Chapter 10

The room was in motion. Couples walking to the dance floor and the musicians starting to play. John and Rachel waltzed to one corner and Nathaniel picked Katie up bride-style and gently placed her near the musicians to dance. Conor offered a hand, ignored Eleanor's protests and took her to the floor anyway. Leaving Sherlock and Chloe. The evening had been slightly awkward, with neither knowing what to say or do, but enjoying each other's company.

Sherlock broke the silence. "Chloe. Will you do me the honour of dancing with me?" Sherlock had no idea why he felt the need to be so polite to Chloe. Even if she thought he was ignoring her, he always listened. Especially if she was sad. But he never knew what to do. He surprised himself by being relieved by her acceptance.

When dancing, it did not get less awkward. "Why are you so tense, Chloe? Does dancing bother you?"

"I, I'm not so good at it." she mumbled in reply. Liar, thought Sherlock, but he let her continue. "You're tense too, yet you're a good dancer. Relax, do what feels right.

So he did. He kissed her. She kissed him back. Life had never been so simple – spend all time had with other person. Sherlock found the churning that had bothered him all night surge, and then settle. They broke apart. "Um, wow." said Chloe, blushing.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I have to go." Sherlock muttered, pink rising on his cheekbones. He almost ran off, leaving Chloe stranded on the dance floor, left only with her thoughts.

Well, what were you expecting, she told herself. The annoying but true part of her brain said Not to be snogged and then abandoned. Would you like to give that unexpected moment back? "Sherlock is the definition of unexpected." she muttered under her breath, stalking away from that spot.

I wish he would unexpectedly fall in love with me.

Sherlock shook himself. The thoughts of Chloe showing more than just cleavage persisted. Get a grip, damn it! You have to catch Moran... or he might find her. And hurt her. That worked. He focussed, new determination in his eyes. Pretending to be a guest wanting to thank his host found him Moran's location, and pointed out how untouchable Moran was feeling.

When the music stopped, Nathaniel smiled at Katie and went to get drinks for them both. She headed to the toilet, he headed to the bar. Champagne in hand, he spotted Chloe looking alone and sad. "Hey, what's up? Love the dress, by the way." Chloe offered him a half-hearted smile and explained.

Katie shook the water off her hands and resisted the temptation the wipe them on her dress. In the mirror, she watched a man come in dressed entirely in white aside from a long black tie.

"Wrong bathroom." Katie smiled.

"Oh, no, right one. You're here." Katie watched him pull a gun from a pocket in his now-sinister white suit, her smile dropping. "This way, please."

Nathaniel frowned. Where was Katie? And Sherlock? "Chloe, I'm just gonna go look for Sherlock, okay? If Katie comes, tell her where I am." She nodded and sipped her drink. Standing, he looked around the ballroom and saw Sherlock disappear round a corner. Nathaniel walked briskly to catch up. "Hey! Wait up. What's the deal with Chloe? I me-"

"Shush. Now." Sherlock growled. "I will explain to her later. There are more pressing matters right now."

"More pressing? She's beating herself up out there and there's something more pressing?"

Sherlock sighed, exasperated. "Yes, like the killer running this event."

Nathaniel blanched. "Whaaat?"

"This way."

Katie was very obedient with guns around. Besides, heels were not exactly judo gear. They had done an activity with the women in high heels and she had ended up with a twisted ankle. Her opponent broke her foot. Yeah, not ideal. She sat in the steel throne gestured at, looking calm but only because her brain was running on auto pilot. None of the usual adrenalin that came with judo, just mind blanking fear. Handcuffs clamped over her wrists with a clang. Not going anywhere, then. Speakers boomed. "Ladies and gentlemen, good evening." Katie flinched at the noise, and realised it was echoing through the entire building. Well, if they talk to me they talk to everyone. Just haven't worked out if that's a good thing or not yet. "Much as I hate to interfere with everyone's digestion, I am afraid you are going to die." The voice was matter-of-fact and relaxed. Katie could hear the shocked silence. What was Nathaniel doing?

Sherlock and Nathaniel froze at the announcement. "Wher-Where's Katie?" Nathaniel's voice was trembling ever so slightly.

"Shh." Nathaniel gaped at him until the voice returned.

"As you may or may not be aware,a young lady has been missing from your delightful company for a minute now. She will be our audience volunteer. In exactly one minute from the end of the this message, gas will enter the room. She will die in thirty seconds. Oh, for those interested, her name is... well, why don't you tell us, pretty bitch?"

The guard in white came over and thrust a microphone under Katie's nose. Detachedly she noted she was saying her name. Yup, auto pilot alright.

Nathaniel clenched his fists. He was getting her back. "Where. Is. She?" he demanded of Sherlock.

After a second's thought, Sherlock sprinted off, knowing he would follow. They raced through the hallways and corridors, until they reached a door with the guard in white leaving the room beyond. Before the man had time to react to the intruders Nathaniel punched him between the eyes. The guard's eyes rolled up and he crumpled to the floor. Picking up the microphone, Sherlock turned it on.

"Colonel Sebastian Moran. Why are you doing this?"

"Ah, Mister Sherlock Holmes, I presume. You are the genius, are you not? You tell me." Moran's voice crackled.

"Revenge for the dead man. The one who shot himself on the roof of Bart's. The one for whom you hold me responsible. James Moriarty, ladies and gentlemen. But he was more than just your boss, wasn't he?"

Something smashed and Moran growled.

Sherlock began to hum Staying Alive into the microphone. Moran screamed. Yelling incomprehensibly, the Colonel failed to notice his assailant. There was a thud.

"No-one calls my girl a bitch." Nathaniel growled.

Sherlock moved quickly into the room and analysed. Chair and cuffs – steel. Electric release. Controls in corner. Gas comes from sprinkler system. Katie – unharmed. Instantly he set out to the control panel. Katie was too shocked to do anything. Or warn him of the approaching guard about to hit him over the head with a lead pipe. Sherlock spun, saw there was nothing he could do, and braced for impact. A shot. No pain. That was... unexpected. A voice.

"Why is it that when you go off and do something unexpectedly stupid I have to shoot someone?"

Oh, John.

The next hour was a blur of police-orange blankets, statements and slightly blurred facts. Katie was sitting on the back of an ambulance enveloped by a shock blanket and a protective Nathaniel's arms. John's hand in Rachel's was shaking slightly with unspent adrenalin. Eleanor was trying to calm down Conor, who was more than a tad bit surprised at the turn of events.

Sherlock finished yelling at Lestrade and stomped over to Chloe who was sitting on a bench. Slumping beside her he grumbled "If Lestrade and his incompetent excuse for a force had got here quicker this could have been dealt with much better."

"Hey, not everyone's as smart as you." Chloe reminded him.

"A fact drummed into me every time I leave 221. If only people would just-"

A delicate hand covered his mouth.

"I just complimented you. Now shut up and thank me."

A kiss, Chloe decided, from the man that you love is the best thank you ever.