The weather had indeed improved since yesterday, the drab grayness of winter clearing in the first smells and sounds of the renewal of spring. I was grateful for that at least, for while the surroundings had improved, Holmes had not.

A shave and a change of clothing had done a great deal to help his appearance, but his eyes still smoldered in agitation and his movements were far from energetic.

I tried unsuccessfully to get him to make deductions about the other occupants of the park, and I when he deigned to do so I attempted it myself, hoping that he would correct my conclusions or make some comment on my inability to observe.

But other than a few half-hearted comments about my eyesight he showed no interest. We had soon fallen into silence, and not the companionable silence of old friends but one that obviously needed something to fill it.

Perhaps this had been a bad idea after all…it would have been better to leave Holmes to his own devices than drive him to further agitation through a poor attempt at distraction. And of course I had failed in my promise…everything we had seen so far was not only commonplace…but familiar. Holmes was right there was nothing of interest…nothing at-

My thoughts cut off as sharply as I did, as I came in contact with Holmes bony back, colliding with him enough to send me stumbling back, blinking in surprise.

I looked in puzzlement to see that Holmes had stopped abruptly causing my collision, his eyes were fixed on the crowd milling in front of a fountain just ahead of us.

I followed his gaze in perplexity…and then had to keep myself from laughing, for the object of Holmes scrutiny was a woman.

Well…she was more of a girl really, though she wore more makeup than even a lady of respectable years would wear. I put her age as somewhere between 18 and 20 with a round face, brown eyes, and very blond hair.

Her fascination was immediately apparent, for she was dressed in a manner that I had never, even in my limited travels, seen before.

She wore what appeared to be a very tight version of men's trousers, and above that she wore an even tighter shirt that did nothing to hide the contours of her body. Her apparel was colorful, and her hair hung loosely about her head. Over all she wore a short jacket unlike any I had seen before.

In good conscience I could not place her in any class or position. She was in essence an enigma.

I looked at Holmes, and was gratified to see that he was watching the girl not only with interest but bemusement…his lips twitched.

"Watson."

"Yes, Holmes?"

"When you said we should see something I had never seen before, I did not think that you meant this."

I reddened slightly. "Well I didn't…I didn't think that…Holmes I haven't the faintest Idea who she is."

As I watched the strange girl turned in a slow circle, her hands in the pockets of her trousers, peering about the crowd in apparent consternation, biting her lower lip.

"Well Holmes," I said, "What can you deduce about her?"

My friend continued to watch her, his eyes bright and alert once again as they searched her for the minutest of clues.

Finally he shook his head. "I can deduce nothing Watson…only that she is not from here…and she is obviously a traveler."

"I can see the first point but why the second?"

"Firstly because she is without an escort, she is obviously accustomed to independence, and if she is not from here than she can only be visiting. Despite the fact that she is obviously in some difficulty she is not showing any real signs of distress or panic. She is therefore accustomed to facing challenges regularly. Her shoes are very worn and she is dressed not only for the weather but very practically."

He trailed off with a frown.

"What is it?" I asked.

"There is something…about her Watson…about her manner. She seems at home here…I fear I may have to amend my statement…for though she obviously does not fit in I have the distinct impression that she is very familiar with London at least."

This I could not argue, for she looked around at the park and the large crowds beyond with definite casualness and even friendliness, as though she was in comfortable surroundings.

Holmes deductions had only confused the situation.

"What are we to do?" I asked.

Holmes gave me an amused look.

"Do? My dear Watson why should we do anything? Her appearance here is none of our business."

"You said she was in some difficulty. We should help."

My friend's lips twitched again, though his face did not show a great deal of enthusiasm.

"Oh come on Holmes, what else are you to do? Hmm?'

He smiled outright and let out a resigned, if slightly weary sigh. "Very well Watson." and without another word he strode directly towards the young woman leaving me staring after him.

As I looked on in still trying to regain my footing he approached her and adopting the charming manner he reserved for clients he began to speak with her. I hurried to catch up.

Holmes smirked at me as I drew near and gestured vaguely in my direction.

"And this is my friend and colleague Dr. Watson…" he was saying.

I nodded to the young woman as she smiled and then upon hearing my name did a double take at Holmes.

"Did you say, Dr. Watson?"

Holmes paused, either confused or a little irritated at having to repeat himself. "Yes Ms…"

"Tyler, my name is Rose Tyler…and you…" she turned back to me. "Are you really Dr. Watson?"

Ah. Holmes' face cleared in understanding and I had to repress a chuckle. This woman was a reader of the strand.

"I am indeed, Ms. Tyler." I said. "And this gentleman you've been speaking to is Sherlock Holmes."

She looked at my companion with the same sort of awe and smiled widely. "Hi." She said brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear before sticking out her hand. "I've heard all about you."

