A Study in Family

Chapter 4: Early Troubles

Sammy has pre-planned their escape route and had used it many times. She also had a backup plan, and a backup plan for the backup plan. There was an abandoned house on the other side of the forest and Sammy planned to use it as a temporary base for a few days to consider their plans for the next month or so. Unfortunately, since their departure had been spontaneous and they had little sunlight to travel through, Sammy and Jackson stopped at one of the clearings Sammy had prepped just for that scenario. A few miles into the forest there was a big enough tree with roots that not only worked as a shelter, but had been previously stocked with some basic camping equipment.

It had some packed and canned food, some water bottles, three adult size sleeping bags, two pocket knives, a compass, a mini hand held telescope, a sling shot, and some matches and lighters.

"I understand the food and water. I also get the pocket knives. But...the sling shot?" Jackson asked as they prepped for the night. He was setting up the sleeping bags while Sammy made the camp fire.

"When I first convinced the others that we needed to escape, we'd all go in intervals and explore the area; get to know the land before we headed out. Once we started planning, we made several emergency pit stops, all distant from one another. When we're out doing the shopping or at night when we're sneaking around the town, we get things and store them in places like this- for teams who would need them. As for the sling shot, well, I believe it might have been Gabriel's idea. He thought if he ever needed a weapon, a sling shot would be his weapon of choice. Long distance and just about anything to be used as ammo." Sammy explained as she lit the firewood they had collected.

Jackson turned the sling shot in his hands. The handle and frame were made of metal while the rubber elastic was strong and sturdy. It wasn't some cheap child's toy, but something you could buy at a sports shop. "Will we need weapons?"

Sammy was using her pocket knife to open a can of soup, "Dunno, maybe. I'd rather not, but there is always the possibility."

"…high chances?" Jackson asked.

"Hmm...I'll always plan to try to stay away from any dangerous situation that will call for the use of weapons, but why not hang on to that? Just in case," Sammy said.

"What am I supposed to use for ammo?" Jackson asked.

"For now, you can practice with stones. When we get to the other side and head to town, we can look for specialized sling shot rounds," Sammy replied.

"They have those?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah, they're silver little balls. If shot right, and with the right amount of force, it could do great damage," Sammy answered.

"Seriously, where do you learn this stuff from?" Jackson said in awe. Sammy just smiled at him and passed him the can of soup she had been warming up over the fire and a spoon. She began to work on a can for her. "Hey, Sammy?"

"Yes Jack?"

"Did your mum ever tell you about your dad?" Jackson asked quietly.

Sammy looked at Jack before her eyes downcast to the canned soup. "I used to ask sometimes. Mostly around holidays when other children talked about their families, but after a few years I stopped asking."

"Why?" Jack curiously asked.

"Whenever I asked my mom about my dad she would always say the same thing. He was the most brilliant man she's ever met. Though she didn't believe in forever, she sometimes wished it was real and that she could spend it with him...with us.

"I didn't know why she wasn't with him but I saw enough to know that I shouldn't ask. She was very sad whenever I asked questions about him, but happy at the same time. It confused me. It was when I was a bit older that I realized that the sadness came from not being with him, and the happiness was of having me with her...to remind her of him." Sammy smiled a little bit, which made Jack smile too, "She said that I reminded her of him a lot. That it made her happy, but worried her deeply."

Jackson's smile turned into a frown, "How come?"

"My father was a brilliant man. She said that I'd most likely inherited his intelligence." Sammy replied.

"But that's a good thing, you're incredible! And brilliant," Jackson exclaimed.

"She said I'd be those things and more, but she worried I'd be lonely because he was lonely. Even though she captivated his mind for a while, she said it didn't last long. His mind was too complicated. Always thinking...always analyzing...never stopping. She said his mind was this vast, incredible land where he was king. But he was a king without a kingdom." Sammy seemed lost in thought before she shrugged, "After my fifth birthday I never asked again. I never questioned anything personal about my parents, and just accepted the facts that were placed out before me. But she always told me something that I still don't completely understand today."

