Song for the start of the chapter!
I stepped off the plane in London to be greeted by none other then the other Holmes brother. "The great Rori Anderson has come back," Mycroft said with a sour face, clearly not happy about something, probably me.
"Try not to be so happy that I'm back," I said taking slow careful steps towards him from the plane. I slept most of the way but my body still ached. I felt dirty and my head spun still from the beating I took in Russia but I pushed it to the back of my mind. I should have known that Mycroft would want me to do some work as soon as I got off the plane.
"Have something for me?" Mycroft asked as he held out his hand as if he was entitled to something that he did nothing to earn.
I frowned, already tired of being with him. "Here." I pushed the file towards him in disgust. "Now take me home. I need to change."
"Did you read this?" He eyed me carefully, making sure I was telling the truth.
I looked him straight in the eye, not having enough energy to make up a lie, I said the truth. "No why would I? Kale asked me not to."
"Since when did you listen to people?"
"I don't." I only really listened to Kale and some times not even him.
He screwed up his face and secretly I smiled, I wanted to bother him. He then walked towards the car and I followed.
The car ride through London was too long for my liking. Mycroft demanded information from him and I felt like I was in an interrogation all over again.
"Can you just shut it for a minute?" I asked as I pushed against my head to stop the migraine from getting worse.
"I would if you ever returned my calls when you were in Russia."
I sighed. "You know I couldn't. I called when I could."
"Rori, I would be lying to say I was happy with your work in Russia."
His comments felt like a slap in the face. I did the best I could. I put in countless hours for him. I gain loads of information. I even went to war for him. No one else would have been able to get the information I did for him. The only thing he had a problem with was me. If Sherlock did the same job, he would be happy with it. "I don't want to hear your comments now." I snapped at him as we turned onto Baker Street.
"We will pick up this conversation later," he said as the car stopped in front of 221.
I nodded and got out of the car. I watched as the car went speeding off then my eyes looked at the building in front of me. Even being away for months, here still felt like home. "221 I missed you." I walked up to the front door and it opened before I even had a chance to knock. Miss Hudson smiled at me widely as if she had been waiting for me.
"Sherlock said you were coming! So nice to see you Rori," she said in his friendly tone and then looked at me from head to toe. Her smile slid off her face and changed to a look of horror. "What did you go through?"
I tried to smile at her although I was too worn out to even do that. "Hell, or Russia, either word works for me. Is Sherlock home?"
She stepped aside and let me in. She looked up the stairs. "He's in the flat waiting for you."
"Thanks."
"I'll make you a cuppa. It looks like you need some good English tea."
"I would love some. Thanks Miss Hudson," I said then walked up the stairs creaking as I went as the house was welcoming me back. It had been months since I had gone up these stairs and I missed it. I missed everything about this place and London. I never thought in a million years I would say that but it was the truth.
I walked into 221B to see Sherlock looking at something on the table. I looked around at the flat expecting it to be a mess since I was not here to clean it, but to my surprise the flat was neat. There wasn't even a pile of papers on the floor. It was nice to see, but kind of weird. I almost thought I walked into the wrong flat if I didn't see Sherlock in the kitchen. "Ah Rori can you get me a cup of water?" Sherlock asked me, not taking his eyes off the little jar full of something that I think saw move.
I raised my eyebrow at him. I didn't even get a welcome home? It was like I never left. But I guess what would I expect from Sherlock. "Sure." I walked into the kitchen and got a glass of water and gave it to him. "What's this for?"
"Me, I needed a drink," he said and downed the glass in gulp.
"It's great to see you as well," I said getting irritated with him. I walked back into the living room and collapsed into the couch. I winced as I felt my side. I broke something, I knew that for a fact.
"John and his wife are on their way."
I looked at him with a frown. "His wife? I thought they got a divorce."
Sherlock shrugged. "Worked it out."
Dang it John. I thought you got yourself together. "That's exciting," I said with little emotion in my voice. "Thanks, but I don't feel like going to do anything." I closed my eyes, already feeling sleep take hold again. I felt like crap and I just wanted to sleep for days.
"I made dinner. We're eating here."
My eye popped open as I looked at him. "You made dinner?" I raised an eyebrow.
"With Molly's help."
"With Molly's help?" How long had I been gone? Did that much really change since I left?
"Yes I just said that didn't I?" he said and walked into the living room. He took a seat on a chair and looked at me from head to toe. "You look like Hell."
"Why thanks for stating that," I said sarcastically.
"Didn't get a chance to wash up?"
"Nope. Kale got me out of that Russian interrogation room and put on a plane first thing."
"John can fix you up."
Lack of sleep getting the better of me, I snapped. "I don't need John's help. I can do things on my own you know." I stood up and walked clumsily into my bedroom to see all the books and papers I had were gone. I was to the point of a break down. I wanted my things to be like they always were but nothing seemed the same. "Where the hell are my things?!?"
"I put them in storage."
I threw my hands in the air. Did he not think I would ever come back? "Great, just great. Another thing to add to my ever-growing list of things to do," I mumbled and sorted through my clothes that were left in a dresser to pick out something better then what I had on now. I picked out a simple black skirt with a white button down shirt. It looked nice enough for friends and I didn't have to move much to get the shirt on.
After I washed my face of all dirt I saw how bruised my face actually was. With a frown I walked back into the family room to see John and Marry sitting on the couch with Sherlock in the kitchen. "Hiya," I said causally like I just saw them only a few days ago.
"Oh Rori! It's so good to see you again," Marry gushed as both of them stood up from the couch they were sitting at.
