Mary passed by several bodyguards before entering the room where Jim always met her, but as usual she did deign to look at them. She knocked on the door and waited for the signal.
Moriarty was sitting in his usual leather armchair in front of the fireplace. He was holding a book. Mary thought she had read Psycho on the cover but she could not swear it. He finished with a rush his chapter, as he was only in the room, then put the book back on the bookshelf and sat down again. He finally looked at Mary and raised an eyebrow to incite her to talk. Mary sat on the other armchair and then began her story.
« You'll get rid of Sherlock Holmes in about…3 hours » she said as she looked down on her watch.
« May I know how my archenemy will die or must I be informed via the newspaper like the rest of the rabble ?
- I made him drink without him knowing some datura stramonium. First he'll have a massive panik attack. Then some hallucinations. Then he won't be able to move while being more thursty as he's never been. Finally he'll have a heart attack. A tragic end for the Reichenbach hero.
- An intoxication, that's toooo simple. Everybody'll find out.
- Exactly. You don't know the best part yet : it's a plant used by the drug addicts to get high. I waited for him to fall asleep on the couch to put a needle in his hand. Everyone will think of an overdose.
- And he'll only be remembered for his flaws…Not bad, Moran. Not bad at all. »
Mary could not help herself to shiver when she heard that name but Moriarty did not pay attention to it as he was too busy gazing at his chef-d'œuvre and checking every detail.
« Has somebody seen you ?
- Mrs Hudson saw me climbing the stairs but a nurse, who is his best friend's wife, would never give him that. » she added mocking. « There's no worry about that.
- Perfect. I think that I'll pay this dear detective one last visit »
He called one of his henchmen who was watching the door and ordered him to prepare the car. He stood up, straightened his tie with his fingertips and buttoned up his coat. He nodded to Mary to follow him and they both walked out of the house and sat on the backseat on the car. The journey was calm. She could feel Moriarty's excitement but he did not say a word. The car stopped in front of 221B and, just before stepping outside, Moriarty asked his men not stop the machine and to be ready. Mary's heart was racing.
Moriarty easily opened the door and climbed the stairs, Mary behind him. She noticed that Mrs Hudson's flat, on the ground floor, was empty. Surely Sherlock had taken away in anticipation of the Consulting Criminal's visit. The latter opened the consultive detective's livingroom door and found him laying down on the couch, exactly where Mary left him one hour and an half earlier. Moriarty entered, pushed the detective's luxurious armchair near the couch and sat down. Mary stood still in the doorway. Sherlock opened his eyes and tried to sit down, in vain.
« No, no, please, keep on streching out, make yourself at home. No need to thank me for saving yourself from exil. My pleasure. I couldn't let you fly from me. »
Sherlock tried to swallow several times. He did not forget any of the symptoms Mary had told him.
« You're not dreaming. It's not an effect of the drug. I'm here. I look well for someone who ate his gun, don't I ? But, oh my, what was I thinking ? I've forgotten my manners ! May I introduce you Moran, my second in command. But you've already met, haven't you ? »
Mary took place behind her boss and looked at Sherlock faking surprise and horror.
« I warned you : I'd burn the heart out of you. But I'm afraid it won't keep on beating for long. Do you want me to hold your hand to comfort you in this tiresome part ? » he laughed.
Sherlock looked up and saw Mary aiming at the Consulting Criminal's head.
« Oh, nice, very nice. Well played ! I should have been suspicious. Mycroft however warned me : never trust a spy. Does it ring a little bell, Sherlock ? Like on our first date : me threatened and you thinking you'd win and then, I'm the one who wins. You seem to forget, Moran, that I have two henchmen outside, armed and waiting for me.
- And you seem to forget that I'm also their boss and I'm a shooter than any of them.
- You're hurting me, dear. Thinking that I'd spent some many precious hours choosing the very best and training them to hear that…But you won't kill me. Not here, you wouldn't want to stain Mrs Hudson's wallpaper. And I, also, have a little surprise for you, my dearest. I took the liberty of inviting John and little Rose for this family moment. »
Helpless, Mary saw by the nearest window John, who was holding Rose closely to his chest with his right hand around her head to protect her, being escorted by the two henchmen who drove Moriarty and her there. With a gun aimed at his head, John climbed the stairs to the already full flat. He was surprised to see his wife aiming at the man who was behind all his misfortune.
