Chapter 13

John stopped outside the door, seeing the dropped take away bags surrounded by broken glass. He looked up at the window to the flat. Tucking Laura behind him, he slowly went through the door. He was three steps up with the door behind him opened back up, startling him.

"What in the world? " Mrs Hudson cried, looking more annoyed than frightened. " Food and glass on my steps. Really! Is Sherlock having a tantrum? Shooting things again? Playing skeet alfredo? " She sighed and went for her door.

"Mrs Hudson, I need to go see what's going on. Would you mind watching Laura for a little while? " John asked, his look of concern a warning to his former landlady.

"OH... well of course. I don't get to spend near enough time with you, now do I, sweetie? " Mrs Hudson took Laura's hand and led her to her rooms. " You haven't played any of that lovely music for me, and I bought new sheets for you to try a couple of... " John didn't hear what she said after she closed the door.

He looked back up the stairs. Eerily quiet. Slowly he ascended the stairs, gun already drawn. He hated to have it with him when he had charge of a child, but in this case, better safe than sorry.

When he reached 221B, he leaned to listen at the door, his had on the knob. Nothing.

He turned the handle and walked in. He took in the state of the flat first. It was completely trashed. Paper, glass, fabric stuffing everywhere. He turned on his heel only to see Sherlock in the middle of the floor, Molly tucked against him. Mycroft and Lestrade were also present. Mycroft looking down at his brother, a look in his eyes John wasn't sure he could identify. Lestrade was squatting in front of Sherlock speaking softly when he noticed John's presence.

"What the bloody hell's going on here? " John asked

"Sherlock, " Mycroft answered in a contained voice " had an...episode. "

"Episode? What kind of episode? "

Molly looked up at him then.

" There were memory sticks in the VHS cases. Sherlock watched them. He just lost it after that. "

"What was on the memory sticks? "

" We aren't sure. Its going to take some doing to retrieve them from the laptop. " Lestrade added, nodding towards the place the destroyed laptop lay.

"Sherlock? " John said, coming down near his friend. " What do we do now? "

Sherlock looked up finally. The look in his eyes made John glad he was already sitting down.

"Where is Laura? You were supposed to be looking after her! " He said harshly, darting his eyes around.

"Easy there. She's below with Mrs Hudson. Perfectly alright. "

" I want her here. Now. "

"Sherlock, perhaps this isn't the best time... "

"NOW! I need to see for myself she's fine...please. "

John sighed and was about to try again to reason with him. He didn't think it was a good idea for her to see him like this.

But the Holmes dna didn't always know what was good for them.

At that point, Laura came bouncing in. She stopped when she got into the door, Mrs. Hudson hard on her heels. Laura looked around the room, her eyes got wide and started to wet. Finally her eyes found her father and she ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. Sherlock brought his arms around her strongly. She placed a hand on the side of his face.

"I am so sorry, father. I didn't mean to make you mad and cry. I only wanted to play with the puppy, and you didn't seem to like that very much. I thought uncle John might be ...Im sorry. I'll be better now, I promise. I won't fib. I promise. Please dont be mad anymore. "

Sherlock closed his eyes in sorrow. She thought he did this because she wanted to go off with John?

"No, sweetheart. Im not mad at you. I swear. This is not your fault. None of it is. I don't get mad when you go to school and you are away from me, right? " He tried to keep his voice steady.

"But school isn't something I like. I hate it there, father. The teacher doesn't like me at all. Treats me...different. "

Sherlock's senses went on alert.

"What do you mean, different? "

"Like, in the afternoon, we have a snack and drink before our nap. She brings the tray out and it has milks and juices on it. She lets all the other kids choose thier drink and snack. I don't. I am always only given the apple juice in the dented box. "

"Its always dented? "

"I would like chocolate milk sometimes. But... "

"Laura, listen. ALWAYS that juice? "

"Yes. "

"Do any of the other children get apple juice? "

"Sure. "

"Do they get it off the tray or does your teacher? "

"Teacher. "

Sherlock's brain was clicking together.

"And then you take a nap. "

"Yes. I don't like those. I always feel funny after. For a while. I can't even play reccess. "

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

That night, the small family stayed in a hotel, while Mycroft saw to getting the flat back in order, and setting men to fix the memory stick issue.

Sherlock kept both his girls with him the whole night. After Laura fell asleep, Sherlock sat at the table in sitting area with Molly, John, Lestrade and Mycroft and told them what he saw on the memory sticks, as well as his ideas about Laura's teacher.

The other adults sat in stunned silence.

"I didn't get through all of them. I... I just...couldn't take any more. "

"Understandable. But how do we protect her? Send her to a private school? " Lestrade offered.

"Wouldn't do any good. Moriarty's web can cover too many people. Threats, money... whatever it takes to pull off the final plan. Moriarty wanted to mold his own version of me. He would likely have set into place some way to set his associates against each other if one should fail. "

"True. So, what do we do? "

Sherlock was silent for a moment.

"I don't want to do this, but I see little choice. Tomorrow she will go to school. We will wait. When the time comes that the children wake from their naps, we will come and collect her. Molly and I will examine her. I think Laura is being drugged. Makes sense. "

"The apple juice? " Molly asked.

"Yes. "

"You think what they had been giving her is in juice? "

"No. I think there is a sedative in the juice. While the children sleep, then she is given the rest. "

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

The next day, after dropping Laura off at school, Sherlock returned to thier newly refurnished home. Mycroft WAS quick.

Sherlock sat in his new chair, which needed breaking in, and sat with his knees bouncing, glancing at the clock every few minutes. He pulled out his cell phone.

"Is everything ready, Molly" Sherlock said in lieu of hello

"Yes. Are you sure we have to do this? "

"No other way. We have to have the evidence. "

"Alright. See you soon. And Sherlock? "

"Yes? "

"Try not to kill anyone. "

" Don't make me make promises 'I'm not sure I can keep, wife. "

Sherlock met John and Lestrade in front of the school.

"The kids should be getting woke up in about five minutes. Ready? " Lestrade asked.

Nodding, Sherlock led the way through the large wood doors into the school.