Chapter 17: Not as Expected

Quickly and without speaking Sherlock led Scarlett out of the flat and into the first cab he could hail, he told the cabbie directions to a local restaurant and turned to look at Scarlett as the cab moved off down the road.

He looked at her strangely and she smiled and a true smile filled his face, he took her hand in both of his and looked over it carefully, looking at her palm and then turning it to look at her perfectly manicures nails and long elegant fingers.

"I'm so glad your back" he said to her still looking at her hand.

"Me too" said Scarlett understanding that he meant back to herself not just back home.

"You like Italian right, I know a quiet little place, I always thought about taking you there" he said finally looking her in the eyes.

"Really? You thought about things like that" she said and he smiled a small smile. Slowly he placed her hand back down on the seat of the cab and covered it with his own, before looking out the window in silence.

Scarlett stared at the side of his head for sometime, wondering about how this was a moving so fast and yet it seems she just wanted the driver to hurry up. He turned to look at her catching her staring and he smiled and leaned towards her, delicately he placed a soft kiss to her lips and pulled away. Scarlett's eyes were still shut from the kiss and he chuckled at her slightly, she opened her eyes and looked at him grinning widely.

"Does it scare you?" she asked staring into his eyes were his wall was completely down and though she could see the animal there, it seem passive and content.

"Does what?" he asked looking at her his smile fading.

"That you become someone else when we are alone" she said and Sherlock turned to stare out the window again.

"At first it frustrated me, I felt I was losing myself. I tried to pull back but then you were taken and my mind exploded I needed to save you, I needed you. I accepted this as what it is, love. I wasn't sure I was capable of it but clearly I am. You should understand no one else will ever see this side of me, ever" he said still looking out the window, Scarlett was sure he had just admitted he loved her but that was not the same as the three little words.

"Well if its any consolation, I lose my mind when I'm around you too, can't function, can't think, but I'm happy, truly happy" she said staring out the window and watching the buildings rush by. Soon they were stopping, Sherlock helped her out and paid the cabbie, he turned to her as the cab drove away.

"No one has ever said that to me, the things you say to me" he admitted his face almost sad, Scarlett had learnt to read him though much of the time Sherlock looked emotionless, she knew better than to look at his face to read his emotions, she only had to look into his eyes. Though if he wanted to he could rebuild his wall and she too would be a clueless as everyone else.

"I mean every word, like I said you are the most amazing person I have ever met and I love you very much" she said looking up at him as he towered at least a head height over her.

Slowly he stepped towards her and wrapped his long arms around her waist, he lowered his face to her and kiss her sweetly. Before pulling away and taking her hand to led her into the small back street restaurant.

The food was amazing and though Sherlock didn't eat much he seemed to enjoy himself.

"I love how you can do that, if I could do that I'm not sure what I'd think of people" Scarlett laughed as she watched Sherlock watching the couple who had just walked in and reading everything about them just from their clothes or they way they walked.

"What do you mean" he said turning back to her.

"Well I just mean, no one would ever be able to hide from you, their every little dirty secret would be there to see before they even spoke" she said shrugging slightly as she sipped at her glass of wine.

"That is true, no one has every really been able to hide anything from me apart from you, it still intrigues me, and I'm starting to think you don't what it is either. That thing hiding behind your eyes" he said and Scarlett simply shrugged.

Once they were finished eating it was dark outside and Sherlock led her for a walk along the river side. She stopped and looked out over the water and sighed, Sherlock stopped and stood beside her and looking over the water.

"What is this, that we have?" he asked quietly and she glanced at him.

"I'm not sure, but I like it" she said to him.

"Well if you want, we can be a couple" Sherlock said his voice was quiet and less confident that usual and she wondered if she would be Sherlock's first girlfriend, though she doubted it.

"Yes please" she said with a smile and Sherlock let out a low chuckle.

"But for the while, lets not tell John, he'll know we went out tonight but nothing more. He can be strangely nosy" Sherlock said finally looking at her and she smile her agreement.

They headed back to Sherlock's flat after that and John appeared to not be home.

Scarlett suddenly felt rather nervous as Sherlock lit the fight and she stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, once the fire was crackling into life, Sherlock turned to look at her and shot a quizzical look.

"Are you OK?" he asked and true worry filled his voice, he approached her slowly and her eyes looked up at him, fire light catching in them making them seem even brighter than usual.

"Just a little nervous" she said her stomach began to do back flips and she shivered involuntarily.

"Of me" he asked looking at her with wide eyes.

"Always" she said with a small smile and Sherlock closed the distance and kissed her. Quickly the kiss became more passionate and heated. Sherlock gripped her body to his own, kissing her hard. Slowly he backed her into his chair and climbed on top of her, his lips left her mouth and began to make small kisses along her jaw and down her neck to her collar bone, he stopped when he reached the top of Scarlett's blouse and he looked down her top for a long time, before he continue his assault on her skin.

