And then there was three; a Sherlock Fanfiction

Two

"Sherlock, you have a client," Said Mrs. Hudson, "you really have to fix that doorbell Sherlock, these stairs are bad for my hip," Mrs. Hudson tried to scold Sherlock, but he looked absolutely ecstatic, jumping up and kissing her on the cheek.

"A case! Finally!" he clapped once in his excitement, "well, send them up!" He took a seat back in his chair and motioned for Mrs. Hudson to go downstairs. She sighed and did as she was told.

"Oh! A client! That will get you guys out of the house for a while," Mary exclaimed cheerfully, looking at her husband-to-be.

"Here," Lilly stood up, moving away from John's chair, "that's your chair, isn't it?" She smiled, motioning for him to take a seat. "I'll just head back to my apartment," she started, picking her purse up from the desk and walking towards the door.

"No, no wait," John stopped her, "why don't you stay here for a while? Maybe you'll be able to help with the case?" Sherlock made a disapproving noise in the back of his throat, but the look on John's face kept Lilly from declining.

"Alright," she sighed after a moment of consideration, "Mary, will you be staying?" Lilly asked. She may have only met Mary that day, but she had to admit, she liked her already.

"No, I'll probably be getting home," she turned to John, "are you alright taking a cab?"

"Yes," he replied, sitting down in his chair, attempting to mask the excitement that came from the possibility of a new case.

"Okay," Mary smiled, giving Lilly a knowing look, "I'll see you later then," With that she pulled on her coat and walked out the door.

They heard Mary descend down the stairs steadily. About halfway down they heard the footsteps pause, followed by a brief exchange of muffled words. The footsteps started up again; one pair moving away from the three, while another grew louder, as the client moved up to the apartment. Soon a tall, skinny woman entered the room, looking at John and Sherlock with anxious eyes.

Lilly watched with interest as Sherlock's eyes scanned the woman quickly. There was a slight crease between his eyebrows, as he concentrated on the puzzle set before him. Lilly turned away from the detective, looking to see what she could derive from the client's appearance.

The first thing Lilly noticed about her was her size. She was exceptionally tall, especially in her heels. She was skinny, but not in an unhealthy way. She wore a blazer and tailored skirt, but it was wrinkled and stained. Her hair was long and brown, but unbrushed and frizzy. She was slouching greatly, exhausted from lack of sleep. When their eyes met, Lilly realized that she'd been crying. She wrung her hands silently, waiting for someone to say something.

Sherlock cleared his throat suddenly, dragging a wooden stool out for the woman to sit on. Then he sat back in his chair, watching the client with interest. Lilly was surprised how quickly he went from giddy and excited, to studious and serious.

The client hesitated, then slowly sat down on the stool, her back to Lilly. She watched Sherlock with anxious eyes, unsure of what she should do.

Finally, when the silence became unbearable, John cleared his throat, bringing the young woman's attention to him. "So, why are you here?"

She stared at him for a minute, wide eyed and unsmiling. John shifted awkwardly under her stare, until she finally spoke, "My name is Amelia Brown," she turned back to Sherlock, "and I need you to solve a murder."

_________________________________

And the second chapter is complete! That took an agonizingly long time to complete.

photo: Lilly Harper, played by Phoebe Tonkin (she is so gorgeous oh my)

Thank you so much for reading
M