Promises Series

Promise of Home - White Shadows

The title for this chapter is "White Shadows" by Coldplay.

Sherlock eyed Julia for the rest of the flight back. He had to admit, grabbing her shoulder might not have been the best solution. He hadn't known what else to do. She was thrashing around; she could've hurt herself. What a great guardian Sherlock would be if she injured herself before they even arrived in London. Sherlock clenched his fists. He'd seen the scars on her arms before, but he hadn't paid them much attention. The thought of someone doing that to the girl – holding her down and listening, no, savoring, her screams of agony – combined with the knowledge that she'd made some of those scars herself... it made Sherlock wish he'd killed Moran slower.

He could still hear her whining in his head.

Please.

Not again. I can't.

I'll be good, I promise.

Don't leave me.

He took a deep breath and kept his face blank. It wouldn't do to cause a scene in front of her now. It wouldn't erase the past.

Sherlock hadn't smoked since he'd gotten rid of Alana Peters, and that was months ago. His body ached for a cigarette, yearned for nicotine coursing through his veins. Just thinking about it made him sick to his stomach, now, and he decided he'd have to pick up nicotine patches before they went back to the flat.

"Sherlock?"

"What? Oh. Yes, what is it?"

"Um." Julia was chewing her lip again. "How many bedrooms are in your flat? I was just thinking, since John lives with you, there must be two, and most flats don't have three bedrooms, unless things have changed since I was ten."

"There are two bedrooms."

"Okay. Um, so, how are we... I mean, where am I going to sleep?"

"Oh."

"Yeah," Julia said, chuckling nervously.

"We will work everything out when we arrive."

"Okay."

The plane landed half an hour later, and Julia was relieved of her bag after being assured it would be waiting for her at Sherlock's flat. They were ushered into a cab. Sherlock rattled off an address and leaned back in his seat. Julia sat up straight, her fists clenched in her lap. She kept her body turned towards the window. Sherlock saw her eyes dart around rapidly, taking in the landscape.

The cab stopped in front of a shopping district, and Sherlock paid while Julia climbed out. She stood completely still, staring at the people rushing by with wide eyes.

"Is everything all right?" Sherlock asked.

"I've never seen so many people in one place," Julia admitted. Her voice was filled with awe and just a little bit of fear. "Is all of London this crowded?"

"There are quieter parts."

"Do you live in one of the quieter parts?"

"I suppose so. Come along." Sherlock held open a shop door and followed her in. "Pick whichever one you want. I don't care how expensive it is; Mycroft owes me some favors. It'll be important for us to be able to contact each other when needed."

"Seriously? Whichever one I want?"

"Yes. Some of the newer models hold music, so if you purchase one of those, you don't even need an iPod."

"So, instead of an iPod, I'm getting a mobile phone."

"Yes, it's much more practical."

"Okay." Julia shrugged. "What should I get?"