Annie's been through a bit, especially the past week, no?
Well, it's only just getting started, unfortunately.
I was going to use some more of the written works from Sherlock, lace them in between the episodes, but I think I'm doing fairly well with lengths here. Plus once I get to where Criminal Minds comes in, that will give more options of plots.
You'll meet a new character in here- a... supporting cast... if you will. If you have liked my facebook page, you'll know all about her by now.
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Got some... interesting relationship development between Lestrade and Anna though. Let's see where that takes us.
I think it's high time we bring in our biggest villain, though. Don't you?
Disclaimer: I don't own Sherlock or Criminal Minds. Just Annalise, Leslie, Blakely Lockwood (met here), and Cheyanne Lockwood (met later)
Two days later could not come quick enough. For the first time in years, Anna felt refreshed and a bit more alive. As she made her way through the early-morning detectives two days later, the adopted Holmes had a distant feeling of peace that seemed to surround her. As she approached Lestrade's office, she noticed another young brunette within, seemingly in serious conversation with the Detective Inspector. With a gentle knock to the doorframe, both of them turned their attention to Anna.
"Sorry to interrupt, Lestrade…" Anna trailed off; Lestrade gave her a small smile, knowing why she was there.
"Just a moment, Holmes," he told her, before turning back to the other brunette," Feel free to take the empty desk out there by Dimmock. If something comes up, let me know. Any questions, Lockwood?"
"Thank you, sir," this new lady- Lockwood- said, her voice level and calm, almost rehearsed," No questions, at the moment." As Anna stood there, she looked over this new addition.
"Late twenties, maybe early thirties… single, probably- no ring… no pets- or at least none with fur… American, by the accent- Damn it, stop Annalise."
As Lockwood left the room, she gave Anna a curt nod, to which Anna returned, before Lestrade gave a hefty sigh.
"You were doing it- weren't you? Reading her?"
"What? No!" Anna frowned, looking at Lestrade out of the corner of her eyes, before crossing her arms in a huff,"…. Maybe…. Blame my brothers, okay!" He chuckled softly in response, before standing up and walking over to Anna.
"Welcome back, Holmes," Lestrade said, holding out his hand. In his hand was her Forensics ID badge, which she happily accepted from him, as he said," You've been dearly missed."
"Please, the other techs were probably happy I was gone," Anna rolled her eyes as she clipped her badge to her pants.
"Didn't say it was the techs that missed you."
Ba-bum.
Her heart skipped a beat, as she looked up at him; he had a playful smile on his face, before it turned serious, a flush to his cheeks," I- uh. I know several detectives that prefer working with you. Forbes… er.. Jones! MacKinnon…"
"I think one of them missed me most…" Anna gave a soft smile, only causing Lestrade to go a deeper shade of pink," I should go say to him, no? Poor Dimmock, working with amateurs. Pity the man, honestly." She had to hold back the chuckle, as she walked away from a gawking Lestrade; it hadn't been her intention to actually go to Dimmock's desk, but he waved her over- relief washing over his features.
"Please tell me you're back," he begged of her once Anna was in ear-shot.
"Nice to see you too, Dimmock. I had such a lovely vacation- weather wasn't too terrible."
"Er… sorry…"
"It's alright, just giving you a hard time," Anna laughed slightly," But yes, yes I am back."
"Oh, thank God. Not a moment too soon, either- I've a case I desperately need your help."
"That's got to be a new record," the Holmes gave a chuckle," What's up?"
"The Northrop case- have you heard of it?"
"Can't say I have."
"Yesterday, got a call about a body. Young woman- Tracee Northrop. She was found down by the river, secluded spot under the bridge. Last time she saw seen by anyone; she was eight months pregnant."
"I don't want to ask—what of the baby?"
"That's the thing," Dimmock explained," There was no baby. Her stomach was carved open and the baby missing."
"Oh, you've got to be bloody kidding me! Someone took a baby?!"
"Looks that way, yeah," Dimmock frowned," We have no idea though- what happened to the baby, or who the killer even is. All we know is Northrop was bludgeoned by someone. Rock nearby was found- bloody and… brain tissue… all over it."
"What tests have been run?" Anna asked, dreading the answer.
"Here's the folder," Dimmock handed her a folder—a too-thin folder—with a grimace, and said," Please, help me out here. I'm desperate."
Silent moments passed, as Anna thumbed through the few papers, her brow furrowing deeper and deeper. Her glare rose from the paper to the young Detective Inspector- determination and frustration evident.
"I'll be back. Soon."
"Oh, thank God," Dimmock muttered, leaning back in his chair in relief.
Not even five minutes later, Anna rushed into the Forensics lab and straight to her desk with an evidence box she had grabbed from storage.
"Honestly! Complete utter idiots- the LOT of you!" she exclaimed angrily, slicing open the tape that held the box closed and rummaging through to find what she was after.
"Ladies and Gentlemen- a record. Not even ten seconds into the room from being gone for three days and she's already throwing insults," Anderson frowned, crossing his arms from where he sat at his desk. Anna fixed him with a glare before returning her attention to the evidence.
"If you lot had bothered to do your job like you're supposed to, then we could have exchanged pleasantries like normal co-workers, Anderson," Anna spat," But No! Your dull mind is so one-track that you don't bother to look at the wider picture, and because of that- this case hasn't been solved! There's an infant out there somewhere! Stolen from their mother! A mother that was bludgeoned to death! So sorry if I'm not smiles and rainbows right now!"
