The Holmes family has always been, since generations far to back to recall, a fairly well-known household.
That being said, it is worth noting that the Holmes family has also always been, since generations back, a fairly disliked household.
Aversion directed to the Holmes family was always for various reasons; the mother was too haughty, the father too stoic. There was too much money and too little proof of hard work. They knew far too much about every singular person in town, while their acquaintances knew far too little in return.
The eldest son was irritatingly perfect. Mycroft Holmes, the boy of impeccable manners and an insight that couldn't be matched. He would smile, and one wouldn't know if it meant good or bad things were to come; even as a physically meek child, Mycroft had a way of imploring others to do his work for him, often with successful results. He was detested because others felt over-powered by him.
A second son was brought to the Holme's estate, and he grew to be, quite bluntly, a prat. Sherlock Holmes, lean and sharp and tall, towered over the intellect of nearly everyone he met; and, unlike his brother, he was not hesitant to flaunt it. Sherlock would take a mild glance at a perfectly pleasant stranger, and within minutes have them picked apart to the very core through a process he called "deduction" without any regards to their feelings. He was detested because others felt demeaned by him.
Years passed as the troublesome boys grew into young men, and as they became old enough for boarding school the privileged society that hated them dared to hope that they would be temporarily forgotten. Perhaps, if they were lucky, the Holmes family would tire of the area now that it was no longer required for their children, and promptly leave. It didn't quite matter where they went; so long as it was far away from the towns ears.
Yet the Holmes couple couldn't stop at two taxing boys; no, they had to bring a daughter into the world as well. Enola Holmes, a young girl who, at first glance, was almost the saving graces of the Holmes's less-than-loved social status. She was a pleasant enough child, with her long dark curls accented with ribbons and large, innocent eyes; pleasing to look at and not particularly unbearable to speak to. She had all of Sherlock's energy and quick wit, yet was subdued by Mycroft's social obedience and heightened observation. At long last, the Holmes family had achieved a balance.
Still, there was something off about the child. The other children would whisper odd things about her, and as she grew less and less of her peers came into contact with her. The reasoning was somewhat mysterious until, at the age of 9-years-old, the young daughter revealed exactly what it was that drove the other children away.
Mycroft knew how to observe. Sherlock knew how to discover. Enola knew how to do both, but once more, she knew how to feel.
There was no logical explanation to her talent. It was simply an intuition she was born with, a sort of third eye that she possessed and allowed her to know probable outcomes before evidence could be detected.
Due to the lack of any rational reasoning behind her knowledge, however, her intuitions often came off as…disturbing; because children do not like it when their classmate tells them to ensure their dogs leash is tightened that night, as he will surely try to run after a female currently in heat and be hit by a passing car.
Or when she tells a happily married woman that she should take her "romantic getaway" with her husband sooner rather than later, as his time was short and he likely wouldn't be alive by the next month.
Or when she warns those around her that something terrible will be happening soon that will destroy thousands and impact nations around the world.
They especially dislike it when every "feeling" she expresses is, as it turns out, correct.
The dog does indeed escape from its yard and is found run over on the side of the road; the husband does not live to enjoy his romantic get-away with his wife; and on a certain day, a certain building filled with thousands of innocent people is destroyed, and London realizes that if something like that could happen to the once high-standing country across the sea, it could certainly happen to them, too.
The Holmes family was disliked; but Elona, with her sweetly curled hair and round eyes and instinct that she couldn't help feel, was hated.
Her siblings understood they best they could, but even they, with her heightened intelligence and blood-bound obligation to her, sometimes found their little sisters predictions unnerving.
So Elona has never been surprised to find that, somehow, amongst all of her brother's fame, she has never once been mentioned.
Sometimes, she wants to be angry with them for pushing her away, for not standing up for her as older brothers should; but then she gets a feeling, a horrible twist in her stomach, and she's never sure if it's an intuition or simply apprehension. There are few people who appreciate the curt length of life quite like Elona does, and so when she feels that anger bubble up inside of her towards her siblings, she rushes to their sides and kisses them gently on the cheek instead.
For Elona knows that someday, she will lose her brothers. Their positions in life are dangerous ones, and they are unlikely to live long lives. So when she grabs Mycroft's hand in a spur-of-the-moment gesture, or brings Sherlock into a much unexpected hug, neither boys make a move to stop her or complain.
She was hated because others were made afraid by her. As much as they hated to admit it, the Holmes boys sometimes shared that fear; how likely could it be for someone to establish a perfectly detailed prediction without any data? It was simply unnatural.
Yet if the Holmes's family was nothing else, they were loyal to one another. Just because the boys never volunteered information about their sister didn't mean they denied her; they were, in some instances, quite proud of her. So when the town began to uproar about the idea of Elona not going away to boarding school and mapping her own chart in life, Mycroft and Sherlock promptly informed their sister to dismiss them.
The Holme's family was never very well liked, but then, they didn't need to be. They had each other; and in a world filled with idiots, that was certainly enough.
I recently discovered the existence of Elona Holmes, a non-cannon sister to the Holmes brothers that was published for young readers. I haven't had the chance to do any reading, and really, I more or less borrowed the name and the concept for the girl, so if I have any Elona Holmes fans out there I do hope you're not offended by my interpretation of her! I just wanted to give her something that was uniquely her own; something that set her apart from her brothers.
I plan on doing a few short stories involving interaction between these three. I'll likely just post them all under this story, so if you're interested in reading, it may be help to put this on your following list!
Hope you enjoyed.