Fic Rec: Smoke and Ashes, by luchia13

[unovis.livejournal.com]

Title: Smoke and Ashes
Author: luchia13
Characters: Lestrade, Sherlock (with Donovan and Anderson appearances)
Rating: PG-13
Length: about 1500 words
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: The only person who helped Lestrade find his little boy was a half-dead junkie in a condemned townhouse.
Reccer's comments:
I love Lestrade-Sherlock meeting stories. We only have a tantalizing few lines of dialogue about their pre-John relationship, but Sherlock's history with drugs is implied. So is a certain affection from a put-upon D.I.
This is one of my favorite background stories. It's a bit sad, involving Lestrade's son, and later on a murderer of children, Sherlock in rotten shape, and an emotionally buffeted Lestrade--are your ears pricking up? It's a good solid story packed into a short form.

The junkie lets out a short, harsh laugh. “Please. I observe. It’s not my fault the rest of you are too slow to understand.”

Lestrade wants to hate him, but he’s too tired to manage it. “If you’re so smart, why are you a junkie?”

“Because I’m bored,” the junkie says, slumping even further against the wall.

A door opens, unnoticed until he hears Donovan say, “Sir? We heard shouting.” She’s watching the junkie with all due suspicion. Lestrade hasn’t lost his temper with anyone since Adam died.

“I’m fine,” Lestrade says, feeling the pack of cigarettes in his pocket. He ignores the junkie and walks towards Donovan, even though he knows the man’s still watching him. He doubts the junkie ever stops watching. “Any progress on the Hadley murders?”

Lestrade sees the way the junkie perks up at the words. It makes him all the more grateful when the door clicks shut behind him.