Joe Lambe

He looked away when she mentioned the electroshock therapy and he shook his head.

He hadn't known about that when he had been hired and he knew that it went on with his patients behind his back. But he was just a hire, he had to follow their rules and not make a noise or else they'd throw him out.

He knew that the was probably not the light that he wanted to be for his patients, but... he didn't want to be another faceless person.

"Art."

Joe looked up at her as he answered her question.

"Lambe," he stated. "Joe Lambe. Doctor, or Doctor Lambe. Doctor Joe sounds..."

He shook his head as he looked at her.

"Do you like art?" he asked her.

Perhaps it was too easy for him to ask her that, perhaps he should have gone back to the basic questions. But he had seen an opening and he had wanted to talk to her, to see if he could get her more out of the animosity and anger that she was living in.

It was the least he could do.

He looked down.

"So..." he said, trying to remember what his job was. "You've been here a week. Pretty difficult time, adjusting is something that takes people some time to do. How are you managing?"

It was a stupid question, going from a world where you were free to one where you were watched at every single instance was more than difficult, was more than something that people could 'manage'. And Joe sighed inwardly at himself.

The cookie cutter line of questioning did nothing to ease Allegra's worries. What if this guy was just as incompetent as the guards? It wouldn't surprise her. It was better that everyone was ineffective. The employees here didn't care if you got better or not, if you were alive or dead. None of it mattered to them.

So they didn't matter to her. And once she got out, she was gonna make 'em pay. Every last one of them.

"How am I managing," Allegra repeated as she shifted in her seat as much as her restraints would allow. "How am I adjusting? In a place that markets itself as a mental health facility to help rehabilitate the 'criminally insane' but is really a fucking torture chamber? Yeah, I'm having loads of fun. I'm especially looking forward to the electroshock therapy. Seems like a real blast."

She squinted her eyes a bit and leaned back in her chair.

He looked away when she mentioned the electroshock therapy and he shook his head.

He hadn't known about that when he had been hired and he knew that it went on with his patients behind his back. But he was just a hire, he had to follow their rules and not make a noise or else they'd throw him out.

He knew that the was probably not the light that he wanted to be for his patients, but... he didn't want to be another faceless person.

"Art."

Joe looked up at her as he answered her question.

Billionaire philanthropist, Alexander "Axel" Degray and his wife, Talia, were found dead in their room last night. Police have said it was by suffocation and are looking into this matter...

Allegra could tell you right now that was a full-blown lie from the beginning. Her father was a kingpin, the head of one of the biggest mob families in Arkham. And as his only child, the entire empire would one day be hers. It should've been hers.

But she was framed, jailed for patricide and convicted. There was an overwhelming amount of evidence against her; testimonies from family members that she was "unstable", a judge that was clearly paid off because his mind was made up from the beginning, even though she was innocent. She was asleep when the murder happened. She didn't even know what was going on, but no one believed her.

She was sent to Arkham, put in a cell to rot to only be taken out for shock treatments or god knows what else. Or to eat... and the food was terrible.

But he could see why television was a great source of distraction. After only a month at Arkham, Joe was very much looking for a distraction, for anything to break him out of the monotony of his days.

"Degray," a voice said, and Joe looked up from his desk to look at Ventris holding out a file. "There's a good case for you."

"Great, we'll schedule something for this afternoon."

"Today," he said. "The guard took her in 20 minutes ago."

"20 minutes?" Joe asked, and he stood up quickly to grab his coat, before a hand shot out and grabbed his arm.

"Careful with this one," he told him. "Don't get too close."

Joe nodded but was really starting to question his position here. He could see that the doctors, the other doctors, were doing the bare minimum. It was more of a hospital that let them free reign to experiment and torture their patients.

This isn't where Joe wanted to be, but he wanted to help, even if it was only for an hour.

"Sorry," he said, as he rushed into the room, reading through the file, without really noticing the woman in it, or the guard outside. He was trying hard to not notice them all, it made it all so much more difficult, but then he remembered how difficult it was for them as well.

Still... his last patient spat at him, the one before that propositioned him, the one before that told him - in detail - how to grill a rack of ribs (that he was sure wasn't entirely from an animal). So he was ready for the worst.

