John clutched his hands over his stomach, groaning slightly, and trying his hardest not to laugh. It hurt to laugh.
Sherlock came out of the bathroom wearing a different set of clothes, and it set John off again.
"Would you shut up? It's too early to be making such a racket." His green eyes were narrowed with irritation as they flicked over at John, and then back to the mirror. "This isn't any better than what I tried on before. Come on, help me. We have to leave soon."
Moaning softly, John got up from the plush armchair and walked to stand beside Sherlock, looking in the mirror. It was really, really hard to keep a straight face.
"Um...what if we roll up the bottom a little, make them look like capri trousers on you." He bent down, adjusting the hems, and stood up. The quick motions had not been a good idea, and he braced a hand against Sherlock, taking some deep breaths.
Sherlock rolled his eyes impatiently. "You sound like you are going into labor. Don't you have any medicine in your suitcase?" He nodded as he examined the tan trousers, seeming to approve of the folded bottoms. He tugged at the edge of the blue tee, like he could make it longer, looking at the mirror in distaste.
John shook his head. "No medicine." He had an idea though. Reaching into the reject clothing pile, he passed a grey hoodie back to Sherlock. "Here, tie this around your waist."
Sherlock seemed to understand what he meant, his eyes brightening. Soon, he was looking back at the mirror in approval. "Well, I think that's the best we can do, all things considered. I'll have to wear these shoes though. No way I can fit into any of yours."
Glancing down at Sherlock's dark brown wing tips, John was chuckling again, and had to turn away for a moment.
"I won't go if you keep that up." Sherlock threatened.
"OK, OK. I'll be good now." Taking some calming breaths, John rested his hand on his stomach, willing it to settle. "I just can't believe you didn't pack any outdoor clothes for this trip. This is Canada, a country known for its wilderness."
"I just can't believe you ate half a box of chocolate desserts for breakfast." Sherlock shot back, his tone dry.
John shook his head for the tenth time at his friend. He had come to Sherlock's room, bright and early, only to find Sherlock dressed in a black bespoke suit. He looked amazing, but hardly suitable for spending the day out on the water on a zodiac.
It turned out the berk hadn't brought anything but suits. John had gone to grab his own suitcase for Sherlock to try on some of his clothes. While waiting, he had seen the box from the cooking class on the table. The chocolate treats still looked delicious and rich. Within five minutes, he had gobbled up three of them, and had been regretting it ever since.
It was worse when Sherlock had come out of the bathroom, swearing up a storm. He had on a pair of chinos that were six inches too short, and a shirt that showed a few inches of his belly. It looked like he had an overnight growth spurt. Sherlock took great pride in wearing perfectly tailored clothes, so it was doubly funny to see him dressed so badly with his disgruntled expression.
Other items fit about the same. Folding up the bottom of the trousers made them look more intentionally short. The hoodie around his waist covered the gap between the bottom of the shirt and the top of the trousers. There was nothing they could do about the overly fancy shoes that clashed with the casual outfit.
John moaned, pulling on his jacket. "They were chocolate, just sitting there, and so good..."
It was quite the start to their second day, and they hadn't even left the hotel yet.
XXX
The zodiac was travelling fast, and John carefully raised his water bottle to his mouth to take a big sip.
Sherlock shot him a concerned look, and John gave a silent nod that he was OK. Another tourist on their bus had offered John some antacids, and by the time they reached Baie Sainte-Catherine a couple hours later, he felt more himself. He had been sipping water since then, feeling his stomach settle despite being on the fast bumpy zodiac.
John surveyed their surroundings, savoring the fresh air, the calm water, the hills and mountains. Glancing back at Sherlock, he was in profile, looking out over the water, seeming peaceful. His wardrobe issues were hidden by the red jacket and black pants they were all issued before getting on the zodiac. The flotation jackets were wind and waterproof.
Feeling a surge of affection, John snuggled against his side and took his hand. At Sherlock's questioning look, he simply gave a small, happy smile. "I'm glad we are doing this together. Even if we don't see much, it's nice to be out in nature this way."
Sherlock wrapped a long arm over John's shoulders and they shifted to sit comfortably together. It was still new, learning how to best cuddle together. It felt different to be with a bigger person, when he was used to dating women his height or shorter, and usually a stone or two lighter. Sherlock was five inches taller, but he was slimmer in his build. John was sturdier, although not chubby. They were probably about the same weight. It was an adjustment, but one that was exciting and new. One that reminded him that he was with Sherlock.
