Ella woke up to a bright early morning. She heard the birds chirping about and the cars whizzing by. She had a good feeling about today. After washing up and getting ready for work, Ella stepped out of her apartment and entered her bakery. She broomed and mopped the floors, cleaning every inch of everything in the bakery. When Ella was satisfied, she opened the bakery.

It was a modest day, and a very boring day for Sherlock. He was on his feet with his violin and bow at hand, looking out the window. His right hand couldn't stop fidgeting with the bow, and the bow and violin were set down. Sherlock sat down on the couch and put his fingers to his head, closing his eyes. He took in one deep breath and walked out of his apartment. He stood there on the street looking into Speedy's. He saw Ella working through the glass windows. There weren't many people in the store, and Ella was in the back making the dough.

Sherlock watched Ella putting in the freshly made dough into the oven and she came back to the front. She spotted Sherlock, and she waved her hand and smiled brightly. Sherlock was surprised at how long he had been just staring, and he cursed himself in his head. He quickly gathered his courage and entered Speedy's. Ella smiled even brighter and greeted Sherlock happily. "Good afternoon, Sherlock."

"Good afternoon, Ella. It smells quite lovely in here."

"Yes, well it is a bakery after all, and what smells better than baked goods? Would you like something?"

"What would you recommend?"

"I just made fruit tarts. Would you like to try that?"

"Yes, I'd like to try one fruit tart." Ella handed Sherlock a fruit tart on a plate and he reached into his back pocket for his wallet when she stopped him.

"Oh please, this one is on me."

"No, I want to pay-"

"Just take it, Sherlock. I'm giving it to you." Sherlock looked at Ella and she flashed him a beautiful smile. He cleared his throat and thanked Ella for the fruit tart. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Please," he said and pulled out a chair for Ella. She sat on the chair and Sherlock sat across from her. "It's always been quite quaint in here."

"It's quite modest. I suppose the police are doing just fine today."

"I suppose they are. Haven't heard a word from them all day." There was an awkward silence.

"Are you busy tonight?" Sherlock looked at Ella a bit surprised. "The Russian Ballet is in London performing Romeo and Juliet. My uncle received tickets to them and he's giving them to me. I was wondering if you'd like to join me."

"I'd love to," Sherlock responded almost like a robot, but deep inside he was shouting with glee.

"Great! I'll meet you down here at 7 o clock then?"

"I'll see you then. Thank you for the fruit tart."

"Anytime, Sherlock." Sherlock smiled and Ella went back to working. After finishing his tart, he left and quickly ran up to his place to get ready for tonight.

It was 7 o clock and Sherlock was ready. John came through the door with groceries in both hands and stood there, surprised at how sharp Sherlock looked in a black tuxedo. "A date?" John asked.

"Yes. With Ella." John was quiet for a moment, and Sherlock turned his head to look at him while still fixing his tie. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, yes," John answered collecting himself. He put the groceries down on the counter. "Never knew you owned a tux."

"Never asked, did you?"

"I suppose not. Where are you two going?"

"The Russian Ballet. They're performing Romeo and Juliet."

"Ah. Interesting."

"It'll be a drag."

"Then why are you going?"

Sherlock paused for a moment, but continued fixing himself up. "For her."

"Are you infatuated with her?"

"I am amused by her."

"Amused?"

"Yes. Quite interesting a girl she is. Well, how do I look, John?"

"Dashing." Sherlock smiled and grabbed his black coat.

"Don't wait up for me, darling," Sherlock spoke as he headed out the door. John just snickered and closed the door behind Sherlock.

"Sherlock!" Sherlock halted immediately on the stairs, and he turned back to see Ella standing there in a beautiful silver-blue evening gown that reached up to her ankles. Ella blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear seeing Sherlock's reaction. His mouth was wide open, and the man was swooning. "You look very handsome, Sherlock."

"You're beautiful," he confessed without hesitation. He caught himself too late, and Ella smiled. She linked arms with Sherlock and they caught a cab to the theater. They arrived at the theater and there was a huge waiting line. "Do you think we'll get in on time?" Ella smiled and linked arms with Sherlock again. She led him to the front of the booth, and the man immediately recognized Ella.

"Miss Lannister," he greeted with a bow.

"Now, now, I've told you before, Sam, that there's no need to bow. I have 2 tickets."

"Yes, of course, Miss Lannister." The booth boy immediately left his booth and opened the way to the front seats. The two walked into the lobby still arm in arm and Sherlock immediately noticed all eyes were on them two.

"Everyone's staring," Sherlock spoke without moving his head, trying not to look conspicuous.

