"Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius." — Sherlock Holmes

Chapter Ten:

Sherlock made Leona stay home for the next few days. Leona didn't know why, Sherlock and John kept saying they were going to this place called count, or something. Leona wanted to come, although she liked spending time with Ms. Hudson, she liked Sherlock much better. However, no matter how hard she begged — and cried — they wouldn't let her.

The first day, Ms. Hudson sat in front of the telly and watched it the whole day. She let Leona colour, but it for boring after a while. She wanted something bigger to colour on.

So, when Ms. Hudson wasn't looking, she went to Sherlock's room. Sherlock hadn't seemed happy in the past couple days, so maybe if she drew him a big picture in his room, he would be happy again!

Leona got to work, taking her crayons as she coloured all over the white walls.

It had taken Ms. Hudson about a half hour to realize that Leona was missing, but by the time she had found her, the damage was already done.

"No! Leona! My walls...!" Ms. Hudson cried, bringing Leona away from the ruined paint. Ms. Hudson took Leona's hands, bringing her away from the walls, "Oh, Leona... Come on, love, this way." She led the confused girl out of the room. "Look, Sherlock is on the telly!" She said, her tone chipper.

Leona stared, confused. "Who put Shee in telly?"

"Oh, he's not in the telly, dear, he's on the telly. He's at the Old Bailey right now, dear."

"Who Bailey?" Leona asked, confused.

"It's a place, dear. It's the court room they're in. Now, you can sit here and watch, I have to clean those walls," she said with a huffy sigh. Ms. Hudson pulled out Leona blanket and Leona giggled, sitting down. Her wings curled around her as she watched the television.

Sherlock was talking, but she didn't understand most of the things he said. Her eyes, though, were on the man in the booth. He was sitting silently, a smile on his face as he watched Sherlock talk. As if he were enjoying it.

Leona frowned, turning away. She didn't want to watch Mor-tary anymore. "... Have I known him?" Sherlock said on the television. "Not really your best line of enquiry. We met twice, five minutes in total. I pulled a gun; he tried to blow me up. I felt we had a special something." Mor-tary raised his eyebrows, amused. He was chewing something in his mouth, and blew a pink bubble from it.

"Oh, I'll have go get some cleaning solutions... Leona, stay here, I have to run off to the store. I'll be back in five minutes, alright?" Leona looked at Ms. Hudson, but she had already left.

"Miss Sorrel, are you seriously claiming this man is an expert, after knowing the accused for just five minutes?" The woman who wore the big black coat and sat in a highchair asked.

"Two minutes would have made me an expert. Five was ample," Sherlock replied with a shrug. Leona stood, going to the door.

"Ms. Hutson?" She called down the steps, but earned no reply. She said she was going to the store, whatever that was, but Leona didn't want to be alone. Besides, she needed someone to help her get Sherlock out of the telly!

She glanced back at the television set, almost apologetically, before carefully going down the steps. She finally made it to the front door. It was locked, but after a few moments of trying to open it, she finally managed to twist the lock at the top and pull the door open.

Someone was at the doorstep before she could even get through to Ms. Hudson. "Now, now, Leona. Didn't Ms. Hudson tell you to stay put?" Mycroft tsked, tapping her braided hair scoldingly. Another woman came behind her, closing the door and locking it again.

Leona giggled, "Mii-crof!" She cried, reaching her hands up for him to take. He did, and twisted her in the air. Leona giggled, her wings fluttering and even tickled his nose.

"You weren't lying, then..." The woman behind him spoke, almost in shock. Leona froze and immediately squirmed out of his hold. She landed on the ground and his behind Mycroft's leg.

"Leona, this is Verdana," Mycroft introduced. "Say hello."

"Hello..." She murmured. Leona recognized her smell. This was the woman that called her an it, and she didn't think she liked her.

"Come along, Leona," Mycroft said, heading for the stairs. "Let's go watch my idiot brother on the telly."

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Mycroft sat in John's chair while Leona day on his lap. He was watching the television, but Leona was too busy playing with his hair. She was intrugied by it. Every time she picked it up, it fell back flat again.

Leona giggled, poking it, and tugging a little. She was about to lick it when Mycroft brought her away. "No licking, Leona," he scolded her, then set her on the floor.

The other woman, Verdana, had been staring at her the entire time. She looked weird to Leona, although she had seen a lot of weird looking people. She was completely white, like a sheet of paper, except for her lips, which was painted red.

"You know she'll have to go back, right?" The woman spoke, and Leona sat on the floor, watching the television begrudgingly. She wanted to sit on Mycroft's lap. "The School will never allow someone like your brother to keep her."

"I am well aware of her situation and until then she will be under my protection," Mycroft replied simply. Shelock wasn't on the television anymore, it was just someone else talking.

