Out of Sorts
By: Raven612
Chapter 1: New Occupant
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Colonel Wordsworth and Midge.
Summary: Holmes and Watson wrap up a case, but a loose end is left behind and soon the detective and the doctor are left with a little girl and the secrets she holds. Established H/W, slash, lemons, and humor!
A/N: So I'm reposting this story because something is wrong with it....not sure why it isn't working. But you can use my oneshot, A Study in Black and White is a sort of prequel to this story. So I was inspired to write this story after reading kazumigirl's fic entitled Sweet Silver Lining. Her little Sophie is so darling! This is completely different, though, so I did not steal her idea or storyline, just got inspired! Also I got the inspiration for one other character in this story while watching a movie very late one night, you'll know the character when I introduce him, he will be of a different variety and bring a lot of fun into this fic! On with the story!
Watson ducked and rolled as a bullet whizzed past his head, missing him by an inch. "Holmes, what have you gotten us into, I thought we were only looking for a missing bracelet," even as Watson said this he knew he had been had.
"We were," Holmes shouted from across the dark room where the shots kept hailing from.
"Were? What are we looking for now?" Watson rolled to his feet and used his cane to pummel the man nearest him.
Holmes used his batons to take out two of the other men. He ducked when Watson started firing, "We're looking for some family jewels now, and it seems the bracelet was just a lead."
"A lead, a lead for what?" Watson shouted and his moment of distraction cost him a bloody lip, which he rectified by upper cutting the man and kicking him in the stomach.
Holmes ducked as a fourth man tried to tackle him; Holmes snapped his knee cap and incapacitated him, "I said Watson, family jewels."
"Since when have family jewels fascinated you Holmes?" Watson used an overturned table as cover from yet another wail of bullets; it seemed that this small mob he and Holmes had stumbled upon only moments ago kept growing by the minute.
"It is the Agra diamond we are after my dear Watson," Holmes shouted back and a loud growl sounded from the doorway as a large man burst into the room.
Everything stopped as everyone turned to look at the burly man, "You lads cannot take down one detective and one lame doctor, what have I been paying you to do then, drink tea and chat about the queen's new dress?" in a rage he kicked the chair nearest him against a wall where it shattered.
"We're sorry sir, but they's stronger 'n they look."
Another yell and the man were upon Holmes in an instant. Holmes dodged the wild attack and left Watson to deal with the three remaining men. "You alright old boy?" Holmes shouted as he ducked and swiped at the large man's feet.
"I haven't a choice if I wish to escape with my life," Watson struggled to answer back as the three men were a large challenge for the doctor to defeat.
Holmes couldn't answer as he was highly engaged in battle and currently was thrown into the two standing chairs and pile of dishes from the card game he and Watson had disrupted only minutes ago. He threw a plate in the man's face and swept his feet out to knock the other man to the floor. Holmes quickly got to his feet and set about beating upon the brute.
"Holmes, are you quite finished over there?" Watson yelled desperately as one man refused to be disengaged from his back while the other two were kept at bay by the blade hidden in Watson's walking stick.
"Be there in a tick," he backhanded the large man as he rose.
Watson kicked himself back using a wall as leverage and smashed his back into the other wall resulting in a grunt from the man on his back. Watson was about to block an attack from one of the other men when a resounding shot rang out and all present stopped and stared.
"Cricky, what is going on in here?" Lestrade had finally shown his face.
"Ah, impeccable timing as usual Lestrade," Holmes grinned as he quickly elbowed the large man in the stomach as he dusted himself off.
Lestrade looked around in astonishment at the men lying on the floor just beginning to come around and the four men standing wide eyed, all planning on how to escape. Clarky and the rest of the squad soon squished into the doorway. Lestrade turned to them and began giving them orders to arrest all the men present. Holmes smirked as he watched Clarky and the boys in blue begin their task. They began slapping handcuffs on the suspects and loading them into carriages.
"What of the woman?" Holmes asked as he stepped outside with Lestrade.
Watson soon joined them, curious as to the well being of the woman they were helping; she had been found earlier that morning, stabbed several times and delusional. She kept repeating that her two greatest treasures were in trouble, one, Holmes assumed was the Agra diamond she had beseeched him to recover for her a week before, and the second, Holmes couldn't quite figure out.
"She perished not more than two hours ago, poor lamb; she kept repeating Midge, maybe a sister?" Lestrade said wringing his hands.
Holmes replaced his hat and lit his pipe, "Possibly, we know she was a widow, not old, no children, but how she came to own one of the most expensive and rare jewels is another question."
