Mycroft furrowed his brow in thought as he looked at the girl sitting across from him. Her eyes were red from crying, which was understandable, but she met his gaze with a cold calculating scowl. "Where am I going?" she asked.
"You are going to stay with your aunt, Martha Hudson," he sighed.
"I don't have any aunts. My father was an only child and Mum was the only girl in her family," she replied, "And their last names were Muarry and Morstan. Who are you? And tell me the truth this time."
Mycroft looked in to the green eyes. How had she known he had lied? No one, save one, could spot him in a lie. "As I said before, I am a minor government official…"
She snorted, "Minor? If you are minor, then I'm a teabag."
Mycroft cleared his throat and tried again, "As far as you are concerned, I am a minor official. I am to help you disappear. We think there may be people who want you…"
"Dead?" she asked, "Because of what Mum did, she worked in the Department of Transport."
"Shut up and let me finish…please," Mycroft growled, "That was a cover she worked in the Home Office and partly with both MI-5 and MI-6 on a freelance basis. She was, for lack of a better term, a spy. She discovered something that got her in trouble. The agents that were after her think she sent whatever information she found to you, and now you are in danger." He saw the look of shock pass over her face.
"So those trips to rural farms… and all the things she taught me…"
"I understand it is a lot to take in, but we are in a hurry. Althea will take you now."
oOoOoOoOoOo
Mycroft pressed 2 on his speed dial. The man on the other end answered on the second ring. "I found someone. I'm taking her to see him in an hour."
"Good," came the curt reply, "and, well, thanks. It means a lot."
"You're welcome," said Mycroft, a bit surprised by the thanks.
oOoOoOoOoOo
The next time he saw the girl her long blonde hair had been dyed brown and cut to shoulder length. It did make her look different, which was the whole point. In the car, she put in ear buds to drown out the adults talking and stared at the London streets going by.
"Are you sure about this?" Alora asked.
"No," admitted Mycroft, "but she needs somewhere to go and he won't let me sleep until John has someone again."
"I think she needs someone too. She reminds me of him, more socially aware, but she read my mood in one glance, and she knew you weren't a nobody."
"Of course I did," the girl replied, "no bodies don't have watches that were a gift from the Queen. Am I allowed to keep my name, you never said."
Mycroft was startled. He had thought she couldn't hear, but he replied calmly. "You can keep Mary, but it would be easier for us if you used your father's name. Mary Morstan is on all your old documents. Ah, here we are."
The now Mary Muarry walked up to the door, and stood back as Mycroft knocked. The door to 221B opened and a lady opened it. "Oh, thank goodness you're here. He's locked the doors again and won't let me in."