I knew her for as long as I could remember.

Irene Adler

Irene Adler

I remember the last time I saw her, clearly, like it was yesterday, although it was around 7 years ago. Her family and mine were enjoying the lake at our summer house, Adler and I had to share a room, it was nothing to us then. Fat Mycroft wanted the spare room; he was 16 at the time and got whatever he wanted.

I, 11

She, 10

I never realised how much time I've spent with her, she and I were oddly close without even knowing about it. I was still an outcast in school and she was boomingly popular, I don't know why she took an interest in me.

This was also the first time she visited the lake house, it didn't even occur to me. Whenever I went to the lake house I would take the opportunity to perform a number of experiments, every time I was away I would always think of more to do.

That time it was different when Adler was there, it was more…. Fun.

I remember this one day, the first day she arrived, -we arrived a day before to get settled in and to spruce up the place-.

She jumped out of the car with wide ice blue eyes along with striking lashes and a beaming smile, showing off her pink braces which went with her pale pink dress that had a white lace collar, new. Her long brown hair was halved and plated on each side, ending around her ribs, looking so innocent.

Her eyes landed on me right when she jumped off the car but she greeted my parents first, with a tiny curtsey and a "Thank you so much Mr Holmes, Mrs Holmes, for your hospitality".

They smiled and awed at her politeness, and Mycroft stood beside them, after her parents took her place she wandered off to me, and quite fast.

"Mister Holmes" she mimicked herself in a low whisper, bowing her head slightly, I kept a straight face, I was very walled up with her, everyone, at least I tried to be. "C'mon Younger Holmes [what she liked to call me], be a good host and show me something fun to do"

"Go away Adler, I won't be needing your company here" I said, eyeing her with intensity, trying to patronize her, but it never worked.

"Oh so you needed my company before?" she shot back, she was fast, always fast with her words.

"Let me rephrase myse-"

"Too late!" she giggled before tapping me harshly, almost a push, and ran off "You're it!" she yelled almost 10 meters ahead. I watched her run towards the lake, the place was foreign to her and I knew if I lost her it would be my fault, I had to chase after her, and I had to play her game.

The first night sleeping in the same room was mild, I was sort of annoyed for her when Mycroft suggested he had the last room, instead of sharing with me so she can have her own room. That night we didn't get much sleep done, she stayed up talking about the boys at her school and how much she despised them and how I was different, I should've seen it then.

Days after, when I thought I got rid of her, she would find me, even in my most secretive location, about a fifteen minute walk around the lake, turning right at a tree stump and into a very suspicious area, a willow tree, walled off with vines and sharp rocks. It was somewhat like a cave, leaves were treated like curtains, and it allowed a lot of light yet shade from the rain. Also the willow tree had long leaves that reached the floor.

It had a lovely view, the lake was between the point and the house, it sat at an angle which made the cottage style lake house appear to be floating above the water, it looked the best at night, especially when we placed fairy lights around the porch.

It was also where I did my more dangerous experiments, no one could hear me, no one could see me, and I kept my most valuable things there.

I was doing this one experiment where I gathered a number of objects only found by the lake, and placed it in acid. It was unsatisfactory and very mundane until Alder appeared, almost making me almost spill the acid all over my white trunks and thick vest covering the shirt my mother chose out for me.

Mother and Mrs Alder were off to the markets while the other men went to fish downstream, I thought Adler joined at least one of them but instead found me.

She appeared under the shadows, under the vines wearing only a white two piece with denim short shorts to cover her flat, childish body, but she hit her growth spurt fast, she was about taller than me at the time. She managed to stay barefoot, she did appear strangely, very muddy.

"So this is where you've been hiding" she smiled, entering the cave with a high pony tail and a white ribbon in her hair, "I thought I smelt something bad"

I growled wanting her to go away but continued with my work. She watched me as I dropped some green moss on a rock into a test tube, she gasped when slight fumes filled the air.

"WE SHOULD PUT THIS IN" she almost yelled while I wrote down the details, I flinched and accidentally dragged the pen across the page. Before I could look up at her to scold her, she held in front of me a dead frog, dead for a while judging by the dirt on it drying up.

I was somewhat more…. content with her sudden cooperation.

"Want to dissect it?" I whispered, I wanted too, badly, but I didn't want to look enthusiastic about it, not in front of Adler anyway.

"You have knives here?" she leaned in, placing the frog on a flat, stony surface which I use as a table. I smiled wickedly in reply and moved a nearby boulder which covered a deep hole that had an array of instruments.

I grabbed a small knife which I stole from the kitchen a while back and placed it beside the frog. "Can I do the honours?" she smiled, kneeling on the other side of the stone. I was surprised at first, then excited on how well she would be able to pull it off.

"Scalpel!" she mocked like a surgeon, I handed her the knife, and I didn't know it properly but she blushed when our fingers brushed and she carefully cut open the frog.

