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Chapter 2: The Roads We Walk Have Demons Beneath

At 221B, Sherlock sits in his armchair with his fingers steeples against his chin, staring downwards. You were sitting on the arm of his chair, arms folded across your chest, looking towards the kitchen. Opposite you and him, John sits in his chair, watching Sherlock, twirling a pen in his left hand.

In the middle of the room next to the clients chair, stands Mycroft; his arms folded and a stubborn look on his face. Mrs Hudson stands in the doorway with her arms folded as well, looking at Mycroft and smiling slightly as he lowers his head and bites his lip. "You have to sit in the chair." She said and Mycroft turns and looks at her. "They won't talk to you unless you sit in the chair. It's the rules." She said.

"I'm not a client." Mycroft replied, tetchily.

"Then get out." Sherlock responded, not looking at his brother. Mycroft turns to look at the trio as John looks up towards him, tapping the tip of his pen against the arm of his chair.

Unfolding his arms and holding them out in surrender, Mycroft walks around and sits in the chair. Sherlock lowers his hands as Mycroft gestures towards your aunt. "She's not going to stay there, is she?" He asked Sherlock. You and Sherlock look towards your aunt, then Sherlock tilts his head to her.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Your aunt asked Mycroft.

"Thank you." said Mycroft.

"The kettles over there." She said, pointing towards the kitchen, then she turns and heads down the stairs.

You and the boys smiles as Mycroft turns to Sherlock. "So what happens now? Are you going to make deductions?" He asked his younger brother. "You're going to tell the truth, Mycroft, pure and simple." Sherlock replied.

"Who was it said 'Truth is rarely pure, and never simple'?" Mycroft asked as Sherlock shifted slightly to face him.

"I don't know and I don't care. So there were three of us. I know that now. You, me, and....Eurus." Sherlock said. Mycroft nods as Sherlock continues. "A sister I can't remember. Interesting name, Eurus. It's Greek, isn't it?" Sherlock asked.

John looks down at his notebook and said. "Mm. Yeah, uh, literally 'the god of the East Wind.'"

"Yes." Mycroft replied.

"The East Wind is coming, Sherlock." Sherlock recited as he gazes at the floor. Then he turns to his brother and said. "You used that to scare me."

"No." Mycroft replied as you glare over at him.

"You turned his sister into a ghost story." You said.

"Of course I didn't. I monitored him." said Mycroft.

"You what?" You and John asked.

Mycroft looks at you and John and said. "Memories can resurface; wounds can re-open. The roads we walk have demons beneath..." Then he turns to Sherlock and continues. "...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."

"What can't I remember her?" Sherlock asked in a soft intense voice.

Mycroft pauses for a moment before he looks at you and John. "This is a private matter." He said to Sherlock. You and John were about to get up until Sherlock said. "John and (y/n) stays."

You and John look at each other for a moment then over at Sherlock, surprised. Mycroft leans forward in his chair and said, in a harsh whisper. "This is family."

"That's why they stay!" Sherlock said, loudly and firmly. The brothers lock eyes for a moment while you and John smile.

Mycroft sits back as John clears his throat. "So there were three Holmes kids." said John as he pulls the lid off his pen and re-opened his notebook.

"What was the age gap?" You asked Mycroft.

"Seven years between myself and Sherlock; one year between Sherlock and Eurus." Mycroft replied.

"Middle child. Explains alot." John said as he nods.

Sherlock throws him a look as you ask. "Did she have it too? The ability to deduce?" Mycroft looks over at you for a moment then looks, reflectively towards the fireplace and said. "More than you can know."

You and the boys look at him as John said. "Enlighten us."

"You realize I'm the smart one?" Mycroft asked.

"As you never cease to announce." Sherlock remarked as Mycroft continues. "....but Eurus, she was incandescent even then. Our abilities were professionally assessed more than once. I was remarkable, but Eurus was described as an era-defining genius, beyond Newton."

"Then why don't I remember her?" Sherlock asked in an intense voice.

"You do remember her, in a way. Every choice you ever made; every path you've ever taken--the man you are today....is your memory of Eurus." Mycroft said and Sherlock slowly turns his head away as Mycroft looks down.

"She was different from the beginning. She knew things she should never have known as if she was somehow aware of truths beyond the normal scope." Mycroft said as he stares off into space then looks startled as he straightens up in his chair.

