Chapter 11: Siblings

Moran looked across the table at his sister sitting with a slightly smug smile as she ate her salad. He had always thought of her as… something better; something better than what she was, something better than himself. In retrospect that probably only enabled her to further develop into who she had become. They didn't know each other growing up, had only met in person when they were young adults; Moran being 22 at the time, and Aggy being 19. Moran had gone off with his dad who was a British government official and traveled back to England from the United States when his mother had become pregnant with Aggy. Moran didn't even really know she existed until he received a call at 18 from his mother, her voice had been unfamiliar to him, it was the first time he could remember hearing it, and it would be the last.

She had informed him of his sister and how she had gotten into some trouble with a boyfriend who... Moran wasn't really sure what he did, his mother was very distressed and could hardly be understood… but in the end Aggy had murdered him to escape. Suddenly he was hearing of the family back in America that he had forgotten and being asked for help. Moran couldn't do much at the time; being an 18 year old in the Military and still in training, he couldn't really afford to help. He explained this to her and he could practically hear her heart breaking over the phone. At the time Moran had been just an ordinary bloke, new to the military, new to hardships, and when he hung up the phone it had been with a heavy heart. He might have even shed a few tears, but he'd never admit to that.

He later received a phone call from Aggy herself, she pleaded with him to help her. He wanted to, but he didn't know how, he was only 18 at the time. He had asked her if she would consider going to their dad, he had more resources and more knowledge than him. She told him that she had already tried but he turned away from her, she cried. That was the day Moran had lost all faith in his father, government officials, and people in general.

When Moran had finished his training and got the chance he tried to phone his sister and mother. He found out that his mother had passed and he couldn't get a hold of Aggy. Eventually she discovered he had been trying to track her down and she phoned him. As it turns out, being the advanced student she was; that she had been recruited by the C.I.A. and was currently being sent to University on a scholarship and once she received her Bachelors would have an official position at the agency. Moran congratulated her, but she didn't sound happy, just indifferent. She was a 15 year old going to University on a scholarship, at the time Moran thought it was impressive, now it just went further to demonstrate the ability the world has to take young potential and warp it.

Time went on and both Moran and his sister climbed the ranks of their respective institutions, maintaining contact via weekly phone calls. Both he and his sister were very smart, very motivated, and ruthless; they both had a general apathy for their fellow man, and learned things much quicker than the average. At the age of 21 Moran had attracted the attention of an anonymous benefactor and began doing some "of the books" contract work on the side of his military career.

At age 22, his sister now 19, one week he did not receive his weekly phone call from her. Using his considerable resources he discovered that she had gotten into a bit of a spot with the C.I.A. and they had contracted a man hunt on her. Moran saw what she had done, and while he didn't approve of it; he couldn't help but think they had deserved it, considering who they were, what they did for a living and who they worked for. Moran's anti-establishment sympathies had grown considerably in the past years, with what he had seen and done; who he had worked for. It didn't take him long to find her, contact her and find her way to England. When they finally met they collapsed into each other's arms and cried, family and circumstance had kept them apart for so long. Their first phone call and their first meeting had been the only two real emotional moments they had ever shared, or arguably even had. He had recommended her to do a job for the anonymous benefactor, doing wet work like he did. Eventually he retired from the military as he was just tired of balancing his two modes of employment and only worked for his unknown employer. It wasn't long before he would climb the ranks and become Moriarty's number two, and his sister would be a high ranked assassin who was the only one aside from Moran that Moriarty trusted for the high stake jobs.

Moran had never thought of himself as soulless, well at least no more so than the average person. But as he looked across at his sister, he couldn't help but wonder if they had both lost something. He thought back on his life, almost 20 years after he and his sister had first met in person with tears staining their cheeks, and he laughed. It was very possible, but he didn't know how to care.

Aggy looked up at him, "What are you laughing at?"

"I have no soul and I don't give a damn." Moran smiled exposing his canine teeth, an intimidating smile by most people's standards, but Aggy simply smiled back sweetly.

"If you had one, I'd say that you weren't paying attention."

Moran pensively nodded and downed the rest of his bourbon, receiving looks from some judgmental patrons and waiting staff. Consulting his watch Moran stood, "I have to go. I'll see you later at the boss's." He slapped sufficient money down onto the table to pay for both their midday meals and turned to leave.

"I know you're going to see him." Aggy didn't bother to look up from her salad as she spoke to her brother.

Moran turned to face her.

Looking up she continued, "And more so, Moriarty knows."

Silence.

