A/N: Big revelation in this chapter. Not that you didn't already see it coming, but now it's confirmed. And a bit more insight into Kat's past. I think you're going to love this chapter.

Some notes on reviews:

lostfeather1: Thank you, thank you. I like how they pair up, too. Here's your update! Sorry to keep you waiting.

foxchick1: I know, right? It's going to come up a lot. Sort of a running gag, like how "Psychics can't see everything".

Ashe S: Thank you! I'm glad you like it. Here's the next chapter!

Vedra9: Thank you! I'm glad she fits. The pool thing just came as a sudden inspiration when I wrote that part. In my head, I was all like, "Well, they guys at the yard like to take pics of Sherlock in funny situations, why wouldn't they start a pool about how long it takes for him and Kat to get together." "La-dee-da, THE CASE! Come on, John!" That cracks me up. Here's your update!

And now, without further ado:

THE NEXT CHAPTER!

Mothers and Brothers

We get back to Baker Street and I head up to my flat. I take the Lucky Cat out of the bag and put it on the coffee table next to the sofa. I walk to my bedroom and open my closet door, revealing the walk-in. I don't use it for clothes. I place the cup on the makeshift altar on the west side of it, taking the old cup and thanking it for letting me use it. I head back out of my closet and head to the bathroom to take a shower. Ten minutes later, I'm stepping out of the bathroom running a brush through my hair. I pull on some pajamas and glance at the clock. It's two in the morning. I set my alarm clock and go to bed.

My alarm sounds, pulling me from my nightmare of being tied to a chair in a dark room. I sit up quickly, gasping for breath, trying to calm down. I cry. I have this nightmare a lot. Every time, I hear his voice. Always accusing me: You promised. It never gets any easier. I get up and put on a pair of dark wash jeans and a black t-shirt that says "There are 10 types of people in the world: Those who understand binary and those who don't" in white. I head to the bathroom and apply a light coat of make-up, hoping to hide the fact that I've been crying. I grab my jacket and head back downstairs, hoping Sherlock and John got some sleep.

Sherlock has the new pictures printed out and stuck to the mirror. He's written the numerical values next to each symbol. He stands in front of the fireplace looking at the pictures closely. John sits at the dining table with his back to the fireplace. He looks up at me and reads my shirt.

"I don't get it," he says, and I chuckle. Sherlock glances at me, and I swear I see a hint of a smile before he frowns.

"You've been crying," he states. I smile sadly at him and shake my head as John glances up at me sharply.

"Just a bad dream," I reply. "It was a bit too real for my liking." He stares at me, trying to read what the dream was about, before giving up and turning back to the fireplace. I walk up behind him and look at the pictures. John turns his back on the two of us.

"Always in pairs," I comment. Sherlock looks at me again.

"Hmm?" John hums from where he sits.

"Numbers come with partners, John," Sherlock says.

"God, I need sleep," I hear John mutter from behind us.

"Why did he paint it so near the tracks?" Sherlock asks.

"No idea," John answers tiredly.

"Thousands of people pass by there every day," Sherlock continues.

"Just twenty minutes," John mumbles. I turn to look at him. He looks exhausted.

"Of course," Sherlock breaths, realizing something. He looks at the picture of the wall, smiling triumphantly. "Of course! He wants information. He's trying to communicate with his people in the underworld. Whatever was stolen, he wants it back." He runs his finger over the symbols.

"She, Sherlock," I say, and he looks at me blankly. "I think the ringleader of this whole thing is a woman. I've seen this Chinese woman taking pictures of us several times."

"And you didn't tell me before?" he asks.

"Never ignore a coincidence," I say, shrugging. "Unless you're busy. In which case, always ignore a coincidence."

"Coincidence? The universe is never so lazy, Kat," he responds. He turns back to the pictures. "Somewhere here in the code." He pulls three pictures off the wall and turns toward the door. "We can't crack this without Soo Lin Yao."

"Come on, John," I call, heading out the door. "We probably shouldn't let him roam around alone." John follows. "Did you get any sleep at all?"

"No," John answers. "Sherlock never sleeps when he's on a case. He kept me up all night trying to figure those bloody numbers out." I shake my head.

