Yay new chapter! Everything is explained about Dare's past. And that I have decided that i will put Dare in another fandom, I left two hints (more like billboards) about which one in this chapter. I'm not giving up on this story though, I'm going to keep working on it till I finish it. I'll just make a new story on my profile after I finish season three. Basically two different stories about Dare. But what I have planned for Dare involves the other fandom, just letting you know. Sorry if there is any grammar or spelling mistakes in this chapter.
Italics are Dare/Sherlock's flashbacks
Warning suicide is mentioned quite a bit in this chapter
Upstairs, John has his phone held to his ear as he looks out of the window. The cab can be heard as it pulls away. John sees Sherlock running after it a minute later.
"He's chasing a cab." John said confused.
He turns to Lestrade.
"It's Dare. She just drove off in a cab and Sherlock ran after it." John finished sounding confused.
Donovan, standing beside Lestrade, tuts in irritation. "I told you, they do that."
She turns to Lestrade "They bloody left again."
She walks back into the kitchen, talking loudly "We're wasting our time!"
"I'm calling the phone. It's ringing out." John said to Lestrade.
In the cab, a phone is ringing. Dare watches Jeff (which she learned from his licence displayed on the dashboard) as the pink phone – which Jeff has put in the well beside his seat – continues to ring.
Back in the flat, Lestrade watches John as he continues to hold his phone to his ear.
"If it's ringing, it's not here." Lestrade said
John lowers his phone and reaches for the computer notebook. "I'll try the search again."
Donovan comes back to confront Lestrade "Does it matter? Does any of it? You know, they're just lunatics, and they'll always let you down, and you're wasting your time. All our time."
Lestrade stares at her for a long moment as she holds his gaze, then he sighs.
"Okay, everybody. Done 'ere." Lestrade said loudly.
In the cab, Dare is looking at a battered golden fob watch with series of intricate circles and black elegant script written in a foreign language in her hand.
Jeff sees the watch her from his review mirror "Nice watch you got there Mrs. 'olmes, it's a bit banged up though, have you thought of getting it retouched?"
"Huh. Oh, this old thing. It would be a waste of money, it is broken after all. I doubt they'll be able to fix it." Dare replied.
"How do you know that it is broken?"
Dare frowned, unable to remember when or how the watch broke "It's always been broken. It's the only thing that they found me along with a purple crystal necklace when the found me at the doorstep of the orphanage." She chuckled bitterly "Something out of a story. Left on the door step in front of an orphanage in the middle of a rainy night. How stupid."
"Well at least you ended up with a good family."
"Well it was certainly something." She said while putting the watch back in her pocket. It's not something that she goes without.
"Back to the matter at hand. How did you know about my suicide attempt? My brothers wiped any record of my mental instability to the public." Dare said, wearing her poker face again.
"Oh you secret admirer told me that Mrs. 'olmes. He is also a fan of your brother as well."
Dare looked at him with confusion "Who told you about us?"
"Just someone out there who's noticed you and you brother. Oh and I been his website, too. Brilliant stuff! Loved it!"
"Who?" she asked as she leans forward, looking closely at the side of Jeff's neck, then noticing a photograph of a young boy and girl attached to the dashboard of the cab as well as the shaving cream behind his left ear.
Shaving cream behind left ear
The Photograph is cut down the middle, looks like someone was cut out of the picture.
"Who would notice us?" Dare clarified.
Jeff meets her eyes briefly in the rear view mirror "You're too modest, Mrs. 'olmes."
"I hardly think that Sherlock and myself as modest."
"Sherlock got a fan and you got an admirer."
"Tell me more." Dare said as she leaned back against the back seat of the cab casually. Making it sound more like a demand than a request
"That's all you're gonna know ..." He pauses dramatically for a moment before muttering just low enough for Dare to barely hear him " ... in this lifetime."
Back at the flat, as the other police officers leave, Lestrade picks up his coat and turns to John. "Why did they do that? Why did they have to leave?"
John shrugs "You know them better than I do."
"I've known him for five years and her for two years and no, I don't. Well. . . I do sort of know Dare."
"So why do you put up with them? And what do you know about Dare? You said you already knew about the pills and you didn't seem that surprised when Dare confessed about her suicide attempt."
Lestrade sighed, and then sat in the arm chair facing the door "I knew about the suicide because I was the first responder that got there first, since I was the closest. It was the first time I meet the Dare.
"A girl named Martha Jones was the one who called 999. She is Dare's oldest friend, according to her. They've been friends since sixth grade (A/N I don't know the grading system in the UK so I went with the Canadian one). Martha thought Dare was talking funny during their phone call earlier that night, so she went over to her house. Dare's only mistake was leaving the door unlocked." Lestrade took a shaky breath before continuing "And when I showed up, Martha was crying into the phone.
"I'll spare you the details of the state of the room.
"The ambulance showed up two minutes later, not a moment too soon I might add. After that everything was pretty hazy until I got to the hospital to see her. They let me go since I was the first one that got there.
"In the waiting room it was quiet until Sherlock and his brother showed up. It was safe to say I was shocked to see Sherlock charge into the waiting room yelling at nurse, let alone to see him so distraught. They would kicked him out if I hadn't stepped in, and if his brother didn't convince the nurses that Sherlock would behave himself. His brother Mycroft looked almost panicked himself.
"It was also the first time I saw Sherlock caught almost completely by surprise just by me being there.
"While we waited Sherlock explained who Dare was and what she did career wise, and how she was always bullied because her brothers made a very unpopular legacy for her, thus making it harder for her to make friends growing up, as well as Dare's need to please her family, especially her brothers. And ever since she was little, she wanted to travel through space. He said once when she was five that it was a stupid dream.
"Sherlock was so upset that he probably didn't realise he was talking.
"That's how I knew about the suicide. As for why I put up with them is because I'm desperate, that's why." He stands up and walks to the door, then turns back "And because Sherlock Holmes is a great man. And I think one day, if we're very, very lucky, he might even be a good one. When he is around the right people."
