Two of a Kind: the Fall
Chapter 7
Author's Note: I know. I suck. Tremendously. But I actually have reasons for not updating. School, soccer until 5 every afternoon, homework, and SLEEP. I've been losing far too much of that lately. Luckily, I've finally found a free weekend to write. I'm so sorry for not updating, and I'm going to try and keep to a schedule from now on.
So…UPDATES EVERY WEEKEND! (not including this next one)
In case you want to contact either me or Julianne (beta) about anything, you can message us on tumblr. My url is deducing-angel, and hers is casbutttheassbutt. If you want, you can give me some tips on how to improve my writing (or possibly yell at me for being too slow. I really need some encouragement to write sometimes).
Also, this is EXTREMELY off-topic, but I just wanted to tell you this. When I write, I typically listen to music that matches the mood of where I'm at in the story, or what I want the mood to be. I highly recommend doing this when you're writing. Especially if you feel a block coming on.
I think that's pretty much all I wanted to say. Thanks for reading
(Also, this chapter isn't beta'd. I'm sorry about any of the grammar mistakes you might see)
*Em's POV*
"Dad?"
"Hey, baby." Maria's father, Robert, stood in the middle of the girls' living room like he belonged there.
Maria tossed her gun on Emily's chair and ran up to him, hugging him tightly.
"Hi, Mr. Robert," Em greeted him as he wrapped his arms around Maria. 'It's been, what, four years since the last time I saw you in person?'
"Hello, Emily," he smiled. She felt unsure of what to do, so she just made herself look busy by taking off her coat and kicking off her shoes.
Maria looked up at him, "What are you even doing here?
"It's been too long since I've seen you. I wanted to surprise you by coming here and visiting," he said sincerely. 'Well, it definitely was a surprise,' Em thought.
"Liar," Maria pulled away and tried to deduce him. "What are you really here for?"
"Can't tell you. Although, if you spend enough time with me you'll probably figure it out eventually. Maybe even within the next hour," he had the same sly smile Maria wore when she knew she had tricked someone. She narrowed her eyes at her father, then his overnight bag lying on the couch. Em realized, 'He was planning on staying anyways.'
She gave him the instructions to the guest bedroom. He thanked her and grabbed his bags, heading in that direction.
As soon as he disappeared, Maria threw herself on the couch, propping her feet up on the other side. Em stood behind her favorite chair, resting her hands on top of it. She then realized that they still hadn't gotten the plaster off of Maria.
"We really need to get that stuff off of you."
"Yea. Too late though. Dad is gonna question me about it when he gets back, and possibly threaten to kill Sherlock in the process," Maria brought a slick black phone out of her pocket. "That's why I took his cell. Now he can't angrily call him and I won't have to deal with a huge hissy fit."
"You stole your father's mobile," Em said bluntly.
"Cell. I stole his cell. 'Mobile' is too British," Maria stuffed the mobile under the couch cushion, then rested her hands behind her head.
Em rolled her eyes, "And what happens when he notices?"
"Notices what?" Robert appeared in the doorway.
Maria smiled smugly, "Notices that his only daughter has a huge stomach, but no rock on her finger."
He stiffened, but attempted to hide it by leaning against the doorway, "That reminds me. I need to take a quick trip to Baker Street tomorrow."
"Why? Because I need to go too. Perhaps we could take a cab together," she was enjoying this. Em mentally slapped her.
"No. That 'Sherlock' and I need to have a little talk," his voice tightened. He crossed his arms together tightly.
"Wasn't him," Maria sat up, expertly hiding her grin. Em saw a sudden look of realization flash across her father's face, and it frightened her.
She had only met him in person twice before; once in London, and once in the US. Both were before Maria decided to fly across the ocean to move in with her. Emily often heard about the cases he would give her, or a recent accident-prone incident of his. She never really thought much of him, until they met for the first time. In her 9th grade year (Maria's 11th), the two Americans flew over so that the girls could finally see each other in person. When they met up at the airport, she remembered her dad and Robert joking around while she and Maria crushed each other's lungs from hugging so much. Later on, she noticed that he was more alert than the other adults, and always kept one hand by his side. When Em asked Maria about this, she brushed it off as simple nerves.
