Breaking the Rules

'Ruby! Wake up!' A sharp voice ordered, roughly shaking her shoulder.

'Mfhmm?'

'John wants to know if you want tea.'

'Tea would be lovely…' Ruby murmured into her pillow.

'So I'm guessing that you'll be wanting a cuppa too, right?' That was odd. John's voice was lacking his usual annoyance at playing Sherlock's housemaid. In fact, he sounded quite… pleased about something. Ruby slowly lifted her heavy eyelids and peered blearily at her surroundings which had adopted a very pale colour. Wondering if she'd become colour-blind whilst sleeping, Ruby removed some of the sleep from her eye and tried this whole seeing lark again.

She immediately wished she hadn't.

That pale colour and her pillow weren't inanimate objects. No such luck, they belonged to the most animate person on the planet and said-person's roommate was grinning down upon their sleepy embrace, his bemused expression roaring with questions – and smugness.

'Have a nice sleep then, Ruby?' He asked casually, trying to keep his smirk hidden, a feat he failed miserably at. Ruby bolted upright, her hair springing to attention as she awkwardly ordered her body to get out of the bed and move as far away from the dark-haired detective – who was completely at ease in this situation – as was at the moment possible.

'Listen, John –' She began while approaching him, her hands splayed outwards as if her fingers would suck the memory of what he'd seen from his brain. She stopped before him, her mouth agape as she tried to find words which didn't stink of "it's not what it looks like" category.

'Um Ruby, if anything of a truly scandalous nature had occurred here, I would of course be much wiser seeing as my room is just above yours.' John muttered while pointing to the ceiling. 'You see, Mrs Hudson is right about the thinness of these old floor boards…' Ruby's cheeks adopted the same colour of her name as she spluttered incomprehensively. 'And if I remember correctly, you take no sugar in your tea, only milk.' He added before reversing out of the room, his eyes gleaming with mischief before disappearing into the kitchen, the door swinging shut on Ruby's scarlet face.

'Why are you embarrassed? There's no need to be embarrassed unless there's something you feel particularly humiliated about.' Sherlock's deep voice reeled off, the detective slowly turning so his eyes lazily peered up at her.

'Oh, I don't know Sherlock. There seems no possible reason why I might be mortified that your roommate stumbled upon us having our little sleepover!' Ruby hissed, her cheeks threatening to never revert back to their normal paleness.

'Oh calm down, there's no need for dramatics. It's not like he took a photo of us and uploaded it to his blog. Well he tried to, but I managed to delete it before the upload was complete –'

'He took a photo of us?' Ruby's voice rose in thirds.

'I really don't see what you're getting so upset about.'

'If that reaches the internet, my work – everyone's going to think –'

'Oh who cares what people think?!' Sherlock scoffed before flipping over, his face buried in the pillows.

'I do!' Ruby snapped, addressing the black mop of curls instead of Sherlock's face.

'Well maybe you should stop with that nonsense, you'd be much less dour I'm sure.' His words were muffled by the pillows acting as a mattress for his face. Ruby crossed to the other side of the room, leapt onto the bed and forcefully turned Sherlock around.

'If you don't care what people think then why did you bother deleting the upload?' Ruby snarled, practically spitting her words out.

'Isn't it obvious?' He asked with a tired roll of his eyes.

'No you arrogant sod, it isn't!'

'I'm a brilliant, consulting detective who constantly stirs up trouble in the wrong part of town. I have countless enemies, enemies who are constantly trying to pry for a weakness. They've tried John before, Lestrade and Mrs Hudson too but to no avail. They have been incorruptible. However, if they were to ever receive the impression that I had time for a significant other – which to save you heart ache I will firmly say I don't as I'm married to my work – then there would be nothing these people wouldn't do to get their hands on this person – which that photo implied was you – and no harm they would be unwilling to inflict in order to gain leverage on me, not to mention cause you pain.' If it were possible, Ruby's cheeks went redder. 'How does that increase your mortification?' Sherlock demanded, propping himself up, his eyes scanning her enflamed face intently. Ruby shook her head for a moment before leaning forward and planting a firm kiss on Sherlock's high cheek. His impatient expression comically transformed into one of dumbfounded suspicion as Ruby delicately got off the bed and began picking up whatever belongings had strayed around the room.

