AN: Hello readers, Dante here with my very first Sherlock story. I have written many other stories but none like Sherlock. I love this series so much and I think Mr. Cumberbatch is brilliant as Sherlock Holmes! I also love Mr. Freeman as John Watson. I just plain love this show to be honest. I have a theory of how Sherlock faked his death but I wont divulge that until later. This is just the prologue and sadly Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson won't be making an appearence yet, but none the less please read and enjoy the prologue. Since this is written out of pure enjoyment, I would appreciate all your comments and thoughts (even conspiracy theories) that you have. Enjoy!

Theories of Probability

An Augusta Prince Story

Prologue

Little Augusta Prince stirred from under the soft duvet as the sound of her mother's voice brushed her small ear. A giggle answered Sarah Prince's tickling whispers in her daughter's ear as the four year old twisted in the large bed belonging to her parents. Augusta threw the duvet off, revealing a small girl with long honey brown curls and large, inquisitive blue eyes. A smile etched on her face as she was greeted by her mother who kissed her nose, "Time to wake up sweetheart, Daddy is waiting for you downstairs."

Augusta wrapped her small arms around her mother's neck, kissing her cheek sloppily before being assisted down from the large bed. She ran in her nightie down the hair and walked step by step down the stairs, her mother walking behind her. Augusta lived with her mother and father in the countryside of Dover, England, among the white cliffs. The view of the glittering strait greeted Augusta as she reached the bottom of the stairs from the open windows.

As Augusta grew closer to the kitchen she could smell her mother's pancakes. She ran into the kitchen where her father was sitting at the table, his ever-present newspaper open in his hands, "Daddy!"

Charles Prince peered over his newspaper, revealing matching blue eyes and a nearly invisible smile, "Good morning little rabbit."

Augusta raised her arms expectedly, causing her father to chuckle as he laid his paper on the table. He picked her up with ease and placed her on his lap, "Now, tell me little rabbit, why did you crawl into Mummy and Daddy's bed last night? Hmm? Come now, tell Daddy what happened."

Augusta played with the buttons on her father's vest, her head down, "I don't know."

Sarah entered the kitchen and smiled knowingly at her husband, leaning against the doorway as she watched her daughter try and ignore her father's question. Charles winked at his wife, causing her to roll her eyes and return to the stove where she had left the sausages.

Charles made a "hmmm" sound as he tilted his head, "Was there a monster under the bed?"

Augusta shook her head sharply, causing her curls to bounce, "No Daddy."

He looked down at his daughter and smiled, "Was Lucy barking too loud?"

Augusta looked down at the bloodhound at her father's feet, who was snoring lightly in her sleep, "No Daddy."

Charles tapped his chin with his finger in thought, "Well, darling, why don't you tell me what scared you so?"

Augusta crossed her arms defensively, "I wasn't scared!"

"Oh-ho, really now! Then why did you run in, Augusta?" Charles asked, tapping his daughter's dainty nose.

Augusta shrugged, "I heard a funny noise. I thought Mommy was hurt 'cause she was making noises."

From the stove, Sarah dropped the skillet with a thud. Augusta and her father looked over and saw that she had grown red in the cheeks and was hiding her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as the sound of a muffled laugh came from behind them.

Charles cleared his throat and looked back at his daughter, "Oh, that. Well you see Augusta, Mummy was just, well me and Mummy were doing grown up things, you see."

"Oh Charlie, stop it." Sarah said as she laid a plate in front of him and Augusta.

Sarah patted Augusta's head, "Mommy had a bad dream sweetheart, that's all."

"Oh, " Augusta said as she took a pancake from her father's plate.

Her daddy was strange, Augusta thought, because he only had pancakes after dinner and never at breakfast. Augusta only had pancakes at breakfast because her mommy did. Her mother told her that it was because her daddy was English and English people had pancakes for dessert instead of for breakfast like Americans. That was what her mommy was, she talked differently from everyone else in Dover. Augusta liked how her mother talked.

As Augusta munched on the warm sweet cake her father picked up his newspaper and began their morning ritual, "Let's see what we have today, shall we?"