"I'll have to try and talk some sense into him," I say.

"I don't think that'll work," John responds. I cross my arms in front of me.

We walk outside and follow Sherlock into a taxi. Sherlock tells the cabbie to take us to the National Antiquities Museum. The cabbie nods and starts driving.

"Going to see Andy again?" I ask. Sherlock nods.

"Speaking of Andy," Sherlock says, focusing on me. "What were you talking about yesterday? It wouldn't have anything to do with your nightmare, would it?"

"Sherlock!" John warns. "You can't just ask her about something like that! There's a reason she said 'things we don't talk about'. She doesn't want to talk about it."

"No, John," I respond, smiling sadly. "He can ask." Sherlock visibly brightens at getting answers. "That doesn't mean I have to answer." Sherlock pouts. John laughs and I grin, glad to dodge the bullet on that one. John's right: I really don't want to talk about it.

We get to the museum and are taken to the same display room as the day before. Andy's standing there, looking determined.

"I've decided," he tells me.

"And?" I ask.

"I don't care," he answers, and I nod. John and Sherlock look confused.

"Good," I respond, smiling.

"Two men who travelled back from China were murdered, and their killer left them messages in the Hangzhou numerals," Sherlock says, interrupting. I sigh.

"Soo Lin Yao's in danger," John continues. "Now, that cipher—it was just the same pattern as the others. He means to kill her as well."

"Look," Andy responds nervously, "I've tried everywhere: Um, friends, colleagues. I-I don't know where she's gone. I mean, she could be a thousand miles away." Sherlock turns his head, annoyed that he doesn't have another lead. As he turns his head back, though, he focuses on the display case behind me.

"What are you looking at?" John asks him. Sherlock points to the case as he walks towards it. I step to the side.

"Tell me more about those teapots," he tells Andy.

"Th-the pots were her obsession," Andy answers. "Um, they need urgent work. If-if they dry out, then the clay can start to crumble. Apparently you have to just keep making tea in them." Sherlock bends down to look more closely at the shelf.

"Yesterday, only one of those pots was shining," Sherlock responds. "Now there are two."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"I hate stakeouts!" I hiss. Molly nods sympathetically, taking a sip of her drink, while Audrey laughs.

"It's a good thing they let you skip it till later tonight: You never were very patient," Audrey jokes. "Having to wait for things." She turns to Molly and whispers loudly so I can hear. "It drove her crazy. And then she'd drive me crazy." Molly chuckles.

"She's good with people, though," Molly replies thoughtfully. "You have to have patience with people to be able to deal with Sherlock." She turns to me. "How do you do it, Kat?" I tilt my head at her and frown.

"Do what?" I ask.

"Not let Sherlock get to you," she answers. "How do you shrug it off?" I shrug and Audrey laughs. I grin. "No, but really: How?" I lean back in my chair and think, picking out a crisp from the small bag in front of me. I sit like that for a minute, trying to figure it out.

"I don't know," I answer her finally, sitting straight again. "It just sorta…happens?" I shake my head. "I don't know."

"Maybe she's in luurve," Audrey suggests, laughing. I frown and throw a crisp at her, and she puts her arms up in front of her, trying to defend herself.

"I am not in love!" I snap. She holds her hands up in surrender, still laughing. She grabs her travel cup and takes a sip.

"Y'know, I saw this thing on the internet the other day, about how you can tell when a person is lying," Molly says, a sneaky grin on her face. "One of the things on the list was: It's common for a liar to not use contractions when telling the lie." I glare at her, slowly grabbing another crisp. She picks her purse up and holds it in front of her. "It's also common for the liar to be over-defensive about the lie." I throw the crisp at her, but she blocks it with her purse. I lean back in my chair again and cross my arms. I glance over and see the owner of the café frowning at us in displeasure. I wave apologetically at him before turning back to Audrey and Molly.

"Are you calling me a liar?" I ask, frowning.

"No," Molly answers, putting a hand on my arm.

"We think you're in denial," Audrey continues. I glare at them and they both grin.

