Chapter 10
Lestrade stared down at the perfect child she held in her arms, the awe she felt most likely evident on her features. She didn't care though, as she gently rocked him back and forth, humming a song she remembered her mother singing to her when she was a child. How could anyone who had held a baby like this ever give him up?
It had been shocking news for both herself and Holmes when Higgins had announced that they had been selected as the parents for a child who had been waiting longer than most. They had been immediately suspicious, thought they didn't show it. Holmes had asked why they had been chosen over the other couples who had been waiting for longer. The doctor had looked away from them as he said that they didn't just choose on first come first serve basis, and that they were the couple the organizer had deemed a most suitable match. Why he was lying, Lestrade didn't know.
A few hours later, a nurse had arrived with the bundle of joy. She had presented it to Lestrade with a flourish and a gentle smile, before leaving with Higgins, who had also brought up supplies needed to care for the infant. That had left just her, Holmes and the baby. For the rest of the night, they had talked about what to do about this situation, and what it could mean to their investigation.
She had been awakened early this morning with the cries of the baby, who she was thinking of calling Jonathan, one of the names she and Elaine had once chosen out of a baby book for when they had children. It was a fitting tribute to the sister she would never see again, and who had been her best friend despite all the difficulties. Of course, she hadn't told Elaine that she had decided never to have children. She had never imagined she would be standing her like this, holding a child she could never keep.
"But don't worry Jonathan," she whispered, "Even after this is over, I'll make sure you go to a good home. And I'll check up on you everyday until you're grown, to make sure you don't have to go through what I did." She continued to rock him and her humming turned to soft words. It wasn't exactly a lullaby, but the tune was quiet enough.
Three years ago when Jack and Joe,
Set sail across the foam,
Each vowed a fortune they would find
Before returning home.
Jack found his fortune first of all
Set sail for home that day.
And as the friends prepared to part
Poor Joe could only say:
'Give my love to Nelly, Jack
Kiss her once for me.
The sweetest girl in all the world
I know ye'll say to she.
Treat her kindly, Jack old boy
Tell her I am well,'
And his parting words were 'Don't forget
To give my love to Nell'
Her voice settled back into humming as she forgot the words to the second verse. Jonathan slept on, his face sweet in repose.
"A lovely tune," Holmes whispered into her ear, "We need to talk Lestrade."
Lestrade jumped. She hadn't even heard him come up. She smiled slightly, but inside she was trembling. He knew, there was no way he couldn't. Not after the way she had been acting. But she didn't want to talk about it. She hadn't told anyone. Not even Edith. When she and Marcus had come to pick her up that day, Lestrade had already repaired most of the damage done to her person.
"Holmes," she whispered back, "I....All right, but....let me go for a walk real quick. I...need to compose myself first." She didn't give him a chance to answer as she handed Jonathan to him and quickly stepped out the door.
She paused just outside the door to take in a lungfull of air before continuing on to the stairs. Had she been paying just a little more attention to her surroundings, she might have noticed the wire strung out between the two banisters at ankle height. As it was, she tripped over it before her natural instinct took over and she kept herself from rolling down the stairs by grabbing on to the railing.
She growled low in her throat as she stood up and took the wire off to show it to Holmes. Normally she would have left it there for him to examine, but she didn't want anyone else to get hurt by it. What was making her really angry was the fact that she could have been carrying Jonathan at the time.
"What do you think you're doing!"
Deidre gasped and looked up to see a very angry blond looking down at her. She swallowed nervously and waved. "Hehe, I was just uhm..."
The blond just shook her head and grabbed the girl by the shirt sleeve. "Come on inside. I bet Watson will know who you are." Deidre sighed in defeat, knowing that the jig was up. Now, she just had to convince Watson to let her and the others help him out. Without letting him know what she knew.
The compudroid was of course surprised to see her, since he hadn't noticed her on his scans. "Deidre, what the deuce are you doing here? I made sure no one was following me..."
"I...already knew you were coming here.." she admitted, "So I waited to come until after I was sure you wouldn't be scanning anymore. Anyway, I already know a lot..and besides...you could use our help." She gave him her most winning smile, the one she knew he couldn't resist. Only Inspector Lestrade and Mister Holmes were immune to it.
"Oh well...I don't suppose it could hurt," Watson began, only to be interrupted by the man, who Deidre took to be Mr. Stanhope.
"What? You can't be serious."
"I am very serious. This young lady and her two compatriots are extremely useful in researching and finding things that most people wouldn't even think to look at. They may be able to locate the leader of this baby ring."
Deidre hid her triumphant smile as the blond and Mr. Stanhope agreed. Then a brunette walked out of a bedroom. Deidre gaped at her. It was the woman she'd overheard, but not only that, it was Mrs. Stanhope! "Oh zed! You mean all this time you've been alive? I may not like Inspector Lestrade much, I don't like law of any kind, but she doesn't deserve to be framed for murder!"
Mrs. Stanhope smiled sadly. "No, she doesn't. And I offered to go to the police, but Derrick, Watson and Edith all seem to think that would be a bad idea."
Deidre nodded. Now that the shock had worn off, she could see the truth of that. No, the only way Mrs. Stanhope could reveal the truth would be if they caught the person behind her 'murder'. Besides, Inspector Lestrade was safe enough with Mister Holmes at the moment. "Okay, just let me break the news to Wiggins and Tennyson, and we'll find out what they've learned." It wasn't just because she wanted to see the looks on their faces when they were told, she also didn't want these guys to know about Mister Holmes plot either. Oh boy was this going to be fun.
A/N:The song Beth sings is another one my sister used to sing to me when I was little. I have no idea who wrote it, and I really have forgotten most of the second and third verses.
