Chapter 4

Sherlock wondered over to the bag filled with kids clothes and picked out an outfit similar to what he typically wore. "We could track down my arch nemeses and make him turn me back." He dressed himself without leaving the room.

John sighed and averted his eyes, "I don't think it really works like that Lock. He's really dangerous. Besides, it wouldn't be a good idea if he found out you were turned into a kid."

"He doesn' know I'm a kid?"

"Nope. Just me. Not really sure how I can breech the topic to people…"

"John! Lets go to the zoo! Please? That would be so much fun! John this is so cool being adults, we can do whatever we want! I can stay up to 10 if I want!"

John couldn't contain the joy of listening to kid Sherlock explain why being an 'adult' was so great. "But you're not an adult" he pointed out while snickering.

Sherlock blinked. "You said yourself that I am. Just because I'm shrunk now doesn't mean I'm not. Besides, you're my best friend and you're an adult. So it's ok. You'll take me to the zoo." He beamed. "You will take me wont you?"

"Of course. I guess there's no harm in doing a few things you'll better enjoy now before we find a way to make you an adult again."

"Lets go then!"

"It's already three, we wont even be there for long before it gets dark."

"But you wan' me to have fun don' you? Before I'm an adult again?" Even kid Sherlock knew how to be manipulative.

John knew he was probably being played but he didn't want to spend the following day at the zoo if it meant a delay in getting Sherlock back, "Oh alright, but when it gets dark we have to leave ok?"

Sherlock nodded and head for the door.

"And your clothes are all over the place." John kneeled to pick the shirt and pants off the floor by the couch feeling something odd in the pants pocket, "What…" he pulled out a vial similar to the one Moriarty had forced Sherlock to take. "Where did you get this?"

"Get what? What's that?"

'Stupid, he wouldn't remember. Probably picked it off Moriarty when he had the chance.' "Nothing." He quickly put it in his pocket, no telling who could steal it out of the flat and it could help in curing Sherlock if there's a way to find the reverse effects of the chemical.

John never would have guessed how much fun going to the zoo with Sherlock would be. Everything seemed to amaze the young boy and John would quiz him on his knowledge of the various animals.

"And how tall are Giraffes?"

"Between five and six meters."

"And what about elephants?"

"Four. And they weigh seven thousand kilograms."

"Very good! You're very smart Sherlock." John brought his hand to his chin thoughtfully.

"Tha's all easy stuff."

"Oh? And how many planets are there?"

Sherlock let out an annoyed huff. "Nine. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Wha'? Why are you smiling?"

"Pluto isn't a planet."

Sherlock scrunched his nose up similar to how he looked in his holiday photo as an adult. "Wha'? Of course Pluto is a planet!"

"Nope, it's actually just a cluster of stars,"

"Tha's the stupidest thing-! The solar system is stupid John. I'm deleting it!"

'Ah. That's why he did it.' "So, what's your favorite animal then?"

Sherlock bit his lip in deep thought. "Bees."

"Bees? I didn't know that… well, they don't have bees at the zoo I'm afraid. Second favorite?" John spied an ice cream stand and made his way over to it. "Two please." He handed one cone down to the grabby hands of his young friend and paid paid.

"Bats. They're a lot like bees." He licked at his cone.

"Bats? Actually I think there is a fruit bat exhibit… wait, how are they like bees?"

Sherlock rolled his eyes as if to say 'really John? I'm five years old and I'm smarter then you.' "They fly and live in big families. Without out them the agricultural system would fail- except they eat the bad bugs instead of pollinating flowers, and they're just really cool."

"Ah, makes sense. Explains why you have a taxidermy one." John spotted the bat exhibit and started making his way there.

"I do?! John! I have the best life!" he hurried closer to the bats and watched them in aw.

John also watched the bats but with a different sort of appreciation. They were highly misunderstood creatures. The bug eating ones perfectly balanced the fragile agricultural system like Sherlock had said. It's true that there are pesticides but they don't kill nearly enough bugs to prevent crops from being destroyed. People feared them for no reason, never understanding how much they contributed to society. All because of odd sleeping habits, their typical dark colorings, the way they flit around so fast while on the hunt. John smiled, Sherlock was very much like that himself. The only difference being that bats were typically social creatures that flocked together and Sherlock was alone in the world. It was no wonder why he liked them.

John peered down at tiny hands grabbing at his jacket; they had both finished their ice cream cones by then. "Where do you want to go now? There's penguins by the-"

"Those two men over there-" Sherlock's voice was barely above a whisper "They kidnapped a little girl."

John quickly but subtly looked at the two men Sherlock gestured to, both were much taller then he was and looked strong. "How do you-?"

"The newspaper today, there was a picture of the one wearing the hat and it said he had an unknown accomplice. See how they're not looking at any of the animals? Why would two adults come to the zoo and not be interested in the exhibits?"

"Shit you're right… uh… don't use that word."

Sherlock rolled his eyes. "We got to follow them, maybe we can find out what they did with the girl."

"Whoah, hold on, should we just call the police?"

"And let the accomplice get away? Besides, he wont just tell them what he did with the girl, but if we follow them secretly then we can find out and have them arrested."

"That awkward moment when a five year old has a better plan then you…" John mumbled, "Fine, but we have to be careful about this."