They make their way to Henry Knight's house, which turns out to be a huge mansion. Kate stops and takes a moment to take it in and raises an eyebrow at John who returns her stare with a curious frown.
Sherlock heads right towards the door and rings the bell.
"Hi." Henry opens the door.
"Hi." John exclaims with a happy voice.
"Come in, come in." He steps aside to make room for them and Sherlock wipes his feet on the doormat before walking through the corridor of Henry's house.
John and Kate stop to look into a large room with a high ceiling and old furniture in astonishment.
"This is, ehm ... Are you? Ehm..." John's searing for the right formulation without sounding like he wants to rob Henry Knight right on the spot.
"...rich?" Kate just goes for it and looks at Henry.
"Yeah." He says casually and walks through a door to their right.
"Right." John looks at Kate with an impressed face and they start to chuckle.
Sherlock, who stopped and looks at them rolls his eyes before following Henry in a room that turns out to be the kitchen.
Henry makes them coffee and they sit down at the counter. Sherlock in the middle between John and Kate, while Henry stands behind the counter.
"It's-it's a couple of words. It's what I keep seeing. 'Liberty' ..." Henry starts.
"'Liberty'." John interrupts him as he gets out his notebook to write it down.
Henry looks up at him straddled for a moment but then nods. "'Liberty' and ... 'in'. It's just that."
He takes the milk bottle from the counter and turns to John and Kate. "Are you finished?"
"Mm." They both hum and Kate gives him a thankful smile from behind her mug.
John turns to Sherlock as Henry puts the milk in the fridge. "Mean anything to you?"
"'Liberty in death' – isn't that the expression? The only true freedom." Sherlock whispers back.
Kate and John both nod at that and Sherlock takes another sip of his coffee.
Henry turns around again with a heavy sigh. "What now, then?"
"Sherlock's got a plan." John declares but it sounds more like a question towards Sherlock.
"Yes." Sherlock fake smiles at Henry and puts his mug down on the counter.
"Right." Henry breaths.
"We take you back out onto the moor ..."
"Okay..." Henry says slowly.
"...and see if anything attacks you."
"What?!" John and Kate snap and turn their head at him.
"That should bring things to a head." Sherlock ignores them and keeps talking to Henry with a calm voice.
"At night?" Henry asks in disbelieve. "You want me to go out there at night?"
"Mm." Sherlock hums in agreement as if it's the most normal thing to do.
"That's your plan?" Kate sniggers in disbelieve.
"Brilliant." John adds ironically and shakes his head.
"Got any better ideas?" Sherlock finally turns towards them with narrowed eyes.
"That's not a plan." Kate states and holds Sherlock's stare.
"Listen, if there is a monster out there, there's only one thing to do: Find out where it lives." He turns back to Henry, gives him another encouraging fake smile and lifts his mug back up to his lips.
Of cause they still follow Sherlock's 'plan' and drive as close to the hollow as they can before continuing by foot.
Sherlock hands each of them a huge flashlight from the trunk of their car before telling Henry to lead them to the exact place his father was killed.
"Do you have your gun?" Kate asks John who just answers with a nod.
Kate walks up besides Sherlock while John's with Henry for emotional and medical support if he freaks out. It's completely dark by now and suddenly there's a scream in the distance.
Instead of reaching for her gun Kate just reaches for Sherlock's hand in the dark with a gasp.
The others stopped too. "That was just a fox." He declares after a few seconds. Kate knows he's right but he still sounds a bit thrown off by the sound.
Even tho there's no thread she just holds on to his hand and Sherlock lets her. It's not like they never walked around hand in hand before while solving crimes. It happened far too often considering that one of them is Sherlock bloody Holmes. It also helps them to find their way through the darkness cause their flashlights can't light everywhere.
Kate moves through the darkness like she's born for it, same goes for John as far as Kate can make out but even Sherlock nearly trips over a stick or rock more than once.
They finally reach the woods and John falls back a bit to look around.
When Kate looks for him the next time he's gone and immediately her breath quickens. "John?" She whisper-jells in the darkness.
"I'm gonna go look for him!" She informs Sherlock, her hand slides out of his and she disappears in the darkness without a noise.
She finds John around the last turn they took because of his flashlight.
"John?" She exhales deeply. "Shit, you scared me. You ok?"
He spins around and lights her in the face before lowering it again. "Sorry. Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Take a look at this."
She steps up beside him and follows his gaze. Upon the hill is a light. A flashing light.
John gets out his notebook and stares at the light. "U"
"Morse code?" Kate asks John who nods, writing down the U.
Kate continues and tells him the next letters so John can write. "M,...Q,...R,...A."
"U, M, Q, R, A. Umqra?" He frowns and shakes his head.
"Makes no sense to me. Maybe Sherlock knows. Come on, we should catch up." Kate walks towards the direction in which Sherlock and Henry took off and whisper-yell their names.
"You know Morse code?" John asks her after they walked for some time.
"Apparently:" Kate gives a short response.
"Are you ever gonna tell me where you learned how to shoot? Read Morse code? Do combat fighting? That doesn't sound like a pathologist to me."
"I hope not?" She jokes and looks at him for a moment. "I want to keep my best friend."
