A/N: This is the second installment of Deductions and Riddles Trilogy (one-shots). The first is First of Many, and will help you understand this one-shot, if you haven't read that one previously. My profile contains the list of the Trilogy. Also, thank you to all who read 'First of Many' and any of my other stories.
Please, read and enjoy.
Deductions and Riddles Trilogy
Waiting
Annoying: pronunciation uh-noi-ing. Adjective.
causing annoyance; irritatingly bothersome; causing irritation or displeasure.
River found this word the most useful at this particular moment in her time. When combined with the verb, waiting those words were the bane of her existence. Her own in-between moments were irksome.
The dancer stood stock still in the centre of the cargo bay, eyes closed with her face pointed towards Serenity's ceiling. Meeting the Doctor helped her clear all thoughts, make screams into whispers and the ability to simply peek, instead of barge, into someone's mind. Whispers from all places of space and time rushed through her mind rapidly. River reached out a hand gently grazing over many thoughts directed in her location. Anyone who she came in contact with now had their own door or window in which the brunette could look into their mind no matter where they were in space, or time, or universe. However, the further a person's mind was, the harder it was to Read.
The faint ghost like murmurs of Sherlock Holmes' mind spun her head in all directions. River pleaded for her time with Sherlock to come once again. The dancer missed her musician; she wanted to dance alongside her violinist once more.
Casting a look around the cargo bay with her large eyes, the brunette set her pose to preform the mental routine to long ago music. The day she met her musician was the day real music filled her heart once again. Her dance began with a simple pas immediately to relevé sur la pointe. River's body, from head to toes and finger tips, gave her choreography life through her heart and soul. Her dancing came to a pause, legs tense just before a pirouette in an arabesque. Tilting her head to the side a voice was calling out to her.
"'Moonbrain, you in there?" Hero of Canton ruffed out in a yell.
"I am not deaf, only concentrating. Focus is key to my dance." Gracefully lowering her leg to right herself as she faced Jayne, her voice innocent with a hint of venom. "Did ape-man require anything of importance to stop my dance?"
Clearing his throat Jayne scratched the back of his head before answering. "Yeah, Cap'n said he wanna talk atchyou about the blinking light thing."
"And, what of this blinking light that requires my attention at this moment?"
"It's the one that ya installed after those...trips you keep on taking and disappearin'." River sensed the annoyance in Jayne's voice. "You were the one that said make sure to tell ya first if it goes off. So here I am, tellin' ya first girl."
River finally smiled genuinely, "thank you Jayne-man. Time for some more fun." Skipping off to the bridge, long hair trailing behind her because of her blurring pace.
Jayne growled, as River giggled. He was fun to tease, almost as fun as Simon. Annoying the Big Bad Jayne was one of the brunette's favourite past times in the Black. The genius mused to her self, in the case of the adjective, to annoy, it was much more comical when applicable to someone else.
Making it to the bridge in record timing the blinking blue light was the first thing River moved towards. Second was the Captain. Mal sat in the pilot's seat, staring at the blue light which was blinking away. "Look 'Tross, I gotta say, when you start to add things to my boat I don't know about we might start having some problems. Now how about you start explainin' yourself before I start on the yellin'."
"It's my detector. Blue light, because no such thing as grey lights, for eye colour accuracy."
"Detecting what exactly?" Mal crossed the arms over his chest as River moved closer to the console.
"Fluctuations within the atmospheric pressure in order to transport within a different universe. Divide between each universe limited in order to control events from over lapping, requires a strong force. Not all of the force can be equally spread throughout our galaxy; therefore, areas within the divide are weakened causing transport to become less complicated." River begin to view her scans of the surrounding Black.
Glancing up quickly due to Mal's silence, River saw him becoming annoyed. Making her smile. At least now her wait was over and her annoyance could disappear into space. "It's time for a trip." The young women looked back to her scans, pinpointing the weak section of the atmosphere in the surrounding area of the ship.
Frowning, the Captain of Serenity finally put together what the resident genius said. "As long as you're back before Doc-"
"Would you rather my visitor come aboard?" River focused on steering the ship closer to the weak point.
"Not a chance in hell would they step in my home unless invited. And considering your brother's over reactive brain I don't want my cargo bay to turn into a battle field...again." Both crew mates thought on all the times a job went south in said cargo bay. "Be safe Lil' Bit. Don't be late for our next job in a weeks time or you ain't gettin' paid. Tell this fellow of yours he might have to meet us all eventually, so best watch his back and yours." Smiling a rare smile, Malcom Reynolds pulled River into a quick hug.
