Disclaimer: Nope Sherlock isn't owned by me. Also there's a case in this one... and it's completely created by me, so that however is owned by me!

Foundations

Partners

"Phone."

Sherlock did not spare his flatmate a glance as he stretched out his palm in her direction. He had stated what he wanted her to do and now she just had to do it… Yet there was no sound of movement from where Harry sat in her armchair reading a book.

"Could you pass me my phone?"

Again there was silence in response to Sherlock's request from the young woman. Sherlock narrowed his eyes and rolled over from where he had been lying on the couch facing the wall. Harry had not lowered her book, but instead seemed to be even more interested in it all of a sudden.

She hadn't made much effort on her make-up today, or in the last few days. Spending a week with a detective who liked to point out when she had drawn her eyeliner on wrong and reapplied it had clearly changed her opinion on the necessity of wearing make-up around the flat. Sherlock tried not to smirk to himself at the thought.

Their first week as flatmates together had been fairly uneventful. Sherlock had only had one case and a boring one at best. Some girl had gone and drowned in the Thames and it had been up to Sherlock to prove that in fact she had just been dull and fallen in whilst intoxicated rather than been murdered (the much preferred option for Sherlock). Harry had generally stayed out of his way, taking to the streets to find a new job – so far she had been unsuccessful.

"You have legs," Harry said pointedly as if she could feel Sherlock's gaze upon her.

"I'm thinking."

"I'm reading. Get it yourself."

Sherlock sighed and swung himself off the sofa, marching over to the door where his coat was hanging from a hook. The phone was in its pocket as usual and as he unlocked it he noticed there were two texts instead of the one he'd just heard beep through.

Sherlock, I have an interesting one. Get in touch. – GL

Sherlock scrolled to the latest text.

You will want to see this. – GL

Sherlock smiled. It was nice to see Lestrade squirm but this was just what he needed. Another case! They'd been running dry of late… and Sherlock was pretty sure that Harry did not enjoy having her clothes mysteriously burnt. It was her own fault for not bringing that interesting brother of hers over more often, who Sherlock had not seen since their first proper meeting but had been thinking about rather a lot since.

As Sherlock was putting his coat on, his phone beeped again and his smile widened into a grin.

Sherlock. I need your help. – GL

Address. – SH

"I have a new case, Harry," Sherlock called into the other room where the recovering alcoholic was still sitting.

"Yeah? Great. I have no job. Have fun."

Sherlock sighed. He hadn't expected his flatmate to be slightly so spiteful but it simply seemed to be her mood on that particular day. They'd been getting on perfectly fine until he'd set fire to her favourite blouse. Apparently that was just not done.

"Would you like to come with me?"

It was not something that Sherlock would usually ask but it seemed on this particular day he was feeling rather generous. The response he got was to be expected.

"No."

Sherlock shrugged. It hadn't really been worth a try, but if John ever appeared again he wouldn't want him to think he'd been mistreating his sister. John was simply too intriguing to annoy.

The Shadow Lounge, Soho. Donovan will let you in. – GL

Sherlock shoved his phone back into his pocket and opened the door just as Harry spoke up again. "Thanks anyway."

Her voice was slightly fainter this time… and oddly actually polite. Sherlock simply raised his eyebrows. "No problem."

Then he marched out onto the morning streets of London.

"About time, freak."

Donovan was standing in the way as usual, just behind the police line, scrutinising Sherlock with her gaze. "You know, I think that we might actually need you on this one… You'll certainly like it. It takes a freak to find another freak."

Sherlock didn't bother to even raise his eyebrows as he ducked under the police line and headed into The Shadow Lounge.

The club was exactly as Sherlock expected: a dark corridor leading past small cloakrooms and lavatories into a much larger space made up mostly of a dancing area but with sections for a bar and small tables to lean on as well. There was a VIP area on the right hand side of the room up some steps and it was to this VIP area that Sherlock now headed, as that was where most of the police activity seemed to be gathered, and also where he could hear Lestrade's voice gradually rising in volume.

"Where the bloody hell is he then?" Lestrade was just exclaiming as Sherlock managed to push his way through the many officers.

"Talking about me, Lestrade?"

The detective shook his head but it was clear from the tension that seemed to melt from his shoulders he was definitely glad Sherlock had arrived. "Where is the crime scene, Lestrade? I hope you haven't had all these officers traipsing around ruining evidence?"

Lestrade shook his head again. "It's at the back of this VIP area… But it's rather shocking. The guys have been rather upset by this one…"

"Well call them off then. Someone with more intellect has arrived. Far too much intellect to be scared by a corpse."

Some of the officers glared at him and muttered their complaints, but they were soon leaving. Clearly the corpse had affected them more than they initially let on. Interesting.