"Its just-it's just hard for me sometimes. Sherlock's already a walking mystery and then sometimes I'm reminded that I don't know anything about your life before you moved in and that's strange for people who call themselves best friends."
They've stopped walking by now and Kate sighs sadly. "I get that John. I really do. But please notice that I've always been honest with you. I've never told lies about my past and I never hid my skills, even tho I planned on letting all of that behind and starting a new life. So please accept that I can't talk to you about the last 15 years for now and that you already know more than you should. I have my reasons for a new start and even tho I trust you I don't want you to see me differently just yet. I'm happy right now. Happier than I've ever been and I don't want to ruin that, cause that's what I always do. Mess up my own life."
"I'm sorry." John says with honesty.
"It's alright. I was waiting for you to ask. You've been patient with me for nearly a year now. I'm just asking you to be patient for a little more."
They hug each other till they hear a metallic sound and separate.
John points his flashlight in the direction the sound is coming from and they slowly walk towards it. It turns out to be an old metal container and they chuckle and sigh with relief.
Suddenly something flashes past them and Kate feels something touch her leg. She stumbles into John's side as they spin around to see what it is but there's nothing.
Before either of them can speak there's a wolf-ish howl and they both hold their breath.
"Shit!" Kate curses, gets her gun out and starts to run in the direction in which she suspects Sherlock and Henry. She can hear John following her close on the toes.
Another howl echoes through the wood and they run even faster.
Finally they can see Sherlock and Henry hurrying in their direction.
"Sherlock!" Kate shouts and throws herself against his chest. "Oh my god, are you ok?"
He gently pushes her off and walks past them.
"Did you hear that?" John asks out of breath.
"We saw it. We saw it." Henry panics.
"No. I didn't see anything." Sherlock states and they follow after him.
"What? What are you talking about?" Henry asks.
"I didn't. See. Anything." Sherlock nearly growls.
Henry looks at Kate who just hurries beside Sherlock with a worried expression. "Sherlock?!"
They reach the car and Sherlock finally takes a moment to catch his breath. Kate can see his hands shaking and clenches her jaw.
"Ok." She spins around to John. "You, backseat with Henry. I need you to check on him."
Sherlock puts his flashlight back in the trunk and heads for the driver door when Kate stops him.
"And you." She points at him. "Passenger seat, now. I'm not gonna let you drive in that condition."
"But you'll have to drive the 'wrong' side." John notices as he opens the car door for Henry.
To her surprise Sherlock obliged without a fight and slit in the passenger seat immediately.
"Guess I have no choice." With a growl she gets in the car, moves the seat forwards since Sherlock is taller than her and drives back to Henry's house.
When they reach Henry's house John accompanies him inside while Sherlock and Kate stay back.
She turns towards him and exhales to calm herself. He's starting to hyperventilate and his whole body is shaking.
"Sherlock. What happened? Talk to me, please?" She whines and takes his hands in hers.
He just presses his eyes together and shakes his head violently as if he wants to get rid of a thought.
"Shhh. It's ok." She tries to calm him. "Talk to me, Sherlock."But he only starts to hyperventilate more.
"Sherlock. I really need you to stop you hyperventilating." She says with worry in her voice now.
Data, give him data.
"Ok, you know exactly what happens if you don't stop: You'll upset the balance between breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide, because you're exhaling more than you inhale right now. This causes a rapid reduction in carbon dioxide in the body. Low carbon dioxide levels lead to narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood to that gorgeous brain of yours and this reduction in blood supply to the brain leads to symptoms like lightheadedness and tingling in the fingers and even to the loss of consciousness. We don't want that now, do we?"
He stares at her now but with a panic in the eyes like Kate has never seen before, not even when they nearly drowned together, and he's still hyperventilating.
"Ok." She mutters to herself and throws a quick look to Henry's front door to check for John.
Then she gently takes Sherlock's face in both hands and pulls him in for a kiss. A real kiss. She completely snugs the air out of him even if he doesn't really kiss back at first.
She leans back panting after some time. Sherlock's also taking deep breaths and she leans her forehead against his. "Breath-holding to stop hyperventilation. Smart." He pants against her lips.
"I thought we already established that I'm smart." She sniggers before getting serious again. "Are you ok for now?"
He nods slightly and she leans back to her seat just in the right moment, cause the front door of Henry's house opens and John walks up to the car.
"Poor bloke's not gonna sleep tonight and it's our fault." He complains while getting in the car but after a death glare from Kate through the mirror he stays quiet.
She starts the engine and drives off while Sherlock stares out the window into the dark.
Back at the inn, they get themselves a comfortable place by the fireplace.
John and Sherlock are already settled in two armchairs while Kate orders their food and drinks before joining them in a third armchair between the two, just like at home.
"So..." Kate starts and turns to John. "Did Henry say anything else? He was a mess, you sure he can stay alone for the night?"
"Well, he is in a pretty bad way. He's manic, totally convinced there's some mutant super-dog roaming the moors." John sighs before addressing Sherlock. "And there isn't, though, is there? Cause if people knew how to make a mutant super-dog, we'd know."
Sherlock's just looks at the fire with a nervous stare. His hands are in front of his mouth like for a prayer again and Kate knows he's on the edge to another panic attack.
"They'd be for sale. I mean, that's how it works." John continues and Sherlock inhales, closes his eyes and swallows hard as if he's feeling sick.
