Calvin was painting with music playing in her ears, so she didn't hear the men come to get Sherlock, but she did feel the vibration of her phone in her pocket. Tentatively, she pulled it out to see - thankfully - a text from Sherlock. Not Moriarty.
We'll be needing you. Dominatrix. More details when you arrive. -SH
Underneath was the street. Calvin wondered why they sought out her help for a 'dominatrix... thing', but was intrigued. She threw off her smock, pulled her hair from it's tie, and headed out the door in her dark jeans and red plaid button-down, snatching ehr peacoat on her way out.
Telling the address to the cabbie, she headed across town. When she arrived to the street, she saw no sign of Sherlock or John. She was also in the middle of nowhere. Glancing around, she wandered to the right to peek down the alley just in time to see John deck Sherlock across the face, turning afterwards to shake his hand in pain. Army man doesn't know how to take a punch.
"Boys, boys." she scolded lightly, approaching the grappling men with a smirk on her face. "We settle our disputes with words. Use your words."
They both ignored her, John getting his arm around Sherlock's slim neck angrily. Calvin took a few steps back, allowing them to struggle with each other before growing impatient.
"Boys." she snapped in a volume much louder than her usual low, musical voice. The outburst startled John into releasing Sherlock and looking up at her. "Case. Dominatrix. Dragging me across town."
"Ah, right. Sorry." John said, helping Sherlock up. He brushed himself off irritably.
"Now, what am I here for? I'm not well-versed in the fine arts of dominatrix-ing, nor do I have any previous experience with them. Not exactly my scene."
"Mm, yes, but could prove to be a nice distraction."
Calvin looked at him skeptically before he continued. "I need you to pose as a prospective customer." he explained, mussing his hair a bit to go with his now-bloodied face. "I will be arriving as a recently-attacked man needing help, John will be the doctor who saw it all happen, and then you will arrive moments later to inquire about the 'Woman's services."
"Pleasant."
"Oh, hush, you want to come on cases and this is what cases entail." Sherlock snapped, heading for the street with John a few steps behind. "Unbutton your coat and top. Look more appealing, will you?"
Calvin did so, opening her peacoat and her button-down to expose the grey camisole underneath the plaid. Mussing her dark hair, and pouting her lips just slightly, she said in a sultry voice, "How about this, Mr. Holmes?"
He glanced at her momentarily before disappearing down the street. John followed a dozen or so steps behind, and Calvin watched them from a distance. She hadn't gotten much instruction, but she was used to that by now from Sherlock. She followed them at a greater distance, and watched from behind shrubbery as Sherlock got himself into the house in question - which had been two streets away from the alley.
John followed in soon after, and the door was closed. Calvin waited three minutes before approaching the house herself, her cool exterior mixed with a bit of sultry to make her act more believeable. She had no idea what she was doing, of course, but that only made it more fun.
A blonde opened the door after a few knocks. "Yes?"
"Hello... I am here to inquire about the servies of the Woman." Calvin said softly, looking up from under her lashes at the assistant. She had realized that she had no idea what the Woman's real name was, but used the name Sherlock had addressed her by.
"Do you have an appointment?"
Calvin looked down at the porch. "Uh, no... I wasn't entirely sure how to go about this, honestly." she gave a little nervous laugh, and the assistant smiled at the woman as she leaned against the door. It was a knowing smile, and her eyes lit up slightly with recognition.
"Ah, yes, come in, then." she said, stepping back. "Miss. Adler. We've got another one. Says she wants to 'inquire' about your 'services'." Calvin followed her into the sitting room, where Sherlock was speaking with a very naked woman. By the smug look on her face, Calvin could tell that whatever Sherlock was planning had not worked here.
"Oh? Well she certainly is pretty. Is she yours, Mr. Holmes?" Miss. Adler stood up, completely exposing herself to Calvin as she sauntered closer. Irene turned her head over her shoulder to look at Sherlock. "A very lucky man you are. A shame, though. I would love to have this one."
