Sherlock held the small child's hands as they walked at night through the street towards the flat he shared with John. She had grabbed his hand while walking, and he didn't protest. It was necessary anyways, he didn't want her running around and start skipping and jumping around again. Holding his hand was something of reassurance to him that she wouldn't run off. Sherlock told her to stay still, sounding unintentionally harsh, once they got up to the front door steps. She pouted but obeyed and crossed her arms, in attempt to get warmer from the cold and probably stay still. Some snowflakes fell from the sky and she put her arms out to grab them in excitement. "Look Uncle Sherlock! Snow!" She squeaked and he shot her a look that said "be quiet" then went back to silently unlocking the door.
"Come on" he whispered to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the flat once he got the door open. "Be quiet, John is sleeping. He can't know you're here until the morning." He whispered, kneeling down to take her small gloves off of her even smaller pale hands. They went upstairs into the living room of the flat.
"You can sleep in my room, I'm going to sleep here. If you need me come and get me, okay?" Sherlock helped her with her coat and lead her to his room, putting her sweater and gloves on the end.
"Uncle Sherlock?" She mumbled sitting on the bed "Why did you take me away from home? Did something happened?" She asked.
She quickly tried to remember everything that had happened so that she could ask about what she didn't know. She learned about that in the school she goes to.
Most of what she remembered was first, hearing her papa yell and then loud bangs she didn't recognize. Her first question was about the loud noises.
She remembered seeing lights outside, like the car leaving and she thought that her papa was probably leaving again like he does after he yells. she then remembered smelling the scent that is in the air when her mother is cooking and the food turns black. She remembered laying in her bed, wanting to get up and see what her mummy was cooking but decided that she didn't want to be yelled at for getting out of bed. She would ask Sherlock what her mummy was cooking.
Next, she heard more yelling coming from Uncle Sherlock even though he was not there before she went to bed. Her next question would ask how he got there.
She then remembers Uncle Sherlock coming into her room, and telling her to close her eyes until he said when to open them. She felt herself be picked up and hearing her fireplace although it was louder than usual. She remembered feeling really hot, like the sun was on her face. She would ask why it was so hot.
She remembers opening her eyes and having her coat and gloves given to her, and then walking a long ways to Sherlock's home.
After the long pause from her uncle Sherlock, she thought this was her time. "The questions I have are: what were the loud banging... Sounds I heard? And what was mummy cooking? How did you get to my home? And why was it so hot in my house?" She nodded, then smiled to herself in feeling good about remembering her questions she had. Sometimes she would forget while at school but then remember later. She hoped Uncle Sherlock would answer her questions at that moment.
Sherlock just nodded at her questions, he didn't want to tell her these answers before she slept but he knew he could avoid it. He sat on the bed, "Lay down and I'll tell you okay but you have to go to sleep after."
Excited to hear the answers to her questions, she crawled up into the bed and placed her hands on her lap over the covers. "Okay!" She said after. "I'll go to sleep right after, I promise!" she pushed, suddenly impatient for the answers to her questions.
Sherlock sighed lightly knowing he had to tell her, "Your mother was making dinner and was shot by your father. He tried to burn down your house with you in it. I came to get you." His words were flat and emotionless as he spoke, "I'm sorry, but your mother's dead."
The girl sighed. She felt like she should have known, papa didn't like Uncle Sherlock and she didn't say goodbye to mummy. Something must have been wrong. She looked at Sherlock, her eyes welling up with tears. "Am I staying with you now? Or so I have to go live with my papa tomorrow?" She asked softly, fiddling her hands nervously, hoping that Sherlock would say that she could stay with him and the John man. She didn't like her papa honestly, he yelled at mummy too much, but she supposed that, that wouldn't happen anymore..
He looked at her softly not knowing how to react correctly with a child, "You are going to stay here for now with me." He didn't know how to comfort a crying child.
She smiled softly for a second then nodded. "Good night Uncle Sherlock." She said finally before rolling over and laying her head on the large pillow, facing her back to where Sherlock was sitting.
Nodding slightly to himself not knowing how to react but he didn't think it was right to just leave her high and dry right after telling her this. He gave a sigh and rolled his eyes lightly then moved to the other side of the bed and leaned back laying next to her lacing his fingers together and resting on his chest, "I'm sorry, Alice."
Alice looked over at Sherlock. She knew how he was, her mummy told her all of the stories about him finding the bad people with the John man, and how he knew things about you with a few looks, and how he had trouble with people and kids like her, but also how she shouldn't be upset with him ever. That he is just trying like everyone else. Alice brought her mouth to form a line, as an attempt to smile. "Thank you." She said, before closing her eyes and falling asleep.