His Favorite Melody

Gifts

Melody slept on and off on the couch that night, and John checked on her every so often. He was sure that she was physically fine, but it was obvious that something was bothering her mentally and emotionally. During one of her bouts of consciousness, he explained to her what had happened with Sherlock, but she only nod silently. Obviously Irene had done her job in making Melody question not only herself, but Sherlock as well.

The next morning, she was awoken by Mycroft gently shaking her. "Melody, dear, time to wake up." She opened her eyes to see him looking down at her with a worried expression. "Inspector Lestrade told me what happened yesterday. Dear Melody, I'm afraid this is my fault, and I never should have put you or my brother in her path."

"She's working with Moriarty." She said quietly.

"I've recently become aware of that. Go get dressed and I'll make a few phone calls. I'm going to fix this." He promised.

She simply nod and went down to see her mum and her cleaned up.

"Melody, love! Are you alright? John told me what happened, and I came up to check on you a few times, but you were asleep." Mrs. Hudson said as Melody walked in.

"I'm alright, mum. I'm going to get ready down here if that's alright?"

"Of course, dear. Everything alright? Normally you do that at the boy's flat."

"Yeah, er, some things have come up and I'm in a bit of a weird place with Sherlock right now. Mycroft is trying to help fix it, but I think it's better if I just stay down here at night for now if that's alright?"

"Of course, dear! I know you two will work things out, but you take all the time you need. Come here." She said, hugging her daughter.

"I love you, mum."

"I love you, too, Melody."

Once she was cleaned up and ready, Melody went back upstairs to find Mycroft pacing the floor, furious. Sherlock and John were having their breakfast, doing their best to ignore him. Her mum was cleaning up in the kitchen. She was not a housekeeper, but she did enjoy tidying up a bit. Mel decided to help her out.

"Does one still join the foreign legion, when in disgrace - what is the modern form? Do you retire to the study with a loaded revolver, or take a job in Manchester?" Mycroft asked no one in particular.

"The photographs are perfectly safe." Sherlock assured him.

"In the hands of a fugitive sex worker?"

"She's not interested in blackmail - I think she just wants ... protection, for some reason. I take it you've stood down the police investigation into the shooting at her house?"

"How we can do anything, while she has those photographs? Our hands are tied."

"She would applaud your choice of words. You see how it works? That camera is her get-out-of-jail free card. You have to leave her alone. Treat her like royalty, Mycroft."

"Though not the way she treats royalty." John quipped, causing Sherlock to chuckle. As he does there's a little orgasmic gasp.

Everyone startled a little, and Melody rounded on him. Sherlock just picked up his phone, glanced at it., then put it down

"What was that?" She asked.

"Just a text." He brushed it off.

"But what was the noise?" John asked.

"Did you know there were other people after her too. Before you sent us in there? CIA trained killers, at an excellent guess. One of them was going to kill Melody." Sherlock said,shifting the conversation.