This late in the season, the zodiac was mostly empty. There was only an older, Asian couple who seemed to only have limited English, and an American couple around thirty years old. The naturalist gave her occasional comments in English, much to John's relief after the cooking class language barrier.
The zodiac eventually stopped, and it seemed unnaturally quiet after having the loud motor on for so long. Everyone sat up, looking more alert, aware of the small waves breaking against the side of the boat.
"So, let's do a few questions to get your minds warmed up." The naturalist captain Marsha said, her smile easy. "Are whales carnivores, herbivores or omnivores?"
The American man waved his hand. "Don't they eat krill?" He had dark framed glasses, auburn hair and a closely trimmed beard.
"That's right. They are carnivores, eating krill, shrimp, and fish mostly." Marsha nodded, brushing some long black strands of hair back behind an ear that had escaped her ponytail. "How do they catch them? Krill are usually only a couple centimeters long."
John thought about images he had seen of orcas, and thought they had prominent teeth.
Marsha sensed the group wasn't sure enough to answer, so she continued. "They are either baleen or toothed whales. Baleen whales are gulpers. They spot a school of fish, open their mouth wide, and speed up take in all the fish and water in their mouths. Instead of teeth, they have thick bristles and they use them to filter their food, pushing the water out of their mouths with their tongues."
"So, they are sort of like pelicans." The American woman chuckled, some of her blond hair peaking out from under her hood.
Marsha nodded. "Sort of. You will also see throat pleats that run from their lower jaw to their naval, that expand when the whale is gulping each mouthful."
"Does that method of eating work well?" John asked with a smile.
Passing out some laminated cards, Marsha nodded. "Very well. It's the method most of the largest whales use, including blue and humpback. Blue whales are the largest animals in the whole world and eat about 4 tons a day."
Sneaking a glance at Sherlock, John was thinking he would be bored, but he seemed to be following along with the nature lesson, skimming over his card.
"This region has twelve species of whales each summer, including blue, humpback, and orca. Beluga whales live here year round." Marsha went on to describe the types of whales they were watching for today, reviewing the information on the cards with them.
After the introduction, everyone settled into their seats and was looking around at the calm surface of the estuary, watching for the spray of water from a whale's blowhole or for the curve of a back or a tail breaking above the water. Marsha made occasional comments and answered questions, but it was mostly quiet as the group looked expectantly around the area.
An hour later, the group had had many sightings from a distance, each one exciting and getting photographed extensively. Sherlock seemed bemused by it all, but John could see his sharp eyes watching the water closely.
"Are you able to go closer? It looks like some whales keep appearing in that area," the American man asked, pointing to the west.
Marsha shook her head regretfully. "This is a protected area. We are not allowed to approach whales any closer than 100 meters. With the engines off, it is OK if the whales come closer to us."
John felt slightly disappointed, but overall it had been a good trip. They had seen many whales surfacing, and it was exciting being in the area with so many giant mammals under the same body of water. The scenery was fantastic, tall hills surrounding them and a fjord to the north where another river joined the Saint Lawrence. The weather was mild, and they were comfortable in the gear the company provided.
Sherlock lifted his head in interest when the Asian couple talked quietly together, and ended up moving to sit on their side of the zodiac.
John watched, bemused, as Sherlock spoke to them in their language, their eyes opening wider in surprise. Soon, they were chatting animatedly, waving towards the water, seeming to make the motions for a large fish. Sherlock seemed to satisfy their questions, as they nodded, looking grateful. John snuck a picture of them with his phone.
"Our Korean friends are wondering why so many whales come here each year." Sherlock turned to ask Marsha.
She gave him an impressed look. "The two rivers meet here, and cold salt water from the Atlantic also mixes with it. This churns up a lot of organic particles in the water, so krill and fish are plentiful eating it all up. The whales are here usually from May until October. It's like a Las Vegas buffet for them."
Sherlock nodded, turning back to translate to the older couple.
John watched him with pride, impressed by his language knowledge, as always, but also by the way he had jumped in to help the couple. Helped them have a better experience.
"Where does the Saint Lawrence river come from?" John asked.
