Oh my goodness I'm actually updating!!!!!!!! Scary, isn't it? I was looking at it a few days ago and said to myself, "Wow, it's been such a long time...I wonder why my written copy went to?" And now that I've finally found it, I have decided to continue on!!! It's kind of weird, and I'm a bit rusty, but I think this went pretty well. I wasn't sure how I was going to make Watson react, but I think I have the right idea...

Anyways, onward, ho!

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Dedicated to:

snowwolf

Patti

Andi Horton

Victoria Russell

HouAreYouToday

Susan

Thanks so much for your support and encouragement! And you know the disclaimer thingy like the back of your hand! So, without further ado, let's go!

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Violet woke up from her nap. She felt the sheets and remembered that he wasn't in her room, but Mommy's. And that Mommy was hurting really badly. She slid out of the warm covers, making sure she didn't wake up her mommy, and left the room via the hidden door. But, before she left, she kissed Mommy on the cheek very lightly and whispered, "Wuv oo, Mummy."

As she crept the short length of the secret passage, she was wondering about what her sister and brothers were doing. And worrying about what Mrs. Hudson would do if she found her...

She had a right to worry. David was covering as best he could for her, but it was starting to wear thin. After everything Mrs. Hudson had gone through with Holmes, in addition to the years she had had with the quartet before, she had become a very capable woman. So David found it very hard to keep Mrs. Hudson preoccupied, especially since Jonathan had just left him.

But, soon, David saw Violet tip-toe behind Mrs. Hudson. She was just about to jump on Mrs. Hudson when Mrs. Hudson turned around and spotter her. And what a sight Mrs. Hudson saw! For she was a mass of rumpled cotton and tangled hair. She was adorable.

"Well, Violet, and where have you been?" said Mrs. Hudson, hands on her hips and eyes locked onto Violet's bowed head.

"M...my room," she responded.

"Oh, really? You weren't there the last time I checked on you. Or any of the other times I've been in that room looking for you."

"Went baffroom."

"Seven times in one hour, maybe?"

"David's room."

"I checked in there as many times as I checked in yours. You weren't there."

Violet thought, then asked, "Mommy and Daddy's room?" Mrs. Hudson just shook her head. "Attic?"

Mrs. Hudson shook her head again. "There's a lock on that door, and you don't have a key. I made sure of that."

She stood there, trying to think of some sort of excuse, but her mind as drawing a nice large blank.

Meanwhile, David had secretly moved into the shadows and maneuvered his way behind Violet. He was about to pounce on Mrs. Hudson when she turned abruptly around to see his little face looking up very guiltily into hers.

"And what, my young man, were you going to do?" she asked, her face beginning to go red.

"Umm..."

**********

They stood at the door, dumbfounded. This wasn't exactly what they had expected. They had been expecting (at worst) Mrs. Hudson still in the kitchen with David hanging onto her with Violet and Judith keeping Mycroft preoccupied. But a body being carried into the kitchen on a stretcher by Holmes and Mycroft? They were definitely not prepared for this.

Jonathan, getting out of shock first, walked over to his father. "Daddy, wha's under there?"

"It's nothing important, Jonathan," he said, a bit too quickly.

"Weally?" He decided to verify the matter by lifting up the sheets. Holmes and Mycroft tried to stop him, but they weren't quick enough. Jonathan lifted off the sheet...

**********

"Well, young man?"

"Umm...huggy!" And with that, he attached himself onto Mrs. Hudson's leg, hugging her tightly. He looked up at her face and smiled widely. "Wuv you, Gwandma!" He snuggled his face into the softness of her dress.

And I thought Holmes and Russell were the only ones that could melt my heart! she thought to herself as she looked down at David, his shiny blond hair reflecting the sunlight from the window.

**********

...to find Alexia Houston.

At first, Watson would not move. He was paralyzed in his place, unable to feel, thoughts trying to order themselves in his head.

"Daddy, who's 'at?" asked Jonathan. "Why she huwt?"

"Jonathan, she's a very old acquaintance of Mummy's and a friend of your Uncle John. She got hurt in a car accident and has been recovering from it for a long while. We're moving her out of the house to be better cared for in a hospital." Here, his eyes shot towards where Watson stood. "She will be taken care of there. Now, why don't you run along with Uncle..."

Just then, Judith, wha's taking so long?"

"Why don't you go along with Jonathan and he will tell you what's happening."

"But...Daddy..."

"Judith..." She knew that tone.

"Okay, Daddy." The two children walked of towards the kitchen door, their heads bent towards each other in "deep" discussion.

Holmes let out a sign. Now all he had to handle was Watson. "John..."

"Don't, Holmes," said Watson, bitterly. "Don't, please. I want none of your sympathy or stories. Just the truth."

Holmes had been more ready for Watson to have simply cried out and fallen to the floor. But his calmness worried Holmes more than a faint. Much more.

"All right, then," said Holmes. And he explained what had happened. He stared with the message and filled in as much as he could, not being able to tell him exactly what had happened because he wasn't very sure of the events himself. He explained how Alexia knew Russell before and about the fight. And then came the hard part.

"Watson, do you know how alexia knew where Russell was and how she found her?"

"Through me." He said it quietly, in a hushed tone filled with emotion, but it rang through the room. His head was held in his hands. He could feel his knees begin to buckle beneath him. He rested his hands on the counter next to him to steady his weakening knees. "I know, Holmes. I'm not so stupid as to not understand. I know she used me. I know, God dammit! And I'm regretting every bit of it now." He looked up at Holmes. His eyes were glistening with tears filled with sadness and grief. "I knew it was too good to be true. But I...I just did not want to believe it. I wanted it to last...she reminded me so much of my own Mary..." Here, he choked up. After a bit, he continued. "I wanted it so badly...so many memories came back...it was like I was reliving my time with Mary...I didn't want to let it go...But now" he said, his eyes now filling with righteous anger and a deep anger-filled passion, "it's over. I want to see justice done."

And with that, he very slowly walked out of the kitchen and outside where the sun was shining and a cool breeze blew across them.

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That was a rather short chapter, I know, but it wasn't all that bad...was it? If you have any insight, please tell me!

I know, Watson is a little bit OOC, but it felt good to have him do that. Anyway, I'm going to add some more to this (and hopefully soon) which will include why Watson reacted the way he did. Just remember, he's an honourable man.

Please, read and review!!! Reviewing tells me if people like it or not! I'd love to have feedbacks!!!!!