Chapter 6: The Suit

Author's Note:

Back for more! I recently switched to Ubuntu (Linux), so I've just familiarizing myself with the new format, hence the wait. But I barely got any feedback from the last chapter yet, so I don't know why I'm even here. *sniffs* But enough with the rant, and on with the show! 

“Stop being so stubborn, Sherlock! We're just trying to help!” John's voice sounded exasperated. I couldn't blame him, as I really was being difficult, but so was John! I would not, I could not, wear that SHIRT.

“Sherlock... I think I'll leave now... we agreed that when you finally asked Ms. Adler out, you would let me and John pick out what you were going to wear. And you're not letting me do that, so I'll just pop to the morgue...” Molly's voice trailed off.

A mild panic settled over me. John had no sense of fashion, what with his jumpers and all, so if Molly left I would have to pick my clothes myself, and I had far too much to do without having an added obligation. I'd probably just go with my usual outfit, and I wanted this date to be special.

“Please don't go, Molly. I'll wear anything else, just no THAT shirt... or one of John's jumpers...” John look indignant, but I pressed on. “Please, Molly. For me?”

Molly looked amused, and set her bag and coat down.

“You know, I was just trying to get you to be less stubborn. I wasn't really going to leave. I would've thought the great Sherlock Holmes would've been able to figure that out.”

“I knew, I was just... practicing... being human?” My transparent attempt to cover up was easily picked apart by everybody.

As John and Molly laughed at me, I realized that Molly had gotten relaxed enough around me to such an extent that she could make me the butt of her jokes. I was no longer a god to her, and she had clearly excepted the fact that I loved Irene, and had moved on. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. What if I could get John and Molly together through my ineptness? Molly would be a lovely girlfriend to John, and she would be one that I could stand, and she can obviously stand me. I filed the thought away, then smiled. What have I come to? Sherlock Holmes, matchmaking?

“I think you can stop laughing now.” I tried to make my voice flat and unemotional, but again, everyone knew what I was doing. “Seriously, it's not that funny.”

“Um, yeah it is. You're usually a better actor than this, Sherlock.” John's voice still held a note of amusement.

“It's. Not. That. Funny.” I was trying to be firm, but firmness didn't seem to be working.

After a few minutes of waiting, John and Molly got over their mirth at the fact that Sherlock Holmes was being accepting enough to allow people to laugh at him. Honestly, I wasn't that inhuman. Everyone else was just too human.

“So, will you wear the shirt?” John sounded slightly hopeful.

“No.” This time, my voice really was flat and unemotional.

“Fine. Then wear the purple shirt. It's tight on you.” Molly seemed a bit embarrassed to admit that she noticed the tightness of my shirts.

“Yes. I'll wear the purple shirt and the normal suit jacket. Like what I normally wear. I wanted to be... better, so I enlist the help of two people. First they force an ugly shirt on me, then, they just leave me to what I would normally wear. How wonderful.”

“Oh dear. Sherlock-y Sherlock is back.”

I just glared.

“I thought we agreed that you would be nice...?”

“But you're being useless.”

“That's friendly.”

Well, I had to admit I was being a prat again, but I couldn't help it. They were being useless!

“Then we can buy you a new suit. A fancy one, perhaps. Or maybe just a different one,” Molly interjected.

Why didn't I think of that?

“Yes. That was what I was just thinking.” Great. Lying through my teeth.

“That's a really good idea, Molly!” John seemed surprised that he hadn't thought of it.

“Thanks.” And Molly seemed surprised that John complimented her.

“Nevermind buying. I'll just...” I took a deep breath. “...ask Mycroft to borrow one...” Another deep breath. “...as a favour.” Now that was courage.

“Put him on speakerphone! I need to hear this!” John desperately needed to be re-familiarized with the harpoon.

I picked up the phone and dialed Mycroft's number, and yes, put him on speakerphone.

“Hello, dear brother. How are you doing?” At least the wording was different from last time.

“I'm not getting you into a top-secret military base again, Sherlock.” So Mycroft wasn't busy at the moment. Perfect.

“No, I just need to borrow a suit.”

“Why?”

“For a case, of course.” Great. Lying through my teeth.

“Don't lie, Sherlock.”

“Okay, maybe it's not for a case. Maybe it's for something else.”

“Yes, it's for that little get-together with Irene Adler you're planning with John and Molly, is it not?”

I felt the colour drain out of my face.

“N-no...” Great. Lying through my teeth.

“Don't lie, Sherlock. I'll have a suit sent to you by evening.”

“How does he know...?” John was vaguely impressed. Definitely the harpoon for him, then.

“He has government surveillance on us, John.” How dare he be impressed?

“Isn't that a bit unorthodox?” Molly was scandalized.

“This is Mycroft, Molly. He is the definition of unorthodox.”

I got up and started pacing. No point blocking the cameras. In fact... I moved in front of the mantelpiece.

“Thanks for the suit, Mycroft.” Ha! That'll inconvenience him for sure.

“You know where the cameras are?” Molly asked, confused.

“I forgot they were active. He turned them off for a while. Stupid, stupid, stupid! That's going to cost me. I'll have to do legwork for him now.” Love was distracting me. What a terrible thing. Terrible, but sweet.

“It's just some legwork, Sherlock. It's not that bad.” John looked bemused by my outburst.

“It is terrible! I owe him now!”

“Calm down, Sherlock. At least you got the suit. That's the most important thing right now. You need to get ready for Ms. Adler,” Molly consoled.

“Don't you get it? He's buying me a new one!”

“Where'd you get that from?” Now John was impressed with the right person.

“Isn't it obvious? He said 'a suit', not 'my suit'. Mycroft loves to emphasis my debt to him. The use of the word 'my' would emphasize the fact that it's his, and I'm using it. He thinks that I don't care if he spends money on a new one because he's already dripping with money anyways, but that's even worse! At least if I borrowed it, I could give it back! But a new one... I would keep it! And my debt... would be far larger.”

“Then give it back.”

“Mycroft would never wear a suit that fits me. It'd be too thin for him.” I smirked. The cake was catching up with him, after all.

“Fine, fine. So you have to do legwork, and you have debt to Mycroft. It's not the end of the world, Sherlock.”

“Yes it is.”

“Stop being a child.”

“I am not a child, John.”

“Well, you're acting like one.”

“Sherlock, John, please stop it. We have to concentrate on the task at hand.” Molly sounded fed up with all the bickering happening at the moment.

“If I'm acting like a child, then you are too.”

“Sherlock...” I recognized Molly's warning tone and shut up.

All of a sudden, the doorbell rang and we all jumped. I moved towards the door.

“That'll be the suit.”

“Sherlock, it's not evening yet. Mycroft said it would come in the evening.”

“He underestimates his importance to the British Government. His name tends to speed things up.”

It was indeed the suit. And a very good looking one, at that. Mycroft did want me to make a good impression after all. Hmmm, maybe I should stop this feud... But my train of thought was interrupted by Molly, who insisted I try the suit on. So I did.

“Sherlock, you look bloody amazing! It's so clingy in all the right places. Ohhhh... Ms. Adler is a lucky woman....”

Molly was saying this was good humor though. And even John looked impressed. Mycroft did do things right this time after all. 

Author's Note:

Not sure if I like the end, but my muse was running out. This super-long chapter ought to make up for the short one before. If you liked it, please fill out the box below. If you didn't like it, please fill out the box below.

Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks,

Wendy KL/vivagreen