Okay! I'm sorry the updates have been a little slower recently! Everything is a bit crazy at the moment but I'm still writing! This chapter is pretty long too :) Thank you again for your reviews! (70 to go until I do the Sherlock dance!) and I'm also only 2 people away from 200 follows which is just crazy! I do hope you all like this one! :)
The evening was beginning to fall, the change bringing with it the glow of London in the dark. Street lights and shop signs glinted off the glossy black exterior of the cab that Sherlock was sat in. He barely moved as it glided through the streets, his eyes closed as he thought on all the information that he had collated that day, trying to sort out what was useful from what was not, including any form of attachment or emotion that could prove as a distraction.
He played over everything in his head: Moriarty returning, the timing of his broadcast, the choice of his words in Lady Smallwood's office, his choosing Molly for his hostage...
He had to find Molly, he couldn't let her be alone much longer. She would be frightened and he didn't like that thought.
No. That was worrying and worrying was a distraction.
He flicked his head slightly to shake the thought away before he zoned back in onto the cab driver. Dale his name was. Something about his manner was peculiar and also how easily he followed their instructions. Could be because he had nothing else to do or because he was afraid of police, both were possible and fairly probable but there wasn't much else to go on. There was nothing too alerting about the man for Sherlock to bother with straight away so he could wait for now. With a twitch of his head, he was swiped away.
Then Olivia. She had been terrified to the point of feeling suffocated, her body language and black circles under her eyes showed that she had no rest from her worrying. But she had two years to be rid of Moriarty and the part she played in his lie which meant he still used her whilst he was pretending to be dead. So Moriarty was recruiting ordinary people to help him, even when he was supposedly dead, and killing them if they got in his way...
Which probably wouldn't have happened if Sherlock had just played his hand more carefully.
No, that was regret. Never a useful emotion.
Another flick of his head and the thought vanished as he thought on Moriarty's new recruits. They were everywhere it seemed but unlike the last web, the one that Sherlock had destroyed, they were normal people. This meant it was weaker, rushed and less advanced, built in the short space of two years but surely he wouldn't have just relied on ordinary people of London. That wasn't like Moriarty at all. He would have needed someone else. Someone who thought more like him. He just had to find out who.
And maybe that would be where Irene Adler could help. Sherlock thought on the text that Dale had received, one word telling him who was texting as soon as he read it.
'Your cab is near 'The Connaught'. Let's have dinner.'
Why was Irene involved? Sherlock was positive that Moriarty would have been more than annoyed at her after Sherlock had recovered her phone but why wait until now to use her? His mind was buzzing with questions, filling his brain with too much noise and too many puzzles. If he continued like this then it would be easy for Moriarty to gain the upper hand. With a swipe of his finger in the air, he batted away all the voices in his mind and left only one question, ready for his meeting. Why Irene Adler?
Sherlock's eyes snapped open as the cab he was in began to slow down. Wordlessly, he payed the driver before he opened the door and stepped out onto the pavement. The evening chill hit him instantly and he adjusted his collar and wrapped his coat around him, trying to keep it off his body.
As he began to walk, his phone buzzed in his pocket and he took it out to find he had a message.
'I'm in the Helene Darroze restaurant. Booking under my name. I do hope I won't be dining alone.'
Sherlock felt the side of his mouth curl up into a small smile and he placed the phone back in his pocket and continued to walk. He soon reached The Connaught Hotel and began to feel a stirring in the pit of his stomach. He stood momentarily outside the doors and frowned as he tried to place the feeling. Nerves? Anticipation? He couldn't tell and before he could try to figure it out any further, the door to the building opened as two people left, looking at him oddly as he stood there, unmoving, probably looking lost.
He smiled at them politely, regaining his composure, before walking through the same door that they exited through, the grandeur of the hotel filling every section of the room that he was now stood in. As soon as he entered, a smartly dressed man walked over to him and smiled a fixed smile that Sherlock could tell was well practised.
"Can I help you Sir?" He asked and Sherlock nodded.
"Yes. I have a table booked at the Helene Darroze under the name 'Adler'." He replied and Sherlock saw recognition flash onto the man's face as he nodded.
