AN for previous chapter: I have no idea if such a plea agreement is possible in the middle of a trial in the UK, but if it's not I'll handwave it as a result of Mycroft.

From the blog of Doctor John Watson, MD

September 4

I've thought a lot about whether to post this or not. At first I thought the people affected most by it would be bothered by it, but I've asked a few of them and they've all encouraged me to post this. It's not the sort of thing most people read this blog for, I know, but it's important.

I'm sure almost all of you have been following the trial of Kelly Martin and know she was recently sentenced to five years in prison for crimes against children. Not the sort of thing that Sherlock would usually investigate, but he was horrified enough about what had happened to one of her victims that he jumped right in. I don't blame him. Horror's a natural reaction. I've done a lot of sexual things and can see how almost anything can be arousing, but one thing I can never see as a turn on is abuse of a child. Even the police are horrified.

Sherlock can be intimidating, to put it mildly, and at first I had horrible visions of poor kids traumatized even more by his manner. On the contrary, he was never anything but kind and open to them. And when he talked to them, they opened up. The police were frustrated because none of the victims would admit they knew who had hurt them, but Sherlock knew how to let them tell without being afraid. And the stories they told were not pretty. To keep some privacy, I won't go into what they said had been done. I can tell you the effects, however - children who lived in terror that if they said anything their family would be murdered, ones who were afraid they were the ones who were about to be arrested, children who parroted crude sexual requests to a parent.

A case like this has no chases or dramatics. Just pain. But you see small bursts of strength in it. Two of the victims found in each other the exact same thoughts and feelings and are now friends. Family going the extra mile to help. Former co-workers willing to say they did think something was odd and if they didn't say anything then, they will now. Old friends willing to do anything to help the prosecution make things right.

I can't say much about K, as one of her victims called her to avoid revealing her name. I can admit that the Yard and almost everyone investigating the case made one wrong assumption - she was a he. Only Sherlock didn't and if it wasn't for that there'd have been no conviction. I don't feel particularly sorry for her, but her victims had mixed feelings about the result. They all were lonely and looking for a friend, and found one. But the price...

I've disabled comments for obvious reasons, but I hope you can think about those children today and think good thoughts for them, in hope their futures will be better than this past.

Comments for this entry are currently frozen.

AN: And that is it. It's finally done.

I started this as an anon on the kink meme and wasn't sure I'd de-anon, or that I'd finish it. I certainly didn't know that this was going to be over a hundred thousand words and fifty chapters of angst, but the story took hold of me and didn't let go.

Thank you for all the comments and reviews. There will be a sequel to this at some point, I'll be posting more polished versions of previous chapters and I might do a DVD style commentary for this, but right now I just have to let myself realize I've finished this.

Edit: sequel here: s/10843108/1/No-Final-Solution and there is a DVD commentary begun on AO3 - /works/3534542