Trusting in someone else: Part one
John Watson sat alone in his new flat. How long had in been since the incident he couldn't rightly recall. It had definitely been a few months, but not a year…not yet. He was sitting, trying to gather himself up as he did every morning, trying to get ready to start the day and pull through again. He was just ready to start another day when there was a knocking at his door. He sighed; he was not ready to deal with some one, not yet.
John answered the door anyway, and found a young woman, probably the age of 25 standing before him. Her appearance made her look much younger though. She was wearing a blue shirt too large for her and black jeans. She clutched a teddy bear tight to her chest and looked on the verge of tears. She was breathing heavily and glancing about nervously, her disheveled black hair flying about.
"Are you…You're John Watson right?" She asked, finally settling her eyes on him.
"Yes," John replied, staring intently at this person he did not know.
"Can I please come in?" She questioned.
John sighed. He was torn. Here was this young girl, obviously in trouble and obviously in need of his help, and all he could be reminded of was the other troubled people he had helped. Well, that he and Sherlock had helped. Seemingly unconsciously he opened the door wider and the girl raced inside. She sat down on his couch and hugged the bear closer.
"What's your name?" John asked taking his seat again, loosing all the pieces he had gathered that morning.
"Anna," The girl replied. "Well Annabelle really but it's Anna."
"What are you doing here Anna?" John asked. "How do you know me?"
"It's about Sherlock," She replied. "I know he's alive and I need your help finding him."
"Look I'm not in the mood so if this is some kind of sick joke-"
"I'm not joking about this!" Anna insisted. "Look, I don't expect you to know this because we agreed not to talk about it but we were like close in college and before we agreed not to talk about it I gave him this," Anna shook the teddy bear, "his name's Sir Basil and he's my best friend but anyway I read about his death but then two months later I come home to find Sir Basil sitting on my bed and Sherlock's the only one who could have put him there and now I know he's alive and I need you to help me find him."
John took a moment of silence. There were two reasons for this. Firstly Anna had spoken so quickly that it was difficult to gather exactly what she had said and secondly her tone and speed reminded John exactly of Sherlock when he had explained things.
"Look, I'm sorry, but I can't believe you," John shook his head.
"You won't believe someone who's telling you that he's alive?" Anna asked absolutely in shock.
"I just can't ok?" John said. "It's just not that believable. Your story. So if you would just," John stood up and pointed to the door.
"Nonononononononononononono," Anna muttered, shaking her head and clutching the bear. "Ok, I don't care if you don't believe me but you've can't send me out there you just can't ok? He'll get me alright? I'll die. Please please please, let me stay. I need to stay here, hidden."
John sighed and licked his lips. She sounded perfectly sincere and absolutely terrified. "Fine, just, don't touch my stuff."
John put his pieces in a bag and didn't bother trying to put them together as he left for work.
Anna waited for him to leave, she continued to sit on the couch hugging Sir Basil for dear life. She looked around, still paranoid that someone was watching, that he was watching.
"Oh Sherlock," She mumbled to herself. "Someone knows," She finally admitted. "I don't know how and I don't know why, but someone knows. And he's going to find me, I know it. And Sherlock…Sherlock I'm scared. I'm so scared."
John Watson got home earlier than usual. He had left work a half hour early in order to beat the traffic and get back to the girl waiting for him. He walked inside and found her at his kitchen table staring intently at his laptop.
"I thought I told you not to touch my stuff!" John exclaimed.
"I was just watching a movie," Anna replied.
"How did you even get on it?" John asked.
"Well, it's not exactly Fort Knox is it?" Anna smiled up at him.
"Alright that's it," John said moving forward, about to close the laptop. "I want you out n-" That's when he noticed the tie-dye silk shirt she was wearing. "Where did you get that?"
"The corner shop down the street," Anna shrugged.
"How much money do you have?" John asked, sitting down, forgetting the computer for a moment.
"None," Anna said. "I have a slight tendency to steal things."
"You," John sigh-chuckled. "You stole that?"
"Well, yeah," Anna said. "What's wrong with that?"
"Stealing Anna. Stealing is wrong," John replied.
"Oh, is it?" Anna questioned. "Huh, go figure," She turned her attention to the computer again and John tried to resist the urge to lash out at her.
"John," She said after a moment. "John I know Sherlock is alive."
"Look, Anna," John started.
"No, I have proof," Anna turned the laptop around and showed John a picture taken from a security camera.
John didn't bother to ask where she had gotten that footage because all his eyes could see was picture of Sherlock. He was standing around, as if waiting for someone. He looked different, but there was no doubt in John's mind it was him. His hair was shorter and red. He wore a sweater and jeans instead of his usual wardrobe, but it was him.
"He looks funny with that hair," Anna mentioned.
"You haven't seen him for years and that's all you have to say?" John asked, still in a state of shock.
"What? He looks really funny with that hair."
The two gave a bit of a laugh, trying not to cry. John sat back with a large sigh and tried to sort out his feelings as Anna turned the screen back towards her.
"We have to find him John. 'Cause he'll make everything better. Ya know, 'cause that's what he does, makes things better. And I know he will," Anna reached over and grabbed Sir Basil. "Because he always does. But we have to find him John. We have to find the smartest man on the planet who does not want to be found.
"Yeah," John agreed to everything she had just said.
And just like that the two formed a sort of bond. They knew absolutely nothing about the other except for their connection to Sherlock, they were completely different people, from different backgrounds, and they both needed Sherlock for different reasons. But Anna knew that John would be able to help her, as he helped Sherlock and all their clients; and John, for the second time since he's returned from the war, found himself someone he knew nothing about to trust in completely.
