Authors note: I'm a bad person, sorry. :(
"Let me get a picture." Mrs Hudson stood outside in the hallway with Penelope and Sherlock in her pink robe; Camera in hand along with a bright beaming smile.
"Where's John?" Asks the detective just as Mrs. H takes the photo, she tuts when she sees the result has blurred as a result of Sherlocks movement.
"He had a date remember." The old lady reminds him as she tries again to take a good pic. "Left somewhat after 7." Penelope blinks harshly at the flash of the camera and can't help but grow very uncomfortable at the suffocating level of emotion. She frankly needed to get out immediately.
"Terribly sorry Mrs. Hudson but we should be going as well, long night ahead of us." It takes a couple seconds to say goodbye, with a hug from Penelope and a hum from Sherlock both are out the door and rushing into a taxi.
Now they sit in the back, Sherlock with his hands steepled beneath his chin. He thought about an earlier moment that had taken place just before Penelope and he had left her flat. She'd joked about slicking his hair back. Now the comment urked him, did she not like his hair.
"Would have been better with your hair tamed." Came the girls tease almost as if she'd read his mind.
His eyes snapped open and he pouts at her, actually pouts!
"I'm only joking," In an act of reassurance her hand finds his nape as she fixes his collar; the action causing his involuntary shiver. "I love curly hair."
"Then why do you straighten yours?"
She shrugs.
"Easier to tame that way, my hair like that I can handle, curly? Not so much." He shakes his head slightly as if disagreeing.
"Well it's lovely now." The way she smiles makes him feel pride beyond belief. He caused that.
"It took me a nearly an hour," a giggle that ends somber. "Yours is nicer."
All of a sudden the atmosphere has changed, he feels the need to fix it.
Adjusting the bow tie around his neck he starts talking. "Anyway, why are we heading to this masquerade gala hosted by the Royal Albert." Penny rolls her eyes.
"Of course you knew where we were heading!" She exclaims and in response the detective shrugs with a small gloating smile.
"It wasn't that hard to find out." Once again he asks why there headed to the place.
"Well, how do you feel about ballet." He suddenly took note of what she implied.
"It's a perfectly boring art form which people spend years perfecting and even longer suffering for. Especially in areas such as their feet, to be honest I don't see the appeal." Penelope cocked her head slightly, staring at him from beneath long lashes, Sherlock suddenly remembered a major detail in his deductions on Penelope.
She was a dancer.
"You're a ballerina." He groaned and Penny smiled her dazzling smile back at him.
"No, I dabbled in that 'art form' back when I was a child. My insufferable mother made me go, none of it was my choice. Anyway my friend Luna has been on that scene for quite a while and she told me about the gala a few weeks ago. The thing is Luna has recently been dating this absolute dickhead, the same week this gala thing is being hosted - that's today by the way - I just found it to be a coincidence that the same week she starts dating him things in the ballet world start to disappear." Her rash explanation was caught expertly by Sherlock, who enjoyed her quick speed as it allowed him to quickly absorb the information and filter the useless details.
He was about to interject Penelope about the gala events until she mentioned items disappearing; needless to say his interest had been peeked.
"What kind of things?" He asks in his detective voice, Penelope smiles a result of seeing the starting of that glimmer in his eye.
"First it was small things, props from performing concerts in the London theatre, tickets to shows on Broadway. However things have started getting a bit pricey. From diamonds used in performances to prize winning capezio's. I believe the Swan lake tiara that was designed especially for the show and has diamonds encrusted in the metal is next to seemingly vanish." Sherlock lifted a hand and Penelope instantly stopped her explaining.
His eyes darted around, as if he were searching for something. For a moment the young girl just stared expectantly until Sherlock motioned for her to rewind in sign language.
"The Swan Lake tiara, you want me to tell you more?" He nods. "Twenty four hour protection, state of the art security. Alarms set to go off without the correct code, a code that only two people within the entire Royal Albert theatre have. The manager and director. Three guards put on their posts, all switch round at two am and the remaining three stay until five thirty am when the manager and dancers show." Sherlock raises an eyebrow.
"What can I say, I have contacts in high places."
He wants to smile at this comment but doesn't allow himself to, his mind convincing him he only wanted too because it was she who had quoted the popular saying.
"Yes," he shrugs off her joke, ignoring the sigh that passes her lips. "So what's the case exactly?" The subject change is easily dismissed as Penelope looks down at her attire.
Which to be honest is flattering her body in the perfect way; more material for her mind palace room.
