A/N - Hello my lovelies!!! So sorry this is a few hours late... I got way too distracted on YouTube and didn't realize that is 2 am right now. Lol. Also, I just want to apologize again for what I did to you in the last chapter... I know it was really cruel of me (and I did it again in this chapter... oops) But I really understand your anger. I realized that I have become the very author that I hate... the one who taunts you with the relationship and waits until the last minute to give you anything, but I promise that I have a plan. I didn't want their relationship to be too rushed, but, in my plan, I realized that maybe it's taking too long but oh well, there's no going back now. Also sorry about all of the notification spams yesterday, I decided to do some minor edits (grammar and format changes) as well as make sure that I remembered some of my earlier plot foreshadows.
IMPORTANT!!! I also wanted to ask you guys, how descriptive do you want the Katlock romance to be? I can make it as descriptive or as vague as you want me to, but there will be romance no matter what. Personally, I like a little more descriptive fluff (call me weird) but this book is for you, all of my loyal readers Let me know and then I can get started in putting some more fluff into my chapters. Now, only my weekly dedications...
@MeguelineMaraschim @missquinn02 @aye-alright @Alex_Lyra @DoctorCircuit40 @JazzySalter31 @ahtenaismona @noraA7X @tea_and_sherlock @MBG202 @Theoptimistic123 @Saphire2102 @astridb14 @BlackLazureSea @Gozdealpcetin @FanFictionGirl19981 @aihposenilamme @BitterSweetG @SenniGirl @EmmelineGRWeasley @AnimeLV @imjustreading_stuff @0Klaroline0 @ladyjuliaph
Thank you all for your continuous support with your votes and comments!!!
Love you muchly, Kisses - K
~~~
"So what did we miss?" Kat asks Sherlock genuinely curious.
Sherlock smiles at her. "Not much," He answers. "Just some specific details. The owner loved these. Scrubbed them clean, like you said. Whitened them where they got discolored. He did change the laces three," Sherlock pauses. "No, four times. Even so, there are traces of his flaky skin where his fingers have come into contact with them, so he suffered from eczema. The shoes are well worn, more so on the inner side, which means the owner had weak arches. British-made, 20 years old."
"20 years?" John and Kat looked surprised.
"They're not retro, they're original. Limited edition; two blue stripes, 1989. There's still mud on them." Sherlock looks up a picture on his phone and shows them.
"Damn." Kat smiles impressed that at some point, during his explanation, Sherlock managed to find those shoes on his phone.
"They look new." John says in disbelief.
Sherlock nods his head in agreement. "Someone's kept them that way. Quite a bit of mud caked on the soles. Analysis shows it's from Sussex with London mud overlaying it."
"How do you know?" The doctor asks.
Sherlock moved his computer for John to see what he was analyzing. "Pollen. Clear as a map reference to me. South of the river, too. So, the kid who owned these trainers came to London from Sussex 20 years ago and left them behind."
"So, what happened to him?" Kat asks putting her hand on Sherlock's shoulder.
Sherlock remains silent for a few moments as he ponders his response. "Something bad. He loved those shoes, remember. He'd never leave them filthy. Wouldn't let them go unless he had to. So, a child with big feet gets-Oh!"
"What?"
"Carl Powers." Sherlock breathes out almost inaudibly.
"Sorry, who?"
"Carl Powers, John." Sherlock repeats.
"Who's Carl Powers?" Kat asks Sherlock confused.
"What is it?" John questions at the same time as Kat.
"It's where I began."
~~~
Sherlock, Kat, and John were sitting in a taxi on their way back to Baker Street when Sherlock finally explains. He was silent since they left the hospital, until now. "1989, young kid, champion swimmer, came up from Brighton for a school sports tournament, drowned in the pool. Tragic accident. You wouldn't remember it. Why should you?" Sherlock showed Kat and John his phone where he had looked up the old newspaper report on the accident. Kat takes the phone out of his hand and skims through the article.
Kat smiles. "But you remember."
"Yes."
John laughs lightly. "Something fishy about it?"
"Nobody thought so. Nobody except me." He adds and Kat laughs lightly. "I was only a kid myself. I read about it in the papers."
"You started young, didn't you?" John comments snidely and Kat lightly slaps his arm.
