Chapter Text
"Mary," Lili's voice was breathless on the phone.
"What's the matter? You normally don't call on weekdays," Mary mouthed, It's Lilith, to John Watson, her fiancée.
What does she want? He mouthed back, setting the newspaper down. Mary shrugged. The doorbell buzzed. John got up to get it.
"I've been evicted. Can I come over?"
"Oh God, yes, what happened?" Mary internally cursed. She and John were going to have to offer their spare bedroom to her; they couldn't leave her on the street. It would be a nightmare to live with her until she got back up on her feet.
"I'll explain when I come over." The phone clicked.
"John? Lili's coming over. She's been evicted!" Mary shouted down the stairs.
"Um... Mary," John's voice was small— in the back of his throat. He and another pair of footsteps followed up the stairs. "Sherlock's here."
Mary spun around to be greeted with the sight of a tall, thin man with impossibly high cheekbones and dark curly hair. He surveyed the room that Mary had put together carefully a year before when she and John had moved in together with a look of calloused disdain, as though it didn't compare to the dump he and John lived in before. John was stiff and moved to the kitchen to put the kettle on.
Sherlock sat in the arm chair that John moved from Baker Street to their townhouse, continuing to survey both the room and Mary.
"Well," Mary cleared her throat. "Would you like tea or something?"
"Yes." The man intoned flatly, continuing to stare at her, rarely blinking. John returned to the sitting room with the tea.
"You haven't been invited over, you know, Sherlock." John said, a hint of anger rising in his voice. Mary knew he wasn't really angry at him for arriving unannounced.
"Well, its not as though you've got anything else on. I'd like you to assist me today," Sherlock's tone was indignant and accompanied by an eye roll.
"We're expecting company!" John huffed.
"Company! What, like some sort of friend?"
"Yes, exactly like some sort of friend! Not like you'd have any idea! That's what normal people do on their days off, have friends over!" A pained look flashed across Sherlock's face. "Look... Mary and I just have to get this thing sorted, and then I can help you, alright?" Sherlock beamed.
Approximately 15 minutes passed before there was another buzz at the doorbell. This time, Mary answered the door. Her sister, Lilith, stood before her, all of her possessions packed in tow — including a cat carrier.
"Hello hello," Lilith said, pushing Mary to the side as she tried to fit through the door with her various suit cases and carrier.
"Wait, hold on one second! I thought you said you were being evicted, not that the process had already happened!" Mary shouted.
"No, I think you'll find I said, I had been evicted, as in, already happened. Kicked to the curb, this morning unfortunately. No notice." Lili called back to her stunned sister as she struggled up the stairs. "Hello, John!" she chirped, happily once she entered the sitting room. Her smile fell along with her suit cases once she laid eyes on Sherlock.
Putting the cat carrier down and opening it, allowing a 20-pound Maine Coon named Rex to enter the room, she moved to John to lay a kiss on his cheek.
Sherlock scanned the new woman who entered the room. American. Mid-twenties. Highly educated. What else? Short dark hair— tells him nothing. Manicured nails, doesn't work with her hands. Glasses. Rings on all of her fingers, but they're cheap. Tattoos underneath her clothes, probably. Friend of John's? No. Bright pink lipstick. She flashed her straight white teeth in a smile that dripped poison.
Lilith flounced down on the couch and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Lil, this is..."
"Oh, I know exactly, who this is. Hello, Sherlock Holmes. I've heard sooo much about you," the woman named Lil drawled. Southern? No.
"Is that so?" Sherlock responded, leaning forwards.
"Oh yes. Two years, I heard my future brother-in-law sing your praises. And for nearly all of one of those years, men followed him and my sister wherever they went," she spat. "You've caused me a lot of pain, Mr. Holmes, and we've never even met. I nearly lost my sister for a second time because of you. And a damn good brother-to-be, too. All because at first, I didn't realize it was your fault those men with guns were following them. I thought it was John that was the dangerous one. No, no. It was you, you who doesn't know when he's in over his goddamn head." She picked the huge cat up out of Mary's arms. "Do us all a favor, Mr. Holmes... Go back where you disappeared to." The poisonous smile returned over her shoulder as her hips swayed away.
Leaving the room in a stunned silence, she climbed the stairs to retire for the night. The three sat in silence for some time, before John cleared his throat and spoke.
"So, you needed my help.. with, uh.. something?"
Sherlock smirked. He had been wrong about Mary the first time he had met her. She had a sister.
"No, not tonight."