Prompt:

From chapter 9 of SIGN, after the disguise, Holmes says: "I have been working in that getup all day," said he, lighting a cigar. "You see, a good many of the criminal classes begin to know me - especially since our friend here took to publishing some of my cases..." (plural) There's just one tiny problem with that statement - this is 1887 or 88, and the Strand stories were not begun to see print until 1891. As of SIGN, the only publication we're aware of is that of STUD. Another Doyle error, or are there still accounts out there floating around that no one has seen yet?

Did Watson write other stories, and if so, where are they? Run with that idea in some direction.

A/N: Well, I've finally done it... here's that chapter. The one I've been meaning to do for ages but never quite got around to...

I had an idea for it, but it disappeared, and this came out instead. I'm still not sure what to think of it... it isn't epic, I'm afraid, but it works :)

"My dear Watson, whatever is the matter?"

The doctor snatched his pipe from his desk, moving to straighten a picture on the wall which had been disturbed by the violent slamming of the door only a moment earlier. Holmes had been relaxing in his customary chair when a clearly disgruntled Watson had returned from his outing.

"This, Holmes! This is the matter!" A magazine was waved in the startled detective's face. "Those absolutely…" A valiant effort on the doctor's part prevented some unfortunate language. "Those utterly unpleasant people," he settled for, which had less of the desired effect but was, at least, printable.

Holmes unrolled the magazine. "The staff of the Spectator?" he asked, somewhat confused. "What have they done?"

"Well, you know I didn't get as much as I'd have liked from the Strand when I published A Study in Scarlet," Watson began, waving his unlit pipe. "So I decided to try selling them to another magazine, to see if they would appreciate it more. They seemed quite enthusiastic, as I believe I told you, when I sent them my account of that business with the crew of Serenity. Plus, they offered me a bit more than the Strand, so I had them publish it instead. And just look!" He snatched the magazine back out of Holmes' hands and flipped to the relevant pages. "They've published it as fiction!"

Holmes studied the page with a furrowed brow. "But I thought you made it perfectly clear that the events actually occurred."

"I did, Holmes! But they seem to have completely disregarded anything I told them about the manuscript I sent! And here it is, printed as though it were just some story I made up, while the business with Serenity, as you know, was altogether too real. Plus, they've spelled my name wrong."

Holmes glanced over the publication again, until he could not contain his laughter.

Watson glared. "It isn't funny, Holmes!"

"I am sorry, my dear Watson. But did I not tell you that your writing was far too romantic? It's no wonder they mistook it for a fanciful tale—"

"Holmes."

"My apologies, my dear fellow. It is most unfortunate. I daresay you won't be sending your writing to them again."

"Indeed I shall not." Watson sat, finally choosing to light his pipe. "I have already written up an account of our most recent case, and I shall send it to the Strand. At least they take me seriously."

Holmes nodded, preparing to turn his thoughts elsewhere, but something nagged at him. "Er… Watson… you do want the people at the Strand to continue taking you seriously...?"

"Well, of course, Holmes."

The detective smiled. "Then might I suggest that you refrain from sending them that particular account, at least for the moment," he said, glancing towards his friend's notebook. "The case of the Giant Rat of Sumatra is, I think, a tale for which the world is not yet prepared."