Hey guys, so this is the last chapter of this story. I may do a sequel to this story because obviously there will be more things that should be addressed. When I started this chapter I didn't think it was going to be the last but it just kind of happened. I'd like to thank everyone for reading this story because I've enjoyed writing it. and I'd also like to apologize for the long wait. I have another story that I'm trying to work on for this site and a novel that I'm working on in my down time from work. Also, I am human, personal shit happens and sometimes I just need time. on with the story.
Previously:
Lestrade's POV
I watch as Holmes walks away from us and after Watson yells at her I hear a cold, quiet voice say "Watch me." I don't want to believe that was Holmes. I can't believe it. Holmes has never sounded like that before. I feel a mix of emotions and it's hard to identify most of them, the strongest being anger and hatred. Not towards Holmes, towards Ikrum. I turn around and head back to the lab and demand to know where exactly Ikrum is being kept. When I'm finally told I storm off to his cell. I slam open the door with Watson half a step behind me and walk right up to him while Watson stands at the door.
"What did you do to her?!" I yell right in his face.
He wears a cynical smile and keeps calm while he answers, "Let's just say, I've helped her see the truth."
I can't hold myself back. I pull my fist back and swing at him. I hit him right on his jaw. Watson comes running over and tries to pull me back. I'm so pissed at this time that I don't care and I let him. All I can hear is Ikrum laughing as the door closes behind us.
Watson's POV
"Lestrade, you know you can't just go around punching our suspects!" I all but yell at him.
"He can't do that! He can't just take Holmes from us, not when we got her back. You heard her Watson, that's not our Holmes and I want to know what he did to change her like that!" Lestrade glares at me.
He tries to walk away from me but I stop him with surprising strength. I swing him around and pin him against the wall just as angry.
"You think I like this?!" I yell right in his face, his eyes going wide in surprise. "Don't you dare believe for even a second that I like this! I agree that Holmes is no longer herself but would she have wanted you to punch Ikrum? No. The answer is no. We just need to help her. We will leave this time, and when we get home, we will prove to her that she has not disgraced her family name. Do you understand?"
He takes a moment before he can formulate a response.
"You're right. I wasn't thinking." He seems worried. "Calm down and let me go."
I realize that I still hadn't let him go and he was still firmly pressed to the wall. I let go and take a step back.
"It would seem as if we both let our emotions get the better of us." I say closing my eyes and breathing deeply.
"How about we go and find that device for Holmes, yeah?" Lestrade asks, effectively ignoring my last statement and changing the topic.
"Yeah." I sigh.
We should have taken a look when we were back there so we could save ourselves a trip, then again, Ikrum was our top priority. We walk down the hall before I think of the most obvious thing, how are we going to get there? I don't think the Avengers will be letting us leave anytime soon after what just happened. As if he could read my thoughts, Lestrade speaks up.
"They do not have ownership over us, we can leave anytime if we want."
"But how will we get back there?" I question back as we start to gather what we need.
"We walk if we have to. We should pack her stuff when we get back." He says shouldering a small pack.
All I do is nod. Does this qualify as going behind her back? Are we betraying the others trust by leaving without a word? Hopefully they'll learn to forgive us. I sigh.
"If we are going to do this, then I want to be who I was when I first got here." I say gesturing to the clothes we wore when we arrived in this time.
"I'll be back." That's all Lestrade says as he leaves the room, I presume to change.
After we change we leave Avengers Tower and start back to the warehouse on foot. We both gain many looks with our outdated clothing as we pass people on several busy streets. It's not long before a car starts following us. Soon the car pulls ahead of us and stops. The person who gets out isn't who I thought I would be in the least.
Agent Hill steps out and stands there, looking at us. We stop about ten feet from the car.
"I've been trying to get in contact with either of you, then I stop at the tower to hear the both of you have gone AWOL." She starts.
"Yeah, we tend to do that Hill." Lestrade says without really looking at her.
"There's something waiting for you both, back on the Helicarrier." She continues.
"No offence Hill, were kind of busy." I say as we go to start walking again.
"If you're going for the device, I wouldn't suggest it. It's in a S.H.I.E.L.D. lab. We found more energy spikes, similar to when you came to this time and teams were immediately displaced to the locations. What was found is very interesting." Hill continues yet again, as if we never interrupted her in the first place.
I'm about to protest more when Lestrade just sighs and walks towards the car. I give him a confused look when he turns back to me. He returns it with an exasperated one, rolls his eyes, then climbs into the back seat. I hesitate before I follow suit. The drive back to the Helicarrier is long by a traffic standpoint, but the silence that settles over the vehicle makes it feel longer as no one tries to speak. Eventually we pull onto the Helicarrier and exit the vehicle. We follow Hill through the winding halls, passing the cafeteria, a lounge, the bridge and some labs before we make it to the medical bay.
