Sorry it took so long to update, revision time has arrived for my GCSE's :( Anyway:
All Cats Are Grey: It is awesome, Holme's quotes are everywhere :)
moon cutie: You asked for more, here it is, thanks for reading!
Curreeus: I thought it would be an interesting twist. Glad to see it worked! Keeping on with the fluffiness.
4. The Adventure of Three Friends
I had, at some point in my lengthy acquaintance with Mr. Sherlock Holmes, thought him unlikely to consider any case with nothing but cold-hearted emotional detachment then came the case of Abigail's friends, or rather their unexplained and unscheduled appearance at 221B Baker Street that afternoon. It was the single most humorous and shameful occasion (for my friend at least).
Abigail Holmes was now five years of age and had the most inquisitive and observational mind I had ever come across, with the exception of her father. Recently she had begun to spend three days a week at a school for young children that had opened in the area. It was not surprising that she quickly made many friends among the students and many enemies among the staff.
It was during her third week in this routine that I received a call from Sherlock Holmes asking for my assistance in a new case. Delighted at the opportunity to work alongside my friend once more I eagerly accepted and spent much of the morning sitting across from Holmes and listening to the details of the case.
It was around one in the afternoon when the door opened and Abby came running in and prompted jumped onto her father's lap and gave him a firm hug. Smiling gently at his daughter, even though she had just interrupted his speech on the evidence, Holmes ruffled her hair, earning himself a pout.
"Daddy?" Abby ventured.
"Yes my little one?" Holmes replied, repositioning her on his lap.
"Do you mind terribly if my friends stay over for a few hours because their parents have got stuck in the snow." A glance out of the window indeed showed that the light snow that had been falling a few minutes ago had become a firm blizzard. Holmes however looked uncertain.
"Are you sure it is only for a few hours?" He asked, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of children he didn't know in the house. Although Holmes had become more sociable and comfortable around people in the last few years he still did not find looking after young children an occupation within his forte.
"Please daddy?" Even Holmes could not deny the expression Abby pulled at that moment. If I had known then that Abby would never take to the stage at some point in her life I would not have believed it.
"Alright then, but you keep quiet and…" He was cut off from his well rehearsed speech but his young daughter.
"Don't touch anything or enter your study, yes I know." She said and happily hopped off his knee to go and play with her friends.
"She has you wrapped around her little finger." I commented needlessly as the door closed behind Abby. Holmes gave a small sigh and glanced at me over the top of his steeped fingers.
"I have been wrapped around her finger for over five years my dear fellow." Holmes then continued his narrative about the case and we both quickly forgot about the presence of three extra young children until it was time for me to leave. Holmes, with a momentary glance out of the window, ordered me to stay until the snow had cleared as it would do no good for my leg.
Agreeing, I followed him downstairs and found, as he did, Abby and three friends, one of whom was male, sat around the table playing a board game that Abby had found from somewhere. We had completely forgotten about Holmes's earlier agreement with his daughter.
"Is the snow really bad father?" I noted that is the company of my friends Abby had become far more formal.
"I'm afraid so," Holmes replied with some trepidation, "Are your friends unable to get home?" At the mention of their condition Abby's friends risked a couple of glances towards the most famous detective of the age.
"They can't at the moment. Do you think they could stay the night?" Holmes surveyed the small group. I could almost hear the gears working in his head. They hadn't caused any trouble yet, nor had they been noisy.
"I suppose so." Holmes agreed somewhat reluctantly.
"I'm sure we could find some spare pillows and sheets and set you up in the living room near the fire." I suggested and Abby's face instantly lit up.
"Dr. Watson, could you help us build a tent, like you showed me? Then we could sit inside and tell each other stories until we get tired." The other children seemed particularly excited about this idea and Holmes, much to my surprise, seemed to think it was a very good idea.
We set about finding the sheets and poles required and together with the children built the tent in the living room, however, instead of heading upstairs Holmes grabbed my sleeve and pulled me down so that we were seated on the floor, just inside the tent.
"I used to spend many evenings with Fran and Mycroft like this." He explained and I was surprised at how comfortable he appeared talking about his younger life. The children filed in and Abby smiled when she spotted us.
"This is Kathy," Abby said politely as her pointed to each of her friends in turn, "Isabel and Oliver. Everyone, meet Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson." With pleasantries exchanged we settled down amongst piles of pillows.
"So who's going to start?" Oliver asked after a moment.
"How about Dr. Watson?" Holmes spoke up promptly, "He has quite a talent for storytelling." Placed on the spot as I was I chose a small recent case and began to tell it as a story. Holmes's amused smirk at my choice only spurred me on and when I finished it was to a round of applause.
The stories went on into the evening and then the night. I'm afraid to admit that we lost track of time and soon Holmes had got his violin out and was playing a gentle lilting tune, changing and composing new variants to fit the tales. When Isabel began to talk about her cheeky older brother the notes became quick and playful and when Abby spoke about her adventures it changed to a flowing, mysterious sound.
Soon, one by one, the children fell asleep and I couldn't help but join them, having had more than a far share of brandy during the evening. I glimpsed Abby snuggling up to her father, her head on his chest, before they too drifted off.
In the morning I was glad we had remembered pillows. Stretching out my cramped muscles I wandered upstairs to clean myself up before rousing my friend and Abby. Once everyone was awake we dismantled the tent and Mrs. Hudson made a delicious cooked breakfast to keep out the cold.
By the time the children's parents arrived the children were fed and properly dressed. The snow outside had cleared enough to allow carriages through and one by one Abby's friends were greeted by anxious parents.
"I hope they weren't any trouble." Kathy's parents said quietly to Holmes and I as Kathy said goodbye.
"No trouble at all." We assured them and by lunchtime only Oliver was left. His parent's lived furthest away and we soon received word that they had got stuck behind two carriages and would be some time. Abby decided to teach us the board game they had been playing the previous afternoon to pass the time.
Once everyone had gone Holmes pulled out his pipe and relaxed into his armchair by the fire. I sat opposite him and pulled out my journal to record the events of the previous day and we sat in silence for a good half hour before Holmes spoke.
"I have to admit that I found last nights activities most fruitful." Intrigued I asked him what he meant. "The stories we shared allowed me to reflect on many things my good fellow and some of the bizarre and outrageous events sorted many loose ends in the case I spoke to you about."
"You have solved it then?"
"Indeed I have, but I would never have thought that listening to childish tales would have given me the answers I needed." Holmes told me simply.
"What did you think of last night?" I asked purely out of curiosity. There was a pause as Holmes considered his answer.
"Honestly my dear fellow, I quite enjoyed it. It was relaxing and gave my mind many puzzles to think over. I would not mind having similar occasions in the future."
As I left the house an hour later to return to Mary I had to reflect that I wasn't certain that my moustache had hidden my triumphant smile at Holmes's admittance of his feelings towards the bizarre and strangely helpful company of children. Finally, we were getting somewhere.
