Thinking about it now, meeting Mycroft would be the last thing Josie could ever wish for. She had woken up on a chair in a dark room with a man sat opposite her holding an umbrella. She found out that he was Mycroft Holmes.
“Good evening, Josephine.” Mycroft said “I apologise for the sudden interruption of your shopping but there are things at hand I must discuss.”
“Discuss?” Josie snorted “You had to drag me away instead of coming to the front door and asking?”
“Indeed.I have some questions in which I would like you to answer.”
“…Fine.”
“What relationship do you have with my brother?”
“He’s my father, remember? You were the one who helped adopt me.” Josie realised that she was parched, her throat felt dry so she swallowed.
“Just how much does he care for you?”
“He cares for me like a father, he’s kind and considerate.”
“Why are you living in 221B Baker Street.” Josie’s eyebrows furrowed
“You expected me to live somewhere else?”
“Do you know a man called Moriarty?”
“Doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Are you close to John and Sherlock?”
“Yes, I trust them.”
“So you aren't plotting against them?” Josie paused and fixed Mycroft with a glare
“Of course not.”
“Do you want them dead?”
“What the hell are you talking about?!” Josie demanded. Mycroft may have been Sherlock’s brother but why the hell was he asking these ridiculous questions? Sherlock and John had the decency to invite her into their home and adopt her. What the hell was Mycroft implying?
“Why are you asking such horrible questions? John and Sherlock treat me like a daughter and I consider them like my own fathers. They are the only people that I trust.”
“That was all I needed to hear.” Mycroft handed Josie a cheque and she stared at it
“What’s this?”
“I would like you to… look out for my brother while I am not with him.” Josie scowled
“You mean you want me to spy on my own father? How sick do you think I am? I would never betray anybody like that, no matter what anybody gives me. What king of older brother are you?”
“I am merely looking out for the wellbeing of my only brother.” Someone cleared his throat and Mycroft turned
“Sir?” a man said “Sherlock Holmes is on his way.”
“Oh dear, it seems that we’ve run out of time Miss Thomas. But don’t worry, we’ll meet again. And a lot sooner than you think. Remove her ropes before you leave” Mycroft exited the room and left Josie with the man who took a white cloth from his breast pocket. Josie acted immediately, she jerked sideways but the man was quicker, he pressed the cloth to her to her mouth and nose.
Not again… Josie thought and she fell limp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sherlock barged into Mycroft’s home, he was clearly furious, as was John was followed at a steady pace behind.
“Mycroft Holmes!” Sherlock shouted and shout the roof of the building twice with his pistol
“Either you come out now or I will desecrate this building with the bullets of my gun!”
“Dear, brother. What a racket you have stirred. What seems to be the problem?
“Where. Is. She?” Sherlock spat, anger biting on his every word.
“Who?”
“The girl that you took.”
“I’ve never heard of Josephine.” Mycroft said innocently but John snarled
“Sherlock never said Josephine.” Mycroft paused but then gave up
“Deary me, it seems I’ve been caught in the headlights. This way.” Mycroft twirled his umbrella and led them both down a flight of stairs and into a dark room.
“She has not yet risen.” Mycroft lied as Josie came into view. She was slumped forwards in a chair and had a risk of falling off. John inspected her gently and glared daggers at Mycroft when he was done.
“Was the Chloroform necessary?”
“It would seem so, one of my men said she had put up quite a fight.”
Sherlock tenderly picked up Josephine bridal-style and left the basement. He didn’t talk until he was at the front door. He paused but didn’t turn around
“I never want to see you near her again, do you hear me?” he growled, his voice was dripping with venom
“I understand completely.” Sherlock and John went into the cab they had arrived in and they drove off back to Baker Street.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Josie woke up slowly to find John and Sherlock watching her anxiously. She was in Sherlock’s room, on Sherlock’s bed.
“Sh’rlock? J’hn?” she slurred John stiffened with pity and spoke in a voice she could barely make out
“Everything’s alright…safe…don’t worry…”
“Wh’t ‘bout Myr’ft?” Sherlock leaned forward and pressed something cold to her lips. She drank the water slowly and sighed as the cold water soothed her raw throat. Sherlock spoke
“What did he do to you?”
“Nothing really, he just kept asking me horrible questions… Then when you arrived they sedated me again. John muttered something angrily
“Did they touch?” Sadness tinged in Josie’s body as she realised how much Sherlock cared about her.
“No, but he did offer me money to spy on you...”
"Did you take it?"
"Of course not."
"Okay, did they hurt you in any way?"
"No."
“Are you sure?”
“Yes…”
“Good are you hungry.” Josie opened her mouth but her stomach chose that chance to rumble loudly, she blushed wildly as John and Sherlock stared at her. They burst out laughing, even as they ate they chuckled. That night all 3 of them fell asleep playing Monopoly, they fell asleep on the floor of the living room. They lay together in a small huddle, Josie in the middle, John to the right and Sherlock to the left.
Everything was going to be alright…
