The Eyes of Sherlock Holmes

by: WhiteGloves

Disclaimer: I do not own anything~ My first Fanfic in the Sherlock Holmes Universe!

Enjoy! :)

Dear old Mrs. Hudson opened the door of 221 B Baker Street when the doorbell rang.

"Oh dear, Doctor!" she gasped in relief as she recognize Doctor John Watson, "You came!"

"You called for." nodded Watson as he took off his hat, entered the facility, gave his cane to Mrs. Hudson and looked expectedly at the stairs toward the second landing. "Is he alright?"

"I have never known a man who never comes out of his room and still manage not to be alright." Mrs. Hudson hushed on as she led him upstairs, "I would not have bothered you at all, dear doctor, seeing that you are rightfully married now, but he is uncontrollable, as usual!"

"What's he done now?"

"Oh well- haven't you heard-?"

"I heard some… but I doubt it was everything, with a man like him."

They reached the third landing and Watson immediately reached for the doorknob. It was lock.

"He tried to burn the whole house down last night," the old nanny went on as she stood behind him, "But before that he tried sneaking around the house like a thief- he said it was to test if it was a worthy profession- I nearly lost my head of fright! And then there was before that he tried to roll himself down the roof top and said he was testing gravity because he felt it slipping by! Oh doctor- if you only knew-!"

"Believe me, I know." Watson cut off as he knocked now, "Holmes! Holmes open the door!"

Silence greeted his announcement. And then the doorknob unlocked with a click.

Watson looked sideways at Mrs. Hudson and smiled apologetically.

"Please, bring something… to enlighten him up."

Mrs. Hudson sighed and then nodded as Watson entered the dark room.

As he entered his eyes could just see the silhouette of some furniture from the darkness. There was a stench on the air likely to be of urine, there was also a smell of gas leaking, paper burning, and to the doctor's dismay a smell of a dead animal. He hoped Gladstone had survived the ordeal.

On the corner of his eyes, the doctor saw something move. He looked on his left and saw his old friend sitting by the fireplace with his back on him.

"Watson." said the familiar husky voice.

"How long has it been since your last case?" the doctor asked as he stepped inside and headed for the window like his usual routine a couple of months ago. "Haven't enjoyed yourself in a while?"

"I believe the mystery of the world has long since left me." Holmes answered without looking up, "And do stay out of reach of the window, I kind of like the mystery inside this room."

"You and your mystery." Watson sighed as he went to the next window and opened the curtains. Sunlight hit the room and Holmes shouted in outrage as it found him. He knelt on the floor and crawled toward the back of a chair. The doctor watched his progress with a patient look. When the old detective had settled himself behind the couch did the doctor walked near him with a contemplative expression.

"Holmes." he started more gently as he stared at that brilliant person. "Why did you have to set the whole place on fire?"

For the first time that day, Holmes looked up at the doctor with his usual guiltless eyes.

"I did not. The nanny was exaggerating. I was merely trying to get rid of the coldness in this room. Accidentally it caught the curtain so I waited if the effect of the heat would be far greater than if I set the couch on fire. My experiment failed. Because nanny threw cold water all over the place."

"And she did the right thing." Watson nodded with his voice growing louder each word, "Holmes- I don't know why you are causing too much trouble in the past week, I don't even know if I want to ask if you're doing this on purpose! Oh wait- I am being too kind if I think that way, this is about you after all."

There was a whimper somewhere under the table. The doctor and the detective looked around and saw that Gladstone was whimpering with his eyes closed.

Watson sighed.

"You need to get a case." he said finally, "I never really think that you staying indoors would do anyone good. Have you seen the newspaper lately?"

"The nanny refuses to give me any, nor has she been here in this room for a couple of days." Holmes muttered carelessly, "Except probably last night but she was not carrying any newspaper, just a bucket of cold water."

"The newspaper has been flooding with different cases and the brilliant you should be spending his days solving them." Watson pointed out, "That is one of the greatest things in the world- it never runs out of problem."

"Problems too easy to figure out you mean."

"Maybe for you, and goodness knows how your eyes can see through everything, but not all people can see the answers the way you do."

"That is because they never look closely. They prefer complaining even if the answer is right under their noses."

"Right. And people would be grateful forever if you kindly lend them a hand."

Holmes merely looked sideways and didn't say anything. Watson raised his eyebrows. Mrs. Hudson entered the room with a tray of usual tea on her hands and a roll of newspaper under her arm.

Holmes and Watson looked as she came and set the tray down the table. The old lady looked kindly at the doctor, and then threw one disgusted look at the inspector. She then gave the newspaper to the doctor's waiting hands before leaving without a word.

"Well, that's an improvement." Holmes muttered as he raised his eyebrows and looked at the doctor. "So why are you here again, Watson? Aren't you busy playing house with 'Mary'?"

"Don't say Mary's name like how you address Mrs. Hudson, Holmes, or I'll swear I'll destroy your violin." Watson answered as he walked around the couch where the detective was hiding and scan the newspaper with a frown on his face.

"Ah." Holmes nodded as he too crawled around the couch, "Most intimidating statement you have said since the old days."

"Indeed." Watson found an article, "Have you heard about the abduction of the royal prince?"

"He's been seeking attention since his formative years and abduction is the only thing he thought worthy of his family's attention." Holmes answered promptly with his eyes searching the room for something. "He'll come out of his hiding place soon. I'll give it a week and two days."

