The Consequences of Sacrifice: Family Ties (Part Two)
This is my apology for taking so long to update. A bonus chapter!
Basically, Baker Street gets some unexpected guests, and it turns out that someone else has a relationship with Irene!
Rated T for some minor swearing and sexual innuendos.
"Greg!? What are you doing here?"
Lestrade shrugged as Donovan, Anderson, Hopkins, and Clarky walked in. "We are conducting a drug bust."
"What!?" John gasped. "Why? Surely you don't think Sherlock is using?"
Donovan turned around and snorted. "If he was, I would beat the crap out of him, John! Actually, Sherlock took some evidence, and we need it back."
John rolled his eyes in frustration. "Have you called him?" He asked absently as Clarky headed to the direction of the kitchen, while Hopkins headed straight to the fireplace mantle.
"I tried, but he's not answering his mobile." Lestrade admitted.
"Typical. That's because he is on a case." John told him.
"Well, we need that evidence back." Lestrade replied, folding his arms across his chest in a manner that implied that he would not leave the premises until he found what he was looking for.
Realizing he was probably fighting a losing battle, John rolled his eyes and headed to the stove. "Here. I'll go ahead and make you all some tea."
"I'll get the mugs out." Donovan offered graciously as she went to the cabinet where the spare mugs were kept every time the Yarders came by.
"You know, I am surprised that the Met continues to allow you to conduct these 'drug busts,' Greg!" John replied as he placed the kettle on the stove. "I mean, there are only so many times that you can get an unanimous call and continue to come up empty!"
"Well, this wouldn't happen if Sherlock didn't keep nicking the evidence." Lestrade shot back.
"Fine! But none of you are allowed in Sherlock's bedroom!" John replied tersely.
"No limits on drug busts, John." Lestrade grumbled.
"There is a limit this time!" John shot back. "Trust me! You don't want to go in there!"
"Hey! Look at this!" Clarky called out excitedly. He held up a pair of plastic bags, each containing a human hand. "I found these in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator!"
"And yet you seem oddly happy by that. Dare I ask?" Lestrade responded dryly.
Clarky shrugged. "Just brings back memories of the good old days! I mean, Lucky was pretending to be someone else when I met him, so I don't really know how much of it was real and how much of it wasn't. You know?"
Donovan shook her head. "I still can't believe that we haven't conducted a raid on your flat yet, Clarky. No wonder the Freak likes you!"
Clarky smirked. "That's because I was raised up right! I come from a good family!"
"Ok! The skulls are clean!" Hopkins pronounced proudly as he walked away from the mantle. "And the room isn't covered in blood! So we know Sheridan and Sherlock haven't been playing Cluedo again!"
Lestrade shot him a sour look. "Stanley! There is no way the evidence would fit in Abby! Or Sherlock's skull, for that matter."
"What do you guys call Sherlock's skull, anyway?" Anderson asked, looking back at John.
"My predecessor." John grumbled. Scowling, he turned back to Lestrade. "Look, Greg. Right now is not the best time…"
"That's the point!" Lestrade replied. "We need that evidence to secure a warrant! And if Sherlock has taken it…"
"Let me go on the record as saying that I don't think Lucky took it." Clarky spoke up as he placed the body parts back in the fridge.
"Then why did you volunteer to be part of this little 'drug raid?'" Lestrade asked Clarky.
Clarky shrugged. "Curiousity! By the way, why do you call these things 'drug raids,' anyway? Is that British slang for being noisy, or what?"
Lestrade groaned, then answered in a deadpan tone. "Yeah, Clarky! That's what this is! Because the British have nothing better to do than to do fake drug busts on people's houses!"
Clarky grinned. "I figured it was something like that! Well, while we are here, I'm going to do a fake drug bust downstairs! I bet Mrs. Hudson has some good food stashed somewhere! She never minds anyway!"
"Clarky…"
But it was too late. Before anyone could stop him, Clarky practically skipped over to the main entrance and raced down the stairs.
"Well, at least he will be out of our hair for a while." Donovan chuckled.
John sighed. "Look, Greg. I seriously don't think you are going to find anything of interest here. Besides, Sherlock has a guest…"
"Holy shit!" Hopkins yelled as he stepped away from the hallway leading towards Sherlock's bedroom.
He was quickly followed by a woman clad in Sherlock's robe.
John huffed in annoyance as he watched the Yarders' mouths drop open in shock.
This just wasn't his day!
