Chapter 10
"No!" Tilly shouted before running to her room and slamming the door.
"That went over well." John said. Sherlock was staring after his niece in shock.
"I blame Mycroft." Sherlock stated, flopping into his armchair. John stalked over to him, grabbing his wrist and yanking.
"Don't you start pouting too." John barked and Sherlock allowed the shorter man to pull him up. They ended up uncomfortably close, and neither moved for a few seconds. Sherlock imagined that he could almost hear John's heartbeat quickening. John took a deep breath and stepped back.
"So…how are we going to get her to school?" John posed the question that had been plaguing the two since Mycroft had texted them. He was stating that after two weeks of flitting around London with Sherlock and John, Tilly must be put back in elementary as soon as possible. The child had refused.
"It is a ghastly place, why make her go?" Sherlock replied dryly.
"Because, Sherlock, children go to school. To learn things like where the sun goes in the solar system." John quipped. Sherlock scoffed.
"Will you let that go?" Sherlock groaned. John smirked.
"Just get your coat, get Tilly out of her room, and come with me to look at schools. We can find one that she likes and you two can stop making my life a living hell." John called back at the detective as he went to grab his own coat. Sherlock did as he was told. Tilly was convinced to leave her room with the promise of a surprise upon their return. They headed out, visiting addresses that Mycroft texted them.
"No." Tilly said after glancing at a building. Sherlock turned around and made to leave, but John stopped him.
"You two cannot dismiss another school based on the front gate. We are going to try." John demanded. Tilly and Sherlock groaned.
The school was an academy for gifted children. It had music lessons, advanced classes, and field trips throughout London. Tilly had to admit, it wasn't terrible. She looked on it with disdain, though. Sherlock viewed it with disgust and a bit of fear.
The detective could protect Tilly at home. Without her safe at Baker Street, how was the detective to concentrate?
"It isn't that bad." John said to the two of them.
"The uniforms…have stockings." Tilly stated blatantly, irritated.
"You'll be fine. You might even make friends." John offered.
"I have friends." Tilly snapped. "You two." She softened.
"A high functioning sociopath and his danger addicted best friend. Not the best companions for a six year old." Sherlock deadpanned. "He means you can make friends your own age."
"Why?" She whined. "Can't you teach me? I can stay at home and learn." Sherlock flashed to a similar conversation he had had with his brother.
"Tilly, you cannot be homeschooled." John sighed.
"Why not?" She crossed her arms irritably.
"Because I'm a doctor and therefore not home often enough and if I leave you alone with Sherlock for too long, he drags you to a crime scene." John emphasized. Sherlock rolled his eyes.
"Tilly quite enjoyed that outing John, I don't know why you were upset."
"It wasn't safe!" John shouted at the detective.
"It was only an armed robbery. I wouldn't bring her to a murder scene." Sherlock tried to explain to John, but the doctor was having none of it. Tilly looked disappointed at the news that she wouldn't be allowed interesting crime scenes.
"Do your fathers fight often, dear?" The principal of the school looked at her with a concerned expression. John turned red and began to stammer incoherently while Sherlock went pale.
"Father and Papa fight occasionally, but it's only because they are very much in love." Tilly answered. The teacher smiled in relief that the domestic seemed to be over.
"That's nice. Did you like the tour?" She gestured to the school. John waited for Tilly or Sherlock to make a biting retort about it.
"Yes. Are the stockings negotiable?" The tiny girl questioned. The woman seemed surprised. Then she smiled again.
"I think we can arrange something." She winked at the child and Tilly nodded, a serious expression on her face.
"Then I will consider the establishment." She replied. She grabbed for Sherlock's hand. "Come on, Papa, you promised we could go to the Yard today." Sherlock looked startled as he was lead off and John, sticking with niceties, said a quick goodbye to the principal.
As soon as they were well away from the school Tilly doubled over in a fit of giggles. John and Sherlock gazed at her in confusion.
"Your faces…" She wheezed. "Domestic…" She dissolved into giggles once more, and now that they knew why she was laughing, John and Sherlock both looked uncomfortable.
"You wanted to go to the Yard?" Sherlock tried to distract the child. He also tried to control the odd sense of glee at being thought of as John's significant other.
"Yes. Greg promised me the video he took with his phone after you met Irene." The child grinned, before taking off at a run down the street. Sherlock and John streaked after her.
"I…thought…she was…done…with this sort of thing." John panted as the two men struggled to keep up. The child, though extremely short for her age, seemed to almost fly down the street ahead of them. They eventually caught up to her at Scotland Yard. Sherlock was both alarmed and relieved that the yard was so close to the school.
They found Tilly sitting in Greg's lap as he played her the video he had taken with his mobile. Tilly was giggling incessantly. John, having caught his breath, laughed a bit as well. Sherlock frowned. He hadn't enjoyed being drugged against his will.
"Even the mini-freak finds you laughable." Anderson smirked as he walked past Sherlock. Sherlock glowered at him, and Tilly stopped laughing, having heard the comment.
"I'm small because I haven't had a growth spurt yet; you are mean because you feel threatened, which is not a very good reason at all. You think Sherlock's a freak because he's smarter than you will ever be, and I am also smarter than you will ever be. That doesn't call for being rude." Anderson looked at the girl, his expression one of utter disbelief.
"I am also sorry that you and your wife are having problems. If you really want to be happy, I would break it off and pursue a relationship with Miss Sally, who likes you. And being nicer to people might make you happier as well." She finished and craned her neck up to look at Greg. "Thank you for showing me the video."
Then she hopped off the inspector's lap and grabbed Sherlock's hand. Sherlock gazed down at her in wonder, the tiny thing that had come to his defense without a second thought. The three departed for lunch at Angelo's. Once at the booth, Sherlock addressed Tilly.
"You didn't have to do that." He said. She looked at him in confusion.
"Of course I did. You don't seem to know how to handle bullies." She replied and John smiled a bit.
"And you do?" Sherlock questioned. She shrugged.
"They're people too," Was all she said before returning to her meal.
"Thank you." Sherlock managed, causing Tilly to smile at him.
"You're welcome."