CH 10

Sherlock - Holmes - John - Watson

The next morning they were seated at the breakfast nook table that John had bought on the cheap. It was safer to not eat on the larger table where Sherlock conducted much of his home experiments.

"So you figured it out," John said. "Nine Mill..."

"Million," Sherlock interrupted with his need for precision.

"Right," John said with a smile that he couldn't help. He was bonded to his Guide and Sherlock looked back at him with a smirk, as though he knew what the good doctor had on his mind. "Nine Million For Jade Pin Dragon Den Black Tramway."

"Instructions," Sherlock confirmed. "Located there because it's unnoticeable, but also located in the likeliest of places for their operatives to see the message to reclaim their lost treasure."

"A jade pin," John asked.

Sherlock nodded and continued, "One worth nine million pounds. They were to bring it to that tramway location, which had obviously been their 'secret' hideout. Clever that!"

"Right," John said. "But just a hair pin, it can't be worth nine million pounds, can it?"

"Apparently," Sherlock agreed.

"Why so much," John asked. The value of it alone, had him in shock. All that they'd gone through for a measly little hair pin.

"Depends who owned it first," Sherlock replied.

"Empress...," John's voice answered in a low tone, which earned him a raised eyebrow from his Guide. "That's what that General Shan woman had said. They were looking for the Empress' pin."

Sherlock's expression flipped from curiosity to surprise and then to glee. "We need to go the bank again."

"Again," John asked.

"Of course," Sherlock replied. "We've solved Seb's case," he grimaced at the name of his old school acquaintance. "I really don't want to see him."

"What about seeing him in the manner you do most of the officers of the Yard that you don't like," John said. "What if you walk in and blurt out that you've solved the case, tell him that I'll explain it and then leave just as briskly."

Sherlock absolutely perked up at that and said, "Good plan, but first a shower and then another round in that bed of yours. Nothing too vigorous mind, I still need to get used to it."

"Loads of other things we can do," John nodded in agreement, as parts of him perked up at the thought of leaving more scent markers on his newly bonded Guide. But he was alone in at the table by then, as he heard the plumbing start up.

He looked at the breakfast table thinking to be able to finish the last of his toast, but heard the demanding call of his Guide, "What are you waiting for John? Get in here!"

"Right," John muttered. "He's going to be just as pushy in this too!" He grinned and then stalked towards his waiting Guide and the steaming water of their private shower.

Sherlock - Holmes - John - Watson

Later that morning they strode into the Shad Anderson building again, only this time with the purpose of concluding their business with the day trader, one Sebastian Wilkes.

Sherlock had just finished explaining that the true thief of the pin had been Van Coon and not Lukis.

"Why not Lukis," John asked.

"Because of the soap," Sherlock stated, but never fully explained that once they were in the building.

They walked through the doors and immediately the Sentinels noticed changes in the two men. Their senses told them that these two were a fully bonded pair now. John looked at them, nodded once and received a similar nod in kind.

Sherlock noticed the exchange, but relegated it to the part of his brain that catalogued it as something that Sentinels just do. He'd seen it before and so it wasn't as remarkable as it should have been.

"Ah Sebastian," Sherlock said, as he just walked through the door of the man's office with John following and grinning at his flatmate's theatrical mannerisms. It was riveting to watch. "We've solved your security issue. Please make the check out to Dr. John Watson here," he motioned in John's direction. "He'll explain everything. Sorry got to dash. I've an important meeting to get to." He left just as quickly as he'd entered the room.

"He's been bonded," Sebastian stated. He couldn't keep the surprised, or was that shocked expression off his face and out of his voice. The mark on the man's neck had been noted, including the prominent scent marker.

"Hmm," John nodded. "Your intruder was an assassin seeking to scare your Hong Kong, night trader. He scaled the outside of the building and came in through the chairman's balcony entrance."

Sebastian snorted in disbelief, "What was he, some sort of spider man?"

"No," John replied. "In fact, he was a Chinese acrobat."

"What," Sebastian nearly shouted. "Now listen here, I'm not one to put up with fanciful stories..."

"It's the truth," John replied in a tone that told the other man not to argue with him. "Think of the silk climbers in the Circ du Soleil. They can roll up or down the silken cloth with incredible agility. Someone climbed to the top of this building and either some maintenance worker let him in or they used a stolen access card. The man only had to secure the silk cloth and roll down to the nearest balcony."

"But then how did they get in..."

"The balcony doors are not in your security system," John interrupted him. He walked over to Seb's door and opened it, without the use of a card or it registering on their expensive data system. "You really should update your computer program. What if one of your traders takes it into their heads to commit suicide by jumping from this building? You'll never know who it was or when they did it."

"Bloody hell," Sebastian said. "I'd never..." He coughed and then composed his surprise. "I'll let the senior partners know about this." He pulled out his check book and started to write down a number.

John's eyes focussed on what the man was writing and then he said, "Double it."

"I beg your pardon," Sebastian said.

"You gave Sherlock twelve thousand as down payment for his services," John said. "You told him that you'd double it upon conclusion. This is the conclusion, so twenty-four thousand it is."

