Sherlock obligingly grabbed Lizzie's hand pulling her to her feet. As he did he gave her a quick scan; bruises emerging on her forehead and arms- mainly on her right side from hitting the wall. Scratches mainly on her left. The cut on her forehead was stemming now, her pupils were normal, and pulse was average. She was perfectly calm. She really was a Holmes. "I'm fine Sherlock. You can stop checking me over." Letting go of his hand she continued. "How long do you think we've got until Mycroft turns up?"
"Early hours of the morning. Cover up is more important." And so, both siblings went off and got changed. Lizzie in the bathroom washing blood from her face. The water turning pink before she found a plaster in one of the cupboards.
For the next few hours the flat was a blur of paramedics, firefighters and police. It wasn't until 6am that Mycroft came walking up the stairs. "Act casual!" Lizzie whispered to Sherlock, picking up a book at random – even though it was a dictionary and upside down. Sherlock picked up his violin and began absent-mindly strumming it. When Mycroft burst in his face clearly said, 'I'm expecting to find two injured bodies', but it quickly changed to its neutral, as Lizzie put it 'I don't really care I just want cake' face.
"Elizabeth?"
"Ah Mikey darling, what has brought on this lovely visit?" Mycroft looked distasteful at the shortening of his name as well as the sarcasm. He simply grimaced at the wrecked flat.
It looked worse now in the early rays of the morning. The glass shimmered, creating a reflected broken world on the floor. The window completely non-existent apart from the clawed edges. "Ah yes. That," Lizzie said, following Mycroft's eyes around the room. "I've been meaning to ask Sherlock to clear up, he's incredibly messy."
"Is your head okay?" Mycroft said in a voice that was almost kind.
"Oh yes. It was looked over by a lovely paramedic." Lizzie lied. She had in fact hid the bathroom every time they showed up, not wanting the fuss. "He kissed it better and everything."
Ignoring this last comment Mycroft lent on his umbrella and carried on. "The people of Scotland Yard are investigating as we speak, I'm sure they'll find nothing of interest."
"If you say so." Sherlock scoffed. "Breakfast?"
"No!" Both Lizzie and Mycroft cried at the same time. They'd both had way too much experience with what Sherlock called cooking. It usually ended up cremated or worse.
"How about some tea?" Lizzie suggested, dropping her book and climbing on and over the table.
She moved into the kitchen preparing tea, ignoring the head in the fridge as she grabbed the milk. "Sorry they don't have a tea pot I do know how much you love to play mother Mike." Sherlock chuckled into his cup of tea, not even attempting to cover it up.
To the unknowing eye this was a normal sibling gathering but to John, who burst up the stairs not long after it looked like the world's worst tea party. One where all the guests seemed to be battling for the role of smartest sibling and it would not end well. "Sherlock?" He called, running up the stairs. "John." Sherlock said, acknowledging his flatmates arrival before returning to glaring at his brother. Lizzie was sat on the floor between the two. Watching each as though it was a tennis match.
"I saw it on the news."
"Hmm? Oh yeah its fine." He said, distractedly apparently having forgotten the events of that night.
"Gas leak, supposedly." Lizzie piped up before smirking at Mycroft. Sherlock who had gone back to his violin just said. "I can't."
"Can't?" Mycroft said, a look of disgust on his face at the word.
"The stuff I've got on right now is too big. I can't spare the time." John looked at Sherlock disbelievingly then a Lizzie for unanimity. Lizzie was looking over his shoulder, grinning at the smiley face on the wall.
"Never mind your usual trivia. This is of national importance." Sherlock completely ignored this statement, flicking his fingers over his strings and saying. "How's the diet?"
"Fine." Mycroft said, clearly angry. Lizzie laughed before seeing Mycroft's expression and moving to the desk behind Sherlock.
Following Lizzie's gaze Mycroft noticed John who was now inspecting what was left of the windows.
"Perhaps you can get through to him John?"
"What?" John said, trying to gage back into the conversation.
"I'm afraid my brother can be very intransigent."
"Ooo, big word." Lizzie muttered, rolling her eyes at John's laptop screen which she was now typing away on.
"If you're so keen why don't you investigate it?"
"No-no-no-no-no. I can't possibly be away from the office for any length of time."
"Not with the Korean elections so-" Lizzie started but immediately stopped when everyone in the room looked at her.
