A/N: Early upload today, since I won't be getting to my computer tomorrow. Enjoy the final chapter of The Adventure of Sydney Pageant! Please, feel free to review. The Sherlock Holmes series belongs to ACD. Sherlock series belongs to Moffat and Gatiss. All original characters and story belong to me.
Sydney shivered a bit from shock, huddling further into the traffic cone orange blanket the police gave her. She sat on the edge of the back of the ambulance just after the doctor treated her for extreme fatigue. Her mind was still reeling from what she had done. She actually was kidnapped and kidnapped her kidnapper. Now that was something for the headlines. Or the internet.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the smell of cocoa. A pale hand handed her a mug of hot chocolate.
"With all the jittering you're doing now, I didn't take you for a coffee drinker," Sherlock said as she took the mug from him. She nodded her thanks and sipped heartily.
"You alright?" John asked her. Sydney nodded again, her voice still paralyzed from what had happened. She sipped the hot drink once again, feeling the soothing liquid on her petrified throat. She exhaled slowly, finally able to breathe properly after her little adventure. She then looked to the two men with an inquiring look. She wanted to ask them something, but couldn't make out what she wanted to. Thankfully, Sherlock could tell what she wanted to know.
"Yes, that was really him. No, he won't be caught for long. He probably has fifty Swiss Bank Accounts reserved just for bail. I don't think he'll even have a chance to sit down in court before he's released. And then he'll disappear again... until he gets bored, anyway," Sherlock said. Sydney nodded in grim understanding and gulped her cocoa. Her fingers twitched a bit around the mug in frustration. She caught him, but he's slipped away. She hoped to high heaven that she wouldn't see him again.
"So, what're you going to do now? You going to go back to classes?" John asked her. Sydney thought for a second. Finally, words were able to escape her mouth.
"I'm going home. I need a holiday. I can't stay on campus. Can't focus. Can't... get what happened out of my head," she explained. "I need rest. I need... peace." John understood what she meant.
"That's probably the best idea," he said. Sydney stared at her drink. "Anything you want us to do for you while we're here?" John offered. Sydney shook her head slightly.
"All I want is one piece of good news for the day," she confessed. Sherlock smirked at that.
"Then I know just the thing. Wait here," said he, and he twirled on his heels, coat swooshing behind him, and walked briskly out further onto campus. John shrugged at Sydney when she looked at him confused.
"He's always like that," he explained. A few minutes later, Sherlock returned, putting his phone into his pocket, smirking still.
"Your present will arrive shortly," he said.
"Present?" Sydney repeated. Just then, a black compact car arrived on the scene. Out from it came a tall man with dark auburn-ish hair in a three-piece suit, carrying an umbrella, a large pad of paper and a sitting stool. Behind his ear was a pencil. The man walked up in front of Sydney, put the stool down before him and handed the drawing pad and pencil in her direction. Sherlock took the now empty mug from Sydney and she took up the pad and pencil. The man then sat on the stool, turned to his right, and put the umbrella before him, clutching it in his hands, right over left. Sydney's eyes widened.
Sitting bolt upright. Staring ahead, barely moving... The man on the bench with the brolly.
"Is this about how I was, Miss Pageant?" the man asked with a polite air to his voice. Sydney stared at him.
"Yes... how... did you know my name?" she asked. The man just looked over to her with a knowing glance.
"I know a great deal on many things. And I know I must apologise. I am the culprit as to your ruined artwork," the man confessed. Sydney looked at him with frustration, about to say something in anger. But the man continued. "I understand that you are rather upset with me. Allow me to explain myself: As you may have learned later, I am Sherlock's brother, Mycroft. I have a position in the Government, so any chance my identity could be compromised must be avoided at all costs. I knew that you were drawing me, and as soon as I saw the picture, I was a bit disheartened that I must defile such a marvelous piece of artwork. But, I cannot allow for anyone to recognise me, so I had no choice." Sydney sighed. She did remember Sherlock noticing that she'd drawn his brother. He must have said something to him about it.
"So... what are you doing here?" Sydney asked. Mycroft gently smiled.
"To apologise, and to offer a gift of apology. My brother trusts you, so I should as well. While you're here idling away time until you get picked up, you have my full permission and encouragement to draw me again."
"...You mean it?"
"Yes. However, you must not publish this drawing anywhere. You may show it to a few people in person, but it must never leave the pad. No photographs of it either. You must keep it in a safe place. Understand?"
"Yes, sir," Sydney replied and opened up the pad. Mycroft resumed the position he had the previous day, and Sydney began to sketch.
"You're really going?" Zoey asked, disheartened that her one art friend was going away on holiday.
"Yes. But it's only for a fortnight."
"A fortwhat?" Sydney giggled.
"Two weeks," she translated.
"Oh," Zoey said.
"You better text me when you get bored, alright?" Olivia told Sydney, pointing at her. Sydney smiled.
"Will do, Liv. And I'm trusting you to keep an eye out on this one." Sydney pointed to Zoey with her thumb. Olivia crossed her arms.
"Oh, no. I'm no babysitter. And I'm transferring out to Edinburgh next year, remember? I won't be able to watch her," Olivia reminded her.
"Who says I need watching? I'm fine. I'll manage," Zoey said indignantly.
"I just want to make sure you're okay here in London, that's all." Zoey smiled.
"Relax. I'll be okay. I know my way around," Zoey assured Sydney. Olivia looked at her watch.
"Oh, god. I gotta get going. I've got Bio in ten. Give me a ring when you can, Syd!" Olivia ordered as she hugged her friend tightly. Sydney squeezed back.
"Sure. Same goes for you. Bye!" Sydney called as Olivia rushed off to the science building. Both Sydney and Zoey waved behind her. Sydney then sighed. "Always rushing about."
"Yeah. I read that Sherlock guy rushes around, too," Zoey remarked. Sydney then looked up as if she'd had an epiphany. She took Zoey's shoulders, holding her at arms length, and stared down into her shorter friend's eyes.
"Zoey. Listen to me carefully. Watch out for Sherlock Holmes. I don't mean that in a bad way, but once he finds his way into your life, you're going to have a hard time getting out of his." Zoey nodded.
"Got it. What do you mean by that, though?" Zoey asked. Sydney let go of her shoulders and gave her a knowing smile. She then pulled Zoey into a hug.
"Take care of yourself, alright?" she said. Zoey nodded into her shoulder.
"Will do!" she said as they let go of each other. The two then said their goodbyes and Zoey headed off to class while Syd waited in the parking lot for her ride home. As she waited, Sydney checked her phone for any new texts. Just then, her phone beeped. The screen indicated that she had a new text. The notice was accompanied by a photograph of a smirking Sherlock Holmes.
Lestrade wants to know if you want to be a sketch artist for them part-time. It'll count toward credit for your major, he says. SH
Sydney opened up her phone to reply when a second text came in.
John also asks if you want to draw for us, too. Something to 'brighten up my boring blog' he says. SH
Sydney pondered that offer a moment when a third text came in.
John wants me to apologise for calling his blog boring. SH
Sydney laughed and replied.
Tell the DI I'll apply when I'm off holiday. And tell John I'd be happy to. Could be fun to see my stuff with your cases. What sort of artwork were you thinking? SP
Credits:
"Sherlock" is produced by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss
Based on the original stories of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Aired through BBC One
"The Adventure of Sydney Pageant" was written by pkmndaisuki of
The story and characters were created by pkmndaisuki
Sydney Pageant was based on Sidney Paget, the artist for the original Sherlock Holmes stories during their publication in The Strand magazine
The character of Zoey McCarron was created by R. K. Sprague of (used with permission)