"You underestimated me, Mr Holmes. And no good comes from that!" Irene coolly announced.

You could cut the atmosphere in the room with a knife. John turned to Sherlock, who just narrowed his eyes a little.

"So you think Irene. I got you at Baker Street, didnt I? Out of hiding? You do tend to leave your signature behind, if you know where to look."

"Oh Mr Holmes, those were crumbs. Crumbs that make a trail. Maybe I just wanted to be found."

"You see, its tiring. Always to run, but no one to run to. Or rather, your welcome a doubt."

"You know you are always welcome Irene."

"In your arms Mr Holmes?"

Sherlock balked and his face paled.

Irene smirked as she dialed a number and put the call on speaker.

"If not me Sherlock, then no one else."

They could hear a soft voice ask timidly through the speaker, "Who is it?"

John's face lost all its colour. "Molly!" he whispered in horror.

Irene ordered into the phone, her phone a cold mask, " Do it!"

"Wait!" Sherlock shouted.

But his voice was drowned by the sound of a gunshot and a scream…."No….." he whispered, his head in his hands.

"I hope I have you undivided attention now Mr Holmes. I will see you soon again!"

It was a few more days before Irene was apprehended and handed over to Mycroft's men. Sherlock had worked like an automaton, with minimum sleep and food that was literally forced down his throat by Mary.

He looked at her with dead eyes when she was taken in, not reflecting the sad emotion in Irene's eyes.

A few days later, Mycroft met Sherlock at his office.

"You sarcastically call me the British Government. Well, its time to show my hand and let you know, that in fact it is true."

A side door opened and a brown haired, brown eyed, slightly pale faced woman entered the office.

"I am not called the British Government for nothing, as is prompfh…."

Sherlock will always deny it, Mycroft barely acknowledged it when it happened. But the bone crushing hug the detective gave his brother was heartwarming.

Though there was nothing "warm" in the kiss Sherlock gave the petite pathologist, before Mycroft left them alone in his office.