A/N: Ta-da!!! New chapter

Chapter Nine: The Attack

Holmes came home a few days later as promised by Watson. He seemed relieved to be home and even took my aunts glares and begrudging service in stride. She was still not happy with him for taking me out on the case with him. Upon my return she had been first ecstatic to see me then very upset with my going. Now she was content to put the blame on Holmes.

Every other day Watson would come over to check on his patient. My aunt would allow me a respite from my chores to serve them tea and then visit for a while. Apparently her displeasure with Holmes did not extend to "Dear Dr. Watson" as she called him. I think she was hoping that he would be a good influence and make me stop wanting to work with Holmes. Unfortunately, he and Holmes spent much of the time regaling me with previous cases and the times that Watson was left to patch up Holmes. This was followed by Watson complaining that his instructions for the healing process were always ignored and then banter between the two friends.

Things started to go down hill after about two weeks. Holmes started getting surly as time got closer to Watson allowing him to take off the sling and he was upset at not being able to go after information on the shooter himself. Although Wiggins and his gang were trying to find something for him they were not meeting with much success.

One nice afternoon my aunt decided that I could go to the market for her. After spending the morning sewing anything and everything that my aunt could find and mending to her standards I was more than ready for some fresh air.

I hadn't been out for very long when I ran into Wiggins. I made my way up to him. "Hello Wiggins, what is the game today?"

"Oh hello miss. I was just trying to get something for Mr. Holmes." He made a face that told me it wasn't going as well as he would like. He got real quiet for a second and then looked up at me smiling. "Perhaps you could help me a bit?"

I got excited at the possibility of some evidence gathering as I had been inactive on case work since the discovery of Danston. "What can I do?"

"Well you see," he started, "I can't keep as good of tabs on him as I would normally because he keeps going into shops that are of a higher quality then I am use to going in, and well I'm not exactly a welcome sight in all of them. But you..."

"I am dressed for a day at the market and can easily gain access into most of the shops." I finished catching on to the plan.

"Right-o miss."

"So who is the guy?"

He nodded at a man walking towards a small bakery. The man was dressed decently and looked of a higher class than the men that Wiggins normally tailed for Holmes. There was no way Wiggins could go hang around in there without drawing attention to his self. I had already gathered a few of the things I had been sent out for so this was an easy shop for me to go into. It would simply look as though I was taking a short break from my shopping.

"Well I'll go in and you keep lookout." He nodded his assent and I went in and casually ordered a small pastry.

Once I had paid for it I sat down at a table not too far from the man and slowly started to pick at my treat. I didn't know for how long I was going to need it to last so I figured the slower the better.

The man only sat there for a few minutes before another man came in and joined him. Right behind this second man a young mother and her nosy children came in and took a seat behind me. As the two men talked I tried to hear what they were saying but it was no use with the racket going on at the other table.

After ten minutes or so the two men got up and left splitting up as they left. I quickly swallowed down the rest of my food and made my way outside.

Wiggins ran up to me, "Well what did they say?"

I shrugged, "I'm not sure. I had a noisy child behind me and couldn't make out a word they said. I certainly didn't look like just a common meeting though."

"Well you follow the new guy I'm going after the first guy again." He said.

"Ok, see you at Baker Street later." And we both went off after out prospective tails.

I followed my guy in and out of several shops and waited outside window shopping when he went into someplace that I couldn't follow without attracting attention. Several of the places I had a legitimate reason for going into so it was really an easy tail. Finally it was getting late, my basket was nearly full and I needed to return home. I gave up my guy who had yielded absolutely no more information.

I returned to 221 as dusk was falling and was set upon by my aunt when I went into the kitchen to deposit my purchases.

"What took you so long?"

I focused on putting things carefully on the pantry shelf. "I stopped to have a scone at the bakery." I said casually.

She didn't buy it, "A scone that took you three hours to eat? What were you really doing?"

I tried to put her off one more time, "Well I saw Wiggins so I stopped to talk to him for a bit. I guess I lost track of the time. Which he should be over soon so we should pull out some cookies for him." I was hoping that the idea of needed to feed the always hungry young boy would help to change the subject but I had no such luck.

She raised a brow at me, "Wiggins huh, Mikael were you out doing work for Mr. Holmes?"

I was caught, "Well He didn't put me up to it or anything. Wiggins couldn't follow this guy into any of the shops so I went into the bakery to listen in on a meeting that was going on between two guys and when I couldn't hear anything Wiggins and I decided to split up so we could each follow a guy and see if we could get any information about the shooting." I knew I had went a little to far when her face turned white at my last words. She wasn't comfortable with the idea that I had been involved in the case that had got Holmes shot.

"Mikael," she breathed, "Mikael you must not get involved in this. What if that man had been the shooter and he had seen you."

"Auntie, I was in a public place nothing would have happened and I stopped before dark. I was perfectly safe." I tried to reassure her.

"You and Mr. Holmes were at the police station when you two were shot at there is no such thing as being perfectly safe no matter where you are. I don't want you working on anything with him again."

I started to protest but was cut off.

"No there will be no arguing on the matter. Your father sent you over her to get you out of trouble and to train you how to be a proper lady. I wont have you running off and getting killed just because Mr. Holmes wants information. I want you to promise me you will stop working with Mr. Holmes."

"What! But auntie…" I stammered.

"No please, do this for me. Promise me."

I didn't know what to do. The last thing I wanted was to estrange my aunt. "Okay, I promise." I assented reluctantly.

"That means no science experiments, no detective work, not even any of those books he gave to you. It all stops understand? You will do nothing other than what you were sent over here for."

"Yes Auntie." I answered looking at the floor.

"Now go and clean up and help me with dinner."

