It Started With Stealing | Sherlock Holmes

23 - Preparing For 'Battle'

A/N - Thank you so much for over 2000 reads and all of the comments and the likes! I'm glad you are all enjoying it! 😄

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"Ah, Sherlock, there she is!" John acknowledged when he saw Elizabeth being let out of the gates.

"Finally, come on - " The detective paused as she got nearer.

Something was off. He could feel it. But she tried to brush it off like it was nothing. Hurrying over to them, she smiled briefly in greeting.

"Sorry about that - "

"What did he say to you?"

For a moment her heart was in her throat as she thought he had meant Moriarty on the phone. But, how could he even know about that? He had to be referring to Mycroft.

"Well. For one, he scolded me for having an ashtray."

No doubt Mycroft would end up telling Sherlock that so might as well get it out of the way.

"You tried to steal an ashtray?" John looked taken aback.

"I mean, yeah. It's not everyday as a thief that you get to get into a palace. " She shrugged off the real reason.

"I don't care about the ashtray. What else?" Sherlock urged her to continue.

"And he also said that he would be wanting to exploit my skills for 'operations' of sorts. He didn't expand. But, I'm sorry, I'm not working for the government."

John looked concerned. For who, she couldn't tell although it didn't seem that the boys did get on with Mycroft too well. Maybe they were concerned for her. Sherlock wasn't facing her so she couldn't try and analyse his actions.

"Clearly, you have no choice." He said as he hailed a taxi coming down the street.

"Yeah, but Sherlock, we need Elizabeth's help more than Mycroft." John argued.

"What my brother wants, he gets."

Sherlock knew that more often than not, that line appealed to him more so. He was worried. God knows what Mycroft was going to get Elizabeth into. It wasn't what she needed after everything. Not that he understood why he cared. Or why he thought he knew what she did and didn't need.

The three of them all piled into the taxi, Elizabeth on the end.

"Oh, I see you trust me by the window now." She remarked while looking out at the streets.

"I'm giving you a chance not to disappear out of the window like your clothes did." Sherlock mumbled.

The two shared a knowing look between each other while John frowned questioningly at this exchange. She wasn't angry anymore. It was hard to stay angry at the detective when he lightened the mood with his dry humour. Elizabeth shifted and looked away after a moment, as did Sherlock, and focused on the streets outside, rather than the uncomfortable pain of having an ashtray down the side of her leggings.

John gave in, unable to appreciate the silence, "Okay, the smoking, how did you know?"

Sherlock's lips teased a smile as he shook his head, "The evidence was right under your nose, John. As ever, you see but do not observe."

"Observe what?"

Elizabeth looked over just as Sherlock drew out an ashtray from inside his coat. John chuckled with delight at this mischievous behaviour as he tossed the object in the air and caught it. In a split second Elizabeth decided to confess her similar minor act of theft.