Devil Take The Hindmost •Sequel To Life Is But A Dream•

•A Scandal In Belgravia: Part Six•

Chapter Six: Too Close For Comfort

I opened my eyes to the dull ceiling of the flat, and an icy towel on my forehead. My arms were resting on a pillow on my chest.
"What the hell was that, Aspen?" John asked, making me jump.
"Hello to you too." I said, my voice cracking from the sleep.
"You wanted them to shoot you, didn't you?" He asked as I sat up. He came next to me and sighed. "Why?"
"Isn't it obvious?" I asked, pressing my hands together and looking next to him.
"Aspen I-" he began, glancing at my arm, bare from its exposure from the sleeve.
"Never noticed did you? Took you long enough." I said, then stood up, heading for the door.

"If you want to die, why haven't you done it yet?" He asked, and I stopped dead in my tracks. Pausing, I was at a loss for words.
"Why didn't you?" Was all I could whisper out before I headed downstairs and out the door.
*
I sat on the edge of one of the parks around our flat, the bench facing Buckingham Palace. The solider and I were in a locked staring contest until a breeze grazed my shoulder.
"He's not going to move." I heard that voice say next to me. I looked to see Wyatt standing there, a leash in his hand descending down to a terrier whose fur was neatly trimmed so it would stick up.
"Shut up." I said, crossing my legs. "Who's that?"
"Maggie. She's my Grandmas." he said, sitting down as he switched hands with the leash.

"You okay?" He asked, leaning his elbow on the rest of the bench.
"I guess, I mean my Uncle is being a pain right now. And his friend isn't helping." I said, pulling down my sleeve.
"Is that that guy I met? That day at the circus? Is he your uncle?" He asked, and I recalled when he had discovered Sherlock and I at the Chinese circus that was really a smuggling ring... good times.
"No, god no." I scoffed, my eyes piercing the ground. "My uncle is nothing like him." The last words I made sounded like more of a distant phrase, I discovered.

"Family, am I right?" He joked, and I looked at him.
"You got a haircut." I said, quickly changing the subject. It was true though. Instead of the usual fluff, extending his light skinned forehead with an inch or two of dark hair, it was more like one inch.
"Well, I mean it's complicated." He began to babble about his hair.. "Cause it gets too long and you can't style it anymore and-"
"Well next time don't cut it as short!" I joked, then pretended to gasp, "oh my god!"
"Stop!" He laughed, and I chuckled.

Then it dawned on me that I had.
"You fool." I said. "You made me laugh."
"Is that a crime?" He asked, and I smiled.
"No."
After a while Maggie started whimpering on the cool cement, and Wyatt tapped his hand on the side.
"Well I'm gonna go. This was fun, this talk." he said, then stood.
"Yeah." I said, then stood up too. "I better be going as well."
We looked at each other for a moment before parting ways, our paths opposite.
It was late when I got back to the flat, and the lights were off. I went up to the door, the looked back at the city.
"What a day." I said to no one, then went in.

I didn't sleep that night, and only in the early hours of morning did I finally doze off.
*
I woke to the sun deciding if it should shine or hide behind the clouds for another day; shining in my bedroom and yet casting a shadow when it did not.
It must've been late in the morning, but there was still chatter to be heard in the flat. I got up and headed for the source.
"... Do give her my love." Sherlock said as I came to the threshold and began to hear Sherlock playing "God Save The Queen." I began to hum to the tune as Sherlock faced the window and I walked into the room in silence.