"The School holds more power than you think, Holmes," Verdana frowned. "They'll destroy an entire city and manage to cover it up."

"They do not hold that much power, not after the fall of Itex," Mycroft frowned. "And if there happened to be a situation like that, I'm sure I would know."

"There has," Verdana frowned. "Twice."

Mycroft inhaled, "Well, they will not be able to regain access to her." Verdana frowned too, but stopped talking.

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By the time Ms. Hudson got back, Mycroft and Verdana had left. Leona was asleep on the ground, but woke up when the door opened. She was tense for a second, but Ms. Hudson poked her head through and she relaxed.

"Hello dear," Ms. Hudson smiled. "Did you do anything while I was gone?" Leona shook her head, tiredly. "Good. Do you want some lunch?" Leona shook her head again, then laid back on the floor and fell asleep.

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Leona woke up when the door opened again. Ms. Hudson had moved her to the sofa and she had her blanket on top of her. Leona saw Sherlock's hair as the door opened and ran towards him. "Shee!" She screamed, jumping on his back as he opened the door.

Sherlock let out a shout of surprise and stumbled a little, trying to keep his balance. "Leona, what did I say about jumping on me, especially when my back is turned!" Sherlock scowled, prying the girl off his shoulders.

Leona giggled, "Leona saw Shee in telly! Did Shee escape?"

"No, don't worry love," John smiled behind him, ruffling her hair. "We were never in the telly to begin with."

"Where Shee, Jon go?" Leona asked, confused.

"To court."

"Court? One, two, four, six---"

"You're thinking of count, dear," John laughed, picking her up. Leona squealed, as he sat in his chair, Leona on his lap. "Court is a place where they decided to put bad guys away or not."

"Away where?"

"In prison," Sherlock said blandly, going to sit in his chair as well. "Which is where they belong and serve time for their crime."

"Pree... Sun?" Leona frowned.

"Yep," John nodded. "It's like a big building and they lock up bad guys."

"Like Leona cage?" Leona asked curiously.

"Leona cage?" John repeated, confused, and Leona nodded.

"At School. Leona has cage an' she live there. Unless Leona fight, or Whitecoat hurt Leona," she explained.

"They kept you... In a cage?" John repeated again, shocked.

"Leona no like cage... Cage dark an' scary... Erasers hurt Leona if she try to leave cage..." Leona frowned, looking at the ground.

"It's... Not a cage like that, dear, don't worry," John smiled, bring her close to his chest. Leona giggled, poking his cheek. "Where's Ms. Hudson, Leona?" She shrugged, and John let her off his lap. "Can you go fetch her for me?"

Leona nodded, grinning, "We go park?"

"Sorry, love, but not today, please, go fetch Ms. Hudson," John said, then shooed her off.

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Ms. Hudson was on a milk run, and after looking up and down through the apartment, Leona unfortantely came to the conclusion that she was no where to be seen. She came teary-eyed to John, giving him the bad news. He simply laughed, and waved her to his room to take a nap. And while she did go to his room, she did not take a nap.

Leona's mind was too full of Mor-tary and the what he had given her. And although the physical scar was healed completely, Leona could feel his metal dark knife ebb into her skin. Blood poured out of the wound and unto the bed and she let out cry of terror. His laughter began to plague her mind. It came from everywhere, every dark corner of the room.

Tears began to spill down her cheeks. "What's my name?!" The man screamed in her ear, tugging on her hair and whipping her head back.

Leona blubbered a mixture of words, and he yanked on her head again. "Say it!"

"M–Mor–Mo–M..." She stammered between sobs. Mor-tary glared and struck her in the head. Leona gasped, her head hanging.

"Say my name," he growled, and Leona trembled.

"Pl–Please—!" she begged.

"Say it!!" His voice was akin to one of a demon's and Leona tried to move away from his wrath.

"Mo... Mo–Mor-ta... Mor-ta–ta... Mor-tary," she finally managed to say. "Mor-tary. Mor-tary, please." He chuckled and turned around.

Mor-tary held a gun now, and cocked it, pointing it at Leona's forehead. "No, no, no—" she begged. "Mor-tary! Mor-tary! Mo—" Leona didn't finish because he shot her.

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John took Leona into his arms when she finally managed to wake up. "Shh... Shh. It was just a dream, dear. It's okay... It's over now..." Her lip quieted and Leona sobbed into his shoulder.

After she had finally stopped crying, John got her out of the bed and changed her clothes and the bed sheets. Then, he made her take a bath. Leona only nodded and didn't speak. He helped wash herself clean and then let her sleep with Sherlock, who complained at first, but begrudingly allowed it.

Leona curled against his chest, sniffing. "Go to sleep," Sherlock ordered, and Leona nodded. She liked being with him, He said he would protect her, and she believed him.