Random story about Amen and Adler. Enjoy.
--
Amen nonchalantly strolled down the street, not expecting anything extraordinary that day. It was hard to believe it had been three months since they'd solved the case of Lord Blackwood's rebirth, and a lot had changed. After Watson moved out with his fiancé, Amen moved into his old room. It was filled with books and old experiments. She and Holmes had worked together on numerous cases and solved them easily. Most cases were solved within a few hours or moments after reading the information.
"Dreadfully boring, these people are." Amen commented after tossing a letter asking for help.
"Indeed they are." Holmes said.
Amen flipped through the cases for the fifth time and tossed them on a nearby table in a pile. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
"Amen, you appear, and I'd never thought I'd say this, to be at the end of your wits," Holmes said. "Why don't you go for a stroll? The fresh air may do you good."
"Why not." Amen said, getting up out of the chair. She grabbed her coat and revolver before leaving the room on 221 B Baker Street.
For hours she'd walked aimlessly just looking and thinking. Unfortunately, the two did not go hand in hand when it came to unexpected things. Like, someone appearing out of nowhere as you walk through an archway and hitting you over the head with the butt of a revolver.
Whoever it was that hit her must've known their anatomy, because by the time she hit the ground, Amen was out like a light. She woke sometime later in an odd room that she'd never seen before. Her jacket was hanging up in the corner on a chair and she was resting on a couch by a fire. She abruptly sat up and examined her surroundings with a look of wondering in her eyes. Amen swung her legs over the edge fo the couch and lowered her head. She placed her hands around her head and was determined to think about and figure out where she was. That, and her head was throbbing in pain.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps. She didn't bother to move. Amen figured whoever it was musn't of wanted to kill her, or they'd of done it already.
"Oh, you're awake." A painfully familiar voice said. "You look positively awful."
"Most people look awful after they're hit over the head and quite literally, knocked unconscious instantly, Ms. Adler." Amen said, not picking up her head. It hurt like hell.
"Dreadfully sorry about that, Amen." Irene said. "I thought you were someone else. And how many times do I have to tell you to call me by my name?"
"No more, for I won't." Amen answered. "Who in the bloody hell did you think it was? I saw you following me."
"Of course you did," Irene said. "I knew you would. You're just like Sherlock."
"Unlike Sherlock, I didn't do or say anything about it, which is now proving to be a mistake of proportional standards." Amen said, rubbing her temples.
"Oh, poor thing," Irene said in a babying voice as she sat down next to Amen. "Wouldn't want to hurt a nice, upstanding thing like you."
Amen immediately got up and walked towards a window, still rubbing her temples. She grabbed her jacket and threw it over her shoulders. She walked to the door and threw it open. Irene picked up a bottle of wine and toyed with it in her hands.
"Oh, Amen." Irene's voice toyed. Amen looked for a split second and turned back.
"Good-bye, Ms. Adler." Amen imitated her pitch of voice.
Amen walked out the door and slammed the door shut. Irene smiled and opened the wine herself. She poured two cups and Amen came back in as she finished. Amen threw the jacket back on the chair and picked up the glass Irene gave her and threw back her head, drinking the entire thing in one sitting.
"You knew it was poisoned," Irene said, dumping her glass into the fire. "Why did you come back?"
"Because," Amen slurred, her vision already going as she placed her glass down and stumbled on her feet. "There's nothing more I want right now than to go to sleep. And I knew your devil wine would do just that."
Amen sat down on the couch before her eyes closed and she fell over, asleep. Irene sat next to her, brushing the hair out of her face. She smiled wickedly and knew just how to punish the smart-talking intellectual.
--
Amen woke up to the sound of water. She came to the conclusion that it was raining outside, as the frequency of the sound was too low to be from the inside. Her eyes blinked open slowly and she found herself in quite a predicament. She was sitting in Irene's room, handcuffed to the window's structures. She moved her one hand back and forth in a quick motion to make sure they were actually locked. They were. Amen sighed and ran her free hand through her hair. She fell back asleep while sitting there alone, but was soon shaken awake.
