Windsor Knot
"HUDDERS!" The sharp voice called from the top of the stairwell, "HOWS THAT WEATHER REPORT COMING?" He shouted down to the withering woman who was only a few feet. The door to her flat was approached and gripping her head, Mrs Hudson stepped out,
"Oh, Sherlock! I do wish you wouldn't shout on me like that! What would your mother say?" She sighed and looked up to him through the slats of the banister, "I can only imagine your house back in the day- you calling all the shots probably!" Mrs Hudson couldn't even muster a smile to Sherlock who was tightening his scarf around his neck and adjusting his coat collar. Sherlock smiled into the air, remembering back to his childhood when he and Mycroft were as thick as thieves, "And as for the weather, it's just ice, love. Very slippy out there. I had to salt my back step."
Sherlock nodded and clambered down the stairs to her, "You're awfully chipper. It's unlike you at this time of year, particularly..." Mrs Hudson observed Sherlock's bright movements around the front hall of 221. How quickly he moved but with a constant spring in his step.
"Well, I did save several lives the other evening!" Sherlock smoothed his crop of hair and searched around for his patent shoes, "He may be back, Mrs Hudson, but I'll do everything in my power to keep you extra safe here in your castle!" Sherlock excitedly said and after tying the laces of his shoes, he pranced over to Mrs Hudson and cupped her gaunt face in his strong hands, "I promise... Now, do you want anything from the shop?" He grinned down to her and slowly, a smile came to her lips,
"No thank you, da'lin'. Nothing on my list..."
"Not even some bubbly for the bells tonight, Hudders?" Sherlock turned his head slightly and peered his eyes at her waiting for a response, his hands gently moving her face from side to side. She pressed her lips together and jokingly pushed him away,
"I'll stick to tea tonight. Am I still coming up to sit with you or are you going with John and the baby?" Mrs Hudson queried as she made her way into her kitchen and Sherlock strolled slowly to the front door,
"Er, I'll still be here!" He called and left Mrs Hudson to her devices.
Sherlock took to the streets of London with a clenched fist and his mind concentrating only on the path ahead. The brisk cold wind slapped around his hair and in the crooks and gaps in his coat which threw him off several times. A few times, he glanced up to the lowering sun in the white sky and counted every blessing. Everything he was thankful for. Everything he will remember. Mrs Hudson's overbearing nature, John's double edged comments about his work and the hypnotic power of his sister's eyes which could break him from any breakdown or any room in his mind palace. A look he could never forget. A woman he could never shake. The more his mind wandered astray, he would begin to slip against the ice and his body would break into deep sweats in case he did fall. But Sherlock continued walking around the familiar streets which held memories, ignoring the glare of tourists who would give him sour looks for not wearing his hat- often turning to their friend or relative and pointing, gesturing about his missing headgear. Some would call at him, others would just stare, wide-eyed at his celebrity status. The gawping died down when he stepped inside of the familiar store which held one of his worst memories. The draped dress and strewn shoes. But he did get on with it. Basket tightly in his hand, Sherlock strolled around the shops, dodging frantic shoppers who were stocking up on vodka, gin, wine like it was the last day on earth. He stood idly in the frenzied store, his eyes glazing over several bottles of cheap champagne. His mind was far too busy to be lingering around double push-chairs, stray children and wondering OAP's. Plucking for the nearest bottle, Sherlock advanced his hands towards it, his fingers brushing with another hand. A shiver ran all over his body and his hand immediately retracted into his pocket,
"Oh! Sorry! You have it!" A voice chimed and Sherlock quickly looked up. As average as possible and she still stuck out like a white rose in a red rose garden, "Sherlock!" She inhaled and her smile fell, "I haven't seen you for so long! Oh, God! How've you been?!" Victoria gasped and tightly gave him a cuddle after setting down her full basket of groceries, "I'm sorry I ran out after Christmas! I had to work! Sorry!" She pleaded. Sherlock stood stiff as a board and his nose tingled with tears. Her brain was fully addled and there was nothing he could do for her. In the time she clutched onto him in the busy supermarket, Sherlock thought of the day that was sure to come along. The day she questions John and Mary's presence in her company. The day where everything would fall apart. The day that John would break. He could only imagine that day as she apologised and pleaded for his forgiveness about Christmas. "I'm sorry I had to just ditch your present. Did you open it? Did you like it?" Victoria pulled away from Sherlock and picked her basket back up. His eyes scanned her casual appearance but didn't doubt that her socks were cashmere and her necklace was Tiffany's.
