It's Only Temporary (Sherlock fanfic)

Chapter 10 • What She Sees

"Well it isn't much of what he does, but what he is," Irene began. I had asked her about Sherlock as we started our tread down the city block. She said that she has never met a more interesting man in her life, and not in the cold way I see him as.

Irene had asked me what I saw in him when I brought him up. A sort of excited twinkle shines in her eye. In that moment I knew that this was a topic she most loved to speak about. And I answered honestly. I saw him as a stuck-up, smart ass, egotistical psychopath with people too good to befriend him by his side. Her twinkle still showed with a bit of charisma as I went on about the whole "secret revealed" debacle.

"I've learned," she began again, "in my time with him, that he is very intelligent. The most intelligent man I have ever met, and most likely will ever meet. I'd say he beats his brother tenfold." I watched as her lips grew wider the more she explained.

My fingers combed through my hair. "Sherlock has a brother?" I asked.

"Of course. Who else would help him get to where he is without going into a cell by this point? The delivery man?" She gave a small chuckle before wrapping her coat around herself tighter.

My phone buzzed with the text vibration I set earlier today while I was waiting for Uncle Les. It was tempting to look at who was texting me, but I just stuck my hand in that same pocket and pressed the lock button. Another didn't come in after that. I thought that maybe it was my uncle texting me, but I didn't want to count on it.

"What was that noise?" Irene's eyes wandered our current scene.

"What noise?"

"It was like this humming sound. But it wasn't one I've ever heard. Like this one buzzing pattern, then another, and then it stopped."

My phone buzzed again. I pulled it out and showed it to her without glancing at the message. "This one?"

Her icy blue eyes landed on my device and I watched as her brows knit together. "Yes, but how did you ever set such a vibration? I never knew that was a choice."

"It isn't," I laughed. "I made it custom."

"Oh, really? I'm going to have to look at that sometime."

The two of us traveled farther down the pavement in soothing silence. The wind nipped at my nose with its bitter cold temperature. City lights stretched, duplicated, and shrank my shadow in many ways. A strong sense of tranquility washed over me with the serene moment I had stepped in.

For once since I had gotten here, I took a moment to look around. Just the look of its quiet life on the sidewalks seemed quaint. All of the cars and buses passing us by looked effortlessly staged before us. The traffic lights kept those at bay from harm's way, patient pedestrians staying away from the busy cars, and the lamppost on the corner flickered with delight.

I felt so at ease for the first time in what seemed like forever. This feeling of silent happiness filled me in a way I couldn't describe. This wondrous sensation made me want to run and enjoy the moment for as long as I could. My mind wanted to be pushed around blocks and take in as much of the city until I thought I was lost. My toes wiggled in delight much like the lamppost.

"Hey," Irene brought me back from my thoughts. I noticed her features had softened a bit. "Is Sherlock still at 231B?"

"221B actually. Why?"

She shrugged. "Oh, just wondering."

"Oh," I started. "While we are still on the topic of Sherlock, how did you guys meet, and how far back?"

Irene sighed. "Well, we met before Christmas in some interesting attire. He was dressed as a priest and I. . . Well I had much less on. This was all because of a scandal that I took part in with someone of a much higher power here in London. Sherlock wanted some insurance on my phone that I couldn't afford to loose. He had spent all the way until about New Years trying to find the password for my phone. Eventually he had figured it out, but it wasn't without some help from my screen." She gave me a wink before we turned a corner. I had only just realized that we were heading down Baker Street when we had turned.

"After he had figured it out, I thought that he was just going to forget about me like he does most cases. But he didn't. He didn't delete me from his memory card or hard drive. The one time that I thought I wasn't going to make it, he was there to save me. He may seem too smart for anyone, but brainy is the new sexy. He can get along with a select few."

"You don't say?" I sighed. "I've always wondered how my uncle has been able to put up with him for so long." We laughed and continued our walk down the street. We had only just passed Speedy's and I saw that Irene had stopped in front of 221B.

I watched my companion open the door and begin to walk in. She stopped about halfway before turning to me. "Coming?" She had asked.

At first, I thought she was kidding. Me? Come to see Sherlock with her? She must have been crazy.i knew I had to come up with come thing to avoid being anywhere near this place. It was exasperating to even feel this man's level of sarcasm and cockiness oozing through the window.

"No," I chuckled. "I think I need to get back to my place. It's getting a bit chilly out here and I'm still not used to it yet."

"Oh, no one here is," she teased. "But if u you must go, then it was nice to meet you, Zaira."

"You too Irene."