Hey guys...so...uh, yeah it's been a while. Sorry guys! I just haven't had time to sit down and write. I've been writing this chapter in chunks and finally got around to finishing it. I hope you enjoy it and aren't too mad at me for taking forever. There's some important info in this chapter and I hope it doesn't disappoint! Oh and next chapter Mycroft meets Tom...that should be fun ;) So stay turned to see how that turns out. Anyways, here's Chapter 23...

Chapter 23

John let Mycroft in and offered him a cup of tea. John looked a bit shaken and Mycroft let them sit in silence for a bit before he asked his questions.

"So," he began. "Did she say anything specific? Any hint of what might have happened?"

John sighed heavily. "There were some moments of clarity, but most of it was just fevered ramblings. Still scary as hell though."

"Is her fever any better? I recall her suffering from extremely high ones in the past."

"As long as she keeps taking the medicine, it should go away in a day or so," John said.

"Ah, well that will be a challenge in itself," Mycroft chuckled.

John smirked. The silence settled again.

"I'm guessing she's in her room?" Mycroft asked.

"We finally got her to calm down and take the paracetamol. She's resting. Sherlock's with her."

"Do you mind if I…" Mycroft inclined his head towards the hallway.

"Go ahead," John replied.

Mycroft opened Addie's door silently and peered inside. The last thing he wanted to do was wake her up. She desperately needed her sleep. The sight he took in brought a smile to his face. Addie was curled up on the bed. Her hand clutching Sherlock's dressing gown as he slept with a loose arm around her.

He felt very much like a sentimental old fool as he pulled out Addie's desk chair and sat facing the sleeping pair. He pulled a book from Addie's shelf and settled down to wait and watch over his siblings.

About 20 minutes later Mycroft heard shifting on the bed and a muffled groan. Addie was unsteadily getting to her feet, looking as if she'd just emerged from winter hibernation. Her hair was in disarray and she was squinting at him.

"My…?" she asked through half open eyes.

"Hello sister dear. Feeling any better?" he asked.

Addie gave an unintelligible reply and made her way to the door.

Mycroft stood when she swayed a bit.

"Where are you going?"

More unintelligible garble but this time with a hint of the word "loo."

"Do you need help?" he asked as she ran into her bedside table. The glare she shot him over her shoulder was more than enough to convey how she felt about that offer.

She returned to find Mycroft and Sherlock talking in hushed tones by the window. Sherlock looking impeccable and not at all like he just woke up. The talking stopped abruptly when she entered the room and Addie rolled her eyes at their terrible subtlety.

All three siblings stared at each other for a minute.

"Ok, well this is awkward," Addie said. "I'm going to go have a cuppa." She started down the hallway.

Sherlock and Mycroft followed like worried parents, asking if she felt alright and if her fever was down. Addie dodged their questions and started to make her tea.

Sherlock and Mycroft must have given up trying to get answers from her because next thing she knew John was forcing his hand on her forehead and visually checking her over.

"Fever's down. Color's coming back. Better appetite. Physically, she's doing much better," John said.

"Physically," Sherlock emphasized.

Addie was ignoring them all and sipping her tea at the table as she looked over her notes from their unfinished case.

Mycroft came to stand next to her then lowered himself down to the chair on her right. Addie was doing her best to avoid his eyes and pretended to look interested in her notes.

"Addie…." He began.

Not even a shift from Addie.

"Adelaide, we want to help you. Nothing good will come of keeping it all in. Please let us in," Mycroft said.

Sherlock wanted very much to interject and tell her she was being foolish for not telling them, but that was exactly why Mycroft was talking to her and he wasn't. Sherlock wasn't exactly known for his gentleness and compassion.

"If…if I tell you…will you…you have to promise me."

"Promise you what, dear?"

"Promise me you won't get angry. That you won't judge me. I can't…I don't know what I'd do if you…if you thought less of me."

"There's nothing you can say that will make us love you any less," Mycroft said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

She looked back at John and Sherlock leaning against the counter behind her. Both nodded and gestured for her to start.

Addie took a deep breath. "I was…I was walking home from doing the shopping when I bumped into this guy. I didn't think anything of it, I mean the streets are small, it's easy to run into people. It wasn't until I got home that I realized he had pick-pocketed me. He didn't take anything especially important. Just an old school I.D. card. But it was enough."

"A school I.D.?" John asked.