"Er... Oh, I don't think I did open it! I just put it into my pocket. I think it's on the coffee table back home." Sherlock weakly smiled and looked down at the ground, reclaiming his breath and sanity, "It's been lovely to see you too, Victoria. You're looking so much better than you were at Christmas. That work must have done you some good. Much healthier!" Sherlock struggled with the small talk but in the midst of the crazy shoppers and the blur of loud conversations, his world fell silent when she hugged him once again,
"So what were your plans for New Years?" She muttered into the lapel of his coat. Sherlock blinked rapidly and sniffed, passing his overwhelming emotions as a cold,
"I was just staying in with Mrs Hudson, I think she was wanting to watch the Wedding Video again. Just because I haven't really seen it!" Sherlock chuckled and Victoria smiled,
"I was planning to do the same. I only got mine in the post last week. Bloody ridiculous! But, I was going to sit, with the dog, hot water bottle, cozy pajamas and then head to bed."
"Well, since I probably won't see you until you're back at work; I wish you such a happy new year and all the best luck in the world. I wish you every happiness!"
"Sherlock! You're talking like you'll never see me again..."Victoria laughed and looked up at him, her hand soft on his face, "But thank you. Happy New Year for when it comes." And she gently pressed her lips to his, completely throwing Sherlock's emotions to a range he had never felt. The mania around him halted completely and became grey. Her lips may have been dry but in the grand scheme of things, it was a completely minor detail. In a tenth of a second, her hand became permanently fixated to his face but she had to retract, leaving Sherlock in total awe.
Doting in her kitchen, Mrs Hudson went from her toaster to her kettle and back to her toaster a few times before the front door of 221 slammed with a metallic creak of the door-knocker. The rustle of plastic bags were tossed aside and heavy footsteps quickly made their way upstairs. "Sherlock? That was fast..." Mrs Hudson emerged from her little home and followed behind him quietly, "Sherlock, the DVD is already in the player, so just whenever you're ready!" She laughed but warily traced his steps. Into his bedroom, she followed him. His coat was thrown into the living room and slowly, the handle of the door turned, "Ooh-hoo, Sherlock? Are you alright?" Mrs Hudson pressed down on the handle hard and entered carefully. He was sitting, his back to her, dressed already in his leisure clothes. His back muscles heaved. His head shook ever so slightly and it appeared that he was softly rocking,
"Mrs Hudson, I'll be through in a second... I just need a minute..." Sherlock quietly sighed and rolled his present around in one hand and gripped a thick letter in the other. The gift was a pure platinum magnifying glass that glittered in the light of Sherlock's bedside lamp. Around the frame which held the glass, a small saying was engraved. It brought a harsh lump to Sherlock's throat from the very pit of his soul. I believe in you, Sherlock Holmes.
Re-tracing the words brought gasps of breath and fallen tears from Sherlock who flickered his gaze to the thick envelope. He turned it over as though to open it. But he was stopped by a small note in the bottom corner; Do not open until John has said goodbye.
Sherlock gripped it tight in his hand and looked at the opposite corner which read the date it had been written. October 7th 2013. His mind raced back to the day of her collapse. The day of her diary. When she found out.
The tears streamed down onto his pajama bottoms and he set aside his clearly expensive gift. His face fell into his hands and the sobbing started.
Mrs Hudson patiently waited with her tea and toast in the living room, the television paused on John and Mary's face. She could hear Sherlock's muted wails from his bedroom but thought it best to ignore it and let him deal with it on his own. She fixed her blanket over her legs and relaxed into John's arm chair. Her tea was almost finished and her toast was gone before Sherlock came to his chair beside her. She looked over to him, his eyes swollen but saying nothing, "Do you want to watch it with me?" Mrs Hudson double checked as Sherlock started to curl up on his chair. He gave a simple nod and she leaned to press 'Play'.
"Okay! So we are just waiting for someone to get ready for John and Mary's wedding! This is the best man! Sherlock Holmes! He's holding everybody up, as per fucking usual!" The familiar voice said from behind the camera and the camera panned to Sherlock who was fixing his tie in the bathroom mirror of Baker Street
"Can you maybe not mess around? It's an important day! And why are you filming? There's a photographer coming-"
"Because, Sherlock, it is a gift from me to them. Just fix your tie so we can go!" Her voice wavered into a laugh and an exasperated sigh followed along with the camera being set down on the bathroom sink as Victoria clearly fixed his tie, "You'd think that in your mind palace, you'd have How To Do A Windsor Knot stored somewhere!"
"Sherlock! Are you ready yet? We're going to be late!" John's voice called from down the hallway and Victoria smiled, gently holding onto his tie even though it was complete.
"I don't think you should film it... The wedding. The day. You should be getting filmed." Sherlock's voice was quiet and low.
