Extreme Suicides

...

She sat in the corner of the pub, the darkness providing cover and anonymity while she watched the women sitting around the table laughing and mocking one another. It was a typical hen night and was about to go to hell, at least she hoped it would. Molly had told her not to go, to leave it be but Iffy couldn't, she couldn't let Sergeant Donovan be happy when John would never truly be happy again. She also couldn't let the woman's fiance go through with this. He was an innocent and didn't deserve to be betrayed by the woman who couldn't seem to stay away from the ratface. She shivered, just thinking about Anderson was revolting, she had no idea how he was married with a mistress on the side. Shaking her head to dislodge the image that had just assaulted her mind. Steeling herself once more she watched Donovan laughing at something her girlfriend said and take a look around the bar. She looked in Iffy's corner and the set of her shoulders betrayed her unease. It appeared her police woman's instincts were still working properly. It was this unconscious acknowledgement that caused Iffy to set her plan into action. Unlike Kitty and the Chief Superintendent, Sergeant Donovan wouldn't see the inside of a jail cell, her punishment would be far more subtle. Once she'd finished off her drink she rose from her seat and walked to the bar. Sergeant Donovan was celebrating and Iffy could help her celebration along.

Sally Donovan was a lot of things. She was an officer, a friend, a lover and a daughter. One thing she wasn't was unobservant, observing her surroundings kept her safe and made her a damn fine copper, despite what a certain deceased fraud used to say. She internally flinched as she thought about Sherlock. She knew that she had no right to feel anything toward his death, positive or negative but she couldn't help feeling bad about it. She may not have liked him but she didn't want him dead. She especially didn't want the lives of the people who loved him to be so utterly destroyed. She would remember the look on John Watson's face as he was sitting in St. Bart's until the day she died. She had never seen another human being so broken, so devastated, it tore her heart from her chest. She would also never forget the look on the sister's face and the hateful vile that had spewed from her mouth directed at everyone in the police force but especially Sally and Lestrade. Sally had almost wanted to turn her badge in that day as the words sunk in. She did want to tear Sherlock down, she did want to see him fail, but she had never wanted him dead. No matter how much she hated him she never wanted him dead. She almost felt bad about labeling him a fraud and a liar but was stalwart in her convictions until everything about Sherlock's case began to be questioned.

Over the last few months she'd been assaulted with news stories and interviews with experts in just about every field proving bit by bit that he hadn't been a fraud and that he couldn't have committed the crimes he was accused of. If it definitively came out that his name was clear Donovan was ready to admit she was wrong and send an honest apology to everyone hurt by this situation she felt so much responsibility for, the first on her list being John Watson. Shaking her head to clear her depressing thoughts she looked around the pub and took in everything. Their group was the only large group in the entire establishment. They were kept in one of the tables off to the side where they could see everything and have a small bit of privacy. She smiled at her best friend when she caught her eye but the smile dropped from her face when she noticed the person approaching their table with a tray of drinks.

"Hello ladies! Enjoying yourselves?" The posh voice was enough to make the hairs on Sally's neck stand up but she kept her expression blank.

"Bit posh to be a server aren't ya?" Her cousin Maureen slurred and Sally closed her eyes and sighed. Her cousin was about to be verbally flayed. She opened her eyes again when nothing happened and saw Holmes the youngest smiling at her cousin and the smile seemed genuine.

"I guess you're right, I do sound a bit posh, it's a good thing I'm not a server then." She giggled, honest to god giggled, before she set the tray on an empty part of the table. "I'm here to congratulate Sergeant Donovan, Sally, on her impending nuptials. You see Sally here was a colleague of my brother's so I thought it was only right to stop by when I saw her at the table. How are you Sally, dear, having a good night?"

Sally took the time to look at the younger woman, she was smiling at Sally but this one was forced, a little too sharp. It was a smile Sally didn't trust and suddenly every red flag in her brain shot up. She was up to something and Sally had a feeling she was about to go the way of Kitty Riley and Chief Superintendent Wallace. All because she did what she thought was right. She wasn't going down without a fight though.

"Yeah, it's been great. Thanks for the congratulations. What's on the tray?" She asked calling attention to the scattered shot glasses, enough for the party plus one it seemed.

"Since it's a celebration and your friends seem intent on getting you pissed I thought I'd help. What we have here are Extreme Suicides, one ounce everclear and two cinnamon goldschlager. It seemed appropriate." She continued to smile and Sally was chagrined to realize that she'd charmed the group and that none of them realized the significance of the drinks.

"Well if we're drinkin' your drinks can we have a name?" Her cousin asked and Sally internally blessed her. Once she said her name they'd realize why this was all wrong.

"Oh forgive me, my manners have been atrocious. I'm Iphigenia Holmes, I'd rather you called me Iffy since we're going to be drinking buddies." She spared another one of those genuine smiles to Maureen and Sally wanted to slap herself, she'd forgotten the girl's name, the name that had been splashed across the media for the last month.