"Well you don't need to know about that do you?" Mycroft said, giving her a smile that quite clearly said 'don't mention that again.' And carrying on. "Besides a case like this- it requires leg work." Sherlock chose yet again to ignore his brother and looked at John, who was rubbing his neck. "How's Sarah, John? How was the lilo?"
Mycroft consulted his stopwatch, not evening glancing at John before saying "Sofa Sherlock."
"It was the sofa Sherlock." Lizzie agreed, having gone back to her typing. Sherlock looked at John again before saying. "Oh yes of course."
"How...? Oh, never mind." John stammered sitting down on the coffee table. Sherlock seemed disappointed he didn't get to explain himself. Lizzie was just shocked John still bothered asking. "Sherlock's business seems to be booming since you and he became... pals." Mycroft said smiling, more at the dark look her received from Sherlock than being friendly. Mycroft Holmes didn't do friendly. "What's he like to live with? Hellish I imagine."
"I'm never bored."
"And there's the head." Lizzie mumbled not looking up from the laptop screen.
"Good! That's good isn't it?" Mycroft smiled, condescendingly. Sherlock glared again, whipping one end of his bow. Mycroft picked up a folder and made a gesture to hand it to his brother, but Sherlock just looked at him stubbornly. Mycroft grimaced slightly and handed the folder to John instead.
"Andrew West, known as Westie to his friends." John looked slightly startled but took the folder and Mycroft continued. "A civil servant found dead on the tracks at Battersea Station this morning with his head smashed in."
"Jumped in front of a train?" John suggested.
"Seems the logical assumption."
"But...?"
"But?"
"Well, you wouldn't be here if it was just an accident." Sherlock, who was now applying rosin to the bow with a small cloth, feigning disinterest, smirked noisily in approval.
"The M.O.D. is working on a new missile defence system – the Bruce-Partington Programme, it's called." Mycroft said looking at Sherlock as John started flicking through each file in the folder, personal files about Westie, as well as- although little of it, information about the missile defence system. "The plans for it were on a memory stick."
"Memory stick." Lizzie sighed. "Who needs hackers when a good pick pocket will do the job."
"That wasn't very clever." John laughed, Sherlock smiled.
"It's not the only copy." He said contemptuously to John.
"Oh."
"But it is secret. And missing."
"Top secret?" Lizzie asked, looking up now interested.
"Very." Mycroft said looking at hey disapprovingly. "We think West must have taken the memory stick. We can't possibly risk it falling into the wrong hands." Mycroft looked at Sherlock. "You've got to find those plans, Sherlock. Don't make me order you."
Sherlock inhaled loudly and raised his violin, ready for playing. "I'd like to see you try." Lizzie laughed slightly returning to John's laptop.
"Think it over." Sherlock stared back at him, unimpressed. Mycroft turned and offered his hand to John. "Goodbye, John." John took it and shook. "See you very soon. Elizabeth." He nodded at his little sister.
"Mikey." She grinned, hugging Mycroft around the torso. He looked even more uncomfortable than Sherlock, but he too excepted the hug.
As Mycroft started to leave Sherlock began to repeatedly play a short irritating sequence of notes. John frowned across to him, but Sherlock continued to play. Lizzie looked ready to hit Sherlock around the back of the head. Just as she was raising a book to do so he stopped. Still grimacing in the direction Mycroft left in. When Mycroft was out of earshot John asked, "Why'd you lie?" Sherlock looked at him as the front door slammed. "You've got nothing on – not a single case."
"That's why the wall took a pounding." Lizzie butt in.
"Why did you tell your brother you were busy? "
"Why shouldn't I?" Sherlock shrugged.
"Oh!" John said nodding, "Oh, I see." Sherlock's eyes drifted to him but didn't look at him. "Sibling rivalry. Now we're getting somewhere." Sherlock went to say something irritably- probably about to deny everything when his phone rang.
"Sherlock Holmes." He just listened for a second, not saying anything, before his face lit up and he said. "Of course. How could I refuse?" As he stood up, switching off his phone he said, "Lestrade. I've been summoned. Coming?"
"If you want me to."
"Of course." He said picking up his coat. "I'd be lost without my blogger." Lizzie got up as well, not waiting for an invitation.
Hello my lovelies my new chapter is here!! Thank you so much for 300 read :) please continue to read and vote, comment and share!!
~EK