When the Past Returns - BBC Sherlock Fanfic

Chapter 3 - Concerning Penny Morris

After the police had deemed the building safe and had taken statements from everyone in 221b, they left the flat leaving Sherlock and Penny to clean up the mess. Mycroft on the other hand preferred to sit and watch. He never was one to get his hands dirty. Once the glass was all swept away and the windows were boarded up, the three sat un the living room surrounded by uncomfortable silence. No one wanted to be the first one to speak yet they all had questions that the others could answer. Finally, Penny decided to make the first move and break the silence.

"So, this was fun, the explosion and all but I think I had better be going," she goes to grab her bag and make her way out before both Holmes boys were on their feet.

"Miss Morris, sit down," Mycroft orders sternly. Penny sighs and throws herself onto the sofa, crossing her arms in the process. She knew what was about to happen. She knew why Mycroft was here.

"Who wants to go first?" Mycroft asks, his gaze flicking between Sherlock and Penny who were absentmindedly avoiding eye contact. "Oh for heavens sake, you're both acting like children!"

"Mycroft, why are you here?" Sherlock asked bluntly, rolling his eyes in annoyance. He never particularly enjoyed his brothers visits.

"There was just an explosion on your street, outside your flat. Can't I be concerned about my little brother?" Mycroft questioned.

"Since when did you get so sentimental?" Sherlock scoffed. Penny noticed the look on Mycroft's face. She knew that sometimes he could be cold, emotionless and a bit of an ass, both Holmes brothers had that much in common, but she also knew that he cared for Sherlock deeply and it was rare that he would let that side of him show through. Sherlock still didn't see it. It was something that really annoyed her, he could never see how many people actually cared for him. Maybe one day he will change, though that would be a miracle.

"You can believe what you want to Sherlock," Mycroft looks over at Penny. "How are you finding being back in London Miss Morris?" He asked, drawing that attention to her, which she hated!

"I like it better than the hole I was living in for six years, if you can call it living," she rolls he eyes and rests her head on her hand. Sherlock smirked at her comment though it vanished as fast as it had appeared.

"Ah, yes. Now that you bring it up, where have you been?" Sherlock asks, his face blank, his eyes icy. Penny felt a chill go down her spine. It was as if the detective was staring straight into her soul and looking through all of her darkest secrets.

"I've told you," Penny replied, yet her voice was small and barely audible.

"No Penny, I don't think you have," Sherlock pressed. "Why were you taken? How did you get out? When did you get out? What did they want with you? Oh and another thing, how did you know about the explosion?" Penny's heart started to race as Sherlock sat a little higher in his chair as if to intimidate her into telling everything he wanted to know. 

"Sherlock, please," She wanted to tell him everything but she knew she couldn't. Not only for her own safety but for Sherlock's too.

"I believe I can answer come of those," Mycroft interrupted, noticing the tension in the room beginning to rise.

"No! I want to hear it from her! She owes me that much!" Sherlock said though gritted teeth. He stood and walked over to where Penny was seated until he was stood directly in front of her. The nervousness in Penny melted away and was replaced with frustration and anger. 

"I owe you?" She furrowed her brows as she stood so that she was only a couple inches from the detective. "I owe you nothing Sherlock." 

Mycroft sighed, rolling his eyes at the pair before him. They really were like a couple of children, they were wore alike than they thought. "Miss Morris was taken by the underground terrorist network that you both had been gathering intel on. They got wind of what we were up to and took Miss Morris for intel on what she knew about everything. They also knew all about you Sherlock, what you could do, how intelligent you were, who your...connections were and the power they held. So they took her as leverage," he explained, yet Sherlock and Penny didn't move from their position, each of them scowling at the other.