"There you are." Holmes said as Amen opened her eyes.
"Holmes." Amen stifled a yawn. "Good day, Holmes. How are you?"
"I'm a train wreck," Holmes said. "I got numerous papers last night that I could've used your help with. But you never came back from your walk. Irene told me I could find you here, but I was skeptical. But here you are."
"Sorry about that, Holmes, old boy." Amen said. She rubbed her wrists from where the handcuffs were. "Ms. Adler followed me before knocking me right out with a rifle. She kept me here until I woke up, whence I was so desperate for sleep for the pain in my head I drank he devil's drink with poison."
"Good lord! She shot you?" Holmes asked.
"No," Amen said. "She hit me with the butt."
"Good," Holmes said. "If you said she shot you I was going to call you a dirty, rotten, liar."
Amen made a face before lifting herself up. The two left the room and walked through the streets. Pointing out things the other agreed on, or countered with other knowledge. It was really enjoyable for both parties.
Soon they returned home and both relaxed while looking over more cases. Amen found one in particular interesting, but she couldn't fathom why.
"Missing item," Amen read aloud. "My amulet has been stolen, I've attached an exact picture as to what it looks like. If you could please find it, it is worth quite a sum of money. Why does that look familiar?"
"May I see it?" Holmes asked, ripping the photo out of Amen's hands before there was an answer.
He studied it for a moment before handing it back to her. He pondered for a moment, seeking answers inside his deductible brain. He shrugged.
"I've never seen it before. You may have seen it somewhere and that's why it's remained lodged in your memory." Holmes said.
"Seen it before..." Amen said quietly as she examined the picture closely.
Suddenly a second picture flashed before her eyes. She had seen the necklace before. On someone's neck. She thought some more and found the answer. Amen leapt off the couch and dashed out the door.
"Now where are you going?" Holmes asked. "You know very well not telling people the plan is in my repertoire."
"Another thing we have in common." Amen's voice carried up the stairs.
Amen was running through the streets at great speed. She knew who'd taken the amulet, but she didn't know where to find such person. She ripped open a room they had supposedly stayed in, but nothing. She checked every shop and market, but still nothing. Amen walked through every alley was, but still didn't find who she was looking for. Suddenly, a voice called her from behind.
"Oi, Amen!" Watson's voice called.
Amen stopped in her tracks and turned around. Sure enough, Watson and his fiancé, Mary, were walking together toward her. Amen waved them off.
"Sorry to leave you here, Watson," Amen said, taking a couple steps back. "But I'm working on a case right now, and I can't afford to lose anytime. We'll have to chat another time."
Amen sprinted out of the square and stopped by the piers. She stopped and thought of a place she hadn't checked yet. The answer was, thankfully, as she was just about sick of running, right in front of her. She climbed the numerous stairs up the still-unfinished bridge, reaching the top in a few minutes. Stepping close to the edge, hopping off the edge as if it were nothing. Thankfully, Amen knew this part of the bridge well, landing on a lower platform just below the main level. It was a wonderful spot, isolated from most rest of the bridge, above the water, looking out at the skyline above London. Amen took a deep breath of the air from the river. Fresh air. She exhaled deeply and relaxed. This place was truly peaceful for her. She heard a noise, but was too consumed with bliss to take any notice.
"Most people think it odd to sit on a platform on top of an unfinished bridge," The person said. "But since it's you, I think it's normal."
"This is my place," Amen said, opening her eyes to gaze out at the city. "This is my...sanctuary."
"Your sanctuary..." Irene repeated, taking a seat next to the intellectual. "Am I ruining your sanctuary, Amen?"
Amen smiled. "No," Amen said, taking another deep breath. "It's actually just a little better."
Silence passed between the two. Thunder roared in the sky above the city, but to the two on the platform, it seemed distant and far away.
"Storm's coming." Irene said.
"You've already tried that line here, Ms. Adler." Amen said, remembering their last meeting on this platform all to well.
