Danielle was staring at the map. John was looking out the window after Sherlock left.

"He just got in a cab." John stated.

"He did what?" Danielle was surprised. Now? Sherlock left now?

"It's Sherlock." John told Lestrade. "He just drove off in a cab."

Donovan tsked, annoyed. Danielle pulled out her phone. "I told you, he does that." She looked at a Lestrade. "He bloody left again." Then to the people in the kitchen. "We're wasting our time!"

"I'm ringing the phone." Danielle decided. She held up the phone for John to see. "It's ringing."

There was no sound of a phone in the flat. Danielle stayed listening, as the voice of Jennifer's answering machine came in.

Lestrade sighed. He walked to John. "If it's ringing, it's not here."

Daniele refreshed the page of the search. "I'm trying the search again."

"Does it matter? Does any of it?" Donovan asked.

"If not, we still need to try." John argued with her.

Now Donovan ignored them both, giving them a look of annoyance. She turned to Lestrade after being sure John and Danielle saww her disgust. "You know, he's just a lunatic, and he'll always let you down, and you're wasting your time. All our time."

The page had loaded. Danielle pushed Donovan's words out of her head.

"Okay, everybody. Done 'ere." Lestrade instructed. The offices all obeyed, packing up their things to leave.

The page was still searching for the phone. Danielle wanted to huff in irritation.

"Why did he do that? Why did he have to leave?" Lestrade complained, more to himself by the sound of it.

"You know him better." Danielle sighed, running a hand through her hair in impatience.

"I've known him for five years and no, I don't." Lestrade countered. Danielle turned to him in confusion.

John had too. "So why do you put up with him?"

"Because I'm desperate, that's why." Lestrade admitted. The last of the officers left as he spoke. "And because Sherlock Holmes is a great man. And I think one day, if we're very, very lucky, he might even be a good one."

Then he left.

Danielle sat back, letting out a tired breath.

==NKMHLY==

Some time later, John was making to leave the flat.

"You're just going to go?" Danielle asked. She hadn't moved from the desk, watching the computer screen with diligence.

John sighed. He stopped from where he was walking to the door. "Look, it's not like I want to leave. I think we've extended our welcome."

"I don't think we have." To Danielle, there hadn't been a time limit to their invitation inside. Sherlock had let them in, never saying what they were staying for so realistically they could stay until Sherlock came back.

Not only that but Danielle's leftovers and John's cane were on the desk beside her. Danielle badly noticed them from the rest of the clutter. They belonged here.

John followed her line of sight. He seemed to suddenly realize the cane wasn't in his hand. He limped-Danielle and he both remembering that he hadn't been limping the entire time he was in the flat- to pick up the cane.

"Well I have." John replied, more in assurance to Danielle. It had been a wild night, John wanted to go home to sort it all out in his head. Sort out how happy he'd been when he came back to these flats. "Goodnight, Miss Nolan."

Danielle wanted to sort it out too- don't get her wrong. Only she'd rather do it when she knew Sherlock was back. Call her what you want, but she wanted to know Sherlock was alright. He'd gone off so suddenly- granted he did that to chase that cab.

'That's because he thought there was a killer in it.' Danielle reminded herself as the laptop pinged. 'Which doesn't assure me. He was calm when he left, I suppose.' It pinged again. 'So does that mean he wasn't rushing out? Maybe he found a way to try again!'

"Danielle?"

Her head snapped up, seeing John stand in front of her. "Yes?"

John nodded his head to the laptop. His face etched in worry. "The laptop. It's beeping."

"It is?" Danielle turned her head. "Oh it is. Oh no."

"What?" John picked up the laptop, looking at the screen.

Danielle was on her feet, rushing to the stairs.

John ran out behind her, realizing with horror where the phone- and Sherlock- had gone.

He'd left the cane behind again.

Danielle would realize later she'd left her purse.

==NKMHLY==

Danielle had called a cab.

Once she climbed in, she made space for John.

"Where to, Ma'am?"

