/Another little heads up, I did write all of this four to three years ago... I don't remember all of what happened between John and Madeline arriving at Sherlock's home, and the next chapter, but because I was able to dig out a single conversation that John and Madeline had. It was about Madeline's temporary paralysis and increased processing of peripheral senses. (I don't remember if I roughly based this condition off of the movie Limitless or not :/...) As far as Madeline knows she can't consciously move any of her muscles, and is worried that maybe one day she'll be in a not so great situation and end up dying. So during their discussion I believe John (or maybe it was Sherlock) makes a drug that suppresses her condition for a set of hours. How did they figure it out? Not a clue at this moment. This entire story has been written in emails, and because of time, and how yahoo did their emailing system back in 2012/13, I lost this bit. I emailed my partner to see if she has it, but I'm waiting for a reply. If she doesn't have it, I'll rewrite the part while keeping the story line. Also I'll be updating this story monthly, and there'll be a format change between what was posted in 2012, what's posted now (but it was written in 2013), and whats both written and posted now (meaning in 2016). If I sound repetative about this format change, its because I want to make sure you (the reader old, or new) know, like really know. And in the mean time, there'll be more stories that'll give a better look into Madeline's life, and tons of character development will happen ;)
Laters!
(actual story)
[Madeline] I was boredly sitting in Mycroft's office/giant living room. He had requested me to be here while he had clients so that I could serve tea and other things. When his 1330 (1:30) client left I complained, "Don't you have someone else to do this? It isn't very fun and well I don't serve tea." I started to set up tea for his next client that was going to be here in 10 minutes.
Mycroft stared as his childish niece attempted to fix tea. Ignoring her earlier complaints and hoping she would not embarrass him in front of the next client. "Now, Madeline, DO try to be on your best behavior. This next client is a rather important one. Very significant. So you must NOT be facetious and you must control yourself." he said to Madeline.
I bit back an argument, knowing I would lose. I stopped and stared at the tea set I had 'finished'. I thought for a long moment before asking. "Does the sugar go on the right or the left?" I pursed my lips and looked to my uncle, who was clearly annoyed.
He rolled his eyes at her. "You've done this for all the other clients. You should remember where the sugar goes. Is Sherlock sure you're his daughter? He knows where the sugar is supposed to go, even if he is quite childish. He says John is the one who hardly uses his brain, but I could argue that it's you." he said tersely. He gazed at his watch hoping the client would arrive soon and then it would be done with. He had plans that he was looking forward to getting started. And his niece was only making him wish that he could get them started sooner.
"Well then," I said tensely. "You could stop putting me up to my dad's standards and deal with me not remembering. I have been living in America for the past 12 years of my life where we don't serve tea as often as you do." I finally finished setting up the tea. I looked at the time on my cell, Five minutes till they get here. I let out a sigh, sat down and crossed my legs.
"That's hardly any excuse." I thought to myself. I paced back and forth and my thoughts kept trailing to my later plans. Patience, Mycroft, patience. Soon your plans will be enacted and you can be assured that they will be enacted thoroughly and favorably. This is what I repeat to myself in my mind. 3 minutes is not short enough.
Mycroft paced back and forth as I drummed my finger on the couch and zoned out thinking about what I would do here. I started to ignore half the things he said. If we started arguing, this week stay would last a month in my world. still adrift in my own thoughts I said, "Mycroft you should sit down now and become at peace, since this next client is so important you should look and feel at peace, they will see that you are impatient, or fretting and ask if there is something wrong with them, or they just might fret that they did something wrong and not pay attention 100% to what is being said." I continued to zone out on the flower vase not blinking very often.
"How can I possibly be at peace when I have to watch over you?!" I shouted annoyed at my niece. "It's difficult enough watching over my own brother and now I have to watch his illegitimate daughter." I sighed remembering to keep myself in check for the client. I sat down in a chair adjacent to my niece, picked up a newspaper, and covered my face. I cast a half-glance at Madeline to see her staring at my vase. The way her eyes were fixated on it, the vacant expression, reminded me of a similar expression I had often seen in my brother's eyes when he was in deep thought. The only difference being, of course, (as far as I knew) my niece was not under the influence of narcotics. I wondered what it could be she was thinking so hard about. She'd gotten what she wanted, hadn't she? Her father. What could possibly be left on her mind? Two minutes. I thought about asking, but as time grew shorter, I hardly had any spared to ask.
