The previous night as I went to bed, I had heard some very odd noises in the house. It was so big and filled with long dark corridors. Rattling around on my own as I heard unknown creaks and bangs was so unnerving. When Jim was home, I swear nothing made odd noises or scared me. I felt so weak and pathetic. I had the world's worst night's sleep and woke up feeling very sorry for myself. I even cried when my toast burnt. I wasn't in the best place. I tapped on the Facebook app on my phone and posted:
There is something making very creepy noises in my attic and I don't like it. This house is too big to be left on my own all the time. :(
Within a minute my phone dinged and I saw Jim had commented on my statues.
James Moriarty: One more week.
One more week, was too long, I wanted him home now. I decided moping wasn't going to do much good and house seemed slightly less creepy during the day. I went back upstairs to shower and dress. I needed to relax; my own shadow was making me jumpy. I wandered down to my piano and sat staring blankly at the sheet music in front of me. I eventually started to play letting my fingers play at will, whenever my mind was too full composing helped order my thoughts and the music always calmed me down. The tune took a mournful tone as my phone started ringing. It was Angie.
"Hi Ang." I greeted.
"Hi. I saw your status; the only conclusion is that you need to get out of the house. Sherlock and I are going to Angelo's, want to come?" Asked Angie.
"Yes please." I replied, my mood lightening instantly.
"Great! You want to meet us there or swing by and pick you up?" Asked Angie. I didn't want to admit it, but I really needed the company. Since I'd arrived home on Sunday I'd felt like someone was watching me.
"Can you come and meet me? I feel weird being alone at the moment."
"We're on our way."
"Thanks Ang!"
"No problem!" I couldn't stop the small smile that appeared. Freedom from this enourmous cage and distractions form my worrying thoughts. I hope I'd be half decent company.
Ten minutes later I was waiting by the door with my coat bag already on, the doorbell rang and there were Angie and Sherlock, who looked as sullen as ever.
"Hi, ready to go?" Asked Angie.
"Hello. Yep, just got to lock up." I replied closing and locking the door behind me. "Hello Sherlock."
"Percy." The curt reply from my brother. Some things will never change.
We walked to Angelo's and I couldn't keep the wry smile from forming as Angelo greeted Sherlock and his insistence that lunch was on the house and that he would personally cook it. We were seated in the window, apparently Sherlock liked to keep watch as he ate. As we perused our menus, Sherlock was actually eating today; I remembered the picture that Issy had sent me the other day. It was a cartoon from a newspaper.
"Angie, you have to see this, it really made laugh the other day." I showed the Angie the image on my phone and she started laughing. Sherlock just made a noise of annoyance holding out a hand for my phone.
"This is ridiculous." He said aggravated. I think it was the deer stalker.
"Well, I love it! It's true you all look like that! This is what happens when you get famous!"
"I blame John." I rolled my eyes at Sherlock at his comment and took my phone back.
"Yeah, blame someone else." Said Angie under her breath, luckily only I heard her.
"Issy found it by chance on the Internet, and sent it to me, Jim and I think it's hilarious! Stop being so boring Sherlock." I said smiling.
"Stop being childish." He said like a child, well if he wanted childish he would get it.
"Make me dear brother, make me. I'd love to see you try. Live a little?! Oh wait you can't your dead." I said sarcastically. Angie just watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow.
"Still being childish, I see. Do you have to keep bringing that up? Do you get on dear Jim about the same thing? After all, he actually 'shot' himself in the head." Childish was fine, but now he was just being mean.
"I'm not being childish, but you issue such delightful challenges, why wouldn't I rise to the occasion?! Yes I do, I was one that had to clear up the blood. It was lovely, why do think I left for Wales?! You get me pestering you. I left James for 2 months." I said scathingly.
"Well, I didn't have to worry about cleaning any of Sherlock's mess up because I actually thought he was dead, thank you very much, Sherlock."
"Are you two going to keep bringing this up?!" Asked Sherlock, ignoring Angie's last comment.
"Yes! You are never going to live that down!" Replied Angie angrily.
"Don't worry Angie, I'll look after you. Sherlock, I'll never let you forget it." Seeing Angie's expression, I knew I'd said the wrong thing.
"Why does everyone think I need looking after?!
"Okay, looking after was the wrong choice of words. I should have said I'd stick by you no matter what. Unlike some idiots I know!"
"Alright, thank you! I do not need looking after from anyone. Did you read that, Sherlock?"
"I'm aware that you're completely capable of protecting yourself." E said disinterestedly.
"Wouldn't know it from the way you act." Sniped back Angie.
"No, I agree. Sherlock, do try and show some emotion, I know you find it hard and are a robot, but at least try. People might like you more and stop wanting to punch you." I was resisting the urge to hit myself. He was so infuriatingly stoic. I was really beginning to understand why Angie was irritated with him.
