Chapter 1: Different

Tamela's Story:

"Tamela. TAMELA!"

The raven head girl lifted her head to stare at the slightly irritated teacher. She raised one of her perfectly manicured eyebrows.

"Yes?"

"Would you mind joining the rest of the class and actually doing the work?"

"I finished already."

"I gave you that assignment 2 minutes ago!"

"And I finished it in 1." Tamela said. "Solving quadratic equations is something I learned when I was 6."

"Oh yea, I forgot you came from that freak genius family."

Tamela's nostrils flared. She hated when people talked about her family. And she hated it even more when people called her father a freak.

"Before you start judging my family you should really take a look at your's, Mrs. Harris, considering that your son's a male escort and your husband's cheating on you with the psychology teacher. The male one, not the female one."

The entire class went silent. They were all watching the exchange now. Mrs. Harris' cheeks were now inflamed with either embarrassment or rage.

"You may leave my classroom now, Ms. Watson-Holmes, I'll be sending a referral down there soon."

XXX

"What did you do now?" John said, looking across the cab's backseat at his daughter. You'd think growing up with a sister would help him understand girls just a little bit. And it had helped him in the past but Tamela was special.

"Out a teacher's husband."

John snickered. He knew he shouldn't have been laughing but he wish he could say this was the weirdest thing he's been called by the school for.

"You know that's not right."

"Well what she said wasn't right."

"And what was that?" John asked.

"She called father a freak."

John froze. He knew he had to deal with people talking about Sherlock but he didn't know his daughter would to.

"Well, we both know that's not quite true."

"Sure." She sighed.

"Say," John said, trying to lighten the mood. "What did you want to do for your birthday? You know, it's a big one, your 16th."

"You know, the usual, burn down a village. Perform a couple of human sacrifices." Tamela said in a dull tone.

She looked over at her father, whose jaw was dropped. "Dad, I'm kidding." She laughed. "Whatever Hamish wants to do is fine."

XXX

Hamish and Tamela Watson-Holmes were twins, though not identical. Hamish looked a lot like his Dad with dirty blonde hair and cobalt eyes. While Tamela had her father's jet black hair and eyes that changed colors. The reason for this was that once their Aunt Harry had been sober for a while they asked her to be their surrogate so their babies would at least be genetically theirs. Though that sobriety did not last long for as soon as the twins wore born she relapse.

"Tammi!" Tamela looked up to see the blonde haired boy walking into their home which was 221B Baker Street.

"What did I tell you about calling me Tammi?" The raven haired girl looked up from her book and raised a quizzical eyebrow at her twin brother.

"You told me not to." He shrugged.

"Exactly." Tamela said. "How was your game?"

"Great! We won 5-0. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"If your going to lecture me about getting kicked out of school. Dad already beat you to the punch."

"You got kicked out of school?!"

"Just for today." Tamela sighed.

"What did you do?"

"Out Mrs. Harris' husband."

"Oh, Tamela."

"Oh come on, you knew he was gay too."

"Yea, but, unlike you I keep my deductions to myself."

"Well, I'm sorry I don't know how to act like an idiot."

"You don't have to it's just, would it kill you to act normal?"

"I know, I'm not normal." Tamela said, standing up. "Thanks for reminding me."

"Tam, you know that's not what I-"

But it was too late. Tamela was already crying.

"Fuck, Tamela I didn't mean it like that." Tamela just pushed past him and ran up the stairs to her room.

XXX

"Did he really say that?"

"Why would I lie?"

"It just doesn't seem like something Hamish would say."

"That's because you like Hamish." Tamela scowled into the phone.

"Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I want your brother." Michael scowled back.

Michael Smith was Tamela's best and only friend. They've always been outcast because they were different and they weren't afraid of everyone knowing it.

"Don't be an idiot everyone has had a crush on Hamish." Their third friend voiced through the phone. "Except for Tamela and that's only because incest isn't something I think she's into."

"Your right." Tamela frowned in disgust. "Is anyone into incest?"

"Depends on who's the brother. Like if Tom Hiddleston was my brother I'd be into it."

"Isn't he like your dad's age?" Michael questioned.

"So?"

"Rachel, you're a gross human."

"Hey you don't get to judge me."

