Where is she?!
Sherlock paced across the parlor in front of the wall of crime, anxiously pausing every thirty-two seconds to glance out the window and bounce on the balls of his feet, hoping to see Joan walking towards the Brownstone. He sighed in exasperation, turning away from the window once again in disappointment. Sherlock glanced at his watch for what felt like the hundredth time, although of course he knew it was truly only the twenty-seventh, and began to worry even more. Two hours, her note said she would be back in two hours, it had already been four minutes short of three hours. Panic was slowly beginning to set in, Joan was never late, never without some notice as to what was delaying her.
Why hadn't she taken any security with her?!
Sherlock sat down in his favorite chair in the parlor, looking out the large front window and immediately stood back up and began to pace once again. He couldn't stop fidgeting, he bounced on the balls of his feet, sat down, stood up, clenched and unclenched his fists, looked at his watch for the twenty-eighth time, sighed again and repeated the process. In desperation, he texted Joan again, for the thirty-third time, one message for every two minutes that Joan was late.
WRU ? TMB PLZ
Waiting rather impatiently, Sherlock received no reply. Something had to be wrong if she wasn't answering, or calling to explain why she was late. In another act of desperation, he called Gregson.
"Holmes, I was just..."
"Yes Captain! Joan left exactly three hours and eight minutes ago and has yet to return or contact to explain her absence. We may need to send out a search party and file a missing person,"
"Holmes, you know I cannot file a missing person report until the person in question has in fact been missing for twenty-four hours unless immediate danger is assumed. But as I was trying…"
"But immediate danger is assumed! We have security station outside of the Brownstone for Lord's sake! How much more immediate danger do you need?" Sherlock was bouncing again and squeezing the phone so tightly it was a miracle it didn't break. The panic had been released and he was panting to try and catch his breath.
"You ready to listen now, Holmes?" After receiving no immediate answer, Gregson continued. "I just received a phone call from the prison, apparently Ms. Adler had an unsanctioned visitor this morning. It seems a certain petite, brunette sweet talked one of the guards into letting her visit Irene before visiting hours and unsupervised." The captain paused when he heard Sherlock gasp, but having no interruption, he continued. "According to video surveillance, Ms. Watson arrived by taxi at around nine this morning and did not leave again until nearly eleven-thirty this afternoon. Apparently that is what triggered the guard to report to his superiors, it seems he promised her only a half an hour "off book" time. So calm down. It is just now… twelve-fifteen… odds are she stopped to pick up some lunch for the two of you and will walk through the door any second…" And just as Gregson finished his sentence, Sherlock heard the key turn in the lock of the Brownstone's front door.
"Sherlock! I'm home!" Sherlock's entire body relaxed the moment her voice reached his ears. Quickly ending his call, he snapped the phone shut, and walked towards the kitchen where he could now hear Joan putting, what sounding like take out bag, on the table. He stopped at the threshold and just walked her as she took out the food and began to set the table. "Sherlock, I am so sorry I am late. I know my note said I would be back in two hours, I just got caught up in that lead." His lack of response suddenly made Joan nervous, Sherlock was never one to stay calm when it came to a case, and she was certain he would be angry at her for leaving without him or security with her. She turned to face him, Sherlock simply watched, arms crossed, leaning against the frame of the entrance way. For a few moments, the couple simply stared at one another, each desperately trying to deduce what was on the other's mind.
"Why?" Sherlock finally asked. Joan scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.
"Why what?" Sherlock step forward and grabbed Joan by her upper arms and stared straight into her eyes. "Sherlock? What's wrong?" The worry dripped off her words as she meant his gaze.
"I called Gregson, Joan. I know where you have been. Why? Why would you go see that woman without me? Why would you leave without taking and security and then have an "off the books" meeting with a criminal mastermind?"
"Oh, sweetheart, I am so sorry I worried you. I know I should have woken you but it was such a break through, I couldn't waste a moment. I figured the only way I would get any information from Irene I would have to talk to her alone. Please forgive me, my darling," Sherlock loosened his gripped and gently reached up to caress her cheek.
