Chapter Twenty-Nine: My Birthday


Sherlock, true to his word, did carry me around. He paid the taxi man, came around to my side of the door and lifted me out of the taxi. "If John could see me now, he wouldn't believe it."

"I'm in your arms and I'm still not believing it."

"Open the door." Sherlock ordered.

"Right." I felt a little ill at ease when we came into the restaurant and all eyes went towards us. Sherlock glanced around, stalked towards the nearest table and set me down without blinking an eye. "Comfortable?"

"Very."

Angelo bustled over clapping his hands. "Welcome!" He hugged me. "So, how are things with you two? I hope you had a delightful honeymoon."

I laughed. "It lasted four days."

"Why is everyone so interested in our honeymoon?" Sherlock asked as he sat down beside me.

"I think it has something to you and your rather unemotional stance."

Sherlock gave a curt nod. "Angelo, Tammy's been craving your breadsticks."

I clapped my hands. "And lots of tomato sauce!"

Angelo chuckled. "All right."

"I've been dreaming of those all last night."

Angelo's eyes widened. "You're not pregnant are you?"

"NO!" Sherlock and I chimed at the same time.

Angelo shrugged. "She could be. After all Sherlock, it's a natural thing."

"We waited until we were married to have sex. She's been in the hospital." Sherlock explained. "You know what that their 'food' is like."

Angelo was immediately concerned. He turned to me. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. I just had an allergic reaction."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Angelo nodded sympathetically. "I'll go get something to make you forget that hospital food."

And Angelo did. His breadsticks were out of this world. Sherlock wasn't hungry, but he took a few bites, so I wasn't eating alone. He watched me like a hawk and made sure I ate slow enough and chewed the food thoroughly. I took my pain medication, even though I really didn't need it. I felt sluggish, but nothing hurt. Angelo's food almost instantly returned all my strength.

Sherlock played with my left hand the entire time I ate. "Your color looks better." He observed. "Your eyes are back to their sparkling self."

I turned and propped my face up on my chin. "Thanks to you."

Sherlock leaned forward and went to kiss me, and then his phone rang. I groaned, expecting him to answer his phone, but he didn't. Sherlock kissed me and I smiled, he'd chosen the phone over me. I pulled away though. "You should answer your phone. It might be important."

He pulled it out of his pocket and answered it. "Hello?" He didn't move away, he still kept the distance close between us.

Sherlock? It was Lestrade. Look, I'm sorry to bother you; I know you're with Tammy at the hospital. But we've got a problem down here.

"Sorry," he said. "I can't make it."

"Sherlock!" I took the phone from Sherlock. "Greg? This is Tammy."

Tammy! Oh dear God, are you all right?

"I'm all right; Sherlock is actually taking me out to lunch."

I heard Greg release an expletive as he dropped his phone in surprise. What are you doing out of the hospital?!

Sherlock took the phone back from me. "She's fine. What's up?"

Sherlock!

"You're interrupting our lunch date. Please state your business or I'm hanging up."

I smiled at Sherlock's reference to our being on a lunch date and Greg's stammering. Someone's just stolen the famous painting, 'Falls of the Reichenbach,' and we need you down here. The museum owners have asked for you personally.

I gasped. "Oh my gosh." I laid a hand on his arm. "You must go down immediately."

Sherlock frowned. "I'll be down in an hour."

I grabbed the phone from Sherlock. "We'll be down now Greg. Goodbye."

I hung up and Sherlock glowered at me. "We? What do you mean we? There is no we! You're not going anywhere!"

"Come on!"

"No!" I stood up and my legs buckled. Sherlock caught a hold of me."See, you can't even walk!"

"Shut up and let's get down to the crime scene." I gripped ahold of his arm. "Help me."

"Tammy." Sherlock argued as he wrapped an arm around my waist and lifted me up. "We can't afford-

"To waste time dropping me off, settling me into bed comfortably, making sure I have everything I need!" I commented. "Now, the trail could get cold or Andersen could ruin something!" I knew I'd won that battle. "Now, let's go!"

"All right." He said. "But I am finding you a chair once we get there!"

"Yes. It's an art museum Sherlock; there are obviously dozens of places for me to sit!"


Sherlock walked through the sea of curious eyes, still holding onto me, without even blinking. I couldn't tell if he was embarrassed to be holding me, or if he was enjoying the fact that by merely holding me, he was creating a spectacle.

Sally, of course, was standing at the entrance. Her brows rose. "Why you carrying her?"

I shrugged. "I had an accident a few days ago and I haven't quite recovered my strength yet."

Sherlock followed Sally into the main exhibit. There were plenty of cushioned chairs and set me down in one. "Sally, if it's not too much of a bother, keep an eye on her while I'm scouting the area."

Sally frowned. "You're asking me to watch her?"

