Sherlock's Daughter

18 - Blame

Blame

Juliet continues to channel surf with her feet up onto the coffee table and her posture slumped into the seat. The Watson household is quiet apart from the nearly silent gurgling from the young infant who is in a baby rocker; John is at work, Mary is out at the supermarket and Sherlock has not been seen since he dumped Juliet nearly two weeks ago. Feeling defeated by the lack of good drama on the tele the young Holmes huffs and switches off the useless electrical item.

As she does so her phone starts to ring and she hopes that it is finally her father with some news but it is not but her uncle. She brings the phone up to her ear and answers with a simple, "Hello?"

"Hey Juliet!" Sherrinford exclaims with great happiness.

"Hi." She responds wanting to play hard ball as he has been ignoring her calls.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been very responsive as of late, I've been up to my eyes with paperwork." He smoothly lies through his teeth.

"You are in charge of a criminal organisation." She states the obvious before adding, "I'm sure you have someone to do your paperwork for you." There is a pause on the end of the line probably as Sherrinford rolls his eyes; it is a Holmes thing.

"Not the point." He states with a cold tone which makes him sound similar to Mycroft. A shiver makes its way down Juliet's spine. "Where are you at the moment then missy? You haven't been at Baker Street in a while."

Juliet now rolls her eyes. "You've been spying."

"I have been showing an interest." He quickly responds just as Baby Watson cries out making Juliet huff. "Is that a baby?!"

"Yes." She plainly answers as she removes the phone from her ear and puts it on speaker which she then places on the coffee table. She skips to her feet and leans down to remove the infant from her cradle who coos happily once she comes into contact with another being.

"Why are you with a child? And where are you?" He continues to fire questions without even waiting for the answers.

"I am at Mary and John's house, I have been here for nearly two weeks and I am currently babysitting. I hope that clears that up." Her tone turns sarcastic in the last sentence as she rocks the baby in her arms.

"I guess you can't come out then." Sherrinford sighs suddenly disappointed making Juliet fume. She is angry at her Uncle's lack of contact and the fact that she has been dumped into an unfamiliar surrounding to look after someone else's child. Babies are not really her thing.

"Don't sound so disappointed!" She whisper shouts, "I am stuck in the most uneventful part of London ever because Baker Street is apparently too dangerous at the moment and I could be in danger. So I have been landed in a situation which means I have to look after a baby that is not even mine! And it shits a hell of a lot."

"Don't swear in front of the baby." Sherrinford scolds, "Wait am I on speaker phone?"

"Brilliant deduction Mr Holmes." She mocks.

"Deducting is more of your job Miss Holmes and anyway..." He trails, "Speaker phone may not be a good idea. You never know who is listening." He whispers like that would help.

"Probably Mycroft." She shrugs her shoulders and puts the young child back in her baby seat with a soft toy. "Anyway I don't know why he would have John's house rigged up with surveillance equipment, he is not exactly a threat." She plonks herself back onto the sofa and picks up the phone, removing it off speaker and puts it back up against her ear.

"His wife is..." Sherrinford mumbles incoherently.

"What?"

"Nothing!" He rushes, "Seeing that you are snowed under a load of nappies, do you want to come out tomorrow then?" He suggests but Juliet shakes her head then realises that she cannot be seen.

"I can't. It is the funeral tomorrow." She says sadly, "They couldn't find any relatives or anything of Matt or Arthur so I thought I should go. I did know them after all."

"Okay..." Sherrinford ponders, "I will send some men just to keep an eye out for Moriarty. I don't want you to be in any sort of danger again."

"Thanks." She mutters before burying her face in her hand, "It is all my fault..."

"What's all your fault lovely?" Mary asks as she walks in with bags of shopping. Juliet immediately hangs up the call and drops the mobile phone onto the sofa as soon as she hears Mrs Watson's voice. But Mary never misses a trick. "Who were you on the phone to?" She questions while placing the bags on the counter.

"Sherlock." Juliet lies.

"Oh. He has finally come around has he?"

"Not exactly. Answer machine." The young Holmes scurries over to the kitchen and begins to unpack the various shopping bags: bread, milk, and baby food, condoms...wait. Juliet's face turns a bright pink colour when she picks up the last item making Mary giggle. She continues to unpack the shopping when she pulls out a newspaper with an eye catching story on the front.

"Was little one alright whilst I was out?"

"Yeah..." Juliet starts to read the article.

{

BAKER STREET SHOOTING: ARE WE SAFE?

The shooting that occurred two weeks ago on Baker Street involving the deaths of two unnamed men which has been covered up by authorities is making civilians question whether London is as safe as it is claimed to be.

Two weeks ago shots were fired from an unknown source at two men which immediately died on the scene. Bullets were also fired at a teenage girl which has been seen in the company of famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. She soon disappeared and has not been seen since...witness protection?

Rumours have been circulating that these shootings were completely random by some terrorist unit to make a point so this makes us wonder: are we safe? Will an attack like this occur again and will there be more casualties? Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade who was on the scene immediately after the shots were fired has said: 'We are investigating further with help from the British Security Service to find the shooter as quickly as possible.' Before adding, 'But it would really help if any witnesses would give statements at their local station.'

It is also said that Holmes is on the case so hopefully there will be a resolution sometime soon.

The funeral for these two unnamed men is happening tomorrow at a secret location in case of further attacks. If you were planning on attending this funeral to pay your respects then think again! You never know when these attackers are near.

}

A/n there was a formatting problem in this chapter to do with the article which I have now altered and fixed