He turns and leaves.
Back to Dare and the cabbie. The cab drives on and finally stops at the front of two identical buildings side by side. Jeff turns off the engine and gets out, coming to the passenger door and opening it. He looks in at Dare.
"Where are we?" She asked
"You checked you phone a block away and I know you have GPS on it." Jeff said.
"Roland-Kerr Further Education College." Dare answered "Why here?"
"It's open; cleaners are in. One thing about being a cabbie: you always know a nice quiet spot for a murder. I'm surprised more of us don't branch out."
"And you just walk your victims in? How?"
Jeff raises a pistol and points it at Dare. Dare rolls her eyes and turns her head away. "How boring."
"Don't worry. It gets better." Jeff said.
"You can't exactly make people take their own lives at gunpoint."
"I don't. It's much better than that."
He lowers the gun "Don't need this with you, 'cause you'll follow me."
He confidently walks away. Dare sits for a moment, then scrunches her nose annoyed with herself as she does just what Jeff predicted and gets out of the cab to follow the man.
Back at 221B, John is alone in the flat still slightly shocked about the information given to him about Dare. Even so he appears to have decided to go home and walks towards the living room door, then looks down and clenches his right hand as if realising that he doesn't have his walking cane. He looks round and sees the cane lying on top of a box of papers next to the dining table and goes over to collect it. With its back to him, Sherlock's notebook is still on Mephone's website and the clock is spinning on the screen as the site searches for Jennifer Wilson's phone. As John picks up the cane and heads for the door again, the computer beeps triumphantly and a map appears on the screen and starts to zoom in on the location of the phone. At the same time Sherlock comes running into the flat, sweaty and out of breath.
"Where the hell have you been?" John asked both curious and concerned about what happened to his friend.
"I. . . chased. . . the taxi. . . five blocks. . . sprinting. . . following a. . . cold. . . trail. . . Came back. . . remembered Jennifer. . . Wilson's. . . phone. " Sherlock finished with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. John walks into the kitchen, before coming out a minute later with a glass of water, giving it to Sherlock. Sherlock gulps it down, finishing it before looking at it weirdly. "Where did you get the water?"
"The tap. Why?" John answered.
"Nothing. Where did you get the glass?"
"Out of one of the cupboards. Why?"
Sherlock thinks about it for a minute "No. Nothing it should be fine."
John was about to question him, but turns back as the computer beeps repeatedly. Going back to the table and propping his cane against it, he picks up the notebook and looks at the screen, then he turns to Sherlock before he takes the notebook with him as he hurries out of the door and down the stairs, once again forgetting to take his cane. Only this time, Sherlock is running after him. After placing his empty glass on the coffee table.
At Roland-Kerr College, Jeff opens the door of a room and stands aside so that Dare can go in, saying "Ladies first."
Dare looks at him closely but steps inside the room, then Jeff releases the door and lets it swing closed as he walks over to some switches on the wall and turns on the lights. The two are in a large classroom which has long fixed wooden benches and plastic chairs. Dare walks deeper into the room, looking around.
"Well, what do you think?" Jeff asks.
Dare shrugs as if to ask, 'What do I think about what?'
"It's up to you. You're the one who's gonna die 'ere." Jeff said
Dare turns back to him "No, I'm not."
"I thought you were trying to kill yourself?"
Dare gives him a hard glare "That was two years ago. I'm a different person now."
He raises his eyebrows, then gestures to one of the benches. "Shall we talk?"
Without waiting for a reply, he pulls out one of the chairs and sits down. Dare takes a chair from the bench in front, flips it around and sits down opposite. She sighs dramatically. "Bit risky, wasn't it? Taking me away under the eye of about half a dozen policemen. They're not that stupid and I'm pretty sure my brother saw me in the back seat. Mrs. Hudson will remember you as well."
"You call that a risk? Nah."
He reaches into the left pocket of his cardigan "This is a risk."
He takes out a small glass bottle with a screw top on it and puts it onto the table in front of him. There is a single large capsule inside. Dare looks at it but keeps her poker face on.
"Ooh, I like this bit. 'Cause you don't get it yet, do yer? But you're about to. I just have to do this." Reaching into his right pocket, he takes out an identical bottle containing an identical capsule and puts it onto the table beside the first bottle "You weren't expecting that, were yer?"
He leans forward "Ooh, you're going to love this."
"Love what?" Dare asked.
Jeff sits back again "Dare 'olmes. Look at you! 'Ere in the flesh. I have read all about your achievements, and research papers. Your admirer told me about them."
"My admirer?"
"You are brilliant. You and your brother are. Proper geniuses. I have read his website too. 'The Science of Deduction.' Now that is proper thinking. Between you and me sitting 'ere, why can't people think?"
He looks down angrily "Don't it make you mad? Why can't people just think?"
He looks up again into Dare's eyes. Dare looks back at him for a long moment not giving anything away, narrowing her eyes, then makes a realisation.
"Oh. So you're a proper genius too." Dare said sarcastically.
"Don't look it, do I? Funny little man drivin' a cab. But you'll know better in a minute. Chances are it'll be the last thing you ever know."
Dare holds his gaze for a second or two, then looks down to the table "Okay, two bottles. Explain."
"There's a good bottle and a bad bottle. You take the pill from the good bottle, you live; take the pill from the bad bottle, you die."
"Both bottles are identical."
"In every way."
"And you know which is which."
"Course I know."
"But I don't."
"Wouldn't be a game if you knew. You're the one who chooses."
"Why should I? I've got nothing to go on. What's in it for me?"
"I 'aven't told you the best bit yet. Whatever bottle you choose, I take the pill from the other one – and then, together, we take our medicine."
Dare continues to give him her poker face, unsure whether to be happy or scared of the fifty-fifty chance of dying.
"I won't cheat. It's your choice. I'll take whatever pill you don't." Jeff said.
