Four days later, Mary brought John home, finally managing to convince the hospital to release him. Sophia held the door open for them, chuckling as she heard Mary's half of the conversation.
"You're lucky his aim was off or it would have killed you"
"Moriarty has never done something by accident, if there hadn't been such a quick response there would have been two bodies awaiting Mrs Hudson" John's reply could only just be heard by Sophia at the top of the stairs, though she sensed that was on purpose. The sound of the front door closing behind them brought the landlady in question out of her flat, at which point she began fussing over John.
Eventually, everyone was sitting in 221b, John was sitting in his chair, Mrs Hudson sat on the sofa with Sophia sat on the floor in front of the coffee table so Mary could sit on the sofa. John and Mary continued their previous conversation, leaving Sophia to her own world. Her gaze dropped to the key to 221C as she thought over the previous week, remembering her conversation with Sherlock.
"Is this offer still open?" Sophia asked, holding up the key to 221C. John and Mary fell silent and looked at Sophia.
"Of course dear, I'd make sure the rent was low enough for you to pay. I had a word with Greg and he said that he'd take you on temporarily and let you try out a few cases, he misses working with someone like Sherlock" Mrs Hudson answered.
Sophia allowed a small smile to form on her face, allowing it to slowly become a large grin as she registered the landlady's words.
"You'd have to find a way to sort out the damp though" Mrs Hudson added. Sophia nodded to that, it was a problem that could easily be fixed, but it would take some time for all the walls to dry out fully.
"So there'll be a person in every flat now" Mary pointed out. Mrs Hudson nodded, looking over to John to see his reaction, surprised to find a small smirk on his face. Sophia was too preoccupied to notice, looking at the phone that had just received a text.
Your rent will be handled by Mycroft, as will the expenses from your decorating and the removal of the mould in the flat you just agreed to.
-SH
Sophia nodded slightly to one of Mycroft's cameras, to which she received another text.
I shall also deal with moving your possessions in once the flat is ready. Your ticket home and living arrangements when you get there are about to be dealt with.
-MH
"This might not be a good idea, it's a dangerous life" John told Sophia when she looked up from her phone. Sophia's grin vanished, making John regret his words.
"You don't think I can handle it?"
"I think you can handle it, but I worry that you won't make it to your thirteenth birthday if you start this life now. At least go back and finish your GCSEs, I know you won't be allowed to continue into A-Level, but get something out of school before you start this life, just in case you ever want to back away from it" John explained. Sophia thought about that for a moment, then shrugged, it was a valid enough argument.
"But that means I'll have to go back soon, I don't want to miss too much, even if I can learn it all in a week or two" Sophia muttered with a small pout.
"Your train is on Tuesday, you'll be staying with Eve until you have your results, then your things will be packed in a van and brought here" Mycroft announced. Everyone turned to the doorway to see the elder Holmes standing there, even though no-one had heard the front door opening or closing behind him.
"Well that's settled then" Mrs Hudson said with a smile. Her smile became infectious, even Mycroft managing a small smile for a second, but Sophia's was the biggest.
~~~~~Timeskip~~~~~
Sophia grinned as she looked around 221C, switching on the dehumidifier and listening to the sound the machine made. With one last quick glance around the flat she was going to call home, she closed the door and headed to the main door of the building.
Stepping out of 221b Baker Street, she saw Mycroft's driver getting behind the wheel of the black car. Mycroft was sat inside the car, holding the door open for her.
"We'll see you soon Soph, you'll be back with all your things in a few months" John reminded her for the third time that day. He ushered her into the black car, closing the door behind her before returning to the doorway.
"You'll be back in a few months, there's no need to look like you're mourning some sort of hope"
"I'm not mourning, I just don't want to go home" Sophia replied.
"There's no need to worry about your father, he won't harm you. Your future is in that building Sophia, you just have to wait for it" Mycroft explained. Hearing that, Sophia leaned back in her seat and waited for the train station to come into view.
And that, my friends, is the end of this story. However, I do have a few small stories to fill the gap in Sophia's timeline that will be left by this. There's another four years untill the next story, Bloodlines, takes place.
Don't worry, you won't have to wait that long for it, I'll put the small stories up and then you'll get the first chapter of Bloodlines. I'm finally updating this site and I have a lot to put up here...