Chaos and Mystery

Chapter 8

We had just caught the culprit of yet another crime, just one of the many that I had accompanied Sherlock on. Sherlock had just run off, excited that he had solved it. I followed him for a short while but soon realized that I wouldn't be able to catch up with him and turned back around to the lab where I overheard Molly talking to Greg.

"There's no way. I don't think they will," Greg claimed.

"It's possible. Don't you see the way he looks at her?" Molly replied.

"I'm telling you, there's no way you're winning this bet."

That was when I connected dots and realized what they were talking about.

As I walked back into the lab, they both went quiet and nervous.

"Hey! Weren't you going after Sherlock?" Molly asked quickly.

"You two have a bet if Sherlock and I will get together or not, don't you?" I replied.

"It's not just us!" Greg said.

"John and Mrs. Hudson are in on it, too! They reckon you will get together by Christmas. Greg doesn't, though," Molly added.

I looked between either of them for a moment, before letting out a sigh.

"I'm not even going to question this at the moment, so I'm just going to head back home," I replied.

With that, I walked out and caught a cab, and headed back to 221B. Upon entering, I heard Sherlock playing his violin. Walking upstairs, the music stopped as I entered the flat.

"Apparently, our friends have a bet going that we will end up together by Christmas, which is only a few months away," I greeted.

"I'm not surprised," Sherlock replied.

"How come?"

"...No reason."

Sherlock then went back to playing the violin as John walked in, having just gotten done with work. He looked between Sherlock and me.

"What's this about a bet, I hear?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just a little bet I heard about that you, Molly, and Greg are a part of concerning me and Sherlock."

John panicked and tried to find an answer. In an effort to try to look busy, he checked the time.

"Lina, don't you have a job interview soon?" John asked, calm again.

I checked the time, 2:15. Feeling my heart race, I remembered my job interview at a music store in half an hour.

"I'm going to be late!" I exclaimed, "I've got to run, bye!"

With that I rushed out the door, closing it behind me. I paused for a moment as I checked through my purse to make sure I had everything. Just when I was about to head off, I heard John talking to Sherlock on the other side of the door.

"You fancy her, don't you?" John asked, causing Sherlock to stop playing suddenly.

"No. Absolutely not."

I heard Sherlock put down his violin and walk to a different spot in the flat.

"Okay...um...so," John began with a chuckle, "You talk in your sleep and recited vows the other night that included Lina, though you did say, Jaqueline. So, unless you know another Jaqueline..?"

Sherlock was quiet for a moment.

"...I'm going off to solve a case now."

I began to hear Sherlock walk over to the door and began to panic as I rushed down the stairs. Just before I left I heard John calling after Sherlock.

"They were beautiful by the way!"

Flustered, I quickly caught a cab and headed off to my interview just as Sherlock came out of the flat.

Luckily, I had gotten over how flustered I was enough for me to pass the interview and get the job I had applied for. However, I wasn't able to bring myself to talk to John or Sherlock because I was afraid that I would give away the fact that I had overheard their conversation.

A sudden rumble of thunder startled me awake in the middle of the night. I sat straight up in my bed, listening carefully as rain collided with the window. As another rumble of thunder sounded, I got out of bed and wandered out of my bedroom, too afraid to go back to sleep.

Walking out into the living room, I saw Sherlock sitting on his chair with a thoughtful expression on his face. It only took one of my near-silent steps on the floor to break his concentration, causing his eyes to fly open. He stared at me for a few moments before another rumble of thunder sounded, causing me to jump a little. Apparently understanding what was going on, he picked up a blanket on the chair opposite him and gestured for me to follow him over to the sofa. He then laid down on the sofa, gesturing for me to do the same.

I joined him as he placed the blanket over us and his arms wrapped around me comfortingly as another bout of thunder caused me to flinch. Miraculously, compared to the many other sleepless nights I had spent in thunderstorms, I found myself falling asleep as I barely flinched at the sound of the thunder while in his arms.