"Now look what you made me do!" Ana was sputtering with indignation.
"Well, I do seem to have lost my only claim on you..." Holmes said, chuckling.
"Claim? Claim? You don't have a claim on me!" Ana was red with rage.
"Go on, then. Leave." Holmes said. "Moriarty thinks you have the diamond."
"He also thinks I'm dead!"
"And when he finds out you're not? Or, for that matter, if Scotland Yard finds out you're not?"
Ana paused, confused.
"But help me get that ledger, and you'll be under my protection," Holmes said softly.
"I don't need protection!"
"Fine then." Holmes turned business like. "Fifty pounds for your services tonight."
She narrowed her eyes in thought. It was a full minute before she spoke. "Deal."
"What will you need, then?"
Ana glanced down at her dress. "My old clothes!"
Holmes rang for Mrs. Hudson, then turned to Ana in exasperation.
"But for the last time, Ana, put the knife BACK!" he said. Ana rolled her eyes, pulled it from her dress, aimed, and threw it into the mantelpiece. It vibrated slightly in the woodwork. I shuddered.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Will you be QUIET?" Ana's eyes were livid.
I pushed the dustbins upright. "Sorry, sorry..."
She turned to Holmes. "Did we have to bring him?"
"Yes, yes, of course," Holmes said, "He's our distinguished look out, the one person on whom this entire operation hinges!"
I swelled with pride and stiffened to attention.
"Well, he. Stays. Out. Side." Ana said.
Holmes whispered in her ear. "Of course. Continue."
Ana pulled a large lock pick from her back pocket and bent to examine the lock. In a minute, she turned the handle triumphantly and eased the door inwards. The inside of the pub was dark, and Sherlock lit his dark lantern. The two of them walked cautiously inside.
Forgetting my post as look out, I watched from the doorway.
Ana bent to pick the lock into the room they had been in before. I heard them enter and Holmes say with a flourish, "Allow me..."
"Stupid copper! You couldn't open it if your life depended on it!" Ana hissed.
I leaned in farther to hear.
"Be my guest, then." Holmes sounded annoyed.
A deep-throated growl jerked my attention back to the alley. I gulped and began to sweat. "Nice doggie..." I murmured. "Good doggie... Biiiiig doggie..."
From inside the pub Holmes said, "Are you satisfied now? Let me have a crack at it." Ana grunted.
"Would the doggie like a... a..." I searched my pockets. "A nice crumpet? Yes, yes he would!" I tossed the mashed crumpet to the dog, who sniffed it once and began to eat.
Holmes gave a triumphant laugh and Ana murmured "Beginner's luck..."
The dog finished the crumpet, and began to growl again. I searched my pockets again, but found nothing.
There was silence from inside the inn, which I later found out was a shocked silence.
"Holmes!" I whispered frantically. The dog advanced, hackles bared. "Holmes!" I shouted.
He was at my side in an instant, Ana not far behind him. The dog leapt, barking madly. Holmes kicked it away, and it landed with a thud in the corner of the alley, unmoving.
"Come on!" Holmes whispered, dragging me by the arm. Ana trotted behind us.
The dog, in the corner, whined and raised its head, then stood and growled. We turned in fear as it slammed Ana to the ground. Holmes cried out and wrenched the dog from her.
The monsterous creature bared its teeth and began slashing at Holmes. He was holding it away from his face, but the teeth were grinding closer...
Suddenly the dog went stiff and unmoving, falling to Ana's feet. She took a shuddering gasp and wiped her mouth with a blood colored sleeve.
Then she held up the knife.
"I... I promise..." she said in a shaky voice, "I promise I'll put it back."
Holmes stood in silence for a moment, staring at the girl. Then he reached out and took the knife from her trembling hand. He brushed a strand of hair from her face and then gently wiped the blood away. He took her hand and nodded to me.
The night fog rolled around us as we walked back to Baker Street.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I had seen Holmes in many different situations. I had seen him fearful, happy, angry, and even confused, but I had never seen him quite like this before.
Ana was asleep on the couch, breathing softly with one hand tangled in her hair. Sherlock pulled a blanket over her and then stood watching.
After a moment he spoke.
"Do you know, Watson," Holmes said, "I think I would have liked to have been a father."
