Peter wasn't exactly convinced.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked Olivia uneasily as their taxi pulled up in front of the brownstone apartment. "I mean, he lives in New York. Don't you think that hints at some non-so-subtle differences from our universe's version?"

Olivia peered out of the window at the apartment, then glanced back at Peter.

"How different can he be?" she asked skeptically. "Sherlock did suggest that we ask for help from his alternate. If he can't help us, no one can."

After paying the taxi driver, she and Peter stepped onto the sidewalk and stared up at the building. For all of Olivia's assertion, she still felt apprehensive. It was true, living in New York seemed highly unorthodox for Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, and the fact that the alternate universe's electronic address book listed the apartment as belonging to 'Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson' didn't exactly assuage her doubt. You would've thought the address book would spell John Watson's name right.

But there was nothing for it. Olivia and Peter climbed the concrete steps up to the front door, rang the doorbell, and waited. After ten seconds, when no one answered the door, Olivia rang the doorbell a second time. This time, there was the muffled sound of a woman with an American accent yelling, "Sherlock, can you get the door?"

The yell was followed by an answering man's voice shouting with a British accent, "Watson, I'm in the middle of something very important. Also, as part of our deal and your apprenticeship, you should be responsible for answering the door!"

Olivia and Peter glanced at each other. Was there a third person, besides Holmes and Watson, living in the apartment? A moment later, their unspoken question was answered as the door swung open to reveal an Asian woman wearing pajamas and looking disgruntled. As soon as she saw Olivia - who was wearing a business suit and looked official - she looked surprised.

"I'm Olivia Dunham," Olivia said quickly, "and this is Peter Bishop. We're looking for Sherlock Holmes and John Watson."

The woman at the door nodded, glancing at Peter, who was staring at her with a furrowed brow.

"Sherlock's here," she replied, her accent giving her away as the American woman who had yelled earlier. "Are you here with a case for him?"

Olivia nodded.

"Do you mind if we come in?"

The woman opened the door wider and stepped aside to let them through.

"Of course." As Olivia and Peter entered, looking around, she added, "I'm Joan Watson, consulting detective. I'm Sherlock's partner."

At this, Olivia and Peter turned to stare at her.

"You're…Joan Watson?" Peter repeated curiously. When the woman nodded, raising her eyebrows at their surprise, Peter said, "You don't happen to have a relative named John, do you?"

The woman - Joan - shook her head.

"Not that I know of," she replied, amused. "Listen, do you know Sherlock from another case or something? Or heard about him from somewhere else?"

Peter and Olivia exchanged a look.

"Somebody recommended him to us," Olivia said finally. "Somebody who knew him well."

"Not well enough, apparently," Peter remarked. At the sound of footsteps behind them, they turned to see a man with short brown hair and stubble, wearing jeans paired with a vest over a t-shirt.

"Watson!" The man declared loudly in a British accent, holding up a few books, "I've found a few more readings to add to your education."

Peter and Olivia stared at the man for a second before Olivia said incredulously, "Sherlock Holmes?"

The man turned his attention to the two of them.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

Olivia and Peter exchanged another look, before Olivia said, "I'm Olivia Dunham, and this is Peter Bishop. We came here for help on a case, but now…" she glanced at Peter, "This isn't what we expected."

Sherlock Holmes - who was decidedly not like the Sherlock Holmes that they knew, just as Joan Watson was not like the John Watson they knew - raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Try me."

Peter went straight for the truth.

"We're from an alternate universe, where your alternate selves - Sherlock Holmes and John Watson - suggested that we come to you if we needed help on a case in your universe."

"I don't think they considered the possibility that their alternates would be so different from them," Olivia remarked, looking between Sherlock and Joan, who looked extremely skeptical. Yet the alternate Sherlock didn't seem fazed in the slightest.

"Let me guess," he said, "my alternate self is an arrogant know-it-all who considered himself above all other options of help."

"Sounds pretty close to this Sherlock," Joan commented under her breath.

Olivia gave a wry smile.

"You're about right," she told Sherlock.

"And I assume my alternate self reasoned that I would also be the most superior aid in your case," Sherlock continued. When Peter and Olivia nodded, he added, "He was correct."

At that point, Peter began to think that maybe the two versions weren't so different after all.