Aylia Holmes

2. 221B Baker Street

"Enola!" Aylia called as she turned to leave with Bessie. Taking her hand in her own, she said, "If you need any help with your case, please, come to me, alright?"

"I will, Aylie," Enola promised.

They hesitated a moment before embracing. Bessie averted her gaze, her eyes burning slightly.

Pulling away, Aylia said, "Be careful, dear. I believe in you, and more importantly, I love you."

Enola tried to repress her smile as she replied, "I love you too, Aylie."

Once they had gone, Aylia and Elwin returned to bed, but she could not bring herself to sleep. Somehow, she found herself oddly distracted. Even as she lay in Elwin's arms, she did not feel even close to sleep. This uneasiness continued into the next day as she mindlessly tried to read, paint, read...truly anything to distract her mind, but even still, nothing stuck.

She paced restlessly all day until finally, she could bear it no longer. After quickly scribbling out a note to Elwin, she dressed and departed the building, making her way towards Baker Street at about nine o'clock.

Aylia had just gotten herself inside and was nearing the top of the stairs to Sherlock's flat when she heard voices below.

Turning and peaking down the stairs, she heard Sherlock's low voice say, "Better leg, the left. You should write that down."

"Sherlock?" Aylia said in surprise.

"Aylie!" he said, slurring slightly as Enola desperately tried to keep him from toppling down the stairs.

"Is he..." Aylia began.

"Very much so," Enola grunted, attempting to force him up the stairs.

With a sigh, Aylia came down to them, supported him from the other side, and between the two of them, they got Sherlock up the stairs and to his flat in about fifteen minutes.

"Ha," Sherlock exclaimed. "Home. Well done, Sherlock."

Irritably, Aylia shoved him forward onto his cousin, rolling her eyes.

As Sherlock struggled to take off his coat, Enola asked, "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Looking for a sober Sherlock," she replied with a sigh.

"His flat is such a mess," Enola remarked.

"It's perfect," Sherlock retorted. "Don't touch anything."

"What are you investigating?" Enola asked, moving aside a newspaper slightly to look at a book on his desk.

"None of your business. I work alone. It's private," Sherlock retorted. "Now, shh, I'm thinking. One should never be interrupted when thinking. Oh, you should-"

"Write that down?" Enola sassed.

"I'll leave him in your hands, Enola," Aylia said with a chuckle. "I need to get back before Elwin worries."

"All right," Enola replied with a smile.

Bidding her siblings goodbye, Aylia descended the stairs and exited the building, and, as there were no cabs about, resigned herself to the long walk back to her own home. It was nearly silent in this part of London, and Aylia couldn't help but find it rather peaceful. But as she listened to the sounds of distant music from bars and the buzz of voices from inside homes, she suddenly became very aware of a clinking sound.

It was rather like the sound of metal on stone, but aside from the clinking, it also made a revolting scraping sound. Aylia's heart pounded in her chest. Married or not, she was less safe walking down the streets than she might have hoped. She had almost resolved to duck into the first open establishment she saw when she suddenly found herself crashing into another.

"My word, I'm so sorry," Aylia exclaimed, reaching out to steady the tall, although admittedly rather thin man she had run into.

"Aylie," he said in surprise.

The family nickname had quickly been passed along to her brother-in-law upon her wedding to his cousin and as she had never said anything against it, it was now his primary name for her.

"Louis," she replied with a smile. "Thank god I ran into you."

"Why?" he asked with a frown. "What's going- Wait, why are you out here alone? Where's Elwin?"

"Home, but listen to me," she interrupted. "Look behind me. Do you see anyone with a cane?"

Louis looked, but after a moment of scanning, he said, "There's no one."

"I must be going crazy, then," she said.

"Here, I'll walk you home," Louis offered.

Aylia accepted his arm and they set off.

They had been walking in silence for a few minutes when Louis asked, "Have you heard anything from Enola?"

"I have," Aylia replied with a proud smile. "She has her first case."

"Really?" he said with a bright smile.

"Missing girl, very exciting," Aylia said proudly.

Louis smiled, but there was something sad in his smile that caused Aylia to frown.

"What's wrong, Louis?" she asked, her brows furrowed in concern.

"It's just..." he began before hesitating. "I wrote to Enola a week ago. She just never responded or said anything or..."

"I understand," Aylia said softly. "Louis, do you...do you love her?"

Without answering her, he said, "Here we are. Maybe next time don't wander out alone past dark, Aylie."

"Duly noted," Aylia replied with a small chuckle. "And Louis..."

He paused before turning back to look at her.

"If you do love her, don't take everything she does to heart. She's been taught her entire life to rely on no one but herself," Aylia said. "If she does feel the same, for which I can say nothing on, it is likely she doesn't know how to show it."

"Right," Louis said quickly. "Goodnight, Aylie."

"Goodnight," Aylia replied with a smile.

Two minutes later, she opened the door to the flat to find Elwin sitting on the bed, her crumbled note beside him.

"Thank god," he muttered the moment she appeared.

Jumping to his feet, he took her hands in his own and scolded, "Ayla, you can't just run off after dark without someone else with you, cab or not. It's too dangerous to just-"

"I know, I know," she interrupted gently. "I didn't mean to worry you."

Letting out a sigh, he sat back down, pulling her gently with him as he was still holding her hands in his own. Sitting down in his lap, Aylia began playing with the curls at the nape of his neck as his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Did you get to talk to Sherlock at least?" he asked.

"No," Aylia sighed. "Enola showed up carrying a drunken, stumbling Sherlock."

"I would've liked to have seen that," Elwin admitted with an amused smile.

"I'm sure you would have," Aylia chuckled, brushing a stray curl out of his eyes.

"You're so beautiful, Ayla," he said softly.

Aylia blushed, dipping her head to avoid his eyes. His eyes shining with affection, he raised her chin gently before guiding her lips to his. Tangling her hands in his hair, Aylia leaned forward to deepen the kiss.