Sherlock's Daughter

11 - Dealing with a Teenager

Dealing with a Teenager

It is a few days later and Sherlock is typing up a case at full speed on his laptop. Now that he hasn't got John, he has to do these menial tasks himself. He senses Juliet mope into the room and collapse onto the sofa but he continues to type when it occurs to him that when Juliet stops being hormonal she can help with his cases. It makes him smile. "What are you grinning about?" Juliet asks mid yawn and Sherlock rolls his eyes. It is past midday and she has only just trapesed out of bed.

"Nothing." He responds, "When are you going to stop being...?" He pauses to think of the right word knowing that he has to tread carefully. Yesterday she almost bit his hand off for asking her to go out and buy milk.

"Being?" She questions with a raised eyebrow.

"Hormonal." He states and she sighs at his naïve thoughts.

"For a genius you can be unbelievably stupid." She replies, "Even I can deduce when someone is on her period." Sherlock scrunches up his nose in disgust and notices the signs before scolding himself for being sloppy.

"Wait you can deduce?" It occurs to the consulting detective who suddenly gets an overwhelming sense of proudness.

"Yeah." She sighs in a matter-o-fact way. "About that. Are you sure you and John haven't had any sexual encounters?" Sherlock stops his typing and flexes his fingers as he turns to gape at her manner. He couldn't even imagine talking to his parents like this as a teenager even if they were incredible stupid. His brothers on the other hand are ridiculously smart.

"I-I-I don't really like your tone young lady." He tries to sound assertive but he just earns a giggle from his daughter. He stares at her but she is too busy looking at a case file to notice: two men found dead and strung up at a butchers. Neither of which knew the butcher nor lived in the area, just strangely odd. He studies her features. She does kind of look like him with piercing blue-green eyes, sharp cheekbones and plump lips but there are definite features which are not from him. Her hair is not dark but a mousy blond-brown, she is short and has freckles.

"Can I have some money?" She asks without looking up making Sherlock snap out of his deduction zone.

"Hmm?" He hums and turns his head back at his laptop screen suspiciously.

"Money?" She repeats but this time looks up at her father.

"What for?" His single tone does annoy Juliet slightly but she decides not to show it even in her hormonal state. She sets down the file back on the coffee table.

"Feminine hygiene products." These three words makes Sherlock choke on air humouring Juliet to no end. While gasping for breath he wavers his hand towards the kitchen table towards his wallet and Juliet shuffles to her feet understanding his actions. She strides to the kitchen when Sherlock finally regains his stature and he watches her search through the various slots of the expensive, leather, Hugo Boss wallet. "You have no cash." She explains.

"Take my card." He suggests and pulls his iPhone 6 out of his jacket pocket. Since Juliet moved in he has spent a lot less time lounging around in his silk dressing gowns feeling like it is not a sociable thing to do in front of one's daughter.

"What's your pin code?" She asks while twizzling the black piece of plastic between her fingertips. Sherlock pauses before answering, he wonders if Juliet would actually understand the reason behind his pin code. It is unlikely...he hopes.

"5-6-4-6." He lists and studies Juliet's reaction. It looks like she gets it but like she decides not to press further on the matter. He doesn't watch her leave but decides to text John for help.