Hello everyone! I'm sorry it took me so long to write another chapter again (if anyone's actually reading this), but I'm trying. I love you all for any kind of support and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Again, I don't own anything from Sherlock, just my OC.

Chapter 12 - I wasn't letting up until the day he… died

The next morning at Baker Street was definitely not calm. Sarah was asleep, moving around in her bed, her dreams turning to nightmares, old memories combined with greatest fears. Suddenly, a quite loud sound of violin came from above. Sarah stirred and sat up in confusion and she looked up at the ceiling.

"What the fu-" she muttered and she checked the time on her phone. The screen showed that it was 4:02 am. Sarah huffed and she dragged herself out of the bed, grabbing a blanket that Mrs Hudson gave her. She slowly walked up the stairs. There he was, standing near the window with violin in his hands, dressed in a casual T-shirt with sweatpants and his blue dressing gown. He opened his eyes and glanced at Sarah looking at him from the door.

"Yes?" he looked her in the eyes.

"May I ask why are you playing the violin at four in the morning?" she asked him a bit irritated and walked closer to him.

"Oh, that. Sorry, I forgot to tell you I tend to do that." He shrugged and put his violin down on the table and he turned to her. "Helps me think." he motioned his hands towards the violin.

"What about sleeping for once? You know, what people should do at night." Sarah sat in John's red armchair and crossed her legs. Sherlock scoffed.

"Sleeping's boring. Especially when I'm on a case. I need to think." he told her and he sat down in his armchair opposite her. Sarah sighed and yawned.

"So how long have you played?" she asked curiously.

"Since I was six. My mother taught me how to play."

"That's wonderful. No wonder you're so good at it."

"I thought you didn't like it when I played. Your expression when you walked into the living room wasn't exactly happy." he smirked.

"No, I just wasn't sure about the time you chose to play. The melody itself was quite good."

"Thank you." he gave her a small smile. "And how long have you played the piano?" He asked her and she raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Yes, I know that you play. Your middle fingers are slightly tilted towards your fourth fingers. One of the most obvious signs of a pianist." he said as he took one of her hands and pointed at her slightly tilted middle finger.

Sarah smiled lightly. "Well, I played since I was about seven. My parents hired a teacher for me and I would have lessons twice a week. I was quite good at it, but I don't play as often anymore…" she said and he hummed.

The whole flat was so quiet, but outside the sounds of London slowly waking up could be heard. However it was still dark and only the light of the floor lamp next to Sherlock's armchair lazily lit up the living room.

Sarah had to say, she was internally grateful that his playing woke her up, but she didn't make it known. She had a nightmare, again. But then again, it wasn't something uncommon for her, although she could use some sleep.

"Could you play something?" Sarah asked Sherlock quietly, almost whispering. Her voice sounded so different to him, almost desperate. It was strange for Sherlock to see her in a state like this, the usually confident Sarah quietly curled up in a chair with tears glistening in her eyes. Last time he's seen her like that was when she revealed her past to him, telling him about her insane murderous brother who she was so afraid of, that she wouldn't even tell him his name and as a matter of fact, her own full name. Sherlock could only assume that the nightmare she had tonight was about him.

The consulting detective stood up and without another word he grabbed the violin and chose to play the one song that he liked to play when he was upset. It was Chopin's Nocturne in c sharp minor and Sarah recognized the melody. She closed her eyes and imagined herself playing the piano along with Sherlock and she could feel herself slowly drifting away and falling asleep in the armchair.

When Sarah woke up, Sherlock was already sitting in the kitchen, drinking his tea. She stretched her hands and shivered from the slightly cold air in the apartment, so she put on a blanket and wandered into the kitchen. There was a cup of tea waiting for her as well, along with a third cup, definitely for John. She sat next to Sherlock behind the table and she looked at him curiously. He glanced back ar her and they just sat there, sipping tea, staring at each other until John came from his room upstairs with a little 'good morning'. John asked Sarah, if she wanted any breakfast but she shook her head. After that, the trio got ready and they headed back to Orpington for the third time. Lestrade drove them again and this time, they went straight to the police station, where Alison Alwyn was held as the main suspect.

