"Excuse me?"

I looked back and forth between Mrs. Emily and young Levi, positive I had misunderstood her comment. Levi had been abandoned at two years old. How could she possibly know him or his mother?

Holmes leaned forward in his chair with a frown. "You know Levi?"

"I never knew for certain Levi existed," she answered, still staring, "but I knew of the possibility. I only met Sara once, the day she realized Matthew was married."

"So Levi is—"

She nodded, and Levi carefully moved to stand behind Henry, uncomfortable at the scrutiny. Henry led the way towards the ottoman, where Levi curled against him.

"You have your mother's eye shape," she told him gently, "but Matthew's grandfather's eye color. Her chin was shaped the same as yours, as was her nose, and I bet you have dimples when you smile. Her name was Sara McLean. She lived in Warrington at the time."

A smile flickered on the older boys' faces at the name, but Mrs. Emily looked between us and Tim instead of asking what had so amused them.

"Why is he with the Irregulars? Sara would never have hurt him, and I doubt Matthew knows he's alive."

"Fernsby styled his business as an orphanage," I reminded her. "Levi was abandoned on their doorstep about five years ago, as best we can tell from the older children's accounts."

"Miss McLean is deceased," Holmes added. "I intended to find his father's identity before I said anything."

"How is it," Edward asked Henry, "that out of all those children in that courtyard, you make friends with your brother?"

Henry merely shrugged, casting a grin at where Tim watched. "Happened once before," he answered with a grin.

"It's a bit different when there's blood relation involved," Tim shot back.

Henry waved him off. "You're still my brother." He opened his mouth to say more, but a small voice carried faintly from where Levi sat behind him.

"Means you'll come back."

A mixture of grief and frustration appeared on Henry's face. "I thought we solved that already, Shorty." He readjusted, letting Levi nearly crawl into his lap. "Of course I'll come back. If friends don't care about distance, then brothers definitely don't. I'll come back to London to see you, and it will be much sooner than the three years it took me this time."

Mrs. Emily studied them for a moment, hesitating.

"I need to speak with Rodrick," she finally said, "but I might be able to do better than that. At least by Levi," she added with an apologetic glance at Tim.

He quickly caught her meaning but waved the apology aside. "It's alright, Ma'am. I wouldn't want to, anyway. I'm leader of the Irregulars, now."

"Wouldn't want what?" Henry asked over Mrs. Emily's "good for you."

Mrs. Emily shook her head. "Wait until I can discuss it with him." She looked back at Holmes and me. "Could we send another telegram, both to Sheffield and Birmingham?" she asked. "I can only assume Rodrick has been traveling for him not to answer the last ones, and I hate to impose."

"No need."

"Did you send one to the London hotel?"

She turned at the simultaneous answer, looking between Tim and Henry.

"Why would he be in London?" she asked, focusing on Henry.

"Lookin' for Mr. Holmes." He grinned at her surprise. "He got here a couple days ago, and we ran into him yesterday. He said he was gonna telegram the Reading Police looking for you, but I bet you left just before the message arrived. He's at the hotel he and Mr. Kendrick always use."

"He should be here any minute," Tim broke in, moving to stand next to the ottoman Henry and Levi shared. "I sent Arthur for him as we left the courtyard."

She recovered herself after only a moment. "Thank you, Tim. Henry and I can stay with him until I am well enough to travel."

"How long will that be?" Henry asked, casting another worried glance at his mother. She sat upright on the settee, but he had obviously noticed her occasional flinches when she moved injudiciously. She looked at me for an answer.

"Two or three days," I replied. "You handled the trip here well enough, but I want your stitches out before you do the longer trip."

"Stitches?" Henry repeated.

Mrs. Emily frowned at him. "What did you pipe at me the last time you got hurt?" Some of his worry faded. "I have stitches in two places," she told him. "The worst place is the cut on my side, and I believe it is those Doctor Watson wants removed before we return home." I nodded when she glanced at me, and a knock sounded downstairs. "Further planning can wait until I discuss this with Rodrick."

