Adele spent the next however many hours being incredibly bored. Sherlock had gone to see Mycroft, but had yet to return. John had turned up, with some newspapers, which would have been nice, had it not been for the fact that nothing actually seemed to be happening in the world anymore. Adele had practically begged John for either his or her phone (preferably her own), but John had told he didn't have it. Even though it was so blatantly obvious that he had it in his pocket. Meanie.

Had she had her phone, Adele would have wasted no time in texting Mycroft. Or spamming Mycroft with texts. Just to annoy him. Then she would have probably texted Sherlock, and told him to hurry up. Couldn't Mycroft just tell him whether he'd let Hammet out himself or something? But it was Mycroft. And Sherlock. Which was really why John should have gone with him.

Late afternoon arrived, but Sherlock still hadn't turned up. Idiot. Adele did however remember something she had wanted to ask John.

'How was your date thing?'

John looked up from the paper. 'Oh. It was okay.'

'Is that code for I said or did something to do with Sherlock and she broke up with me or I made an arse of myself in front of a woman again?'

'How did you…?'

'It's pretty obvious. You are quite predictable.'

'Is that a compliment?'

'No idea. Maybe I just notice things.'

'I think you do.'

'Then consider yourself forewarned.'

'Thanks.'

John was silent for a few minutes, until Adele interrupted once again. There probably wasn't anything particularly important in his brain anyway, so it wasn't a bad thing.

'That riddle. The one about the time and space and stuff?'

'Hm? Oh, so you heard that?'

'And got the answer. Or did you manage yourself?'

'I didn't, no.'

'D'you want the answer?'

'Will it stop you muttering the word bored in your sleep?'

'What? I do that?'

'Occasionally. But only muttering. You used to swear.'

'Inform me next time.'

'If you like. How do you get bored in your sleep?'

'Who said I actually sleep?'

'I'll assume you do. Otherwise you might be a robot.'

'D'you want the answer or not?'

'Yes.'

'It was E.' Adele didn't want to tell John why. One, he needed to work it out or himself. And two, she really couldn't be bothered. There were much more interesting things in the world. Although not many of them where anywhere near her. Minor drawback.

John left after a while, still being annoying. John was nice, but annoying. Maybe it was the general why does he get to stay at the flat and eat cola bottles? Thing. Well, John probably didn't feel particularly superior, but that wasn't the point.

Sherlock turned up at some point later. He looked incredibly pissed off, which was interesting and boring at the same time. It was interesting because it was quite likely that Sherlock had been speaking to Lestrade or Mycroft. And it was boring because anyone he may have been speaking with was probably a complete idiot, unless it was John or Mrs Hudson. And he certainly hadn't been talking to John.

'Lestrade sends his regards.'

'How considerate.'

'Mrs Hudson says get well soon.'

'Right… You told her?'

'Of course I did. And Molly's being asking me whether I'm okay, is that what people normally do?'

'You do look a bit depressed. And angry.'

'Do I? And John's gone out, but he didn't tell me where.'

'You two are soul mates, I'm serious. And I don't know why you're telling me this, he wouldn't have told me. Probably a date.'

Sherlock continued as though she hadn't spoken. 'Donovan's being suspicious.'

'As in?'

'Not insulting me.'

'Insult her first.'

'I did.'

'Oh. Well then I don't know.'

'Anderson's gotten more stupid in the past week. So you can tell him anything now, and he'll believe you.'

'I thought you could do that before?'

'No, before he believed most things. I think he has a diary.'

'You think? Found it ages ago.'

'You did?' Sherlock's eyes practically lit up. Why he was so happy was a mystery. Anderson's diary had only consisted of moaning and stupidity.

'It was crap. I lost a couple of IQ points, don't read it.'

'What did he say?'

'Complained. About everything.'

'Oh. Maybe I won't bother.' Adele watched him for a second before saying;

'Second draw in his desk.'

'Thanks.'

Neither of them spoke for a few seconds. When he did, Sherlock only repeated himself. 'John's gone out.'

'As you said. If you two would just admit your love for each other, life would be a hell of a lot easier.'

'Why?'

'Why what?'

'Why do you think we're soul mates?'

'Because everyone else does. I've seen the way you look at each other, don't deny it. And you keep mentioning him. If you'd really like me to tell you everything, I would, but you covered it with Irene Adler. Who was your way of pretending that you're straight. Which you and John both clearly are not.'

'You said-'

'I said nothing. Be nice.'

'Why?'

'Because I don't know what I'm saying. So you can't do anything. And what did Mycroft say?'

