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Iris stared up at her ceiling, wide awake, as she listened to the quiet patter of rain against her window. It was getting later and later, and she knew she had to try at least closing her eyes if she wanted to sleep, but she couldn’t get her mind to quiet down.
It was strange, now, to hear nothing at all in the attic. She had grown so used to Ryunosuke and Susato’s presence that without it, 221B Baker Street felt so empty. She knew they would come back and visit, and there had already been talks of getting to go to Japan and see their hometown, but right now, she just felt so lonely. This room that had been hers for the past ten years suddenly felt so vast, dark and cold. She curled further under her covers, but the feeling didn’t go away.
So she had one choice left. Pulling the covers back, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, bare feet touching the cold wood floor below, her hair falling in long waves down her back. She moved cautiously toward her closed door, swallowing quietly as she did so. Her hand curled around the chipping gold doorknob and as she gently pushed it open, a soft creak filled the air. Of course, that wasn’t what she was focused on.
Warm light still filled the suite, a pipe left forgotten on the sofa that let out a thin trail of smoke. A teacup with just a drop of lukewarm tea was left amongst scattered papers on the chest; her new special blend, one that was always savored for as long as possible. And the owner of these things sat at his desk, scribbling away furiously at something.
Seeing Sholmes lifted the heavy feeling in Iris’s chest. She knew it wasn’t too terribly late, and the man who raised her always went to bed long after she did. In fact, there were many times he never made it to bed - she’d found him slumped over his desk or sprawled on the sofa come morning more times than she could count.
That was her Daddy, always working hard.
She kept her footsteps light, using only the balls of her feet, knowing exactly where to step on the floor to avoid any creaking. She didn’t particularly want to interrupt him, but she couldn’t be alone. Not right now.
Stopping beside the desk, she put on a smile. “Hurley?”
To her surprise, he jumped. She had expected he would have noticed her coming, but then again, he seemed to really be focused on something. “Good gracious, Iris,” he managed finally, a grin pulling at his lips. His hair was tousled, and he moved the piece of paper he’d been working on in what she could only assume was his version of hiding it from her view. “I thought you had gone to bed hours ago.”
“I can’t sleep,” she replied plainly, knowing there was no reason to hide it from him. Her gaze flicked toward the piece of paper. With the amount of words on it, she could deduce it was a letter…of course, addressed to Professor Mikotoba. She could guess what it said just from that information alone. But she wouldn’t dwell, and instead looked back up to meet Sholmes’s gaze. “I thought I could keep you company ‘till you get tired.”
“Ah,” he mused, like he had expected that answer, too. Gently, he patted the top of her head, turning back to the desk. “I was just finishing up this letter to Mikotoba.” Finally, perhaps, he had realized he couldn’t keep anything from her anymore, not with the deduction skills he’d taught her years ago. “In fact, I was thinking about turning in soon, myself.”
As he scribbled a lavish signature, Iris couldn’t help but look down at the floor. “I see.”
There was a moment of quiet, and then the chair squeaked as it turned, his shoes coming into view in front of her own. “Are you alright, Iris? You look rather down.”
She blinked, then looked up, finding him completely facing her. His brow was furrowed as if it were a question that needed pondering, or perhaps, a more selfish side of her could assume that it was ultimately due to concern for her. She normally would put on a wide grin and shake off those concerns, but instead, she went with a more subdued smile. “I’m okay,” she promised, “it’s just…”
“You miss our companions from the East, don’t you?” She nodded, and he sighed softly. “Oh, dear. Well, that won’t do. That won’t do at all.” He closed his eyes, placing a thoughtful finger on his chin. “Perhaps we ought to write letters to them, too. We can include them when I drop off Mikotoba’s letter.”
Iris smiled, this time a little more genuinely. “I would like that. I want to hear about how Runo and Susie are faring at home.”
“And, of course, when my schedule clears, we shall be purchasing tickets ourselves.”
“Really? You mean it?” Her chest threatened to burst with warmth, her smile spreading across her face. How she would love to see Japan! From the way Susato talked about it, she was certain it was beautiful. It was probably a good thing that she and Ryunosuke returned home, after all. She couldn’t imagine being away from 221B for a whole year.
A ghost of a smile played on Sholmes’ lips as he gently folded the letter on his desk. “Why, of course. Anything to see that smile of yours, my dear Iris. Besides, I’d quite like to solve some cases in a new country! I do believe it wouldn’t be fair to just employ my services to people who live in Great Britain. After all, if other people have read about my exploits, surely they feel left out.”
“Hurley…” she laughed, but the prospect still filled her with excitement. The last time he went on a ship, she hadn’t been allowed to accompany him. The whole journey sounded incredibly exciting to her. Of course, they most likely wouldn’t be going any time soon, but still…now she had something to look forward to.
With thoughts of the future now in the air, Sholmes got to his feet, bones cracking along his spine as he did so. “My word, is that the time? Come along, then, Iris, we’ve got a full day ahead tomorrow. We must be prepared.” Her smile faded just slightly, then, as he walked toward the sofa to put out his pipe. She didn’t move, though for what reason, she couldn’t say. Her chest threatened to be burdened with that heaviness again. Glancing over his shoulder, Sholmes frowned. “Pray, did you not hear what I said? Perhaps I mumbled again. I said -”
“No, I heard you,” she said softly, taking a few steps toward him. She felt even younger than she was, remembering the nights she would cling to him after a bad dream. “Could I…” she paused, dragging her gaze up to his as she took his hand gently. “Could I sleep with you tonight?”
