To the girl with rain on her cheeks and a dream in her heart… this one's for you.
John didn't know what to do with the girl on their doorstep. She was shivering and sniffing, looking curiously around the flat he shared with Sherlock. Her hair was plastered to her head from the rain, and her arms were wrapped around her stomach to keep warm. She studied John with a piercing gaze, both sad and happy. Obviously, she came from a rough family.
"Ummm…. Would you… like to come in?" John asked finally. She nodded and pulled off her dripping coat. John took it and hung it on the door, where Sherlock's coat usually hung. The consulting detective was out, doing a case for Lestraude. Mrs. Hudson bustled in and blinked curiously at the girl. The doctor handed her a towel to dry her hair.
"Why, hello. What's your name, love?" the landlady asked.
"Riley." The girl said, rubbing her hair dry.
"I'll make you a cuppa." Mrs. Hudson said, and hurried into the kitchen. John sat down in his arm chair and studied Riley. She blinked solemnly back.
"Are you here to see Sherlock?" John asked. The girl nodded, a small grin appearing on her lips. It drooped when he said,
"But he's out for a bit. Would you, uh… like to stay until he comes?" Riley nodded, fingers chasing each other around her lap like agitated butterflies. They calmed when Mrs. Hudson handed her a mug of tea.
"Thanks." She whispered, and took a sip. Sherlock ran in, dripping water and looking extremely pissed.
"John, I cannot stand my brother, he is an absolute.." he trailed off when he saw Riley. His expert eyes traced the lines of exhaustion, the unhappy crease on her brow. Her clothes were worn, old, but clean. The telltale marks of pencil lead on her fingers from a pencil. A writer. She jumped to her feet, eyes wide.
"You're Sherlock Holmes." She said, the towel slipping from her lap. He nodded and raised an eyebrow at John. He shrugged.
"Please… I need help." Tears suddenly filled her eyes, and she bit her thumb, looking down at the floorboards. Sherlock doffed his coat and scarf and walked over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"It'll be alright. I'll help. Just tell me what's wrong." They sat down on the couch together. Riley wiped away her tears and began to talk, outlining her tale.
It would be a long time before the two realized just what effect that girl had on their lives. When she came back to thank them a few years later, she was a bright, happy woman, with a sparkle in her eye that wasn't there before. That girl who came to their flat with rain on her cheeks and a dream locked in her heart changed them forever.
And they would never forget.