"Why would I want people to like me? Most of them are boring. And showing emotion very rarely has its benefits. And that wouldn't necessarily stop people from punching me. People who do like me have punched me."
"Alright, if you're talking about John, you punched him first!"
"I will punch you if your not careful. Having a personality does have its benefits."
"I have a personality." Angie and I both laughed humourlessly.
"Yeah, it's just a matter of what kind."
"Yes the personality of a corpse." I added.
"Well, he's dead, remember?" Said Angie
"Oh yeah!" I laughed. Sherlock just sighed, rolling his eyes at our antics.
"Really?" Asked Sherlock; annoyed we were still talking about his fake death.
"Hey, I saw it happen!"
"I helped clean it up."
"Yes, well, I'm the one who actually had to do it." Finally becoming annoyed to say something useful.
"True. I'll give you that one." I replied. After a brief pause, Angie asked an interesting question, talent she had.
"By the way, when are you going to tell John that you're alive?!"
"When I'm ready."
"You've been saying that for months now!"
"John is going to be so angry with you Sherlock. For Halloween I'm going as Sherlock, deerstalker and all." I said factiously.
"Haha, great costume!" I nodded in agreement, I knew it would annoy Sherlock, apparently that was today's sport.
"If you're going to wear the deerstalker, then you won't be going as me, because that is not. My. Hat." Sherlock's frustration made me giggle harder.
"Oh, but it is! Who do you think bought one for Greg to give you?!" I admitted.
"You bought it? That rat took my money!" Poor Angie, I'd have to talk to Greg to reimburse her.
"Oh, of course it was you. It all makes sense now."
"Obviously dear brother, although at the time I didn't really know who you were, but I saw the photo on John's blog and told Greg to surprise you after your big case. We all thought it was hilarious." Sherlock's expression of discomfort and bristling annoyance was worth it. Again Angie managed to ask another poignant question.
"How is it that we've been so close to each other the past couple years and never bumped into each other?!"
"I don't know! I didn't get involved in my final year at College; I had too much work to do. Then Jim and I went travelling for a bit. Then I was in London, odd isn't it?! I'm usually at Scotland Yard at least twice a month. Once because I actually got arrested! Haha! You should've seen Mycroft's face when someone else, Jim, bailed me out! It was priceless."
"And just why did you get arrested?" Asked Angie, sounding just like my mother.
"I might've been helping Jim with something mildly illegal." I admitted with a small smile. "Does it make it better that it was so much fun?! Actually that probably makes it worse."
"Of course." Said Sherlock disapprovingly.
"Hey, don't start! You've done plenty of illegal stuff, too, mister! And you dragged me into it. Plenty of breaking and entering."
"Exactly and let's not get started on Mycroft!" I said. Mycroft was the worst out of us all.
"Well, Angie, it's not exactly illegal for you, you just pull out your CIA card and get away with it. And no, I'm not going to get started on Mycroft."
"Hey, at least mine's valid, unlike you, who just steals Lestrade's I.D." Defended Angie.
"I don't get why you two don't get on, Mycroft is great, well except when I was once mistaken as his wife, which was dreadful. It's you who keeps stealing them?! I'm telling Greg when I next see him." I threatened.
"I only pickpocket Lestrade when he's being annoying." Defended Sherlock.
"His wife?! He looks old enough to be your father!" Exclaimed Angie. I nodded grimly.
"I know, it was the most embarrassing night of my life, I was only 17! Greg is lovely stop picking on him. Pickpocket Anderson for me instead!"
"Ha, Anderson doesn't have anything I want." Scoffed Sherlock.
"Alright, how about you just stop pick pocketing period?" Requested Angie, almost knowing it was futile.
"I get bored. It's either that, or you give me my gun back."
"No! You're not going to start shooting the wall again!"
"No but Anderson is fun to torment and he a slimy excuse for a man." I said thinking of the various times he'd propositioned me or tried to grope me or just been an idiot.
"True."
"Maybe we should pay him a visit some time, Percy." Said Sherlock.
"Oh, I'd like to see that!" Laughed Angie, a slightly evil glint in her eye.
"Oh can we?! Watch the blood drain out of his body as the Holmes family descend upon him." I smiled, wild images floating through my mind of Anderson fainting!
"You make it sound like you're a bunch of vampires." Said Angie laughing.
"We are Ang, we are, which is why you can never leave!" I said with a bad Transylvanian accent. Making everyone laugh, even Sherlock!
"Well, look at Sherlock. Dark, brooding, pale skin, lack of emotion, never eats or drinks. Obsessed with dead bodies. Yeah, I'm seeing it now." Smirked Angie.
"I am not obsessed with cadavers, I just work around them, and occasionally use them for scientific experiments. And the reason I rarely eat or drink is because digestion slows down the thinking process."
"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before." Sighed Angie.
