#I think I'll post a Sherlock comic later this week

[mizjoely]

Ooh I’ve got one for the pairing and AU HC ask game! How about Adstrade and Victorian AU? 😯

OMG that is a wonderful one!! Hmm, let's see...I think I'll go TABverse for this one, shall I?

1. Having never encountered La Adler before, Lestrade first catches a glimpse of her image in Holmes' pocket watch. He's instantly smitten but of course says nothing at the time. Later, when the photo has been replaced by one of Molly Hooper, he ventures to question what happened to it. Holmes being Holmes, deduces his friends' interest. Later that week Lestrade receives a message with an enclosed tintype - the full photo from which the one in Holmes' watch had been made. Scrawled on the back in Holmes' distinctive handwriting is a name: Irene Adler. And an address in Paris, along with the cryptic words "presumed dead".

2. Lestrade takes his annual leave and heads to Paris, where he discovers the only resident of the address (per the maid) is Madame Norton. Disappointed that it's either a) she’s actually dead or b) that Madame Norton is Irene's married name, he starts to leave, but then the maid casually mentions that she's a widow and hope rises up (tempered with respect for her status). Casual questioning of the girl reveals that Madame has been widowed for just over a year, has no children, and is currently employed as an artist's model, Monsieur Norton's death having left her in some financial difficulties.

3. After some comical miscommunication regarding his presumed intentions (yes, he's romantically interested but no, he isn't trying to set her up as his mistress!), he and Irene strike up a cautious friendship that involves many months of mutual correspondence after his return to London. Lestrade struggles with his end but Irene is captivated by his dogged determination not to lost contact with her.

4. The following year she makes a clandestine appearance in London in male persona, startling Lestrade (who doesn't recognize her at all but to be fair, he never recognized Molly as Hooper from the morgue). She finally explains why she's persona non grata in the British Empire (dodgy doings with the King of Bohemia she isn't very proud of), and he vows to do his best to get her reinstated as an opera singer (she sings for him for the first time and he falls even more desperately in love with her).

5. Sherlock, who to be fair has been wrapped up in his own courtship of Molly Hooper, is taken somewhat by surprise when Lestrade demands his help and that of "that arrogant brother of yours who claims to be just a 'minor government official', which if he is I'll eat my hat!" in getting Irene repatriated. Sherlock realizes the depths of Lestrade's feelings and feels honour bound to caution him regarding Irene's character. Lestrade insists he knows her better than either Holmes brother.

6. Sherlock goes to Paris, determines that Irene is actually enamored with Lestrade and that she had no hand in the inspector's attempts to clear her name. She strongly insists that Sherlock encourage him not to hitch his wagon to hers because she's no good for him. All of this convinces him of her sincerity (but he has Mycroft interview her at some point just to be sure, since he's been taken in by her and his brother never has).

7. Ultimately Irene is allowed back to London in her own persona, where she and Lestrade continue their courtship (did I mention this is a slow burn lol) for another six months or so before she accepts his proposal of marriage. (Somewhere in there they discuss her first marriage and what happened to Godfrey Norton, which could either turn out to be murder by person or persons unknown, or else a terrible accident, depending on how long I'd like this fic to go on if it ever existed outside of this post).

8. There is definitely at least one Sherlock & Irene scene where they reminisce about their shared past and how it shaped their current relationships with Lestrade and Molly.

9. Lestrade and Irene have a small, quiet wedding suitable for her second marriage, she resumes her career as an opera singer, and they settle happily into married life.

#dis is mine #adstrade #this was fun!