Across the table, Sarah shook her head, "Charlie, do you really have to do that every morning? Can't we just talk about something else, like Augusta's birthday coming up!"

Augusta's face lit up, "presents!"

Charles merely sighed, "Sarah, dear, we mustn't neglect Augusta's intelligence. Besides, she's the only one in all of England who can keep up with me."

Sarah rolled her eyes, "Charlie, give it a rest."

Charles ignores his wife as he flipped the newspaper to the obituary section, "Alright little rabbit, tell me how do you think Mr. Trevor Adkins died?"

"Charlie, you promised! She's four years old!" Sarah said harshly.

Charles looked over at his wife and stared for a brief moment before looking down at Augusta, who looked between her parents with curiosity, "Why can't I guess, mommy?"

Sarah set down her cup of tea (cold, with two spoons of sugar) and rested her hands on the table, her voice soft and calm, "Sweetheart, you're too young to be thinking about things like that."

Augusta's eyebrows furrowed together and her nose curled up in confusion, "But daddy does it all the time."

Sarah nodded, "Yes, I know Augusta, but daddy is a grown up and grown ups are allowed to think about things like murder."

Augusta crossed her arms in annoyance, "But why!"

Sarah picked up her cup of tea and said with a smile, "Because it's the rules."

Charles couldn't help but chuckle as his daughter fell back against his chest, arms still crossed and the look of annoyance remained, "The rules are stupid."

"Right you are, darling," Charles said as he brushed a curl away from the four year olds eyes.

Sarah gave her husband her own look of annoyance, "She's four Charles, end of discussion."

"Five in December," Augusta mumbled as she looked at her mother with sad eyes, trying to sway her decision with little luck.

Charles sighed and flipped the newspaper once again, this time to the classifieds, "Alright then, if we can't do that then it's back to the help wanted. Ah, here's one! Listen carefully Augusta, Mrs. Mallory's prized cat has disappeared, it's been two days, last seen in Mrs. Mallory's home. What do you think Augusta?"

Sarah ate her breakfast, looking at her husband and daughter across the table. Charles was looking down at their daughter, who tilted her head and stared at the paper, "Susan Toffel took Mrs. Mallory's kitty, daddy."

Charles arched an eyebrow, "Oh, how's that?"

Augusta kicked her legs back and forth as she explained to her father, calmly, "Yesterday at school, I saw Susan, she was wearing a black skirt and it had lots and lots of white fur on it. She had a cut on her hand too, she said her new kitty did it."

Charles "hmmed" and appeared to be thinking over Augusta's guess, "I think you're close but not quite."

Augusta pouted and made an "ahhhh!" sound in her throat, causing her parents to laugh, "Then who did it daddy?"

Charles looked down at Augusta, "Mrs. Mallory's cat simply ran away. I always walk by Mrs. Mallory's house on the way to the library and she always leaves her front window open in the afternoons. Her cat simply jumped out the window and little Susan Toffel found the cat but has neglected in returning it to Mrs. Mallory."

Augusta lowered her head, "Oh."

Sarah rose from the table and held out her arms to her daughter, "Alright, enough of that. Come on sweetie, time to get ready for school."

Augusta groaned, "But I don't want to go to school, it's boring!"

Charles smiled as his wife and daughter disappeared down the hall, returning to the newspaper, flipping back to the obituary section.

Upstairs, Augusta skipped into her bedroom to gather her school things. She went to a private primary school but she thought it was boring. They didn't teach anything interesting there, at least to her.

As she opened her dresser to pull out a pair of clean white tights she dreaded wearing, she heard the phone ring. She ignored it until it continued to ring twice more, "Mommy! The phone!"

Her mother didn't answer. "Daddy!"

Still, no answer.

Finally, huffing, Augusta ran into the hall and picked up the phone that rested on a small table housing a vase of flowers. She took a deep breath and prepared to answer when she heard a loud scream on the other end. It was a man.

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN, ELIZABETH!"

Startled, Augusta was struck into silence, unable to release the phone from her ear, "You belong to me, not him. .Mine...and I will destroy anything that stops me from having you. Do you understand?"

