Author's note- I really am sorry for the lack of updates. I won't bore you with excuses, I'm just going to say that my GCSE's start in two days so I'm stressed and I don't cope well with stress. On the 30th of April it was the one year anniversary of this fic, so I'd like to give a massive thank you to all of you for sticking by me and this fanfic- whether it's been for the whole year or if you've just started reading it the other day... thank you!

I'm sorry if the quality isn't that great, I'm really trying but I'm so stressed and stuff that I'm struggling.

Disclaimer- I own nothing! This isn't going to be word for word from the tv show okay? I don't have the time to keep watching the episode while stopping every two seconds to be able to write down exact quotes. I'm sorry.

Chapter 37

Things had been better. John was over the moon to say the least- even he could see the small differences to how Lucy was. The counselling had started to really make a difference, and the fact that she had the slight distraction of studying was also helping. Despite the fact that she hadn't been to school in ages, her studying was going really well and everyone had high hopes for her exams that were coming up in a few months time. The pressure sometimes got to her, but she was coping much better than if she had to go into school each day.

John had gone out to do some shopping, leaving Sherlock and Lucy at home with little to do. There had been neither sight nor sound from Moriarty, leaving Lucy terrified at what he was cooking up. It was never a good thing when someone, who had done something as big as break into the three securest places in the country, suddenly disappears off the radar. Sherlock didn't seem too bothered about it- which concerned the young girl. She wondered why she was the only one who had seemed truly worried, but she wrote it off as everyone was acting like it didn't matter to not worry her further.

"Sherlock," Lucy said the consulting detective's name as she watched him analyse some Petri dish in the kitchen.

"I'm busy." He muttered his reply. There was a pause.

"Sherlock." The teenager said more forcefully. With a sigh and an annoyed expression, the dark haired man looked up at her.

"What?" He grumbled. Lucy looked a little taken aback at his tone but nonetheless decided to say:

"Do you think Moriarty will come back?" Her voice was a little timid, and Sherlock softened his expression.

"You really need to stop worrying about him you know; it's not doing you any favours." His voice was deep and soothing. "Whether or not he comes back, we've dealt with him once before we can deal with him again."

"But what if something bad happens again?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Then we will work through it no matter what happens okay? You really need to stop worrying. It's time you learned to trust me fully." He half smiled at her.

It was another week later when something happened- two months on from Moriarty's trial and Sherlock was still as distant as ever. There had been barely any cases that truly interested Sherlock, so he was becoming more irritable and moody and John and Lucy had to escape to the cinema for the day when he was in an 'I will shoot this bloody wall' mood. But it was the day that John had been out that Lestrade had called Sherlock with a new case and, needless to say, Lestrade and Donovan came over immediately with Sherlock finally looking a little happier than usual.

"Greg!" Lucy yelled excitedly as she saw him reach the top of the stairs. The teenager ran over to him and threw her arms around him in a tight hug- one which he warmly returned.

"How are you Lucy?" He asked with a grin.

"I'm actually really good thanks, you?"

"I'm good too, been a bit busy at work though."

"Enough pleasantries," Sherlock rolled his eyes, "Let's see what you've got for me."

"Always the social butterfly," Donovan muttered as they moved into the living room to look at the case files.

Max and Claudette Bruhl aged seven and nine respectively- the children of Rufus Bruhl, the ambassador to the US who had requested Sherlock Holmes specifically- had gone missing from the St Aldates private –very posh- boarding school in Surrey. After reviewing the files and coming up with some possible conclusions, they ended up preparing to set out to the school.

John Watson had returned at that point, confused at what was going on.

"There's been a kidnapping," Sherlock told him as he grabbed his scarf.

"Rufus Bruhl, ambassador to the US, he requested Sherlock specifically," Lestrade added with a smile at the detective.

"Our Reichenbach hero," Sally said, slightly sarcastically, as Sherlock put on his coat. The detective didn't bother replying to her as they exited the flat and got into Lestrade's car.

It wasn't an awfully long journey to Surrey, but it was long enough for Sherlock to start complaining about the lack of decent officers on the police force. As a way to shut him up and stop him from being too offensive, Lucy asked:

"You said earlier that it was a kidnapping- how do you know for sure it was a kidnapping. Wouldn't someone have noticed?"

"It was the end of school term; lots of parents walking in and out, strangers everywhere. It's easy for another unknown man to get into the school. Max and Claudette were staying over the holiday, and the teachers make sure that they are in their rooms at night. It was in the morning that they were gone. It's more likely to be a kidnapping considering how easy it is to kidnap children at that time of year."

Lucy nodded thoughtfully, but she didn't like this case one bit. It just felt all wrong again. The first proper case since Moriarty's trial was a kidnapping of two children whose father was a very important man. This had the consulting criminal mastermind written all over it. And if she was right in her suspicion, then it was only a matter of time before things really starting kicking off again. Glancing over to Sherlock, she saw how laid back, relaxed and unconcerned he was. Maybe that was a good thing- if he wasn't worried then she shouldn't be worried. Even John didn't seem bothered by it. Lucy sighed and scratched at her arms. Another catastrophic run in with Jim wasn't what she needed right now. Focusing on her breathing, she looked at the big brick school as the car pulled up on the gravel driveway. Lestrade looked back at her and gave her a reassuring smile before all of them got out of the car ready to start investigating.