Hi everyone! Here's Chapter Eleven, hope everyone likes it :)
My Xmas holidays just started, so I'll be updating a little faster, and am feeling really encouraged by all the positive feedback - you're amazing readers and reviewers and I love you so so much.
I still don't own Sherlock or Molly or anyone.
Love Misty x
Chapter Eleven
Sherlock was pacing like a caged tiger down the corridor. He'd never been so distracted before. It felt awful - he would think and think and know he was on to something, then the image of Molly would pop into his head, crying, the gun pointing menacingly at her, and he wouldn't be able to shake her from his thoughts. Sherlock was a mess, and he only had - he glanced at his watch - thirty seven minutes and twenty two seconds until it was all too late.
A hand rested on his shoulder. "Sherlock," a voice said from behind him. "Sherlock, you're alive, and I really want to punch you right now, but I don't think we have any time to lose."
"John," he said quietly. "I'm sorry. I'll explain afterwards, there was a good reason, I swear. Congratulations on your new girlfriend, by the way. You have somehow managed to stay with her for more than two weeks."
John laughed, then turned more sombre as he remembered why he was there. "Have you found any sort of clue as to where Molly might be?"
"John, I can't do it. My mind palace doesn't seem to work any more and Molly - what if I can't save her? She could die, John, and it would all be my fault."
Sherlock noted John's look of slight bemusement at his words, but chose to ignore it.
"OK, Sherlock, Molly can't be too far away, and we have time. We just have to think about this."
"But that's the point, John! I can't think! My mind's too crowded, I just don't -"
"Calm down. If you were that cowardly git Moriarty, where would you be hiding?"
Sherlock paused. "He would do something clever. Something he knew I would get... That's it!"
"What's it?"
"Moriarty wants us to find him, don't you see? Killing Molly would be unsatisfactory; no, he doesn't want to kill Molly, that would be too boring for him! He wants a showdown. He wants the day on the roof, only better."
"Yes... So what does that tell us?"
"Oh! Fairytales, John!" Sherlock sighed as his friend began to look puzzled. "Fairytales!"
"Ohh, like before. Right."
"Text Mary and tell her to find a floor plan of the Eleganza. We need all the help we can get."
"Sherlock, I hardly think Mary will -"
"Just do it, John. Please?"
"Fine," John sighed reluctantly, and pulled out his phone. "Sherlock?"
"What?"
"You... You really love her, don't you." It was a statement, not a question. He looked incredulous.
"Yes. I think we've already established that, John. Now come on. Fairytales.. Think of fairytales."
"Mary's just texted me a picture of the floor plan." Sherlock peered over John's shoulder and it all fell into place. It was obvious, it had been obvious all along!
"The tower! She's in the tower! He's doing some sick version of Rapunzel."
John smiled at him. "See! I told you that you could do it."
"Yes, but not without you," said Sherlock as they made their way to the tower. It almost felt like the adventures they'd had before his faked suicide - but this was the only crime that he hadn't rejoiced at its occurrence.
Molly's heart lifted as Sherlock and John burst through the door. She shot a look at Moriarty that said, "Hah! They came after all!"
"John, keep the gun on Moriarty," Sherlock commanded, then rushed over to her and started to undo the rope tying her down. He kissed her forehead lightly and she took in a sharp breath, her whole body tingling. He'd come! Did that mean that he really did love her? Perhaps Jim had made the whole thing up! Why on earth had she believed the consulting criminal in the first place?
"Not so fast, Sherlock," Moriarty drawled from behind them. "I decided to take a leaf from your book and get my own pet! Perhaps he shoots better than your Watson over here. He'd be more than happy to shoot dear Molly if I told him to."
Sherlock sighed and pulled away from her. "Molly has nothing to do with this. It's me you want your revenge on."
"Yes, but she's rather helpful to have around, just to get you to do what I want."
"You promised not to hurt her!"
"Ooops! I lied." Moriarty smirked. "You know what, Sherlock Holmes? You know what?"
"No. Do inform me."
"You're boring. Hah! You're boring! Now that you have emotions, you're practically ordinary. You're one of them, one of the angels, flitting around cheerily, relishing the simplicity of their existence."
Molly realised her bindings were looser now that Sherlock had attempted to untie them. Maybe if she did it surreptitiously while they were arguing, they wouldn't notice...
"I'm afraid you have emotions too, but choose to disregard them. I've just become a little more well acquainted with mine."
"Well acquainted? Sherlock, you are besotted with a dull, mousey pathologist of average intelligence. You're willing to risk your own life to save her. How sweet. How predictable. I've become tired of you. Sorry!"
Two knots fell loose at her feet. Only two more to go.
"Has it crossed your mind yet that I have also become tired of you?"
The consulting criminal had not been expecting that. "Yes. It has actually, and now I can't exactly leave you alive to tell the world all about me, can I?"
It all became clear to Molly. Jim was planning to have Sherlock killed and then leave, off to find someone else to be his new plaything. Well, that wasn't going to happen; not while she was still around. Her fingers battled with the final knot.
"No. You can't leave loose edges. Only problem is, John has a gun pointing straight at your head, and is also more than happy to shoot you or your Moran."
"Thing is, Sherlock, the trick with this life is not to become too attached, which I have already mastered. And you have not. Ciao, Sherlock Holmes. I can tell you, it's been fun." The knot collapsed just as Jim nodded to Moran, giving him the signal. The signal to shoot.
Suddenly Molly knew what she had to do.
She got up and stood in front of the consulting detective.
The bullet tore through her side with a pain that was almost liberating.