Dare looks down at the bottles, looking for anything that would give away which is good or bad. Not finding anything of course.
"Didn't expect that, did you, Mrs. 'olmes?"
"This is what you did to the rest of them: you gave them a choice."
"And now I'm givin' you one."
Dare looks up at him.
"You take your time. Get yourself together. I want your best game."
"It's not a game. It's chance." She said.
"I've played four times. I'm alive. It's not chance, Mrs. 'olmes, it's chess. It's a game of chess, with one move, and one survivor. And this ... this ... is the move."
With his left hand he slides the left-hand bottle across the table towards Dare. He licks his top lip as he pulls his hand back and leaves the bottle where it is.
"Did I just give you the good bottle or the bad bottle? You can choose either one."
John is in the back of a taxi with Sherlock, who can't seem to sit still. Sherlock has the computer notebook open on his lap and John is holding his phone to his ear.
"No, Detective Inspector Lestrade. I need to speak to him. It's important. It's an emergency!" John said into the phone.
The map on the laptop shows the location of Jennifer's phone again.
"Turn left here. Left here." Sherlock practically shouted to the driver.
ROLAND-KERR COLLEGE.
Jeff looks down at the bottles briefly then meets Dare's eyes.
"You ready yet, Mrs. 'olmes? Ready to play?"
"Play what? It's a fifty-fifty chance."
"You're not playin' the numbers, you're playin' me. Did I just give you the good pill or the bad pill? Is it a bluff? Or a double-bluff? Or a triple-bluff?"
"Still just chance."
"Four people in a row? It's not just chance."
"Luck."
" It's genius. I know 'ow people think."
Dare rolls her eyes.
"The ego of some people" Dare thought.
"I know 'ow people think I think. I can see it all, like a map inside my 'ead. Everyone's so stupid – even you."
Dare's gaze sharpens.
"Or maybe God just loves me." Jeff said.
Dare straightens up and leans forward, folding her hands in front of her on the table.
"Either way, you're wasted as a cabbie." she said.
John and Sherlock have arrived at Roland-Kerr College. As the taxi pulls away, John tucks the notebook into his jacket and looks at the two identical buildings in front of him. Clearly the map isn't precise enough to indicate exactly where the phone is. After a moment, Sherlock heads towards the buildings with John following behind.
In the classroom, Dare lifts her folded hands in front of her mouth and gazes at Jeff intently, trying to be intimidating by copying what Sherlock does when he wants answers.
"So, you risked your life four times just to kill strangers. Why?" She asked.
Jeff nods down to the bottles "Time to play."
"Oh, I am playing, I am just adding my own rules. So this is my turn. But before I start, I'll ask you this; if you kill me wont my admirer be mad that you killed me?"
"You're choosing to play this game Mrs. 'olmes, there is nothing neither he nor I could do about it. It was originally for your brother, but you came instead. Not that I'm disappointed though. You're just as brilliant as he is, maybe more so."
Dare nodded "Okay, back to my turn. There's shaving foam behind your left ear. Nobody's pointed it out to you."
Flashback to Jeff sitting in the driver's seat of the cab, which is when Dare noticed this.
"Traces of where it's happened before, so obviously you live on your own; there's no-one to tell you."
Jeff tries not to fidget under Dare's gaze.
"But there's a photograph of children. The children's mother has been cut out of the picture. If she'd died, she'd still be there."
Flashback to the photograph attached to the dashboard of the cab. There is indeed a third person at the left of the photograph but the photo has been cut along that side to remove her.
"The photograph's old but the frame's new. You think of your children but you don't get to see them."
Jeff's gaze slides away from Dare and for the first time there's a hint of pain in his eyes.
"Estranged father. She took the kids, but you still love them and it still hurts." Dare say while giving him a sad look.
She extends her index fingers.
"But there's more." She said softly.
Jeff lifts his gaze back to Dare as she points his index fingers towards him.
"Your clothes: recently laundered but everything you're wearing's at least ... three years old? Keeping up appearances but not planning ahead. And here you are on a kamikaze murder spree. What's that about?"
Jeff has got control of himself again and his expression says nothing as he gazes back at Dare. The detective's eyes widen slightly as she makes her most important deduction.
"Three years ago – is that when they told you?" She said sadly.
"Told me what?" Jeff said flatly.
Dare's deduction seems to appear beside Jeff's head:
DYING
"That you're a dead man walking. I'm sorry."
"So are you."
"You don't have long, though. Am I right?"
Jeff smiles.
"Aneurism." he lifts his right hand and taps the side of his head.
"Right in 'ere."
Dare tried to not look at him with pity, she always hated it when people did it to her.
"Any breath could be my last."
"So because you're dying, you've just murdered four people." Dare said frowning at him.
"I've outlived four people. That's the most fun you can 'ave on an aneurism."
"Well they always say that there is a thin line between genus and insanity" She muttered, before saying thoughtfully "No, there's something else. You didn't just kill four people because you're bitter. Bitterness is a paralytic. Love is a much more vicious motivator. Somehow this is about your children."
Jeff looked away and sighed "Oh."
He looks at Dare again.
"You are good, ain't you? Maybe as good as your brother." He finished smirking.
Dare gave him a cold look "Don't compare me to my brothers, that would be like me saying that you're living longer than someone with cancer."
His eyes widened at her statement "That's a bit cold isn't it"
"You're a man that believes that he out lived four people by killing them. But answer me this how is this about your children?"
"You're right. When I die, they won't get much, my kids. Not a lot of money in driving cabs."
"Or serial killing."
"You'd be surprised."
"Surprise me."
Jeff leans forward. "I 'ave a sponsor."
"You have a what?"
"For every life I take, money goes to my kids. The more I kill, the better off they'll be. You see? It's nicer than you think."
"Who'd sponsor a serial killer?" Dare said slightly horrified.
"Who'd be a fan of Sherlock and Dare 'olmes?" Jeff said instantly.
