"There is nothing certain in a man's life but that he must lose it."

I stared at myself in the mirror barely recognizing the girl looking back at me. She was broken and weak not at all the person I once was. My face was starting to grow thin and my skin was pale having lost every bit of coloring that once flushed through it. I was simply existing and nothing more. I felt nothing. There was no love, no sadness, just complete nothingness. I then knew exactly how Sherlock felt after I left, but I didn't care I only wondered how many more lives would have to be taken before the game would end. I listened as someone drew near their footsteps weighing heavy on the cold wood floor. I caught a glance of John in the mirror and my heart stopped.

"Are you ready?"

Was anyone ever ready to bury their parents? I simply nodded wanting to just get it all over with. I had planned to leave right after their funeral to return to Scotland without telling Sherlock. He didn't need to know and if Brook wanted me as far as I was concerned he could have me. I was too tired to keep playing. John and I made the ride in his somewhat new Porsche in complete silence. Mary stayed home having been feeling quite ill probably catching the stomach bug I had come down with. I just stared at the open road my head filled with thoughts. They were racing out of control and I tried my best to sort them all out. I wanted my head to be clear I wanted to simply have some peace, but it was never that easy for us. Sherlock and I were one in the same completely consumed in thought and unable to break free. When I was younger my mother took me to every doctor known to man I was diagnosed as bipolar, depressed, having social anxiety and ADD, but I simply dismissed them all. It's just how I was and no one appreciated it except him. Now he was flooding my mind and I struggled to keep the thoughts of him at bay. I closed my eyes almost in tears and then I felt a hand graze against mine. I opened my eyes and looked at John who had the most sincere face I had ever seen on anyone.

"We're here." He got out and walked over to my side opening the door and helping me out like a proper gentlemen. He held out his hand and our fingers intertwined. It was purely platonic despite what people might have said. John was a good man he always wanted to help even if it meant submitting himself to gossip and rumors. He knew I just needed someone to hold my hand and he was more than happy to oblige me.

The ceremony was short and to the point. I didn't feel the need to drag it on any longer than it needed to be and I didn't think my heart could handle it. I watched as everyone walked away leaving John and me alone. I sniffled and reached into my pocket for something to wipe my nose with only to discover I had left my Kleenex in the car.

"Here let me." John pulled a Kleenex from his shirt pocket and handed it to me. "I know this might not be the time to ask this…"

"Then don't ask it." I retorted knowing exactly what he was going to ask me.

"I have to know. Do you think about him? About Sherlock?" I closed my eyes allowing the tears to flow freely. John placed his hand on my shoulder and began to apologize for being so forward. "I'm sorry I didn't…don't answer that."

"I think about him all the time and I hate it. I never get a moment to myself it's always him. That's why I told him not to come than again he knew better than to show up."

"It's just hard for me you know? I love you both and I don't like seeing you like this. He won't answer my texts, won't answer my calls, and I'm worried about him."

"We both are, but I'm not sure I'm so willing to help anymore." I looked at him with my bloodshot eyes. "I need to be alone for a moment."

He nodded and walked away leaving me there to grieve. As he walked back to the car he mumbled to himself about how stupid he was to bring up Sherlock at a time like this. He had let his poor worried mind get the best of him and regretted ever saying anything.

"I should have just let it go. Dammit John!" He then heard the snapping of a twig and quickly turned around. "Cassandra?" No one was there and he had no time to react to what would happen next. He began to shift slowly and then he felt a pair of strong muscular arms around him. "HEY! LET ME…" Than the sharp stabbing pain of a needle in his neck followed by a weakness through his body and then complete darkness.

"Johnnn…" A voice called to him as he slowly began to regain consciousness. "Wake up sunshine."

John opened his eyes trying to focus them. He went to get up, but his legs were unable to hold his weight. He looked around and finally met eyes with his captor. "NO...NO!" He shouted trying desperately to escape not knowing his fate.

Brook kneeled down beside him and began to stroke his face. "There there my pet I won't hurt you…yet." He grabbed John by the back of his jumper and hoisted him off of the floor flopping him down into a chair. "You look good John."

"Y…y…" John found himself unable to speak.

"Shhhhh don't talk. Give it some time to wear off." Brook gave John and hard swift slap on his back which caused him to cough uncontrollably. "Is that better?"

John took a loud deep breath sucking in as much air as he could. "You're supposed to be de..dead."

Brook let out a sinister laugh and patted John's shoulder. "So is Sherlock, but we all know better."

"I saw your body. I examined it myself. You stuck a pistol in your mouth you sick bastard."

"No need to curse. Richard Brook…"

"Is a fake. You made him up to try and make Sherlock look like a fraud."