"Family heirloom?" Watson inquired as he rested his tired weight entirely on his walking stick.
"It's possible, the jewel must be in this house, come Watson our night is not done yet." Holmes turned on his heel and went back into the house.
"Of course not," Watson mumbled under his breath as he limped along slowly after the detective.
Lestrade tipped his hat to the duo, "I've got me work cut out for me back at the station I trust you can take care of yourselves."
Watson nodded before he walked back into the dark house, "Of course Lestrade."
Holmes crouched in the middle of the room and used his baton to tap along the floor. Watson walked around the dimly lit room. Off to one side was a decrepit kitchen and then to the other side was a hallway. Watson grabbed a candle and made his way down the corridor checking all the other rooms. All were in ruins with molding wallpaper, rotted wooden furniture, and soggy newspapers. The rooms held nothing of importance to Watson so he went to check on Holmes who had now moved to the far left of the room, still tapping along the floor and baseboards.
"Nothing in the bedrooms, you really think the diamond is here?" Watson asked with a sigh, his leg was starting to throb and bother him.
Holmes didn't answer, just moved about the room knocking around looking for a hallow space where something could be hidden. Watson sighed and righted an overturned chair to sit upon while Holmes finished up his business. After another hour of searching Holmes rose and scratched his chin. He then felt along the walls and soon turned to Watson with a smile, "I think I found it."
Watson raised a brow as he waited for Sherlock to unravel the mystery, he was stunned when Holmes reached up and pulled a seemingly invisible rope down and down from the ceiling fell stairs, "An attic," Watson mumbled and shook his head.
"Come Watson, let's see what is hidden in the attic," Holmes motioned for Watson to follow him and Watson had no choice as his curiosity was piqued and he was compelled to follow Holmes into the attic.
They stood on the precipice squinting into the darkness. All that was visible in the moving shadows of night were boxes and crates along with some old furniture covered in white sheets. A shuffle in a far corner made both men jump in surprise.
"Who is there?" Holmes shouted.
A low whine was heard followed by some more shuffling noises. Watson moved forward first, recognizing the sounds as that of someone restrained. He pushed some boxes out of the way and what he found tied and moving in the corner made him stop short and Holmes ran right into him.
"Watson, what is it?" Holmes stepped around the doctor and his eyes widened, "what have we got here."
Before them a little girl lay bound and gagged, a raggedy stuffed lion lying next to her. Watson wasted no time in kneeling down to her. He cooed to her softly as he gently removed the bandana around her mouth.
"Mr. Watson and Mr. Holmes?" she questioned as she allowed Watson to carefully untie her feet and arms.
Holmes raised a brow, the girl didn't appear to be more than five years old, yet she had no tear tracks on her face or signs of distress, "Why do they have you?"
The girl managed to shakily get to her feet, she then bent down and grabbed her lion then shrugged and hugged her lion close as she stood and looked between the two men, "Mama's dead isn't she?"
Watson and Holmes looked to one another then back to the girl.
"Are you Midge?" Watson asked.
The girl nodded, "Mama said if she didn't get to me first then she had been killed."
"Where's your father?" Holmes asked.
Midge shrugged again, "He has been gone since I was born, mama doesn't talk about him much, makes her too sad."
The way the girl talked and acted proved she was educated and that she was raised to be very strong, and for this Holmes admired her. He rubbed his chin and looked around the room completely at a loose as what to do now.
"Have you any family here to stay with?" Watson asked as he began to examine the girl to see if any harm had befallen her.
Midge watched as Watson carefully examined her, she smiled softly, "No, my mama was all I had, except for Lionel and Colonel Wordsworth-" Midge gasped then and grabbed into Watson's sleeve and her eyes grew wide, "Colonel Wordsworth, oh we have to go for him," she pleaded and tugged on the doctor's sleeve, tears brimming in her eyes.
Holmes raised a brow, "Colonel Wordsworth?" he asked wondering who this person might be.
"Oh yes, he is my very best friend, we must go for him, he'll be so lonely," she sniffed and brushed her auburn ringlets from her face.
"Where will you be staying?" Holmes asked.
Midge stopped her tugging as she looked up at the detective, her hazel eyes swimming in unshed tears, "Mama thought I could stay on with you and the doctor as she said she could only trust you two."
Holmes scoffed and turned to head back down the ladder from the attic.
Watson frowned after him and stopped short when Midge wormed her little hand into his own and looked up at him, "You'll help me get Colonel Wordsworth, right?" her voice creaked and broke as she asked Watson.
