Chapter 20

Sherlock's POV

As I got out from the cab, I looked up at the all-too familiar building in front of me. I grimaced at the thought of John being in the same position as I was 3 years ago.

It simply cannot be. But…

"If this was what Moran was planning to happen, then leave him be. We've got other plans, Sherlock. Do keep that in mind."

Mycroft's words echoed around my head and all I could do was to give off an irritated expression.

I walked inside the building, not paying even a bit of my attention to the oblivious people inside. But of course, I was not a fool to not notice that some of them are Moran's men. How predictable. Everything is obvious. Simply obvious.

I can't even stop myself from sighing.

Moran and Moriarty has a lot of differences though they worked together for years.

Moriarty uses his head for these things simply for his enjoyment. While Moran on the other hand uses his head and power in great lengths for his achievement.

One simply thinks of such things as mere 'fun' but the other thinks of it as his 'business'. Always competing, always wanting to win.

Yet the latter was their similarity.

I walked towards the elevator and caught a glimpse of the ever-innocent Molly.

As the door closed, she managed to look at me and give off a confused smile.

I honestly didn't like it when I am in the elevator with 'people'. Deducing them has always been an option but they are too 'ordinary' for any bit of my attention.

Floors went by and the number of people was getting smaller. I stared at the blinking light and eyed the last floor number.

The elevator dinged as it paused and opened. I walked out and started towards the stairs that leads to the rooftop.

I never did like de ja vu, it's terribly unpleasant and unintelligible. It stacks up another dreadful set of memories inside my mind.

Not one person was in the particular side of the seemingly unconscious building.

My steps echoed as I started walking up the stairs. I looked at every side of the path towards John's welfare as well as his jeopardy. Yet I am here to secure that welfare and Moran is there to render such jeopardy.

As I reached the last step, I heaved in a deep breath and turned the knob.

'Just wait for me, John…' Were the words that rang as the door creaked open, revealing an empty area.

I eyed the place and walked outside. I was still watchful as an eagle when someone talked from behind.

"Welcome back, Mr Holmes," and the ever-grey tone of Sebastian Moran greeted.

I clicked my heel and put my hands behind my back as I turned around to look at him.

"I'm afraid I don't like this particular place, Moran."

He raised one brow and nodded, "Well that is rather acceptable since you were supposed to die here and will eventually die 'truthfully' in a matter of about…" he trailed off and looked at his watch, "23 minutes."

I kept quiet and waited for anything that he was about to say. There was no point replying since he was obviously in the upper-hand.

"Let's not make this any longer, shall we Mr Holmes?" He grinned quite appallingly, "I have two things to give you. One will certainly give you an idea of what is happening and the other will give you the idea of what will happen. I am very sure that you know what I mean, yes, Mr Holmes?"

I glared at him, giving no sorts of response.

"Well, my first gift would be a video of your beloved Doctor John Watson," after revealing his first 'gift', my phone suddenly rang.

I clicked it open and saw that I received an anonymous message. I rolled my eyes at how easy things for this bastard were right at this moment. It is absolutely irritating.

I opened the message and played the video that showed a struggling John Watson – tied up on a chair, with hands tied behind his back and eyes covered with a cloth.

My hands started clasping-unclasping in anger when I saw that John's clothes were tattered and bruises were eminent around his body.

"Will you be kind enough to tell me as to what your deductions are after seeing that certain video, Mr Holmes?" The devil confronted.

Out of the will to tear him to pieces, I replied, "Hm, child's play. You have tied John on a chair, obviously. But the question would be where? Judging by the room, the lights, the walls, the atmosphere, obviously an abandoned room. 'Abandoned', so it should be somewhere that was obviously used before. There are 127 abandoned places around London but they are in certain categories. Shops, factories, hospitals, houses, apartments and schools… But it's perfectly clear that it's between a house and a –"

I was cut off when he raised his hand while shaking his head nonchalantly.

"That's enough for now, Mr Holmes. As much as how 'fascinated' I am to listen to your deductions, I do need to watch the ever running time. We don't want to be late now, do we?"

I glared.

"Right then, my final gift would be a phone call which will reach you right about…" And as if on a cue, my phone rang, "Now…" He trailed off and grinned rather excitedly. Hm, if you ask me, it is a bit out of character.

I took out my phone from my pocket and took a small glance at the caller ID which was obviously unregistered.

Exactly five seconds have passed until I answered the call with a lot of possibilities in mind.

"Hello?" I asked.

I waited for what felt like a minute when I heard the very wanton voice that had both surprised and angered me.

Angery at myself.

"S-sherlock?" Mary's shivering voice echoed from the other end of the line and all I did was stare at the floor below me.

