Sherlock's Long Lost Daughter {The LOST Chronicles, BOOK 1}

Chapter 3- A State Of Panic

John's Pov-

I watched Madeline walk slowly over to the window, open the curtain and peer out. I guessed that she wanted to see where Sherlock was going. I mean, she had only just found out who her father is after 15 years of waiting. And now she's going to have to wait some more, now that he's run off.

Maddy's Pov-

I watched Sherlock get into a cab and drive off. I didn't want him to see that I was watching, obviously. Typical that as he was about to turn the corner, he looked up and caught me looking straight at him. I was so angry. He had been here all along- and he didn't even know that I existed! I was so upset and disappointed that my mother kept me from him. I suppose it would have had to have been a good enough reason for her to keep me away from him. I was going to need some explanations. I turned around, seeing the short man staring at me, although I say short man, he was taller than me, yet never as tall as Sherlock.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch your name earlier, you know, with all the shouting going on." I said quietly to him, trying to make conversation.

"Uh, I'm John, John Watson. I am really sorry you had to find out like that. It wasn't supposed to happen like this." He replied to me in an apologetic manner. "Cuppa tea?" He offered, after a few seconds of silence.

"Uh, yes please, thanks." I replied awkwardly to him.

Sherlock's Pov-

I was so infuriated, but at the same time filled with a sudden sense of care and commitment. I had never thought that I would become a father. I suppose this is a bad thing, and as Mycroft always keeps telling me, 'caring is not an advantage'.

I arrived at the Diogenes Club and burst through the door. I stayed quiet, of course, because I didn't want to get thrown out. I had serious things to sort out. I went straight to Mycroft's office and without knocking, I just barged through the doors. I was angry, but I tried to stay calm.

"Ah, hello brother mine, always nice to see you drop in from time to time." He said sarcastically without even looking up from his laptop.

I walked up to his desk and slammed the lid of the laptop shut. Staying calm wasn't really an option right now. He looked a bit shocked at first, but then leaned back in his chair, gesturing with his hand for me to sit down.

"Well brother mine, when were you thinking of telling me?" I confronted him.

"Well I didn't have the intent of telling you, I only bugged your laptop and phone to keep an eye on you." He replied, staying as calm as before.

"Wait, what? That's not what I'm talking about." I said with a frustrated tone in my voice.

"Well come on then Sherlock, spit it out, because I don't have the faintest idea about what you are talking about." he said to me.

"You know perfectly well what I am talking about! When were you intending on telling me that I have adaughter?!" I shouted at him.

"Ah. I see. Well, I wasn't intending on anytime soon. I have my reasons- and so did Irene when we spoke about it." He replied bluntly.

"Since when were you interested in helping out Irene?"

"Ever since I found out that she happened to be pregnant with your child, making me the child's uncle. I felt obliged to protect her. Sherlock, you have got to understand that at the time you were involved deeply with Moriarty, and you still are involved. He is still out there waiting for his opportunity and I didn't want the child to get hurt because of it." He pleaded with me.

I didn't want to think this but I could tell he was being genuine with his explanation because he never explained anything to me or even the fact that he was basically begging for my forgiveness as it seems that I am the closest thing he has to a friend he has.

"Alright, Mycroft. I believe you. Now stop being so pathetic with your whiny pleading, just because you're lonely and I am the closest thing you have to a friend." I said.

"Ha, Sherlock I am not lonely- and I wouldn't have you for a friend if you were the last soul on Earth." He replied.

"I'm going now. Got stuff to do, a daughter to talk to..." I said jokingly, to show him that I was alright with everything.

I got up and walked towards the door.

"Sherlock, I really am sorry about you finding out like this."

I turned back. "I think there must be something in your drink, you never usually express being apologetic."

I walked quickly out of the club and walked to the main road to catch a cab back to 221B.

John's Pov-

I sat down on the sofa and gestured for Madeline to join me. I set down our cups of tea. Well this is slightly awkward.

"So,” I said, longing the vowel. “Mads, why don't you tell me about yourself?" I asked her, trying to break the awkwardness with light conversation.

"Well, I'm 15 currently but I will be 16 soon. Uh, I have been playing the violin since I was 4 years old... I have an avid liking for different types of music, but I am really into books." She replied confidently to me.

"Ah, I see. So it's all Twilight, then is it?" I joked to her.

"No, absolutely not. I don't care for fictional stories. I never have done, I like truth and fact." She said seriously to me.

"Well you're definitely the daughter of Sherlock Holmes." I mumbled under my breath.

"What's that John?" She questioned me having heard me muttering something.

I laughed as I got up and took my cup into the kitchen to wash up.

Maddy's Pov-

I heard a car pull up outside. I quickly got up and moved over to the window to see a cab driving away. I expected to see Sherlock come back, but I realized it must just be someone else who lives around here. I opened the window, glancing up and down the street. Then, I turned around to see Sherlock standing right behind me. I stood there in shock into the realization that my father was standing- here- before me. Suddenly I heard a fire and felt something cold and hard pierce the back of my neck. I didn't really have time to think about what had just happened as I started to fall to the ground. My eyes fell heavily shut and I fell into darkness.

Sherlock's Pov-

I reacted quickly after Madeline dropped her cup of tea, she started to collapse, her legs folding in on themselves and her arms stripped of any kind of strength as she tried to grab the table as she fell. I caught her in my arms before she hit the ground. I lifted her weightless body up.

"John, John! Quickly! In here, now!" I shouted to John in panic.

John rushed into the room. "What? What's wrong, Sherlock?"

I turned around to see John standing there in astonishment at Madeline's lifeless body. "Oh, my God!" He said in shock.

"Help me. Quick, John." I pleaded to him.

He ran over and cleared off some of the paper work from old cases off the sofa. I placed Madeline gently down on the sofa and knelt down beside her. I felt completely helpless- like everything has vanished from my mind and all that mattered was her, but I didn't know what to do. John started to examine her.

"Her pulse is fine and nothing seems to be wrong, maybe she fainted at the shock of you sneaking up on her." He hypothesized.

I couldn't believe this that the girl, that was at first timid and weak that then stood before me strong and told me who she was, standing up for herself with admittedly a lot of courage, would just faint like that. I wouldn't believe it for a second and started checking her over frantically to find out the cause of her passing out. To my horror, I ended up finding a dart in the back of her neck. I pulled it out quickly and touched the needle on the dart with my finger, I then put the finger to my lips to discover if there was anything in the dart that would make Madeline collapse.

"What is it Sherlock?" John started to panic as he saw the dart in my hand.

I turned to him, my face in a state of panic and emergency.

"It's a poisoned dart, John." I said shakily.