Sophia Holmes and the Other Woman (Sherlock's Daughter Fanfic) *Completed*

Chapter Two

We move into the living room and dad sits down in his chair while John paces around a bit. Dad still looks a little lost and sits sprawled out in his chair, staring up at the ceiling and keeping very quiet as he thinks through the implications of being the best man. 

To be honest, I think both John and I are doing the same. Surely it would have been a lot less trouble to make Lestrade the best man. There's going to be a good fifty people at John and Mary's wedding, and I don't think dad has ever made a speech. Something is bound to go wrong.

As John paces around, he catches a look of something outside and walks closer to the window to investigate. "Uh, Sherlock," he says. "I think you might have a client." I walk over and look to see a young woman hovering outside Speedy's, glancing towards our front door. "She's going to ring the doorbell." The woman stops and turns around. "Oh, no. She's changed her mind." The woman walks away a few paces, then stops and turns around again. "No, she's gonna do it ... No, she's leaving. She's leaving. ... Oh, she's coming back."

"She's a client. She's boring," dad says, without opening his eyes. "I've seen those symptoms before."

"Hmm?" John asks, looking around.

"Oscillation on the pavement always means there's a love affair," I explain as the doorbell rings downstairs.

"Tell her to go away," dad shouts down the stairs to Mrs Hudson, but John frowns. 

"No," John says, firmly, walking over to us. "Mrs-Mrs Hudson, it's fine, bring her up." Dad frowns and opens his eyes to glare at John. "If you're going to be the best man, you need to start caring about affairs of the heart."

"Why?" dad shoots back at him. "So I can prepare for when you break up which will be in ... hmm ... six months?"

"Dad!" I hiss, but John just stares back at dad.

"Mary and I have been through a lot already. We're not breaking up."

Dad raises an eyebrow dubiously, but doesn't say anything as Mrs Hudson leads the woman inside. "Mrs Sabrina Jennings," she announces, looking between us and sensing the current tension, before turning and leaving. 

"So, the affair?" dad says, studying her as she takes a seat. Jennings looks taken aback, but not surprised. 

"It's my husband, Chris," she explains. "We've been married for five years now, but I think he's started seeing someone else. I can't prove it, of course. Which why I've come to you."

I look down at her ring to confirm the time frame and frown. It's like the study in pink all over again - all of the rest of her jewellery is clean and expensive apart from the ring which looks cheap and dirty, as if it hasn't been cleaned.

"Clearly not a happy marriage, though," I point out and she looks to me, frowning.

Dad rolls his eyes. "Of course that's of zero importance in the grand scheme of things," he mutters. "Mrs Jennings, we're not your average P.I. We don't do affairs."

"Oh," Jennings says, blushing and picking up her bag to leave.

Suddenly, the door opens. "Hiya, sorry, only me," Mary says, bursting through the door. She sees Jennings in the chair, and her face drops. "Sorry, am I interrupting?"

I ignore her as I find my attention drawn to Jennings. Her eyes briefly trace Mary's figure and pause - just for a moment - at her breasts, before she looks away, biting her lip and twisting her wedding ring. Oh. 

"I'll take the case," dad says, standing up. 

Jennings looks up again, shocked. "Sorry?"

"I'll help you find the evidence you need for your divorce," dad explains, smiling. John looks just as stunned as Jennings does, a small smile on his lips. Mary looks slightly clueless. 

"Really?" she asks, standing up. "Thank you Mr Holmes, it means a lot." Dad holds the door open for her as she walks out, and she gives a small smile to Mary as she leaves. 

"What was that about?" Mary asks, once Jennings has gone. 

"Sherlock's just taken a case to end an unhappy marriage," John explains, still slightly in awe. No doubt he believes Mary's entrance made dad want to take the case because he wanted to see a happy couple, but that's not the real reason. If dad saw the same as me, Sabrina Jennings is the one having the affair. But the question is, why?