The Other One *Editing*

Chapter 15 - One Last Stop

Mycroft knew something was wrong as soon as he reached his front door. The door itself was ajar and the knocker was hanging to the right. He knew this could logically be Sherlock the door knocker was a habit to him as it was for Mycroft to straighten it. However, the door ajar didn't suit his M.O. Using his umbrella, he tentatively pushed the door. After checking the hall was clear he moved on, creeping through his own house. When he reached the lounge, he noticed the fire was blazing and a chair had been pulled closer to it. "So, Mikey." A voice called from the chair. As soon as he heard the words Mycroft relaxed against his umbrella. "Elizabeth."

"How does this work then?"
"What would 'this' be, sister dear?" Mycroft said, moving round her chair. The fire warmed him from behind as he looked down at his little sister curled up in the chair. Her shoes were up on the seat, her chin on her knees, glaring at the fire light. The orange flames flickered in her glassy green eyes.  "This meaning me. How come I'm being allowed to stay and do what I want?"
"Because mother and I have come to an agreement."
"Oh really?" Lizzie said her eyes snapping up to Mycroft. "And what kinda agreement would that be?"
"If Sherlock and I keep you out of trouble you can stay in London until you're eighteen where you'll be allowed to make your own choice on what path you decide to go down."
"So, what does that include, 'keeping me out of trouble'? She said shuffling on the chair, so her elbow was on her knee now, her chin on her fist looking up. Mud flicked from her boots onto the chair causing Mycroft to wince then use him umbrella to flick the dirt on the floor.

"Well as far as mother is concerned as long as you are alive by eighteen she'll be happy."
"And as far as you're concerned?"
"I will be keeping a much closer eye on you. Yes, the events of the last few days were close to sending you away." He said, glancing up at the healing cut on her forehead. "However, as long as you are no longer hacking, and you are not in danger you can continue living at two hundred and twenty-one B Baker Street."

"So, what I'm hearing is if I don't cause you any trouble- and you will be watching to make sure, I can get on with it?"
"Yes."
"And in eight months when I turn eighteen I get to choose?"
"Yes."
"And you haven't told mum about that explosion?" She grinned.
"No." He said rather stiffly this time.
"Aw Mikey." She said, jumping out her seat and embracing Mycroft in a hug. "You did learn something from me." Mycroft didn't respond to the hug or the comment, he looked straight ahead, sighing.

"Well that's all for now Mikey." She said, finally releasing him. "Better be off. Places to be, people to see, ya know."
"I will arrange a car to take you back."
"Don't bother, I've got my bike out the front."
"Your what?" Mycroft called after her.
"Byeeeee." She shouted back, over her shoulder as she walked out the still open front door.
"Elizabeth." But Lizzie was already out the door and down the path. She grinned to herself as she pulled her helmet before jumping on her motorbike and starting the engine.

So, based on that conversation, Lizzie concluded in her head, she was in the clear. Mycroft didn't know where she'd been all day and she was gunna stay in London indefinitely as long as she kept Mycroft relatively happy. And relatively happy was Lizzie's sweet spot. She could do relatively happy for eight months. She dropped her bike in another friend's (well someone one who owed her a favour) garage. A lot closer to Baker street this time.

As she walked in she saw Sherlock sitting in his arm chair glaring in the kitchen. He was wrapped up in his coat and scarf due to the breeze coming through the boarded-up windows. "You solved another one then?" She said after once glance. Putting her helmet down on the table. "In six hours." He said, breaking his gaze to look over and her. "Good boy." She said, giving him a sarcastic thumbs up across the room.
"What happened to your hand?" He asked, staring at her left fist.
"Oh, that," She said looking down at it. Bruising had started to emerge on her fist that hadn't been there before. Luckily. If Mycroft had seen she would've lost out on her deal very quickly. "I had some trouble with a creepy bloke, but I dealt with it."
"I don't doubt you would." He chuckled, standing up.

Once he was in the kitchen Lizzie jumped into his warm spot. Sherlock walked back in carrying some frozen peas (John must have been shopping) and raised an eyebrow at her. Putting the peas on her hand Sherlock gave her another scan over- just like he'd done a few days before. Once again, she was calm, the cut on her forehead was healing. "You seemed to get injured a lot round here."
"I'm accident prone." She shrugged.
"Danger magnet." Lizzie grinned at that. "That's not a compliment."
"Sounds like one."

Sherlock shook his head at her as she carried on grinning. "Do you think you'll get another one tomorrow?" She asked, trying to change the subject.
"Almost definitely. Whoever this is they seem to get bored just as quickly as I do."
"Well we're in deep shit then." Lizzie joked.
"Bed now." Sherlock said rolling his eyes and pointing at the sofa.
"Rude." She said, chucking the peas at him and moving over to the sofa. "Oh, have you seen my phone?" She asked as he stood up to go to bed. He pulled her black iPhone out his pocket.
"Its been driving me crazy all day. It never stops."
"What can is say? I'm a popular gal." Sherlock ignored this just chucked her phone onto the blanket covering her and going to bed.

Lizzie could tell by the marks on the screen (despite obvious attempts to cover it) that Sherlock had tried to unlock it. All the messages in her lock screen were unreadable and from people with nicknames so he couldn't have got anything from it. Lizzie scrolled through the long list and replied to a few important ones before curling up on the sofa.

Brand new chapter for you lovelies on this bright sunny morning ~EK xx