"Ah yes, you must be Mr Holmes. Right this way Sir." The man responded and Sherlock followed him, his mind not being able to resist figuring out what he could about him: Young man, early 20's, probably about 22. Hates his job but can't find much else around and the hotel probably helps him with attracting women and speaking of which, he has his own dinner planned tonight, probably in the very same restaurant that he was leading Sherlock to after his shift finished which would probably be in the next hour or so. He's not too nervous about it which means he probably does the 'date after work' thing quite often. If he's not careful, he'll find himself becoming a serial dater.
"Here you are Sir, let me take your coat and I'll get someone to take you to your table." The man said suddenly, stopping to take Sherlock's coat.
"Thank you." He replied as he watched another employee, a woman who was looking at the man a little too often and a little too eagerly, walk over to them.
"Diane will show you over." The man said and Sherlock smiled at her with his own well practised smile.
"Before you do, I'd consider again your affections for this man." He paused for a second to take in the look of surprise and embarrassment on her face. "For a start, he's meeting another woman tonight who he'll probably stay with for, what? Twelve hours at the most?" Sherlock looked at the man who's cheeks suddenly flushed and Sherlock smiled, taking that as proof that he was right. "Probably even ten. Give him another week or so and if you carry on giving him the 'googly eyes', he'll probably begin to notice you but you'll be nothing more than another name on his list. I'd stop the pining now and save yourself the heart break. It won't end well." He stopped and let the silence fill his ears as the girl stared at him and the man suddenly became very interested in the booking sheet next to him. Sherlock took the opportunity to peak over his shoulder and find Irene's name plus her table number. "I should be able to find my own way to the table." He finished before turning away from them, a smile that he couldn't fight creeping onto his face as he thought about the looks on the two employees' faces even though something told him that if John were here, he would have told him off for being too mean and probably too for being a show-off.
He turned around the corner, his eyes searching the tables quickly before they met hers and his mind was momentarily wiped. She smiled at him in the seductive way that he had imagined she would have. Her eyes glittered as she gave a small wave to him, his heart pace quickening as he walked over to the table. He remembered the more he looked at her how much she interested him. She was almost unreadible and her motives were never clear making her a constant puzzle and Sherlock couldn't resist a puzzle.
As he reached her, she went to stand up but he stopped her by holding his hand out towards her.
"Please." He said and she sat back down, the smile still on her face as he took the seat opposite her.
"So, I finally get to have dinner with you Mr Holmes." She said, her voice low.
"Well, to an extent. I'm working a case so I'm afraid I won't be eating. You enjoy yourself though, please." He replied, his voice careful and cold. Irene pouted at him slightly.
"Oh. And here I thought I had you all night." She responded, raising her hand in the air to catch the waiter's attention who ran over to her as soon as she did so. "I'll have to make the most of what time I have then." She added, not letting her eyes leave Sherlock's face, even as she began to address the waiter. "You're most expensive bottle of wine if you please. And be nice and quick about it." She finally looked at the waiter at her last request and he stammered something like 'yes of course' before hurrying away.
Sherlock watched him go and smiled, causing Irene to raise her eyebrows at him.
"What? Are you jealous of me paying attention to another man?" She asked and Sherlock let out a small laugh.
"No. Merely marvelling at how easy some men can be controlled by you." He replied, genuinely impressed by her manipulation skills and Irene smiled again.
"It's amazing what a good dress can do. Not that it seems to bother you." She replied and Sherlock ignored her last comment.
"As much as I'm enjoying our little get together. That's not why I'm here." He said and Irene frowned.
"You're after the cab? Oh it's round the corner. Nothing in it though, I had a look on my way over, I wouldn't waste your time."
"Nothing in it?" He asked and she shook her head. Sherlock looked closer at her expression and saw no hint that she was trying to deceive him so that cab must indeed be empty. 'Interesting', Sherlock thought but that could wait until later. "I thought as much but you know that's not why I'm here either." He looked at her intently and saw a flicker of something pass across her face but it was too quick to catch.
"Yes, of course. You're here about Molly." She responded just as the waiter came over with their wine. Sherlock and Irene didn't break eye-contact as he poured their drinks, silently trying to see what the other was thinking until Sherlock realised that the waiter was still there.
"Yes?" Sherlock asked suddenly to him and he jumped, a little startled before rushing away.
"Now that wasn't very nice." Irene scolded and Sherlock rolled his eyes at her.
"Molly. Where is she?" He asked firmly and Irene looked away from him to trace the top of her wine glass with her finger.