"What's that?"

"She told me...I may not be the hero, but that doesn't make me the villain."

.:~*~:.

John tried his hardest not to think about their child ever turning into the next Moriarty. He mentally repeated to himself that their child would have love and affection. But no matter how hard he tried, the thought always returned some way or another. He feared their child having trouble making friends in school; that they would be too smart for the other children and therefore an outcast. Then he thought about the teenage years when they're bound to act out because of teen angst.

If Sherlock had drug problems...it was something that a lot of parents feared but somehow it was worse because their child would be a Holmes. With normal teens, there was just that rebellious curiosity. With a Holmes, there was some sort of logic behind it, and John would hate it because if it didn't make sense, he could argue. If their kid reasoned it out...he had no idea how to tackle it. He had trouble convincing Sherlock, and the only reason Sherlock stopped was because he knew John hated it.

Had Sherlock not loved John so much, the blonde knew the genius would still constantly try to use it- though Mycroft and Lestrade wouldn't stand by.

"I can't promise we won't struggle with all those things, but it'll be different for them than it was for me," Sherlock's voice brought John out of his thoughts.

He mentally cursed. He didn't want to share his insecurities with Sherlock, but he supposed he couldn't hide it from the most observant man in the world.

"I know," John said and offered Sherlock a smile.

"But it still bothers you," Sherlock said.

John took a moment before he said, "Not necessarily bothers me, but it worries me. I don't want them to ever have to be in a place where they feel they need the drug. I feel confident that, with both of us, they won't be bored. But still...I remember being crossed with my parents and sister a lot when I was a teenager. I didn't do drugs, but I was stupid and got pissed with mates in less than wonderful places. I'm a normal bloke, but..."

"Both of our genes in one being will have a very different affect." Sherlock said, and John nodded.

They were both silent before Sherlock whispered, "It's still very early...we could turn back."

"NO!" John yelled and stood up from his chair. "No! I want this child Sherlock, and I couldn't do that to Harriet. Or you."

"I want you to be happy. I don't want you to have negative feelings," Sherlock said.

John sat next to him and intertwined their fingers. He smiled gently and said, "They aren't negative, Sherlock, they're human. It's something all parents go through, but...they're worth it, just like you're worth it."

They smiled and shared a kiss.

.:~*~:.

The next morning, Sammy and Jack continue to make their way through the forest. They started at dawn and took some lunch and rest breaks every half hour or so. It was during one of their breaks that Sammy asked Jack the same question he asked her.

"What about you? Did you ever know your dad?"

Jack shook his head, "Mum said that she loved me very much, and thanked God every day for me. But she explained that what she and my dad had wasn't permanent like other kid's parents. I asked about him around the holidays too. But mostly around father's day."

"And what did your mother say?" Sammy asked.

"He was a doctor. That's how they met; a convention or something for doctors or something. Mum said that he was a strong man. He was in the army. But, even though he was strong, he was also nice. Mum would tell me I had his eyes, and his smile. It made her happy," Jackson smiled, but thinking about his mum made tear well up in his eyes. He missed her a lot.

Sammy saw this, and sat next to Jackson and hugged him. He leaned into her touch, and they stayed quietly like that.

After a few minutes they got up and cleaned the area of any evidence, "Come on. Shouldn't be too far now."

"Where are we going again?" Jack asked.

"There's an abandoned house at the other edge of the forest. We'll stay there for a few days while we get supplies and plan out our ideas of where we want to go next," Sammy explained.

"Okay. Any ideas," Jackson asked.

"Hmm...nothing specific, no. But maybe somewhere close to the sea," Sammy said.

"You like the ocean?" Jackson asked.

"Yes. Whenever we were near the ocean, my mom would take us there, and we'd watch the sunset and sunrise. We never missed one." Sammy said, and then smiled softly, "One time, after we watched the sunset, we stayed on the beach. She had built a fire, and we talked. She told me about the world and the places she'd visited. She taught me the constellations, and mythologies from all over the world. She asked me questions, and my opinions...we stayed up talking all night. Before we knew it, the sun was rising again. It was the best night I remember. We weren't running from anyone, we didn't worry about where we were staying or what we were going to do next. It was just me and her, together, safe, and someplace beautiful."

