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Chapter Eleven
Sherlock had not come back after that until late at night, and then, only to sleep for a few hours and head out again before anyone really woke up. Ash had come back perhaps an hour or so after the two had left carrying an armful of supplies; paper -some with text or pictures on them, some blank- pens, some paints, and a small box of charcoal. Alin had only but briefly seen her rush through and on up to her room before she had locked herself in, completely engrossed in whatever it was. This, being a normal occurrence, did not worry Alin like it had Mrs. Hudson.
"Do no fret; she is fine. She does this sort of thing to de-stress. She's in her own little world for days at a time sometimes." Alin said calmly around her steaming cup of tea as she watched Mrs. Hudson bake and worry the towel she held in her hands.
"Alright, if you say she's fine. You've known her longer than me. Though I must say, I wish I knew her longer; she seems like such a dear. Such an unfortunate thing that befell you two, simply horrible. And you say that it was because you helped Sherlock in this case? Unfortunate, very, very unfortunate..." She continued to ramble, and Alin smiled a little in amusement at the woman.
"Yes, yes, she is fine-" Just as she began reassuring the concerned old woman they heard a very loud and grating noise. From up above the kitchen, Ash's room...
"Oh, so she's rearranging the furniture now, is she?" Alin near-murmured to herself.
"She's what?"
"Rearranging the furniture. She does that every so often. It usually means that whatever she's working on is large." Scriiiiitch! "Quite large indeed." Alin took a sip from her tea and offered no more to the older woman. Mrs. Hudson checked the oven once more and smiled a little; the scones were done. Vanilla bean with a butter-sugar glaze, as requested by Alin.
Finishing her drink Alin rose saying, "Mrs. Hudson, would you like me to get you anything from the store? I was planning on going for a bit of something myself so if you would write a list of anything you need..."
"Oh, thank you deary, so very kind of you. Just give me a moment... and here you are." Alin smiled and took the paper then grimaced lightly at how long the list actually was. She turned and left for the store, waving at Mrs. Hudson without looking back.
)oOo(
This was officially the weirdest day ever- almost nearly the worst, too. Alin would attest to that fact.
First, the list that Mrs. Hudson had written up was very... extensive. The paper had only been a somewhat-large post-it note and it had taken less than a minute to write. There were 27 things on it, most of it heavy. Nevermind, 28, there was a miscount for a second there. Plus the few things that Alin had needed before, like her favorite soaps and lotions. In fact, she could feel some dread building up in the pit of her stomach. She would spend a few extra pounds and get enough for a nice soak once she got back. The sinking feeling told her she would need it.
Alin was walking along, despairing at such a list but all the while trying to optimistic- however her optimism-producing thyroids were sorely out of practice and as a result dreadfully dusty and shrivelled from disuse. As she was concentrating she slipped and landed face-down, a beautiful 9.5 face-plant. Rolling herself over and groaning, mildly glad at having not hit her head on the hard concrete, she looked at what had tripped her up. A banana peel. Her face completely blanked. Really,abananapeel,howclicheisthat?Absolutelymoronic,andtheworstpart,Ihaveabadfeelingthatthisdayisnotgoingtobegettinganybetter...
She pulled herself up onto her feet with a nearby wall only to hear giggling coming from behind her. She turned and saw a group of girls about her age, perhaps a year or two younger by their clothing, and she smiled a bit, a little embarrassed that anyone had seen her slip on something so weird.
"Hello..." She scratched the back of her head and bowed a bit, a force of habit from the cafe, and made to continue walking. However, the giggling didn't stop or die down as she walked, and Alin stopped and cocked her head to the side in confusion. The giggling increased. She looked over her shoulder only to see the same group of girls. By this time she had walked about a block- they were following her.
"Yes? Is there anything that I might do to assist you?" In public, Alin tended to speak more formally, yet another habit from the bookstore and cafe. The giggling increased yet again in pitch and volume. The girls huddled together as they laughed. Alin, not having many girl friends besides Ash and others like her, was understandably confused; and so, she tilted her head a slight bit ever so much more.
"Yeah, if you wouldn't mind. We're lost here, London is soooo big!" They were Americans, it seemed. The one who spoke had been prodded forward by the other three. She was blonde with blue eyes and a little taller than the others. It looked to Alin like she was the leader of the group.