"What's wrong?" You asked him.

"Sorry. The memories are disturbing." Mycroft replied as he closes his left hand.

"What did you mean? Examples." Sherlock said.

"They found her with a knife once. She seemed to be cutting herself. Mother and Father were terrified. They thought it was a suicide attempt. But when I asked Eurus what she was doing, she said 'I wanted to see how my muscles worked'." Mycroft said as you and John look at him, horrified.

"Jesus!" John exclaimed.

"Shit." You muttered as Mycroft continues.

"So I asked her if she felt pain, and she said 'Which one's pain?'"

"What happend?" Sherlock asked him.

"Musgrave. The ancestral home, where there was always honey for tea and Sherlock played among the funny gravestones." He replied.

"Funny how?" You asked as Sherlock looks to the side, reflective.

"An architectural joke which fascinated Sherlock." Mycroft replied as Sherlock stares in the distances then whispers. "Help succour me now..."

Then Mycroft joins in saying. "...the East winds blow."

"Sixteen by six..." Sherlock said.

"....and under we go." Mycroft finished, his face haunted.

Sherlock turns to look at his brother as he said. "You're starting to remember."

"Fragments." Sherlock replied the he stares off in the distance again and whispered. "Redbeard."

"Redbeard?" You asked, looking over at your husband. He looks up at you and said. "He was my dog."


"Eurus took Redbeard and locked him up somewhere no-one could find him and she refused to say where he was. She'd only repeat that song; her little ritual. We begged and begged her to tell us where he was. But she said 'the song is the answer' but the song made no sense." Mycroft said.

Sherlock turns to his brother and asked. "What happened to Redbeard?"

"We never found him. But she started calling him 'Drowned Redbeard', so we made our assumptions." Mycroft replied then he turned to you and John. "Sherlock was traumatized. Natural, I suppose--he was, in the early days, an emotional child; but after that he was different, so changed. Never spoke of it again. In time, he seemed to forget that Eurus had ever existed." Mycroft said.

"How could he forget? She was living in the same house." John asked.

"No. They took her away." Mycroft replied, shaking his head sadly.

"Why? You don't lock up a child because a dog goes missing." You said, furrowing your brow.

"Quite so. It was what happened immediately afterwards.....she took a match, striked it and set the house on fire." Mycroft said.

You and John look up at him, appalled and shocked as he closes his eyes for a moment then opens them. "After that, our sister had to be taken away." Mycroft said.

"Where?" Sherlock asked.

"Oh, some suitable place--or so everyone thought. Not suitable enough, however. She died there." He replied.

"How?" You asked him.

"She started another fire, one which she did not survive." Mycroft replied.

"This is a lie." Sherlock said, firmly.

You and John look towards Mycroft, who hesitates for a moment before he spoke. "Yes. It is also a kindness. This is the story I told our parents to spare then further pain, and to account for the absence of an identifiable body." He said.

"And no doubt to prevent their further interference." Sherlock said.

"Well, that too, of course. The depth of Eurus' psychosis and the extent of her abilities couldn't hope to be contained in any ordinary institution. Uncle Rudi took care of things." said Mycroft.

"Where is she, Mycroft? Where's our sister?" Sherlock asked him with soft intensity.

"There's a place called Sherrinford; an island. It's secure and very secretive installation whose sole purpose is to contain what we call the unconyainables. The demons beneath the road--this is where we trap them. Sherrinford is more than a prison it an asylum; it is a fortress built time keep the rest of the world safe from what is inside it. Heaven may be a fantasy for the credulous and the afraid, but I can give you a map reference for Hell. That's where our sister has been since early childhood. She hasn't left--not for a single day." Mycroft said then he turns to John and said. "Whoever you met, it can't have been her." Mycroft said.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash if breaking glass coming from the kitchen, followed by the thump of something falling to the floor. John turns in his chair to look, then all four of you stand up and look towards the kitchen.

You hear what sounds like a woman singing but it is too soft for you to hear, almost like it's coming from a small speaker. Mycroft's face fills with horror as a small drone rises up from the floor and hovers sideways to the room.

The drone begins to fly forward across the kitchen table, the wind from its four rotors blowing papers and other stuff off the table. "Keep back! Keep as still as you can!" Mycroft said urgently as John backs towards the table and Sherlock pushes you back behind him, towards his brother.

"What is it?" John asked.