"Ah," Sebastian said. "But this is being put into your name."

John grinned in such a way that Sebastian Wilkes knew he never wanted to meet this plain looking man in a dark alley or anywhere for that matter, as any kind of enemy. "If I was to ask for payment it'd be quadruple that amount," the doctor replied, as he stood with his hands behind his back, at parade rest. "Sentinel services do not come cheap, you know."

"Ah, right," Sebastian responded, a little cowed by the person before him. That's when he realized who had marked and bonded with Sherlock. "Twenty-four it is...Made out to Dr. John Watson, as per Sherlock's request." He wanted to hold it out for the man, but instead placed it on the desk. It was a status thing, really. A man that took the check from his hand would seem to be beholden or something, whereas a man that picked it up owed him nothing.

John had waited for the check to be put down. The banker already knew that the doctor was stronger in the devious sense, as their first handshake had proven. He watched as the man picked up the payment and pocketed it.

A shrieking squeal of happiness echoed throughout the building and startled him, whereas the Doctor standing before him, just stood there with his head cocked.

John, then just smiled and left the man there, as he said, "Have a nice day!"

Sherlock - Holmes - John - Watson

When Sherlock had left Wilkes' office, he immediately went to see Van Coon's personal assistant. He walked into her office, as she'd just finished putting on a bit of lotion to prevent her hands from feeling dry.

"He gave you a present," Sherlock said.

"Oh hello," Amanda said to him.

"When he came back from China," Sherlock continued. "He gave you a little gift."

"How did you know that?"

"You weren't just his PA, were you," he stated.

She huffed and said, "Someone's been gossiping."

"No," he replied.

"Then..." Amanda hesitated. "I don't understand?"

"Hand soap, found back at his flat," Sherlock stated. "The kind that's sold with a moisturiser, in three hundred millilitre quantities, the bottle was almost finished."

Amanda looked confused. "Sorry?"

"I don't think Eddie Van Coon was the sort of chap who would buy himself scented hand soap," Sherlock explained to her with a wry grin. "Not unless he had a lady coming over. It's the same brand as that hand cream of yours."

They both looked at the innocuous bottle of scented lotion.

"I...I...look, it wasn't serious between us," she stammered. "It was over in a flash. Besides it could never last, he was my boss after all."

"What happened," Sherlock asked. "Why did you end it?"

Amanda shrugged, since he was right. She had been the one to end it. "I thought," she started. "I thought he was taking me for granted. He didn't appreciate me." She sighed and then continued. "He stood me up once too often. We'd plan to go away for the weekend and he'd just leave. Fly off to China at a moment's notice."

"He brought you a present from abroad to say sorry," Sherlock confirmed. "Can I just have a look at it?" He held out his hand and she placed a small, delicate looking hair pin of green in it.

"Said he bought it in a street market," Amanda commented on it.

"Oh I don't think that true," Sherlock replied. "I think he pinched it."

"Yeah," she nodded. "That's Eddie."

"Didn't know the value though," Sherlock said in a thoughtful tone. "Just thought that it would suit you."

"Oh," Amanda perked at the word 'value'. She worked in a bank for a reason, even if she was a personal assistant rather than a day trader or one of the counter folk. "What's it worth?"

"Oh, about nine million pounds sterling," Sherlock told her.

"Oh my god," Amanda whispered.

"Very valuable historically," Sherlock continued conversationally. "There's always a finder's fee to these things."

"Oh...My GOD," she shrieked. "NINE MILLION, YES...YES...OH MY GOD!" He left her a card of where to go for the finder's fee and quickly left the woman in her ecstatic expressions of joy.

Sherlock joined up with his Sentinel, as the man left Sebastian's office. "Think she's happy?"

"Over a thousand years old," John commented with a shake of his head. "...and it's sitting on her bedside every night."

"He didn't know the value," Sherlock replied. "He didn't even know why they were chasing him."

John snorted and said, "Should have just got her a lucky cat."

Sherlock looked at him quickly and laughed. He received one in return, as they both stepped through the revolving door of the bank.

"So case over," John replied.

"Yep," Sherlock agreed.

"Want to help me with retraining," John asked.

"For how long," Sherlock asked.

"Three months," John said. "Intensive studies in Forensic Pathology," he paused and then said, "We'll have to go to the SC and the GC to register our bond too."

"We can go now," Sherlock replied in a happy tone of voice. He wanted to get it done before his brother even had any inkling about his changed situation.

"A real bank first," John said.

Sherlock nodded as he stood at the curb with his arm raised and hailed a taxi successfully, in a way that was envious of anyone, who'd ever been stuck trying to do the same. He basked in the gaze of his Sentinel, who looked at him like was someone special.

To any activated Sentinel, the Guide is special…precious beyond measure, and yes there is always one perfect Guide for every Sentinel.

Sherlock - Holmes - John - Watson

END

(...NOTE...) That's it. My muse decided that the train will stop here for a while. Don't know if another episode will be re-written, but who knows what's up with the muses these days. So far, nadda. Hope you enjoyed this tale.

Lil Nezumi