"John, If you don't move we'll lose this taxi" Sherlock had flagged down a taxi. He threw himself across the seat and gazed out of the window ignoring John's attempt at conversation.

TBC

John tried to keep a straight face as the taxi pulled away from Bart's; in all his 18 months as Sherlock's side kick he had never seen anyone speak to Sherlock like that; yes, there was Donovan's sarcastic snipes at him but this had been a very precise clinical assessment of Sherlock; worthy of the great man himself. And John surmised, the great man didn't like it one little bit. His phone bleeped and he clicked on the message. It was from Lestrade.

YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS GL *download attached pic*

John hit download and the image appeared slowly on the screen. Someone in Scotland Yard obviously had more time on their hands than crimes to solve because the attachment was an image of a meerkat wearing a deerstalker. John bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself laughing. He looked across at Sherlock who was currently lost in his own little logical world and despite finding the image funny John did have some misgivings about laughing at his friend. Sherlock and humour really didn't go in the same sentence, actually, John thought Sherlock and humour weren't even passing acquaintances. When Sherlock was funny it was usually unintentional and he didn't like the idea of him being the butt of Scotland Yard's latest attempt at humour. He went to hit the delete button, wishing he'd not told Lestrade about the video. He hoped it wouldn't come back to bite him on the arse in the future. John took a final glance at the picture and hit the button and despite himself...he grinned.

"You can stop smirking, John. The episode wasn't that amusing." Sherlock gazed steadily out of the other window; he tapped his chin idly blocking out John's words...there was something about her, something that was tantalisingly out of reach at the moment. He would get it; he just needed silence to work through all the possibilities. Was she one of Moriarty's network? Was she Moriarty's Molly? He sat up abruptly. I know her...I know her...I just don't know HOW? What he needed now was to be at 221B Baker Street and close the world out and just go to his mind palace. Just how far he would have to travel those rooms to find out who this woman was, he didn't know. But he knew he would find the answer there. He slid back into the here and now to hear the end of John's comments on his behaviour.

"... just don't go there Sherlock. It's not her fault that you don't like her and that she's 'invaded' your morgue. Just try and go there when she's not there. I'm sure Molly will let you know when it's safe."

"Safe...SAFE!" Sherlock slouched back in the seat "If I want to use the morgue I will. I won't let some...some...Celtic throwback hinder my research."

"Not if this morning's palaver is anything to go by, you won't." John turned and looked to see where they were heading "Sherlock, why do you have to wind up every single person you meet? It's not good. Is it some chemical imbalance? A defect in the Holmes gene? Mycroft isn't as bad as you, but even he has his moments." John thought back to his 'kidnapping' by Mycroft on the day he moved into 221B Baker Street "I mean this new Doctor could have been useful, she's certainly sharp and observant."

"John, yet again your brain is fogged by the outward show of a pleasing physical appearance. She would never allow me to remove body parts, nor perform the experiments that Molly allows me to undertake."

"Ah, you mean she can't be manipulated like Molly so therefore she's of no use to you? That's very nice Sherlock. Do you only like people you can use? No don't answer that, I already know the answer to that is a resounding yes." John turned his body away from Sherlock and watched the passing traffic.

Silence invaded the taxi as both men descended into their own thoughts.

Sherlock on just how he could remove the new pathologist from Bart's without resorting to underhand tactics...get Mycroft to check her Medical Licence and Pathology credentials. Find past colleagues at Cardiff, if that's where she actually was. No she was there, I was right she IS a medic, but why Bart's and why now? Find out about her divorce and past...this divorce is too convenient, was it planned? He needed to get back to 221B Baker Street, the information he sought was available at a price if you knew who to ask. But at least there was something he could do now. He pulled his phone from his coat.

MYCROFT. ALL DEATILS OF MEDICAL LICENCES HELD BY C VAUGHAN. ASAP. SH

He slid his phone back into his pocket and resumed his ruminating.

John on just how calculating Sherlock actually was.

John let his mind wander back to the conversation in the lab and one of Sherlock's comments in particular... 'You use your natural attributes to get gullible men and some women to do what you want, your breasts have already been assessed as almost perfect by John...despite the volume of black and leather you are wearing you are far more feminine than Molly who insists on wearing ridiculously childish clothing...' So John wasn't the only one who had noted the new pathologist's physical appearance. Sherlock had also noticed but his barbed comments had been negated by the confirmation that he found her far more feminine than Molly. The more John thought about that comment the more he was confused. If it was an insult it wasn't up to Sherlock's usual standard and if it was meant as a compliment, which he highly doubted...it was certainly backhanded.

"What did you mean by...?"

Sherlock cut him off "John if you couldn't deduce what I meant at the time, then I hardly think me filling you in with the relevant data now will assist you in any way." Sherlock pulled on his leather gloves.

"No, I mean...you noticed something about her, didn't you? Something that's bugging the shit out of you, because you can't figure out what it is."

Sherlock looked at John with a look on his face that could have almost been respect. "At least your observational skills are improving."

"So I'm right aren't I? Something about her is worrying you?"

"I wouldn't say worrying, but there's certainly something about her arrival at Bart's that doesn't fit. I'm sure Molly knew nothing about her new colleague's arrival until she was introduced. Molly is incapable of keeping any information away from me and I would have noticed it anyway. That she didn't proves she didn't know anything. Which begs the question, why? Why has this woman turned up at Bart's now?"

"You think she's something to do with Moriarty?"

"I have no idea. It would seem to be the logical explanation."

"Or she just really could be the new pathologist in Bart's, just like you deduced when you saw her."

"No, that was too easy, she almost gave it away. That she would give that much up so easily means she's hiding something very important."

