Here we go, Chapter Seven! I hope you lot are enjoying this! Next chapter will be any time after Christmas (=

Thank you, CountryGrl for editing this!


Chapter Seven - Cha-Cha Atrocious

9.10 AM, Sunday

Tilly was standing in the middle of the dance floor when Sherlock barrelled through the doors. Sherlock stood for a few moments, until he heard his brother exit the building. He gave a huff of mixed relief and annoyance, and looked at Tilly expectantly.

"Who on earth was that?" she asked shakily.

The second most dangerous man you'll ever meet, Sherlock thought.

"My brother." he said.

However much he wanted to scare Tilly, he knew that for the sake of the chase, he had to refrain from doing so.

"Oh... Y-your brother? He seemed... Uh..." she hesitated, searching for a word which wouldn't be too offensive.

"Despicable?"

Tilly gave a high giggle. She calmed down after a moment, and sat back down.

"Right. Sit." demanded Tilly.

Reluctantly, Sherlock did so.

"Right. We're dancing the cha-cha-cha." said Tilly.

Cha-cha-cha? And I didn't think things could get any worse. Sherlock gave a sigh. He could remember a little from his dancing lessons as a child, but it had all been elegant foxtrots and quicksteps.

"Have you ever danced it before?" asked Tilly.

"No." snapped Sherlock.

"Well I guess we'd better get to work." she said, standing up. "We'll add music once you've got a basic idea."

So started Sherlock's first dance lesson in almost twenty years. He couldn't say he enjoyed it, but it was bearable. First she showed Sherlock the basic steps. Then without allowing him to have a go, danced the full dance without him, with the music.

"I didn't get to pick it." she said slightly apologetically. "I only realised why they picked it when you told me you were a detective. It's called No Criminal. "

Sherlock's lip curled at the dance organizer's lack of originality.

"Believe me, I've often been accused of putting a body in front of the police." he said calmly, ignoring Tilly's horrified look.

After carefully watching Tilly as she danced, Sherlock was relieved to find that the dancers seemed to spend most of the time standing at arm's length, side by side. At least, from what Tilly was doing it looked like that. There were a few moments where he guessed that they got a little close for comfort, but nothing he couldn't cope with.

If Sherlock was honest with himself, that was what he was afraid of. Touching. He didn't like anybody touching him, whether it was a medic patching him up after a fight, or a dancer doing some dance with him. Ever since a particularly nasty group of disbanded smugglers had pulled him off the streets, and locked him in a dungeon with a hired torturer. It had only taken his brother a day to find him, but that had been enough and the marks on his body were still visible.

"The main thing is that we keep in time. And keep all the moves nice and clean. And sharp." said Tilly when she finished, panting slightly.

Sherlock nodded. He wished Tilly had somebody she could dance with, so he knew what he had to be doing.

"Okay, so at the start, I'm here. And you there." she said.

They took up their positions. Sherlock feeling utterly stupid.

"Raise your hand, and do this." she said, raising her arm above her head, and twisting the wrist, fingers splayed.

Sure there was a slight blush now tinging his alabaster skin, Sherlock did so. And for the seven seconds of the dance he did complicated twisting with his arm. Once that had mastered the flourish that brought his hand back down to his side, Tilly explained the next step.

"Once you've finished that, I need you to spin on your left foot, anti-clockwise. Keep your right tucked up at your left knee, then plant it and finish the spin, your right leg will be stretched out, and your left bent but underneath you, does that make sense?"

Sherlock tried it. It wasn't as hard as it sounded, though keeping his right leg tucked up until he needed it was probably hardest, and then straightening out so he was half way to the splits, while his left leg was bent, carrying all his body weight was also tricky.

After trying it several times, he considered it mastered, and turned to Tilly.

"Not bad. It can take some people a good half hour to learn that move." she said.

Sherlock almost smiled.

"So, let's try that again from the beginning. And when you finish the spin, stretching out your left arm, fingers splayed."

So they tried it. For seven seconds they both twirled their arms around, then then both span, Sherlock blindly sticking out his left arm. He felt Tilly's finger's lace his, and push it up, and then became suddenly aware her face was inches from his.

With a strangled gasp he would never admit to uttering, he started back, shaking slightly. Tilly had paled, and rushed over, but Sherlock stopped her with a wave of his hand.

"I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?" she asked anxiously, hands covering her mouth as she watched the panicked detective.

Sherlock shook his head, taking a calm breath.

"No. It was nothing. I'm just not good with being close to people." he said, calm now.

Tilly chewed her lip.

"Why?"

"I have a lot of enemies. Some have... Captured me before. Needless to say after those visits I have become increasingly afraid of being touched," said Sherlock through gritted teeth. "As long as you don't surprise me again however, I shall be fine."

Tilly's hands had come back to her mouth, and Sherlock, now fully recovered from his surprise, sighed.

"Come on. Let's try again."

Tilly nodded, shaking herself.

"Right, when I grab your hand, I'll push it up as high as I can. I want you to look at me, and then pull me closer by holding your arm upright. Sound okay?"

Sherlock nodded, and they repeated the steps they had already done, then the step Tilly had explained. As commanded when he felt her hand, he jerked his head over to look at her, and found she was leaning forward, out of balance because of pushing Sherlock's arm so high. Quickly, Sherlock pulled her up by raising his arm. Standing on tiptoe so she could keep a grasp on Sherlock's hand, Tilly was pressed against him.

"Right, that wasn't bad. Next I'm going to push you away, but you'll pull me forward." she said.

She brought her left hand round, and pushed forcefully against Sherlock's chest, he stepped back two paces, and then pulled her forward. She released his hand, and spun three times before ending up on his right side.

"There, you're supposed to catch me. I'll drop almost to the floor, and then you pull me up, and I'll spin across into your left arm, and we'll do the same." she explained.

Sherlock nodded silently, and they started again.

11.30 AM

It had been harder than Sherlock would like to admit. Their dance routine was one minute and thirty-eight seconds long. And they had reached the minute mark. Still, Tilly seemed extremely pleased.

"You could go in and dance now without feeling ashamed, but there is room for improvement." she said.

Sherlock nodded. She had obviously realised that he was no amateur, and that she hadn't drawn the short straw in terms of skill. In terms of getting along, she had. They hadn't exactly had an argument, but Sherlock had made several very snide remarks. He checked his watch as they sat having a quick break, annoyed to find it was only eleven-thirty. He reckoned he could leave without seeming impolite however.

"I should be going back. My flatmate's been shot, and he needs lunch." he said.

Sherlock knew Mrs. Hudson would sort John out. But it was a way of getting away for a bit. It was awfully stuffy in the dance room.

"Shot?"

"In the leg. He can't move."

Tilly's hand were back at her mouth, and Sherlock rolled his eyes.

"So can I go?" he demanded.

"Of course. When are we meeting again?"

"How about tomorrow? Same time."

"Alright. But you'll have to stay until the afternoon as we've got to feature in some footage."

"What?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, they're coming round the do some interviews, and film us dancing."

Sherlock moaned. Then grabbed his jacket and scarf.

"I'll have to get somebody to look after John." he said, before stalking out of the room.


As I said in the last chapter, I know nothing about dancing, so I'm sorry for any mistakes there may be in this! I hope you enjoyed it, and and please review! It is the Christmas season :D