'Mycroft was being difficult, wouldn't give me an actual answer. Although I have good news.'

'Good news? Tell me the good news!'

'You can come home on Wednesday.'

'And today is...?'

'Friday.'

'That's five days to far away.'

'Stop being so pessimistic.'

Adele chose to ignore that. 'Have you told John?'

'I mentioned something. Well, I only texted him, I went straight to find Mycroft. Via Scotland Yard.' Sherlock looked a bit guilty now.

'Are we going to tell him?'

'When you get back, I don't want to be alone with him when he explodes.'

'Oh. Great. Nice. Let's hope he doesn't get kidnapped before then. Because then we'll have a hell of a lot of explaining to do.'

'Why would he…? He mentioned John?'

'He'll be one of the last, apparently. Did I not tell you any of this?'

'No. You should have.'

'Well he actually mentioned pretty much everyone I know. And that isn't a particularly wide field, is it? I mean, I don't exactly have a massive social circle.'

'It's still a lot of people.'

'Will caring about them help save them?'

Sherlock actually looked pretty freaked out when she said this. Adele did feel bad for saying it, but it was worth it just to make him look like that.

'Don't say that. Don't listen to me. Ever.'

'Who else will I listen to? John?'

'It might do you some good.'

'It might lower my IQ. Thanks, but no thanks.'

'You should be nicer to John, you know.'

'You should admit your love for him. Then we have a deal. Actually, I'll do pretty much anything you want, just please do this one thing.'

'No.'

Adele didn't really understand why Sherlock and John were so hesitant about admitting it. Just about everyone thought that they were together, and for good reason. At first Adele had found it quite annoying, but it had gotten funnier as every time Sherlock and John met someone, they were assumed to be together.

'Wait… he said riddles.'

'Yes. As I said. As is the point of all this.'

'So we could… hypothetically, of course, get ahead of him. Couldn't we?'

'Don't ask me. And I don't actually see how.'

'Riddles aren't something only certain people can access, Adele. They're all over the internet.'

'There are thousands of riddles out there though. If you think I can memorise the answers to every single riddle in the universe, you're wrong. I'm not that clever.'

'But-'

'Just because you can do stuff like develop a bloody mind palace, doesn't mean we all can.'

'Write it down.'

Adele had to laugh. 'Seriously? You would need all the paper in Britain to write all that down. I don't fancy it.'

'Or we could-'

'Just solve them? You know, the easy way?'

'How is that easy? If I'm not allowed to help, then-'

'I can solve a riddle. I think.' That was the only real piece of doubt. How difficult would the riddles actually be? And Hammet had said he would get people. Get? As in kill? Most likely. This was pretty much a feeble attempt to recreate Moriarty and his stupid hostages.

'You think. Now, we'll assume he'll give you about a day for each one, so if you work fairly quickly we can get one step ahead of him. Of course, we have to find out where he is, and…' Sherlock continued like this for some time. What he didn't realise was that Adele wasn't actually listening. She had gone back to her book, this time Physics. The worst of the sciences.

'Are you listening?' Sherlock almost yelled into her ear. Ow.

'Guess. At the moment, calculating average speed is much more interesting than you going on about riddles. I'll be getting enough of them in the next however long this charade takes us. Either shut up and talk about something else, or go away.'

Sherlock actually looked hurt. Well, wounded. Either or. 'That wasn't very nice. You're normally nice to me.'

'You were annoying me. I'm well within my rights to tell you to shut up, you know.'

'You won't get away with that around John.'

'John is irrelevant.'

'John is- John.'

'Irrelevant.'

'Fine. You mess around like a child while everyone you know gets hurt. Fine by me. But I can't do anything.'

'You're telling me to grow up? Because you haven't spent years on end telling other people not to do exactly that.'

'Well now I'm telling you to do what you're told! For a change!'

'No.' Adele folded her arms and glared at him. She had to win. Just to annoy him.

'Adele, listen to me.'

'No.'

'I won't go until you listen.'

'I won't listen and you'll have to go.'

'I said-'

'So did I.'

'Don't be difficult.'

'I'm not being difficult.'

This has been constructed around all my exams; I'm on study leave starting Friday, but I won't actually be able to write much-I have ten exams to get over with, plus revision. But I'll do as much as I can over the weekends.

As always, I miss reviews (Really sounds like I'm begging now). I love you guys. I hope you know that. You guys are helping me to get my ICT work finished. So I'm eternally grateful.

Virtual Sugar Quills for all!

xD