Kate's already glowering at John but he doesn't notice and continues.
"Ehm, listen: On the moor we saw someone signaling. Ehm...Morse – we guess it's Morse." He checks his notes. "Doesn't seem to make much sense. U, M, Q, R, A. Does that mean...anything...?"
Sherlock draws in a sharp breath that causes John to look up and he finally notices that something's wrong.
"So...okay, what have we got?" He tries to get Sherlock to focus. "We know there's footprints, cause Henry found them, so did the tour guide bloke. We all heard something."
Sherlock lets out another shaky breath and John frowns while Kate bites her lip and eyes Sherlock with worry. She really wants to grab his hand and support him right now. Even tho he maybe wouldn't want it in such a public setting.
"Maybe we should just look for whoever's got a big dog." John suggests.
"Henry's right." Sherlock suddenly speaks up with a weak voice.
"What?"
"I saw it too." His voice shakes and Kate can't help herself and grabs his hand to support him. John's too busy frowning anyway and the other people won't give two shits.
"What did you see?" She asks calmly.
"I saw it too."
"Just...just a minute." John leans forward to get a better look at Sherlock's face. "You saw what?"
He looks at them for the first time since they got here and Kate feel his muscles tense under her hand.
"A hound, out there in the Hollow." He speaks through his teeth. "A gigantic hound."
John leans back in his chair with a huff that almost sounds like a chuckle. Kate has to admit if she weren't so worried cause she never saw Sherlock so vulnerable she would also consider his behavior hilarious. Sherlock just gives them an angry stare and almost looks like he's fighting back tears.
"Ehm...look, Sherlock, we have to be rational about this, okay?" Kate tries.
"Now you, of all people, can't just...Let's just stick to what we know, yes? Stick to the facts."
Sherlock draws in another shaky breath before turning to John and speaking in a perfectly calm voice. "Once you've ruled out the impossible, whatever remains – however improbable – must be true."
"What does that mean?" John gapes.
A waiter brings over their drinks, Sherlock slides his hand out underneath Kate's to pick up his drinks. His hand is shaking very visibly and he stares at it. "Look at me. I'm afraid. Afraid."
He takes a sip and then keeps the glass in his shaking hand.
"Sherlock?" Kate asks carefully.
"Always been able to keep myself distant...divorce myself from...feelings." Sherlock explains, voice still shaking and he takes another sip of the alcohol in his glass.
Kate almost smirks cause that feelings thing isn't working out that great, considering John and her presence.
"But look, you see...body's betraying me." He shows them his shaking hand with the glass. "Interesting, yes? Emotions. The grit on the lens, the fly in the ointment."
"Yeah, all right, Spock, just...take it easy. You've been pretty wired lately, you know you have. I think you've just gone out there and got yourself a bit worked up."
"Worked ... up?" Sherlock growls at him and Kate groans as she picks up her own glass to get some alcohol in her system.
"It was dark and scary..." John tries to explain further.
Sherlock interrupts him with a sarcastic laugh. "Me?! There's nothing wrong with me."
His breath quickens again and he presses his fingertips against his temples while shifting in his chair.
"Sherlock..." Kate reaches for his arm with a calm voice. "Hey...Sher-"
"THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" He shouts at them and the other guest stare at them. "You want me to prove it, yes?"
He takes in a deep breath. "We're looking for a dog, yes, a great big dog, that's your brilliant theory. Cherchez le chien. Good, excellent, yes, where shall we start?"
He turns around to look at the other guests and shifts in his deduction voice. "How about them? The sentimental widow and her son, the unemployed fisherman. The answer's yes."
"Yes?" Kate frowns.
"She's got a West Highland terrier called Whisky. Not exactly what we're looking for."
"Oh, Sherlock, for God's sake..." John growls quietly looking away.
"Look at the jumper he's wearing. Hardly worn. Clearly he's uncomfortable in it. Maybe it's because of the material; more likely the hideous pattern, suggesting it's a present, probably Christmas. So he wants into his mother's good books. Why? Almost certainly money. He's treating her to a meal but his own portion is small. That means he wants to impress her, but he's trying to economize on his own food."
"Well, maybe he's just not hungry." Kate feels like she's allowed to mock Sherlock again now.
"No, small plate. Starter. He's practically licked it clean. She's nearly finished her pavlova. If she'd treated him, he'd have had as much as he wanted. He's hungry all right, and not well-off – you can tell that by the state of his cuffs and shoes. 'How do you know she's his mother?' Who else would give him a Christmas present like that? Well, it could be an aunt or an elder sister, but mother's more likely. Now, he was a fisherman. Scarring pattern on his hands, very distinctive – fish hooks. They're all quite old now, which suggests he's been unemployed for some time. Not much industry in this part of the world, so he's turned to his widowed mother for help. 'Widowed?' Yes, obviously. She's got a man's wedding ring on a chain around her neck – clearly her late husband's and too big for her finger. She's well-dressed but her jewelry's cheap. She could afford better, but she's kept it – it's sentimental. Now, the dog...tiny little hairs all over the leg from where it gets a little bit too friendly, but no hairs above the knees, suggesting it's a small dog, probably a terrier. In fact, it is – a West Highland terrier called Whisky. 'How the hell do you know that, Sherlock?' Cause I heard her calling its name across the parking lot earlier today and that's not cheating, that's listening. I use my senses, John, unlike some people, so you see, I am fine, in fact, I've never been better, so just: Leave. Me. Alone."