"I think you'd better change the subject," I threaten Audrey, "before I tell Molly about that time in tenth grade when yo-Hey!" Audrey throws one of her chips at me, cutting me off before turning to Molly and smiling.

"I don't know what she's talking about," she says. Molly nods, laughing.

"You can tell you two have been friends for a long time," Molly says. Audrey and I look at each other, grinning, before turning back to Molly.

"Yep!" we respond at the same time, both of us popping the "p". Molly laughs as I spot a man in a suit walking through the door and looking around. Mycroft. Just as his name passes through my mind, the man in the suit looks over at our table and starts walking towards us.

"Miss Wilson?" he asks. I look up at him.

"Taking me to your leader?" I counter. Molly and Audrey look back and forth between the man and me as he nods. "Fine, I have something for him." I think back what I heard before at the bank. I shiver slightly and turn to Molly and Audrey.

"Goodbye, Kat."

"Sorry, guys," I say, standing up. "Gotta run. Sherlock's protective big brother needs to see me." Molly nods. She knows about my agreement with Mycroft. I start walking behind the man.

"I'll tell you later," I hear Molly whisper to Audrey as I step out the door. I walk to the car where the woman with wavy, brown hair is already sitting.

Five minutes into the ride, my phone beeps. I pull it out and see I have a new text from Molly.

If Mycroft disrespects you, make sure you let him know that you have a friend who is, quite possibly, one of the only people in the world who could kill him and not leave any forensic evidence. –MH

I laugh before sending off a response.

I'll be sure to remember that ;) –KW

Just then my phone beeps again.

On your way to see my arch-enemy? –SH

Yeah, how'd you know? –KW

Your friend, Annie, told me. She said you'd been kidnapped by a man in a suit and taken away by a very expensive car. –SH

Her name is Audrey, Sherlock. –KW

Don't care. –SH

I chuckle under my breath but don't answer. I pull a game up on my phone. It's going to be a very long ride. Sure enough, an hour later, we pull up in front of a very large house in the middle of nowhere. I look out the window to see Mycroft standing at the front door. The driver stops the car, gets out and steps around to open my door. I step out of the car and head towards Mycroft.

"Much nicer than a warehouse," I comment. He smiles, but it looks strained. Wonder what THAT's about. I don't have long to wonder, though, when the door opens and a man and woman step out. The woman practically tackles Mycroft and hugs him. I smile.

"Mikey! It's so good of you to visit," she says as she lets him go.

"'Mycroft' is the name you gave me, Mother," he responds. My smile turns sad: My mother would never greet me like that. "If you couldn't possibly struggle all the way to the end, you should have named me something else." She hits him lightly on the arm before turning to me.

"And this must be Kat," she says, holding her arms out and giving me the choice. I step forward into the hug.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Holmes," I reply as we step apart. I hold out my hand to the man behind her. "Mr. Holmes." He takes my hand. I turn back to Mrs. Holmes, lean in and whisper conspiratorially. "You know, Mycroft over there calls you 'mummy' when he's talking about you." She looks at me.

"Oh, does he?" she replies loudly. Mycroft looks at us in suspicion. I smile sweetly at him. "Well, no use standing out here in the damp. Come in, come in." Mrs. Holmes ushers us into the house and into a sitting room. "Would you like some water, dear?" I take off my jacket and sit down on the sofa, folding my jacket and holding it in my lap.

"Yes, thank you," I answer. She takes the pitcher from the table and pours a glass. She hands it to me and I take a sip. I turn to Mycroft. "So, to what do I owe the honor of meeting your lovely parents?" He shifts uncomfortably.

"He seems to be under the impression that you're perfect for Sherlock," Mrs. Holmes answers instead as she sits next to her husband on the sofa across from me. Mycroft is sitting in an armchair to the right of me.

"Mother!" Mycroft exclaims. She turns to him with her eyebrow raised. He looks down and I chuckle. She turns back to me.

"Frankly, I agree with him," She finishes. I stare at her blankly before closing my eyes and groaning. I lean forward and put my head in my hands. I mumble under my breath. "What was that, dear?" I sit up again.

"Why does everybody ship me and Sherlock?" I ask.

"Everybody?" Mrs. Holmes asks.

