A/N Well, a bit faster, than I expected. Chapter 2, enjoy.
Exactly 13 minutes later, Sherlock was getting nervous. He had used the time for urgent purchases, now he was in the fruit department, explaining Carys in detail the difference between a grapefruit and an orange and juggled so with said fruit.
Carys giggled, " Carys wants more, please."
Sherlock put the fruit away, " later, child. We need to look after your mother. "
"Mama? "
"Mama," he agreed, heading in the washroom direction with the kid.
" You! Again." The lady with the umbrella, Sherlock already had the pleasure to meet, came out of the washroom.
"You don´t want to go in there? It´s for ladies only!"
Sherlock put on a haughty expression. " And who would stop me ? "
"Looking for Mama," Carys intervened with a tiny voice and her big eyes filled with tears. Holmes watched the fascinating effect, the child´s tears had tears on the feisty lady. Her face softened and she smiled friendly. Hm, maybe one could use children in interrogations? Tears seemed to be very effective.
"So, why don´t you just tell me? But besides me, there was no one there. Your Mama is probably already back in the store and looking for you, little one."
An assumption, Sherlock didn´t share. Emma's words suddenly got a very different weight.
"Is there a window? " He wanted to know.
"A window? "
Sherlock rolled his eyes. " Yes. A window. A recess in the wall, wood or plastic frame with glass? "
The elderly lady snorted, "you arrogant little bas...I do know, what 'window' means. I totally understand your girlfriend, if she´s taking flight. And before you ask, yes, there is a window and it was open. "
Sherlock looked at his watch. She now was exactly 19 minutes ahead. Taxi could be ruled out, no money, as he had previously detected. So on foot or tube, the station was around the corner, five lines met with each other there, several trains had already left, hopeless. At the moment.
"Mummy gone?" Carys sniffled and tears were rolling down now.
Sherlock instinctively patted the girl´s back. "Um ... all right, child. Mama is determined to be here somewhere. "
"Maybe you´d ask the information Counter for help, they can make an announcement?", the lady suggested and took a handkerchief out of her coat to wipe Carys nose. She shook her head almost imperceptibly, she never experienced a bumbling father like this before. Sherlock straightened his shoulders and made a decision. He roused himself to a friendly smile and a ' thank you ' and went towards the checkout area with the girl.
There wasn´t anything, he could do right now, so he decided to take the child back home. There was the stroller, Emma certainly didn´t took the time, to remove any hints. In addition, there was no one, a Sherlock Holmes wasn´t able to find.
oOo
The stroller actually stood, where Emma had placed it, as Sherlock noticed, relieved. However, he also noted yet, it wasn´t so easy to deal with purchases, child and stroller at the same time.
He put Carys down on the ground. "Do not go away, you have to stay, right?" He looked at the girl seriously. It began to snow, Carys apparently liked snow. She started to laugh. " Snow´s falling, look. "
Sherlock looked up. It was winter, Gosh. Of course it was snowing. He met with gloves and hat in the footmuff and handed it to Carys . "You have to put this on, child. It's cold." He stuffed his purchases into the stroller´s net.
Carys stood before him, blankly and sniffed again. "Put on?"
Sherlock slowly became aware, Carys might be too small, to dress up herself alone. That could be a problem, Sherlock sighed. "Oh well. " Sherlock put his gloves on. Slowly, to show her how it worked.
"Now it´s your turn, child. "
Carys shook her head. "Mama does," she informed Sherlock with a thin little voice. "Where Mama is?"
Sherlock frowned, how could he tell this little child, her mother had vanished into thin air and left her with a complete stranger? Best, not at all. "Mama needs to do something, child. I'll take care of you, until she comes back, right?"
Sherlock literally saw, the little girl was thinking. He dressed her with the woolen hat and gloves, as gently, as possible.
"Papa? "
Sherlock winced. Well. That was all he needed.
"No, child. I'm not your Papa. I'm Sherlock. Do you understand? Sherlock. "
Carys nodded. "Sherlock Papa." Sherlock moaned, that sounded really good. This day had taken a surprising turn. From unbearably boring ... to...what? Unexpected paternity? Holmes was just not sure if that was an improvement for the better.
oOo
Arrived at 221b again, he parked the stroller in the hallway, next to Mrs. Hudson's door. She wouldn´t mind that, she was visiting her sister. Yet another custom, for what he had no sense for. Visiting relatives.
Sherlock suddenly started laughing. Maybe he should scare Mycroft to death and pay him a visit with Carys.
John had just cleaned up the kitchen completely, when he heard Sherlock laugh in the hallway. He grinned, obviously Sherlock had fun, shopping. Then he became suspicious, Sherlock hated shopping, like everything 'normal' people did. There had to be another reason for the laughter.
"Sherlock? You´re back? Got everything? "
"Um.. . So to speak, John. So to speak. Maybe you´d come down and give me a hand?"
"Sure," John answered from upstairs. He couldn´t remember the shopping list to be that extensive, but Sherlock was always good for a surprise, though. He took off his rubber gloves.
"Ok, what did you buy? And don´t tell me, you did a detour to St. Barth 's, to get yourself some other disgusting body parts. I´m gonna kill you, this time, I swear. Everything is cleaned up and... Bloody Hell! "
John had reached the end of the stairs and stared at the stroller. "What the ... Sherlock, this is a child. Where in the world did you get her? "
" Tesco, second shelf on the left. Centre tray. The girls were sold out very quickly. Had trouble yet, to get me one. Child, this is John. You´re saying Hi to John?"
John shook his head. " Good. This is complete rubbish. I´m coming down again and I´ll ask you again, where this little girl is from." John disappeared upstairs and reappeared two minutes later.
"Where is the child from, Sherlock? You didn´t kidnap her, or something? "
"John, please. I don´t need to kidnap children. Her mother left and I have decided to take care of her, until she´s back. I placed the goods in the stroller´s net."
Sherlock took Carys out of the cart and went up the stairs, past John.
" I placed the goods in the stroller´s net." John repeated. As if he did care! According to everything, Sherlock had done so far, this beated everything.
oOo
Sherlock put little Carys on the now shiny, spotless kitchen table and took off her hat, gloves and jacket. It was quite warm inside, John had started the fireplace. In addition, there was a smell of mulled wine, as Sherlock realized, very pleased. Good John.
'Good John' came upstairs with the goods. "Sherlock, you can´t let her sit on the table, she´s just a little girl."
"Why not? She makes an awakened impression. I told her to remain seated. She won´t fall off." Sherlock said with conviction.
John rolled his eyes, " it´s the awakened children, who get themselves into trouble, Sherlock. I'll bet you were one of them, too." He handed Sherlock the bags. "Store this. Come here, darling. We´re looking for a save place for you." John smiled and took Carys on his arm.
" What's your Name, then? Can you tell me? " Carys blinked and nodded, "Mama away. Carys with Sherlock Papa."
John grinned when Holmes winced. "Sherlock Papa? But this is interesting. Why didn´t you tell me? Oh, and does Mycroft know about it? No? You´re gonna let me tell him? " John started to giggle.
Sherlock gave John an icy glance. "I have no descendants, John. And I doubt, I´ll ever have."
"Why not? " John wanted to know, "Afraid, you might like it?"