'That was very sweet of you Sherlock.' She eventually muttered when the dark haired detective's eyes continued to follow her around his tastefully decorated room.

'It wasn't sweet, it was logical.' He automatically argued, falling back onto the bed once again. Ruby picked up her phone from the bedside table and pocketed her cigar case which was now empty of its treasure cigarette. She strode towards one of the windows, unlatched the heavy glass and stuck a hand into the London air.

'It's a bit chilly outside, even for May. D'you mind if I borrow one of your scarves?' She asked.

'But I'm wearing a scarf today.'

'You have a very meticulous way of dressing Sherlock; I'd say you have at least twenty scarves in your wardrobe.'

'Are you going to ask me for my coat as well?' He asked disparagingly.

'I'd never dream of committing such a mortal sin.'

'There's a navy one behind the door. Take it but be warned; I won't forget I leant it to you.'

'Thanks Sherlock.' She murmured as she fastened the blue material around her neck, the knot nestling against her throat. 'I'm going to head into the station, catch up on some paperwork.'

'Dull.'

'I'm only telling you in case you might, er, need me.'

'I think we both know I could have figured that one out.' Sherlock said silkily, rolling into a more comfortable position on the bed.

'Have a good day Sherlock.' Ruby murmured, approaching the bed once again.

'Are you expecting me to wish you some sort of optimistic fortune-telling?'

'No. Just wanted to say… thanks. You know; for everything.' She nodded awkwardly, rolling her weight backwards and forwards on her feet before striding out of the room, shutting the door on the world's most interesting sociopath in the process.

If all the paperwork from all of the police stations worldwide was piled together to create one massive bonfire, would the flames ever go out?

Ruby found herself pondering this delicious question as she finally signed off on her last official case in which the murderer had committed suicide, willing himself to drown instead of answer for his double homicide. Shots had been fired – and shots always meant paperwork. The young detective stretched for a moment, her hands reaching for the ceiling before finally leaving the deserted office. She swung her bag onto her shoulder, wondering if she'd catch a film before going home. "Behind The Candelabra" was one she'd been meaning to see for ages and only now, after balancing the demands of her job with the almost constant drain of her private time being spent on Sherlock's case, could she have the opportunity to do so. A man lounging at the entrance of the station however, quickly put those thoughts to an unchartered part of her mind.

'What are you doing here Leo?' Ruby snapped as she passed his relaxed figure. He was the last thing she needed right now.

'Nice to see you too Detective Red. I just popped by, you know, to see why you never called.' The way he phrased the question, so innocently, without any care for its consequences was something to be admired. Really, that level of ignorance was so rare these days.

'Hm, gosh Leo, it seems so out of character for a detective not to call one of her former convicts and ask him out for a drink. I really am quite the monster.'

'No need for the snippy-snappy retorts. I just wanted a straight answer.'

'Well, you got one.'

'So if you didn't work here, at my most favourite station, we'd be going to a bar right now?'

'That depends.'

'On what?'

'If in this indulgent, alternate reality of yours, would you still be a meth king?'

'Meth king? You shower me with honours I do not deserve detective.' He mock bowed to her before following her long strides away from the station.

'You know, if you keep following me, I can very easily arrest you for a little crime known as stalking.'

'I don't think you'd do that.'

'Oh? And what gives you such ludicrous self-confidence?'

'You like me too much.' His eyes smiled down at her, the fringe kept at bay from falling into his eyes as he shoved a hand through the tousled locks.

'You flatter yourself without any encouragement.'