"The gala of course, we're going prove it's Luna's boyfriend stealing all that stuff while undercover. Since of course it would be too obvious for us to go without a disguise- Luna will recognise me and you, since your practically famous and she's definitely in love with me." Sherlock raised an eyebrow at the girls completely detached tone as she says a phrase which reeks of emotion.
She sounded just like Mycroft. Like himself.
"Right," The detective clears his throat. "So do you have an invite?"
"Yeah, about that." Both brown and ocean eyes meet.
She falls on the carpet on the steps outside the building they needed access to with a humiliating oomph! "Oh dear! I'm so terribly sorry." A young fit lad had stopped holding his dates arm to come to Penelope's 'rescue'. Penelope who was currently gasping exaggeratedly while clutching her chest realised their scene wasn't gaining that much attention and decided to kick it up a notch.
"I can't breathe! I think I've damaged my lungs, it was the awkward landing for Christ sakes!" The fit bloke, from earlier he's now fretting like an abandoned puppy, claiming it was all his fault asking for a doctor to check the pretty woman for injuries. In the midst of the commotion no one even saw the quick hands of a professional reach his pale hands into the mans back pocket stealing his invitation.
Nor did anyone care much for the hectic environment suddenly disappearing almost as soon as it had come, once Penelope coughed momentarily along with the line 'Oh whoops never mind just needed to burp' kindly followed by a faint exhale plus a wondering away from the crowd.
As soon as she parted from the people things returned back to normal...well almost.
"D'you get it?" The deaf girl asks, adrenaline from her scene of improvisation still fresh the curly haired man winds his arm through her own showing of the Gold lettering of the invite tucks inbetween his forefingers. In the background the fit bloke has begun enquiring about his invitation as his date rolls her eyes in distaste.
"Obviously," How sinfully addictive Sherlocks life was the brown eyed girl thinks.
"Well then Mr. Holmes. We've got a gala to crash." Both share a secret smile as they enter the doors. The grand space the Royal albert picked to hold the party in is definitely a sight to behold, the main floor is crowded of people dolled up to the nines in masquerade gowns and suits. The entire atmosphere radiates fun and class, Sherlock watches as Penelope's eyes dull at the sudden sight. Her throat constricts slightly and you can bet the detective sees it.
"Let's see if we can track down your friend eh?" On her nod both descend into the crowd, locating Luna isn't very difficult. She will always be after all one of the most beautiful in a room, even with a hundred others surrounding her she'd always overshadow the rest.
"Over there," Penelope discreetly lifted her finger toward the couple who laughed amongst a small group. The sight vaguely confusing Luna had never smiled so much before around so much men, usually the feeling unsettled her. "The blonde in the purple gown and green mask."
Beautiful.
Faking it.
Nervous.
Sherlock's deductions are rapid as he scans her, Penelope seems to be conflicted as she stares at the girl having such fun. So much enjoyment with the man who's ruining her life and she doesn't even know it.
"I assume that's the man interfering with the ballet things." Clever detective. "Thank you." His mumbled comment baffles the girl until she realises she said that thought out loud.
"Yes, now the question is how do we draw him into a confession." A spotlight hits a man in the crowd, his tuxedo radiates authority as well as the clinking he's doing on his glass of champagne so the conversation eventually dies down and everyone focuses on him.
"Ladies and gentlemen it gives me great pride to welcome you to the Royal Albert masquerade gala! Oo that was quite a mouthful." The audience chuckles respectfully all except the two people who aren't supposed to be there. "Anyway tonight as you know is being held in order to donate to our cause but also to campaign for the opening night of Swan lake which is this Friday. As some of you know we have been given the brilliant opportunity to use the tiara from previously shown performances in our very own-"
Penelope felt breath tickle her ear as Sherlock leans in."Sort of like family traditions, an heirloom of sorts maybe." She hummed in return and turned her attention back onto Luna. The man had wormed his arm around her waist and pulled her close in to his side.
Why do you care so much? The little voice in her head taunted. You don't care about anything!
"So although the conditions of this little arrangement are rather odd, I've been assured that all dancers on the silks are fully trained and capable to- well dance over our heads I guess!" More appropriate laughter before the spotlight is suddenly off the man and everyone's gone back to their activities.
Penelope sees the two return to their happiness until the thief whispers something in Luna's ear and begins to stalk off toward the stage. Wait a minute.
"Sherlock have you worked out where that tiara was being kept yet?"