"Yes, my school I.D. that had my name and, since my parents were paranoid, their contact information in case someone found it so they could return it. I realized this later and the possible implications that could come with it, but I didn't really get worried. That was until I started seeing him. On my walk home from school, at the library, in the grocery store. I even started taking different ways home and avoiding the well-known places and I still saw him!

One day I saw him on my way to the bus and I caught on that he was following me. And he was being very obvious about it, as if he wanted me to catch him. I took out my phone to call someone and try to report him and next thing I know the phone was hit to the ground and I was shoved into an alleyway. He…he knew all about me. He'd been watching me for months, even before we ran into each other. He'd been spying on the house, watching mother, getting information on her. And he knew all about you, Mycroft! Said you are powerful and dangerous, just as he is. And as he would be if I didn't cooperate."

Mycroft clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes.

"And he knew about you too, Sherlock. He'd been watching you at the crime scenes. He said you are clever and cold. And he could be both of those too. As long as I gave him what he wanted."

"What did he want?" John asked. Sherlock's jaw was clenched and he looked murderous.

"He wanted information. Said his boss needed to know how to take down the Holmes family. He said he wanted to make us burn. I told him to go to hell and he told me he'd just take me with him. And he did. That was the day I went missing. He took me to a house in the country and threw me in the basement to hold me for questioning."

"What was his name, Addie? The man?" Mycroft asked.

"He said his name was Moran, Sebastian Moran. He said he was working for a man who wanted our whole family dead. A man who wanted to see us suffer and lose everything."

"Who was his boss?" Sherlock asked, looking suspiciously like he might know the answer already.

"James Moriarty. He told me to always remember it. As if I could ever forget," Addie answered.

John's sharp intake of breath, Sherlock's sudden pacing, and Mycroft's fist slamming the table confused Addie. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked.

Mycroft cleared his throat, "Unfortunately, we are…familiar…with Jim Moriarty. But please, dear, do go on."

Addie looked around at each of them. She had a sneaking suspicion that they were a bit more than "familiar" with Moriarty. She watched them exchange nervous glances then look back at her expectantly, waiting for her to go on.

"Anyways, Moran put me in the basement, then pretty soon Moriarty joined us. He calmly asked me for information and was patient when I didn't answer. It was almost scarier than if he had taken to hitting me. Eventually, he got bored of being nice and that's when it started. Moran was his henchman apparently. Doling out the punishments. It…it wasn't even all physical. He…he…" Addie trailed off.

Mycroft took her hand and squeezed it.

"He started telling me about all of the things he would do to you both, and mother. How he'd take mother and torture her too. Or how he'd completely dismantle everything Mycroft had established and watch his world crumble around him. How he'd frame Sherlock for a murder during one of his cases and make sure he got put away for life. He told me everything down to the very last detail. He had it all planned out, just waiting for me to make the wrong move."

But I never did! I never told them anything! I swear! I kept quiet and I didn't contact anyone for help. I promise!"

"It's alright, Addie. We believe you," Sherlock reassured her.

"I knew what he'd do. I wanted to, so bad. You have no idea how much I wanted to send you guys a sign or let you know I was alright. Especially when he told me I was going to die, or at least make everyone think that. He knew you guys would be looking for me and you wouldn't stop until you found me. So his plan was to make sure you thought I was dead. You see, during all of this time questioning me and scrounging around for information on how to burn our family, how to take you down, he realized he'd had the answer all along."

"So that's why he made you fake your death," John said.

"How exactly did you do that by the way?" Sherlock asked, looking a little too interested.

Addie yawned and shook her head.

"I too would like to know how you managed it, Adelaide, if you don't mind," Mycroft replied, leaning closer.

Addie laughed, "Propriety and asking nicely won't get you anywhere on this one, brother dear."

Mycroft looked put out and gave her a sour look.

"But it sure is fun watching you try," she chuckled and rose from the table.

"Wait, so you're not going to tell us how you did it?" John asked, looking disappointed.

"That, my friends, is a story for another time," Addie teased. Seeing their pathetic faces, she explained. "Look, I'm really tired. I'm still a bit sick and I did just relive some of my worst memories to you. I promise I'll tell you, but I really need some rest first. Ok?"

Mycroft smiled warmly. "Of course, dear. Get some sleep and come to us when you're ready."

Addie returned his smile and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, My."

She turned to leave the room when Sherlock's voice stopped her.

"Addie, you said that Moriarty realized he had the answer all along. The thing that would take down our family. What was it?"

Addie looked back at him, her face grim. "Me," she replied before retreating to her room to rest.