Fan Fiction ❯ Hinc Illae Lacrimae ❯ B�te Noire ( Chapter 4 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

//Fourth chapter already? Wow, I'm surprised it's gotten this far! Thank you for your interest and support. (Some of you, anyway. *nervous smile*) As always, nothing belongs to me, so on with the story!//

Hinc Illae Lacrimae
Chapter 4: Bête Noire

Forget it. Whatever asinine crush I might have had on Holmes completely evaporated. He was a presumptuous little *snot*. Now I understood why he didn't have a girlfriend-- he was too much in love with himself! As I sat there in the restaurant, bored stiff as he prattled on about how ingenious he was, I was reminded of the doctor's opinion of him when he first came to live with him. Even Watson had thought he was conceited. How did the poor man manage to share an apartment with this guy? And more importantly, how was *I* going to pull it off without losing my mind?!

"...For deduction is a rather delicate science," he was saying, as I looked out the window at the passing coaches. "It is absolutely imperative, Crewe, that one must not miss the clues evident on a man's gloves or trousers, which may be the largest factor in determining who the man is and what he is scheming. Fortunately, I have no doubt that nothing of importance could get past me, and I am quite--"

"Say, Holmes," I interrupted, maybe a little loudly, "I think it's great and all that you feel comfortable talking to me about your cases, but could we discuss something else? The weather, music..." I hid my mouth with my teacup and muttered, "the last time you had a date..."

"Ah." Holmes smiled smugly. "I see. Really, Crewe, I must say I am surprised. You say that women in your era can carry an intelligent conversation, and yet you would do anything to steer it into a less intellectual one. How very strange."

My mouth dropped open. If I didn't know better, I'd say that was an insult. Holmes would do well to know that Amanda Crewe does *not* take kindly to insults. "Excuse me? Did I just hear you right? Are you saying I'm not intelligent?"

"You misunderstood me," he replied, sipping his tea. "I was simply suggesting that you might be more comfortable conversing with women of your own... caliber."

"Oh, really?" I asked, beginning to know what true annoyance was. "And you don't think putting it *that* way insults my intelligence? You know, for a genius, you sure are stupid!"

Holmes narrowed his eyes. "Why, you insolent little hot-head!"

"Insolent, am I?" I stood up, throwing my napkin on my plate angrily. "I'm sure you would know about being insolent, you arrogant... self-absorbed... *woman-hater*!!" Slamming my chair loudly against the table legs, I stomped out of the restaurant, ignoring the surprised glances of the other patrons. To the best of my recollection, there was a park somewhere nearby. I started off in that direction, trying to control my fury.

The nerve of that guy! I thought, clenching my fists. I am not a hot-head! ...Well, maybe I am, but he has no right to point that out!

Once I reached the park, I collapsed into a bench and watched the startled pigeons as they fluttered off. Even if Holmes hadn't insulted me, he was just asking for it; the way he talked about himself all the time. He deserved every word I had hurled at him. ...Except for when I called him stupid, because he really wasn't. And I suppose he wasn't actually a woman-hater. He was usually very respectful to them....

Whoooops.

"Oh, jeez," I said, kicking up dirt with my shoe. "You picked a great time to start feeling bad, Crewe."

Speaking of feeling bad, I certainly was, and in more ways than one. I had no idea why, but it felt like there were little piranhas swimming around inside me, eating away at my stomach lining. I doubled over, gritting my teeth. God, what did I eat? I had ordered everything Holmes had: tea, a turkey sandwich, and some bread with honey. Nothing to get the acids churning, right? With a mean little smile, I hoped the good detective was suffering as much as I was.

I stood up and headed back to Baker Street, feeling increasingly dizzy. My vision started to blur, and it was all I could do to make out the street signs. I felt unbearably cold as well, but I could feel beads of sweat forming on my face as I struggled to stay on my feet. My limbs felt like lead, and it was a chore even to inhale. Finally with an effort I recognized my current lodgings and lurched up the stairs, fumbling with the doorknob. Once inside, I found I could no longer keep my balance and toppled to the floor.

"Crewe!" a voice cried, which I acknowledged to be Holmes. Nooo, cruel Fate! Why!? Hurried footsteps came toward me, and I felt a tentative hand on my sweat-slicked brow. "Gracious, girl, you have a fever!"

"No, you think?" I managed to reply weakly, glaring at the indistinct shape kneeling next to me. I felt Holmes scoop me up in his arms, and the world spun crazily as he started running. Everything bounced violently, and I clung to his neck to keep from slipping. Finally he released me with an insulting abruptness, and I was aware that I was lying on a bed; the bed I had been given to sleep on in Holmes's study.

Now that I wasn't exerting myself, my vision began to clear, and I could finally make out Holmes's face. His keen bluish grey eyes were filled with concern and... something else. Was it fear? Funny... I never recalled Holmes being afraid that much. He patted my face uncertainly. "Crewe, can you hear me? Answer me!"

I reached up and touched his cheek. It felt so warm compared to my chilled skin. Thank God it was real. He took hold of my hand quickly and brought it back down to my side, and I frowned. There I was, on my death bed, for all I knew, and Holmes was shunning any sort of human contact. Jeez, how much more of a glacier could he get? "I'm sorry," I whispered, barely recognizing my own voice.

His dark eyebrows drew together. "For what?"

"You don't remember?" I asked, smiling. "Man, you're as forgetful as you are arrogant."

He shook his head. "I should be the one apologizing," he said softly. "I had no right to doubt your intelligence, and certainly no right to insult you as I did."

My eyes started to slip shut, but he shook me roughly. Well, at least he was bold enough to rattle my brains around. "Damnation, girl!" he cried, a desperate tone in his voice. "If you fall asleep, you might not wake up!"

"Holmes..."

He hesitated for a moment, then finally leaned a fraction closer to me. What a guy. "Yes?"

"Am I..." I choked, feeling hot tears begin to run down my cheeks. "Am I going to die?"

Holmes bit his lip, shaking his head fiercely. "No, of course not," he whispered. "Don't be silly, Crewe. When Watson returns, he shall examine you, and determine the cause of your illness. Then we will treat it accordingly, and before you know it, you will be your old, unpredictable self again."

Somehow I found the strength to laugh. "You seem so sure of that," I said, unsettled as I looked into his uncharacteristically worried face.

"Only because I am," he said with the confidence of a man lost in a blizzard without a compass. Suddenly he lifted his hand and touched my lips with the tips of his fingers. Bringing them close to his nose, he began to sniff them, a frown on his features.

I blinked at him, alarmed. "Holmes, what are you doing? What's wrong?"

"Crewe," he breathed, his eyes growing wide with shock. "You have been poisoned."

//*dramatic music* And the mystery surfaces at last! Sorry this chapter was kind of short, but I felt it was a good place for a cliffhanger. *evil grin* To be honest, I'm kind of afraid to continue. I'm really glad some of you like my story, but I must say, I've never had this many, well, disheartening reviews for my other fanfics. Sure, I don't mind some constructive criticism, but I've looked at some reviews for other Holmes fics on ff.net, and I haven't seen as many that are so... picky as there are for mine. Frankly, I'm surprised I haven't been stoned to death already.

So anyway, if that many people really dislike my story, just let me know, and I'll remove it. If not, I'll take that as a sign to continue. Either way, I'm just glad I got this far.//