raison d'être

chapter III

trigger warnings: eating disorder, drinking

dashes separate perspectives as italic represents flashbacks and italics/bold lines represent texting

enjoy! <3

"Lestrade?" There was a knock at his door and someone saying his name. At first, Greg didn't realize someone was there knocking for his attention.

Once he did realize, he responded, "What is it?"

Anderson opened the door, "We've got a few reports of another body? A bunch of teens found one in an alleyway."

"I—" Lestrade began, but his phone went off. Someone had texted him. He ignored it, "Sorry, does it match the files of our other murders?"

"Yeh, it does. Will you take a look?" Anderson asked.

Lestrade looked at his watch before nodding, "Yeah—just, bring them here."
Anderson quickly walked over to Lestrade's desk, dropping the file onto it and retreating back out the door. Lestrade opened the file and pulled it in front of him. How could he link what were now four murders? Originally, he had hoped this would be a case where he didn't need Sherlock's help. For once he just needed a case that was simple, yet complex enough for him to do himself and get all the credit for. Even if Sherlock gave him the credit for some cases, that credit was long gone once John posted his blogs. He stared at the files for what seemed like an hour, but was really just about seven minutes. Lestrade was only pulled out of his focused trance by the sound of his phone going off again. Another text.

Sherlock asked me to invite you to a party we have this weekend. Not much, just Molly Hooper, Mrs. Hudson, and us.

The text was from John. Lestrade couldn't help but laugh. Sherlock was throwing a party? That was unlikely.

Let me get this straight, Sherlock is throwing a party?

He laughed as he pressed send. Only about a minute later, he got a reply.

Well, he's thinking about going to a drug den this weekend, so I thought this was a better idea for him.

I'm not sure I can, I have plenty of work to do with a case right now.

Oh, Sherlock and I could come in tomorrow and help, if you'd like.

No. He definitely didn't want that—he needed a case he could solve on his own. No help from Sherlock Holmes or his best friend John Watson.

No, no, the case isn't hard. There's just a lot of paperwork. Easy enough for me to solve.

Alright. So you can come?

Honestly, the case was hard. It was hair-pulling and it made him want to tear the files into pieces, but he needed a case that he could solve on his own. So, no, he wasn't going to give up. Gregory Lestrade was desperate, sure, but this case was his. The next one could be Sherlock's. Hell, the next fifty could be Sherlock's, but Scotland Yard needed their own win. And this was their way to do it.

Sure, why not. When?

Saturday, 6pm. I convinced Mrs. Hudson to cook dinner

Okay. I'll be there.

He wasn't proud that he was going to be spending his weekend night at a "party", which was really more of a gathering, rather than working on what was important. But if it were to keep Sherlock from going down another hill of substances, he was going to keep his promise to Mycroft.