Dancing with the Devil (part one)

Chapter 14: Oh My God!

Astrid took the taxi back to the station and sat in the back of a train alone listening to music until about half an hour into the journey, she got a call from an unknown number, she rolled her eyes at Mycroft's silly attempts to get her to move away from his brother and answered the phone.

"Mycroft, please leave me alone, Sherlock told you to leave me alone,"

"I was just wanting to check up on you, jeez." came a voice from the other end that was not the posh velvety voice of the iceman.

"Oh, Seb, hey, sorry."

"So you've spoken to Holmes's older brother then." Sebastian stated

"Oh yes, of course," Astrid sighed, "the iceman, is ice-cold, very accurate name."

"so, have you had to beat up any thugs at bars yet."

"Easy tiger, I managed to get you on your knees, I wouldn't worry about my capability against some drunken, out of shape 50 year old." Astrid replied, grinning after hearing an irritated sigh from across the phone, "so, how are you? How's the boss? Holding up without me?"

"Yes, we miss you very much. And all that." The tiger was probably rolling his eyes over the phone, "I should probably not tell you what I'm about to tell you, but I'm gonna say it any way."

"What?" Astrid smiled, a little confused.

"Jim was talking very randomly earlier today."

"Really? How?"

"He was going on about how he didn't know what he saw in you, and he randomly mentioned about not doing 'love' or whatever. It seemed like he was really thinking about you."

"Really?" Astrid grinned brightly through the phone.

"Well, yeah." he said. His voiced sounded more surprise as he continued, "Wait... you're not?... You don't... you don't like... you know... like him?"

Astrid didn't reply causing Moran to laugh, shocked.

"Oh my God!" he stated, not yelling, more of a quiet shocked gasp, "What the fuck, Alexa?"

"What?" she dragged out, "You're not jealous, are you?"

"He's my boss."

"So?"

"Let's be professional here."

"Yes lets." she said and tried to sound more serious, "My first report, the subject has solved the cases in the time that Mr. Moriarty expected and he hasn't suspected anything, not even since Jim came into the hospital."

"He went into the hospital?"

"Oh, he didn't tell you that he butted in on my case?" She asked and Seb sighed, "Oh, he decided that it would be funny to dress up as some gay guy who worked in IT, he couldn't control himself and thought he just had to go in there just to prove the point of how clueless Sherlock is and almost ruin the whole thing."

"He didn't mention it, no." Seb laughed at the infuriated voice over the telephone. "Don't think you've changed the subject."

"Oh come on Seb."

"I know you like him, and he likes you too."

"Speak for yourself"

"What's that's supposed to mean?" Seb said, madly.

"I've seen you gazing at him, eyes full of lust. How romantic; The body guard and the consulting criminal."

"Oh whatever," he sighed, now wishing he had changed the subject given the chance, "Where are you?"

"In a train."

"Why?"

"Uh uh, don't try to change the subject." Astrid repeated what the tiger had said before.

"Alexa, where did you go?"

"To Ana's"

"Your servant?"

"She's not my servant anymore, she's been there for me when I've had neither a dad, or a mother."

"You never really told me about your dad"

"Ask Jim."

"I Will, enjoy the Baker street boys. I hope they are being hospitable."

"Well, the virgin is  being a struggle, but Johnny boy is delightful!"

"Well that's nice to hear."

"Bye Seb."

"Slan leat."

"Bye."

She hung up the phone just in time for the train to arrive at the station, she had been gone for about  two and a hours and was curious about the progress the two had made. After getting a taxi back to  221b she knocked on the front door which was answered once again by the old land lady.

"Ah, hello Alexa," She let the smiling blonde in and they both went into the front room together.

"I just came to drop off some things for my room, are the boys not here?"

"Oh, no, they are still on that case, as per usual."

"Of course. I'll just drop these off and be on my way, just need to go back to the inn and get some other  things.

"And what are these?"

"Oh, these are some things from my childhood. Just a few posters and pictures."

Astrid lifted the lid of the box and Mrs Hudson smiled and peered inside she had noticed the picture of her mum sat at the top of the pile.

"And who's this?" The landlady said rather nosily, as she took out the picture of the mother and daughter on holiday.

"Oh, that? That's me and my mum." She smiled at the memory, " we used to go there every year."

"Looks lovely."

"I couldn't possibly go back."

"Why not?"

"Too many memories"

"Ah, I understand" The old woman smiled sympathetically as Astrid took the box and carried into her room.

"I'll just leave these here," She said as she took the picture from Mrs. Hudson and placed it on the bedside table. "I've got work as well so I won't be back until late, I'll probably just stay overnight and come back in the morning. "

"Ah yes, and do take a set of keys." The kind lady said and escorted her to a bowl with several pieces of junk in it, she took out a set of keys and lifted them up to her. After explaining to Astrid what each key was for, she gave them to her and let Astrid be.

(A/N Slan leat means goodbye in Irish)