"I believe he did Sally." I said. "Now, where's Greg?"

On cue, Greg shouted. "What the Hell is she doing here? Sherlock! She should be in the hospital!"

"Greg," I said as I stood up. Sherlock balanced me as I hugged Greg. "I'm only here because I had an argument with Sherlock, which he lost. I've beaten the unbeatable, so don't cross me. I'm just going to sit down somewhere around here." I patted Sherlock's shoulder as he guided me back down into the chair. "Now, go ahead and have fun. Don't worry about me, Sally will keep me company."

Sherlock shook his head, but he did as I asked. Sally stood beside me and studied me. "Can I get you anything? A pillow, something to drink?"

"I'd hate to put you out."

"No bother. Lestrade was quite upset when you were in the hospital. He didn't give us any details, so everyone was left guessing." She said soberly. "He thinks of you, as the daughter that he never had."

"Sorry. We were in a chemical mine field at Baskerville and I had an allergic reaction to a drug."

"You really shouldn't be out of bed then."

I laughed lightly. "I'm a lot stronger than I look. But I won't deny that I am a little tired. I will take your offer for a drink. What are my options?"

"Water actually."

"I'll take it."

Sally turned and walked away. Sherlock was rattling off his deductions about the thief to whom I assumed was the museum owner and the poor man looked as if he were about to faint.

In boredom, I looked down at the ground and just studied the floor. Then, I saw a pile of tobacco ashes less than a foot away from me. I got down on my knees and crawled towards it to examine it more closely. I glanced around; no one in the room was smoking a pipe. I should have ignored it, but I knew that museums didn't allow people to smoke. It wasn't mud, I could tell that due to my household experience.

Andersen glanced down at me. "What are you doing down there?"

"Tobacco ash." I said. "Someone was smoking in here."

"You must be mistaken." He explained to me as if I was an idiot. "No one smokes in here."

"Can you ask around?" I asked politely. "Make sure?"

"No."

"Was someone smoking in here?" I proclaimed loudly and all heads went towards me. I pointed to the ashes on the ground. "Someone was smoking a pipe in here! Who was it?"

"No one smokes in an art museum." Andersen said. "She's mistaken."

Sherlock walked towards me. "I wouldn't say that out loud in front of Tammy. You're liable to walk away with a bloody ear." He knelt down and his eyes lit up. "And it is tobacco ash."

"But no one in here has been smoking a pipe!" The museum owner said. "It's forbidden!"

"Then it was smoked by someone, who obviously didn't care for the arts." I pointed out. "So why respect the place you despise?"

"Good point Tammy." Sherlock said. "You've been paying attention; I may make a decent Holmes of you yet."

I arch my brow. "You've been doing a very good job of it lately."

Sherlock stares at me in surprise for a moment before clearing his throat. "This proves my theory, that out thief is a smoker. You're also out of your chair."

"I couldn't examine it from the chair." He helped me up and back into my chair. "I'm fine. Which of the 243 types of tobacco ash was it?" Sherlock kissed my cheek and I stared at him in amazement. "What was that for?"

"For actually listening to me. John can never remember the exact number of tobacco ash." Sherlock turned and went back towards the wall. "All right, so he's a smoker as well, that narrows the field quite a bit."

Andersen's mouth fell open in shock. "Why did he just-

"Oh for God's sake Andersen," I snapped. "get out of my sight and mind your own business!" he opened his mouth and I cut him off. "And if you don't leave me alone, I will report you to Lestrade and he will not be as merciful as I am."

Sherlock glanced up at me. I smiled and wiggled my fingers at him, assuring him that I was fine. "Here you go." Sally said as Andersen stalked off.

I turned and reached for my water. "Thank you sally."

"You…actually love him." Sally said slowly. I looked up at her, she looked slightly confused. "I don't understand it. Why him?"

I leaned back in my chair. "Who tells the heart to love? I don't know. I think I was attracted to him the moment he first touched my hand. I fell in love with him a week after that."

"But how?" Sally asked as she sat down beside me. "I mean, he's so rude, and such a know-it-all."

I nodded. "Yes, but he's also very sweet."

"Sweet?" Sally laughed. "Him? Sweet?"

"I know he's a hard man to understand, but there's another side to him that he shows to no one but me. He was reading love letters to me today in the hospital."

Sally was stunned. "Love letters? Him?"

"He knows I love listening to him talk, so he said he'll read a letter to me every night and every morning." I glanced up at Sherlock. He was moving around the room, examining it and looking rather ridiculous at the moment. "Everyone has a job in their life, you found yours and mine is simply being there when he needs me. And I love it."

My phone went off and Sherlock shouted. "Don't answer it! It's John!"

