TO BE FOUND : Book One

TO MEET AGAIN {Revised AGAIN}

The cab came to a halt, causing Victoria to let out a nervous sigh. The red head paid the man and thanked him, her hands shaking. She gathered her bags and opened up the cab door, looking up to the apartment window, then the address near the door. 221 Baker Street.

The driver rolled down his window, clearing his throat, "You seem nervous, love. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah just-uh-a bit nervous. Haven't seen this guy in awhile." Victoria stated her Scottish accent wavering. As the driver went on his own way, her thoughts began to spiral into a state of panic. What was she going to say? How would he react? Would he hate her? Perhaps she could carry on along this street, find a place to have a drink, then see how she felt. A glass of scotch could do it. The thought caused her to sigh aloud and face reality without the comfort of a cool glass. She sauntered up the steps and knocked on the door a bit too eagerly. A few steps were heard on the other side and she wanted to run away, to get that drink. Suddenly the door opened, revealing an old woman. "May I help you?" she asked sweetly, her voice high pitched.

"Yes I'm looking for Sherlock Holmes." Victoria said rather quickly.

"Oh! Of course dear. He's upstairs. Careful though, there was all sorts of loud noises up there. He may be in one of his moods again." She warned as she let Victoria into the flat.

She laughed lightly, "Thank you for the heads up." After the old woman disappeared to her own flat Victoria quietly headed up the staircase, a window being the only source of light on the creaky staircase. Then, she saw it, just around the corner of the stairs to another small flight; Sherlock's flat. Victoria took a few more steps and entered the open door with careful steps, breathing out as she realized that she had been holding her breath. Her eyes scanned the room, seeing his state of living and eventually she took notice of his tall figure standing in front of the window. She parted her lips, then closed them, searching for words. What words to say? What should she say?

"Hello Mr. Holmes." Victoria pierced the quiet, few words filled with vast emotion.

She noticed his body stiffen and slowly he began to turn around, he knew that voice. No matter the years, no matter the change. Sherlock knew that voice. She took note that he hadn't changed at all. He still had prominent cheekbones, bright, calculating eyes, and a lovely mop of curls atop his head. Sherlock noticed that she hadn't changed either. Victoria always had long red hair, hazel eyes, and the crinkle of her nose when she laughed or smiled real big. Her smile was beaming now that they had made eye contact. Her nose did that thing. Sherlock analyzed Victoria from where he stood at the window, taking a step forward. She saw his eyes were moving rapidly as if he was reading text from a book. Sherlock's piercing eyes met with her own, parting his lips to speak. "Are you lost?"

Victoria smiled "A little." He walked over to the red headed woman, so he was only a foot away from where she stood.

"Where have you been?" He asked, raising a brow at her and tilting his head.

"Don't tell me you lost your deduction skills." The woman bit the inside of her cheek.

Sherlock sighed, quirked a brow and glanced at her bag to see her passport slightly peeking from her bag, "You've been out of the country. Why?"

Victoria wasn't sure if she could tell him everything just yet, but she had to tell him something to throw him off, "Dad had something come up, a sort of emergency. We had to leave, to be with some family in the states."

"That night before I found your had left, you came to see me." Sherlock spoke , voice rumbling with something deep and raw, "I suppose that was your unofficial goodbye and here you are seventeen years later." His eyes wandered over her as if searching, "Why? I imagined you would have moved on, grown to know something new." He almost sounded bitter, but he remained collected, pushing his hands into his pockets.

"Moved on?" Victoria laughed at the words he spoke, shaking her head. Her eyes burned with tears that had yet to fall, "It was out of my control, Sherl."

"I want to tell you so much, but I just don't know how to start- or where. God, it's all so complicated. " Victoria tried to keep herself calm, but the tears started to fall from her eyes.

"How complicated?" Sherlock asked. He wanted to know. He needed to know.

She laughed again, it was bitter now, "Very complicated."

"You've obviously forgotten who I am." Sherlock replied lightheartedly, stepping forward.

Victoria smiled through her tears, "I could never." She looked down at her hands that she was nervously fidgeting with, "I've missed you, and I finally gathered the courage to get over what's already happened. I made a decision that I was going to come back home and come back to you." She punched his shoulder playfully and she watched a reluctant smile come over his face.

Sherlock and Victoria let the silence continue to fill the room. Within moments they were tangled in an embrace, the boy and the girl that met over twenty years ago could finally continue from where they had left off. The two stood there in each other's arms without any cares in the world, this moment was defining for both of them. No fear or anxieties for what was to come. The world outside was quiet for now, and all that mattered was a simple embrace between two friends.

The peace was disturbed by a bashful cough, "Ahem."

The moment for now was gone.