That night after dinner I returned all of the books Holmes had given me. I walked into the sitting room with an arm load of books causing Holmes to look up from his pipe.

"Wiggins was here earlier and said that you had helped him in tailing a suspect today. Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"There was nothing to report. I was unable to hear any of the conversation and the man did nothing to cause any suspicion when I followed him."

He took a puff off the pipe, "Well now that you have a face or two maybe you can assist Wiggins further tomorrow?" He prompted.

"No Holmes I can't."

He gave me a sideways glance, "Perhaps the next day then."

"No Holmes not the next day either." I looked him right in the eye as I set the books on the table. "And I won't be needing these anymore either."

He got the hint and took a couple more puffs on his pipe.

"Would you like anything while I'm up here?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"Then good night Mr. Holmes."

"Good night Miss Garrison."

Things were drastically different after that. If I went out it was with my aunt. When Watson came over I served the tea and then went back to my duties.

There were a few times at first when Holmes would go to show me something and stop himself. I was glad he did because although I couldn't do anything that didn't mean I wasn't interested.

For the most part my aunt made sure that I stayed out of Holmes' way and I got very little time in the upstairs part of the house.

After about a month of this my aunt decided to leave me home while she went out for the day. She left me with a list of things to do including dusting the upstairs sitting room. I did a few of the other chores then made my way upstairs. Holmes was bent over his desk working on something that seemed to take up his full attention. I let out at sigh and went to work on the other side of the room.

Soon there was no helping it I had run out of places to clean on that side of the room. I slowly made my way over to where Holmes was cleaning as I went. I was burning with curiosity on what he was doing but determined not to break my promise. Wiggins and his gang had been coming and going with alarming frequency and Holmes was always busy. Eventually, I was cleaning the bookshelf just to the right of the desk.

Once there I couldn't help but look at what he was doing. He was reading a letter that appeared to come from his brother. After a moment I recognized the patterns of a cipher. These were some of the most interesting if not the hardest things that I had practiced with Holmes. It was also one of my favorites. I loved patterns and enjoyed the struggle of finding the correct pattern that would make the symbols divulge their secrets. As I looked over his shoulder I kept the duster moving so that if my aunt were to return home I would still be cleaning. However, with all the dust I had already collected throughout the room, it soon started to refill the air causing both Holmes and myself to start sneezing.

"Damnit Mikael" he yelled using my first name for the first time since I had returned the books. "How do you expect me to concentrate on this with you flitting around the room sighing and stirring up clouds of dust?"

I glared at him, "I was just trying to see what you were doing. And I was not flitting"

"Then just ask." He fired back, "Don't use paltry tricks or sneak glances over my shoulder."

"I can't Holmes and you know that. I made a promise to my aunt and I intend to keep it."

"If you made a promise to Mrs. Hudson then you should not be wondering what I am doing. Go back to your housewife lessons and leave me alone."

I was shocked as his words, "Housewife lessons! What on earth are you talking about? I am trying to become the proper young lady that my father sent me over here to be."

"The father who barely paid you any mind until you were nearing a marriageable age? Think about it Mikael unless the lessons have undone everything I worked to instill in you. What is it that a proper young lady does? Become a housewife. What is it that you have been learning that is among the things done by all housewives? Cooking, cleaning, sewing and having absolutely nothing in their pretty little heads. All of which you have been mastering wonderfully these last few weeks. Much faster and more efficient I must say then when you were learning the art of reason and deduction, so I think you have found your true calling."

I just stared at him with my mouth hanging open. I couldn't believe that he would use something I told him in confidence against me.

He took my silence in another light. "Point in case. Now, finish your cleaning while I am out of the house." With that he grabbed his overcoat and stormed out of the room.

After he left, I flung the feather duster at the door. Throwing myself down in the nearest chair I fumed. How dare he say that to me, I was just doing what my aunt had asked of me. I was terrified at the thought that he would bee right. Is that all it is? Was I sent over here so that I would be able to make some man a proper wife? Although I knew I would have to get married at some point I never really thought of it as something I would be sent off to train for. There was a time when I fanaticized about some man I tried to pick pocket as falling in love with me and saving me from my crimes.

Once I had calmed a bit I went down stairs to wait for my aunt. I needed to find out if that was really why my father had sent me over here. When I made it to the bottom a knock sounded at the door. I answered it to find a delivery boy there with a box with no address.

"Here you are miss." He said handing it over. I took it and turned to put it on the table near the door.

"Thank you. If you wait just one moment I'll go get you a…" I trailed of because the boy was gone. That was unusual. They normally wait for a token.

I turned to walk towards the kitchen but the box caught my eye. I couldn't help but wonder what it was for. I supposed it was for Holmes and the no address was because it was something highly secret. It was also heavy which was promising as for as interesting content. Just a plain box wrapped in twine to hold it close, rather simple really.

If I just carefully undo the knot I can open it see what's inside then seal it back up no one the wiser. I thought.

I quickly went to work on the knot, pausing right when I had finally got it loosened. I could hear a faint ticking sound. I knew there was no way I was hearing the upstairs clock. I leaned in closer to the box and the tick grew a little louder.

Oh my God! There was a bomb inside the box.

The realization hit me like a slap in the face and I felt a cold sweat wash over me. I picked up the box prepared to throw it outside but stopped. I didn't want to blow up some innocent passer.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God." I heard my self saying over and over.

I ran around in circles with the box in my hands trying to figure out what to do. Finally I couldn't take it any longer; I put the box on the floor and ran into my room just to the right of the front entrance. Slamming my door, I dove under my bed just as the explosion went off. I think I heard myself scream as the door was blown open. I do know that I did my most lady-like thing since coming to London; I fainted.