Chapter 5

A Great Game- Part V

Carl Powers was murdered.

The Vermeer was a fake.

I should have been the last pip.

But she was instead.

I don't think I will ever forgive myself for not being there to protect her, for not being able to save her from having her worst nightmare come true.

I had decided it was time to take Aurora to Sarah's, using it as an excuse to also get a second opinion on Aurora's health, and I made the mistake of letting her go on ahead to call a cab for us while I fetched us both of our coats. It hadn't even been a minute, but as soon as I stepped outside, I found nothing of Aurora but my pistol sitting in a small pool of blood that I knew was hers. The streets were still, and there was not even a car passing by, much less a pedestrian.

I nearly dragged Sherlock out of his chair, my mind fogging with the effects of grief and guilt and so many other emotions that I couldn't damn think.

I found myself just complying to whatever Sherlock said, and it wasn't long before I found myself at the pool where Carl Powers had been murdered. I stayed back in the shadows as Sherlock requested, taking in the scene around us while my left hand clutched at my pistol that rested in my coat pocket. The lights were on, but the gallery where people watch the swimmers was still in darkness, and Sherlock seemed very aware of that fact. He walked towards the shallow end of the pool, memory stick held in the air, and called loudly, "Brought you a little getting-to-know-you present. Oh, that's what it's all been for, hasn't it? All your little puzzles, making me dance, it was all to distract me from this."

He turned in a full circle, but as soon as his back was turned to the pool, the door at the other end of the room opened. I had to bite my knuckle to keep from crying out at the sight of my little Aurora Watson walking through the door and into the pool area, wrapped snugly in a hooded jacket with her hands tucked into the pockets. I remained back though, ducked into the shadows as Sherlock ordered me to.

"Evening." She practically snarled the word, teeth grit in obvious discontent as she continued speaking. "This is a turn-up, isn't it, Uncle-"

She faltered, letting out a sharp cry as her entire body jerked, and she nearly went down to the floor in pain.

"Shock collar," Sherlock muttered. "Aurora, just say my name. It's alright. There's no need for the title, and I won't call it disrespect."

She steadied herself on her feet, eyes closed as she tried to catch her breath. "This is a turn-up, isn't it, Sherlock?"

Sherlock lowered his hand that held the memory stick, and I could tell he was fighting more than ever to keep his emotions at bay.

"Bet you never saw this coming," Aurora forced out, her voice sounding strangled as she slowly took her hands from her pockets to pull apart her jacket and reveal the bomb strapped to her chest. There was the red light dancing along the bomb that meant one thing only, and that thing was snipers. "What would you like me to make her say next?"

Sherlock stepped closers to Aurora, eyes darting around as he tried to find Moriarty who was obviously here.

"Gottle o' geer... gottle o' geer... gottle o' geer," Aurora repeated, narrating whatever she heard over some sort of earpiece, but it was enough to finally make Sherlock snap.

"Stop it!"

"Nice touch, this, the pool where little Carl died. I stopped him. I can stop Aurora Watson too. Stop her heart. How would you like that, Da-"

She let out a sharp hiss of pain, falling to her knees this time as she cursed, "He's my bloody father, you imbecile, and I will call him as such. Why don't you just get out here and show them who you are, you bloody coward?"

The only thing she received for her bravery was another shock, but she made sure to land on all fours, refusing to let the bomb make contact with anything.

"Where are you?" Sherlock demanded furiously, barely registering my new presence at his side. Aurora gave me a desperate look, begging me with her eyes to stay away despite how I wanted to just run to her.

"I gave you my number."

I shared a horrified look with Sherlock at the voice before turning my attention to Jim who was strolling leisurely around the deep end of the pool towards us. "I thought you might call."

He came a tad closer. "Now, Sherlock, is that a British Army Browning L9A1 in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?"

"Both," was Sherlock's simple response as both he and I raised our pistols and aimed it at the bastard who had dared to touch my little girl.

