Piper Holmes was not an ordinary girl, and no one expected her to be. How could she be normal when she was the daughter of Sherlock Holmes? Having shown signs that her wit was like that of her father's everyone expected her to act like as much of an ass as he did.

I laid awake in my bed bored out of my mind. There was nothing interesting to do in 221B Baker St. at the moment, and I needed something to do. I picked up my sketchbook and began to flip through it when I heard my phone buzz. I practically leaped across my bed to grab it. It showed one new unread email. I opened it and read eagerly, hoping it would help relieve my boredom.

It's happening tonight. R will be at the circus and you can get the stuff. The network has been notified, and I'll have him there to pick him up. Just tell me when.

-AL

Tonight was the night. My boredom forgotten, I hopped up from my bed and dressed in my usual dark jeans, t-shirt, converse, and leather jacket. With a quick look in the mirror I pinned back my raven curls, leaving only my emerald bangs down across my face. I doubled checked the lock on my door, and grabbed my satchel, before climbing out of my window into the fire escape. What would I do without this fire escape? I wondered.

It was just after four, so I would be able to make across London to the circus by tube in about half an hour. I got on the tube at the nearest station and rode silently, listening to the boring talk of the ordinary people around me. Nothing they did or said was ever of any interest to me; no the people who interested me where the ones that gave most everyone an uneasy feeling. The ones who rode in the far corner that everyone avoided. They were the ones with the information I wanted, and it came easy if you knew what they wanted.

When one of the men got off, opening up a seat in the middle of the group, I made my way over and sat. A few of the men took the moment to size me up as I sat next to the one I knew to be the leader of the group. When they decided I wasn't a threat, two of them whispered to each other and I knew exactly what they were thinking. I could see their pupils dilate and their looks go from challenging to lust filled. They motioned to the man beside me and he got up, the bigger of the other two taking his place. As the last ordinary person got off the train, I stood to confront the leader of the group, and felt a hand reach out and grab my ass.

I quickly reached around and grabbed the hand, pushing it backwards, and making its owner yell out with pain and surprise. The man's buddy came up from behind me and grabbed me around my shoulders to pull me off of him. I kicked my new attacker in the groin, causing him to fall to the floor and hit his head on the seats. The first man stood up and tried to grab me again and I quickly punched him square in the nose.

"Zackary!" I said loudly causing the man to stop and look at his leader. Zackary laughed at his puzzled expression.

"I thought you had them better trained than this," I said irritated.

"Well you know me, I think it's better they learn the hard way. It keeps them from messing around later on. Besides they hadn't met you yet Piper." Upon hearing my name the goon stepped away from me. He had heard of me.

"Well, Zackary, my life is easier when I don't have to go around explain my cuts and bruises that come from nowhere."

"Ah, yes. You have to hide them form Mummy and Daddy don't you sweet child?" He laughed again, "Such a young thing you are, and you can't blame them from wanting to have a little fun with you."

"Well I am not amused. You know about what's happening at the circus tonight I assume?"

"Of course. It's in my territory you know, and nothing happens without me knowing about it."

"Except that R has been living under your nose for a year and a half," I said with a slight smirk.

"Watch that tongue little missy or you won' have it for much longer," Zackary said with a frown.

"Oh, but you know that's my best feature, my sharp silver tongue."

"What do you want Piper?"

"Just to tell you, that R should not be a problem after tonight," I said, timing it with the opening of the train doors. I got off the train and looked around for the lou. I took the extra cloths from my satchel and changed. I needed to attract R when I got to the circus, so I needed to look the part. I went from seventeen years old to twenty-one in about thirty minutes. I fluffed out my hair around my shoulders and put on some smoky eye makeup to finish the look and left the train station.

The Circus was a common hangout for those who made their livings illegally through the black market, on the bad side of town. Two blocks away I could already catch a whiff of it on the wind, and see the thugs, tweakers, cokeheads, and shady deals along the streets. One of the thugs noticed me and began an approach. I stopped exactly where I was and watched him from the corner of my eye. His hair was dark brown and he had a lean body that could easily over power me if this went wrong. I took a breath and turned confidently to face him. He raised his arm slightly to scratch his head, and the cuff of his jacket moved to where I could see the flame on his wrist. It was R.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing out here all alone?" Show time I thought. I bit my lip and batted my eyes innocently.

"Just looking for a little bit of fun. You look like fun." I giggled and reached out to touch his face. He let me, and I trailed my hand across his cheek and down his neck dipping my hand into his shirt.

"Mm. I think I can show you some fun." He grabbed my hand and pulled me along, down the street towards the old hotel, the Circus. I followed him inside to the elevator. At the eleventh floor he led me into a room, and started to kiss me. I let him kiss me for a moment.

"Wait, I don't know your name."

"And I don't know yours," he replied, kissing me again.

"Come on, please tell me your name," I begged. Oh how I hated begging, but I needed him to tell me.

"You can call me R. Now I've told you my name, so tell me yours."

"That's not a name," I said with a slight pout.

"Yes it is sweet heart, and it's all you are going to get, so go ahead and tell me yours."

"You can call me S," I mocked, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Hmm, S. Sweet heart I want your name," he whispered, as he placed kisses down my jaw and neck.

"Sophia," I said sweetly. Revolting, this was absolutely revolting, but I must entice him.

