Curiouser and curiouser
(Samantha)
I found him passed out on the couch, at least it wasn't the floor, with both of my Alice books on the floor. The idea of Alice actually existing was pretty farfetched, but it was all he had to go on and I wasn't about to destroy his high hopes of getting home. I would miss him though, more than I would like to admit. I smiled sadly as I watched him snore softly with a stuffed pig tucked behind his head as a pillow. I couldn't resist the urge to push that unruly hair from his forehead. His eyes closed even tighter before he opened them. God I'm such an idiot, I should have known he would wake up, even the tiny squeak of a floorboard would wake him.
He eyed me curiously.
"Something the matter madam?"
I shook my head no.
"Hmm…your face says yes." He gently tucked a strand of stray hair behind my ear.
"It's nothing." I said quickly moving away from the couch. "I'll put on some tea."
"Doesn't your shop need tending to?" He sat up running his hands through his hair and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Not today, Hannah is back from visiting her parents."
He grinned "So you do have help then?"
"I do." I laughed "She is my lifesaver, I'd go crazy if I had to do everything alone. If it wasn't for Kyle I would have fallen apart this week."
His eyes narrowed at the mention of Kyle's name. "Did you explain my predicament to him?"
"Yea, that went over real well." I scoffed handing him a mug.
"He didn't believe you then."
"It doesn't matter….so what would you like to do today?"
"I quite enjoyed my walk last night, perhaps you could join me on one today?"
"If you'd like." I smiled "but I would like to stop and see how Hannah is doing fist."
"Of course madam."
"SAMMY!" She practically tackled me before I even got the door all the way open. "I wasn't expecting to actually see you on my first day back, figured you'd be in bed all day….ooooh who's this." She quickly went to stand in front of Sherlock "Hi! I'm Hannah, I help Sammy run the place so she doesn't loose her marbles." He held out her hand to him. Sherlock shook it gently. "Well hello dear. My name is Sherlock…." I cleared my throat loudly.
"Like Sherlock Holmes…how cool is that, your parents must have been big fans." She went on.
His eyes darted over to mine, I nodded my head and mouthed to him "say something"
"Umm…yes…they told me once if I had a brother they would name him Watson."
I buried my head in my hands.
"So Hannah how's your mom and dad?" I asked, desperate to change the subject.
"Oh you know same as the last time I saw them." She grabbed hold my arm and pulled me into a corner. "He's cute Sam, really cute."
I glanced his way. His hands in his pockets looking up at the ceiling.
"Are you two….you know?" She asked her eyes wide and excited.
"It's complicated."
Sherlock was now watching us curious and amused.
"Go on now, get out of here, I don't want to see you in here for at least two days." She shooed me out the door.
"Well now, she seems to have a large amount of energy." Sherlock smirked, sticking his arm to me. I looked at him for a moment before linking my arm through his.
"Yep, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
(Holmes)
We spent the entire day walking around her quaint city, she even convinced me to go on some blasted red train adventure, filled with people and their knapsacks full of trinkets to take home to their loved ones. And I had actually found myself having a good time, learning about her home.
What on earth was I doing? Toying around with this woman. I Sherlock Holmes did not make it a habit to be in the company of women and I most certainly did not befriend them. She could hold her ground that was for sure, she wasn't afraid to speak her mind. I found us standing in front of the wall I had passed through just days earlier.
"You wanna check it out?" Samantha asked me, taking a step in that direction.
"We should….just in case."
There was nothing abnormal about it, just an ordinary stone wall. I reached out and ran my hand down its cool surface. Cold and hard, just as a wall should be. She noticed the solemn look on my face.
"We'll figure it out, we'll get you back to Watson, Lestrade, and Irene."
My head snapped up at the mention of the woman's name.
"Touchy subject?" She asked facing the wall, purposely not looking at me.
"What do you know of Ms. Adler."
"You forget how much I know of you Mr. Holmes, she was never mentioned much but you clearly had a soft spot for her." She looked sad, why on earth did she look sad. Irene and I had our moments yes, but that was over now, she was gone, and supposedly happy.
"I have not seen the good doctor since he was married. As for Ms. Adler….well she left long before that."
She finally looked at me, with one eyebrow raised and a lopsided smile on her face.
"She always comes back…but you knew that already."
As alluring as Samantha was she sure knew how to pick her battles. Was she jealous, why on earth would she be, yes I had kissed her, and yes I found my self growing fond of her despite everything in my self-conscious telling me not to, but in the end I would return, and yes most likely Ms. Adler would turn up sooner or later.
"This bothers you doesn't it." I did not want to make her angry, even if anger was appealing on her, I was simply curious.
"It shouldn't." She was looking away again.
"But it does." Her eyes were still turned away from me.
"Yes…" She unhooked her harm from mine and finally turned to face me, struggling to keep her composure. "I'm not stupid, I know that you will go back to where you belong, and I will go back to living my exciting life getting buried under a dusty book collection. I also know that what ever this" she motioned between the two of us "what ever this is can not happen."
This came as a shock, was she admitting she had felt something towards me?
"Bud you'd like it to?" I asked leaning towards her to get a better look into her gray eyes.
"It can't" She whispered "but yes I would have." She turned and started to walk away, I grasped her hand.
"Samantha…"
"Please Sherlock…I just want to go home now." I released her, and watched her walk away in silence.
(Samantha)
"I thought I told you not…oh Sammy what's wrong?" Hannah pulled me into a hug as I sulked through the door.
"I am such an idiot!" I cried "falling for someone I who doesn't even belong here!"
"Now, now Sam….wait, why doesn't he belong here."
"Forget it, I don't need another person to laugh at me." I wiped my eyes "busy tonight?"
Hannah crossed her arms over her chest. "First of all I would never laugh at you, and secondly don't change the subject…Now why doesn't Mr. not so tall, and handsome belong here?"
I told her all about where and when he came from, the wall, his ideas about Alice.
She sat still and listened to every word.
"So he really is Sherlock Holmes?" She grinned when I had stopped talking.
"You believe me?" My eyes went wide.
"Why not? Sometimes things happen, and there is just no explaining them… and you can't help your feelings either Sammy, the heart knows what it wants."
"Thanks Hannah."
"For…?"
"Believing."
"That's what friends are for. Now let's close this beast and…"
Kyle burst through the door, dressed in his full period ghost tour garb and out of breath.
"Sam!…I'm sorry…I know…that I said….I didn't…" He had me by the shoulders his green eyes nearly popping out of his head.
"Kyle breathe."
"What's going on?" Hannah asked him.
He finally managed to catch his breath.
"I know I laughed at you and I'm sorry."
I rolled my eyes and tried to move.
"Listen to me Samantha!" He never once in our very long friendship had used my full name. "You know that crazy lady Gretchen that wanders around town?"
"Yea…"
"I ran into her tonight….your not going to believe this."
A/N Oohhh what's up with crazy lady Gretchen…You want to know? SHOW ME LOVE!
Oh please, you'll find out anyway, because I love you all!
-Shelly
