Hello there and welcome to my new story. Understanding Sherlock Holmes!
So this is very new to me and my first ever story I've published. I have so many on my laptop I thought it would be good to actually publish some of them. So I have decided to write up a new Sherlock story with my OC. Charlotte Hooper. I had always wondered what it would be like if Sherlock befriended an Empath so here is my take on what they friendship could be and how it would evolve through the series. This is the first part of the Understanding Sherlock Holmes following A Study in Pink, The Blind Banker and The Great Game. So I hope you enjoy it
-VioletSparks Xx
Sherlock Holmes didn't entertain the idea of friends or friendship. He had acquaintances and knowledge or people. But never friends. Except one, Charlotte Hooper the one woman who could ever put up with his psychotic ways and his blunt deductions. But Charlotte or Charlie as she preferred was not as normal as she appeared. Charlie was never normal; she had a rare gift of being an empathic, of knowing and feeling other people's emotions from a young age. So when Sherlock Holmes came into her life he was the first person she couldn't read. From the Age of six Sherlock kept a firm lid on his emotions and it was Charlie's mission to find them. As for Sherlock Charlie was the first person besides his brother and parents who had accepted him for who he was. To Sherlock Charlie was interesting and thus is excellent skills of deduction were born. It was a tale of two strange souls finding a common enemy. Other children, they couldn't understand these two children who knew so much about them with a single glance. Twenty Four years later and the two of them had become inseparable. However children turned into adults and the world still thought them strange except a handful of people who accepted them. Charlies little sister Molly was among them. Her infatuation with her older sister's friend knew no bounds. Even from the age of three Molly was enthralled with Sherlock even now at twenty seven she was still fumbling with her words in his presence. As it turned out Charlie and Sherlock worked together perfectly, Sherlock deduced the crime and the murder. But Charlie knew about the emotions of the victims and the killer and their relationship to the victim. So when John Watson entered their life they never thought another human could tolerate them let alone be interested with living with one of them.
"You know, you could just move in with me. Then I wouldn't have to go through this tedious task of finding a roommate" Sherlock said not taking his eyes off the sample in the glass dish under the microscope. Charlie sat looking at her note book. Tucking a strand of dark red hair behind her ear and continued to jot down notes and observations from the findings of the three suicides all of them strange. Charlie hated suicides cases too much emotion tied to them.
"Well why did you mention it to Mike then?" she mused. Sherlock looked up at her
"It was a conversation topic, that's what you do with people talk to them, It's very dull" Charlie sighed and looked up at Sherlock
"Sherlock we both know that you need a roommate. You can't pay the rent by yourself and Mrs Hudson is getting more annoyed with your experiments plus it would be nice of you to get to know another human" Charlie smirked as Sherlock rolled his eyes.
"Other people are boring. Plus I have you, why would I need to find another friend" he said turning back to his experiment. Charlie shook her head as she noticed two more people entering the lab.
"I don't know Sherlock, someone could surprise you" Charlie watched from out of the corner of her eye at Mike and the man. He was limping and walking with a cane. Soldier she came to the conclusion. He was confused and a little surprised. "Well bit different from my day" she heard him mutter.
"You have no idea" Mike laughed and smiled to Charlie. She smiled back she liked Mike he was more understanding of her than some of the other doctors in St. Barts.
"Mike can I borrow your phone? There's no signal on mine" Sherlock asked
"What's wrong with the landline? Or use Char's phone?" Sherlock huffed
"She won't let me near it, let alone use it"
"Too bloody right, not after the last time. I had to chance my number" Charlie folded her arms
"It was only one drug lord that knew your number"
"That's one to many if you ask me" She huffed
"Err. Here use mine" the man said holding out his phone
"Oh thank you" Sherlock took the phone taking a quick look at the man and started texting someone
"Brave move" Charlie muttered as she finished her notes and started to pack up her things.
"It's an old friend of mine, John Watson" Mike introduced John. Charlie picked up her bag and coat and moved over to John.
"Charlotte Hooper, but call me Charlie everyone does, except him"
"Your name is Charlotte it's much more agreeable than Charlie" he said still texting
"He always says that" She said to John
"John Watson" he said shaking her hand
"Afghanistan or Iraq" Sherlock asked interrupting them. Charlie watched as John hesitated then looked across to Mike who smiled smugly to Charlie.
