General Disclaimer

Here is a little fic I wrote up in honour of this geek holiday; enjoy! (Please R&R too, because it IS a holiday.)

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Holmes sat down in his favourite chair, opposite his three Irregulars. Lestrade took a long drink of tea from her mug, and listened intently as Tennyson tried desperately to explain something to Holmes. I lay her breakfast before her, and she turned, smiled, and mouthed a silent "Thank you" to me.

"Tennyson, my boy, calm down!"

Tennyson’s hands were shaking to the point where he could barely use his synth’s keys. He was obviously very upset that he couldn’t properly communicate his idea to his friends, and his face was flushed red and shining with sweat.

Beep, whirr, clock, click, whirr, cheep!

"I don’t understand, Tennyson. It sounds like you said "Happy Pie Day." Holmes’ face was twisted in deep concentration, and he appeared equally as frustrated as Tennyson that he could not decipher what the poor boy was trying to say.

"Well, Tennyson," I interjected, "I only baked cookies this morning, but if you would like some pie I would be delighted to make some."

"That’s very good of you, Watson! It must be some school holiday that I’m not aw-" Holmes was cut off by Tennyson’s whirr of protest. The young Irregular thanked me profusely for the offer of pie, but said that was not what he meant, and unfortunately not necessary.

"Er, Holmes-" Lestrade began, swallowing another bite of waffles soaked in the maple syrup that a friend from Canada had sent her.

"Later, if you please, Lestrade. I’m attempting to discern what my Irregular is saying."

"Holmes."

"Lestrade, I said-"

"HOLMES! Zed, just let me get one word in, okay?"

"Very well," Holmes grumbled, "What is it?"

"I think Tennyson means pi, as in the measurement, as in 3.14. Right, kiddo?"

A grateful string of beeping erupted from the synth, and the boy looked as if he could have hugged the Inspector.

"Happy Pi Day?" Holmes said, turning to Deidre and Wiggins, who simply shrugged and looked back to their friend for a more detailed explanation.

"Well, it’s March, which is the third month," Lestrade began slowly, "And it’s the 14th, right? So that would make it 3.14 on the calendar, and that would make it Pi Day!" She took a celebratory mouthful of waffle, and grinned at Tennyson, who was practically floating with effusive joy.

Holmes was considerably flustered by the fact that Lestrade had beaten him to the conclusion. Sinking back into the cushions of his chair, he seemed almost ashamed of his oversight. Finally looking up after a few moments, he took one look around the room at our worried faces and burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

Holmes’ laugh was very contagious, mainly because it was heard so rarely that one almost forgot he could laugh. His entire body shook, his impeccable teeth showed, and tears ran down his now- red face. Soon we had all joined him, and it took a good ten minutes before anyone could put three words together.

"Excellent work, my dear Lestrade!" He cried, stumbling over to where she sat at the table. With a polite "Excuse me." he reached over and plucked a napkin from her lap to dry away his tears of merriment.

"Eyes and brains, Holmes. But mostly brains. I always wondered if I’d ever use pi after high school."

THE END