.okumura- Thank you! No they are not getting together. I don't write good romance because I tend to get to a serious part then go BAM! Nope not for you.
Teshka- dancing dancing dancing with you. No I have not seen season three yet but it starts tonight in America. Guess where I will be? Also thank you again for your lovely kind words!
Pinkyndx- Thank you! John needed some time to recover his wits but I think he was just jealous. …but of who?
Beside Moonlight- Yes poor John he gets back in there in this chapter though.
Ginny19970- hehehe I had quite af bit of fun with that.
Thank you all for reviewing and thank you all my readers who I love. The new year is driving me insane with busyness but I promise to keep updating.
Noelle, Sherlock, and John looked at each other. Then for some reason Noelle burst out laughing.
"You two, haha, and me haha" she tried to choke out, "and all together now boys! hahahahaha"
Sherlock joined in the laughter but John just looked horrified.
"Stop it! This is no laughing matter." John attempted.
"I know but just the chorus was perfect. I couldn't have scripted it better. hahaha" Noelle deteriorated into laughter again and John thought for a moment that she had gone mad.
"Noelle mercenaries are after you." He reminded and she sobered up immediately.
"Yes John I got that." She grumbled and looked so ill at ease John thought it may have been cruel to stop her glee so suddenly.
"So who is it?" Sherlock asked steeping his fingers under his chin.
"I don't know.' And John could tell the thought troubled her, "Technically it could be anyone. It is an easily deniable way to get someone who you aren't allowed to touch but my protection is more than just diplomatic. I have a suspicion but I am going to have to make a few calls before I am certain."
"Well?" Sherlock asked and John was curious too leaning forward to get the details.
"Like I said nothing confirmed." She waved her hand and Sherlock let out a frustrated groan.
"What I am interested in Sherlock is what you gleaned." She was obviously changing the topic but Sherlock either didn't notice or- scratch that Sherlock always noticed. He must have decided it was a losing battle.
"I know why the agencies are all concerned over Ms. Adler." John raised his eyebrows, "Oh don't look so surprised John, of course I am still working on that." John huffed he hated the mindreading trick.
"and of Moriarty?" Noelle prodded.
"He appears to have a more extensive web than I first thought."
"Yes I heard of an interesting happening down in Argentina that sounds like his work."
"Really." Sherlock was obviously surprised and John chuckled.
"Really Sherlock you know she did this as a job. You can't out preform in everything."
"I didn't mean it that way." Sherlock grumbled but he obviously did and Noelle went into fits of giggles.
John noticed that their neighbor had left her coat on even though it was quite warm in the flat.
"Noelle really can I take your coat?" John asked, "Even for you that must be warm."
"No really I am quite comfy." Noelle dismissed but if John was correct she was hiding something.
"Don't be ridiculous," Sherlock waved with his hand and confirmed John's suspicions, "John won't care."
"Fine" she grumbled and threw her coat over the sofa.
John noticed two things first. One, Noelle was gorgeous. Honestly John had never really considered her in that way as she was always bundled up like she lived at the north pole but in the dress she had on she really was a beautiful woman. The other thing he noticed was the fact that she was showing a lot more skin than she usually did and he wondered why. It wasn't until he had complimented her outfit and she embarrassedly thanked him did he realized that the scars that lined her body made her feel self-conscious. John sometimes forgot that the woman hid things very well and the idea of her being in any way self-conscious even though it was now obvious sat foreign with him.
"Well" Noelle said trying to change the topic, "Sherlock did the woman in the purple give you anything tonight?"
"Yes" he said digging out a flashdrive. "but she didn't say what it was f- hey." He looked like a child who had a toy taken away from him as she snatched it out of his hand.
"Not for you." She told him.
"What about the other ones?" he challenged.
"Oh I already got the other ones I needed." She winked, "I picked your pocket during your 'experiment'" she air quoted.
Sherlock looked scandalized.
"Anyways I was talking about Argentina…"
They spent the rest of the night discussing the various things the two had learned that night mostly to do with Moriarty but John noticed that occasionally Noelle would talk about someone she had traded information with but then stop short of telling what she learned. It did amuse him to learn that Sherlock had traded dances for tidbits of information but was horrified that Noelle got a flashdrive in the shape of a movie character in exchange for the story behind a scar on above her kneecap. (John didn't ask.) All in all it appeared to be a successful night and they parted with the usual salutations.
"One question." John asked as he escorted his friend out the door.
"Yes." She prodded expectantly.
"How was the kiss?" John asked with a devilish smile.
Noelle just smiled right back, "Did you want information for your own experiment John?"
His face went red, "No, I, Now you know that wasn't what I was-"
"Oh stop sputtering I am only messing with you- unless I'm not." She added.
John stuck his tongue out and Noelle laughed, "No thanks dear I think one roommate is enough for the night."
John laughed, "You are impossible."
"I know."
"and you never answered my question," he shouted as she skipped off.
"So" John asked once the woman had left, "are we calling this a win?"
"Hmm" Sherlock replied from his thinking position.
"So you think you have gotten good information?"
"Hmm"
John rolled his eyes.
"And did you see that giant flying white whale on the news tonight?"
"Hmm." Sherlock confirmed.
"And hear about that terrible sharknado that is terrorizing the States?"
"Hmm."
"And do you think Noelle is a good kisser?"
"Hmm." Sherlock replied.
"And that I am smarter than you?"
"Hmm."
"and that you look ridiculous in your coat?"
"Hmm What are you prattling about John?" Sherlock finally snapped irritated.
"Oh nothing just asking you questions?"
"Oh no tell me I didn't agree to go to one of those inane bars with you again."