"Sorry?" John asked as Charlie watched him carefully
"Which was it- Afghanistan or Iraq" Charlie knew it was Afghanistan from John's reaction. As soon as Sherlock mentioned the name Charlie could feel, pain, pride, sorrow, fear loyalty and hatred all rolling off John.
"It was Afghanistan wasn't it" Charlie whispered
"Um yes, yes it was sorry how did you both know about….?" But both looked up as Molly entered the lab with Sherlock's coffee and Charlie's tea. She gave them both their respectable drinks. Charlie saw that Molly had no lipstick on. A feature that Sherlock now picked up on.
"What happened to the lipstick" he frowned as Charlie rolled her eyes..
"It wasn't working for me" Molly smiled awkwardly
"Really, I thought it was a big improvement. Your moth's too small now" Sherlock remarked taking a sip of the coffee and grimaced. Not good.
"Your mouth is fine Moll's just ignore him. And the lipstick did look lovely on you" Molly smiled gratefully at her older sister.
Molly and Charlotte were as different as you could be. Molly with her blonde hair and Charlie with her red locks. Charlie was taller and curvier were as Molly was smaller and petite. Molly had a more frumpy style with baggy trousers and jumpers where Charlie had a more posh and refined style opting for modest dressed tights, flat shoes and her grey coat. The only trait they shared was their eyes a warm brown colour and their need to help others but both in very different ways. Charlie loved her sister but was worried at her infatuation with Sherlock. And you didn't have to be empathic to know that Sherlock didn't feel the same way about her.
"Okay" Molly directed to Sherlock. She smiled as her sister as she left the lab. An awkward silence filtered the room as Charlie sipped at her tea before Sherlock started talking again.
"How do you feel about the violin?"
"I'm sorry what?" John asked as Sherlock kept typing
"I play the violin when I'm thinking. Sometimes I don't talk for days, on end. I know it bothers Charlotte, would it bother you? Potential flatmates should know the worst about each other" Charlie watched Sherlock's false smile to John.
"Oh you… you told him about me?" John asked Mike
"Not a word"
Charlie smiled as she started to put on her coat
"I did. I told Mike this morning that I must be a difficult man to find a flatmate for. After Charlotte refuses to move in with me. Now he's here just after lunch with an old friend. Clearly just home from military services from Afghanistan. Wasn't a difficult leap"
"I'm afraid this is him being modest" Charlie whispered to John as she passed him walking towards the door.
"How did you both know about Afghanistan?" Sherlock ignored the man's question
"Got my eye on a nice little place in central London, together we should be able to afford it" Sherlock walked towards John now wearing his blue scarf.
"We'll meet you there tomorrow evening. Seven O'clock. Sorry we have to dash. I think I left my riding crop in the mortuary" Sherlock directed the last part to Charlie who groaned
"I'm not going in. I hate that place" Charlie shuddered
"Charlotte they are dead" Sherlock gave her a look
"That doesn't mean that I can't still feel their last emotions" John frowned at their conversation feel emotions? What was that all about he wondered?
"Is that it?"
"Is that what?"
"We've only just met and we're gonna go look at a flat?"
"Problem?"
John looked from Mike to Charlie both smiling at Sherlock. Neither of them was helping John
"We don't know a thing about each other. I don't know where we're meeting. I don't even know your name" John said as Sherlock looked at him
"I know you're an Army doctor and you've been invalided home from Afghanistan I know you've got a brother who's worried about you but you won't go to him for help because you don't approve of him. Possibly because he's an alcoholic, more likely because he recently walked out on his wife. And I know that your therapist thinks your limp is psychosomatic, quite correctly I'm afraid" Charlie didn't need to see Sherlock's face to know it was in a smug grin
"That's enough don't you think?" Charlie called from the door
"Quite right" They both moved off out of the room before Sherlock turned back.
"The names Sherlock Holmes and the address is two two one B Bakers Street. Afternoon"
"Nice to meet you John, see ya around Mike" Mike gave a two finger salute of fare well as they left.
"Yeah they are like that" Mike chuckled as John was left standing completely disoriented at that bizzar introduction
Thanks for reading :)
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