"You!"Sherlock said, astounded.
Her whole face was covered with a white mask except her crimson lips. She press the little button inside her mask.
"Yes, it's me. Sorry for the broken vase."she said. It was her real voice.
"Sherlock?"John's sleepy voice was heard. "What are you doing... Oh God!"he shocked when he saw their uninvited guest.
"Hello Doctor Watson, we haven't been introduced yet, have we?"She said.
John was astonished.
"No, I guess."he said looking at Sherlock with inquiring eyes, who was carefully looking at her, obviously trying to deduce her.
"Don't waste your energy Mr. Holmes, you cannot deduce me. And how rude you are gentlemen! I'm still standing"
John looked at Sherlock again, with confused eyes. But Sherlock was just staring at her.
"John, put the kettle on."Sherlock demanded, without cutting the eye contac with her. John furrowed his eyebrows, he was about to protest but he gave up when he saw his friend showed the woman, where to sit.
"You have to pay for that vase. It was Mrs. Hudson's. Please sit."he said pointing the chair next to her. She glanced at the chair. She touched it to feel the dust and she sat down to Sherlock's leather armchair.
"I'm still sceptical. I can give you a 567 years old Chinese vase, if you like." she murmured. Sherlock was really annoyed. "Why don't you sit down Mr. Holmes?"
Sherlock tried to ignore her insolence and sat down to the chair which he had showed her.
Meanwhile John came with a tray that three mugs on it. She took one of the mugs and gently sipped.

Sherlock was still staring at her. And John was still questioning the reality of the awkward situation.
"So, why are you here?"Sherlock asked. She put her mug on the table and leaned back.
"Why do people usually come to you?"she asked deridingly.
"They want me to help them. They usually are so desperate that they come to me as the last chance. They are vulnerable and weak. Is that why you came to me? "He replied.
She smirked.
"Oh Mr. Holmes how very right you've just said! It's correct. I need your help. I'm in trouble."she said calmly.
Sherlock was surprised. He was expecting her to react in a bad way.
"Well, what makes you think that I would help you?"he said.
"You will help me. I'm sure of it."
"I don't even know your name. I'm sorry,I don't do anonymous clients."he said recklessly.
"You know why I came to you."she said.
"So what?"
"Are you refusing my case?"she asked, indulgently.
"Why would I take it?"he said deridingly.
"I can give you three reasons."
Sherlock raised an eyebrow.
"You are dying to know how Veronica was killed and who did it, no stop, I didn't do it. It was a trap.
You will never going to know me and I will never stop stealing jewelleries and you will never going to find me, so, the whole world will know how you fail to find me, IF YOU refuse me at this very moment. Fair enough?"
Meanwhile John was watching the situation, breathless. A first class dedective who was about to accept to help a first class criminal,  was not a common thing that you could see everyday.
"You can disappear and no one can find your trace."Sherlock said.
"No no no no, Mr Holmes you misunderstood me. You are right I can disappear but I'm a thief. A first class prestigous thief, not a murderer. I have a name to protect. I don't kill people. I have to clean my name."she said.
"She's got a point."John said, ironically. He was just kidding. He knew Sherlock would never accept to help her after all the things she had done to him.
"Tell me your name first"Sherlock demanded after a brief silence.
"Will you take the case?"she asked quickly.
"Tell me your name first."Sherlock insisted.
"Will you take the case?"she stood up.
"Tell me your name first."he also stood up.
"Will you take the case?"she walked towards him.
"TELL. ME.YOUR. NAME!"Sherlock barked, closing the little gap between them.
"WILL YOU TAKE THE CASE?!"she yelled. Both of them could feel their breaths in their necks. It took a few minutes for them to realize they were looking at each other's eyes. He found once again himself, loosing his path and mesmerised in her eyes. Her gaze was the same with that night they'd danced together. He saw the insolent, smart little girl who was pretending to be the woman in mask. However, he was still unable to see the true identity of this woman beneath the mask. Was she that damaged little girl or was she the great hollow thief, that fearless insolent, annoying, smart thief?
John's eyes  widened as he was watching the scene.
"I'm not going to take the case unless you tell me your name. Both your NAMES."he stated calmly and turned on his heels towards the window. He was trying to control his anger against her. Nobody had managed to make him seriously angry before.
"All right then. Thank you for nothing Mr. Holmes. See you in another time."she said and walked towards the door.
Sherlock was surprised .Was she bluffing? Or was she actually ready to leave? In less than a second, between the moment she took her first step and John, taking the mug to his mouth, he didn't know he made the most important decision of his life. This decision was going to change everything.
"I'll take the case!"he said and John choked while he was drinking his tea.
"What the hell.. Sherlock?!"John shouted. Sherlock ignored him.
She stopped in front of the door and turned to him.
"You aren't as stubborn as Dr.Watson usually states in his blog, are you Mr.Holmes?"she said with a victorious smile on her face.
Sherlock ignored her comment.
"Sit down and start from the beggining."Sherlock showed the chair.
She didn't move. She even walked towards the door and stopped at the doorstep.
"I'm glad you took my case. But I need to go now Mr. Holmes. Meet me at the Milstone Manor at 1.30am tomorrow night."she said.
"Why that late?"John  asked.
"Because Dr.Watson, I have an important premier to attend. See you later gentlemen!"she said finally, and left the flat, leaving two astounded men behind her.