Calvin cocked her head and smirked slightly. "Thank you." she said, and Irene's face lit up with a closed-lip smile. She studied Calvin's face with a look in her eyes that put Calvin on edge before turning around.
"As I was saying... disguises are always a self-portrait." she declared, sitting down cross-legged in the armchair while Sherlock stared at her with heated scrutiny.
"Yes, you've already said that." he murmured, gaze not wavering.
"Hm, indeed, but I felt I should pass on that bit of wisdom to Miss. Baker." Irene drawled, eyes flickering up to Calvin's once more. She tensed, not having yet disclosed her name and she strongly doubted that Sherlock had told her his. She had been informed of them previously. The comment also unnerved her, hitting to close to home for her liking. She narrowed her eyes just slightly, taking care to listen more closely and pay more attention to Irene's body language. Sherlock needed material things, little quirks and stains and pieces of evidence to deduce a person. Calvin just needed the mind, the bare body.
"Alright, this should do the trick..." John said, entering from behind Calvin. He glanced around the room at the scene. "Ah... I've missed something, haven't I?" Irene smirked at him.
"Please! Sit down. If you'd like some tea I can call the maid." she welcomed from her chair.
"I had some at the palace." Sherlock replied blandly.
"I know." Irene said, as if she was reminding him.
"Clearly."
The room was silent for a moment. Sherlock was staring at Irene with vigor and a furrowed brow. He glanced back at John, scrutinizing him as well, then at Calvin, then back at Irene. Calvin took the moment to move to the couch next to Sherlock.
"Somebody loves you," Irene commented and though her eyes flickered to Calvin, that was not what she meant... probably. John and Sherlock followed her gaze to the clothed woman, and Calvin's eyes met Sherlock's for a brief moment.
"That's not what I meant." Irene clarified, very amused by their reaction. "Though your reaction suggests otherwise. No, what I was commenting on was your face. If I had to punch that face, I'd avoid the nose and teeth too." She turned her eyes on John, who chuckled without humor.
"Could you put something on, please? Anything at all. A napkin." he suggested, and Calvin closed her eyes and smiled secretly at his request.
"Why? Are you feeling exposed?" Irene asked with a quiet note of intimidation and smugness that Calvin noted.
"John knows where to look." Sherlock said, taking off his coat and standing. Calvin stared up at him.
"Oh, I think he knows exactly where." Irene said happily, standing and walking closer to the trio. She stood directly in front of John, who took great care to keep his eyes on her face. Calvin had the urge to snicker at him, but held back.
"Not sure about you." she continued, holding out a hand for Sherlock's coat. She looked down at Calvin. "Or you. Do you mind my apparel?" She smirked.
Calvin shrugged. "It's your home, you can dress however you like." she answered. "I don't mind it." Adler's smile widened as she took the coat from Sherlock.
"Oh? Is it just my gender that doesn't appeal to you, or are you simply unfazed by such," she glanced at John with a smirk, "Exposure."
"Both, I suppose." Calvin answered with another shrug. "Indifferent would be the word I would use." Irene 'hmm'd in response before losing interest.
"So, tell me." she continued, sitting on the armrest next to wear Sherlock had sat on the couch, removing her heels deftly. "How was it done?"
"What."
"The hiker with the bashed in head. How was he killed?" she continued with interest. John looked slightly alarmed while Sherlock blinked at her with curiosity. Calvin had no idea what she was talking about, but took an educated guess that it was some case that Sherlock was working on or had worked on.
"That's not why I'm here."
"No, no, no. You're here for the photographs." Irene answered knowingly. "But that's never going to happen. Since we're here just chatting anyway." Her vice was conversational now, and Calvin turned slightly to keep studying her movements and facial expressions, as well as her words. So far, she could only tell the obvious: self-assured, exceedingly comfortable in her own skin, intelligent, sensual.
"But that story's not been on the news yet... how do you know about it?" John asked, walking further into the room, and Calvin realized that it was probably the case that they were working on earlier that morning without Calvin.
"I know one of the policemen." Irene explained. "Well... I know what he likes."