Jackson smiled and grabbed Sammy's hand, giving it a small squeeze. She smiled back at him, and they got quiet again. They continued to make their way through the forest, still holding hands, a brother caring for his sister, and a sister caring for her brother.

.:~*~:.

"You're still thinking about it," Sherlock said a while later.

"Sorry," John replied.

"You were worried before, but it wasn't until your lunch with Lestrade that you've had these thoughts. What did he tell you?" Sherlock asked.

"It's nothing Sherlock," John tried to dismiss it, but knew it wasn't going to happen.

"It's been plaguing your mind since then. Something must have happened that has captivated your mind. It was the Miller case, wasn't it?" Though it sounded like a question, it wasn't.

John sighed and nodded, "It seemed too perfect. It was like a domino effect that rid the world of a vile man who abused the system and those kids."

"And the yard thought it was one of the children? Surely they would be competent enough to figure out if a child committed murder!" Sherlock cried.

"Lestrade said that the crime scene looked completely perfect, but there were things that didn't add up to him. People claimed there were two more children, but there was no trace. The entire house burned up and no paper files to back them up. And, even though I'm glad the kids that were there are going to go to good families who actually wanted children, what are the odds that all of them did?" John asked.

Sherlock look intently, "You're concerned because a child might have been smart enough to get away with murder."

"Moriarty did it. No one even figured it out until he paraded around the information," John said.

"But," Sherlock pressed, knowing there was more.

"They did it, and I'm sure they made sure those kids went to a good place. Fighting on the side of angels, though they aren't one," John replied solemnly and looked intently into Sherlock's eyes.

"You think our child will be capable of murder just because of our genes?" Sherlock asked.

"We're both capable of that," John replied.

"And we've done it to keep each other, plus other innocent people, safe," Sherlock said.

"Does that really justify it?" John asked- his moral compass was spinning like mad.

"By society's standards, no. But you've seen what is out there; sometimes...sometimes things just have to happen." Sherlock said.

"So young?" John asked.

"If a child really did do that, then they're clever. But it's like you said John, they did it for good. That counts for something, doesn't it?"

"I...I just don't want our child to ever have to make that choice...for the greater good I mean," John said as he looked at his lap.

"They won't, we'll let Mycroft deal with that. We'll make a few inputs ourselves, but our child will not know evil if you don't want them to," Sherlock said.

John smiled sweetly at Sherlock and said, "They'll have your genius and my adrenaline rush...let's just try to keep them off of murder investigations for the first five years, okay?"

Sherlock chuckled and replied, "Deal."

.:~*~:.

They reached the house a few hours before nightfall. Sammy picked the lock and they headed inside. They carried a sleeping back each from their last camp sight, never knowing when they'll have a bed or not.

They ate a quick snack before they prepped for bed; walking through the forest really tuckered them out. While Jackson got ready for bed, Sammy made some rounds about the house to make sure it was clean, and set up some quick 'alarms' that would alert them if anyone entered the house. She hoped nothing would happen while they slept, but sometimes she wasn't so lucky.

But luck seemed to be on their side so far. They left early the next day, making sure no one saw them leave the abandoned house. They left behind their food and sleeping bags, but took with them their own personal bags. Sammy knew to never rely on 'maybe'. Maybe they would get everything they need and be able to go back without a hitch. Maybe they'll be able to stay long enough to rest properly and make efficient plans, but her mother drilled it into her head, "You're American. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."

They stayed off of empty streets, and used alley ways. Sam took Jackson's hand, and they entered a hardware store close enough with a man, so if anyone checked the cameras for any reason, they'd think Sam and Jack were the man's kids. While there, Sam nabbed some LED lights, two 9V batteries, two battery adapters, and two sports caps. When they exited, Sam pulled them to the closest empty alley and began to work in the blind spot behind the dumpster.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked.