"Well, isn't this a surprise!" Irene smirked as she waltzed into the sitting room. "I never thought I would get visitors today!"
John sighed. "Go back to bed, Irene! I got this sorted!"
"And miss all of this? I think not!" Irene grinned mischiviously. She glanced at the mugs on the kitchen table and nodded approvingly. "Would you mind making me a cup as well, John? If we don't have enough, you can always let me borrow Sherlock's favorite cup. I'm sure he won't mind."
"Uh, John?" Lestrade glanced over at the beautiful woman who was wearing Sherlock's blue robe (and little else, from the looks of things), then back over towards John. "Who? Is? That?"
"Greg, you don't know who this is!?" Hopkins squeaked out, his eyes riveted on Irene.
"Not really. Care to enlighten us?" Anderson asked, looking critically at Irene's wardrobe (or lack thereof).
"This is the Woman!" Hopkins looked back at his collegues, only to be met by blank stares.
"Who?" Donovan asked.
"Seriously? You guys never heard of the Woman!?" Hopkins asked incredulously.
"Well, it's nice to know I still have fans!" Irene graced Hopkins with a wink.
"Stop that, Irene! You'll make his head explode!" John warned her. "And if you are going to be up, at least sit down before you pass out again!"
Irene pouted, but obediently sat down in one of the arm chairs.
"What happened to you?" Donovan finally managed to ask, looking at the other woman with concern as she noted the bruises that lined Irene's neck and face.
Irene shrugged. "Just a run-in with people who are not fans of mine. Let's leave it at that."
"Did someone attack you?" Anderson persisted, taking a few steps closer to get a better look.
"She's Sherlock's guest, and the last thing she needs is to be harassed!" John finally exploded. He turned and glared at Irene. "Now, get back in bed where you belong!"
Irene giggled. "Is that an order, Doctor? I don't know if Mary would like that!"
Hopkins' forehead furrowed. "I thought that it was only your clients who got bruises!"
Lestrade's eyes widened with realization, and he glanced worriedly at John. "Belgravia?"
"Yes." John acknowledged brusquely.
Lestrade shook his head in amazement. "So she drugged Sherlock, and yet she's staying here!?"
"Wait! Who drugged Sherlock!?" Donovan asked.
"That honor would be mine." Irene admitted, looking overtly pleased with herself. "Perhaps I can give a demonstration later!"
Before John could debate the medical ethics of dragging his unwilling patient back to Sherlock's bedroom by force and handcuffing her back to the bed again, he was interrupted by the soft tread of an eager American bounding back up the seventeen stairs with gusto.
"Okay! Except for some herbal soothers, Mrs. Hudson is clean! However, I confiscated some cake, just to be sure…" Clarky called out, then stopped dead in his tracks as he crossed the doorway, his eyes suddenly coming to rest on the burnette woman in the long blue dressing gown.
"My God!" He whispered in disbelief. "Irene!?"
"Hello, Edward." Irene smirked cheerfully as she propped herself up straighter on the chair. "It's been a while!"
Clarky stood in the doorway, gaping, as his jaw threatened to drag to the floor. "Renie? What are you doing here!?"
Irene pouted as her face flushed slightly. "I hate it when you call me that!"
"Wait! Everyone, just hold it!" Hopkins shouted. He looked incredulously at Clarky. "Clarky, you actually know The Woman!?"
Clarky did not respond to Hopkins' question, or even acknowledge the other people in the room. Instead, he bent down near the chair so that he was literally face-to-face with Irene. His green eyes full of concern, Clarky gently cupped Irene's face with one hand as he tentatively turned it to view the bruises.
Surprisingly, Irene made no move to prevent him from doing so, silently consenting to his inspection.
Clarky winced as he brushed the tip of his finger on the small healing gash on Irene's cheek. He then hissed in agitation and focused his gaze on the battered woman, his features drawn with anger. "Who did this to you?!"
"Sherlock found her like that!" John protested, feeling the need to jump to Sherlock's defense before the Yarders began accusing him of crimes that he didn't commit.
Again!
Clarky looked up at John and stared at him as though he had grown a second head. "John, why would anyone in their right mind think for one moment that Lucky did this!? He's not the type! And besides, Lucky's right-handed! Most of the bruises are on the right side of Renie's face! So the attacker is left-handed! I say that rules Lucky out!"
The Yarders looked at Clarky with amazement. Underneath his often eccentric exterior, Clarky sometimes displayed heightened insight.