Perhaps she was one of the only people who could still surprise the great detective, and that was evident from his expression. It only lasted for just a moment, before he held her hand more firmly in his own, giving her a small but encouraging smile. “Why, of course you can.”
Relief bubbled up in her chest, and she returned the smile. She knew deep down he would never turn her away, but hearing it confirmed still made her feel a lot better.
They didn’t say anything else as they walked hand-in-hand to Sholmes’s room. While he readied himself in the bathroom, Iris sat on the edge of the bed, taking in the bedroom. It felt so warm and inviting with all of its little trinkets and toys that Sholmes could never resist buying. Glancing at a small receipt on the bedside table, she noticed his signature. Lavish and extraordinary, just like the man himself, which brought her once again to one of the thoughts that was keeping her awake tonight.
Sholmes emerged from the bathroom a moment later, yawning into his hand. He wore a pale pink-and-white striped robe and pants, which she easily recognized. “Hurley!” she exclaimed, lifting a hand to cover her mouth, “You still have that?”
Through somewhat heavy-lidded eyes, he frowned a little. “Why wouldn’t I, Iris? You bought it for me all those years ago, and it still fits. It’s quite comfortable, you know.”
All she could do in response was smile.
He sat beside her, the bed dipping slightly with his weight. “Now, pray, tell me what else is on your mind.”
The surprise only lasted for a moment. Iris should have known it was obvious, at least to the great detective. She folded her hands in her lap, trying to figure out how she wanted to phrase it. While the thought of their Japanese friends saddened her, there was another genuine thought, one she had been thinking about since she found out the truth. It was about time she voiced it.
“Hurley, I’ve been thinking…I want to change my name.”
He blinked. “Why would you want to do something like that?” he asked, genuinely confused. “Your name is lovely.”
For a great detective, sometimes he could be quite clueless.
Smiling, she shook her head. “No, not my first name,” she said patiently. “I’ve been going by ‘Iris Wilson’ for years, because I thought Doctor Wilson was my daddy. And I know that you can’t tell me who my real daddy is now, but I don’t really mind anymore.” He dropped his gaze as she continued. “You’re the one who raised me. You’re my real daddy. I’m sure Doctor Wilson was a nice man, but I think…I think ‘Iris Sholmes’ is better.”
For a moment, there was silence. Sholmes had been staring at his lap while she finished, but when she looked up, he turned away from her. His shoulders were shaking, and she was quite certain one of his hands had moved to cover his mouth.
“Hurley…?” she asked cautiously. Perhaps she shouldn’t have asked. Perhaps he didn’t want that. She couldn’t tell what was troubling him, and her chest tightened as she placed a small hand on his shoulder. She gripped it gently.
“Oh, dear,” he said shakily, letting her move him, lifting his face so she could see. To her surprise, tears were rolling down his cheeks. “I had quite hoped to keep these hidden from you.”
For a moment, Iris was speechless. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him cry. He was always so strong and put together, and he always hid the more ugly things from her, whether that was from a case or things from his past that he kept under lock and key in his heart. Her own eyes shimmered as she met his.
“Why…? Are you upset with me?”
Sholmes blinked, then moved to face her completely, shaking his head as he took both of her shoulders. “Gracious, no, Iris. That’s not it at all.” Carefully, she reached forward to wipe one of his tears, and he let out a soft laugh. “I would be honored…if you became ‘Iris Sholmes.’”
The words sunk in, and warmth returned. Suddenly, the old bedroom felt just a touch brighter, and she smiled widely, propelling herself forward to hug him. A small grunt escaped his lips at the sudden movement, but his arms came around to embrace her anyway. She buried his face in his shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of ink and cedar, her spirits much higher than they had been a moment earlier.
Still, she knew he was tired, so after a moment she gently pulled away. His tears had stopped now, replaced with a simple fond smile. “Now then, I do believe we’ve got a bed with our names written on it.” She nodded, pulling away fully to lean over the bedside table, softly blowing out the lamp. When she turned around, she settled in comfortably beside Sholmes, his arm around her and her head tucked on his chest just like they used to when she was younger. “Iris, you’ve grown,” he said, like he was surprised, “Why the deuce did you do that? Soon enough, we won’t both fit on this small bed.”
She laughed. “I’m ten years old now, Hurley. I won’t be getting any smaller.”
“Ah, how disappointing,” he managed through a yawn. “Perhaps this means we’ll need a bigger bed.”
She smiled, burrowing in just a little closer. There was quiet for a long moment as she just listened to the steady beat of his heart and his even breaths. It felt so natural like this, despite it having been years since Iris had asked to sleep anywhere other than her own bed. Enough time had passed that she was almost certain he had fallen asleep, and yet, she very quietly broke that silence as she closed her eyes. “I love you, Daddy.”
To her surprise, quiet, sleepily mumbled words replied, without any other movement at all. “And I you, my dear Iris.”
With those words, it didn’t take very long for either of them to doze off.