"Nope," John smiled, "You want to know what you did agree to oh observant one?"
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"For the last time John those statements cannot be used against me. If I was seriously considering the facts I obviously would have come to different conclusions. Even you have agreed that my superior intellect outstrips yours." Sherlock was irritated at the childish prank John had pulled on him and constantly reminded him of all morning.
"Well" John antagonized, "If your intellect is so superior then how was I able to trick you?"
"Yes," Sherlock snarled, "Pardon my momentary lack of judgment when I considered that I had chosen a roommate who being a doctor and a captain was above such childish behavior."
"Oh so I suppose you had a list of people who wanted to live with you?"
Their eyes rested momentarily on Billy the skull and they both broke out chuckling.
"Well," Sherlock smirked, "I suppose I am a little hard to live with."
"Yes your old roommate must have been thick skulled."
They fell into an amiable silence after that. John tapping on his computer and Sherlock testing the variables of a viscous liquid when heated to boiling point then dropped onto a-
"JOHN!" a terrified scream came from below, "JOHN! SHERLOCK! SOMEBODY!"
The men shared a glance then sprinted down the stairs. They had gotten used to Noelle's night terrors so the screaming worried them less but she had never shouted for them and it was broad daylight at this time. John got there first this time bursting in with his pistol drawn and Sherlock on his heels. Then he lowered his weapon and started laughing.
"JOHN!" Noelle both admonished and pleaded, "KILL IT!"
Noelle was crouched on the table gun in her hands pointing at a moderately sized spider next to it another was pinned to the wall with a knife. John walked over and smashed the bug and carted them both to the trash (the one in his flat at the woman's insistence.)
While John was carting the carcasses away Sherlock turned to Noelle.
"Don't do that." He said.
"It tried to eat me." She protested now getting down from the table and visible shaking.
"Oh for goodness sake!" Sherlock replied exasperated, "It was hardly a giant."
"It was pure evil."
"We thought you were dying."
"I came close!"
"You have a phobia."
"No a phobia is irrational. It is not irrational to be afraid of spiders they're evil godless creatures who would kill you without a second thought."
"If you are still rational why don't you come down from the table?" Sherlock coaxed extending his hand.
"Because there may be more." She replied seriously, "One jumped out at me and I got it with my knife then the other one appeared as if Satan summoned it himself."
"Noelle" John rejoined the conversation, "Are you alright."
"Well I just died a little inside but I suppose I am alright otherwise. Thank you John."
"Why was John your first choice?" Sherlock pouted.
"What?"
"You called for John first."
"Oh don't pout." Noelle told him.
"I don't pout." He argued weakly.
"John just saved me from a monstrous beast and you made fun of my very rational fear. Why do you think I thought of him first?"
"Alright children." John intervened, "Noelle would you like to come up for some coffee?"
"No thank you John I have to run to the store today and I think I'll be heading out soon."
"Wait and I will go with you." Sherlock offered.
"What!?" John asked amazed, "Noelle you are magic. I didn't think I'd see the day when Sherlock Holmes would go grocery shopping."
"Shut up." The man warned, "I am not going to the shop I have to pick up an intestine at Bart's."
Noelle and John turned to each other with a sigh.
"Rock, paper, scissor, shoot." The chanted in unison.
"Ha." Noelle cried in victory from her tabletop, "Rock gets you every time. Intestine goes in your fridge."
"Fine." John groaned.
"Be ready to leave in five minutes." Sherlock commanded.
"Have to do your hair pretty boy?" Noelle teased.
He ignored her as he swept out the flat.
"John" Noelle asked as the man made to follow.
"Yes?"
"Could you check my shoes for me?" Noelle asked in a small voice motioning to the pair right under where the spider had been lurking.
John checked them then handed them to the woman who was slowing climbing down from the table.
"Barely intimidated my mercenaries but unhinged by a bug." He wondered on his way out.
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It was cold to the woman but Sherlock had insisted on walking. She grudgingly obliged sticking her hands deep in her pockets and pulling her coat tight around her. Sherlock on the other hand must have loved the weather as he was animatedly discussing his latest experiment involving a large intestine and a rare poison derived from hemlock.
"Ah yes" she mused, "The gr-gr-great downf-f-fall of Socra-crates. Well that and democr-cr-cracy."
Sherlock looked to his sister and quickly took in her shivering form coming to conclusions before she could tell him to stop deducing her.
"You're cold." He stated simply.
"No shit Sh-sh-sherlock." She mumbled.
"Language" he admonished teasingly but she apologized anyways.
"You need a scarf." He told her.
"I am fine." She shrugged off.
"You have an extremely low tolerance for cold." He corrected.
"I belong to a w-w-warmer climate. Or a cab."
"No you belong here." Sherlock commanded making Noelle smirk at his protectiveness, "You just need a scarf."
"And gloves." He added as an afterthought.
"And shoes you can wear socks with." He continued glaring at her sandals.
"Meh." She shrugged, "I just hate winter."
"It has barely started."
"It's enou-ou-ou achoo." She sneezed, "enough."
"Thank goodness." She praised catching sight of the store.
"Take a cab home." Sherlock demanded trying and failing to sound apathetic.
"I was planning on it." She returned as she disappeared into the store.
Sherlock felt slightly bad about dragging her through the cold streets but decided to delete it and turned towards Bart's eager for his new body part.
Okay so this week it was short but last week I went long and these two were supposed to be one originally so I call it even. :)
Anyways next time we celebrate Christmas! Food. Family. Friends. And Sherlock goes to Church!
Stay tuned.
And please review! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)