Lestrade waited until the last officers had moved before beckoning Sherlock over to the other side of the raised VIP platform, where the body of a woman was lying sprawled on the floor, fully clothed.

When faced with a dead body Sherlock tended to go for the detail first, and this would not be any different.

Five foot three. Ginger. Slightly overweight. Mid-30s. She was wearing a white shirt and black mini-skirt, that clearly were not meant for a woman of her size and age. Her short feet were stuffed into heels far too large for herself. What drew Sherlock's eyes, however, was not her disgustingly abused feet but instead the slight trace of blood on the collar of her shirt… and the large jagged wound across her neck.

It was clear immediately that this was not actually the wound that had killed her. The blood spill was not nearly enough for this to have been the actually injury, it was probably done in the woman's final moment after the true killing strike had been done. The jagged edge to the wound implied some kind of serrated blade but by the size of it, it was not some kind of saw but instead a bread knife – dangerous in the wrong hands.

"Have you got anything?"

Lestrade had his hands on his hips and the stress was plain in his eyes. "I have a few ideas, have you figured out what killed her?"

Lestrade blinked and then pointed at the cut on her neck. "I would have thought that one was obvious."

Sherlock shook his head, noting that one of the buttons on her shirt had come off… probably when the killer was redressing her.

"This woman was the club owner's wife, going from her clothes and the bitten-down edge to her nails. She wasn't killed here though. Not enough blood. That wound didn't kill her, though, definitely – that was inflicted when she got here. Her true cause of death lies beneath the shirt if you would let me?"

Lestrade nodded, watching as Sherlock put on some gloves and then undid the woman's shirt.

The sight beneath was enough to make even Sherlock pause. Another jagged line was straight down the centre of the woman's body, from between her breasts to down slightly below her navel. Yet it was not that which made Sherlock pause. It was instead the shoelaces that had sewn her back up that held his attention.

"This woman needs to get to Molly. I need her name and your files."

"Her name is Eleanor Parker. An officer will be bringing her file along in a minute, for now you can have this."

Lestrade picked a file out of the hands of one of his underlings which appeared to contain the crime scene photos. Moments later another officer came sprinting in holding another file which Sherlock took out of his hands. "We really do need your help with this one Sherlock… especially now we've seen the…"

"Butchery?"

"I was going for extra wounds… but yes. I suppose this one is rather a butcher."

"It won't be his last. This one's a fun one. There's more to come."

"And that's what we're here to stop, Sherlock," Lestrade sighed as the consulting detective sped out of the front door, already pawing his way through the files.

John could see the police gathered outside The Shadow Lounge from streets away and couldn't help but allow himself some time for morbid curiosity by heading over. Everything had been so… plain, since he left the army. Perhaps a little crime scene viewing would do him some good. Especially since all he could think about was how exciting it had been the previous week to be involved in some crime-solving himself, even if it was only in the marksman role.

As he got closer he noticed that there were a lot more officers than usual – a murder then. He tried not to be too excited as the thought flashed through his mind that perhaps Sherlock would be there.

He'd not seen the man for a week and yet still he found himself suddenly remembering the brief evening where he'd felt like all the excitement was back in his life… then he was back to searching for a dull GP job. Seb had eased that dullness a little by going to the pub with him almost every day but the pub was really no comparison to Afghanistan.

Arriving at the police line John noted that there were several others like himself wanting to get in on the action, and the same female officer guarding the entrance. John ducked his head slightly – it probably wasn't a good idea to be spotted as a crime scene follower, people might talk.

Yet it was as John was busily trying to not get noticed that he spotted Sherlock come striding out of the front door of the building. He had two light brown folders in his hands and was already glancing at the information inside as he swept under the line and straight past John.

"Hey Sherlock!" he called after him.

John wasn't sure what it was that made him suddenly feel he should run after the consulting detective but something inside him did, and the detective actually looked up at the sound of his voice. "John?"

John grinned as he jogged over to the other man and then fell into step beside him. "If I were someone else I might think you were stalking me, John. Turning up at another crime scene like this, and keeping tabs on your sister's flatmate."

"But you can tell otherwise?"

"Well, from the way your eyes are still slightly wide and the way you were standing around another crime scene I would feel that morbid curiosity got the better of you… although I've noticed the slight tremor you had the last time I saw you has gone. Perhaps you went for the danger."

John blinked. "Absolutely right again. Amazing."

Sherlock smiled before signalling for a cab.

John lowered his eyes slightly as he realised that Sherlock was going to be leaving again. Sherlock was his only link to the dangerous existence of crime scenes and John didn't particularly want to lose that… also, there was just something about this man's presence…

Sherlock coughed a little and John looked up. He'd managed to hail a taxi and was now opening the door. "Uh… I was just going to look over these case files with a coffee. Would you care to join me?"

John raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, sure."

