Cherise stared intently at the dandelions that littered the lawn just outside the Abbey, their yellow petals bright in the afternoon sun. The weather was hot, but the shade of the cathedral and the sweet-smelling breeze helped to cool down the summer haze. Edgar looked to the cloudless sky, silent in waiting. It had been several hours since Henry had visited their home, and to be honest, the pair had nothing better to do after the morning's events.

Edgar had put on one of his best jackets, without looking too formal of course, and even shined his shoes. It was an aspect of his professionalism that he simply couldn't shake; although it had been quite some time since he lost his position at the university. Cherise cleaned up quite nicely herself, wearing her favorite emerald jacket, and even adorning a lacy blouse underneath. Still, she couldn't quite seem to force herself to wear a skirt to the ankles – a shame, Edgar thought.

Flipping out a pocket watch from his dress pocket, the doctor confirmed the thought that had been on his mind for the past fifteen minutes. Henry was late. Blinking slowly, Edgar simply sighed and put the pocket watch back in its place and smiled. More time to enjoy the lovely weather.

"Cherise," Edgar called to his daughter, "Henry's running a bit late, dear."

She was not so forgiving. This kind of weather suited her father, but he wasn't wearing a corset. Not to mention that the sun never failed to make her fair skin flush an embarrassing shade of pink. The longer Henry would make her wait, the more she would melt into a mess with the day's heat. She was tempted to let these thoughts out upon her father, but instead decided to hold her tongue and continue to stare at the weeds.

"Oh," without looking up, Cherise heard her father call again, "perhaps I spoke too soon!"

Through the crowd of strollers and passersby, Cherise could make out the distinct patterns of flickering gold on Henry's tunic. Behind him were two others, a male and female of about the same height. The twins, she thought. Henry first greeted her father, shaking Edgar's hand in both of his, before waving his arm to introduce the siblings.

With a quickened pace, Cherise made her way over to her father's side. With every step closed the conversation between the four became more clear, and just as she took her place beside her father, her name was spoken loud and clear.

"And this," Henry introduced with a grin, "is Ms. Delany."

"A pleasure," she added, giving a small courtesy, "but do call me Cherise."

Giving her hand to the Frye sister to shake, she studied both of their faces carefully. Both shared a freckled complexion much like her own, and both shared the same dark brown hair as each other. Besides that, they didn't look too much alike. The Frye sister had the face of a doll, but had fierce blue-green eyes that seemed to change color in the light. Based on the way she kept her hair braided in a low bun, and the fact that she was so daring to wear pants, Cherise was under the impression that this woman was of the hardworking variety.

The brother, on the other hand, seemed to be laxer in his dress, even going as far as to wear patched clothing. The cap pulled over his eyes made them harder to see, but from what Cherise could tell, they were hazel unlike his sister's blue. He didn't bother shaving the beard along his strong jawline, and she could just make out some faint scars on his cheek and brow. Perhaps he was the more brash of the two? She couldn't really tell, but the wry smile on his face suggested he might be of the mischievous variety.

Breaking her from her concentration, the sister gave her hand a firm shake, and gave her name. "Evie Frye – lovely meeting you." Turning to her brother, Evie introduced her twin. "And this is my brother, Jacob."

Without hesitation, Cherise gave Jacob her hand, but retracted it immediately after he was done shaking it. He had been looking her up and down since she had arrived, and a familiar feeling of unease rose into her chest. She was accustomed to people staring at her, especially with her father around. She knew he was likely ignorant of her father's reputation with his peers, but any extended looks she received led her to believe she was being judged.

"The pleasure is undoubtedly mine." His voice was deep and his accent rolled from the tongue smoothly. Cherise could feel a bit of heat rise to her face upon hearing it, but still couldn't help but feel suspicious.

"Well then," Evie spoke up, eyeing her brother curiously, "now that we all know each other, let's talk business."

"Of course," Edgar replied, placing his hands on his hips, "what is it that you require of us?"

"My brother and I have made many allies," Evie began, "but we are still new to the city in a lot of ways. We have plenty of people we have to look out for, and that means making sure they all receive treatment when needed."

"And so you were maybe hoping that we would be willing to help?" Edgar questioned, rubbing his beard.

"Well, yes, but not just that." Evie continued, glancing at Jacob who hadn't stopped looking over Cherise. "We needed someone who would keep quiet about our affairs – someone who wouldn't alert the authorities."

"Oh, I see," Edgar replied, a sly grin on his face, "so you were looking for a trusted ally in the underground as well."

"Precisely." Evie returned the expression, giving Edgar a nod.