Watson's heart melted and he knew he'd do anything for the little girl, "Of course darling, I'll help you get him."
Midge smiled and hugged him quickly before she began to tug him towards the exit, "We must hurry then, he's been alone for too long," he hugged her lion close as they descended the stairs.
Holmes looked up when Watson and Midge appeared at the landing, he looked from Watson to Midge and sighed audibly, "I'll hail a cab," he mumbled.
Watson smirked and lifted Midge into his arms as he went out into the street with Holmes to wait for a hansom. "Midge, you are very brave for a little girl, you're mom would be very proud."
Midge was brushing the mane on her lion and looked up quickly when Watson spoke to her, she smiled shyly, "Mama always told me that bravery is much better than being a coward, I want to be like mama, she's always been so strong."
Watson smiled sadly as the girl went back to stroking the mane of her stuffed lion. Holmes eyed her as if she were the new plaque.
"We couldn't leave her Holmes," Watson said with the roll of his eyes.
"Why not?"
Watson did not even want to dignify that with an answer so he chose to ignore it while a hansom pulled up to the curb and he followed Holmes inside. "Where does Colonel Wordsworth live?" he asked Midge as he sat her on the seat next to him.
Midge stared at Holmes while she spoke, "He lives in my house," she tilted her head to the side as she studied the detective who kept his gaze firmly out the window of the hansom.
Watson nodded, remembering the address of the woman he and Holmes had met with last week and relayed it to the driver. He settled himself back into his seat and looked between Holmes and Midge, a genteel smile on his face.
"We still haven't got the diamond," Holmes suddenly said as his eyes sought out Watson's.
"We'll find it Holmes, I'm sure you've already half worked out where it is," Watson smiled ruefully.
Holmes nodded and smirked, "Perhaps I am a quarter of the way there."
"What diamond?" Midge asked, and once more Holmes and Watson were taken by how she seemed to be unaffected by the death of her mother or that she had been kidnapped.
"Not your business," Holmes said pointedly.
Watson glared at him, "Don't worry about it love, just worry about yourself, how long were you in the attic."
Midge cast her eyes down to her lion while she stroked its mane, "Since evening, I think, I saw the big man hurt my mama."
Watson frowned sadly when the little girl relayed that information to him.
"We have to take her to the station, they'll be better suited to help her," Holmes said raising his brows at Watson.
Watson frowned, he knew it was the right thing, but the police station was a cold place, surely nowhere for a child to spend the night, "She'll stay with us tonight, tomorrow we'll speak with Lestrade."
Midge once again looked between the two, worried for what her future might hold. She decided not to say anything, but went back to stroking her lion with one hand while the other hand grasped John's index finger. Watson looked down and smiled warmly, Holmes turned in his seat so that he was looking outside into the dreary night.
After ten minutes of travel they arrived at the little girl's house. Holmes asked the man to wait for them. Midge took Watson's hand as they walked up the dark path to the front door of a modest townhouse. The door was unlocked and as they stepped through the threshold Midge let go of Watson and continued forward looking all around the house, sadness evident as she went. She went up the stairs, presumably to her room.
"She can stay here tonight," Holmes tried one last time.
"Holmes, we are not going to leave a child alone."
"She won't be alone; Colonel Wordsworth will look after her."
Watson smirked, "What kind of character insists on being called Colonel Wordsworth?"
Holmes shrugged.
They heard some shuffling upstairs as Midge gathered her things. Both men turned to one another, "She is going to stay with us as long as necessary; her mother wanted it that way."
"She didn't express that to me."
"Holmes, she is a child, a child that is, as far as we know, alone in the world."
"There are many children alone in the world."
"We are not simply leaving her, she'll come with us and we'll figure things out, she's been through a lot tonight Holmes, she may not be expressing it now, but that's just because she is trying to be strong."
"She is quite strong."
Watson smirked and watched Holmes rock on his heels.
The dainty clearing of a throat had both men jump and turn towards Midge and their eyes bugged out of their heads.
"Watson, is that?" Holmes couldn't finish.
"Holmes…" Watson breathed and blinked not believing what he saw.
"Watson, Colonel Wordsworth is…"
"…a monkey." Watson finished as he eyed the creature sitting atop Midge's shoulder.
"A spider monkey," Holmes corrected.
A/N: So? Gah I loved this! I was watching Cutthroat Island and Morgan had a spider monkey and so I was thinking of what this story would be like if I threw one in and I think it is going to be wonderful! Anyways, I'd like to know what you all thought of this story so please review!