"Hn? Alright, where is it you need to be?"
"Oh you know..." She twirled a lock of hair as she glanced at Alin from the corner of her eye.
"No, not particularly... Perhaps you are sight-seeing, then? The nearest place that I can think of would be Big Ben, the clock tower. Its a bit that-a-way, yes?" She pointed in the general direction. At least they weren't giggling so loudly; that was starting to make her head hurt.
"Yeah. Oh! do you know anywhere to eat? Maybe I could take you to lunch as a thank you..." She raised her eyebrows, looking a little more hopeful than Alin might have thought at hearing that where you might want to go is blocks away.
"Actually, there is a place near here that serves great food- Oh, wait, not open today. I'm sorry, it seems that I am a little out of it. There is a cafe called Belladonna's Brews across the way- I usually work there with another... But we are closed today, unhappy events recently, but anyway! A little further down the street is another cafe, French, actually. However, I must be off. I need to get Mrs. Hudson's groceries for her."
"Aww! So sweet of you!" They all said, more or less, in unison.
"Not really, I needed a few things also." She shrugged, "Good-bye, I must be off. Cheerio!"
She doffed her hat and chuckled, glad to be out of the mess. She had a niggling feeling in the back of her mind that they might have thought her a guy. This thought somewhat dampened her mood. Not that it was very high in the first place.
A headache pounded in her temples from the girls' high-pitched giggling, and she thought once more on the long list Mrs. Hudson had given her. Really, the only thing that was keeping her going was the promise of a hot bath and a long, relaxing soak. She really needed one after those past couple days. She had to be strong for Ash and the rest of them, but she wasn't sure what she would do. The bookstore and cafe only earned so much money, and she wasn't looking forward to battling out with her insurance to get them to pay her the money to rebuild her house. And there were many things that she would never be able to replace, like priceless family heirlooms.
And so she repeated in her head, Ahotbathiswaitingforme,ahotbathiswaitingforme,ahotbathiswaitingforme,ahotbathiswaitingforme...
Alin zoned out for the rest of the journey, used to the path to the store from Belladonna's Brews and The Thirteenth Hour. She took a wrong turn, staring at a grotesque on a building that she had never noticed before, and ended up in a meeting of some kind. Many pairs of eyes locked in on her in complete and utter silence. She chuckled a bit, embarrassed, and made to back out.
"Oh, I am so sorry, I took a wrong turn and ended up here. I will be on my way now. Heh."
"Oh, no, no! Stay! We were just about to begin! We're your biggest fans!"
"Wha- fans?"
"Yes, we're your fan club!" The woman dragged her to the opposite side of the room onto a podium, and she stood at a pulpit of sorts and spoke.
"Well, since we're all here, we'll begin. And not only that, but we have Alin Semloh-sama here to take part." There was a great cheering, and Alin was well on her way to learning what true fear was.
"I am almost afraid to ask, but, sama?"
"It means someone of higher status!" The woman, most likely president of the club, exclaimed proudly.
"Alright then..." She shifted uncomfortably until she was shocked still by the sight of a flag... with her face on it. Her sleeping face.
They all turned to the flag and began reciting:
"I pledge allegiance to our honored and beloved Alin,
Whom we trust with our hearts and our minds."
Alin, thoroughly creeped out, began sneaking towards the window that they were all facing away from. Perhaps she could make a break for it without them noticing.
"I promise never to forsake him
Nor shall I abandon him in a time of need."
Just a little more- there! Alin had jiggled the window open without much noise and started to open it slowly, afraid that it might make a noise alerting the crazies around her.
"And in the name of our idol and true love
We promise our loyalty to him and our sisters under his rule.
Ah-man."
Criiick! The window had opened just enough for Alin to get herself half-way out when the window creaked loudly. All the women in the room snapped their heads toward the noise, looking, for lack of a better simile, like sharks just getting the scent of blood. Alin's eyes opened wide in panic and terror, and she flung herself out the rest of the way, just barely making it out in time. She ran the rest of the way to the store, and when she got there hid behind a pile of cans, just in case.
A minute or so of diligent and near-obsessive scanning of her surroundings and coming up with nothing put her back at ease. However, as soon as she had relaxed her posture and breathed in deeply, a large man pushed his way through her even though there had easily been enough room for him to go around, and she fell onto the cans, scattering them around the floor. Not for the first time that day, she held her head and groaned, getting up only to come face to face with an angry employee.