The line was silent for a moment that seemed to go on forever for Augusta, "I SAID, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

Augusta jumped, covering her mouth to hold in the cry of fear. There was no answer to the man's screaming. As silence filled the line again, the man laughed, "Are you sure you want to play this game? Don't say I didn't warn you darling."

The line went dead.

Augusta hung the phone up and at the sound of her father sliding his chair back against the kitchen floor, she jumped and ran back to her room, wanting nothing more than to forget the voice that was screaming.

"Augusta, ready to go?"

The four, almost five, year old looked up to see her mother's smiling face as she stood in the doorway of her room, "Almost Mommy."

Sarah tusked and entered Augusta's bedroom to help her daughter get ready for school.

"Really Gusta, why do you always daydream when you know you have to do something?" Sarah asked her daughter as she sat her daughter on her bed and helped her dress.

"I can dress myself, Mommy." Augusta said defensively, causing her mother to laugh, "Then why haven't you?"

Augusta "humphed" and pulled her plaid skirt from her mother's hand, stomping her way into the bathroom next to her bedroom.

After she dressed, Augusta returned downstairs to see her parents sitting at the table together. Her father held her mother's hands in his, looking at her with concern as she laid her head against his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Augusta asked, surprising her parents.

Sarah rose to her feet, clearing her throat, "Nothing Augusta, let's get you to school."

She took her mother's hand and as they walked out the door, Augusta looked back to see her father reaching for the phone, "Yes, Gregory, hello. I need a favor."

Three weeks later...

Augusta and her parents stood in front of their home, waiting for a friend of her father's. Augusta looked down at her feet, holding her mother and father's hands. Beside them sat a suitcase and a backpack.

Charles crouched down and lifted Augusta's chin gently, "Augusta, don't be sad."

She blinked her eyes rapidly before leaning forward and burying her face in her father's chest, "I don't want to go!"

Sarah turned away and wiped her face before turning back, running her fingers through Augusta's curls, "We don't want you to either, sweetheart."

Lifting her face back up, she looked at her mother, "Then don't make me go, Mommy! I'll be good, I promise! I won't mess with Daddy's stuff anymore!"

Charles shook his head, "We're not sending you away because you've been bad, we're sending you to Auntie Theresa just for a little while until Daddy's done with his work, that's all. Think of it like a trip."

Augusta shook her head, "Why do I have to go away? I don't want to go!"

A car came into view and Charles stood to his feet, "I know rabbit, I know. But you have to trust Mommy and Daddy now, alright?"

Augusta sniffled but nodded her head.

The car came to a stop and a man got out. He had short, neatly cropped black hair and wore a suit. "Charles, wish I could say it was good to see you."

Charles sighed, "As do I Gregory, but thank you none the less. I'm trusting you with my daughter, do not make me regret this."

The man, Gregory, looked down at Augusta, who now was clinging to her mother, sniffling as her watery eyes looked at him, "Hello Augusta, my name's Greg, I'm a friend of your dad."

Augusta nodded, "Daddy talked to you on the phone, you owe him a favor."

Gregory raised an eyebrow and looked at Charles, "That's right. I'm taking you to see your aunt."

"At 134 Westbrook in Rochester, New York," she said, releasing her hold on her mother.

Gregory nodded, "That's right, My you are smart, aren't you? Just like your dad."

Sarah chuckled softly, "Probably only going to get smarter."

Charles patted Augusta's head, "Please Gregory, keep your promise."

Gregory nodded and picked up the suitcase and backpack, "I will Charles, I'll ah, just let you say goodbye then."

Sarah pulled Augusta against her, lifting her up into her arms, rocking lightly side to side, "Say hello to your aunt for me, Gusta. I love you."

"I love yo too, mommy," Augusta said before kissing her mother's cheek.

Augusta found herself in her father's arms next, being carried towards the car where Gregory sat in the driver's seat, ready to leave. Charles sat her inside, buckling the seatbelt across her chest. Kneeling next to her, he gave her a rare smile and rubbed her cheek with his thump, "Remember that we love you darling, we always will. Be good for Aunt Theresa. Be safe."