"I am Richard Brook." John tilted his head in confusion. "Jim was my brother. My little brother. He was terminally ill had only a few months to live…or so he thought. He was always so gullible I could have had the doctor tell him he was fine, but what would be the fun in that? He wanted to kill himself by the time Sherlock got to him. It was for the best I never liked Jim."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"It was never Moriarty you were after! It was me! You two thought you could get me and you failed miserably. I loved watching every second of the game! The game isn't over yet!"

"Please. I have a wife…"

"Yet you harbor feelings for Sherlock's little girlfriend."

"No. No I don't."

"Admit it John…" He leaned down and stared into John's deep brown eyes. "…you want to fuck her."

"NO! SHE'S JUST MY FRIEND!"

Brook sighed. "Fine. I can tell when you're telling the truth. I'll just have to find another way to ruin you and Sherlock's friendship. I thought I could use her as sort of a pawn, but the game is always changing. It makes me very angry when you two change the rules."

"We haven't done anything…" Just then the sounds of a fire engine could be heard off in the distance and Brook smiled. John's heart dropped knowing it had everything to do with him and all he could think of was Mary. "What have you done?"

"Go home John. The road is that way and if you tell anyone about this. I'll murder every last one of you." He then kicked John on the side of his chest cracking his ribs and knocking him off the chair for one final laugh and departed.

John laid there in pain every breath he took was pure agony. He watched the sky turn dark as it filled with smoke and he knew he had to get up. It took every ounce of energy he had to make his way out of the abandoned building towards a rather busy street allowing him to quickly catch a cab and head home. The smoke grew thicker as he got closer to his flat.

"I can't go any further they've got the entire street blocked off." The cab driver stated as police cars whizzed by them.

John quickly paid the cab driver and made his way to his flat as quickly as he could only to find it completely engulfed in flames. His stomach was at his feet and the heat from the flames was unlike anything he had ever felt before. He covered his face with his hand as he looked at his surroundings taking note of a much panicked Lestrade. He hobbled over to him and grabbed onto his jacket sleeve.

"Where's Mary?"

"I don't know. Sherlock ran in to get her."

John's breath left him the thought of losing his wife and best friend made him go mad. "MARY!" He screamed before trying to enter the burning building only to be held back by Lestrade's strong arm. By now he had all but forgotten about the pain he was in all he could think of were the two people he loved most. "SHERLOCK!"

Just then through the flames and the smoke a tall thin man appeared holding a rather slender woman both of them completely covered in ash. Sherlock handed Mary off to a waiting paramedic before collapsing onto the pavement. John was torn between going with his wife and staying with Sherlock. They both meant so much to him and then a woman appeared and knelt beside Sherlock and he knew everything would be alright. He quickly broke free from Lestrade and left to be at Mary's side.

I stared down at Sherlock's lifeless body and wiped the ash from his face waiting to see some sign of life in his eyes. Finally the glimmer of hope I had been waiting for came and he looked at me for a brief moment.

"You're such an idiot Sherlock Holmes. I don't know why I love you."

He smiled softly before slipping out of consciousness again and I was quickly pushed out of the way by the medical team which included a very fragile John Watson. They worked on him for a bit before loading him into the ambulance and taking him away. I looked at John as he winced in pain.

"What happened?" I asked tugging on his shirt.

"Nothing…just…" He lifted up his shirt and exposed the giant bruise that had begun to form over his ribcage. "I fell…down some stairs."

None of this made any sense and I knew if anyone was going to tell me the truth it would be him. "We were at the grave site and when I went back to find you, you weren't there." John didn't say a word he wouldn't even look at me. "Was it him?" I could see it in his eyes even though he refused to admit it. For the first time I began to become scared for my own life. I could usually brush off such nonsense I was a strong female capable of holding my own, but when it came to Richard Brook not even the strongest person could beat him at his own game. I helped John to the car and took him to the hospital where Sherlock and Mary had already been admitted.

I sat in the waiting room alone for a few minutes before I was joined by Lestrade who appeared to be very distraught.

"It's o.k. Greg." I said trying to comfort him.

"No it's really not." He hung his head and ran his hand across his pants pocket where he kept his cell. "He started texting me. Last night. Sherlock hasn't been responding to him and he's very angry."

"And you're scared because you think he's going to come after you." He nodded. "You have nothing to worry about. We have Sherlock Holmes on our side and there isn't a better ally than he. Brook can think he's winning but in reality he's making a very big mistake. I know Sherlock will protect and defend the ones he loves with every fiber of his being." The truth was I knew exactly what Brook wanted and I knew I'd have to give it to him. He wanted me and the only way to stop it all was to surrender myself to him.

"Oh um…here's Sherlock's phone. I know how attached he is to it and I didn't want anything to happen to it."

I smiled and took it from his shaking hand. I turned it on and began to type a text message addressed to Richard Brook.

Give me one month with him and then we will end this.

CW

I sat and waited impatiently. It seemed he was taking longer than usual to respond, but finally he did and it was exactly the reply I had anticipated.

I can't wait.

RB