A/N: Hey! I have yet another chapter! Since I don't really have anything else to say and you probably don't want to read a super long author's note, I'll just move on with the story.
Chapter 26 – Pursuit
"You mean to tell me that Sherlock and his friends just WALTZED OUT OF HERE?!" Moriarty shouted.
The man flinched. "We tried to catch them sir, but they out ran us."
"HOW could they OUT RUN you with an INJURED person and in the state they were?!"
"I don't know sir. The guy with the curly hair was carrying the girl."
"And he STILL managed to out run you!"
"We know where they went sir."
"Well, there's some hope yet. Where?"
"Saint Bartholomew's Hospital."
"Do you have their room numbers?"
"Three of the rooms are empty, but we do have the girl's room."
"Yes?"
"Room 217."
"Excellent. I assume you know what to do from here?"
"Yes sir."
"Go."
Meanwhile, in the hospital, Aliea was extremely bored.
She had uncovered herself to find a bandage winding across her chest and around her injured shoulder.
Just then, Nurse Williams came back in.
"Did you find him?"
"Yes, he was fine."
"Thank you, Nurse Williams."
"Call me Rory."
"Thanks Rory."
"It was nothing. How are you doing?"
"I feel much better but I was wondering if I could change into my clothes. I'm getting tired of this hospital gown."
"Um, well, you see, your clothes were pretty much ripped to shreds. I'll see if I can find you some spare ones from the lost and found."
"Thanks."
Rory left and returned a few minutes later with a pile of clothes in his arms.
"Would you like to change in here or the restroom?"
"The restroom please."
"Follow me."
Aliea followed Rory to the girls' room.
She walked in and proceeded to change into the clothes Rory had provided.
He had brought her a pair of jeans, a worn looking pair of Converse sneakers, a navy blue T-shirt, and a lighter blue shirt that looked very similar to the shirt she had borrowed from Dean.
After she changed, she pulled a hair band from her wrist and braided her hair to the side again.
Satisfied, she left the room and followed Rory back to her hospital bed.
She sat down on her bed.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Rory asked.
"No, but thank you for the clothes."
"You're welcome."
Rory turned and left the room.
A few minutes later, Aliea heard a knock on her door.
"You don't have to knock Rory, you can come in."
But the man who entered was not Rory.
He was dressed in all black and held a gun.
"The boss doesn't appreciate those who run away. He's rather put out by your refusal of his hospitality."
The man stepped into the room.
Thinking fast, Aliea slammed the door into his head. He stumbled and then fell over, dazed.
Knowing it wouldn't be long before he was back on his feet, Aliea jumped over him and fled down the corridor.
She ran down to the first floor and out the doors, dodging the grab of another of Moriarty's men.
She ran until she came to a street corner, where she stopped a passerby and asked for directions to Baker Street.
The confused man gave her directions and she took off running again. She looked back and saw three men running after her.
She turned the corner and ran down the next street, one hand on her injured shoulder.
Running was hard. She hadn't healed fully from her time with Moriarty and she was still suffering from hunger and exhaustion.
Ignoring the difficulty as much as possible, she ran until she couldn't run any further.
She grabbed onto a street sign, leaning against it, gasping for breath.
She looked back. The three men were at the other end of the street but were steadily getting closer.
She had resigned herself to getting dragged back to Moriarty's headquarters and tortured to death, when she glanced at the sign above her. 'Baker Street.'
New energy filled her and she got up and resumed running.
She ran until up ahead of her, she saw the door labeled '221B.'
She leaned against the door and knocked on it as though her life depended on it, which it did.
No answer.
She saw the men getting closer. She had given up all hope when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs inside the flat.
Sherlock, John, and the Doctor were inside 221B.
They were sitting in Sherlock's living room, drinking tea, when there was a loud knocking on the door.
"Shut up!" Sherlock yelled.
The knocking stopped, only to resume louder and more determined than ever.
Sighing loudly, Sherlock got up and walked down the stairs.
Not expecting someone to be leaning on the door, he opened it and Aliea fell through the doorway, landing on the carpet right in front of him.
Sherlock's eyes widened. He hadn't expected this.
Aliea got to her feet and leaned against the wall, clutching her shoulder.
"Aliea, what are you doing? You're supposed to be in the hospital."
"So are *gasp* you," she said.
"Fair enough," he said, "But what happened?"
"Moriarty's *gasp* men!"
Sherlock didn't look it, but he was alarmed. He stuck his head out the door.
Sure enough, three men in black were running towards 221B.
He grabbed Aliea and pulled her inside, slamming and locking the door.
He and Aliea made their way upstairs.
John and the Doctor jumped to their feet when they saw who Sherlock was with.
"Aliea?! What are you doing here?" John asked.
"Moriarty's men must have come to the hospital after we left," said Sherlock.
John looked at Aliea and took in her condition.
"Oh God Aliea. Did you run all the way here?"
She nodded.
To say John looked concerned would be an understatement.
"You need to rest. You still haven't fully recovered from your injuries."
"She can have my bed, I sleep very little," said Sherlock.
"Thanks," said Aliea as John led her up to Sherlock's room.
[End Chapter]