"Sherlock?" She repeated.

I blinked my eyes and silently cursed myself for not being able to respond quickly, "Mary?"

"A-are you there?"

Her quivering tone sent shivers around my spine, "Yes…"

As I closed my eyes, I heard her let out a relieved sigh, "Good…"

"Where are you?"

"J-just somewhere…"

I turned my gaze towards Moran who had his index finger in front of his mouth; he's becoming the devil that I portrayed him to be by the second.

I know that Mary will never tell me where she was, but at the very least, I could listen at the background. I should know by then of her whereabouts.

"Alright… Mary, are you okay?"

A bit of silence was observed, it was infuriating until she replied, "Y-yes… I'm fine."

I silently let out the breath that I was holding back moments ago, but there was one thing more that I desperately needed to know, "And the baby?"

"She's fine…"

I somehow smiled at how she didn't even hesitate to answer. That would mean that she is really saying the simple truth.

I needed to keep her talking, so I tried to ask again.

"Mary—"

"Sherlock. I… Is it okay if I ask you a favour?" Her voice was even quivering than before that I forcefully closed my eyes to try not thinking of what she wanted to ask.

"No, Mary. Everything will be okay. Just wait for me. I—"

"Please, Sherlock?"

The eagerness in her voice was too persuasive, what am I to do?

"I know what you're going to say, Mary. And it will not happen. I promise you. Just trust me. I will save—"

"If you know, Sherlock, then you probably know as well that if worse comes to worst… you have to save the baby," she stated with a rather strong voice full of determination.

"Mary—"

"Please, Sherlock? I know that this will hurt John but I both love him and the baby. And this is the most rightful thing that I am capable of doing just so both of them that I held most dear will live. I know John will take care of the baby, he loves her. And I know that they will both be alright because you are there, Sherlock." I wanted to state my argument but, Mary being Mary, she knows as to what I was heading to.

"You're not a hero, Sherlock. I am perfectly aware that you can't save all three of us. In order for the two of them to live, I know that I should go. So just please, Sherlock… Just say yes."

I was out of words for the very first time. It was quite irritating how Mary did it but it still was utterly heart wrenching that it brought my mind to a stop.

Truly, love is a dangerous thing. It will bring pain upon anyone including John and I.

I am perfectly fine if I were to be in pain but John…

Mary has to live in order for John to not feel the pain I am feeling now.

"No, Mary. You will live and I will make sure of—"

The sound of my phone beeping was heard even before I could assure the poor lady that I will not fail her.

I glared at Moran who tutted and pointed his watch.

"I do apologize for the sudden interruption Mr Holmes, but you see, time is moving fast. We only have 10 minutes left to finally reveal the particular 'gift'."

"Stop wasting time with your absurd 'lines', Moran. You have a 'gift' yes? Then do tell," I sarcastically answered with a dull expression.

This man doesn't seem to be doing all these because of a certain 'debt', as far as I could tell. This is something far more than a mere 'paying a debt' order of events. It makes me want to do improbable things that will surely result to great lengths of danger for Mary, John and… the baby. That is why I have to bloody endure this unpleasant man.

"Alright then. This final 'gift' is the final game that Moriarty prepared for you, Mr Holmes. But, unfortunately, I had to change some things for a certain amount of reasons," and my assumptions of this not being a 'paying a debt' scenario was confirmed. Hm, how very discernible.

"The rules are simple Mr Holmes. You simply need to tell me where John Watson and Mary Watson are. But here is the 'catch', that is the word that common 'villains' say, yes?" He grinned, "But I am absolutely not one of those drab people. Now, shall we?"

I glared. He chuckled.

Oh, how I wanted to simply shove that imprudent smirk of his.

"John and Mary Watson are in different places. But, we will give you two choices. That would of course mean that you are only allowed to choose one. And another 'catch', each of their locations are planted with bombs. To simply state it Mr Holmes, save one and kill one…" He trailed off and acted like he just thought of something interesting, "Oh, do forgive me for my ignorance Mr Holmes. Mary Watson is pregnant, yes? That would mean you'd save two and kill one or save one and KILL TWO."

I held a white-knuckle grip as the devil smiled in victory.

"Let's not observe procrastination now, shall we? The options would be…, location A or location B. Simple as that, Mr Holmes. Oh and do forgive me if the game is a bit too 'simple', I heard you rather love difficult ones."

I continued masking the anger I am feeling right at this bloody moment with a monotonous expression. This was well planned. He knew that I would deduce the possible outcomes of today's turn of events. All of it. Yet he knows that I would disregard simple ones as to I thought that it was all Moriarty's plan.