Scarlett let out a soft moan and Sherlock grinned against her skin, he pulled his face away to look at her, and she smirked. The animal in his eyes was roaring as his pupils blew to huge proportions, and for some reason the animal in her was brought out by this. In one swift motion Scarlett had pushed Sherlock backwards and into the rug on the floor, she landed softly on top of him, straddling his waist and looking very please with herself as the consulting detective looked up at her slightly shocked.

A strange grin spread over his face as she leaned down over him her lips ghosting his. He moved his face to capture her lips, before grabbing her hard by the shoulders and pushing her down and away so she ended up on her back with him on top. Slowly he began unbutton her blouse, as he rid her body of the the offending item, a deep animalistic growl rumbled at the back of his throat. She smirked and he lowered himself to her stomach before licking her stomach slowly his tongue heading upwards towards her breasts. She moaned slightly and he pulled his head away and from her skin only to start to slowly blow on her, the mixture of the heat building inside her and the shocking cold of his breath on the wet spots, caused her to moan loudly and buck her hips up to him. She knew he wanted to play with her and watch her till she near the point of begging him to take her.

His mouth returned to her as his hands explored her body and in one quick movement her bra was discarded across the room and his mouth was on her nipple, he licked and nibbled on it until she writhed around so uncontrollably beneath him, he could take no more. Her hands made short work of his shirt and he looked down at her lust stricken eyes, right here in this very moment he had met his match and she was all his.

Soon Scarlett lay beneath him in nothing but her panties and he did rather enjoy the sight of it, her midnight black hair spread out behind her head like a halo and her alabaster skin looking so pale against the floor. The scar of her bullet wound was larger than he had expected it to be and somehow her imperfection made her all the more beautiful, he leant over her and she hummed an encouraging noise.

"Tell me, Mr Holmes" she began as he kissed his way down her body causing her to shiver excitably.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend" she asked and he looked up at her face quizzically.

"I thought I did, now" he asked her and she grinned.

"You know what I mean" she said in low husky voice. "You clearly know how to excite a girl".

"Do I now?" he said moving back up to her face only to watch her expression as his fingers pushed past the top of her panties and lower to the centre of her heat. She hissed and he grinned watching as her body began to writhe again.

He rubbed small soft circles until he watched her eyes snap shut and her back to arch uncontrollably. She whispered his name to herself as her back relaxed and she came back down from her high. Her eyes met his as he removed his hand and moved to kiss her. As they kissed he allowed her to undo his trousers and when she rubbed against his arousal, he growled at her. He rid her of her panties and moved her legs apart all the time watching her face but as he spread her legs something behind her eyes smashed and she slammed her legs closed and scooted away from him as far as she could, she pulled her legs up to her chin her eyes shut as tears threatened to spill. She was clearly trying to steady her breather as she muttered something inaudible to herself.

For a second Sherlock did not know what he had done and what had happened, but as he watch her, he understood. She was reliving her time with Theo.

Her spoke her name softly and she seemed to recoil at the sound, he slowly moved towards her and her eyes flicked up to look at him, the lust he had seen there mere seconds ago was gone and what was left behind was only fear. She scooted away from him more as he moved towards her fear stopping her from fully processing the situation. Slowly he raised a hand and placed it on her knee, she seemed to instantly recognise him, throwing herself to him, he wrapped her up in his arms as she cried.

"I'm sorry" she chocked out as Sherlock pulled a blanket off the chair and around her.

"Don't be" he said as he stroked her hair and looked down at her with sad eyes. She lay her head against his bare chest and he held her as close to him as he could.

When her sobbing stopped, he looked down at her and she returned his gaze.

"Do you want me to go" she said suddenly and he looked at her, his eyebrows knitting together.

"No of course not, lets go to bed" he said, slowly the pair rose from the floor collecting their discarded clothing as they went. Sherlock led her into his room at the back of the flat, it was a big room with dark green wallpaper and a large window. The room was very sparsely decorated with a few pictures hanging, such as a periodic table and something in what appeared to be Mandarin above the bed. In the corner was a cabinet containing strange nicknack's and a floor lamp. There was also a dark wood wardrobe with one mirrored door and a chair stood next to it. Next to the bed was a frosted door leading into the bathroom.

He pushed his dirty clothes off the bed and offered the space to Scarlett who dropped the blanket she had been clutching to her and climbed in, Sherlock placed the duvet back over her and began to undress the rest of himself for bed, Scarlett watched as he rid himself of everything but his underwear and climbed in next to her.

He propped his head up on his elbow and resting on his side he looked at her.

"How do you feel now?" he asked quietly and she looked at him.

"Better" she said "I'm sorry that happen, it's just.." she began but her sentenced faded away.

"There is no need to explain nor apologise" he said and she smiled at him sadly. He ushered her to him and she did as he asked and moved, so she lay beside him his arms wrapped around her and she smiled. She kissed the bare chest in front of her face and Sherlock hummed. They didn't speak again after that, slowly Scarlett fell asleep and Sherlock moved her peaceful body into a more comfortable position before resting himself down into the pillow, he breathed in her scent as he shut his eye his arm resting across her stomach slightly. Soon sleep consumed him, a small smile playing on his lips.