Despite the Odds

Chapter 7: The Sign of Three

Marie returned home one day to find the entire apartment surrounded by a full squadron of the emergency police force. It looked like maximum security had been called, between the several police cars and the helicopter. She raised a brow- he didn't.

Marie walked into 221B calmly, walking up the stairs to the flat she now shared with Sherlock. As expected she found Sherlock sitting at his desk, his laptop open before him while Lestrade stood by the doorway, silently fuming. Sherlock, at the very least, had the decency to look sheepish and somewhat contrite as he met Marie's gaze.

Marie sighed, drawing Lestrade's attention to her. He'd been so annoyed and pissed off by Sherlock, he hadn't even heard her enter.

"What did you do?" Marie asked Sherlock.

*********

After hearing about how Sherlock had interrupted an important case for the DI- the Walters family of thieves that Marie had read about in the papers- just so he, Sherlock, could get help on his current dilemma, Marie scolded Sherlock until he thought his ear would fall off.

The brunette woman apologized profusely to Lestrade, who waved it off wearily, while Sherlock sulked in his armchair. After Lestrade left, too tired to even lecture Sherlock as he went to face the mess that had been caused, Marie glanced over at the petulant detective.

He saw her looking his way and pouted, turning his head away from her in a childish fit. She sighed.

"Sherlock..." She began and he groaned.

"Don't start again- how many times do I have to say I didn't mean to interrupt anything important?" He sulked.

She paused and sighed before walking over to him. He ignored her sullenly as she bent to kneel beside him, peering up at him. She patted his knee as she murmured softly: "Sorry, I didn't mean to scold. But I just felt so terrible for poor Greg."

Sherlock pouted but sighed defeatedly when Marie slid onto his lap, worming her way onto him as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him repentantly. He peered down at her as she looked up at him with puppy eyes and forgave her on the spot, knowing he couldn't win against her anyway.

He murmured with a sigh: "You, Miss Spencer, are going to be the death of me."

She grinned a little, leaning up to kiss him softly. He returned it, before he leaned in to deepen it. She pulled away and he frowned but she smiled as she shook her head.

"Hang on." She murmured as she fished for her phone. Sherlock pouted and his frown only deepened as Marie called: "Mycroft?"

There was a pause before Marie began to explain into her phone. Sherlock pursed his lips in annoyance, before he began to kiss Marie's neck as she called in a favor with the elder Holmes. Marie tried to wiggle away, but Sherlock held her firmly and she ultimately gave up, deciding it would be easier to just quickly end the phone call. Mycroft finally agreed to help Lestrade and Marie beamed.

"Thank you, Mycroft." She said cheerfully. Mycroft replied dryly: "Good day, Miss Spencer. I hope you won't waste it entirely in bed with my brother."

Marie blushed bright red and she just hung up in embarrassment. Sherlock saw and he smirked.

"Care to share what my brother said?" He asked innocently and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You knew he'd know." She accused and he pointed out: "He is my brother."

She groaned, although it quickly melted as Sherlock moved in to kiss her again. He pulled away just slightly to breathe: "I wouldn't mind just spending the day in bed with you."