Fill - Double Dose, Part 1blindor1306February 14 2011, 06:29:18 UTC
Mycroft smiled smugly, clearly sensing his victory. “Laura has, once again, cheated on Rory. Again, with Daniel. Unfortunately, the flat they were sharing was hers, and Rory has been sleeping on the streets for several nights.”
Sherlock sighed. “Where about?”
“He seems to be staying in the area of the Vauxhall Arches.” Mycroft relied, nodding as Sherlock cringed. “No doubt your homeless network would make short work of finding him.”
Sherlock suddenly stood up, staring intently at Mycroft. “Is he still dying his hair?”
“Yes.” Mycroft replied. “Auburn.”
“Good.” Sherlock muttered. “That should make him less conspicuous until I can find him.”
*
Half an hour later John found himself not, as he had hoped, drinking one last cup of tea before bed, but rather jumping out of a cab in Vauxhall, following Sherlock as he strolled up to a tired looking homeless woman in a shop doorway.
“Lucy.” Sherlock said, holding fifty pounds out to the woman. “I need help finding someone, but it needs to be discreet. Can't have the wrong people hearing about him.”
“Posh bloke?” Lucy said with a smile, taking the money. “Reddish hair. First time sleeping rough?”
“That's him.” Sherlock huffed, tensing. “Has he been noticed?”
“Nah.” Lucy replied, smiling again as Sherlock visibly relaxed. “It's a nice touch with the hair. Makes it less obvious. Me and Ben only noticed him 'cos I know you.”
“Where is he?” Sherlock asked, refraining from comment, even though John noticed him wince, and could practically seen the words 'Ben and I, not me and Ben' running through his head. “I need to get him somewhere safe before someone else notices him.”
“You're in luck.” Lucy said, pointing further up the road. “He's kipping outside Argos. Ben's keeping an eye on him tonight.”
Sherlock glanced in the direction Lucy had pointed, before looking back at her thoughtfully. “You've been looking out for him while you wait for me to turn up.”
Lucy nodded, smiling again. “He's been careful.” She said. “Keeping his hood up, hiding his face, nice and sensible. You've got enemies though, Mr Holmes. If the wrong person got one good look at his face, he'd be nothing but cannon fodder. Me and Ben take it in turns, one watching over him, one waiting here for you.”
Sherlock nodded, standing up and staring towards Argos again. “Thanks Lucy.” He said before walking away., motioning for John to follow.
“What's going on?” John asked, jogging slightly to keep up with Sherlock. “Why are they watching him?”
“Think about it.” Sherlock hissed, stepping closer to John so that even he could barely hear him. “Moriarty said he was going to burn the heart out of me. We do our best, keep his look as different from mine as possible, but there's only so much you can do with hair dye and different coloured clothes. Rory was the only brother I was ever really close to. We're polar opposites, but that worked well. He's a lot like you, actually.”
“Like me?” John asked, raising his eyebrows. It was hard to imagine a Holmes being anything like him.
“He's very much not a sociopath.” Sherlock explained. “Very moral. People always called him the normal one. Except for that one time he tried to hit Daniel with an axe.”
“An axe.” John repeated as Sherlock started walking again. “Okaaaay.”
As they got closer to Argos, the sound of desperate coughing echoed down the road, and John looked anxiously at Sherlock.
“Sherlock.” He said nervously. “It's January. If he's never slept rough before, I doubt he's wrapped up well enough for nights on the street in winter.”
Sherlock simply nodded, his eyebrows furrowing as he stepped slowly towards the source of the coughing.
Sherlock sighed. “Where about?”
“He seems to be staying in the area of the Vauxhall Arches.” Mycroft relied, nodding as Sherlock cringed. “No doubt your homeless network would make short work of finding him.”
Sherlock suddenly stood up, staring intently at Mycroft. “Is he still dying his hair?”
“Yes.” Mycroft replied. “Auburn.”
“Good.” Sherlock muttered. “That should make him less conspicuous until I can find him.”
*
Half an hour later John found himself not, as he had hoped, drinking one last cup of tea before bed, but rather jumping out of a cab in Vauxhall, following Sherlock as he strolled up to a tired looking homeless woman in a shop doorway.
“Lucy.” Sherlock said, holding fifty pounds out to the woman. “I need help finding someone, but it needs to be discreet. Can't have the wrong people hearing about him.”
“Posh bloke?” Lucy said with a smile, taking the money. “Reddish hair. First time sleeping rough?”
“That's him.” Sherlock huffed, tensing. “Has he been noticed?”
“Nah.” Lucy replied, smiling again as Sherlock visibly relaxed. “It's a nice touch with the hair. Makes it less obvious. Me and Ben only noticed him 'cos I know you.”
“Where is he?” Sherlock asked, refraining from comment, even though John noticed him wince, and could practically seen the words 'Ben and I, not me and Ben' running through his head. “I need to get him somewhere safe before someone else notices him.”
“You're in luck.” Lucy said, pointing further up the road. “He's kipping outside Argos. Ben's keeping an eye on him tonight.”
Sherlock glanced in the direction Lucy had pointed, before looking back at her thoughtfully. “You've been looking out for him while you wait for me to turn up.”
Lucy nodded, smiling again. “He's been careful.” She said. “Keeping his hood up, hiding his face, nice and sensible. You've got enemies though, Mr Holmes. If the wrong person got one good look at his face, he'd be nothing but cannon fodder. Me and Ben take it in turns, one watching over him, one waiting here for you.”
Sherlock nodded, standing up and staring towards Argos again. “Thanks Lucy.” He said before walking away., motioning for John to follow.
“What's going on?” John asked, jogging slightly to keep up with Sherlock. “Why are they watching him?”
“Think about it.” Sherlock hissed, stepping closer to John so that even he could barely hear him. “Moriarty said he was going to burn the heart out of me. We do our best, keep his look as different from mine as possible, but there's only so much you can do with hair dye and different coloured clothes. Rory was the only brother I was ever really close to. We're polar opposites, but that worked well. He's a lot like you, actually.”
“Like me?” John asked, raising his eyebrows. It was hard to imagine a Holmes being anything like him.
“He's very much not a sociopath.” Sherlock explained. “Very moral. People always called him the normal one. Except for that one time he tried to hit Daniel with an axe.”
“An axe.” John repeated as Sherlock started walking again. “Okaaaay.”
As they got closer to Argos, the sound of desperate coughing echoed down the road, and John looked anxiously at Sherlock.
“Sherlock.” He said nervously. “It's January. If he's never slept rough before, I doubt he's wrapped up well enough for nights on the street in winter.”
Sherlock simply nodded, his eyebrows furrowing as he stepped slowly towards the source of the coughing.
Reply
Leave a comment