Warning: Spoilers! Don't read if you haven't read up to Chapter 42 in The Selection and the Spy! I'd also advise to read up to Chapter 44 as well for background knowledge, but it isn't at all necessary to understand what's going on here. Otherwise, enjoy!

There was something dastardly wrong when Princess Gail was crying.

Sherlock knew it. The innocent little girl didn't deserve sadness, not in the way it wailed from her quivering lips, and bawled tears down her perky, blotchy cheeks. It wasn't just little sniffles from a scratched knee, but something wholly terrible, enough to quake her whole body with pain, that was causing her distress.

Still, Sherlock hesitated, not sure how much use she could be. Gail was only nine years old, and in all honesty, Sherlock had no idea how to interact with children. They confused her, rattled her, made her feel awkward down to her bones – she liked only a pinch of disorder in her life, but children were so unpredictable and volatile that they embodied the very word chaos, too much for Sherlock to bear.

She had her older brothers, but that was just it. They were older. Anyone younger might as well have been a different species entirely.

The other girls present in the Women's Room, thankfully, responded immediately. Lilly, followed by Eulalia, were up in an instant, rushing over to wipe Gail's tears. Elise tore herself away from a book – and that was something rare – and practically lunged over the furniture to her aid. Even Camilla abandoned her solitary blueprint studies to help.

Lilly signed frantically. "What's wrong, Princess Gail?" translated Eulalia.

But Gail was so far gone, she hiccupped through some incoherent words before she sobbed and wailed, her cries piercing the tranquillity of the room. Was she hurt? Sherlock warily tiptoed over, studying the princess all over to make sure they were no physical injuries.

Elise brought Gail into a hug. "It's all right, Fairy Sparkle Princess Gail. Your Princess Court is here to make you feel better."

"I don't think she's hurt," muttered Cami, who had done the same as Sherlock. But her hands fawned over the girl in a motherly fashion, whereas Sherlock lingered by the group's cusp.

"Jun," Gail mumbled, the first thing Sherlock could understand.

A collective understanding blanketed the room. Of course, her brother's kidnapping. With everyone so distressed over it, including Roy and his parents, it was no wonder Gail was crying so hard. She was absorbing all the pain from around her, and finally it had reached a limit.

Lilly stroked Gail's hair, saying nothing, but smiling gently. It was all she needed to convey her kindness.

"Don't you worry, Princess," whispered Elise. "He's going to be just fine."

Gail blubbered. "He's hurt."

Cami knelt to Gail's side. "He'll get better. He's the strong leader of the Mean Realms, remember?"

Gail sniffled, somewhat placated by the words. But tears were still rolling down her cheeks. This wasn't enough. Sherlock wracked her brain – something, anything to comfort the princess, and have her on her way back to her fairy tale dream world again.

Lilly straightened, waved her hands to grab everyone's attention, and made a motion with her arms. It looked like she was hitting a ball.

Eulalia cocked her head and signed. Lilly nodded.

"Hockey," said the translator. She turned to the rest of the girls. "How about a game of hockey?" Lilly signed with more fervour, and Eulalia said, "We could play in the hallway where it's not cold?"

"That's a great idea," said Cami. She stood and offered a hand to Princess Gail. "Do you want to play hockey with us, Your Highness?"

Gail looked at Cami's hand. For a moment, Sherlock thought the child would bat it away like an unwanted toy, but Gail warily slid her fingers into Cami's. Elise took the other side, chanting excitedly about the indoor hockey game. Lilly and Eulalia followed.

Sherlock hesitated again. Shouldn't they get Lanna? Or the king and queen? Was indoor hockey even allowed? It didn't seem like anyone was thinking about the logistics of a potential game. With no one refuting the idea, and Sherlock refusing to be the one to ruin the princess' already awful day, she exited behind them and slipped away to grab Gail's foam hockey equipment from one of the palace supply closets.

When she returned, the girls were still trying to convince Gail to cheer up. Elise caught Sherlock in the corner of her eye.

"Oh, good one, Sher!" she sang. "Let me help you."

I'm the outsider. Sherlock pried a smile from deep within and helped set up the indoor hockey, ignoring the unimpressed looks from the guards. She wasn't very good talking to kids, that much was certain, but she could help the others cheer her up. Make it easier for them.

There was only room for one net at the end of the hallway. When everyone had gathered their hockey sticks and rolled shoulders to warm up, Elise gestured to the whole group.

"Okay, Your Highness. You can pick your team."

The tears were drying. A good sign this was working. Still, she sniffled, glancing between the girls apprehensively. She pointed stiffly at Elise. "Can you be the goalkeeper?"

