━━ CHAPTER NINETEEN / fairfax
episode three, part two.

When Lockwood had told them he had a big plan, Demi did not anticipate being stood in the elevator of the Fairfax building holding a breakfast wrap with ketchup smeared on the corners of her lips. In fact, it was the opposite of where she wanted to be. She wanted to be at home, in her bed or preferably Lockwood's and dozing the day away as a way to pretend that the past week or two had never happened at all. But, alas, here she was.

George was leaning against the side of the elevator, Lockwood and Lucy against the back wall while Demi stood awkwardly between the trio. Each bite of her wrap she took cautiously but it didn't make it any cleaner and the cheese still dripped onto her fingers much to her annoyance.

"So your big, radical plan is a job at Fairfax Iron for work we can't legally do?" George asked with his usual deadpan look on his face. Though, as always when it came to recently, he sounded hesitant and maybe just a little annoyed.

"George, this negativity," That familiar smirk appeared on Lockwood's face as he looked to his best friend, "It's why I don't tell you things in advance." The newspaper that had been in Lockwood's hand was taken by Lucy and so he moved to rest his hands in his belt.

"Not like you told me either," Demi mumbled. Lockwood looked down at her and she cocked an eyebrow. He shrugged and she rolled her eyes though it was a more playful look.

"Agents required for unusual supernatural investigation. Money commensurate with danger," Lucy read out the ad that Lockwood had found in the newspaper. Demi had finished with her wrap now and folded up the paper that it had come in, shoving it into the pocket of her jacket, "I'm guessing that means a lot of danger," Lucy added.

"If we're in the Fairfax building..." Demi trailed off as she glanced between the trio. Lockwood moved forward and lifted his hand to wipe the tomato ketchup from the corner of Demi's mouth.

"Better be at least 60 grand's worth," George mumbled. Demi stared up at Lockwood for a moment as he checked the rest of her face for any sauce. There was none, so he stepped back and pulled the tissue from his pocket, wiping the sauce on it before he leant back. Just as the door to the elevator opened.

The flush that had overtaken Demi's face was enough to make her feelings clear but none of them acknowledged it as the group of people filed in. George moved to be stood beside Lockwood, leant against the wall and Demi slipped in between Lockwood and Lucy. Lucy gave Demi a playful nudge which got a glare in return.

"You're both intolerable," Lucy teased. Demi scoffed and the look she got from Lockwood made the girls stop before their conversation had even really started.

"When we get up there, we need to be at our absolute best," He began once the elevator doors had closed. They had to go up to floor 20 which is presumably where they would meet one of Fairfax's assistants who would explain the job. It was far from what they were used to but Demi had tried to look her best, "We have to be totally professional. So I'll do the talking," Demi tried to hold back the scoff that escaped. Lockwood was a charmer but he was hardly the most professional around. He was stubborn, a little impulsive and rash.

"I saw Sir John Fairfax once," George began and Demi tried to conceal the smile as she rested her head back against the elevator, trying to ignore the way it made her stomach turn in that funny way, "He donated my school's iron defences and gave a speech in assembly and everything. Miss Kingston got her hair done special." There was a lilt to George's tone that made Demi grin a little wider and she leant forward.

"The only person I'd get my hair done special for is Penelope Fittes. He's not exactly a lo-" Demi began but Lockwood was quick to cut her off before she even finished her sentence. The brunette pouted as she looked up at him

"That is exactly the sort of thing I don't want you saying," Lockwood said as he looked between the two of them disapprovingly. Demi smirked and looked down at the floor, trying to ignore the busy office workers that were effortlessly ignoring the four teenagers crowding their lift.

"When you said 'see a man about a ghost', do you have a name for who we're meeting?" Lucy asked curiously and a very good question that Demi felt stupid for not thinking of first. She buried her hands in the pockets of her jacket as she pushed herself back so Lockwood and Lucy could talk around her.

