Night time

Dani

Dani had drifted off a few hours ago while working on a class assignment, a paper on the representation of love in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. She had been working through the text scene by scene, looking at the text analytically, making sure she didn't forget anything.

She had fallen asleep when she was a quarter of the way through the text. Her mind was full of happy thoughts

Sherlock was there, walking down the street with her as she laughed at his 'people skills'. She grabbed his arm in a friendly manner and he smiled at her, a smile she had never actually seen, a happy smile. He looped his arm around her waist and pulled her closely…

A loud sounds from outside startled her, she opened her eyes. She was in the living room and it was dark, the only light was from the streetlight which she could see through the open window. Her Shakespeare text was in her hands and papers were scattered on the floor. She had literally fallen asleep while working.

Another sound came from outside. Dani's mind races as she thought about the sound, it could have been an injured animal or something. She decided that she would investigate the sound instead of sitting and wondering what it was. She jumped to her feet and walked down the hallway and the stairs. She unlocked the front door and took a small step onto the cold night street.

It was very dark, the light from the street lamp was that horrible yellow colour which infested the whole street. The streets of London at night were scary to her, she had grown up in a small place where everybody knew everything about you. There was never anything to worry about, the only horrible thing that happened was the fire which killed her parents and one murder. A man who killed his wife for cheating, she had nothing to fear there. On these streets she had everything to fear, anything could have happened, she was a few hours earlier at a murder scene. She knew first-hand the horror that could happen in such a busy city.

The sound came from a few meters down the street around a turning. She cautiously went down the stone steps, her feet warm against the cold stone of the steps.

The sound was getting louder as she walked down the empty street. The corner was close and she turned it cautiously. She made the shapes of bins and old furniture. There was nothing that jumped out at her as important, no injured animal or person. She couldn't see anyone.

She quickly turned on her heel and walked back up the street, she quickened her pace, not wanting to be outside for much longer. Her skin was plastered with Goosebumps and she was shivering almost uncontrollably.

The sound of a bottle being kicked alarmed her and instead of turning to see what happening. She carried on moving forward, she was meters away from 221B Baker Street and the door was still ajar.

She smiled knowing that home was so close.

The sound of footsteps behind her caught her attention.

She had the element of surprise if she turned at the right point, whoever was following her was most likely unaware that she knew they were following her. She turned at the last moment, her hands in fists at her sides.

She was faced with man in dark clothes; his face was hidden underneath a hood. Acting purely on instinct she pushed her hand forward towards his chest. The figure counteracted her movement by grabbing her fist and twisting it.

Dani cried out and pulled herself back, trying to get away from him. A light emulating from her apartment alarmed the man and he panicked, pushing her hard before running away. Her body landed sideways on the pavement, smashing against the cold floor. She cried out. Her head narrowly missed bouncing off the pavement and she gasped, the wind being knocked out of her.

"Danielle" Sherlock's alarmed voice filled the street as he jumped down the stone stairs and rushed to her side.

She noticed that he was wearing the same as he had been earlier, so he either hadn't slept or was sleeping in his clothes. The yellow street light highlighted his defined cheekbones and created a shadow over his thin lips.

Dani pushed herself up onto her elbow as Sherlock's hand clasped around her forearm and heaved her onto her feet. Sherlock noticed her shivering wildly and pulled her into his arms, pressing her against his own body. She shivered in his warm embrace as a smile crossed her lips. Sherlock Holmes had pulled her into a hug, he had initiated contact between them and was holding her in a protective manner.

"Let's get back inside" he said quickly, pulling her up the stairs and through the doors of 221B.

She climbed the stairs as fast as she could against the pain that had emulated in her side. She walked straight into the lounge and sat on the sofa. Sherlock paced the room for a few moments; his hands steepled beneath his chin.

"Sherlock, your making me nervous" she said quickly, he turned to look at her and she avoided his gaze. "I feel like a student about to get told off by her teacher."

"Why would I tell you off?" he asked simply.

"You wouldn't, it just feels like you're going to." She gave up; this man took everything so literal.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" he answered, brushing off her statement.

She sighed "I was asleep and was woken by a noise on the street. I ignored it at first but when it happened again I was curious and thought I better check it out. I know it was a stupid idea but I thought there might have been an injured animal or something." Sherlock stared at her blankly "I know it was stupid Sherlock but I just needed to know. When I got out there I noticed the noise was coming from a small alley, I looked but there was nothing there, only junk. I was walking back when someone kicked a bottle behind me. I turned to punch him and he grabbed my wrist, he twisted my wrist and pushed me when a light came on from the flat. He ran away it's nothing."

"You're in pain that much is obvious" he snapped at her and sat down beside her.

"No..." she started but he interrupted her.

"You took your time on the stairs because of the pain in your side, you tried to hide it but that much was obvious from your facial expressions, you cannot lie to me Danielle."

"It wasn't a lie; I just neglected the full truth. I'm fine." She interjected.

"That's the same thing." He said as she went upstairs leaving him alone on the sofa.