"Anything I can do—"
"No! You've done enough damage already—by exactly doing nothing! Just keep quiet and let me work!"
"Tch. Just like a Holmes," Anderson muttered, rolling his eyes and returning his attention to the computer screen in front of him. Anna resisted the urge to throw something at him, instead pouring her energy into the case.
"Hang on there, little one. I'll find you—and I'll find out what happened to your mommy. I promise you."
Two hours had passed, and Anna was waiting on a final test to finish. As she waited- she brought out her mobile and dialed her brother—and much to her surprise, he answered—eventually.
"Shouldn't you be saving the validity of the Forensics department?"
"Already am, Sher. For the past two hours- been doing just that," Anna rolled her eyes," You back from Belarus yet?"
"Late last night."
"Anything worth your time?"
"Definitely not."
"Sorry to hear. At least you were able to experience the lovely Belarusian weather," Anna joked, to which Sherlock tutted in response.
"You're bored, aren't you?"
"What ever gave you that idea?" Sherlock sassed her.
"Oh, don't be like that, Brother Mine. I'm sure a case will come by you soon enou—" a beeping sound caused her heart to soar," Sorry Sher- I need to go. Reports finally done- now I can give Dimmock good news, find an infant and find the mothers killer!"
"Sounds—" She hung up before he could finish, grabbing the report and quickly reading the results, her eyes going wider and wider the more she read.
"Oh- I got you now!" Anna exclaimed, grabbing the evidence box, the report folder and rushing out the door to the Homicide Floor. Minutes ticked by as she waited for the lift to reach her destination- and as the doors slowly slid open, she pushed her way through them, rushing over to Dimmock, who sat up in anticipation when he saw her coming.
"You did it?!
"That I did."
"Oh, I could bloody kiss you right now," Dimmock told her, before realizing what he said and clamming up," But I—uh—"
"Just shut up, Dimmock—here's the file," Anna shook her head," A chemical analysis showed that Northrop still had high traces of Polychlorinated Biphenyl in her blood- so she was definitely still pregnant when they killed her. Unfortunately, the blood around the lacerations in her stomach were not clotted—"
"She was still alive when they cut into her stomach?"
Anna turned her attention to find the brunette from earlier—Lockwood—standing nearby, looking disturbed.
"Yes," Anna nodded, turning back to Dimmock," Whoever tried to kill Northrop and took her baby- done so while she was still alive."
"Tell me there's good news," Dimmock muttered, glancing up at Anna hopefully.
"Oh, you better believe there is," Anna smirked," Whoever cut her open? Accidentally cut themselves. Whatever tool they used- they nicked themselves in the process. Northrop's shirt had two blood samples on it- her's and her killers. I ran it through the system and got a hit. Recognize her?" Anna asked as Dimmock flipped a page in the folder.
"Bloody hell—you can't be serious!" Dimmock exclaimed, shooting up from his desk in a hurry and reaching for the phone," That's the woman that called in to report a body! I'm getting a warrant called in now—Oh, Holmes, you are a bloody miracle!"
"Tell me something I don't know, Dimmock," Anna sassed him," Now- you go get that baby and arrest a murderer." Reaching for a pen on Dimmock's desk to write on the evidence box, Anna was aware of Lockwood approaching her.
"That was… amazing."
"Hmm? Oh, uh- thanks. Just… doing my job," shrugged the Holmes, then with a frown," Unlike all the idiot Forensics I have to work with." Suddenly, Anna's mobile begins to ring, and with an apologetic grimace to Lockwood, Anna reaches down to answer.
"Holmes."
"Oh! Annie! T-there's been a—a terrible explosion! It's absolutely—absolutely dreadful dear! Glass and bricks-!"
"Mrs. Hudson—calm down. What do you mean, there's been an explosion? Where?!"
"Baker street!"
Anna felt her heart stop and she couldn't breathe.
"S-Sherlock?!"
"H-he's—" the line went dead, only increasing the dread that filled Anna.
"Mrs. Hudson? Mrs. Hudson! Dammit!" Hastily, Anna shoved her mobile into her pant pocket, grabbed the evidence box and ran to the lift.
"Please! Please, be okay!"
Half hour later, Anna had raced past the first responders and after explaining she had family that lived there- they let her by, and she raced into 221 and up the steps. She was out of breath by the time she reached the landing but paid it little attention. Rushing into the living space, her brown eyes darted around until the landed upon Sherlock, who sat in his chair looking irritated.
"Sher!" Anna exclaimed, catching his attention. He looked over to her, his blue eyes softening when he saw the state she was in; standing up, he braced himself for her impact, as she wrapped her arms around his torso and held onto him for dear life.
"Mrs. Hudson—she called. Said that there had been an explosion at Baker street—but the line was disconnected before—"
"It's alright," Sherlock murmured to her," We're all fine."
"No injuries?" Anna questioned, drawing back from her brother and her eyes looking him over.
"None, just an unending ringing in my ears," Sherlock verified.
"And John? Mrs. Hudson?"
"Mrs. Hudson is a bit shook up. John wasn't here when it happened."
"Oh, thank God," Anna breathed a sigh of relief as she sat on the edge of John's chair.
"Shouldn't you be solving a crime?" Sherlock asked her, sitting back down in his own chair.
"So not important right now," she said with a shake of her head," For what it matters- I already solved it. Dimmock's getting an arrest warrant for the killer and saving the baby as we speak."
Sherlock tossed her an appreciative smile," Whatever would London do without you?"