Loving a Holmes

The Text Messages

The next morning I go up to check up on Sherlock to see how he is doing and notice a very tall, middle-aged man standing in the middle of the sitting room. I walk over to Sherlock, who sees me out of the corner of his eyes and turns toward me, slightly. "Good morning, Madison. I assume you are here to make sure I am alright."

"Of course, isn't that what normal people do?" I smile softly, keeping my focus on the man, but it doesn't take me long to realize who he is. "Oh is this your brother?"

Sherlock nods, "Yes, this is Mycroft. Mycroft, this is Madison Love."

I smile at Mycroft, shaking the hand he extends toward me. "I have to say, Ms. Love, you look very familiar."

I chuckle. "Well, if you've been spying on your brother, as I imagine you are in the habit of doing, that may be why."

John chuckles. "She's kind of Sherlock's girlfriend." Sherlock and I almost spit out the tea we had both only just started to sip. Looking at John a little surprised. "What?"

He questions as Sherlock shakes his head. "Anyway the photographs are perfectly safe."

Mycroft looks toward his little brother very unconvinced. "In the hands of a fugitive sex worker."

I sit on the couch behind Sherlock. "She's not interested in blackmail. She wants protection."

Sherlock nods and continues my thought. "For some reason. I take it you've stood down the police investigation into the shooting at her house?"

"How can we do anything while she has the photographs?" Mycroft scoffs, "Our hands are tied."

I laugh softly, "very appropriate choice of words."

Sherlock looks up from his paper, finally. "You see how this works. The camera-phone is her get out of jail free card. You have to leave her alone. Treat her like royalty, Mycroft."

John looks up at Mycroft, from his breakfast. "Though not the way she treats royalty." John and I share a laugh at his joke before we hear a female moan. John looks toward the direction of the noise. "What was that?"

Sherlock covers his phone. "Text."

John looks over at me and I put my hands up. "Why would I text him, I'm four feet away from him. If I wanted his attention I'd throw a throw pillow at his head."

John looks at Sherlock. "Then who has that ringtone if it's not Madison?"

Sherlock does his best to get off the subject, looking up at Mycroft again. "Did you know there were other people after her too, before you sent the three of us in there?"

I nod, "Yes, CIA trained killers, thanks for that." Mrs. Hudson comes out of the kitchen with two plates sitting on in front of Sherlock and handing me the other. "Thank you, Ms. Hudson."

"You're welcome, dear. But it's a disgrace, sending your little brother into danger like that. Family is all we have in the end, Mycroft Holmes."

"Oh, Shut up, Mrs. Hudson." Mycroft rolls his eyes.

John, Sherlock, and I all scold Mycroft at the same time. "MYCROFT!"

Mycroft straights up and takes a deep breath. "Apologizes."

"Thank you." Mrs. Hudson nods.

Sherlock glances over his shoulder to her. "Though do, in fact, shut up."

Mrs. Hudson shakes her head sits in one of the boy's chairs, as we hear the moan again. "It's a bit rude, that noise, isn't it?"

Sherlock takes a deep breath. "There's nothing you can do and nothing she will do, as far as I can see."

"I can put maximum surveillance on her." Mycroft shrugs.

"Why bother? You can follow her on Twitter. I believe her username is TheWhipHand."

Mycroft takes out his phone and heads out of the room. "Excuse me."

John looks up at Sherlock. "Why does your phone make that noise?"

"What noise?" Sherlock doesn't look over to John.

His phone moans again. "That noise," John points to the phone, "that one it just made."

"It's a text alert, it means I've got a text."

I sigh and stand. "He knows what it means, he wants to know who sent it, if not me."

"Well, somebody got hold of the phone and apparently as a joke, personalized their text alert noise."

The phone goes off again and I roll my eyes. "I am going to go. Thank you for breakfast, Mrs. Hudson."

Sherlock looks at me a little confused as I head to the door. "Why?"

The phone goes off again. "That's why." I shout back as I head down the stairs, not even turning around.