Festivities and Fruitcakes

December 16

December 16: “A man named Steven Moggat decides to write a present-day adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. But what parts will he write for the feisty female characters...?” (from Poseidon God of the Seas)

---

A/N: This one’s a BBC Sherlock-verse fic.

---

John took a deep breath before going in the door of 221b. What was he going to tell Sherlock?

It had began as any other grocery shopping had begun. He’d grabbed a basket, and went in search of milk and the other miscellaneous food they were running low on.

He’d been in the refrigerated aisle, looking for Sherlock’s preferred brand of milk, when he noticed the woman. She was tall and thin, with short dark hair, wore distractingly bright pink gauge earrings, and was wearing more leather than John had ever seen in one place before.

As one often sees interestingly-dressed characters while out shopping, John didn’t give her another thought, until he saw her again next to the vegetables, and again behind the bread.

But not until she followed him out of the store did he confront her.

“Why are you following me?” he demanded.

“Why don’t you figure that out for yourself,” she replied.

“Did Sherlock put you up to this?”

“No,” the woman replied, smirking.

“Well, did Mycroft?”

“No,” she said again.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

She shrugged. “Doesn’t much matter who I am, I have your wallet.” She held it up.

John reached instinctively for his pocket, and with a jolt realized it wasn’t there. “Give me that!” he exclaimed.

The woman took a step back. “Trade you. Wallet for the groceries.”

John eyed her cautiously. She appeared very athletic, and would probably be able to outrun him. “Why do you want my groceries?”

“Does it matter? Just give them to me.” She held out her hand. He really hadn’t bought too many groceries, perhaps he had better not risk his wallet for milk, lettuce, and yogurt.

“Fine,” he grumbled, and handed her the bag. She put the wallet in his hand and smiled sweetly.

“Thanks,” she said, and ran away with his groceries.

John sighed and checked the time. He decided he had better just get home.

Now he stood outside the door, wondering what he would tell Sherlock.

---

“You took your time,” commented Sherlock, not looking up from his book.

“Yeah, I didn’t get the shopping,” John replied.

“What?” said Sherlock, now giving John his full attention. “Why not?”

“Because I had a row in the shop with a chip and PIN machine.”

---

A/N: That last bit was taken directly from the episode The Blind Banker.