"Do you really think he'll appreciate you meeting up with Sherlock and John?" She raised her eyebrows as she spoke, almost condescending of her.

Moran rolled his eyes, "I'm just meeting up with John; Sherlock won't be there."

Aggy laughed, "Do you really believe that? He'll see right through you."

It was Moran's turn to be condescending, "he didn't see through you; at least, not at first."

"I didn't make him jealous." She smiled.

Moran gave her a curious look, eyes narrowed, "how do you figure I'll make Sherlock more jealous than you could?"

"Because Sherlock's not scared of some woman taking his John away, he's scared a man will do it; if a man does it that means that Sherlock really did have a chance after all. And that he wasted it." She smiled a smile that seemed out of place.

Moran flat out laughed at this, it made too much sense, and he couldn't believe he didn't think of it before. He held his arms out in an appeasing gesture, "well I can't exactly just stand him up, now can I?"

"I've already arranged it so he'll end up standing you up." She smiled.

"Ah." Moran nodded, a curious death would have taken place a few hours ago and Sherlock would get called to consult, taking John with him. His mobile buzzed in his pocket, it was John cancelling. Moran sat back down at the table and ordered yet another bourbon.

"The only reason you're not dead right now is because Moriarty likes you."

Moran arched an eyebrow at his sister as he took sip of his freshly poured bourbon.

"It's true, if Moriarty were Sherlock, Sherlock would be John and you'd be… Lestrad."

Moran almost spat out his drink, choking as he attempted to regain control over his laughter.

"Oh I don't know, I think I like him a little more than Lestrad." Moriarty's voice sang from just behind him. Moran slowly turned to look at his employer pulling up a chair right next to him, and sitting so their arms touched.

"Hello sir." Moran said blandly as he put his glass of bourbon down onto the table.

"Yes, hello, hello indeed; I do like how polite you get when you see me. All though, I must admit seeing you in your natural state is rather pleasing as well." Moriarty raised his eyebrows once and Moran, knowing exactly what he meant, went to take another sip of bourbon before Moriarty put his hand over the top of the glass, shaking his head, "You really should let that breath, dear."

Moran only just managed to not roll his eyes.

"You look like you've just sucked on a lemon." Moriarty teased, "What did I tell you about being annoyed with me? Don't do that." Moriarty's voice dropped low and dangerous and Moran did his best to smile at his mad employer.

"Sorry sir."

Moriarty smiled a manic smile but quickly grew serious again as he danced his fingers around the rim of Moran's glass, "I hear you've been seeing Johnny boy behind my back."

Moran kept his face impassive as he responded, "I was in the neighborhood and we knew each other in the army days so I decided to visit. As a sort of… last good bye, you could say."

Moriarty looked at Moran critically with eyebrows raised, gathering all the information he could and processing it, coming to conclusions in an instant. "Then why were you going to see him again today?" his voice a dark, high pitched melody.

Moran didn't really know, he surprised himself when he hesitated just long enough for Moriarty to continue speaking.

"Yes, well. I'm not going to let Sherlock choose Johnny boy over me, and I certainly won't stand for you choosing him as well, my pet."

Moran nodded and Moriarty grabbed his face, "Things are just starting to get fun again, I won't be having anyone ruin it for me." His face was only a hair's breathe from Moran's before he turned to look at Aggy, "Keep an eye on your brother. We don't want him doing anything silly, now do we?"

Aggy nodded, "Yes sir, and no sir."

Moriarty sneered at her as he stood and departed the restaurant.

Once Moriarty was out of sight Moran turned to Aggy, "He really doesn't like you, does he?"

Aggy shook her head, "No, he only tolerates me because I am excellent at what I do, and because I'm your sister." To anyone else it would almost seem sarcastic, Moran knew better.

Moran leaned back in his seat, "What can I say? I'm one sexy Mo' Fo'." A predatory grin spread across his face. Aggy rolled her eyes and started walking away, Moran called after her, "Did you ever really care about him?" She turned to face him, "I'm just curious."

Aggy sighed, "I think in another life I think I would have. Sometimes it almost makes me sad."

Moran nodded then turned his attention to his bourbon.

Leaving after his evening rendezvous with Moriarty and Aggy he shook his head as he opened his car door. He looked in the rearview mirror, rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, "I know you're there. Can we not be so childish?" He turned to face the man that was currently hiding on the floor in front of his car's back seat. Apparently he caught the man off guard, exactly what he had been trying to do to Moran, scoffing he grabbed the man and pulled him up so he was no longer sitting on the floor, but rather the seat, "Mycroft send you?"

