John's first email to Sherlock

Sherlock,

Look, I know you're going insane because knowing you, you're bored. Again. Nothing major has happened here at all, I've only been here a day. And you still haven't sent me my stuff. I've met the Barrymores as well as the Stapletons. The Barrymores seem to be alright, Mr. Barrymore is a larger man, butler, keeps charge of everything. He recently asked if he and his wife could be let go, much to the surprise of everyone. Mrs. Barrymore is a small, thinner woman. She doesn't speak much, and is usually closer to her husband. The Stapletons live in a small house near the edge of the smallest cluster, nearest to the house. The brother is obsessed with bugs, usually moths and butterflies. I think he might be a little bit crazy. His sister is a charming young lady, she's beautiful and quite smart. I caught Henry making eyes at her when we went down to introduce ourselves. Henry's an alright guy, a bit shallow, and maybe a tad thick, but his heart's in the right place. I've still got to meet Dr. James Mortimer but I'm not really looking forward to that, a fellow doctor to form a rivalry with is not in my best interest right now.

I think you might have already known this, which would be part of the reason you sent me out here... By myself... There's an escaped convict on the loose in the countryside of Hull. Everything is monitored and checked by police, it's all very dull. Lucky for me I haven't left my gun at home for a long time and already had it with me when we arrived.

All is quite down here, and to tell you the truth, I think I like it out here better than I do in the city.

I'll do some nosing about, see what I can find, but truth be told, I think it's a lost cause. I hope that when I come home there won't be a huge mess, or a strange smell or anything like that waiting for me. Don't get too bored.

John.

Sherlock

Just as I though. He's happy, which may or may not be a bad thing. It's only been a day and already I'm bored. Who'd have thought that one friend could make life so much more interesting? Certainly not I. It is ridiculous to think that someone could miss someone else, I never have. Is it normal to miss someone? Probably. John always makes the flat much more entertaining, even if he is yelling at me to pick such and such up, or to put away my coffee mug, or to clean out the fridge when I'm done with my experiments. God it gets tedious sometimes, but then you sort of miss it. Odd. I type a hurried reply, I need to get out. Need to do something. I snap my laptop closed and carry it under my arm, before locking the flat door behind me. I need to see someone. (AUTHOR INTRUSION! Sorry, usually I'd wait till the end, but this is where I say, I'm going to be mean and deviate from the book. This is where I wouldn't put this up as a totally different story because I bring in off characters (again) and not everyone likes that. SORRY! RETURN!) Hannah. She'll be at the cafe, most likely with Michael. I need to ask some advice. At least John isn't here to say anything, to mock me. I hail a cab and get out at the cafe, good. Hannah looks like she and Michael are about to leave, look, she's paying now.

"Hannah, Michael. I need your help?" Hannah turns and looks at me, smiling,

"Of course. Walk with us? My flat's not too far from here."
"I thought you lived with your parents." She smiles again before leading us down the street,

"That's what I want you to think, actually I live right across the street from them. We've made an arrangement. Michael knows this." She smiles again as she fumbles for her keys, "I should apologize, it's kind of a mess, things have been happening in my life a lot quicker then usual, my head is just teeming with ideas." She pushes open the door and drops her bag near the door, "Make yourself at home, there should be a space on the chair, even if it's not very big."

"John leave?"

"What?"

"Did John leave?"

"Well, not really, I sort of-"

"I can tell." I want to roll my eyes, people stealing my thing, and doing it to me, acting like they are clever is just annoying. Acting like they know everything. It's not natural, it's unpleasant, and it's my thing.

"Thanks."

"Here," he clears away a couple of notebooks and pens from one of the chairs and pushes me into it, "Coffee?" It seems as though he gets it, that I don't like being analyzed like that, that I don't like people stealing my things and trying them out on me. Do that to other people kid, I'm all for that, but when I'm around, it's my thing. Michael smiles apologetically, "Sorry. Habit."

