Chapter 21

Time passed quickly at 221B and before they were aware, it had been almost a year since Erika's return. Mary was around most days and she and Erika grew closer with every visit. Sherlock spent more time sitting in the corner, sulking, because he wasn't the centre of attention. Often, they just ignored him but every now and then they had to take pity on him and give him something to do. Erika had turned his entertainment into a test.

"Sherlock. Man standing by the post box."

Sherlock glanced out through the kitchen window. "Widower recently back from military service. Suffers from partial deafness in his left ear and has a child."

"Children," Erika corrected with a smirk. He looked again and frowned.

"Yes, children."

"How could you possibly-?" John started but he didn't get time to finish before Sherlock cut him off.

"Wearing black and is carrying his own shopping bags yet he has a wedding ring on his finger, indicating a recently departed wife. Has the same tan lines and stance you have indicating military service. His partial deafness is obvious from the way he's twisting his head to hear the traffic around him and his children," he said, glancing over at Erika, "are shown by his carrying a picture book and a rattle, indicating different ages."

"Bravissimi," Erika said with a smile, leaning down to kiss him quickly on the cheek. Sherlock twitched a little, still not entirely used to the contact. Erika turned back to the dishes she was doing as Sherlock's phone rang. John, who was now standing in the living room, picked it up and threw it to Sherlock, who caught it without looking away from the window. He pressed it to his ear.

"Hello?" There was a long pause before a small smile appeared on his face. "Of course. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

He stood quickly and turned to John. "We've got a case."

"Ah, I think I'll sit this one out." Sherlock turned from where he was at his bedroom door.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I've, um…" John shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "I've got a date with Mary."

Sherlock's eyes narrowed and he stood up a little straighter. His brow furrowed as he looked at his friend before he came to some sort of conclusion, his eyes widening. He turned to Erika who glared at him and he regained his composure.

"Fine." Sherlock disappeared into his room, re-emerging a few minutes later, properly dressed. He grabbed his coat and scarf and left without saying another word. John guiltily looked at Erika who merely shrugged in response and smiled.

"You're not chained to his side. Go see Mary." She turned back to her job but John's question stopped her in her tracks.

"What did he see?"

"What do you mean?" She said, turning again to face him.

"I mean," John said, stepping into the kitchen. "He looked me up and down before noticing something. I know he did. What did he see?"

"I don't know."

"You do." His words came out harsher than intended and Erika flinched inadvertently. John smiled at her, trying to avoid sounding angry and she allowed a half smile to cross her lips.

"You know what he saw." And with that she returned to her task, as John realised what they both new. He cursed under his breath and Erika couldn't hold back a giggle. With her back still to him she said, "He won't say a word, and neither will I. Now go, or you'll be late."

John turned to the clock on the other side of the room and saw he was in fact running a little late. He quickly gathered his things and, with a quick goodbye to Erika, he left. She stayed there for the rest of the day, chuckling at the unfortunate pair. Sherlock and John were lucky they hadn't killed each other yet.

As the afternoon turned into the evening, the rain that had been tapping gently at the window all day grew heavier until it sounded like stones being thrown at the wall. Erika sighed and curled up a little tighter on the sofa, her book pulled closely to her. She wasn't expecting John back and she had no idea when Sherlock would return. For now she was just enjoying the silence.

It was about eight o'clock when she heard the door open. For the way he walked, she knew it was Sherlock, but there was something wrong. His steps seemed out of balance. She closed her book and stood, opening the door to reveal Sherlock Holmes soaked to the skin and shivering violently. Erika couldn't hold back a gasp of surprise and she pulled him into the room. His skin was like ice.

"What did you do? Take a dip in the Thames?" Sherlock tried to glare at her but could only manage a grimace as his teeth chattered angrily against each other. Erika pulled him into the bathroom and turned the shower on as hot as it would go. Sherlock wrapped his arms around himself and managed to get a few words out.

"W-w-where's J-John?"

"He went out with Mary, remember?" Sherlock managed a slight hiss of annoyance before another wave of cold hit him and he shuddered violently. He felt like his blood had turned to ice. Erika turned to him and saw Sherlock, soaked to the skin with his lips turning blue. "Now, strip."

Sherlock looked up at her coldly. "R-r-really? T-t-time and p-p-p-place."

"Oh for God's sake, it's not for MY benefit!" She said, anger and concern both rising in her voice. "Your lips are blue! You're hypothermic! Those clothes aren't going to do you any good and you need to get warm as fast as possible. Strip."

Sherlock would have found back but her was so cold and her argument made sense to him. He made to undo the buttons on his shirt but found his hands were shaking so much that he couldn't work it. Erika saw and moved his hands away. She undid the buttons on his jacket and shirt and pulled them off him. Then she knelt down in front of him and untied his shoes. He stepped out of them and she pulled off his socks. Then she undid his pants and pulled them off. Then she stood back up and pushed him, naked, into the shower. The hat water hit him and he let out a yelp before sighing into it.

"Get out when you're warm, not before." He heard the door close as she left and he sighed, still shuddering slightly but the water was warming him up quickly. He stayed there for over fifteen minutes until his skin felt red and scorched under the water. He stepped out, dried himself off and dressed himself in his pyjamas which had been laid out just outside the door. His soaking clothes had been taken from the room and he allowed himself a small smile.

Walking out to the living room, he saw Erika curled up on the sofa with the book she had abandoned when he came in. Childishly, he lay down, putting his feet on her lap. She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow but he merely smirked. She closed the book and turned to face him fully. "How do you feel?"

"Cold," he answered, wrapping another arm around himself. Erika's eyes narrowed and he double-took. "I'm fine now."

"Then tell me why you were drenched. And where's your coat and scarf?"

"Left them at the Yard," he murmured, not really listening to her. She poked him and he answered the rest of her question. "Lestrade needed me for a case. I was following a lead, got into a fight with the suspect and he ended up throwing me into the, as you said before, Thames."

"And at no point did you think, 'perhaps I ought to dry off?'" Erika said, her voice dripping with condescension. He glared at her and she smirked.

"I needed to catch him but he got away. Then the rain started and I'd left all my money in my coat. It was faster to walk here than back to the Yard."

Erika huffed a little as she heard him talk. She hated the idea of him wandering the street in the condition he came back to her. She was pulled out of the trance of her thoughts by Sherlock shuddering. Her head snapped up and their eyes met. Without hesitation she stood up and pulled him up as well.

"What are you doing?"

"You're still cold."

"So?" It was at this point Erika pushed him down into his bed. She pulled the covers up over him and sat on the edge.

"So, I don't want you to get pneumonia just to annoy John and get attention. Stay here, stay warm and sleep."

"Why?"

"Why?" she said, looking at him partly amused, partly infuriated. "because I know you haven't slept properly in two days and you're freezing. Go to sleep."

"Only if you stay." The words were out of his mouth before he could really think and Erika smiled. She leant down and kissed his lips which were still a little icy.

"Fine, just give me a minute." She left and returned a few minutes later, dressed in one of Sherlock's old pyjama shirts. She slipped into bed and Sherlock put his arm around her, his face nuzzled in her neck.

"You're warm." His words were muffled against her skin but she heard, and felt, them perfectly. She smiled and leant into him.

"Goodnight Sherlock."