Turning her back the youngest Tam sibling punched in a sequence, and released a beacon into space. Two stars shone brighter than the rest. "Thanks Captain Daddy," River said with a smile.
As the young women started to make her exit she poked her head through the door once more. "Oh yes, and I must use shuttle two, must appear as a shooting star in the sky." Grinning she ran off to the spare shuttle of Serenity.
River had set the coordinates needed as she smiled towards the Black surrounding her. The Black that will take her to her Sweetie was not as large as everyone said. "Here I come Sherlock, ready or not."
Accelerating speed, the brunette held her breath for a moment in all of time as she was carried away through the rift between the two universes and spat out from one into the other. The shuttle immediately started to burn within the Earth's atmosphere, creating the illusion of a shooting star in the night sky. However, River was prepared for this. She brought a flame retardant blanket and covered herself with it, just after she made sure to launch the autopilot. The landing was calculated precisely, and the young genius ended up sinking into the River Thames.
Sherlock, and herself included, figured it was the most cleaver spot in all of London. River giggled underneath the blanket, it was also quiet ingenious that River Tam was landing in the River Thames.
As soon as Shuttle Two breeched the water's surface the brunette sprang into action. The pressure against the door and shields began to build quickly, making a part of the ship creek in protest. Unfortunately, as soon as River were to open the doors, the shields would be shut down. Taking in a large breath, the ballerina unlocked the shuttle doors, hissing open. She knew it was only a matter of time before she sank to the bottom and the pressure of the water would begin to destroy the outside barrier of Serenity's shuttle. Water rushed in from the lone entrance, flooding the small space. River dived into the water exiting through the door way, looking back just once as her transport sank deeper into the darkness. She knew that Serenity would get it back...eventually; although, Captain Daddy will surely be upset with her antics.
The brunette bobbed her head out of the water, took a look at her surroundings and frowned. She had miscalculated. River was further from the shoreline than what she anticipated. From this distance she could still see a figure standing on the shore, looking out at the water. Humming a tune that only Jayne-man sung and adored, the supposed Moonbrain back stroked most of her way. Finally able to stand on the earth beneath her, River giggled at the feeling of sand between her toes.
The figure in the distance was now clear to her. Smiling boldly, River was happy to see the man carrying a spare change of clothes. Sherlock's version of Simon stood shuffling his feet as he held out the clothes.
"Nice landing," Doctor Watson commented with a chuckle, "Sherlock is just finishing up a case and he'd meet us at the flat."
River stood up on the tips of her toes and gave John a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, I've been practicing, and thank you for the clothes it's exactly what I was hoping you'd bring me." With a blink of the eye River unzipped her dress as Watson turned flustered and spun around, making the brunette giggle. Quickly changing she tapped John on the shoulder. "Come along, Sherlock mustn't be kept waiting, you and I both know how antsy he can get." Both of them thinking back to a few times Sherlock was bored.
Watson and River shared a silent cab ride to suite 221B Bakers Street. Waiting until they reached River's new found home for a safe place to talk about their personal lives. Especially considering that one of them wasn't even from this time frame...let alone universe. Once they arrived to the familiar setting of their flat the conversation started.
"A shooting star? Really River I thought we said no more grand entrances, particularly because of the last time you arrived it made the morning news." Watson quirked an eyebrow at the interesting women before him.
Shrugging innocently River giggled, "I promised you, but Sherlock thought it would have been comical to see your face once you found out I'd be a shooting star. Besides it took plenty of planning which helped to subdue the annoying factor of time at a stand still."
"Tell me about it, Sherlock has been counting down the hours until you would have arrived next. I think he's literally driven himself mad with the wait, yet you're here now. He's going to be thrilled." John took a seat with River on the couch.
The young genius thought back to the first time she meet Doctor John Watson. His first initial reaction had been shock; shock from Sherlock bringing a girl home for the first time since meeting him. Second was awe at how the two interacted with each other and those around them. From inside his mind, River picked up on the fact that he believed they were a prefect match for one another. Lastly, he was embarrassed, for he was standing in front of them with nothing but a towel on.
Her only thought was now she had a special Doctor in every aspect of her life; Doctor Simon Tam her loving brother, the Doctor her fantastic best friend and Doctor John Watson her sweetie's best friend.
