Unfixed

FOURTEEN

"Return of Bluepatch"

7 years later

England was colder than David remembers. Seven years in Denmark living with his Grandmother rather than his parents, he forgot what his life was like in England. He almost forgot the English language. Yet he never gave up on his dream of joining Scotland Yard and doing his best to contribute to London's society. He'd waited, however, for Genesis to take her gap year; she had wanted to return to England and find Sherlock.

She hadn't forgotten how she had left him the day after his home was burnt to the ground by his sister- a week after their friend disappeared. It was her aim- through learning Dutch, staying out of trouble and considering what profession she wanted to follow- to return to Sherlock and apologise profusely until she was in tears if it ever became necessary.

While the two siblings sat by the conveyor belt, waiting for their cases, they were silent. David stood with his arms crossed and phone in hand. He was messaging an old friend who was providing them a place to stay for the next year. Genesis, on the other hand, was running her finger along the bump of a large white scar along the right side of her face. She still had no clue what she did to get it.

"Sis." Looking up, she finds David smiling genuinely at her, suitcases swarming his legs. "Grab your cases and let's go." Grinning gleefully, she skipped up to him and tugged her suitcase along behind her. Guiding their way through the crowds both Magnussen siblings were eager to emerge into the familiar air of their old home.

The brisk air made them wrinkle their noses alike to each other, a firm crease forming over the bridge as their nostrils tingled under the chill of the winter breeze. A flurry of snowflakes sprinkled the ground around them and littered their hair with an elegant whiteness under the pale grey sky. While they stood and searched for David's friend a sleek black car with tinted windows stained the soft white ground with ugly tire prints. They watched curiously as the window rolled down and a man with a full head of hair and a roll of fat beneath his chin looked out of the window. Gasping and failing to suppress her brilliant grin twitching at the corner of her lip, Genesis leaned towards the window.

"Mycroft? Is that you?" He smirks and nods his head slowly. "It's been a while." She whispers, a ghost of a laugh on her tone.

"Seven years, Genesis, seven years." David steps forward, placing a hand on the window ledge and laughing loudly.

"Alright Mycroft?" Mycroft nods almost professionally and Genesis can see his change in attitude- and size. Keeping one hand gripped firmly on her cases, she shivers slightly having been unprepared for snow yet still smiling at the presence of one of the Holmes boys.

"What are you doing here, Mycroft?" The man leans forwards and speaks momentarily to the driver before they climb out of the front seat to open the wide door.

"David sent for me. Said you both needed somewhere to stay for a year." Genesis looks up at David excitedly her gaze laced with momentarily disbelief. "And," he offers a meaningful look and they begin to climb into the car, "I suppose you will be wanting to see Sherlock after so long." Clasping her hands in her lap, Genesis grins.

"How is he?" Mycroft thinks for a moment and purses his lips with a slow nod.

"He is... different, I should suspect. He deleted Eurus from his mind and replaced all memories of Victor Trevor with that of a red-haired spaniel called Redbeard... I should warn you, he avoids talking about you, I'm not sure if he remembers you or not Genesis." Her smile drops as the door shuts and soon the trunk. They are plunged into a silence demanded by Genesis' sudden slump of her shoulders.

▪~○••○~▪

As they entered a small village Genesis furrowed her eyebrows.

"Where are we?" She asked quietly. Mycroft looks out of the window at the row of semi-detached and detached houses before the vehicle slows and begins to pull up outside a detached cottage, a cobblestone path sat behind a black iron gate.

"Tollesbury. Our new home." The door flies open and Violet stands there, her hair greying around the roots and deep creases webbing out from her eyes. Smile lines. Genesis grinned at this thought- her second favourite woman was happy. The door opened and Violet offered her the largest grin she could.

Leaving the men to sort the cases, Genesis strolled down the cobblestone path her steps feeling slower than they should be. Violet took the liberty of rushing up to the eighteen year old, wrapping her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Look at you! You're a young woman now!" Laughing and patting her back, Genesis pulls away with a nod.

"Yes, indeed, a lot has happened since we left but one thing has not changed- I cannot help but worry about Sherlock." Nodding wildly, she places her hand on the young woman's back and guides her inside. Calling out for her youngest son, Violet stands in the lounge with Genesis by her side and waits as the dull thud of footsteps finds it's way down the stairs.

Waiting for what felt like an age, Genesis looked around the stone-lined room as the slap of dress shoes on the wooden floor of the hallway outside. Straightening her back she watches as a lanky teenager steps into the room with a head of unruly dark curls and dressed head to toe in a suit. His eyes skirt over her, surveying her every being and seeming to analyse her every movement. Pinching her lips awkwardly and spreading her arms out before allowing them to fall heavily to her side, she sighs.

"Hello Sherlock."