It was times like these that gave the Yarders a glimpse as to why the normally aloof detective chose to tolerate Clarky during his brief stay at the Body Farm.
And for anyone who ever met Sherlock, the fact that he tolerated your presence was as close to an admission of friendship as you were expected to get.
Oblivious to the stares he was getting, Clarky turned back to Irene. "Well, Irene, let's have it! Was it a stalker? An ex-client?"
"I don't know, Edward. Knowing my luck, it was probably a bit of both." Irene admitted softly. Her face turned crimson, and she looked down in embarrassment.
"Figures!" Clarky grunted. He looked back at John. "Is she badly injured, John? Has she been to the hospital?"
John furrowed his forehead as he tried to formulate an answer to Clarky's question without trying to imagine exactly how Clarky knew "The Woman."
The various scenarios of how they could have met were all disturbing, and would no doubt upset poor Molly if she ever found out.
"Ms. Adler has two cracked ribs, and several lacerations and bruising. One of her lacerations became infected, and she ran a low-grade fever for a while, but she's on the mend."
Clarky responded by gently gripping Irene's hand, caressing it with his thumb while Irene allowed him to. "Anything else? She wasn't…"
"They didn't do that, Edward." Irene said gently, almost comfortingly. "They seemed more interested in proving how strong they were by seeing who could break my ribs first. But you know how resourceful I am! I got away before they could do too much damage. Believe me, this looks far worse than it actually is."
"Praise God for that!" Clarky breathed thankfully. "So, what are you doing here, then? Why didn't you call me? Or did you hear about Lucky's deduction mumbo-jumbo and asked him to help you?"
Irene suddenly grinned playfully. "Oh, Sherlock's a friend of mine, Edward. We met a while back and had dinner once or twice."
Clarky froze. A look of abject horror crossed his features. "Oh! Oh, Irene! Please tell me this isn't what it looks like!"
"What does it look like, Clarky?" Irene asked, the teasing tone back in her voice.
Clarky responded with a loud growl as he abruptly stood up, all looks of relief and tenderness vanished. "Damn it, Renie! You promised you wouldn't do this again!"
Before the Yarders or John could process the scene they had just witnessed, Clarky exited the room, shouting to the top of his lungs. "LUCKY! Are you hiding somewhere!? Do me a favor, and get away from my cousin, if you know what's good for you! You have no idea where she's been!"
Author's Note: Ha ha! I'm so sorry, but I couldn't resist!
Hey! I said that I would reveal that Irene had another relationship! I just didn't specify that it was a family relationship! So sue me!
Actually, don't. I have been in court so much over the last few weeks that I am seriously considering changing my address, as I have seem to taken up residence there.
To anyone who is offended that I made the suave and beautiful Irene related to someone like Clarky, I do apologize. However, I always wanted to explore a little of Irene's childhood, and I wanted to do it from a third person's point of view.
Plus, Irene and Clarky do have quite a bit in common. They both like Sherlock (in different ways, of course). They are both rather eccentric, and they both love their toys (Clarky loves his guns, and Irene loves her handcuffs and riding crop!) LOL!
The next chapter will reveal some hilarious family secrets, as well as revisit a chapter from my first story "The Meaning of Sacrifice." Hope you all enjoy it!
Stanley Hopkins-"OMG! You mean that Clarky is actually related to The Woman?! Peaceful Defender, that is just wrong!"
Peaceful Defender-"Stanley, how is it that you know about Irene anyway?"
Stanley Hopkins-"I read her website!"
Peaceful Defender (raising an eyebrow)-"Really?"
Stanley Hopkins-"Hey! I'm allowed to surf the net in my spare time!"
Peaceful Defender-"Uh huh!"
Stanley Hopkins-"Oh, shut it, Peaceful Defender! What I can't understand is how Clarky is related to her!"
Peaceful Defender-"Why is that so difficult to believe?"
Stanley Hopkins (sputtering)-"Because the Woman is...you know!"
Peaceful Defender (smirking)-"No I don't. Please explain."
Stanley Hopkins (fidgeting nervously)-"You know what? I think we will discuss this at a later time! After all, this might be a bit...mature for some of your readers."
Peaceful Defender-"I can't wait to tell Clarky that you spend time staring at pictures of his cousin on the internet! (laughs hysterically) Oh, Hopkins! You are in so much trouble!"
Stanley Hopkins (suddenly smiles)-"Do you think that Clarky would object if I dated his cousin?"
Peaceful Defender-?