"Ship?" Mycroft asks at the same time. Mrs. Holmes turns to him.

"It's short for 'romantic relationship'," she says. I groan again. I hear a light chuckling and look over to see Mr. Holmes enjoying the entire situation. "To 'ship' a couple means you really want them to get together." She turns back to me. "Everybody?" I nod.

"My friends, the guys at the Yard," I list. "Even John ships us, apparently." Mrs. Holmes laughs.

"That's because we can all see how perfect you are for him, even if you can't," she responds, chuckling. I sigh in resignation. "Here, let me go get some photos of when the boys were little." She stands up and walks out of the room, ignoring Mycroft begging her not to do it. A minute later she comes back with a photo album. She sits down next to me and flips it open to the first page. It's a photo of Mycroft as a baby.

Half an hour of embarrassing stories and Mycroft getting annoyed later, we get to Sherlock's baby picture. We look through the photos from when he was growing up, and I can't help but feel he looks familiar.

"Here he is with Mycroft in America," Mrs. Holmes comments on one picture. "Mycroft had just finished school, so we going on a trip to celebrate." She flips the page. "Mycroft ended up getting hurt badly, and we had to go to the hospital." She points to one picture in particular. "That's when Sherlock met her." She hands the album to me so I can get a closer look. No. Way. "She didn't talk much, just told Sherlock to follow his dreams and whatnot." The picture was taken from the doorway of the hospital room. "Told him he could be whatever he wanted, that he didn't have to follow Mikey into the Government." Sherlock is sitting in the chair next to the bed, laughing at something the little girl in the bed was saying. "We never did find out what she was there for, but we know it was traumatic." I nod, numbly. My hands start shaking and I hand the album back to her. "Kat?" I turn to look at her, and I feel a tear run down my cheek. "Oh, sweetie, what is it?" I shake my head, trying to clear it from the horrible memories.

"That little girl in the picture," I say. Mrs. Holmes nods. "It's me." They stare at me in shock. "I should go." I stand up and tug my jacket on. "I'm sorry I have to run out on you, Mrs. Holmes, Mr. Holmes." I start walking to the door. "Sherlock and John are waiting for me at the museum, and if I don't leave now, I won't make it." I turn just before I step outside. The three of them are still just sitting there. Mr. Holmes and Mycroft are still in shock. Mrs. Holmes smiles at me sadly. I sigh. "It was traumatic, and I really don't like talking about it, much less remembering." Mrs. Holmes nods.

"Go ahead, Kat. We understand," she responds, smiling warmly. "I do hope you'll visit again, though." I smile and nod.

"Thanks. I will."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Where have you been?" John asks as I step out of the night and into the dimly-lit museum.

"Mycroft," I answer shortly, walking past him.

"Ah," he says, following me. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," I reply, heading towards the display room. "I'm fine."

"Uh-huh," he responds. "Sure." I stop and turn sharply, making him nearly crash into me.

"Are you saying you don't believe me?" I ask. He shakes his head and holds his hands up in front of him.

"Nope!" he answers. "I'm not saying anything." I raise my eyebrow at him and he grins at me. I turn around sharply again and walk towards the display room. Walking through the door, I find Sherlock talking to Andy. Actually, it's more like arguing.

"How's it going?" I ask as I walk in.

"Sherlock refuses to let me stay and help!" Andy shouts. I stare at him blankly before sticking my pinkie finger in my ear.

"Sorry? I couldn't hear you," I joke. He looks down, abashed. "Frankly, I agree with him." He looks back up at me sharply. "The man after Soo Lin is dangerous. We'll have enough on our hands, protecting ourselves and Soo Lin." I cross my arms as I see him consider my words. "I hate to sound harsh, but you'll only get in our way." Andy sighs and turns around, walking away. I glance at Sherlock, who's just been watching me since I walked in. Andy turns around again and stares at me intensely.

"Can you keep her safe?" he questions. I nod. "Can you promise me that?" I tense and look down.

"I promise. I won't let them hurt you." I look back up at Andy.

"I swear," I promise determinedly. "I will keep Soo Lin safe." Andy watches me for a moment before nodding and walking away.