« Hello, Johnny ! The whole family is finally here. Now, if you'll agree, we will behave like civilised people and put away our guns.
- What if I refuse ?
- Well, I'd be forced to order Rose's execution. It would break my heart, really… »
Mary lowered her gun. She had to think, and quick.
«What if you let Rose go to show willing ?
- Why would I do that ?
- Because you have enough grown-ups, don't you think ? You don't need to threaten a baby.
- I may be a psychopath but I'm not a monster. Take her to the ground-floor. »
She waited to hear Mrs Hudson's door opening before signaling to Sherlock. With a revival of energy, he stood up and caught the gun hid under the pellow on whom he was lying seconds before. John took advantage of his guard's surpise to disarm him as well. He was then holding the gun against the man's temple while Sherlock and Mary were both aiming at Moriarty. The latter raised both his hands then started to laugh.
« Is it the kind of reactions you wanted ? What did you expect ? Me to remorse ? Me to get on my knees and apologize ? Don't be ridiculous. You really thought that would be that easy ? »
Mary had had enough of him. She shot him in the left knee. He louded out a cry when the bullet touched the bone. He lowered his hand which went to surrounder the wound to stop the bleeding.
« No consequences. Only hot air. Empty threats. Sherlock, John, get out and take Rose with you. Now !
- Mary…
- No, it's between him and me. »
John looked at his wife without stopping aiming at the guard. He gave a sidelook to Sherlock who waved to the door. Unwillingly John followed Sherlock out of the building, still aiming at the guard to force him to leave with them.
« You had to tell me that you've a crush on me. No use of all this dramatization. » Moriarty was putting every effort on not showing how badly he was hurt.
« What are you going to do now ? To kill me ? You won't have the guts. It will never stop. You can't leave me Moran. »
Mary heard a shot on the street. She rushed to the window and saw John falling.
« It looks like the soldier finally fell. Who's next ?
- You ! »
Through her tears, Mary managed to shot Moriarty in the head. She saw with satisfaction the look of surprise on his face.
She hurtled down the stairs and ran to John. He was lying on the pavement in a pudle of his blood. Sherlock was by his side and was pushing on his wound to stop the blood. His shoulder was once again wounded. She kneeled by his side. He struggled to keep his eyes open.
« John ! John ! Stay with me. It will be alright, I swear.
- Could…could you stop yelling at me, please ? »
The ambulance came and Sherlock and Mary were pushed aside. While John was being laid down on the stretcher, Mary turned to Sherlock.
« Take care of Rose, I'm going with John. » Then she climbed on the ambulance next to her husband. The doors closed to Sherlock holding in his arms Rose while the worried and breathless Detective Inspector Lestrade tried to know what happened.
Mary did not leave John's sides the next days. He was seriously wonded but his condition was getting better every day. He was tough.
She stayed on the chair near the bed with the same dread as that evening at Baker Street. This time she knew that she had to tell him her whole story and that he would never forgive her. She was always waiting for the dreadful question « Did you work for him ? ». But they were harldy just the two of them in the room. Of course Sherlock spend most of his days at the hospital with John. Mrs Hudson, Molly, Stamford often paid a visit. Even Mycroft came once or twice, while giving Mary dirty looks which translated all his thoughts about her. He thought she was at fault of this and she could not blame him as she was thinking that as well. It all hapenned because of her. If only she had had earlier the courage to confront Moriarty….
Several days after his admission, John was getting better enough to leave the hospital. The evening before his come-back home, as they were both in the room without another visitor, Mary expected to be questionned. As John did not seem to broach the subject, Mary decided to start the conversation herself.
« John, about what happened…
- Mary, I really thought what I told you on Christmas day. I don't want to know what you did in the past, who you were. You're Mary Watson, my wife, my daughter's mother and that's all I ever wanted. »
