His Favorite Melody

The Woman

Time passed quickly, and winter had arrived at unprecedented speed. Melody and John had been running errands when it began raining like hell. They dashed along through the downpour, Melody holding a small bag of groceries they had picked up while out. The pair stopped as they saw an unfamiliar sight. Mycroft leaned against the wall outside of Speedy's. He was under the shelter of the awning with an umbrella and smoking a cigarette. He had a big ziplock file tucked safely under his arm.

"You don't smoke." John said as they approached.

"I also don't frequent cafes. Melody,  lovely as always, my dear." Mycroft replied, putting out the cigarette. He turned and headed into Speedy's, clearly expecting John to follow.

"I'll head on up. See you in a bit." Mel said with a smile. She headed up to the flat and put her jacket on the rack.

Sherlock sat at the kitchen table, hunched over his microsco, e studying something. Mel put away the few groceries in the bag, then sat beside him.

"Mycroft is here. He had a file. I would venture to say he's here about Adler. As far as I know, they still think we were just on holiday. I think we did it." She said quietly.

He looked up and met her eyes. "Thank you. I know I said it before, but thank you."

"It wouldn't have been right to let her die like that. No one deserves that. And after all, it was quite the adventure when it was all over." She said with a shrug. "Anyways, I'm going to make a snack and tea. Join me?"

"Give me fifteen minutes."

"Deal." She said, kissing the top of his head.

John walked in, looking uncharacteristically morose. He was hesitating a few feet into the doorway with the file in his hand.

"Clearly, you have news. If it's about that triple murder in Leeds, it was the gardener. Did nobody notice his earring?" Sherlock said without looking up.

"It was quite quite obvious, actually." Melody agreed.

"Hi. No, it's ... it's about Irene Adler." John informed them.

Sherlock looked up, and Melody turned around from the stove.

"Well? Has something happened? Has she turned up again?" Sherlock asked.

"No. No, she's ... I just bumped into Mycroft downstairs. He had to take a call..."

"Is she back in London?"

"No. She's ... she's in America."

"America?" Melody asked.

"Yeah. She's gone into a witness protection scheme, apparently. Don't know how she swung it. But, you know."

"I know what?" Sherlock asked.

"Well. You won't see her again."

"Why would we want to see her again?"

"Didn't say you did."

"Is that her file?" Sherlock asked, motioning to what John held in his hands.

"Yeah - got to take it back to Mycroft. Do you ... want a look at it?"

"No." Sherlock went back to his microscope, and Melody went to the fridge to start on a small snack.

"Listen. Actually -" John started.

"Oh! Melody is making tea and a snack, by the way. She was talking about a movie she wanted to watch. You're coming back up after you take that back." Sherlock stated.

"If you want! Don't want to force you into watching Anna Karenina with us if you dont want to." Melody said with a small chuckle.

"I'll be back. Just, uh, give me a few minutes." John said before walking back downstairs.

Melody and Sherlock heard the door shut, then looked back at each other. They had successfully saved Irene, and no one was any wiser. Sherlock stood and walked over to the window, waiting for Mycroft to exit the cafe.

Melody made three cups, put them on the table, then grabbed a plate full of cheese, biscuits, and fruit to put beside them. She looked to see Sherlock still at the window, watching for something.

"I'm going to put on something comfy. I'll be quick!" She said, scurrying off to the bedroom.

A grin sat on Sherlock's face as he watched Mycroft exit Speedy's, umbrella quickly going up to cover him.

"The Woman!" Sherlock said, the events of the last year running through his mind. Irene Adler had been a case he hadn't expected, but it caused him to gain perspective on something he had come to realize was extremely important. In a way, he had Irene to thank for that.

He opened his desk drawer, looked at the object lying there for a moment, and smiled fondly. The box that sat there was a deep purple, a color Melody had told him many times that she loved simply because he looked handsome in it.

"The woman."

On his face was a clear moment of warmth - remembering the long contest, the year of Irene Adler. The year of Melody. His Melody. He picked up the object in the drawer and tossed it in the air before opening it to look once again at the contents.

The ring for The woman.

He snapped it shut, put the box back in the drawer, and then closed it. Not tonight, but soon. He didn't have a plan for when, but he would know the right moment when it came.

Melody came out of the room in a pair of his lounge pants and an oversized cardigan. "Mycroft gone?" She asked, coming to stand next to him. She placed her hand on his bicep as she looked out the window, too.

"Yup." He replied, popping the 'p'.

"John will be up soon, then. We can start when you're both ready. You should have time to change if you wanted to." She said with a smile.

He turned his body to face her, placed a gentle hand on the side of her face, and kissed her with a deep passion. As they broke apart, she looked up in a slight daze.

"I would have suggested changing earlier if I knew you'd kiss me like that." She said with a goofy smile.

He couldn't help the laugh that bubbled through his chest. Her laughter soon joined his, and he decided then and there that her laughter was better than any song he could ever compose. It was by far his favorite melody.

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AN- I know it's short, but this is the end of the episode, and the end is something I've been looking forward to writing forEVER!!!!  Let me know your thoughts!! Xoxoxox- Bex