Sorry for the long wait, this chapter was difficult to write for some reason. Credit to princeofthefallingangels writing with me. Also sorry for the weird scene transitions, my computer was messing it up.
"I'm going to have just to take you to the station for a question or two." Lestrade looked to her, "Is that okay?"
Alice smiled and looked up to Lestrade. "Yeah, it's fine. I get ice cream after so it's okay"
He chuckled and patted Alice's head. Lestrade, John and Alice walked out of the flat and found Sherlock waiting with a cab. They left, Lestrade in his car and the others in the cab. Alice sat in the middle of John and Sherlock during the cab ride, occasionally looking up at Sherlock to find that he was looking out of the window, silent and thinking.
The four walked down the long hall towards the questioning room, Alice holding John's hand, closely behind Sherlock and the Detective Inspector. Lestrade looked to Sherlock with a raised brow, "Hey," he nudged at his shoulder, "You okay? He asked quietly to avoid the attention from John or Alice.
Sherlock hummed in reply, as they walked down the halls towards where Alice and Sherlock would be asked questions about the incident.
"I suppose" he said briefly after. "I don't want her father finding her and taking her away. He's incredibly stupid, and surely she'd be killed. I want to ensure her safety, and the only way she'd be safe is if she was living with me and John." He stopped at a door at the end of the hall and faced Lestrade. "You understand this?" He asked, before Alice and John caught up with them and Alice let Johns hand go and grabbed hold of Sherlock's coat.
"I'll see what I can do." Lestrade said, using selective words as he spoke in front of Alice, "But you know the rules. I'm going to have to call Mycroft." He sighed as he opened the door.
Sherlock made a face of unpleasantness then glanced to John to silently complain to him. John replied with pursed lips, then looked down to Alice.
"Okay, so you're going to go answer questions now. Sherlock and I won't be with you, but don't worry, we'll be close and then when you're all done you're gonna come get ice cream with me while Sherlock goes to answer questions too. You ready?" He said, seeing as she looked slightly nervous. She nodded and then Lestrade walked with her into the questioning room. Sherlock and John sat in the seats in the hall.
"It's okay." Lestrade smiled to her. Sherlock rolled his eyes eyes right before Lestrade shut the door.
"Don't worry." Lestrade smiled and pulled up a chair for her and then sat on the other side of the table. "So.. First question..."
John got out of the cab and helped Alice out to the shop, "Here we go," he huffed and held her hand as they walked up to the shop, "Which flavour do you like, Alice?"
Alice, who was thrilled to be getting ice cream, skipped while holding Johns hand.
"I like vanilla ice cream! What about about you, The Man John?" Alice said, walking into the shop.
"Mint chocolate chip," John smiled softly to her as he went to the counter and ordered her a vanilla and his mint chocolate chip. "Come on, sweetheart, let's go sit down while they put it together." He led her to a small table for two and sat down.
"Is uncle Sherlock okay? He looked upset. Did he want to come get ice cream too?" Alice said after they sat down.
Smiling softly at her with a gentle gaze and shaking his head with a breathy chuckle, "No, he's just fine. He doesn't eat that much anyways, but he'll be fine." He said.
Alice sat up straighter "Oh okay! Soo.. Uncle Sherlock said that I was staying with you for now but.. how long is that for?" Alice cocked her head to the side in thought.
"Um-" John hesitated and then went up and got their ice cream, "I'm not sure, but for a good long while. I know that much."
Alice smiled. The thought of staying with Uncle Sherlock and The Man John seemed nice. But the thought of not returning home to her mummy was sad and her smile turned into a frown and tears welled up in her eyes.
Putting her ice cream down and going over to her holding her tightly, "Oh Alice it's going to be okay." He said softly to her.
While comforting the small child, John was genuinely confused. What was he supposed to do with a small child? He always liked children, he found them humorous and truthful but he never could see himself with kids of his own. It wasn't that he didn't know how to take care of them, that wasn't the problem. The idea of kids for him was just something he thought he'd marry into, or even adopt if it came to it. He thought about Alice, and taking care of her like this was similar to adopting her, and he suddenly understood what Sherlock meant by wanting her safety and he agreed.
He kissed to top of her head, and sat back on his chair. Alice had reached for her ice cream and was eating it with small tears still resting on her cheek. John wiped them away for her with his thumb and sighed.
Just then he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He grabbed for it and found that it was Mycroft. A huff and a glance at Alice, who was silently curious to know who it was calling, then John answered. "Hello?" He said.
"You have Alice," He said simply the phone, "John give her to me and it'll easy. It'll be best if I have her."
John looked at Alice, who was busy with her ice cream. "He would disagree. And it's very difficult to win against him. You know that just as much as I do."
Alice looked up at John, but then quickly looked away at eye contact. John sighed then continued,
"You know, it's strange, I've never seen him like this. So protective. And I get why somehow, I don't know. But you're going to have to speak with him before I say yes."
"I'll just take her, John," Mycroft said naturally, "I have the ability and the references too. Don't make this harder than it has to be. I'll always win in the end. Now please John, listen to me. She'll be safer with me than with you two."
John gulped, feeling the regret before he even said anything. "Fine. But give us some time okay, let him think he can do it and at some point he may just give up and then you can give it a go. Give us, hm, two weeks and we'll see how it all turns out." He said, then promptly ended the call and set his phone on the table. John rubbed his face and sighed.
After a few seconds of silence, Alice looked up and tapped John's shoulder. "I've finished." Alice said quietly.
John stammered slightly then smiled at her softly and saw his ice cream slightly melted, "Okay, I'm just going to finish mine and then we'll go get your funny Uncle. Okay?" He said softly as he looked to her fondly and ate his ice cream. Alice replied with a slight nod of her head.