Wow, i've rewritten this story quite a lot. Only like, once or twice on this site, though. Sorry, but I feel okay with this now. Hope you like ^^
"What are you planning on doing now?" Lestrade leaned back in his swivel chair, his legs stretched before him under the desk he stationed at, a grim look set on his features. The office was dead silent besides the squeaks coming from his chair when he shifted.
Opposite from him sat a younger woman who shrugged at Lestrade's inquiry. She sat curled up in one of the chairs stationed behind Lestrade's desk, arms pulled close to her chest while her legs covered them. Her expression was blank besides the slight furrow of her brows while she played with her hands.
Lestrade ran a hand down his face and moved forward in his seat to rest his elbows on his desk. The atmosphere felt heavy and the situation was stressful as the two friends tried to come to terms with what's happened recently. "Have you got any family elsewhere?"
The girl sighed through her nose, running a hand through her already tangled ink-black curls. Her eyes traveled up towards Lestrade's, the hopeless look in them silently telling him the answer to his question. He nodded and buried his face in his hands.
The door to Lestrade's office opened unexpectedly, startling the two already inside. Their eyes traveled up to whoever interrupted, only this visitor wasn't as surprising as any other.
"Don't you knock?" Lestrade shook his head at his visitors, who stayed put at the threshold. The intrusion was made by Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, two regulars at Scotland Yard.
"I need a case." Sherlock's words were simple, straight to the point. He didn't seem phased by the dreadful feeling the room gave off, but he did spot the woman in the chair. While John tried to apologized to Lestrade about Sherlock's rude behavior Sherlock took a quick sweep over the woman's frame while he had the chance. Her eyes were trained on the people behind him, listening to their conversation while she curled further in her seat. She was pretty small, petite with dark shoulder-length curls and dark brown eyes. Her skin was abnormally pale, from not enough natural lighting, Sherlock speculated, and her eyes were red from crying and constantly rubbing them. The furrow in her brows also added to Sherlock's guesses that the business her and Lestrade were dealing with wasn't very pleasant.
Dark orbs caught bright ones in a split second before the woman turned her head the other direction.
"I apologize for Sherlock's impudence, Adeline." Lestrade's voice bought her attention, and the woman who now had a name, stood. She gave a weak smile, tugging her long sweater sleeves over her fists and hugged them around herself.
"It's okay, Lestrade." Her voice was quiet and hoarse, but she managed to make it so he was capable of hearing it. "I'll come back another time. Thank you for your time." Lestrade appeared to have wanted to object, but then decided it was for the best. He lead her out the office while the consulting detective and ex-army doctor waited inside. The two hugged before Adeline left and Lestrade came back in to address the two men.
"I can't thank you enough, Mrs. Hudson."
Mrs. Hudson waved a hand at the gratitude practically rolling off of Adeline as the two descended from her bedroom in 221B Baker Street. "Oh, no need to thank me dear. I'm glad you called when you did!" Mrs. Hudson had known Adeline since the girl was little and in diapers, so when Adeline jumped at the chance for an open room in the complex the landlady was overjoyed.
"Are you completely sure I can stay?" Adeline troubled, over-worried if her stay wasn't welcomed or not. Mrs. Hudson shook her head, grabbing the girl by the shoulders gently. "You're stay is always welcomed, Adeline. Although I hope you aren't too upset about having flatmates."
Adeline gave the woman a look that automatically gave the woman her opinion on the situation. She already knew coming in that it was a possibility, but now that she was here Adeline was a little worried. She grew up to be very shy, part of it due to her sheltered childhood.
"W-what are they like?" Mrs. Hudson paused to think of a way to describe the occupants of the flat. It was difficult to put those two to words...
"Mrs. Hudson, we're back!" a voice downstairs accompanied by the shut of the entrance door caught both women's' attention. Mrs. Hudson smiled, calling out to notify them of her presence in the flat before turning back to Adeline. A horror-stricken look took over the young woman's features. "That would be them. Let me just introduce-"
Adeline darted past Mrs. Hudson before the landlady could finish that statement. Mrs. Hudson sighed but turned to greet Sherlock and John as they came into the flat, hanging up their coats before settling down.
"Find any good cases?" A grunt from the agitated consulting detective was the only response she got. "Right, then. I'll be downstairs-"
"Who was that earlier?" Sherlock interrupted her, turning to stare at her. "You were talking with someone." Mrs. Hudson snapped her fingers, chuckling to herself for forgetting.
"Oh, that was a new resident." she explained. "She'll be living across from John, if that's alright?" John nodded, okay with it. "She just moved in this morning after needing a place to stay."
"Is there anything wrong, Sherlock?" Mrs. Hudson added, spotting Sherlock's unreadable expression. The man straightened and turned back to his chair. "As long as she doesn't get in the way, not at all."
Finally, I got around to writing this first chapter up! I've been meaning to for a while now but procrastination had me in it;s clutches. And I guess school could be put up for partial blame on this one. I don't know when I'll get around to finishing the second chapter of Adventure Ahead! yet, but I'm planning on doing so soon. As for this story, I'll probably have the second chapter up soon, unless other ideas come to play.
~Wolfy