Title: Stanley Hopkins' Cat
Fandom: Sherlock BBC
Rating: G
Length: 361 words
Summary: John Watson maintains there is little difference between Sherlock and Stanley Hopkins' cat, Tilly.

"It really is most unreasonable,” Sherlock Holmes moaned.  “I need to get hold of Stanley now, and he’s not available.”

John Watson gave up on the notes he was trying to make and looked up.  “Maybe he’s out on a case and can’t answer you at the moment.”

“He’s not.  He’s taken the morning off work.  I have checked.  He’s not there.”

“Hang on a minute.  You knew he was taking the morning off work, and yet you still checked to see whether he was in?”

“He might have changed his mind.”

“I suppose it would depend on why he was taking the morning off.  Did he tell you?”

“Oh yes, he’s gone to the vet.”

“In which case he’d be very unlikely to change his mind.  Tilly is very important to him.”

“But I’m important to him too.”

“Well, there’s no accounting for taste in either respect.”

Sherlock huffed.  “There is no way you can compare me to a small cat.”

“I don’t know.  Both of you demand attention and are a general pest.  And you both take up more than your share of the sofa.  Also, I don’t know which one of you stole all the prawns from my takeaway.”

“We shared them.”

“My point entirely.”

At that moment Sherlock’s mobile rang.  He answered it immediately, listened and then said, “No, come straight round.  This won’t wait.”

Half an hour later Stanley arrived with a cat carrier.  He set the carrier on the floor, opened the door, and went to see what Sherlock wanted to show him.  Tilly climbed leisurely out of the carrier, ambled her way across the floor, pounced on John’s feet and then half-disappeared under the sofa, before emerging triumphantly with a toy mouse in her mouth.  The mouse oozed stuffing onto the carpet.

“Two coffees, John,” Sherlock said, without looking up.

John stood up.  “I’ll go and put the kettle on, shall I?” he said.  There was no reply.

He walked into the kitchen to find the cat waiting in the middle of the floor.  “I suppose you want something too.”

“Mrrow!”

“As I was saying, there’s absolutely no difference between the two of you.”