He sat down on the chair opposite her and he scanned through her file, which was a mystery in itself. There was no family history, no childhood history, nothing that Joe needed to evaluate.

Joe frowned and then he looked up at her, "So Miss..."

And his heart skipped a beat at the sight of those eyes, those large eyes staring at him, scared and...

"I'm..." he shook his head, shaking the thought away. "I'm ... I'm Mr. Lambe, I'll be your doctor here for..."

He looked back down to see how long she was in here for, but it didn't say.

They didn't give a shit about the people here. It didn't take long for her to learn that the concepts of 'rehabilitation' they liked to spout were just a load of bullshit.

This wasn't just a prison. This was a fucking torture chamber and they weren't going to stop until they broke her.

The door opened and she looked up to see a man rushing through. Okay, so maybe he was actually late. It still didn't mean she wasn't fucking irritated. But she didn't want to make a shitty first impression.

He looked down.

"So..." he said, trying to remember what his job was. "You've been here a week. Pretty difficult time, adjusting is something that takes people some time to do. How are you managing?"

It was a stupid question, going from a world where you were free to one where you were watched at every single instance was more than difficult, was more than something that people could 'manage'. And Joe sighed inwardly at himself.

Billionaire philanthropist, Alexander "Axel" Degray and his wife, Talia, were found dead in their room last night. Police have said it was by suffocation and are looking into this matter...

Allegra could tell you right now that was a full-blown lie from the beginning. Her father was a kingpin, the head of one of the biggest mob families in Arkham. And as his only child, the entire empire would one day be hers. It should've been hers.

But she was framed, jailed for patricide and convicted. There was an overwhelming amount of evidence against her; testimonies from family members that she was "unstable", a judge that was clearly paid off because his mind was made up from the beginning, even though she was innocent. She was asleep when the murder happened. She didn't even know what was going on, but no one believed her.

She was sent to Arkham, put in a cell to rot to only be taken out for shock treatments or god knows what else. Or to eat... and the food was terrible.

But he could see why television was a great source of distraction. After only a month at Arkham, Joe was very much looking for a distraction, for anything to break him out of the monotony of his days.

"Degray," a voice said, and Joe looked up from his desk to look at Ventris holding out a file. "There's a good case for you."

"Great, we'll schedule something for this afternoon."

"Today," he said. "The guard took her in 20 minutes ago."

"20 minutes?" Joe asked, and he stood up quickly to grab his coat, before a hand shot out and grabbed his arm.

"Careful with this one," he told him. "Don't get too close."

Joe nodded but was really starting to question his position here. He could see that the doctors, the other doctors, were doing the bare minimum. It was more of a hospital that let them free reign to experiment and torture their patients.

This isn't where Joe wanted to be, but he wanted to help, even if it was only for an hour.

"Sorry," he said, as he rushed into the room, reading through the file, without really noticing the woman in it, or the guard outside. He was trying hard to not notice them all, it made it all so much more difficult, but then he remembered how difficult it was for them as well.

Still... his last patient spat at him, the one before that propositioned him, the one before that told him - in detail - how to grill a rack of ribs (that he was sure wasn't entirely from an animal). So he was ready for the worst.

He sat down on the chair opposite her and he scanned through her file, which was a mystery in itself. There was no family history, no childhood history, nothing that Joe needed to evaluate.

Joe frowned and then he looked up at her, "So Miss..."

And his heart skipped a beat at the sight of those eyes, those large eyes staring at him, scared and...

"I'm..." he shook his head, shaking the thought away. "I'm ... I'm Mr. Lambe, I'll be your doctor here for..."

He looked back down to see how long she was in here for, but it didn't say.

He had always loved the clock work that went into mechanical devices. He loved the inner workings of machines, and if he had been allowed to do what he wanted to, he would do it constantly in class.

But he knew that it would be impractical.

He turned and began to look around at quills and new inks, eventually finding his way over to her. He had been told that Hogwarts was a gem in the UK, that there were things in Hogsmeade that made it special, but so far, these were all the same things that he would find in any store.