"It's the truth."
"..."
"It's going to rain, it seems." Irene said.
"When it rains it pours." Amen said. "But it seems we have a moment."
More silence. Amen just smiled, not knowing why she was feeling so particularly happy at the moment. She only had this goofy smile on her face.
"What's so funny?" Irene asked.
"You." Amen said.
"Elaborate." Irene asked.
"I don't know why," Amen said, jumping up from her seat. "And I don't think I ever will. But whenever I'm here, all I do is think of you and that one day we were here after Holmes caught Blackwood, and I feel happier."
"Is that so?"
"Indeed, it is!" Amen said, pulling herself up to the main bridge and walked along the edge. "Like I told you. This is my sanctuary! This is where I belong."
"I don't understand," Irene said. "How can this place make you happy? It's just a platform underneath a bridge."
"It's not the place!" Amen said, landing back down on the platform. "It's what's happened here! It's not the place it's this..." Amen turned her head to find her's inches away from Irene's. "place."
"Your sanctuary," Irene said.
"But," Amen said, sitting back down and hanging her legs over the edge. "For some unfathomable reason, without you here," Amen turned around. "It's the place."
"I see now it's the place," she sat back down next to Amen. "And now it's this place. This place is your sanctuary."
"You could say that." Amen replied, even though the answer was in fact, right.
"So, why is this place different from the place?" Irene asked playfully.
"Because this place," Amen said, reaching her hand behind the other's neck and plucking the chain there clean off. Amen lifted the amulet she had been looking for all over town that day. "Is where I found the missing amulet I've been searching for all day."
More silence. Amen pocketed the jewel and stared back out at the city. Irene rolled her eyes at Amen's demeanor. It was reminiscent of another intellectual she knew.
"So, you've been looking for me all day?" Irene asked.
Amen cast her a sarcastic gaze before turning back to the city. She shook her head back and forth. "Yes, Irene, I've been looking for you all day."
Amen rested her elbows on her knees and locked her fingers together, resting her nose on her hands. Irene leaned over and gave Amen a light kiss on the cheek. Amen didn't move, but smiled at the gesture. Irene stood up and began to make a quick departure, before she stopped.
"Amen," She said. The intellectual turned her head to look at the other. "I knew you'd call me 'Irene' eventually."
Irene left, leaving Amen all alone. Amen sighed again. She immediately checked the pocket with the amulet in it. Still there. Amen smiled when she heard footsteps coming up the platform from behind, and finally someone taking a seat next to her.
"I see you got my message." Amen said.
"Indeed I did," Holmes said. "Good idea, leaving Watson the cryptic message, knowing that he'd ask me about it."
"Yes, very funny," Watson said, taking a seat next to Holmes. "I only asked you because Mary wouldn't leave me alone about it."
"Have you got it?" Holmes asked.
Amen reached into her pocket and pulled out the amulet and held it by the string in front of Holmes. He took it in his hand and examined it. He held it up to the light. He dropped it, the jewel sinking into the water below. Watson looked at him questioningly.
"I'm sorry, but what in bloody hell did you do that for?" Watson asked. "Wasn't that the jewel you were looking for?"
"It was a fake," Amen said. "A counterfeit."
"Indeed it was." Holmes said.
"How can you tell?" Watson asked. Amen and Holmes both looked at him, eyebrows raised in a gaze of questioning. Watson shook his head and turned back to the city. The clouds had broken and faint glimmers of sunset shimmered through the gray. "You're right. I probably don't want to know."
"Just curious, who had it?" Holmes asked.
"Irene Adler." Amen answered.
"Of course," Holmes answered. "Stupid question."
"There's not such thing as a stupid question." Amen said.
"That's a complete lie. If there was no such thing as a stupid, there would never be a good question or an intelligent question because there'd be nothing to compare it to."
"Unless you compared it to-,"
"Don't say another word." Watson warned, shutting the two intellectuals up.
The three watched the sunset in silence. Amen picked herself up and began to leave the platform. Watson turned around.