He glares at them and they stare back at him.
"Yeah." John clears his throat. "Okay...okay."
Kate's getting a bit angry now tho. "Oh yeah, and why would you listen to us? We're just your friends."
"I don't have friends." He spits out with a disgusted tone.
"Wonder why?" John snaps and walks away.
"John." Kate calls after him but he's out the door.
She decides it's best to give him space and besides that, she doesn't dare to leave Sherlock on his own right now. Even tho they're apparently not friends or anything more so why should he be her responsibility? Because she's in love with him. Unfortunately.
For a short moment she even considers calling Mycroft, but then again she thinks Sherlock can't really get drugs here. He could if he really tried, but this is about trust and she trust him with her life so she decides against it.
Her head falls back with another groan and clenches her jaw. She understands John's anger.
They are friends. They are.
She even considers herself more than a friend for Sherlock. Not a girlfriend or friend with benefits, but more than a friend. So this statement hurts and she truly hopes that he didn't really mean it.
At some point their food arrived and Kate excuses John and asks them to keep it warm for when he returns. As usual she tries to get Sherlock to eat something, especially when he's in that state.
He obliges and they eat in silence for some time, till Kate starts a game day sometimes do when they're bored in public places.
It started in Lestrade's office. When they waited for him to get them information and stared at his team through the glass walls.
She tries to deduct people and then Sherlock corrects her. It at least seems to calm him down a bit.
When a woman walks in he focusses on her for a bit longer and Kate frowns while taking another bite of her burger. "Who's she?"
"Henry Knight's therapist."
"Ohhhh!"
"You should go interview her. I'm not as charming as John is around women and you can have a nice girly chat over your corpses and her maniacs."
Kate huffs. "I'm a woman. You're around me."
"But I'm not exactly charming, am I?"
"No, you're an asshole."
They glare at each other for a moment before Kate eyes the woman again. "I got a better idea. Text John, he should do it."
"Why?" He frowns at her.
She a few crisps against his mouth. "Cause she's hot."
Sherlock nearly chokes on the food. "Is she?"
Kate turns around to her once again with a studying expression. "Yes?"
Sherlock looks at the therapist with narrowed eyes for a moment and then at Kate. "And?" "John's a hungry bastard. He gladly interviews an attractive woman." She rolls her eyes and groans for the hundredths time today.
"Right." He gets out his phone to text John and Kate leans over to read the conversation.
'Henry's therapist currently in Cross Keys Pub.-S'
'So?'
'Interview her?'
'WHY SHOULD I?'"Oh for god's sake!" Kate rolls her eyes and takes Sherlock's phone out of his hands, turns around takes a picture of the therapist and sends it to John before handing Sherlock the phone back.
Sherlock just blinks at her and they finish their food when John nearly falls through the door a few minutes later. Kate has to hold back a laugh and she gives Sherlock a look, saying something like 'see?'.
She gets up to talk to John. "Hey, she's over there at the bar. Go get her tiger. I'll take Sherlock to bed now I think."
John gives her a look and Kate rolls her eyes.
"Not like that you moron! But I don't want him to be alone right now, I feel like this is a danger night." She hands him the keys for the single room. "Use protection, John."
He huffs. "You too."
She throws him a look over her shoulder as she walks back to Sherlock and he heads towards the bar.
"Let's get you to bed, Sherlock." She holds out a hand for him. "I gave John the single room so he can do whatever he likes with that hot-therapist-lady and it's not like we never shared a bed before, so..."
To her surprise he really takes it and she leads them to the double room.
Sherlock's still a bit on edge and the silent walk to the room gives him enough time to start panicking again. He starts to pace through the room as soon as they enter, his fingertips are pressed to his temples and he's mumbling something to himself.
"Ok, Sherlock." She steps in front of him, forcing herself in his vision to distract him. "I need you to change into your sleeping cloth now. I sure hope you brought some and didn't plan on sleeping naked again. I'm gonna take a shower and change now and I hope you changed too by the time I return."
She looks down at John's suitcase which they brought up earlier after booking the rooms, when they thought John and Sherlock would be sharing a room. She feels like Sherlock would kill her if she asks him for cloth cause she would most likely ruin his 'one specific shorts for each weekday-order' or minimize his exactly calculated number of shorts he would need for a trip like that (every possible accident that could require a change of shorts included).
With a shrug to herself, she digs around in John's suitcase and finds some boxers and a shirt that will do. John will sleep just fine in his boxers and hopefully not wake them up later.
Sherlock's sitting in front of his suitcase and unpacks it with shaking hands.
"Can you borrow me shampoo?" Kate addresses him.
"Use John's."
"No offense and I love John, but do I look like I wanna smell like him? I read your blog about perfumes/smells." She holds her hand out.He looks up at her, quirks an eyebrow and is about to open his mouth to say something when Kate cuts him off.
"Not one word."
His mouth shuts and he just hands her his shampoo and she heads off towards the bathroom.
Gladly, he's done changing when Kate walks back into the room, opening the bathroom door VERY carefully and scanning the room for Sherlock. She finds him sitting on the edge of the bed in his pajama, head in his hands and heavily breathing. At least no hyperventilating again.