I inhaled sharply and again looked at the time on my cell. 45 seconds till they get here. I checked the tea and found that it was still hot. I looked at the time again, 9 seconds. I stared at the time till it reached two seconds. I put my cell in my pocket and readied myself for this next client. I watched for the client. what I could tell from the foot steps is that, they were a male, around 170-180, they probably had surgery on their right ankle, no not surgery something else it might be- oh my holy crap it's Richmen. My mind screamed to get away but I sat in place with my now wide eyes following him. My breathing became irregular and quickened. For a moment he sat down and I just stared at him, he became aware of me and gave a small smug smile. I composed myself and asked, "Would you like some tea sir?" my "sir" sounded strained. He denied the tea.
I noticed my niece's reaction to the client, her quickened breathing; the look in her eyes; her voice when she spoke; and that smug smile my brother often has on his face. She knew him, I had to have been a complete moron not to see that. And he knew her, the way he looked at her. But how to play my cards was the question to me. "You are quite right, Richmen. As we shall be discussing extremely important matters, it is not the time for refreshments. You'll have to excuse my...assistant. She's rather dim. Please, sit down and we shall begin." I said to him. And as I said, rather dim, I grabbed my niece's hand to make it look as though I were treating her as a "special person"; but really I was taking her pulse. Extremely fast. Her adrenaline rushing at a mile a minute. I hoped to learn more later. I began to wonder if this wouldn't be more productive than my set plans.
I felt Mycroft's hand go to mine. From the position of his hand I could tell that he was taking my pulse. Being the brother of a consulting detective He probably picked something's up from him. I made no eye contact with Richmen after that. I glanced at Mycroft with a "help me" look. "Oh? Has she grown dim? I knew that you going with that stupid detective wasn't to be very good. I'm not surprised that you got a job as good as this. Now, to more important matters, the reason you summoned me here was for...uh shouldn't we do this privately?" His American accent was strong. I figured he was recovering from a rock climbing injury. Since that was all he did in his free time.
I saw her look to me. So pitiful, asking for help. So clearly their relationship was not a good one. Stupid detective? My brother may be childish but he is not stupid. He knew going with Sherlock wasn't to be very good? He didn't want her to, clearly. But she, quite like my brother, does not follow such instructions. Making it clear that he knows her...surprising he didn't resume an air of indignantce towards her. But from her looks at me, it was clear he knew her in a way that displeased. In order to maintain the air I had set, I said slowly to Madeline "My dear, you must leave the room now. Mr. Richmen would like his privacy." Then I said to Richmen "Before we begin, may I ask to what detective were you referring?"
I got up. "As you wish, good day to you Mr. Richmen." As I told him that I looked at Mycroft with a thankful look. and swiftly left the room and made my way upstairs to my room. "The famous one. Um, I think it was Sherlock? I don't quite remember but that might be it, we argued for months about her leaving," He looked down the hallway and saw that I was gone. "She was a part time detective in America, always getting into trouble and getting hurt. She almost died a few times. That Sherlock guy isn't a manwhore is he? I don't want her to be with a man like that." I was still in the staircase, eavesdropping on their conversation. My jaw dropped, Richmen was bashing Sherlock, my biological father! Disgusted and mad I went to my room. I got out a pen and a sticky note. I wrote what Richmen said and what my thoughts were about it. A minute later I finished. I dug around in my underclothes drawer and found one my lighters. I folded the note into a square, opened my window, put the note on the window seal and lighted it. I watched it burn slowly and the small tower of smoke drift out the window.
"No, I don't believe he is. However, you may set your worry aside. She'll be staying with me. Not Sherlock Holmes. I am much more capable than he. Anyway, yes, I summoned you here on terms of private business and we'd best get onto that. In these files here." I said and handed Richmen the confidential files. "If you agree to do everything that you said, we may conclude our business. Only contact via my mobile, no more personal contact. I'm much too busy and have so much to sort out."
