221B

Chapter 13 - A Study in Pink

We sit at a table with a windowseat in a restaurant in Northumberland Street. I slide into the windowseat and John follows. Sherlock sits in a chair facing the window.

"22 Northumberland Street. Keep your eyes on it." Sherlock says to John and I, his hand nearby his chin, his elbow rested in the table. John and I glance at the reflection of the street ahead of us.

"He isn't just gonna ring the doorbell, is he? He'd need to be mad." John says.

"He has killed four people." Sherlock answers, not looking away from the window.

"Okay..." John answers, and just then a man comes over to Sherlock, clearly pleased to see him.

"Sherlock..." The man says with a heavy accent I can't yet identify, smiling, shaking his hand.

"Anything on the menu. Whatever you want, free." He lays a couple menus down on the table.

"On the house. For you and your...." He pauses, knowing Sherlock isn't exactly one to have friends. "...friends?" He guesses quietly.

"Do you want to eat?" Sherlock asks John and I.

"No thanks." I answer.

"This man got me off a murder charge." The man says.

"This is Angelo." Sherlock introduces us. Angelo shakes John's hand, then mine, his hand much larger than mine, his grip firm. It's clear his either the manager or owner of this restaurant.

"Three years ago I successfully proved to Lestrade at the time of a particularly vicious triple murder that Angelo was in a completely different part of town, house breaking."

"He cleared my name!" Angelo says to John and I.

"I cleared it a bit." Sherlock answers. "Anything happening opposite?"

"Nothing." Angelo answers, then looks back at John and I. "But for this man, I would've gone to prison."

Sherlock furrows his brows slightly. "You did go to prison."

"I'll be back in a few minutes to take your order." Angelo says a few seconds later, and walks away.

"Thank God you're here, Katherine. Last time Sherlock and I were in a restaurant together...they thought I was his date." John mutters to me.

Sherlock lays his menu down on the table. "You two may as well eat. We might have a long wait."

"You going to eat?" John asks.

"No." Sherlock and I answer in unison.

"Well I know you won't. You never do." John says to Sherlock, and turns to me. "Sure you're not going to eat anything?"

"Positive." I answer.

Later on, John orders, and soon after, there's a plate of food in front of him on the table. During this whole time Sherlock has his eyes on the window over my shoulder and I watch in the reflection ahead of us.

"People don't have archenemies." John says shortly after his food arrives.

Sherlock looks at us a few moments later. "I'm sorry?"

"In real life." I answer. "There are no arch enemies in real life."

"Doesn't happen." John adds.

Sherlock looks at the window, clearly not interested. "Doesn't it? Sounds a bit dull."

"So who did we meet?" I ask Sherlock.

"What do real people have, then, in their 'real lives'?" Sherlock asks.

"Friends; people they know; people they like; people they don't like..." John lists. "Girlfriends...boyfriends..."

"Yes, well, as I was saying; dull."

"Do you have a boyfriend, Katherine?" John asks me.

"No..." I answer. Sherlock's eyes flit in my direction for a second. John glances at Sherlock.

"What about a-?"

"Nope. I'm straight, John."

"You don't have a girlfriend, then?" John asks Sherlock, and glances at me. Sherlock doesn't notice.

"Girlfriend?" Sherlock repeats, still looking out the window. "No, not really my area."

"Mm." John answers, and a few moments  I watch him realize the possible significance of this statement. "Oh," John says. "Right. Do you have a boyfriend?"

Sherlock turns quickly to look at him, John's definitely captured his attention with this question.

"Which is fine, by the way." John answers quickly.

"I know it's fine." Sherlock says.

I see John smile, indicating that he wasn't meaning anything bad by what he said.

"So you've got a boyfriend, then?" John asks.

"No." Sherlock answers.

"Right. Okay. You're unattached. Like me. And Katherine." John says awkwardly. He looks down at his plate. "Fine." He clears his throat. "Good." He continues eating, and Sherlock looks at John suspiciously for a second, then looks back out the window.

"Um..." I say quietly, and nudge Sherlock. John doesn't notice. It's then I watch Sherlock's face and I can tell he's replaying John's statement in his mind. He quickly looks at me and our eyes meet, we both then look at John suspiciously then back at one another. Sherlock appears startled now.

"John, um..." Sherlock starts awkwardly. "I think you should know that I consider myself married to my work," He starts rapidly picking up speed. "And while I'm flattered by your interest," He begins to babble now. "I'm really not looking for any-"

"No." John interrupts, then turns his head briefly to clear his throat. "No, I'm not asking. No." He looks back and forth between Sherlock and I. "I'm just saying, it's all fine."

Sherlock looks at him, then at me, then nods.

"Good. Thank you." He says to John, then turns his attention back to the street. John looks away for a second, and then Sherlock nods out of the window. "Look across the street." Sherlock says. "Taxi."

John and I both turn in our seats and see a taxi parked on the side of the street. It's headlights facing the opposite direction.

"Stopped." Sherlock says.

"Nobody's getting in-" I start.

"Or out." He finishes.

In the back seat we see a passenger-a man, looking through the side windows as if attempting to spot someone in particular.

"Why a taxi?" Sherlock asks himself. "Oh, that's clever. Is it clever? Why is it clever?"

"That's him?" John asks.

"Don't stare." Sherlock says to us.

"You're staring."

"We can't all stare!" Sherlock leaps to his feet, grabs his coat, and leaves. John stands, grabs his coat as well, and we both slide out of our seats, following Sherlock.

-----

I know, this chapter isn't as long as I hoped, but I only had a short time to write and I promised I'd post a chapter today. The next chapter might be much longer, maybe it'll be the same length, as this point,  I don't know.

I know I haven't updated this fanfic as much as I've liked, but I promise I'll update much more! :)