They stare at each other for a moment.
"You're not the only one to enjoy a good puzzle. There's others out there just like you, except you're just two people ... and they're so much more than that."
"What d'you mean, more than two people? An organisation? What?"
"There's a name no-one says, an' I'm not gonna say it either. Now, enough chatter." he nods down to the bottles "Time to choose."
Dare looks down to the bottles, her eyes moving from one to the other.
Elsewhere in the college, Sherlock and John are running through the corridors.
"Dare?" John calls out.
"Dare where are you?" Sherlock yelled out frantically looking through the doors and windows.
They run from door to door, trying them and peering in through windows.
"Dare!" John yelled.
CLASSROOM.
"What if I don't choose either? I could just walk out of here." Dare said challengingly.
Sighing in a combination of exasperation and disappointment, Jeff lifts up the pistol and points it at Dare.
"You can take your fifty-fifty chance, or I can shoot you in the head."
Dare smiles calmly.
"Funnily enough, no-one's ever gone for that option." Jeff said.
"I'll guess I'll go with the gun, please."
"Are you sure?"
"Definitely. The gun." Dare said still smiling.
"You don't wanna phone a friend?"
Dare smiles confidently "I did that before. Big mistake. Again the gun please."
Jeff's mouth tightens, and slowly he squeezes the trigger. A small flame bursts out of the end of the muzzle. Dare smiles smugly. "I am offended that you would think that I would be easily fooled."
Calmly Jeff lifts the pistol/cigarette lighter and releases the trigger. The flame goes out. "None of the others did."
"Clearly. Well, this has been very interesting. I look forward to the court case. Maybe the will let you off easily." She stands up and walks towards the door. Jeff puts the gun onto the desk and calmly turns in his seat.
"Just before you go, did you figure it out ..."
Dare stops at the door and half-turns towards him.
"... which one's the good bottle?" Jeff said.
"Of course. Child's play." Dare answered.
"Well, which one, then?"
Dare opens the door a little but shows no sign of leaving the room.
"Which one would you 'ave picked, just so I know whether I could have beaten you?" Jeff said.
"Dammit" Dare mumbled then closes the door again.
Jeff chucks "Come on. Play the game."
Slowly Dare walks back towards him. When she gets to the table, she reaches out and sweeps up the bottle nearest to Jeff, then walks past him. Jeff looks down at the other bottle with interest but his voice gives nothing away as he speaks. "Oh. Interesting."
He picks up the other bottle as Dare looks down at the bottle in her own hand.
Out in the corridors, John and Sherlock are still running along and searching.
In the classroom, Jeff has opened his bottle and tips the capsule out into his hand. He holds it up and looks at it closely as Dare examines his own bottle.
"So what d'you think?" he looks up at Dare "Shall we?"
In the corridors, John pulls open yet another door and looks inside the room before hurrying onwards, Sherlock follows his lead.
"Really, what do you think?"
He has stood up and is facing Dare.
"Can you beat me?"
Sherlock and John race up a flight of stairs and continues their search.
"Are you clever enough to bet your life?"
Sherlock and John burst through a door and stare ahead of them as they finally see who they're looking for. Their eyes fill with horror.
Inside the classroom, Dare lifts her gaze from the bottle she's holding ... and over her shoulder and out of the window behind her, soaring across the courtyard outside and in through another window to reveal John and Sherlock standing in an identical classroom in the other building, too far away to be of help. John and Sherlock cry out in horror.
"DARE!"
Unaware that they're being watched, Jeff continues to hold up his pill as he looks at Dare.
"I bet you get bored, don't you? I know you do. A woman like you ..."
Dare undoes the lid of the bottle.
"... so clever. But what's the point of being clever if you can't prove it?"
Dare takes out the capsule and holds it between her thumb and finger, raising it to the light to examine it more closely.
"Still the addict."
Dare gives him an unreadable look before she slowly lowers the pill again, holding it at eye level and gazing at it.
"But this ... this is what you're really curious about it, innit?"
Dare holds the pill in his fingers and stares at it.
"You'd do anything ... anything at all ..."
Dare lets out a shaky breath, unknown to weather from nervousness, fear, or excitement.
"... to stop being bored."
Slowly Dare begins to move the pill closer to her mouth. Jeff matches the movement with his own pill.
"You're not bored now, are you?"
Each of their hands gets closer to their own mouth.
"Innit good?"
A gunshot rings out and a bullet impacts Jeff's chest close to his heart, then goes through his body and smashes into the door behind him. As he falls to the floor, Dare drops her pill in surprise. In the opposite building, John has his pistol still raised and aimed out of the window, with Sherlock giving Jeff a savage look. John lowers the gun to his side. In the other building, Dare turns, and shakily slides over the desk behind her and hurries to the window, bending down to stare through the bullet hole in the glass. The window of the opposite room is open but there is nobody in sight. As Dare straightens up, Jeff breathes heavily and coughs. Dare turns back, looking around the room and sees Jeff convulse on the floor and gasps and coughs in pain. Dare looks at Jeff in shock, since she has never seen someone dying. Yes, she has seen dead bodies, but she has never seen the life leave the person's eyes.
Dare runs a nervous hand through her hair.
'What would Sherlock do?!' Dare thought franticly, before she remembered about her 'admirer.'
"Tell me this: your sponsor. Who was it? The one who told you about us – my 'admirer'. I want a name." Dare demanded.
"No." Jeff says weekly.
"You're dying, but there's still time to hurt you. Give me a name." Dare winces internally for what she's about to do, but she needs to walk away with something.
Jeff shakes his head. Dare manages to keep a blank face as she lifts her foot and puts it onto Jeff's shoulder. Jeff gasps in pain.
"A name."
Jeff cries out in pain. Dare is struggling to hold herself together.
"Now."
Still Jeff can only whine in pain. With her face still blank she leans her weight onto her foot. Jeff whimpers.
"The name!" Dare said.
"MORIARTY!" Jeff said antagonized.
