Born in Black and White

Chapter 16

Lestrade, Watson, Sherlock, and Kairi arrived back at Heather's nice suburban home. It was brisk outside, but it was California brisk, so to people who actually knew what seasons were, it was really only about 65 degrees F - practically shorts weather for the native Londoners. Lestrade had a crimson button down shirt on, rolled up at the elbows with a pair of jeans adorning his legs. Kairi thought he looked like he just walked out of the sexiest J. Crew add she had ever seen. Watson wasn't wearing one of his signature jumpers, which sort of made Kairi sad in a way, but he was wearing a simple, deep grey, unbuttoned cardigan over a blue and white striped polo shirt, a pair of brown Dockers-type pants below them. Kairi decided he had come from Old Navy or maybe The Gap if John felt fancy. Then of course there was Sherlock. Sherlock always wore the same perfectly tailored suit. She would love to see him try to wear it in Santa Ana during September. He would probably disintegrate.

Heather welcomed them into her home and brought them into the kitchen where she had set out a plate of sandwiches, some vegetables, some bottles of water and a pitcher of Iced Tea - it was the closest she'd get to being English.

J. Crew, The Gap, Men's Warehouse, and now Martha Stewart. Kairi looked down at herself, in a paisley patterned top in neutral tones and a pair of somewhat tattered skinny jeans and flip flops. It clearly embodied "Thrift shop" but she couldn't really be bothered enough to care. She was wearing flip flops again. She desperately missed flip flops in dreary ol'London town.

As they sat around the table, John and Lestrade instantly started chatting up Heather and engaging her in friendly conversation about their homes. No one really wanted to bring memories of the murder or this morning up again. They all wanted to sort of just fall into everyday interaction. Sherlock was watching Heather interact with them, noticing how she was all smiles. Only the tiny twitch in her cheek and the crease around her eyes indicated that she was faking these emotions in order to appear strong. He took a moment to glance at Kairi, who was leaning on the counter, Lestrade between them. She was looking up at him, smiling sweetly and chuckling at the tales of their exploits in Scotland Yard. Sherlock felt slightly agitated at the way she looked at Lestrade, but he kept his mouth shut. He took a moment and stepped around Lestrade, trying not to distract the animated story telling and put a hand at the base of Kairi's back. She straightened and turned, smiling at Sherlock with that genuine brightness she always seemed to muster up.

"Would you mind if we stepped outside?" Sherlock said quietly and Kairi nodded eagerly.

Kairi had been dying for a cigarette after leaving her mother's residence but didn't want to delay them getting the hell out of that place any longer. She would have smoked in the car, but it was Lestrade's rental and well, the man was strict. She stepped outside with Sherlock and pulled a sweater over her ensemble. Sherlock followed her to the side of the house with the least important windows to an area that was also shielded from the neighbors' prying views. She reached into the sweater's pockets to pull out her pack but Sherlock stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. Kairi turned, facing him finally and smiled. He had bought her a pack of cigarettes. She just chuckled.

"Thanks Sherlock." She smiled at him and placed them in her pockets. With Sherlock and Heather both smoking, Kairi would run out of cigarettes in a few minutes.

"I figure its the least I could do since I have taken so many of yours." He also took the time to pull out something from his pocket and hand it to her, "I know you have your father's cigarette case, but I found this in an antique shop and thought you may like it."

Kairi waited and held out her hand as Sherlock placed the lighter into her palm gingerly and Kairi placed the unlit cigarette between her lips and decided to check out his gift. The fact that he bought her something was incredibly shocking. She would have been surprised enough to faint just from the pack of cigarettes.