─ damage, s.h.

SIXTEEN

REAL LIFE

"I'm surprised there's only one photo from set seen as there were so many paps around." Rachel spoke, helping Lizzie scoop the rest of the icing into the bag. Sherlock had somehow been coerced into helping the women make cupcakes for some event they were attending the next day. Not that he would've been any help anyway; they thought he would be useful because of his Chemistry degree, and didn't factor in that he was probably the worst person to ask for help with baking, despite his education.

"I'm sure my dear brother helped with that. It seems he may have taken to my career change after all, if you ignore the incessant pestering to take cases from Scotland Yard." Sherlock mumbled, focusing probably too hard on mixing the buttercream. Rachel's hands stopped, and she slowly turned to face him. When there was no reply, Sherlock looked up at her, and was met with her sceptical face.

"So you definitely didn't solve those cases over email for Detective Inspector Lestrade last night in bed?" Sherlock rolled his eyes.

"They were nothing! Not even a 3."

"God, I'm jealous," Lizzie butted in, licking glacier icing off her hand. "You two must have such hot pillow talk. You'll have to give Robbie some lessons, Sherlock!" In response, he flicked some of the finished buttercream at her, which landed right on her shoulder. "Child." She mumbled.

"Could say the same to you."

Rachel very much enjoyed the dynamic of Sherlock and Lizzie's friendship which had formed during filming. In fact, she was sure that Sherlock had never had so many friends at one time, and was glad that he had taken so well to the rest of the cast. After about a month of dating, just half way through filming, Sherlock had let it slip to Rachel that he hadn't been in contact with his old friends since he'd been signed on to play Jack Harper. According to her boyfriend, it wasn't just his brother that had initially disapproved of his decision to step back from crime solving, but most of the people that had been in his life. However, Greg Lestrade had still sent over a few minor cases every now and then, which Sherlock couldn't help but glance at in the spare moments he had.

Rachel thought it was disappointing that Sherlock's friends had been ready to cut him off as soon as he made a choice they didn't like, and although Sherlock argued that they had been good friends, she was still sceptical of their loyalty. No matter what happened after this movie though, she knew that the friends he had made as a result of it, including their relationship, wouldn't be going anywhere.

"So you never said before, you two are going to the premiere together, right?" Lizzie questioned the pair. Rachel and Sherlock looked at each other wearily. How was she going to react?

"We've decided," Rachel started, "to not go together." Lizzie started to speak, but Rachel shushed her. "Only because I'm not actually in the movie; I'm just a costume designer, so it would be sort of weird for me if I was suddenly on the other side of the camera on the red carpet. Also if Sherlock ends up going back to crime solving when we go back to London, then we won't have to do a big announcement, and we can just be together peacefully."

Lizzie seemed about to argue, but thought better of it.

"Okay, I see where you're coming from. But what about awards ceremonies? Surely if we get nominated then you'll want to go together?"

"Well hopefully I'd have been made another offer for a role, or at least decided what I want to do by then." Sherlock piped up, washing his hands. Lizzie seemed content with his answer, and turned back to help Rachel with the last of the cakes. Sherlock approached Rachel, reaching over to squeeze her arm and give her a small smile before leaving the kitchen.

"I think you've hit the jackpot there, Harding." Rachel sighed.

"I think I have."