Emily was frozen, couldn't think straight and all hope had left her body. The rough hands pulled her belt off. She fisted her hands, pushing her nails into her palms, trying to give her some pain to distract her mind. She could feel her nails drawing blood.

Suddenly she heard a crash of metal followed by a guttural roar from the body above her. It was followed by the sweetest sound she had ever heard.

'Get away from her.' Sherlock didn't shout, or scream, but the cold fury in his voice was evident to anyone that heard it.

The next thing Emily was listening to the sound of words she couldn't make out, shouts, groans and yelps of pain. Then a few seconds later, she felt hands at her head. She screamed.

'Shh, shh, Em it's me, it's John. Let me get this thing off you.' John tried to calm her down as he pulled away the blindfold.

Blinking in the light, she focussed her eyes on John. The concern on his face made her cry again. She looked around the damp room she had been held in. Lestrade was standing arms folded, looking out of the door, while Sherlock seemed to be beating a man senseless on the floor. Kick after kick was volleyed into his chest. The look on Sherlock's face was one of pure venom. Reaching down, he pulled the man up by his shirt, and looked him straight in his one open eye and spoke in a low, level voice.

'You should be very grateful that the Inspector is present or you might not have seen the light of day.'

He threw his head forward and head butted the man square in the face. Releasing his shirt, the man collapsed on the floor.

'He's all your's Inspector. I do believe he will need medical attention.'

Lestrade turned around and walked towards the heap on the floor. 'How awful I didn't see who hit him.' His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Sherlock walked towards the sofa where John was gently releasing Emily's hands. She looked up at Sherlock, exhaustion filling her face. He pulled a handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and softly began to wipe the blood from her face. She couldn't say anything, but instead, as soon as John pulled the rope away, she reached her hand to Sherlock's, held it against her cheek and looked him in the eye. There were tears of relief now falling down her face.

John stood up and walked over to where Lestrade was cuffing the beaten man, dragging him out of the room, leaving Sherlock and Emily alone.

'You came.' She whispered.

'Of course.' He didn't, couldn't say anymore.

After he finished wiping her face, he sat on the sofa and pulled her close to him. She wrapped her arms round his neck, and rested her head on his shoulder, curling her legs over his. She could see John glancing over at them as he walked back in, and gave him a small, sad smile. He sent the same one back before walking over.

'We should get you to hospital Em, I reckon your nose has been broken.' He winched as he spoke and Emily could feel Sherlock tensing under her arms.

She nodded, and still in the same position, Sherlock wrapped his arms round her back, and under her knees, lifting her as he stood. She tightened her hold round his neck and nuzzled her head against his chest closing her eyes. The next thing she fell asleep.


Opening her eyes slowly, and not recognising her surroundings, Emily started to panic. Pulling at the sheet's covering her, she started sobbing.

'Emily.'

His voiced calmed her instantly. She turned her gaze to the darkened corner of the room where Sherlock was unfolding himself from an armchair.

'You're in hospital. You've been unconscious after they gave you some anaesthesia to set your nose.' He looked uncomfortable. 'I…how are you feeling?'

He walked over and stood by the side of her bed. His hand resting on the edge of it. She looked down at it, and slid her own over to cover it. His whole body tensed for a second, before relaxing. She looked up at his face, and saw a fleeting look of worry, before his usual nonchalant one took its place.

'I'm tired. I was so scared Sherlock. I kept praying that you and John would find me. My nose is sore.' She winced, 'Where is John?'

'He went to get coffee. Well he calls it coffee, it tastes like mud.'

She gave a small giggle, glad that there was a bit of normal in the room. But she turned serious once again.

'What happened?' She whispered.

Sherlock signed and pulled his hand out from under hers. He turned and clasped his hands behind his back.

'You should never have been involved. They took you to get to us.' He turned back, and she could see his eye's blazing. 'You were in danger because of us.'

He paced about the room, obviously battling some internal dilemma. Emily let him pace, he would tell her what she needed to know when he was ready. Sighing, he pulled the chair over to the side of the bed and sat down, leaning back into it. His hands clasped in front of him.

'Do you remember in Dorset I mentioned Moriarty to you, and that he had some men remaining that were willing to carry on his business?'

She nodded and he continued.

'It seems that two of them have been watching the flat and saw you move in. They then saw that you were getting close to John, and that I..' he paused looking uncomfortable again, 'They came up with a half formed plan to kidnap you and pretend to be asking for a ransom to draw myself and John out, and as far as they have talked, to kill us. However it would seem they underestimated my deductive powers. We were already on our way to the general area they had phoned us from, and from my information, Donovan was able to find a suspect on the police database. We turned up at his house, and he talked very quickly after I…well talked to him.'

Emily suspected he had done more than talked to him after witnessing his actions with her tormentor. But at this point she was more than grateful that he had.

'We found where they were hiding you, and the rest you know. They'll be going down for a very long time. You won't have to worry about them. I'm so very sorry that you were hurt.'

He leaned forward, and Emily swore that there were tears in his eyes. But he stood up quickly.

'I should find John, he's taking too long.'

'Sherlock…' Emily spoke, her voice low.

He turned to her, and in that instant Emily realised she had truly fallen for him. Seeing what he did to that…that creature who had practically tortured her. It made her realise what he was prepared to do for her. For her! Of course John had been there, and he had been the one to release her, but she saw that Sherlock had seen red as soon as he entered that room. And when he came to comfort her, her stomach was in knots just thinking about it.

'Can you please sit with me?' She asked.

He looked at her for a long moment before accepting. He sat back in the chair and she held out her hand to him. He took it, and very gently and unsure of himself, he rubbed the backs of her knuckles. Turning her hand over, he looked at the cuts her nails had made on her palms running his thumb gently over them. Slowly, wincing, Emily sat up and moved herself over to the opposite edge of the bed, trailing her hand out of Sherlock's.

'I'm tired Sherlock, but I don't want to sleep on my own. Will you lie beside me?'

His eyes darted around the room, panicking. He stood up and made a step back.

'Emily, I can't, I'm not…'

'Please Sherlock?' There were tears in her eyes again. She wasn't pretending any of this; she was truly scared and just wanted him beside her. She felt safe with him there.

He stood stock still before letting out a breath. Taking of his long coat he draped it over the back of the chair and pulled his feet out of his shoes. Then very tentatively he sat on the bed and lowered himself down. Emily lay on her side facing away from him, and he turned so that his front was to her back. She reached out for his hand, and when he gave it to her, she wrapped his arm round her waist. Feeling his gentle breath against her neck, Emily drifted of into a dreamless sleep.

It was in this position that John found them both sleeping when he finally came back from his hunt for coffee. With a slight smile, he turned and walked back to the waiting room.

I have one more chapter to add to this story before it's finished. I tried to stay true to what I think Sherlock would do in this situation, if he really had feelings for a woman. But please let me know what you think!