It was a few weeks after Van Coon's death and we were still getting nowhere with the case. It was if we had gotten one really good lead and then … nothing. The trail got cold. During that week I had avoided Sherlock like the plague, and whenever we had seen each other I would kindly greet him and then scurry off to Mrs. Hudson's flat for a nice cup of tea. Most times such as now was spent sitting in the living room reading while Sherlock and John were off looking for clues in the case, something that would give us another lead. In fact right now I was sitting on Sherlock's seat reading the Imitation Game, while those two were doing exactly that. Or at least I was reading … until my phone starting ringing out of nowhere! I shut it off thinking that maybe just maybe whoever was calling would just leave me a message and let me READ IN PEACE. But to no avail because not more than a minute later my phone starting ringing AGAIN! I glanced down at the caller ID this time, wondering who in their right mind would call me more than once when they clearly know I don't want to speak with them. And as I saw who it was I gasped. It was him! I had hung up on him! Oh boy did I owe the guy now. Ugh! I was such an idiot! He'd have a lead by now, I was certain and here I was ignoring his calls. So, instead of hanging up this time I quickly answered the call, knowing that he hated to be ignored more than once.
"Hello, Bree speaking." I stated with a fake smile on my lips, yeah, yeah. I know he can't see me but still. Besides I was freaking out. It was the reason that I had stated my name in the first place, otherwise why the hell would I? He knew who I was after all!
"I'm well aware of that Abrielle. I called you for a reason." He replied chidingly, causing me to instantly roll my eyes. He was seriously acting like he was superior to ME! Really? We were on the same level! Just because he's cross at me for not picking up the phone the first time, and giving him a kind greeting for a change didn't mean that he had to go and act like my father! He is NOT superior to me! Not at all! And since when did he call me randomly out of nowhere?
"Oh, so we're having social calls now? I know I'm your best friend but I didn't think you'd be the one to miss people." I replied sarcastically, placing my legs on the arm of the chair one over the other in amusement. He wouldn't call me for no reason, and I knew this wasn't just a call between friends. No he had news, I just wanted to play with him a little, maybe get him to admit that he's friends with me. He was a very unsociable person, and anytime I got to rub that in I most definitely would. Besides he was my friend, he understood.
"Yes well, although you may be my … friend. You know full well that this is anything but a social call. You did after all ask for information on the Black Lotus Gang." He said, most likely grimacing at the word friend. I knew him and he never liked the word friend. He said it as if it were a curse word, in fact if it weren't for me he probably wouldn't even have a friend! I was his one and only friend and he was mine. We had each other. I trusted him with my secrets and he gave me information on what I needed as soon as I needed it. Such as today … I needed information about the Black Lotus Gang and he delivered.
"Yeah I did, why? You've got something?" I questioned, looking towards the ceiling tiles in boredom. I hated talking on the phone it was so annoying! You couldn't even see the person you were talking to! Plus it was boring, I couldn't deduce what the person had been up to, or what they were doing. I much preferred face to face, that way I could deduce anything and everything about the person and curb my boredom for the time being. As for whether or not he had information on the Black Lotus, if that were true why this late? It's been weeks since I've asked him at the crime scene. Did he not get around to it until now? Or maybe he was losing his touch? Either way the info was well overdue. Did he even have something of importance?
"Of course I've got something, don't doubt my intelligence Miss. Watson." He responded in a contridating way, rebutting my statement. Yes, I questioned his lateness! But why does he have to counter my questioning every single time? I didn't doubt him if that was what he was on about. In fact I trusted him one hundred percent.
"I never would doubt you. You were after all the one to teach me everything, insulting you would therefore be insulting me. So, come on, out with it." I replied, begging him to tell me what he knows. I needed a lead, something, ANYTHING to get me back out on the streets and running into trouble.
"The murder of Coon was definitely their work. You were right, they're back and stronger than ever. They have been in London for the past week looking for a stolen artifact. One of their smugglers, most likely Van Coon, stole something from them and they want it back." He explained, talking to me as if he were telling me a story. So it was the Black Lotus, I was right! I knew it was them the second I saw the origami there was no doubt it was them. That was after all their killing style. So, they wanted to come onto my turf and start killing people. How dangerously stupid of them. And they were looking for a stolen artifact too, it looks as though one of their street smugglers got greedy. I told them they should stop hiring orphans and nobodies. In fact I thought I told them to stop smuggling and never take another thing ever again. I guess they didn't take me seriously, I guess I'll have to send them another message.