He didn't look afraid whatsoever, simply giving a giddy wave and a smile. "Jim Moriarty. Hi! It's Jim. Jim from the hospital?"

"I thought you went by James," Aurora sneered, only to gasp again in pain when Moriarty clicked a button on the small device he had.

"Quiet now, Honey. The adults are talking," he scolded with a coo, and I took an instinctive step closer to my daughter, not liking the tone he was using at all.

"Oh. Did I really make such a fleeting impression?" Moriarty pouted at us, sighing like a child that didn't receive enough attention. "But then, I suppose, that was rather the point."

I glanced at Aurora only to find that she had made it to her feet, the red beam fixed just over her heart.

Moriarty giggled at Sherlock's obvious confusion, answering, "Don't be silly. Someone else is holding the rifle. I don't like getting my hands dirty."

He faltered, strolling to the corner of the pool so he stood just beside Aurora. He stroked her hair, something that I felt suddenly very territorial of, considering that was what I did. She was my daughter, and I'd be damned if I let anyone else do it.

"I've given you a glimpse, Sherlock, just a teensy glimpse of what I've got going on out there in the big bad world," Moriarty hummed, brushing a blood matted strand of hair from Aurora's face. "I'm a specialist, you see… just like you!

"Dear Jim. Please will you fix it for me to get rid of my lover's nasty sister?"

Moriarty grinned when he realized Sherlock was quoting a series on the Telly.

"Dear Jim. Please will you fix it for me to disappear to South America?"

"Just so," Moriarty grinned, giggling even more so when Sherlock murmured, "Consulting criminal… Brilliant."

The bastard smiled proudly, and I nearly lost it when he stooped down, pressing a kiss to the crown of Aurora's head before wrapping an arm around her, making a show of it all. "Isn't it? No one ever gets to me, and no one ever will.

"I did, and let's not forget my beloved niece."

"Yes, you two have come the closest. Now you, Sherlock, are in my way."

"Thank you."

"I didn't mean it as a compliment."

"Yes you did."

Jim shrugged, arm never straying from its place around Aurora. She was calm and collected despite the little flinch she made whenever he touched her, but the monster seemed to enjoy that reaction out of her. "Yeah, okay, I did. But the flirting's over, Sherlock… Daddy's had enough now! Isn't that right, my little belladonna?"

He crooned the last bit, nuzzling against Aurora's hair and whispering something unintelligible in her ear.

"No."

"Say it," Moriarty cooed, pressing his fingers against the top of her head, undoubtedly where she had been bludgeoned.

"No."

"You have no choice."

"You're not my father," was all Aurora managed to spit in his face before she let out a sharp cry, hands clutching at the collar round her neck as she fell to her knees with a whimper.

He was breaking her. The bastard was breaking my little girl before my very eyes.

Moriarty looked away from Aurora without a second glance, smiling at Sherlock and myself.

"I've shown you what I can do. I cut loose all those people, all those little problems, even thirty million quid just to get you to come out and play. So take this as a friendly warning, my dear. Back off. Although I have loved this- this little game of ours." He changed his accent, playing Jim from I.T. "Playing gay. Did you like the little touch with the underwear?"

"People have died," Sherlock said simply.

"That's what people DO!" Moriarty screamed the last word, personality changing to full blown anger before quickly snapping back to his calm, placid one.

"I will stop you," Aurora growled at the same time as Sherlock, my poor daughter's eyes fixed on me while Moriarty resumed stroking her hair again.

"No you won't, little belladonna. You won't."

"You all right?" Sherlock whispered more gently to the hostage, and Aurora nodded slightly.

He seemed to relax a bit, his hand with the memory stick being held out towards the bastard. "Take it."

"He doesn't want the missile plans. He wants me," Aurora blurted out before receiving a sharp slap across the face, causing her to sputter and spit blood.

"Never ruin Daddy's dramatics," Moriarty growled at her before stepping forwards to smack the memory stick into the pool.

"Thought you didn't like getting your hands dirty, James."