She watched him look at it with interest and then turned when he went back to get ink and quills.

Allegra heard him speak and she looked at him with a chuckle. "It is a supply store, after all," she said softly. "It isn't exactly the most interesting store. You'll find the same things here that you would at any other supply store. It's why I wanted to stop here first - to get this errand out of the way so we can have some fun and not worry about needing to rush to get supplies before we have to head back."

She looked at him with a small smile and nudged him gently.

And it was true, he had a wide collection of those things, either ones that he had bought or ones that he had experimented in making. His teachers didn't exactly approve of it, because Joe would spend hours on this instead of his homework, but he was very talented at making them.

It was not an ideal job however.

He tried not to imagine the two of them sharing a sled, mostly because he worried he would crush her if they crashed. But he smiled at the thought and looked at her. "perhaps you should get your snow legs first," he said. "Just in case."

"I've never heard that phrase before," Allegra said with a smile as they walked into the supplies store. The smell of fresh parchment and ink wafted through her nostrils and she inhaled the scent before stepping further inside.

He had always loved the clock work that went into mechanical devices. He loved the inner workings of machines, and if he had been allowed to do what he wanted to, he would do it constantly in class.

But he knew that it would be impractical.

He turned and began to look around at quills and new inks, eventually finding his way over to her. He had been told that Hogwarts was a gem in the UK, that there were things in Hogsmeade that made it special, but so far, these were all the same things that he would find in any store.

"Allie kove," he said as he stepped into the room. He lowered his voice, whispering as he saw Celeste sleeping. Snd then he turned to her, and he faltered.

"It's the anniversary of my father's death... at least I think it is. All I know is that I get sad around this time. But it's worse this year because..."

Allegra took a deep breath, feeling the tears well up in her eyes.

Joe hadn't ever had a family so he didnt know what her loss felt like. He didnt know what it meant to miss someone like this. But he had Allie, who had filled his whole world with colour and music and life.

He kissed the top of her head again.

"I am certain he hears it," Joe said. "I am certain that he met her before she came to us. That he held her first. That he spoke to her of what a wonderful mother you'd be and how vibrant you would make her life."

He pulled back and wiped her tears away.

To think that two years ago, Allegra was being forced into a marriage she thought she didn't want. It took a week or two for them to find a common ground, but they eventually did. It was a marriage filled with joy and love, and no one could take it away from her. And her wicked step-mother certainly tried.

But today she was laden with a feeling she couldn't shake. She had always felt sad around this time. Even as she stared at her beautiful baby girl, asleep in her crib in the afternoon, the melancholy wouldn't leave her.

"Allie kove," he said as he stepped into the room. He lowered his voice, whispering as he saw Celeste sleeping. Snd then he turned to her, and he faltered.

"Both of my parents," he said, hesitating. "My mother moved to Germany when I was younger."

He did not want to divulge more, he wanted to keep to himself this year, as he did almost every year. But he remembered Stanz wanted him to be sociable.

"We live in the countryside, near Lyon. Father works for the Ministry of Magic in France... I think the department's name translates to the International Magical Affairs Coordination Office. He works in the British branch, of course, and he does a lot of work with the British Ministry of Magic. They also work on the exchange programs, so it's how I got my spot here. And mother works for the Bureau of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. She was an Auror for a time, but the job took her away from me and my father a lot, so she transferred. She says she made the right choice. She likes her current job much better."

Allegra knew she was rambling, but she was nervous for some reason. She just wanted to make a friend... and she didn't want to think about how cute he was.

She was...

Asking him what his mother did.

Secretary.

He blinked at her and gave her a smile, a fake smile. Because how was he going to be compared to her? How was he compared to someone that was so... perfect.

"You went too fast," he said to her in German, and he turned back to his book and opened it.

“Joe Lambe.”

He realised how thick his English accent was at that moment, how perfectly she spoke compared to him. How perfectly she looked in her blue robes compared to his own, although he planned to change into the Hogwarts robes once he got there, he didn’t want to stand out too much already.

His professor gestured for them to sit down, and Joe knew he should start some sort of conversation, but it had never been his strong suit.

He held onto his book, wanting more than anything, to keep reading.

