Madison King
Chapter 7
The silence is not broken until Mrs. Hudson ascends the stairs. "Sherlock, you had a package on the steps…and oh, new clients?" she says.
Sherlock doesn't answer her. John responds for Sherlock saying, "Not exactly." He reaches out his hand for the package Mrs. Hudson has with a soft "May I?" He opens the ordinary box to find something he wants to believe is a paper box. There's writing on the box like he's never seen before. Sherlock is still lost inside his mind palace; therefore, John asks the Doctor what it says. "Doctor, are you able to translate this?" John asks.
The Doctor takes the package from John's hands and starts to translate the language in his mind. While he does, there are footsteps on the stairs and the tapping of an umbrella. This sound draws Sherlock out of his mind palace. When he looks at the door, Mycroft Holmes is leaning against his umbrella handle. "Hello brother dear," Mycroft says as he walks in and takes a seat in John's chair.
"Mycroft," Sherlock acknowledges his brother coldly. "Doctor, leave…your companions.
"I already have the kettle on," Mrs. Hudson says smiling at Amy. She gives them the suggestion of tea rather than letting them deal with Sherlock's disrespectful comments. "Why don't you come with me, and we'll give them some space…"
"Her name's Amelia Jessica Williams, but she prefers to be called Amy," Sherlock says for Amy. "The Doctor calls both her and her husband, Rory Arthur Williams, by her maiden name, Pond, when referring to them as a group. Individually, he always calls Amelia by her maiden name, and more often than not will also use Amelia's last name when referring to Rory." Sherlock pauses and digs something out of his pocket. "Rory, here's your wallet back. I pick pocketed you earlier. You were being an idiot." Sherlock tosses Rory his wallet. When Rory goes through his wallet, his hospital ID is missing. He stares at the consulting detective in astonishment.
Meanwhile, Sherlock is unnoticing as his eyes are locked on the Doctor. Everything in Sherlock seems judgmental. This only lasts for a moment though before he turns, grabs his violin, and sits in his chair across from Mycroft.
Amy, Rory, and the Doctor stand dumbfounded for a moment. Everyone else currently in 221B, somewhat familiar with Sherlock's outbursts by now, go back to their previous activities.
"Why don't you come down to my flat for tea, dearies?" Mrs. Hudson suggests to Amy, Rory, and the Doctor again. They agree and follow Mrs. Hudson out of Sherlock's flat, but only Amy and Rory follow the kindly, older women to her apartment. The Doctor waits on the stairs and listens into the conversation between Sherlock, John, and Sherlock's brother.
In his hands, the Doctor still has the package that was within the box John passed to him. He rereads the words that he never had the opportunity to repeat verbally. In all capital letters it has "to the Doctor" written on one side. The writing is sloppy, but the language matches that of the home planet of the Zygotes.
The Doctor rips open the package in his hands. "'Spider webs,'" he murmurs Sherlock's theory under his breath. He quickly scans the contents of the box-like parcel with his sonic screwdriver. His breath hitches for a moment before he whispers to himself, "Zygote..."
The Doctor looks up the stairs to Sherlock's flat. Without thinking, he runs to the door and bursts into the sitting room. He points his screwdriver at Mycroft Holmes and scans him. Mycroft sits still, rolls his eyes, and wonders where his little brother finds idiots such as the alien-man scanning him. Sherlock groans and tells the Doctor to "turn that idiotic…thing off." John stands up and yells, "what the h-"
John is cut off when the Doctor firmly repeats the word he had whispered to himself on the stairs. The room goes into a confused silence. The only noise comes from the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.