Sherlock's Daughter

7 - The Pool

The Pool

It has been a few weeks since Juliet disappeared with James Moriarty and she is enjoying her new lifestyle. She loves the feeling of soft, clean sheets each night, the hot foamy baths every evening and the technology she has at her fingertips; she feels privileged. But for the last few days there has been something else, a little sensation nagging at the back of her head. This sensation begun when she realised that she has not seen Jim since he introduced her to the apartment and what that probably means. For the last few weeks he has been out ruining people's lives and this is the man Juliet chose to go with. What does that make her? A monster?

At this moment in time Arthur, one of Moriarty's men, is showing Juliet how to cook a lasagne. He has been teaching her to cook for the last few weeks and like most things Juliet has become a natural at this cooking lark. Although today is definitely an off day. "Miss Holmes." Juliet is snatched out of her thoughts and she clears her throat awkwardly to show her attention is there.

"Please call me Juliet...Miss Holmes does not sound right." She explains and sighs while looking down at the floor which now has splatters of red sauce on it.

"May I suggest that we stop for today? You clearly have other things on your mind." He infers and she nods indicating that this is probably the best idea. She unties her apron and hangs it on a hook nearby. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

"I would like to go down to the pool for a swim." She alerts him.

"Of course Juliet." He smiles, "I will have Matt take you down but don't worry he will wait outside leaving you to your thoughts." Juliet takes the short time of Arthur talking to Matt outside as an opportunity to rush into the bathroom and put on her swimming costume underneath her outfit. This way she can just slip off her clothes and dive straight into the pool as soon as she gets there. She follows Matt into the lift and down to the basement where the leisure facilities are located. She is down here a lot there not being not much else to do. Generally she goes down first thing in the morning to the gym to work on her fitness then would play video games for the rest of the day with the odd cooking class and swim slotted in. Luckily, Jim provides her with as many games and games consoles as she wants from the basic Garry's Mod on her computer, the awesome Infamous series on Play Station 4 to the classic Grand Theft Auto on Xbox One.

She enters the large room containing the pool alone as Matt waits outside. The wave of supressed heat hits her and the smell of chlorine infects her nose but she likes the smell. The blue water is still and untouched yet so inviting. She kicks off her pumps and pulls off her tank top and shorts before dumping them on a sun lounger near the edge of the pool. She dips her toe in the water and shivers; past experience shows that she will warm up when she gets in the pool and when she starts to swim but she is always reluctant. "Sod it." She mumbles and dives into the pool ungracefully. When she reaches to the surface she gasps for breath but giggles. She loves to swim.

"Fancy seeing you here." A voice states making Juliet jump. She looks towards the direction of the voice but the person is obscured by the walls of the Jacuzzi which they are leisurely sitting in. He stands. Jim Moriarty looks different with his messed up hair, black swimming trunks and bare chest. He looks kind of normal.

"Jim. What are you doing here?" Juliet asks with a slight smile. She is slightly relieved to see the consulting criminal again.

"Displeasing client is aggravating me. He is so bothersome." He loosely explains and Juliet decides not to dive in any further. "What is on your mind Juliet? Having second thoughts about all this?" He asks and waves his hands up in the air dramatically indicating to the building around them. Juliet shrugs her shoulders as Moriarty slides his way into the pool. He doesn't even flinch when the cool water engulfs him after simmering in a hot Jacuzzi. Maybe he doesn't feel anything emotionally or physically.

"No I am not." She says, "It is just a lot to get my head round. It is a huge contrast to where I used to live...do you live here?"

Jim shakes his head before answering, "I live anywhere and everywhere my dear. I have not got a house I just have many hide outs around the country." He pauses for a moment. "Did I say country? I meant world."

"Before you 'died' did you have a home? Like a proper house." Juliet questions, her eyes full of wonder.

"No." He plainly states with an emotionless expression, "Homes are for sissies and that requires sentiment. Sentiment is bad."

*Flashback*

A twelve year old Juliet Holmes has her ear pressed to a glass which is resting on the large, oak door leading to the commotion which is happening next door. She has managed to escape her room as she is getting more and more intelligent by the day and is now listening into a conversation with three occupants; two male and one female. She knows one of them is her evil Uncle Mycroft and she thinks the woman is the person the politicians call The Woman but she has no proof. As for the other man, from the conversation so far she has worked out that this could be her father. Sherlock Holmes. "Nicely played." Mycroft states with sadness in his voice. Juliet hears a chair being pushed back so she prepares to run off.

"No." Sherlock utters.

"Sorry?" Irene Adler confused voice chimes.

"I said no." He repeats making Juliet smirk, "Very, very close...but no." There is long pause of no one speaking and the young girl presses her ear harder against the glass thinking maybe she is isn't listening hard enough. "You got carried away. The game was too elaborate. You were enjoying yourself too much."

"No such thing as too much." Irene flirts and Juliet has to resist the urge to gag. This woman is flirting with her father.

"Oh, enjoying the thrill of the chase is fine, craving the distraction of the game – I sympathise entirely – but sentiment? Sentiment is a chemical defect found in the losing side." He rambles and it reminds her of Mycroft. Apparently sentiment is a bad thing but she has worked out for most people it is not. Is it odd for Holmes not to feel this way? She is suddenly pulled away from the door by a gaggle of people who work for Mycroft who force her back into her room with a hand clasped over her mouth to stop her from alerting Sherlock to her existence. As she dragged around the corner she looks back just as the door opens. She gets a tiny view of her father. A tear trickles down her cheek when he disappears from view.

*End of flashback*

"Juliet!" Jim roars bringing her out of her thoughts, "Have you been listening to me at all?!"

"Sorry..." She mumbles.

"I need you to do a job for me. I heard you are multilingual...languages are not my strong point so I need you to translate for me and a client. What languages do you speak? I only speak English, French, German, Mandarin and a little Irish."

"French, Spanish, German, English and Swedish..." She trails not knowing how much how she could be.

"Perfect!" He exclaims dramatically. 

A/n thank you for all support so far! Please comment your thoughts so I can improve the story in the future.