"You've already explained it's at the Albert hall?" Penelope rolls her eyes.
"Yes I know I said that," She's lost sight of the boyfriends back. "But I thought it was obvious they couldn't afford to leave it there tonight. Come on think about it, if the tiara were there then why is-"
"-her boyfriend at this gala instead of infiltrating the hall right now! Clever, oh he's clever. Stupid still, but in a clever way." Bashfully the detective rakes his fingers through his hair as he figures it out, not missing the way Penelope fails to show any emotion but a cloud of focus.
"If I were a tiara I'd hide you..." The alabaster hand sweeps the room and only when he mirrors touching the top of the stage does his hand cease all movement. "In plain sight." The brown eyed girl understands immediately.
"You don't mean-"
"Oh yes."
"All the way up!?"
"Indeed."
"Well it don't matter now does it, no way is he reaching all the way up there, taking it off the Ivana Louise's head and escaping out of here without anyone noticing!" Her reasoning could be sound if there wasn't multiple flaws to it, if she were talking to an idiot.
"He doesn't need to go up there, if she drops down here." The truth shocks Penelope into realisation.
"Explain, Now!"
"He's stupidly clever, I told you didn't I. When we entered you gave me the thought process I needed to figure him out. He comes as a guest invited as plus one to a beautiful date, straight away nobody questions his presence their. Just like us he's the perfect stranger. In a room full of faces covered the best one he used was his own. He got himself in and found her, the dancer he knew would wear it tonight."
"What do you mean found her?"
"Well no dancer is the same, there's probably a lot back there tap, interpretive, but they trusted the special item to the girl who would dance high. Clearly whoever is protecting the thing thought it the most poetic way to hide an item worth stealing. What they didn't count on is the fact that it may just be worth a lot more, it may be worth killing for."
"Sherlock tell me right now!" His oceans bore into her mediocre, no never endless orbs and he finds he can't lie to her.
"He laced her with something, muscle relaxant. When we came in I observed a woman almost out of sight behind a curtain, said something about stiff joints to a friend possibly, her accent was Italian no doubt this made her Ivana, well that and the outfit she's famous for... feathers. Anyway she was drugged with a muscle relaxant it takes a relatively long time to kick in but with the right dosage. Well, first your joints stiffen, as a reaction before loosening-"
"Oh my god she's gonna go limp while up there, she'll fall making the tiara come down too. Normally people would just call the police or something but he's smart enough to think of that, he knows the people here are just posh knobs. So instead of heresy they'll be panic, people will go so crazy and when they do all he has to do is stride up with quick hands take it and leave in the sea of the faceless." Not once do they look away from each other as she whispers the final truth. "It would have been the perfect murder."
Almost like clockwork both detective and problem straighten up and throw each other into action.
"Alright then think, how long we got till the butterfly turns back into a caterpillar!" A single dark eyebrow raises. "Think!"
"Considering the side effects were showing over 15 minutes ago I'd say roughly 10 more minutes."
"Right then, that gives me 10 minutes to find a way up there and you 10 minutes to distract this dazzling crowd, up for the challenge Mr. Holmes?" Another tease, oh no you don't.
Whilst not uttering a word he straightens his bowtie and winks at her, needless to say the reaction he gets from her is exactly what he was looking for.
Right then.
10
Penelope ran backstage behind a curtain without being noticed, there's a big dude there with an expensive suit on and a wire in his ear. Pft a security guard, good job he was doing letting thieves roll into party's. Still if she wanted to get up on the silks she was gonna have to go through him.
"I'm a dancer, here for the aerial silks." The hunk checked his clipboard with a shift in eye contact before returning his eyes on Penny.
"They've already gone on." His rude statement makes her want to slap him but she can't so she tries another tactic instead.
"Yes I know I'm late terribly sorry but-"
"Oh, Miss Evangeline!" His sudden realisation is met with bewilderment.
"What- I mean yes! That's me good old running late Evangeline!" Could she feel anymore grateful.
"Oh of course ma'am come right through." Doors really do open when you pretend to be someone your not she'll give Sherlock that. Speaking of the detective.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Oh god that was Sherlock's voice and why did he sound drunk? Forgetting Sherlocks dramatics she runs to get into position.
9
Sherlock found the best way to get a room full of snobs attention, just like in Prison find the biggest guy there and pick a fight with him.
"What the hell do you think your doing!" The man who'd he chosen to piss off looks at him with utter disdain- probably because Sherlock's just spilt a good amount of champagne down his expensive tux. . "I was gonna drink that!"
