Chapter IV
Just when Ariel thought she had found out what normal was in this case, Sherlock Holmes did something unsuspected. He had figured out where her would-be murderer was, so she expected him to be ready to run off and confront him. But he didn't. In fact, he didn't even seem interested.
"So, tell me again why we aren't breaking down this nut jobs door, again?" Ariel ask.
"Because, we want to wait for his next move. Besides, he's under surveillance right now. He can't even leave his flat without me knowing." Sherlock said, flippantly.
"And how, exactly, would you know if he had left his flat?" Ariel pried. Sherlock sighed dramatically but didn't reply, instead he kept working on his laptop.
"I said; how would you know?" She said, walking over and shutting Sherlocks laptop. He looked up at her, obviously annoyed.
"I have people." He said through gritted teeth. Ariel knew that was all she would get, so she gave him a satisfied smile and took her hand off his laptop, which he reopened and proceeded to go back to work.
John walked in, clothes changed from the rumpled dress shirt and pants that he had slept in and his hair still slightly wet.
"Well, what now?" He asked, standing in the middle of the room, looking back and forth between Sherlock and Ariel.
"We wait." Sherlock supplied a minute later. He was working on something, but what it was, John didn't know.
"Right." John said, curtly. "Are you hungry?" He asked, turning to Ariel. She looked up at him.
"I'm alright." She responded.
"That's not what I asked." He said. She just smiled.
"Well, I am. There's nothing in and there's a nice Thai place down the street. Care to join me?" John said to Ariel. She nodded.
"Sherlock? Are you going to come too?" John asked, turning to the human hunched over the keyboard.
"Ummm... No." Sherlock replied slowly, obviously deeply involved in his work.
"Alright, suit yourself." John said, grabbing his wallet and coat. "Ready?" He asked Ariel, who was already buttoning up her coal black trench coat. He got a nod from her as she pulled her hair out of her coat and reached for her bag. They walked out of 221b, leaving Sherlock to do whatever it was he was doing.
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"So what exactly did I miss last night?" John laughed over his steaming bowl of curry.
"What do you mean?" Ariel laughed back, stabbing at some delicious looking vegetables.
"I mean, I pass out on a chair in the living room, and when I wake up in the morning, you had slept in Sherlocks bed!" John replied.
"Oh, that." Ariel said, gazing down at her impaled broccoli. "I was too tired to argue last night when he told me to go to sleep and that his room was safer."
"Umm." John sounded like he understood, even though he had a mouth full of curry. John eventually swallowed and said, "There really is no point in arguing with him on that."
Ariel wanted to talk about something else, so she didn't reply but instead tried the noodles piled on her plate. After a moment, she brought up another topic.
"Why did he assume I was your date?" Ariel asked. Then, as an afterthought, she smiled.
"I guess I've brought one to many girls back to the flat with me." John said laughingly.
"I hope you don't think we're a couple." Ariel said, reaching across the table to rest her hand on Johns.
"Not at all." He said, smiling and laughing. Ariel joined him before taking her hand back.
"So, what are we going to do know? I mean, we know where he is, what are we going to do about?" Ariel asked. John shook his head.
"I honestly don't know. That's Sherlocks department, because he obviously has some kind of master plan." John said, laughing again. It felt good, to laugh like this.
"Do things ever become normal around him?" Ariel asked, giggling.
"Never, not normal." John replied, then smiled and said, "But stick around long enough and things become... natural."
Ariel smiled. She understood what John meant.
"Tell me how you met him." She asked, just trying to make friendly conversation.
"It's a funny story, actually." John began.
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Back at 221b, Sherlock was hard at work, researching some names and places from a case Lestrade had given him earlier that morning.
Sherlock had some waiting to do before he could close in on Ariel's would-be murderer and he did owe Lestrade for pulling the files for them the night before. Sherlock scrolled, briefly reading over the information on this particularly long web page.
He leaned back in his chairs and covered his face with his hands. This is so boring! He thought to himself. But he pushed himself back up and began a new web search.