"Oh. And you like policemen?" John asked, sitting down between Calvin and Irene.
"I like detective stories. And detectives." she replied with a small smile. "Brainy is the new sexy, don't you agree, Diana?"
Calvin looked up sharply at her name, her heartbeat racing at the mere mention. Irene noticed the reaction and smirked a bit.
Sherlock moved to answer her question. "Business.. uh, business with the car relative at the time of the backfire. The fact that the deathblow was to the back of the head, that's all you need to know."
Irene's brow furrowed. "Okay, tell me, how was he murdered?"
"He wasn't."
'How boring for you then, Sherlock.' Calvin thought with a small smirk that brought the man in question's eyes to her face. He gave her a slightly irritated look.
"You don't think it was murder?" Irene asked.
"I know it wasn't."
"How?"
"The same way I know the victim was an excellent sportsman recently returned from foreign travel, and the photographs I'm looking for are in this room." Sherlock said quickly.
"Okay... but how?" Irene asked quietly, brow still furrowed.
Sherlock smirked with triumph. "So they are. Thank you. John, man the door. Let no one in." he commanded. "Calvin, watch the hallway. John's had quite a fright seeing a naked woman, I imagine he'll be a bit dazed for a few moments." John shot him an angry look.
Calvin chuckled, standing and leaning against the wall next to the hallway, He left the dor open just a crack for Calvin to see through. Irene stared after them.
"Two men alone in the countryside several yards apart and one car." Sherlock continued to drawl after John left.
"Oh... I-I thought you were looking for the photos now." Irene said, feeling a bit whiplashed with the change in mood and purpose that Sherlock often put people through.
Calvin stared up at Sherlock. "He is." she assured Adler without looking at her, a smile formed on her lips.
"No, no." Sherlock contradicted, pacing a bit. "Looking takes ages, I'm just going to find them. I think you're moderately clever, and we've got a moment so let's pass the time. Two men, a car, nobody else," Sherlock was painting a picture for them now. "Driver's trying to fix his engine. Getting nowhere. And the hiker's taking a moment, looking at the sky, watching the birds. Any moment now, something's going to happen. What."
"The hiker's going to die." Irene answered with curiosity, studying Sherlock from across the room.
"No. That's the result." Sherlock corrected. "What's going to happen?"
"I don't understand."
"Oh, well, try to." Sherlock prompted. "Calvin already does, and she's only half-listening." He noted this coupled with a nod in her direction, seeing Calvin looking a bit detached as she stared out of the crack between the door.
Irene scowled a bit. "Why?"
"Because you cater to the whims of the pathetic and take your clothes off to make an impression. Stop boring me and think. What's the use, let's see."
"The car is going to backfire."
"There's going to be a loud noise."
"So what?"
Calvin started to answer quietly from her post at the door. "The car is-" she began before Sherlock interrupted her.
"No, no, I know that you know. Let her do it on her own." he scolded slightly. "Noises are important. Noises can tell you everything. For instance..." And the smoke detector went off. Calvin's head snapped to Sherlock in alarm. Irene's eyes looked towards the hallway, and then towards the mirror on the wall.
"Thank you." Sherlock said, stepping towards the mirror with interest. "When hearing a smoke alarm, a mother would look towards her child. Amazing how fire exposes our priorities." Calvin blinked, frowning a bit. She had looked directly at Sherlock when the smoke alarm went off, fearing for his safety immediately. He must have noticed this. She shook her head slightly to herself.
Sherlock had his back to her now, and easily found the switch to raise the mirror and expose the safe hidden behind. He turned towards Irene. "Really hope you don't have a baby in here."
"Alright, John, you can turn it off now." Sherlock called, and after no response he called again, "I said you can turn it off now!"
"Give me a minute!" John called back. Seconds later, there was a gunshot that silenced the ringing. Calvin frowned and looked out the crack of the door, why would John use a bloody gun to turn off the alarm? Had he brought his pistol with him? A man with a gun suddenly appeared, and John backed up with his hands in the air.
