She was unusual nervous, when she met the Oracle. It wasn't her nature to be like this, but being allowed to meet a Timelord as famous as him wasn't an everyday event.
"Don't be nervous," he said and his calmness helped to center herself again. She sighed.
"I'm not," she replied. "well not anymore, but there's this question I ask my self again and again."
"Which is?"
"Why am I here? I mean, not that I'm not honored to meet you, Oracle, but I can't think of any reason."
"Maybe because I'm lonely?"
She smiled.
"No, you can't be lonely with all the people coming and going. There must always be someone around."
"Yeah, maybe, but you're right, that's not why I wanted you to come. I want to ask you a favor."
Ayumi Sato opened her eyes, and with a look on her bedside clock, she knew, she was going to be late for work. Her friend was going to kill her.
She jumped out of her bed, showered, dressed and tamed her shoulder length, black hair quickly into a ponytail. It had to do for now.
Slipping into her shoes, she left the small flat, she lived in with her friend and crossed the corridor, that connected the flat with their cafe in front of the building.
"You're late, Ay," her friend, Maylene Thainy just stated, not looking at Ayumi, while putting the last stools from their night place on the table, back on the floor.
"Sorry, had a weird dream and overslept," Ayumi apologized and began to organize their cash register. "Our neighbor from upstairs was in it."
"Sherlock Holmes?" Maylene asked, smiling to herself. "Are you in love?"
Ayumi shook her head vehemently, making her friend laugh.
"Hell no, never. He's ...odd. Nicely put"
"But speaking of love," Ayumi changed the topic."I think his friend is flirting with you, May. He's been here three days in a row now."
"He likes our coffee," Maylene tried to explain, throwing her duster at her friend who caught it with a laugh.
"Yeah, whatever gets you trough the night my friend," she snickered putting the duster away while her friend opened "Speedy's" for the day.
They were standing face to face and the Oracle knew this was goodbye.
"I'm leaving, please come with me."
His hearts began to arch in sadness.
"You know they wouldn't let me go, they'll hunt you to the end off the universe to get me back."
"Please, we have to at least try. Suzan, your niece, is coming along too."
He shook his head, the other sighed
"How's your head?"
"I'll live"
The other reached out to hug him close, giving him a kiss on the top of his head.
"I'll come back to get you, you hear me? I promise."
A nod
The other turned and left
Sherlock Holmes blinked into wakefulness with a raging headache. This was the weirdest dream he had in a long time, not that he ever had dreamed before about being someone else.
He showered, dressed himself and then entered his flats living room. His flat mate Dr. John Watson was already up, drinking tea and studying the newspaper.
"Morning," he was greeted by his friend. "Welcome to the land of the living. Tea and breakfast?"
Sherlock shook his head, an unexpected wave of nausea passing through him.
"I need some fresh air, to clear my head," he replied simply, slipping into his coat and leaving without another word, leaving a puzzled and slightly worried John behind.
He just walked down the block and then on warts, not really paying much attention to where he was going. The young detective was confused, his mind in utter turmoil, turning this way and that, as if it was looking for something it had lost. He couldn't even straighten out his thoughts, like he used to. It began to hurt like someone was drilling a hole into his scull and as Sherlock stopped to take a calming breath, a pain spread out inside his chest. It hurt, like his heart was struggling to beat properly, but that couldn't be, because at the same time he could feel it working just fine. He held onto a nearby fence, breathing harshly, but as soon as it had started, it was all over again and when he straighten up from his hunched over position, he noticed to his surprise, he was back on his doorstep.