"It's fine." Not really.

"Coffee?" he asks again.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Thanks. Black-"

"Two sugars. Hannah?"

"On it." She bustles about in the kitchen, "What's ailing you Mr. Holmes?"

"Sherlock, and nothing's ailing me. I'm just bored." She grins,

"We're flattered to think that you find us entertaining."

"You're what? Fifteen? And you live by yourself?" I ask after a while,

"Absolutely, I've always been a bit independent. I got fed up with my family, and everything that I got a job and moved out. Not very far, I still go over and see them, but I'm pretty much on my own out here. It's nice really." I nod, I know exactly how it feels. Relaxing more then anything. "Plus, I'm not really alone, Michael is over more then he isn't, we skip school and write, talk, that kind of thing. Which is why you caught us at the cafe." I smile,

"I figured, Friday, I skipped on Friday's too, not worth it."

"Absolutely. My thoughts exactly." She smiles as she leans against the counter top. She did all of this herself. Interesting. She's going to be going places when she gets out of school.

"Yeah, what's the point of being in school when it's a nice day out, one of the few in a long while, and you have ideas and can utilize those for bigger, better things?" Hannah smiles at Michael before handing me my coffee,

"Careful."

"Always."
"No you aren't." They say at the same time, it's kind of funny the way they think the same way, they get each other. It's weird. But I get John so I guess it's not that weird.

Several Hours later

"NO! Listen! And so when we finished with that, John and I had to race across London after a bloody cab! Only the passenger wasn't the murderer! HE WAS FROM CALIFORNIA! Of all things!" We laugh together, for the past few hours we've been sharing stories and laughing. It's quite entertaining, John would love this. Wait. John... I sit up, what am I doing? I excuse myself a moment and open my laptop, time to check my email again.

Sherlock,

Thanks for the clothes, got here nice and DIRTY just as promised. God, you couldn't busy yourself enough to at least get me clean clothes? Typical. Anyway, there is a point to this email. What? It's late now, really late. Hope you haven't lost track of time blowing holes in my wall. Woke up because someone was walking around out side my door, I looked out and it was Barrymore, carrying a flashlight. I followed him a bit, he went into a room with a window facing the yard, waved the flashlight a bit and then left, nearly running into me. I thought it was suspicious. And that you should probably hear about it. I can't do anything about it tonight, but I'll do some poking around tomorrow morning. Don't stay out too late, there's some left overs in the fridge that you should eat and do your laundry. I sound like a mother.

John

The message brings a smile to my lips, intriguing. I look up and the two teens are staring at me expectantly. What could they possibly- Oh. They want me to talk. Right, I could use some advice so I better get to telling them about John.

"John's away doing some," I use air quotes to emphasize that it's sarcastic, "spying for me. It's for a case, he'll be gone a whole week, but knowing him, something will happen that will make me go down there at the end of the week to sort some mystery out. That's just like him too." The two are quite a minute before looking at each other, nothing is said verbally, but they converse. Hannah looks at me first,

"You know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think you should go secretly." Michael perks up,

"Yeah, it's like stalking him, but for his own protection!" I lean forward, obviously they don't know what this situation is. They don't understand.

"Look, if you sent your best friend somewhere for a stupid reason, and then you realized, OH HEY! It's boring without them around. And then you realize you might have put them in a bad position. Or that they won't get the information you need properly. What would you do?"

"I'd go after him."

"STALK HIM SO HE WON'T GET HURT!" Two totally different answers, but totally the same. I smile,

"How?"

"I'd find a way to get down there, I would then conceal myself under a false identity or go camp out somewhere out of sight to where they wouldn't get creeped out because they wouldn't know I was there."

"Great good plan. Actually," I stand up gathering my things, "that's a great plan. You guys are brilliant! I think that my best mate needs me, and it's time that I leave. It's late and I need to book a plane ticket for myself. Thank you." I take my leave, time to go home. John might need me soon. I have just the idea.