Poison & Wine//A BBC Sherlock fanfic

Now

Now

The rain had passed as they had slept. Now, when Sherlock peeked out the curtain to have a look outside, he could see that the sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly.

With a small yawn he let the curtain fall back into place, stretching before pulling back the covers and slipping out of his bed. The clock on the wall told him that it was just after three in the afternoon. With slight shock he realized that he had slept for nearly twelve hours. Looking across he saw that Teddy was still asleep, her face pale and clammy with sweat. He could tell easily just by looking at her that, yes, indeed, she had come down with a fever and she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Sherlock deduced that she would probably be out for another two hours at most.

Quietly, as to not disturb his little sister, Sherlock left the room, closing the door gently behind him. After making a quick stop in the bathroom Sherlock entered the living room and found that it was empty along with the kitchen. He knew from the lunch dishes that were currently sitting in the sink, though, that Cosette and her mother were up, just not inside. Taking a look at the coat rack beside the front door he saw that one of the coats were missing.

Mrs Bellamy has gone out, then, he thought, walking towards the large windows in the living room. Where are you then, Cosette?

His thoughts were answered when he looked through the window and found Cosette off to the side, her head tilted towards the ground where she was kneeling. From this angle it looked as though she was praying, but Sherlock couldn't be sure. Without a word he walked out of the living room, heading towards the front door. Opening it he slipped outside, having a quick look around to make  sure no one was around. The only thing in sight was one of the houses on that small street and a parked car. Certain that he wasn't being watched he walked across the front of the house and turned, opening the small gate that led to the side of it. He could see Cosette better now. She was only a few meters away in front of him, her hands clad in gloves as she dug several small holes into the dirt. Turning, she picked up a packet before sprinkling its contents into each of the holes.

"You're gardening," Sherlock finally said, walking over to her after closing the gate. Cosette stiffened slightly when she heard his voice but relaxed soon after, continuing her work.

"Oui," Cosette replied, her head still bent as she worked. Sherlock came to a stop beside her before bending down, watching. Cosette covered the holes with soil, patting the soil down softly, before grabbing the watering can beside her. She watered the soil lightly before setting the can down.

"I never knew you gardened," Sherlock murmured, looking around. There were flowers all the way down this side of the house, probably more around the back. Due to the fact that he and Teddy had arrived late at night he had not been able to have a good look at Cosette's home. He now saw that it was a paradise for those who loved nature, and a curse for those who suffered from hay fever.

"I 'ave only been doing eet for ze past two years," Cosette told him. "Most of ze flowers 'ere were grown by Mama. She's ze one with ze green thumb. Ze same can be said for my aunty. She owns a lavender farm."

"Lovely," Sherlock said, looking at Cosette with slight curiosity. She was wearing a loose white t-shirt and dark blue denim shorts so a lot more of her skin was showing than last night. His eyes trailed across her arms, noticing the same scars that marked her face and neck and legs. He couldn't help but frown as he looked at them. There was a mystery that those scars carried, along with Cosette's blindness, but no matter how hard he tried Sherlock couldn't uncover it. His eyes scanned her, trying to find the answers he seeked.

Tattoo, he deduced. Smart. Master's degree in History. Respiratory problems. Knits clothing for children. Part time job at town florist. Does yoga. Prefers oceans over rivers or lakes. Weakness for chocolate. Keeps a memory box in her wardrobe. Owns one pair of heels. Romantic. Sad. Favourite flowers are cinquefoil, purple hyacinths and forget-me-nots. Favourite animal is the otter. Drinks a glass of wine at dinner. Guilty. Prefers dogs over cats. Loves the smell of oranges-

Guilty.

Sherlock frowned, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Cosette. She continued to work, seemingly unaffected by Sherlock's lack of words. Tilting his head Sherlock pondered on the word. Guilty. Guilty of what? Why was Cosette guilty?

"Cosette," Sherlock said slowly, licking his dry lips. "Why...Why are you blind?"

At this question Cosette paused, her breath hitched in her throat. She lifted her head and stared straight ahead, her hair covering her face from Sherlock's view. Sherlock watched her, his eyes narrowed as he took in her reaction. Part of him felt guilty for asking her such a personal question but there was a part of him that was curious, and curiosity always won the battle for him. He watched as Cosette let out the breath she had been holding before looking back at the ground, her hands busy at work once again.

"Ce est juste arrivé."

"It just happened?" Sherlock repeated with a frown. Cosette shrugged, strands of her hair falling over her shoulder.

"Oui, eet just 'appened."

Sensing that the conversation was over, Sherlock stood, looking down at Cosette. His eyes flickered over the scars on her body once more before he turned and headed inside, his mind set on one thing. Until Mycroft got back to him with the information he and Teddy needed to continue their mission, he would take up a new case. The case: to find out how Cosette became blind and gained those scars, and to find out what exactly the French woman was guilty of.

Author Note: Sherlock's got a case to solve! The mystery of Cosette Bellamy. Will he solve it? We shall see...