"I need to consult an expert."
"What does consult mean, Sherlock?" John asked, "they say you are a consulting detective."
"Consult is to- ask someone about his or her opinion, when you can't come up with good ideas on your own," Sherlock explained, feeling a bit ashamed.
John widened his eyes. "You mean you have to consult an expert because you can't come up with good ideas on your own?"
"... That was a hard question, John," Sherlock coughed, "To consult someone doesn't necessarily mean you are stupid- although most people who come here to consult me are indeed idiots- sometimes you just have to ask people about things that you couldn't be bothered to learn."
"What a good excuse," John remarked, making Sherlock blush. But John didn't seem to be sarcastic- Sherlock supposed he was still unaware of the difference between reason and excuse. However, Mrs Hudson laughed at this cruelly.
"See, Sherlock? Now John's learnt to be sarcastic."
Damn it, he's not!
"Shut up now, you all- I need to think."
The room fell silent in an instant, and Sherlock went into his mind palace.
"Ah, I don't even need a mind palace for this, Jim," he laughed, "Impress me with something else."
"You've already solved it, Sherlock?" Mrs Hudson's eyes widened in surprise.
"Almost," Sherlock grabbed his coat, "I figured I should consult Soolin Yao's Chinese colleagues."
"As far as I can see, that's far from solving it," said a voice from the stairs. It was Anderson, with Lestrade following him.
"What the hell?" Sherlock frowned at him, "Who asked you to come? Did Mrs Hudson tell you she was cooking kidney pie tonight?"
"I called the police," replied Mrs Hudson, "I'm sorry, Sherlock, I panicked, and..."
"Oh, for God's sake, Mrs Hudson, I forgive you." Sherlock put on his coat and looked at John. He stopped at the door.
"Someone needs to stay and take care of John," he declared.
"I can take care of him," Anderson volunteered.
"Not you, Anderson." and before Lestrade could speak, he added: "Not you either, Lestrade."
He stared at John for a few moments. He could leave John to no one and be free of worries. The best way would be to take John with him, but he wasn't sure what he would encounter.
"I need- her! Yes, I need her!"
He suddenly brightened up and texted a number. Mrs Hudson, Anderson and Lestrade stared curiously at him, but he stood quite far away from them that they couldn't see anything on his phone. He texted the woman.
The response came quickly.
"John, come with me." Sherlock said. John obediently went over to him, letting Sherlock lead him to the garden. They waited until Irene Adler showed up. For the first time in his life, Sherlock thought Irene was a true friend. But when Irene tried to take John's hand, Sherlock squeezed his other hand protectively.
Irene soffed. "Sherlock, why did you ask me to take care of him in the first place?"
Sherlock released his hand in silence. "Two hours," he said. Irene nodded, with a wicked smile on her face. Probably trying to impress Sherlock, but Sherlock really wasn't in the mood of finding her attractive. He turned to walk to the gate, leaving one last glance behind. A few steps away, he was suddenly stopped by a horrific voice, one that he recognised to be Jim Moriarty's-
"Upside down, Sherlock, upside down!"