As they strolled trough the hallway where a few policemen rushed about their usual routine, they turned right and walked into a room with a window to the interrogation room where a blonde woman was seated behind a metal table with handcuffs on her hands and a worried look on her face. Lestrade turned to the detective Harrison, who they met on the crime scene at the lake.

"Has anyone talked to her yet?"

"Yeah, but she said she wants to call her lawyer and that she won't talk unless he's here."

Sherlock frowned as he scanned the room. Then he smirked. "Oh, I believe that's me." Harrison furrowed his eyebrows at him. "But you're certainly not a lawyer. You're that cosulting bloke."

Sherlock rolled his eyes. "Well yes, but Miss Alwyn here specifically requested my help."

Harrison opened his mouth to say something but Lestrade stepped in.

"Listen, he's really good at his job, give him fifteen minutes with her, you won't regret it."

"I can't just let a civillian talk to a main suspect in murder, Detective Inspector!" Harrison exclaimed and he gesticulated at Sherlock who glared at him.

"Uh… if I may." Sarah raised her hand and they all looked at her. "I am a doctor in psychology, and I specialized in forenzics and criminology, so theoretically, I could go in and check Miss Alwyn's psychological background and he could come with me?" She asked carefully. Lestrade smiled and turned to Detective Harrison who took a while to think about it, but then he just shrugged and took his place in front of the interrogation window. Lestrade placed himself on Harrison's left and John who was smirking at Sarah's cunning plan stood next to Lestrade. Sarah and Sherlock both victoriously walked into the interrogation room. Sherlock held the door open for Sarha to walk in and then he entered the room as well.

"Mr Holmes! Thank God you're here. You have got to help me out, I didn't do anything, I swear. Doctor Winston, you have to believe me." Her blue eyes looked into Sarah's.

"You didn't kill Esther, as we all know now, it was James." Sherlock's voice echoed in the almost empty room. "But Miss Alwyn, please don't be that dull to expect us to believe you're innocent. No." He chuckled. "You're not that stupid. We both know that, so drop the act." Alison frowned at him and her nostrils widened as she was upset.

"I called you here to help me." She said quietly with an icy tone.

"And I would, if you were innocent. But you're not. We know you're not. Or did James' blood just happened to drop on your boat? And don't tell me it's been planted there." He scoffed as she was about to open her mouth. "It was there, smudged, a bit washed off by the water of the lake, but still there."

Alison stared at him, slowly realizing something. "It was you. You called the police! But how did you find the boat, did you break in?! I can sue you! Both!" She yelled at them angrily. Sarah sat on the chair in front of Alison.

"Miss Alwyn, I think you need to calm down. Nobody's going to arrest us for catching a murderer. Two, actually." She said as she glanced up at Sherlock to signal him to continue.

"You, Esther and Inez Bowery had a very strong bond, yes?"

Alison glared at him. "You've got nothing. Nothing." She said with a calm, yet dangerously angry voice. Sarah felt that the room's temperature dropped. It was like this Alison Alwyn sitting in front of them, with circles around her eyes filled with hatred was a completely different woman from the warm, cheerful one they talked to just the day before. This one… was capable of doing something. Sarah almost shivered, her body staying on alert in case anything went down. Sherlock was on alert as well, but he grinned at her.

"Oh dear Miss Alwyn, we've got so much more than nothing. We've got your statements, blood on your boat, oh and you've got no alibis. The party? James never got to the party, his mistress saw him leave the house for your party, but the party guests never saw him. And the little detail that he left way sooner that the party was planned to start. That makes one wonder… what were Inez and Alison doing alone before the party? And where was James Finlay?" He asked rhetorically with a smirk on his face getting bigger and bigger. "He was with the two most likely women with a motive to kill him, having each other's backs as an alibi. Very disappointing and obvious in the end. All it would take is to tell James a different time of the party, so he would come sooner. You two would then have time to kill him, put him in your little boat and drop him in the lake, finally avenging Este." he said, boasting.