On the last day of their visit, a gang approached Robert and Maria, threatening them and calling them "dirty Americans". Em tried to bring them in a café nearby to hide out, but neither one of them budged. The second one of the men laid a hand on Maria, all of them were pinned to the asphalt, held there by Robert. Em remembered seeing a look in his eyes; one that scared the living hell out of her. He looked as if he could, and would, kill them instantly for even breathing wrong near his daughter. Maria had told her about his protectiveness, but she never dreamed that it was that intense.
So when she saw that same look appear on his face, she froze. A chill ran down her spine, traveling all the way down to her toes.
"Sir? It's not what you think. She'd never— she's not—" she stumbled over her words. Maria raised an eyebrow in her direction, then agreed with her.
"This eggo isn't prego, Dad. No worries," she gave him a lopsided grin. Em made a mental note to physically slap her later.
"Then I guess you just got big," the tension in his voice eased up. Emily let out her breath, not realizing she had been holding it in.
"Nah. It's fake," she hit her knuckles on the side of the plaster, making a hollow sound. "'Weird cases are the best ones, because they make you get creative'," she quoted.
Robert smiled a bit. He seemed calm now. "You'll have to tell me about it in the morning. I'm going to bed." He said goodnight, walking back to the guest room.
Em and Maria got most of the plaster off in the kitchen. There was a small slash where the killer's knife had gone in, and Maria thought it was cool. She retreated to the shower to get off the rest, leaving Em to get ready for bed. She willed herself to not think of the awful glare. It only made her think of it more, so she eventually just gave up and fell asleep. She prayed that the next morning would be better.
Emily got up and went about her regular morning routine: getting dressed, waking up her lazy flatmate, making breakfast (which is just simply coffee and an apple), and leaving for work. But when she walked into the kitchen to eat, Robert was already in there. A plate of pancakes, syrup, and a bowl of strawberries was placed on the table. He stood by the counter, pouring coffee into a mug. Placing the coffee pot down, he turned to Em, "This is to make up for arriving unannounced last night."
"I…I don't know what to say, except thank you."
"You're welcome. Coffee?"
"If you don't mind," she grabbed a plate and began eating. Robert poured her coffee and sat it down beside her. Maria shuffled in a few minutes later, bleary-eyed. Her head perked up at the smell of the food her father made.
"Strawberries? So it's serious." She sat down across from Em and took a few strawberries from the bowl, eating them.
Em looked up at Maria, confused, "What is?"
"The reason he's here. He claims that strawberries help him think," she took a big bite of one and smirked at her dad. He didn't seem at all affected by her deduction.
"I'd like my phone back, thanks," he changed the subject.
"Couch cushion," she said with her mouth full. Robert rolled his eyes and went to search for it. The second he left, Maria swallowed and leaned across the table. She said in a low voice, "So, what's your guess? Because he wasn't lying about meeting up with Sherlock last night."
Em took a second to think, "I don't know. Maybe he just wanted to meet him in person, instead of over webcam like the first time?"
After about a month of her dad asking to meet Sherlock, Maria gave in and set up a Skype call for them. The meeting went well, despite the fact that Robert and Sherlock were trying to out-smart each other. Luckily, they got an emergency case from Lestrade and it ended before someone's ego was damaged.
"No, Dad would've called ahead for that. This is something he's unsure about. He didn't call because he didn't know whether or not he was going to come," she explained. "He wants to meet Sherlock about this, not me. If he flew across the ocean just to meet someone, it has to be a big deal." Maria opened her mouth to say something else, but then decided against it. She leaned back in her seat and finished the strawberries she originally took. Robert returned right after that, and sat down at the table to eat with them. Maria told him about the recent case, and others that she solved in the past.
Em went to work, leaving the pair to laugh about old times. She smiled slightly at the thought of them still being close, even after almost two years of complete separation.
*Sherlock's POV*
Sherlock woke up to the sound of his phone vibrating on the nightstand beside his bed. He groaned and turned on the screen, flinching at the bright light. He opened his messages, seeing that he had a new one. 'Too late. I'm already here.' Sherlock mentally cursed. He pulled himself out of bed and grabbed his robe, shuffling into the living room. John sat in his usual chair, holding a mug; he was already dressed for work.
