9/11/2001 I want to take a moment to remember 9/11 and all those who perished in the events of that day. Prayers are with the families and friends. To all those who perished in service that day we are so thankful. To those who helped clean up the aftermath we are grateful. To those perished your legacy lives on. We will always revere the day that so many were killed by reckless hate but we will never forget. God bless.
A/N- Okay so this didn't go up as soon as I wanted but parent conferences tried to kill me this week. Perhaps I should leave more cliffhangers though. We seem to like them ;)
Black Night- Never fear an update is here!
IzzyBells- Did I blow your mind?
.54- Don't cry yet!
Scarlet tribe- Hope this clears things up!
Noelle had been gone for ten days and Baker Street was beginning to get a bit tense. She had not come back after her time at the gym and left without clothes or food or any other practical nonsense that usually went along with taking a trip. Mycroft confirmed that she had vacated the country although where too he couldn't track. Even Sherlock with all his deductive reasoning powers came up nil. So silence had fallen across the flat like a blanket. This of course was quite spectacular considering the resident that still resided in Baker Street. Sherlock was often alone racking his mind palace for where Noelle could have made off to, not comforted at all by her brother's assurance that she would be back and not a little because it killed him not being able to find her.
John had indeed moved back in with his wife however things remained frosty and he often spent free time at Baker Street. It was on one of these days where John sat in his usual spot reading the newspaper and Sherlock a short distance away occasionally muttered irritably for him to shut u that a knock came at the door.
"MRS. HUDSON!" Sherlock yelled irreverently.
The landlady didn't respond but her footsteps could be heard pitter pattering towards the door.
"Oh!" they heard her exclaim and a small clatter causing both men to dash down the stairs to check on her. Standing in the doorway cradling the landlady in his arms with a concerned and baffled expression was one Mark Taylor. He looked jetlag and a bit worse for wear but alive none the less.
"I'm not sure what happened but her pulse is strong so I don't think it's too much to worry about."
Catching the incredulous looks on the men's faces confusion etched deeper on his features.
"What? What is it? Is Noelle okay? I thought she might need someone."
"I doubt she'll be expecting you," Sherlock commented.
"Is this a new thing now?" John sighed, "Doesn't anyone stay dead anymore? Irene Adler, Sherlock, you, who's next?"
"The woman," Sherlock said distracted, "again."
"What?!"
"Wait," Mark said, "I was never dead."
"Have you told the military that?"
"Oh my mother," he groaned, "She'll kill me."
"Why did you think Noelle would need someone if you're alive?" John asked.
A shadow passed over his face, "Danny. He was shot clean through the heart. I was grazed. They must have messed up the report. Noelle was very close with him."
He asked for a minute and called his mother. Sherlock rolled his eyes impatiently as he heard hysterics come from the other side of the phone. His mother had been much calmer about the whole dead/ not dead thing. Then again she knew he was alive. Mark hung up promising to visit soon and turned to the men.
"Where's Noelle?" he demanded suddenly.
The men shrugged, "Grieving somewhere. She left didn't say anything. Won't even answer her emergency phone."
Mark sighed heavily running a hand over his face.
"Y'all up for a trip?"
"Where?" John snapped irritably, "You said it yourself she has more bolt holes than you know about."
"She isn't in a bolt hole. She's at the beach."
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Noelle touched down a week earlier. It was difficult to leave the country in a way that kept her from being tracked but she didn't want to risk being interrupted. This spot was sacred to her. She found it years earlier when she had little money to travel and has thrown the little money she had on a ticket to the other side of the country just to see something new. It was the first time she traveled alone sleeping in the car she rented to drive down the Californian coastline. The ocean had brought her peace in a troubled time in her life both reminding her of home and showing her that there was something new in the world. She had camped out here on the beach that night so many years ago watching the stars above that had never seemed so clear before. The next day she had spent poking in tide pools at the interesting sea life washed into their confines by the tide. It was a piece of undisturbed world. It was trying to get close to God.
She had returned to it many times over the years. The increasingly ambitious developers had been staved off by the inaccessibility of the roads and several small towns in the area who didn't want to give up their homey life. Sometime over the years the same locals had come to recognize this strip of land as hers although technically it belonged to a wealthy equestrian in the area who occasionally rode his million dollar fillies over the sand. If she happened to be there at the time he would nod to her and keep riding as if a trespasser wasn't squatting on his property. No one really knew why she appeared at random intervals to stay but it was unspoken that she wouldn't be disturbed unless she came to town for the occasional meal or supplies.
She had come here again, the closest to going home without going home. The peace wouldn't come though, not easily. Each day brought her peace a bit at a time but each night robbed her of more. On this night the dark skies brought a gorgeous view of the Milky Way and she had brought out a sheet to lay on. She fought for as long as possible but the lulling sound of the ocean and warm breeze hitting her face even in the late season of the year soon lured her to sleep and another nightmare.
