Deducing Tragedy Part One: See No Evil

Sherlock maneuvered the crowd, his eyes raking over every female with the right height and weight that could be Hanna. His face was calm though inside he was anything but. Tomas was right; he hadn't turn off his emotions but ignored them. Pushed them aside and swallowed them down until they fought so violently to be freed. Not yet, he thought. When she is safe, when she is by my side I will let them out.

"Did you come for dinner?" A voice asked behind him and he turned to see a familiar woman. Her hair was up in her usual style; she wore a tight-fitting black dress and an elegant feather mask of the same color.

He turned towards her, "not tonight. Just stopped by to pick up what is mine."

"She's only a girl Sherlock," Irene said walking forward with a seductive sway of her hips. "Wouldn't you rather spend your time with a real woman?"

"She is the only one I would ever choose to spend my time with," he said with a deadly serious look that stopped her short.

"You really do love her don't you?" She asked with a sad smile. "What happened to sentiment being a chemical defect?"

"She made it worth it," He said and her smile fell.

"I see," she let out a long breath. "Then I will help you, Sherlock. I will help you find her-"

"You will die-"

"I think dying at this point would be a good thing," she shrugged. "I've gone and had my fun. It's onto my next adventure."

"Irene-" He started but she covered his mouth with her finger.

"This is the end of me, Sherlock," She said with a smirk. "Let me go out the hero rather than the villain" and then before he could stop her she disappeared into the crowd. She has something up her sleeve, he thought. That woman would never let herself die for the happiness of another. But the thought, the idea that she would, made Sherlock feel a certain soft spot for The Woman that he hadn't in a very long time.

"I knew I shouldn't have let her stay there," a new voice said and Sherlock spun around to see a man standing behind him. "That staying in that flat with you would only bring trouble."

"Mark," Sherlock breathed as the middle Hooper removed his mask.

"My sister was damned the moment she stepped foot in 221B Baker Street." He said looked at the ground. "You know that right?"

"How…?"

Mark met his eyes with a fire behind them that made Sherlock flinch away. "Because of you."

"Me?"

"You love her," he said raising his head. "Unfortunately so does Mathers who also happens to be a psychopath. He was content watching her from afar until she got involved with you. And then…" he trailed off gestured around them at the people. "… then this happened. Twenty five lives ruined all because they had access to my sister… and you."

Sherlock nodded slowly, "this isn't about Hanna-"

"It's about you," Mark growled. "It's about you taking what isn't yours-"

"She doesn't belong to anyone," Sherlock said with a sharp glare. "Not to me and certainly not to Mathers-"

"Unfortunately you're wrong there."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you get it yet?" Mark sneered. "Look at these people, really look at them. Cab drivers, cops, a bartender, a bouncer, a waitress… these are people who Hanna interacted with daily. She always belonged to Mathers. You were just too distracted to notice." Sherlock paused, looking at the people around him and of course. He started to recognize them, the bouncer from the night he followed her to the night club. The waitress was here too. A few nameless faces from St. Barts' and others that were familiar to him but he was lost as to why. Mark was right; since they met all those years ago Hanna was always connected to Tomas. He always had eyes on her and she never knew. Hell, even her brother was part of it.

"Hanna never stood a chance."

"And neither do you."

"She's your sister; don't you want her to be happy?" Sherlock asked through narrow eyes.

"Of course I do," Mark said. "Do you make her happy, Sherlock? Think about the last couple months. Was she happy? Was she really?"

Sherlock thought. It was nearly a year since this started. A year since the blind girl entered his life and changed him from the nearly emotionless robot he was to the man he was now. She made him human; turned him off the path he'd been racing down and showed him that there was more. That it was possible to care and think at the same time.

But what about her? How had Hanna changed since she moved to Baker Street? She was so afraid before he thought back to the girl he found sitting in his chair that morning, now so long ago. He remembered her pink pajamas and the crude ponytail in which she'd put her hair. She was so scared then, she couldn't even say the name of the man tormenting her. Now she marched into that interrogation room. She was still scared, of course, but she chose to ignore it. She chose to take a stand and challenge her Monster. Yes Hanna had changed but was she happy?

He remembered in America, when it seemed like nothing could touch them. Like the whole mess in London didn't matter and they were free to just… exists. While they were there he saw her smile, a real and true smile from his Little Blind Girl. "Yes," he answered looking back at Mark. "She was happy, even if it was only for a moment."

Mark nodded slowly, his eyes falling to the floor. "Good… she deserved it."

"He's holding her life over you," Sherlock realized as he watched the older brother. "Isn't he?"

Mark's look could only be described as a man defeated, "do what I say or I'll kill your little sister," he said shaking his head. "Sherlock, you find her and you get her out of here. Or I will kill you myself." He said with a menacing glare, that Sherlock almost believed, before disappearing into the crowd.

He half expected Brad to show up then but he didn't. Around him the party hostages watched his every move like a cats just before they pounce. If Hanna was one of them then she was playing the part perfectly. Blending into the sea of people as he wondered through the crowd.

Someone bumped him and he turned to see a blond man about his height standing behind him. "She can see." He whispered before continuing on, leaving Sherlock in the crowd of sharks.

"Ahhh," he breathed as the puzzle clicked into place. Of course, his biggest hint would be those unfocused blue eyes. If she could see like the rest of them then his chances of finding her right away would diminish significantly. He turned around, studying the crowd again, looking for any other indicators. Something, anything! There had to be something that would help him! But there wasn't; that was the point, he realized. Tomas wanted him to wonder aimlessly through the crowd searching for someone who wasn't there.

This was his final test; he could almost hear Tomas giggle. 'When she is covered head to toe, when she had been changed and she is just a face in the crowd, can you find the woman you love?'

"I found you," he breathed turning towards the music. The crowd parted around him and he walked up the platform to the pianist, "Hello, Hanna."