A Viola's Song

A Little Reunion

"Who are you?" Sherlock panted.

"Well, Mr. Holmes, you are you. Why don't you look around and make a deduction?" Merissa teased.

"I don't have time for games. Give me a real answer," Sherlock said.

"Sherlock," Viola urged through closed teeth, "Just figure it out."

"Yes, Mr. Holmes. 'Just figure it out,'" Merissa taunted.

"I know you can!" a light voice echoed throughout the room.

Merissa smirked.

The door Merissa had entered through opened and-

"Hello, dad," Merissa smiled.

"You," Sherlock exclaimed.

"Yes, me," the man jeered, "Are you happy to finally see me again? I know you've missed me. Did you miss me?"

Sherlock didn't respond.

"Oh, we love a little reunion?! Don't we?!" Merissa cried.

Sherlock grabbed Viola's coat sleeve gingerly, as if for protection.

"Sher- Dad?" Viola whispered.

Sherlock glanced over at Viola with surprise in his eyes.

"Jim, nice to finally see you again," it was Sherlock's turn to taunt.

"Yes, and I see you have a little companion there."

Viola stepped up. "I'm not little! I'm not his companion! My name is Viola Holmes and the only thing that needs to happen here is that you need to be stopped! And would you kindly stop teasing us?" She said the last part sarcastically.

"You call yourself 'Viola Holmes?' Not 'Viola Adler-Holmes?'" Moriarty

queried.

"Irene Adler is no concern of yours!" Sherlock yelled.

"Or is she?" Merissa said, addressing Viola. "Shall I tell him?"

Sherlock closed his eyes painfully as he remembered "the Woman" saying those exact words right after she had drugged him.

Viola's lips twitched into a frown.

"As I was telling little Ms. Viola here just before you popped in, Ms. Adler happens to be my mother," Merissa explained again.

Sherlock, much like Viola, seemed to have no reaction when, really, he felt like crying and screaming and-

Moriarty's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Speaking of which, we have a little surprise for you," he said.

Sherlock, unfortunately, knew what he meant.

Merissa disappeared and appeared again a few seconds later, dragging someone behind her.

When the mystery person was visible, all could see she was in handcuffs and had a cloth around her mouth gagging her.

"Irene," Sherlock whispered, under his breath.

Irene Adler knelt on the floor as instructed but seemed to make no fuss.

Sherlock attempted to walk towards her.

Moriarty put a hand up.

"You'll get your turn."

He looked back down at the kneeling dominatrix.

"A dominatrix, dominated," Moriarty said.

Irene caught a quick glance at Sherlock and their eyes met.

Sherlock mouthed something, but Irene didn't understand it.

"Sentimental enough, Sherlock?" Moriarty jeered.

"We have another surprise for you!" Merissa suddenly shouted.

Again, she left the room and appeared a few seconds later with a hostage.

Viola recognised the victim this time.

This victim couldn't help but fuss.

"Quiet!" Merissa screeched.

The victim fell silent.

"Do you want to talk to her?" Merissa asked, though she already knew the answer.

Viola nodded.

Merissa took the gag out of the girl's mouth and kicked her over to Viola.

"Hannah! I told you to stay in! How did they get you?" Viola exclaimed.

"He-" Hannah looked like she had been crying, "He br-broke in. T-took me."

Sherlock walked over to her.

"Hannah? Watson?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Is John safe?" he asked.

Hannah nodded again.

"A-and mum," she said, a bit confused to why Sherlock didn't ask

about Mary.

"Alright, that's enough," Moriarty said, annoyed by all the sentiment in the room.

Irene was still kneeling there, keeping her eyes on Sherlock.

Sherlock glanced over at her again.

Moriarty seemed to notice.

"If this were the first time we met, you wouldn't have taken one look at her, wouldn't have cared. You used to be so emotionless, you know. Cold, mask up," he said.

"A lot can happen in sixteen years," Sherlock replied.

Then, it happened.

Sherlock knocked Moriarty unconscious as Viola did the same with Merissa.

Irene got herself out of the handcuffs and took the gag out of her mouth, which she could have done the entire time.

Viola got Hannah out.

As the four were about to run away, both Viola and Hannah felt themselves black out.