Here's Chapter 4! Thanks for the support and all my followers and favorite-ers. And thanks to my loyal reviewer Theta-McBride! Your reviews make my day and they are so encouraging! Even if I don't respond to each individually, know that I appreciate each one so much! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 4
Addie awoke groggily, groaning as she opened her eyes to the harsh light coming through the window. She took a moment to get her bearings before she lifted her head to look around. The grogginess had faded a bit and she took in her surroundings. She was on a sofa, a union jack pillow under her head and a hideous orange blanket draped over her. She looked up to see Sherlock reading the newspaper in the chair across from her.
Addie groaned and plopped back down on the pillow. "Oh great."
"Well good morning to you too. How'd you sleep?" Sherlock asked from behind the paper.
Addie shot him a half-hearted glare which he couldn't see from behind his paper but he chuckled cheekily anyways.
"So now that you're back in the land of the living, what do you say we go check out your room?"
She was still a bit hazy and hadn't moved from her spot on the couch. She had no intention of looking at her room, since she had no intention of staying there at all. She figured she had to move though if she was going to make a break for a taxi to take her back to her flat. She sat up slowly and extricated herself from the blanket.
"Why do I have this hideous orange blanket on?" she asked.
"Oh that. It's a shock blanket. Stole it from a crime scene a few months ago. It's really quite warm," he answered, putting the paper down.
She gave him a weird look and pushed the blanket away. "Ok then, this has been fun. But now that I'm feeling better, I really must be getting back to my flat," she said.
"It's empty," Sherlock replied.
Addie stopped mid-rise from the couch and went still. "What?" she asked.
"Your flat. It's empty. All your stuff is here. No need to go running back to get anything. Rather convenient don't you think?" Sherlock answered.
She sat back down on the couch and put her head in her hands. "There's no getting out of this is there?" she asked.
"Nope!" Sherlock said matter-of-factly.
"So I have the flat next door? There's no secret passageways or anything where you're going to show up in the middle of the night or anything?" Addie asked.
"Why would I go to your room in the middle of the night?" Sherlock asked seriously.
"Nevermind," she rolled her eyes. "Hey where's John?"
"He's at work. Had this ridiculous notion to go work at the hospital. Something about idle hands and earning money. Sounds dull."
"Right."
"Why do you care anyways? You hardly know John," asked Sherlock.
"Oh, we had a nice little chat last night while you and Mycroft were busy plotting…I mean talking for hours," Addie answered.
"Hmmm…boring!"
"Whatever. I'm going to my flat. See you…hopefully not soon," she said standing up.
Sherlock didn't even acknowledge her leaving the room as he sat at his computer looking for a case. He heard her leave and walk down the hall. He heard her open the door next to their flat and walk inside. He predicted how long it would take for her to realize it. 3, 2, 1…
"SHERLOCK!"
He smirked as he heard her stomping her way back into his flat. He looked up as she entered and gave her an uninterested look. "Yes?" he drawled.
"What the HELL is that?" she asked, gesturing wildly at the room down the hall.
"That's your flat. You don't like it?" Sherlock asked.
"That is NOT a flat! It's barely a room! Mycroft said 221C. A flat next door. That isn't a flat," Addie yelled.
"Oh right. That. Seems 221C was deemed unlivable. Some kind of structural damage. Luckily Mrs. Hudson was able to open up the bedroom since it isn't technically attached to the rest of the flat," Sherlock explained.
"What did you do?!"
"I'm offended that you think I had anything to do with this," Sherlock huffed.
Addie folded her arms and shot him a scathing look. "So, what? Now I have to live with you guys? Like literally live with you? Like share a kitchen, sitting room, and all your ruddy experiments?"
Sherlock didn't acknowledge her and went back to looking for cases.
"That "flat" better come with its own bathroom because there is no way in hell I am sharing a bathroom with you two!"
"Oh god, no! Of course it comes with its own bathroom. I'd never share with you!" Sherlock replied, still perusing his website.
"Well good. It's not a total loss then. Now I'm off to shower in my own bathroom and unpack. Don't bother me," Addie said before turning and leaving the room.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Sherlock said typing away.
John came home a few hours later looking exhausted and peevish. The patients were relentless and he hardly got two minutes to use the bathroom before he had another patient to take care of. He was in need of a very strong cup of tea, a nice long shower, and his comfy armchair to collapse into.
He walked into the living room and saw Sherlock sprawled out on the sofa looking annoyed. He clearly hadn't moved from his spot for several hours.
