Thunder clapped loudly outside as the rain attacked the windows viciously of 221b.

Val was curled up on the couch with Sherlock, a blanket, and a cup of coffee. They were watching the news absentmindedly when suddenly the lights flickered and went out.

Val and Sherlock both cursed and looked around in the darkness. The only light provided was from the occasional lightning bolts from outside.

Sherlock fumbled around for his phone in the darkness and in the process he accidentally knocked Val's coffee off the arm of the couch and spilled it all over the floor in front of them.

"Sherlock, just wait till our eyes adjust!" Val insisted, looking his general direction.

"Right." He groaned in frustration. "John has one torch in his room and that's the only one in the flat. There are candles in the closet," he remembered, jumping a bit when thunder clapped very loudly.

"Alright." Val smiled some when he jumped and slowly stood, feeling around with her bare foot for the mug and wet spot and avoided it as she slowly made her way to the hall closet blindly.

"Oomph!" Sherlock ran into something. It sounded like a corner, judging by the thunk that came from his direction. He cursed and she held in a giggle.

"Be careful, Sherlock," she reminded, finding the closet door handle. He grumbled a sort of confirmation and began moving again. She chuckled quietly and found a small box of candles as she heard Sherlock make his way upstairs to John's room.

Her eyes had now adjusted and she went back into the living room and set candles up everywhere. Just as she finished Sherlock came down with a LED torch.

"Never let me go into John's room again," Sherlock told her, grumbling and pulling out a lighter and tossing it to Val.

"Why not?" She questioned, catching the lighter and beginning to light the candles around the room.

"Disorganized, smells funny, messy, and he has jumpers everywhere!" he listed, setting the torch on the desk and looking around the poorly-lit room with a frown. "This is terribly inconvenient," he complained, watching Val light the last of the candles.

"It is, but it's not like we were doing anything," she chuckled, picking up the mug then going into the kitchen to get a rag to clean up the spilled tea.

"True, but I like to be able to see," he sighed, sitting on the floor by the spill. She came back in and patted it up quickly, then threw the rag at him. He tore it off and sent her a little glare, obviously not being in the best of moods. She rolled her eyes and leaned into him.

"Don't be like this. It's nice," she said in an annoyed tone.

"No light is nice?" he scoffed, putting his arm around her as a natural reflex now.

"There's light. Don't be cranky."

"I'm not cranky," he said in a tone that completely contradicted what he said.

"This isn't that bad! It's nice. The candles give just enough light. And we aren't even doing anything. Quit being cranky," she insisted, moving on his lap now to get his attention more.

He blinked at her movement and put his hands on her waist.

"Just enough light for what?" he asked innocently, looking up at her and his mood fading almost immediately.

"Use your brain, stupid," she rolled her eyes and smiled crookedly, putting her arms around his neck. He raised an eyebrow and smiled the same way as her.

********************************

Valerie walked up to Sherlock's flat, already hearing her fiancé's and her best friend's voices. She couldn't tell if they were arguing or just talking; it was kind of hard to differentiate with them.

She opened the door to Aim standing on Sherlock's chair with something in her hands above her head, and Sherlock in front of her looking rather irritated.

"Val!" Aim announced, grinning at her and ignoring Sherlock. Sherlock himself turned around from the American and smiled wide at Val. Val smiled back and came in all the way, closing the door behind her and setting her bag down.

"Hello you two. What's going on this time?" she asked, eying Aim's still-elevated hands.

"Aim won't give me back my..." Sherlock trailed off, not finishing his sentence and she stuck her tongue out at him childishly.

"Give you back your...?" Val said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, tell 'er Shakira," Aim taunted, smiling crookedly.

"She won't give me back my sock..." he mumbled.

"Your sock," Val said skeptically, her eyebrow still raised.

"Explain, Sherly," Aim commanded, getting a glare from the detective. He sighed.

"It's my sock; my first sock," He grumbled. Val thought she could see the slightest hint of a blush on his face.

"Your first, first?" Valerie asked, looking back at Aim's hands again.

"It's a teeny tiny baby Sherly sock!" Aim exclaimed, jumping down and moving around Sherlock to Val. He watched her go, pouting a little bit. Val smiled as Aim stood in front of her and opened her hands to reveal and old, yellowed, tiny, baby sock. She grinned up at her friend. The blush on Sherlock was visible to both females now.

"And here I thought he was all," Aim made a very bad British accent and mocked Sherlock's voice. "Sentiment," she scrunched up her face in mock disgust then laughed.

"That is adorable," Val grinned, looking down at the sock.

"Out," Sherlock commanded, taking the sock from Aim and pushing her towards the door.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, resisting but not as much as she could. Sherlock ignored her and shoved her out, Val just watching in amusement. Sherlock closed and locked the door.

"Well fine! I'll just go hang out with John. Or Jim. Or Seb. Ooh, Seb," as she spoke she kind of shifted to talking to herself and the two could hear her going down the stairs and leaving the apartment.

Val looked at Sherlock and then to his hands where the little baby sock was. He put his hands behind his back.

"Hello Val. Shall we start again?" He was back in his regular 'Sherlock mode'. Val smiled.

"Hullo Sherlock. We shall start with your baby sock." she stepped around him and grabbed his hands. He frowned but let her look at his baby sock. She was smiling and pretty much thought it was the most adorable thing ever.

"Can I put it away please?" he nearly whined, holding his hand out for it.

"Why? This is adorable!" she said happily, beaming down at the tiny sock.

"It's not. Embarrassing, yes," he grumbled, sitting down in his chair with a huff. She went over to him and set it down on the arm of his chair then

stood in front of him, folding her arms.

(Unfinished, yes, but long overdue... I may finish them sometime but most likely not. Too many memories.

But here's what I've got, Val. Sorry if you're inaccurate.)