"Iphigenia? Was your mum a hippie or somethin'?" Maureen asked and Iphigenia shook her head.

"No, mummy is a scholar with an affinity for etymology and Classical literature. My elder brother's were far luckier than I was." Her smile turned sad and one of the others in the group turned to her.

"What are their names, Tom and Ben?" She asked and Iphigenia shook her head.

"No, Mycroft and...Sherlock…" She let it drift and turned her head to give Sally a pointed look.

"Sherlock Holmes? Oi, you poor girl! I've been readin' up on him lately and what happened was just so sad. How are you?" Just like that Sally's party was forgotten and Iffy sat at the end of the table and told Sally's friends and family what it was like to be left behind and know there were people walking free who had a hand in what happened. After three more rounds, all paid for by Iffy, she stood and looked pointedly at Sally before she addressed the group.

"This has been great, really. I haven't been out with a group in what feels like forever and I want to thank you all for being so gracious and hospitable. Now I have to go-" This was interrupted with whines and Iffy smiled. "I promised my partner I'd be home before two and it's already midnight. I'd love to meet with you girls sometime if you're up for it. In the meantime I need to talk to dear Sally in private for a minute. That alright Sally?"

"Of course, be back in a minute ladies. Don't drink the pub dry." This brought laughs and Iffy guided Sally to a nicely dark and shielded part of the pub near the exit and gave her a look before she reached in her pocket and took out a notebook which caused Sally to smirk. "Here to interview me for another article."

"Oh no, not at all, I just want to take note of your reactions to a few things to decide how this proceeds. Ready?" Iffy asked and at Sally's hesitant nod she continued. "Are you happy?"

"Yes, of course I am." Sally stated in a strong voice but her eyes betrayed her. They were sad and weary, as though she had been trying to be happy for so long that her soul was exhausted.

"No you're not. Next, are you in love with your fiance?" Iffy spoke quickly, knowing that the speed of her question would throw Sally off balance and allow more truth to slip through.

"Yes, why the bloody hell are you-" Sally practically snarled but Iffy pressed on.

"Lying again Sally, makes me think you can't be trusted. Do you regret what happened to Sherlock Holmes?" Her tone was softer than before and Sally stopped her snarl.

"What?" Confusion reigned on the woman's face along with a look of pure regret. It brought Iffy off balance momentarily.

"I see… Do you blame yourself for his death?" Iffy pressed on and Sally looked stricken.

"I had a hand in it." Sally turned her eyes down and heard a sigh from the younger woman across from her.

"This certainly changes things. I can't destroy you if you feel remorse. It shows that you're able to change… Fine, now I want you to listen to me." Iffy spoke quietly and Sally nodded before she could help herself, the damn girl made it so easy to follow her suggestions. "I want you to call off your wedding. You don't love your fiance and it's not fair to either of you to be caught in something like this. You'll just end up bitterly resenting each other. Secondly, go to the Yard's psych contact. You have a lot of unresolved issues you need to work through. Finally, if you ever come in contact with a genius even somewhat like Sherlock again, treat them with respect. Life isn't easy for them, no one understands them and they're constantly met with disgust and aggression. They hurt and they hurt you back. My brother wasn't a sociopath Sally, he felt everything and he felt it sharper and deeper than you could even imagine. I want you to consider that. Now, I'm going to leave but I'm going to check on you again."

"Why?" Sally asked her eyes glittering with the start of tears.

"To make sure you listened to me. This whole thing started as revenge, and I still blame you for your part in it, but I can't hate you. I can't hate someone who feels so much remorse and harbors so much guilt, far more guilt than they're even conscious of. Just do what I told you to and I'll hold back on visiting you." Iffy placed a sympathetic hand on Sally's shoulder before she moved her hand away and grabbed her coat from the rack. "Now I really have to go, my lady is waiting for me."

Iffy walked past Sally and moved out the door, not even looking back at the policewoman whose shoulders were shaking in silent sobs. Molly was waiting for her and would be upset if she didn't show up. Besides she had to share this change in plans with her and hope that Molly understood. She didn't have to worry though, Molly always seemed to understand.


...


Author's Note:

So, so, soooooo sorry that I've taken so long to update this. My writer's block got the best of me and I found myself drawn from the Sherlock fandom for a bit. I blame the upcoming release of The Desolation of Smaug for that, it drew me back to The Hobbit where I'm still gravitating toward. I have another chapter planned before I take a bit of a hiatus. I want to watch the premiere of series 3 before I continue. I have a feeling the reveal in the episode will eclipse anything I can come up with and I want to be inspired by it.

On another note, the revenge is almost concluded. I have to say that I found myself at a bit of a creative drought once I put Kitty in prison but then I knew Donovan and Anderson needed their comeuppance. I had wonderful ideas until I saw the #SherlockLives trailer and had to change some things. That being said there will be a confrontation with Anderson in the next chapter along with some relationship troubles, then the final part of the fic will deal with everyone coming to terms with Sherlock's return from the dead. Thank you all for reading and I hope you'll stick with me to the end.