Disclaimer thingy (again): Elementary characters no mine. If they were, I would probably die of a heart attack before I could write any more fic.

"Ty," Jemima asked when her husband came back to the dinner table. "What was that all about? Why is the shower going?"

"An old friend came here in need of a place to stay," Tyler explained to his wife and daughter. "I couldn't turn her away."

Chelsea seemed to accept it, but his wife required further information.

"Her name is Kitty Winter," Tyler said. "And I knew her when we were kids. We haven't seen each other in five years, but I still care about her."

Chelsea, again, seemed quite content with the information and went back to playing with her Mac 'n' Cheese before gobbling each piece down. Tyler shot his wife a look that said 'we'll discuss this later'. The family went back to their dinner in peace.

After a while, Kitty had managed to stop crying and finish washing. She was now in some pyjamas, sitting on the guest bed with her knees to her chest. She internally cursed the emotions for not just going away. She looked up when she heard a tap on the door.

"Kitty? May I come in?" he asked. Kitty felt a sharp tug at her heart because Tyler's words sounded a lot like something Sherlock would say.

"Yeah."

Kitty's voice didn't crack this time. Tyler opened the door, and then closed it behind him for privacy. He sat down on the bed and opened his arms, which Kitty automatically snuggled in.

"Now, Kitty," Tyler started. "You know you can stay here as long as you need to, but I have to know what's going on."

Kitty sighed. She was going to tell him anyway, she just felt like she wasn't ready. But, then again, would she ever be ready to tell anyone about it? She decided to try and if she couldn't finish the story tonight, she'd finish it another night. Kitty let out another sigh.

"It started five years ago," Kitty started her story, pulling away from Tyler. "I was, uh, kidnapped."

She paused to get a read on Tyler. His eyes flickered with all sorts of emotion, but he didn't say anything.

"The man who kidnapped me," Kitty recalled. "He put tape over my eyes and bound my hands. He then, uh, raped me."

Kitty forced all the emotion back down and then stood up and turned around. She pulled her top up to reveal her scars.

"He also did this."

"Oh my god," she heard Tyler breathe from behind her, gently running his fingers over them. "Son of bitch!"

Kitty pulled away and dropped her top. She turned around again, feeling the tears sting her eyes, again.

"He did it so a lot of other women," Kitty said. "But, unlike them, I got away. I ran away to London and changed my identity, which is why you couldn't find me. Why no one could."

She sat back down and Tyler reached for her hand, cradling it gently.

"Then, while in London, I met another man," Kitty continued, feeling the tears dissipate. "His name was…is Sherlock. He's a detective and found me. He taught me how to be a detective. Eventually, he took me back to New York with him and I continued to study under him. I met his former partner and also learnt off her."

Kitty stopped and swallowed slowly, preparing for the next part of the story.

"Then, last night, I found him," she said. "I found him, Ty. I found the man who raped me."

She felt Tyler squeeze her hand a little bit.

"I had every intention of killing him," she kept going. "But Sherlock showed up. He said that whether I decided to let my offender live or kill him, I'd always be special to him."

Kitty choked back the tears that were coming faster than she could stop them.

"I didn't kill him," she went on, trying to ignore the tears. "I instead burnt his face quite badly. Then I had to run away before I went to jail."

Kitty managed to regain control of her emotions.

"And whilst deciding where I should go, I remembered when we were fifteen," she continued. "How you promised you'd always be there for me when my parents split up. I know you're a man of your word, so I…I didn't know where else to turn."

Kitty lost control of her emotions as quickly as she had gained it and Tyler pulled her into a nice, big, bear hug.

"Oh, Kitty," he murmured. "It's going to be alright. You poor little piglet."

Tyler had always called her a piglet because she ate like a pig and sometimes snored. But a pig would be an insult, so he toned it down a notch to 'piglet'. At the sound of her sort-of nickname, Kitty let out a snort-ish noise that was somewhere between a cry and a laugh. Tyler smiled softly.

Kitty suddenly stopped crying, pulled away and distanced herself.

"I'm sorry I'm such a burden," she said so quietly it was barely audible.

"What are you talking about?" Tyler asked, letting out a humourless laugh and standing up. "You're not a burden, you're my friend! Whatever would make you say something like that?"

"I just, I feel…" Kitty trailed off, feeling a tear roll down her face again. She drew in a shaky breath and in an instant, Tyler was by her side.

"No, no, Kitty," he assured her. "You don't need to feel that way, because it's simply not true."

Kitty collapsed into Tyler's arms once again and sobbed. Tyler sat them both down, and held Kitty as close as he could, just rubbing her back gently.

From downstairs, Chelsea and Jemima both heard the sobbing. Jemima knew, as an adult, that it was not socially acceptable to interrupt something like that. However, being only five years old, Chelsea did not know that etiquette. So, she went into the backyard and picked a bunch of daisies and made a daisy chain in possibly the fastest time ever non-recorded.

As soon as she was done, and her mother's back was turned, she tiptoed upstairs towards the sobbing. She came across the closed door and she knocked. The sobbing abruptly stopped and she heard her father's voice inviting her in.

She opened the door and walked in.

"You Kitty?" she asked the woman on the bed with her father. The woman nodded. "You seem sad. So I make you this!"

The little five year old presented the daisy chain and, with Kitty co-operation, she placed it delicately on top of Kitty's head. She then gave Kitty a kiss on the cheek.

"It all be O.K, Kitty," she assured the woman. "You don't need to be sad."

With that, Chelsea spun on her heel and exited the room, closing the door behind her. Kitty took the wreath off her head and held it in front of her to examine.

A ghostly smile warmed her face as she admired the child's gift in her hands.

Thanks to the lovely Nonnie who left a lovely review. And to whoever is reading this, keep reading, 'coz it makes me feel special when people take the time to read my work :)