The Mikaelson of Baker Street

Chapter 8: A Study in Pink: pt 5

***Recap***

(John stands fixed to the spot for a few seconds, then turns and glances towards the departing man while, behind John, the car door opens and not-Anthea gets out and walks a few paces towards him, her attention still riveted to the BlackBerry held in front of her in both hands.)

Not-Anthea: I'm to take you home.

(John half-turns towards her, then stops and takes out his phone to look at the new message. It reads:

Could be dangerous.
SH/NM)

(Putting the phone back into his pocket, John holds out his left hand in front of him and studies the lack of tremor coming from it. He smiles wryly.)

***Now***

Not-Anthea: Address?

John (turning and walking towards her): Er, Baker Street. Two two one B Baker Street. But I need to stop somewhere first.

(Later, John opens the door to his bedsit and switches on the light. Walking inside and closing the door behind him, he goes across to the desk and opens the drawer, taking out his pistol. Checking the clip, he tucks the gun into the back of the waistband of his jeans and turns to leave again.)

(Later again, the car pulls up outside 221B Baker Street. Not-Anthea is still riveted by whatever she's typing on her phone [that must be one heck of a running blog that she's writing]. John looks across at her.)

John: Listen, your boss - any chance you could not tell him this is where I went?

Not-Anthea (nonchalantly): Sure.

John: You've told him already, haven't you?

(She smiles across at him briefly.)

Not-Anthea: Yeah.

(John nods in resignation and turns to get out of the car but just as he has opened the door, he turns back to her.)

John: Hey, um ... do you ever get any free time?

(She chuckles.)

Not-Anthea (sarcastically): Oh, yeah. Lots.

(John waits expectantly. She continues working her phone for a long moment, then turns and looks at him before allowing her gaze to drift past him to the door of 221B.)

Not-Anthea: 'Bye.

John: Okay.

(He gets out and closes the door, then watches the car pull away before turning and walking across the pavement to the front door of 221B. He knocks on the door.)

(Upstairs in the living room of the flat, Sherlock is lying stretched out on the sofa with his head towards the window and resting his head on Nikki's lap as she lazily ran her fingers through her mate's hair. In Nikki's other hand she held a wine glass filled with A+ blood that she passed off as red wine and her Edgar Allen Poe Complete addition book resting on the armrest, while Sherlock had his jacket off and his shirt sleeves unbuttoned and pushed up his arms, he has his eyes closed and he is pressing the palm of his right hand firmly onto the underside of his left arm just below the elbow. After some seconds his eyes snap open wide and he stares fixedly up towards the ceiling, then he sighs out a noisy breath and relaxes. John comes through the door, then stops and stares as Sherlock repeatedly clenches and unclenches his left fist.)