"The idiot came," Sherlock said distastefully.
"Sherlock."
"What?" Sherlock grumbled. He threw himself on his couch, curling his knees up to his stomach.
"You can't say that about him. Not if you want to be on his good side," John scolded. "From what I've heard, you really should want that."
"I know. But I can't help it if Robert is an incompetent fool."
"You think everyone is an incompetent fool," John said.
"Most everyone is."
John rolled his eyes, and finished the rest of his drink, "So, do you think Robert has told her? Maria, I mean."
"No. But she'll figure it all out soon. She's smart" Sherlock muttered the last part, but John still heard him. Sherlock lifted his head a bit; John was smirking. "Oh, shut up. You know it's true."
"I know."
John left for work, leaving his flatmate to get lost in his own thoughts. 'The bloody idiot came anyway. Even after I told him specifically to stay where he was. If Maria finds out, the entire plan will be ruined. I'd have done all of this for nothing.' He began to feel anxious, so he grabbed his violin. Playing calmed him down a bit, but not enough. He still felt as if the whole thing was doomed.
Thirty minutes later, Sherlock heard a knock at the door. Sitting the instrument down, he practically sprinted to it. He opened it, and saw Robert standing there. He was dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt. 'Reddish colors with a hint of pink. Woman, most likely a girlfriend, bought his shirt. Relaxed posture shows that he thinks that he did nothing wrong. Unkempt hair; sign of stress. Small dark circled under his eyes. He lost sleep, but not enough that it's extremely noticeable. Recent maple syrup stain on his pants shows that he made breakfast this morning, most likely waffles or pancakes. The only reason he'd make breakfast is if he was staying with someone. He's sleeping at Maria's and Emily's flat '. He let Robert in, leading him upstairs.
Sherlock sat in his usual spot; Robert sat across from him. Sherlock said, "You shouldn't be here. We agreed that you would stay in the US."
"No we didn't. And besides, I missed her."
"That doesn't mean you can get on a plane and fly over here!" Sherlock realized he was yelling and took in a deep breath. Robert looked pissed; he was glaring at Sherlock.
"She's my daughter. I can see her whenever I damn well please," he said through his teeth.
"Yes, I know," he tried to keep his voice even. "But we need to be a bit cautious before I —"
Suddenly, Mrs. Hudson yelled, "Sherlock! The computer isn't working again! Could you come up and help me?"
He excused himself, then went to help her. He was grateful for the sudden interruption.
"What is it this time?" He stood beside her chair. She motioned with her hand to get closer. He knelt down beside her face, listening.
"It's nothing. I just heard how mad you were at that man, and thought you could use a break to cool your head a bit," she smiled at him proudly.
Sherlock sat there for a minute, then stood up and lightly pat her shoulder, "Mrs. Hudson, I have no idea what I would do without you."
"You wouldn't be able to function properly. I do all the housework for you while you and John are off solving crimes," she said matter-of-factly. Sherlock just smiled a bit. He stayed there for another minute, before going back to the conversation with Maria's father.
"What was the problem?" Robert asked, sliding his phone into his pocket. He had been texting someone while Sherlock was gone.
"Simple router mess-up. Easy to fix," Sherlock lied with ease. He sat back down on the couch.
There was a slight pause before Robert spoke, "So, I heard about Moriarty on the news," he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "and about his first run-in with you. I hope you know what you're doing. If not, you'll be putting Maria in danger. In fact, she's in danger just knowing you."
"She chose to stay with me. She could have left anytime she wanted," Sherlock argued
"She's risking her neck out there for you every day because of your lifestyle. You need to protect her more."
"She doesn't need any protecting. She's saved my life on multiple occasions," Sherlock began to get defensive of her.
"I know. But she shouldn't need to save you," he argued. "I'm concerned about her safety here. Her safety with you."
"She works at the police station. I'm sure she's safe," he spit out the last word.
"I want you to prove she's okay here," Robert ignored Sherlock's comment. "Prove that I don't have to worry about her as much."
Normally, Sherlock wouldn't accept. He would call Robert an idiot for not trusting him, and then kick him out of the flat. But, for some strange reason, he felt like he needed to do this. Like he needed to show that he could protect Maria, even though he knew it was him that needed it, not her.
"I will."