Two of a Kind
Author's Note: I've been super busy lately with soccer (we won our first game 3-2!) and school. So…sorry! I'll try to update faster and procrastinate less next time!
I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS BESIDES MARIA AND EMILY.
Chapter 5
*Maria's and The Boy's POV*
Maria was a bit shocked. This old woman? She's clearly too nice for that. Perhaps he was abusive or a cheater… She looked at Sherlock. He had a serious look on his face, like he knew something no one else did. He kept glancing at Ms. Hudson.
"Charles…" Ms. Hudson murmured to herself. She kept her head down and avoided looking at anything but her lap.
There was a knock on the door. Everyone stiffened, and John walked downstairs and answered it. Sherlock heard the muttered voices of policemen and Anderson. John quickly returned, the men following him. There were 2 policemen, followed by Anderson. He looked shocked and angry to see Maria. She must have lied to him so she could follow me, the detective thought, amused that she choose a sociopath over her own job.
Maria saw her boss enter, and knew he was angry at her. His eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets. Knowing she was in trouble she kept her eyes on the mid-aged intruder. He seemed to be the type of person to attack an officer. Not that I would mind him attacking Anderson… she thought to herself.
"Maria?! What are you doing here?!" Anderson asked, stomping to her and Ms. Hudson. She looked up and gripped Maria's hand tighter.
"Sherlock looked troubled when he left. You said he was the kind to get himself buried too deep in anything he does. I was afraid that he would be in danger, so I followed him," Maria didn't exactly lie, she just dodged the truth a bit. Anderson looked like he was trying to calm himself. It wasn't working. The extra men stood by John and eyed the three brothers.
"Why are you here?" the oldest intruder asked. He puffed his chest out a bit and stood tall.
"Obviously, Jim, someone called them- not Maria- and told them you were here. And they came. Can you use your small brain now and think?" Sherlock insulted him. Jim glared at him, but said nothing.
"Shit, Em." Maria muttered. Ms. Hudson heard her and lightly popped her hand. Oops, she glanced around the room to see if anyone else had heard her. Sherlock cracked a smile in her direction.
John saw his friend's smile, and looked to Maria, who scrunched her nose for a second in Sherlock's direction, then stopped as if nothing happened. He looked back and forth between the two, and instantly became confused. He's acting a bit off. By now, he would have kicked the police out and given us more information about the three brothers, while claiming that we are all idiots for not knowing these things.
"Now," Anderson turned to the brothers, a bit calmer, "Why are you here?"
"We had to ask Sherlock a few questions on a case he worked a couple years ago," Jim answered. Anderson looked around the room, making eye contact with everyone but Maria. He asked a few 'mandatory' questions, then said, "Well, then it looks like there's no trouble here. Let's go," he turned to his men, still standing by John, and gestured for them to go ahead. "Make sure to tell the woman outside that she needs to be more careful when she calls the police. One more miscall, and she'll be fined," He told his men.
"Emily's here?" Maria asked, sounding a bit worried. Anderson didn't answer and walked out.
"I'll be right back," John followed the men outside, hoping to see Emily. He saw her sitting on the street corner, one of the policemen talking to her. John walked over to her.
"Okay. I won't" she said, looking up at the standing officer.
"Thank you. Have a good day ma'am," he walked away, leaving John and Em alone.
"Hey, Emily. What are you doing here?" he already knew the answer.
"Oh, John! I didn't see you," he helped her up, "I was worried for Maria. She's gotten in some hairy spots."
"I understand. So does Sherlock," John tried to cheer her up from the officer's talk with her.
"Is she okay?"
"Yes, but I wouldn't recommend walking in. One of the brothers in there got a bit…handsy," He looked back at the door of his flat. He needed to get back in there soon, but he didn't want to leave Emily alone on the street.
"Oh…Maria did something to him, didn't she?" the corners of her lips turned up slightly.
"Punched the poor man in the gut, I think," he shuddered at the thought of her hitting him anywhere else.
"If you need to go back in, you can. I'll go back to work. I told Sarah what was happening. She's fine," Em quickly explained.
"Good. And, thanks for covering for me," John said goodbye and began to walk back to his flat. He was about to turn and ask Em to dinner this afternoon, when he got a text from Sherlock.
'When you're done flirting, we have some guests that need attention. –SH' John rolled his eyes and walked in, convincing himself that he can ask tomorrow.
Maria kept her eye on the window by her, watching Em and John. She saw Em get a bit close to him and smile. Someone's got a crush. She didn't see John back away, either. Maria smiled and looked away. I'm so gonna hook them up together.
She caught Sherlock staring at her, a bit confused. She cocked her head sideways a bit and mouthed, 'What?'
'What's going on outside?' he mouthed back
'Johnny-boy and Em are flirting,' her grin got even bigger just thinking about it. Sherlock took his phone out of his pocket and sent a text, most likely to John, then slid it back in his overcoat pocket. After about a minute, she heard John close the door and walk up the stairs.
"Sorry, I just wanted to check on- what are you staring at?" he asked Maria.
"The blush in your cheeks that's fading, the spring in your step, and the happiness in your eyes," she answered. She saw the corner of Sherlock's lips turn up a bit. John blushed even more and said, "Oh…well…um…I was thinking about asking her to dinner…"his voice trailed off, slightly embarrassed.
"Ask her. She totally digs you," Maria said.
"What?"
"American for: She likes you." She rolled her eyes and shifted her attention to the youngest brother, who was trying to sneak out one of the doorways.
"Come on. A toddler can come up with a better escape plan than that," she insulted him. The other brothers looked at him like they've just seen him for the first time.
"It's true, Michael. Now, if we're done here, would you mind leaving? I have experiments to attend to," Sherlock walked to the kitchen and waited to hear them leave. They argued a bit before finally deciding to leave.
Maria squeezed Ms. Hudson's hand before letting go and standing to escort them out. The mid-sized one, who introduced himself as Damien, slid his hand around her waist just as they were leaving. He ended up on the floor again, with a handprint on his cheek and heel mark on his shin.
"You would think he'd learn better," John muttered and shook his head.
Maria closed the door and walked back up, wanting to see this 'experiment' of Sherlock's. Walking in, she saw him digging through his fridge. She began to walk over, when John stopped her.
"I wouldn't look in there, if I were you," he warned.
"And why not?"
"Well…" he seemed to not want to answer. She rolled her eyes and looked over Sherlock's shoulder. She saw pickled eyes, intestines, and multiple fingers and toes.
"That's not so bad. You shoulda seen my old apartment. I got evicted after the owner walked in on one of my own," She shrugged and turned away, only to see John's jaw drop.
"Why are you shocked?"
"Nothing…" They're exactly alike! The experiments, the insults, the deducing skills, even the bloody clothing.
"It's something. Just share when you want to," Maria glanced at the clock, "Oh, I've got to go. I need to arrest a pervert before he leaves the country."
"Wha…never mind. Have a good day, Maria."
"You too, John. Buh-bye!" She practically skipped out of there. She really is strange, John thought.