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Chapter Two. The Fading of Hope.

My eyes became increasingly heavy as the night wore on. The fire at my feet was comforting but I was too weary to enjoy it. The war soldiered on and London became increasingly empty. The once vibrant streets were now quiet and haunting. Holmes had gone, to where I did not know. I saw him only once more after our dinner together, and only for a brief moment. He was boarding a train at Victoria and I noticed him by accident. His eyes met mine as he boarded and he smiled, then disappeared into the smoke. I have no idea where he was bound and I have not seen nor heard any word of him since. I have not been back to Baker Street; I pass its door every now and again but never venture inside. My work for the army keeps me occupied, Elaine also volunteered as a nurse, which I was originally against, but she has such a caring nature that it was almost impossible for her not to help in whatever way she could. And so our lives continue. The absence of Holmes is keenly felt by not just me, but by London. People tend to recognise me every now and again and ask me his whereabouts, I have to confess I do not enjoy these encounters with my admirers but it is gratifying to know that I am in some way at least, responsible for the fame Holmes now enjoys. The fire was dying and the light it was giving was as dim and as spent as my heart. I sighed as I stood, intending to retire to bed when I heard a faint knocking at my door. I rubbed my tired eyes, knowing there was some dire emergency I was required at; I reflected that my entire life seemed to have been one dire emergency after another and that it was all Holmes' fault. I smiled; I would not have had it any other way. I went cautiously to the door, it was still London after all and one did not just open the door to anyone. I unlocked it and pulled it open slightly to see a young girl; about seventeen stood the other side, gazing sadly at me. Her eyes were wet with tears and her hands red with the biting December cold. I opened the door immediately and smiled at the poor creature.

"Can I help you my dear?" I asked, attempting to keep my voice as still and as quiet as possible.

"Are you Doctor Watson?" She asked, her voice hoarse and strained, she was evidently not well.

"Yes, come inside where it's warm." I ushered her in and she let me remove her coat and hat and practically place her in front of the now rekindled fire in my front room. I smiled again, when the fire was properly going again.

"Now, you know who I am, may I ask who you are?"

"Alice, Alice Kendall."

The name suited her, it was pretty and demure. She was not typically beautiful but she had a grace and dignity beyond her years that made her quite stunning to behold.

"Very good to meet you Miss. Kendall, what can I do for you at such an hour?"

"You know Mr. Holmes?"

The question took me somewhat by surprise, I was frequently being asked that question but not by young girls in the middle of the night.

"Yes," I answered slowly, unsure of where her question was going to lead.

"So do I." She placed her hand in her lap and looked down intently at them, the tears that had dried up beginning to form again in her eyes.

"Miss. Kendall is your visit about Holmes?"

At this question the poor girl burst into floods of tears, I rose to fetch her a handkerchief and a brandy to calm her nerves, both she accepted gratefully.

"I'm sorry, it's just… it's so dreadful and I don't know what to do, you were the only person I really thought I could trust and times being such as they are…" She relapsed again into a fit of sobs, I sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders, she leaned into me, grateful to have someone at last she could cry in front of.

"It's alright dear, tell me what you know and I will listen to all." She sat up again and gazed at me with beautiful blue eyes.

"You won't believe me."

I laughed gently,

"You would be surprised by what I have come to believe, now tell me."

I placed a hand over her trembling one and she took a deep breath in.

"One thing you must first know, so that you believe everything I am doing and everything I have done, I have done only for Mr. Holmes. Do you believe that?"

I nodded slowly, the smile gone from my face and fear gripping my heart, what had happened to Holmes that caused him to rely on this slip of a girl to relay messages. Her eyes never left mine as she spoke,

"I love him, I have loved him my entire life and I love him now."

The words were simple enough and had been spoken many times before, but never to my knowledge, about Holmes. I stood up.

"My girl, this is a pretty silly joke, if you are simply another ardent admirer after my attention then congratulations it worked, and a very convincing show you put on too but enough is enough…"

I was about to continue my admonishment of the girl when she rose and placed two very strong hands on my shoulders.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me!" She almost screamed, fresh tears running down her face, "I do love him and I do know him, you must believe me, you must!"

"How can I believe you? I have known Holmes for nearly 25 years and never in my acquaintance has any woman ever claimed to love him."

"If they had only seen what he has done for this country, to help us get out of this terrible war! How he has saved millions of lives, then every woman who is worth anything would fall at his feet begging him to love her!"

I thought the girl was mad, delirious and feverish from all she had endured, whatever that may be. I decided that to agree with her may be the best course of action, I would take care of her and attend to her health, Holmes would come later.

"Alright, alright," I soothed, removing her hands and holding them in my own, "I believe you know Holmes and I believe that you think you love him."

She was about to protest again when I placed a finger over her lips.

"I will listen to all you have to say in the morning, my wife is away tonight working, so you may stay here, in the morning you can tell me all you know of Holmes and all you have been through and I promise you I will do whatever I can to help you."

I felt the girl relax under my fingers, she attempted a smile.

"Thank you Doctor."

I smiled and called a maid to lead her up to my room, and to prepare the spare room for myself. As she turned to go, she looked at me and said,

"He was right; you are the most courageous man in London."

I watched her walk away and smiled at her imaginings, I knew many things about Holmes and I knew that he would never send a child to do his work and he would never call me courageous…