Unexpected Events

Chapter 1 - Falling

Sherlock Holmes P.O.V.

It is a cold morning in November. John and I are sitting in our chairs. John is playing with his daughter Rosamund, who has grown so much already even though she is fifteen months old now. I am looking at files about a case I got from a client, and even though I love working on cases, my mind is constantly thinking about something else; Sherrinford, my sister Eurus and Musgrave Hall.

I am still not over the events that happened. Moving forward suddenly became so difficult. I have never felt so alone in my life, even though I know that John will be there for me. But I try my best to hide it from him, before he tells me to see a psychiatrist or tries to be my own psychiatrist. It will not help, I am certain of that. I know all of their tricks and that will make it hard for them to help me.

After thinking about all of this, I feel a lump in my throat. I put the files of the case besides me and cough, which causes John to look up. 'Are you alright?' he asks me almost automatically. John really started to care for me ever since the events of Sherrinford. He constantly asks me whether I am alright and whether I need something.

I look up as if nothing was wrong with me. 'I am fine,' I tell him and before he can tell me that he does not believe me, Detective Inspector Lestrade storms into the room.

'Guys, I need your help,' he says in a panic and both John and I are confused. John tells him to sit down and calmly explain why he needs our help, and why he is in such a panic.

'The FBI is coming here, in London, and I really need to-' he starts, but John interrupts him.

'The FBI? Why is the FBI coming here in the first place?'

'An American citizen is murdered, but that's not all. She had important information about the national security of America, but when we were at the crime scene, we did not find any USB stick. So the information is stolen. Therefore, Scotland Yard is going to collaborate with the FBI to retrieve the important information and to solve the crime, and since the FBI is sending their best people, I want to impress them.'

'And because Scotland Yard is dumb, we need to help you solve this boring crime?' I ask him, in the hope I could stay at home with John and Rosie and not work on a case that will only frustrate me more after everything I have been through.

'I wasn't finished Sherlock, the murder isn't like anything you've seen before. It's not like the ordinary murders. I'm pretty sure that you'll like it, knowing you.'

I chuckle. 'Well, I am not convinced,' I tell him, since I know I probably will not enjoy working on the case anyway.

'Please, Sherlock,' Lestrade begs me, and he and John both look at me. I start to feel uncomfortable and have the feeling that I cannot decline the case.

'Okay, but it better be worth our time.'

After John and I went to Molly to drop off Rosie (because according to John "Rosie is too young to solve crimes with us"), we took a cab to Scotland Yard. John and I do not say anything to each other for a very long time, but eventually he asks me a question I hoped he would not have asked during the ride. 'Why did it take so long for you to take the case? You love weird cases, and now you almost wanted to decline it. Are you sure you're fine?'

I do not know whether I should tell him, but I decide not to. It would only make things worse. 'I um... I...' I try to avoid his gaze so he cannot see that I am lying. 'I am not sure whether I can live up to Lestrade's expectations. Since I am a cock, or whatever you call me.'

I can hear John chuckle a little. 'I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you. It's going to be alright, Sherlock. Besides, no one is calling you a cock, well... Maybe Anderson, but who cares about Anderson anyway?' he says comfortingly.

I look up and smile weakly at him even though his answer does not comfort me at all. Because I still feel terrible. I even feel like I am on the roof of St Bart's Hospital once again, and I lean over to fall. But there is nothing on the ground to protect me from the landing. Besides, it feels like the fall takes hours, as if it is endless. The question is, when will the fall stop? When will I finally hit the ground? And will I get caught in the end?

A few minutes later, we arrive at Scotland Yard. Lestrade is already waiting for us outside of the building. I walk towards him, meanwhile John mutters irritated and probably pays the cabbie. The Detective Inspector looks even more nervous than he did when he visited the flat this morning. When John joins us, Lestrade takes us inside and brings us to his office. Sally Donovan and Philip Anderson are already waiting for us and the people of the FBI. 'Seriously Jeffrey? You want to impress the FBI and ask Donovan and Anderson to help working on the case?' I can hear a sigh of annoyance coming from the two detectives.

'It's Greg, and honestly Sherlock, they are actually good detectives. And we need as much help as we can get.'

I sigh and sit down somewhere. 'And where is the FBI exactly?'

'They can arrive any moment from now, so please Sherlock, try to be as polite as you can and for once, do not show off your intelligence in front of everyone.'

I take a glance at John. 'I told you so,' I whisper.

Before anyone can say anything else, Lestrade gives us the files that contain information about the case. John and I both look into it. The first thing I notice are the pictures of the body, but also the crime scene itself. Everything is covered in blood and the victim did not even look like a human anymore. The body was used as if it was a piece of art that had to be abstract, and therefore could not contain a human in itself. The limbs were torn off the body and were placed somewhere different in order to create the "artwork". It is sick-making to look at, and I am glad that I did not have to see it for myself.

'I think we both know who the suspect is,' I hear Donovan whisper to Anderson, and I am sure they are talking about me. I try my best to ignore them, and I see that John does so as well.

'Is the crime scene still intact?' John asks eventually after reading the whole file. I look at him and notice that even he feels sick after seeing these pictures.

'We took the body to the mortuary, but we did not clean up the scene itself. Special Agent Jack Crawford even asked us to keep as much as possible intact for one of his colleagues. Where are they anyway?' Lestrade asks, and exactly at that moment a few people from the FBI enter his office.