"These will help. I can't be sure but I don't want our faces in view if possible," Sammy replied.

"Okay. That would explain the hats. But what were the batteries and lights for?" Jackson asked.

"The LED lights send out these inferred radio waves that will scramble our faces on any cameras. They won't make us completely invisible, but it'll help," Sammy said as she sewed the lights to the inside of the cap, as well as the battery, attached it all together, and then handed one to him while she made the other.

Jackson watched, fascinated, at how easily Sammy made these. He smiled as he thought of all the cool things he'll learn from her. Soon Sammy finished hers and they donned them on and headed to the streets again.

They made it pretty far in the day. They got a few maps of the surrounding area, a portable first aid kit for each of them, and Sam had some money to buy them something to eat from some street venders. They were about to head to another store when a copper spotted them. He yelled at them, and made his way to them, but Sammy grabbed Jackson's hand and ran.

They ran through alleys, they ran through shops, dove into crowds of people, and ran through traffic. When they finally dived into another alley to catch their breaths, they were surrounded by three punk looking teens.

"Well, well, well...look at we have here. Just hand over your bags, and we'll let you go," the one in the center said.

Jackson hugged his duffle bag closer to him, and Sammy pushed him back behind her.

"Run!" Sammy told Jackson and he tried, but the other two grabbed both of them. They struggled, but they took their things. Jackson saw that the brute who grabbed Sammy was looking in her pockets, and that just made him angry. He freed his hands and took out his sling shot and some ammo- they had found some at the hardware store- and fired at the guy holding Sam and hit him right in the eye. Sam kicked him in the groin, and he fell to his knees. She grabbed a brick and yelled, "Duck!" Jackson did his best, but it did the trick. The guy let Jackson go, and Sammy grabbed both of their things and dashed for the streets, Jackson next to her. She handed him his things and then grabbed his hands and started to run faster.

They didn't stop because they heard the punks running after them. Even though they ran as fast as they could, their pursuers were faster and had longer legs and had caught up with them. They each snatched one of them and pulled them into the nearest alley way.

Sam and Jack struggled and were about to try to escape again when one of the punks fell to the floor unconscious. Before the one who was holding Sam realized what happened, something hit him very hard and he followed suit. The one holding Jackson dropped him and ran off, not caring if he was leaving his pals behind.

"You two okay?"

Sammy looked at the new comer. He was tall and maybe in his mid-30's. He had olive tanned skin that was natural and dark thick hair and a goatee. If Sammy guessed, he was Greek. He was slim, but fit, and had animal hair on his clothes but it wasn't from normal domestic animals. The scars on his arms were made from bigger animals.

"Yes, thank you," Sammy finally spoke.

"Shouldn't you two be in school?" the man asked.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" Sammy replied.

"You know, you could be a bit more grateful to someone who just saved your life," the man said, though he was smiling.

"We would have gotten away, but you're right. Thank you for saving us. I didn't know the circus was in town," Sammy replied.

"It's not. Not yet anyway," the man answered.

"The circus?" Jackson asked.

"This man is an animal trainer. Big cats…white tiger?" Sammy asked.

The man's eyes widened, "How did you know?"

Sammy shrugged, "I just do."

"Well, we're just setting up. It's not supposed to be on for another few days, but how would you two like a behind-the-scenes tour?" the man said.

Jackson looked at Sammy while Sammy looked at the man and then at the men at their feet. She grabbed Jackson's hand and said, "Alright, lead the way."

"We're going to see a circus?" Jackson asked happily.

Sammy smiled at him and said, "Yup."

"I'm Edmund by the way; King of Beasts!" Edmund introduced himself with a dramatic voice.

Jackson giggled and held out his right hand, "I'm Jackson."

Sammy nodded to Edmund and replied, "Samantha, Sam for short."

"Well, let's get a move on. I have a huge family to present to you both!"

Thank you to Catzi for beta-ing this.

I want them to make their own contacts and know people that will come in handy for when their lives mix in with Sherlock and John's, plus a circus just seems perfect for these two.

Hope you like it, please review :)