"No. Just the floor," He responded as he moved his gaze from Lucy back to the elevator door, "Twenty." He added. Demi tilted her head back, stretching her back out. Even though the pain had stopped, the bruises were still there and if anything pressed against them too harshly, sharp pain was sent up her back. But also it still ached dully from time-to-time, like right now.

"Top floor. You don't think it's..." Lucy trailed off as the doors opened to floor 18. The group filed out of the elevator and then up they headed to the 20th floor. And Demi could only assume they were going to meet with his assistant. There was no way they were about to meet Sir John Fairfax in the flesh. That was ridiculous.

Lockwood whistled as they stepped out of the elevator, taking the whole place in. The elevator doors opened right into the office on the top floor. It was sleek and somewhat modern in design. All blacks, greys and browns. A little boring and too dull for Demi's taste but she could appreciate the aesthetic of it.

"Straight into the office. That's a classy move," George commented as they all stepped out. Demi tilted her head slightly, trying to keep up her bouncier demeanour despite the anxiety that had clawed its way back into her chest.

"A bit drab," She commented. Lucy snorted but nodded her head.

"Could do with some colour," She agreed with the other girl. Demi grinned and let her hands rest loosely by her sides as she looked around, admiring it. One of the richest men in England and this was how he chose to decorate. Nothing interesting. Nothing otherworldly. She shouldn't have been surprised, really.

"This is Sir John Fairfax's office." Lockwood had decided to ignore how his team had picked apart the office from the moment they stepped inside. He had more class than that.

"This doesn't make sense. John Fairfax doesn't need us," George responded, his hands pushed into the pockets of his jeans. His orange corduroy jacket was a splash of colour against the grey and Demi's green jacket was another splash against the black accent wall. The floor-to-ceiling windows let them bask in sunlight while also being sheltered by the chequered pattern steel that covered half the windows up. It was a pretty view, "He's famous. He's rich. He built Fairfax Iron," George rambled on. Demi was inclined to agree but she decided against it as she followed Lockwood over to the sitting area. Lucy just behind her and George close.

"He built this whole building," Lockwood said as he looked around again. He was clearly impressed by it all. The luxury never really appealed to Demi though.

"Don't you think it's grim someone's made this much money off the Problem?" Lucy asked. Demi hummed in agreement but before she could say anything more, a fifth voice joined the conversation. An older voice.

"I deserve something for keeping the country safe at night, don't I?" All four of them swivelled around and were face-to-face with Sir John Fairfax himself. There was a small chuckle at the end of his words as he looked between the teenagers standing in his office.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry," Lucy began to apologise but he didn't let her go much further.

"No, you're right. It is grim. The Problem has disfigured the whole world." Demi let a small smile appear on her lips, trying to be as friendly as possible. Anthony stepped forward, holding his hand out.

"A pleasure to meet you, sir. Anthony Lockwood." He was quick to introduce himself but Fairfax barely gave him a handshake. Demi tried not to find it disrespectful and ignored the niggling sense of annoyance that rested in her chest, "This is uhm, Demi Campbell, George Karim and Lucy Carlyle." Demi smiled the best she could and when she glanced over at George, he seemed baffled by the appearance of the man. His face lit up in hopeful joy, "We are Lockwood & Co." The soft 'ah' that left Fairfax's lips made Demi freeze up.

"Of course. The infamous. Well, take a seat under the sprinklers," Fairfax looked over at the chairs as his way of gesturing. So, Demi took the cue and she took two steps back before she sat down on the sofa beside Lucy. She took her rapier off her belt, letting it rest against her leg as she exchanged nervous looks with Lucy.

It didn't seem that she was thrilled to meet Fairfax unlike George who seemed to be positively buzzing with it all. Demi was uneasy. There was no reason to be but she was. The anxiety was resting heavy in her throat and her back was hurting after the run that morning. She began to regret every decision she had made that day so far.

"We didn't expect to deal with you personally when we answered your ad," Lockwood explained as he sat on the sofa opposite the girls. He tried his best to hold himself properly but there was still a boy-ishness to his demeanour.

