Paths Woven

The Search Begins

I wake up maybe three hours later, and it's light out. I stand up and stretch, seeing John still snoring on the couch. I laugh a little, and I trip as I walk over to wake him. Stupid uneven floor. I shake him.

"John! Wake up. John!"

He groans, sitting up. He smiles at me, his eyes alert.

"Morning, Elly. How are you?"

I wince. "Nightmares."

"Oh. What were they?"

"Another recurring one. My parent's deaths."

"Oh. Come here," he pats the couch beside him. "Okay?"

I nod, sitting down on the soft old thing. I lean into him, sighing quietly. John waits for a few minutes before asking if I'm ready for breakfast.

"I guess so, John. I'm actually pretty hungry." I admit.

He smiles again, and we both go upstairs. Mary has already gotten here, and she's cooking. She's staying clear of the refrigerator, though. I'll bet John has warned her about Sherlock's strange habits.

"John?" I ask suddenly.

"Yes?"

"What does Scarlet look like?"

Sherlock opens his eyes, sitting bolt upright. "Why?"

"I'll tell you once you tell me."

"Fine. Scarlet was an African girl with dark brown hair and black eyes. She had a rounded nose and bright white teeth. Now you tell me."

"The girl who kidnapped me from Moriarty... I think she might be Scarlet. Her skin was dark from what I could tell. I saw nothing else, but it's a theory."

Sherlock smacks himself on the head. "Stupid, stupid! I should have seen that! Oh, Elly, you are a clever girl. If it is Scarlet then we have a new lead. We start the search once you eat breakfast."

"Okay. Let's go. Also, why don't you eat?"

"I don't need to."

"Sherlock."

"I - fine. I can deduce almost everything about a meal. Where it came from, how long it's been since it was processed and such. I tend to lose my appetite after that."

"That happens to me as well."

"Then why do you still eat?"

"Because I will literally fall over without something to keep my engine going."

He laughs quietly. "That's how I was when I was your age, too."