entirely.

When he was finished he had expected Arthur to be back upstairs by now with the tea. It only toke a moment for him to figure out that something had gone off course downstairs and he hurried down to see what was the matter only to find Arthur and Francis on the floor beating at one another. Being the strongest of the bunch by brute force he bent over and wrapped his arms around Arthur picking him up from the floor and calling for the other officers to do the same for Francis to restrain them both somewhat.

"Arthur! Calm down!" Alfred held the man to his chest, not tight enough to hurt him but enough to try and bring him out of his rage induced flailing. Alfred himself eyes Francis is a bit of disdain, knowing the while the fight probably wasnt entirely either of them's fault he certainly had a bias towards his boyfriend.

"All of you." Alfred addressed the rest of the officers in the room. "I'm not asking you, I'm TELLING you to give me and my family some space because I'm made my decision on what to do."

by Officer Kirkland Mon Apr 08, 2013 4:13 pm

Arthur attempted to throw himself at Francis once again, teeth bared and fists clenched tightly, but Alfred's hold on him was too great. He stilled, panting a little as he wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. He noted with great satisfaction that Francis was worse off than he was--the man's eye was already beginning to bruise and swell up painfully.

Most of the other officers glanced at each other, then at Francis and Arthur and finally at Alfred before shrugging and quietly filing out of the house. No one wanted to mess with the obviously angry and distressed American.

"That decision is not yours to make," Francis spat, shrugging out of his men's hold. "This case is under our jurisdiction, as I was so civilly informing your... pute."

Arthur let out a shout and lunged forward, almost escaping Alfred's tight hold on him. But his boyfriend dragged him back again, pinning his arms to his sides. "Fuck you!" he snarled, wriggling in an effort to escape. "How dare you--"

"Ah, so sorry. I meant partner," Francis apologised, though the smirk curling his lips made it completely insincere. "While I am fluent, English is not my first language. Now, we will leave you be but we expect you to relocate your family so that we can seal this house off as a crime scene. I will be in contact."

Without waiting for a response, he left the house. His men followed him quickly, and soon they were alone.

"Let go of me," Arthur shouted, shoving at Alfred. "Why did you hold me back? I should have beaten his frog bastard face in!" He shoved at Alfred again, breathing hard. But suddenly all of the fight seemed to drain from him, and he covered his face. "Fuck him," he hissed, "fuck you, fuck everything! I'll kill him! I am not your whore!"

by **Detective Jones** Mon Apr 08, 2013 5:39 pm

Alfred had no idea what Francis has called Arthur exactly until the had been left alone in the house and he had let go of Arthur. If he had known before that he might of had a go at the man himself. Where did he get off being so rude in ALFRED'S house. He let Arthur beat against him out of frustration as he sighed and tries to calm him down getting the tea cup that had been abandoned from the counter and handing it to him.

"We can file a complaint against him through the station for that remark...also I had already decided to bring mom and Matt back with me when we left to go back home...Mom could use some getting out of this house and I'll be able to keep an eye on them that way and still work." He explained even though he hated to go along with what Francis was demanding. "Athough I dont like them having free go at my house here..I'll bring anything important with me and..well let's just say I'll make sure Francis knows how to shovel farm animal shit by the time he gets back here. Someone'll have to take care of the animals after all."

Once he saw Arthur calming down a bit he pulled him close once more, gently this time and rocked him against him arms a bit. "Dont let him get to you, no one thinks that about you. He was just being an ass."

by Officer Kirkland Mon Apr 08, 2013 6:00 pm

Arthur pressed his forehead against Alfred's shoulder and took a deep breath. People did think that way of him. He knew it was true. But this wasn't time time for that. "I know," he mumbled, hating how flat and weak his voice sounded. "I know. You're right."

With great effort, he pushed himself away and picked up the tray of drinks. "I'm sorry, your mother must be wondering where her tea has gone," he mumbled, starting back up the stairs. He had been as good as a whore, even though it had been done in order to solve cases. But if he voiced his thoughts, Alfred would want to talk about it, and that was the last thing that he wanted.

Just before he reached the master bedroom Arthur hesitated, wondering if Mrs. Jones had heard him brawling and swearing downstairs. Even though she'd been nothing but kind to him, he still felt as if he could disappoint her at any moment and cause her to turn against him. But the drinks were steadily getting colder so he knocked gently on the door and carried the tray in with an air of forced nonchalance.

