Thea's phone chimed at her when she arrived to the hotel that evening. She pulled out her iPhone, looking at the message. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Thea muttered.
Mrs. Hudson is waiting. –SH
How the hell did he get her number?
Thea looked around the hotel room; she couldn't stay in a hotel for the rest of her life. Besides, her bill was getting quite racked up. She took a deep breath, why was she considering moving to the flat that Sherlock suggested all of a sudden? Thea growled at herself, closing the door to the hotel.
Before she even made it to the elevator, another text came through.
She says you are more than welcome to spend the time at the flat. –SH
Thea huffed, replaying back to Sherlock. How the hell did you have my number? TKM
Before Thea had the chance to pocket her phone, it chimed with another message from Sherlock. She glanced down at the text. Not important. She rolled her eyes, spinning back to her hotel room. Packing wasn't too tedious than normal since Thea was current about her living out of her suitcase – just, she had collected more clothes than she arrived with.
After paying for her room, she hailed a cab. One pulled up right to the curb of the hotel. She climbed in with her suitcase and bag next to her. "Where to?" The cabbie asked.
"Baker Street."
TKM
Thea climbed out of the cab, paying the man behind the wheel. She looked up at the building, seeing that it was around the style she liked. Thea glanced to her right, seeing a little café, which looked nice enough to do her work away from the office. The young woman walked up to the door, using the knocker, and waiting.
Considering the time, Thea expected that no one would answer. But an older woman opened the door, grinning from ear-to-ear at Thea. "Hello, I'm-"
"Thea."
"Yeah."
"Sherlock told me you'd be stopping by. And I see you've brought your belongings with you! You've taken me up on my offer, I see?" Mrs. Hudson smiled.
"Yes, I have."
"I'm Mrs. Hudson." She looked over Thea's shoulder. "Are you alone?" Thea nodded. "Oh, you just seem…" Thea tilted her head, narrowing her eyes at the older woman – what was she suggesting? "Never mind." Mrs. Hudson waved her into the flat.
"Sherlock said something about 221C."
"That's right!" Thea placed her suitcase by the door, following Mrs. Hudson to the flat that Sherlock suggested. The door opened and Thea gave a cough. "Sorry, dear, no one has used this flat in years. Sherlock only suggested that I use this flat as of today." Mrs. Hudson said.
"Of course he did."
"I can dust, if you want."
"No, no, it's quite alright. Better than a hotel room, at least the payment will be cheaper, right?" Thea asked, exploring the flat. It had one large bedroom with another smaller one, a bathroom, and a living room and kitchen combined.
"Special deal."
Thea's eyes widened. "No, no! I can't have that! I mean, I just met you – I want to pay the normal price." Thea explained.
"Dear, anyone friend of Sherlock's is a friend of mine." Mrs. Hudson smiled. Thea was confused again – she was getting more confused than normal around Sherlock Holmes. "I wouldn't consider myself a friend of his. I only just met him this afternoon." Thea explained.
"Nonsense."
Thea went quiet, looking around the flat. She walked over to the light switch, turning on all the lights in the flat. It was nicely lit for what she was getting. Thea placed her hands on her hips, nodding in content.
"Sherlock says you work for Scotland Yard," Thea turned her attention to Mrs. Hudson. "Must be a tiring job – seeing all those crimes and crime scenes." She shuttered at the thoughts.
"No, I'm used to it." Mrs. Hudson's eyes widened. "I've always had a knack for murder and mystery. My…my parents said I should become a detective when I was a kid." Thea said sadly, trying not to think about what happened in her previous life.
"Would you like a cuppa, dear?"
"If you wouldn't mind."
"Of course not."
"And if you could bring up some paper towels, that would nice as well until I get my own." Thea stated.
"Of course, dear." Mrs. Hudson walked out of the room, going downstairs. Thea took in the place, it was nice. Plus being right where Sherlock was going to be, made her babysitting job so much easier. Thea made her way downstairs, grabbing her suitcase.
Baker Street would be her home for a while.
As Thea get settled into her new phone, she sat on the couch with her journal. She tapped the page with her black ink pen, thinking about what to write this time. So many things happened today, so many things that needed to be documented before she forgot them.
Sherlock Holmes is…extraordinary. I can't explain anything he did – he used his mind and told me little details about myself that I thought I had lied about in the past. Apparently Sherlock was the one person I needed to keep me on my toes throughout my whole lying game. I just hope nothing bad comes from this.
Lestrade is making me becoming his babysitter. And only meeting him less than two hours ago, I can see exactly why he is making me do this. Sherlock may be brilliant but he really has no real grasp on human emotions and human tendencies. It's like his brain isn't wired to even feel the normal emotions.
I did, however, check out his blog – fairly boring to a 'normal' brain like mine. He posts about the most random things, how long bruises on a corpse appear after post-mortem wasn't exactly what I wanted to read about during a dinner break. Sherlock must think his blog is interesting but in reality, no one wants to know about how many ways you can hit a body can form bruises on a body after death.
I don't see-
"Journal writing?" Thea nearly jumped out of her skin, snapping her head towards Mrs. Hudson. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give you a fright." Mrs. Hudson apologized.