He doesn't expect the guy to grab him by the collar but when he does Sherlock swears he can feel the life being sucked out of him.
"Let go of him George he's a drunkard!" His wife? Wife? Lover? No too old. Yeah, wife says to the man as she tugs on his sleeve. Our blue eyed detective considers the situation as a 'taking one for the team' sort of thing, that is until he looks up and sees that Ivana's actions have gotten sluggish, her positions are less precise and she's running out of time. Where was Penelope? He couldn't make her out amongst the dancers.
8
She knew the time was ticking down, could practically see the clock above her head. But if she wanted to reach Ivana she figured she'd have to go all ape shit on those silks, considering there were several other dancers hanging she'd have to find a way to get past them without disturbing there art from and dragging all attention away from Sherlock. How on earth was she gonna-
Of course!
The balcony above Ivana would serve as a perfect platform, if she jumped from there using the empty silks nearby she could possibly drift to the performer alert her of the drug and convince her to lower herself down gently instead of the tumble she was bound to have. Hopefully the hall installed floor long silks for the night and not the half way ones, otherwise Penelope's plan could grow more complicated. Taking off the mask she got into position.
Lord save her, literally!
7
What was wrong with her, every muscle in her body seemed to twitch and itch. With each position she could feel her execution of the moves grow less professional, slowly she grew weaker and weaker. Every breath became harder to do, but if she could not control herself then she was in serious danger, she needed to tell...
Her arms slip and it's a brush with death she didn't need to experience lucky she catches herself in time.
"Help!" Ivana yelped, struggling to maintain her hold; as if Penelope didn't have enough problems of her own.
Everything from that moment on was mania.
6
Penelope got the attention of Ivana and convinced her to hold on as tightly as possible, all the while the focus had been drawn from Sherlock onto them.
5
The brown eyed girl swung from the silks to alongside Ivana, or at least tried to it was hard to stop the swaying without jostling the performer. Sherlock watched on unable to do anything it was all up to his apple scented girl now.
4
Finally the thing stopped close to the famous performer but not quite enough, her squeals of panic threw Penelope into overload. She had to save her but the only way she could was to jump onto her silks cause she couldn't get any closer.
"Ivana listen to me you have to wrap the silks around your ankle, you know in that position!"
"I can't move, please help me!" Umm think, come on just do something! her inner mind practically screamed.
"Penelope you only have a few minutes left!"
"Thanks for that!" She yelled in return to the detective down below.
3
Her hand slipped again and she could feel her arms starting to loosen their grip. This was it.
"Oh no you don't!" Her eyes close and Penelope does the one thing she has too, jumps grips on to the material for dear life and wraps her legs around it. Just a metre below her Ivana screams something just as her hands let go! She's going to fall, dressed like an angel how ironic. The music playing was called fallen angel. Almost like it'd been planned. In impulse she imagines two hands gripping her arm, the one that had been closest to that mysterious girl. The one who wasn't supposed to be there but was going to help her. As if the gods themselves had whispered the prayer into her ears Ivana slits opens her eyes and realises that the woman did indeed catch her, hanging form the silks the angel her angle beams at her. Pearly whites almost blinding and the last thing Ivana remembers before giving in completely to the dizziness she felt.
2
Penelope had done it, the smile she felt on her face was completely true, the first genuine act she'd performed in what felt like forever. Saving a lie brought on this entirely foreign feeling that was indescribable.
"Sherlock! I did it! hahaha I actually did it!"
"Yes you did." His smile was briefly shared, they still had business to attend to. "Luna where are you?" Understanding it was her the guy with the curly brown hair was talking about Luna steps forward with hesitance. Seeing Penelope up there had thrown her off completely but now she was safe she had only one thing to say.
"What the bloody hell is going on!?"
"I'm afraid my dear there's someone who hasn't been entirely honest with you." The blonde chuffs as she glares up at the ceiling.
"You think!" Her exclamation makes Sherlock roll his eyes which is a habit he really should quit.
"No not Penelope, him!" Gasps echoed around the room as he points out her boyfriend like they're in a theatre and this is a pantomime. Heaven give him strength.
"But Jack hasn't done anything wrong!" Luna's spluttered words apparently cause Penlope to react.
"Jack really Luna you went for a Jack."
"Oh I'm sorry didn't know I had to ask you for permission to date people with certain types of names!"
"For god sakes Luna open your eyes he's the guy who's been stealing all thise things from the world of ballet. Ever since you started hi dsating him.