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Sherlock, John, and Mark looked out the plane.
"We what?" John sputtered.
"We need to suit up," Mark repeated, "We're almost there."
"You never mentioned we would have to jump!" the army doctor explained.
"John honestly," Sherlock said looking ever so prim as he stepped into his jumpsuit, "How did you expect we would get off a flight that is going to Alaska?"
"I thought they would stop at some little airport or something. Don't they need to refuel?"
"They did in Albuquerque," Mark smirked, "Come on any landing here would give the spot away. She's gonna kill me for telling you two already. I don't want your brother knowing Sherlock."
"Times up," a voice from the cockpit yelled back, "You got 25, 24, 23 seconds. I would try to aim for land getting in through the rocks will suck if you land ocean."
"Wait what?" john asked nervously finally strapping his pack on.
"He said boots up!" Mark said as Sherlock pushed John out following a second behind him and in front of Mark.
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Flying was definitely not like falling, Sherlock thought as the parachute deployed yanking him upward over a not so dignified captain of the British army, and still it was glorious floating over the dark landscape. He would never admit it but he was quite pleased to be in America. He had been before of course due to his recent travels however those had always been under an assumed name and for a mission. Noelle had wanted to drag him with her for years but he refused preferring to stay in London if at all possible. As of late though he had wanted to see the nation that had shaped his sister. Data he never could get by watching her face or even asking her questions. Data he was going to need if he was ever going to be able to hack into her comput-ah understand her…
Mark landed just after Sherlock a bit down the beach and came running up a moment later.
"Wind caught me a bit but it wasn't hard to find you two. I just followed the yells."
John who looked a bit green gave a glare. Hmm, Sherlock supposed he should have attempted to reassure him or something. Oh well too late now. Mark laughed at their expressions and waved them down the way he had come. The three trudged down the beach careful to avoid the tide pools that hid in the dark until they could see a small figure ahead. John and Sherlock who knew better than to wake Noelle hung back at a safe distance while Mark approached.
Noelle looked so small wearing Mark's sweatshirt curled up on the ground fast asleep. She was obviously having a nightmare. She lay still but her face was contorted and she was whimpering slightly. Mark sat down next to her looking down at her with a frown and put his hand on her shoulder. Noelle lurched awake, knife in hand, and swung out towards Mark. The man disarmed her quickly but she didn't fight back much.
"Mark!" she cried sounding broken.
"Shhhh," he soothed her.
"Mark?" she looked up and saw her beloved above her before knocking him over with a kiss.
Sherlock rolled his eyes, sentimental mush. Now that he saw the woman was safe he was quite ready to leave the blasted beach and he could see John was thinking the same thing although he was more inclined to let the display of sentiment continue. Well he wasn't John Watson so he cleared his throat loudly to remind the two of their presence.
Noelle's eyes snapped up, "You brought them here?"
Mark laughed, "We didn't know what we would find. You do have a tendency to get into trouble."
"Me?" she feigned shock, "Never. Mark! They told me that, they told me…"
"I know, love," he smoothed her hair, "I am alive. It was some paperwork mistake."
"Danny?" she asked hopefully and a shadow fell over his face.
"I am sorry love," he said bringing forth a small choking sound from Noelle, "I want you to know though that I brought him home. I brought him home."
Noelle nodded and Mark drew her closer resting his chin on her head.
"What happened?" she asked, "They wouldn't tell me."
"We came under fire. How? I don't know. We were careful, no one should have known we were in the country. We were good. We shouldn't have had any trouble but we did. Danny was shot straight through the heart. The first and only causualty. The bullet went clean through. Grazed me but no damage. Danny never even had a chance. He didn't feel a thing. Probably didn't know he was dead until God told him."
"I bet he cursed when he figured it out," Noelle smiled.
"Yeah," Mark laughed, "He is probably raising hell in heaven."
Sherlock decided it was time to cut in, "I hate to break up the smiles but do you think we could find a place to sleep for the night. The jetlag is starting to catch up."
Noelle looked over at John and Sherlock and grinned, "Scarecrow did you jump out of a plane in a suit?"
"Obviously. Problem?"
"No, no. It's just very James Bond of you."
Sherlock huffed. John decided to step in, "He does have a point though. It was quite a drive out here."
"and thank you for coming," she said sincerely, "Let me welcome you to my humble abode. Pick a spot. Blankets are in the car over the mountain."
"Barely a hill," Mark muttered.
"Carolina Hillbilly."
"Florida Cracker."
"Wait." John cut in their affectionate bickering, "You're sleeping out here?"
"What did you think I was doing when y'all came?"
"It looked like you fell asleep doing something."
