RDJ Sherlock Holmes: A Dark Unkindness

‿︵‿︵‿{1}‿︵‿︵‿

It was a regular morning when Sherlock woke to sunlight in his eyes, finding Watson standing at the window with the detective's spyglass to his eye and a focused expression on his face.

"Good morning. Irene had blue eyes, yes?" Watson spoke up before Sherlock could say anything, the doctor's eyes not moving from the spyglass or the window as the detective sat up.

"Yes, a very distinct blue that looked turquoise in some lights." Sherlock answered, getting up as he stretched.

"And brown hair?" Watson asked next, seemingly quizing what Sherlock knew about his late lover.

"Brown curls and brown eyelashes, all of which natural." Sherlock replied, following Watson's line of sight only to be handed the spyglass.

"Look, peeking out of the alley by the bird seller's cages." Watson instructed as if he read Sherlock's thoughts, pointing the birdcage near the alley in question.

Sherlock put the spyglass up to his eye and followed Watson's instructions, finding a curious sight.

Standing half-in-half-out of the alley was a girl, either sixteen or fifteen but tall for her age. She had the exact same blue eyes as Irene as well as similar, if not also the same, brown hair however it was just long enough to be pulled back into a bun.

"Fascinating... The same face shape, cheekbones and colouration.." Sherlock mumbled to himself, still focused on the teen through his spyglass.

"My thoughts exactly." Watson remarked in return and in a whisper, looking at the girl alongside the detective but without a spyglass.

"But what is she? A street urchin? A beggar?" Sherlock asked quizzically, mostly to himself than the doctor. She did dress like an urchin, her clothes were dirty much like her skin however the leather suitcase she had at her side did seem in good condition.

"I would try the thief." Watson replied, pointing to two men in suits about to walk by the teen.

The duo watched as the suited men walked by the girl, seeing she snatched one of their wallets with so much skill and precision it was nearly impossible to notice. The teen took a few pounds before slipping the wallet back where it came from, the man she stole from oblivious as he continued walking and talking with his acquaintance.

"A pickpocket, a good one too..." Sherlock mumbled, lowering the spyglass as he thought to himself and watched the girl count the pounds she took before shoving them in the pocket of her coat.

"Sherlock." Watson said, looking at the detective as he knew what was coming next.

"What? I need someone around when you're not here, not to mention the girl clearly is talented." Sherlock replied, looking back at the doctor with the same expression he had they were on the destroyed train to Paris back in 1891.

"She's a thief." Watson answered.

"She's a child." 

"Since when do you have sympathy for children?"

Sherlock huffed slightly as he folded the spyglass and tossed it to Watson, walking over to the coat rack in the room by the door to get his coat, scarf and hat.

"The girl has a clear resemblance to Irene, that alone has my attention. Not to mention her pickpocketing skills." He said as he tied his scarf.

"You want to take her in, as an apprentice or mentee, meaning she'll also be an aprentice of mine." Watson said, looking at the detective with his arms crossed.

"You and Mary are married and children are bound to come, think of it as practice." Sherlock answered, looking at the doctor as he put on his coat.

"The girl's a teen!" Watson half-retorted.