Consulting Detective and the Genius Orphan?

Chapter 6: The Manhunt

The interrogation was finished, Sherlock went to his room, John went online, Amy went to sleep, and time moved on. A week later, Amy found herself in the same place she was the week before. She no longer thought about leaving the flat, but instead thought about how nice it was inside and how cold it was on the streets. Sherlock and John no longer looked at her as if she was another case to be solved, and Amy liked that. She liked feeling as if she wasn't alone, like she belonged, and it was nice.

Amy sat on the couch, which had become her temporary bed, surrounded in blankets. John and Sherlock were on a murder case, and she was bored. Looking around the room she noticed a book of puzzles on the book shelf. Picking it up and skimming through it slightly she noticed it was simply an empty, unwanted gift.

Turning to the first crossword puzzle she decided to simply just read over the questions.

The name of the gas that is commonly know as "laughing gas"

The nautical term for the side of a ship sheltered from the wind

What ornithologist study

The name of the first day of Spring

Nitrous Oxide. Leeward. Birds. The vernal equinox. Amy knew the answers to all of them.

"Boring" She mumbled out loud.

Grabbing one of Johns smaller coats she walked outside. The cool London air slightly nipped at her fingers and ears. Walking up and down random streets she had fun observing strangers and deducing their life stories.

 After awhile the sun started to slowly descend under the horizon. Amy hugged Johns jacket close and looked around her surroundings. She was lost.

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John and Sherlock came back from the crime scene to find the flat empty.

"Amy?" John shouted as he poked his head into the bedrooms.

"She left." Sherlock observed.

"Left? Why?" John asked

"Just shut up. Okay? I'm going out to find her. You stay here in case she comes back to the flat." Sherlock instructed as he walked out the flat, ignoring Johns question.

As Sherlock walked out into the cold street he glanced over his shoulder at the setting sun. He didn't have long to find her. A small pit was resting in his stomach. Was it the feeling anxiety? No. Sherlock didn't feel anxiety.

He wandered around the streets. Looking for signs, looking for anything. But there was nothing. Sherlock actually started to worry. If he didn't find Amy, who knows what would happen her.

"Amy" he shouted.

No answer.

"Amy!" he shouted again.

No answer.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

Sherlock walked into Lestrades office.

"Sherlock, do you have any news on the murder case?" Lestrade asked.

"No. But just listen for a moment. Amy, the little girl that John told you about, is missing. We...needyourhelp." Sherlock confessed.

"What was that Sherlock?" Lesdrade asked, smiling.

"We...need..your..help." Sherlock repeated, not looking Lestrade in the eye.

Lestrade, very happy that the tables had been turned and Sherlock was now looking toward him for help, smiled slightly, "not my division." he wanted to get something out of Sherlock.

Sherlock sighed. "Fine then, but when you need my help on another case. I'll think about that. Or maybe I can start helping...what's his name? Oh yeah Wesson with his cases."

"Weson? Not him. Okay Sherlock, you win, you have our help."

Smiling from his success, Sherlock told Lestrade the details of Amy's disappearance. Within 15 minutes multiple people were on the lookout for the missing girl. Sherlock was told to go home, they said that he could throw them off track. But, for once, he didn't care. He just wanted Amy back safe. It was almost as if Amy was Sherlock responsibility.

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Amy walked alone in the dark street. She was cold, scared and lost all at the same time. None of her surroundings were even close to being familiar. Shifty looking people with hoods started to come out into the streets and the urge to find the flat increased.

She scolded herself for leaving the flat. Sherlock and John were probably back by now. Amy thought about how they would react to her disappearance. Scared? Worried? Angry? Not to mention the fact that they were probably not even looking for her at the moment.

The sun was completely gone by now and John's jacket wasn't doing it's job. The cold penetrated down to her bones along with exhaustion. She was a mess. Just walking around trying to find a familiar place.

Splosh

She picked up he foot from the puddle she just stepped in, "Great, how could this get anyworse?"

"Amy." she heard her named being called by an unfamiliar voice.

"Amy!"

She didn't even stop to think about what she was doing, she was to cold, tired, and hungry, Shouting to get the attention whoever was calling her name, Amy couldn't help but feel relieved that maybe someone could take her home.

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"Sherlock she's going to be fine." John reassured.

Sherlock, still pacing around the flat, was becoming annoyed by Johns attempts to calm the both of them down, "John she will be fine when she's back."

As if on cue the moment Sherlock finished there was a knock on the door. Sherlock practically ran to open it.

"Here she is." Lestrade said.

Amy looked tired and scared. Sherlock sighed with relief. John did the same.

After Amy was put into Sherlock's bed to sleep, John sat down across from Sherlock.

"Sherlock are we going to do about this?"

"She was bored, John. Bored. I think it's time we start taking her along to the crime scenes for some...entertainment."