Aurora grinned after making that remark, leaping to her feet and jumping onto her kidnapper's back. She wrapped her arms around his throat tight enough to cut off the air supply, her legs circling around his chest in a way that ensured he couldn't drop her since his arms were pinned.

"Run."

Sherlock and I froze, pistols fixed on Moriarty, but fingers lingering on the trigger.

"Good! Very good," Moriarty cackled in approval.

"If your sniper pulls that trigger, James, then we both go up," Aurora stated simply before fixing her eyes on Sherlock. "There's not enough explosives strapped to me to kill you and Dad. You shoot, and we end Moriarty here. Please, just do it."

The logical thing would have been to shoot, but for once Sherlock wasn't following the logical choice much to my relief. Our hands never left our weapons, but we never fired despite Aurora's pleas.

"Isn't she sweet?" Moriarty cooed in delight. "I can see why you like having her around. But then people do get so sentimental about their pets. They're so touchingly loyal. But, oops! You've rather shown your hand there, Aurora Watson."

He chuckled as a new laser point appeared in the middle of Sherlock's forehead, and I had no doubt there was one fixed on me as well. "Gotcha!"

Aurora released her hold on him and hopped back, holding her hands up to show she wouldn't try anything else. Moriarty glanced back at her, patting her head like a dog as he crooned some babbling nonsense at her.

"Do you know what happens if you don't leave me alone, Sherlock? What happens to you?" Moriarty hummed thoughtfully upon turning back to us.

"Let me guess. I get killed."

"Kill you? No, no, don't be obvious. I mean, I'm gonna kill you anyway some day. I don't wanna rush it, though. I'm saving it up for something special. No-no-no-no-no. If you don't stop prying, I'll burn you. I'll burn the heart out of you."

"I have been reliably informed that I don't have one."

"But we both know that's not quite true."

He glanced back at Aurora, reaching out an arm to cup her cheek in his palm. She didn't move an inch, eyes open and staring straight ahead of her in a way that would make any drill sergeant proud. He stroked her cheek fondly, humming thoughtfully to himself. "She's a pretty little thing isn't she? She'd be an easy way to gain confidence in a target. Who'd question those eyes? Then she'd grow up, become undoubtedly beautiful, and it'd become even easier for her to kill. Oh, it'd be so fun to corrupt her. I tried once. Shock therapy… It didn't work well, but I'm trying it again now as you can see."

He sighed, as if truly upset by this fact, and said sadly, "She just won't recognize me as Daddy."

"That's because you're a heartless monster that can't find anything better to do instead of kidnapping twelve year-old girls. How's Sebastian doing by the way?"

The remark was met by a strong right hook that sent Aurora sprawling backwards. I moved towards her instinctively, but Sherlock put a hand on my arm to stop me.

"Well, I'd better be off," Moriarty called, only to turn back when Sherlock clicked off the safety and leveled it at the bastard's head.

"What if I was to shoot you right now?

"Then you could cherish the look of surprise on my face. 'Cause I'd be surprised, Sherlock; really, I would. And just a teensy bit disappointed. And of course you would't be able to cherish it for very long." He turned away, giving a little wave as he headed towards the door and left. "Ciao, Sherlock Holmes."

"Alright?" Sherlock questioned to which Aurora didn't respond, simply getting to her feet unsteadily. "Are you alright, Aurora?"

"Yeah… Yeah, I'm fine, but he's- he's coming back. I know he is. It's what he /does/," Aurora stammered when Sherlock and I both rushed to her side, hastily unfastening the Semtex vest. After the vest was undone, Sherlock hurried behind and pulled the jacket and bomb vest off in on go before sliding it far across the room and then removing the shock collar from her neck.

"Please, we have to get out of here; he'll come back-!" I cut Aurora off by yanking that damned earpiece out of her ear and using my sleeve to wipe off any place on her that Moriarty touched.