Elise practically gushed. "Oh, thank you, Fairy Sparkle Princess Gail! I would be honoured to protect the goal for you! Who else do you want on your team?"

Lilly and Cami looked so hopeful. But instead, Gail bit her lip, her outstretched finger tilting towards Sherlock.

"Can you be on my team, too?" she said. "Please?" she added timidly.

Sherlock baulked. She and the princess had exchanged very few words together. Still, she plucked up a happy smile. "I'd be hockey to be on your team, Your Most Royal Highness."

Cami snorted. Elise rolled her eyes. Eulalia translated the joke, and even Lilly just rubbed her head in a, really? fashion. Gail scrunched her nose, but turned away before Sherlock could see whether she'd processed the joke.

With the teams assembled, and Eulalia assuming the goal position for Lilly and Cami's side, the Selected girls prepared to battle. No referees, just pure game.

Gail had the ball. She dropped it onto the ground with a soft thud. But she didn't move. Normally, she would excitedly thwack it outwards with reckless abandon, chase after anyone who dared tackle it off her squealing and yelling. But not today.

Lilly pretended to approach her for the tackle. She jutted her stick forwards, looking like she wanted to take the ball from Gail, but Gail started breathing hard, making to look like she wanted to cry again.

"It's okay, Your Highness," Elise called. "You can do this!"

Lilly gently smiled again, encouraging her to hit the ball. Gail putted it sideways, and Lilly pretended to spin out of control, making a croaked "Ahhhh!" noise as she did.

Lacking her usual oomph, Gail pattered forwards, nearly running into Cami.

"Ooooh," Cami crooned, with a bright smile. "I might just steal the ball from you!" Her eyes fixed onto Sherlock – and Sherlock geared into motion.

She ran parallel to them both. "Er, Princess Gail!" she cried, trying to inject some form of pity into her voice. "Pass to me!"

Gail looked at Sherlock. Her eyes glistened, and it tore a piece from Sherlock's heart. Even if their interaction felt awkward and forced, Sherlock practiced her best encouraging smile, one worthy of a summoned knight in Princess Gail's Princess Court.

"Pass to me," she said again.

Gail swallowed thickly, and hit the ball over. It wobbled across the carpet until it was by Sherlock's hockey stick.

Cami feigned shock. "Oh no! I've been bested by the best!"

It elicited a tiny giggle from Gail. Some success! Gail pointed to the goal. "Run!"

Sherlock danced the ball between the stick, mock-fighting off Cami, who was coming at her from every side. Elise, open, gestured wildly to Sherlock from the other side, and Sherlock aimed to pass the ball.

She raised the stick above her head. Then swung.

The toe nearly sailed into Gail's head.

"Whoa!" White hot fear ran through Sherlock's chest in that second. Foam as it was, the impact would've caused some serious damage. "I-I'm sorry!"

The ball flew to Elise's grip.

But Gail turned to Sherlock. Cheeks still puffed, she smiled. "You shouldn't have the stick over waist height."

Sherlock blinked. Getting schooled by a nine-year-old. Right. Red burned at her cheeks. "Yes, you're right. I have to… stick to the rules."

Another little giggle. More progress. Someone groaned – probably Cami.

"Score, Elise, score!" Sherlock yelled.

Elise hopped up. "Right!" She hit the ball, and it banged into the net despite Eulalia's pitiful attempt to guard it.

"Yay," Gail said, her most enthusiastic yet. Sherlock could practically see it – her cheer gauge, creeping up ever slowly by the second.

Elise whooped. "Yahoo! Hashtag Team Gail!"

"Nice one," said Sherlock.

Eulalia huffed. "Shall we switch over?"

The changeover meant they were a player down. With Elise in goal, it was Sherlock and Gail versus Lilly, Eulalia and Cami. Still, props of being the adorable little princess whose brother they were all trying to win, Gail started with the ball again.

She parried it between the toe of her stick. Gail was skilled despite her age, probably from all the times she liked to play. She could do it professionally one day, Sherlock imagined, if she kept it up. Sherlock tried to stay on her toes as the princess dodged attempts from Lilly and Eulalia to intercept.

"Sherlock!" she barked. "I'm going to pass to you!"

"Okay!" Sherlock acknowledged. Sweat was starting to form on her brow. This was way more stressful than she thought a little game of hockey could be.

Cami roared down the carpet, but Gail thwacked the ball – it rolled through Cami's legs to Sherlock.

