Ginny19970, WL Chastain, and my guest reviewer thank you all so much!

Let the games begin…

Sherlock sat, be it rather uncomfortably, against the concrete wall in the abandoned building a book on theoretical physics in his hand. Below on the street several lookouts from his homeless network surveyed the streets. He would wait here till sundown then return to 221B to claim victory. A smug smirk formed on his face and he settled into his book.

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Noelle left 221 with a plan. First she stopped by the store and grabbed a long length of rope that would come in handy later. Then she stopped for coffee. Sitting down in one of the comfy chairs with her ridiculously girly mocha she closed her eyes for a moment to sort through her thoughts. Sherlock Holmes, she thought, can't stand to be bored and has resources at hand. Bored. No he took the book with him this morning thinking she was sure that she didn't notice his covert attempts. So not in a library nor any place that would disturb his thoughts. Somewhere she wouldn't expect. So not NSY or Bart's or anywhere he had gone on a case she knew about. He had brought his own distraction so nowhere where he could get another one. Okay then resources, Not Mycroft he was too proud to use his brother not the police he thought them incompetent informants would be of no use that left the homeless network. With this she smiled and headed out.

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"Hello" Noelle said about half past three that day.

"Sherlock hello Sherlock" she waved her hand in front of her face and the man jumped up grabbing her by the wrist.

"And I thought I didn't like being woken up" she teased as he let her go.

"How did you find me?" he sulked.

"Taking a nap were we?"

"How did you find me?" he demanded again.

"Oh dear I told you I am not stupid." She reprimanded, "I thought of where you would and wouldn't be which narrowed down about half the city and started looking. I mean honestly I knew you would use your homeless network so I looked for surveillance. I know the difference between bystanders and different type of surveillance dear." Sherlock scowled at her use of pet names.

"For instance I can tell you that there is a friend of your brother I lose about 6:30 every morning and that there a criminal gang operating three blocks down from here that the police have a man under surveillance over near the main road and that there are four homeless people keeping an eye out on this building plus an additional two near roads leading here. The poor thing you had following me today has found themselves hopelessly following a woman I lent my umbrella to."

"How did you get past them?" Sherlock asked not giving up.

"Did you forget the part about me being a BA?" Noelle asked then added on, "Do you want me to hide or give up now?"

Pulling a face at each other the game resumed.

"I will give you a half hour head start." Sherlock said narrowing his eyes at the woman, "you'll need it."

She laughed at him sitting in the third story window and said, "All I need is thirty seconds" and with that she fell backward out the window laughing at the shock on Sherlock's face as he rushed to the window to see her gliding down to the next building on a makeshift zipline. Pulling on the rope from the other side the knot undid itself and the whole thing fell back down to her.

"Did that answer your question Mister Holmes?" She shouted from below and with one more bark of laughter turned a corner and vanished from sight.

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John turned as he heard the window open then gawked as Noelle climbed in through the window.

"What the-"

"Hi John!" Noelle said cheerily "Mind if I crash here for a bit. Sorry for not knocking the cameras Sherlock's brother set up are a pain to get around." She gave a tug and pulled a long rope in from the window.

"Ummm sure." John said slowly, "Wait. Does this mean you found him?"

"Yup. Did you doubt me John?"

"I- Well- How did you find him?" he sputtered.

She fixed him with a look that clearly asked really and said, "A magician never reveals their secrets."

John rolled his eyes at her. Noelle crossed her eyes at him. They both broke out laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"So you are going to hide out here?"

"Yeah I figured this would be the last place he looks. Of course I am sure if he calls his brother he will figure it out fast enough I mean there aren't too many places I can keep away from big brother but I already have an exit plan."

"And I assume that involves our window and that rope?"

"Don't be silly."

"You know what I don't want to know." John said and turned back to the show he was watching before.

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Sherlock groaned as another promising lead proved nothing. The homeless network couldn't find her she wasn't in any of the usual hideaways such as hotels or parks. As the day threatened to close he sucked up his pride and called someone he hated to ask for help.

"Sherlock I wasn't expecting you to call. Nothing is wrong is it?"

"You know dam well nothing is wrong Mycroft you are looking at me through the camera on my right."

Somewhere on the other side of the city Mycroft Holmes smirked as he moved the camera in question up and down in sort of wave.

"I assume this has something to do with you and Miss Morgan chasing each other through London today?"

"I need to know where she is at."

"I can't tell you."

"Mycroft," Sherlock growled "I will take on one of your dull cases if you just tell me where she is I know you have been watching her, as does she by the way you are getting quite sloppy."

"I would tell you brother if I knew where she was at. As you state" Mycroft admitted rather bitterly, "She knows I have been keeping an eye out. She has been habitually running my best agents around on wild goose chases. If anything you have found a resourceful muse."

Sherlock ignored the jab, "You haven't seen her at all not even on the cameras?"

"No I have already-" but he was cut off as Sherlock hung up on him waving to the camera focused on him as he sped towards home.

"Oh stupid, stupid" Sherlock muttered angrily at himself. He knew exactly where she was.

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The earpiece set out an alarming ding in Noelle's ear and she perked up.

"Well John that is my cue to leave see you later."

"What?" the befuddled doctor inquired.

"I set a tracker on Sherlock. It lets me know when he is within five miles."

"Okay then."