His eyes close and his head rolls to the side. Dare steps back. Placing her hands over her mouth in order to muffle the sobs that escaped her throat.
LATER. Outside the college, Dare is sitting on the back steps of an ambulance looking like her normal self. A paramedic puts an orange blanket around her shoulders as Lestrade walks over. Dare gestures to the blanket. "Why have I got this blanket? They keep putting this blanket on me."
"Yeah, it's for shock." Lestrade answers.
"I'm not in shock." Dare half lied; she learned how to lie very well while growing up with the Holmes family.
"Yeah, but some of the guys wanna take photographs."
He grins. Dare rolls her eyes.
"So, the shooter. No sign?"
"Cleared off before we got 'ere. But a guy like that would have had enemies, I suppose. One of them could have been following him but ..." he shrugs "... got nothing to go on."
Dare looks at him pointedly "Oh, I wouldn't say that."
Now it's Lestrade's turn to roll his eyes.
"Okay, gimme."
Dare stood up" The bullet they just dug out of the wall is from a hand gun. Kill shot over that distance from that kind of a weapon – that's a crack shot you're looking for, but not just a marksman; a fighter. His hands couldn't have shaken at all, so clearly he's acclimatised to violence. He didn't fire until I was in immediate danger, though, so strong moral principle. You're looking for a man probably with a history of military service ..." As she's talking, she turns her head to look around the area and sees John standing some distance away behind the police tape and Sherlock is arguing with one of the cops, and keeps gesturing to the ambulance that Dare was at.
"... and nerves of steel ..." she trails off. As John looks back at her innocently and then turns his head to Sherlock, Dare begins to realise the connection. Lestrade turns to follow Dare's gaze and Dare turns back to him before he can start to ask questions "Actually, do you know what? Ignore me."
"Sorry?" Lestrade questioned.
"Ignore all of that. It's just the, er, the shock talking." she starts to walk towards Sherlock and John.
"Where're you going?" Lestrade asked.
"Oh...I'm…Um… the Kingdom of Life?…Uh…like I said…Shock…Bye." She said before taking off towards her brother and John.
"But I've still got questions for you." Lestrade said, confused by what she was saying.
Dare turns back to him and says with irritation "Oh, what now? I'm in shock! Look, I've got a blanket! I'm talking nonsense."
She brandishes the sides of the blanket at Lestrade as if to prove it.
"Dare!"
"And I just caught you a serial killer ... more or less. Or found him, well more like he found me but same difference. I think."
Lestrade looks at her thoughtfully for a moment.
"Okay. We'll bring you in tomorrow. Off you go."
Dare practically skips away. Lestrade smiles as her watches him go. She approaches Sherlock and John, who both have taken to standing at the side of a police car. Dare ducks under the police tape, still keeping the blanket around her shoulders.
Sherlock immediately pulls her into a tight hug.
Once he pulls away he frowns "Why are you wearing the hideous blanket?"
"It's for shock." she replied.
"Are you in shock?" Sherlock asked concerned.
"No."
"Then why are you wearing it?"
"It's cold. And I forgot my jacket back at the flat."
"Idiot." Sherlock said.
Sherlock takes the blanket off her shoulders, the crumples it up and throws it into the open window of a police car.
"Hey! I-" Dare stopped herself when Sherlock took off his coat and put it on her.
"Oh…Um, thanks. Aren't you going to be cold?"
"I'll be fine."
Dare looked like a kid playing dress up in her parents clothes since she is ten inches shorter than Sherlock's 6.04ft height.
Dare put her arms through the sleeves and rolls the cuffs up. She was just about to adjust the collar, but got a funny thought.
Smirking, Dare turned the collar up so that it was just her cheekbones and her eyes shown on her face.
"Look I'm pulling a Sherlock." Dare said childishly, while walking like Sherlock does with her hands in her pocket, trying to look angry at the world.
Sherlock gives her a 'what the fuck' look, While John is laughing into his fist when he sees that she managed to copy Sherlock's look and walk perfectly, he was confused about the collar part, due to the fact that he hasn't been around Sherlock that much yet.
"Um, Sergeant Donovan's just been explaining everything, the two pills. Been a dreadful business, hasn't it? Dreadful." John said after he calmed down.
Dare looks at him for a moment.
"Good shot." She said quietly
"Yes. Yes, must have been, through that window." John said trying and utterly failing to look innocent
"Well, you'd know."
John looks at her, still trying unsuccessfully not to let his expression give him away.
"Need to get the powder burns out of your fingers. I don't suppose you'd serve time for this, but let's avoid the court case." Sherlock said, basically saying that he had a part in the shooting.
John clears his throat and looks around nervously.
"Are you all right?" Dare asked.
"Yes, of course I'm all right." John replied.
"Well, you have just killed a man."
"Yes, I ... Well you just witnessed a man's death. Shouldn't I be asking you if you're okay?" John said.
This caused Sherlock to study Dare closely.
"I already told you guys I'm okay." Dare stated, giving nothing away.
Sherlock didn't believe it, but went along with it anyways, knowing that she push him farther away.
"That's true, innit? About the shooter." John said bringing the subject back to the subject of John shooting a man.
John smiles. Dare watches him carefully.
"But he wasn't a very nice man." John said.
Apparently reassured that John really is okay, Dare and Sherlock nod in agreement.
"No. No, he wasn't really, was he?" Dare said.
"And frankly a bloody awful cabbie." John said.
Sherlock chuckles, then turns and starts to lead them away as he speaks.
"That's true. He was a bad cabbie. Should have seen the route he took her to get here!"
John giggles, and Sherlock smiles, Dare smiles softly.
"Stop! Stop, we can't giggle, it's a crime scene! Stop it!" John said.
"You're the one who shot him. Don't blame me." Sherlock said.
"And you were the one giggling." Dare pointed out.
"Keep your voice down!" John hissed.
They're walking past Sergeant Donovan.
