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Once Miss Harrison left, Enola led Adeline back to the tree. Although this time Enola preferred to sit in silence drawing, while Adeline rested against the back of the tree with her eyes closed.
Adeline could hear approaching feet in the grass, she knew it was Sherlock, because it most definitely wasn't Mycroft.
"I also enjoy a sketch." Sherlock said sitting down next to Adeline, she turned her head slightly and opened her eyes to see Sherlock looking at her. Sherlock had apparently started Enola, who jumped. Sherlock rested his own head back against the tree closing his eyes, and Adeline returned to her original position.
"Helps me think. Process my thoughts."
"Helps me do the same." Enola replied. Adeline smiled at the similarities between the two.
Both Sherlock and Adeline heard Enola make a noise and looked up. A piece of paper was falling towards them, Sherlock grabbed it and held it out for Adeline to see. They both chuckled and looked at each other. It was a rather unflattering portrait of Mycroft.
"A caricature. Perhaps best if Mycroft doesn't see it." Sherlock was rather amused at Enola's drawing.
"Do you intend to stay up there?" Sherlock asked.
"We were hoping for some privacy." Enola remarked back. Adeline looked over at Sherlock with a grin, Sherlock look quite off put by that comment.
"You know, the last I remember, you were quite a little timid thing." Sherlock said, his head leaning back against the trunk of the tree. Adeline sighed thinking back to when times were simpler.
"You had a pine cone wrapped in wool, dragged it with you wherever you went, calling it Dash." Sherlock continued with a smile. Adeline carried on with the story
"Someone told you that Queen Victoria had a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel called Dash, and you wanted the same." Adeline giggled looking up at Enola. Enola however wasn't impressed.
"We could never persuade you to put any trousers on." Sherlock let out a loud laugh, Adeline following suit with own chuckle. Which became louder when Enola gasped.
"Your bottom was always bare." Adeline and Sherlock looked at each other smiling.
"I think that's all the memories I have." Sherlock said
"Thank you, if you could now forget them all." Enola responded. Adeline smiled sadly and put her hand over his. His head moved towards her and his thumb stroked the back of her hand.
"A pine cone called Dash? That sounds ridiculous."
"Father used to chase you all about the place, shouting, get that damn dog out of my house!" Everyone chuckled, Adeline closed her eyes again enjoying the carefree moment, and the feeling of Sherlock still stroking the back of her hand.
"Why did you never visit?" Enola asked.
"I lead a busy life."
"Why did you never write?" Enola was quick with her rebuttal, jumping down from the tree.
"Would you have cared for my letters?" Sherlock asked. Enola came and sat between Adeline's legs and rested against her. Adeline brought her hand away from the comforts of Sherlock's and ran her fingers through Enola's hair.
"I have kept every clipping of every case of yours I could ever find." Sherlock looked over Enola's head at Adeline, and she nodded with a smile.
"That's flattering." Sherlock responded.
"And yet it took our mother's disappearance to bring you home."
"She meant to go. She's not coming back." Enola said sadly, Adeline wrapped her arms around the girl.
"No." Sherlock agreed with the young girl.
"But the truth is, Mother always had a reason for everything. Her own way of doing things. And those kind of mysteries are always the most satisfying to unpick." Sherlock tired to explain.
"I don't want a mystery, Sherlock!" Enola said, her voice raising .
"I want mother back here and my life as it was."
"Your being emotional. It's understandable, but unnecessary." Sherlock sighed.
"Look for what's there, not what you want to be there. You'll see the truth soon enough." Sherlock finished. Enola looking disheartened, left to go back to the house.
－~－
"Don't you think you were a little harsh Sherlock?" Adeline asked after some time. Sherlock sighed - it seemed as though a lot of sighing was happening today.
"I only told her what she needed to hear." He responded.
"She's still young, you forget she has only just turned 16. You cannot expect her to accept the disappearance of her mother after only a week." Adeline told him. Sherlock remained quiet thinking over what she said. Adeline decided to try her hand at another topic, one she knew would be hard.
"Is there a reason as to why you left so abruptly 10 years ago without telling me?" Sherlock didn't respond right away, mulling over the right words to give to Adeline.
"I was young, and I know that, that is not a good enough reason. I wasn't thinking of you, I was selfish in my actions." Sherlock sighed harshly, frustrated with himself.
"By the time I had realised my actions, I just assumed you wouldn't have wanted to see me, so I kept away."
"Sherlock." Adeline sat up on her knees.
"All I wanted was for you to come home." Sherlock turned away and brought a hand to his face. Adeline stood up and took a few steps away from him. She could feel the tears coming on and she didn't want him to see her.
"Adeline... I didn't know. Believe me if I had known I would've come home straight away." Sherlock stood up as well wanting to get his point across to her.
"But you didn't" Adeline turned around fast, surprised to see Sherlock so close but nonetheless just as upset. Sherlock's eyes widened upon seeing Adeline distressed, but she still continued on
"I loved you Sherlock... I love you. I was so heart broken to find one day you were gone, and then to not see you for the next 10 years. Well, you ruined me for anyone else, whenever I saw another man all I could do was compare him to you." Adeline poked him in the chest, finally getting out her frustrations on the way he left her.
Sherlock grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. He studied her face closely as she pulled her hand back and wiped up the few tears the manged to escape.
"I'm so sorry Addy, I didn't realise how hard it was. I want to make it right. Because I... I still love you. Seeing you again, hearing your voice, it's just confirmed it all." Sherlock himself was not normally the emotional one, as you can tell by the way he treats Enola, but with this conversation he was becoming emotional.
"I can't be hurt by you again Sherlock. If, once all this stuff has passed with your mother, and you leave the same way you did last time. I'll never forgive you." Adeline stated.
Sherlock brought his hand up to her face and brushed back a few loose curls.
"I won't. Not again." Adeline reached up to place her hand on Sherlock's cheek, searching his eyes for any sign of dishonesty.