"Thank you," he said without humor.
"Sherlock," Calvin said quietly, trying not to alert the men of her presence.
"You should always use gloves with these things, you know..." Sherlock was saying, not paying any attention to Calvin. The men headed for the door and Calvin lost track of the rest of the conversation as the door she was peeking through hit her in the cheek and she was grabbed by the arm by an armed man.
"Hands behind your head, on the floor. Keep it still." an obviously American man commanded, throwing Calvin to the ground and having another man hold a gun to the back of her head. Ah, wasn't this familiar. Guns, men, life being threatened.
"Sorry, Sherlock." John grunted, kneeling beside Calvin on the carpet.
"Miss. Adler, on the floor." the American demanded, and she joined them.
"Don't you want me on the floor, too?" Sherlock asked, hands also raised over his head.
"No, sir, I want you to open the safe."
"American." Sherlock commented with just a hint of disgust in his voice. Calvin couldn't help but smirk in spite of her current situation. "Interesting. Why would you care?"
"Sir. The safe. Now, please." the man demanded.
"I don't know the code."
"You've been listening. She said she told you."
"Well, if you'd been listening, you'll know she didn't."
The man sighed, irritated. "I'm assuming I missed something. From your reputation, I'm assuming you didn't, Mr. Holmes."
"For god's sake, she's the one that knows the code! Ask her." John spat angrily from his kneeled position on the floor. Calvin turned her head slightly to look at him, and then Irene.
"Yes, sir, she also knows the code that automatically calls the police and sets off the burgular alarm. I've learned not to trust this woman." he answered, his gun still trained on Sherlock.
"Mr. Holmes doesn't..." Irene began before the American man interrupted her with a 'shut up'.
"One more word out of you, just one, and I will decorate that wall with the inside of your head. That, for me, will not be a hardship." he explained with a sick smile. "Mr. Archer. At the count of three, shoot Dr. Watson."
"What." Sherlock snapped. "I don't know the code."
"And, what the hell, at the count of four, Mr. Kelley, shoot Miss. Baker." he continued, giving a challenging look to Sherlock. "One," Calvin felt panic bubbling below the surface.
"I don't know the code." Sherlock said, words clipped with anger and desperation as the man moved on to two. "She didn't tell me, I don't know it."
"I'm prepared to believe you any second now, Mr. Holmes. But that second will probably be after I have both your partner and your girlfriend shot."
"Why does everyone assume I'm his girlfriend." Calvin mumbled to herself, voice quavering just a bit, and Mr. Kelley pushed the gun harshly into the back of her head as a warning to keep quiet. "It's just so ordinary." The words were mostly an attempt to calm herself down.
"Three." the man snapped, and Calvin could hear the tightening of Mr. Archer's finger on the trigger as John tensed for the impact of the bullet in his head. Calvin felt a scream try and force it's way up her throat, but Sherlock beat her to it.
"No, stop!" Sherlock shouted suddenly, and the man signalled for Mr. Archer to wait a moment. Sherlock turned to the safe slowly, staring at the buttons as if they would tell him the combination. He pressed the numbers slowly, and the safe gave a satisfactory click as it opened.
"Thank you, Mr. Holmes. Now open it." the American demanded. Sherlock glanced back at Irene before saying something that Calvin found very strange, 'Vatican cameos.'
John immediately ducked, tugging Calvin to the floor with him as a bullet was fired over their heads, hitting Mr. Archer square in the chest. Mr. Kelly bent down to aim the gun between Calvin's eyes. She kicked sharply, hitting the man's wrist and causing him to drop the weapon with a shout of pain. John took care of the rest, grabbing the gun and hitting the bastard in the kneecaps, one bullet each. Calvin delivered another swift kick to his head, knocking him out cold. She looked up to see Irene training a gun on her once-captor after Sherlock hit the American man across the face with his own gun. Calvin took the initiative to grab Mr. Archer's gun, as he wouldn't be needing it.
"Do you mind?" Sherlock asked Irene as Calvin stood up.