"You need to follow every last direction I give." Danielle instructed. The cabbie was curious at her stern tone. "A life is at stake. Just drive- we'll give directions."

John at settled by then. Danielle took the laptop, looking at where the phone was now. Danielle told the cabbie the current address.

It changed every few minutes- no wonder it took so long to load- so Danielle has to inform the cabbie of the new direction. John had gotten out his phone, dialing the police. Or rather New Scotland Yard. Danielle hadn't asked.

"No, Detective Inspector Lestrade. I need to speak to him." John told the person on the other end. "It's important. It's an emergency!"

"Left up here." Danielle reported. She made a mental note to apologize with a hefty tip.

The cabbie turned left.

==NKMHLY==

"And sorry again for the rudeness!" Danielle apologized, giving him all the crumbled bills John had brought in his wallet.

The cabbie only nodded gracefully, accepting the cash. He drove off, leaving John and Danielle standing in front of two identical buildings.

"Where is it?" John asked.

"In that car." Danielle stated, nodding her head at the nearby parked cab. She thought it looked familiar, for just a second. "They left it in the car."

John swore beneath his breath. He huffed, looking to the two buildings. "Come on." He walked towards a building.

"But we've got a 50-50 chance!" Danielle pointed out. "I'll go to that one-"

John reaches for her hand. He held it, walking her to the building. "Not a chance. He's with a serial killer, Danielle. If he's in there, it's not safe to go alone."

Danielle supposed he had a point. She followed behind him, tucking the laptop under her arm.

==NKMHLY==

As they ran through the halls, they called for Sherlock. He didn't answer. Danielle knee that could mean he was either not there or already dead. If he wasn't there, he was in the next building and might be dead inside.

Still. Common decency to find his corpse. That enemy would like it. Mrs Hudson would be sad- obviously- so Danielle gave the search her all.

John burst through a set of doors. Danielle sat lights on now. Only they were in the bulging across. She recognized the curls anywhere.

"SHERLOCK!" She and John yelled.

They ran to the window. Danielle stared, squinting to look.

"Oh it's the cabbie!" Danielle realized. "The one from earlier! Oh he did answer the message, little blight!"

She heard something click behind her. Danielle looked back. John had a gun in his hand.

"When did you get that?!" Danielle yelped.

"Army." John answered. He looked out the window. Danielle followed.

Sherlock was holding something to The light. In a flash of horror Danielle realized it was a pill.

"The suicides. The suicides!" Danielle gasped in fear.

At her side, John raised his gun to aim.

Sherlock lowered the pill.

Danielle ducked, pushing her fingers in her ears. She still heard the blast of the gun, that was unavoidable. She looked up, seeing John lowering his gun.

She pulled her fingers away. "Did you stop him?" She was sure her question was about that cabbie- knowing Sherlock wouldn't have been so stupid.

John nodded. His face set in a firm assured line.

"Great. Just great." Danielle got up to her feet. She walked to the door. "I'm an accomplice to a murder. Never done that before."

John gave no reply.

"Well let's not be here when the police come." Danielle held the door open for him. "Never been an accomplice, but I know how to cover one up."

As he walked past her, John let a small smile grace his features. "Oh do you?"

Danielle scoffed at the disbelief in his tone. "You bet, sir. I may be a tiny bit terrified of that gun right now, but I can still kill you then make it look like a bloody accident."

==NKMHLY==

AN: Merry 2019! I finished this while listening to Mary Poppins Returns. Somehow I just imagine Danielle getting along very well with Mary Poppins.

Thanks to BestiesWithASlytherin, yinyang28, catspaw202, FanOfPiPercy, hadrianlopez1, yukicarr, Jazzy757505, batman75755, MusicIsMyStyle1, for favoriting

Thanks to BestiesWithASlytherin, catspaw202, Emerald180, alvia viridis, zm052, hadrianlopez1, yukicarr, MageVicky, TheGuardianoftimeandspace, Jazzy757505, batman75755, for following