meet our friendly citizenry

[cross_and_bow]

The rest of Sherlock's probationary week is uneventful.

At the end of it, Bella says, "If you are attempting to deceive me in some way, you're clearly operating on a level I can't hope to compete with and are considerably more patient than I. I'm not going to let you into the house, because that's Charlie's house too and I doubt he'd like it, but otherwise as far as I'm concerned I can trust you."

Comments

[cross_and_bow]

"...And he wasn't backed up anywhere," infers Bella. "And the villains of the story got him too."

[eversomuchfun]

"Correct," he says softly.

[cross_and_bow]

"Shit. I'm sorry. What was his name?"

[eversomuchfun]

"Jarvis."

[cross_and_bow]

"You said it was a short list of people," she recalls vaguely. "Was it a two-person list?"

[eversomuchfun]

"Yes."

[cross_and_bow]

"I'm so sorry."

[eversomuchfun]

"Thank you," he murmurs.

[cross_and_bow]

"You're welcome."

Here is the neighborhood of the day. Night, rather.

Crosses crosses crosses.

She lets him lurk. No demons attack them. She finishes the neighborhood and heads for home.

[eversomuchfun]

When Bella is just stepping onto her driveway, Sherlock appears long enough to say, "Goodnight, fair Juliet."

[cross_and_bow]

"Are you going to call me Juliet forever?" she inquires. "Because we have conversed through a window a couple of times and you recited Shakespeare at me while drunk on the vampire equivalent of stress hormones?"

[eversomuchfun]

"Does it annoy you? I think it's hilarious," he says cheerfully.

[cross_and_bow]

"Everyone calls me Bella except Charlie, and he calls me Bells," says Bella. "No one has ever given me a nickname of my own before. I don't suppose I'd describe myself as annoyed."

[eversomuchfun]

"How would you describe yourself?"

[cross_and_bow]

"Nonplussed? Amused? Ever so slightly charmed, because, you know, the Bard?"

[eversomuchfun]

"Then I see no reason to stop."

[cross_and_bow]

"Okay," Bella laughs. "If I think of anyplace for you to hole up during the day, I will let you know, but I'm afraid I have no immediate ideas," she adds.

[eversomuchfun]

"I appreciate the thought, in any case."

[cross_and_bow]

"If you burn to a crisp due to homelessness, who will call me Juliet and lurk around while I patrol?"

[eversomuchfun]

"Ah, a pragmatist. I'm charmed."

[cross_and_bow]

"Always a pragmatist," agrees Bella. She yawns. "I need to get at least five hundred words of utter bullshit to cohere into the approximate shape of an English paper before I crash. See you tomorrow, Sherlock."

[eversomuchfun]

"Goodnight," he says, smiling, and departs.