Richmen sighed with a slight of relief. He Took the files, glanced at them and put them in his case. "Alright then, I'll leave and looked over these on the flight. I'll call you when I get to my home I shall call you." (up at Madeline's window) I lazily watch the small pile of ashes trying to hang on, waiting to be fed something. Some movement caught my eye. I blew the ashes of of my window seal. I looked out of my window and saw a man well dressed. When he came closer I saw that he was wearing a westwood suit. I checked the time, only 6 minutes till the next client came and Mycroft was very strict on his time. We had one more client, then Mycroft would go to his dental appointment. I decided that I would go greet this strange man, even though there were other people to do that. I went to my closet and got out a pair of wool gloves, I opened my door and put them on. I walked to the staircase and then I got on the railing and silently slid down . I was about to open the door when I heard Richmen's foot steps. I froze, it was a habit I picked up from whenever I'd hear him walking towards me, catching me something I shouldn't be doing. "Getting into trouble are we?" He told me I stepped back from the door and looked at the floor. "No sir." I replied. He took me by the wrist and I yelped, "Guards!" He instantly let go and put his hands up in a surrender. The men at the door were at my side instantly. "I was merely going to shake her hand, poor thing must of panicked, I'm sorry and good day." He smiled and walked out the door. "Is everything alright Mrs. Holmes?" I watched him leave and stared at the door. "Ja." I told them. The went back to their posts. I sat down where I stood and supported my head on my hands.
[This is Mycroft] I thought I heard something like my niece shouting so I went to check. On the landing of the staircase, she was sitting with her head in her hands. I sat next to her. "Madeline. Are you alright? I'm sorry. I wasn't quite aware you had any connection to Richmen." I said. [Now Jim] I had been waiting for this for a while and now I was finally going to get everything. I knew I was arriving unexpectedly and contrary to the plans Mycroft and I had made earlier, but I had waited long enough. I straightened my Westwood suit and went through. Most people would have knocked, but I'm not most people.
I took a deep breath. "Yeah I, I guess. He was my adopted dad in America from the past few years of my life" I quickly analyzed my surrounding with my hearing, not making much success with it, I looked up. Mycroft was sitting down next to me. "It's just that he-" I was interrupted by the man in Westwood just walking in. I started to deduce him. He in his Middle thirties, left handed, probably has an extremely high intelligence and extremely large ego, Most likely has the personality type of INTJ. Hope I didn't get anything wrong. I thought. "Your early, Mycroft doesn't like people that are early, and it doesn't give me enough time to make tea." I told the Westwood man. I acted differently so that I could possible fool him. Acting like a snotty air head grated against my nerves a bit, but it always worked on the other clients, that is another client another personality.
[Jim] I gave a slight smirk. "I know that, my dear. {I walked closer to her.} Though, I must admit, I don't think I know you. You look very familiar, but I don't believe we've met. And I'm never wrong. Don't worry, I won't be having tea." [Mycroft] I immediately stand up disconcerted. "James, what are you doing here now? You and I were supposed to meet later." [Jim] I faced him directly "I've decided we're meeting now. You know how much power I have. And would you mind shutting up? This is more important than anything we were going to discuss." Then I turned back towards the young woman who has caught my interest. "Very clever of you. Trying to act like a snob. But I can see right through you. Not a bad job, though. And no, I'm not just another client, as The Ice Man could tell you. But he bores you. You don't want to hear him talk. You want something name's Jim Moriarty. And you are?"
I was shocked. /no one else but father can do that, that I know of/. I stood up and composed myself. "I'm Madeline, thank you and," I pursed my lips and glanced at the floor in front of Mycroft. "Yeah I do, but he is my uncle so," I smiled thinking of what to say and then I said the first thing that came to my mind. "yeah." I mentally kicked myself for saying 'so, yeah' it isn't proper. I dreaded my most likely getting yelled at. "It's nice to meet you by the way Mr. Moriarty." I added quickly. I saw that Jim had more power than Mycroft so I instantly went into a thinking position. Instead of laying down with my hands together I held my right elbow with my left and put my thumb nail in between my two front teeth and my two bottom teeth, my feet were also shoulder length apart.
[Mycroft] This was going to get very uncomfortable very quickly. My brother's daughter talking to my brother's arch-enemy. What was I going to do? [Jim] I raised my eyebrows. Her uncle? "Don't thank me, Madeline. It might not be as nice to meet me as you think. And you're trying to think hard. You want to know how much power I have? I can bring the downfall of NATO like that {I snap my fingers} if I wanted. I could expose every member of the British Secret Service, including your uncle. By the way, that's an awfully strange thing to be calling him. 'My uncle". Usually indicates that he'd be the brother of your father. And that would mean that your father is Sherlock Holmes. But...that's not really true, is it? Madeline, the daughter of my arch-enemy?" I peered straight at her and fixed my head in the reptilian fashion I so love to.