CHAPTER 36. RELATIONS
Harry checked the address she'd scribbled down on the back of her manicured hand, she noted the chipped red nail polish gloomily. This was it, 221B, some desperate guy at the invalid home that her brother was living at up until a month or so ago, had given it to her. All she had to do was unbutton a few black buttons of her red blouse, child's play the idiot didn't even know what hit him. Now why would Johnny move without letting her know, and how the hell was he able to afford this place.
She had just moved back to London herself and lived in a less than decent neighborhood in some tiny little flat, it wasn't a bad place to live it was her's, but still she would appreciate something bigger.
She tried phoning earlier in the week and of course it went straight to voice mail. Annoying, why the hell was he avoiding his big sister? Harry just wanted to check on him. And of course she needed his signature on the papers to sell their childhood home.
Good riddance to bad memories, the sooner she could cash out the better, not that either of them would ever live in that shit hole again.
"Oh hello. May I help you?" An older woman dressed in some old house dress straight out of the WWII era smiled brightly.
"Yes, hello. I'm hoping I have the right place. Is this the residence of Johnny-I mean John Watson."
"Doctor Watson. Yes. He lives upstairs. I'm not sure if he's back." The older woman ran a curious glance over Harry, who forgot her blouse was still scandalously revealing, she hadn't even buttoned her black peacoat, She tossed her shoulder length blond hair over her thin shoulders. Glaring at the old woman not caring for the look she was getting. "But I'm sure he'll be back soon. He just popped off to the grocery store. Are you here on business?"
"Yeah. Business, as in my own. Not yours." Harry snapped hating the cold spring wind hitting at her nylon clad legs, perhaps the gray pin skirt hadn't been the best idea but she was just getting off of work. Only having to work a half day, and she needed to get this done. She wanted and needed to use the money and get a better flat. From the looks of it, Johnny was doing good, he wouldn't need any of the cash.
"Well no need to be rude dear, come in then. You can wait upstairs, its warmer and I'm sure-"
"Whatever just lead the way." Harry cut her off. Mrs. Hudson sighed wondering who this woman with the piercing blue eyes and sharp tongue could be. Surely the young Doctor wouldn't date someone of such bad character, Mrs. Hudson could tell a bad apple from a mile away. She'd lived with one for a good many years, this girl screamed troubled, sure she had a perfectly made up face but those eyes. Those eyes were cold and hard, like the blond had seen too many rainy days to ever find the sun again.
And the way she dressed, it was freezing out and this young woman didn't even button up her coat, her cleavage nearly falling out onto the street, really not everyone cared to know what color of bra the blond was wearing. In her day there was a word for a girl dressed like this and well Mrs. Hudson was to polite to even think it, but if the shoe fits-
Maybe she was client? But why did she ask for the doctor? Then again her black leather handbag was big and fashionable, big enough to hold business documents. Maybe she was serving the doctor papers? No, she shot that thought away almost immediately, because the Doctor wasn't married and he had barely been home from the army so no one could be suing him.
Oh, better let Sherlock straighten it out. He'd bring little Miss High and mighty down a notch, serves her right.
She knocked on the opened front door, "Woo hoo. Sherlock Dear there is a er-ah young woman here for Doctor Watson." Harry thought she'd heard the old granny wrong. Had she said Sherlock?
"Thank you Mrs. Hudson-" Sherlock turned around irritably "John's still out-" his words faltered, Mrs. Hudson felt the air in the room drop from a warm cozy temperature to something below freezing. Oh, dear, perhaps she should have sent the blond woman off and taken a message instead.
"Should I make some tea then?" The elderly landlady asked hoping to ease the tension, tea always did this, they were British after all.
"Thank you Mrs. Hudson, that wont be necessary she wont be staying. Thanks for visiting Harriett but John's not in, please leave a message and I'll be sure to not relay it." Sherlock spoke quickly and dismissively waving his hand as if at a fly.
"You! You bastard! What the hell are you doing here?"
"Language!" Mrs. Hudson chided.
"Shut it grams no one asked you."
"Mrs. Hudson please excuse Harriett she hasn't had her afternoon drink. If you're looking for vodka Harriet, I'm sure the bar around the corner would let you drink straight from the bottle just as you like it. And you'd be able to afford the cheap prices. Just you're type of atmosphere. I hear they have quite the selection of boxed wine. " Harriette straightened her shoulders, her lip curling she clutched her purse as if ready to swing it at the taller man.
"Oh, I see you've managed to keep your sense of humor. Funny, I hardly recognized you without the needle in your arm."
"Oh, well. I didn't expect you would be around so soon, but I guess you're all cured after what a week in rehab?"
"Said the addict-" Harry growled.
"Oh, Harriett-"
"Stop calling me Harriet Sherlylocks!"
