Consulting Father. [SLOW UPDATES]

<6>

Sherlock pov
--~~--~~--
Hailing a cab I get in and wait for John and Maria to follow.
Thinking about everything that she has said. Did he love John? No, he valued his friendship. Nothing more nothing less. Caring is not an advantage. Maria and Isabella are proof of that. I love them both and yet still get hurt.
By now my train of thought is lost by John and Maria getting in the cab and John telling the cabbie where to go.
I go to my mind palace while the cab is driving, organizing the chaos that has been caused by Maria arriving.
Much like moving furniture around a house I store the new information with the old and rearrange things so that it is all easily accessible.
'Sherlock' a foggy voice whispers
I look around for the disembodied voice,
"Sherlock, dad c'mon," I hear more clearly. I leave my mind palace and open my eyes
"Yes?" I say with a small frown.
"Well are at the mall you can get out the cab now," Maria says holding the door open.
"Oh, that was rather quick." I huff as I climb out the back of the cab. Walking on ahead of them I enter the large building. Gusts of warm air greet us from the air conditioning. A nice change from the cold London Weather. Maria and John trail behind me.
"Right I'm off to the shops I'll meet you both back at home," John says walking off towards the convenience store.
"Ok see you later then I'll keep an eye on Sherlock keep him out of trouble!" Maria grins waving him off.
"Come along we need to go buy useless junk now," I say walking towards one of the many general stores. Maria grabs my coat sleeve and tugs me back.
"Can we go there first?" She asks pointing at a small clothing store behind us with images of characters and quotes from different books and television series. I spot why Maria wants to go almost immediately, there in the window is a doctor who tardis. I smile
"Sure," I say walking towards the store with her.
A smile on her face as she holds my sleeve dragging me to see the shop. As we approach I note that the tardis object is, in fact, a lamp.
"If I buy that can we tell John it's for you," I ask Maria picking it up.
"Sure" she replies walking straight past and to a table with various shirts scarfs and jewellery laid out on it.
She picks up a scarf like mine but a golden yellow with black stripes. And a necklace shaped like angel wings but with a small pocket watch like design inset in the middle.
"Only if I can get these too," she says handing me them.
After browsing around the store for a while we eventually make our way to the checkout. With four shirts, the tardis lamp, the necklace, the scarf- which Maria had informed me was a Hufflepuff house scarf for Hogwarts- and a death Frisbee that she insisted on me getting.
As I pay the cashier a teenage girl who obviously dropped out of school without the proper grades and no interest in working gives me an odd look.
"Ain't you 'at detective they all been fussing 'bout that un's who been writin' 'is blog Mister Watson," she says with a heavy accent.
"That would be Doctor John Watson actually" Maria corrects her innocently.
"Wats the difference Mister an' Doctor mean the same thin' don't 'ey" she snares back.
"No they are most certainly not the same thing I can't imagine its easy for you to think about this with your tiny goldfish brain, but if you worked hard for years of your life to earn the right to be called by a certain title like doctor or captain you would not want some lazy rude inconsiderate bimbo who only hears because it's the only job that would hire getting that wrong now would you. So stop insulting my friends and start doing your God damned job before I get you fired!" Maria snaps slamming the cash onto the counter.
"Do hurry you are holding up the line" I add looking down on the girl. With a grumble, she starts scanning things and throwing them into bags. As I walk out of the shop Maria turns to apologize to the people in line behind us.
"Now that that's over we need to go buy a bed because otherwise, John will make me sleep in his" I mutter
"Would that really be a bad thing?" Maria grins
With a faint blush on my cheeks, I look away from her
"Yes," I say.
"Because caring is not an advantage" I whisper just quietly enough that Maria would not hear.
"If you say so," she says with a shrug.
Walking into the large homeward store I lead the way to the beds. Glancing over all of them I sigh.
"Judging by your bed at home this one would be best but it's up to you," Maria says pointing at one just to our right.
"That one it is then," I say walking towards the worker to buy it.
After a small conversation with the worker, I manage to organize the bed to be delivered to Baker street.
"Ok, I guess you choose where we go now Maria," I say checking my phone for the time and to make sure I have no messages from John or Lestrade.
"Ok, can we get some lunch I'm bloody starving," she asks walking ahead slightly with her hands in her pockets. A small smirk on her face.
"You can invite John to join us if he is finished with the groceries," she says.
I raise an eyebrow at her.
"Why do you insist on making me and John Watson a 'thing'" I say scrunching my face up while speaking.
"Because you are both so perfect together, your personalities are very harmonious and you get along well, I can tell you would do anything for him and he would do anything for you. Because of this father, I believe that you and John would make an amazing couple" Maria says "also I want you to be happy, please father I won't force you to date or anything but please do not force yourself to hold on to feelings that are not there. Both me and mother can see you don't feel the love you once did for her but we also both know that you still do have feelings, you are not a machine father."
After Maria finishes her small rant I gently hug her.
"I will invite John to eat with us but not because you want us to date ok only because I'm not hungry and would not want you to eat alone," I say with annoyance.