"Sorry – it's just, um, nerves, I think." John said to Donavan.
"Sorry." Sherlock said to Donavan.
Dare just walks past her, not even acknowledging her.
John clears his throat as they walk away from Donovan and to catch up to Dare.
"You were gonna take that damned pill, weren't you?" John said to Dare.
Dare turns back to him.
"Course I wasn't. Biding my time. Knew you'd both turn up." Dare replied.
"That better be the case." Sherlock said.
"No you didn't. It's how you get your kicks, isn't it? You risk your life to prove you're clever."
"Why would I do that? That sounds more like Sherlock than me." Dare said smirking.
"Because you're both idiots."
Sherlock smiles, apparently delighted that he has finally found someone who understands him and his sister. After a moment he forces the smile down.
"Dinner?" Sherlock asked.
"Starving." John said.
They both turn to Dare.
"If Sherlock eats." She said still smirking, that way both Dare and Sherlock would one less worry.
Sherlock sighs dramatically "Fine. It wouldn't hurt."
They turn and start to walk again.
"End of Baker Street, there's a good Chinese stays open 'til two. You can always tell a good Chinese by examining the bottom third of the door handle."
As he has been speaking, a few yards ahead of them a car has pulled up and the man who abducted John earlier gets out. John stares.
"Sherlock, Dare. That's him. That's the man I was talking to you two about." John said.
Sherlock looks across at the man "I know exactly who that is."
Dare grins and runs over to the man and gives him a hug. Surprising John even more when the man returns it.
Sherlock walks closer to the man and stops, looking at him angrily. Dare pulls away from the man, smirking at John's worried expression as he glances round to gauge where the police are in case he needs to summon their help. The man speaks pleasantly to Sherlock. "So, another case cracked. How very public spirited ... though that's never really your motivation, is it? Even though it almost ended Dare's life." He finished bitterly.
"What are you doing here?" Sherlock demanded.
"As ever, I'm concerned about you two. And to see how well you're looking after Dare, that you are not fit to look after Dare."
Sherlock said to the man and said sarcastically "Yes, I've been hearing about your 'concern'. And I am taking care of Dare just fine."
"Always so aggressive. Did it never occur to you that you and I belong on the same side? And look at how well of a job you did today." the man replied.
"Oddly enough, no! And Dare is still alive isn't she!"
"We have more in common than you like to believe. This petty feud between us is simply childish. People will suffer , Dare has proved this today... and you know how it always upset Mummy."
"Wow, and you guys always say that I need to grow up." Dare said sarcastically.
Mycroft turned to Dare "Says the girl that got in a cab with a murder, in front of dozens of police officers."
Dare suddenly finds the back car suddenly interesting.
John frowns as if unsure of what he just heard.
"I upset Mummy? Me?"
The man glowers at him.
"It wasn't me that upset her, Mycroft." Sherlock said
"No, no, wait. Mummy? Who's Mummy?" John asked confused.
"Mother – our mother. This is our brother, Mycroft." Sherlock explained.
John looks at Dare to confirm it.
She smiles "Yep, and believe it or not. I'm actually the dumb one out of the Holmes siblings."
John stares at the man in amazement.
"Putting on weight again?" Sherlock said to Mycroft.
"Losing it, in fact." Mycroft replied proudly.
"He's your brother?!" John said to Sherlock and Dare.
"Of course he's our brother." Sherlock answered.
"So he's not ..."
"Not what?"
The three siblings look at John as he shrugs in embarrassment.
"I dunno – criminal mastermind?" He grimaces at having even suggested it.
Dare burst out laughing at John's suggestion.
Sherlock looks at Mycroft disparagingly "Close enough."
"For goodness' sake. I occupy a minor position in the British government." Mycroft said annoyed.
"He is the British government, when he's not too busy being the British Secret Service or the CIA on a freelance basis." Sherlock said.
Mycroft sighs.
"Good evening, Mycroft. Try not to start a war before I get home. You know what it does for the traffic." Sherlock said before he walks away. Dare gives Mycroft a goodbye hug, politely telling him no to his offer to stay at his residence before following Sherlock. John starts to follow them but then turns back to Mycroft, who has turned to watch his brother and sister.
"So, when-when you say you're concerned about them, you actually are concerned?" John asked.
"Yes, of course." Mycroft replied.
"I mean, it actually is a childish feud?"
Mycroft answers, still watching his brother and sister as Dare continues to bug him about pulling a 'Sherlock' "He's always been so resentful; and she knows exactly how to make myself and Sherlock go crazy with worry for her wellbeing. You can imagine the Christmas dinners."
"Yeah ... no. God, no!" He half-turns to follow Sherlock and Dare. "I-I'd better, um ..."
He turns back to not-Anthea, who has been standing nearby throughout the conversation with her eyes fixed on her BlackBerry. "Hello again."
She looks up and smiles at him brightly. "Hello.
"Yes, we-we met earlier on this evening."
She stares at him as if she has never seen him before but reacts as if she is trying to pretend that she remembers him "Oh!"
"Okay, good night." He includes Mycroft in his glance, then turns and follows after Sherlock and Dare.
"Good night, Doctor Watson." Mycroft said.
John catches up to Sherlock and Dare as they walk away side by side.
"So. Chinese food." John said.
"Mmm! I can always predict the fortune cookies." Sherlock said
"No you can't."
"Almost can. You did get shot, though."
"Sorry?"
"In Afghanistan. There was an actual wound."
"I bet it wasn't in the leg." Dare said.
"What makes you say that?" John asked curious.
"Because it's to obvious" Dare explained.
"Oh, yeah. Shoulder." John said.
"Shoulder! I thought so." Sherlock said.
"No you didn't." John said.
"The left one." Sherlock said
"Lucky guess."
"I never guess."
"Yes you do." John and Dare said at the same time while laughing.
"By the way have either of you herd of someone named Moriarty?" Dare asked randomly.
Both of the boys stop and give her a curious look. John shook his head.
