Sophia Holmes and the Scandal in Belgravia *Completed*

Chapter Six - The Scandal in Belgravia Part VI

I wake up in a similar state as before. I hope this isn't going to become a regualr occurance. There's someone in the room.

"Hush now," they say as they notice I'm awake. "I'm just making sure you're okay." She plants her lips on my forehead before dad stirrs in the bed beside me. She looks up and kisses him on the lips. "It’s okay, she says gently, stroking his head. "I’m only returning your coat." My eyes close and she becomes blurry. It feels like the next second, but it's actually a few hours later that I wake up. I notice I'm still fully dressed.

"John?" I hear dad slur and shakes his head in an attempt to clear it. "John!" he repeats, louder this time as he throws the covers off and struggles to his feet.

"I really wouldn't advise -" I croak, but he keels over and falls to the floor.

"You okay?" John asks as he opens the door.

"How did I get here?"

"Well, I don’t suppose you remember much," he replies and I can hear his contained smirk on his voice. "You weren’t making a lot of sense. Oh, I should warn you: I think Lestrade filmed you on his phone."

"Where is she?" dad groans.

"Sophie?" John questions. "She's here, Sherlock. She's right beside you." He walks over to check on me. "How're you?"

"I'm good," I say, forcing myself to sit up. It's clearly a different drug to what she gave me before and it doesn't seem to have made me as weak as before. John hands me a glass of water, which I take, and drink back in one.

"No," dad says. "The woman. That woman."

"What woman?" John questions, helping me to stand up.

"The woman," dad repeats, standing up and stumbling around the room. "The woman woman!"

"What, Irene Adler?" John questions again, still watching me carefully as I stand up. "She got away. No-one saw her." Dad stumbles towards the window and looks through it. I wonder how she got here and out again, as I'm certain it wasn't a dream. "She wasn’t here, Sherlock," John says seeing what he's doing. Dad turns around and promptly falls to the floor and then drags himself along towards to look under the bed.

"Sherlock? I say, questioning his sanity as he begins looking around elesewhere. "She's not here anymore, and I doubt she would have left any evidence behind." He grunts in response but continues to look.

"Right," John says and grabs hold of dad and hauls him, face down, onto the bed. "Back to bed. You’ll be fine in the morning. Just sleep."

"Of course I’ll be fine," dad slurs. "I am fine. I’m absolutely fine."

"Yes, you’re great," John says sarcastically and I follow him towards the door. "Now we’ll be next door if you need us."

"Why would I need you?"

"No reason at all." We walk out and I close the door softly behind me.

"You have a date tonight," I say, observing his clean shirt. "You don't have to stay here, I'll be fine."

"I don't doubt it," he replies turning to the kettle as we reach the kitchen. "But it's only Rachel."

"Rachel?" I question, sitting down in dads chair. "That's the one you were with during the Aluminium Crutch - the spotty one - isn't it?"

"Mmhmm," John agrees from the kitchen.

"You were going to dump her tonight anyway, am I wrong?"

"How do you -" John tried before shaking his head. "Yes, you're right."

"It was quite obvious," I say. "Typically, a lot of money is spent on a first date and the only occasions which have more spent on them are either proposals or breakups. You took her to the chinese last week, but this week it was going to be a midrange restaurant. Not one of the best, but the food is passable and I find the wine served there are some of the easiest to get out of clothes. It's the oldest trick in the book. I'd be suprised if she hadn't noticed as well which is why she's going to call in a minute to cancel, in an attempt to make you pay a reservation cancellation price." John nods in agreement as he sets down a mug of coffee beside me.