"Thanks. You too," I said with lack of emotion in my voice.
"We missed you Rori. We all missed you," John said and gave me a hug that made me wince. As he pulled away, he noticed my face for a split second before I had chance to cover it up. "What happened? Are you ok?" His fingers traced a bruise across my cheek bone.
I knocked his hand from my face. I was not used to people touching me like that. "I just think I broke a rib or two."
"Do you want me to take a look?"
I shook my head at him. I did not need his help. I made it just fine in Russia alone, I didn't need his help here. "No, I'm fine. I promise," I said and put on the best smile I had. I didn't need someone's help for a simple thing like this. I was fine. I could take care of myself.
"Dinner is ready," Sherlock said as he pulled something out of the oven that wasn't burnt.
"Great, I'm starved," I said giving me the chance to change the subject.
<><>
"So here I was stuck in the middle of the woods with dogs after me. I knew I didn't have long until they found me but I tried my best to get as far away from them as possible," I explained to them the last 24 hours I had in Russia.
"What did you do to get their attention like that?" John asked as he took a bite of baked chicken.
I frowned. I remembered the man that worked for them, Ivan. He was so helpful. I had been meeting up with him for close to two months in different locations. He was one of my only partners in Russia. I never thought he would turn into that because he was such a jerk at that coffee shop when we first met.
That day I got caught, we met in an ally way. He told me that the leader of the group was going to be meeting with some government people in Moscow later that week. He gave me a ticket to get into the gala. I was going to be his date. He was going to get me face to face with the group leader. I thought it was too soon to meet him and we fought about it. But Ivan said that he heard people saying that the leader was going to come out of the shadows with something big. 'Yes is was too soon but we had no choice' he told me.
The picture of him lying on the alley way road as the snow around him turned red was still so fresh in my mind. I wanted to help him but I knew I couldn't save him from a gunshot wound in the chest. I didn't even get a chance to spot the shooter as people started to scream and yell. Before I knew it, they started to gather around him. I knew I had to run, I couldn't get caught. I slipped away out of the crowed and within a few minutes I heard dogs on my trail. That was when I had ran out of time in Russia. I was getting too close to figure out who the man was that was behind all of this and he wanted me gone. I knew he was the one that killed Ivan.
That whole moment was a set up. Ivan was always going to be the one that died in that alley way. But what I wanted to know was how, how did they find us? I had been so careful and I knew Ivan had been too. This just showed me how powerful this man and the group was. That was why Ivan was always so paranoid. "He was shot in the street. Someone, I don't know who, killed him. After that I knew they would be on to me. I ran about an hour before they found me after Ivan got shot."
"Why did you go to Russia to begin with?" Marry asked as she chewed on her meat. "Sherlock and John didn't tell me much."
I held my tongue. No one knew truly why I went since Mycroft kept that a secret and he still wanted it to be kept. Honestly I did too. I didn't want to embarrass Sherlock or make it look like I cared so much about him that I would risk my own life for his. I looked at the table then looked up at Marry. "There are some lose strands that Zane left behind and I wanted to see where they would lead me to."
"Did you sort out everything?"
I looked at my now empty plate, frustration getting to me, and shook my head. "No, I didn't. I still have so many questions," I said with bitterness in my voice.
"I'm sure you'll find them," John said kindly.
I looked up and nodded. There was a minute of silence and then Marry spoke up. "So did you see what was on the news the other day? Some major building being built down town, by the river. It's going to be like the Shard or something. I can't see how it could be though. That thing is so ugly why would London want another one of those things? If I was governor I would say no to that monstrosity," Marry blabbered on about.
"It's not that bad. The Shard is nice. It's like art in its own way," John piped in.
"But do we need another modern art building in historic London?" she asked, looking at Sherlock for support.
As Marry continued to talk, I got more frustrated with this conversation. Before I knew it I was standing up from my seat. I was here enjoying dinner in my home, while Kale was forced to stay in Russia where a war was waging. It made me sick that we were talking about such pointless things like buildings when there was a war and we were doing nothing. "I'm whipped. I'm sorry but I'm going to get to bed. The dinner was actually good Sherlock, thanks. And always nice to see you John and Marry." Without saying anything more I left for my room and shut the door behind me. I needed to get away from such a petty conversation before I lost my cool.
I heard voices from behind my door but I didn't care to listen to what they said. Marry was probably saying how much of a brat I was. I didn't think she really liked me to begin with but I really didn't care because I didn't like her back. She annoyed me. I laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling for what felt like forever waiting for sleep to come but it didn't. After a while the voices stopped and there was a knock on the door. "Come in." I shouted as I carefully pushed myself into a sitting position on the bed.
Sherlock came from the other side. "I um, got some of your old books. And here is some sheets for tonight." His hands were full of random things that use to be in my room before I left.
"Thanks," I said and laid back down on the bed as he handed me a file. I took it and quickly looked through it. "What is this for?"
"A case I was working on. I'm interviewing some people tomorrow. Come if you have nothing going on."
"Thanks." I put the case beside me on the bed and closed my eyes, hoping that he would just leave.
There was a minute of silence but I could feel his presence in my room. "It's good to see you back." And with that he left the room leaving me in silence.
I smiled slightly and then looked through the file quickly before putting on my nightstand for the night. I knew I was back but I didn't feel like I was back. I didn't want to jump right into my old life again. If I just jumped into I would be betraying the people in Russia that lost their lives to bring these people out of the dark. Even though only four months had past, I felt like a completely different person. Being there changed me in ways that I never thought possible. A lot of things happened while I was in Russia. I was not proud of all the things I had done.