"Who's the leader of the Black Lotus this time around?" I asked in a very serious manner, already deep in thought as I wandered around my mind palace. I needed more information, anything I had stored away about the crime syndicate I had defeated so long ago. The last time we had met Mr. Chang was the main leader along with five of his friends. So, considering they treated themselves like royalty did that mean that Chang's daughter Shan would be next in line for leadership? Was that even possible considering that they didn't even let females do that sort of thing in that association? But no one else was pure enough to take the lead. So who else could it be if not Shan?
"Shan's the new leader. She's in London which means we have a good chance of taking her into custody and destroying the gang once and for all. Especially with Sherlock's help." He replied knowingly, sounding as if he … knew. Oh my shite! He's been keeping tabs on me all this time, as if he didn't trust me to follow through on my orders! That jerk!
"You were watching. Ugh, I so should have seen that coming." I replied in annoyance. He thought I was going to ignore him and run away from my commands. He's been watching on those silly cameras of his just waiting for me to arrive at Sherlock's house. He saw me beat Sherlock up too I bet. You know, it's so Ironic when I was the one that set up those stupid cameras in the first place. Ugh. I just can't believe he was watching me all that time! He better have turned off the one in Sherlock's room, if he saw me get undressed I swear I will kick him the bollocks. I swear to god. UGH! He better not have bloody watched me get undressed.
"Of course I'm watching Abrielle. Nice Job with the leg sweep by the way, stupendous form." He congratulated me, an amused smile surely on his lips. He saw the fight, I was soooo right! And he's congratulating me on it too, I should have known.
"I did learn that move from you, of course it was amazingly executed. Besides you enjoyed watching Sherlock in pain, admit it." I demanded in a mockingly playful way. He loved watching Sherlock suffer with that stupid god complex he had. He just loved watching his opponents suffer, which was really quite sad considering Sherlock was an amazingly awesome person. He was a genius, and he was on the side of the angels too. He was a sweet person with a kind heart and good morals, in fact he was just the kind of person I strove to be. He was guarded when it came to emotions and he didn't feel them either. He kept his heart safe so it wouldn't shatter, which was one thing I could never do and it left me with scars of the memories gone past. He could delete memories and thoughts, or so I've been told. And there are some things I wish I could very much forget, but I can't. While other people saw him as rude, and uncaring, and direct I saw him as Kind and to the point, and just overall a very nice guy. He was the type of person I found myself running after, and yet I was so far away from being that type of person that I admired people like Sherlock. It was the reason why I hated that he liked watching that type of violence come to Sherlock.
"Oh Abrielle, I don't take well to violence. You were always the violent one, never me." He replied jokingly, implying that I was more violent then him due to my random attack made on Sherlock. It was as if he were blaming me for hurting Sherlock! It was Sherlock's fault to begin with!
"He deserved it. He was being an arse since the moment I met him, and taking my card with my job description on it was going way too far." I replied angrily, setting the record straight. I didn't want them to know, not yet at least. And he couldn't just grab MY STUFF right out my hands! That's just completely the opposite of kindness. Yes, I know he's curious. I mean after all who wouldn't be. I'm keeping something from him and he knows that I am. Or he at least suspects it. He wanted to find out, and he knew with the vast height difference that he could. He was so close to finding out, and yet he hadn't. All because I decided to beat his arse up for being a dick.
"Yes, I'm sure he was. You do know that he will find out about your job eventually don't you?" He asked in a very know-it-all sort of way. Of course I knew I wasn't an idiot. I was just trying to delay it that's all.
"Yeah, well he won't be happy I'll tell you that much. Especially John, he always did want me to be kept away from harm." I retorted, a frown finding it's way upon my face. John was always a very caring big brother, and sometimes that caring trait of his seemed to warp into overly cautious mode. He would wrap me up in bubblewrap every single time I wanted to ride my bike. He was always texting me whenever he was off at public school while I stayed home, so he'd know I was safe. He wouldn't let me join the army even though I begged him to let me come with him, and then when he did go off to war he would constantly send me letters to make sure I was okay and not hurt. There was not a doubt in my mind that telling him something like this would make him hate me. He wanted me away from harm, that much was obvious.
"Yet, you've killed millions of people with not a single hint of remorse. Why do you think I offered you a job in the first place?" He inquired, the sudden change of mood really throwing me off. He was being serious, no playfulness, no joking banter. He legit had a reason for hiring me and becoming my friend. He had a reason.
"It was obviously because of my dashing good looks." I replied in a very sarcastic way, rolling my eyes at him. Why would I know why he hired me? Only he knew that. If he was so inclined with having an actual conversation he could go right on ahead, but I was not going to just guess things like that. If I'd had known it wouldn't have occurred for him to ask in the first place. Besides I was just a writer when he came to me. Why in the world would he hire a writer? I had no experience at all, and yet he hired me? Why not if not just my looks?
