"Watson, smell this." A thin slip of paper was placed in front of her nose.

She broke away from the computer screen for a second and took a big whiff. Living with Sherlock for as long as she had, she should have known better.

"Oh my god!" she stifled a gag and pushed away from the offending odor. "What is that?" Watson covered her nose and moved even further away.

"What does it smell like?" he asked excitedly.

"Rotting corpse!" she responded.

"Good! Good!" he was as pleased as a little boy. "What kind of rotting corpse?"

She looked at him intrigued, "Bloated rotting corpse," and she did what would have been unthinkable to any sane person, she went in for a second whiff and gagged again. "With a hint of salt water and ... (smaller whiff this time) ... some sort of sunscreen, so probably drowning victim?"

"Excellent! Yes, yes!" he was bordering on the ecstatic now. "I don't know which I'm more thrilled by, the fact that I was able to recreate the scent or that you picked it out so easily. Good job, Watson! Now smell this." He pulled out another small bottle and sprayed it onto a strip of paper. "Wait, no ..." He reached into his pocket, taking out and placing a handful of coffee beans in her hand "Smell these first to clear you olfactory sense, and then the strip."

She happily did as she was told. A new game - she was getting to be as twisted as he was. "Did you create these scents?"

"Yes, I've been working on them in my spare time. To use as a reference and as a teaching tool."

He waved the new scent under her nose. This one was not quite as repulsive. Although she did not find it pleasant, it brought back some bad memories. "Blood. Dried blood. Mixed with some sort of chemical agent." She inhaled again. "No, alcohol ... dried blood with a trace of tequila possibly ... can't really tell, but some sort of alcohol."

"You have quite a nose for this Watson. I am very pleased." He looked at her tentatively "One more?"

She was enthused now, "Sure let's go for three for three."

He took out one more bottle from his jacket pocket and sprayed a third strip of paper while she smelled the coffee beans. He gave her the strip of paper to examine.

She smelled it and stopped. Oh, it was lovely whatever it was. She had smelled this before but what was it. "I can't quite place my finger on it but there are traces of tea, green tea I think, a light note of jasmine ... a background of ginger and the slightest hint of pepper and maybe honey, ... or no, beeswax. Something else, hmm, linen perhaps? Its wonderful whatever it is."

"Intoxicating isn't it?" He was mesmerized watching her try to place the scent.

"What is it? And whatever it is, can I have a bottle of it" she smiled at him.

He placed the small bottle in front of her "Its you, or as close to an olfactory sensation of you as I could conjure."

First confusion and then joy washed over her face. He saw how pleased she was with it and he looked down, slightly embarrassed, mumbled something and turned to quickly leave. She grabbed his sleeve, stood up, put her arms around his neck and hugged him. "Thank you. Best Valentine's gift ever," she said softly. He held her at the waist and muttered, "Don't know what you're talking about... Not a gift... Purely for science, reference..." He took the opportunity to deeply inhale the scent of her, tightened the hug just ever so before breaking away.

He cleared his throat and took off in the direction of the coatrack, "It's almost eight. We need to eat."

"Where to?" she asked as he held her coat for her.

"Don't know. Let's make it an adventure, shall we?" He opened the door and escorted her out into the night.