"No. Why?" Sherlock asked.
"Well the person or organization that sponsored the cabbie's killing spree. He said that he's our 'fan'." She said, purposely leaving out the admirer part. Knowing that Sherlock would probably put her on house arrest.
"Moriarty." Sherlock said to himself.
Back at the car, not-Anthea turns to Mycroft who is watching the trio as they walk away.
"Sir, shall we go?" not-Anthea asked.
"Interesting, that soldier fellow." Mycroft said.
Not-Anthea looks briefly at the departing trio, and then turns her attention back to her BlackBerry.
"He could be the making of my siblings – or make them worse than ever. Either way, we'd better upgrade their surveillance status. Grade Three Active." Mycroft said.
Not-Anthea looks up from her phone. "Sorry, sir. Whose status?"
"Sherlock Holmes, Delores Holmes, and Doctor Watson."
At the Flat
After eating at the restaurant Sherlock suggested the trio returned to the flat. During said dinner Sherlock and Dare got into a series of disagreements about who figured out who the was murder first, it was then, that John learned not to get in the middle of a fight between Holmes siblings. Ever.
Once into the building Sherlock takes off upstairs, probably to see how much damage happened during the 'drugs bust.' Leaving John and Dare at the bottom of the staircase.
John clears his throat "Umm. Dare, can I tell you something."
Dare was about to walk upstairs, but stopped and gave John a curious look "Okay, what is it John?"
John looks uncomfortable "It's…well. Umm. Lestrade told me what happened. Two years ago I mean. The first time he met you… And I just want to say if you want to talk about anything, or you just need someone to listen, you can always come talk to me anytime."
Dare says nothing as she walks over to John and gives him a hug, which he returns.
"Thank-you John. That means a lot. And I just might take you up on that offer sometime." Dare pulled back with a genuine smile.
Then she goes up the stairs with John following her.
Once upstairs Dare and John see Sherlock sitting in the armchair facing the door in a prayer pose with his eyes closed.
"I think he claimed that chair as his spot." Dare whispered loud enough for only John to hear. He chuckles.
Dare puts Sherlock's coat on the coat hanger by the door "Well, another eventful day, and I'm beat. Night boys." She said before walking down the hallway to her bedroom.
Both boys said goodnight to her before she shut her bedroom door.
John sits down in the chair across from Sherlock, and looks around the room.
"You have questions." Sherlock said after a moment.
"Huh. Oh yeah. What exactly is wrong with Dare?" John asked.
Sherlock opened his eyes and leaned back in his seat, resting his arms on the arm rests. "Where to start. Well I'll start from the beginning I guess.
"Dare was left abandoned in front of an orphanage when she was 6 months old. So that means we don't know any genetic mental illness in her biological family, so we have no idea if her depression is genetic or from her experiences, although at this point I doubt it matters.
"My parents adopted her when she was 4 years old. And it's fair to say that Mycroft and I weren't happy about it. I found it especially annoying since I was fourteen at the time, and she would always follow me around the house and would always ask questions about outer space, which was very annoying and useless information.
"It was when she was six years old the first time I yelled at her. Mycroft and I were to look after Dare for a weekend. Obviously, Mycroft and I got into an argument. Sadly Dare choose the exact wrong time to ask me a question about astronauts. I basically I took out all my anger out on her saying something along the lines 'it's stupid to want to know anything about outer space, which caused her to cry and run away, all we heard was a door slam. I was about to go apologise, but then Mycroft started to yell at me for yelling at her for no reason, and something about anger control. Which started another argument, which ended when we both had to make dinner, ironically it took us three tries to make spaghetti, only because we kept arguing over how long to cook the sauce and the noodles.
"It was only when dinner was ready, when we realised we hadn't seen Dare once. I checked her room first then when she wasn't there, we tore the entire house apart looking for her. The panic started when we couldn't find her in the house, and it was dark outside. We decided to check the woods behind our house, since we knew that she liked to play there. It didn't take long to find her, but the worst part was that we found her next to a really tall tree with fallen branches scattered around her, and she wasn't moving.
"Turns out that whenever Dare was upset she would climb the tallest tree almost to the top, and after I yelled at her she went to her favorite tree, and a branch snapped causing her to fall ten feet and to land on her arm, breaking it. She wasn't moving because she found out that when she moved, it would cause a lot of pain due to her injury.
After that we rushed her to a hospital. Mother and Father weren't happy when they got back.
After that night Dare never bothered me with questions, nor did she follow me around, at first it was nice. But after a while I started to miss it. So I ended up looking up random facts about space to tell her. But it seemed that she didn't care about outer space anymore. I think that was the first time she showed signs of depression.
In school, it seemed that Mycroft and I left behind a reputation of being unpleasant from the older siblings of her peers, which unfortunately labelled her as a freak through middle school and high school. Thus making it difficult for her to make friends.
The second time was when she was fifteen when she got into drugs. This was also the time when I was heavily into drugs. Mycroft caught her injecting herself with heroine; it was still early for her. She had only taken the drug six times before. I never visited her around that time for obvious reasons. When the family had an intervention for her (again I show up for it), When they gave her no choice but to go to rehab, she used me as an excuse saying 'So when I get caught doing drugs, I get sent to rehab, but when Sherlock gets caught, he just gets a long lecture. I hardly see how I am forced to go to a drug prison while Sherlock drowns his sorrows with chemicals.' Mycroft told me what she said. After that I realised that I was used as an excuse, so I went to rehab, Dare went in not to long after, but for not as long of course.
Somewhere between fifteen and seventeen she started to cut herself. She hid it very well, we only found out when the ambulance was checking for other injuries after her suicide attempt.
When she was seventeen she committed suicide, and I assume Lestrade told you about what happened."
John nodded, assuming that Sherlock was ease dropping on his conversation downstairs with Dare earlier.