"Not at all." she responded, hitting her own prisoner across the face with the gun she'd received. John checked Mr. Archer and Mr. Kelley for signs of life.
"Archer's dead. Kelley probably has a nasty concussion from that kick." John reported, smiling a tbit at Calvin. "Nice, that. Aiming for the temple and all."
Calvin shrugged, glancing at the gun in her hand with disinterest. "I don't like guns." she suddenly commented, handing it to John.
"Thank you," Irene was saying. "You were very observant."
"Observant?" John asked, turning around with confusion.
"I'm flattered."
"Don't be." Sherlock answered in his usual low tone, much different than the desperate one he'd used moments before.
"Flattered?" John asked, looking to Calvin, who didn't know either.
"There will be more of them." Sherlock continued, rushing to the door. "They'll be keeping an eye on the building." John followed Sherlock to the hallway, and Calvin watched after them, needing to wait a moment to calm her body down.
She turned and noticed that Irene was staring at her. Calvin cocked her head in the form of a silent question.
Irene smiled. "You're different," she observed, sizing up Calvin a bit. "Diana."
Calvin flinched noticeably. "You are, too." she responded a-matter-of-factly. Irene laughed softly at that, nodding in agreement. "But strangely enough, you're just like everybody else."
It was Irene's turn to cock her head in question. Calvin pushed her bangs of her eyes before speaking again, "Everyone is different. Variation is what makes us human. The things that make us unique also make us so similar, I suppose."
Irene looked at her with curiosity before striding to the safe to check for whatever had been kept there. Sherlock returned just as she had, following gunshots from outside.
"Check the rest of the house, see how they got in." Sherlock told John, coming to stand next to Calvin.
"You're okay?" he asked very quietly, and Calvin blinked before nodding once. "Well, that's money to put in the bank." He said louder, flipping the phone in his hand. Calvin glanced from him to Irene.
"Oh, and that's mine." Irene said, holding out her hand for the phone. Sherlock obviously had no intention of giving it back, and pressed a button to reveal the lock screen. He ignored her hand.
"All the photographs are on here, I presume?"
"I have copies, of course." Adler insisted.
Sherlock glanced up. "No, you don't." he said decidedly. "Your account has disabled any kind of uplink or connection. Unless the contents of this phone prove to be unique, you wouldn't be able to sell them."
"Who said I'm selling?" Irene challenged.
"Well, why would they be interested? Whatever's on the phone is clearly not just photographs."
"That camera phone is my life, Mr. Holmes." Adler insisted forcefully, and Calvin glanced up to study her face. Just a flicker of desperation showed in her features. But why? What was so important?
"I'd die before I'd let you take it. It's my protection." she stepped closer, holding out her hand once more for the phone, when John called from the other room.
"It was." Sherlock corrected, shoving it in his pocket and whisking out of the room towards John's voice. Calvin glanced at Irene before following him. The woman followed right after her, however, up the stairs to a bedroom where the blonde from earlier was on the floor. John was sent to check the back door, and Calvin leaned against the wall as Sherlock skitted about the room.
"You're very calm." he said suddenly, and Calvin wasn't sure if he was speaking to her or to Irene. She glanced up.
"Your booby trap did just kill a man." Sherlock clarified, looking to Irene. She looked unconcerned.
"He would have killed me." Irene answered, taking a few steps towards Sherlock. "It was self-defense in advance." Suddenly, her hand shot out and plunged something into Sherlock's upper arm. Calvin stumbled forward a few steps in shock, seeing Sherlock's eyes swim in and out of focus as he felt the effects of whatever she had done to him. Irene slapped him across the face, sending him to the floor.
Calvin's eyes heated up a bit, taking a few steps towards Irene. She spotted the instrument still in her hand and noted that it could still be used to drug her.
"Give it to me." Irene demanded, holding her hand out to Sherlock. When he refused several times, a riding crop was brought into the picture. Calvin wasn't sure what she could do, as Irene was armed and readily able to utilize the crop. The phone was dropped in the exchange, and Irene swiped it happily.