"What makes you think I know?" She asked, her tone innocent but Sherlock didn't have time for her games.
"Because on the day that Moriarty returns, so do you. Bit of a coincidence unless he is using you too as part of his new 'web'."
"Their called 'pawns'." She interrupted.
"I'm not calling them that. It's a stupid name."
"I know, it's awful isn't it?" She laughed before taking a sip of her wine.
"So why would he ask you for help? Well the only logical assumption would be to get you to distract me from trying to find Molly, which isn't working by the way, you can let him know that when you see him again because you will be seeing him again won't you? I'm assuming the wine is going on his tab also?" He asked and she didn't reply, only her eyes seemed to glitter in response. Sherlock continued without pressing the matter. "You are not one to do something without knowing all the facts therefore you know his plan so if you know about Molly then he would have made you part of his plot to keep from letting too many people in the loop so too to have less of a chance of anything slipping. I think you have seen her and I think you know where she is." He finished and waited for her to comment but Irene didn't speak for a moment, she just watched him until Sherlock had waited enough and was about to speak again.
"You say you aren't distracted." She said eventually. "But you're here with me in a fancy hotel instead of looking for her. I'd say that's being distracted."
"I'm researching." He replied simply as she raised her eyebrow at him.
"Oh?" She asked. "How so?"
"Because you will help me. I saved your life Irene. You owe me." He responded and Irene laughed again, her white teeth showing against the red of her lipstick.
"I owe you nothing. You put me in that position in the first place and in case you haven't realised, I have another, slightly scarier but albeit just as sexy, man hiring me to work against you so why would I help you?" She scoffed and Sherlock lent forward.
"Hiring you to help or forcing you?" He asked and for a moment, her façade betrayed her. He saw a glimpse of fear which was gone the second it came but it was enough for Sherlock to use.
"He's threatening you. Irene, what is he using against you?" He asked and Irene let out a cold laugh.
"My 'pressure point' you mean?" She asked and Sherlock faltered for a moment, too many things rushing into his head at once before she spoke again, causing him to throw his thoughts into a 'to be continued' room in his mind palace. He would return to them later.
"What do you think it is Sherlock? I care for nothing, only for myself. I have no-one that I love that he can threaten to hurt to make me do anything so what could he possibly use?" She asked, her face now more serious that it had been before.
"You. He's threatening to kill you. A tad dull for him but you value your life too much. It's the easiest option." He said matter-of-factly and Irene nodded.
"You know, it is interesting how much you think like him. Is that disappointing to you too that I am so easily bought by a threat on my life? It was to him." Sherlock didn't answer her and she raised her eyebrow. "You have to understand that I angered him when you made me fail the last task he gave me. I know he wants to kill me anyway, I'm just buying more time until I figure a way out." She continued, the fear back in her eyes as Sherlock watched her carefully, placing his hands together under his chin.
"What if I can help you escape again? If I could get you away from Moriarty. His web is weaker now, it would be easier this time. Would you help me find Molly then?" He bargained and Irene took a long sip of her wine, her eyes not leaving his until she placed down her glance and lent towards him.
"What is it about her that makes you care so much?" She asked quietly, her voice almost a hiss.
"Are you the one who is jealous Miss Adler?" He asked, raising his eyebrow at her and she sat back in her chair.
"Merely curious as to who got the infamously and infuriatingly asexual Sherlock Holmes all hot and bothered." She replied, her voice carrying a forced air of nonchalance. Sherlock smiled.
"Me? Of course not." He retorted and he saw her pull a face of disbelief at him. "She is my friend Irene and I care about her deeply." He added, completely serious and the switch in tone seemed to catch her attention.
"Why? She's so ordinary Sherlock! I spent an afternoon with the girl and I was bored to tears."
"So you do know where she is."
"You're not answering my question." She replied, her tone short. "What makes her so special?" Sherlock didn't reply straight away, trying to think truly for the first time what it was about Molly that he seemed to warm to.
"It's because of how ordinary she is that I care about her." He replied and Irene laughed.
"Wow. You do now how to compliment a girl." She mocked sarcastically but Sherlock continued.
"No, you misunderstand. There is nothing in her that is hateful or twisted or violent." A flash of remembrance hit him at his words as he thought of Molly slapping his face three times. He smiled. "Unless she is provoked. She is so utterly caring and trusting that I can't help but trust and care about her." Irene stared at him after he finished as if waiting for him to add that what he was saying was just a joke but he didn't speak.
