The day of the trial arrived. Sherlock finished dressing and went downstairs. He was nervous, mainly for Joan. He found her in the living room with Joseph.
'Hey.'
'Hey, you ok?'
'A little nervous.' He sat down next to her. 'You?'
'Not too bad, just don't want to face her attorney.'
'I know, but we've done nothing wrong. We have nothing to fear.' He took Joseph's hand. 'Uncle Mycroft's looking after you today, go easy on him.'
Joan giggled as Mycroft came out from the kitchen.
'I'm sure uncle Mycroft can look after him for one afternoon.' Joan handed Joseph to him. 'We'll be just fine, won't we?' Joan got up and went upstairs to change. 'You nervous?'
'Not really, mainly for Joan.'
'Why?'
'I just think the attorney will be more harsh on her then me, you know how Irene feels about her.'
'I'm sure she'll be fine.' He sat down next to him. 'Besides she got the whole New York detective force behind her and you.' Sherlock smiled then look at Joseph.
'I suppose your right.'
'When am i not?' Sherlock kissed Joseph's head.
'You be good.' He went to the bottom of the stairs. 'Joan, you ready?'
'Coming.' She came downstairs as he held out her coat for her. 'Thanks.' He placed it on her and then did his own. She went and kissed Joseph. 'Be good, keep an eye on him.'
'I'll be fine.'
'I wasn't taking to you.' Mycroft heard Sherlock laugh. They both left before Mycroft could say anything.
When they arrived, they sat outside for a moment thinking about what to say and what not to say. After a while Gregson came and got Sherlock. He kissed Joan before going in, as he left she couldn't help but worry, Sherlock wasn't one for people judging him or his work.
'Mr Holmes, how do you know Ms Adler?'
'Ms Adler and i are old acquaintances.'
'Could you elaborate on that?'
'We met in London some years ago whilst i was working on a case.'
'Was she a suspect?'
'No, she was helping me with some enquiries.'
'And how did your relationship with her progress?'
'We met up a couple of times after that.'
'Did your relationship become sexual?' The judge interrupted her.
'Mrs Johnston, why is this relevant?'
'My client told me about their relationship, i'm just making sure.'
'Carry on.'
'Thank you, your honor. Would you like me to ask the question again, Mr Holmes?'
'That won't be necessary. Yes, we had a sexual relationship.'
'And how long did it last?'
'A couple of years. Until she faked her death.'
'After that you turned to drugs, am i right?'
'I did. I've bee clean for over a year now.'
'So how did you feel when Irene turned up at you doorstep?'
'I was angry, confused.'
'Then she planned to run away with you she gave you plane ticket to London. How did you feel?'
'I was tempted but never used it.'
'Because you were on the run from the police. '
'I was, it was a misunderstanding.'
'Then recently your fiance claimed she tried to kill you.'
'She did.'
'But we've got your home CCTV footage. A few months ago, you shared a kiss with Ms Adler. So how do we know it wasn't your fiance who tried to kill you?'
'She didn't know about the kiss.'
'How do you know she didn't? She could have watched the footage, saw what you did and thought about your punishment.'
'Joan is not like that.'
'Or this could have all been cooked up by the fact that she left you, you were angry and you wanted revenge.'
'Why would i poison myself?'
'Because your fiance's an ex-surgeon, she could easily save you.'
'Joan was pregnant at the time, she wouldn't risk her health or the baby's.'
'Irrelevant.'
'Irene is working for Moriarty. One of the world's dangerous criminals, he tried to kill me and my brother a couple of weeks ago.'
'Which has nothing to do with her. Also speaking of Moriarty, He's provided a statement for us. He says' Irene asked me to help fake her death as she was in an abusive relationship and she wanted out.'
'He's a liar. I never laid a finger on her.'
'No more questions, you honor.' Sherlock looked over at Irene, who was watching from her stand. She gave him a devilish smile. He knew when Joan was up here next, it wouldn't end well.
'Mrs Watson, what is your relationship with Ms Adler?'
'I thought she was a friend.'
'Thought?'
'She tried to kill my fiance. I don't regard that as friendship.'
'How do we know you and your fiance hadn't already planned this?'
'We had more important things to worry about.'
'How did you meet Mr Holmes?'
'I was his sober companion. Then after a few months i became his partner then his girlfriend.'
'So you don't know anything about his personal history?'
'Some, not alot. He's a private person.'
'Well, we have a statement from Moriarty, about why he helped Ms Adler fake her death. He said that she told him she was in an abusive relationship and wanted out.'
'Sherlock isn't like that. He wouldn't hurt anyone.'
'How can you be so sure?'
'I know and trust him well enough.'
'But you said it yourself, he's a private person. So how much do you really know?'
'If i didn't trust him, i wouldn't be marrying him now would i? If he was as abusive as she claims he is, do you think i would stick around? I would have taken our son and left. He's a good person and a fantastic father, so whatever's she told you is a lie.'
'No more questions your honor.'
Joan looked up at Irene and smiled, she won that round.
They met up in the court yard.
'Hey, you ok?'
'Yeah, i think i managed to win that round. What about you?'
'Moriarty gave a statement.'
'I know, she told me.'
'I never touched her like that.'
'I know, that's what i said. I told them i wouldn't be with you if you were really like that. So, hopefully the jury will see through her.'
'I hope so.' Joan hugged him. They stood there for a moment thinking about what might happen if Irene got released.
It was Irene's turn in the witness box with Sherlock in the stand.