"I'm sorry for the delay, Mrs. Jones," he said awkwardly, placing the tray on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

by **Detective Jones** Mon Apr 08, 2013 6:11 pm

Alfred was still concerned for Arthur but decided to keep his thoughts to himself for the moment knowing that saying anything at the moment wouldnt help either of them. He trailed behind Arthur back up the stairs hanging behind him in the doorframe.

Mrs.Jones looked relieved to see the two of them and smiled lightly at Arthur when he entered the room. "Me? I told you I'll be fine. Thank you very much for the tea though dearie. How are you two feelings? tired from your camping trip?" She asked trying her best to act like nothing out of the usual had happened. "If it's all the same I'd like to go back down stairs now I'm sure they've made a mess to clean up."

Both Matthew and Alfred move at the same time to keep her from going down the stairs. They both speak at the same time before letting either of them talk.

"Mom you should rest for the day." Matthew requests while Alfred suggests something different.

"Make them clean it up when they return...you know they're going to come back. In the mean time you should both get packing. I"m going to take you guys to my apartment for awhile. Didnt you say you wanted to see it anyways mom? This'll be a great chance." He says gesturing towards them both trying to make light of the situation. He glances at Arthur for some sort of comment or support.

by Officer Kirkland Tue Apr 09, 2013 2:12 am

Arthur hesitated, unsure about whether it was appropriate to say anything or not. The pointed look from his boyfriend was hint enough, though. But what was he supposed to say? "You are also welcome at my flat," he said haltingly, meeting Mrs. Jones' eyes for just a moment before lowering them to the floor.

He'd known. He'd felt something strange the night before, but he hadn't acted on his instincts and now this wonderful, kind woman was being forced to leave her home. She was possibly in danger. How could he dare look her in the eyes and tell her what to do? But when he next glanced up it looked like she was going to argue, so he took a deep breath and spoke.

"If I may," he began quietly, "I... Honestly, I believe that it would be safer for you to stay with Alfred. We'll definitely find the culprit, so please... think of yourself for now, Mrs. Jones."

by **Detective Jones** Fri Apr 19, 2013 7:46 am

Alfred's mother glanced around the room at the three boys looking at each of them before finally giving a small quiet sigh. "It looks like I'm out numbered here.." She gets up to stand, looking tired but quite capable as she moves to the door. "I'm still going downstairs though, If we're going to leave I have to alteast go through the house some." She says as if this is her final compromise.

Alfred and Matthew both look relieved that their mother has agreed although Matthew pulls Alfred a side for a moment to talk to him about how they are going to deal with moving everyone back to the city, how long they might be there. When Alfred is released from his brothers questions he goes back over to Arthur looking tired but in a bit of a better mood.

"We're going to pack up and leave tomorrow. How does that sound?" He asks wanting to know Arthur's opinion on things as well. "Im sorry, this was supposed to be a vacation for us here but it's turned into work all over again." He gives a short laugh trying to keep the mood light. "I hope you had a good time here though, still got a lot of work to do before we go back..."

by Officer Kirkland Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:26 pm

It took a while before Mrs Jones finished packing up everything that she wanted to take with her. Francis dropped by every now and then, and it was all that Arthur could do to stop himself from punching the man in his stupid, victorious smirk. Alfred and Matthew helped with the packing, but Arthur tried to stay out of the way, reasoning that he didn't know Mrs Jones very well at all, and thus couldn't go through her personal belongings.

He spent his time trying to remember what had happened the other night, about what he'd possibly heard when he'd stepped outside of the tent, and compared his notes to the statements given by both Matthew and Mrs Jones. It was frustrating work, though, and he seemed to get nowhere with it.

Finally, it seemed that it was time to leave. Arthur dutifully helped load all of the luggage into the car, standing awkwardly to the side when it seemed that Mrs Jones might become slightly emotional. Not for the first time, Arthur felt horribly out of place, even though they'd made this trip with the intent of repairing their relationship.

"Do you want to let your mother take the front passenger seat?" he asked Alfred quietly as Mrs Jones finished locking up. "It'd be more comfortable for her that way, surely."

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