"This is how I want you to remember me..." Irene said quietly. stroking Sherlock's face with the end of the crop. "The woman who beat you." Calvin's brows furrowed at the sudden change, and as Irene turned to leave, Calvin moved quickly to block her escape.
"Oh, you. I had forgotten about you." Irene said, unconcerned.
"Give it to me."
When the crop hit the side of her face, Calvin knew that she should have phrased her request a bit better. "Gladly, dear." Irene said as Calvin's head snapped to the side with the force of the hit.
Calvin still didn't move from her blocking position and Irene clicked her tongue inpatiently. "Dearest, I don't have time for this. If you don't want to end up like your lover there, then please move aside. I wouldn't want to ruin your pretty little face any more... in these circumstances." she smiled suggestively and Calvin cocked her head a bit.
"Physical pain doesn't intimidate me." Calvin answered, blinking slowly. The two women sized each other up, both of them obviously having no intention of backing down. Irene sighed, eyes still studying Calvin's face.
"Very well, I'm sure that your anxiety is something I can utilize against you." Irene said casually, smiling secretively.
"You put on quite a show for your lover, there. He doesn't know, does he? I suspect he hasn't had you yet. He'd surely have figured it out, then. Pleasure always brings out the little imperfections within all of us." Irene smirked, opposing the frown forming on Calvin's face.
"He's not my lover."
Irene only 'hmm'd in response. "Now, dear, I really must be off. You're a nice girl, a pretty little thing, and I honestly don't want to drug you. But if I must..." she brandished the stick daintily, and Calvin didn't even glance at it... but she stepped aside.
"What... what have you done to him?" John shouted, finally re-entering the room and finding Sherlock floundering on the floor, still trying to fight the drugs in his system.
"He'll sleep for a few hours, nothing too serious. Just make sure he doesn't choke on his own vomit, makes for a very unattractive corpse."
"What have you given him? Sherlock!" John called, bending down as Sherlock desperately tried to fight the oncoming tide of sleep that was washing over him. Irene chuckled, unconcerned.
"He'll be fine." she assured him. "You know, I was wrong about him. He did know where to look."
"Look? What are you talking about?"
"The combination."
"What... what was it?" John asked as Irene leaned against the open window, a smirk adorning her face. She grinned at Calvin, and then John.
"My measurements." she said, before falling backwards out the window. John rushed to watch her disappeared, then turned to Calvin with a bewildered expression.
"Why didn't you stop her?" he demanded, returning to Sherlock. Calvin bit her lip before answering.
"I couldn't."
OoOoOoOo
YAY IRENE YAY I LOVE HER YAY.
I'm VERY TIRED NOW so I will make this A/N unusually short so I can go to bed.
I hope the Irene chapter was all you'd hoped it would be. There will be more Irene and Calvin interaction in the future, because it was very fun to write.
By the way, tidbit. Since Irene was informed by Moriarty's men about Sherlock and his little gang before they arrived, and Irene knew that Calvin had anxiety and that she keeps it a secret... guess who must have told her that. LOVELY. MORIARTY KNOWS. FANTASTIC.
ANYWAY. I know, no Sherlock/Calvin this chapter, but it IS coming. I know it's slow-going, and I'm sorry, but I honestly can't do it to myself or to these fabulous characters to rush anything. I wa to make it as authentic and complex as it should be. I don't think Sherlock and Calvin will ever be officially 'dating' or 'boyfriend/girlfriend', because they're not really... the people for labels, I guess? I just don't see either of them being like "This is my boyfriend/girlfriend." I think that when it happens, it will be for each other and they won't need to label it. But it WILL HAPPEN. Sooner than you think, too! I promise. And there will be more little moments thrown in in most chapters. The Christmas chapter will make you very happy. And Calvin's confession is also in the works for a SOON chapter.
So stay tuned!
As always, thanks so much for reviewing and supporting me! 150 reviews, wow! Yay! Thanks you all!
So, let me know what you thought of this chapter, and I need to sleep now!
Love you all!
Jess