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Sherlock became more excited. Could he really be on the way back already? It seemed improbable, but the message he was reading seemed like proof that it was true.
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In his enthusiasm it took Sherlock several minutes more to realize the message was not written by John.
Last edited by Schmiezi (May 3, 2016 4:04 am)
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"Oh God," sighed Sherlock. " This will be Mycroft, messing with my head."
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The disappointment of it not being John - and probably being Mycroft - made Sherlock so angry that he was glad of the take-away mess in the kitchen. Just out of spite, he lit a few more cigarettes and put them out in the ashtray that he put in the middle of the living room. His tea was cold and half-full? Good!
He swirled his robe (yes,it wasn't only the Belstaff he could swirl) and draped himself on the couch with his fingers steepled under his chin, ready for a good sulk.
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He sat there fuming for several minutes before storming through the flat to put some proper clothes on. Whoever was coming to see him, he had to be ready.
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In due time, the doorbell rang. Not the usual tentative client ring. So Sherlock was puzzled. Who else would actually ring the front doorbell? Had Mrs Hudson or John either forgotten or lost their key?
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No. Not them. They knew he never answered the door and would turn to Mrs Turner or those tedious married ones of hers for 221's spare key.
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So Sherlock braced himself, for the inevitable unwanted caller. Which side of the angels would they be on?
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Use this if you have to, though I'd rather you'd hook it. - SH, he wrote on a Post It note. Finding a piece of scotch tape in the chaos that was their desk took considerable time, during which the doorbell was pushed in a steeply rising arc of insistence and duration.
"Yes, yes," Sherlock muttered beneath his breath. At long last he discovered the tape underneath the skull. What on Earth could have possessed John to put it there was beyond him. He ripped off a longish piece, wound it around his key and attached the key to the Post It-note. Then he pulled up the window, threw out the key and was just pushing the window closed again when he heard a loud "Oi."
Bull's eye, then.
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He was momentarily amused by his disturbance of the passer-by and forgot about the guest at the door for that moment. He then nervously shuffled back to the door and tentatively grasped the doorknob before turning it to open it and see who stood on the other side.
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Outside stood Lestrade, rubbing his head.
"What the hell are you playing at? And why didn't you open the door?"
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Sherlock reeled back on his heels, as though he had been expecting somebody else. "What are you doing here?"he snapped back at the injured detective inspector.
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"I see," Lestrades said, "John is away."
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"Heavens, you're scintillating today," replied Sherlock. "Why are you here? Can't be a murder enquiry, I checked fifteen minutes ago."
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(Can we please start playing this again? I mean, we've all submitted our fics for the exchange, haven't we?)
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(Right then...)
"Yes, no case, we couldn't manage without you, Sherlock,"Lestrade replied. "I'm here for private matters... as a friend."
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Alarm bells started ringing in Sherlock's head. Gordon consulting HIM on private matters? This did not bode well.
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Narrowing his eyes Sherlock fixed Gavin with his most withering glare; the perfect disguise to check out why the DI had turned to him rather than John, or Molly or - heaven forbid but it was all too feasible - Mycroft, if his marriage was on the brink of collapse again.
Disturbingly, George met Sherlock's stare quite unfazed. "Yes, I could do with a cup of tea," he said, sidling past Sherlock into the hallway. "I'll go and make it myself, shall I?"
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And making tea, as well? This really must be something serious. Sherlock searched his mental data files, in an attempt to be prepared with any relevant platitude or appropriately supportive comment.
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"John forgot to buy my favorite, as usual. Although his excuse was "sold out of your posh tea", if I recall correctly. So you'd have to make do with the bland one we have, I'm afraid." Sherlock waved his hand vaguley in the direction of the kitchen before returning to the couch.