"You're fine, Sweetheart. You're okay now," I soothed, rubbing at her cheek and then her forehead. I finished the process by pressing a kiss to her hairline, wrapping her up in my arms possessively while I fought the tears that threatened to make themselves known. "Oh, God, I thought I lost you. I thought he was going to take you away for good."

Her legs buckled beneath her just then, and I was immediately easing her down against the wall, guiding her head between her legs to fight off the nausea.

"Just relax. Calm down, Honey." I stayed kneeling at her side, my fingers gently brushing along the wound at the back of her skull. "Good news: you don't need stitches, but you may have a concussion, although I doubt it what with the way you heal and all."

"Daddy, I want to go home."

My heart practically shattered at the term, spoken so softly. "Sweetheart, I-"

"Daddy, please…"

I moved to picked her up into my arms, but before I could, the red beam from the sniper made itself known again on Aurora's chest along with one on Sherlock's, and, undoubtedly, on my own.

"Sorry, boys! I'm so changeable! You should have listened to the little one if you wanted to make it out alive. Also, Aurora, I'm hurt! You call him Daddy but not me? My little belladonna should know better!"

I growled angrily at the monster's reappearance, but I made no move to back away from Aurora.

"It is a weakness with me but, to be fair to myself, it is my only weakness," Moriarty drawled out with a grin. "You can't be allowed to continue. You just can't. I would try to convince you, but everything I have to say has already crossed your mind!"

"Probably my answer has crossed yours."

I caught a slight glimpse of Aurora's smile when Sherlock raised the pistol to first point at Moriarty before lowering it and aiming it directly at the Semtex vest that was just a meter away from the bastard. Sherlock met Moriarty's gaze in a battle of wills, but it didn't last long due to the interruption of "Stayin' Alive" by The Bee Gees.

"Really, we're in the greatest stalemate of the century, and your bloody phone goes off?" Aurora groaned in annoyance, and she moved to stand up, but I gently forced her back down, noting how pale in the face she was.

Moriarty seemed to ignore Aurora's comment, sighing in exasperation. "Do you mind if I get that?

Sherlock rolled his eyes at that. "No, no, please. You've got the rest of your life."

Taking his phone from the pocket, he began to pace a bit back and forth, answering, "Hello? …Yes, of course it is. What do you want?"

He turned back to us and mouthed 'Sorry' at Sherlock, who sarcastically mouthed back 'Oh, it's fine', much to Aurora's amusement when she couldn't suppress a small giggle. Sherlock gave her a fond look at the noise, but Moriarty rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his cell. He snapped, personality instantly changing as he roared into the phone, "SAY THAT AGAIN!"

He growled darkly, hissing, "Say that again, and know that if you're lying to me, I will find you, and I will sssskin you."

He faltered, saying into the phone, "Wait," before lowering it and walking towards the bomb jacket. "Sorry, wrong day to die."

"Oh. Did you get a better offer?" Sherlock scoffed but received no answer.

"You'll be hearing from me, Sherlock. Oh, and you too, Aurora," Moriarty called before turning back to his cell and leaving the pool. "So, if you have what you say you have, I will make you rich. If you don't, I'll make you into shoes."

With a snap of Moriarty's fingers, the snipers were gone, and he left just as swiftly.

I waited a few moments before stooping back down beside Aurora and checking her pulse all while asking, "What happened there?"

"Someone changed his mind. The question is who?"

"Uncle Sherlock?" Aurora piped up tiredly, words slurring together even as I eased her small form up into my arms. Her head lulled against my shoulder, a hand reaching out to him.

Hesitantly, he took it. "Yes?"

"Do me a favor and throw out all the belladonna we keep for experiments? I don't want to see another bit of it ever again…"

"Understandably," Sherlock concluded, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. He gestured to the door, smiling lightly. "Shall we?"

Hi, guys. I promise I'm not dead. I've just been going through some not-so fun stuff, but I'm gonna try and update at least once a week. Well, on that note, reviews keep me going and encourage me not to let this completely die. So review! (Please?)