I sat outside the cafe on the wire chairs, sipping my coffee while reading the news on my phone. My phone blared music into my ears through the black earbuds. Soon the chair across from me got pulled out. I recognized the hands folded on the table but made no move to respond to them.
"Look at me." He said. I took a deep breath before putting the phone down and taking out one earbud.
"What?" I asked. John sighed and stared at me.
"I don't know you very well but you know Sherlock. What happened between you two?" He asked. I tilted my head at him and frowned.
"He disappeared when I needed him most. Shit went down hill. What more do you want." I shrugged.
"I want to know why he didn't sleep at all last night and was still mumbling about you this morning."
"Is he high?" I asked. John shook his head. "Then I don't know."
"What went down hill?"
"My mental state."
"Tell me."
"No."
"Monique."
"You'll just go tell Sherlock."
"I won't."
"You suck at lying."
"Perhaps."
"Do you know what happens when you lose everyone you care about? Not just one person, but everyone at the same time?" I asked him. He shook his head. "You die. On the inside and it hurts so much. You wish you could just end it all."
"Oh, Monique…" John breathed. I took a deep breath and shook my head.
"I lost Sherlock, then both my parents. All within the week. When Sherlock appeared at my apartment last month I punched him in the face. I was so mad." I shook my head.
"How did they die?" He asked.
"A bomb. Aimed for me. I never found out who."
"Why didn't you ask Sherlock to help?"
"Because he was gone… and I couldn't figure it out. Asking for his help when he came back would be admitting I was an idiot. I can't do that. Not to Sherlock, not to anyone." I grit my teeth and shook my head. "I can't do that."
"You're not an idiot." Sherlock sat in the third chair at the wire table. "You're young but smart. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I figured you would have deduced it on your own." I shrugged.
"I never deduce you." Sherlock shook his head. "Not even by accident."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because you're much too smart to let anything slip so I don't bother." He shrugged. I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Lier," I growled.
"Yes." He nodded. John glanced between us. "I'm going to see Euros. Are you coming?"
"Yes."
"Let's go. John, you should go pick up Rosie from Ms. Hudson." Sherlock said, waving down a cab. John stood and walked into the apartment beside the cafe. We got in the cab. "You should have told me."
"You left."
"I was pretending to be dead."
"That doesn't make it better."
"I was saving you."
"It really worked." I rolled my eyes.
"Moriarty had a sniper on everyone I care about. Unless I died, he would kill them. I couldn't let that happen." He explained.
"One word was all I needed." I bit my lip and shook my head. "One word."
"I'm sorry." He breathed. I stared at him in shock. "Let me see your arm."
"What happened to never deducing me," I asked.
"I'm not, you're rubbing at it. It's pretty obvious." He shrugged. I glanced at my hand before forcing it flat against my thigh. "Let me see."
"No." I shook my head, meeting his eyes. Sea blue stared at my grey eyes and he sighed. The cab pulled to a stop at the airport. We walked to the helicopter and got in. For the next hour, we were silent as the helicopter flew over the blue sea towards the prison that held his little sister.
"Euros," I said as we walked in. She stared at me through the glass.
"Monique. You're still alive." She asked. Her voice came through the speakers.
"Yes." I nodded. "How have you been?"
She glanced around the cell, her eyes thoughtful. Then she turned them back on me.
"Do you remember, the hospital?" She asked. I glanced at Sherlock before nodding. "Remember when we would play at night, I would play the violin and you would sing?"
"Yes."
"They took you away."
"They let me go."
"I was left all alone after that."
"I know."
"Did they fix you?"
"No."
"Me neither, they just locked me up here." She touched the glass. "I'm glad you are better."
"Thank you." I nodded. Her eyes glanced at Sherlock. I followed her eyes and noticed Sherlock staring at me.
"Has she caught your attention brother?" Euros asked him. He stiffened and stared at her. "Beautiful little thing isn't she. Like a butterfly. Yet her mind is a wind storm. Tearing her apart. Will you help her?"
"Euros," I said, trying to sound calm but I wished she would shut up right then. "Enough."
"She's a broken thing." Her eyes flickered back to me. "All alone in the mind. Isolation isn't healthy."
I glanced at the empty room then back at the girl. I rolled my eyes and sighed.
"What do you know of the bomb that was meant to kill me two years ago?" I asked. She tilted her head at me. "What do you know Euros?"
"What makes you think I would know anything?" She asked. I grinned, matching her own.
"Because you listen," I said. "What do you know."
"It was done by a man who calls himself the Pirate. He was trying to kill you because you know who he is." She said. I frowned at her.
"Pirate? Who would I know that would call themselves Pirate?" I shook my head. "I don't know who that is."
"Then you might want to figure it out before he tries again." Euros said. I bit my lip and glanced at Sherlock.
"I don't know who that is…" I repeated. Before he could answer an explosion rocked the building, shuddering the thick cement walls. "What the hell!"
I glanced at Euros and even she looked confused. She met my eyes and shook her head.
"This isn't me this time." She promised. I looked at Sherlock who grabbed my arm and dragged me to the door.
"We need to go." He muttered. His eyes widened as another explosion happened this time much closer.
"Keep her safe Sherlock." Euros called as we left the cell. The guards had left their posts except for two.
"Head to the main office, Mr. Holmes." One of them said. Sherlock nodded and pulled me after him.
"No, in here." I hissed, pulling him into a closet. I gripped his arm as the door closed behind us. Outside soldiers and guards ran past. Soon gunshots filled our eas. I bowed my head against Sherlock's shoulder and closed my eyes.
Listen to me, you don't have to do this.
You always were the optimist.
Please.
Goodbye old friend.
I gasped, gripping his jacket harder as the same voice filled the hallway.
"Have you found her?"
"No, sir."
"Well hurry up, the military would have been alerted by now. We have five minutes. Check the main office."
"Yes, sir."
Sherlock wrapped his arms around me, pressing my face into his chest to silence me. I could feel his heartbeat, growing faster by the second. The strong footsteps walked closer until they were right in front of our door. I bit my lip and held my breath until they moved away from the door. Sherlock began shifting, pulling me to the corner closest to the door. The footsteps returned, this time stopping at the door. Sherlock turned his back so I was pinned in the corner. The door opened, forming a wall behind Sherlock. I raised my head and met Sherlock's eyes in the dim light that crept around the door. He gave his head the slightest of shakes.
"Anything?" the voice asked.
"No sir." the man closed the door again. I released the breath I had been held and loosened my grip on Sherlock's jacket. We listened as footsteps rushed past us. It felt like forever before Mycroft's voice filled the hallway.
"Sherlock?" He called. Sherlock gave a breath of relief and opened the door. We stepped out to see Mycroft almost running down the hall. "Sherlock, what happened?"
"A man called the Pirate," I answered. I glanced down the hall. "He's after me."
"Why?" Mycroft asked. I glanced at Sherlock before shaking my head.
"I don't know…" I whispered.