"I promise it wasn't me!" The employee looked mad enough to punch her, or throw her out, so she ran away while yelling back, "I was pushed, framed, I tell you!" Turning a corner she got the list out and began wearily filling her arms with items requested. She had to get a cart only a few minutes in.
)oOo(
Alin stopped and looked around her. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing up, and she had that eerie feeling that someone was watching her. She spun around and brandished a can of pickled plums ready to defend herself if need be.
"Oh, it is you! I thought- I was sure that- I need you back, dear!" A man came hurtling at her, grabbing her into the tightest hug she had ever had. Her arms were pinned at her sides, useless.
"Sir, I do not know who you are. I have never seen you before in my life. I am sorry, but put me down."
"What, no," He sunk to the linoleum flooring of the store, utterly heartbroken, "But, you know me, Alanna. We were married, and I don't know why you left me. Please come back- I love you!"
"Sir, I do not know you." She pushed her cart away, much too exhausted to manage to care at this point.
"But, but-"
He crawled behind her on his knees, his hands lifted toward her as if praying. He was nearly as tall as her waist when he was on his knees, and Alin was not particularly short in any case. He had spiky black hair and some stubble on his chin that served as his beard. He was muscular and looked like he would be a good fighter... well, except for him practically crying on the floor and shuffling after her.
"Sir, this is embarrassing. Please leave me be." Alin sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Others had started to look and see what all the commotion was. Alin tried to ignore it.
"I love you! Please, won't you come back? Heracles misses you, and so does your son!" That made Alin pause, Howsad,thatsomeonewouldabandonthismanwhoobviouslylovesher.ThoughIamnottheonethathelooksfor,so...hemustkeeplooking.
"Sir, I am not your wife. I do not have a son. I do not have a dog or a cat or a bird or whatever Heracles is. I am shopping for my landlord. Please, leave me in peace. If I must, I will hit you if you continue to follow me!"
"Now I know you're my dear, beloved Alanna. That is just the sort of thing she would do!" He exclaimed, jumping to his feet and he embraced her again, though this time Alin could feel the man's love for who he presumed her to be. It was awkward, worse than the fan club. At least then she was more freaked out and didn't feel guilty for something she didn't do!
"Sir, put me down," she wiggled out of his grasp, "My name is Alin Semloh, I work at Belladonna's Brews, and I have never seen you before in my life. You are not my type, either, and I am not the type who would abandon anyone. Excuse me; I need to check out and get these things back to my loft."
The man, sat there, slightly stunned before following her like a lost puppy, sad and silent except for some small, pitiful whines, but not giving up on his affection for the one who hurt him. Alin ignored him to the best of her abilities and went to the self-checkout in the hopes it would be faster.
Beep.Beep.Beep.Beeeep!Beeeep! "Why won't this scan?" Alin asked herself. It was the last item, a gallon of milk. Of course it was; she's heard stories from John about how he and Sherlock had a thing for milk. It always being a hassle to get, or they were always out. Iblameyou,Sherlock,Iblameyou! Inwardly she shook her fist at the sky and cursed the man's very existence; John's, too, by this point.
Alin looked at her bags- there were a lot, but the man had left. She breathed a sigh of relief. ThanktheLord!HopefullyIwillseeneitherhidenorhairofhimeveragain,evenifIdofeelsorryforhim.
Balancing the bags on her arms and in her hands was a very precarious act. As her car had also been burned in the fire, and it was against the law to take a shopping cart from a store's area, she didn't have much of a choice otherwise. The bags were unevenly placed on her arms, so there were times where she had to stop, unload all the bags and rearrange them. Other times she simply had to stop and rest and give her skin a break from the biting plastic. But, she should have known, it wasn't over yet. Of course it wouldn't be bloody over yet!
Out of the blue, a window shattered right in front of her. A man dressed in all black with a fabric mask covering everything but his eyes and another dressed in armor and a scary, porcelain mask- both were holding long Japanese swords and fighting furiously, knocking her to the ground as they flew by, scattering her bags and ripping the plastic handles on at least three of them.
