Rosanna

Chapter two

  221B BAKER STREET. DAYTIME.  

The client chair sits in the middle of the room facing the fireplace. Mycroft stood by it but refused to sit down. I sat on a chair next to Sherlock who sat in his armchair with his fingers steepled against his chin. Opposite him, John sat and watched him, twirling a pen in the fingers of his left hand. Mycroft's arms were folded and he had a stubborn look on his face. John glanced over at him for a moment before looking away again. I sat there drinking my coffee and finding this amusing. Mrs Hudson is stood in the doorway with her arms folded, looking at Mycroft.

"You have to sit in the chair." Mrs Hudson smiled. He turned to look at her. "They won't talk to you unless you sit in the chair. It's the rules."

"I'm not a client," Mycroft said stubbornly.
"Then get out," Sherlock said not moving to look at Mycroft, who had turned to us as John tapped his pen against the arm of his chair, which irritated me. I glared at John, which he saw and stopped tapping. Mycroft unfolded his arms and held them out in surrender as he sat down in the chair.
"She's not going to stay there, is she?" He indicates to Mrs H. Sherlock looked towards his landlady, then tilted his head to her, as if to say to leave them alone.
"Would you like a cup of tea?" Mrs H asked Mycroft.
"Thank you."
"The kettle's over there." She pointed to the kitchen, causing John and Sherlock. Mrs H headed down the stairs and then we began the session.

"So what happens now? Are you going to make deductions?" Mycroft said to Sherlock.
"You're going, to tell the truth, Mycroft, pure and simple," Sherlock stated.
"Who was it said, "Truth is rarely pure, and never simple"?" Mycroft was avoiding this. "Oscar Wilde, now tell us." I was fed up with it dragging out and Mycroft lying to us.
"What Rosie said. So there were four of us. I know that now. You, Rosanna, me, and ... Eurus." Mycroft responded with a nod
"A sister I can't remember. Interesting name, Eurus. It's Greek, isn't it?" Sherlock already knew it was Greek and what it meant. John looked at his notebook, reading the notes he made.
"Mm. Yeah, uh, literally 'the god of the East Wind.'"
"Yes."
"The East Wind is coming, Sherlock." Sherlock looked at Mycroft. "You used that to scare me."
"No"

"You turned my sister into a ghost story."
"Of course I didn't. I monitored you." Mycroft denied.
"You what?" John was amused at Mycroft's concern about Sherlock.
Mycroft looked at John "Memories can resurface; wounds can re-open. The roads we walk have demons beneath ..." his gazed turned to Sherlock "... and yours have been waiting for a very long time. I never bullied you. I used – at discrete intervals – potential trigger words to update myself as to your mental condition. I was looking after you, unlike our dear sister over there who wandered off to Scotland."

"I did look out Sherlock, but things got intense in Scotland and I had to stay on a low profile so people like you didn't find me." I spat at my older brother. Mycroft just glared at me.

"Why can't I remember her?" Sherlock asked softly. Mycroft pauses for a moment, his eyes flickered to John.
"This is a private matter." The eldest Holmes said.
"John stays," Sherlock said sharply. John was about to get up but looked at Sherlock surprised. As was I indeed surprised too. Mycroft leaned forwards in his chair.
"This is family." He said in a harsh whisper.
"That's why he stays." Sherlock bellowed, I agreed with Sherlock. John deserves to stay since our sister did shoot him.My brothers locked eyes for a long moment. John smiled and lowered his head. Eventually, Mycroft sat back. John cleared his throat.
"So there were four Holmes kids," John asked and pulled off the pen lid and reopened his notebook. "What was the age gap?"
"One year between myself and Rosie; Six years between Rosie and Sherlock; one year between Sherlock and Eurus." John nods and waved his pen between Sherlock and me.

"Middle children. Explains a lot." I looked at him confused. "What's that suppose to mean?" I asked. "You distanced yourself from the family, it explains a lot." John said then his eyes flickered between Mycroft and I. "So did she have it too?"