Sherlock is not gonna be happy when he finds out about this.

Adelaide shoved the incapacitated man underneath the display and backed away. As her mind raced for what to do next she grabbed the bottles of oil from her basket, uncapping them and pouring them around the robber in case he tried to get up. Should keep him away from me long enough. She gestured for the other customers to run to the restrooms, which they did.

As she was turning to crawl further away she heard a voice crackle over a walkie talkie that was in the man's back pocket, asking whether the rest of the store was secure. Adelaide knew she couldn't respond and that someone would be sent to find out what was going on. So she scrambled away, figuring that she would have to keep the intruders busy once they got wise to the situation so that the police would be able to catch them all when they arrived.

Sure enough, she heard a slight commotion in the front of the store and knew she was right. She crawled her way over to the juices again and grabbed as many clear or semi-clear ones as she could, unscrewing the tops and dumping them on the floor, spreading the puddle as best she could. Then she hid out of sight again as another intruder approached.

When he saw his partner in crime knocked out, he bolted towards him and his feet slid through the juice and oil puddle. He flew back and fell almost comically onto his face, letting out a shrill yelp that resounded in the store. Adelaide had to bite her tongue so she wouldn't chuckle at the sight.

As intended, he alerted the rest of the group and she heard several more of them begin to head their way. Not all, but most, which was what she had wanted. And, just as expected, the rest of them tripped and landed on their rears too.

At this point, Adelaide knew the force was close and that this was her chance. She got up and sprinted down to the front of the store, grabbing anything else she could stuff in her basket. Including canned soda. Perfect.

She peeked around the end of the aisle and saw the remaining three criminals huddled up debating what had happened and what to do. So she dashed behind a register and loaded up, cracking the tops of the soda just slightly and shaking them for good measure. Then, she jumped up and threw the weighty soda cylinders as hard as she could.

She hit her two targets, ducking as fast as she could but she knew the third had seen her. He dropped his hostage and came running to find her, yelling to his comrades. She dumped out the rest of her goods on both sides and he lost his footing momentarily, but he reached her before she could scurry away. He grabbed her arm and yanked her up, spittle flying from his mouth as he shouted threats into her face. She grimaced and wound up, catching him square in the jaw and then his nose with left hooks.

He sputtered and pushed her against the register, rearing back and back handing her a couple of times, "Stupid *****, you better ******* get on the floor right now, *****!"

She didn't, so he hooked her in the face, yelling for her to submit. Just as he did so, the police got the doors open and flooded in. She kneed her assailant hard in the crotch and he went down, "There are five more in the back of the store and a few customers are hiding in the back restrooms, Officers!" She called out, pointing down to her opponent, "And one's right here!"

Quickly enough the police had rounded up and cuffed all of the intruders. Another Officer escorted her to the back to the restrooms so they could release all the hiding customers. As soon as the door was opened she rushed in to find her daughter and best friend, safe and sound. Tara looked quite shaken up but Mirabella was sleeping contentedly in her carrier. After exchanging hugs with Tara, Adelaide picked up Mirabella and cradled her tightly to her chest, breathing a deep sigh of relief, "You're okay, baby girl, the bad guys are gone and everyone is safe."

Later, At Scotland Yard

Tara and Adelaide were finishing their official written statements in one of the Yard's interrogation rooms with Greg sitting on the other side of the table, looking utterly shocked. He finally cleared his throat and asked, "I don't suppose you could elaborate on why you decided to take matters into your own hands..? I can get the calling police, but why didn't you hide in the restroom with Tara and Mirabella?"

Adelaide glanced up with the eye that wasn't obstructed by the cold pack she was holding to her head and face and answered; "I just knew that if I didn't do something, that someone else in the store could be hurt and that the police might not have been able to catch all of the intruders. I guess in a way you could chalk it up to my newfound 'mama bear attitude'."

"Yeah, and you took a beating for it," Greg groaned, referencing the bruises on her face and upper body that she'd incurred earlier, "Sherlock really isn't going to be pleased when we tell him."

"Try pissed." Adelaide retorted, her tone making it clear she knew exactly what she was in for when her husband, and not to mention their families and other friends, learned what had happened. Mycroft won't be much better about it either. But how could I hide when I knew I could help?

She finished her statement and pushed it over to the DI, setting the ice pack down and leaning over to pick Mirabella up and cradle her gently. Tara finished as well and Greg sighed, "Okay, so is there anything else I should know about this that you may not have included-?"

At that moment the door swung inwards and in walked Sherlock, followed by John and backed by a smirking Donovan. The second he realized who was in front of him, he stammered worriedly; "W-What are you and Tara doing here?! What happened to you, Adelaide?!!"

Adelaide froze as Greg rose and blocked Sherlock's path, "I think you'd best wait outside, we're not done in here, Sherlock."

"But-!"

"Out!" Greg signalled for Donovan to pull Sherlock back out of the room and close the door despite his protests. The three let out a sigh and the DI turned back to face them, "Let's wrap this up then before he breaks down the door, shall we?"

"Y-Yeah."

Four minutes later they were done and he released them. Tara carried Mirabella out first and Adelaide followed, pressing the cold pack over her face and dreading the conversation she was about to have.

The second she was clear of the door she was confronted by her husband, who's rapid fire questions only made her head reel. Finally she managed to explain that she and Tara were okay, that Mirabella was fine and that she wanted to have the discussion at home, just in time for two of her earlier victims to emerge from their interrogations. They saw her and started screaming obscenities and threats at her from down the corridor and she turned her head lazily to look at them. Sherlock, taken aback by the intensity of their hate-filled rants, glowered at them as he whispered to her, "I don't suppose you could tell me why they are threatening to kill you, Adelaide?"

She winced and turned away from the verbal abuses being hurled at her, "Kind of a long story, Darling. Can we please just go home?"

Sherlock huffed but assented, looping his arm through hers and leading her out of the corridor to where Tara, John, and Mirabella were waiting for them. John saw their expressions and shook his head.

Definitely not going to be a happy discussion.

Thank you all for reading!! I love you all! 😘🥰

Happy Halloween!!💀🎃🦇🕷🕸