Professor Stanz however, had already begun conversing with Madame Laurent, fascinated with the Charms teacher and how their curriculum differed from Durmstang, and how it would compare to Hogwarts.

"Well, I find Hogwarts sorely lacking in any artistic expression," Madame Laurent lamented. "At Beauxbatons, our students choose to focus on culinary arts, literary arts, performance arts or the studio arts. Allegra chose to focus on the studio arts and I hope that she will be allowed to keep up with her painting while at Hogwarts this year. I will oversee it myself if I have to."

As the adults secretly battled it out over which school was more superior, Allegra turned her focus to Joe.

"Both of my parents," he said, hesitating. "My mother moved to Germany when I was younger."

He did not want to divulge more, he wanted to keep to himself this year, as he did almost every year. But he remembered Stanz wanted him to be sociable.

Joe took a deep breath as he got onto the train. His heart raced as he saw all the students running to get compartments and carriages, and he just looked at them all as if alien to him.

"Gehen," his professor said, as he gently nudged Joe down the platform, and they stepped into their compartment and he made a face at the decor. "Hässlich."

His professor continued to mutter about the ugly English compartment, and how the trains and transport to Durmstrang was far superior, in both technology and comfort. But Joe merely sighed and looked out the window.

His English was passable, he had lived here a time with his mother when she had still been married to his muggle father, but they'd managed to escape when they had the chance. Still, he remembered a lot of the language and culture, and so he'd been able to pass the qualifying prerequisites for the exchange program.

Although, it had been a while since he'd been here.

He already felt out of water.

Joe pulled out his book and began to read, as the rest of the train began.

"You will meet your exchange partner soon, a girl from Beauxbatons, needless to say, Mr. Lambe, I want the whole trip to go smoothly, so you get on with this girl -- but not too well, understood?"

"Ja, Professor Stanz."

"And perhaps, practising your English."

Joe thought for a moment, and then replied, "Yes, Professor."

They both turned when they heard the rapid French coming through the door, and Stanz stood up as the door opened, a taller woman smiled at them, but Joe saw the other behind him.

"Ah, Beuxbaton?" Stanz said, his French horrid by the look of the twitch in the woman's eyes. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Who said I was nervous?"

Madame Laurent stopped suddenly, Allegra nearly crashing into her in the middle of the aisle. Her professor turned to look at her with a lift of her brow and Allegra cleared her throat. Madame Laurent was a beautiful and frightening woman, and Allegra was more nervous around her than she ever was around here.

"I can see it in your eyes, little one," Laurent said before turning to walk in front of her. Allegra kept her mouth shut and walked behind her, her blue Beauxbatons dress rustling as she moved.

They reached a cabin and the door opened. Allegra saw the older man but her eyes fixed on the younger man sitting in the train cabin.

"We can speak English, sir. I am Madame Laurent, charms professor at Beauxbatons. I'm here to ensure that my pupil has a safe journey to Hogwarts," she said, putting her hand between Allegra's shoulder blades and gently leading her forward.

"Her father grew up in England and is a graduate of Hogwarts, so he has thoroughly prepared Allegra for what to expect when she arrives. She also speaks perfect English and French, though her German is somewhat lacking."

“Joe Lambe.”

He realised how thick his English accent was at that moment, how perfectly she spoke compared to him. How perfectly she looked in her blue robes compared to his own, although he planned to change into the Hogwarts robes once he got there, he didn’t want to stand out too much already.

His professor gestured for them to sit down, and Joe knew he should start some sort of conversation, but it had never been his strong suit.

He held onto his book, wanting more than anything, to keep reading.

Professor Stanz however, had already begun conversing with Madame Laurent, fascinated with the Charms teacher and how their curriculum differed from Durmstang, and how it would compare to Hogwarts.

He took a breath.

"As for everything else. Your mum can come up and live with us for a bit so that we can handle everything when the baby comes, she can take care of the girls while we're in the hospital and a little bit after. I have lots of sick days, so I can stay with you a while longer than normal."

He touched her face.

She ran a hand through his hair and she sniffled.

He waited until she was well covered up and then he reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her face.

