[Sherlolly fanfiction] Silhouettes

Chapter 9-- Circles

(A FEW DAYS LATER)
(SHERLOCK'S POV)

It turned out Whick was also apart of a massive scam in Paris, along with serious tax evasion, fraud and a couple more things.

The Whicks have been arrested and fined along with the others in on the business. Mycroft has been able to target the group of gangsters and read the pen drive to put a stop to the terrorists' plans.
So, for now, Europe stays afloat. But just for now.

I've received another few texts from Moriarty, though they're never anything more than a word or two.
Things like 'BORED' or 'I'M WAITING', but nothing more.
My plan is to ignore him, to wait for him to get desperate, until he makes a blunder.
Soon enough, he'll realise just a voice isn't enough, that he has to show himself, that he needs to step into the light.
And that's where he'll be vulnerable.
So, now, I'll wait.
I'll busy myself with other things, important things until he shows himself.

Toby is currently clawing John's armchair.
Mrs Hudson has become unhealthily attached to the cat.
She cooks it dinner.
Toby has almost doubled in size, therefore he has a freakishly large body, small head and match-stick limbs. The feline is practically spherical.
He stretches before turning to me. I'm laid on the couch, watching the cat come closer towards me.
I think it's stalking me.
With great effort it jumps onto the couch, truly defying the laws of gravity and scrambles onto my feet.
I watch it swoon, a little unbalanced due to it's weight, up my body until it settles on my chest.
It plops itself down in a fluffy, over-sized ball and begins to purr softly.
Mrs Hudson enters, a basket of washing on her hip. "Have you seen Toby?" She asks. Her eyes finally settle on the large ball of fluff on my chest. "Oh, Sherlock, I didn't know you were a cat person." She grins.
"I'm not."
She puts down the basket of washing and comes towards Toby. "How did we get up here then, eh?"
"By breaking the rules of physics." I mutter.
She cuddles the cat, despite him still being on my chest.
This makes me uncomfortable, greatly uncomfortable.

I roll the cat off of my chest and Mrs Hudson follows it. I sit up as there's a knock at the door, but before I can answer it, Mrs Hudson places the cat in my arms and rushes to the door.
The cat looks up at me through large, hazel eyes and I look back down at it, a little disturbed.
Mrs Hudson welcomes John in.
"Hello," He greets, closing the door behind himself.
"Hello, Love." She hugs him.
He then turns to me, about to speak but stops when he sees the cat in my arms sprawled across my chest like an obese baby. "Sherlock, I didn't know you were a cat person." He smirks.
"Believe me, I'm not." I say throwing the overweight Toby onto the sofa.

We shake hands.
"How've you been?" He asks.
"I've been, fine." I reply.
"He's been to France." Mrs Hudson chips in, encouraging a conversation.
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, it was a case." I explain, giving her a brief disapproving look.
"Oh, right."

An awkward moment scrapes by.

"How's Mary and the baby?" I ask.
"Good, they're good. Mary's been busying herself with shopping and cradles and cheap flat-pack furniture."
"How exciting."
"In it's own way, yes."

"I'll make some tea," Mrs Hudson reassures us, picking up the massive cat and cuddling it. "And a quick snack for the little kitty-kat." We watch her wander into the kitchen with the cat.

John speaks first. "So, you have a cat now?"
"Molly has a cat."
"Is that why you've got a cat?"
"What? No, it's Molly's cat."
He looks back at the feline laying on the kitchen table and then back at me. "Are you sure your cat didn't eat Molly's cat?"
I smile and nod.
He smiles too.
"Believe me, there's probably more diabetes than cat lying on that table." I say.
We laugh quietly, but silence soon sets in.
Finally, we sit. He's seated in his armchair and I'm seated in mine.
"So, why have you got Molly's cat?" He asks.
"Well, Mrs Hudson's got Molly's cat."
He nods, taking in what I just said. "Right. Why does Mrs Hudson have Molly's cat?"
"Molly and I were on a case together and we needed someone to look after her cat." I explain, though I was hoping that we could've avoided this conversation.
"The one in France?"
"Yes, the one in France."
"How was it?"