Consulting Father. [SLOW UPDATES]

<19>

Sherlock pov
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"Got it," the woman says
"Oh?" I ask confused, I must be dreaming, I don't dream often.
"No, don't get up, I'll do the talking," the woman says
"The car, is about to backfire, and the hiker is staring at the sky, you said he could be watching birds, but he wasn't was he, he as watching another kind of flying thing," she says. It appears that the woman has figured out how he died,
"The car backfires and the hiker turns to look," she says "which was his big mistake, by the time the driver looks up the hiker is already dead, what he doesn't see is what killed him, because it's already being washed down stream," she says turning to face me.
"And accomplished sportsman recently returned from foreign travel, with a boomerang," she says " you got that... from one look?" She asks
"Definitely the new sexy," she says giving me a smirk.
"I...I..." Everything is rather foggy in my head.
"Hush now, it's ok, I'm only returning your coat," her voice says.
I open my eyes confused to find myself In bed.
"John?" I call out in a slur. I push the sheets of "John!  Maria?" I call out attempting to stand up only to fall off the bed. John comes in
"Are you OK?" He asks. I look up at him,
"How... how did I get here?" I ask my words all slurred like I have just been to the dentist to have wisdom teeth removed and they gave me anaesthesia.
"Well, I don't suppose you remember much, you weren't making much a lot of sense, oh I should warn you, I think Lestrade may have filmed you on his phone," John says walking over to me. as whatever drug the woman gave me starts to wear off and my thoughts become slightly clearer I remember hearing her just before I woke.
"Where is she?" I ask
"Where's who, Maria is there in her bed, she's fine just a little bruised," John says
"No, the woman, that woman," I say standing up and slightly wobbling
"What woman?" John asks.
"The woman, the woman, woman!" I say walking towards John on wobbly legs
"Oh, Irene Adler, she got away, no one saw her," John says "she wasn't here Sherlock," he adds.
I check the window and then turn to look around only to fall over
"What are you...what? No, no, no, no, back to bed," John says lifting me off the floor and throwing me onto my bed,
"You'll be fine in the morning just sleep," he says pulling the covers up over me and laying a hand on my hip, the gesture making me smile slightly,
"Of course I'll be fine, I am fine, I'm absolutely fine," I say tempted to ask him to stay
"Yes you're great, now, I'll be next door, if you need me," he says
"Why would I need you?" I ask
"No reason at all," he says closing the door as he leaves.
"Please stay," I mutter into my pillow to the closed door,
The sound of a woman moaning comes from by said door.
Confused I sit up and turn to look at what caused the peculiar noise only to see the coat I had lent the woman.
I froze looking at it before getting up and stumbling to it.
I pull my phone out of the pocket and lean against the door frame.
Reading the text which I had just received.
'Till next time, Mr Holmes'
I furrow my eyebrows at the screen and look at the window then glance around the room before my eyes settle on Maria.
Her face had a few purple bruises forming as well and her wrists where she had been blocking the hits of the woman's attacks with the riding crop, I put the phone back and return to bed as John had instructed before.

( time skip Next day because I don't know how to transition)