She carefully sits down beside him with a sigh. "I understand that it freaks you out. I also think we saw something. Something big rushed by and I felt something touch my leg. I bloody felt it and then there was this howl..."
Her breath catches in her throat for a moment. Yes, she's scared too. But her freaking out won't help anyone right now so she inhales deeply and closes her eyes for a moment.
She slides back on the bed, lays down and taps on the free spot beside her. "Come here, lay down with me."
After some more breaths, he moves to lay down beside her and she throws the blankets over them and tugs Sherlock in carefully. "I know that you don't give a shit about what I think right now, BUT I think there has to be a logical explanation for all this. There always is, you out of all people should know that. Tomorrow we'll investigate further and it all will make sense soon."
His body begins to shake again and he presses his eyes shut.
"You're allowed to cry, Sherlock, you know that? Especially with me. I feel like this is a 'Holmes' issue, but you know I don't give two shits. Emotions demand to be felt. You can't deny that as much as you try to fight them, Sherlock."
And he does. He breaks too pieces right in front of her and it hurts her heart. She gently places a hand on his shoulder, lets it slide down his arm and up again. Sherlock Holmes is scared.
She keeps gently stroking him a while and when he starts to shake less she places a hand on his check and forces him to look at her.
His eyes are red and watery and Kate's heart clenches in her chest.
"It'll be alright."
"I just don't understand what's wrong with me!" He groans frustrated and rolls on his back. "All....this-" He waves one hand randomly in the room. "Is not my normal behavior!"
"Oh, I know." Kate huffs. "Come on, let's get some sleep and take a fresh look at this tomorrow. Maybe John finds out something new."
Sherlock exhales deeply again and looks her right in the eyes for a moment before looking at her lips and up to her eyes again. "May I kiss you again?"
"You never bothered to ask before." She quirks an eyebrow.
"Well, I'm talking of a proper kiss. Like the one in the car, not one like the ones we shared the last few months"
"Oh?" Kate smirks.
"Don't give me that look. That kiss was...revealing?"
"Revealing?" Kate sniggers.
"Kate, you bloody well know I'm inexperienced so I don't know why-"
"For Christ's sake, Sherlock Holmes. Can you just kiss me already?"
He does.
It's messy at first of cause, cause Sherlock really is inexperienced in that area, but once he starts to copy what she's doing it gets really good.
Kate feels like her brain is floating up under the ceiling, like that helium balloons Sherlock bought some weeks ago to draw John and her face on them when both of them went out for the day.
All she can feel is Sherlock. Lips, tongue, hands. They separate after some time to catch their breath and Kate finds herself half on top of Sherlock. Both of his hands hold onto her waist and Kate clenches his top in a fist like their lives depend on it.
They're breathing heavily and Kate looks him in the eyes. "Well, yes. That was very revealing. I'm even gladder now that you didn't take the cigarettes. Even if I was already really proud of you, just wanted to get that out."
"And I always give a shit about your opinion, just wanted to get that out...Glad you don't smell like John right now."
They stare at each other for a moment before leaning in to kiss again.
"Why didn't we do that earlier?" Sherlock asks when they separate again, honestly sounding a bit confused.
"Because you're a complicated man, Sherlock. I can't tell what you want. I want this..." She points between the two of them. "Also...that was more than a kiss. That was making out. Just for your record."
"I simply don't do..." He hesitates.
"Sentiment?" Kate offers with an eye roll.
"Yes."
"Well..." She flops down on her side of the bed again and they both stare at the ceiling, still catching their breath. "You don't protect your heart by acting like you don't have one, Sherlock."
After some silence, she turns the lights off. "We really should get some sleep."
Kate wakes up from someone knocking at the door. She gets up with a groan and stretches on her way to the door.
On the other side she finds John. "Morning. Just here to grab some of my clothes." He greets her with a smile while looking up and down her body.
"Sure. Sorry but I fetched some of your cloth for me to sleep." She steps aside with a yawn to let him in.
"Not a problem." He looks around. "Where's Sherlock?"
Kate spins around to the bed with a frown. "I don't know? Must've sneaked out early."
She grabs her phone from the nightstand and texts him.
"I'll get changed too and then we'll meet up downstairs for breakfast?" Kate suggests.
He nods and gives her the keys to the room with her suitcase.
After breakfast, they make their way into the village after Sherlock texted Kate back and told her that he's at Henry's place.
"Aaand? Did you get her?" Kate grins and nudges John in the side.
"Who?"
"The hot therapist." She rolls her eyes.
"Nah."
"Poor you."
"Frankland busted me as Sherlock's PA."
Kate bursts out in a laugh and they pass the graveyard.
"Come on." She drags John with her. "Let's hang on the graveyard as we wait for Sherlock to find us."
They sit there for a while, talking about everything but the case until John gets the note with the Morse code out of his jacket. Kate googles it but nothing useful comes up.
"Devastating. He found us." Kate comments with a dramatic sigh as Sherlock approaches them.
Sherlock and John give each other an awkward glace and Kate gives Sherlock a
death stare that causes him to speak up.
"Did you...ehm, get anywhere with that Morse code?" He addresses John and nods towards the note in his hands.