Hurried footsteps climbed the stairs yet again, and Mr. Baines nodded a quick hello to the rest of us and tousled Henry's hair before he knelt in front of Mrs. Emily, noting every sign of ill-treatment as he took her hand.

"What have we discussed about disappearing?" he said instead of commenting.

"I believe you were telling Henry to come to one of us instead of walking to London," she said wryly. "I do not recall us having that discussion."

"Then we'll have it now," he said, planting a kiss on her hand. "You are not allowed to scare me like that."

Mrs. Emily's own smile matched his. "I hardly had a choice in the matter. You should take this up with your brother."

He released a faint huff. "Matthew has never listened to me." He cupped her hand between both of his but looked up at us. "Thank you," he said fervently. "This is the second time you have restored my family to me. How can I repay you?"

Holmes shook his head. "I do not charge the Irregulars case fees just as Watson does not charge for medical care. We are simply pleased it ended well."

"There is one way, Rodrick," Mrs. Emily said. He turned toward her. "Have you met Tim and Levi yet?"

He claimed the spot on the settee beside her, his hands still cupped around hers even as he looked at the boys. "I have," he answered. "They and Henry were with two other boys when they passed me on the street yesterday." He focused on Tim. "Thank you for sending Arthur for me. I was not planning to check the flat again until later tonight."

"Does Levi remind you of anyone?" she continued after Tim's acknowledgement.

"I noticed his eye color immediately." He glanced between her and where Levi tried to hide behind Henry again. "You don't mean to say—"

"Yes. Her name was Sara McLean, and—Why does that name amuse you so?"

She changed to the question when she noticed Henry and Tim smile again, and Henry released his laugh. "Tim was just teasing me that he was going to call me 'Speedy McHenry', and that would make Levi 'Shorty McLevi.'"

"Levi McLean."

Henry shook his head. "Your father's name was Baines…and so is mine." He looked between Rodrick and Mrs. Emily. "Does that mean—?"

"I think you know my answer, Rodrick. Do you disagree?"

"I do not."

"Levi, would you like to come with us?"

Levi stared at her, apparently speechless, and the nearly tangible question hung in the silent room.

"I can go with Henry?" he finally managed, his voice small.

"If you want," Mrs. Emily answered. "You do not have to, Levi, but yes, I am offering to adopt you, for you to live with Henry as brothers."

He stared for a moment longer. "Why?"

Henry nudged him before Mrs. Emily could reply. "Why what, Levi?"

Mrs. Emily laughed as Levi scowled at the older boy.

"Did you steal that from me?" she asked.

"Possibly," he admitted. "Did I ask 'why?' all the time when I was a little?"

"That was the only thing you would say for nearly a week," she replied, still smiling widely. "I finally started asking 'why what?' just to make you use more than one word."

Henry simply shrugged, waiting for Levi to expand his question.

"Why do you want me?" Levi asked when attention returned to him. A glance at Tim defined the difference.

"Your father is my ex-husband," she said simply, "which makes you and Henry brothers by blood and makes you my son, in a way. Matthew is a horrible man, but I cannot wish I had never met him, as he gave me Henry. Your mum is not here to care for you, so I will. Matthew has caused enough pain."

A large smile slowly spread across Levi's face, but he looked at Tim before answering.

"Go on," he said. "I can have two brothers in Birmingham."

His smile widened, and a small hand crept around Henry in a hug. "Brother. Mum." He hesitated, looking at Rodrick. "Father?"

"Why don't we make it official?"

It was Henry's turn to grin widely as Rodrick dug in his pocket, and Mrs. Emily focused on him just in time to spy the ring glinting in the firelight.

"Marry me?"

She never hesitated, surprise, then delight, infusing her answer. "Don't we enjoy skipping traditions?" she fired back. "It's about time." She took the ring, quickly placing it on her finger. "Yes, Rodrick, I will marry you."