Sherlock continued "She was diagnosed with her depression the day after her suicide attempt. And deemed unable to live on her own until she is deemed mentally stable. Even when she is mentally stable she must still go to therapy. At the time it wasn't that much of an issue, since she wasn't old enough to live on her own. But now it's a problem. I will admit that sometimes she is a bit too much for me to handle."
"You make it sound like she is a child." John said, trying to lighten the mood a tad.
"Well she has her moments" Sherlock replied with a small smirk that quickly disappeared soon after "But is when she has her dark moments. The moments that remind you that she has given up on life, and is ready to leave.
"They're happening less and less, but they still happen and I'm not sure that I can handle them alone anymore." Sherlock said tiredly while running a hand through his hair.
"Ah. So that's why you got a flatmate." John said in understanding.
Sherlock looks at him confused "No. We needed a flatmate to help with the rent." Sherlock said before adding as an afterthought "But I guess a little extra help couldn't hurt."
John nodded before asking "Why were you and Dare fighting in the restaurant?"
"Oh. That, well Dare has the tendency to be anorexic."
John gives him a look "And you don't during cases?"
"That is only for cases John. Dare would starve herself if I don't make her eat."
"So is Dare an anorexic because she is subconscious of her body image?"
"No she just doesn't care when she eats or not."
"Okay. So does Dare's last relationship have anything to do with her depression?" John asked.
What surprised John was the amount of anger Sherlock's expression held at the mention of Dare's past boyfriend.
"She dated that bastard for two months. No one noticed that he verbally abused her for two months.
"When she finally broke up with him five months ago he beat her. She was barely able to call 999." Sherlock said venomously.
"What happened to the boyfriend?" John asked, his anger slowly rising. Even though John had only known the girl for a couple days, he has already considered her as a younger sister.
"Dare pressed charges, and got a restring order. I didn't trust it. But thankfully Mycroft made sure he was deported."
"Where was he deported" John asked curiously.
"Pakistan"
John looked at him wide eyed. Actually seeing the true lengths that the two brothers would go to the protect their younger sister.
"About Dare's achievements. How did she manage to accomplish them if she was having so much trouble dealing with other students and her depression?" John asked changing the subject.
"She finished all her school work from grade five to twelve when she was nine, so that left her plenty of time to work on other studies. She went with the school system so she would be able to grow up with her peers. Mummy insistence, since Mycroft and myself became anti-social at a young age.
John nodded slowly while looking at the rug, absorbing the new information given to him.
"Well, I'll bring my things over tomorrow. And it's late so I'm going to call it a night. Good night Sherlock… And Thank-you for sharing. I know it's difficult when you're dealing with a sibling with mental issues." John said before going upstairs to where his room will be.
Sherlock sat in his seat for a couple of minutes after John left. Lost in thought, wondering why he told John everything.
Finally deciding that it's time to follow his flatmate's lead and call it a day.
Sherlock leaves to his darkened room, not bothering to change his clothes or closing the door before laying on his is back on the side of the bed farthest away from the door.
Shortly after, Sherlock the quiet creak of a door opening followed the shuffling of feet down the hallway to his room. Not looking Sherlock felt the bed dip on the side closest to the door.
Sherlock turned his head to see laying on her side facing him, looking pale with puffy eyes.
"Are you done crying now?" Sherlock asked gently. She nodded.
Sherlock pulled her closer so that her head was on his chest and his arms wrapped around her protectively. His action reminded her of when she was younger. At night whenever she would get upset or scared she would always stay in her brother's room and he would always promise to keep the monsters away. If only they knew that the only monsters that caused trouble were the ones in their minds.
"How did you know?" she asked, breaking the silence.
"I have lived with you for seven years. In less than that time I have learned all of a person's habits for different emotions. You for example tend to tease and/or pick fights with me or Mycroft when you want to break down crying. I also know that you don't like showing your true emotions in front of people that you haven't trusted for years which is why you loathe going to the therapist."
"And yet you still make me go every month."
"It is only part of the deal. And it is not that much fun on my part either. I'm the one who has to drag you out of the flat and into a cab and get you there on time. Then I have to deal with you being a cranky pants for the rest of the day."
She hummed in response.
"What do you think of John?" Sherlock asked.
"He is nice. He looks for danger, your kind of friend."
"John is a colleague. I don't have friends."
"Sure he is. Are you positive you will be able to tell me the same thing in a couple months."
"Are you okay with me telling John about your past?" Sherlock asked, changing the topic.
"Yeah. He is going to be our flatmate, so he should know. I certainly wasn't going to tell him."
"Very well then."
"Did you actually look up facts about outer space after I broke my arm?" Dare asked after a moment.
"Hmm. Yes I did, you just never knew that because you stopped asking. Why was that by the way?"
"Well at first you yelled at me saying wanting to go to outer space is ridiculous. So like any 5 year old, my feelings were hurt, and for a while I thought you hated me and that you didn't want me around anymore. This was why I ran to my favourite tree. Then I fell, but when you and Mycroft were both having panic attacks, and when you would only leave my side when the nurses made you, and that you made extra sure that I would make a full recovery. I realised that you didn't hate me or not want me around, it was just your time of the month." Dare finished smirking.
He flicked her ear.
"Ow" now rubbing the sore spot on her ear she continued "What I meant to say was that you didn't mean it. Well, most of it."
"What about the no questions part?"
"Oh yeah, that part. I knew it annoyed you so I stopped."
"…That's it? Fourteen years of wondering why, and that's it?" Sherlock ran his hand down his face.
"Basically yeah. Why? Did you really spend fourteen years wondering why?"
"Just go to sleep."
"Really? If you-" Sherlock cut her off by putting his hand over her mouth.
"Sleep."
Dare rolled her eyes, but did what her brother asked anyways.
My updates will happen less frequently since school starts Sept 2. And I am considering starting a new story (that is different than this one). And if you consider reading my stories sometime in the future, just remember that they will have one small thing that connects them. . . eventually.
And thanks for reading :) and let me know what you think of the story