"Come on Sherlock, We all have that bad habit. Mycroft is awful; he only eats when on business trips or if I take round a care package of food. Jim is constantly reminding me to eat and I live on a liquid diet of tea, fruit juice and occasionally stronger beverages. Let's face it we are vampires. Also, dead bodies are cool."
"I'm sorry, I just pictured you saying that last part like the Doctor. 'Fezzes are cool.' I don't know how you Holmes survive, but I need my food.
"Fezzes are cool!" I smiled, and added. "Magic, we're vampires!" I laughed. I was really beginning to feel better. At that moment our food arrived and there was a brief pause as we all tucked in. The food was fantastic.
"Well, at least the story of my life is better than Twilight!" Said Angie wryly.
"I liked Twilight!" I said, somewhat sheepishly.
"Not you too. You're becoming dull Percy." Said Sherlock
"You're so mean Sherlock! We can't all be brilliant all the time" I replied.
"So if Sherlock's a vampire, does that mean Jesse was a werewolf? Asked Angie with a coy smile.
"Maybe?!" I returned the smile.
"Hehe, well, he certainly had the chest for it." Added Angie, we both giggled.
"Meow! I agree, Jesse was gorgeous. Why did you end up with my brother again?! haha! Sorry Sherlock." I teased, not thinking that Sherlock would have an internal freak out and want to leave.
"Alright, I'm leaving now. Have fun with your women's gossip."
"Sorry Sherlock, please stay!" I said soberly, giving him my best puppy eyes, I noticed something flicker in his eyes, and he sat down.
"I will punch you, Sherlock, if you ever say anything like that again. Maybe it's because I'm the only woman in the world who will put up with you." Swore Angie.
"Super Angie!" I exclaimed.
"I thought I was Bat Girl?" Asked Ang.
"Oh Yeah! That too! You alternate between Bat Girl and Super Angie!" I said happily.
"So...I have an alter ego for my alter ego?"
"Oh yeah! You're that cool!" I replied to Angie's question., and added: "Sherlock's alter ego is the creature from the black lagoon."
"Vampire from the Black Lagoon." Quipped back Angie.
"Even better!" I laughed.
"Oh, and I thought you were done insulting me." For a second I thought I caught a glimpse of humour in his expression.
"I am never done tormenting you brother dear!"
"It's all part of having a little sister, Sherlock. And in today's world, calling you a vampire isn't an insult it's a compliment."
"Exactly, every girl wants her tall dark handsome broody vampire to whisk into the night." I agreed.
"I always did prefer werewolves, though." Said Angie winking, proving she was joking.
"Bad luck Sherlock!" I smiled, nudging him with my elbow. He looked at me like I had two heads.
"This is beyond ridiculous. I want my gun." He demanded.
"No! How many times do I have to tell you, you are not going to start shooting at the wall again!" Scolded Angie.
"No, don't shoot the wall, it's a nightmare plastering over bullet holes." I said thinking back to the occasion where four bullets got lodged into my kitchen wall, to say I was annoyed was an understatement, but that is a story for another day.
"Yeah, we haven't bothered. We haven't even bothered to get that stupid smiley face off the wall." Said Angie.
"Where did that face come from?" I asked.
"Sherlock needed a target."
"Oh! Odd choice, but fair enough." I replied.
"I was bored, and my brain was lacking activity because I didn't have any cases, and John wouldn't give me my cigarettes!" Said Sherlock.
"I wouldn't have given them to you either! Smoking kills! And not just you! Asthma!" Said Angie indicating to her self.
"Smoking is foul. It's just grim. Maybe you need a hobby Sherlock?!" I asked.
"I already tried getting him to do those logic puzzles in the crossword books, but he said he gets them done in less than a minute." Answered Angie. I nodded understanding they are very easy.
"They're boring! And I don't need a hobby I need a case! I need work!"
"Well, it's hard to get a case when you're dead."
"Oh, god. Do you have to bring that up again? That's the third time you've brought that up in an hour." Griped Sherlock.
"Well, I'm gonna keep bringing it up until you tell John that you're alive." Reprimanded Angie.
"I'm sure I can find you a case, let me have a rummage at home; there are all sorts of odd things in the attic. In fact maybe you could sort out the attic?! Or you could help on a case file I was given for my birthday? I'm only half way through and have got a bit stuck." I offered.
"Who would give you a case file for your birthday?" Asked Angie.
"I was given the original Ripper case file, its never been solved."
"I suppose I could take a look at it. It's better than nothing, and hopefully it won't be too boring if you're having trouble with it."
"Was that a compliment Sherlock?!" I asked shocked.
"For him, yes it was." Replied Angie as Sherlock just looked out of the window.
"Oh I'm flattered, I might cry." I really did feel slightly teary. "There are various trunks full of stuff that you can rummage through too, I don't think Jim even knows what's in the attic."