Holmes raised an eyebrow but took her hand.

"Can we be of any assistance Ms. Tyler. I couldn't help but notice that you looked a little lost."

"Yeah." She looked about her again in distraction. "Not really lost, s'just I'm lookin' for my friend."

Holmes was losing interest rather rapidly, but I determined that since we had approached the young lady we should not leave until we had helped her.

"Perhaps we could help you find him…Holmes has a deal of experience in matters in this sort." My friend glared at me and I struggled to repress a smile.

Ms. Tyler grinned again, showing a row of neat white teeth. "Yeah ok, thanks."

So friendly and amiable was her manner that I found myself quite comfortable conversing with her, also this was a chance to answer some of the questions Holmes had found so mysterious about her.

"Is this your first time in London Ms. Tyler?"

"No I was born here. I know that…" here she tugged slightly at her clothes going a little red in embarrassment. "…My clothes are a little strange, I forgot to change before…well I've been travelin' and my friend he decided we had to stop here. Kinda suddenly."

"And you were separated from him."

She nodded, "We were looking for something. Well…following it and he ran off across a street…I'm not really use to the cabs and stuff."

She waved vaguely not only at the cabs but at our surroundings in general. "Been gone for a while."

"Was there any place in particular where you were planning to meet him?" I asked helpfully, "Perhaps he is there."

She shook her head.

"I don't think he's too far though, he said the thing we were looking for likes to stay around here." she stuck her hands back in her pockets and looked absently around the park again.

Holmes was frowning again, but in curiosity more than aggravation. I intended to pursue this matter, if only as a distraction from his boredom.

"What was it you were looking for? Perhaps if we find it we can find him." I suggested.

The young woman bit her lip, hesitating. "Well…it's a little hard to explain. I'm not quite sure what it is myself."

"Describe it." Holmes said.

"It's…it's like a box."

"A box."

"yeah…'a really big box."

Holmes looked askance at me and I cleared my throat slightly, my friend continued, as though he hadn't stopped.

"What else Ms. Tyler."

"It's sort of um…blue, with doors and windows, says police on it, its' sort of like a shed."

"And you say you were following this box?" Holmes asked, his brows rising again and an inaudible sigh escaping his lips.

Ms. Tyler looked at my friend sharply, folding her arms across her chest and one of her own brows rising in response. "Blimey…you are just like him."

Holmes frowned. "I beg your pardon?"

"If you really are the in the stories then you're just like my friend. So sure of yourself, lookin' at everyone else like they're dribblin' down their shirts."

The young lady's manner of speech was most confusing, but I understood most of it, and had to keep the corners of my mouth from turning up in a smile.

Holmes scowled, quite unused to being addressed by anyone, let alone a strange young woman, in this manner.

"At least I possess a measure of tact Ms."

"Good manners don't mean you're tactful." She looked at me. "How do you put up with him?"

I struggled to repress the smile now, and Holmes shot me a look, while she went on.

"Look, if you think my problem is so beneath you you don't have to help. You probably wouldn't get it anyway. And here I am thinkin' you were clever."

Holmes bristled outright. And I thought it best to intervene.

"You say you were following the box Ms…how was it conveyed?"

She looked at me, brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Was it in the back of a cart?"

"Oh." Her brow cleared, and she cleared her throat. "No…no it wasn't, it just…well…"

I was not to discover what she meant however for at that moment there was a loud shout and the sound of rapid footsteps.

"ROSE!"

All three of us turned, the girl eagerly, to see the most extraordinary figure sprinting towards us through the crowd.

He was tall…taller even then Holmes, thought this may have been because of his hair which was sticking up like a hedgehog on the top of his head. He was also extraordinarily thin which only served to add to the illusion of height. He wore a long brown coat which flapped out behind him as he ran through the snow…and his shoes…other than Ms. Tyler's they were the strangest shoes I had ever seen, though they seemed to serve him well in running.

It was not just his appearance that struck me however, but his manner. Here was a young and very large crowd of people and some quality about him made him stand out from them completely…he would have stood out even if he had been dressed like them.

here was something…his manner or the sheer confidence with which he moved… I had only ever seen that sort of arrogance in one person before and that was Holmes. It was as though he was meant to stand apart from the crowd, and he knew it…a quality that was as much a part of him as the color of his hair or the shape of his jaw.

He skidded to an abrupt halt in front of us, bearing a grin that almost split his face in half.

"Hi." He said breathlessley, grinning at Ms. Tyler, bouncing to and fro on his feet.

"Hey." She grinned back. "'bout time you showed up."

"You're one to talk after all the times you wander off…what am I always saying, rule number one. Don't wander off."

Ms. Tyler rolled her eyes still grinning and at last the man turned to us, the grin still firmly in place.

"Hullo." He said seizing my hand and shaking it enthusiastically "I'm the Doctor."