(A/N: I have no excuse for the gap in between chapters. I honestly don't. I'm writing like crazy and developing the plot and everything, so that takes time. I know what't going to happen, but it's gonna be a while and it's hard to put into words, which probably isn't good. Ah, and I'm running out of names for chapters. If you have any characters I may have forgotten to throw in there, tell me. [I have Moriarty on reserve.])

Chapter 14: Frankie Smith

"Sherlock..." John called, running upstairs, "I have a few questions for you."

"What now, John?" Sherlock sighed exasperatedly and hopped out of his armchair to greet John.

"It's about Crystal."

"Listen, John, if it was about last night, all I did was call her about her mother, take her for decaf to calm her nerves and I brought her home."

"At three in the morning?" John exclaimed.

"Yes, three in the morning. I felt it couldn't wait. It's not like I kissed her or anything. You know I don't do that sort of dull relationship thing." Sherlock rolled his eyes and plopped back down in his chair.

"Have you been pressuring her about this Alexander Colt guy?"

"A bit."

"Do you think she knows everyone?"

"Well, it sure seems like she does. Don't you find it strange that she knows Lestrade, Donovan, and Anderson? Three of the highest ranking police in London?"

"Her father was a detective."

"Don't you find it odd that both Nicky and Mrs. Greene, who were both kidnapped, are both related to Crystal. And that Detective Colt and Crystal both had injuries from an explosion on the same night, but there was only one explosion the night they got hurt?"

"Perhaps they're not missing. They've just stepped away. And maybe... just maybe... Crystal knows Alexander because they lived in the same building."

"But I only found Crystal that night. If Alex had to be excused from work because of his injuries, he couldn't have gotten away."

"Maybe he wasn't knocked out like Crystal and went to the hospital himself." John couldn't believe that Crystal was this detective. She made it very clear that she didn't want to be involved in criminology at all. "Or," John continued, "Perhaps he was working on the Harriet and Mira case and he knew that Crystal had some dealings with them and left just as the explosives went off and only got minor, but noticeable injuries and didn't see Crystal leave the building."

"There was only one person on that street that night."

Sherlock stood and began to pace, his mind racing. Crystal clearly knew Alexander Colt, but where was he. Who was he? What was he doing dodging Sherlock like this? Why were Crystal's family members vanishing all of a sudden? What did that have to do with Crystal? Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.

"Did you notice that the people who you have met out of her life have been the ones that have vanished?"

John let that sink in for a moment and then he realized who was going to go next.

"Vanessa." John said and he ran back downstairs and Sherlock, curious, followed.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Nancy had never been in so much pain in her life and she had given birth twice. There was a bullet in her side somewhere and it was burning her insides. She was sure it wasn't in her stomach, but she couldn't get it out.

Nancy tried to get it out, groaning loudly in pain as she did so, but every time she just barely touched the wound, it hurt even more. She knew that Alexandria was going to realize she was gone. Nancy knew her daughter would know she was gone and would find a way to get her back.

She was pretty sure that she was alone in the room, but she felt like she was being watched. Nancy didn't know how of course, seeing as it was a dark room. Perhaps it was night vision or infrared camera filters. Nancy started to sigh, but she grunted in pain as she remembered her bullet wound. She was the wife and now a mother of a detective. She knew more than she'd like to about that sort of business.

Nancy's husband, David Colt, was a brilliant man. He was one of the smartest people she had ever known. They met quite by accident. Nancy was at school and she was going to her next class when he suddenly grabbed her and pulled her out of the way as seven people in black leather jackets ran past. He'd called her beautiful and he asked for her number. Flustered, she'd given it to him. No one had ever called her beautiful before.

David never planned on settling down. He was a dangerous man and he didn't think he would have been able to stand it if something happened to anyone he loved. Than, he fell in love with Nancy and they got married and they had Maria and Alexandria. Maria unfortunately followed in Nancy's footsteps and wasn't all that smart. Alexandria, on the other hand, was smart like her father.

From a young age, she was reading high level books and even asked for Spanish lessons. She took interest in David's work and insisted she had helped him on a few, giving him a few key words to think about. Then, Alexandria flew through school and was a police officer before Nancy was comfortable, but she'd gotten through a bit easier because of her father's guidance.

When Alexandria got her job as a detective, which was quite quickly, her work got very dangerous, and Nancy started having a hard time sleeping. She never knew when she could call Alexandria and she never knew if she was okay. Nancy knew Alexandria was good at what she did, but that didn't stop her from worrying.

Now, Nancy was all wrapped up in it. She knew she was going to eventually, but she never could have imagined being shot. She hadn't even done anything wrong. Well, she did predict the first bullet and manage to dodge it, and the second, but the third sent her tumbling back and knocking over a chair. She had knocked over a few pieces of furniture while she dodged, so she knew she would have some cleaning up to do when she got home.

After she was shot, Nancy didn't remember much. She sort of blacked out, but when she "woke up" she was laying on the kitchen floor and the beautiful Asian woman was writing something on the wall with her fingers. When she ran out of whatever she was using, she reached down and... Nancy shivered with the memory. The feeling of the woman's fingers lightly in the bullet wound. Nancy shut her eyes tight, begging the pain... and the memory to go away.

~!~!~!~!~!~

When Maria heard that her mother was gone, of course she called her smartass detective sister. She knew deep inside that her sister still wouldn't be happy with her and would tell her everything about their mother's disappearance.

Still, Maira paced her flat in front of the phone that rested on the coffee table. She knew she had done something terrible. Calling her sister was probably the hardest thing she had ever had to do. It wasn't her fault she got feelings for Alexandria's boyfriend. It wasn't her fault that Alexandria's boyfriend got feelings for her.