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Ariel and John walked out of the restaurant, both of them happy and full.
"I don't think I could eat another bite!" Ariel exclaimed.
"It was good, wasn't it?" John said with a smirk.
"Delicious." Ariel agreed.
They were walking home, enjoying the cool day.
"I appreciate your help." Ariel said seriously.
"You're welcome." John replied sincerely. John looked up at the sky and just as he did, the first drop of rain splashed onto his face. Ariel held her hands out to feel the drops that were now beginning to fall. She giggled and looked at John.
"Race you back!" She yelled as she tore of in the direction of 221b.
"Come back here!" John yelled as he started after her. It wasn't more than two minutes before they were inside the flat, leaning against the walls and panting.
"I... won..." Ariel panted.
"Only... because... you had... a head start..." John replied. Ariel laughed faintly.
After a minute the caught their breath, and, though a bit damp, proceeded upstairs. They walked in as Sherlock said into his phone,
"That's right. You're welcome." He hung up. He looked over at the damp people standing in the doorway.
"Have a good lunch?" He asked, turning to his violin, which he proceeded to make sure was in tune.
"Quite." John replied.
Sherlock began to play Pueblo de Sarasate's 'Miramar', as John went to attend to the dishes in the kitchen. The song filled the room.
Ariel sat down on the edge of one of the chairs and watched and listened as Sherlock played the entire piece through, without a single mistake.
"That was beautiful." Ariel said, as soon as he was finished.
"Thank you. It is one of my favourites." Sherlock replied, a half smile on his face.
"What was the phone call about?" John asked Sherlock from the kitchen.
"Just Lestrade. Said he'd swing by the flat latter to pick up the files." Sherlock said, swinging his bow around.
"Ah. Did he say when?" John asked.
"No. He sounded busy though, so probably not till late." Sherlock said.
"Oh." John sounded distracted, only half listening. "You know Sherlock, we really should do something nice for him."
"Why?" Sherlock snapped. John walked over to the doorway to stare at Sherlock as he answered.
"His wife left him Sherlock. He needs friends." John said, evenly and slightly angry. Sherlock glared back at him. They stared each other down, neither one willing to give up.
"You know I'm right." John said, evenly. Sherlock knew. Lestrade was one of the 3 people that Moriarty had put snipers on. One of the ones Sherlock had jumped off a building, faked his death and then hunted down those snipers for. Lestrade was one Sherlocks friends.
"What did you have in mind?" Sherlock asked through gritted teeth.
"I was thinking, since we're just wait around and he'll probably be over after dinner, that we could take him out for some drinks." John suggested, drying a tea cup.
"Sounds like a wonderful idea." Sherlock said, slightly sarcastic. He returned to playing the violin, looking out the window as he did. John sighed. It took a lot out of him to convince Sherlock that these were the kinds of things you normally do for friends, instead of hunting down the people that were trying to kill them. John suddenly remembered Ariel.
"Would you mind, Ariel?" John asked.
"No, not at all." She said. "But I really should go home, if all we are doing is waiting."
"You can't go alone." Sherlock said, abruptly stopping the violin music.
"Why not?" Ariel asked, turning to look at him.
"It's not safe." Sherlock said flatly. "We don't know what your friend will do."
Ariel really couldn't argue with that, but if Sherlock wanted to keep her captive here for god knows how long, she should at least like to go home and get a change if clothes. And her toothbrush...
"I do need to get some things from home, if I'm going to spend another night here." She said. Sherlock looked at her. He could tell she was slightly uncomfortable being here, but he knew that this was the safest place for her.
"If you must go, take John. John, go with her and take your gun." Sherlock instructed. John was slightly lost by what just happened.
"Umm, ok." John managed.
"Would you mind?" Ariel asked.
"No... No, not at all." John said, still trying to catch up.
"Let's go before your friend from Scotland Yard gets here so you gentlemen can go out for your drinks." Ariel said, smiling, as she grabbed her coat.
"Alright." John said, grabbing his coat and wallet and then his gun from the little cupboard near the door.
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