"Mmm. Sophia. Now that's a nice name on the tip of my tongue. Sophia." He ran his hands from my shoulders down my sides to my hips, and I forced myself to hum, with fake pleasure. BRING! He stopped at the sound of a phone ringing. It wasn't mine, I had made sure to turn mine on silent.

"I'm sorry Sweet heart. One moment." He took a phone from his pocket and went into the hall. I had my chance now to look around the room and use my phone.

I'm in. Give me thirty minutes then send them in. Call me when they arrive so I can get out. Warn me if anything goes wrong, or changes.

-PH

I turned the sound back on and placed it back in my purse so I would have my signal. The room was fairly tidy for a man. There was one suitcase in the far corner of the room. As quietly as I could I unzipped it and sifted through its contents. Clothing, hair products, toothbrush, and a small revolver which I put into my satchel.

I looked around the room looking for any where he could have things hidden. The bedside table and desk drawer were empty and the closet only had a jacket hanging, but the safe was locked. Placing my ear to the safe, I spun the dial slowly listening for a faint click. When I heard the first I began to turn it back the other direction. I made note of the code 17-34-50, and was about to open it when I heard R struggling to open the old hotel door. I quickly sat back on the bed like I had been when he left.

His face was red and he was clearly irritated, based on the way he slammed the door shut. He came over to me and basically smashed our faces together in a rough sloppy kiss. He pushed me back so that he was on top of me and began to let his fingers run along my body.

"Hey now, this is not what I was looking for. So you can either go calm down for a minute, and I'll have a nice surprise for you, or I'm leaving," I said. His anger seemed to be aimed at me for a moment but changed. Men like him were always up for anything kinky, which made me want to vomit by making him think about me that way.

"You're right, love," he said getting up. His arousal was obvious in the dilatation of his eyes and the revolting bulge in his slacks as he let his hand glide gently down my abdomen. He leaned over me again for a moment, his hand sliding up the inside of my thigh and pressing his thumb against me and said, 'but when I come back I expect I will be deeply satisfied." I hummed for him as he drew his tongue along my jaw, before going into the bathroom.

I quickly got up, trying to shake off the disgusted feeling as I opened the safe. Inside there were a couple of manila folders, and a computer flash drive. I pulled out one of the folders and examined its contents. The folder I opened had several pictures inside. Most of the pictures were of the three undercover police from Scotland Yard, one of which was dead, and another missing and presumed dead. Two of the pictures were of my father, and his partner Dr. Watson. None of the pictures were surprising, I already knew he had been behind the crimes since the cops had been working on him. He was smart to be keeping tabs on my father, but he had said he hadn't found the case interesting enough, but that was quite a while ago. I took out the next folder, but before I could open it my phone rang. I fished it from my bag and answered it quickly.

"I'm busy," I said.

"I know, but your father should be there any moment," Aaron said.

"I told you-"

"Who are you talking too?" R asked rom the bathroom.

"No one, work," I said easily.

"I didn't tell him, he's coming without my father as usual."

"I need more time."

"You need more time for what?" R asked coming out of the bathroom in only his boxers. I pulled the gun from my satchel and pointed it at him catching him off guard.

"There goes my plan," I said hanging up the phone.

"Sit. I said motioning to the chair behind him. He did as he was told. With the gun still pointed at him I stuffed the two files and the flash drive into my satchel.

"Damn Bitch," R swore.

"Not my fault you let your guard down around any pretty face, and have terrible protection." I got up and pulled a pair of hand cuffs from my bag and attached one cuff to his wrist.

"Bed," I commanded with the gun still pointed at him. When he was sitting on the bed I cuffed him to the bed frame.

"I'll get you for this."

"Don't threaten me. You have nothing left to play any ways. Whereas I have all the power at the moment. So shut up. Now hmm." I went back to the desk drawer and opened it again, and felt along the edges of it. My finger caught on an inside edge and I put pressure releasing a hidden slot in the drawer.

Inside the slot was a stack of one hundred pound notes, the security pass for the dead cop, and another manila folder. I tucked the folder into my satchel and placed the security card and money in the bedside table. Once I put the drawer back into place I wiped the gun clean, now holding it with edge of my dress. I took R's dominate hand and forced him to leave his prints on the gun. I put the gun back into his brief case and went to leave. Before I got out into the hallway I heard my father's voice.

"It'll be the room with the easiest escape route. Closest to the fire escape." I quickly shut the door, and went back into the room.

"Trouble?" I ignored him. He wouldn't call out for help, he had too much pride for that. I managed to get the window open just as I heard quiet footsteps in the hall.

"I'll get you," R said again.

"Have fun with Mr. Holmes," I sneered as I dropped over the edge of the window. I landed with a loud metallic clang on the old fire escape. I heard the door bang open and without looking back I ran down the metal steps and on to the cobblestone alley.

"John! The window." I heard another person land out on the fire escape as I had and begin to run down it, shortly followed by another. Thankful for the darkness, and that I had worn flats and not heels I ran down the alleys. I didn't want my father to know it was me. In the distance I could hear cars and people. Based on the turns I had made through the alleys I was near Manchester square. There would be enough people for me to disappear into the crowd without them seeing me.

I pushed myself faster and made a sharp turn into the square. Immediately I stopped running and walked at a normal pace smoothing my hair and cloths out so I blended in with the crowd. Out of the corner of my eye I saw my father followed by John rush into the square but stop dead in their tracts. They hadn't seen me. They turned and ran back down the alley to the Circus. I took a minute to breathe then caught a cab back to Baker St.