'Ms Adler, could you please described you relationship with Mr Holmes?'
'Hey.'
'Hey, you ok?'
'A little nervous.' He sat down next to her. 'You?'
'Not too bad, just don't want to face her attorney.'
'I know, but we've done nothing wrong. We have nothing to fear.' He took Joseph's hand. 'Uncle Mycroft's looking after you today, go easy on him.'
Joan giggled as Mycroft came out from the kitchen.
'I'm sure uncle Mycroft can look after him for one afternoon.' Joan handed Joseph to him. 'We'll be just fine, won't we?' Joan got up and went upstairs to change. 'You nervous?'
'Not really, mainly for Joan.'
'Why?'
'I just think the attorney will be more harsh on her then me, you know how Irene feels about her.'
'I'm sure she'll be fine.' He sat down next to him. 'Besides she got the whole New York detective force behind her and you.' Sherlock smiled then look at Joseph.
'I suppose your right.'
'When am i not?' Sherlock kissed Joseph's head.
'You be good.' He went to the bottom of the stairs. 'Joan, you ready?'
'Coming.' She came downstairs as he held out her coat for her. 'Thanks.' He placed it on her and then did his own. She went and kissed Joseph. 'Be good, keep an eye on him.'
'I'll be fine.'
'I wasn't taking to you.' Mycroft heard Sherlock laugh. They both left before Mycroft could say anything.
When they arrived, they sat outside for a moment thinking about what to say and what not to say. After a while Gregson came and got Sherlock. He kissed Joan before going in, as he left she couldn't help but worry, Sherlock wasn't one for people judging him or his work.
'Mr Holmes, how do you know Ms Adler?'
'Ms Adler and i are old acquaintances.'
'Could you elaborate on that?'
'We met in London some years ago whilst i was working on a case.'
'Was she a suspect?'
'No, she was helping me with some enquiries.'
'And how did your relationship with her progress?'
'We met up a couple of times after that.'
'Did your relationship become sexual?' The judge interrupted her.
'Mrs Johnston, why is this relevant?'
'My client told me about their relationship, i'm just making sure.'
'Carry on.'
'Thank you, your honor. Would you like me to ask the question again, Mr Holmes?'
'That won't be necessary. Yes, we had a sexual relationship.'
'And how long did it last?'
'A couple of years. Until she faked her death.'
'After that you turned to drugs, am i right?'
'I did. I've bee clean for over a year now.'
'So how did you feel when Irene turned up at you doorstep?'
'I was angry, confused.'
'Then she planned to run away with you she gave you plane ticket to London. How did you feel?'
'I was tempted but never used it.'
'Because you were on the run from the police. '
'I was, it was a misunderstanding.'
'Then recently your fiance claimed she tried to kill you.'
'She did.'
'But we've got your home CCTV footage. A few months ago, you shared a kiss with Ms Adler. So how do we know it wasn't your fiance who tried to kill you?'
'She didn't know about the kiss.'
'How do you know she didn't? She could have watched the footage, saw what you did and thought about your punishment.'
'Joan is not like that.'
'Or this could have all been cooked up by the fact that she left you, you were angry and you wanted revenge.'
'Why would i poison myself?'
'Because your fiance's an ex-surgeon, she could easily save you.'
'Joan was pregnant at the time, she wouldn't risk her health or the baby's.'
'Irrelevant.'
'Irene is working for Moriarty. One of the world's dangerous criminals, he tried to kill me and my brother a couple of weeks ago.'
'Which has nothing to do with her. Also speaking of Moriarty, He's provided a statement for us. He says' Irene asked me to help fake her death as she was in an abusive relationship and she wanted out.'
'He's a liar. I never laid a finger on her.'
'No more questions, you honor.' Sherlock looked over at Irene, who was watching from her stand. She gave him a devilish smile. He knew when Joan was up here next, it wouldn't end well.
'Mrs Watson, what is your relationship with Ms Adler?'
'I thought she was a friend.'
'Thought?'
'She tried to kill my fiance. I don't regard that as friendship.'
'How do we know you and your fiance hadn't already planned this?'
'We had more important things to worry about.'
'How did you meet Mr Holmes?'
'I was his sober companion. Then after a few months i became his partner then his girlfriend.'
'So you don't know anything about his personal history?'
'Some, not alot. He's a private person.'
'Well, we have a statement from Moriarty, about why he helped Ms Adler fake her death. He said that she told him she was in an abusive relationship and wanted out.'
'Sherlock isn't like that. He wouldn't hurt anyone.'
'How can you be so sure?'
'I know and trust him well enough.'
'But you said it yourself, he's a private person. So how much do you really know?'
'If i didn't trust him, i wouldn't be marrying him now would i? If he was as abusive as she claims he is, do you think i would stick around? I would have taken our son and left. He's a good person and a fantastic father, so whatever's she told you is a lie.'
'No more questions your honor.'
Joan looked up at Irene and smiled, she won that round.
They met up in the court yard.
'Hey, you ok?'
'Yeah, i think i managed to win that round. What about you?'
'Moriarty gave a statement.'
'I know, she told me.'
'I never touched her like that.'
'I know, that's what i said. I told them i wouldn't be with you if you were really like that. So, hopefully the jury will see through her.'
'I hope so.' Joan hugged him. They stood there for a moment thinking about what might happen if Irene got released.
It was Irene's turn in the witness box with Sherlock in the stand.
'Ms Adler, could you please described you relationship with Mr Holmes?'