"I didn't hear you come up the stairs." Thea quickly hid her journal out of sight. Her goal was for no one to read it. It had all her earliest lies in it – they were terrible. "But, yes, I do keep a journal. I have since I was a kid." Thea explained.
"I used to when I was younger. I wish I had them around, but I've moved a few times and lost them." Thea nodded her head at Mrs. Hudson, clicking the pen impatiently. "Well, I better let you get settled in for the night. When you are finished, just leave the cup on the table, I'll get it in the morning." Mrs. Hudson said.
Thea's heart jumped into her throat – anyone could get into her flat during the day. Thankfully she kept her journal on her at all times.
"Good night, Mrs. Hudson."
"Night, dear." Thea sighed with relief, picking up the journal from its hiding place.
It's going to be hard living in Baker Street, I can just tell.
TKM
The following evening, Thea was getting ready to leave work for the night when Donovan poked her head into her office. Informing her there was another suicide victim. Thea jumped up from her desk, grabbing her jacket from the back of her chair. She met up with Lestrade who informed her they had to make a quick stop first. Thea nodded, not questioning what was going on until they came up to Baker Street.
"Why are we at Baker Street?"
"You know it?"
"Hell, I live here."
"When did you move?"
"Yesterday evening." Thea muttered, getting out of the car. Lestrade followed, watching her pull out the key to Baker Street. "We're here to see Sherlock, aren't we? He's your helping hand in cases like these, isn't he?" Thea asked as they walked up the stairs to Sherlock's flat. Lestrade didn't say a word to her.
"Where?" Sherlock asked once seeing DI Lestrade and DI Karr-Michael.
"Brixton, Lauriston Gardens."
"What's new about hits one? You wouldn't have come to get me if there wasn't something different." Sherlock said.
"You know how they never leave notes?"
"Yeah."
"This one did." Sherlock's eyes seemed to twinkle with the new information. "Will you come?" Lestrade asked.
"Who's on forensics?"
"Anderson." Thea stated. Sherlock gave an annoyed look. "Anderson won't work with me." Sherlock stated.
"Well, he won't be your assistant."
"I need an assistant."
"I gave you Thea."
"Thea is my babysitter as you put it." Sherlock commented. Thea pressed her lips together. Indeed, Sherlock did know.
"Will you come?" Lestrade asked.
Sherlock looked straight at Lestrade. "Not in a police car. I'll be right behind." Sherlock stated.
"Thank you." Lestrade began to walk out of the room as Thea followed. Lestrade stopped, turning towards her. "You with him."
"You are kidding right?"
"Remember what I said?" Thea huffed, nodding her head. She guessed her new job with Sherlock started now. Fantastic! Thea turned back to the flat, seeing Sherlock leap into the air, happy.
"The hell?" She muttered.
"Brilliant! Yes! Ah, four serial suicides, and now a note! Oh, it's Christmas!" Sherlock exclaimed.
"I hate to see how you react on Christmas." Thea commented. Sherlock glanced to the detective standing in his doorway, walking over to his blue scarf and his jacket.
"Mrs. Hudson, I'll be late. Might need some food."
"I'm your landlady, dear, not your housekeeper."
"Something cold will do. John, have a cup of tea, make your self at home. Don't wait up!" Sherlock grabbed something from the kitchen and left through the kitchen door.
"Oi! Wait for me!" Thea called after him, stopping short when Sherlock turned back suddenly. She rammed right into him. Thankfully, he took her by the upper arms, making sure they didn't fall over. "Thanks." Thea said, standing straight, looking at Sherlock. "So, what are we waiting for?"
"Shh."
"Sherlock, crime scene, we better go."
"I need John."
"John?" Thea thought back to what he had told her yesterday. "Oh! Dr. John Watson – that's him." Sherlock nodded his head at the detective. "You want him to come with? He doesn't exactly seem like someone who wants to see a crime scene." Thea said.
"Watch."
Mrs. Hudson didn't even see Thea and Sherlock standing there, Sherlock tugged on some gloves. "You're a doctor. In fact, you're an Army doctor." Sherlock said.
"Yes." John got to his feet, turning towards Sherlock.
"Any good?"
"Very good."
"Seen a lot of injuries then, violent deaths."
"Mmm, yes."
"Bit of a trouble too, I bet." Sherlock said. "Of course, yes. Enough for a lifetime. Far too much." John said quietly.
"Wanna see some more?"
"Oh God, yes!" Thea was shocked for a moment but went into her detective mode faster than anything. She walked down the stairs, after Sherlock and John. "Sorry, Mrs. Hudson, I'll skip the tea." John told her.
"The three of you?"
"Impossible suicides? Four of them? There's no point sitting at home when there's finally something fun going on!" Sherlock exclaimed, taking Mrs. Hudson's shoulder, giving her cheek a kiss.
"Look at you, all happy. It's not decent." Mrs. Hudson told him but with a smile on her face.
"Who cares about decent? The game, Mrs. Hudson, is on!" Sherlock stated.
"Taxi!" Thea yelled, holding her hand up in the air. She was pretty sure Lestrade was worried that Thea might have killed by now.
© Molly Edwards, SalemMystery 2015 ©
I know I just posted a chapter yesterday but I'm seriously in a Thea kick that I've written three more chapters than I thought I was actually going to. Thea is currently my muse! YAY!