The three girls descended upon her. Sticks bashed together in determined fury, grunts and gripes filled the air, and though Sherlock tried to wrest power back in her favour, Eulalia stole the ball.

"No!" Sherlock cried.

Eulalia was away, nearing the goal. But Gail was swift like a current of wind, easily pilfering the ball again. She dodged more faux-attempts by Cami and Lilly to take it back.

Then she came near Sherlock.

Then she stopped. The ball halted.

Sherlock gulped. "Princess Gail?"

She sniffled – tears were rolling down her cheeks again. "Jun isn't having fun."

Sherlock's heart shrivelled. No, no. They were so close to a breakthrough. Gail's lips quivered, on verge of letting way to another round of sobs.

She gulped. Sherlock didn't want to let her discomfort prevent the princess' happiness. Awkwardness or no, she had to help Princess Gail feel better.

Scrounging far in her head, she knelt to the princess' eye level.

"Hey now," she scrambled through the speech, almost too fast for even her to understand. "Don't be sad… because sad backwards is das, and das not good."

Gail froze. Her little hands clutched the hockey stick a little tighter.

Then she dropped it and giggled.

Giggles turned to laughs, and laughs turned to giant guffaws, coming deep within her chest. Even a little wheeze.

"Das not good!" she cried, her mouth stretched so far from grinning. "Das not good! That's funny!"

Even Cami was laughing. "That was your worst one yet!"

But it had worked.

Gail pressed a hand to her stomach. Watching her laugh was infectious, and soon, it was bubbling a whimsy amusement deep within Sherlock, too. She laughed, and they were laughing, together, like the kidnapping was a thing of the distant past. Non-existent in their shard of the universe.

Cami slipped in and stole the ball. Sherlock fumbled with the stick, tried to go after her, but the sheer hilarity of Gail's laughter had paralysed her limbs.

"Oh my god!" Elise pointed at the princess, a smile erupting onto her lips. "She's— she's so cute when she laughs!"

Gail swiped at her hair. "I know."

That set Elise off. Cami didn't even need to pass the ball to Lilly and Eulalia, and she scored a goal nearly tripping over her own feet. Everyone was too far gone by now, and even the opposing team became a fit on uncontrollable giggles.

A face popped around the corner. Lanna, Gail's childminder.

"There she is!" she said, hustling over quickly.

Gail was a puddle of laughs now. She reached up for Lanna to hold her. "Das not good!"

"It's not good that I couldn't find you, little peanut!" she said, scolding but still soft. "But you were all laughing so loudly that I found you instantly."

Sherlock rubbed the back of her neck. Well, aside from the entertainment value, at least the joke had been a useful beacon for their location.

Lanna hoisted Gail into her arms – she noticed the dried tears, and thumbed fussily over her cheeks. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," said Gail. She was still sniffling, but there was a bright smile on her face. "We played hockey to feel better!"

"I can see that." She passed a critical gaze over the Selected. "Should you have been playing hockey indoors?"

Lilly blanched and looked away. Elise whistled. Cami winced.

Only Sherlock grinned. "We wanted to help cheer Her Highness up." She kicked the hockey ball. "And we had a ball doing it."

Another round of groans and winces from the girls. Gail squee-laughed again.

Lanna jostled her. "Well, let's get you fed and cleaned up, peanut. Then we can go see your brother, okay? He's nearly ready for visitors."

Gail stilled. "Can I wear my fairy sparkle princess dress?"

"Of course you can."

She allowed herself to be carried away, but before she rounded the corner, she beamed a bright, pearly smile to Sherlock.

Sherlock pulled a silly face just as she disappeared.

Today was a hard day for Princess Gail, but if Sherlock had made it even a little more bearable, she would face the awkwardness every time.

A/N: Here's a rare thing: I wrote, edited and decided to post this entirely within the last couple of hours. If there are any errors, my bad. This was just supposed to be short, fun and fluffy piece about Gail's feelings during Roy's kidnapping, and I hope you enjoyed it!

Thanks to thesparklingjewel for Sherlock Graves, our punbearable funeral director and narrator here! Couldn't resist writing this one, since Sherlock has a trait rather unique to her: she's uncomfortable around children. I definitely held onto this knowledge when writing her character, and I wanted that to come to head here.

As always, favourites, follows and reviews are all appreciated. 55 should come Sunday (but I've discovered the most minor, yet most game-breaking plot hole that I must figure out before I can continue, lol. It's so silly; I wish I could just tell you what it is, but because I can't count, I have to shift entire scenes around, ugh.) If not, it'll come *waves hands vaguely* SOON.

Any characters you'd like to see next time on Select Few?

~ GWA