His Favorite Melody

Run For Your Life

As the trio looked out the window, they realized that a taxi had stopped outside 22 Northumberland Street.

"In a taxi! That’s clever! Is it clever? Why’s that clever?" Sherlock asked himself.

"That’s him!" John exclaimed.

"Don’t stare." Sherlock said stiffly.

"You’re staring." John quipped
 
"Well, we can’t all stare, then it'd be obvious." Melody mused.

Suddenly, Sherlock was on his feet, striding out of the restaurant. Mel and John scrambledfrom their seats, throwing their coats on as quickly as possible.

"Never a dull moment with that man." She muttered under her breath. She and John joined Sherlock outside,  just as the cab was pulling away.
 
"I got the cab’s number." John announced.

"Good for you." Sherlock said sarcastically, his eyes snaping shut as he began visualising their route. "Left turn, one way, roadworks, traffic lights, bus lane, pedestrian crossing, left turn
only, traffic lights ..." his eyes flashed open, and Sherlock Holmes lunged straight into the traffic, cars swerving and braking round him. He raced across the road, paying no heed to the oncoming vehicles.

In a heartbeat, John and Mel were racing after him, dodging traffic and swerving aroung obstacles.Sherlock shoved past a man who was entering an apartment building, and raced into the hallway.

"Sherlock!" Melody called out.

"Sorry!" John apologized to the man as they ran last him.

Sherlock was pounding up the stairs, John and Melody in hot pursuit. Sherlock reached the top of the stairs, soon followed by A slightly winded Melody, and then John as he came gasping to the top. They saw Sherlock clambering out of a window.

"What?" Melody breathed out in exasperation.

They hurriedly followed him for fear of being left behind, and were soon racing across the rooftops. Sherlock now leaping from one roof to the next, Melody following him carefully, yet swiftly.

They looked back to see John, hesitating behind them. "Oh dear God!" He whispered.

"Come on, John!  We're losing him!" Sherlock called. John jumped, and they continued on, clattering down it. They ran through a narrow back alley and trough many back streets and buildings until Sherlock burst out of the end of the side street they were on, and right
into the traffic.

Right in front of him was the taxi. It screeched to a halt in front of him. Sherlock marched round the side of the taxi and slammed a card against the driver’s window, yelling. "Police, pull over, now. Pull over!"

The cabbie complied, pulling off to the side.

"Open up, come on, now!" Sherlock continued. As he tore the door open, and looked in, he was greeted by a faintly startled man. He was tanned, good looking, and surrounded by cases.
Sherlock frowned as John and Mel came up to join him, the former of the two panting heavily.

"No! Teeth, tan, what, Californian? LA, Santa Monica, just arrived." Sherlock groaned.

"No, how could you - "

"The luggage!" Mel explained, pointingto his baggage tags.

"Oh, and your first trip to London probably -going by your destination, and the route this driver has taken you."Sherlock inserted.

"Sorry. Are you guys the police?" The confused man asked.
 
"Yes. Is everything all right?"

"Yeah."

"Welcome to London." He strode off, pulling Melody along and leaving John just standing there, the man looking at him, bemused.

"Any problems, just let us know." John said cooly. He slammed the door,and headed after Sherlock, who looked grumpy. He was now leaning against the traffic barrier at the side of the road with Mel standing in front of him, arms crossed.

"So. That was basically just a taxi that happened to slow down." John said as he joined them.

"Basically." Sherlock seethed.

"Not the murderer."

"No, not the murderer."

"Wrong country. Good alibi."

"As they go."

Sherlock still had the police card in his hand. Melody took it from him. "So where did you get this?"she asked before reading it and smirking. "Detective Inspector Lestrade?"
 
"Yeah. I pick-pocket him when he’s
annoying. You can give John that one,
I’ve got loads at the flat. Even got a few of Donovan's you can have if you like." He offered.
Melody handed the card to John, who started to laugh.

"What?" Sherlock pressed.

"Nothing, just ... “Welcome to
London!”."

In spite of himself, Sherlock chuckles too, followed closely by peals of laughter from Mel. But the chuckles died when they saw that the taxi had pulled in a little distance away. The passenger in the back was leaning out the window, talking to a policeman, pointing back at John, Melody, and Sherlock.

"Got your breath back?" Sherlock asked.

"Ready when you are!" John informed.

"Lead us on, Holmes." Mel announced.

And with that, they vaulted over the traffic barrier and started running like hell ...

When they finally arrived back to the house, all three were breathing a bit heavily.

"That was ridiculous. That was the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever done." John breathed out, a smile on his face.

"And you invaded Afghanistan." Sherlock retorted.

John and Mel immediately burst into laughter, which caused Sherlock himself to chuckle a bit.

"Yeah, it wasn’t just me." John said after he calmed down. "Why aren’t we back at the restaurant?"

"Oh, they can keep an eye out. It’s a long shot anyway."

"So what were we doing there?"

"Passing the time, proving a point."

"What point?" John looked at Sherlock, befuddled.

"You. " Sherlock said simply as he stepped to the door at the back of hall, which led to the Hudson’s. He opened it and called through. "Mrs. Hudson, Dr. Watson will be taking the upstairs room!"

"Says who?" John inquired.

The doorbell rang, and Sherlock smirked. "Says the man at the door."

Bemused, John turned and opened the door.
Angelo was standing there much to his and Melody's surprise. In his hands were John’s walking stick and a bag of takeout boxes. "Sherlock texted me! He said you forgot this. And I also brought another pasta for the lady, per his request."

John just stared, thunderstruck. His hand went to his leg in shock. Melody looked up at Sherlock, who was standing there with a satisfied grin on his face.

Out of nowhere, Mrs. Hudson burst out her door, tearful and shocked. "Oh, Sherlock, what have you done??" She asked.
 
"Mum? What's wrong?" Melody urged, panicked.

"Upstairs!"

Melody and Sherlock exchanged a look, and then they were all racing up the stairs together.