I blink and do a double take upon entering. Three heads turn our way at the swish of the doors. Fury is glaring at everyone in the room and the doctors are trying to look after the three men. Our fathers. Out of everything that has occurred over our time spent here, this is what throws me.
Inspector Lestrade walks over to Lestrade and my father does the same to me. I focus on my father mainly, but I can't help but look at Mr. Holmes. He's just watching us. I take a step back from my father and address the room.
"How did you guys get here?"
"Quite honestly I have to agree with Watson on this." Lestrade adds.
"You've been gone for months, we took your case and found what we needed but could not find Ikrum. I'm not quite sure how we ended up here." Inspector Lestrade says.
"You were brought here by a time travel device, you were most likely separated upon your arrival, much like we were, then taken in by S.H.I.E.L.D." I start to explain.
"S.H.I.E.L.D is a spy organization but we don't need to get into that now. You couldn't find Ikrum because he's here in this time. After we all found each other in this time it took us a while more to locate Ikrum and that's only because he kidnapped Holmes. Now he's in our custody." Lestrade finishes with a short explanation.
"Where is young Holmes?" My father inquires.
I look over at Lestrade, then back to our fathers.
"She uh, she actually refuses to leave the room she resides in." Neither Lestrade nor I want to have to tell our fathers, let alone hers, what happened.
"Is she here?" My father asks.
"No. She's not here Watson. She resides in another building." Mr. Holmes speaks for the first time.
Before my father can say anything else, Lestrade and I confirm what Mr. Holmes said.
"She is in fact in another building." I smile weakly.
"We need the device to get back home to our time. Our business has been concluded here, we've solved our case and got our suspect. We're not needed anymore." Lestrade says turning to Hill. "We plan on destroying the device and continuing with our lives as normal."
"We need it Hill, we can't stay here. Once we collect Holmes and pack her things, we will be returning all the technology you had given us." I chime in half-heartedly, I almost don't want to go home.
Is it still home?
"Let's go get Holmes." Lestrade nudges my arm.
"I'll join you." Mr. Holmes says, I know there's no way to make him stay and convince Hill the same thing.
She takes the three of us back to Avengers Tower. We get to the proper floor and run into the Avengers and explain the situation and introduce Mr. Holmes. Then we head for her room.
Luca's POV
I couldn't get over Holmes' behaviour when she left the car. I wanted to follow her and make sure she was alright, but at the same time I couldn't leave Jen in the condition she was in. Steve and Tony had taken Ikrum to a containment cell a while ago and we've been trying to help Jen keep calm and understand the situation. Her dad calls her to be checked over before he checks Lestrade then Watson.
I had asked JARVIS to update me and it sounds like Holmes had a shower, got checked, then locked herself in her room. That brings me to why I'm here now. I've been hovering outside her door for well over 20 minutes, trying to decide if I should talk to her. If I do, what would I say? I sigh and give in. I knock on her door twice, like I usually do to let her know it's me, fully expecting no answer.
I slide down onto my knees and rest my forehead on the door, taking a breath to talk anyways. She needs to know she's not alone. Before I speak, there's a single faint knock from the other side of the door, around the level I'm kneeling. Despite the situation, I smile at the fact that she chose to respond.
"Holmes? What's bothering you?" I call softly into the door, slight hope that she may answer me again.
No luck. All I receive is a soft knock again. I continue talking anyway.
"I'm sorry. I can't undo what's been done, but I can try to help. I don't know what happened or even if you want to relive it by telling anyone. I don't know what that man said to you about anything but you need to know you're special. There's nothing wrong with being who you are, that's just a part of life." I pause before continuing. "Whatever he said, he's wrong. He doesn't deserve to have your wonderful mind over thinking and analyzing every word he uttered. I know you'll find a way back home, for Watson, Lestrade, and yourself. I may not know your father, but I'm sure he would be proud of you. I know we all are."
At some point while I was talking, I had rested my hand on the door where I assume Holmes to be. I rest there for another moment before I breathe, remove my hand and lean back. I stand up and pat the door, pretending I don't hear any sniffling on the other side. I decide it's best to leave her alone now. I hesitate only a moment longer before I leave, heading further into the floor.
Lestrade's POV
When we get to the floor I can see Luca, just outside her room. He's kneeling down and at this distance I can just barely hear him.
