(221b, Alice’s POV: )

 Sherlock was sitting at the kitchen table looking into his microscope, exactly where he was when we left. As we began up the stairs, he spoke before John even came into view.

 “Clearly you’ve got news.” He said in the same way he always did. John and I stopped in the doorway with the wallet in John’s hand. Sherlock didn’t lift his head. “If it’s about the Leeds triple murder, it was the gardener. Nobody noticed the earring.” He said. I nodded softly and mentally kicked myself for not thinking of the earring. I thought the main piece was the shoe.

 “Hi. Er, no, it’s, um...” John took a couple of steps into the kitchen. I lingered in the doorway, taking a deep breath. “...it’s about Irene Adler.” I stepped into the kitchen finally. Sherlock looked up, his face unreadable.

 “Oh? Something happened? Has she come back?” He asked.

 “No, she’s, er... I just bumped into Mycroft downstairs. He had to take a call.” John said, not getting to the point. I sighed and Sherlock looked to me.

 “Is she back in London?” He asked, standing up and walking around the table towards us, his eyes bearing into mine. I stared back, not looking away.

 “No. She’s, er...” John repeated. Sherlock finally looked away from me and back to John. He gazed at the table for a long moment, then dragged in a sharp breath and raised his eyes to Sherlock’s as his flatmate stepped closer, frowning.  “She’s in America.” John finally said. I didn’t move, as to not accidentally give away anything.

 “America?” He asked.

 “Mmm-hmm. Got herself on a witness protection scheme, apparently. Dunno how she swung it, but, er, well, you know.” John stammered. I fought the urge to sigh, roll my eyes, and facepalm at the same time.

 “I know what?” Sherlock asked, sounding as innocent as a three-year-old who just asked about Santa.

 “Well, you won’t be able to see her again.” John said.

 “Why would I want to see her again?” Sherlock questioned.

 “Didn’t say you did.” John said, smiling ruefully as Sherlock turned away and walked back around the table.

 “Is that her file?” Sherlock asked. I sighed, took off my coat and grabbed a towel out of the closet.

 “Yes. I was just gonna take it back to Mycroft.” The doctor answered. He offered the wallet to Sherlock. “Do you want to...?”

 “No.” Sherlock answered a little too quickly in my opinion as he sat down. He looked into his microscope again.

 “Hmm.” John hummed. He looked at his friend for a long while, considering his options. I sat down in Sherlock’s chair with the chess board and began playing myself, ignoring the present conversation. Eventually John stepped forward again. “Listen, actually...” John began.

 “Oh, but I will have the camera phone, though.” Sherlock interrupted. He held out his hand towards John, not lifting his gaze from his work.

 “There’s nothing on it any more. It’s been stripped.” John said, tilting his head a bit.

 “I know, but I...” Sherlock paused for a long moment before continuing. I looked up quickly, smirking.  “...I’ll still have it.” He finished.

 “I’ve gotta give this back to Mycroft. You can’t keep it.” John excused. Sherlock kept his hand extended and his eyes fixed on the microscope. “Sherlock, I have to give this to Mycroft. It’s the government’s now. I couldn’t even give...” John insisted.

 “Please.” Sherlock extended his hand a little further. John looked at him, wondering what to do, then finally reached into the wallet, took out the phone and laid it gently into Sherlock’s hand. Sherlock closed his fingers around it, drew his hand back and put the phone into his trouser pocket before returning his hand to the microscope. “Thank you.”

 “Well, I’d better take this back.” John said, raising the wallet.

 “Yes.” I looked back down at my bishop and then smiled back at Sherlock. John turned and walked out onto the landing, then paused, seemingly wondering whether to ask the question that had now come into his mind. After several seconds he turned round and came back into the kitchen. Sherlock still didn’t lift his eyes from his microscope.

 “Did she ever text you again, after... all that?” John asked.

 “Once, a few months ago.” Sherlock answered.

 “What did she say?”

 “...'Goodbye, Mr. Holmes.’.” He answered. John looked at him thoughtfully.

 “Huh.” He said softly. He paced around in front of the kitchen door for a few seconds, wondering if there was anything more he can say, then eventually turned and headed off down the stairs. As soon as he was out of sight Sherlock raised his head and gazed across the room for a moment, then he reached down to his own phone which was on the table and picked it up, calling up his saved messages. My eyes followed his every move. He didn’t seem to mind that I was in the room.

Walking into the living room, he scrolls through the messages sent by ‘The Woman’, all of which he had kept. They went on for a long time:

 ‘I’m not hungry, let’s have dinner.’

 ‘Bored in a hotel. Join me. Let’s have dinner.’

 ‘John’s blog is HILARIOUS. I think he likes you more than I do. Let’s have dinner.’

 ‘I can see Tower Bridge and the moon from my room. Work out where I am and join me.’

 ‘I saw you in the street today. You didn’t see me.’

 ‘You do know that hat actually suits you, don’t you?’

 ‘Oh for g*d’s sake. Let’s have dinner.’

 ‘I like your funny hat.’

 ‘I’m in Egypt talking to an idiot. Get on a plane, let’s have dinner.’

 ‘You looked sexy on Crimewatch.’

 ‘Even you have got to eat. Let’s have dinner.’

 ‘BBC1 right now. You’ll laugh.’

 ‘I’m thinking of sending you a Christmas present.’

 ‘Mantelpiece.’

 ‘I’m not dead. Let’s have dinner.’ Then came the one reply he sent to her:

 ‘Happy New Year’. And at the bottom of the list was her last message to him:

 ‘Goodbye Mr Holmes’. Reaching the living room window, he looked down at the final message for a long time before lifting his eyes and gazing out at the pouring rain.

 “Sentimental, Mr. Holmes?” I asked sarcastically. He ignored me. “You know, you could’ve told John you knew.” I added.

 “It’s best he thinks that I am happy.” He replied flatly. I sighed and killed my queen.

Two chapters today. And I am waaaaaay behind on typing now because, again, I am babysitting this week. My updates may not be every other day on this book or my other one, so I apologize. So enjoy, vote, and comment fun peoples! Oh, and a shout-out to life1229. Forst constructive critisism and it was helpful.