Immediately they stopped, as if frozen, and began apologizing profusely. They helped her pick up her bags and tied the few the ripped together, into a... something that she could throw over her shoulders so that one bag was on her back and the other lay on her front. There were two such contraptions, and they actually helped lighten the load on her forearms. She thanked them in a disbelieving whisper, and as soon as she had finished the two began to duke it out once more, obviously intending to kill each other.
"But this is London!" she exclaimed once she found her voice after watching the two warriors dart off-screen. "A ninja and a samurai. Really, world, really? What did I do to deserve this?" She almost-yelled to the sky, a hysteric grin on her face and a bit of moisture gathering in her eyes.
"I can't think of anything! Oh, don't tell me! I was, in a past life, that butterfly whose wings produced a hurricane half-way across the world! I hope it hit your dojos!" By now a tear had escaped and she began repeating her mantra.
A hot bath is waiting for me, a hot bath is waiting for me, a hot bath is waiting for me, a hot bath is waiting for me...
)oOo(
And finally, just as she was sure that she would collapse from exhaustion, Alin reached Baker street. She could see 221! Oh happy day! Alin nearly ran the rest of the way, or as much as she could run with all those bags all the way down the street, almost singing she was so happy it was all done and over with.
She plopped all of Mrs. Hudson's groceries down on the table in the kitchen, not caring enough at the moment to put anything away or do anything other than take her one bag and rush to the bathroom upstairs.
Alin let the water run, her excitement building each passing second. She would finally be able to relax a bit! Mixing a nice face masque (with honey, almond oil, egg yolk, and a bit of yoghurt) and taking out her favorite brand of pomegranate shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion, she was all set. She even lit a couple a candles and put them around the tub and on the sink.
"All right, all set. All that's left is some calming music. She set her iPhone into the speakers she had set in there before she left and pressed play. A playlist of Mozart and Beethoven and all sorts of other classical composers, along with a couple modern ones scattered throughout, filled the air.
"Ah..." She sighed contentedly, the tub had finished filling up and she put one foot in, planning on putting the mask on in a few minutes.
"Alin! Where's Ash?"
Sherlock had burst into the room. Alin was wearing only a towel, and one leg was in the water. Alin said nothing, only stared at Sherlock, who seemed completely unaware of her current situation.
"What do you mean, 'Where's Ash?'" Alin growled, low in her throat.
"She's been kidnapped, then, if you don't know. The killer took her as his next victim..." He paused and looked around, eying the small, white towel around Alin's head. "Were you doing something?"
Alin, once more, said nothing, only putting her index finger up to indicate that he should wait a little. She pushed Sherlock out of the bathroom and quickly changed back into her clothes, this time not caring one whit about how she looked. Glaring, she opened the door and stormed out of the bathroom, passed Sherlock in the hall and into Mrs. Hudson's living room where she sat on the couch and grabbed the nearest pillow. Shoving it into her face she screamed profanity after profanity, cursing life, karma, the butterfly effect, reincarnation, Sherlock, men at the grocery store, fan clubs, bat-shit insane serial murderers, and Jackdaws, because that's what started this all. It was rather creative, if Sherlock might say so himself.
After five or so minutes of this, Sherlock became bored, as he was wont to do, and pulled her up only to have her cuss at him. He had never seen Alin with much emotion at all, let alone passionately letting them out.
"I think, Ms. Semloh, that we should save Ash, yes?" He raised an eyebrow, and she quieted immediately, running to her room, grabbing her coat and palming some brass knuckles that were (illegal but) better than nothing.
"Alright, let's go. Where's John?"
"Getting Lestrade." They ran out the door onto the street where a strange sight greeted them. A man, on his knees, holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
"Alanna, or Alin, whatever you go by now, please come back! I love you will all my heart, soul and being. I am lost without you!" Then he noticed Sherlock, and it seemed that he couldn't decide whether to be enraged or depressed by the sight of his so-called love rushing somewhere with another man.
Alin grabbed Sherlock's arm and ran once more, pulling him along as best she could. Soon, he stopped them in front of an older warehouse to the east of Westminster and North of the Thames near the St. Katharine Docks.
"So, who was that?" He smirked a bit. It was an unnecessary question; he could tell who it was by just looking at him, though it didn't fully explain why he had confessed love to Alin- or rather, Alanna.
"He thinks I'm someone else. Let's leave it at that." He nodded, though intended to think on it later. At this point, Ash's life was in danger, and there were other, more interesting, things to think on.