Good thing. I'll call you as soon as he demands company. John grinned a bit and kept the train schedule up on his laptop, just in case.

I'll be waiting for it. Grinning, Abby went to go pack a bag quickly so she would be ready to go when John called.

Indeed, it wasn't more than a couple of hours later that Sherlock finally put down the case file and got up.

"John!" he called. "We're going, there's something about this case that must be looked into immediately."

"I can't," John said. He also had a bag ready to go, and he grabbed his coat. "I'm just leaving to go pick up Abby. We're taking a weekend off."

This was going to be interesting.

That made Sherlock pause.

"Leaving?" he said, baffled. "John, we're in the middle of a case."

"You're in the middle of a case. Besides, it's only for the weekend." John shrugged. "You'll be fine. Go ask Elena to help you with the case."

Sherlock made a face. He didn't want John to leave, not even for the weekend. But at the same time, he could see John was happy when he spent time with Abby.

"Fine," he said, waving a hand. "Go on, then. Enjoy your weekend."

"Go ask Elena to help," John encouraged him with a grin, heading for the door. "I'll see you in a few days. Remember to eat."

"Go, John," Sherlock said, waving a hand towards the door. He had picked up the case file again, but he wasn't really looking through it. It was just something to keep him from watching John leave.

John left, shutting the door gently after him and heading for Abby's place. Time to go off for their weekend.

Once John had left (and Sherlock had watched him take a cab, just to make sure), Sherlock snapped the case file closed again and quickly paced about the apartment. John was gone, Sherlock was suddenly without his trusted partner, this wasn't right. Pouting a bit, he finally ended up texting Lestrade.

John has left for the weekend, I find myself in need of a temporary assistant.

Talk to Elena, Lestrade texted back, rather irritably. Honestly, Sherlock, you can admit to being less than perfect sometimes. Ask Elena to help you if you really need an assistant.

Sherlock nearly growled in frustration. No, Lestrade didn't understand, John wasn't around to keep him in check. Sherlock knew very well what kind of person he was, he just didn't like to admit it most of the time.

Why does everyone keep telling me to ask her? She hardly tolerates me like John does.

Lestrade sighed. Oh yes, he understood perfectly well why Elena needed stress relief from Sherlock.

You're such an idiot. Besides, she tolerates you much better than anyone else besides John, so unless you want to wait until John returns...

I can't wait for John to return if I'm going to solve this case for you. And Lestrade knew that. When Sherlock was working on a case, he had to work quickly.

Then it looks like you need to be talking to Elena, not me. Lestrade shook his head. Sherlock could be so dense sometimes.

Sherlock growled in frustration and paced the flat a few more times before he finally caved in and texed Elena.

I find myself in need of a temporary assistant.

Elena saw the text and sighed. At least she wasn't busy.

I can be there in 20 minutes.

Well, she hadn't refused, that was good. With that, Sherlock settled in to wait. Absently, he picked up his violin. He needed to think for a bit.

It took Elena just about 20 minutes to get there, and she paused as she let herself in, listening to the violin music. That wasn't from a sound system either, someone was playing. She made her way up to his flat, letting herself in there too.

Sherlock was absorbed enough in playing that he didn't immediately notice the door opening. He heard it, of course, but he initially dismissed it as Mrs. Hudson. When he turned around and saw Elena, he stopped abruptly.

"I didn't know you play," Elena said quietly, still watching him. "I'm surprised."

"I needed to think," Sherlock said as he put the instrument away again quickly. "Now come along, there are details in this case that must be looked into immediately. Why John felt the need to go off for the weekend now, I have no idea."

"That I can't tell you," Elena said, looking at him. "Go ahead and lead the way." She was content to follow his lead for a while.

Grabbing his coat and scarf, Sherlock swept out the door. He didn't like the thought that it wasn't John with him, but Elena was competent, at least. That was good.

Elena followed him, glancing at him. "So what's going on with this case?"