The man looked like he was going to attempt some sort of pitiful attempt at denying it when Moran gave him a stern look, "Yes sir."

Moran smiled his predatory grin, "Good, manners will help you in this situation. Don't lie to me; know that I'll know if you're lying to me." He pointed angrily at the man in the back seat.

The man nodded, clearly scared. Why did Mycroft insist on sending incompetent men to come for him?

"What were you told to do?" Moran's body twisted as he tried to face the man from the driver's seat.

"I was told to kill you, sir."

Moran nodded. "I'm going to do you a favor now, but you'll have to get out of the car first."

The man smiled and gladly got out of the car, such a stupid man. Once the man had stepped clear of the car and closed the door, Moran pulled his gun out and shot him in the head, Moran didn't bother to clean up the body. He just left it there; the bums would roll the body, taking anything of value. The entire population would dismiss it as a robbery, only Mycroft and his men would know better.

Aggy walked by and glanced down at the man's corpse then looked up at her brother with one eyebrow arched, "A friend of yours?"

Moran laughed behind his hand, hiding his predatory grin, "Not exactly."

"Hm," She looked down at the man lying dead on the cold pavement then up to her brother again with pursed lips, "well are you going to just leave him there?"

Moran nodded with an indifferent frown on his face, "Don't really see why not."

Aggy rolled her eyes, "ugh, you're so lazy!" she just barely managed to hide her smile.

Moran scoffed, with a slight scowl on his face lifted one hand into the air in a 'what the fuck' gesture, "Really, me; I'm lazy? Me?" his voice went uncommonly high pitched coming from such a large man.

Aggy smiled almost sadistically, "Oh yea." Then she walked to her own car. Moran rolled his eyes and sighed as he started his car and drove off, leaving his sister and the corpse behind him.

Once Moran had finally returned to his flat for the night he did a sweep of his flat to get rid of Moriarty's bugs. He found more than he would have preferred, most of which were video/audio recorders in his bedroom and bathroom. He promptly destroyed them; afterwards he received a text from Moriarty which read: You know I'll just replace those in the morning, and in more creative places.

Moran sighed as he read the text and rolled his eyes. The moment he was strategically ready to take over Moriarty's web, he'd go in for the kill. Perhaps if he did it quickly enough he could save John, so he could live happily ever after with Sherlock. He couldn't help but smile at the notion, at least then someone would be happy.

Another text from Moriarty: That brunette was frisky ;)

Despite already being aware that Moriarty would know, Moran still found himself reddening at the thought that Moriarty had watch last night's escapades without his knowledge and couldn't help but curse out, "Mother fucker!"

Moriarty: You're so sexy when you swear.

"I've missed some, haven't I?" Moran spoke out loud.

Moriarty: Oh baby, you'll never be able to find them all.

Moran lifted the palm of his hand to his face, he didn't want to deal with this; he turned to grab his coat to leave his flat again. He opened the door only to find Moriarty leaning on the door frame, waiting for him. "Oh, so nice of you to join me, are you going to invite me in?" He practically sang with a manic smile.

Moran did his best to keep his face and voice impassive, "Would you like to come in sir?"

Manically grinning, Moriarty nearly sung, "Well, yes, I would! Thank you so much for offering, really, it's so polite of you." His voice grew dark and his face grew serious as he entered Moran's flat.

Moran spent the next few hours shamelessly flirting with his boss; he would take any advantage against Moriarty that he would offer. It ended with Moran bracing himself over Moriarty lying on the couch, their faces very nearly touching, and intense eye contact as Moran teased at a kiss before speaking, whispering the words against Moriarty's lips, "I have an early assignment tomorrow, sir." Moran always had fun teasing his boss, Moriarty wanted what he couldn't have, and he wanted it to come to him on its own; or at least for it to seem that way.

Moriarty scowled, "You don't have to do it."

"The entire plan relies on this assignment."

"Ugh! Send someone else to do it!" Moriarty moaned as he pulled on Moran's shirt.

"There's no one else to do it."

Moriarty looked livid as he pushed Moran hard to get off him; Moran sat up and allowed Moriarty to get up. "Don't forget," Moriarty started as he walked across the room, grabbed his jacket, slipped it on and went to walk out the door, "I'll be watching you." His voice was dark and menacing, Moran simply nodded and watched as his employer slammed the door after him.

A/N: Yea… Moran may be super bitter and cynical, but that doesn't stop him from shipping Johnlock. :D Thanks again for reading and reviewing, the follows and the favourites!