Once Upon Another Time (Third Book In The "Life Is But A Dream" Saga)

The Empty Hearse: Part Three

It's not long after my encounter with Sherlock that Daniel and I find our way into a small cafe. His twist was the cafe right next to 221, in which we met with his sister.
Though it was late, there were many customers in the nook on the street. In the air I could smell fresh bread baking in the kitchen, and even I could taste the seasonings in my mouth. Weaving through the maze of chattered tables, I followed Daniel to a small square table on the left of the restaurant. He pulled out the cushioned char for myself, and I sat.

"Happy birthday Aspen." Lucy told me, and I glanced up to my friend. She wore her hair down and in loose curls, with makeup on her eyes and lips. A feeling inside began that made me loose my appetite. Just... every time I saw her face, I was reminded of that night when her true colours were shown; when she rejected me and threw me to the ground. Nevertheless, I smiled at her and was kind to her. After all, when I was in the hospital, she would visit me every so often, but I would reject her as she once did.

"Thanks." I said to my friend as a waiter came up and presented us with glasses of water.
To my surprise, Daniel sat next to me and not his sister. I saw him a sip of his beverage and cross his arms, in attempt to warm himself up.
"Is the water a little cold?" I joked, resulting in a chuckle from the siblings.
"How was the library today, Aspen?" Lucy asked, unfolding the handkerchief and placing it in her lap.
"Exceptional, really. I don't know what better job I could have." I told her, then took a sip of my water.

"Well, I mean it's just a library now." Lucy said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Yeah, but still it means a lot to me. Besides, I would always read when I was-"
I stopped before I could go on, realising what the conversation was going into. A cloud began to form in my head, yet I could not blow it away. Putting a hand against my temple, I closed my eyes and tried not to remember too much about those years ago.

"When you... what?" Lucy asked, but I didn't answer.
The tension began to tighten at the table, but it eased with me when I felt Daniel's hands on my shoulders in comfort.
"Well come on now, it's rude to stop talking like that." Lucy told the two of us.

"Sis, can't you see she's not well?" Dan mentioned to his sister.
"Again? It's only been three days since the last one she had." Lucy stated. I silenced the patient putting up a hand.

I put my other hand to my temple and tried to ease my heartbeat, now racing faster than the cabs outside.
'No, no please don't do this brain. Please.' I thought in my head.

It's then that in my mind, various scenes of the past flash in my head: Moriarty and I's first encounter, Sherlock and I at 221, the pool where I was a helpless hostage, and the detective's suicide.

I stand up quickly and make a run for the door, my hands shaking now. This was not supposed to happen.

The scenes in my mind changed : I was now at the hospital, with a therapist who would try to convince me that I should forget every bad thing that has happened that year. That I was too young to waste my time on silly adult affairs. How I would snap at the doctors for trying to make me believe what they wanted me to believe. Back then, it was hard to believe what others want you to believe when you yourself didn't even know what to believe.

There was one doctor, who I would listen to, but he was more than a doctor. He was-

"Um, ma'am? Are you alright?" I heard a kind voice ask me outside.

I found myself sitting on the ground, with both my hands on my head, and my knees to my chest. The paranoia began to vanish as I slowly opened my eyes.
"What's wrong?" A woman asked, different to the male voice I had heard before. I looked up, and the man I saw was someone I needed.

He had recognised me. I had never forgotten him, but I could forget that moustache. A hand cupped over my mouth as I stood.
Now I was taller than him, and we were not the same height as before.
"Good god. You too." My uncle stated.
Tears came to my eyes as I embraced John Watson. A gasp escaped my lips as I savoured the moment.

"John." I said, my voice soft with love. It had taken a moment, but now my uncle had embraced me as well.
"Aspen." He said in a volume that only I could hear.

I didn't want to let go, for I was afraid he would disappear. "I'm sorry." Was all that could be heard from me.

I had no idea where these sudden emotions came from, but all I knew was that I had found my uncle at the right time.

"Are you real?" He asked, letting me go. I did as well, and met his eyes, now glistening with tears.
"I sure hope so." I told John, making him laugh.

Before he could say anything else, Daniel came burst out the door and was by my side.
"Aspen, goodness are you okay? Please don't think about what Lucy said, she was under stress and had this whole thing planned out smoothly and I was just so worried and-" he began to babble.
I looked to John, who now had a woman standing next to him. The pair looked rather amused at my friend's ranting as well.

"...and so I told her 'Lucy that was not necessary.' And came out to check on you." He finished.

After letting out a light chuckle, I gestured to my uncle.
"Um, Daniel this is my uncle." I introduced, though the timing was inappropriate.

"Oh, er, pleased to meet you." Daniel said to John, shaking his hand, and the woman next to him.

"That moustache doesn't flatter him at all." Daniel said softly to me.
I smiled at my friend before stepping to John and his companion.

"If you don't mind, I would like to speak to you." I told my uncle.
"I believe that is in order." He said, then waved to the woman, who looked stunning in her lilac dress and blonde haircut.
"This is Mary, by the way." John introduced, and I gave him a look that made him blush.

"Hello Mary, I'm Aspen." I said, shaking her hand.
"Let's take a seat, shall we?" John mentioned, and I obeyed. I glanced to Daniel, who also sat next to me.
"Now, where do we start?"