"Alright," he says, grabbing his coat and heading for the door. "I'll leave you to it, then." He leaves. John, Sherlock and I stand in silence for a moment.

"Well," John says, "that was…fun." I turn and stare at him blankly.

"Are you…" Sherlock starts. I move to look at him. "Okay?" I raise my eyebrow and he shakes his head. "Right, stupid question. Don't know where that came from. Clearly you're not." He turns to head out of the room for somewhere to wait and hide. I turn to John.

"What was that?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"It's like…it's hard to explain," he says and we start following Sherlock. "It's like he's not as much of a sociopath as he claims." I tilt my head at him. "I could see it, when he first got that text from your friend?" I nod. "He got…concerned. I'd almost say worried. It's like he feels things around you." I shake my head. "No, really! The other day, when you got arrested?" I nod. "He actually started to feel bad until he started deducing exactly what would happen to you." We catch up to Sherlock in one of the stacks in the basement archive. Sherlock and John watch me as I focus on the entire museum, waiting for Soo Lin Yao to make her appearance. Just when Sherlock starts to complain about unpunctual witness, I turn and head out of the archive and head towards one of the restoration rooms, John and Sherlock hot on my tail. We get to the door and I stop, letting Sherlock lead the way. He steps in and I follow close behind, hanging back behind some of the other tables to not alarm Soo Lin. I watch as she pours tea into a pair of tea cups and Sherlock sneaks up on her.

"Fancy a biscuit with that?" Sherlock asks her from about three feet away. I focus on the teapot quickly and make it hover in the air before it can hit the floor.

"Careful," I call from my spot, walking towards the pair. "That's centuries old. You don't want to break it." Sherlock steps forward, picks the teapot up from its hover and hands it back to Soo Lin. As she takes it, he reaches out and flicks a switch on the desk, turning some lights on underneath the glass surface. He smiles slightly at her.

"Hello," he says as John walks into the room. I walk towards a table and pull out a chair.

"We'd like a word," I say, "Miss Yao." She looks at me and I smile warmly. She hesitates before sitting at the table next to me.

"You saw the cipher," she says, and the three of us nod. "Then you know he is coming for me."

"You've been clever to avoid him so far," Sherlock comments.

"I had to finish," Soo Lin responds. "To finish this work. It's only a matter of time. I know he will find me."

"Who is he?" Sherlock asks. "Have you met him before?" Soo Lin nods.

"When I was a girl, living back in China," she answers. "I recognize his…'signature'."

"The cipher," Sherlock interrupts.

"Only he would do this," she responds. "Zhi Zhu."

"Zhi Zhu?" John asks.

"The Spider," Sherlock answers. Soo Lin lifts her right foot up on her left knee and takes her shoe off. On the bottom of her heel is a black tattoo of a lotus flower inside a circle.

"You know this mark?" she asks.

"Yes," Sherlock answers. "It's the mark of a Tong."

"Hmm?" John hums in confusion.

"Crime syndicate?" I ask and Sherlock nods.

"An ancient on based in China," he answers. John and I both nod in understanding and turn back to Soo Lin.

"Every foot soldier bears the mark," Soo Lin says. "Everyone who hauls for them."

"'Hauls'?" John asks.

"She was a smuggler, John," I respond softly. Soo Lin lowers her head and puts her shoe back on.

"I was fifteen," she explains. "My parents were dead. I had no livelihood; no way of surviving day to day except to work for the bosses."

"Who are they?" Sherlock asks.

"They are called the Black Lotus," she answers. "By the time I was sixteen, I was taking thousands of pounds' worth of drugs across the border into Hong Kong." John looks at her in shock. "But I managed to leave that life behind me. I came to England." She smiles. "They gave me a job here. Everything was good: A new life."

"Then he came looking for you," I state.

"Yes," Soo Lin replies. She swallows before continuing tearfully. "I had hoped after five years, maybe they would have forgotten me. But they never really let you leave. A small community like ours—they are never very far away." I lean back and grab a tissue from the table. I hand it to her and she uses it to wipe her tears. "He came to my flat. He asked me to help him to track down something that was stolen."

"And you've no idea what it was?" John asks.

