Parker and Eliot arrived at Angelo's at exactly 7pm sharp.
"Reservations?"
"Sherlock… Holmes."
"Ah. You're Mr. Holmes' friends! Come in. Just right here." The man smiles cunningly.
Directed to a small table in the corner of the Italian restaurant, Parker and Eliot slinked down facing the well dressed Sherlock and John.
"Well I feel under dressed." Eliot proclaimed, trying to break the ice.
"You're American." Sherlock answered. Parker scoffed.
"So umm… how did you guys meet?" John interjected. Parker glanced over at Sherlock, as if asking him if John is trustworthy. Sherlock nodded.
"Long story short, Sherlock was investigating a stolen blue jewel at the London Museum."
"Long story short, I caught her."
"After 2 months."
"That's just because you keep moving. If you have stayed…"
"But I didn't."
"But you didn't." Sherlock grinned and reached out to hold Parker's hand across the table. Both Eliot and John's jaw dropped to the floor at the same time.
"Wait.. he… you"
"John?" Flinching and releasing Parker's hand.
"Don't worry. John Watson. That was a long time ago."
"Damn right." Sherlock took Parker's hand and pressed his lips against it. Parker swatted him, in a rather mischievous way.
"You're a thief!" John proclaimed, interrupting Eliot's progressively getting angrier mood.
"No shit." "Great deduction." Parker and Sherlock replied together. Eliot growled.
"Parker. You think it's… wise."
"I would trust Sherlock with my life."
"You had. More than once."
"Fourteen."
"Yes. Fourteen." Sherlock smiled and glanced cautiously at Eliot.
"All right. How about him?" He was confused but coherent enough to motion towards John.
"John is more than trustworthy." Sherlock smiled genuinely. John gulped and replied the smile. Glad that at least he reserved that special smile for him only, not for Parker. No one else.
"You tell the story. It's better when you tell it." Parker laughed and took a bite of her pasta. Eliot and John leaned in to hear the story.
"Sure. I was a…"
"Junkie."
"Parker! You said I'm allowed to tell it. And I wasn't!" Great, they are both children thought Eliot and John at the same time. They looked across the table and silently blessed each other for future luck and tolerance.
"Fine. Yes you were. Tell it right!"
"I wasn't a junkie. At least not yet…" He looked at John; hopefully he wouldn't abandon him after this semi-confession. "I… was younger, much younger. More ignorant. I was hired to investigate a stolen jewel at the British Museum. I would have declined upon normal circumstances, but Mycroft was busy. And it was good money."
"His brother." Parker interjected. John raised an eyebrow.
"Shut up."
"You shut up."
"That doesn't make sense. Moving on. I went to the museum and basically deduced that this was a thievery. Of course, they wanted me to retrieve it. I chased after this unknown woman for about two months. Longest criminal chase I've ever done."
"Which I feel honored. It wasn't a surprise. I knew someone was following me after the first time. I quickly switched places. But by the time my flight was suppose to take off, I was too curious to leave."
"I finally caught her at the lobby of a small motel. I knew it was her. I just knew." John quickly realized this is sounding too much like a love story. Ignoring the gut wrenching feeling in his heart, he leaned closer towards Sherlock. Pretending to be interested.
"He was amazing. No one has caught me before."
"Well you definitely weren't easy."
"Thank you. I do try." Coy grins exchanged.
"Then it all went downhill from there."
"What do you mean downhill?" Eliot proclaimed in a slightly relieved tone.
"Let's just say there were drugs, alcohol and a whole lot of breaking the law." Sherlock sighed.