"No." John puts it away and gets up to walk past Sherlock.
"U, M, Q, R, A, wasn't it? UMQRA." Sherlock follows him and Kate gets up too and catches up with John.
"Nothing. " John tries again but Sherlock keeps mumbling the letters to himself. "Look, forget it. It's ... I thought we were on to something. We weren't."
"Sure?"
"Yeah." Kate assures him.
"How about Louise Mortimer? Did you get anywhere with her? "
"No."
"Too bad. Did you get any information?"
Kate snorts even tho she's still a bit mad at Sherlock, but John makes a grimace and looks at him over his shoulder.
"You being funny now?"
"Thought it might break the ice...a bit?"
"Funny doesn't suit you. I'd stick to ice. " John sounds bitter.
"John..." Sherlock's voice almost sounds pained.
"It's fine." He still keeps on walking.
"No, wait. What happened last night ... Something happened to me; something I've not really experienced before..."
"Yes, you said: fear. Sherlock Holmes got scared. You said."
Sherlock sprints to finally catch up with them and grab John's arm. "No, no, no. It was more than that, John. It was doubt. I felt doubt. I've always been able to trust my senses, the evidence of my own eyes, until last night."
"You can't actually believe that you saw some kind of monster." Kate speaks up now.
"No, I can't believe that" Sherlock turns to her. "But I did see it, so the question is: How? HOW?!"
"Yes. Yeah, right, good. So you've got something to go on, then? Good luck with that." John utters and starts to walk away again, Kate short on his tail.
"John..." Kate tries to sure him.
"Listen, what I said before, I meant it." He calls after them and they stop.
They turn around to face him.
"I don't have friends." He inhales. "I've just got two. I realized that I don't protect my heart by acting like I don't have one."
John stares at him for a moment before he nods. "Right."
Kate gives Sherlock a short proud smile as John walks away again.
The realization hits Sherlock and he hurries after him and past Kate. "John? John! You are amazing! You are fantastic!"
"Yes, all right! You don't have to overdo it." John continues walking as Sherlock steps in front of him and walks backward.
Kate just walks past them with a chuckle.
"You've never been the most luminous of people, but as a conductor of light you are unbeatable."
"Cheers. ... What?"
"Some people who aren't geniuses have an amazing ability to stimulate it in others." Sherlock gets beside Kate within two long steps and reaches in her coat pocket to get out her notebook and starts to write on it.
"Hang on – you were saying 'Sorry' a minute ago. Don't spoil it." Kate warns him with a nod to John.
"Go on: what have I done that's so bloody stimulating?" John asks with a frown.
They reached the inn again and stop in front of the entrance while Sherlock shows them what he wrote.
HOUND
"Yeah?" John asks.
"But what if it's not a word? What if it is individual letters?" Sherlock writes again before showing them the notebook once again.
H.O.U.N.D.
"You think it's an acronym?" Kate frowns.
"Absolutely no idea but ..."
He stops and stares towards the door of the inn.
Kate follows his gaze and gasps in surprise.
"Greg!" She exclaims with a huge grin and rushes in to drag Greg Lestrade into a hug.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Sherlock storms in behind her.
"You look good!" Kate notices, completely ignoring Sherlock.
Greg really does look like a snack in none work cloth and sunglasses on his tanned face.
"Well cheers, but maybe it's just the change of seein' me ou'side the ci'y." Greg tries to kindly take the compliment but also talks it down all while grinning widely.
He's too good for this world and Kate grins even wider as she gets on one of the bar chairs beside him. "But really, what are you doing here?"
Lestrade finally turns to face Sherlock while answering her re-asked question. "Well, nice to see you too! I'm on 'oliday, would you believe?"
"No, I wouldn't." Sherlock deadpans.
Greg takes off his sunglasses when John appears beside Sherlock. "Hello, John."
"Greg." He gives him a kind smile but the previous argument with Sherlock is still visible on his face.
"I 'eard you were in the area. What are you up to?" Lestrade asks but when Sherlock and John just frown at him he turns back to Kate. "You af-tah this 'ound of 'ell like on the telly?"
"I'm waiting for an explanation, Inspector. Why are you here?" Sherlock stops Kate who was just about to open her mouth.
"I've told you: I'm on 'oliday." Greg repeats sternly.
Kate loves Greg but still rolls her eyes at him really thinking that Sherlock would believe that.
"You're brown as a nut. You're clearly just back from your 'holidays.'" Sherlock snaps back and John seems to find the floor most interesting all of a sudden.
Lestrade tries to sound casual. "Yeah, well I fancied anover one."
"Oh, this is Mycroft, isn't it?" Sherlock groans after a moment.
"No, look-"
"Of course it is! One mention of Baskerville and he sends down my handler to..." Sherlock rages and Greg just picks up a beer glass from the counter and takes two big gulps. "...to spy on me incognito." He chuckles before his voice turns into a kind of disgusted tone. "Is that why you're calling yourself Greg?"
"That's his name!" Kate half snaps-half gasps.
"Is it?" Sherlock frowns and sounds seriously surprised.
"Yes – if you'd ev-ah bovered to find out." Greg sighs. "Look, I'm not your hand-lah..." He puts his glass back on the counter and hesitates for a moment before he mumbles on. "...and I don't just do what your brover tells me."