"I… I was really worried about you, Joan. I love you and I was so… scared… scared something happened to you and it would have been my fault, I wouldn't have been able to protect you." He urgently grabbed her and kissed her with every ounce of emotion he had felt that morning. Joan felt her whole body go weak as she melted into his embrace. Minutes later he released her, a smug smile dancing on his lips. "I love you," he whispered, kissing her forehead before he sat down to eat. Joan took a deep breath to regain her composer before she laughed softly to herself and shook her head.
"Sorry I worried you, love," Joan smiled as she sat across from him at the table. After eat in a comfortable silence, Joan began to clear off the table when Sherlock cleared his throat to get her attention.
"What was this break in the case that was so important that you couldn't wait for me?" Joan froze. Irene had told her so much more than Joan had expected, and she wasn't sure how much of it Sherlock could handle. "Joan?" Sherlock's voice pulled her away from her thoughts. "Joan, what could you possibly have been discussing with Moriarty for two and a half hours?" He was now stand right behind her, sensing her reluctance.
"I… I discovered the new Moriarty's true identity," Sherlock grabbed her and turned her to face him.
"Who? Who is the bastard?" Sherlock growled. Joan bit her lip and hesitated, not sure how he would react.
"Delar is just Adler with the letters rearranged," Joan whispered, watching as understand washed over his face. "Marcus is Irene's brother," Sherlock began to shake with anger, no longer able to meet Joan's eyes.
"And she knows where he is doesn't she?" Sherlock's tones made Joan shiver. Despite how much she loved him, when he got like this she had to admit it scared her. She knew he would never hurt her but after what happened with Moran, she was always a bit wary of his temper.
"Yes, she does. She told me where he is and assured me he is going to get the justice he deserves,"
"And you are trusting her?" Sherlock spat in a mixture of shock and fury. Joan decided to switch tactics. Glaring at him, she pushed him away.
"Yes I am. I am not a child Sherlock! I can make my own decisions on who to and not to trust!" Joan shouted, making Sherlock's mouth drop open.
"You are going to trust the woman who sent a man to kill you?"
"Drop it Sherlock! You don't have all the facts! Can't you just trust me to handle this?" Sherlock squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I am sorry, Joan. I do trust you, I do. It's just… I want to destroy the bastard for everything he did to you and I can't stand that we are putting our hope for justice in the hands of the woman who is indirectly responsible for the whole thing," Joan sighed and buried herself in his chest. Sherlock immediately wrapped his arms protectively around her tiny frame. "Why didn't you answer any of my texts while you were gone, dearest? You had be worried that you had been hurt or worse,"
"Texts?" Joan looked up at him confused.
"Yes, my angel, I sent you thirty-three when you were late," Joan pulled away and went to her purse. In her haste, she dropped it on the floor causing the contents to fall all over the floor. Cursing under her breath, Joan bent down and began to gather everything up. Sherlock quickly joined her and once everything was returned to her bag, Sherlock handed her phone.
"Oh, I put it on silent when I went to visit Irene and must have forgot to turn the sound back on," Sherlock nodded in agreement, gently placing his hand over her. "I am sorry I worried you. I love you so much," Joan gently kissed his cheek and began to stand up before Sherlock grabbed her waist and pulled her back to the floor, kissing her passionately.
"I love you too," he whispered, playfully kissing her face and neck, making her giggle. They lovers quickly became entangled in one another, when Sherlock's phone rang, interrupting them. "Sorry," he breathed, kissing her lips softly before getting up to check his phone. Upon seeing the name on the caller ID, he apologized again insisting that he had to take the call. Joan nodded and stifled a yawn. She glanced down at her watch, it was nearly three o'clock. She considered telling Sherlock what Irene had said about justice being served at five o'clock at the location she had been given, but after another yawn she decided she would tell him after a quick nap. As a precaution, she sent Gregson a quick text telling him to arrive at the location at five-thirty, although it felt wrong, she would see if Irene would really serve justice before having the police intervene. Joan walked over to where Sherlock was sitting and after whispering that she would be in her room, gave him a quick peck on the cheek and headed up stairs.