"Come on you will be fine. The weather this time of year is perfect for camping and the colder air wards off mosquitoes. Not that they are as much as a problem as Florida but still nice."
"What about a tent," Sherlock asked disdainfully.
"Honestly you brits," Mark replied, "haven't you heard of sleeping beneath the stars?"
"I didn't think people actually did that."
Noelle smiled and tossed her keys to the men, "I am staying here tonight. If you want get on the highway going north. Ten miles you'll come to a small town. At the second light there is an inn. They will be about the only one open this time of night. We can meet up noon at Bonnie's. Anyone can point you that direction."
"How will you get there?"
"Our feet," she snarked, "or if we're lucky we can catch a ride."
Sherlock wasn't quite sure what she meant but shuffled over the hill with John to go find a bed.
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"Are you sure you are okay?" Mark asked when he was alone with his fiancé.
"I am better now that you're here," she sighed, "It's just Danny. He wanted to go out in a blaze of glory but I doubt he wanted to go this soon."
"He is in a better place, love."
"I know that doesn't make it easier for us though."
"I know. I am sorry love."
"It also strikes me strange. You guys are good. I would know my life depended on it more than once."
"I don't know what happened," Mark furrowed his brow upset himself.
"Someone had to tip them off."
Mark shook his head, "No, not one of our guys. Maybe they just happened across us. That happens you know."
She shot him a look, "I know that is why you don't wear your uniform or drive armored vehicles. If they happened across you they would have stopped you and be dead before they realized who you were."
Mark nodded, "Also there were a lot of shots but only Danny was hit. Did he have any enemies in the area?"
"No more than the rest of us."
"You don't think it had anything to do with Magnusson do you?"
"Why would you think that?"
"On my way out of London he tried to recruit me again. I didn't acknowledge him. He seemed pretty pissed."
"He was probably just trying to take advantage of the situation. You do have a tendency to run into missions when you're upset."
"Yeah well," she said sheepishly, "I also kinda threw my socks at him."
Mark sent his eyebrows into his hairline before laughing, "Gym socks?"
"He was irritating."
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The four met the next day at the diner. Noelle and Mark had indeed lucked out and the landowner had graced their presence with an extra horse having heard of the strange visitors at the inn the night before. He offered them a ride back to town and made polite conversation with Noelle who sat gracefully on the horse as Mark clutched fearfully to her waist. The equestrian tried to glean information from the pair as Noelle gently guided the conversation back to his beautiful horses dropping only the smallest of hints about her life. Mark scolded her about this later but she remained resolute saying that it was better than the blatant lies she may or may not have encouraged in the other town to the south. They had the idea that she was an outlaw on the lam from bounty hunters after stealing copious amounts of honey from a warehouse.
They left in the afternoon after Noelle dragged them back to her beach once more for a quick swim. John refused to participate and was labeled a shoebie by Noelle. Sherlock spent the time poking things in the tide pools talking to himself like a deranged man. Mark also passed in lieu of making preparations for their return although he did end up in the water trying to chase Noelle out of the water. She though was too fast for him and waited until the last minute to let Mark catch her and haul her out of the ocean. Sherlock rolled his eyes at her childish antics but they could see why she came here. This place was good for her.
The drive to the airport brought the English to exhaustion while the Americans took the front seat singing to country music with the windows down.
"Honesty," Sherlock exclaimed as they drew closer to their destination, "I wasn't sure you two could get any more American. Wonderful that you proved me wrong. Your accents have come back twice as bad as well."
"'merica!" Noelle exclaimed, "hey we should do Christmas in Florida! We're only a two weeks out. We could make a vacation out of it."
"No," Sherlock cut that train of thought off, "We are going to my parents for Christmas."
"We?"
"John, Mary, Mark, and yourself. Mycroft will even join us," Sherlock smirked, "oh and Wiggins."
"What about Molly?" Noelle asked earning a smirk from her fiancé.
"Molly is going to see her m-" he realized what he was saying, "Why would Molly come?"
"No reason at all," Noelle snorted.
"What?"
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In a tan colored room a man sat at a large oak wood desk. People said he was cruel man but honestly he was just a businessman. Well perhaps not honestly but he was a businessman. He rubbed his head. This was more of a headache than it should have been. Just then a phone rang.
"Speak quickly," he answered
"Noelle Morgan just showed back up on the radar," a voice said over the phone.
"Do we know where she was?" the man snapped having no use for small talk.
"No sir."
"Where the fuck does she go?!"
"I am sorry sir we do not know."
"That's fine. How long will it take to implement the next step?"
"Few weeks sir."
"New years?"
"Possibly but it would be difficult."
"Make it happen."
"Sir."
"Oh and don't fuck this up!"
The man slammed down the phone with vigor. Nothing would stop him this time.
Next time Christmas! (I promise.)
Stay tuned and please review!