"Well, I do seem to have lost my only claim on you..." Holmes said, chuckling.
"Claim? Claim? You don't have a claim on me!" Ana was red with rage.
"Go on, then. Leave." Holmes said. "Moriarty thinks you have the diamond."
"He also thinks I'm dead!"
"And when he finds out you're not? Or, for that matter, if Scotland Yard finds out you're not?"
Ana paused, confused.
"But help me get that ledger, and you'll be under my protection," Holmes said softly.
"I don't need protection!"
"Fine then." Holmes turned business like. "Fifty pounds for your services tonight."
She narrowed her eyes in thought. It was a full minute before she spoke. "Deal."
"What will you need, then?"
Ana glanced down at her dress. "My old clothes!"
Holmes rang for Mrs. Hudson, then turned to Ana in exasperation.
"But for the last time, Ana, put the knife BACK!" he said. Ana rolled her eyes, pulled it from her dress, aimed, and threw it into the mantelpiece. It vibrated slightly in the woodwork. I shuddered.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Will you be QUIET?" Ana's eyes were livid.
I pushed the dustbins upright. "Sorry, sorry..."
She turned to Holmes. "Did we have to bring him?"
"Yes, yes, of course," Holmes said, "He's our distinguished look out, the one person on whom this entire operation hinges!"
I swelled with pride and stiffened to attention.
"Well, he. Stays. Out. Side." Ana said.
Holmes whispered in her ear. "Of course. Continue."
Ana pulled a large lock pick from her back pocket and bent to examine the lock. In a minute, she turned the handle triumphantly and eased the door inwards. The inside of the pub was dark, and Sherlock lit his dark lantern. The two of them walked cautiously inside.
Forgetting my post as look out, I watched from the doorway.
Ana bent to pick the lock into the room they had been in before. I heard them enter and Holmes say with a flourish, "Allow me..."
"Stupid copper! You couldn't open it if your life depended on it!" Ana hissed.
I leaned in farther to hear.
"Be my guest, then." Holmes sounded annoyed.
A deep-throated growl jerked my attention back to the alley. I gulped and began to sweat. "Nice doggie..." I murmured. "Good doggie... Biiiiig doggie..."
From inside the pub Holmes said, "Are you satisfied now? Let me have a crack at it." Ana grunted.
"Would the doggie like a... a..." I searched my pockets. "A nice crumpet? Yes, yes he would!" I tossed the mashed crumpet to the dog, who sniffed it once and began to eat.
Holmes gave a triumphant laugh and Ana murmured "Beginner's luck..."
The dog finished the crumpet, and began to growl again. I searched my pockets again, but found nothing.
There was silence from inside the inn, which I later found out was a shocked silence.
"Holmes!" I whispered frantically. The dog advanced, hackles bared. "Holmes!" I shouted.
He was at my side in an instant, Ana not far behind him. The dog leapt, barking madly. Holmes kicked it away, and it landed with a thud in the corner of the alley, unmoving.
"Come on!" Holmes whispered, dragging me by the arm. Ana trotted behind us.
The dog, in the corner, whined and raised its head, then stood and growled. We turned in fear as it slammed Ana to the ground. Holmes cried out and wrenched the dog from her.
The monsterous creature bared its teeth and began slashing at Holmes. He was holding it away from his face, but the teeth were grinding closer...
Suddenly the dog went stiff and unmoving, falling to Ana's feet. She took a shuddering gasp and wiped her mouth with a blood colored sleeve.
Then she held up the knife.
"I... I promise..." she said in a shaky voice, "I promise I'll put it back."
Holmes stood in silence for a moment, staring at the girl. Then he reached out and took the knife from her trembling hand. He brushed a strand of hair from her face and then gently wiped the blood away. He took her hand and nodded to me.
The night fog rolled around us as we walked back to Baker Street.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I had seen Holmes in many different situations. I had seen him fearful, happy, angry, and even confused, but I had never seen him quite like this before.
Ana was asleep on the couch, breathing softly with one hand tangled in her hair. Sherlock pulled a blanket over her and then stood watching.
After a moment he spoke.
"Do you know, Watson," Holmes said, "I think I would have liked to have been a father."