Sherlock ignores John's comment and continues. "The boy, Carl Powers, had some kind of fit in the water, but by the time they got him out, it was too late. There was something wrong somewhere and I couldn't get it out of my head."
"What was it?" Kat asked tilting her head slightly to the left.
"His shoes." Sherlock replies.
"What about them?"
"They weren't there." Sherlock pauses for a moment as if remembering. "I made a fuss. I tried to get the police interested but nobody seemed to think it was important. He'd left all the rest of his clothes in his locker. But there was no sign of his shoes. Until now."
~~~
Sherlock and Kat are riffling through old newspaper articles, Kat is sorting things out for Sherlock while he is reading over everything and trying to figure things out in his head. John is currently in the other room pacing as Kat and Sherlock can see his shadow move through the glass.
"Can I help?" John says opening the door and walking into the room. "I want to help, there's only 5 hours left."
Sherlock ignores John and Kat is about to answer when John's phone goes off, interrupting her. "It's your brother, he's texting me now." John pauses and turns his head to the side in thought. "How does he have my number-"
"Must be a root canal." Sherlock muses not even looking up and Kat turns to him smiling.
"What?" She questions holding back a laugh.
"Look he did say 'national importance'." The doctor says walking closer to Sherlock.
"Hmm, how quaint." Sherlock gives a short laugh.
"What is?"
"You are. Queen and country."
Kat's phone dings suddenly alerting her to a text message. She opens her phone and sees that its from an unknown number. Kat clicks on the message and the pauses in shock.
'I hope you're working hard, Kitty Kat. Don't forget to eat... you'll need your strength if you're going to solve this case. XOXO'
"Kat are you alright?" Sherlock asks and Kat realized that both of them are staring at her.
Kat quickly locks her phone and shoves it in her pocket. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Look, you can't just ignore it." John snaps at Sherlock but he doesn't flinch.
"I'm not ignoring it. I'm putting my best man onto it, right now."
"Right. Good." John smiles satisfied and paused for a moment. "Who is that?"
~~~
"I admit, his shoes not being in his locker is weird." Kat tells Sherlock later when they are alone. The 'best man' Sherlock had, turned out to be John, so the good doctor went to Mycroft's office to investigate further on Andrew West. Kat was currently walking around and reading through the articles and investigation report that she pulled from Scotland Yard's records. "Any competent detective would have realized that."
Sherlock looks over to her and smiles. "Thank you."
"For what?" Kat stops and asks confused. "I was just stating the obvious-"
"No, for never doubting me." Sherlock semi-interrupts her. "And for not dismissing me."
"What do you mean by that?" Kat walks over to him and sits down.
"Well most people who meet me think that I'm a pompous dick who thinks they know everything." Sherlock begins joking seriously. "But you never thought that. You have always respected me and everything I have said. Despite having loving parents and an occasionally loving brother, I have felt alone my whole life. Until I met you."
"Why until you met me? What makes me so special?" Kat asks curiously.
Sherlock stays silent for a moment and then sighs. "I honestly don't know. When I'm around you, I feel things I have never felt before."
"Do, uh, do you know what those feeling are?" Kat asks lightly, her heart secretly hoping he would say something she would like.
"I've been, um, attempting to do some research, but I have only had some luck."
"What have you found?" The blonde detective presses gently and quietly, not wanted to scare him off.
"Well, the only thing I found that made a little bit of sense was that I might have some... feelings for you." Kat's breath catches a little. "Romantic and, uh, sexual feelings." Sherlock adds quietly.
"Have you ever," Kat pauses unsure of how to word her sentence. "I mean, you know, been with anybody?"
"Umm, no, I have not." Sherlock replies giving a short laugh. "Which is why all of this is so foreign to me. Of all the things I know, I don't really know how to be with anybody. Big surprise right? I mean, people don't want to be my friend much less something more like a girlfriend."
"Hey, don't say that." Kat tells him in an appalled voice. "If the people you've met don't want to be friends with you, then their not worth it and maybe you just haven't met the right people yet." Sherlock looks over to Kat and smiles appreciatively. "And, well, maybe when this is all over," Kat smiles and grabs Sherlock's hand squeezing it lightly. "I can help show you how. To be with someone, that is."
Kat notices a light blush grow on Sherlock's cheeks. "I, uh, think that I would like that very much."
~~~~~~~~~
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