"Is she? You got all that from the fact that you found her too easy read her?"

Sherlock looked annoyed "Yes, didn't I say that?"

"Well I wouldn't say that she gave up that information. Every other person would have just accepted that she was the new pathologist and left it at that. Although even I could get that she was Welsh." John smirked. And that you noticed she had a figure...maybe you are human after all.

"I'm not everyone else." He stopped "Welsh...that's it! I'm sure she's not Welsh...she's been in Wales and picked up the accent but..." the rest of his comment was lost to John as the taxi pulled up outside 221B Baker Street and Sherlock disappeared through the door without a backward glance, leaving John to pay the fare.

John sighed...sometimes Sherlock was just a total dick. End of.

XXXXX

Mycroft followed Caroline into the morgue and stood by the door as she removed a body from the cabinet. He already had his own suspicions about the woman...he wasn't sure if Sherlock's abrupt departure was down to a fit of childish pique or whether he was already on to something.

"Dr Vaughan" Mycroft moved slightly then recoiled as she unzipped the remains of a car crash victim. He removed a linen handkerchief from his pocket and held it delicately to his nose. "May I call you Caroline?" So that's the name you are using...very...you.

Caroline turned to look at him "Why? Are you going to be just as annoying as your baby brother?"

"I certainly hope not, I think you might be of some assistance to me." He raised an eyebrow at her questioning glance. Let's just stop playing games shall we?

"And just how do you envisage me being of assistance to you?" Been there, done that...not doing it again.

Mycroft remained silent for a moment before continuing "How shall I put it, certain authorities would be more than grateful for your assistance." He smiled.

"I'm busy, as you can see..." She indicated the cadaver on the table in front of her. "What assistance would you require?" it wouldn't hurt to know just exactly what Mycroft wanted.

"You've met my brother, he can be a little...how shall I say, indelicate when dealing with other people's feelings. Especially Dr Hooper's, which is why she behaves as she does in front of him. He encourages her long term infatuation with him for his own ends. And this is not always in the best interests of...well let's say...more important people."

"So what is it that you want me to do?" she tapped the scalpel against the palm of her hand.

"Prevent some of the more...interesting aspects of his experiments here from taking place. I have no issue with him using the facilities for legitimate purposes but some of his more outrageous experiment have to stop." Mycroft moved towards her. "Try and prevent Dr Hooper from continuing to be the worshipping satellite that revolves around the sun that is Sherlock." Even I cannot believe my dear brother does not know the earth goes round the sun... he shuddered. "Unfortunately, John Watson is not the stabilising influence on my brother that I had hoped he would be. Just the opposite in fact, positively encourages the worst of his behaviour. I need someone to rein him in before he does something both he and I will regret." And you are the only person to be able to bring him into line, my dear. Why else are you here?

"And just how do you expect me to do that? From what I can gather, Molly gives him carte blanche here to do what he wants; A newcomer will hardly be able to stop him." She placed the scalpel down next to the body. "From what you've told me he will already be memorising my shift pattern to enable him to avoid me at all costs."

Mycroft smiled "I have my ways, and I can assure you that your assistance will not go unrewarded."

"I don't do things for money Mr Holmes" ice blues eyes glittered at him fiercely.

"Really?" Mycroft gazed back into eyes he clearly recognised "I thought that's all you did." He turned and walked away, letting the morgue door swing closed behind him.

Caroline watched his retreating back and wondered if she really had made a mistake this time. But Sherlock was unfinished business and that just would not do.

XXXX

Molly sat at her desk and nibbled at the corner of her toast; she would have happily allowed Sherlock to have it if he'd wanted it...and her coffee. But the new pathologist clearly had other ideas and Molly had a sinking feeling in her stomach that things wouldn't be the same around here again.

In a way Molly was thrilled that someone had actually stood up for her; that someone had shouted down Sherlock Holmes and made him stop. But on the other hand, she liked helping him...Sherlock's Little Helper...and the thought that the special link they had might be compromised upset her slightly...no not slightly...it upset her a lot. She was Sherlock's pathologist...he'd called her 'my pathologist' that showed he felt something for her, even if it was only in a professional capacity.

She spun in her chair; watching the conversation between Mycroft and Caroline come intermittently into view while in her head she replayed the conversation between Sherlock and Caroline. She stopped her chair suddenly when she remembered Sherlock's words...' you are far more feminine than Molly who insists on wearing ridiculously childish clothing...' Oh God, what if Sherlock fancied her? Did he? How could she find out? The only woman Sherlock had ever remotely been interested in had been The Woman, as he'd called her. Was this another like her, who would challenge Sherlock, just as John had told her The Woman had. John had actually said that she'd beaten him. But Molly could not envisage Sherlock being bested by anyone, certainly not a woman.

But now that little worm of doubt had entered Molly's she couldn't stop thinking about it. An image of Sherlock kissing Caroline flooded Molly's mind and she whimpered softly. She knew that he would never think of her in that way, but the fact that he had felt that way before about someone and might do again, filled her with pain and regret. Regret that she couldn't move on. Despite kicking herself for doing what she was about to do, Molly pulled out her phone and typed rapidly and hit the send button before she could change her mind.

John was still on the pavement outside 221B Baker Street when his phone beeped.

"DO YOU THINK SH FANCIES THE NEW PATHOLOGIST? MH"

John frowned before replying "JUST WONDERING THAT MYSELF! JW"

Molly's phone beeped, she pressed the button and read John's reply. Bugger...why did I have to ask...

TBC

Thank you to all you lovely people who reviewed this story. I have a vague idea where it will go...eventually. I will try to update regularly but real life does have an annoying habit of interfering.