Declaimer: I own nothing, except a slight extreme obsession with the relationship between Holmes and Adler. :)

Summary: A scandal brings truths into the open, truces to be made and perhaps a long awaiting love to finally blossom! Holmes/Irene/Watson, it's better than it sounds.

Enjoy!

Sherlock's Woman

It was a fight; a desperate struggle and it did not go without tears and screams and cries and hands clutching skin so tightly, bruises appeared in flutters of butterflies on her skin but Holmes just can't let her go this time. Not this time. So he holds on with all the strength he has, which is exceptionally more than hers and she knows it. That is why she screams and yells and fights. Eventually the cries come, the tears of relinquishment. She knows he won't let her go this time, but the reason she cries is because she is grateful that he won't. She is finally at home with Holmes and she is safe.

Eventually she is sobbing without care in his arms, and her body aches like it has never ached before. Holmes rocks her and shushes her and mutters sweet nothings in her ear, whilst his eyes scan over her bruised and broken body, the deep abrasions and welts that she stumbled through his window in. The new light purpling bruises on her arms and on her waist are from him. He will kiss those extra softly.

'Irene...' He whispers softly, gruffly as the emotion is thick in his throat. 'You don't need to run anymore.' He kisses her forehead to extenuate the point and she suddenly stops breathing, she is motionless...before suddenly letting out a small, delicate sigh of relief.

'Thank you.' Is all she says before snuggling deeper against his chest once more.

A month prior...

'Nanny what have you done with my handkerchief! You know I like to always have one on me before I enter the outside.' Sherlock snapped down the stairs, bellowing at the as yet to be seen landlady of the residence. Holmes suspected she was deliberately evading view today.

'Fine, have it your way Nanny, you clearly wish me to catch a cold and eventually succumb to some terrible illness!' He yelled although you could slightly hear his mocking tease in his voice as he shouted down the stairs once again.

He stormed back into his room, threw on his long coat, swiftly wrapped a scarf around his neck and walked out into the brisk, bitter November night.

The air was indeed biting and quite a bit more unbearable than normal. Hardly anyone stalked the streets, and if they did they walked in a fast stride to their intended destination. Holmes' breath swirled clearly up into the night sky, joining the many other vapours and fumes London permitted yearly round.

It didn't evade Sherlock's notice however that a small figure was following him through the dark night, ducking between the shadows to avoid being seen. He kept walking, but slowed his pace to a leisurely summer walk intended to give false confidence to his mysterious shadow.

In this short amount of time, Sherlock had already judged and scrutinized all he needed to know, and made some few choice assumptions he was pretty confident he would be proven right on. For example he had noted that the figure was not much more than 5 foot 2 and was slender and dainty in weight, especially considering the agility portrayed so far.

And perhaps more importantly, Sherlock had decided he was nearly a hundred percent sure as to who it was. That smell of jasmine perfume never left his olfactory gland. Irene Adler.

Now it was a simply a matter of to catching her in the act.

He suddenly and quite swiftly bolted down a side alley and made quick use of the many items of bulk and size to hide behind. He listened as the smaller footsteps of the woman approached and counted the seconds it would take her to look around the long alley and pass across where he was hiding. It was four seconds.

Then he pounced.

He grabbed Irene around the waist and lifted her easily of her feet; the short, sharp yelp of surprise was his first piece of evidence that he was indeed right about who it was. She fought like a wild cat in his arms, and as her body pressed against his, the softness of her skin and the roundness of her breasts under his touch not only excited his senses, but also gave away his second piece of evidence that it was indeed her.

'Now now my Darling, play nice.' He grumbled into her ear and for once, doing as she was told, Irene stilled in Sherlock's embrace, huffing in defeat.

'How did you know it was me?' She asked in that high lilted voice of hers and Sherlock had to fight the hammering of his heart beneath his chest, for fear she was to feel it against her back.

'I know you.' he said before shifting her until she was now facing him, but he still had a firm hold around her waist.

'If I let you go, you won't run off will you?' He said and then was thoroughly surprised when Irene's lips came crashing down against his. It was a short; passion filled, yearned for kiss, but was over before either could truly savour it.

'Of course I won't run off. Honestly Sherlock you never trust me.' She moaned slightly, still very close to his lips and for a split second he was speechless as he stared intently at those red wine lips that had just assaulted his own.

'Ahem... well yes I often wonder myself.' He said sarcastically and then somewhat dismayed, released her from his grip. He instantly missed the warmth of her against him, but it didn't go unnoticed to him that she shivered slightly under her breath as he let go.

'Not that I don't enjoy seeing you darling, but why are you here?' He asked somewhat sceptical.

'I missed you.' She said, and shone a sincere 'Irene' smile at him. One he couldn't help but return.

'And...' She continued and here Sherlock rolled his eyes.

'You need my help.' He said somewhat exasperated. However, when he looked at her, she was for a moment, appearing to fight inwardly with some emotion, almost something akin to sadness.

'No I don't need your help Holmes.' She spat. 'I need you.'

And with those three words, Sherlock Holmes was completely Irene Adler's once more.

Chapter two coming soon...

What do you think? I know it may not fit their characters but hey ho!