Human Error - Pity

Sally Donavan folded her arms as she and her peers watched the consulting detective prance absently around the dead victim before them. There was something amiss in his stride, there lacked a certain bounce and fewer words. Most of those words used to be insults directed mainly to her and her team, but now they were small mutters to himself.

Over the past few months since Sherlock's return, Sally had come to terms with her part in his assumed demise and even managed to apologize.

"Always Sally," Sherlock had said "You assume too much of yourself. How could you resist a trap so perfectly set just for you."

Sally accepted the harshness with a nod, she deserved it, but she could not help but bite back "All the same no matter how much of a freak you are, you really aren't so heartless and you would never hurt a child. I should have seen that, I never cared to, and for that I apologize." She turned sharply before he could give her any reason to make his death a reality but was stopped by gentle hold on her arm.

"Thank you Sally." Was all he said with that some hard feelings were melted, enough for her to actually feel something by the sight she witness before her. A distraught Sherlock, bereaved of his partner, alone and muttering to himself, it was almost touching.

The genius raked his fingers through his curls and circled the corpse once more retreating into his mutters. John was unable to assist him again, and it seemed like this would often be the case for the consulting detective as his former partner began to adjust to married life with a baby on the way. He had finished the first case on his own in record time, but as time began to pass and more cases showed up, it seemed as if the fire that kept him going was slowing beginning to fade. Sherlock shook his head. He could do this alone, he did not need an assistant, he was able to function well without one before. Sherlock pulled out his magnifying glass and began to inspect random things on the corps "Can't even make proper deductions..." he muttered aware of how he had gained an audience, good maybe they'd learn something finally.

"This isn't very good is it?" A uniformed cop took his spot beside Donavon who scanned her phone.

"And Lestrade is going to be late, but we need to get this done fast." Sally said as member of the forensic teem took the uniform cop's spot.

"It's kind of pathetic actually." He said with a shake of his head "I almost feel sorry for him."

"Well we can't have that," Sally said with a sigh then approached the consulting detective.

Sherlock raised his hand. "Not now Sally I'm busy."

"Mind thinking a little faster? You're starting to worry us."

"Worry," Sherlock scoffed "It'd take you days to figure out everything I just gleamed."

"Sorry, were not all gifted,"

"How true." Sherlock muttered to himself then noticed Sally had not moved. He glanced to her and she plastered a fake smile on her impatient face then rolled her eyes as it dropped. With a nod Sherlock smirked then looked to the Sargent. "An outside view, a second pair eyes perhaps." He motioned for her to come forward.

"Seriously?" Sally sighed and with a snap of his fingers Sherlock replied a prompt yes then with another sigh and another roll of her eyes, Sally complied. "What?" Sally frowned down at the corpse then back to Sherlock.

"You tell me."

"What do you mean 'you tell me'? You're the one who harassed us to get you a case anyway."

"Not the point this is still your job so, tell me what you see."

"The third victim of a maniac who strangles his victims to death."

"Could have got that from the papers Sally."

"I'm not sure what you are expecting."

"A sound deduction from a competent detective." Sherlock snapped.

There was a stillness in the air as Sally glared at the man before her. Some cops eased from the storm and others still peered in, at least they would be able to explain how the the consulting detective faked this death. With a sigh, Sally leaned over the victim and began to scan the scene.

"He came here alone." Her voice broke the tension and Sherlock smiled at her decision to play along.

"Yes, and." He urged her.

"There is a stamp on his hand, so he's old enough to get into that bar, but not old enough to drink." Sally tilted the victim's head, "No wait, he's really young, the ID must have been a fake."

"Very good." Sherlock noted as Sally began to peer into the victim more. He urged her with small 'hums' of approval as she uncovered more clues and forsook the obvious ones. He began to ask her about specific details to tempt her to dive deeper and warily, she did.

Sally found herself in a strange moment of receiving compliments form Sherlock Holmes and it was mildly frightening. She wondered if she preferred watching him prance around lonely and almost feeling sorry for him than this. Everything she said was met with a positive reinforcement, she felt like he was up to something, But she was not wrong in anything she said, so what had she to fear?

"Clever, what a pity you are not a Detective inspector yet," Sherlock said and Sally actually turned her face away because it felt like she was blushing. Something was defiantly up. Finally she stood with a shrug and a shake of her curly hair.

"That's all I got." She glanced up at Sherlock who had begun to tighten his scarf. "Well?"

"Good." Sherlock said with a nod "I did say competent." He took out his phone and began to text, he spared Sally one more glance and noted she was awaiting his feed back. "It seems as though you are only able to scrape the surface of quite an obvious murder, I really wonder how you achieved your position with such a flaw, but nevertheless you are a great conductor this is why you are still a Sargent and not a DI, it is a pity." Sally's eyes grew wide as she realized she was played 'You are however a very good conductor of thoughts, your wrong ones usually brought to light the obvious ones, which made this observation run faster. You are the perfect side kick for serious detectives and we should do this again sometime" Sherlock turned abruptly to the approaching Lestrade.

"Our suspect is a young woman probably the same age as this victim. And they were quite close. While she used a detached item to murder the others this she did with her own hands." Sherlock moved around the victim and pointed to the area Sally mainly observed "See there, traces of latex but she must have become too involved because there, fingernail polish. Her nails broke though the glove. Check the DNA and his classmates, case close." Sherlock said bounce fully renewed in his prance. "And Sally, nice try."

It took two uniformed cops to hold Sally back and keep her from going after him while another grabbed her gun. She was furious from being humiliated in such a way, especially since she knew it was bound to happen. She then promoted John to a Saint and silently vowed to never assist Sherlock Holmes or pity his loneliness ever again! She shook her head and yanked herself from her peer's grasp then returned to her car to fume away from the concerned eyes of her team. But as she watched the consulting detective prance away from the scene, she could not help but feel a little satisfied that she had helped bring that bounce back.

A/N: Finally wrote it out! This has been bothering me for quite some time now even though it's so short I had fun writing it! There is a desire to continue what do you think?

Thanks for reading please review – Dee