Rachel Fitzmaurice was a southern girl from the states that had recently moved to London. She didn't really fit in with the popular crowd so she just latched herself to Michael and Tamela.

"So are we going to talk about Jake now or...?" Rachel voiced through the phone.

"What about Jake?"

"Has he asked you out yet?" Michael wondered.

"Umm, Jake's never going to ask me out because we're not like that."

"Oh, come on Tam, Jake's into you." Rachel sighed.

"Lestrade is not into me, and that is the end of that."

Jacob Lestrade was Detective Inspector Lestrade and Molly Lestrade's son.

He was also Tamela's best friend.

They were raised together, since Sherlock and John always left her and Hamish with Molly whenever they were off solving crimes.

They became best friends when they realized they both desperately wanted to follow in their father's footsteps.

"I'm going to have to hang up now. I'm getting another call." Tamela said.

"Are you really getting another call or are you just avoiding the subject?" Michael said suspiciously.

"Both." She said hanging up on them. "Hello?"

"Tam?"

"Jake, why are you calling me you know I prefer to text."

"Gee, I would text you if someone hadn't broken my phone."

"It was an experiment." Tamela said rolling her eyes.

"Whatever." Jake sighed. "I have a case."

"You have a case? Or is it a case your father never bothered to look into?"

"You know which one it is."

"Alright, What is it?"

"I'll tell you when you meet me." Tamela could practically hear the cheeky grin the boy must've been wearing.

"And where exactly is that?" Tamela said through clenched teeth.

"St. Bart's." He said before hanging up.

XXX

"Where are you going?" Hamish said as Tamela tried to sneak out past her family in the living room. She turned to glare at him, he smiled smugly.

"Tamela it's almost eight o'clock. Where are you going?" Her dad asked almost skeptically. Her father then looked up from the couch he had been lounging on and looked at her as if he could tell all her secrets from where she stood. But she knew the best way to get anything past her father was telling half truths.

"Out. With Jacob." Tamela said standing her tallest.

"Why would a boy want to go out with you?" Hamish said laughing.

"Are you jealous because you wanted to go out with him?" Tamela said. Hamish then flushed and scowled at the ground.

"Where are you going with Jacob? Her dad asked, her father then sat up obviously planning to join the interrogation.

"He just said he wanted to show me something. Can I go now?"

"Tamela, are you and Jacob 'dating'?" Her father asked.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! Jacob and I are not dating nor have we ever or ever will. Can I leave now?"

Her father shrugged. "I don't care." Lying back down on the couch.

"Um, yes we do care, Sherlock." Her dad interjected. "I don't want her walking around London at night."

"I called for a cab." I said, backing out the living room. "I'll be back in an hour or so." Walking fast so no one else could interject.

XXX

"This better be good if it couldn't have waited until tomorrow." Tamela said as she got out the cab to see her friend leaning against the wall.

"When have I ever disappointed you?"

"On a daily basis."

"Ok, I'll take that." Jake laughed. "But on anything like this?"

Tamela sighed. "No."

"Good." Jake smiled holding out his hand. "Shall we?"

Tamela looked at the hand then at Jake in disgust before walking past him into the building.

"How'd you manage to steal the morgue key from your mom?" Tamela asked.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "I kinda just took it, my mom doesn't really pay attention to these types of things."

He pulled out one of the slabs to show the body of a woman in her mid-thirties. Short black hair that made her look possibly older.

"Cause of death?" Tamela asked

"Hanging herself. So the reports say."

"You don't believe that."

"Nope."

"And your dad wouldn't even look into it?"

"He said it was pretty much an open shut case."

"And what makes you believe it isn't?"

"Look at her wrist."

Tamela quickly put on a pair of gloves and picked up the woman's wrist and began examining it. Wasn't before long she realized the tiny red markings on both her wrist.

"They're handcuff burns."

"Exactly."

"So, she was arrested recently?" Tamela asked.

Jacob looked like he was trying to keep a straight face before bursting out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Tamela said, confused.

"Arresting people aren't exactly the only uses for handcuffs, Tam."

"I'm not following."

"Let's just say she was also found with bruises on her inner thighs as well as claw-like scratchings on her lower back." He said, reading the corner's report in amusement.

"So, Rape?"

"No signs of struggle." He said. "Sounds like something she was into."

