Sorry for the sporadic updating, I'm trying to keep up but had some writers block and my mom has been in and out of the hospital these past couple weeks with different surgeries. Plus, it is now Mother's Day and I'm feeling old as my own daughter is turning 12 very soon. I find it funny, though, how she now has a huge crush on Robert Downey Jr. when I had a crush on him when I was her age, as well. Strange how things work out. *L* Again, I own no one, make no money at this, love reviews like Chocolate and Gunniess and just happy to be writing again. And thank you to the reviews I've gotten so far and to the people that have added this story to their favorites. It gives me a happy ;)
A hour later the girls were walking arm and arm along Bond street, stopping to look in the windows and chatting. "So, I heard a bit about last night, then. I'll say you've made quite the entrance into society." Elsie said and tried not to laugh. Annie sighed and said, "Entrance? More like kicked in the door and started a riot." At that Elsie did laugh and Annie had to join her in it. "Would you have it any other way?" Elsie asked. "I honestly don't know if it's possible. I wonder if any kind of normalcy is possible in my life sometimes." Annie said and looked in the window they'd stopped at. In it was a white wedding gown, very proper and perfect looking. Elsie looked at it and then back at her friend. "Think seriously for a moment, Annie - is that really you? Or are you trying to to be what everyone thinks you should be?" Elsie said. Annie stared at it some more and then shook her head. "You're right. I don't know what came over me. Things have been, crazier than usual to say the least." she said and smiled. Behind them in the reflection of the window she saw a carriage with the curtains almost all the way drawn, it was across the street. She grinned and then took her friend's arm again and continued down the street. They stopped and looked again, and again the carriage was in the reflection. She was torn at what to do, wanting to see how long it would follow them and also wanting to run over to it. She half turned and then smiled when she saw a couple of young boys at the corner, looking in the candy shop window. "Come on, Elsie - want to live my life for a bit?" she said and took her hand, running to the shop. Elsie just laughed and followed, "I thought you'd never ask!" They came out of the shop with bags of candy and Annie stopped by the boys.
"Hello boys." she said and smiled, taking a sweet out of the bag and eating it. "Ms. Holmes! I didn't recognize ye!" one said and took off his hat, nudging the other to do the same. "Are you free to do a bit of business for me, like you would my father?" she asked, noticing their eyes watching the bags of candy. "Of course!" he said and grinned. "Good. There is a carriage across the street, don't look at it yet - I want you to follow it. Go to the end of the street and double back through the ally, so they don't see you. When they leave off the person inside, I want you to come back to Baker street and tell us where. You can each have a bag of candy for it, and I've hidden some coins in the bottom for you as well. Remember, I need to know where the person inside is staying, it's very important." she said and gave them the bags. The boys shook their heads and put their hats back on, smiling. "Gee, Ms. Annie, even your Da doesn't give us candy! Dr. Watson won't let'em. He says it's bad for our teeth." the one said and grinned, 3 of his front teeth missing. Annie and Elsie laughed and shoo'd them off on their assignment.
"Who's in the carriage, Annie?" Elsie said as they began their way back to Baker Street. "I'd rather not say yet, but they've been following us. Let's get back, I don't think it will take long before the boys show up at home. Besides, John said he would be coming over after his classes." Annie said and checked another window, the carriage was gone.
A block before Baker Street they parted ways, with promises to have tea later in the week. Annie gave passing glance to the ally and noticed the fire escape to her room was down. She smiled and rushed in the front door and up the stairs, almost making it past the sitting room. "Annie?" Holmes called and she stopped and sighed. She turned and went in. "Yes, Dad?" she said and tried not to look anxious. "Find anything you like shopping?" he asked from behind his paper. She could see the pipe smoke rise from behind it. "Not really, we just looked mostly." she said and shifted from one foot to the other. "That's too bad, perhaps we can go sometime together. I hear that is what a father is supposed to do." he said. Behind the paper he was smirking and listening to her feet shuffle in impatience. "Anything interesting happen while you were out?" he asked. She thought about telling him about the carriage, but then decided to wait until the boys returned. "No, not really." she said and glanced towards the door. "Hmm.." was all he replied and turned a page. He didn't say anything else and left her standing there, getting more impatient. "Is there anything else, Dad?" she asked. "Hmm? Oh, no, not really." he said. She rolled her eyes and fought running to the door. "Oh, yes, there is one thing." he called and she stopped. "Yes?" she asked. "You are engaged now, tell John to start using the front door." he said and finally dropped his paper so she could see the smirk on his face. She half glared at him. "What? Really, when will you learn to stop playing these games when I'm the one who taught them to you?" he said and shrugged. She turned and came back to him, taking the paper and dropping it on the floor, then leaning over him. "The day we stop playing our games, Daddy - is the day you'll really have to start worrying about me." she said and kissed his forehead. Then she turned and ran out of the room and up the stairs to hers.
