Chapter Two; Time with You, is Time well spent

For a moment, time stood still as Maria let him hold her before her arms remembered how to move to hug him back. She was lost in the moment until she heard the small woman make a noise that sounded halfway between surprise and disgust. However Maria couldn't care less as she pulled away from Sherlock just enough to look at his face.

He hadn't changed. He was still the same, an angel carved from marble.

"You almost haven't aged a day," Maria gushed with a grin, taking his face in her hands for a moment, remembering his strong jaw and how many curiosities had come from it. Sherlock gave his small fleeting smile before reaching up to remove her hands.

"Nor have you," He replied, holding her hands longer than necessary, causing the small woman to cough once again.

"Enough of that Shelly," Sherlock snapped, turning suddenly on the woman. "It doesn't become you. By the way, Maria this is Shelly the mortician, Shelly, Maria Maron, an old friend of mine." He declared. Shelly seemed surprised. Sherlock didn't have any friends, not that she knew of anyway, and she'd been working with him for a while now. And the fact he'd so willingly hugged her. She'd found out within the first week of working with him, he did not welcome touch. Just who was this woman?

"Moving on, Maria, I have some work to attend to so, excuse me, I won't be a moment and then we shall talk," He declared, turning around and moving back over to the body.

"You may want to leave, he get's quite brutal," Shelly half spat at Maria who blinked.

"I can handle it," She insisted and sat down by the door. David said his parting words before leaving Maria with Sherlock and Shelly.

After beating the body until his arm started to hurt, Sherlock took in the final details before whipping out his phone and hurriedly texting someone. He finished, put the phone in his pocket and returned to his coat and scarf which he put on with ease. He then gracefully moved over to Maria, who stood.

"We should go, I have a case to resolve before I take you home," He said easily throwing an arm around her to pull her out the door and onto the street with him. He waved down a cab before allowing her in first before following after her and asking for them to be taken to Scotland Yard.

"Since you left I have been up to many things," Sherlock answered before she could even ask. Sherlock had always been able to read a person's every thought from the way they moved, to the way they spoke. But unlike everyone else in his life, Maria was special, she was to be cherished, and she alone. No-one could read his thoughts, or eyes, like she could. She was his unquestioned equal when it came to her mind and the way she thought, just like him, but retaining her social skills.

"Oh yes?" She asked raising an eyebrow at him and he nodded.

"To put it simply I have been shot at several times, been called names, had my mother called things she is most certainly not, kidnapped once or twice, however I feel I should not elaborate too far by that look you are giving me," He said and Maria rolled her eyes.

"Still solving cases I see," She said looking over at him. He grinned at her, a smile she knew all too well. It was the smile he got whenever she had caught him red handed at something when they had been younger.

"I hear you are in need of some cheaper accommodation," Sherlock said. "My apartment is big enough for two and you are more than welcome to come join me." He stated. Even if he had had a roommate, he would have happily kicked them out for the sake of Maria staying with him. She had just returned from a war and deserved some peace of mind, and in his mind, he wanted her close by now he knew she had returned.

"Thank-you Sherlock, I appreciate it," Maria said with the smile that only ever he saw, which only brightened his heart a little more.

It wasn't long before they pulled up in front of Scotland Yard and Sherlock proceeded to pay the driver before pulling Maria out with him.

"Now, ignore everyone who tries to stop us. Our business is with the DI and no-one else." Sherlock told her before opening the door and stepping inside. He wasn't wrong when he said people would try to stop him. The minute Sherlock stepped into sight; he was blocked by people claiming he wasn't needed and that the case was solved. Maria found herself stepping closed to Sherlock, to keep him in her sight.

They headed straight down the hallway, towards what Maria supposed was the DI's office. Sherlock didn't stop until he'd reached the door and pushed it open.

"Lestrade." He said his offer of a greeting to the man behind the desk who sat up a little straighter when he saw Sherlock.

"Holmes." Lestrade replied with a small nod. Maria closed the door behind herself, blocking out the noise of the officers behind her.

"Who's this?" Lestrade asked pointing at Maria, as she stood like a statue behind Sherlock.

"An old friend. Now, the case. You're going to jail the wrong man." Sherlock said quickly sitting down in the chair across from Lestrade. He put his hands together, like he was praying, before resting his chin on top.

"What do you mean; we've got the wrong man?" Lestrade asked sounding confused. "He confessed, how does that make him the wrong man?"

Sherlock sighed.

"He was only a decoy, designed to distract us while the real murderer made off with the money from the life insurance. In short, it was his wife. She pushed the ladder when he was leaning over the guttering on the roof. When he fell the edge cut into his throat, paralysing vocal chords, but also slicing the jugular vein. If you don't believe me look at the woman's hands. The ladder had been freshly painted and paint stains are hard to get rid of easy…" Sherlock said, only pausing a few times to draw breath.

While he had spoken, Maria had moved to hover behind his chair. Lestrade had glanced at her once or twice while listening to Sherlock.

"Right…I guess I'll call the wife in again then…" Lestrade said with a small frown. As he went to stand, the door opened and in walked an olive-skinned woman with wild curly black hair.

"Ah, I thought I saw the freak walk in," She said looking at Sherlock, coldness in her eyes. Maria looked down at Sherlock, whose vivid eyes flashed for a moment before he stood.

"Ah Donovan, you never change," He said turning to look at her with a cold distain.

"And who's this?" Donovan asked nodding at Maria, who stood up a little straighter and lifted her chin high.

"My name is Maria Maron and I would prefer it if you would improve your tone when addressing myself and Sherlock, it's quite impolite of you." She said, her military authority coming through for a moment. Sherlock had to hide his smile. Donovan had no idea what she had just walked into.

Lestrade, clearly trying to break the silence, cleared his throat before mentioning they all had work to do. Sherlock quickly agreed and grabbed Maria before dragging her out the door with him.

"Who did that woman think she was?" Maria huffed, following after Sherlock as they made their way out of the Scotland Yard, being happily dogged by several officers to make sure they left.

"She's one of Lestrade's workers. Believe me, there are worse people than her on the squad." Sherlock said flipping the collar of his jacket up as they stepped outside into the bitter wind. "But enough of that, I should take you to the apartment, and perhaps we can talk about what you've been up to since your last letter."

"Of course," Maria replied with a small smile as he waved down another cab. Sherlock allowed Maria inside first, before following after her. He leaned forward and spoke to the cabby.

"221b, Baker's Street."