The Baker's Detective

| The Babysitter and the Estate |

The brownies were gone by the next evening, and Sherlock and Rosie took the dish back the day after, having nothing else to do with their time. Lily appeared to be in the same boat, as she was in comfortable clothing, but she still looked presentable — she wasn't smudged with dirt, and her hair wasn't too frizzy. She promised to make them something else soon, though it's been a couple days and she hasn't yet.

Sherlock's only seen her once, when he happened to glance out the kitchen window. She was in the garden, watering the flowers. They haven't talked at all.

Then, there's a knock at the door.

Sherlock goes and gets it, expecting a flower fairy with a plate of some baked goods — perhaps cupcakes or muffins or even a cake — but it's Mrs. Hudson with nothing but news.

"Hello, boys," she says; John is in his chair. "I just came up to tell you that I'll be going to Florida for a week."

"What?!" Sherlock exclaims, shocked beyond all compare.

"A friend of mine — from back when I was with Frank — died yesterday, and her funeral is next week. I'd like to go, so I'm going. You'll have to make your own tea and all the meals you don't eat-" she looks at Sherlock at that "- for a week."

"You can't just leave Baker Street," Sherlock argues.

"You're leaving?" Rosie asks, having been in the kitchen.

"I'm not leaving. I'm coming back. I'll only be gone for a week," Mrs. Hudson assures her. "You all act like I'm moving across the world."

"Why do you need to be gone for a whole week for a funeral?" John asks, clearly also not happy with this development.

"I don't," Mrs. Hudson replies, "but I'd like to catch up and have a little holiday. I haven't been on holiday in years."

"I suppose," Sherlock grumbles. "England has fallen."

"You'll be alright."

"Will I?"

John sighs. "We'll manage, Sherlock. Somehow, we'll manage."

"Thank you, John," Mrs. Hudson says, already on her way out. "Oh, and I told Lily to go to you all if she needs anything while I'm gone."

"We'll definitely be sure to help her, especially considering she's already made us cookies and brownies," John replies.

"I'm hoping for cupcakes next," Sherlock comments.

"Me, too," Rosie echoes.

What they get later, however, are oatmeal cookies with raisins, nuts, and dark chocolate. Sherlock is, at first, disappointed, but then he finds that they actually taste good. Rosie is also reluctant, but John wants her to be polite, and she ends up eating two.

"I decided to try something a bit healthier this time around," Lily explains. "I'd never made this recipe before, actually."

"They're very good," John assures her. "Thank you."

Lily smiles, "You're welcome," and then she says it to both Sherlock and Rosie, after they also thank her. Not long after, she leaves, likely expecting her dish back in one to two days. Sherlock has a third cookie.

"Don't eat them all at once," John says.

"There's still-" he counts "- five left."

"You need to spread those over the next week, considering I know it'll be the healthiest thing you eat while Mrs. Hudson is gone."

"Probably," Sherlock agrees, sitting in his chair.

John shakes his head, turning back to his newspaper. "She made those for you, you know."