"It's a drone." Sherlock replied.

"Yeah, we can see that." You said as John glances over at Mycroft and asked. "What's it carrying?"

As the drone continues into the room and carrying a large silver-green grenade-shaped object on top. "What's that silver thing on of it, Mycroft?" You asked as you and him back up and stand near the door.

"It's a DX-707." He replied as the drone hovers between the four of you. "I've authorized the purchase of quite a number of these. Colloquially it is known as the patience grenade." He said as the drone lowers itself towards the floor.

"Patience?" John asked and the drone lands in the floor and it's rotors shut down.

The grenade buzzes and the top pops up a little, showing a bright red light emanating from inside the device. "The motion sensor has activated. If any of us move, the grenade will detonate." Mycroft said.

"How powerful?" Sherlock asked.

"It will certainly destroy this flat and kill anyone in it. Assuming walls of reasonable strength, your neighbors should be safe, but as it's landed in the floor, I am moved to wonder if the café below is open." Mycroft replied.

"It's Sunday morning, so it's closed." You replied.

"What about Mrs Hudson?" John asked.

The four of you stay silent as you hear the sound of a vacuum cleaner below. "Going by her usual routine, I estimate she has another two minutes left." Sherlock said.

"She keeps the vacuum cleaner at the back of the flat." You replied.

"So?" Mycroft asked.

"So, safer there when she's putting it away?" You said as Mycroft glances at you.

"Look, we have to move eventually. We should do it when she's safest." John said.

"When the vacuum stops, we giver her eight seconds to get to the back of the flat. She's fast when she's cleaning. Then we move." Sherlock said, then he glances at Mycroft. "What's the trigger response time?" He asked.

Mycroft looks at him blankly so he rolls his eyes and asked. "Once we're mobile, how long before detonation?"

"We have a maximum of three seconds to vacate the blast radius." Mycroft replied. John closes his eyes and sags slightly as you let out an exasperated sigh.

"John and I will take the windows; you and (y/n) take the stairs. Help Mrs Hudson out too." Sherlock said as he glances up at you two.

"Okay." You said even though you were terrified, especially for the safety of your child.

"Us?" Mycroft asked.

"You're closer." Sherlock replied.

"You're faster." Mycroft said.

"Speed differential won't be as critical as the distance." Sherlock said.

"Yes, agreed." Mycroft said, unhappily as the humming sound of the vacuum becomes softer.

"She's further away. She's moving to the back." You said.

"I estimate we have a minute left. Is a phone call possible?" Sherlock asked Mycroft.

"Phone call?" Mycroft asked, puzzled.

"John has a daughter. He may wish to say goodbye." You said as you glance at John without moving your head.

"I'm sorry, Doctor Watson. Any movement will set off the grenade." Mycroft said as John bares his teeth. "I'm hope you understand." He said to John.

"Oscar Wilde." John said.

"What?" Mycroft said.

"He said, the truth is rarely pure and never simple. It's from the Importance of Being Earnest. We did it in school." John replied as you and Sherlock quirk up a grin.

"So did we. Now I recall. I was Lady Bracknell." Mycroft said.

John smiles alittle as Sherlock said. "Yeah. You were great."

"You really think so?" Mycroft asked.

"Yes, I really do." Sherlock replied.

"Well, that's good to knos. I've always wondered." He said.

"Also, keep (y/n) safe for me, brother mine. And my child." Sherlock said. Mycroft shifts his gaze at Sherlock and asked, puzzled. "Child?"

Then he shifts his gaze to you as you give a small smile. "Surpirse, Uncle Mike." You said. Sherlock and John smile as Mycroft glares over at you then said. "Oh....well, then....um.....I." He stammers then you hear the vacuum shutting down.

Sherlock gives it a few seconds then glances at you. "I love you." He said. "I love you too." You said. Then you look around at the boys and said. "Good luck, boys."

The four of you pause for another moment, then Sherlock says, loudly. "Three, two, one, go!"

You and Mycroft head out towards the door while John runs for the right hand window and Sherlock leaps onto the back of his chair in his way to the left hand down window.

Behind the four of you the device explodes and flames sweep across the room in all directions, enveloping everything in your path. John and Sherlock hurl themselves through the glass and plummet towards the road below while you and Mycroft run down the stairs but jumped halfway down the steps as he catches you and he lands on his back on the floor, you fall on top of him.

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