Warning: Gore, blood

The scene wasn't pretty. Murder suicide. The body's of a red haired woman and her husband were on the floor, the woman having been shot several times in the torso and the man though his mouth. A disturbing amount of blood was staining the walls of the small apartment. Sherlock walked around for exactly thirty seconds before confirming the man had killed his wife in a fit of rage over her affair and then killed himself due to the guilt. The team quickly gathered up the bodies after both Sherlock, Anderson and John had inspected them, leaving Lestrade to talk to the pair while ANderson left, thoroughly annoyed that Sherlock had deduced he was sleeping with other members of the force beside Sally.

"Well, that was cleared up nicely, terrible business" Lestrade sighed looking at the blood on the walls.

"Worse than you know inspector" Sherlock said in a far off voice, he was narrowing his eyes at a cupboard in the corner. It was old and water damaged, it was the kind made with slats, two of which were broken, leaving a small hole.

"Sherlock?" John questioned as Sherlock made his way over to it.

"Please don't tell me that hole means he didn't kill her" Lestrade groaned, he had no idea how it could but Sherlock had deduced a mans innocence by his aftershave once.

Sherlock ignored the question in favor of flinging open the cupboard revealing a lot of old coats and a few boxes of books. Lestrade had been about to ask Sherlock what he was doing when Sherlock spoke, apparently, to the cupboard.

"You can come out, we wont hurt you I promise"

Lestrade had to wonder if the man was really clean for a few moments when a small girl, no more than four years old with long red hair, stepped out from behind a coat. She trembled and tears stained her face. Sherlock knelt down in front of her.

"You saw everything through the slats and that hole didn't you?" He asked quietly, she nodded, "Do you have a name?"

"Clara..." She mumbled

"I'm Sherlock, these are my friends John and Greg" Sherlock introduced, it was one of those strange occasions when he used Lestrade's first name.

"Were those your mum and dad?" Sherlock prodded, Clara started to nod but then shook her head.

"Foster parents" She sobbed, "I don't have real ones, Ma picked me because I have red hair like her...well, she did..."

The girl started to cry, Lestrade's heart went out to her the poor thing had lost the only family she had, in a very brutal and traumatizing way.

"I don't wanna go back to the foster house" She sobbed covering her face, "Nobody likes nobody else"

It was true the foster system wasn't good, a lot of the kids ended up running away or on the street because nobody took them in. Nobody paid any attention to the children in the homes until it was time to ship them off, it was a lonely existence.

"You don't have to, if you don't want to you know" Sherlock smiled softly, "Why not come with me? I've got other kids just like you, who needed homes, they will look after you"

"Are, you a social worker?" She asked slowly

"No, I'm a consulting detective" Sherlock replied, "My best friend John over there is a doctor"

"I'll text Mira" John offered getting out his phone

"You don't have to stay, but if you like your welcome" Sherlock offered, Clara seemed to think about it for a few seconds before nodding and reaching her arms around the tall mans neck so he could pick her up. By the time the four of them made it downstairs most of the force were gone, however fourteen children and their mother were waiting a few meters away from the yellow tape.

Sherlock placed Clara on the ground and began to introduce everybody, the other children swarmed her, welcoming her kindly and telling her about Sherlock and Mira, their 'Mum and 'Dad'. After a while Sherlock went back to John and Lestrade to watch the scene, obviously studying everybody's reactions to the new arrival.

"They are all like her aren't they?" Lestrade said finally, "Street kids and orphans you took in"

"Took your time figuring it out" Sherlock chuckled

"And Mira?"

"My friend who works in the soup kitchens, don't be fooled though, she loves all of them" Sherlock answered

"They don't call her mum for nothing" John added, "They all live in a small fixed up apartment complex not too far from Mira's. Mycroft pays the heating and water bills, they gather furniture themselves and occasionally stay at Baker Street or Mira's apartment"

"Is that safe?" Lestrade questioned

"I teach them to look after themselves, plus they have Gladstone and the best security system Mycroft can buy" Sherlock replied casually, "I wouldn't let anything happen to them"

"So, the whole Mum and Dad thing, that's not an act" Lestrade stated, "I could tell, especially with Mikey's accident a few weeks ago"

"It's their choice, I never forced them to say it" Sherlock shrugged as Dan, Nina and Natty dragged Clara over to the three men.

"And this is Uncles Lestrade and John" Natty smiled, "They help out all the time they are really nice but Lestrade's an idiot"

"Natty!" John scolded, Sherlock laughed.

"It's ok though because he is the least stupid of all the police officers" Natty continued ignoring the reprimand, Lestrade just sighed.

"Is Clara gonna stay with us tonight?" Dan asked

"If she choses to, but I think she should stay at Baker street for a while" Sherlock answered, "She's had a hard time"

"Can we go there now?" Clara asked tentatively, Sherlock nodded and scooped her up giving Lestrade a nod and indicating that John should hail a cab. Lestrade had absolutely no doubt that Sherlock Holmes was now not only a great man, but a good one as well.

...

Clara was nervous and quiet for the first day at Baker Street, she suffered from nightmares and screamed at the smallest amount of blood, forcing Sherlock to abandoned most of his projects and dispose of them. However he was very patient with the girl, he never left her alone for more than a few minutes, he read to her from John's blog and taught her various science tricks. The more he did the more enthralled the girl became with him.

While the trauma was still there after a few days her nightmares became less severe and she smiled more often. She was healing in that fast and special way that only children can. On the fourth day she started calling Sherlock Dad and John Uncle, Sherlock didn't even bat an eye lid. Two or three Irregulars came by every day, after a few they took Clara with them out on the down for the day, getting work and causing mischief. John had been hesitant about it, Clara wasn't a street kid yet, she could get hurt. However Sherlock simply smiled, nodded and went on with his chemical research. A few hours later a very happy and dirty Clara was returned to the house.

Slowly over the course of two weeks Clara stayed out longer with the Irregulars, even staying the night at Mira's once and spending her days on the town or at the Irregulars abode. Finally she moved out of Baker street and into the Irregulars Hotel as they called it, permanently. John found the girl endearing.

Clara Holmes, Irregular number fifteen.

This is the piciture I found that most matched Clara as I imagine her:

http:/www(dot)dreamstime(dot)com(slash)royalty - free - stock - photo - little - girl - with - red - hair - in - hat - image12314405