"Focus, Sherlock. Don't lose your self-control. Restrain your physical self and clamber upon your mind. Search every possible option and all its possible outcomes. Think, Sherlock. That is what you do best, yes? Then think."

Mycroft's voice echoed around my mind palace as I started thinking of my choice.

Physically, I would look like a stunned man or maybe a statue. But inside my mind palace, everything was in a definite pandemonium.

He only gave me the options but not the location themselves. Because if he did, he knows that I will know where the two are. And he can't risk that for he knows Mycroft could be anywhere.

**Mind Palace**

A?

Or B?

Is John in A? Or in B?

But what if Mary is in A? Or in B?

Sherlock…

No, this is taking too long.

Sherlock…

Think. The hints. John is in an abandoned area and surely Mary is too.

Sherlock!

I stopped from thinking when I heard the voice that I have always wanted to hear this past few days. The voice that I will never seem to forget. The voice that sent my heart into thump abnormally.

"John?" I looked around my mind palace and saw a blinding light in front of me and the silhouette shadow of my doctor walked towards me.

"Sherlock…" He stopped right in front of me with that warm smile of his.

"John!" I exclaimed and did not hesitate to pull the smaller man into a tight hug.

He chuckled and tapped my back.

"How's it going?" He asked as he let go.

I immediately converted my gaze from his to somewhere else that I could try and avoid his.

"Oh? Is Sherlock Holmes trying to avoid me? You know well that that's not actually effective, yeah?"

I sighed, "I don't know what to choose, John. It's absolutely irritating! That man is absolutely infuriating!"

He smiled again and it was as if we were back at the time when we were just from the club that we visited to find if there is any lead with the murder from before.

"You have saved a lot of people, Sherlock. And you have saved mine a lot of times. But you won't really be everyone's hero if they don't trust their lives into your hands… That's why you are our hero Sherlock. Me, Mary and the baby trust our lives to you," he then gave me a warm, encouraging and hopeful smile.

I closed my eyes, defeated.

"Whatever your choice is Sherlock, I know that you will be able to save all of us. I just know it! I trust you, don't I?"

I finally had the courage to look at him but he was slowly fading away, "Wait, John! What if I wasn't able to save Mary and the baby? What if… what if they died? Will you hate me then?"

He let out a lop-sided smile and shrugged, "I trust you, Sherlock…"

He slowly faded away and all I could do was reaching out but it was all in vain. This 'feeling' just won't leave my chest that it was hard not to grip my chest because of the pain that it was giving me.

This was simply the reason why I had never wanted to 'feel' and 'love'.

But still… I had to say it… Just this once…

"I… I love you, John."

**Reality**

"So, do you have your choice now, Mr Holmes?" The voice of Moran suddenly echoed around the area. I glowered at the smirking devil in front of me.

"Thirty seconds, Mr Holmes."

I stayed silent, trying to finalize my choice.

"Twenty seconds, Mr Holmes."

We were staring at each other's eyes when I noticed a glint of light from behind him.

"Ten seconds, Mr Holmes."

I forcefully closed my eyes and gripped both my hands into a white-knuckle grip.

"Five."

I've told you, John. I am not a hero.

"Four."

But because of your trust…

"Three."

I'll try to be one. Even how ghastly it sounds.

"Two."

I will become your hero.

Before he could say the last second, I cut him off.

"A."

And suddenly, we heard a loud explosion that had him grinning from ear to ear.

John!

A/N: Good morning. First, I would to ask for your forgiveness for not being able to update in such a long time. I am truly and very deeply sorry. You see, school is being err… a b*tch! I've had tons of homeworks and projects for the past week and unfortunately, my Laptop's charger is unusable due to unknown circumstances. And during weekends, I can't seem to write because I bloody live alone and I have all the chores to myself. I am very and truly sorry. I just wanted you to know that I will be having my midterm's examination next month and I will probably be able to update at the end of the month of August. Please bear with me.

Next, I thank everyone who still managed to read this work of mine even though the updates are a bit slow. Well, not a bit really but very slow. But still, thank you for all the supports that I am getting. I am hoping that maybe some of you will tell me your opinions upon the matter of my slow updates.

Lastly, thank you for your continuing support upon this work of mine. Especially for the views, reviews, follows and favourites that this is getting. I really do appreciate and love all of it especially your reviews. :)

And oh! I only have about 20 days left to edit some of the parts of the story that's why I am in need of a proof reader/Beta reader. If you happen to know one or you yourself is one, please don't hesitate to tell me. You see, I know I have quite a lot of errors and I would really love it if everything will be perfect for future readers. :)

I think that this is getting a bit long, yes? XD

And so, sorry, thank you and cheerio!