"Now remember…" Joan lectured, straightening out the purple blazer Luna had slipped on that morning before handing her her backpack. "... be polite to your teachers and try to keep your opinions to yourself. The last thing we need is you offending someone." All the young teenager did was sigh quietly in reply, her fingers playing with the colourful bands which she wore around her wrists, a present from the consultant detective to help her fight off any anxiety caused by the crowded corridors of the local high school. "Please Lu… Just try, okay?"

"Watson, she's going to be attending high school… It's hardly the world summit now, is it?" Sherlock called from his place on the sofa, casually glancing up from the monograph he was proof-reading to look at the two women of his home. It was strange for him to admit, both out loud and to himself, but he couldn't even begin to imagine his life without either of the pair. Joan kept him somewhat normal, at peace and sober while Luna provided him with a distraction, a mind which he could nurture and someone he could watch develop and grow.

Children had never been of any interest to him… but she changed his mind; perhaps, one day, he could see himself having a little copy of his and Joan's DNA running around the brownstone… someone who would refer to his little moon as an elder sister perhaps.

If Sherlock was perfectly honest, he didn't really want her trotting off into the city to attend some mediocre school when he could provide a much more detailed and varied education in the subjects which would actually pose some challenge and use to her, all from the comfort of their own home.

Luna smiled slightly at Sherlock's comment before turning on her heel, ready to go out and brave the new school… or at least that was how it appeared on the outside. Behind the composed mask, she was anxious and terrified of being surrounded by strangers again; she had hated school before being sectioned and it was safe to conclude that she would hate it just as much, if not more, than she had previously.

Joan was fooled by her facade.

Sherlock wasn't.

However, before he had the chance to ask Joan's young charge what the matter was, she had left the brownstone with a false smile painted on her face.

Strangely, he found himself hating the false sincerity, despite the fact he, himself, had used it countless times before; the thought confused him.

"Now class… Can anyone tell me the largest mountain in the world?" the geography teacher asked, trying to fill his voice with enthusiasm but Luna could tell that it was false from her place at the back of the classroom; everyone else was eating it up but she refused to be spoon fed lies in any way, shape or form. "Ms Goodwin… How about you? Do you know what the largest mountain in the world is?".

She didn't know if it was the patronising tone he used or just the way he looked down his nose at her but something about him made her instantly dislike him. "Mauna Kea." she answered, not raising her gaze from the case report she was reading until he began laughing at her in front of the entire class, forcing their judgemental stares to focus on her.

"I think you'll find Ms Goodwin that Everest is the largest…"

"Wrong." she cut in, glancing up to the see the older man's face begin to tint an irritated shade of puce.

"What did you just say?"

"I said that you were wrong, sir." Luna repeated, her voice void of any emotion.

"How dare you! I am your teacher! How dare you question what I am telling you!"

"Strangely enough sir, I don't remember questioning you." That was it, she had had enough of the idiot. She didn't want to be there in the first place but she agreed so she didn't let Joan down; she didn't agree to be patronised by some headstrong imbecile! "The largest mountain in the world is Mauna Kea because it's 10,200 meters tall. Everest is the tallest because it is 8,848 meters above sea level, towering over the visible peak of Mauna Kea by 4,642 meters. You asked me if I knew the largest, not the tallest. Next time, check what you're saying before you end up being showed up in front of a class of 30."

"Remove yourself from my classroom at once! I'm calling your guardian the minute class is over! Now get out!"

She didn't argue.

"You got sent to the principal's office on your first day!?" Joan cried out in disbelief, staring at the younger woman with wide eyes who merely shrugged as they walked out of the school and into the cool Autumn air. The young girl's eyes brightened slightly at the sight of the leaves falling to the floor, covering the pavement in fiery colours; as they walked through them, Luna smiled at the sound of them crunching beneath her feet. "Lu, are you listening to me?"

"He asked me a question," she murmured, sighing quietly as they waited near the curb for a cab though neither of them minded as the weather was mild for the time of year. " and when I answered, he told me I was wrong when I wasn't."

"You couldn't have just… ignored him?"

"Everyone was staring at me!" she cried out, tears beginning to fill her eyes as she thought back to their mocking gazes; she could almost feel them burning holes into her, even a few hours after it had happened. "It was just like when I first went into that place."

"Honey…" Joan tried, moving to place an arm around her shoulders but pulled it back, hurt, when Lu took a step away to avoid the touch, her arms moving to hug herself instead. "It's been months since you've been there."

"But they never leave! They're always there, laughing at me! I can't escape… I just wanna escape." she sobbed, rushing to Joan's side to hug her tightly, shocking the woman with her change of emotions before she embraced the child back, running her fingers through her hair softly.

A few minutes passed until a cab pulled up. After giving him the address and promising fare and a half if they got there in under 10 minutes, they arrived home where Sherlock was eagerly awaiting their return.

"Come on then Watson!" He shouted the moment he heard the door close. "Why was our Luna sent home?!" Upon hearing this, Luna murmured an excuse and rushed upstairs to her room, seeking sanctuary beneath the blankets of her bed while her guardian went to explain the situation to her partner.

"A misunderstanding. Her geography teacher asked her what the biggest mountain is the world was an-"

"Mauna Kea." He interrupted without a moment's hesitation though, a second later, a smile spread onto his face. "Allow me to guess the rest. The teacher has bad grammar and actually meant the tallest mountain but, not wishing to lose face in front of the class, sent her to the principal's office."

"Exactly."

"Nothing to worry about Love. I've had similar experiences during my childhood."

"Yes but this has really upset her."

"Then, I suggest you take a cup of tea up to her and have a chat." he suggested, picking up her hand to press a kiss to the back of it but she shook her head.

"I'm sure she'd want you more…"

"No. I can see wet patches on the shoulder pads of your coat and, if I'm not mistaken, it's not raining."

With a sigh, she moved to the kitchen and put the kettle on, ready to go comfort Luna while Sherlock watched her leave, smiling slightly.

In his mind, Joan would make an amazing mother.

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