I'M SO SORRY GUYS FORGIVE ME PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. I've been so freaking busy, you don't even understand.

ALSO. SCANDAL IN BELGRAVIA OMFG OMFG OMFG I JUST CAN'T OKAY. IRENE BAMF ADLER.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

"Excuse me? It's me, it's Irene…" She recalled the letter, her face falling slightly. "Sorry, you look like someone very dear to me."

"Not a problem!" The Doctor grinned at her. "It happens to the best of us."

"Yeah…" What was she to do next? Her mind raced frantically. The key! She dug through her bag and pulled at the tiny silver key, holding it out on her hand to the Doctor. "I'm supposed to give you this. Here." Hopeful eyes followed his movements.

The Doctor took the key from her hand slowly, turning it over and over, his eyes wide in shock. Impossible. Absolutely, positively impossible. "How… how did you get this? Where did you get this from?" He stood up, towering over her. The force of the Oncoming Storm raged in his eyes. "Who gave this to you?"

Irene was taken aback by the anger and terror in his eyes. "Hang on a moment," she muttered, digging through her purse until she came across the envelope. "I'm supposed to show you this." She pulled the letter out and hung onto it, passing the envelope to the Doctor. "Does that help?"

The Doctor took the familiar blue envelope, his hands trembling. "I d-don't understand," his voice cracked. "How could you… But… I don't understand." He stared at Irene in confusion. "Who are you? Tell me!"

Irene stared at him, worry written on her face. Should I ask for more information, only if I do, I need you to tell me something, Irene. I told you only once, and I hope that you remember it. But I won't write it here- you'll know exactly what to say when the moment arises.

She was thinking rapidly, her mind racing through the stolen moments they'd shared during cases, when John wasn't looking. She remembered the secrets whispered in the dark of the night, the knowing glances during the day. And she remembered a word- a name he'd told her one night, not long before he'd disappeared, a name he told her would be important, that was meant for her ears only. He'd told her it one night while they were in bed, foreheads pressed together. He said it only once, but she remembered it.

Irene looked up at the Doctor, standing swiftly and putting her hands on his shoulders, pulling herself up a tad so she could whisper the name in his ear, her breath caressing his ear as she did. The silver key slid out of his hand, dropping to the floor with a tinny clink. The look of shock on the Doctor's face was unseen by the brunette, who crouched down to pick it up. "You dropped this." She stood back up, sliding it back into his hand. "Was that worth anything?"

"That was my name." The Doctor's voice was barely above a terrified, strained whisper. His eyes swung down to meet hers, terrified blue-gray locking on warm hazel. "Nobody knows my name, I can only tell somebody my name for one reason…" His voice shook. It was River Song all over again. He couldn't. He wouldn't. Shaking, the Doctor sat down, slipping the key and envelope into one of his pockets.

A frown appeared on Irene's face as she watched him. Before she could stop herself, she had kneeled in front of him, one hand resting on his knee as she looked up at him. Her touch sent a jolt through the Doctor, who jumped slightly, causing Irene to move back a tad. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes, perfectly fine." The Doctor's tone suggested anything but fine, and it didn't help that he had his head in his hands. Something clicked in his head. "What was your friend's name?"

"Sherlock. Sherlock Holmes." Irene stood and looked him over for a second. "You do remind me of him. Strange." She picked up her purse, sighing slightly as she nodded at him. "Well. Good night." And with that, she disappeared, leaving the Time Lord to figure out exactly just what happened.

-o-o-o-

"Morning, Irene." Jack looked over the top of his newspaper at her, smirking at her outfit. It was almost as if she really just wanted to torture the male species. Tight black pants, a short black dress, and a long khaki coat put with a pair of heeled boots… he just couldn't help it. "How many men did you kill with your outfit this morning?"

"Shut up." She rolled her eyes. "I see you're still in the same outfit. Don't you ever change?"

"Nope. How did your thing go last night?" Refolding the newspaper and setting it on his desk, Jack leaned forward, curious. Irene sighed, walking off to her own desk and getting on her computer, typing furiously. Giving her a roll of the eyes, Jack pushed himself up and out of his chair, leaning on the back of hers. "Did it really end that badly?"

"It went fine."

"Sounds the opposite." Jack pushed a few files away and sat on the edge of her desk.

"God, Jack, please, shut up."

Footsteps approached the two. "Oh, I hear you two arguing again, what's it about this time?" Gwen Cooper complained slightly, frowning. "Honestly, might as well go turn some of that frustration into something better."

"Nice to see you too, Gwen, but the Captain won't leave me alone!" Irene only ever referred to him as such when she was angry.

"I'm simply enquiring as to the nature of the thing you ditched me for last night."

"Jack, leave her alone!" Gwen gave him a glare that shut him up immediately. "Can't you two stop acting like children for ten minutes?"

-o-o-o-

Time Vortex

The Doctor had rushed back to the TARDIS, going back inside and examining the key again. It was a plain TARDIS key; nothing was strange about it at first glance. A small etching near the top caught his attention, and he squinted his eyes at it curiously. SH

Could he really have gone back and lived out a… a domestic life with this woman? She seemed nice enough, pretty too.

No. He wouldn't have. She could be another companion, and he swore he'd never take one on again, not after the Ponds and what happened to them.

"I'm not dealing with this again," he muttered, running to the console and flicking switches. The Doctor was running again, he wouldn't go through the heartbreak he'd endured with Rose and River again.

The TARDIS shuddered, the familiar noise of grinding accompanied by a harsh sounding wheeze. The Doctor frowned. "What's wrong, old girl?" he said, rubbing the console, checking the view screens. Nothing was really out of the ordinary here, but yet… "Let's try this." He flicked a lever, pumping another quickly.

The TARDIS lurched violently, sending the Doctor to his knees. Concern was written on his face as the ship shook, the Doctor struggling to his feet. Buttons were pushed, levers were flicked, things were spun, but the TARDIS continued to shake. He gave up, instead clinging onto the console for dear life as the TARDIS plummeted towards Earth.

-o-o-o-

London, October 2010

The Doctor coughed, stumbling through the cloud of smoke and pushing the door open, falling out of the TARDIS, wheezing. She had crashed in an alleyway, somewhere in London, he recognized the surroundings. He didn't know the exact date, and quite frankly he didn't want to know. He wanted to get away from Earth, as quickly as he possibly could.

Poking his head back inside the TARDIS, he pulled the sonic from inside his coat, trotting to the console and scanning it. It emitted a series of loud beeps, frowns creasing the Doctor's forehead. "Oh, that's bad. That's very bad." He tried to move a few levers, but they were all stuck. "Come on, old girl!"

Several hours later, the Doctor had to accept the inevitable. The TARDIS wasn't going anywhere. He was stranded. He, the Doctor, the Oncoming Storm, stranded in the middle of London with a sick TARDIS and absolutely no way of making a life for himself here.

"This is bloody wonderful."

Poor bby~

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Next chapter: Mycroft appears, the Doctor takes on a new name, and the first case...