"I refused to help," Soo Lin answers.

"So you knew him well when you were living back in China?" John continues. Soo Lin nods.

"Oh yes," she answers, glancing at Sherlock and then looking at me. "He's my brother." I close my eyes at those words. "Two orphans. We had no choice. We could work for the Black Lotus, or starve on the streets like beggars." I open my eyes again. "My brother has become their puppet, in the power of the one they call Shan—the Black Lotus general. I turned my brother away. He said I had betrayed him. Next day I came to work and the cipher was waiting." Sherlock pulls the photographs out of his pocket and lays them on the table.

"Can you decipher these?" he asks. Soo Lin leans forward and points to the mark beside the portrait.

"These are numbers," she answers.

"Yes, we know," Sherlock responds. Soo Lin points at another photograph.

"Here: The line across the man's eyes—it's the Chinese number one," she says. Sherlock points to the first photo.

"And this one is fifteen," he says. "But what's the code?"

"All the smugglers know it," she answers. "It's based upon a book…" Just then almost all the lights cut out. Soo Lin looks up in fear. Sherlock straightens up and looks around sharply. "He's here. Zhi Zhu. He has found me." Sherlock races across the room

"Sh-Sherlock," John calls. "Sherlock, wait!" Sherlock runs out of the room. John turns to me and Soo Lin.

"Go, John," I say. "He's gonna need the help." John nods and runs after Sherlock. I turn to Soo Lin, taking her hand. She turns to the table and grabs one of the photographs and a small book. "Come here." I lead her across the room towards one of the cupboards as we hear gunshots. "Get in." She kneels down and sits in the cupboard, leaving enough room for me to sit next to her. I close the door behind me.

"He will find me here," she whispers, opening the book and starting to decipher the picture.

"I made a promise to Andy that I'd keep you safe," I respond quietly. She looks up at me in shock.

"Andy?" she asks. I nod.

"He cares about you," I answer. "A lot." I look at the door where I can tell Zhi Zhu has just entered. "When this is all over, you should get a drink with him." She looks at me thoughtfully before smiling. We hear a footstep from the room outside and Soo Lin stiffens. "When the gun goes off, pretend to be dead." She looks at me in confusion before nodding. She takes a shaky breath and slowly opens her door and crawls out. I see her crawl to the edge of the desk and peer over the top of it before slowly standing up. I close my eyes and focus on the entire restoration room. In my mind's eye, I see the gun he'll use to kill her. I focus on that and on her knees. I hear her greet him softly. I hear him pull the gun on her and hear him start to pull the trigger. The moment the gun fires, I move it over to the left just enough to miss her, and I move her knees hard, knocking her back. I hear him walk up to her and pause before I hear him running, hearing other footsteps in the distance coming towards us. I crawl out of the cupboard and head to Soo Lin, helping her up.

"They'll think you're dead now," I tell her as she brushes herself off. "They won't think to come to you again. You can be free of that fear. You'll need to lay low, though, until we take care of them." She looks at me, eyes wide, before nodding.

"I will go to Andy," she responds.

"He's a keeper," I reply, nodding. She smiles. "Go on. I'll take care of things here." She turns and runs the opposite direction of the other footsteps. John comes running into the room. He stops at the door and slowly enters. He walks towards me and looks around. Just then, Sherlock bursts into the room.

"Are you okay?" he asks as soon as he sees me. He actually sounds worried.

"Yeah, fine," I answer. "Just saving lives and stopping bad guys, y'know?" He walks towards me and examines me, making sure I'm actually okay. I see him relax a bit as I smile at him. I turn towards the door. "C'mon, we need to get to Scotland Yard." I walk out of the room and smile as the two of them follow me.

A/N: I couldn't kill Soo Lin Yao. I always felt bad for her. She didn't really need to die. Then I realized, from a plot standpoint, she kinda did. If she'd stayed alive, she could have told Sherlock and John which book to use, or deciphered the rest of the message. So I made my own little solution. With the gang being watched by Shan, if Soo Lin were to help any more, the Black Lotus would realize she isn't dead, and they'd probably go after her again. So she needs to lay low. There's my logic. Hope you liked.