Burning Hearts 3/?
Title: Burning Hearts
Fandom: Cabin Pressure, Sherlock
Gene: Crossover, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Mystery, Fluff
Character/s: Sherlock, Martin, Mycroft, John, Douglas, Carolyn, Arthur, Lestrade, Moriarty, OCs and other minor Sherlock characters
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Round Two. Only this time, the stakes have changed... and so have the players.
Warnings: Violence. Bit of foul language. Spoiler for The Great Game.
Notes: Sequel to Thicker than Water. Reading that first will help understanding this fic.
This is the second half of the chapter before. I'm going away this weekend so a new chapter won't be up for a week or so.
Thanks to Fifi for her betaing.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Ten minutes earlier
“Mum, where’s Douglas? I went and got him tea but he’s not in the cabin. And I know he’s here because I saw him. Right?” Arthur gave her his usual bemused look and Carolyn felt herself sighing.
“Yes, dear. He’s gone to Martin’s place to see if he is alright and to find out why he’s late to work.”
To her surprise, Arthur’s look became even more confused. “But why would he need to go to Martin’s to do that? Skip’s here, isn’t he?”
Carolyn felt her son’s confusion spreading to her. “No, he’s not. Remember how we didn’t see his van in the car park this morning?”
“Yeah, I know. But I talked to Terry from the fire crew while I was getting tea and he said he talked to Martin. Apparently someone pinched Martin’s van last night and he happened to meet Terry while on the way to the bus stop so Terry gave him a lift.” Arthur didn’t notice the look on his mother’s face as he continued. “And I think I saw him too.”
“Where?!” Carolyn demanded. She couldn’t shake the bad feeling she had.
“Oh, on the way to GERTI’s hangar. I figured he had some super-secret pilot business to do with the man with the umbrella and that’s why he ignored me when I called out to him.” Arthur looked hurt for a second at the thought of his Skipper ignoring him, before he broke out into his usual smile.
“Right. Come with me, and we’ll go get Martin.” She grabbed her son’s arm on the way out and fished out her mobile with the other hand. Dialling Douglas, she headed for GERTI.
“Hello?”
“Douglas? Found anything?”
“Other than a human skull and more pictures than I thought possible in one space; no. Oh, and Martin’s van keys-“
“Yes, well someone apparently stole Martin’s van last night. Arthur said he last saw him going to GERTI’s hangar so I’ll check that out now.”
“Oh, so he is there.”
“It seems like it. Come back here then.”
“Should I bring Yorick? I always thought GERTI would look better with a sku-“
“Douglas.” Carolyn snapped as she hung up, expressing her thoughts on his teasing in a single word. He would bring the skull, if only to get the story behind it.
********
Carolyn grabbed Arthur and headed for GERTI’s hangar. On the way out she had Arthur grab GERTI’s key so he could check the plane for their missing pilot.
“Where did you think you saw Martin, again?”
“Mum!” Arthur called, his “You’re being silly” look on his face. “I didn’t think I saw him, I know I did. He went in through that door.” He pointed to the main door to GERTI’s hangar.
Just then, there was a squeal of tires. Both Shappeys turned to see a van racing away from the airport car park, a man in his Bentley yelling after it. Carolyn narrowed her eyes at the van. It was too far away to make out what it said on the side, but the only person who drove a van around here was Martin… but he was a cautious driver, almost to the point of being dangerously slow.
“Mum, is that-“
“Can’t be. Come on let’s go check the hangar.”
As soon as she walked into the hangar it became clear it was deserted. Arthur skipped past her with the keys to GERTI, whistling a tune. She pulled out her phone, ready to call Douglas when they didn’t find him.
“Mum?” Arthur poked his head out of the door of the plane. “Martin’s not here.”
“Yes, I thought so. Come on dear, we’ll go look elsewhere.”
“Alright. Hey Mum?”
Carolyn sighed, thinking she was going to have to explain something like why Martin was missing. “Yes, dear?”
“Do you remember that time I dropped red cordial on the floor? And how I said it looked like blood?”
“Yes.” Of course she did, poor Arthur had been panicking that he had killed the cordial and the floor. It had taken an hour to calm him down.
“Well, someone has done it here.”
“What, dropped red cordial?” Carolyn found herself walking towards her son, curious as to what he had seen.