Marsha was open to the questions. "From the Great Lakes, over 1000 km to the west. Have you ever been to Toronto or Chicago?"
John shook his head. It was his first time on this side of the pond.
"The 5 Great Lakes have a combined area that is about the same as the United Kingdom. The water flows eastward from those lakes, over Niagara Falls, and eventually reaches the Atlantic." Marsha explained.
She would have gone further, but Sherlock and the Korean couple were pointing over the edge of the zodiac, talking excitedly. Sherlock caught John's eye, and motioned him over.
John moved to that side of the boat, thankful that it was large enough to feel very stable. Sherlock drew him close with an arm around his waist, his green eyes excited.
Following his sight line, John gasped when he saw the motion about five feet from the boat. It was a large dark shape, with some white markings.
"That's a fin whale. They are the second biggest type of whale." Marsha sounded excited as well. "We see them more often than blue whales."
The river water had fairly good visibility, and it was calm enough to see the whale slipping through the water effortlessly. He didn't think his camera phone would capture it very well, so didn't worry about that. He just leaned into Sherlock, breathless, watching.
They shared a quick glance, sharing the moment, before both looking down into the water again. The truly immense size of the animal was obvious by how long it took to move past them.
"Fin whale can be up to 85 feet long. That's like three of your double-decker buses, all in a row." Marsha said softly near them. She had a pleased smile, knowing that close viewings like this were rare.
XXX
So, How is my beautiful, perfect daughter doing? -J
He didn't wait long for a reply. It was probably around 10 pm in London, and Harry was a night owl.
Still perfect, but wasn't so beautiful today. -H
A picture was sent to explain. Rosie had tomato sauce and noodles all over her face and hands, smiling widely. John chuckled.
She seems to like Italian food. -J
They chatted on by text, and John felt comfortable his daughter was in good hands with Harry and Clara this week. She was still going to her daycare during the day, so they just had her evenings and weekends. Molly and Mrs. Hudson were also helping out.
How are things going with Sherlock? Has he converted you fully to our team? - H
John swore softly at that.
What are you talking about? We are here to meet with a forensic anthropologist about a cold case. She splits her time between Quebec and North Carolina. -J
Yeah, and I'm sure everyone believed your cover story. But you can't bullshit your big sister. –H
John sighed.
OK, OK…was it really so obvious? -J
Look, I was in denial about it myself for years. Remember how many boyfriends I had as a teenager? –H
The words made John reel back a little. Had all his dating, all these years, been futile acts? Acts of self-delusion? Had he only imagined being attracted to those women, the feelings of affection?
He shook his head. No. No. It hadn't been deep love, but there were romantic feelings. Good sex. Great sex. He enjoyed women, enjoyed their bodies, their personalities.
We aren't sure what is really happening yet, and just need some time away to figure it out. –J
Well,, I'm here if you need to talk about it. –H
He soon completed his catch up with his sister, thanking her for her advice and all the help with Rosie.
XXX
-THIS IS THE 1st HALF OF CHAPTER 3. I had to split it for length/posting reasons.
-Whale Watching: 200 km NE from Quebec City is Baie Sainte Catherine. A company there offers 2.5 hour whale watching tours on zodiac or larger cruise boats. The zodiacs have a rigid floor and solid hull, a powerful motor, and are buoyant from inflated air chambers. They allow the passengers a closer view of the water, but they are more exposed to the elements.
-Krill: These small crustaceans are usually 1-2 cm large, and eat plankton. They are a huge part of the diet of whales, penguins, seals, squid and fish. Most types are bioluminescent, or capable of emitting light from their bodies.
-Blue Whales: They are amazingly huge. They get up to 100 feet/ 30 m long, or the length of a Boeing 737 plane. In 2014, 9 blue whales were trapped in the ice off the Newfoundland coast, and two of the bodies later washed up on shore (very rare, as they usually sink to the ocean bottom). It was a great way to study the animals, and now one of the hearts is on display at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. It is preserved by plastination, and weighs over 400 pounds.
-Forensic Anthropologist: Quick reference to Kathy Reichs, who works in Charlotte, North Carolina and Montreal, Quebec. She is one of only 82 certified Forensic Anthropologists in the US. She has also written 19 novels, and the TV show, Bones (2005-2017), is inspired by her books. She was a producer, to keep the science 'honest'.