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Lestrade stared down at the perfect child she held in her arms, the awe she felt most likely evident on her features. She didn't care though, as she gently rocked him back and forth, humming a song she remembered her mother singing to her when she was a child. How could anyone who had held a baby like this ever give him up?
It had been shocking news for both herself and Holmes when Higgins had announced that they had been selected as the parents for a child who had been waiting longer than most. They had been immediately suspicious, thought they didn't show it. Holmes had asked why they had been chosen over the other couples who had been waiting for longer. The doctor had looked away from them as he said that they didn't just choose on first come first serve basis, and that they were the couple the organizer had deemed a most suitable match. Why he was lying, Lestrade didn't know.
A few hours later, a nurse had arrived with the bundle of joy. She had presented it to Lestrade with a flourish and a gentle smile, before leaving with Higgins, who had also brought up supplies needed to care for the infant. That had left just her, Holmes and the baby. For the rest of the night, they had talked about what to do about this situation, and what it could mean to their investigation.
She had been awakened early this morning with the cries of the baby, who she was thinking of calling Jonathan, one of the names she and Elaine had once chosen out of a baby book for when they had children. It was a fitting tribute to the sister she would never see again, and who had been her best friend despite all the difficulties. Of course, she hadn't told Elaine that she had decided never to have children. She had never imagined she would be standing her like this, holding a child she could never keep.
"But don't worry Jonathan," she whispered, "Even after this is over, I'll make sure you go to a good home. And I'll check up on you everyday until you're grown, to make sure you don't have to go through what I did." She continued to rock him and her humming turned to soft words. It wasn't exactly a lullaby, but the tune was quiet enough.
Set sail across the foam,
Each vowed a fortune they would find
Before returning home.
Jack found his fortune first of all
Set sail for home that day.
And as the friends prepared to part
Poor Joe could only say:
'Give my love to Nelly, Jack
Kiss her once for me.
The sweetest girl in all the world
I know ye'll say to she.
Treat her kindly, Jack old boy
Tell her I am well,'
And his parting words were 'Don't forget
To give my love to Nell'
Her voice settled back into humming as she forgot the words to the second verse. Jonathan slept on, his face sweet in repose.
"A lovely tune," Holmes whispered into her ear, "We need to talk Lestrade."
Lestrade jumped. She hadn't even heard him come up. She smiled slightly, but inside she was trembling. He knew, there was no way he couldn't. Not after the way she had been acting. But she didn't want to talk about it. She hadn't told anyone. Not even Edith. When she and Marcus had come to pick her up that day, Lestrade had already repaired most of the damage done to her person.
"Holmes," she whispered back, "I....All right, but....let me go for a walk real quick. I...need to compose myself first." She didn't give him a chance to answer as she handed Jonathan to him and quickly stepped out the door.
She paused just outside the door to take in a lungfull of air before continuing on to the stairs. Had she been paying just a little more attention to her surroundings, she might have noticed the wire strung out between the two banisters at ankle height. As it was, she tripped over it before her natural instinct took over and she kept herself from rolling down the stairs by grabbing on to the railing.
She growled low in her throat as she stood up and took the wire off to show it to Holmes. Normally she would have left it there for him to examine, but she didn't want anyone else to get hurt by it. What was making her really angry was the fact that she could have been carrying Jonathan at the time.
"What do you think you're doing!"
Deidre gasped and looked up to see a very angry blond looking down at her. She swallowed nervously and waved. "Hehe, I was just uhm..."
The blond just shook her head and grabbed the girl by the shirt sleeve. "Come on inside. I bet Watson will know who you are." Deidre sighed in defeat, knowing that the jig was up. Now, she just had to convince Watson to let her and the others help him out. Without letting him know what she knew.
The compudroid was of course surprised to see her, since he hadn't noticed her on his scans. "Deidre, what the deuce are you doing here? I made sure no one was following me..."
"I...already knew you were coming here.." she admitted, "So I waited to come until after I was sure you wouldn't be scanning anymore. Anyway, I already know a lot..and besides...you could use our help." She gave him her most winning smile, the one she knew he couldn't resist. Only Inspector Lestrade and Mister Holmes were immune to it.
"Oh well...I don't suppose it could hurt," Watson began, only to be interrupted by the man, who Deidre took to be Mr. Stanhope.
"What? You can't be serious."
"I am very serious. This young lady and her two compatriots are extremely useful in researching and finding things that most people wouldn't even think to look at. They may be able to locate the leader of this baby ring."
Deidre hid her triumphant smile as the blond and Mr. Stanhope agreed. Then a brunette walked out of a bedroom. Deidre gaped at her. It was the woman she'd overheard, but not only that, it was Mrs. Stanhope! "Oh zed! You mean all this time you've been alive? I may not like Inspector Lestrade much, I don't like law of any kind, but she doesn't deserve to be framed for murder!"
Mrs. Stanhope smiled sadly. "No, she doesn't. And I offered to go to the police, but Derrick, Watson and Edith all seem to think that would be a bad idea."
Deidre nodded. Now that the shock had worn off, she could see the truth of that. No, the only way Mrs. Stanhope could reveal the truth would be if they caught the person behind her 'murder'. Besides, Inspector Lestrade was safe enough with Mister Holmes at the moment. "Okay, just let me break the news to Wiggins and Tennyson, and we'll find out what they've learned." It wasn't just because she wanted to see the looks on their faces when they were told, she also didn't want these guys to know about Mister Holmes plot either. Oh boy was this going to be fun.
A/N:The song Beth sings is another one my sister used to sing to me when I was little. I have no idea who wrote it, and I really have forgotten most of the second and third verses.
Go on to 11!
Go back to 9
Go back to the Fanfic Page