He laid a kiss on her forehead, remaining there for a long moment, holding her tight before finally letting go. He rose to his feet and shut the door, wiggling his fingers at Augusta through the window, who returned it half-heartedly, "Bye Daddy."

As they drove away, Augusta couldn't help but unbuckle herself and push herself to her knees to look back through the rear window. She stayed there, looking out until she could no longer see the figures of her parents.

Gregory looked in the rear-view mirror and watched her as she stared after her parents, "Don't worry, everything will be alright. I'm sure you'll have fun on your visit."

Augusta finally turned around and slid down the seat, re-buckling herself in silence.

Four months later...

Augusta sat under the leafless maple tree in her jacket as she kicked the January snow with her booted feet. She missed her parents. Her birthday had been a month ago and she had received a letter with presents; one was a framed picture of her mother and father standing together with smiles as they held one another. She hadn't heard from them since.

To Augusta's surprise, Gregory, her father's friend had called several times to talk to her. The five year old found that she liked Gregory even if he was a bit silly.

"Augusta!"

Looking up, she saw her aunt standing at the back door, a look of distraught on her face. Behind her, was a familiar face.

Augusta jumped to her feet and ran through the snow, "Daddy!"

The cold air burned her lungs as she ran but she didn't care. She reached her father and was lifted into his arms, "I got you, I got you darling."

Augusta cried into his neck but was forced away and placed back to the ground, her father kneeling down on his knees in front of her. Augusta looked at him in confusion and then to her aunt, who was crying in the corner of the room, hiding her face behind her hand, "I thought I had to stay till summer, Daddy."

"I know Augusta but things have changed," her father said, his voice hoarse.

Augusta looked around for her mother but couldn't see her. Maybe she was outside in the car, "Where's Mommy?"

Her aunt let out a wail and ran from the room, the sound of a door slamming echoed through the house.

"Daddy?" Augusta asked, not entirely sure what was wrong.

Charles pulled his daughter close and took hold of her face between his hands, "Augusta, darling, Mummy's gone. She's gone somewhere far away."

Blinking, Augusta asked, "When is she coming back?"

Charles swallowed, his eyes growing glassy with water before breathing shakily, "She's not Augusta. Mommy can't come back from where she's gone."

Augusta was silent.

Charles forced his daughter to look at him as she stared into space, "Augusta, I have to go away for a while, longer than I said."

This broke Augusta out of her silence, "No! You promised only till summer, you promised!"

Charles shook his head, "I'm sorry rabbit. I love you."

Augusta wretched herself out from her father's arms, "No you don't!"

She ran back to her tree, not caring that the cold snow burned against her skin as she fell down. She curled up her legs and hid her face between them, crying.

Charles watched as his daughter fled from him, a pain in his chest as he rose to his feet. "Theresa,"

Footsteps came first before Theresa re-entered the room. Theresa resembled Sarah greatly. They shared the same brown hair, which passed on to Augusta. But instead of their strait locks, she had inherited curls and blue eyes instead of brown, "I am sorry Theresa."

Theresa crossed her arms, "Just keep your part of the bargain Charles, please."

Charles nodded and turned to leave but not before pulling out an envelope and leaving it on the table, "Give this to Augusta."

Without another word, Charles walked out the door towards the taxi that was waiting for him. He opened the door but looked back towards his daughter, who sat huddled under the lifeless tree.

As if feeling his gaze, Augusta looked up to see her father standing next to the taxi. She stared at him, watching as he got into the taxi. Panic hit her as the yellow car began driving away. He was really leaving her here.

"Daddy."

Jumping to her feet, Augusta began running towards the driveway where the car backed out, "Daddy, don't leave me!"

She tumbled over her feet, falling face first into the snow. Scrambling back up, she continued running. She reached the drive and the only thing that prevented her from chasing after the car was her aunt who ran after her, picking her up around her waist. Augusta kicked and screamed to be let go. She was powerless as she watched her father disappear in the distance.

"Daddy!"

Until next time, leave a review!

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