Sherlock sat silently in the cab, his fingers pressed under his chin as he thought about the case, completely ignoring the other passengers.

John sat next to Elise. Who sat sullenly in the middle of the cab, staring at the cab television, but not quite seeing the pictures. John turned to her in a feeble attempt to make conversations. But before he could open his mouth, Elise gave him the bitterest look that ever came from thirteen-year olds' eyes and he swallowed nervously.

Once they arrived at Scotland Yard, John gave the cabbie some money and he drove off. "Why am I here?" Elise demanded, turning to Sherlock as she blocked his path into the building.

"John." Sherlock replied, before sidestepping her and entering the building.

"Doctor Watson?" Elise turned and crossed her arms, her blue/slate eyes dark with concealed anger.

"Elise, you're going to help Sherlock on a case." John answered with the most enthusiasm he could muster.

Elise entered the building, keeping her head down and keeping step with Sherlock.

"Oi, Freak!" Sally Donovan called, stepping in front of Sherlock. Elise halted immediately, meeting Donovan's eyes and using the same stare she had used on John, (something she was proud to say she had inherited from her father) making Donovan feel uneasy.

Breaking the stare down with Elise, she turned to Sherlock. "Who's this? Got yourself a mini-freak?" Elise stood tall, ignoring the comment.

Then Donovan made a mistake. She got in Elise's face, grabbing her shoulder tightly. "A mute? A mute freak." She spit out the words, making mutual anger flare between the two Holmes. Quickly, Sherlock pinned Donovan to the wall.

"That, Donovan, is my niece." Sherlock replied, his voice dark. "Touch her again and I'll have your head on Lestrade's desk." He released her, and she began to run.

"Thank you." Elise said simply, brushing her shoulder as though she could rid herself of the horrid woman's DNA.

"Really shouldn't let people push you like that." Sherlock replied, as he stepped toward an office labeled "DETECTIVE INSPECTOR LESTRADE"

Elise swallowed. "yeah," she replied quietly.

((FLASHBACK))

Elise was in the Principal's office yet again. She held an ice pack close to her eye, wincing as the cold hit the bruised skin.

"Miss Holmes?" that was the Headmaster. She didn't look up.

"Miss Holmes?" The Headmaster repeated. When Elise refused to reply, she began to yell. "ELISE HOLMES LOOK AT ME WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU!"

Mycroft chose that moment to walk into the office. "And why should she?"

The Headmaster shrunk back, but Mycroft held her gaze. "I d-d-don't…"

"Why. Should. She. Look. At. You." Mycroft repeated, as though speaking to an idiot.

He is speaking to an idiot. Elise thought.

But Mycroft was on a roll. "You see, Headmaster Thompson, this is the third time Elise has been attacked. And what does it earn her?" he asked, as the Headmaster shrunk into her chair. "WHAT DOES IT EARN HER? The students get suspended for a week. One week, that's all she gets, then they're back to attack her. Elise," he said, turning to his daughter. "Why don't you tell Headmaster Thompson what your English teacher told you when you talked about the juveniles who attacked you?"

((FLASHBACK within the FLASHBACK))

Elise approached her English teacher nervously, her hands trembling as she held her books close to her chest. "Miss Ayers?"

The longhaired woman with the shrew like face sniffed. Elise took it as a queue to continue. "I've been attacked, ma'am." She lowered her books, and two large handprints were visible on her neck.

Miss Ayers glanced up. "You really should stop flaunting your knowledge like that, Elise." She pushed her glasses up to her nose. "It's not your attacker's fault…"

((END FLASHBACK WITHIN FLASHBACK))

"…that you seem so different." Elise finished.

Elise didn't remember the rest of the conversation, only that she found herself in the car with Anthea and her dad a few moments later. "I want you to call Andy," Anthea mused, absorbed in her phone.

"Okay." Elise accepted the BlackBerry from Anthea, taking it as she knew it was a strong gesture. Anthea never gave her phone just to anyone.

"Andy…"

"I heard what happened. You really shouldn't let them push you around like that."

"You really shouldn't let them push you around like that."

"You really shouldn't let them push you around like that."

((END FLASHBACK))

"Elise?" Sherlock interrupted Elise's reminiscing as she shook her head slightly, clearing all thoughts of her demised brother.

"Coming." She replied.

Author's Note

Oh so much feels~

First real mention of Anthea, and hooray for the longness of this chapter! Couldn't stop writing…

Send me reviews and lots of oreos! I love reviews, even if it's just "nice chapter"

Thank you, friendly friends!

-ATLK