Sorry this has taken so long. I don't own Sherlock, just my original plot and characters.
The lyrics and the translation are from the Evening Prayer from the Hansel and Gretel opera. It is quite a beautiful piece of music. Anyway, thanks for reading and especially taking the time to give feedback. Lots of love to you all. xx
"You don't know anything about "Hansel and Gretel'!" Little Ava vehemently argued with her cousin.
"I know that they both push the witch into the oven." Teenage Sherlock countered crossing his arms in front of him with an air of superiority.
"No. They are both captured by the witch. But Hansel is kept in a cage, and Gretel kills the witch by herself."
"According to what source?"
"This one." The little girl handed her cousin a large story book.
Sherlock looked at the pictures and laughed. "That's just the artist's interpretation. The opera has them both doing it. Besides, I don't see what the big deal is."
"Girls never get to be the hero in stories." Ava huffed disappointedly. "Gretel just has to be the one to save her brother." The little girl paused, "I'd save you if I had to."
Sherlock considered Ava for a moment. "I know you would. But it wouldn't be fair if I couldn't save you too, would it?"
"I suppose not."
"So we're agreed? We'd each save each other if we had to?" Sherlock's grey-green eyes looked hopefully at his cousin. He wanted to keep Avid happy.
"Ok. But I get to save you first." At that Ava punched Sherlock in the arm.
"Fine." Sherlock conceded. "Can we move on now?"
Ava nodded.
"Good. Let's play pirates. Last one in the tree likes Mycroft." He grinned down at her and took off in a run.
"No fair. Locky, wait up!"
When she reached the tree, Sherlock was already in its lower limbs. Ava started climbing up after him.
"You may have gotten here first, but I can climb higher." Ava declared as she followed Sherlock into the tree.
"Ava. Don't go too far." Concern becoming obvious in Sherlock's voice.
"I am not afraid of anything! I am The Green Lady." Ava yelled back and climbed until she was out of Sherlock's reach. Ava had researched female pirates and had loved the stories of The Red Lady. But since green was her favourite colour, Ava became The Green Lady.
"I board ships acting like a damsel in distress. Then when their guard is down, I strike!"
Abruptly, she stopped and caught her breath balancing on a branch that Sherlock thought was dubious at best.. He stayed quiet though - not trusting himself to hide his fear for her.
Just then, Mycroft stepped out from the house and shouted at them to come in for tea. Ava shifted her weight too quickly on the branch. It broke, and she fell to the ground impaling her shoulder on a branch that already laid on the ground.
"Avid!" Sherlock called out and raced down from the tree to reach her.
Little Ava's breath sharply gasped and tears formed at her eyes. She tried to speak but the words wouldn't come.
He held her hand and wiped her unruly hair out of her eyes. "It will be ok, Avid. Just breathe."
Finally, Ava whispered. "'Abends will . . .."
Understanding what Ava wanted and complying with her wish, the teenage Sherlock sang softly to her.
Abends, will ich schlafen gehn,
Vierzehn Engel um mich stehn:
Zwei zu meinen Häupten,
Zwei zu meinen Füßen,
Zwei zu meiner Rechten
Zwei zu meiner Linken,
Zweie, die mich decken,
Zweie, die mich wecken
Zweie, die mich weisen
Zu Himmels-Paradeisen.
After first singing it in German, Sherlock switched to English.
When at night I go to sleep
Fourteen angels watch do keep
Two my head are guarding
Two my feet are guiding
Two are on my right hand
Two are on my left hand
Two who warmly cover
Two who o'er me hover
Two to whom 'tis given
To guide my steps to heaven
When the emergency services arrived, they pushed him out of the way distressing Ava even more.
"NO! Locky!" Ava cried as she was loaded into the ambulance. It was all Mycroft could do to hold Sherlock back.
"We need to let them help her now, little brother."
"I know!" Sherlock wrestled himself out of Mycroft's grasp and squarely punched the elder Holmes in the face. "It's your fault. If you hadn't yelled at us..." Sherlock ran his hands through his curls - a knot quickly forming in his stomach. "I can't stand this, My. I feel so . . . so . . .
"Helpless. I feel so helpless, John."
A much older Sherlock paced back and forth in Barts. Ava was in surgery, and all they could do was wait.
John sat in a chair, leaned over, and ran his hands over his head. "I know, Sherlock. But I also know they have the best here. If anyone could pull Ava through this, they can. And, if it had to happen, at least it happened at a hospital." A moment after John continued, "That was part of the plan, after all."
"Yes, yes." Sherlock checked his watch and started pacing again.
"Did you know?" John ventured.
Sherlock turned around to face his blogger. "About what?"
"About Ava's plan – about the two guns?"
"No, not at first. But when Moriarty allowed me a moment to be with her, she signaled me."
"How?"
"'The Green Lady is about to strike.'"
"What does that mean?"
"That was the pirate name she gave herself when she was a child. I... I..."
"What is it, Sherlock?"
"I can't believe she trusted me enough to remember it. It was decades ago. I've let her down so much, John, and she still trusted that I would remember that."
"Don't say that. You didn't let her down. Besides, no one else figured it out either."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better? Avid spent months of unspeakable torture at the hands of a madman simply because I didn't catch his lies!"
John shook his head. "Still, you saved her in the end. That's what matters most."
"We don't know that. She might still..." Sherlock couldn't bring himself to say "die".
John stood up and went to his lover, his Sherlock, and wrapped his arms around him. Sherlock leaned into the embrace and rested his head in the crook of John's neck and shoulder.
"I don't know if I can lose her again, John."
John felt a flutter in his gut. Maybe with Ava back, Sherlock would rather be with her and not him. He couldn't bear to lose his consulting detective; but if Sherlock wanted Ava, John wouldn't stand in the way of his happiness. "You won't. I'm sure she will be fine."
An hour later, the surgeon came out and spoke to them. He looked worn and tired. "The wound was bad, but it could have been a lot worse. And, the young lady is a fighter. I think she will make a full recovery."
Sherlock's eyes brightened at the news.
John asked, "When can we see her?"
"It will still be few hours before she wakes up, but she's going to be extremely weak. The nurses will let you know which private room they put her in."
"Thank you, doctor." John smiled and shook his hand as the doctor left."
"At least Mycroft's good for something," Sherlock muttered. "Getting her a private room is … good."
John looked at the man he loved. Sherlock looked tired and worn. John sighed. "Why don't we get something to eat while they're transferring her?"
"I don't need to eat."
"Yes, you do. You won't be any good to Ava if your body can't function. Besides, a new little juice bar just opened up just two blocks from here." John paused for a moment. "Ava would approve."
Sherlock grinned at that. "Yes, she would. Ok, then. But I don't want this to take long."
Just as they finished their juice and stepped out of the little juice bar, Sherlock's phone rang.
"Sherlock?" Mycroft's voice sounded frightened.
"Mycroft? What's wrong?"
"One of the snipers escaped. Sebastian Moran – Moriarty's best assassin – and if reports are accurate, his lover too. Where are you? I'm sending extra security, but it will take them a few minutes to get there."
"We're two blocks away from Barts, but we're on our way right now."
As he watched Sherlock during the conversation, John could see him go even paler if that was possible.
"What's wrong?"
"We need to get back to Ava, John. She's in danger."
With that, Sherlock Holmes sprinted off in the direction of Barts, and John Watson followed.