"Yes, because you are here with me." Ella's grasp on Sherlock's arm tightened when she saw Robb Stark arm in arm with Talisa. Talisa and Robb were looking at one another while walking, and Talisa was first to look away laughing. Her laugh immediately disappeared when she saw Ella, and Robb looked forward. His smile weakened seeing Ella with another man, and he had a scowl when she walked right past him without acknowledgement.

Ella and Sherlock found their front row seats and they sat down quietly. Sherlock was quiet for a minute, thinking. "Did you have a relationship with Robb Stark?" Ella looked at Sherlock a bit surprised, but she remembered that it was what he did best. She looked out at the orchestra tuning their instruments.

"Yes."

"An intimate one?"

"...yes."

"And it ended badly."

"Very."

"How did-"

"Sherlock." Ella held Sherlock's hand tightly and looked at him. "I don't want to talk about him." Sherlock looked into Ella's eyes and could see tears forming. He nodded and she gave a smile, immediately sucking back in the tears. Sherlock suffered through the ballet, and he was glad when they were finally at the scene where Romeo and Juliet kill themselves. Sherlock snuck a glance and looked at Ella. He saw how much she was loving the ballet, and he was just glad she was having a good time. Sherlock felt his phone vibrate and he took a sneak peek.

Lestrade : Come to the Lannister home now. Emergency.

"Sherlock, put it away," Ella whispered. He looked at her and he immediately put his phone away. He watched the rest of the ballet but his mind couldn't stop wondering about what happened at the Lannister home that needed his immediate assistance.

Ella and Sherlock walked out of the theater arm in arm, and she checked her phone. She had to take a second glance when she saw that she had 20 missed calls. She let go of Sherlock's arm and he watched Ella looking at her phone with worry. Ella had missed calls from Belle and Tyrion. She immediately called her uncle, and Sherlock sent a quick text to John.

Sherlock : Lannister home, emergency.

John : I'm already here. You'd better be on your way, they're getting impatient

"Ella, finally you answer."

"Is something wrong, uncle?"

"Father...he's been shot." Ella stood there in shock. "Ella?"

"Is he alive?"

"Breathing through a tube."

"Where is he?"

"At home. You should see him."

"I'm on my way." Ella hung up and Sherlock immediately asked, "What happened?"

"My grandfather. He was shot." Sherlock was surprised at the news, and he could see Ella was still in shock. He wanted to act fast for her, so he called for a taxi. He helped Ella into the taxi and it dropped them off at the Lannister House. There were police cars parked on the streets, and there was Lestrade and John waiting outside.

"Sherlock, you've kept the Lannisters waiting," Lestrade said as he spotted the consulting detective.

"My apologies." Ella immediately ran into the house and Sherlock stayed outside to get the full news.

"Sir Tywin Lannister was shot from his bedroom. We've ruled that it was a sniper, but the Lannisters insisted that you come."

"They have?" Sherlock asked putting on gloves to examine the crime scene.

"They've heard many things about you, and they insisted on having the best detective in Britain."

"John, shall we?" John nodded and he and Sherlock stepped into the Lannister home. They were both amazed at how grandiose the house was, and they heard chatter from upstairs.

When Ella entered the house, she ran upstairs to her grandfather's room. It was wide open and she could see the family sitting around his bedside. She saw Cirsei stroking her father's hand, and Ella stepped more inside and saw her grandfather breathing through a tube.

Everyone turned their heads and looked at Ella standing there in the doorway. "Who is there?" Tywin demanded to know in a weak, frail voice.

"Grandfather," Ella cried. She ran to her grandfather's other side and his pale face glowed seeing his granddaughter.

"Ah, little dove."

"You're going to be alright, grandfather," Ella spoke strongly as she knelt beside his bed, holding onto his hand. "You'll survive this."

"I know I will. It's not my time to go yet." Ella smiled through her tears and Tywin weakly smirked. "Everyone, out." Everybody left and Cirsei was the last one there with Ella. "You, too."

"Whatever you need to say to her, you can say in front of me," Cirsei firmly spoke.

"Out!" Cirsei saw anger in her father's face and she angrily left. "Let me have a good look at you." Ella leaned forward and Tywin examined his granddaughter's face. "You have your father's eyes."

"And father had your eyes," Ella answered stroking her grandfather's hand.

"Do you remember when you were just a little girl, and you asked me why a woman takes on a man's last name when they wed?"

"Yes, I do," Ella chuckled.

"And do you remember what I said?"

"Because the father no longer protects the woman. It is the husband's duty to protect his woman."

"And what did you say after that?" Ella just laughed, and Tywin smiled. "You said to me, 'No man needs to protect me. I'll protect my man, and he will take on my last name, Lannister!' Do you still believe in what you said?"