Edgar, still smiling ear to ear, pondered the idea of forming a partnership. As much as the idea of having a solid source of revenue appealed to him, he couldn't help but be wary. Behind his smile was a heavy heart, and a history he could not ignore. When the secret came out about his affairs, those he came to trust the most over years of collaboration, turned their backs on him without a second thought.

This was different, he thought. These were not the staunch aristocrats of higher English society, chained to the obsession of normalcy. They had seen the streets, they had seen the scum of London and all of its blemishes. In that regard, most would think their kind untrustworthy. To someone like him, scorned and dishonored, they were the only kind he could trust.

"Anyone who is an ally of Henry is an ally of mine," Edgar lowered his hand from his beard and gave Evie a thumbs up, "I'm sure we can work something out."

At this, Cherise gave her father a quick glance, worry dancing behind her green eyes. They had only just met these people, and he was already willing to make a compromise on the spot. Perhaps he was tired of being alone in his business, she thought. Maybe he needs someone to put his faith into. Either way, she would not be so easily swayed. As impressed as she was with Ms. Frye, the idea of working with a gang didn't sit well in her mind.

"What happens when the Blighters begin to notice Rooks frequenting our home?" Cherise strained to keep a frown of her face, raising her brows as she inquired.

"On top of compensating you for your services, my brother will see to it that his Rooks protect you and your father whenever necessary." Evie stated without hesitation, looking Cherise directly in the face. "In return, we also expect you to occasionally provide supplies, and notify us whenever you stumble upon information regarding the Blighters."

"And their employers." Jacob spoke up, taking a step closer to Cherise. A little too close, especially when he stood a good few inches above her.

Evie could see the tension in Cherise's stance, and gave her brother a quick smack to the arm. She could tell that the eccentric, little redhead had caught his attention, but it was imperative that he remain humble upon this first meeting.

"I wasn't aware the Blighters had employers… a chain of command maybe, but…" Cherise averted her eyes, feeling that she might begin to glare at the scrappy man before her.

"We'll discuss that further at another time," Evie put it bluntly, "when we've become accustomed to one another that is."

With that Henry reached out a hand and brushed Evie gently on the shoulder. Giving an apologetic look and a nervous smile to Cherise and her father, he then turned to the twins and spoke to them in a hushed tone.

"I hate to interrupt, but I believe you have some onlookers."

Evie's attention rested on the Indian man's face for a moment, taking in his features and studying his dark eyes, before glancing behind her. Off in the near distance, she spotted a figure resting upon a tree. From what she could see, he was sporting straight black trousers, a bowler hat, a thick mustache and an unmistakable red jacket. A Blighter. If she wasn't smarter, she would have assumed he was just giving dirty looks. That changed when he quickly turned away upon noticing her awareness of his presence.

"Well, I would say our time here is up then." Evie turned back to the Delanys, flashing a bright and innocent smile. "It really was a pleasure speaking with you both."

"Eh, well, yes I ah…" Edgar was a bit flustered at the sudden change in atmosphere, wondering if maybe they had offended the twins in some way, "a pleasure."

Evie took Edgar's hand and gave it a quick shake, then doing the same for Cherise. In the meantime, Jacob looked to the distance completely indiscrete, narrowing his eyes and standing on his toes to get a better look at the spy. This warranted another swift hit from Evie's hand, this time making her brother wince and rub his bicep.

"Mr. Green, would you like to accompany us?" Evie tilted her head in the direction of the Blighter, who had now just begun to leave his spot from the tree.

"Ah-," Henry hesitated for a moment, taking her in entirely before answering, "of course Ms. Frye…"

This warranted a bit of curiosity in Cherise, who had never seen Henry hesitate before answering such a simple question. The way he looked at her was different too; it was more attentive, more focused. A suspicion rose in her head as to the cause of his behavior, making the corner of her mouth twitch into a faint smile, but she wouldn't rush to any conclusions.

"Off we are then." With that, Evie began to jog after the fleeing Blighter, Henry following her closely.

"Thank you again, Mr. Delany and Ms. Delany, I hope to see you both soon!" Henry called out behind him.

"Wait!" Jacob called back, having been left behind. "Does this mean we have a deal then?"

But his sister was too far away now to hear him, having gone out in a full sprint in her pursuit of the suspect. With a throaty groan and a throw of his arms to the air, Jacob knew he would have to take out his frustration with his sister on her later. For now, he gave his attention to Edgar, who flinched at the twin's intense visage.

"Do we have a deal?" Jacob offered, sighing as he bounced in place to warmup for the run that would soon follow.

"Y-yes, I suppose…" Edgar stuttered, pushing up his glasses.

"Oh, fantastic!" Jacob clasped his hands together in mock celebration. "Don't worry, I'll tell my runaway sister the great news."

Tipping his hat, Jacob winked at the pair before bidding them both farewell. "I do so hope that my sister and I will speak with you both again very soon."

