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June 2012, Location: America, City: classified
Mycroft walked into the American facility to be greeted by the man who called him.
"Sam," Mycroft addressed making the blind man adjust his posture so he was facing Mycroft, "I though you said you were not going to tell me about Noelle?"
The man smiled sadly, "You weren't my first choice however I find myself making desperate actions at this point."
"Tell me what happened."
"Noelle was on mission in Colombia. We lost her for about a week. She was seen over one of our covert training facilities freefalling from 20,000 feet. Luckily she had enough presence of mind to pull the parachute cord. By the time she had landed she was unconscious and thus received minor injuries from the impact. She was dehydrated and starving but relatively unharmed. The strange thing is that there were spider bites on her in an unusual proportion but none of them toxic. She is mostly healed but we cannot figure out what happened to her or if she took out the threat in the area."
"Why not ask the woman?" Mycroft frowned.
"That's why we called you Mr. Holmes. She has been back for two weeks and hasn't said a word. Due to wishes we cannot contact her brother if she is in any state of psychological disturbance and the rest of her family is dead. We have few options on who is read into her activities in any matter. I believe there is a man in Special Forces she has been growing close with however he is assigned to the central theatre and cannot be reached."
"You want me to talk to the woman?" Mycroft was confused.
"Simply put, yes," Sam replied.
"Lead the way," Mycroft sighed as his secretary suddenly was able to be separated from her phone. Mycroft rolled his eyes at her she just winked and went to speak with Sam as Mycroft entered the room.
The room was a warm cozy room with several wooden surfaces. It was small and not altogether Mycroft's taste but it was adequate for its purpose. The room was a strict contradiction to the sterile efficiency of the rest of the facility and was obviously for the recovery of sensitive cases. Speaking of which Noelle Morgan sat in the middle of an overstuffed bed curled into a ball looking unseeingly ahead.
"Ms. Morgan," Mycroft saw her eyes lift tiredly to meet his in recognition before dropping, "Ms. Morgan I am unaccustomed to these types of sentimental displays. Whoever thought that my presence would be comforting was severely mistaken however I am here now and would appreciate some intelligent conversation in this country. I don't suppose you would oblige?"
Noelle rolled her head back to look at him but remained silent. Mycroft sighed heavily. He had people to fix his operatives heads. When had he decided that this woman needed his personal attention? When your brother asked you to, his subconscious reminded him, when she treated your family as family, when she didn't look down on the eccentrics of your life. He told himself to shut up then glanced back at the woman as an idea came to him.
"Fine," he said indifferently, "Don't speak, that's fine. Get up though we have somewhere to be."
She still considered him through haunted eyes but made no move to move.
"For goodness sake!" he exclaimed then took a step forward and scooped the small woman up in his arms, "Stop flirting and get the door," he called to his assistant as the woman suddenly came to life and started thrashing trying to escape his grip. Sam looked on in concern as did some others but Mycroft shared a look with the man and received a nod in approval. No longer struggling the woman had decided to hold onto Mycroft for dear life instead. She buried her face in his shoulder and shook as he set her down in the car quickly sitting up and hugging her knees close.
"What happened to you?" Mycroft wondered under his breath as he stared at her. He then went to speak to the driver, "How far are we from Florida?"
"About two days, sir."
"Damn country," Mycroft muttered, "Take us to the airport then."
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June 2012, Location: America, State: Florida
A few hours, a plane trip, a car drive, and a strawberry shortcake later the car pulled up to its destination. Mycroft opened the door for the woman who recognized the location and this time willingly stepped out. Anthea, or whatever she called herself today, handed Noelle a bouquet of flowers and the woman went off walking the familiar steps. Mycroft followed in the interest of keeping her safe and hoped the woman didn't become too sentimental.
Noelle stopped walking and stared at the headstone. Jack Alexander. The woman put the flowers on the grave taking out one to lay by the smaller headstone beside it. Eliza Alexander. Mycroft looked at the woman and it clicked into place.
"I didn't know," he said, "My condolences."
"It would have been a good life," Noelle finally broke her silence, "I was getting out for her, for him but I guess it doesn't matter now. Why am I here Mycroft?"
"Because you wouldn't speak," he answered truthfully, "and I thought playing to your sentiment might loosen your tongue."
Noelle smiled wryly, "You're as bad as he was you know. Terrible at this."
Mycroft wouldn't argue that, "We need to know what happened Noelle."
She looked at her daughter's grave with a steadfast gaze.
"Noelle," he prodded, "We need to know. They are gone Noelle, just as my brother is. We cannot help them but we can help others. That is why you started this isn't it? So why give up now?"
"Are you scared of anything Mycroft? I mean really terrified. Something that stops you dead in your tracks?"
"I suppose," Mycroft said noncommittally.
"So no then," she said and grew quiet.
"Rollercoasters," Mycroft finally admitted.
"What?"
"Rollercoasters. I abhor them. They give me motion sickness and the drop in your stomach terrifies me."
Noelle smiled, "I hate spiders. I mean hate them. I refuse to even kill daddy longlegs. I used to have John kill them for me, and Jack before him, Luke when we were younger, my dad as a kid. I hate them. I don't know why but I do," she took a breath, "I got caught Mycroft. They wanted to know what we knew about them and I wouldn't say. They tried to scare it out of me. Snakes, rats, all sorts of things they paraded through to see what reaction they would get. They figured it out and put me in a room. The room was filled with spiders Mycroft. I know you think I am silly but it scared the crap out of me. I haven't been that scared since, since- and after four days I was going insane. I was paralyzed with fear not to mention tied down amongst them but they were still there always. They crawled on me and bit me. I thought I was going to die. I thought I was going to die in my own version of hell and I shut down. Somehow I managed to get out. I eliminated the target and got on the plane they had sent out that day. It will be their last shipment, I made sure of that. I waited until I saw someplace I could come down in friendly territory and I got there."
"When you say eliminated…" Mycroft prodded.
"I strangled him with my bare hands and left him in a puddle of his own urine," she clarified.
"Ah!" Mycroft paused for a moment, "Noelle I do not understand why this has had such an impact on you. You have been through many things before."
"Of course you don't," she laughed bitterly, "Imagine someone stuck you on a rollercoaster Mycroft. Left you there for days. It was horrible. I took up all these martial arts these weapons this lifestyle so I would never have to feel like that again and there I was over a decade and still the same weak girl."
Mycroft looked at her, "You are no weak girl Noelle. Otherwise I would not know your name. You have use still Ms. Morgan. I would appreciate you stick around."
Mycroft turned regally and left for the car dramatically entering and driving off. Only did he realize about ten minutes later that he had been Noelle's ride. He turned around sheepishly and found her waiting in the parking lot.
"I appear to have forgotten something," he commented.
She didn't laugh as she usually would but she gave a smile and that at least was a start.
Next time moving on and family business.
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