I do not own Sherlock, or its characters, they belong to their respected owners. I only own my OC and any other I chose to introduce on the future.

Thanks to cornishrexmomma, VariegatedMosaic, Carlypso, EDoyle, YUNeLenna, JudithAndHolofernes, Wolf and Leopard, netfox, The-Blind-Otaku, ShadowPhoenix34, mirapybred, Sam Sterling, klutzygal12, ForeverFan32, Doctor394, OmegaPhaedra, Aniles, yay1301, mycsherly, Biersack, LilliabellaMichelle, zenstarrfollower, notebook96, Blazer, shainie, WotcherBoo, RaeChasingRainbows, InkFairy, moonlover245, ForeverUnknown15, Danish Fairy Girl, heartdraconis19361, Boba Tea Freak and Voldymoldy666 for following and favouriting.

PS. Thank you to those who followed and favourited my new Sherlock story - The Family Line. If you haven't already done so, please go and give it a read, it's a little slow and the chapters are kind of rushed but it will pick up when we reach the actual story line, I promise.

Any transcript used is courtesy of Ariane DeVere.

Enjoy :)

Ice Man No More

"Where are we going exactly?"

They were halfway down the main streets of London before Sherlock finally told them where they were going. He had managed to get a sneak peak at Sebastian Wilkes' schedule for that day and saw that he was scheduled in for a business lunch at a rather pricey and fancy restaurant in the middle of the town.

"Sebastian Wilkes?" Kate asked.

"He's the head of the division that Edward Van Coon was employed in. He was the one to contact us."

"Oh, right." Kate nodded and they continued walking. "Thank you, Sherlock. By the way." She said and looked up, watching him as he lead the way, parading through the busy streets. She noticed that John had now dropped back to let her catch up with him until she was standing side by side with Sherlock.

"What for?"

"For sticking up for me, I guess." Sherlock glanced down at her, a little perplexed about what she was talking about. "Well Dimmock was hardly going to listen to me was he, even if I am his superior?"

Blinking rapidly a few times, Sherlock faced back the way he was walking. "You're welcome."

"So I guess this means we're friends now?"

"Yes. I suppose. Whatever indulges your fantasies."

"Best friends?"

"Don't push it."

"Best friends for life?"

"Stop it. Please."

"Sherlock" He stopped and turned to her, he looked worn out. Kate smiled and batted her eye lashes. "Tell me I'm pretty." She sang in a sickly sweet voice. The noise Sherlock made was halfway between a groan and a growl as he turned his back and continued down the street. Kate hung back to wait for John who was apparently fighting a losing battle as he tried to contain his laughter as his sister tormented his flat mate; linking arms they hurried after Sherlock who was still storming up the street, his coat tails flapping behind him.

Kate's assumption had been correct. The restaurant was very fancy, very fancy indeed. Sherlock wasted no time and walked straight past the young man waiting a podium at the front of the restaurant to greet them. He already had his sight set on the target.

The man who Kate could only assume was Sebastian Wilkes was sitting at a large table, seated for eight or more people, but there only seemed to be four people present. As they approached, Kate closed in on Mr. Wilkes' conversation "…and he's left trying to sort of cut his hair with a fork, which of course can never be done!" He laughed obnoxiously and his lunch dates joined in with him.

Sherlock strode and stopped by the table, planting his feet to the ground and standing over Sebastian. "It was a threat. That's what the graffiti meant."

Sebastian looked up from his food, slightly beguiled, but once he saw the three of them standing in front of him his face changed entirely; he looked annoyed. That was until he saw Kate, and then he changed again. And now he was smiling. "Hi." He flashed her a toothy smile. "And who might you be?"

Kate just managed to stretch a faux smile from her lip. "Kate."

"Well, Kate." He stood from his chair, flicking his blazer back as he did and approached her with his hand out stretched. "No last name?"

Kate politely shook his hand, as slick as he was. "Kate Watson. Detective Superintendent Kate Watson."

Sebastian appeared to be taken back. What? Had he not expected Kate to have a career that was more or less the same stature as his? Or did he simply expect her to be another object for him to pawn over and conquer?

Rather unexpectedly John whistled sharply through his teeth, attracting the attention of a few customers, including his meeting clients. "Eyes up here sunshine." Kate glanced down at Sebastian and saw him quickly flick her eyes away from their fixated stare of her breasts. She blushed, mainly because she didn't really appreciate being rake over like a slab of meat on a butcher's table and the fact that both John and Sherlock had noticed this. She gripped the lapels of her jacket and pulled on them until they covered her up.