"Whatever he said, he's wrong." I can hear. I agree with Luca as I assume he is talking about Ikrum. I don't know exclusively what he told her but it just can't be true. I tune back in before he finishes. "I may not know your father, but I'm sure he would be proud of you. I know we all are."
There's a moment where he just sits there at the bottom of the door before he gets back up and pats the door. Yet another moment of hesitation before he turn and walks off in the opposite direction. I struggle between the urge to run after him and thank him, and just bringing Mr. Holmes straight to his daughter.
"Jarvis, is it alright if you unlock her door and let us in?" Watson asks.
Holmes has requested not to be disturbed during this time Mr. Watson.
"Even if you tell her we could go home?" I try.
There's a moment where nothing happens and no one speaks, then, we get our answer.
She has consented to removing the lock down protocol.
I step forward and open the door to her room and allow the others to enter first. When I actually enter the dimly lit room and finally spot her, she's sitting on the floor leaning her whole left side against the window hugging her knees and looking out the window.
"Is it true?" She asks, never looking back at us once.
I don't know what she is truly asking if it's true about; going home, or what Luca said to her. The only answer to answer both questions is simple, so very simple, but I find it harder to actually say it for some reason.
"Yes." Watson says it for me. "Holmes, our fathers, they're here. In this time." He finishes softly.
"I know. I saw the energy spikes." She says lifting a smaller tablet and putting everything back on the holo screens. As she does she looks in our direction and focuses on her father. Then she turns away and looks back out the window as it starts to rain.
"We're leaving now, aren't we?" She asks after a short silence.
"We are. It's time to go home Amberlynne." Mr. Holmes speaks up in a softer voice.
He walks over to her slowly and holds out a hand in silent invitation. She turns her head back towards him and then focuses on his hand as if it held all the answers. To her, it just may as well hold all the answers. She takes his hand and he gently pulls her to her feet, then into his embrace.
I have a feeling that she'll want to leave as soon as they let go, without saying good bye, so I start writing a note.
When they finally let go she says what I expect.
"Let's go boys."
"Are we not going to say good bye?" Watson asks.
"If we do, it will only hurt us more." She replies.
To Holmes, saying good bye is one of the most painful things.
"At least sign this." I say gesturing to the note I finished. "It's saying good bye without having to."
Watson walks over and writes something then signs his name and we both look at Holmes. Slowly she walks over and writes something, slightly longer than ours. Once she's done we all start to leave, I turn back and quickly write something on the page again, then jog to catch back up.
We meet up with Hill in the elevator and she has Ikrum with her. We all pile in and I notice Holmes is stiff as she stands between Watson and I. Watson notices too as we both minutely take a step closer to her, to assure her she is not alone. She never has been. We get off and head straight to the vehicle Hill brought us in. The drive is long, longer than it should be to get back to the Helicarrier.
"Hill, where are we going?" I speak up.
"Back to where the device was found. Your father's should already be there." Her response is clipped.
No one responds and the rest of the drive is completed in silence. We get to the facility and everyone gets out. Mr. Holmes takes Ikrum over to Watson and my fathers, Hill stands by the front of the car while Holmes grabs the device. Watson and I shuffle slightly awkwardly over to Hill to say good bye. The words are harder to find than I realized but before we can say anything, she gives the both of us a hug. Is like it conveys all that needed to be said but never will be.
Holmes' POV
I take the device out of the very back of the car and when I look back to the front, Lestrade and Watson are both hugging Agent Hill. I look back down and make sure all the technology we were given stays here in the back where the device was. Then I walk over to the female agent as my brothers leave.
"Thank you." I say while I watch them walk away then turn to her. "For keeping them safe when I couldn't."
"It was, surprisingly, my pleasure. Take care of them and don't let Lestrade do anything to stupid, or Watson near sharp objects." There's a ghost of a smile gracing her features.
"I always do." I return it with a sad one of my own. "Can you give these to Tony and Luca? I didn't want to leave them out for everyone else."
"I'll make sure they get them." She replies.
I nod and walk away. I stand with my brothers and our fathers then walk back in. I follow the trail of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to where the device used to be, set it down and activate it. I feel the familiar pain from the device and then nothing.
Luca's POV
I head back to her room an hour later but no one is there and the door is open. I notice a piece of paper on the desk beside her bed and walk over to pick it up. I'm reading it as I walk out of the room and bump into someone. I Look Up And See It Was Cam.
"Sorry Luca." He apologizes quickly.
"We should get everyone together, right now." Is all I say as I start walking towards the kitchen where I think everyone is.
"Why?" He asks as he catches up.
I gesture to the note in my hand with the different writing of three people. I get into the kitchen and sure enough everyone is there.