“Well, yes. Unless its blood on the floor under GERTI… it’s not blood is it Mum?”
“No, dear,” she said even as she approached where Arthur was standing. He was pointing to a spot on the hangar floor and she could instantly see it wasn’t red cordial. It wasn’t a huge patch of blood, big enough to see without effort from the right direction, but small enough that GERTI’s wing was able to hide it from view of those just entering the hangar for a second.
Then she found her eye caught by the glint of plastic that was sitting further under GERTI. She could only just see it but she could make out that it was a phone.
“Arthur, dearest could you grab those gloves from the kitchen for me?”
“Right. Sure. Umm… where are they?”
Carolyn rolled her eyes. They’re by the microwave. Go fetch two pairs please.”
Arthur scrambled off returning a few minutes later with two pairs of abused looking gloves. Carolyn pulled a pair on and then made Arthur pull the other pair on.
“Now, could you go down under GERTI and grab the phone I can see just there? Don’t touch the wet patch!”
“Righto.” Arthur agreed, obviously thinking this was some kind of game they were playing. He ducked and seconds later returned with what Carolyn recognised as Martin’s phone.
“Hey Mum, isn’t this Skip’s?” She nodded even as she grabbed it gently. Pulling up the menu, she noticed it had just sent a text. The sent folder showed her the last text Martin had sent had been a blank one to Sherlock, ten minutes ago.
“Mum, what is it?”
“I’m not sure. Arthur, can you go fetch the airport security please?”
“Do I have to? Those guys are so mean…”
“Arthur, I’m sorry but this is very important. Go get them and bring them here and show them these. I’m going to go see if I can find Martin.”
“Alright…” Arthur sadly walked off. Carolyn watched him go before moving onto the next hangar. It was the empty hangar that often served as the location of the Airport bar when it was in operation- also known as the times Martin didn’t know about it.
Pulling open the door she gave the hangar a quick glance and not spotting any red or anything, went to move on. Martin’s hair really was his most recognisable feature- but no. He’s got black hair now. And how was that a long enough search? Sighing, she walked directly into the hangar and gave the room a long searching look. Finding nothing, she turned to go.
And froze. Right beside the door was a woman, bound and gagged. Carolyn didn’t recognise her. She had dark hair, was well dressed even if it was completely messed up and had what looked to be a smashed blackberry near her. Checking she still had her gloves on, Carolyn approached the woman who had not moved the entire time she was in the hangar. Placing her hand before her mouth Carolyn could feel the woman’s breath. Sighing in relief she fished for her phone.
As she pulled it towards her head something reflected in the dark screen. Curious, Carolyn followed the reflection.
And started to scream at the body hanging from the ceiling. For two moments she couldn’t think, and then the sound of running feet and Arthur screaming for her broke through. Blindly thinking she couldn’t let Arthur see this, she turned and ran for the door. As she left the hangar, she ran into Arthur, nearly knocking him over. He grabbed at her, steadying her and holding her shoulders as the security he had been sent for tried to catch up.
“Mum! What is it?” Arthur sounded panicked and Carolyn pulled herself together for his sake.
“Nothing, dear. Nothing, I’m fine. Go back to GERTI.” Her voice was shaking which meant her words didn’t seem to reassure Arthur like she had intended.
“But, Mum… you screamed. You never scream.” He sounded exactly like the six year old child she had held through nightmares and Carolyn knew she had to get her act together.
“I just had a shock, Dear Heart. I need you to go back to GERTI while I talk to security. Okay?”
Still anxious, Arthur nodded. Casting one last glance at the hangar he returned to the safety of GERTI. Relieved for a reason she didn’t understand, she turned to the security men. “There’s been a murder; I need you to call the police.”
“A murder?!” One of them gasped. The other went pale, and stared at the door in shock.
“Yes, you need to call the police. Oh and we have a missing pilot last seen in that hangar, where there is a patch of blood and my son remembers seeing a strange man. Oh! And in there with the body is a woman who isn’t dead but-“
“Mum!” Arthur’s voice suddenly broke into Carolyn’s speech. She turned to tell him off, but noticed he had something in his hand.
“Arthur, what is it?” she said as he reached her.
“It’s Skip, Mum. He’s just called his phone!” Next