She opened the door and her face fell when she saw the room empty. Then she noticed the rose on the window ledge and went to it, looking up and seeing another on the fire escape leading to the roof. She threw her bag and hat on the bed and climbed out the window and up the ladder to the roof. Just as she was at the top a hand reached out and took her arm, pulling her easily up over the ledge. John pulled her right into a deep kiss, wrapping his arms around her and molding her to him. When he finally let her breathe he swooped her into his arms and carried her across the roof to where he had laid out a picnic. He set her down gently on some pillows and then sat next to her, pulling her back to him. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, leaving his head there and whispered, "I missed you." She smiled and said, "Really? I couldn't tell." He just tried to pull her even closer and said, "I don't think you quite understand, my love." She looked up at him, confused. He smiled down at her and kissed her again. "You are in my constant thoughts, lately. It's like I'm looking back on my life and seeing it for the first time." he said. "What do you mean?" she said and laughed a little. He handed her a glass of wine and then said, "I remember our lives, because that's what it's always been. Not your life or my life, our life. We've grown up together, we've always known each other. I remember you as my best and dearest friend, always there. We have no secrets from each other, we know each other's thoughts, I can tell from a glance what your next move will be, I can pick out your shadow in a dark ally..." he said and then let his eyes look over her so that she blushed, "No matter how you're dressed. I can tell where you've been just by catching your scent in the air - and that was before you started wearing french perfume." She set down the wine and stroked his cheek. "And that's how it should be, so why are you acting so strangely?" she said and looked in his eyes.
He took a deep breath and then caught her hand. "I watched you go from a girl wearing her fathers, and mine, hand me downs to a gorgeous young lady. I didn't know what to do or think, I just knew that you were making me feel things I hadn't felt before, things I didn't know what to do with. But I didn't say anything, I didn't know how and then, when you showed up at your birthday...those feelings...." he said and then kissed her. He started kissing her cheek and then down her neck. "I didn't sleep that night, Annie, I couldn't. All I could think of was you." he whispered to her as he continued to kiss her, slowly laying her down on the pillows. "And I still wake up at night with you on my mind, dreams I have of you, things I want to...." he kissed her deeply again, letting his hands move down her sides and back up again. He stopped and looked down at her, stroking her cheek. All she could do was look up at him and try and catch her breath. "Annie, we know everything there is to know about each other, except one thing...elope with me tonight, I don't want to wait anymore. I don't want just dreams in the night, I want you." he said and then kissed her again. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back, letting her hands run up through his hair. His slid his down her sides again, letting one grazed over the front of her dress making her to moan softly which cause him to do it again, a little more forcefully this time. "Please, Annie...tonight, run away with me tonight." he begged in between kisses.
She didn't get to answer because he was pulled roughly out of her arms and almost tossed across the roof. She sat up quickly to see her Father standing there, she'd never seen the look on his face before. "Antoinette Regina, I think you'd better go back inside." was all he said and her eyes grew wide at the sound of her full name as she stood up and straightened her clothes. She opened her mouth to say something and then saw her Uncle standing there as well, he had a hard grip on John's arm and almost the same look on his face. She looked at John and gave him a small smile and then went over and disappeared over the ledge. "Dad, Uncle Holmes, I..." John started to say but was interrupted when Watson said, "Not one word." Holmes just glared at him and then followed Annie.