"Alright now, no need to be rude dear, perhaps you would like to wait downstairs for the good Doctor or I could take a message-"
"Who the hell are you? Why don't you butt out." Harriet snapped.
"Do refrain from abusing our landlady Harriett she would have every right to toss you out on your backside, in fact I would love to personally grant that request."
"Fuck off! I'd like to see you try! Now answer my goddamn question. Why are you here? Where's John?"
"He went to pick up groceries. And I live here."
"With John?" she asked through clenched teeth.
"No Father Christmas. Yes with John."
"You have got to be fucking kidding me! So history is repeating itself? What you didn't get your chance to kill him once, you wanted to try again?" Mrs. Hudson gasped at such harsh words.
"Jealous Harriet?"
"Of you?" the blond woman laughed bitterly. "That's a joke. Tell me is daddy paying for the place? He know John's bunking with you?"
"He's dead."
"Oh, huh-he off himself finally? Or did you and big brother have him snuffed out?"
"No, cancer got him. To bad he didn't go the easy way by way of wrapping his car around a tree after drinking himself stupid trying to forget the disappointment of a daughter-"
"You bastard! You bloody bastard!"
"That is enough!" Mrs. Hudson stood between the two her voice stern.
"Now, Sherlock that is no way to talk to a friend of Doctor Watson, or acquaintance. And as for you young lady-"
"She's no friend of John's Mrs. Hudson. She has no friends."
"That's the pot calling the kettle black FREAK!" Harriette ignored the older woman trying to defuse the situation. "I told you to stay away from him! You're the reason he's ignoring me? What did you cry to him about the hospital?"
"No. It's his choice to avoid your pity calls. He doesn't need you acting like you care. Do you think he cant see through your little charade?"
"I warned you and your brother at the hospital to steer clear of my brother! He is in a fragile enough state! It's you Holmeses that are to blame! You both! Practically held the pen in his hand."
"Harriet he doesn't regret joining the army."
"How would you know? Look what it's done to him! He's barely a shadow of what he was! He had such a bright future. And he could get his life back, without mixing up with you lot! He doesn't need your charity. Don't think I'm as dense as he is, I know who's paying for his expensive therapy and it isn't the army. That fancy hospital room, all of it was out of guilt. Tell me, did he forgive you right away? Immediately? Did you wait for him to be desperately looking for a flat, down on his luck? Before you decided to swoop in and save the day? Or does Mycroft need a babysitter again?"
"Harriette you might want to shut up." Sherlock's voice dropped but the blond woman wouldn't be told what to do.
"No. No I wont take orders from the likes of you. Your just another junkie hiding behind old money. I should have put a restraining order on the both of you while Johnny was still unconscious."
If Harriett hadn't been so intent on going off on the tall dark haired man, she'd of noticed that the gray eyes were looking at someone directly behind her. It wasn't until that someone spoke that she realized her mistake.
"Harry?"
"Oh, Doctor Watson." Mrs. Hudson frowned, her hands clutched together, she looked to Sherlock than the young woman.
That rude young girl was the Doctor's older sister? Had he been adopted? Looking at the two now, Mrs. Hudson could see a tiny resemblance, Harriett was definitely taller than her brother. They had similar hair coloring, and their eyes could be the same shade, except the Doctor had a kindness about him, his eyes were a sky blue, reminding the older woman of a clear spring afternoon, cloudless and sunny. Whereas Harriette's were the same sky but more cloudy like a nearing spring thunderstorm.
"Johnny?" Harry tried to think back to what she 'd said, how long had he been standing there? It was that walking computer's fault! He tricked her!
"Sherlock, Mrs. Hudson will you excuse us." John's voice was eerily calm.
"Come along Sherlock, I have fresh scones downstairs." Sherlock reluctantly allowed himself to be lead out, disappointed when the door was shut behind him by a very agitated John.
Mrs. Hudson and Sherlock sat in the kitchen sipping tea, eyes rolled upwards towards the ceiling, unable to ignore the shouts coming from upstairs.
"Harpy." Sherlock grumbled. "Useless-" Mrs. Hudson remained quiet, until finally after twenty minutes the door to the flat upstairs, slammed and high heeled feet clicked along the stairs and out through the front followed by heavier booted feet.
"Here Harry. I signed it."
"Whatever John, don't pretend you're angry with me. We both know you hate that place as much as me. Hope you two are very happy together. Don't come crying to me when he tosses you out on your ass again. I won't be there to pick up whatever is left of you."
"Harry-"
"Stop, just stop. I'm not arguing. I'm not going to apologize for what I did at the hospital. Once again you choose them over your only family. Seeing how you have such a nice life, a shining career as a doctor and a new family, you wont mind if I keep your half of the money from the house's sale would you?" John didn't reply. "Goodbye John." Harry turned on her heels, head high she marched away.