"I might. Doesn't sound too boring." Replied Sherlock, sounding bored. It annoyed me; I was trying to engage him. I wanted to be closer to Sherlock.
"You really are a robot." I said tersely.
"Oh, please, Sherlock! I can tell you're just bristling with excitement!" Said Angie, a tone of annoyance in her voice.
"I am a bit worried that I've given you permission to riffle through my stuff, but I've got nothing to hide! Well nothing that's in the house!" I said with a nervous laugh.
"Don't give him any ideas." Warned Angie.
"Sherlock would you invade every inch of my privacy?!" I had to ask, just in case.
"Only if necessary." Was Sherlock's short reply. His tone was serious.
"What does that mean?" I asked, confused.
"What do you think it means?" He asked, looking annoyed that I hadn't got it the second he had.
"Don't be rude." Chided Angie.
"When would it be necessary for you invade every inch of my life?"
"Make a deduction. I'm a detective, when do you think?"
"When I'm dead?!" I replied mockingly, his constant evasive answers were annoying me.
"Which hopefully that would never happen." His reply sobered me up.
"It'd better not happen!" Ordered Angie. She looked upset by the mere thought.
I smiled at Angie and said:
"Well it will eventually, but not soon. You still haven't answered my question Sherlock."
"I'm just saying that if anything were to happen to you, which I'm not saying it will, and hopefully it won't, of course I'd be the one to investigate it." He caught my eye and gave me the smallest smile, it was oddly reassuring.
"Thank you Sherlock, that means so much."
"Well, it doesn't matter cause it's not gonna happen. Why would you bring that up?!" Asked Angie defiantly.
"It is important to talk about these things. Better safe than sorry. Especially considering the kind of things the three of us are exposed to, it's a dangerous life." Said Sherlock, his voice gentle.
"Ang, there is always the possibility that something might happen. Like Sherlock said, the life we lead isn't exactly safe. Why do think I disappeared last week. Sometimes you've got to get your hands dirty."
" I know, I just don't like thinking about the possibility that it might happen. I've lost enough people in my life." Her sadness was palpable. She'd suffered enough for one lifetime.
"I promise I'll do my best to live till I'm 100 as long as you do too!" I said quietly, gently squeezing her hand.
"It's a deal." Agreed Angie, with a watery smile.
"That goes for you too Sherlock, I want a very old family!" I said pointedly at my brother.
"I'm not making any promises." Was all Sherlock could say, no humour in his voice, he's shut down and become his robot self again.
"Oh, you always have to bring the mood down, don't you?" Asked Angie, hurt.
"I'm just being realistic." He said sighing.
"Well, you don't have to be 100% realistic and serious all the time." Argued Angie.
I wanted to break the tension; in odd way Angie and Sherlock were like an old married couple. It was quite funny. Little did I realise a flippant comment would end our somewhat amusing lunch.
"You two are hilarious!"
"Just how are we hilarious?" Asked Sherlock scathingly, I wanted to flinch at the tone of voice.
"It's just the way you bicker."
"Well, as long as you're being entertained." Sherlock's tone was so cold and uncaring. I felt awful.
"Sherlock, leave her alone." Asked Angie, putting a hand in his arm to try and reengage him, he just shrugged her off and went back to looking out the window.
"Sherlock?" I asked to no response. I quietly said. "I'm sorry. I'll leave." I stood up and put my coat on, forcing myself not to cry.
"You know what, I think I'll go with you, Percy." Added Angie, she was more than frustrated with Sherlock's erratic behaviour.
"Why?" He asked sharply.
"Well, she doesn't like being in that big empty house all alone. It's what friends and family do Sherlock, they support each other." Bit back Angie. She met me just outside the door.
"Its okay Angie, I need to go and see Mycroft. I've got to talk to him about last week. Thank you though. Spend some time alone with Sherlock." I said sadly.
"Percy, that is the last thing I want to do right now."
"Spend some time with him, for me please. I'll be fine." I said, knowing Sherlock was going to leave soon, they needed time together.
"Since when do you take his side?" Asked Angie hurt.
"I'm not taking his side. I just want you both to have some time alone, without me invading your space." I responded, my voice a little stronger.
"Percy, you're not invading, you're never invading. Right now, there's nothing to invade." Defended Angie, her insistence made smile a little.
"Just stay with him, please. I need to go; Mycroft's expecting me." I lied.
"Alright. I'll see you later."
"Bye, oh lunch is on me." I added before turning to leave. I handed Angie a wad of money.
"I'd argue, but I know there's no point, so thanks." I nodded.
"Think nothing of it. Bye and tell Sherlock, I'm sorry." I asked.
"I will. Bye."
I turned back towards Baker Street and home. As I reached my front door, I felt a sense of dread fall across me. I opened the door and re-entered my gilded prison.