A Silent Game

A Silent Motivator

Sid paused the film they were watching - for the third time, it was one of their favourites - as he heard the door bell go. He figured that since she was already up, his fiancée could answer it.

"Love! Door's ringing!" He shouted through to the kitchen to her, his welsh accent strong.

"Then answer it!" She replied, pouring the hot water into the two cups. The bell rang again, a little longer this time.

"Eth!" He called in a slightly whiny voice that always seemed to make her smile.

It worked and she just smiled at the childish sound, putting the kettle back on its stand and going to answer the door. Opening it she found the shaking form of her best friend.

Rose looked up to meet Ethel with watery eyes. "Can I come in?" She whispered. Ethel just nodded, frowning, ushering the young woman inside.

"Sid!" He heard her Ethel call to him, all humour in her tone vanishing, replaced with a new sense of urgency and worry. "Get a large mug of water, will you?"

"Oh, Christ..." He muttered, scrambling to the kitchen to get the drink. He only knew of one person who would come to them and ask for water; and it was never for a good reason.

Taking the drink to the living room, he saw his love with her arm around Rose Spencer, who was shivering worse than he had ever seen her, hands shaking violently. He gave her the mug, the young woman taking a calming breath in a bid to get her hands to stop shaking so much. It worked to some extent, allowing her to hold the mug enough to take a sip from, the action helping to calm her down some more.

"Jesus, Rose…" He whispered, sitting in the chair opposite her. "What happened?"

John sighed, watching as his younger friend bolted around a corner, vanishing from sight. He wasn't as fast as her, even if he thought he should follow her. Turning back to head back to his other friend, he hoped she would be alright; he didn't even know what was wrong.

John met Sherlock again, both men frowning as they saw Lestrade come out of his office. "Got it!" The DI told them, walking towards his car.

John saw that Sherlock didn't move. "Sherlock?" He asked, wondering what could have happened.

The man blinked and followed quickly after Lestrade, not looking John in the eye. He knew what was happening, knew it was no different from the last time. But it is different, a small voice whispered in his vast mind.

Sitting in the back of the cab, on their way to the abandoned car, Sherlock couldn't quite shake the thought of what he might do in her shoes; if it was Mycroft strapped to what was most likely a bomb. He couldn't even imagine it, it was so improbable. He still couldn't shake the worry though.

John carefully kept an eye on his friend. He didn't know what had happened, but did trust that if either of them needed him, they would ask for the help. He still worried though, not knowing where Rose was or when she would be coming back.

Ethel pulled up her chin, looking her dead in the eye as Rose hugged herself, tears streaming down her face once more. "Well, you know what to do then, don't you?"

"What?" Rose whispered desperately. She didn't know what to do, and if Ethel had the answer she wanted it.

"You go back to this Sherlock Holmes guy, and you help him solve the case in time. He may be as brilliant as you say, but he could always use your help. Other wise he wouldn't have hired you, know would he?" She said, voice firm but gentle.

Rose blinked for a second, realising what was really happening; Joe needed her help, and she was sat on a sofa crying, sipping a drink. What am I doing here? She thought, angry that she let her emotions waste her time. She stood up suddenly, putting the mug on the table beside her.

She gave Ethel a fierce hug. "You're right. Of course you are! I've got to go!" She said, releasing her friend, quickly giving Sid a handshake as always; he used to take the mick out of her unusually firm handshake.

"I hope everything works out." He said seriously. He had met Joe once or twice before and though he was always a laid back guy, annoying people all the time, Sid knew he did care for the youngest of the three siblings.

She swallowed her fears and worries, pushing her shoulders back and standing to her full height. "It will." She told him confidently before taking out her phone. "I'll see you both later. Thank you!" She called, heading for the door, head down to the phone. It was time she went back to work.

"Fishing." Sally shouted as they went past. "Try fishing."

John just gave her a look, turning back to Sherlock, who's phone had just buzzed. "Where now?"

Sherlock looked at his phone, a small smile pulling at his lips; both at the message and what it meant.

Apologies for earlier.

Where are we? RS

She was coming back to work on the case. And she had picked up one of his texting habits. He quickly typed a reply for her to meet them at the next location.

"Sherlock?" Johns voice brought him back to the situation, reminding him that his friend had asked him a question.

"Janus Cars." He answered, slipping his phone away again. He handed the card he had found to John as they walked. "Just found this in the glove compartment."

Rose checked her phone for third time as she got out of the cab; it had been almost two hours already. She cursed herself again for her wasted time, lighting up a cigarette as she waited impatiently for her flatmates.

Following Sherlock out of the cab, John saw Rose stubbing out a cigarette with the tip of her shoe, looking up to them. Sherlock saw the thin line of red around her eyes and the remnants of tear tracks on her face.

"You alright?" John asked worriedly, wondering how she knew to go there.

Rose ignored him though, turning to Sherlock, searching his cold eyes. "How long is left?" She asked quietly.

"Six hours." He replied just as quietly.

The men watched as she closed her eyes momentarily, letting a deep breath out of her nose as ground her teeth in agitation. She held her head high though, stretching her neck from side to side, eyes falling back to her two friends.

"Let's get a move on then, shall we?"