'Do I? I personally disagree, my premise being derived from the little-known fact that you took the beermat with my number on it home.'

'I didn't.' Ruby said stoically, trying to forget that said-beermat was on her coffee table at home.

'Really?

'I think I'd remember if I made such a stupid mistake.' She rounded on Leo and stopped in a deserted car park. 'Look, I'd imagine most women my age would kill to have someone as bad or as handsome or maybe even as powerful as you.'

'You really think I'm handsome?' He asked with a raised eyebrow.

'Yes.' Ruby said coldly. 'I also know you're too smart to be wanting to tango with a police officer just because you like the way she runs, or what stupid colour she dyes her hair. Why you want to get into the pants of a detective is something which troubles me. Are things so bad in your little underworld that you need a bent cop in your back pocket to help you out?'

'Bent cops are easy enough to find but it's wise not to date them. And it's not the reason I'm interested in you.' He finished in a low voice.

'Then why? What's so fantastic about me?' Ruby asked sarcastically.

'I don't know. That's what I was hoping I might figure out, if you gave me the chance. Which I can clearly see now, you're not going to. Fair enough. I'll leave you alone but if you change your mind, you know how to contact me.' Before Ruby could say another word, Leo sharply turned around and stalked off beneath a busy London bridge, pulling up the blue hood of his jumper and shoving his hands into his pockets.

A tense cab ride home later, Ruby found herself restlessly pacing the lengthy living room of the Intercontinental Suite; she was in no mood to see a movie right now. Her plasma screen TV beeped and she hurriedly turned it on to find one video message waiting to be played. Ruby angrily flung herself onto arguably the world's comfiest couch and pressed play. It was the second worst mistake of the day as Ruby's mother, clad in her usual designer armour, appeared on screen.

'Excellent, this is exactly what I need!' She roared at the empty room. Her mother blinked at the screen for a moment, the HD screen doing nothing to hide the obvious botox injected into her forehead, cheeks, chin and unfortunately lips. The jewel nestled at her throat would have paid for an entire year's stay at this suite not to mention throwing in an expensive car and perhaps a rolex watch. Her carefully made-up face had a professional dimension to it as did her hair, all freshly applied by experts just to leave this little message.

Her mother's appearance sickened her.

'Hello my dearest daughter, you are not at home which I find a very strange occurrence seeing as it is only ten o'clock on a Saturday morning. But no matter, I am sure you will have the decency to pick up the phone as soon as you get this message, replying promptly with your answer. As you are aware, your father and I are approaching the distinguished milestone of forty years of marriage. You yourself took your pretty little time to arrive into our lives but being such young newlyweds, him twenty-one and I nineteen, that we were but thirty when you arrived. I have the utmost confidence you remember the date of our marriage as it was emblazoned on the mirror in the library where you spent so much of your time. A celebration will take place at our mansion and if the weather decides to bless us with a typical English summer's day, the grounds will be filled with the most luscious activities. Feel free to bring a plus one, your father and I are always willing to meet any such persons who hold a special place in your heart, be they a suitable candidate of course. Farewell for now.'

Her mother's well-powdered face vanished and with it went Ruby's patience and self-restraint. Feeling particularly reckless and infuriated by the thought of returning to her so-called home to honour her parents' marriage, her blood began to boil to spattering degrees. She picked up the phone but did not return the call to her dearest mother, punching in another number instead. She waited anxiously for the other person at the end of the phone to pick up, knowing that if it went to the answering machine, she would have to give up. It had to be now.

On the last ring, the phone was hurriedly answered.

'Hello?' The speaker asked. Ruby swallowed for a moment, gathering her last minute self-destructive behaviour and spoke a dastardly line down the phone.

'Hi Leo, it's Ruby Smith. Listen about that drink…'

Hehe, I enjoyed writing this chapter tremendously. Brownie points to you if you figured out who Ruby was calling at the end!