"Sherlock," Sebastian cleared his throat in attempt to cover up his blunder. "I'm kind of in a meeting. Can you make an appointment with my secretary?"

"I don't think this can wait. Sorry, Sebastian." Sebastian sighed and glanced at his clients, apologetic. "One of your traders – someone who worked in your office – was killed."

Sebastian blinked rapidly for a count of five before stammering a response. "What? Who?"

"Van Coon. The police are at his flat." John said.

"Actually, I'm the leading officer on this investigation." Kate chipped in, noticing how Sebastian seemed to perk up at this, even for a split second.

"He was killed?" Sebastian mumbled, shocked. "How?"

"I don't think that this is the time or the place to discuss this." Stated Kate.

"Sorry to interfere with everyone's digestion. Still want to make an appointment?" You could practically see the sarcasm dripping from Sherlock's tongue as he spoke. "Would, maybe, nine o'clock at Scotland Yard suit?"

If she recalled correctly, she was the leading officer of this homicide investigation, not Sherlock and John. So why in seven hells was she demoted to standing outside of the gents toilets, while Sherlock and her brother were in there with Sebastian, who at this current moment in time, was her only possible suspect?

The sudden vibration and chime of her phone in her pocket pulled her from her mental rant. Se unlocked her phone and was pleasantly surprised to see that she had a text from Mycroft.

I trust my brother is being kept in check? He always did like the weird cases. - MH

You heard about that already? It only happened a few hours ago. It hasn't been on the news yet. - KW

Unlike the common person I don't get my news from the tabloids. - MH

So I'm a commoner? – KW

No offence intended. – MH

When you say 'no offence intended', do you actually know what that means? – KW

There was a short delay in messages and Kate was beginning to feel that her last reply had not been received as she had hoped it would. She had meant for it to be sarcastic and a little joke, but now reading back, it did just seem like she was genuinely offended.

Sorry, that didn't mean to sound as bad as it did. And yes, I am keeping Sherlock in check. I don't think he appreciates it, not in the slightest. – KW

How so? – MH

He keeps sniffing me and then acting as if I smell rancid to him. – KW

Ignore him. Sherlock is guaranteed to become almost as strange as the cases he handles. If Sherlock becoming stranger is even a possibility. – MH

That being said, he is currently hiding in the gents with my brother and another man. Is that the kind of strange you are referring to? – KW

It was then, just as Kate sent that last message that the door to the gents swung open and Sherlock stepped out. He stopped when he saw her, and she did notice how his eyes flickered down to her phone screen. She attempted to lock it before he had a chance to read anything that had been said but he must have seen. "For god's sake." He grumbled as he, yet again, stormed off and she and John were left to follow.

They made it back to Baker Street in less than an hour; Kate was no more than two feet inside of the flat when she heart Sherlock the sniffer dog behind her again. "Can I help you?" He grunted a reply. Much like he had done earlier. "What is with you? Have I don't something to annoy you, because if I have then I'm sorry?"

Sherlock was silent, he didn't look at her, he simply stared at the wall ahead of him and she could see him chewing the inside of his lip, rather aggressively too. Kate sighed when she realised what this was all about. "This is because I didn't reply to your text this morning, isn't it?" Again, not a peep from Sherlock. "Or because you saw my texts in the restaurant? Oh grow up Sherlock."

Without a second glance or a single word, Sherlock stomped up the stairs, taking two and the last three at once, "What is your problem?" Kate asked just as he reached the top of the stairs.

"You reek of him." He almost snarled before slamming the door hard enough that the brass knocker on the door behind Kate, rattled in protest.

The entire flat was silent, bar from the faint scuffling and thumping coming from upstairs, probably Sherlock throwing a tantrum. Kate looked to John, she felt like she had hardly spoken to him today, but now she couldn't think of anything worth saying. It was John who broke the silence.

"So," He cleared his throat and folded his arms across his chest as he looked down at her – which was probably a tad strange for him, usually he was looking up at people. "Do you want to explain to me what the hell is wrong with you two?"

"Wrong with me? How did you figure that one out John?" She could feel her voice raising and so she stopped and kept herself grounded. "I have done nothing to him. I don't know if he thinks that I'm hanging around you guys too much, well I'm sorry, but I am just trying to do my job and it has been proved, especially today, that the task is very difficult when you have someone sniffing you every five minutes and throwing a child's tantrum every time he does."