"No body, no crime." Sarah repeated Sherlock's words from before with a victorious smile on her face.

"Unfortunately for you and Inez, the body was found again." He mocked Alison who was sitting there completely quiet. After a while she looked at them both.

"The fucker deserved every bit that was coming to him. Everyone should be thanking me for getting rid of such a swine that he was. He cheated on his wife, got drunk, treated her like shit and then when she found out about him and his girlfriend, he killed her!" Alison shouted with tears in her eyes. "And that whore of his? She can rot in hell with him!" She slammed the table with her fist but Sherlock and Sarah both walked out of the interrogation room, not listening to her anymore. They got back to Lestrade, John and Harrison and Sherlock turned to them. "I think our work here is done. Good day, Detective." Sherlock told Harrison and he walked out, Sarah and John following him.

A few days later, in the television was a news reporter informing about two murders that ocurred in Orpington, and how a certain Alison Alwyn with her accomplice Inez Bowery murdered James Finlay who murdered and cheated on his wife Esther. "... Both women are behind bars now for a first degree murder. The mistress of James Finlay, Augustine Mayer refused to speak about the events…" the woman spoke on the telly, but nobody on Baker Street actually paid any attention to her. Sarah was downstairs, packing to go home after solving a second case with the boys, John was in his armchair texting with his now official girlfriend Sarah and Sherlock was sitting in his black leather armchair, not paying attention to anything around him. After she finished packing, Sarah made her way upstairs to say goodbye.

"So, i'm going to go now." she announced and John got up and walked to Sarah to hug her. She returned the hug and she looked at Sherlock over John's shoulder. Shelock glanced at her and without saying anything he stood up and went into his room. Sarah frowned, but then she just sighed and after saying goodbye to John, she walked down the stairs. While she was waiting for her cab, the 221B door opened and Sherlock walked out with his coat and scarf on.

"Where are you going?" Sarah asked him.

"I thought it was obvious." He looked into her eyes.

"Well it's not."

He sighed. "I'm going to see you off to the train station. We don't want my brother to kidnap you again." he told her with a wink.

"That would be a big no." she laughed.

They arrived at the train station and were slowly walking to Sarah's platform.

"You know, I'm really starting to enjoy these escapades of ours." Sarah smiled at him.

"Me too. Even though the chinese gang was definitely more thrilling than a small town double homicide, I'd say it was quite fun." he admitted.

"Who knows what next time brings." Sarah shrugged.

"So there will be a next time?" Sherlock raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yes."

"Good."

The train station announced that a train for Liverpool is leaving soon. Sarah looked at Sherlock.

"I had a great time, and I'm really looking forward to the next one. But just one thing."

"Hm?"

"Don't be a stranger. We agreed to be friends. Which means I would like to hear from you more often, how about that?" She asked him with a little smile, her eyes locking with his.

"Seems fair to me." He smirked.

She smiled widely. "Bye Sherlock."

"Goodbye Sarah." he said and suddenly she wrapped her arms around him. He was stunned for a second, but then he returned the hug. After all, it wasn't that unpleasant… Then, Sarah kissed his cheek again and then she just took her little travelling bag and boarded the train. She turned around in the door and waved at him one last time. The consulting detective watched the train dissapear, then he put his hands in his pockets and he walked away from the train station, a smile still lingering on his face.

BOOM!

A lound noise yet again disruppted another calm morning at Baker Street.

"Shit…" was all the consulting detective managed to say, while the plastic bottle on the kitchen table exploder, spilling its containment on the floor. He just stood there admiring the apocalypse that spawned on and under the kitchen table.

And there it was. Lound and angry thunds slowly approaching from the staircase.

"What the hell are you doing?!" John yelled angrily, his eyes squinting from the sudden light. Then, he entered the kitchen and saw it's state. "What the hell, Sherlock?"

"I was bored. Turns out you can't mix Mentos and soda." he said with a disappointed tone.

"Mentos and soda? That was your big experiment?" John asked him unbelievably.