I pointed out each organ to her and she listened inventively, occasionally trying to guess herself, she was a very bright girl. Taking it to bits we became blemished with frog blood and dirt, using our very white clothes to wipe it off.

One by one bits of the creature was disintegrated in the acid, leaving a delightfully bubbling sound and a foul odour. Not once did Adler turn away in disgust, I've grown an appreciation to her, the side to her I really liked.

By the time the frog was nothing but stained acid, our faces were red with laugher and knowledge. We attempted to find more dead creatures in the lake but ended up swimming away the dirt.

Playing pirates on a branch which hung over the lake, she grabbed a stick, jabbing at my back, "walk ye plank foul cap'in" she mocked a pirate, having one eye squeezed shut and an exaggerated side smile, she followed with an "Arrrrrr". I turned and grabbed the stick pulling her into me I held onto her and we plummeted into the water with a wild splash.

What a fun day that was.

As we dried off in the setting sun, we watched the men enter the house with a bucket of fish. Mycroft stumbled behind and Adler yelled "FATTY", he couldn't spot where we were. I couldn't contain my laughter,

That's when I finally opened up to her, l began telling her things I've never told anyone before, or ever been able too. I told her my hate for my brother and how every other boy at my boarding school teased me. How neglected I felt. She talked to me too.

The last time she was at the lake house, or with me at all, it was around one in the afternoon and her bags were packed. My family decided to stay for a while longer.

Black buckled shoes and socks. Her long brown hair was halved and plated on each side, ending around her ribs, looking so innocent again, this time her hair ended with two white ribbons on each side. How she loved to look perfect. Her pale eyes matched her high waisted shorts with six white buttons and matching top which tied up from the back of her neck, leaving a v at her non-existent cleavage.

I was in our room, saying our goodbyes and giving her the remaining of a shell I sawed in half to check if the pattern was the same in every shell.

"IRENE!" yelled her mother at the front of the house, hearing a car horn beep behind.

Adler's face looked rushed and panicked as I attempted to get her down the stairs but she stopped me at the door of our room.

"Sherlock" she whispered holding onto my arms peering at the door every few seconds "I bet I can surprise you"

I was confused "Hurry up or your mum will be mad"

"No, no, I bet, BET, I can surprise you" she gripped my arm tighter, with a pleading look in her eyes

I went along with it "I don't think you can, now go!"

"I can surprise you!" she pushed, pulling me every time I reached for the door handle, a cheeky smile imprinted on her face and a growing blush, sudden fast pace of breathing, and her pupils appeared black.

"No you can't" I repeated, she liked to cause fights, but this wasn't the time, "You can never surprise me-"

And then she did.

My heart raced for the first time, my eyes were wide and my jaw would've been to the floor if it wasn't for her lips being locked on mine. My first kiss. My first kiss.

We kissed until our lips were numb and "IRENE!" broke our concentration.

She pulled away, but I wanted more, I never thought of a girl like that, ever.

She became really nervous and blurted, more like forced out of herself "I love you Sherlock Holmes" her lips returned, but to my cheek.

And for that instant my mind emptied, I didn't know what to say, what to do.

My whole world slowed down, became a haze, blink, she was gone, the door was open, I ran, ran, out after her.

Down the stairs and out the door, she was packed in the car and waving along with her parents.

The car engine revved and I didn't know it was too late; her eyes locked on mine, "next time" she mouthed with excitement and blew me a kiss.

I turned to see my parents didn't see that, thank god

But Mycroft leaned over me and nudged, "What a nice young woman"

I frowned at him and walked away, kicking the gravel. The lake house wasn't really fun that time after she left.

I waited for the next time to see her; I couldn't stop thinking of our first kiss, of her. Was it love? I thought it was, my first love.

It's been a while since I saw her after that day, a month or two, a very long time according to our family's closeness. I made it past the kitchen of our estate before hearing the words slip from my mother's mouth "Adler".

I paused and listen inventively, trying the piece together the pieces of the conversation.

She hung up the phone with a polite goodbye

"What was that about?" I asked, appearing from the doorway.

"Oh that was the Adler family, they are having a nice time" she smiled walking away.

"Having a nice time?" That was odd choice of words "Where?"

"Oh didn't your brother tell you? The Adler's are living in America now! I hear the house is grand!" My mother began to trail and didn't notice I left, I rushed up the stairs and to my room, am I never seeing her again? The thought killed me.

Half-way up the stairs Mycroft stopped to watch me, he knew, the bastard, he knew.

After years trying to forget her name, her lips, I sat in my room, unknowing what to expect as my mother stopped by my door.

"Honey pack your bags" she told me "We are going to the summer home, oh and the Adler's are returning, you can see that little friend of yours, Irene, she was always such a lovely young woman"

I began to perspire, see Irene Adler again?

Irene Adler?

I, 17

She, 16

In my head when i wrote it, i kinda of had a 50's vibe with the dress code and also that Irene and Sherlock are very upper class people, so rich rich rich. if confused please ask!

Thank you so much for reading and please review