Facades

Chapter Eighteen

A/N: Comments really do mean the world! I really want to know if you guys are enjoying Luna in this episode. 

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Dartmoor was...beautiful. Luna spent most of the car ride looking out the backseat window. Sherlock had rented a large black jeep. Luna assumed it was to look more like a government style car. After many games of 'I spy', they finally arrived at the moors where Sherlock got out and climbed a large stone, overlooking the area.

Luna is sat by his feet, dangling her feet off the edge as John stands at the foot of it consulting a map. He points ahead of himself at a large array of buildings in the distance.

"There's Baskerville," John then turns and points behind them. Sherlock turns to look "That's Grimpen Village," John checks the map for the name of the heavily wooded area to the left of the Baskerville complex "So that must be ... yeah, it's Dewer's Hollow,"

Sherlock points to an area in between the complex and the Hollow "What's that?"

John has binoculars on a strap around his neck and now he lifts them and looks more closely at the area, seeing fencing and warning signs.

"Minefield?"

"Technically Baskerville's an army base," Luna says from her place next to Sherlock

"I guess they've always been keen to keep people out then,"

"Clearly," Sherlock starts to get down off the rock and Luna can't decide if she should jump off or not...probably not the best thing to do in her shoes.

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Later, Sherlock drives them into Grimpen Village and pulls into the car park of the Cross Keys inn. They get out and walk towards the entrance of the pub, where a young man who is apparently a tour guide is talking to a group of tourists.

The three walks past the group and see that the man is standing next to a large sign on which is painted a black image of a wolf-like creature with the words 'BEWARE THE HOUND!!' above it.

Sherlock has been pulling his coat around him as he walks towards the pub, and finally, he pops the collar. John looks back at him, and gives him a pointed look as Luna looks up at him, smiling a bit.

"I'm cold," He shrugs

The three walk into the pub, which has a blackboard outside advertising 'Boutique Rooms & Vegetarian Cuisine'. John goes up to talk to the owners while Sherlock looks around the unfamiliar place, pulling his coat around him tighter. Luna stands with him as he loiters by the entrance, she notices the tour guild and sees him looking at her.

"I'll be 2 minutes," she slightly runs her hand against Sherlock's shoulder as she brushes past "Don't miss me too much," she winks and Sherlock rolls his eyes.

Luna walks over to the man "Hi," she greets "Mind if I sit?" she gives him the sweetest smile she could muster.

"Of-of course, yeah," he stumbles over his words a bit

"Thanks," she sits across from him "You know, a little birdy told me you're the man to talk to about a certain hound,"

"That would be correct sweetheart," Luna was not interested in this man one bit, but she forces a bit of red up to her cheeks at the nickname. Thank God for her mother's acting classes disguised as playing dress up "The name's Fletcher,".

"Look, I rode down on the train with that bloke over there, yeah?" she points to Sherlock subtly and Fletcher looks over "We were having a little chat about the 'beast' here and one thing lead to another," Luna sighs dramatically "Look, I need some proof that this hound exists, otherwise I'm spending my evening with him on a date. I would much rather spend it with someone else," she gives him a knowing look and he nods.

"I can help there love," he leans in to whisper to her and she leans in as well, in fake interest. This is when John comes out with two pints and gives Sherlock one, John goes back in for Luna's Strawberry and Lime Kopparberg. When he comes out, he sees Sherlock's sat at the table next to Luna and he goes and sits next to him.

"I phoned Henry, what's Luna doing -"

"Shhhh!"

"What?"

"I'm listening," Sherlock gestures to Luna

"Ah, okay," John takes a long sip of his drink.

"I've seen it," Fletcher starts "Only about a month ago, up at the Hollow. It was foggy, mind – couldn't make much out,"

"No witnesses then?" Luna starts, apprehensive

"No, but ..."

"Looks like I'm spending my night with curly-haired then," she looks like she's about to leave and Fletcher quickly grabs his phone

"No! Look....There," He shows her a photograph of a dark-furred four-legged something in the distance but, with nothing else around it, it's impossible to tell the size – or even the species – of the animal.

Luna hides a laugh "Sorry mate, but that's really not enough. I guess I won't see you around," she continues to leave.

"Wait, wait. That's not all. People don't like going up there, you know – to the Hollow. Gives them a ... bad sort of feeling,"

"What, is it haunted?" Luna laughs "Is that convincing enough for you Sherlock?!" Luna shouts over to the man who gets up, John following.

"Not really,"

"Nah, it's not haunted or nothing. but I reckon there is something out there – something from Baskerville, escaped," Fletcher focuses his attention on Luna still as she widens her blue eyes at him, nodding along.

"A clone, a super-dog?!" Sherlock starts sarcastically and Luna really has to try hard not to laugh this time, a smile slips out though. Her mother would be disappointed.

"Maybe. God knows what they've been spraying on us all these years, or putting in the water. I wouldn't trust 'em as far as I could spit,"

"Is that photo really the best you've got?" Luna asks before looking up at Sherlock "I'll have a Pimm's later then," he hides his confusion, making an assumption he didn't hear the whole conversation and that Luna had a ploy she was running.

"Oi wait!" Fletcher interjects before lowering his voice "I had a mate once who worked for the MOD. One weekend we were meant to go fishin' but he never showed up – well, not 'til late.," Luna leans in again as Fletcher does, she twirls a strand of wavy hair around her finger which distracts Fletcher for a moment.

"When he did, he was white as a sheet. I can see him now. 'I've seen things today, Fletch,' he said, 'that I never wanna see again. Terrible things.' He'd been sent to some secret Army place – Porton Down, maybe; maybe Baskerville, or somewhere else," he leans closer than Luna thought possible "In the labs there – the really secret labs, he said he'd seen ... terrible things. Rats as big as dogs, he said, and dogs ..." he pulls back and reaches into his bag, pulling something out, showing it to the boys and Luna. "... dogs the size of horses,"

He's holding a concrete cast of a dog's paw print – but the print is at least six inches long from the tip of the claws to the back of the pad. Sherlock stares at it in surprise.

"Jesus Christ," As Luna lets her mouth drop in shock, Sherlock and John return to the table, John downing his drink, knowing they'd be leaving quickly.

"Saved you from going out with that weirdo, didn't I? Suppose I deserve a heroes reward," Fletcher looks to Luna and her facade drops, her face returning to normal.

"Er, no, you don't," Luna gets up "Thanks for the entertainment," she walks over to Sherlock and John, muttering "Deserves a kick in the balls,"

"What?" Sherlock asks

"Nothing," She grins, grabbing her bottle of Kopparberg, taking a swig as he follows John back to the car "Come on,".