He wanted to tell her that he would love to be a father again, the last time that he would be one. And he knew that she was a fantastic mother and that the kids would adore another baby.

But she needed to rest and they needed to think this through.

"I love you darling," he said, as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Rest. I've got the girls."

He stepped out and headed down the stairs, telling the girls that mummy was feeling a little sick so she was going to miss dinner. But every time he turned away from the table, to get some juice, or a plate, or more napkins, the girls would - in turn - run up stairs and give their mum some food and rush back before Joe sat down again.

That was how he knew that the baby would be so very much loved.

"We don't have to," he said.

But his heart was full of sorrow as he said it. She was right. They had enough on their hands with three girls, they were run off their feet and this wasn't the plan, the girls were older now and they had wanted the vasectomy to make sure that it was safe for them to do what they wanted without fear of anything.

He'd love another baby.

But it wasn't his choice anymore.

There was so much to think about, and she was completely torn on what to do. There were so many reasons for her to go through with the pregnancy, and so many reasons not to. And she didn't know which direction she wanted to go.

He took a breath.

"As for everything else. Your mum can come up and live with us for a bit so that we can handle everything when the baby comes, she can take care of the girls while we're in the hospital and a little bit after. I have lots of sick days, so I can stay with you a while longer than normal."

He touched her face.

"But... h-how?"

But she looked upset and he went to sit with her, pull her into his arms, as they held one another. They'd have to go to the doctor, they'd have to figure this out.

And he didn't know if Allie was happy about this or sad.

They hadn't' wanted any more kids, sure they loved them, but it was so much more difficult. But Joe didn't want to tell her, didn't want her to know, not yet, that when she had said it, just moments before.

He'd been happy.

Because he loved having babies with her, he loved how they loved and he loved his family and the girls. It wasn't part of the plan but plans changed all the time.

Allegra felt awful about her feelings around this. She should be happy - overjoyed! She loved her daughters and she loved being a mother, but even she had to admit that three was a handful. And now they were going to have four?

"We don't have to," he said.

But his heart was full of sorrow as he said it. She was right. They had enough on their hands with three girls, they were run off their feet and this wasn't the plan, the girls were older now and they had wanted the vasectomy to make sure that it was safe for them to do what they wanted without fear of anything.

He'd love another baby.

But it wasn't his choice anymore.

It was weeks later that he realised that it had been a mistake to think that they had been out of the woods in terms of having sex after his procedure.

He'd just gotten back from work, he'd picked up dinner because he knew that Allie would have taken care of the girls after-school things, and was probably tired.

"Hello darlings," Joe said, as he stepped inside.

"Dad! Colette is bossing me around!"

"Mum put me in charge!"

Joe blinked, "Where's your mum?"

"Doesn't mean you get to boss me around!"

"Yes it does!"

"Where's your mum?"

Colette came up to him and he picked her up as the other two fought. "Mama's in the bathroom," she said, as she began to pick through the bag that Joe had brought in.

He gave her a kiss and left her at the table, before snapping his fingers at the girls and pointing.

"Table. Set. Dinner. Now."

They both glared at one another as Joe headed upstairs, he looked in her art room first, then the girls room, and then their bedroom.

She was sitting on the floor of the master bathroom, leaning against the wall with her knees close to her chest as she held the stick in front of her, the word 'Pregnant' clear as day on the tiny electronic screen. She heard the door unlock and the muffled sound of Joe's voice from downstairs, and tears welled in her eyes. She heard his footsteps, ever so familiar to her, and his voice.

"I'm in here," she called out, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand and sniffling. But when Joe walked into the bathroom, she knew he would see a mess and she exhaled.

"But... h-how?"

But she looked upset and he went to sit with her, pull her into his arms, as they held one another. They'd have to go to the doctor, they'd have to figure this out.

And he didn't know if Allie was happy about this or sad.

They hadn't' wanted any more kids, sure they loved them, but it was so much more difficult. But Joe didn't want to tell her, didn't want her to know, not yet, that when she had said it, just moments before.

He'd been happy.

Because he loved having babies with her, he loved how they loved and he loved his family and the girls. It wasn't part of the plan but plans changed all the time.