Mrs Hudson looked slightly over to Sherlock who refused to look away from the screen. The deep running heart the she never knew he possessed. The feelings that were seemingly pouring out of him were nothing Mrs Hudson would've suspected.
"It's beautiful weather isn't it?" John sighed with his hands on his hips standing beside his new bride, "Don't you start crying, Vic. Don't! Gimme that!" John chuckled and fumbled with the camera, "My two girls. C'mon, Victoria! Smile! It's my wedding day!" John laughed and as the camera came up to Mary and Victoria who were sharing a tight cuddle and soft words, Sherlock's voice came over,
"Is Harriet arriving?"
"No, I don't think she is" and Sherlock started to move to Mary and Victoria, standing between them until John laughed with satisfaction at the picture he was receiving.
"Oh, John, c'mon! Look, it'll be alright. We can go and see her a few days after you come back. Promise!" Mary turned from her conversation and came to her husband's side. Victoria and Sherlock fell into conversation with an approaching Lestrade with champagne flutes for them both,
"I tell you, this has been the best wedding. So romantic. I never had you down as a romantic, John!" Lestrade laughed and jolted Sherlock's shoulder with a push, making Victoria look to the gravel and laugh,
"Oh, my husband is a lovely romantic man when he wants to be."
"Well, we're all very happy for you both. C'mon inside. It's starting to get a bit chilly!" Lestrade chuckled and the camera fell to the gravel, mainly John's shoes being the focus,
"Oh... They're quite shiny today!" John muttered and moved them around to get a better look.
"Oh, wha's he like, eh?!" Mrs Hudson chuckled and continued to watch the film footage of the speech, only Sherlock really paying attention to the muttered words and whispers from Victoria behind the camera. How she tried to stifle a weep when Sherlock spoke of her brother and how delighted he was about being his best friend. How she sniffled when they hugged. Sherlock gripped his robe tightly around him and watched in awe as she narrated the rest of the speech with gasps and sighs. "D'you want a cuppa?" Mrs Hudson smiled over at an expressionless Sherlock, "Coffee?" She asked when Sherlock gave no response. He was completely silent and only after a moment his eyes fluttered over to his landlady. She nodded softly and scurried to the kitchen to put the kettle on. Resuming his contact with the television, Sherlock comforted himself in the cold leather of his chair, propping up cushions and pulling over a blanket when he was settled.
"Archie! Sherlock! What are you doing?!" Her voice called from off-camera. The camera went from black to suddenly full of light and it was Victoria crouching down to Archie and Sherlock who was beside him. Sherlock's voice stuttered and he only let out a laugh,
"I was showing him how to film. For the first dance. He is just mad about filming it!"
"He was giving me pictures of beheadings!" Archie admitted and Victoria placed her hands on her hips, scowling mercifully at Sherlock,
"Oh, was he really, now? Sherlock, he is eight years old!"
"Give John and Mary a message! How happy you are that they're getting married!" Archie said loudly and almost made Mrs Hudson turn around to the living room,
"Well I think you pretty much covered it, Archie!" Victoria stood when Archie and Sherlock started to stand and she smiled brightly to the camera for her brother, "Er, well... Congratulations, John, Mary! I'm tremendously happy for you! I know that you will make each other so very very happy... I wish you all the best for the future! I can't wait until you give me a niece or a nephew. I love you both very much!"
As the camera went to black for a third time, Sherlock let a smile come to his face, remembering precisely how she glared at him in the heat of the wedding reception. He could remember exactly how hot the lights were and how sticky Archie's hands were on the camera and on his suit jacket sleeve when he pulled himself up,
"Kiss it...Show your brother your love." His voice chuckled and with low rumbling and cracking, the camera came to Victoria's face. She had her hand over Sherlock's trying to knock the camera from his hand, "You just confessed your love for your brother and new sister. So kiss the camera and prove it, damn it! It's not even recording!" He chuckled and Victoria coyly turned away and then back quickly,
"I am not kissing this camera that is recording. I ain't daft, Mr Holmes. Nope. I am not kissing this camera. It's been lying in John's bottom bedroom drawer for years probably. No." Victoria brightly smiled and her eyes twinkled at Sherlock off-film. She continued to shake her head at him and she hung her head, "I'll kiss you, not the camera!" She chuckled and continued to grin.
"She was such a lovely girl to have around, wasn't she?" Mrs Hudson reappeared into the living room with two piping hot mugs and Sherlock pushed himself up with a small smile, "You're lookin' better..." She smiled back to Sherlock and he nodded,
"I'll look even better after I've had a proper nights sleep for once..."There was a small pause and Mrs Hudson moved over to Sherlock and gave him a single armed hug, sure not to spill her tea,
"It'll all be alright, Sherlock. We'll get you a job and keep you occupied. It'll all be fine."