Chapter 21
We left to go to Irene's and John was confused as to what was going on and saying Sherlock hadn't even changed his clothes. The cab took us two streets away from where Sherlock tried to get John to punch him. "Oh for heaven's sake," I said taking a swing at Sherlock as he took a swing at John. The three of us ended up in a brawl, John was fighting Sherlock and I was fighting John. Sherlock was trying to get John off of him.
"John, I think we're done now," Sherlock said as John was attempting to strangle him.
"You oughta remember Sherlock I was a solider; I killed people," John said as I pulled him off and pinned him to the ground.
"You were a doctor," Sherlock said as John tried to get up from under my weight.
"I had bad days," John shouted at him. I pushed him back into the ground.
"Enough, both of you, we're here to retrieve pictures, not beat the shit out of each other. If you two can't handle it go home and I'll finish the job. Now, can you two behave or am I going to have to ground you?" I asked annoyed with the pair.
"You can't ground your father," John said.
"Try me," I growled. I took Sherlock's phone, computer, and gun every time he crossed a line like this and I kept them for a day. He had to do things the old fashion way.
"She'll do it," Sherlock said. "I'll do my best Bella, come on, let's get this done." I let John up and we headed for Irene's door. Sherlock got us in and his acting wasn't that good. At least we were in the house but she already knew why we were here.
We were in Irene's living room and she was walking around naked. She had been talking to Sherlock who had lost his train of thought when he realized that she was naked. "Oh it's always hard to keep up a disguise when you've had a fright, isn't it?" she asked as Sherlock just stared at her. She paced around the room and pulled out his collar. "There, we're both defrocked." Still, he remained silent as she paced. "You don't seem overly impressed Miss Watson."
"I've missed something haven't I?" John asked coming into the room. He had gone to the kitchen to get a bowl of water and a cloth to clean the cut on Sherlock's face.
"I've seen better," I said completely unconcerned with the fact she was walking about naked. John and Sherlock didn't know what to make of it.
"Now that I don't hear too often. Come on, let's see it," she said smiling at me. She eyed me up and down trying to see my figure under my coat.
"Save it hun, I'm not gay." I stood up and started to undo my coat.
"What are you doing?" John asked. I ignored him and continued what I was doing. I took off my coat and dropped it across Sherlock's lap. Now I was standing naked in the room; all of my scars were on display. Normally I would flinch at this but in this moment I stood proud. My scars were not a mark of weakness, but of my strength. "Bella put your clothes on!"
"Oh come on John, you used to change my diapers and give me my baths. Don't be a prude," I said walking around Irene and eyeing her up and down. I knew what game she was playing and I knew how to play as well.
"Sherlock," John said wanting someone to make me put my clothes on.
"What do you want me to do?" Sherlock asked.
"Could you both put something on, please? Anything? A napkin?" John asked.
"Why are you feeling exposed?" Irene asked.
"I don't think John knows where to look?" Sherlock said handing me my coat and his coat to Irene.
"No, I think he knows exactly where," Irene said walking up to John. John did his best to keep his eyes on her face. "Not sure about you," Irene said taking Sherlock's coat and putting it on. I had mine on and was sitting on her coffee table.
"If I want to look at naked women I borrow John's laptop," Sherlock said.
"I wouldn't say borrow," I said from my spot on the table.
"I confiscate it," Sherlock corrected. She and Sherlock talked and I deduced her as they talked. She got him right; I couldn't tell how far he was getting with her. I could tell she wasn't self-conscious at all, her job choice of where she took control told me she had all power somehow taken away from her at some point in her life or saw it taken away from someone she cared about; as a result, she took it from others.
She was educated, that much was clear, I wasn't sure if it was public or private though. Her red lipstick was to attract men; she was saying that she was healthy and fertile. Clearly it was working because the two men in the room were flustered. Once John left the room Sherlock started pacing the room looking for where the photos would be hidden as he talked about the hiker and the backfire. That case was easy. The smoke detector went off and I looked at Sherlock as he looked at Irene, "John you can turn it off now!" Sherlock called once he had found the safe. The alarm went silent and I turned to the door.
"Sherlock," I said my whole body tensing. I smelled gunpowder. It didn't take long for someone to break down the door and four men stormed the room. I went over to Sherlock, one took Irene, one had John and the last man came over to me. I tried to fight him and found myself pinned to the floor.
"On the floor," the man closest to Sherlock ordered.
"Do you want me on the floor too?" Sherlock asked.
"No, I want you to open the safe."
"I don't know the code," Sherlock said and I rolled my eyes. She had shown him the code.
"We heard, she told you," the man said.
"I know it, let me open the safe," I said.
"You stay on the floor," the man closest to Sherlock growled. He was clearly the leader of the group.
"I don't know the code," Sherlock said.
"On the count of three shoot Miss Watson," the leader said and I felt a gun press to the back of my head. I struggled to knock him off of me.
"Sherlock," I whimpered.
"I don't know the code," Sherlock said strongly but it had no effect, the leader started counting. Just before three was reached Sherlock shouted, "NO! Wait!" He got the safe open and one of the guards fell to the floor dead and the others fought theirs, knocking them out. "Bella come here," Sherlock said and I didn't think twice, I ran to his side.
Things passed in a blur and just as I was starting to calm down Irene drugged Sherlock. "Sherlock!" I called catching him as he went down. I tried to stop her from beating him with her whip by placing myself over him but Sherlock wouldn't stay in one place; he kept trying to get up. "Will you stay still?" I asked him as I tried to block him from getting up. I was trying to use my whole body as a shield for him. She managed to get her phone back and she left.
I was left holding Sherlock up and making sure he didn't try to stand up, he wouldn't be able to walk right now let alone stand. I would have to carry him out to get a cab and then carry him up to his room. That's where I would be spending my night, I wouldn't leave him alone, I never did when he was coming down from drugs. Sometimes he had hallucinations and they scared him, he didn't know they weren't there. Sometimes he scared me. But he had never hurt me when he was coming down from drugs, even when I had to pin him down to keep him from hurting himself.