Plot twist! :) Thank you so much for 30,000 hits!
...and so everything was rosy for a few weeks. Lissie returned to school, Mary and John had a readied a nursery and Mycroft went back to being mysterious and less cheerful. Everything felt normal, but with the Holmes' danger and deductions are always right around the corner.
A phone, illuminated by maps, flickering screens and the latest espionage technology rang and vibrated shrilly. The man watching the screens answered.
It was a girl's voice. "Uncle Mycroft?"
He jolted up and out of his seat. "Lissie? This is an MI6 protected number. How are you calling it? How...who...did Sherlock..."
"Sherlock isn't answering texts or calls. Neither are you, apparently, so I took matters into my own hands. Miss Anthea dialled this for me, I didn't see the number. I'm in your office. When no one was at 221B I headed to your office, where I found Anthea."
The girl knew where his office was? "How did you find my office?"
Anthea cut in, voice smooth to hide the danger it could carry. "That does not matter now. Where is the girl's father? How much can I tell?"
"I can't reach the Watsons, either," Lissie said.
Finally, a question he could answer and dodge at the same time. "They want to make Sherlock godfather or some rot."
"Has she had the baby? Are they alright?"
"Lissie, there is a reason no one is contacting you. And it is out of their control, I assure you."
Fear gripped her, and the thought of losing Sherlock caused her words to fail. She swallowed and tried for calmness.
The beautiful but inanimate rose that was Anthea waited silently, still holding her phone out while Lissie struggled.
Finally she could speak, hearing the edge to her voice. "Is- is Sherlock safe?"
Even a patronizing answer would be reassuring but Mycroft didn't answer immediately. When he did it was cold.
"I can assure you that the British government is aware of the service Sherlock is doing for them."
"So he's doing some work for MI6, and they can't even protect him, just be aware he's helping?"
Anthea was nodding. Mycroft murmured, "Something like that. Are you out of school, or have you run away again?"
"I'm on a weekend break. Answer my question now -why secrecy? John and Mary aren't involved-"
"Think, Felicity." Her full name. It made the situation more desperate. "Who else do you know besides us Holmes with a career in secrets?"
"Mary," she said instantly.
"You can make conclusions from that; I can not tell you anymore."
"Is Sherlock safe," she tried again.
Even to Mycroft her voice sounded shaky. Would she cry? He hoped to avoid a scene, but how? He didn't know. He hated emotions.
"I don't want to lie to you, but Sherlock could not tell you where he was going or what he would be doing - because it is highly dangerous." Hastily he added, "If it makes you feel better, he attempted to get you partial clearance."
She heard someone's voice on the other end, urgent. "Sir, the subject has activated a track beacon."
Mycroft quickly said goodbye and the phone was silent save dead air.
Anthea pressed end call and placed her phone back on the table.
"Thank you, Miss Anthea," Lissie said, grateful for someone's help, "It was nice to meet you."
"Lovely," the woman replied, shuffling papers, already disinterested.
Lissie shouldered her bag and shut the door , trying to decide what to do with her day before she had to return to school.
Why would Sherlock accept something so dangerous? Did he not want to be her guardian? She took a few breaths. No, she should not be angry. He was trying to help Britain, surely, and had not meant to hurt her.
She felt lightheaded and sat on the stone steps of the British Museum. What if Sherlock was gravely injured, or killed? Why would he take this case?
He took it for John and Mary? Or is Mary's case separate and she, too is in hiding?
She swallowed, mouth dry. Would Sherlock come back in a coffin draped with the Union Jack? Don't worry about Britain, worry about me, she thought wildly, for a few selfish moments.
The truth - she could not shy away - had little to do with heroics or love of country. Sherlock would take any dangerously perplexing case that came along, and this one had been so wildly interesting he dropped everything and ran.
Why did he never heed danger?
Sighing, she decided to look about the museum before heading back. The Egyptology rooms were fascinating, but it was soon time to return to school.
When she returned to her room that she and Nicole shared, there was a surprise - a third bed had been brought in, with a new girl sitting on it. It was an unusually large room; another twin bed did not cramp it, but it was surprising.
The new girl gave a nasty smile. "So you're the orphan,huh?"
"I'm not an orphan,"Lissie said slowly.
"I thought you were in foster care?"
"Who told you that?"
"I get around. See, at my old school, I was the leader of the pack. I understand you're the popular one here, but there can only be one leader, and that's me. You follow?"
Lissie could only stare. What was that American film? Mean Girls? Well, here it was come to life.
The girl flounced out, shutting the door with a bang. Lissie turned to Nicole. "Is she for real?"
"Unfortunately, yes. She went and scoped out the competition - her words - by asking around who everyone liked best. You came up enough to be a threat, apparently."
"That has got to be the oddest thing I've ever heard."
Nicole nodded. "She's lost the plot, but I heard her parents are very rich." Nicole was a scholarship student, and she had better grades than the most affluent.
"Why is she spreading rumors? Calling me an orphan?"
Nicole shrugged. "She called me a charity student, raised by tax money. I think she's just nutters. Want to do nails?"
"Sure. Let me grab my polish."
As Lissie looked at her hands, she saw the ring Sherlock had given her and felt fresh worry rush in.
Well? Nothing like a good ol' nutters character to spice things up. What do we think? Love or hate this new chapter? Should this continue?
Love y'all!