Henry let out a whoop, bolting across the room to tackle Rodrick in a hug, and I made no effort to hide my own grin. Edward had wondered several times if Rodrick would ever muster the courage to ask her. Rodrick had told him about the ring months ago.

"Congratulations," Edward said when Henry finally released his father.

"We wish you the best," I added, knowing Holmes would never say it.

"Thank you." Mrs. Emily's face had flushed with pleasure, and she looked healthier than she had since we found her in that attic.

"I think we should hold it in London," Rodrick announced, watching his fiancée for her opinion. "It is close enough to Birmingham it is no trouble to travel here, and the boys can spend some time with the Irregulars during the last planning stages." She agreed, and he looked up at us. "That would also allow you to attend, if you accept our invitation."

"I will be there," I promised, smiling at the irritation Holmes tried to display. He despised weddings. "Edward can tell you how hard it is to convince Holmes to attend any social event, but I will try to drag him to it as well."

Their smiles could not get any wider, but Rodrick's amusement was plain as he focused on Edward.

"I find myself in need of a best man."

"Not any longer, you're not," Edward returned. "Do you know what'll happen when the museum hears about this?" Rodrick raised an eyebrow. "Birmingham Museum's largest partner is the London Museum. They will probably put Florence in charge of the venue."

Mrs. Emily let out another laugh. "She did your other coworker's wedding, did she not?"

Rodrick nodded. "We will have to hold her back, but I believe you can manage it. For now, we should get you to the hotel so Mr. Holmes and Doctor Watson can have their sitting room. Do you boys want to get Levi's things and meet us there?"

Henry nodded quickly, finally blurting the question that had been nagging him. "If we're staying in London a while, does that mean Levi and I can Run with the Irregulars a few hours each day?"

The capital R was easily audible in his question, and Rodrick and Mrs. Emily made eye contact for only a moment before Mrs. Emily nodded.

"Probably, but we will discuss that later." She gestured him forward, wrapping him in another hug that he pulled a cautious Levi into as well.

"Get you gone," she said when Henry eventually pulled away. "I expect you at the hotel room by suppertime. Which room are we, Rodrick?"

"3A," was the answer, and Henry let out another whoop.

"Race you to the street corner!"

He was out the door in a moment, pounding down the stairs as Levi followed with an indignant yell, and Tim grinned, shook his head, and waved a farewell at us before rushing to catch up. Holmes barked a laugh.

"I believe he just revealed why Tim threatened to call him 'Speedy.'"

"That boy," Mrs. Emily said, standing much slower with Rodrick's help. "Thank you again, both for finding me—us," she amended with a glance at Edward, "and for keeping Henry safe until I could return to him."

Holmes waved away the thanks, and I stood to see them to the door. "I will be by sometime tomorrow to check on you," I promised.

We exchanged a few more pleasantries before I rejoined Holmes and Edward near the hearth, and I focused on Edward with a grin of pure mischief.

"Do you remember the discussion of the 'butterfly effect' the first time you came here?"

Holmes affected a groan, but Edward nodded anyway.

"Tim, Henry, and I were talking over breakfast…"

Holmes pretended irritation throughout my story, but I had long ago gained an immunity to his scowls. Small feet pattered in and out of the kitchen downstairs, in search of the sugar biscuits whose scent permeated Baker Street, and Edward thoroughly enjoyed hearing of what Tim had done so many years before.

I thought the company a perfect way to end such a personal case, and judging by Holmes' continued presence, he agreed with me. If only he would agree with me on other things, too.

"No, Holmes, the best way for me to discover an injury is not when I think you've just been shot!"

That might be a discussion for another day.


(whew) finished! What'd you think? Did anyone see that ending coming for Levi? Don't forget to review!

Thanks to Guest and Corynutz for your reviews last chapter :)