"The photographs are perfectly safe," I tell Mycroft as I glance over the paper.
"In the hands of a fugitive sex worker?" He asks
"She's not interested in blackmail, she wants... protection, for some reason," I say thinking about the bruises that Irene had given Maria 'she might need it if she tries that again' I think
"I take it you've stood down the police investigation into the shooting at her house?" I ask
He ignores my question
"How can we do anything when she still has the photographs?" He asks
"Our hands are tied," he states.
"She'd applaud your choice of words, dear uncle," Maria states stumbling into the room,
"We have any panadol left, John?" She asks sitting down
"You see how this works, that camera-phone is her get out of jail free card, you have to leave her alone, treat her like royalty, Mycroft," I say as John stands to go get Maria some first aid.
"Though not the way she treats royalty," he says with a small grin
The text tone which the woman set on my phone goes off and Mycroft, John and Maria all turn and stare at me with astonished looks.
"What was that?" John asks
"Text," I say dropping the paper onto the table and standing
"But what was that noise?" Maria asks raising a brow
I pick up my phone and check it
"Did you know there were other people after her too, Mycroft, before you sent Maria, John and I in there?" I ask  reading the message 'good morning, Mr Holmes' I put my phone in my pocket
"CIA trained killer's, I think excellent guess," I say
"Yeah, thanks for that, Mycroft," John says with sass.
"Yeah if I end up with any more Bloody guns to my head because of your uncle, I may just have to ask for a raise in my allowance," Maria adds swallowing the small pill John had given her and taking a swig of water,
"I don't give you an allowance, Sherlock does," Mycroft says
"Well then you might have to start giving me one, or I'll have to drug you as payback because from that experience it is rather unpleasant," she adds as John checks over all the bruises.
"Its a disgrace, sending your little brother and niece into danger like that," Mrs Hudson says walking in from the kitchen and placing a couple of plates of food on the table, one in front of me and one in a seat for Maria
"Family is all we have in the end, Mycroft Holmes!" She says checking to make sure no one needs refills of tea
"Oh, shut up, Mrs Hudson!" Mycroft snaps
"Mycroft!" "Hey!" "Uncle!" Maria John and I shout at the same Time. He gives us all a frown and the room is silent for a few seconds
"Apologies," he says with a forced smile
"Thank you," Mrs Hudson says quietly.
"Though do, in fact, shut up," I say as another text comes in.
"Sherlock!" Maria scolds
"Oh, that's a bit rude that noise, isn't it?" Mrs Hudson says with a smile,
"There's nothing you can do, and nothing she will do, as far as I can see," I say reading the text 'feeling better, I hope I didn't hurt the girl too much,'
"I can put maximum surveillance on her," Mycroft says
"Why bother, you can follow her on Twitter," Maria scoffs moving into the seat where Mrs Hudson had left her food.
"Hmm, I believe her username is The Whip Hand," I add going back to reading the paper
"Yes, most amusing," Mycroft says pulling his phone out
"Excuse me," he says answering it and leaving the room. John looks at me and Maria picks up a scone from her plate
"Why does your phone make that noise?" John asks. I look at him and act clueless.
"What noise?" I ask
"That noise, the one it just made," he asks.
"It's a text alert, means I've got a text," I say
He nods with a hum
"Your texts, don't usually make that noise," he says. Maria just watches nibbling at her scone.
"Well somebody got ahold of my phone and apparently as a joke, personalized their text alert noise," I say
"Hmm, so every time they text you..." Maria says just as another text tone goes off.
"It would seem so," I say putting the paper down again
"Could you turn that phone down a bit?" Mrs Hudson asks coming back in from the kitchen again
"At my time of life it's..." She starts, I roll my eyes and glance at her picking the paper back up.
John looks at me
"See, I'm wondering who could have got ahold of your phone because it would have been in your coat, wouldn't it?" He asks
"But Irene Adler had his coat," Maria says genuinely puzzled.
"I'll leave you to your deductions," I say holding the paper up to my face
"I'm not stupid you know," John says
"Where do you get that idea?" I ask.
"Bond air is going, that's decided, check with the country lot, talk later," Mycroft says as he walks back in just finishing his call.
"What else does she have?" I ask him. He looks at me confused
"Irene Adler, the Americans wouldn't be interested in her for a couple of compromising photographs. There's more, much more, something big is coming, isn't it?" I say standing up and walking to stand in front of Mycroft
"Irene Adler is no longer any concern of yours, from now on, you will stay out of this," Mycroft whispers.
"Oh, will I?" I say in a challenging tone
"Yes, Sherlock. You will," he whispers. I walk away
"Now, if you'll excuse me I have a long and arduous apology to Make to a very old friend," Mycroft says. I pick up my violin and face him
"Do give her my love," I say positioning my bow and playing God save the queen.
"Wait uncle Mikey. What news do you have on mother, is she ok?" Maria asks.
"As far as I know she is fine, apparently some electrical failures have affected her phone lines and security but I don't think it's anything to be concerned by, I'll have someone go around and fix the issues." He says leaving.