"I said I was bored." Sherlock shrugged. Then he proceeded to just throw a cloth at the spilled soda on the floor, he put one of the Mentos in his mouth and he sat down in his armchair. "There's nothing. Nothing. No kidnappings, no mystery deaths, no murders. Everything is just so dull. Boring. Meaningless, John." Sherlock whined as he picked up his violin and started plucking its strings. John Watson just rolled his eyes and put a kettle on, tiredly running his hand across his face.

"Well, maybe if you didn't turn three of Lestrade's cases down, you'd have something to do now."

"Those were all plain as a day, the Scotland Yard is getting more stupid every day." Sherlock sighed. Then his eyes lit up. "Maybe Sarah has something."

"Sarah's left just two days ago, I doubt that she'll have anything for you, Sherlock. Besides, I'm sure she'd call you first-hand if she had anything." John smirked.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing. It's just… you know. Sarah… and you."

"What about Sarah and me?" Sherlock gave him a confused look.

"Oh nothing. I guess you'll find out later." John smirked again and he left upstairs with his tea.

The same day slowly passed and it was afternoon now in Liverpool. Sarah Winston was walking down the hall at Meyerside Police Station. She stopped in her tracks and when she found the door she was looking for, she walked in without knocking. There was a man in his late thirties sitting behind the desk who looked up at her.

"Ah, Miss Winston! Long time no see." He smiled at her and the wrinkles around his brown eyes highlighted.

Sarah smiled at the man politely. "Hello, Detective Filcott. Greg Lestrade says hi, by the way."

"Thank you. So, what can I do for you today?"

"I was wondering if you had anything interesting for me to look at." Sarah said and she undid the buttons on her grey coat. "You know, I've been more around these crime scenes lately. I've helped solve two back in London not too long ago."

Detective Filcott raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, it's been quite fun, actually. So if there's anything you'd like me to help you with again…"

"I'll make sure to call you." He smiled at her.

"Thank you, Detective." She gave him a thankful glance and turned to leave the room.

"You can call me Adam, please."

She turned around to look at him. "Oh, alright then… Adam. Bye for now." She smiled at him and waved goodbye. Sarah started walking down the hall again. She was a bit confused by the Detective's behavior towards her, but she shrugged it off. They knew each other for about three months now, he was new at Meyerside. She had a very good relationship with the chief of the Meyerside Police, who was also Greg's friend. That's actually how Sarah got to know Greg, trough the chief. But a few months back, the chief retired and he introduced Sarah to Adam Filcott, who she could then work on cases with. But they actually only worked on one since then. Although she didn't know him very well, he seemed like a decent guy. While her thoughts ran free, she heard footsteps behind her, getting closer. Sarah turned around to face Detective Filcott again.

"Did I forget something?" She asked.

"No, no. I was just wondering… but it's probably stupid." He laughed nervously.

"What is it?"

"I was wondering if… if you'd like to have dinner tonight? On me, of course. You know, to get to know each other better and all."

Sarah stood there in shock. She wasn't used to men asking her out, because she waved them all of before they could even try. It was hard for her to get to know anyone better because everyone could be working for him, and she wasn't willing to be betrayed like that. She didn't have many friends, well except Lestrade. Oh and her two recent friends, John Watson and Sherlock Holmes. So when this man was asking her out, she was quite uncomfortable.

"Listen Adam, you seem like a very nice man, but I'm not looking for anything like that right now… sorry." She gave him a small, pitying smile.

"Oh, okay, well then just as friends? Come on, Sarah, I think you could use a friend."

Sarah sighed. Alright, just one dinner. It's going to be fine, I'm bored anyway. "Okay, but really just as friends, okay? Don't expect anything more." She warned him.

He smiled widely. "Of course. Well, great! I finish at six, so we can meet here then?"

"Okay."

"It's a date!"

"Nope." Sarah smirked as she walked out the main entrance.

"Just kidding!" He yelled at her with a laugh.

"God, you better be kidding." Sarah whispered to herself. "What did I get myself into? Shit."