I glanced down at it and sure enough, it was John. "As I was saying, I love the job…most of the time." Sally and I laughed; somehow, we'd broken the ice between us. Maybe, a friendship could be formed out the rocky beginning we'd had together. I answered John anyway. "Yes John?"

Tammy. You need to get back here, now.

"John, I'm fine honest."

Fine! John was hopping mad. I fought back a laugh of an image in my mind. John's head was attached to a rabbit's body, talking into a cell phone, naturally the rabbit was angry and hopping madly. Look, this isn't funny! It's dangerous to you and your health.

"I'm fine John." I said. "You know Sherlock; he has nothing but my safety in mind. I took my medication and I haven't tried anything crazy."

You say Sherlock has nothing but your safety in mind. I suppose he had that in mind when he locked us in that bloody lab? My head shot up and I wondered if I'd heard John. He had your safety in mind then? You may be forgiving, but I'm not! I thought you were scared to death.

"Could you repeat that again please John? I could have sworn you just said that Sherlock locked you and me in that lab in Baskerville."

That's what I said.

Anger mounted up in me and my fingers dug into the phone. "John Hamish Watson, you better be lying to me!"

I'm not. John sounded nervous now. Look, calm down Tammy.

"I am calm!" I snapped out. "I've never been calmer in my life!"

"Tammy," Sherlock said calmly. "you should take that phone call outside."

"You shut up!" I shouted at him and Sherlock jumped, letting me know I had him off guard. "Just shut up!"

He frowned. "What's the matter with you?"

"You, Mr. Sherlock….whatever-your-middle-name is Holmes, you've got some explaining to do now! And I do mean now!"

He frowned cautiously at me. "Explain what?"

"John says that you locked us in that lab in Baskerville! Is that true?" Sherlock looked guilty and my mouth dropped open. "Oh my God!"

Sally backed away. "I'll give you two a minute."

"Thank you. Might want to make it ten minutes though. I'll need that long to stash the body."

Sherlock strode towards me and took my phone. "Thanks John. Couldn't keep your mouth shut could you?" He hung up, shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at me. "Can we discuss this later?"

"No!"

"Will you at least calm down? You're coughing now."

"I don't care!" He handed me my inhaler. "Don't even think about smoothing talking me, because it won't work."

"Don't bet on it."

"Now," I demanded firmly. "did you or didn't lock John and I in a lab and frighten the daylights out of us? I know John doesn't lie, but I'm willing to be open in this case since he wants me back in the hospital. But you better answer me honestly! And don't you lie because I will have Mycroft ask Major Barrymore himself!"

Sherlock nodded. "Yes. I did."

My mouth fell open. "Sherlock! I was scared to death!"

"You were perfectly safe."

"I didn't feel safe!" I stared at him. "I can't believe it! You actually locked John and I inside that…haunted house of a lab!"

"I had to, it was an experiment."

"Experiment!" I shrieked. "I am not an experiment!" Sherlock tried to shush me as everyone looked towards us. "Don't you shush me! I was terrified to death! And you wonder I almost died after having to endure that frightening endeavor!" I snapped my finger. "No wonder I thought I tasted an apology on your lips!"

"Do keep your voice down, this is a crime scene!"

"Says the man who can show up at Buckingham Palace wearing only a sheet over his birthday suit!"

"I thought the drug was in the sugar." He hissed. "You were in totally scientific, sanitary, safe, laboratory conditions."

"You make me sound like a rat. The dog growling," I demanded. "how did you do that?"

"A recording over a loud speaker."

I moaned. "I can't believe this! Why?"

"I knew what effect the drug had on a superior mind so I needed to try it on an average one." I groaned. "You know what I mean."

"I know what you mean, but it wasn't in the sugar."

"Yeah, well, how was I to know that you weren't exposed to the gas? I found that out after the experiment!" He reminded me.

"So you got it wrong?" I asked.

Sherlock responded instantly. "No."

I glowered at him and crossed my arms. "You were wrong. It wasn't in the sugar." I snarled. "You got it wrong."

Sherlock leaned forward and whispered in my ear. "A bit. Won't happen again."

"Say it." I said.

"Say what?"

"You know exactly what I want to hear you say if you expect me to talk to you again, much less allow you to put your hands on me again!"

Sherlock exhaled. "Sorry."

"Try it again."

"I'm sorry."

"Getting warmer." I sing-songed. "Try again."

Sherlock pulled me into his arms. "Tammy, dearest, I am so sorry; I will never frighten you to death again."

I laughed and hugged him. "Wrong tone of voice, but you're getting there. Now, get back to work."

"How can I go back to work when you threaten to never speak to me again, or even be allowed to touch you?"

I laughed and gave him a shove. "Go on!" Sherlock grinned and trotted off obediently. "But if you ever do that, I will give John and Lestrade full permission to shoot you! And I'll tell them where to hide the body where it can't be found!"