"Alright. Alright." John sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Jesus, it's like mothering two children. Look, I'm not all too sure what is going on with Sherlock, to be honest I don't think anyone does. What did he mean? When he said, 'you reek of him'?"

"Honestly, all of this has been blown completely out of proportion. This all started when he texted me this morning when I was having coffee with Mycroft, and I ignored on of his messages and ever since then he's been such a…"

"Whoa, back up." John interjected, with his hands held up. "You had coffee…with Mycroft Holmes?"

Kate heaved a sigh. "Oh, not you too John. I honestly don't see why it is such a big deal."

"It's not, in truth. It's just that…well Mycroft doesn't normally talk to people unless he wants something. So, what did he want?"

"Nothing."

John looked at her for a moment. "Nothing?"

"That's what I said."

"What, at all?"

"No, nothing at all." Kate ran a hand through her hair and pulled it over her shoulder. "As much as I love you John, if we're finished here, I really need to go through the case notes."

She turned to leave but John reached out and gently grabbed her arm. "No, wait." She stopped and slowly turned back to face her elder brother. He did look genuinely sorry and a little concerned. "Look, I'm sorry Kate. I won't mention it again. You're right, it doesn't matter, not one bit." He smiled weakly at her and she returned with an even weaker one. "Actually, if you're not too busy, there was something I was wondering you could help me with."

"What's wrong?" She sounded a little worried, but John reassured her that it was noting to concern herself about, he just needed a little support. "Since leaving the army, I haven't been able to find any work, none at all. And now I'm receiving final demands in the mail for bills that have went months without being paid. And I thought that Sherlock would be getting paid somehow for his services but no, he doesn't charge people. He does it all for free.

Kate shook her head and laughed. "For being such a smart arse, I thought that he would have thought that through a bit more." John chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Okay, how much?" Kate asked.

John blinked, looking confused. "What?

"How much do you owe?"

"Owe?" John seemed confused for a moment, before clicking onto what she was hinting at. "Well nothing once I get that cheque from Sebastian cashed."

"Sebastian? That sleaze from the restaurant? Why did he give you a cheque?" John reached into his inside pocket of his over coat and fished around until he pulled out said cheque.

"Because Sebastian Wilkes is a very successful and rich man who contacted Sherlock about the break-in at the banks trading offices. And he seemed very willing to pay for answers." He handed it to Kate and upon opening it, he thought that her eyes were actually going to fall from their sockets as they fell upon the number written there.

"Holy fuck." Kate cussed loudly and John looked at her disapprovingly. "Sorry, but that is quite a few zero's."

"Like I said. Rich." John grabbed the cheque with his thumb and fore finger and tugged it from Kate's hands in one tug. She tutted and folded her arms and rested against the door frame to her flat's door.

"I still don't understand how Sherlock can be friends with someone like that. It looked like Sherlock loathed him."

"Oh he does, but apparently they went to university together, and much to no-one's surprise, Sherlock wasn't exactly the most popular boy on campus."

"Oh. That bad, huh?"

"Yeah, and we're talking about the cleaners were more liked than he was. Well that is according to Mr Wilkes." Kate bit her lip to stop herself from giggling at John's comment. She couldn't even begin to imagine what teenage Sherlock could have possibly been like. It wasn't something she wanted to think about in all honesty, but she could imagine him being as obnoxious as ever, just a little shorter and hopefully spottier.

"Yeah. I'm not complaining, I mean it should cover the bills for the next few months. Gives me one less thing to worry about."

"Lucky for some." She muttered, trying not to be jealous of how John and Sherlock just seemed to have things handed to them on a silver lace trimmed platter. "So what is it that you need help with?"

"I was thinking about going into town and doing a little job hunting. And I know that we haven't had a proper chance to catch up properly, so I was wondering if you'd come with me for a little extra support."

"Of course I'll come with you. We could grab some lunch while we're out too."

"Yeah, sounds good. I've got a CV ready but would you read it and make sure it actually makes sense, you know how I hate to big myself up in these things."

Inviting him in, Kate made John and herself a fresh pot of tea and the two of them sat down and dissected his reference. It was good, really good – for the most of it and on a piece of paper Kate scribbled down a list of good selling points and just plain unnecessary ones.

Good points – Arm trained, meaning that he could take charge and has good leadership skills. Punctional. Reliable. There were many more like this and it was a good thing that the unnecessary list was much, much shorter than the good points. In fact, there was only one bad point that he needed to get rid of immediately.

'Played the clarinet in school.'