The Game is On

The Tourist

"Chinese food?"

"Yeah. Do you mind?"

"Not at all," Amanda said skeptically, "Is this where you went after your very first case?"

"Yep," John smiled, remembering the satisfaction of shooting the cabbie in the chest.

"Well it's already 6:17, we're wasting time."

They went in. It wasn't a busy night so they got a table in no time.

The girls agreed to share rice and some soup. As they waited for their food, the girls asked questions:

"So, daddy John, what was the wedding like?"

"Abnormal."

"Did Magnussen really flick you? Did daddy Sherlock really shoot him?"

The two men looked at each other and smiled at the memories, "In front of 50 people at least."

"And you didn't go to jail?"

"Thanks to Moriarty's return, no."

"What?"

"Never mind. They let me stay free because...Magnussen was a bad man."

"Okay."

The waitress came back with their food, and it was then Sherlock noticed Gina staring at something out the window.

"What are you looking at?"

"Who's that?"

Sherlock stilled, slowly turning to follow his daughter's gaze. Across the street, a man in a ball cap and beige coat stood leaning on a brick wall. His head was down so you couldn't see his face, and it appeared he was listening to music.

"I...Don't know, why?"

"He's been there this whole time. Every so often, he looks up at us."

Sherlock turned back to the man, just as he looked up again. It was dark and rainy, so it was difficult to distinguish his features, but the detective could tell he was smiling.

"Uh, that's...Nobody. Just a tourist. No worries."

"How do you know he's a tourist, daddy Sherlock?"

"His ball cap has the Union Jack on it, so either he's very patriotic or he's a tourist, which is more likely."

"Cool! One day, I want to be able to know stuff about people by looking at them, just like you! Can you teach me?"

"Of course I can, Gina."

"And I want to be a doctor, like daddy John, and see dead bodies like Molly!" Amanda exclaimed, swallowing a spoonful of noodles.

"I'll take you to the clinic some time. And it's a good idea for you two to get to know Molly."

"Why?"

"Because as much as we'd hate to admit it, you need a woman in your life. She can be like...A close aunt, an extra parent...That sort of thing."

"Okay, can she show us dead people?"

John froze, wide-eyed, and then burst out laughing, which made Sherlock laugh too.

"Yeah," John muttered, trying to collect himself, "Someday."

After several minutes, they'd finished and were ready to go.

"Let me pay," John said, pushing down the wallet Sherlock had pulled out of his pocket.

"If you insist, I know there's no changing your mind. Thanks, John."

John pulled out the right amount of money and paid for the meal.