"That is only if case notes won't bore you…" Sherlock called over his shoulder as he clambered into the cab.

John climbed in after him. "Far from it. Well I know a nice little coffee shop down near Baker Street. Do you want to try there?"

"A latté, please," John said with a smile to the pretty waitress.

She grinned back at him, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "And an espresso for me," Sherlock added.

The waitress smiled again, leaving her focus on John. Sherlock almost sighed in annoyance. Did she really need to make her attraction so obvious? "Is there anything else you'll be needing?"

"No I think that's it."

Then the waitress had to leave, not without another smile at John. Sherlock this time did sigh. "What?" John asked, turning to the disgruntled detective.

"I was just thinking that if she made her attraction any more obvious she would be stripping naked for you in this public a place."

"Sherlock!"

"What? It's the truth. Do women always go cross-eyed when they're around you? As if so I might need to know this for future."

John rolled his eyes in response. "Hardly. They tend to run from me usually. Anyway what are these case files you're looking at?"

Sherlock pushed the murder photos file over to John. The other man flicked through them, pausing on each one briefly before pushing them back to Sherlock. "I take it the cut on the neck wasn't what killed her? Either that or they washed it."

Sherlock couldn't stop the smile that found its way on his face. The police didn't figure that out but John did… Remarkable. "Even the police didn't figure that one out."

John raised his eyebrows. "It's simple medical knowledge… did they not have a medic on-scene?"

Sherlock shook his head, before turning back to the photos. "Anything else you notice?"

John paused, glancing at the photo showing the neck wound again. "It's a jagged cut… so serrated blade. I don't think a kind of hacksaw would be particularly useful unless this were a butcher… So bread knife?"

Sherlock nodded with a smile. "Usually people would be running from these pictures… but you're unusually calm."

"I'm an army doctor, I'm used to it."

John paused. "I was an army doctor."

Sherlock watched John as his smile fell, the man who had been so cheerful only moments ago losing it. "The real war is here, John," Sherlock stated fact as the waitress returned with their drinks.

John took a sip of his, earning a scald of the tongue. "Mm?"

"The army doesn't need you anymore, but the real war is here. Against the underworld of London."

John smiled again, blowing on his coffee slightly. "Okay. Well I don't think I have plans to become a police officer this late in my life."

Sherlock raised his eyebrows at him. "You don't need to be a police officer to catch criminals. What am I?"

"I have nowhere near your level of genius to pull that one off," John laughed.

That was when Sherlock's phone decided to beep again. He raised his hand to excuse himself as he dug his hand in his pocket to find it.

Body is in the morgue. Molly is currently performing the autopsy. Should be ready for you shortly. – GL

Sherlock smiled at his phone. "Fancy helping out at a crime scene?"

"I just said… I don't have the genius to pull that one off."

"And you're out of work and have nothing else to do. I need an assistant to speak my thoughts to… often it looks odd speaking to myself. In fact, yes, an assistant is exactly what I need."

"Why me exactly?"

Sherlock grinned. "Might be dangerous. A soldier might be useful."

John had downed the rest of his coffee in seconds and was grabbing his coat. "Are you sure you need a partner?"

Sherlock considered for a moment… The cases had been boring of late and this would be a new way to make things more interesting, whilst also keeping John near. For now Sherlock realised he did not want to only meet John on odd coincidences like this… he wanted to be able to discuss his findings with someone who understood – who said amazing, rather than disturbing.

"Yes."

And so concludes another chapter of Foundations, and the start of my first case! I'm really excited about this case since I've never written one before, and I've had to rewrite my plan several times, as I'm rather a gore writer at times and I know that in T this may not be particularly welcome, thus I have had literally no gore in this chapter - I've found it easier to avoid gore whilst in Sherlock's head. I'm away this week in London so the update may not come until next Sunday. I'm sorry for being a little bit late with this one but not actually that late... so hey I'm recovering from my lateness!

Onto my thank yous! Thanks for the simply awesome reviews 8of9, permanentlybaffled and DarKAngel466 - you guys literally made my day! I love getting reviews and it's interesting to hear just what everyone thinks. Also, I love hearing things that can help improve my writing or what people like and want more of so thanks guys for that! Thanks so much for the fave and follows from underwater-icecream-cone, CrazyYaoiLover101 and DarKAngel466 (again!). Then a big thank you to Firelizard Tamer for favouriting - also awesome name! Thanks also to obsessiveicequeen for following too!

Literally I love receiving any notice that you guys have read and getting faves, follows and reviews really makes my day so thanks so much for that. DarKAngel466 you also deserve an extra little thank you for favouriting Good Shot my one shot which is totally my one shot baby and I would love anyone to read if they get a chance! Anyway see you all soon for my next chapter. In which we get Molly! And more of the case! And the beginnings of some Johnlock!