How They Met Alice (BBC Sherlock Fanfiction)

Chapter 64

(John’s POV: )

 Later, in the small Snug next to the bar, Greg was sitting at a table looking through paperwork –previous invoices from Undershaw – while Gary the manager and Billy the chef sat at the other side of the table looking at him anxiously. Alice stood behind them, watching Greg read the papers analytically. Sherlock ostentatiously tapped the drips off a spoon into a cup and carried it over to me, offering it to me.

 “What’s this?” I asked, looking away from Greg.

 “Coffee. I made coffee.” He said, almost proudly. Alice looked up sceptically.

 “You never make coffee.” I said almost immediately.

 “I just did. Don’t you want it?” Sherlock asked, holding it a bit closer and Alice raised an eyebrow.

 “You don’t have to keep apologising.” I said calmly. He looked away with a hurt expression on his face. I hated that face more than ‘The Face’. I relented and took the cup and saucer. “Thanks.” I said quietly. Sherlock smiled happily- proudly and Alice hid a smile. I took a mouthful and tried not to, but grimaced. “Mm. I don’t take sugar...” I said softly. The hurt expression came back onto Sherlock’s face as he looked away again. He was like a puppy whose owner had just told him off for chewing his slippers. I looked at his face and felt that I had no choice but to take another drink, which I did. Alice smiled openly until Greg spoke again.

 “These records go back nearly two months.” Greg said somewhat suddenly. Grimacing at the taste, I put the cup back into the saucer and looked at Sherlock.

 “That’s nice. That’s good.” I replied. I turned away to put the drink down as Greg continued interrogating Gary and Billy. Alice looked down at them like she was angry, but she didn’t seem angry. She did that a lot. I could almost never tell what she was feeling.

 “Is that when you had the idea, after the TV show went out?” Greg asked.

 “It’s me. It was me.” Billy blurted. He turned to his partner. “I’m sorry, Gary – I couldn’t help it. I had a bacon sandwich at Carol’s wedding and one thing just led to another...” Sherlock grinned behind him and Alice broke out into a small smile as well. I didn’t get the joke. Greg was equally disbelieving.

 “Nice try.” Greg said dryly.

 “Look, we were just trying to give things a bit of a boost, you know? A great big dog run wild up on the moor – it was heaven-sent. It was like us having our own Loch Ness Monster.” Gary explained.

 “Where do you keep it?” Alice asked, taking Greg’s question. She did that a lot too. It annoyed me but she wouldn’t stop.

“There’s an old mineshaft. It’s not too far. It was all right there.” Gary admitted.

 “‘Was’?” Sherlock asked.

 “We couldn’t control the bl**dy thing. It was vicious.” Gary sighed. He sighed again. “And then, a month ago, Billy took him to the vet and, er... you know.”

 “It’s dead?” I asked.

“Put down.” Gary corrected.

“Yeah. No choice. So it’s over.” Billy added.

“It was just a joke, you know?” Gary continued. Alice looked impatient.

“Yeah, hilarious.” Greg remarked sarcastically. He stood up and looked down at them angrily. “You’ve nearly driven a man out of his mind.” He walked out of the room. I followed him. Sherlock stayed back for a moment with Alice, but then followed. I followed Greg across the bar and out of the pub.