Greg picks the glass up immediately again to drink and Kate frowns.
"You know Mycroft?!" It comes out more surprised than she intended.
"Sure." He shrugs and takes another sip of his beer.
Kate just grins at him, this is rather interesting and she needs to investigate into that further on a later point.
There is an awkward silence for a moment before Kate remembers something she thought of this morning. "Actually, you could be just the man we want!"
"Why?" Sherlock turns towards her.
"Well, I've not been idle, Sherlock." She rummages in her coat pocket and reveals a little paper which she hands Sherlock. "I think I might have found something."
It's the Undershaw Meat Supplies receipt and Sherlock looks at it for a moment before Kate continues to talk and Greg stretches his neck to get a look at it.
"Didn't know if it was relevant; starting to look like it might be. And then at dinner I found out that this is a vegetarian restaurant."
"That is an awful lot of meat for a vegetarian restaurant." John states as he takes the paper from Sherlock to take a look at it too.
"Excellent." Sherlock speaks just above a whisper and stares up at Kate for a little too long.
Kate stares back before she clears her throat and turns towards Greg with a grin and completely ignores John's curious frown at Sherlock and her from the side of her eye. "Nice scary inspector from Scotland Yard who can put in a few calls might come in very handy."
Sherlock and Greg exchange a quick agreeing look and Kate rings the bell on top of the bar. "Shop!"
Later they find themselves in a separated room. Greg's sitting on a table with the bartender Gary and the cook Billy and looks through some paperwork. Both men exchange nervous looks as Greg continues to swipe through the pages.
Kate and John stand nearby, waiting for something to happen while Sherlock is on the other side of the room busy making coffee.
He returns with two cups and Kate frowns at him, but when he offers both of them a cup and she frowns even more.
"Coffee. I made coffee." Sherlock explains himself.
"You never make coffee." Kate leans forward to take her cup nonetheless.
"I just did." He playfully snaps at her before holding the other cup closer to John. "Don't you want it?"
"You don't have to keep apologizing." John starts but then Sherlock looks away immediately with a short hurt expression ghosting over his face and John takes the cup from him. "Thanks."
"Thank you, Sherlock." Kate smiles and lifts her cup to her lips.
Sherlock gives them a short smile and Kate can't really tell if it was a fake or an honest smile cause she never saw one like that on his face before.
John takes a mouth full of his coffee and grimaces. "I don't take sugar ..."
Kate nearly growls at him when Sherlock turns away with a hurt expression once again, but what she does instead is stamp on his foot.
John quickly drinks more before turning to Sherlock again. "That's nice. That's good."
He quickly hurries past Kate to hide in the corner of the room and hide his disgusted expression.
Luckily Greg seems to be done and speaks up. "These records go back nearly two months. Is that when you 'ad the idea? Af-tah the TV show went out?"
"It's me. It was me." Billy speaks up and the bartender looks at him. "I'm sorry, Gary – I couldn't help it. I had a bacon sandwich at Cal's wedding and one thing just led to another..."
Sherlock chuckles quietly, now stepping up beside Kate who huffs and has to stop herself from laughing out loud.
"Nice try." Greg addresses Billy.
"Look," Gary speaks now. "We were just trying to give things a bit of a boost, you know? A great big dog run wild upon the moor – it was heaven-sent. It was like us having our own Loch Ness Monster."
"Where do you keep it?"
"There's an old mineshaft. It's not too far. It was all right there."
"'Was'?" Sherlock throws in.
Gary sighs. "We couldn't control the bloody thing. It was vicious" He exhales deeply. "And then, a month ago, Billy took him to the vet and, ehm ... you know."
"It's dead?" John walks closer to the table.
"Put down."
"Yeah. No choice. So it's over." Billy supports him.
"It was just a joke, you know?" Gary addresses Lestrade.
"Yeah, hilarious." Greg deadpans and gives them a serious look while getting up. "You've nearly driven a man out of his mind."
Kate and John give the two men a last teaching look before putting their empty coffee cups on the table and following Lestrade. Sherlock stays behind for a moment.
"So you do the legwork for Mycroft?" Kate asks Greg with a smirk and a lifted eyebrow as they caught up with him.
"Yes, but this is new. Never 'ad to leave London for it."
Kate's eyebrow rises even higher and Greg narrows his eyes at her.
"Don't give me that look, I'm just lookin' af-tah Sherlock for 'im and as it seems af-tah all three of you! I met the man once. Well, officially and face-to-face at least, I saw him lurkin' around some of the crime scenes Sherlock was part of a few times."
"A shame." She sighs and they leave the building.
"I'm glad."
"You should be." John throws in with a grin.
"I thought I was being kidnapped and it was only to introduce his scary self and tell me that Sherlock's in a rehab clinic and that I should keep givin' 'im work when he returns so he's busy and stays off the drugs. I'd just become a DI and done like two cases with 'im back then. Mycroft even offered me money, I told 'im to shove it up 'is posh arse."
"Mycie can actually be very nice if he wants to and one is willing to wait for the iceman to melt. Wait...how long ago was that?" Kate frowns.
"8 years. Why are you so interested in that?"
They stop walking and John and Kate stare at Greg.
"You've only met Mycroft face-to-face once in 8 years??" John asks in disbelieve.