Finally, the pacing was over. Maria grabbed her phone and called her sister. It rang a few times and then she was sent to voicemail. Maybe Alex wasn't in the mood to deal with her, but she would have to deal with it. Maria tried again.

"What do you want? I'm kind of in the middle of something." Alexandria snapped on the other side.

"Why didn't you tell me that Mum was missing?" Maria asked.

"Technically. She has to be gone forty eight hours before she can officially be considered 'missing.'"

"B-but there was blood." Maria remembered what the policeman told her.

"Exactly. That's why they made an exception. Well, and she's the mother of... well, a teacher, but she's the wife of a detective."

"A dead detective!" Maria cried.

"Exactly. Someone could want to get at us. Or take it out on her. Maria, dear, only the finest are on the case."

"What do they have to go on?"

"I don't know. Lestrade hasn't called me yet."

"I heard there was a message... on the wall... written in blood, but not for either of us." Maria choked.

"There was. It was for another detective I know. He's a consulting detective and he's the one who found Mum's flat destroyed."

"How did he know where Mum's flat was?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you once I get inside." Alex said and I figured she was out. "John," she must have lowered her phone a bit to talk to her boyfriend, "I'll see you tomorrow, alright. I'm sorry. I've got to talk to my sister, you know how it is."

"Yeah, of course." John sounded completely understanding. "See you tomorrow."

There were sounds in the background as Alex got inside her flat and headed into her bedroom

"Okay, listen..." Alexandria said and she told Maria about taking John to meet their mother and Sherlock tagging along, then finding Mum's flat later on.

"Who is this 'Sherlock' guy?" Maria asked, hearing a creek somewhere in the house, but ignoring it.

"My neighbor and my boyfriend's flatmate. Speaking of which, you should meet John. Then run off and have sex with him."

"Alexandria!" Maria exclaimed when she saw what the source of the sound was. A tall, beautiful Asian woman who was clad in black stood in Maris's living room only five meters away, "It was only once. I promise I'll never do it again." Maria spoke quickly. She was about to tell her sister about the woman, when she was cut off.

"Good. Besides, John isn't even your type. If you have any more questions about Mum, then give me a ring or text me. I am going to bed."

"No, Alex, I-" Maria tried to get her sisters attention, but in one swift movement, the Asian woman made Maria unable to move and took her by the wrist.

Then, the woman took out her phone and dialed a number that she seemed to know by heart. It was clear that this woman wanted something to do with Alex and she was using her family to do it. Maira struggled against the woman's grasp, but she was strong for such a thin woman. When the phone call was over, the woman gave Maria a disdainful look and got to binding her hands and legs.

"So, who is it?" Maria asked in a whisper.

"What?" the woman seemed shocked that Maria would speak and, well, so was Maria.

"Who is the correct option?

"I doubt you've met him."

"Is it John, her boyfriend? Nickey? Some uncle?"

"You forget that I am taking you as well."

"My father was a detective. I know some things."

"I'm sorry?"

"You just said 'him' not 'her' or some other gender neutral word. So, I'm assuming it's a man."

"If you must know, he is the most important man in London. If London were without him, this city would crumble and she doesn't even know it yet. Nor does he."

"Who is he?"

"He's a great, powerful man. Out of the entire population of London, only three people are brave enough to stand up to him... His roommate, Alexandria Colt, and me."

~!~!~!~!~!~

Frankie knew Alexandria's occupation was dangerous, and yet he still hung out with her. He knew Vanessa loved her and that was all he needed. He knew that one day, he could come home and Vanessa would be gone, kidnapped because because of some case.

Still, he couldn't get enough of Vanessa. He wanted to be with her all the time. He knew that she wanted to be with him, too. They were living together, so that could be a good sign. He'd wanted to be with Vanessa from the second he laid eyes on her, and now... now he was going to ask her to marry him.

However, he knew from the look on Alexandria's face that there was a case going on and everyone she knew was in danger, so he decided to postpone the proposal. He wanted to ask her, but he knew it would only hurt him if Vanessa was taken from him.

He knew Alexandria enough to know that right now wasn't a good time for personal matters. Now was a time to be cautious. Now was a time to take reasonable precautions and sleep with a gun under the pillow. Not that Frankie had a gun. Just a really scary looking knife.

Alexandria was his best friend, or his second best friend. His first was Vanessa, obviously, but Alexandria was his second. He may seem weird for having girls as best friends, but he's known them both ages. Frankie met Alexandria first in high school, then he met Vanessa.

He knew as soon as he met Alexandria that she was brilliant. She was able to read him with just a glance and it blew him away. He knew that she would never lie to anyone unless they had a good reason, do he would have to ask her why she was lying to John about her entire identity. It was obvious that she really liked John, so why was she hiding from him?

~!~!~!~!~!~

Sherlock was running behind John towards Crystal's best friend's house. Sherlock wasn't sure why he was concerned about this. He had better things to do. Besides, the girl wasn't missing yet. John could go and Sherlock could think back through all of the times he's been on a crime scene or in the police department.

Even as he ran, he was thinking. He was searching for a man with green eyes and black hair. So far, he hadn't thought about anything Nothing. He couldn't recall anyone of that description.

Suddenly, it hit him like a rock in the face. He'd seen Crystal before he met her at the museum. He'd seen her at another crime scene. It had been a long time ago, but he had seen her. She looked dressed up and professional and so young. Which begged the question... how old was Crystal and how long had she wanted to be a teacher?

Sherlock slowed to a stop, and John, frustrated, only stopped for a moment before running ahead. Sherlock had to ask Crystal what she was doing at the crime scene one year ago. And another one two years before. Sherlock turned and ran back the way he had come. Crystal was his main priority now.