"What?" Her hurt whisper kills Penelope in a way she didn't know possible.
"I'm sorry but it's true," Sherlock adds. "He also tried to murder Ivana Louise because tonight she had the privilege of caring for the swan lake tiara."
"Is this true Jack?" Uh duh Penelope wants to shout but the dizziness she feels from being suspended in the air and upside down holding up an entire person is catching up to her. The boyfriend doesn't respond, only tries to flee. His attempt is flawed as unexpectedly a feeble appearing woman bats his head in with her cane and shakes in delight when he drops to the whole audience cheers along with her delight as Sherlock works out who the woman is.
"You must be Ivana's trainer."
"Don't forget friend I'll be damned if I let this weasel of a man get away." In respect the detective smiles.
"This's great and all but can somebody please get us down from here! ugh!" Right then time to call Scotland yard.
"Masked boyfriends and a drugged dancer, sounds like the beginning of a bad joke." Lestrade, Penelope and Sherlock are outside the gala's building. Police cars are all around the scene as are an ambulance fire truck and reporter vans. A blanket was put around Penelope after the firemen got her down using one of those ladder thingy's-despite her best protests. She shouldn't complain she only had to hang there for 17 minutes until the backup showed.
"In a way it was." Sherlock's comment is said with just a hint of hate and Penelope couldn't figure out why until she saw Jack being hauled into a police car.
"At least he'll get what's coming to him." Almost like she heard the words Luna comes storming over, her bag now in hand. She's effortlessly pretty despite having a red face no doubt due from the anger she felt and left over mascara tracks beneath her eyes,
she's been crying.
"Hope your happy!" She stopped just a metre away from Penny who swore if looks could kill she'd be ten foot in the grave.
"Luna-"
"No, every time I have something good it's always you who spoils it. Whether it's with your moaning, whinging or begging. Why can't you just let me be happy for once."
"He was no good for you Luna, you were dating a wannabe murderer!" The blonde sighs at the comment; she knows it's true.
"Your right I'm sorry I guess I just-" A loud commotion headed their way stops the girls words short. Ivana Louise leads a hungry group of reporters right toward their little group and no one mutters a word until she stops straight in front of her savoir.
"You beautiful goddess," Penelope opens her mouth to reply but is stopped when two hands hold her cheeks and draw her into soft lips, with a sweep of tongue Penelope realises there are now a bunch of snaps of cameras going off and such a thing is going to get a lot of publicity. Luna looks away at the sight as if the very thing burns her. Sherlock records the data, she really does have an emotional attachment to Penelope and reminded him a lot of someone.
oh well.
Still it did come as a surprise and when the famous dancer backs away for air the shock is present on Penelope's features.
"Thank you for saving my life."
"Y-you're welcome." With that the dancer skidaddles away as if she were never there. Leaving Penelope dumbfounded, Lestrade speechless, Sherlock intrigued and Luna agitated.
"I see you don't care then." Penelope's supposed friend snaps, marching into the night.
"Luna don't go come on." Luna flips her off and continues onward. "Be careful at least!" An 'like you care!' was yelled in response and Penelope wiped her forehead in fatigue.
Greg clears his throat at the sudden silence. "Don't suppose you need a lift home?" Sherlock pounces on th subject before Penny can answer.
"I called John he'll be here any minute, goodnight detective inspector."
"Goodnight." Was huffed in return and Penelope got a nice warm hug before the grey haired man and his crew set off in their cars.
A few seconds after they'd gone Penelope remembered something.
"Didn't John have a date?"
Sorry for the delay in this chapter I know I'm terrible at updating. Hopefully this chapter will suffice and was good though, took me a while to get the ending result I'm not gonna lie. Did I promise more John? Yes. Did I deliver? No. Sorry I love the hedgehog I do so the next chapter has him in it a lot more, cross my heart and hope to die stick a needle in my eye and stuff. Also big thank you to Applejax XD, Ash Hound, Aya Ayame, Darlingk08, Eris0711, Happyritas, Mai13Rose, Mesi-miko, Moonwolf27, Omfgchey, RedMerter, Scarlett-warrior66, SerenityPax, Spnlove101, Squishy97, bbb671, brookewilliams, cellardoor0789, hannahizar, juliet95, leeyfjs, mixed array and finally slaneville0615 for all the follows and favourites. it means the world to me truly makes my day everytime I get a notification saying someone's followed. My update days will be Friday or Sunday now so should be a chapter up again on Sunday. xx