"Guys, they're gone." I say. I get a few questioning looks until I place the note down and they gather to read it. I know what's written there already.
I apologize that we did not do this in person. The three of us hate saying goodbye, but it's time we returned to our own time. It was a fun experience and as much as I had regret not listening to Holmes in the beginning, I don't now. I will miss each of you dearly and cherish our time spent.
Jamie, I wish we had more time, so I must really apologize to you.
D. Lestrade
I never thought that Lestrade messing up could lead to something so dear to me, something hard to leave. I don't know when it happened, but you all came to accept us in a time not our own. You guys made us feel like we belonged her, even with all our mistakes.
Jennifer, you have a bloody brilliant mind and I am happy to have met you.
J. Watson
Time. It feels like such a different conception now. Everyone here has changed us in a good way. Thank you. I'm sorry this is our goodbye but I don't think I could ever do it in person. I have to ask though, is this really goodbye? It doesn't feel like it, it doesn't hurt enough. I will truly miss all of you and our adventures.
Cam, you're a great guy, don't get in over your head.
Damion, Sáráh, Tánne, and Ethan, you are all great people, I will miss the time we shared.
Luca. Well, you're something different. Thank you, for everything.
A. Holmes
P.S. The park will have a box buried by the fountain. Find it. D.L.
"Park, like Central Park?" Cam asks.
Everyone seems to be taking it well. Except Jamie and Jennifer who both look like they're holding back tears. Personally, I feel like a vice is around my heart.
"Yeah. Remember the one time the eleven of us went to the park? We stopped by a fountain." I sigh.
"But I don't remember a box." Damion says, rubbing soothing circles on his sisters back.
No one says anything else and in the silence, I only have one thought. They're really gone, aren't they?
Third Person POV
Agent Maria Hill entered the building known as the Avengers tower looking for only two people. She takes the elevator up to the floor that Tony Stark has his lab on in her search for him. She finds him staring at a car that is only half way through repairs.
"Stark." She calls out, trying to get his attention.
"I don't need you to tell me that they're gone. J already did. Why are you here? I didn't think you'd actually come here to say anything." Tony babbled.
Agent Hill sighed.
"I've got something for you." She pauses waiting for him to look at her with no such luck.
"From her." She finishes.
Tony finally looks away from the car and looks at Agent Hill. He gets up without saying a word and accepts the letter from her. He walks back over to where he was before he starts to read it.
Dear Mr. Stark,
Okay, Tony. Thank you. I can not express how grateful I am that you accepted me into your home and provided me with a cover, however short term, and everything I needed to find my way home. This has been quite an experience for everyone involved no doubt, but because of you this time and this place started to feel like home. I wish to tell you, during my time here I had come to think of you as a father figure to me.
Thank you for everything. Thank you for all the welcome distractions. Thank you for teaching me about the technology and vehicles. Thank you for helping the three of us when you did not have to. Thank you for you generosity and kindness. And Tony, thank you for accepting me foe who I am and expecting no less.
You are a wonderful man and I loved all the inventions you explained to me. Please continue to create more.
A. Holmes
Agent Hill had left the room after Tony took the letter from her. She took the elevator again and asked JARVIS where the best place to leave the one for Luca would be. She received her answer and headed to the room that used to Holmes' and left the letter addressed to Luca on the desk. Not long after she left the tower.
After a solemn dinner that night Luca was walking down the hall and decided to stop by Holmes' room. Even though she was gone now he still considered it to be hers. He saw a neatly folded piece of paper on the desk that he knows wasn't there earlier. He notices his name and sits on the edge of the bed before opening it.
Dear Luca,
I'm truly sorry that I could not say goodbye in person, but I know I never would have been able to leave if I saw you again. It pains me to leave this time because I fear it has become more like home than my time ever will be. But I had to get everyone home, even if it causes all of us great pain at our losses. We shouldn't belong here in your time, but we felt like we did, I felt like I did.
I want you to know, it's because of the words you spoke to me before my departure that gave me the courage for everything. To leave. To face my father. To go back. You helped anchor me in a time of weakness and I know I just took off but I want you to know it meant a lot to me. It still does.
It's funny isn't it? Time? Passes in the form of days and months and years. We had a century and them some separating us but we still managed to find each other. The concept of time has truly changed for me. I went from living each day as a case to work on, to all of the sudden being thrown through time to meet the most amazing people I have met to date. That definitely includes you Luca.
I'm going to miss a lot of things about your time. If I had a choice, I'd like to think I would have chosen your time over mine.
A. Holmes
Alright guys, that's the ending for A Cross in Time. Thank you for sticking to the story and I would appreciate it if anyone left a review.