"Marcus, how lovely to see you. Come in."
"Hi, Ms. Hudson. Are Holmes and Joan here? The captain asked that I …. Why is your turtle dressed like a ladybug?"
Ms. Hudson shuts the door behind him as he walks into the foyer. "Oh, he's not a turtle. He's a tortoise and …"
Sherlock's voice comes booming down the stairs, "Why were you trying on my dress in the first place?"
Marcus looks confused as Joan and Sherlock come down the stairs.
"I told you, I just wanted to see how it fit. I didn't mean to spill tea on it." Joan is walking ahead of Sherlock who carries a frilly purple prom dress. "I'll take it to the cleaners. I don't know how you fit that chest of yours in it Sherlock. It was tight on me." They reach the landing. "Oh, hi Marcus."
"Detective Bell!" Sherlock greets him. Marcus stands there expressionless for a second.
"Uh hi… The captain wanted you guys to get these files ASAP, so uhm, there." He hands the files to Joan who is the only one with a free hand at the moment. From the back of the brownstone a rooster crows.
"Was that Romulus?" A stunned Joan turns to look at Sherlock.
"Actually it's Remus. I went to visit him at the petting zoo and he was looking a bit homesick." Sherlock put on his best pleading look.
Joan gives him an exasperated sigh, "And you left Romulus by himself at the zoo?"
"Of course not." Sherlock seems almost offended that she would think that of him. "He's here too." She nods contentedly and exchanges the prom dress he's holding for the files.
Ms. Hudson takes the prom dress from Joan and hands her Ladybug Clyde. "I'll take his dress to the cleaners on the way home. Can you adjust the strap on Clyde's cosy, it just doesn't want to stay on."
Marcus looks from one to the other to the other and starts heading towards the front door, "Well, I'll tell the Captain you've got the files and you all are doing your uhm … Holmes and Watson thing." He leaves quickly, not stopping to look back, as he hears Sherlock humming, "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" and Joan pleading with him to stop.
"Can't help it Watson. It's just a catchy little ditty."