John greeted Sherlock with a "hello" and received a grunt in response. He made his way to the kitchen to fix himself some tea. With his long awaited cup of tea in his hand, John shuffled over to his armchair and collapsed onto it. He was savoring his drink when he noticed the flat was strangely quiet and the feeling that something was missing.
"Sherlock, where's Addie?" he asked.
Sherlock didn't move a muscle or even turn to look at him as he responded, "In her room, obviously."
"Well, has she been out recently?"
"Don't know. Don't care," was the response.
"Ah, I see. She saw the state of her flat then?" John asked.
"Yes and as usual her reaction was extremely overdramatic and uncalled for. She's been sulking in her room ever since," Sherlock said.
"And you've been sulking out here," John said.
Sherlock finally turned to John and glared at him. "I am not sulking! I'm just bored. And Addie won't come out so I can deduce her and get her all annoyed. She's no fun, really."
"Did you try going to her room to talk to her?" John suggested.
"Too much effort."
"Right then. I'll leave you to your non-sulking," John said, rising from his chair.
"Where are you going?" Sherlock asked.
"I'm off to have a shower. Some of us normal people have been at work all day and need to relax," John replied.
"Dull," Sherlock said.
John rolled his eyes and walked out of the room towards the bathroom. He contemplated knocking on Addie's door to check on her, but his sore muscles won out and he continued on his way. Plus, Addie and Sherlock were adults. Let them handle it themselves like civilized, mature grown-ups. Though he highly doubted that to happen with these two.
John emerged ten minutes later feeling refreshed and ready to take on the two Holmes siblings and their bad moods. What he was not prepared for was the sound of bullets firing from the living room.
He was out of his room in a flash, nearly bumping into Addie on the way. They both scrambled into the room in a panic.
"What the hell is going on?" John roared when he saw the scene. Sherlock was lying on the sofa looking straight ahead as he fired bullet after bullet into the wall opposite him.
"Sherlock for god's sake, put the gun down! Do you want someone to call the police?" Addie yelled over the sound.
"Oh don't be silly, no one's going to call the police," Sherlock scoffed at her.
"Well, would you like to explain what's going on then?" John asked.
"I'm bored," Sherlock whined.
Addie rolled her eyes at her brother's childish response. "And I suppose firing bullets into a bright yellow smiley face is working wonders to alleviate the boredom?"
"It is actually. In my mind it keeps changing from Mycroft's face to yours. Helping me let out all my frustrations," Sherlock replied.
"Whatever," Addie scoffed.
"Ok, well as wonderful as it is to have you relieve your frustrations, can we do it in a more civilized way that doesn't involve, I don't know, blasting holes in the wall?!" John yelled.
"Fine," Sherlock replied, dropping the gun to the floor.
"Great, now he's going to sulk the rest of the day," Addie groaned.
"I am not sulking!" Sherlock yelled, his anger cut short at the sound of his phone.
He immediately jumped up and checked it. "Yes!" he shouted, springing to his feet in glee.
"Lestrade's got a case. Murder, disappearance, mysterious symbols. Sounds thrilling!" He was now frantically running around the room gathering his things to leave any moment.
John sighed, glad he took the time to shower and relax for a bit as he grabbed his coat too. Addie was already standing in the entry way waiting for them to follow her downstairs.
Sherlock paused in his fury of activity and stopped beside Addie in the doorway. "What are you doing?"
"I'm waiting for you slow pokes to get a move on so we can go to this case," she replied.
"What makes you think you get to tag along?" he says giving her a scrutinizing look.
"Oh come on Sherlock, I've worked cases before too. I know what I'm doing."
"Nope. Sorry. No room in the cab."
"You're being completely ridiculous! I'm coming on this case."
"Hmmm…no!"
Addie nearly screamed in frustration. "Don't make me call Mycroft!"
"You really think he'll side with you on this?" Sherlock laughed.
She stared him down for a good few seconds, giving him her best death glare. "I said. I'm going," she said, eerily calm.
"And I said no," Sherlock replied, returning her glare and using his best "big brother means business" voice.
Once again John was caught in the awkward in-between with the Holmes siblings. The tension was making him uneasy but something told him he might as well get used to it all.
The tension was finally broken by Addie's phone going off. She looked at it and smirked, shouting a triumphant "Ha!"
She shoved the text in Sherlock's face, showing him the message from Lestrade telling her to get down to the crime scene as soon as possible. She reveled in her victory as she snatched up her coat and made for the stairs.
"Can't argue with Scotland Yard," she said walking away.
John looked to Sherlock and noticed him trying his best to conceal his rage towards his little sister. He found himself glad he'd snatched up Sherlock's gun from the floor earlier.