They caught up on both their lives starting from cases and ending with love lives.
"I'm telling you, every time I'm with a girl it is like he knows and purposely finds me," John slightly grumbled in annoyance.
"Trick is to tell him in advance that way he won't have any choice but to find you where you want him to," River tried to supply Watson with some advice on the Consulting Detective. "Or threaten him that I will no longer be his sweetie."
John noticed River's body language change into a sombre mode, "it's getting harder isn't it?"
"It feels as if I am forgetting something important because now he experienced more with me rather than me with him. My time with him is almost beginning for me, our meetings are slowly becoming stagnant. I am missing him, where there is no memory to miss-" their conversation was interrupted by the man himself.
Sherlock practically pranced into their suite. "You were glowing, I thought it was absolutely breath taking, your piloting skills just seems to be getting better every time you travel through our two worlds." River could tell that Mr. Holmes clearly knew, from the look on John's face, what they were just discussing.
And yet, suddenly the strangest of thoughts ripped a hole through River's heart. A name whispered all throughout Sherlock's presence made River cringe.
Irene Adler
His thoughts even seemed to have a sprinkle of The Woman within every letter. The young brunette nearly forgot of the romance her Sherlock and this Adler woman had developed once upon a timeline. The feelings that he felt for Irene was so suffocating, River began to gasp for breath. Stumbling off of the couch. Her sweetie's doctor rushed to her aide, as her genius stood stock still. Managing to escape she twirled and leaped into the bedroom she had begun to share with Sherlock. It was now his turn to wait. Wait for River to come out of their shared room.
The time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye for River. Three hours had gone past when she decided that it was enough time for The Woman's name to be scrubbed from her own brainpan. Peeking out of the door way, settled up against the wall, reading, was the tall, dark and handsome man she loves. It appeared all thoughts of Irene Adler was missing from his mind as well.
"Feeling better?" The man with illuminating eyes focused on the book as he spoke softly towards his woman.
"She was prettier than me. Taller and older. She developed strong feelings for you and you returned them." River pointed out logically, and rather calmly.
Sherlock's gaze snapped up from the book instantaneously. "it was nothing compared to what I will ever feel for you." Sighing he stood up from the spot on the floor, River smugly took in that his balance and movements proved to her that he had been sitting on the same spot for the entirety of those three hours of wait. "I will admit she was completely different. That was not the reason for my feelings. To put it mildly, I missed you. She was a constant that you, unfortunately, are not."
Unable to look at him as her mind began to process all the possibilities and scenarios between her Sherlock and Ms. Adler. "I can't stand the waiting either."
"Then stay."
"My family will miss me."
"Never as much as I."
"I will miss them."
"It can be their turn to wait."
A smile began to creep onto River's delicate features. "Patients isn't very kind to them. Captain always gets shot."
Sherlock scoffed, "for his sake he better know if anything were to happen to you, I would know." As he spoke the dark haired man began to assess River's petite, ballerina body. His two long strides had their body's flushed against each others. Even as time moved differently between them, their physical presence made it so they fit together no matter what point they intersect with one another.
"If time could be put at a stand still at this very moment," Sherlock whispered, their lips hovering over one another, a millimetre from touching. The Consulting Detective wasn't quiet sure if he was pushing, or following River, into their room. The young woman had all senses turned up and all of them were shouting Sherlock Holmes.
Her eyes drinking in those grey orbs that made her knees weak.
Her ears listening to the drumming beat of his heart increase.
Her nose filling in nothing but his scent.
His musician hands traveling up to her waist, lifting her up as long dancer legs wrapped around his torso.
His lips tasting what rightfully was his.
Their minds rejoicing at the union.
For River, every touch and sensation coursing through was new and exciting. She had never experienced this with anyone. However, it was apparent that Sherlock knew her body well because he knew exactly where her weaknesses were and what places made her vocalize her pleasure.
As they curled up together on their bed, neither of them needed to wait for the other to begin to speak. The silence was well received.
The only thing, from that night, that was ever mentioned were an unasked question and an answer.
"I know you decided to leave, and I know I cannot stop you. However, I feel the need to ask something of you," instead of actually asking the question with words, Sherlock Holmes simply pulled the sparkling ring from his side table and held it up for River to inspect.
"No more waiting, now forever yours," was River's reply as she stretched out her hand as Sherlock placed the simple band with a diamond on her dainty finger.
A/N 2 - I just also wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!