"It's a delicate situation. Best handled discreetly," Fairfax began and Lockwood nodded along, "I've decided to let go of a few properties including Combe Carey Hall in Berkshire. Nice enough place, but it has a rather stubborn collection of visitors." Demi glanced at George and then Lucy before she turned her gaze back to Fairfax. Just as one of his assistants came over with a bottle of water on a tray and she was so close to Demi that she could smell her perfume.

She could... smell her perfume. That was familiar. A very familiar smell and she tried to hide the look that passed over her face. It was a coincidence. There was no way it was anything but a coincidence. A popular perfume.

"So you need it made safe before the buyer visits?" Lucy asked which brought Demi back to the land of the living. Her eyebrows relaxed and she tried to keep the neutrality. When she glanced at Lockwood though, he noticed and gave her a look. She smiled and the little and subtle wave of dismissal she gave him was enough for him not to worry for now.

"Exactly. And I cannot risk damage, so there can be no flares or explosives. It's a dangerous job to be done quickly and under the radar. I'm getting quotes from every significant outfit in London. So, to be frank, the only way an agency of your stature could get it is by underbidding," Fairfax explained but before Lockwood could say anything Demi interrupted.

"Why put an ad in the newspaper? Surely that would only bring attention. You could go directly to Fittes or Rottwell. I assume you have good relations with them?" Demi asked. Her questions were quick and her words were slightly stumbled over. They took everyone by surprise and Lockwood gave her another look. She focused on Fairfax instead.

"The ad was subtle. I ensured that and although I have good relations with Fittes and Rottwell, they are more likely to gain media attention so if someone else is willing to step up, I will consider that. Attention, as I stated previously, is something I do not want or need," Fairfax responded. His words were firm but there was a hint of annoyance to the way he spoke. As if Demi had touched a nerve, she went silent after that.

And between Lucy, George and Lockwood's quick thinking, they seemed to get the job. Demi was sure that she had screwed it but they hadn't. They got the job and their fine was about to be paid off. The grin was permanently stuck to her lips as they headed out of the building. Lockwood ordered for George to do research, Lucy to prepare at home and then he asked for Demi to come with him so they could see what they could find that was non-explosive and would help with the job. They needed something, anything and so when the group split up, Lockwood and Demi headed straight into London but as they sat in the taxi. He turned to her.

"Are any of your prototypes working?" He asked as he shuffled around so his body was facing her. The little head movement Demi returned his words with indicated 'sort of' and he grinned, "We are not going into that house without explosives or flares. If you have something we can use, now is the time to bring it out," He said. Demi tried to think about what she had but the more she thought about it, the more she realised they all looked like flares.

"If he searches our bag, he's going to know they're flares. My designs aren't exactly unique," Demi explained. Lockwood frowned and he pushed his fingers through his hair. That was a lie. Demi had one unique design that nobody would realise was an explosive flare but she wanted to keep that under wraps for now. She didn't even know if the device actually worked as intended but she knew that if what George found was bad, she'd take it, as a precaution.

"Pack them in a separate bag. We'll decide whether to take them on the day," Lockwood responded and Demi nodded. The boy then called for the taxi driver to pull over. He sent Demi a smile as he shuffled towards the door, "I'm going to Satchell's. Get home and help Luce, okay?" Demi nodded but the frown still took over her lips as he pushed the door open. He was halfway out when Demi reached out and grabbed his arm.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," She mumbled. Lockwood turned around and moved his hands to her cheeks, cupping them as he looked into her eyes. She was about to tell him about the woman and the perfume but he spoke before she had the chance.

"I promise it'll be okay. Get home, get packed, rest up." His words were soft and gentle as he pressed a kiss to her forehead and then he stepped back. He sent her an overconfident wink before he sauntered off. Demi pulled the taxi door closed and asked them to take her to Portland Row and they drove off. But all Demi could think about was that stupid perfume and that stupid woman and the stupid feeling of Lockwood's stupid lips on her stupid forehead.

-

NOTE

campwood <3 my favourite couple who are so obviously in love <3 i want a forehead kiss from anthony lockwood ty x