"No." Harmya turns around "I'm not hearing this" she bites her lip as she tries to hold the flood of tears starting to form behind her eyes. "I'm not hearing this right new. If you're here to find more proof to put the only family I have left behind bars I'm not…" she trailed off for a moment as it sunk in.
Watson half smiled noticing his little confession had gone unnoticed. "I understand, but I'm trying to help you."
"I know" Harmya forces a smile as her hand runs lightly down Watson's arm and meets his hand. "And I truly thank you for it."
Watson tightens the grip on her hand slightly as he lifts it up to his lips for a kiss. "If only we'd met under better circumstances." he smiles weakly and turned to leave.
"Doctor!" Harmya stopped him just outside the door. "So…you say you love me." a smile grows on her face.
Watson chuckles "I thought you hadn't noticed" he put his hands in his pockets suddenly seeming rather shy.
Harmya softly places her hand on his shoulder and kisses his cheek. "Thank you so very much for everything, Doctor" she slowly backs into the door and goes back inside.
Watson tries his hardest to wipe the ridiculous smile on his face as he walks back to Baker st.
Finding Holmes immersed in a copy of Tuesday's paper, Watson begins to say in a defeated tone "Well you were right about Harmya, Holmes" Watson said plopping down his hat on the table and draping his coat over the large red armchair.
"As per usual" Holmes says without looking up from his newspaper.
"Yes, well she opened up and told me everything we were already thinking." Watson sits in the armchair and continues "Bart was a manipulative overbearing father figure who controlled Harmya's every move and Amos promised her that he would pay dearly for having the audacity to strike her. Amos really sounds like our man… But.." he sighs and stands up "Harmya thinks so highly of him it would break her heart" Watson begins pacing "Maybe it's a matter of self -defense"
"Even if it was self defense he still needs a court hearing." Holmes finally looks down from his paper and grabs his pipe from the table beside his armchair. "Hiding isn't really helping his case though, is it? People who are innocent don't usually try to hide." Holmes lights his pipe. "I think we have quite enough to issue a warrant for his arrest"
But Lestrade would come to find an empty house after reaching Amos McMillan's address. Amos had been on his way to Harmya's when he saw Watson walking out the door. He waited until the doctor's coach was out of sight and walked up the stairs to her door. His knock was urgent.
"Amos?" Harmya's voice is breathy as she clasps her robe up to her chest. "What's the matter?"
He quietly walks inside. "What did you tell them? his voice is calm but still Harmya feels a frightening chill.
"Tell who?" she ties her robe. "Can you wait till I'm decent, please"
"You're trying to change the subject!" he loses his pretended calm tone but quickly finds it again. "Those men want to frame me, Rose." he puts his hands on her shoulders "Anything you say they can use against me so what did you tell him." His grip grows tighter. "I saw him leave just now so why was he here?"
"The doctor?" Harmya Rose lied "He's a doctor, Amos. He came to make sure I was in good health, mental health. With all that's gone on he wanted to make sure everything was all right."
"You seemed alright when you kissed him goodbye, didn't you." Amos grips harder. He digs into the bruise on Harmya's left shoulder and she lets out a wince.
"I'm so sorry" he quickly bounces back to his soft-spoken tone. I forgot about your bruise. The bruise Bartholomew gave you. That's why you need me around to protect you, Rosie." he strokes her face gently with his left hand. "You've grown from a little orphan girl to a beautiful young woman thanks to your uncle Amos."
"Have you been drinking, Amos?" Harmya Rose smells the liquor in his breath. She backs away slowly till she hits the back of her armchair. "Why don't you sit down, Amos and I'll make you something. I'm afraid the tea's gone cold but I can.."
"No it's time you sit down" Amos watches her sit quickly. He turns around to face her on the chair one arm hanging on to the back of the chair he leans in closer. "You wouldn't hurt me would you? Your only family. The man who loves you. What would you have done without my help. Running homeless in the streets doing God knows what to survive."
"And I thank you for that very much, Mr. McMillan" Rosie's 12 again.
"And now with Bart out of the way we can be happy together."Amos strokes her cheek "He was always in the way, controlling the both of us."
"You were always the kinder one, Amos. So please be kind to me now" Harmya said worried as she felt his hand go from her cheek to her arm. His touch was soft but it felt discomforting.
"I've always been the one who loves you. I'll be kind to you. I'll be … " his words slur away as his lips fall into hers.
Quickly Harmya pushes him away and runs for the door but Amos catches her. " Do you love the Doctor more then me? I gave you this home." he has her pinned against the wall beside the front door. "I removed Bart for us and now I have to remove him too, do I?" he kisses her again. Harmya finds a chance to grab a vase beside the table and hits him with it. Amos doesn't topple over but looks dizzy.
Then in a blurry haze of confusion and panic Harmya hears the front door burst open and coppers rush in. "Amos McMillan, you're under arrest for the murder of Bartholomew McMillan and the attempted assault on Harmya Rose Verma." She sinks down to the floor, her knees to her chest when she sees Holmes and Watson's blurred visages through the tears bubbling up from behind her eyes.
"Are you hurt?" the doctor's words sounded distant as if they'd been spoken from the other end of a tunnel. Everything fades to black
Harmya didn't come to see the execution. Instead she looks through the window of Holmes and Watson's apartment out into the wet streets of London wondering what came next. The men who'd raised her for the past 10 years were gone but she didn't need raising anymore, did she.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the gentle hand of Mrs Hudson. "Tea, darling?" It'd been four weeks since the hanging and she'd been spending a lot more time on Baker st. "Thank you" Harmya stirred the spoon and watched the sugar dissolve.
Looking up at the window she sees a familiar reflection standing at the doorway behind her smiles. "Will you be joining me, Doctor?"
He chuckles as the small red velvet box rolls in his hand.