A/N: Thanks for you're reviews.

Chapter 7 – Decisions, decisions

Lestrade looked up from her desk as Adler tentatively walked towards her; she resisted the urge to smile at her childhood friend.

"Honestly Adler, as of today I'm no longer your superior, you can relax," she sighed as she removed the remaining files from her desk before turning and moving in front of her desk. She placed a comforting hand on her friends shoulder as Lizzie still shuffled uncomfortably on the spot before giving a lop-sided smile and sitting down in the arm chair.

Lizzie let her eyes wander around the usually messy office of her friend, all the files usually unceremoniously tossed on the desk or chairs had been packed and now sat neatly inside moving boxes near the door. The empty containers of Chinese food and coffee cups were also gone though the stench of sesame seed oil and Starbucks coffee lingered in the air. She cocked an eyebrow at her friend when she noticed Lestrade holding in her arms a rather thick file, she shook her head before saying,

"I thought you were leaving for England tomorrow, why are you still working?"

A short silence followed the question and Lizzie sighed exasperatedly at her friend before continuing, "Okay, what do you want?"

Lestrade smiled sweetly, "The thing is I am leaving the agency but I've been offered a job in Scotland Yard,"

"I know, you've already told me this," Lizzie looked confusedly at her friend.

Lestrade coughed before explaining, "Well, the particular division of Scotland Yard that I've been allocated too were of course delighted to have me as part of their team but considering the nature of my first assignment I recommended someone else to do the…field work"

Lizzie watched Lestrade closely, before standing up abruptly as to leave. Lestrade stopped her,

"Honestly, Liz I would have thought that you would want this opportunity, ever since we've meet Watson…"

Adler moved to stand beside the window behind Lestrade's desk,

"You think I want to meet him? He's cursed my entire family…" her voice broke slightly as she rubbed her neck.

Lestrade sighed sadly moving towards the window and her friend.

"Its not like it was consciously done Liz, Watson said…"

Lizzie waved her hand at her friend, anger welling deep inside her, she bit down angrily on her lip resisting the urge to cry.

Lestrade turned her around roughly, "Don't you want to meet the man who poisoned you're entire family? At the least I thought you'd want revenge?"

Lizzie bent her head tiredly, "I don't hate him…its more complicated than that Jo, ever since Watson told us those stories of him when we were just kids I've admired him, heck I wanted to be him and I've certainly dreamed of meeting him,"

At this Lestrade opened her mouth to speak but Lizzie continued before she could.

"But when I found out what he had done…sending my great grandmother that perfume that slowly poisoned her…that slowly poisoned all the women in my family how could I face him? I cant…I wont," she finished stubbornly pushing past Lestrade.

"Don't run Liz, you always run, I know what that bastard Jason did and if he didn't request a transfer I would have killed him with my bare hands…but you gotta know, they're not all bad,"

Liz felt the tears fall from her eyes before angrily wiping them away,

"I'm tired of crying Jo, and if I meet him I know that's all I'll do,"

"You're stronger than you think, after all that that scum did to you I would have thought that you would have known that," Lestrade comforted as she handed the file to Liz, "just look at it, if you're still not interested than just dispose of it."

Lestrade picked up some of the boxes from the floor and opened the door to her office; she turned to see Liz still nervously gripping the file in her hands,

"You've got till my 10 o'clock flight tomorrow morning to tell me you're decision."

The lights in Liz's apartment flicked on as she slowly made her way down her hallway towards her kitchen. She tiredly opened the drawer and tried to read the labels of her pills as her eyes adjusted to the light. Finally recognizing the one she was looking for she shuffled to the fridge and shivered involuntarily as she reached for the bottle of Evian water. Quickly taking the pills and letting the ice cold liquid slither down her throat she sat down on one of the stools behind the kitchen bar. Her hand slipped as she leaned it against the bar, she looked down and saw some of the papers fall to the ground from the file Lestrade had given her. She usually wouldn't have been bothered to pick up the papers but the edge of a picture could be seen and Liz found herself compelled to pick up the photo. Even though she knew the face as well as her own, she sat there for hours staring at the oddly handsome yet haunting face of the man she had admired and cursed her whole life. Her fingers traced the outline of his face; she surprised herself when she did not feel tears in her eyes, rather a sudden desire to slap the man across the face. She let herself laugh as she imagined herself doing so.

"Well, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to meet you…Mr. Sherlock Holmes."

"…Sherlock Holmes,"

Holmes lifted his head from his notebook when he heard Liz's voice whisper his name, but when he checked she was still asleep so he simply returned to his work.

"Strange gir…woman," he said to himself smiling.

A/N: TADAA!