"You mean that people are actually 'get off' on that type of thing?" Tamela said, horrified. Jacob nodded as if it were obvious. "That's grotesque." She frowned.

"And how would you know?" Jake smirked. "You definitely haven't tried it."

Tamela stood there searching for a witty retort but could only say 'shut up'.

"So what does any of this have to do with the murder?"

"The fact that her husband was a 72 year old who's extremely wealthy."

"So, you think she was having an affair?"

"Bingo."

"So, we find the mistress?"

"We could possibly find the murderer."

They turned and smiled at each other fondly before the heard a deep "Who's there?" Coming from the hallway.

"I thought you said the security guard would be on break." Tamela hissed at him.

"He was, now his breaks over." Jacob hissed back.

"What are we going to do?" Tamela panicked.

Jacob sighed shortly. "Close the slab and turn out the light." Before turning away from her to gather up the files and clean up their mess.

Tamela reached to turn out the light and then turned back to Jacob. "Now what?" She asked.

"Just go along with it."

"Go along with what?" His arms circled my waist. "What are you doing-MMPH!" Tamela said as he swooped down and captured her lips.

Tamela, up until this point, was like her father and wasn't really attracted to anyone. She found the whole ordeal of relationships to be tedious and the idea of intimacy to be quite disturbing. But when Jake was kissing her, she felt as though she was non-existent. That all the pressures of her day had been wiped clean and she was on focused on right now. She reached up to cup his cheek and deepen the kiss. She didn't know why she was doing it but as of now, for the first time ever, she didn't care.

"Who's in her- Really, Jake? Again?" The security guard groaned. Tamela looked up at Jake as he let go of her.

"Sorry, Earl." Jake smiled, not looking the least bit sorry.

"I told you last time, most teenagers find places like a empty parking lot or a field to snog, not a morgue!" Earl's eyes budged out when he saw Tamela. "And with Holmes' kid too! They're going to kill you."

"All the more reason for you to just keep this between us." Jake said, as if it came natural to him. "Please."

Earl sighed. "Alright. Just, don't let it happen again, lad."

"Alright, I promise." He said ushering a dumbstruck Tamela out the room.

XXX

"Alright, something's on your mind." Jake said as he drove Tamela back to her house. "What's up?"

"Nothing." Tamela mumbled. She didn't know why she said it, of course it wasn't nothing, why did she tell him it was nothing?

"Oh come on!" Jake said. "I know you're lying-"

"You're damn right I'm lying!" Tamela practically screamed. "You want me to say how I really feel fine. I feel used! I get that you didn't want to get caught but was it worth making me look like a whore in front of that security guard, whatever his name was."

"Earl." Jake interjected. Tamela held up a hand to cut him off.

"I don't give a rat's arse if he was Earl or Stephen. One, I find it disgusting that you even brought girls there before and I don't find them disgusting, I find you disgusting. Second, I find it grotesque that you snogged me in a morgue."

Jake snorted. "Well, you seemed to enjoy it at the time." Tamela turned to glare at him. He shrugged it off. "I don't understand what the big deal is."

"It was my first!" Tamela shouted. "And I would've preferred it not be in a sweaty morgue that smells like dead people with a serial dater."

"I am not a serial dater. The last time I ever dated anyone was a year ago." Jake laughed. "You've really never kissed anyone?" He said almost amused.

"No." Tamela said defensively. "I never really got around to it."

"Were you ever going to get around to it?"

"Never planned on it." Tamela said. "Didn't think it was necessary."

"Well, now that it's out of the way." Jake said as he pulled next to 221b. "What did you think?"

"Are you- are you asking for feedback on your kissing skills?"

"I'd appreciate it."

"No." Tamela said as she got out the car.

Jake rolled down the window. "Please?"

Tamela leaned back into the window. "I don't have a lot of data to go off of so I can't really give you a straight answer but," Tamela smiled. "It was nice."

Jake grinned. "Thank you."

"Don't let it go to your head." Tamela said, Jake's grin only grew. "Christ, you can practically see your head swelling." Tamela began walking away.

"Hey Tam," Jake yelled as soon as Tamela got to her front door. She turned and raised an eyebrow.

He winked and she heard him laughing as he pulled off.

"Arsehole." Tamela laughed.