Cherise crinkled her nose at the look the Frye brother gave them, and scoffed as he followed after his sister. Her father, of course, was completely oblivious to her disdain, and stared blankly into the distance. Still puzzled, he blinked a few times before waving Cherise along.

"Well, it seems that our business has been concluded for now." He stated, guiding Cherise with his hand on her shoulder, as they walked away together.

Luckily for the pair, the afternoon was beginning to fade, and with it the harsh heat that had accompanied with it. The yellow sun that had shone so brightly, was dimming into a warm orange on the horizon. Light krept from behind pink clouds and cast long shadows in the alleyways, that spread across the cobblestones as the pair made their way home.

Cherise couldn't help but feel uneasy, even with her father's hand on her shoulder. The fact that they were being watched earlier left the pit of her stomach feeling heavy with anxiety. Not to mention that she thought she saw the familiar crimson of a Blighter's jacket. You're just nervous, she told herself, brushing off her fears as paranoia.

Standing in the middle of an empty street on the east side of London, she couldn't have been more wrong. Cherise's ears, now attentive and alert, picked up the sound of a third set of footsteps only a few paces behind them. She continued to listen down the street, hoping her senses were deceiving her. Still, the footsteps only grew quicker as they were nearing a corner.

"Father," she whispered, swallowing hard, "I think there's someone trailing us."

"I had that feeling as well," Edgar replied, voice hushed, "but let's not jump to conclusions now…"

She could tell by the way he frowned so deeply, and the way he would occasionally sneak a look over his shoulder, that her father didn't believe the words he said. But what could he do now? Neither of them had any means of protecting themselves. Her father towered over most, but was thin and of little muscle. Cherise certainly had little experience fighting back; the last time she did so having been when she was a child, wrestling with her cousin.

"Oi," a thick, rough accent sounded from their rear, "where are ya' going so fast now?"

Cherise clenched her jaw, the muscles in her neck straining as she closed her eyes. Fear lurched into her chest, strangling the air from her lungs. She wanted nothing more than to pretend she didn't hear him and just move on. Edgar gripped her shoulder tighter, bringing her closer to him as he pushed out his chest, desperate to look bigger than he was.

"Oi," this time the man spoke louder, barking as they quickened their pace, "I asked you lot a question!"

Before she knew it, Cherise was being ripped from her father by prying fingers. Edgar, off guard and in shock, was thrown against the side of a brick building, arms sprawled against the surface to keep himself upright. Cherise stumbled backwards, long skirt swaying as she was thrown further into the street, and letting out a loud yelp.

"Now let's ave' us a little chat, hm?" The man cooed, showing off yellowed teeth. He was shorter, but very stocky with a wide back and thick arms. His salt and pepper hair was short and topped with a bowler hat, and his eyes were dark and beady. Sporting the Blighter red, Cherise and Edgar immediately became aware of their situation.

"W-why bother us? What do you want?" Elsie tried her best to sound unafraid, but tripped over her own words. Rather than run to her father, she brought the man's attention upon herself. If she was lucky, he would ignore Edgar and hopefully have the decency to spare a woman violence.

"You know damn well why I'm doin' this, love." He looked up at her through narrowed eyes, a hint of cruelty swimming just beneath the surface of their dark hues. "Now, back to daddy."

Before Edgar could react, the shorter man gripped him by the shirt hard, and tore him from the wall. Edgar sprawled into the street, tripping over his feet before collapsing onto the hard cobblestone.

"Father!" Cherise cried, about to rush to his aid before the assailant crushed her wrist in his large hand. Tears began to well in her eyes from the sharp stinging in her joint, as the dark eyed man lifted it higher. Cherise screamed for anyone that could hear her, throwing her fist against the man's chest in desperation.

"We can't be ave'n none of that now, can we?" He hissed, gritting his teeth as he brought back his hand, and then striking it hard across Cherise's face.

"You bastard!" Edgar cried, trying to pick himself up, but falling over from a bloodied knee.

Just then, the attacker lurched backward, being pulled in another direction. He released Cherise, who nearly fell on her behind from the force, and scuttled about to keep his balance. Spinning around, face bright red and a scowl on his face, he readied his fists for whoever had interrupted his affairs.

"Who the hell-?!" He began to say, before knuckles met the hard bone of his cheek. The impact nearly knocked the large man over, and he shook his head around just to stop his vision from blurring.

Edgar was now on his feet, limping towards his daughter and wrapping her in his arms. Looking up with tear stained cheeks, Cherise held the side of her face, peering up with her father at their savior. Standing in front of the Blighter stood Jacob Frye, one hand on his hip, and the other waving off his last punch.

"Sorry, mate," Jacob mused, "but today's just not your day."