"Sherlock knows you for 8 years and still doesn't know your name?" Kate gasps.
"Yes to both." Greg shrugs and continues. "Mycroft texts me and even called or 'ad someone call me a few times. I guess he finks of me as a friend of Sherlock but he doesn't even know me name. I tried to tell 'im that but he wasn't bovered in the slightest. Bloody Holmes'."
"I hear you." Kate huffs and John nods eagerly.
"I don't even know why I'm still involved with them? I could just stop giving Sherlock cases, but I guess I care too much to give 'im back to the drugs again. I wi'nessed two relapses. Wasn't pretty. I mean he 'as you guys now, which is good. He needed someone. Someone he actually cares enough about to remem-bah their names."
"You know he's actually pleased you're here?" Kate nudges him in the side.
Greg just gives her a disbelieving look.
"Secretly pleased." John assures him.
"Is he? That's nice! I suppose he likes 'avin' all the same faces back togeth-ah. Appeals to 'is...'is..." He pauses to think for a fitting word.
"...Asperger's?" John offers with a smirk
"John!" Kate slaps him on the arm with a gasp and a short laugh.
Sherlock walks through the door and glares at John cause he probably heard what he said.
"So, you believe 'im about 'avin' the dog destroyed?" Greg immediately brings the conversation back to the case and saves John from Sherlock's glare.
"No reason not to." Sherlock turns to Greg.
Kate leans lazily into Sherlock's side with a yawn and checks her watch. As she looks up she sees Greg frown at them for a short moment before talking on.
"Well, 'opefully there's no 'arm done. Not quite sure what I'd charge 'im with anyway. I'll 'ave a word with the local Force." He gives them a nod. "Right, that's that, then. Catch you later."
He walks past them but then turns around to look at them with a bright smile. "I'm enjoying this! It's nice to get London out of your lungs!"
"We'll have to meet up for coffee back in London! I have many more questions!" Kate jells after him.
"I'd ra-thah not, but I guess I also got questions for you too!"
Kate sends him one last confused smile as he walks away before she turns back to the boys. "So that was their dog that people saw out on the moor?"
"Looks like it." Sherlock states.
"But that wasn't what you saw. That wasn't just an ordinary dog." John displays.
"No. It was immense, had burning red eyes and it was glowing, John. Its whole body was glowing." Sherlock's voice sounds somewhat distant.
He shakes his head like he's getting rid of a memory and turns to walk to the car.
"What now?" Kate questions.
"I've got a theory but I need to get back into Baskerville to test it."
"How? Can't pull off the ID trick again." John says sarcastically.
"Might not have to." He pulls his phone out, dials a number and holds it to his ear.
After a moment he starts to talk in a fake friendly voice. "Hello, brother dear. How are you?... I need you to grant me unlimited access to Baskerville, see it as an early birthday present...I don't care?... Wait a moment, would you?"
He sighs and puts the call on silent. "Kate, convince my brother. For what it's worth, he likes you."
"Runs in the family." Kate takes the phone from him and turns on the sound again before holding it to her ear.
"Hey, Mycie! I miss you here on our little family vacation!"
"Kate." He states unimpressed.
"Sure is. You really are the smart one."
"You're supposed to convince him, not piss him off." Sherlock snaps.
"Shhh!" She turns to Sherlock. "You gave me the phone so shut up."
"Sounds like a nice vacation. What a shame to miss."
"No, but seriously it would be marvelous if you could give us that unlimited access. We have serious evidence that something is wrong there and we wanna solve this case before anything leaks outside as more than a myth. I'm sure that's also in your, the government's, interest."
She hears Mycroft exhale.
"You know Sherlock wouldn't call if it wasn't serious."
"Yeah." "We're not trying to leak any of your precious government secrets, we're trying to save them. I'll look after him. Please, Mycroft...C'mon I even said 'please' and your full name, what else could I do to prove I'm serious?"
"24 hours. Not one second more."
"Thank you! Mycroft, you're an angle."
"I'm not sure that's what people would call me."
"Well, I do. Bye!"
Before Mycroft can response she hangs up and Sherlock stares at her. Waiting for an answer.
"'24 hours. Not one second more.'" She imitates Mycroft's voice.
Sherlock steps forward with a grin and takes her face in both hands. For a second Kate's scared that he's gonna straight up kiss her in front of John but then she feels his lips on her forehead and exhales relieved. Sherlock let's go of her again and jumps inside the driver seat.
John looks at Kate with narrowed eyes and she gives him an innocent shrug before they get into the car as well.
They drive up to the main gate once again and the security guard recognizes them. "Afternoon, sir. If you could turn the engine off." He greets them and Sherlock hands him his ID while turning the car off. This time its Sherlock's own ID.
"Weapons." The guard orders and John and Kate hand him their guns once again before he walks back with a "Thank you."
Sherlock leans to them and whispers. "I need to see Major Barrymore as soon as we get inside."
"Right." John mutters.
"Which means you'll have to start the search for the hound." Sherlock looks at both of them.
"Okay." Kate nods but stares into Sherlock's eyes as if she's searching for something. Something feels strange.
"In the labs; Stapleton's first." Sherlock says and stops to take his ID back from the guard. "Could be dangerous. "
Kate and John both smirk and Sherlock drives the car through the gate.