"Hooper."

"Holmes."

It was his turn to look to her in awe. It was her all this time, how could he be that blind, that ignorant.

He knew he met his soulmate one day in this life, the mark was deeper, but he could never remember when. He deduced that his mind found it as unimportant information and deleted it somehow. He was proud of himself. Boring domestic life and a dull wife were the last thing he needed now and ever. The nearest relation he had was with the adventuress Irene Adler. She occupied his mind for a long time with her case and her revolutionary personality, but she couldn't occupy his cold heart.

She wrote to him after she left England. In her last letter she told him she found her soulmate and she would stay in France, that was years from this day.

He felt sorry for her. Finding your soulmate would turn your life upside down, this woman couldn't stay in a country for more than half a year, now she settled just because she found someone she thought he would be the reason for her happy ever after.

He was glad for his situation in this life and the past lives he had, he was free to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted without fearing anything, but sometimes he felt annoyed, it was like an unsolved case with the answer rubbing itself under his nose, teasing him.

As usual he was right, literally right. The nagging doctor who turned his life into living hell with every case they worked on it together was his soulmate.

SHE was his soulmate, this brilliant stunning strong woman was his soulmate and he was clever as a tire to notice her. He tried to find her after solving the case but she was vanished, he didn't even know her real name.

The next day he stormed into the morgue searching for her, Dr. Stanford told him that the good doctor is taking the next couple of days off to get prepared for the conference he would host.

Those two days were enough to recognize some facts, first he was an idiot, second she was in danger with every day she spent in this disguise, yes it was for a noble case but it was her life in stake now. He felt unease with the thought, his heart was screaming at him to save her, his mind was convincing him it was a lost case, she would never accept, but he remembered Irene, she left it all for love, he knew it would take a lot of time to convince her to leave it all and run away with him, starting a new life where nobody would recognize her or could harm her, he would sacrifice his current living for her, of course she would reciprocate.

He went to the conference, searching for her everywhere before it was her time to speak but he failed again.

She was at the stage and all the doctors and journalists who attended the conference gave their attention to her, he watched her, listening to every word she said with confidence, she made the whole place stunned with her speech, the hall filled with applauses and cheering words for the brilliant doctor, but she didn't get down, after all the voices died she looked to him.

He knew what she was going to do, but it was too late, before he could move she took off her mustache, than she pulled off her wig, the hall that was filled with applauses less than a minute ago now was filled with shouting and harsh words ordering her to get down, calling her the worst names.

But he didn't hear all of that, all what he was focused on was reaching her and all he could think of that he couldn't no matter how hard he tried, hands were holding him, he saw two police officers reaching for her and putting her hands in cuffs, he screamed her name or at least the one he knew her by, she looked to them all demanding them to remember her as Dr. Hooper the woman who fooled them all, then she looked to him with sad eyes, he wanted to assure her that he wouldn't let any harm come to her, that she would be safe, but the hands kept pushing him away.

He freed himself and went running after the carriage that carried her but his legs let him down.

He reached the police station yelling and asking for her, they told him the carriage didn't reach the station, it never did nor did she.

It was the perfect plan, just like Recolliti's, he thought.

It was the talk of clubs for years, the woman who fooled them all.

She vanished with no trace to follow, he knew at this moment that the sad eyes weren't out of fear. She was saying her last goodbye to him.

Leaving no trace didn't stop him from searching for her for the rest of his life, he never lost hope.

The day he died he was laying with a peaceful smile on his face, promising himself he would find her in another life.

The present:

He got up with wide eyes and a forehead dripping sweats, panting heavily trying to catch some air for his desperate lungs, this wasn't a dream, he thought, no it could never be a dream.

He got up in hurry and dressed up fast he didn't even notice what he was wearing.

He stopped a cap and barked all the time for the fastest route that could make him reach his destination faster even by one minute.

She was wearing her coat to go home, she was desperate for a hot beverage and some food. It was a trying day at the morgue.

She heard the door opened and turned to see who's coming in this late hour.

"Damn it Sherlock, I told you there is no parts available today, you didn't have to come here to check."

He was just standing there, looking to her like he never saw her before, like she was a wild creature from an old book.

"Are you ok?" She asked concerned.

Before she could reach him she heard him saying one word.

"Hooper."

She went still, he said it in awe, with longing filling his eyes, he remembered.

She looked to him with surprised eyes for a moment, then, they were relieved and peaceful, her smile was dazzling, she straightened her back unconsciously taking the same stand in the old church.

"Holmes."