Sentiment || Sherlock Holmes

Life Goes On

Darwin walked long, looping paths through 221B, his nose to the ground. He followed the smell of another dog, attached to the pant leg of one of the workmen banging hammers against the walls and talking much too loudly to the other builders who smelled unfairly of hamburgers. Darwin stopped, inspecting a corner of the kitchen before catching the scent of something new, and chasing after it.

He tracked it back to the sitting room, and was about to head down the stairs when he got distracted. John faced the wall, spraying yellow onto it. The doctor drew a smiling face on the wall, the smell of paint and aerosol overpowering whatever Darwin had been tracking. Darwin looked up at his owners, curious.

Sherlock crouched beside the dog. The detective smiled, scratching under his collar. Sherlock pressed his hands against Darwin's ears, blocking out the noises of the flat. Evelyn raised the gun in her hand and shot at the yellow smiley face, puncturing the wall exactly as it had been before the fire. Darwin started at the bang, moving closer to his master.

Sherlock let go, allowing the sounds of the builders and the street below to filter back in. Eve knelt down beside him as well, taking his head in her hands and pressing her nose against his cold, wet one. Darwin perked up, his eyes almost crossing as he stared at her in adoration. He dropped down to the floor and rolled over.

"Ohhh, who's a good boy?" Evelyn cooed, rubbing his belly.

"You spoil him." Sherlock said.

Darwin got back onto his feet and moved closer to Sherlock. He sniffed carefully around the detective before putting his paw on the pocket of Sherlock's dressing gown. Sherlock pulled a treat out of the pocket. Darwin sat down obediently until Sherlock held it out for him.

"And you don't?" Eve replied, smiling at her fiancée.

"We're training." Sherlock said.

"Yeah. Sure."

"Do I detect sarcasm?" Sherlock grinned at her.

"Maybe."

Sherlock reached over, grasping Evelyn by the waist and pulling her closer. She yelped in surprise before starting to laugh, resting her head on his shoulder. Darwin barked, balancing on his back paws and pressing at Eve.

Evelyn laughed again. "Do you feel left out, boy?" She pulled him between their chests. "Baby Darwin wants attention."

Sherlock scoffed. "Or another treat."

Eve put the dog back on the floor and pointed towards the kitchen. "Go see John. Go see John in the kitchen." He tilted his head, "Treat!" Evelyn said.

Darwin didn't need to be told twice. He turned around and barely resisted the temptation to chase his tale. The promise of a treat was too good to pass up. He ran over to the other room, leaving his owners behind.

-------------------

A couple of weeks later.....

The day they officially moved back in, Darwin would have been perfectly happy to just lay on the sofa in his usual spot, waiting for someone to come and smother him with belly rubs and treats. He was stopped in his goal because something had changed. Home smelled different.

Well, for one thing, it had gotten bigger. The door on the way to Mrs. Hudson's flat was open more often now, and the disgusting smell of mold had vanished. Blue sniffed at the threshold, recognizing the scent, but unsure of exactly how he knew it. He padded onward, exploring further into 221C.

A red plastic sippy cup dropped to floor barely an inch from his head, clattering loudly. Darwin jumped backwards, yipping in surprise. He looked up, searching for the source of the projectile.