This chapter implies child abuse, so be warned if that's something that upsets you. This was written before S3 when we met the Holmes parents and discovered they are wonderful people. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

Chapter 19

The next day Addie's fever was practically nonexistent but she still had a lingering cough and a small headache. Sherlock and John thought it best to keep her in for another day or so to let her recover fully. They couldn't afford any set-backs.

Addie though, being so alike in Sherlock's character and attitude, was completely and utterly bored. She was driving Sherlock and John crazy, to the point that Sherlock had to leave the flat for some "air" before he strangled her.

So John was left alone with a four-year-old suffering from severe cabin fever and currently running circles around the kitchen table yelling "Go-Go-Gadget flashlight!" and other various tools that came to mind. When she yelled "Go-Go-Gadget pocketknife," John jumped up from the couch to rescue Sherlock's knife from her grasp.

He didn't mean to get so upset. He really didn't. But she was beginning to drive him mad!

"ADDIE!" he yelled. "Will you just sit down and shut up! You're giving me a migraine!"

Addie stopped abruptly, mid jump, and came crashing to the floor. She flinched at his raised voice and looked at him wide-eyed.

"I…I'm sorry Mr. John…" she replied.

John sighed and ran his hand down his face. "Just…just find something quiet to do please? And stop touching everything for god's sake. Especially knives!"

Addie still looked scared but she nodded silently. "Can…can I write in my journal? I'm pretending to be a 'atective like Sherlock," she asked.

"Yes, that's fine. Go on then," he answered.

Soon Addie had her own "lab" set up on the table with her journal open next to her, pretending to make notes about her experiments. John got up to use the bathroom and Addie decided to use one of Sherlock's very real test tubes for her very make-believe experiment. She held it up to her face and swirled it around like she'd seen Sherlock do countless times. She made pretend notes in her journal and reached for an eye-dropper across the table. She couldn't quite reach it though, and in her attempt to grab it she knocked off a mug and a beaker, sending them crashing to the floor into a bunch of pieces.

Addie froze and stared at the shattered items around her chair. She panicked and started breathing heavily as she thought of what to do. Surely John had heard the crash from the bathroom and he'd come running in any time now. He was already angry with her as it was and she didn't want to test his patience any further.

Sure enough, she heard a "what was that?" from down the hall and hurried footsteps coming towards her. She did the only thing she could think of and she ran. She flew down the stairs and hid behind the old cloak stand outside of Mrs. Hudson's flat. She curled up and pulled her knees to her chest to make herself less visible.

Mrs. Hudson, who had just come home from the market, hung her coat up on the stand and nearly screamed when she saw Addie hiding behind it.

"Adelaide! What on earth are you doing behind there?"

" M'hiding," she said quietly.

"Yes, I can see that, but why are you hiding, dear?"

"I did something bad and Mr. John's gonna get really, really, mad at me," Addie replied.

"Come on and help me with my bags and we can talk about it," Mrs. Hudson said as she unlocked her door and shepherded Addie inside.

"I didn't mean to make him angry, Mrs. Hudson! I was just trying to have fun and pretend to be a 'spektor, like on tv," Addie explained as she helped Mrs. Hudson unload her bags.

"I know it was an accident sweetie, and I know John will forgive you. Don't you worry your pretty little head, alright?"

Suddenly both John and Sherlock burst through Mrs. Hudson's door looking frantic and worried. Sherlock had arrived home to a panicked John and a kitchen floor littered with glass.

"Mrs. Hudson! Have you seen Addie? We can't find her any-" John stopped short when he saw Addie sitting at the table. "Addie! Where the hell have you been? Do you know the state you left the kitchen in? There's glass everywhere! You know better than to touch Sherlock's stuff! What did you do?"

Addie squeaked out an apology and sunk down into the chair looking frightened and nervous.

John, not liking her offer of no explanation, advanced toward her. "Did you not hear me? I said, what did you do?!"

"John," Sherlock interrupted and grabbed his arm. He gave him a hard look, signaling him to calm down and take a deep breath. He motioned his head towards Addie and raised his eyebrows.

Addie had now climbed off her chair and was sitting on the floor under the table cowering and covering her head. "M'sorry! I'm sorry Mr. John! Please don't be mad! I'll buy a new one, I promise! Please don't hit me!"

"Hit you? I'd never…"

"I was wrong to play wif Sherlock's stuff! But p-p-please forgive me! I'll never be bad again!" Addie was still terrified and cowering as silent tears rolled down her face.

John looked at Sherlock alarmed and clearly recognized that her behavior was not normal. It obviously screamed of troubles at home and John felt sick at the implications. Even more so to think that he had triggered this behavior.

Sherlock shook his head. "Later," he said before he approached Addie and coaxed her out from under the table. He spoke in hushed calming tones and brought her to stand next to him, tucked into his side and burying her head in his shirt. She was still shaking slightly when John carefully knelt down in front of her.

"It's ok Addie. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk to you," John said. Addie still had her face buried in Sherlock's side and wouldn't look at him. "I'd like to see your pretty face when I talk to you though," John said. "Can you look at me?"

Finally Addie looked at him shyly with her hand still latched on to Sherlock. John saw her red eyes and her trembling frame and he knew he'd screwed it up big time.

"Addie, I'm so sorry. I overreacted and I let myself get too angry. I'm…I'm not used to having kids around and I just sort of…snapped I guess. I was just worried. I saw the glass and you weren't there, and…I got a bit scared," John explained.

"You have to understand, Addie," Sherlock said. "John didn't know if you were hurt or missing and he got upset. Sometimes when people get scared or worried, they react by getting angry too."

"I un'rstand," she said quietly. "But I really am sorry for breaking your favite mug and Sherlock's beaver," Addie said sadly.

"My what?" Sherlock asked.

"Your beaver. The clear glass thing you put your chemkals in when you do your 'spearments."

John, Sherlock, and Mrs. Hudson, who they'd mostly forgotten was still there, all chuckled.

"It's called a beaker, Addie. And I've got plenty. One won't make a big difference," Sherlock said.

"And don't worry about the mug either. I can always buy a new one. It's not a big deal," John said.

Addie sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I'm still sorry."

"All's forgiven Addie. And I'm sorry as well. I shouldn't have yelled and gotten so angry. Forgive me too?" John asked.

Addie nodded and wrapped her arms around him in a big hug.

"Addie, you know I'd never hurt you, right?" John asked.

Addie looked at the floor, "But, what if I did something really, really, really bad and I deserve to be punished?"

"Even then, I'd never hit you, or hurt you in any way," he looked imploringly into her eyes, desperate for her to understand. "I love you, Addie. And no matter how angry I get, I'll never, ever, harm you."

"I know, Mr. John," Addie said. "I love you too," she whispered and gave him a kiss on his cheek. John returned her kiss and stood up from his position on the floor.

"Well, since we're all here anyways, what do you say I make some pasta for us all?" Mrs. Hudson said, holding up a newly bought box of pasta noodles.

"Sounds brilliant Mrs. Hudson! I'll just pop upstairs and clean up a bit," John answered as he left the flat, leaving Addie and Sherlock to set the table and start on the tea.