"You'll have my answer on the day of my wedding."

"I don't think I'll have enough years to wait for that."

"Oh, you have plenty, grandfather. You'll see your great-grandchildren too."

"Now you're being naive." Ella chuckled and Tywin closed his eyes. "You'll stay here for the night, little dove?"

"Of course." A knock came on the door and Tywin said to enter. There was Sherlock, John, and Lestrade.

"Sir Lannister, this is Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. They're here to examine the crime scene," Lestrade spoke up.

"You may enter." Sherlock and John stepped forth. "Go, Ella." Ella nodded and quietly left her grandfather's room. Tywin watched the two men examining the glass window where the bullet flew through, and he listened to Sherlock talking aloud to John and John sometimes finishing his sentences for him. Tywin had to admit he was impressed at the deductions Sherlock came to, but he was still wary of Sherlock. Tywin remembered him staring at Ella the day she moved in, and he didn't trust Sherlock one bit. They were done examining the crime scene, and Tywin spoke, "Was it the Starks or Targaryens?"

"Well, we can't say for sure right now but-" Tywin interrupted John in the middle of his sentence.

"A man tried to kill me. I want his name and I want him alive. Aren't you the famous Sherlock Holmes who can crack any case given to him?"

"Yes, that is I."

"And you are also my granddaughter's neighbor." Sherlock looked at Tywin, and the man was glaring at Sherlock. "I saw you the day Ella moved in. You couldn't keep your licentious stare off of her."

"My relationship with your granddaughter is irrelevant to the way I approach this case," Sherlock answered with his usual indifferent tone, not allowing this man to get to him. Tywin eyed Sherlock and could see he didn't falter, which impressed him. Tywin's glare struck at the hearts of everyone he encountered, but this man standing before him didn't flinch a bit. He was strong, almost reminding Tywin of himself when he was younger : tall, powerful stature with his hands behind his back, unfaltering gaze, an aura that said don't fuck with me.

"My family believes you are the only man who can find out who tried to have me assassinated."

"Your family put their beliefs into the right man." Sherlock could see Tywin wanted to laugh, but the man didn't.

"Speak with whoever you need to speak to. Ask for whatever you need at your disposal. My family will offer it all. But as for tonight, leave me be." Tywin closed his eyes to get some rest and Sherlock and John quietly left Tywin's bedroom.

While Sherlock and John were inspecting her grandfather's room, Ella stepped downstairs into the living room where the family was chattering, and some police were there to take down notes. Everything quieted down when Ella stepped into the living room. "How did it happen?" Ella demanded.

"Sniper," Tyrion spoke. "Hired from the Stark's or Targaryen's."

"Inspector," Ella spoke, "where is Ariel Stark? Isn't she a member of your squad?"

"Yes, but she didn't answer her phone tonight," Lestrade answered. "I suppose she was kept busy."

"It can't be the Stark's. They wouldn't dare," Robert Baratheon, who just appointed Eddard Stark to his cabinet, said defending them, knowing what kind of conclusions Ella was forming.

"They are not to be trusted," Cirsei spoke to her husband. "They are jealous that you are Prime Minister and that Eddard Stark lost in-"

"Oh shut it, woman." Ella noticed the police taking down more notes.

"You all may be excused for the night," she spoke to Lestrade as if she was the leader of the family. "Thank you for your help. We expect this case to be closed soon, with the sniper put to justice." Lestrade nodded and called for the police to work on the case in the morning. Belle closed the door behind the last officer so that the family could speak in private.

"Did the Targaryen's forget what would happen if you mess with the Lannister's already?" Ella asked as if she couldn't believe it herself. "I doubt Viserys has even healed from the scars."

"We have eyes and ears out there gathering information for us as we speak," Tyrion spoke up. "Let's not jump to any conclusions just yet-"

"Father was nearly killed!" Cirsei shouted angrily to her little brother. "Do you really expect us to just wait around until we have the information?"

"Then what's your plan, sister? Raise an army and destroy the Stark's and Targaryen's? Shoot down the entire family? What if it wasn't them? What if it was a Bolton, or a Greyjoy, or a Tarth? We cannot be quick to assume it was the Starks or Targaryens."

"You're glad father was shot," she said with such spite. "You want to take his position in the cabinet. You want it all for yourself!"

"Talk slanderous one more time, sister, and I'll cut your tongue out and hang it around my neck like a necklace," Tyrion threatened.

"Enough!" Everyone looked at Ella. "We need to stick together as a family. We can't be at each other's throats at a time like this. First thing's first, we're going to show whoever shot grandfather that Lannisters pay their debts."