"Where are you going?" Watson asked.
"I'm going to get the real jewel," Amen answered. "Can't have Ms. Adler thinking she's fooled me for too long."
"Walk slowly." Holmes called.
"Now, Holmes," Amen said, pulling herself onto the main bridge. "You know such a thing isn't in my nature."
"Indeed it isn't." Holmes answered.
Watson stared, wide eyed and open mouthed at Holmes during the conversation. He shook his head and mumbled a bit.
"I'll never understand the two of you." Watson proclaimed.
"Maybe it's best you don't, Watson." Holmes laughed. "Sometimes we don't even understand."
Watson gasped to himself and shook his head some more.
--
Amen strode through the cobblestoned streets with her hands in her pockets. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She'd never know where to find Ms. Adler now. She kept walking and made her way back to Baker Street. She let herself into her room and almost had a heart attack.
"Oh good lord," Amen said. "Why doesn't anybody wait outside the bloody door anymore?"
"I couldn't wait." Irene said, sitting on Amen's couch, flipping through the pages of a book. "I needed to see you."
"And what is so important that you needed to see me about it by breaking into my room," Amen said. "And also extremely unimportant for you not to have told me on the platform just then?"
"I didn't want to ruin the moment," Irene said. "You and I have so few."
"And right it should stay that way." Amen commented.
"Why do you always say things like that?" Irene pouted. "You're so pessimistic it's amazing you have anybody who wants to be around you at all."
"And who wants to be around me?" Amen asked, sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, flipping through a book she'd read too many times before.
"Sherlock enjoys your presence," Irene said. "And so does Watson, though, he'd never admit it."
"Holmes and Watson would never admit it," Amen answered. "But we've had jolly good times together."
"I enjoy being with you." Irene said quietly.
Amen closed her book with a loud thud and tossed it aside on the coffee table. She picked up another and aimlessly flipped through the pages yellowed with age.
"I don't know what it is about you," Irene said. "You've got something Sherlock lacks. I may never now what it is. But you've got it."
Amen remained silent, tossing the new book aside and picking up another. She flipped through the pages before tossing that one away and flipping through newer cases that'd come in that day. Nothing terribly interesting.
"So that's it?" Irene said. "You're not even going to-,"
"I'm doing my part." Amen cut her off.
"You're what?"
"I'm keeping up my end of the conversation." Amen answered.
"How did you know that-,"
"You were going to say that?" Amen answered again. "Ms. Adler, though I'd hate to admit it, I rather enjoy your presence as well. Though it's not the most pleasing thing to people like me," Amen said, sitting up in the chair with a sly smile. "You're, unfortunately, terribly interesting to me."
Irene was stunned silent. Amen winked and leaped out of the chair. She headed out the door and footsteps stopped at the stairs as she started out the door.
"Where are you going?" Irene called from the top of the stairs.
"For a stroll," Amen answered, gesturing out the door. "Care to join me?"
Irene walked down the stairs and through the door Amen held open. Amen strode through the door, slamming it shut behind her.
The two spent the rest of the day wandering the city together. The sun was already down when they returned to the hotel room Irene was currently staying at. Irene took one step before she turned to look at Amen again. Even on the one step, Amen was still taller.
"What?" Amen asked with a smirk on her face.
"I just thought you should know," Irene said. "That you're extremely interesting to me also. You don't fall for my tricks like Sherlock does."
"And you don't fall for mine." Amen replied.
"I haven't fallen for any tricks," Irene began, but changed subjects quickly. "But I also thought you should know that when you're gone," She looked into Amen's deep green eyes. "You're all I think about."
Amen was stunned silent. Irene planted another kiss on her cheek and ran inside the building. Amen stayed for a moment before she broke into a grin. She spun around on her heel and began walking home, hands shoved in her pockets. Irene watched her leave out the window. She sighed happily.
"I haven't fallen for any tricks," Irene said, watching the intellectual turn around and walk backwards. She smiled and watched Irene in the window watching her go. "I've fallen for you."