Holmes climbed in her window and slammed it shut behind him. "You may be engaged, but you are NOT married yet. I will not have you disgraced or even thought of as such because he's decided to take after the scourge of 3 continents." he said and glared at her. She just hung her head and let her hair fall in her face to hide her tears. "I know you've known each other all your lives, but still, you will have a proper engagement and a proper wedding. I think some time apart might be best, especially with everything else going on." he said and came over to her. She stared at him and stepped back. "Time apart? What do you mean?" she said. "I don't know what all this means with your mother, I don't know if it's safe for you to even be here and now this..." he put his hands on her shoulders, "This is going all to fast for you, Annie. I want you to go stay at your Uncle's country estate, just until I know what's going on and things calm down." She pushed him away from her and then got right in his face, pointing her finger at him. "I will NOT be sent away, and don't you dare use mother as an excuse for this. Just because you've been able to spend your life unfeeling and loveless doesn't mean I shall do the same. I am your daughter but I am not you. You may have kept me from many things, father, and I'm beginning to see how many now. It may have been for my own good or my protection or what ever other reason you want to come up with. But this is MY life now, and I will live it as I see fit and that means marrying John when and where I choose. I will not have you hide me away again, not anymore." she said and met his glare.
Mrs. Hudson looked up from where she sat at the kitchen table and shook her head. She could hear the yelling from Annie's 3rd floor bedroom all the way down there. "This will be a long one." she said and sighed. She heard the front door knock and got up to go answer it. When she opened it she saw two young boys, their faces sticky with candy and their hats in their hands smiling up at her. She smiled down at them and said, "And what can I do for you gentlemen?" The older one stepped forward and said, "Ms. Annie sent us to do something for her and told us to come here when we was done. We was supposed to follow a carriage and then come tell her where it stopped, but we done one better. We brought the person in it back here for her instead. Do you think she'll give us more candy?" Mrs. Hudson chuckled at the young boy and then looked up at the shadow that fell across them. She stopped and put her hand to her mouth, tears coming to her eyes when she saw who it was. "Hello Martha." Irene said and smiled at her. "boys...the kitchen...go help yourselves..." she said and pulled them in, more to get them out of her way so she could pull Irene into a long hug. "You've finally come home!" she said and held her tightly. She pulled her inside and shut the door behind them, locking it tight. They both looked up when they heard "And you're a heartless old man!" yelled followed by the sound of what was probably china of some sort hitting the wall. "And you are so like you're mother - stubborn and pig headed!" came the reply. "Please tell me it hasn't been 12 years of this?" Irene said and cringed. "Only when they can't seem to say what they really want to to each other. You got the best and the worst of the both of you in that girl, dear." Mrs. Hudson said and took her hands, "Is it safe for you to be here?" Irene looked at her and smiled, "I believe it is now. I have hope it is, finally. Even if it wasn't, Martha, I couldn't stay away anymore. I just couldn't." Mrs. Hudson patted her hand and let her go up the stairs. By now the fight had progressed down the stairs and into the sitting room, she stood outside the doorway to listen for a moment, unsure how to even let them know she was there.
"I'd be careful from now on if you try and keep me here, Father - who knows what experiment may find it's way into your tea in the morning." Annie said and crossed her arms at him. "You would do that, wouldn't you?" he replied. "Why not? You do it! The only reason my snake's not dead is because anytime you open the cage he tries to bite you. I heard what you used to do to Watson's poor dog. It makes me wonder what you tried on me over the years." she said, her voice rising again at the end. "ONCE! I told you once and it's because you were teething! And it was OUR dog!" he yelled back and slammed his fist on the table. "Our? You can't share anything with anyone, not even me! It's all yours yours YOURS! You can't give anything up without a fight or trickery, John even had to cheat at chess just so you'd let him propose!" she yelled. "I knew it! Never gamble with a Watson, you do realize this means I don't have to accept it." he said and Irene could hear the smugness in his voice. "You wouldn't DARE!" Annie replied and then there was silence. Irene put her hand on the door when she heard "Annie, put that down right this instant...ANNIE!" Homes said, a bit of concern in his voice, then a loud smash. "Well, you said 'put it down'." Annie said and Irene could swear she heard the same smugness, just now in her daughter. "Now you decide to start listening to me, well that's just perfect." Holmes said and huffed. "I've been listening to you all my life! Annie do this, Annie learn that, Annie put your hair up in your cap if you're going to run with the Irregulars, Annie you see but you don't observe, Annie deduce...well DEDUCE THIS!" she yelled and another crash was heard.
"This has gone completely out of control, they probably don't even remember what they started fighting about anymore." Irene thought and took off her hat, putting her gloves inside it. She heard what sounded like a teacup crash against the far wall as she set them down. "That almost hit me!" Holmes said, shocked. "GOOD! That's what I'm trying to do!" Annie yelled back and another crash followed, along with a yelp of pain. Irene took a deep breath and stepped in the room. "Well, Holmes, I can see you've done a wonderful job raising our daughter." she said and looked at the both of them.
The teapot in Annie's hand fell to the floor, and she followed it, sitting down hard and staring at Irene. Holmes just looked at her and turned white. He finally stammered out "Irene?" in a cracked voice and came over to her. He reached up and touched her face, running his fingertips over it like he didn't believe what he was seeing. She grabbed his hands in hers and smiled at him, now crying herself. "Yes, my love, it's me." she whispered. He pulled her to him in a long kiss, holding her close. When he finally stopped he just held her to him, "Never again...never never again..." was all he kept saying to her. She put her hand to his face and wiped some of his tears away, "No, never again." she said and then gently pushed him away from her a bit and turned to Annie, who was still sitting on the floor among broken bits of teapot. Holmes suddenly remembered she was there and stepped back. Irene stepped towards her and Annie got up, and quickly crossed her arms in front of her. Irene stopped, unsure what to do. "Just tell me one thing." Annie said and stared at her. "Ask me anything, yell at me, throw another teapot...right now I'm just in Heaven at hearing your voice." Irene said and held back a sob. "Are you staying? Or am I going to wake up tomorrow and find you gone again?" Annie said, and bit her lip to stop it from quivering. "I am never leaving you again, Antoinette...never again. From here on out, we face it all as a family." Irene said and then held out her arms. Annie ran to into them and they both fell to the floor, crying and holding each other. Holmes just went over and sat down next to them, putting his arms around them both as much as he could.
