Holmes let himself in with his house key, and groaned as he spotted the staircase.

He could of course just collapse in the sitting room downstairs, but he really wanted to be in his own room right now.

He resignedly started the painful trek up the staircase, still clutching his hand to his swollen eye. By the time he was halfway, Watson had come out of his office to see what the groaning was.

He looked stunned when he noticed the state Holmes was in.

Holmes glared at him. "Not a word, Watson!"

Watson came down to help him up the stairs. "Good God, Holmes, how did this happen?"

Holmes groaned "She hit me! I can't believe she hit me!"

Watson chuckled "And did a pretty good job of it too by the looks of it! It seems that you are making a habit of underestimating her! Why are you stooped over? Did you hurt your back too? Oh! Right!" Watson grimaced as he deduced the nature of Holmes' injury. "My sympathies, old chap! It seems like that wasn't a soft blow either!"

"Alas, Watson, I fear it is my pride that has taken the worst blow of all! I can't believe she managed to get away. Again! That is twice now! What is it about this woman? I must be losing my edge!"

Watson chuckled in response. "Hardly. Distracted perhaps! In any case, she made a proper idiot out of you!"

Holmes glared at the doctor.

Watson ignored him and enquired "Now, do you want to lie down in your room or should we brave another set of stairs to get you to your bedroom?"

"God have mercy, just put me on my tiger rug! I think I might actually be sick again if I don't lie down soon!"

When they got to the room, Holmes very very carefully lowered himself to the rug, and settled down on his back. He groaned in relief.

"Now" said Watson "Let's have a look at that eye of yours." Holmes reluctantly lowered his hand. Watson whistled as he appraised the damage. "That will be all colours of the rainbow for at least a fortnight I would say! Just keep the pressure on it for now. I will see if Mrs Hudson has some ice in stock. That should help reduce the swelling. For your other injury, not much we can do at this point I'm afraid. Would you say the pain has increased or decreased since the actual blow?"

Holmes frowned. "Decreased, if only slightly."

"That is a good sign. It means that the damage is not that extensive. You will probably be sore until tomorrow at least, but there shouldn't be any... lasting effects." He winked playfully as he stood up to leave.

Holmes grumbled. "So wonderful to see at least one of us is finding this an amusing situation."

Watson smiled. "I'll be right back."

Holmes didn't look up as he heard the door softly opening and closing again. "At last! I do hope you have that ice! Do you mind drawing the curtains? I feel quite a headache coming on. I think I might have a concussion actually, although the nausea could still be from the blow to my groin..."

"Oh, you poor man! If only you could have accepted defeat gracefully!"

He looked up to see the woman sauntering towards him, swaying her hips. He groaned. "What are you doing here?"

She casually deposited his bill fold on the nearest table. "I have come to return this. After all, I have no use for it. And to see how you are doing."

She squatted down beside him and gently brushed a lock of hair that had fallen over his forehead to the side.

He warily eyed her, and jumped slightly as she moved towards him.

She smiled. "Relax, Holmes. I did not mean to hurt you! You just wouldn't let go! I guess that is what happens when two determined people have opposite goals. Let me have a look at your eye."

She swung one leg across his closest thigh, which got a startled response from Holmes. "Watch where you are putting that knee!"

She smirked, and settled down, effectively straddling his right thigh, and leaned forward with her elbows on his chest, one hand absent-mindedly fingering the collar of his shirt.

Their eyes locked, and for a moment they just sat like that, studying each other.

Holmes vaguely noticed his heart rate had increased slightly since her appearance.

Anxiety, he reasoned, perfectly natural when faced with an adversary.

She gently grasped his hand, and drew it away from his face. She bit her lower lip as she saw the damage, and very slowly ran her hand from his temple to the bottom of his jaw.

He swallowed convulsively, studying her face, eyes drawn to that bottom lip being held by her teeth. He resisted the temptation to reach over and pull it free.

She bent over him, and started following the same track her fingers just passed with her lips.

Holmes whispered as she got near his ear. "What about your husband?"

She groaned softly in his ear. "My husband prefers the company of men. How odd that you did not notice that... I will wait until we get back to America, catch him in the act, demand a divorce, and receive a generous settlement for my trouble. But let's not talk about him, I am more interested in other things at present..."

Holmes hissed as she licked the shell of his ear, and gently bit down on the lobe. He groaned as she found a particularly sensitive spot just below his ear. His hands found their way around her waist by their own accord, and Holmes cursed his weakness. "I wonder" he whispered "Is it the chase that excites you? Or is it the thrill of besting me specifically?"

She grinned, grazed his neck with her teeth, and slowly started grinding herself against his thigh. She brought her mouth within an inch of his, and breathed "A little bit of both, I suspect. I have to admit, it is so much more exciting when it is you doing the chasing."

Holmes closed the gap between them at this, and claimed her mouth. Their kiss was frantic, tongues and teeth battling for dominance. His head swam with the overpowering sensations beating down upon him. Her smell; her taste; the feel of her fingers, now grasping his head, and playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. And the feeling of his own hands, one buried in her auburn curls, her cap discarded to the side; and the other grasping her side, thumb caressing the underside of her breast. It was only the need for oxygen that broke them apart.

She was grinding against him more determinedly now, and groaned as Holmes started laving kisses on the side of her neck. She hurriedly tugged his shirt loose from his trousers as he palmed her breast, and ran her hands under the shirt , exploring his chest and stomach.

Holmes laid back, and watched her intently, as she let her hands drift even lower. As she palmed him through his trousers, he chuckled softly.

She looked up at the sound, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"I do apologize, but no matter what you do tonight, you will not be getting any movement down there!"

He grinned as he watched the different emotions playing out across her face. Shock, followed shortly by disbelief, and finally frustration. He laughed as she jumped up, and stood looking down on him. Holmes smirked triumphantly. "That is what they call: Facing the consequences of your actions, my dear! Only yourself to blame!"

She smiled wryly, and admitted, "I suppose I can't really argue that point..."

She sighed, and bent to pick up her cap. "I should probably go..." She slipped out of the room with a last lingering glance and a saucy wink. "Until next time, Mr Holmes!" He could hear the window on the landing opening and closing.

Holmes was still chuckling amusedly when Watson came in with a towel filled with ice a few minutes later.

"Holmes?" he questioned "I am sorry it took this long, Mrs Hudson didn't have any ice, so I quickly ran to the butchery on the corner of the street to get some!"

Holmes started laughing again, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.

Watson frowned as he handed Holmes the towel. "Oh dear. Maybe you hit your head harder than I thought. Let me go get my medical supplies!"

Holmes pressed the towel to his eye, and let out a final chuckle.

Watson entered the room again, medical bag in hand.

Holmes was still pressing the ice to his head with an amused grin.
After reconsidering, he transferred the bag of ice to his groin instead. "Watson? I think I might need another ice pack!"

The End

A/N: Yes! My second story finished! Third one should be coming soon, carrying on in the same timeline, and things will be heating up between our dear Sherlock and Irene, so will normally be rated M!

Please review, all comments are welcome! :D