"It was because of the way you understood human nature. Being a writer, you understood different characters, different emotions, different stereotypes. You understood the best in people and the worst in people, and I knew that I could use that strength to my advantage." He explained sincerely, sounding as though he were reviving old memories.
"What's with the sudden heart to heart?" I asked in confusion. I mean usually he wasn't this open. In fact he was a very cold man with no emotions in his body. So why would he suddenly want to pour his heart out to me?
"I need you to focus on your mission. You can't let your heart rule your head, I was watching Bree and I know that you have no intention on following through with your orders." He replied, sounding as though he were skeptical as to whether or not I'd actually do as I'm told. He saw my reaction to Sherlock. He knew. To him I was an open book and he knew I wasn't going to be following through on my instructions anytime soon.
"I don't know if I can do it." I replied, frowning even more so then before. I was falling for Sherlock. It was the reason I kept myself so distant. He was a nice man, and I already saw signs of attraction to him, such as my thoughts of him. I couldn't follow through with my orders. I didn't want to hurt him. I couldn't hurt him. Because I knew if I hurt him then I'd only end up breaking myself. He had no emotion … I on the other hand very much did. He was steel and I was glass. I just can't follow through on those malice orders.
"And why is that, is it perhaps the fact that you seem to enjoy my brother's presence?" He asked in a knowing tone, his tone deepening as though he were upset.
"I can't just turn my feelings on and off Mycroft. I'm not you, I'm not the ice man with no heart." I said to him, a tear or two dropping down my cheek as my strong composure weakened for the time being. I was a delicate flower that so many people have stepped on that I'm even lucky to still be alive. I was hanging by a steam, only one more break would tear me down, and Sherlock … Sherlock would be the finally person to take me down resulting in my ultimate demise. I wasn't Mycroft. I wasn't a soulless, heartless genius.
"We both know that's not true, Bree. I do have a heart and at one point I gave it to you." He replied, his composure slightly falling as I heard his voice crack. I had hurt him and he had hurt me. He had given me my heart on a platter of spikes and I had torn his. Yet he told me he had one when his heart was torn way before I had gotten to it in the first place. He said "Yes, and I do remember you being the one to break it off. Besides that doesn't count." I explained, wiping the tears away from my face and grasping my strong composure back whole heartedly.
"Just please try and remember what's at stake here, you need to follow through with the mission." Mycroft stated in exasperation. He needed me to go through with this, I knew he did. It was the only way to help his brother. But did he really have to break him to do so? And did he really need me to do it? There were a million girls out there just begging for a job like this, yet Mycroft chose me. ME. A weak little girl with no control over her emotions.
"I'll try Myc, but I can't promise you anything." I stated giving him the closest thing to a promise as I could. I didn't want to have anything to do with this mission, but I had to. And maybe just maybe I could. But not now and definitely not anytime soon.
"Thank you. Now stop fooling around back at the flat and go help Sherlock." Mycroft demanded, playfulness back once again in his voice. It was time for some fun, it time to get back in the game.
"Where are they now?" I asked, slamming my book shut and jumping up to grab my coat.
"I haven't the slightest idea." He replied, a smirk most definitely resting on his lips as he watched me in entertainment through one of his silly little cameras.
"Oh come on Mycroft! You always know, now tell me." I said with the roll of my eyes. He was playing now, and he was playing like a cheater.
"They're heading to see Sebastian Wilkes, they're currently on their way to The Ledbury. You know where it is." Mycroft answered flippantly, my hands instantly reaching the door handle as I rushed down the stairs and onto the landing.
"Of course I do, you did after all take me there on our first date." I replied, opening the door and putting on my coat as I awaited an answer from Mycroft. I knew he didn't like memories like that, but then again it didn't count so who knew how he would reply.
"Only the best for you my dearest, Abrielle." He finally said, a sigh of annoyance falling out of my mouth.
"Oh shut it. I'll talk to you later Myc." I said, rushing down the street as I speed walked to my destination.
"Keep in touch my dear." He said happily, a small laugh bubbling up my throat. Oh Mycroft, why would you ever think I'd call you again. He knew me. He knew I hated talking on the phone and that I'd probably just swing by his office or something later. And he really thinks I'd do the one thing I hate with a passion. Idiot. But my stupid idiot friend nonetheless.
"Laters." I replied, instantly hanging up afterwards. This was it I'm back in the game. Mycroft may not have given me a lead, but he had given me information. And that information had given me a plan. Screw reading a book all day in the boring living room, I'm going to ruin the Black Lotus and catch me a killer! Time for an adventure!
