Chapter 1
"I now pronounce you man and wife." The video became distorted as the screams and claps increased in volume. "I miss you." I feel tears welling up in my eyes as I continue to watch the video. "Sherlock. I'm back." I hear an unfamiliar voice in the lobby below 221B. Running, I eject the wedding DVD hiding it back where Sherlock hides it. As I turn to leave through the window, the lights come on and I get caught like a deer in headlights. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" I go to run when I hear a pistol having its safety turned off. "Turn around."
"Where were you?"
"I came in after you did." I recognise his deep, English voice. Sherlock. "I said turn around." I change my accent to one that I know, no one knows that I can do. "No." My Russian has never been very good but it is a lot better now. I hear a second gun click behind me. "Yoo hoo. Oh dear." I hear the voice of Mrs. Hudson and it brings back more memories. "Mrs. Hudson. Can you please go call Scotland Yard?"
"Of course." I hear her footsteps retreat as another set get closer. "John don't get too close."
"I want to see her face again."
"You've seen her face?" As the footsteps stop alongside me I hear the man, John I think, say "Yes."
"Describe her?"
"She's white with pale skin and freckles on her cheeks and nose. Her eyes though, her eyes are weird."
"FUCK YOU!" I see the short man take a couple of steps back as I basically yelled at him. "What do you mean 'her eyes are weird' John?"
"They keep changing colour." I feel movement as footsteps move towards me. A hand on my shoulder forces me to turn to face him. I hear him gasp as he recognises me. What I didn't expect was what happened next. Sherlock forced his lips against mine with both of his hands behind my head. "What is going on?" As Sherlock and I separated, Sherlock yelled down to Mrs. Hudson. "MRS. HUDSON! DON'T BOTHER SCOTLAND YARD. YOU NEED TO GET UP HERE NOW!"
"Sherlock, what are you doing?"
"Being human again."
"What the hell do you mean?" I could hear Mrs. Hudson near the top of the stairs. "John, I'd like to introduce you to Vanessa. My wife." Mrs. Hudson walked in, in time to hear Sherlock say 'my wife'. "Vanessa." She ran over to me wrapping me in a hug. As she let go Sherlock wrapped one of his arms around my shoulder. "What happened to you?" I felt Sherlock tense as Mrs. H asked. "I would rather not talk about it." I dropped my poor quality, fake Russian accent and let my thick Irish accent take its place. "Wait. Where are you from?" The short man asked me.
"John, is it?" The short man nodded. "I'm from Dublin, Ireland."
"So why did you fake a Russian accent?" If Sherlock's grip on me gets any tighter, I am going to implode. I didn't answer John's question to avoid imploding. "Honey, I need to go." I could see the pain in Sherlock's eyes.
"No. You need to answer some questions for me and I am not letting you go again." I can hear the sincerity and pain in his voice as he spoke. The tears welling in his eyes. "I'm sorry. But I'm not in a position that will allow me to stay and you made me promise..." I couldn't finish my sentence but I knew he understood. "Please." His voice was quiet and soft.
"I'm sorry." As I was about to leave having escaped from Sherlock's arms, I could see Mycroft walking up the stairs. As he looked up, he stopped. I could feel the testosterone in the air as Mycroft entered the apartment and as Sherlock stood between Mycroft and I. "What's going on?" John voiced my question before I could.
"Mycroft tried to take Vanessa from me."
"In what way?"
"Oh my gods. Please don't tell me you both had a crush on me?" Mycroft answers my question but now with the answer I was hoping for. "To do as you have asked would be lying. Hello again Vanessa."