Noelle headed out the front door waving at the camera she knew Mycroft would see and grinned at the member of the homeless network outside the flat. A second later she was gone from all eyes again. Later Mycroft Holmes' team would scrutinize the recordings and just catch a woman with a similar build disappear into a crowd of tourist bustling not ten feet past one Sherlock Holmes.

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"Where is she!" Sherlock demanded.

"Gone not five minutes ago."

"But she was here."

"For almost three hours."

Sherlock cursed under his breath and fixed John with a glare.

"You should have texted me." he whined.

"Oh no" John replied raising his hands defensively, "I said I am not getting in the middle of this,"

"She could be anywhere."

"That is the point of the game is it not?"

Sherlock glared at John then rushed out again. John Watson watched from the window as his friend strode down the street.

"Sherlock Holmes chasing a woman. I would have never thought."

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That night the two sat across from each other arms crossed.

"I was ten feet away from you."

"But you didn't notice."

"I realized my mistake later. I found you."

"After the fact. If I were a snake I would have bit you."

"Highly unlikely. A snake wouldn't cross ten feet to a nonaggressive threat to attack it."

"It's a saying, dear." She used a pet name just to mess with him and was rewarded when he pulled a face she crossed her eyes and continued, "Finding someone in your mind palace isn't the same as finding them in life."

John chuckled from his chair, "Shut up." Sherlock snapped.

"Fine ask your question."

"Hmmm let's see. What is your favorite thing to eat?"

"That is your question?"

"Oi! It's my turn to ask questions."

"I do not have anything favorite to eat. Food is simply necessary for my transport."

Noelle made a rude sound,"Pttttttth. You like Chinese better than dirt prefer your coffee a specific way so you must have a favorite food."

"I have an affinity for toast with cheese."

"Your favorite food is a grilled cheese sandwich?" Noelle repeated with a grin.

"No, toast with cheese. It is far superior to what you Americans cook to appease children."

"Have you ever had an American grilled sandwich for children?"

"No, I ate well cooked meals as a child."

"That's it next time y'all come over it is grilled cheese time."

Sherlock cringed, "Y'all?" he asked as the woman burst out laughing at the distinctly Southern term coming from his mouth.

"It is a proper conjunction."

"No it is not."

"You all. Y'all."

"Americans." Sherlock spat although there was no real malice to it.

"Brits." The woman responded in the same tone.

There was silence for a second broken by Noelle's laughter followed by John and eventually Sherlock's low rumblings. The friends continued in amiable laughter for a few minutes when the laughter died they would look at each other and start again. At last when they finally abated Noelle nodded at Sherlock.

"Alright scarecrow your turn."

"Spades?"

After a remarkable defeat the woman reminded Sherlock that she advanced him a question and they moved onto 20 questions which went something like this.

"Is it living?"

"Yes"

"It is a dolphin."

"Sherlock how did you know that?"

"Obvious they are your favorite animal."

"Okay my turn. Did you think of something?"

"Obviously."

"Is it living?"

"No."

"Was it ever?"

"No."

"Is it a piece of lab equipment?"

"No."

"Is it…"

About five minutes later it was revealed to be a rugby ball.

"Who in the world picks that?" Noelle complained.

"Someone who knew they would not be correlated with sports and who knew their opponent was an American with little knowledge of the game."

"Oh do shut up and ask the question."

Leaning forward and folding his fingers under his chin Sherlock regarded the woman with piercing eyes. After a moment of silence Noelle grew uncomfortable under such scrutiny and shifted in her seat.

"Any time scarecrow." She urged impatiently.

"What" he asked purposefully, "are you most afraid of?"

"Really?"

"My turn to ask questions." He echoed her earlier response.

Noelle huffed aware that John was now listening as well and muttered something.

"I am sorry. I didn't catch that."

"Spiders" she said louder.

"Wait" John chimed in, "You're telling me you have been through horrific situations, travelled the world, worked with the CIA, and lived with Sherlock for goodness sake and you are afraid of spiders."

"Shut up." She seethed.

"Sorry it's just- spiders?"

"Their 8 legged freaks. So okay I am obviously fearful of other things such as people I love dying or rollercoasters"

"Rollercoasters?" Sherlock asked.

"But I just can deal with that stuff when it comes to it. Just something about spiders just uhhh" she shuddered.

"You have a phobia." Sherlock stated.

"No a phobia is an irrational fear. Spiders are evil, evil creatures and it is completely rational to fear them."

"It's a phobia."

"Nuh-uh" responded the woman.

"Yup" responded Sherlock not to be outdone by Noelle pulled a face to which she crossed her eyes.

"Tea?" John asked earning him another face from Noelle.

"I will pass. In fact I need to get going soon. I should probably eat some dinner as I skipped lunch."

"Eating's dull." Sherlock reminded her.

"Your face is dull" She responded to an affronted Sherlock who flopped on the couch to sulk.

"Goodnight Noelle" John bid as she stood to walk out, "Watch out for spiders."

"Shut up John." Noelle commanded but bid him and Sherlock goodnight none the less.

After she left Sherlock turned to John, "Where is the remote?"

John guiltily looked over to the corner where the TV remote lay shattered.

"We had a row." He said begrudgingly and Sherlock's eyebrows rose, "Oh shut up!"

Coming soon the games continue and the game begins. Stay tuned.

And please review

PS: After I posted on Halloween I went to a party {as Medusa} and just about died as three people came in dressed as Sherlock John and Moriarty later the 7th doctor made an appearance and to my utmost delight Mary Poppins and the chimney sweep came in. My favorite costumes of the night.