Chapter 1

I don't really remember how I got to the top of Bart's, I just know that Moriarty is watching me, smiling ever so slightly, and that Sherlock was driving off to someplace, having said something about 'a meeting' before he left.

"Well, here we are at last. It's just me and you, John," Moriarty said, almost happily, and I took a cautious step forward.

"All my life I've been searching for distractions. And Sherlock was the best distraction I had. But I don't have that anymore, because I've beaten him. And you know what? It was easy. Now I've got to go back to playing with the ordinary people. Oh well." he said with a shrug, and a slightly upset expression.

I glared at him, trying to put the missing pieces together. "So you sent Sherlock off? Told him you would meet him somewhere, didn't you?"

Moriarty nodded, a smile appearing on his face on his face. It was sickening how he could enjoy this. "Yes, that was a bit fun."

Before I could say anything, he asked. "Did you almost start to wonder if I was real? Did I nearly get ya?"

"I never doubted Sherlock." I hissed

He smiled, "for a few moments you did."

There was a tense pause. "Glad you chose a tall building. Nice way to do it."

"Do it? Do what? Oh, yes, of course. My suicide." I eyed him. I should have known this would happen. I had played into his game all too well. After all my time with Sherlock, I should have known better. I walked closer to him, until we were both at the edge of the building, the sound of traffic and people barely reaching us over the wind.

"You're insane."

He raised a eyebrow, putting a fake surprised look on his face. "You're just getting that now? Oh well. Time to jump." I didn't move, didn't do anything. Just looked from the ground far below us, to the insane man next to me.

He smiled that evil smile of his with a glint in his eye that sent chills up and down my spine. "Okay, let me give you a little extra incentive to jump. Your friends will die if you don't."

My eyes widened, "Sherlock." I breathed.

"Not just Sherlock. Everyone."

"Lestrade."

"Everyone." his voice a harsh whisper, just loud enough for me to hear

"Mrs. Hudson."

"Three bullets. Three gunmen. Three victims. There's no stopping them now. Unless my people see you jump. You can do anything you want with me, but nothings going to prevent them from pulling the trigger."

By now we had moved closer to the edge, honestly too close for my comfort as I took a deep breath. "Unless I kill myself and complete your little story."

"You gotta admit, that's sexier." he nodded towards the edge or the building,

"Off you pop. Go on. Your death is the only thing that's going to call off the killers. I'm certainly not going to do it."

Something was missing from this whole thing though. Why didn't he just use Sherlock? Why did he need me? My mind traveled to that night in the pool. 'I will burn the heart out of you' and it suddenly clicked in my mind.

"This is what you meant that night in the pool. You would kill Sherlock, but not directly. You would target his heart, burn it, ultimately killing him.."

Moriarty smiled, his eyes sparking a little. "You're smarter than everyone thinks, Johnny Boy."

I glared, "I'm not a complete idiot." I couldn't help but say, but he continued on as if he didn't hear me.

"Yes, that's what I meant. I have discovered that the only way to hurt Sherlock's heart, is to hurt you. So to kill it..."

"You have to kill me." I said softly.

Moriarty smiled, "exactly!" he said almost gleefully, then added in a more serious tone, "you don't have a choice." before pulling out a gun and shooting himself in the head.

My eyes widened, and I ran my fingers through my hair. Walking to the edge, I looked down and saw Sherlock get out of a cab and look around. 'he must have figured out it was a distraction,' I thought before quickly getting my phone and calling him.

"John? You okay?" he asked, tone brisk, but I could hear the undercurrent of worry in it as he started walking towards the building.

"Turn around and walk the way you came."

"I'm coming in." he said, stubbornness surfacing,

"Just. Do as I ask. Please." I don't know if it was the tone of voice, or the slight plead at the end that made him pause and turn, walking back. But he did it, and that's all that mattered.

"Where?" he questioned. I watched him until he reached the other side of the street before quickly saying, "stop there!"

"John?" he said, and there were so many questions in that one word. I took a deep breath.

"Okay, okay look up. I'm on the rooftop." He did so, and his eyes locked with mine as well as they could at this distance.

"Oh god." he breathed

"I-I uh, can't come down, so we-we'll just have to do it like this, I suppose."

"Whats going on?" he demanded. I almost wanted to laugh. That part should be obvious, especially to a genius like himself.

"An apology."

"What?"

"I need to do something up here. To jump."

"Why are you saying this? Of course you don't!"

I could see him shaking his head. "No. Stop it now." he said, starting to move forward again.

"No, no stay exactly where you are. Don't move." I commanded.

"Alright." he said, holding a hand up. On instinct I held out mine, as if reaching for him. I felt tears push against my eyes.

"Keep your eyes fixed on me. Please, will you do this for me?"

Do what?"

"This phone call... Its my note. That's what people do, right? Leave a note?"

"Leave a note when?" I could tell from his voice that he knew, but he was trying to deny it. Refusing to believe it. 'Oh Sherlock, so brilliant yet refusing to believe the obvious'

"I'm sorry. There's no other way." I said softly, voice thick and the tears slowly leaking out. I sniffed once, before soldiering on. I had to do this. "But I want you to know something. You are the best friend I will ever have. You were there, for everything. You know how I didn't need my cane? It was because you became that for me. I owe you so much." The tears were rolling freely down my face now.

I glanced back at Moriarty's body, cursing the man even now.

"I owe you so much, and this is the only way I can repay you. You might not understand now, but you will. You're brilliant you know, and you have the best heart."

"I've been highly informed that I don't have one." he murmured, so I could barely hear it.

"We both know that's not true, though." I said, a sad smile on my face as I remembered that night in the pool, where all this really began. If only it had ended there, too.

"John.."

It really is amazing how many things one word can mean. Can say. I locked eyes with Sherlock as best as I could at this distance.

"Good bye, Sherlock."

"No, don't..." I threw away the phone, and put my arms out. I couldn't let Sherlock die, not for me. He's done so much for me, this is the only way I can repay him. Keeping my gaze fixed on Sherlock, trying to ignore the faint cries coming through my phone, I tilted forward. And then I was falling, falling, falling... I heard him yell my name frantically, and my heart nearly broke at the desperation and panic in his voice. And then the cement was getting closer, and then I hit it. And then nothing.