Chapter Text
"You have her eyes." Sherlock whispers from behind me and I feel the tears fall. My knees collapse and I fall to the floor.
"I'm sorry I didn't know." I say in-between broken sobs.
Police move around me and Madens is removed from the room. After a while I force myself to look up and see Sherlock looking at me in a way he never has before. As if I were an alien, something he doesn't know and has never seen before. It breaks my heart.
Joan just watches him and I can imagine the confusion and pain she's feeling.
"I was never sure she was my birth mother. I just knew I was adopted and when they were killed after a while I just thought...maybe." My voice sounds harsh and broken. Not like Reina Holmes. No, I sound like Jane Moriaty.
For a while there's just silence between the three of us. Nothing is communicated. We are just nothing. Three people that should never be together. Joan and Sherlock were better off without me.
At that moment Gregson comes back in and breaks the trance by putting a reasurring hand on my shoulder whilst he gently pulls me to my feet.
"Well done Reina, you did great." He says and I almost want to scream.
For years I've lived telling myself I wasn't her daughter, that I wasn't the daughter of a murderer, but I am. Madens was right, what does that make me?
"You're not her." Joan says suddenly with certainty and I want to cry again. How can she support me after she knows I'm the daughter of the women who broke the person she loves. Joan moves close to me and takes my hand in hers. "You're Reina. Our Reina. This doesn't change anything."
I force myself to look into her deep brown eyes and relax slightly when I see the honesty in them. Then I turn to Sherlock and see him looking like he's in pain but he turns to me and smiles slightly.
"You were so brave." He says and I let out a tearful laugh. "You knew I was stalling."
Sherlock states and I smile and nod.
"You called Gregson. I knew he would come." I say turning to the captain and leaning into the arm he puts around me.
"Joan is right." Sherlock says whilst looking at Joan in wonder, as he so often does. It surprises me that he does it so casually in front of the Captain.
"You're Reina Holmes. If that's who you want to be of course." He says somewhat shyly and I let go of Gregson to laugh and pull him into a tight hug.
Sherlock and I never hug but just this once, it's the best thing we could have done.
I notice Gregson leave the room so reach for Joan and pull her into the hug as well. I feel so loved and protected in the arms of the two people I love most in the world.
"That was so scary." I say with a light laugh that Joan echoes but hugs me tighter. "Do you think I'll get out of writing my English essay?"
At that the consultants laugh. A true pure laugh of relief that makes me smile.
After we all pull away Sherlock keeps his arm around Joan and I smile at them.
"Maybe we should sit down and talk about everything, good and bad. So there's no more secrets." Joan says and I nod reluctantly.
"My past isn't pretty." I say in warning and Sherlock chuckles.
"I can relate." He says and I smile before smirking at them both.
"If you want no secrets, now might be a good time to tell Gregson and Bell, if he's here, about your relationship." At that both consultants tense up and I laugh.
"I'm kidding guys, tell them when you're both ready." At that they seem to relax, it's been almost four months yet they still seem way more comfortable with a secret relationship. To be honest I'm pretty sure everyone knows but they refuse to admit it.
Just at that moment Bell runs in and scans the room until he sees me and instantly pulls me into a tight hug. We've become quite close in three months and I find myself easily returning the hug.
"Oh my god Reina, the perp was your teacher! I'm so sorry." Bell says and I try and give him the biggest smile I can.
"It's not your fault." I turn around to face Joan and Sherlock as I say this. "It wasn't any of your faults. As long as I'm alive Morierty will be looking for me. This wasn't the first time, and it won't be the last."
I try not to sound too grave but the prospect of always being hunted by a criminal mastermind doesn't sound to appealing.
By this point the noise downstairs subsides and I assume the police officers have gone home.
"Do you want to stay Marcus?" Joan says kindly, breaking the silence.
"I would but I'm going to be drowning I paperwork for a while." He says sadly and I pat his arm.
"Thanks for coming." I say honestly and we embrace briefly before Bell exits. When he does the brownstone falls silent. Nobody talks and I find myself overcome with the desire to run to my room and cry.
It takes everything I have to turn to Sherlock and Joan and smile a small smile. I have to say strong. It won’t be easy, but I’m Reina Holmes and I can get threw this. One broken smile at a time.