The Doctor's Daughter | Wholock {1}

Chapter 31: Until Next Time

                  

Crisp wind bit at Sherlock's sore face as he, Kimmy, and the Doctor walked across the abandoned park. Nestled under the branches of an ancient-looking tree was a blue police box, which Kimmy had told him was the TARDIS. It was not exactly what Sherlock had imagined a time machine looking like, but, he supposed, he had just recently started imagining what a time machine would look like and probably hadn't thought of all the possibilities.

Once the trio was a short distance away from the TARDIS, the three stopped and stood in a rough triangle. The Doctor held out a hand for Sherlock to shake, asking, "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

"Just imagine it," Kimmy pressed with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. Sherlock had noticed that she'd been much more relaxed since she and the Doctor had been reunited. "The three of us, solving history's greatest mysteries: Jack the Ripper, the Zodiac killer, whether or not Marilyn Monroe actually committed suicide."

Sherlock couldn't help but chuckle at the girl, but he still shook his head. "As intriguing as that offer is, it's best that I stay here. Knowing about time travel is making me question nearly everything I know. I'm not sure I could handle actually doing it."

The Doctor shrugged in an understanding manner. "It isn't for everybody." Turning to Kimmy, he added, "I'm sure you'd like to say your goodbyes in private. I'll be waiting in the TARDIS. Take all the time you need."

"Thanks," she replied as he walked to the police box and shut the door behind him. Before he did, Sherlock though the caught a glimpse of the interior of the box. Surly it was just a trick of the light that made it look like it had an entire room on the inside?

Sherlock and Kimmy stood in silence for a few moments, neither knowing what to say. How did you say goodbye to someone you knew you were going to see again, even though you knew they would be a completely different person when you did?

Kimmy was the one to finally break the silence. "Kimberly Sherlock Watson," she said simply.

"What?" Sherlock asked, not completely believing what he was hearing.

"That's the whole of it," she explained with a half-smile. "Just incase you were wondering."

"John actually named you after me," Sherlock said, shaking his head with a smile.

Kimmy also laughed as she replied, "Of course he did. You're his best friend."

Their laughter died down into another silent moment. Again, Kimmy was the one to break it. "You're going to forget this, aren't you? Delete it from your mind palace?"

Sherlock hesitated, but nodded. "Only the details about who you and the Doctor are. I'll just remember that I helped a girl find her friend and that she happened to be there when I found Brook and Mary. How did you know I was going to?"

"You never mentioned any of this to me," Kimmy answered, shrugging. "I can understand you not saying anything when I was a kid, but you know how long I've been traveling with the Doctor. You could've waited until then and then said something."

"You don't give your observation skills enough credit," Sherlock told her. "You really are brilliant in your own way."

"Not before I met you," she argued. She thought about what she said for a second before correcting herself. "Well, this you. I never asked you to teach me how to make deductions in your future."

"Maybe now you'll join John and me on our case," Sherlock suggested. "I'm certainly not getting younger where you come from, so it's time I took on an apprentice."

"The detective's apprentice," Kimmy smiled a little as she spoke the words. "It's a better than just 'the doctor's daughter'."

A smirk tugged at Sherlock's lips. It was a better title than the title Brook had given her. "Well then, I suppose I'll see you later."

"Six weeks from today, actually," Kimmy agreed. "I was born a little late," she added when she saw Sherlock mentally counting how long Mary had been pregnant.

Sherlock nodded as he held out his hand, saying, "Until next time, Kimberly Sherlock Watson."

Kimmy, completely ignoring his outstretched hand, threw her arms around him in a massive hug. "Until next time, William Sherlock Scott Holmes." Though he was shocked at first, Sherlock found himself returning the embrace, resting his chin on top of her head.

"Go," Sherlock said after a moment. "The Doctor is waiting for you."

Kimmy dropped her arms as she took a few steps back, though she kept one hand on his arm until she couldn't reach him anymore. She turned towards the TARDIS as she let her arm drop to her side, her golden ponytail swishing slightly with each step she took. She paused in the doorway of the TARDIS long enough to send one last smile over her shoulder, then disappeared into the time machine.

A moment after the door closed, a strange whirring sound filled the air and the police box started to  flash in an out of view until it had completely vanished. Sherlock turned and started walking back to 221B, thinking about what Kimmy had said. Just because he never mentioned this case to her, did that really mean he had to forget it?

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One more chapter. One last chapter and we're finished.

Or are we...?