"So you don't want to find her because of guilt? You want to find her because you care. Sherlock Holmes cares about another person that isn't John Watson. That makes two people now Sherlock, you are becoming soft aren't you? What happened to sentiment is found on the losing side?" She challenged.
"It is. Which is also why you will help me find her because if you don't, you will have helped in taking away someone that matters to me and you can't let yourself do that. You're weakness still lies with me." He responded and she looked at him as if she pitied him.
"Oh Sherlock. Maybe before, but I moved on. It's sweet that you still think that." She replied and Sherlock couldn't help but prove her wrong, his eyes darting around her, trying to find the proof that he was right.
"Your lipstick says otherwise." He replied and she rolled her eyes at him.
"Really? My lipstick?"
"You've reapplied it two, no three times and the zip on your bag isn't quite shut so you've probably refreshed it quite recently, stopping hurriedly when you saw me coming and not managing to close your bag fully, so it was for my benefit then. Then there's the dress, you claim it's for the waiter but there's a small mark on the back of it where you've recently pulled off the tag so it's a new dress, one you must have got today and especially for this occasion, the shape and cut of it shows that you're looking to impress and considering you must only be meeting me tonight then it must be me that you are aiming for. Also, when I arrived, you stood quickly, a fraction too fast and too eagerly to not be bothered by my arrival. You are getting a little careless Irene, you're much easier to read tonight, I'd lay off the wine if I were you." He stopped, reading a mixture of annoyance, embarrassment and appreciation flash onto her face before she managed to straighten her expression into her usual mask.
"If that were true Sherlock Holmes, then I wouldn't be here. I am a distraction for you, that's all I am here for and that's all he's asked me to do and I think -." She stopped and lent over to take his hand. He didn't move as she pulled his arm towards her and twisted his wrist so she could see his watch. "- that I have done my job by now." She said as she let his hand drop back onto the table and stood. "Goodbye Sherlock." She said as Sherlock mirrored her and stood, side-stepping so he blocked her as she tried to walk away.
"Just tell me one thing." He said and she raised her eyebrow at him.
"Sherlock -."
"One thing and then I'll let you go." He pressed and Irene sighed and folded her arms, her eyes telling him to continue. "Can I find her without your help?" He asked, watching her carefully.
"I know I should just walk away from you and not answer because this is one of your clever trick questions where you'll get me to tell you something without actually telling you anything but..." She took a step closer to him and fixed his gaze on her with her eyes. "No. Without help, you're lost. He's found a place that you know nothing about because you know nothing about her. You won't even know where to start." She said and Sherlock smiled.
"Thank you. You have just helped considerably even for all your protesting." He replied before turning away from her but before he could walk, he felt her hand on his arm, turning him back to her.
"Sherlock. He will kill her, you know it. Nothing you can do will prevent it. She's only alive so that you play his game but when you get too close, he won't hesitate to kill her like that other St Bart's girl." She warned and Sherlock suddenly felt very cold but he couldn't let her see that he was anxious or worried, Moriarty would find out from her and it would give him the satisfaction that Sherlock could not allow. "If you really care for her Sherlock then hurry up. He's already at the next stage of his plan or at least the part that I know." She finished and he nodded to her before pulling his arm away.
"I won't let her die Irene." He said simply, turning away and leaving her behind without another glance to her. As he walked, he felt the phone in his pocket buzz. He stopped at the door to wait for his coat and took the opportunity to read the text he had just received. It was from John.
'Meet me at Scotland Yard. I think I've found something. JW'
So Irene finally got to have dinner with Sherlock... well, not really.
I hope you liked it! I am not an Adlock, fan (is that what they're called?) really but I completely get the character dynamic between them and I don't think it can be ignored which is why I wrote it quite a bit like that. If you are a Sherlolly fan, stick with it as I do adore those too and I also plan to have a bit more John and Sherlock together later on too as they've not had much time together I've realised.
Also want to clarify that I live in England but I am just as much a tourist when I'm in London as someone who doesn't but I wanted a posh restaurant and decided to research them. If you have been to The Connaught and it's nothing like I have described a) lucky you and b) please forgive me.. :)
Well that's my explanations done. I'm a bit nervous now so please review to calm me down! :P