Watson gave him a look and then continued his browsing. He found another one.

"What about the murder of the Duchess-?"

"She actually killed herself while attempting to blame the act to her husband who was swindling with other women. And I say women."

Watson shook his head but didn't say a thing as he finally decided to look at the front page that he's been neglecting for a reason.

"Then… the mystery of the missing eyes? Does that attract you?" he asked quietly as he watched for the reaction of his friend.

As he expected, Holmes looked up from where he was sitting and stared at the front page the doctor was nearly shoving on his face. The headline was clear: Second Body without Eyes Found!

"Ah." was his only word.

"I take it you are interested." Watson smiled as he gave the former the newspaper. He then stood up, took a cup of tea and sipped slowly.

"Interesting." he heard Holmes say as he absorbed the content of the paper. "This would take us to some degree of reasoning…"

Watson slowly lowered the cup from his mouth looking a bit grim.

"There's no 'we', Holmes." he turned slowly to his friend with that patient look of his, "Not for a very long time."

Holmes looked up at him in wonder and then slowly nodded.

"My apologies," he shrugged as his eyes bore down again on the paper. "But there is something good in saying 'us' rather than 'me'. If you know what I mean."

Watson decided to ignore the statement.

"I suppose Clarky would be raging in this apartment anytime soon."

"An interesting job if you ask me."

Silence filled the room as the doctor watched his friend.

"Holmes."

"Hmm?"

"I'd be going now."

"Of course. Give my regards to Mary."

Dr. Watson gave his friend another contemplative look, and then smiled slowly. After that he turned around to leave, but not after he made sure the Gladstone was not as cold as his last name was. He met Mrs. Hudson on the first landing and smiled at her encouragingly.

"He will be fine now, he's got a case." He told her quietly.

"Thank you for your time, doctor." Mrs. Hudson gave him his cane and top hat, "I do not know how to deal with him without you."

"Just let him breathe some air." Watson adviced as his eyes looked up on the second landing once more, "He needs something to busy that brilliant mind of his. That being said do prepare his clothes around, he tends to rip most of it when he's in a case. Also his revolver… he tends to leave it behind… do remember to check the kitchen every now and then when he comes and leaves, he always like to turn things on but forget to turn it off when he's at it. And Gladstone… would be happier if he's more conscious than knocked out every now and then."

Mrs. Hudson looked at the doctor with raised eyebrows as though she'd rather not do all of this on her own. Nevertheless she nodded and escorted the good doctor out of the door.

"You really do know him a lot, doctor," she said as she sees him outside the door. "I wish you could have a twin brother who'd look after him."

Watson smiled.

"Take care, Mrs. Hudson."

"Off you go, doctor. Mrs. Watson's waiting."

The doctor nodded and was about to turn around when he was met by the character of Clarky, the ever so busy deputy of Scotland Yard.

"Doctor, I wish to speak with Inspector Holmes. This is of real urgency- Inspector Lestrade wish to speak with him at once. " he said without breathing.

"Mr. Holmes is inside," Mrs. Hudson told him. "Don't bother the doctor!He does not go with the inspector anymore."

"Oh, right." Clarky gave Watson a curious look, "Excuse me, Doctor." and he disappeared on the doorway with Mrs. Hudson who bid Watson another goodbye.

With a nod, Watson turned around. It was funny how Clarky reacted when he was told Watson was not going with Holmes anymore. Admittedly he was surprised himself. That being realized, the doctor stopped just as he reached the stone steps, with his eyes tightly closed as if he was battling against his inner self.

"Don't…John… control yourself man." he told himself as he opened his eyes, "You're not foolish enough to hear the end of this case, are you? Your inspector days are over…"

He took a final deep breath, and then giving 221B Baker Street one final look, he raised his hand for a carriage to take him home.

*.*.*.*.*

"Sherlock Holmes is not taking the bait." A voice said in a semi dark room just above a very noisy pub.

"Yes he will." said another voice that belonged to a man who was standing near candlelight, the only source of light in the room. "It will not be long until the Scotland Yard would try and reach him. This is the second death after all."

The man near the door shifted on his position.

"If I may ask, my Lord, why do we have to involve Sherlock Holmes? The man's name is a trouble itself. Our proceedings are well off without him tracking our movements."

"Our proceedings have gone well and quiet enough in the past century for my liking." The man near the light answered, his fingers inside a black glove playing gently on the armchair. "It is time we add new humour in our movements. Sherlock Holmes is the perfect person to be added in the spice. His name is famous enough; I do not think it better if he dies without knowing our existence."

"But it is too risky." the other voice said sounding unconvinced, "Sherlock Holmes is someone not to be underestimated."

"I think it is you who's underestimating me."

The man suddenly shifted again.

"I'm sorry my Lord, I meant no offense."

"Then be quiet and bring him to me. We will not only expose our great existence in the world, we will expose it with Sherlock Holmes dead in our name."

The candlelight beside him flickered, and for a second it revealed the appearance of the man sitting next to it. The man was wearing a leather mask that covered his whole face. His eyes were as black as the darkness in the room.

Back in his house, we see Holmes staring at the window with a blank expression as he listened to Clarky who was talking behind him. After a few moments he nodded and then took his coat from behind a chair.

The case was on.

-TBC-

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