Chapter 36- Loose Ends

A/n: so of the people who replied, 4 out of 5 said sequel, so, as I said I would go with majority, I will do a sequel. However, I will try and end Shadows in a way so that anyone who wants to stop reading at Shadows can do so without too much trouble.

This is the last chapter guys! Omg I can't believe it! I just want to say thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you so much to everyone who has taken a chance on this story and has stuck with it all the way through, I love you guys so much! I really hope you have enjoyed it! It's actually quite emotional! My first fanficition finished!

Anyway, here is the last chapter! It's not the most creative of endings but I hope you enjoy it and I've done the ending well! Xxx

SH

By the time we got to Vauxhall Arches, the sky was already darkening, and the shadows began to creep up on us. A quick glance at my watch told me it was 5.30.

I lead Lestrade down the grimy path, past many of the vast darkened cave- like arches that framed the place. I remembered the time when John and I had been down here last- when we had been searching for the Golem. And the last time I had been here. On the day after my 'death', talking with Sky.

Sky was the girl whom I had come to see. She had been so helpful to me in the past 5 months, and I was only hoping she would be as useful now. The text she had sent me via her 'borrowed' phone had been hopeful.

I stopped six columns down, and glancing around the seemingly deserted arch, brought out my phone.

I'm here, SH

"Where is she?" Lestrade hissed, his breath steaming up in the frigid air. I motioned for him to shut up silently, my phone in my hand, waiting.

One of the shadows moved, as a slight figure slid out from behind the black arch opposite us. She hurried up to us, her features becoming clearer as she moved away from the darkness and into the light.

It was Sky.

She looked tired, and more dirty than usual, her auburn hair falling un-kept into her face, but she smiled when she saw me.

"I dain't think you'd actually come," she said quietly, in her thick cockney accent. She nodded her head to Lestrade, who had tensed up beside me, " 'oos this?"

"A friend," I replied, "you said you had information regarding a certain Emily Jones?"

"Aye," she nodded, sucking on her bottom lip, "I 'ave alrigh'. She's been around 'ere a lot, bragging 'bout her plans,"

"What plans?" Lestrade asked sharply, "tell us everything,"

"I dain't know everythin'," she replied, somewhat haughtily.

"Well tell us what you know," I said impatiently, biting my tongue to stop myself from correcting her words whenever she said something that completely destroyed the English language.

She shifted uncomfortably, hands deep in her pockets.

"I know she was workin' for 'im before, you know," she cocked her head to one side, as if trying to encourage the answer from us.

"For who?" Lestrade questioned.

"Moriarty," I said in an undertone, watching as Sky shivered slightly. I knew that most people in 'the underworld' hated saying his name, because they were scared. Fortunately, most people now knew he was dead, the papers had said as much. But his name was still a taboo. Sometimes even I shivered, as much as I hated to admit it. I remembered his words 'I will burn the heart out of you'.

"Emily Jones was working for Moriarty?" Lestrade spluttered, flabbergasted, bringing me back to the present situation.

"Of course," I whispered, the whole thing suddenly becoming much clearer, "of course she was, who else would she be working for?"

"But he's dead!"

"What else?" I asked Sky, calmly, though I thought I already knew.

She was silent for a few moments, running a hand through her hair.

"She kep' talkin' 'bout something she was plannin', like something' to do with you," she nodded at me, "like revenge' she said,"

"I don't understand," Lestrade admitted.

I turned to him, the last missing pieces fitting neatly into place.

"Listen, Emily Jones was working for Moriarty, and Moriarty pays handsomely when he wants to, you should have seen some of his higher ranking men. She was getting money in from him for all the work she did, she was dependant on it. When he died, obviously that all went away. She suddenly went from having a nice monthly sum to absolutely nothing. She was homeless. And now she wants revenge,"

"Revenge?"

"Yes, revenge on me, for killing Moriarty,"

"But you didn't he shot himself!"

I sighed.

"But I was in a way responsible for him killing himself! Don't you see?"

"How do you know this?" Lestrade asked weakly.

"I observe," I remarked dryly, "remember that house in Oxford? Remember how she killed her boyfriend for his money? She's desperate! And framing your sister for the murder, she knew it would interest me! She knew I would do it for you because I work with you a lot, in a way, it was clever! And the drugging! I bet it was her! It was all personal, trying to get to me, trying to get me interested! And then she started planting clues, all to get me following her! What was her plan Sky?" I suddenly asked my voice bubbly and excited.

She jumped, obviously not expecting the question.

"To kill you," she whispered.

I nodded, I was expecting that.

"Revenge," Lestrade repeated, comprehension dawning in his voice. He turned to me, "you knew this?"

"I had suspicions," I said truthfully, "in the end it was obvious,"

"So, so the case is finished then?" Lestrade asked, sounding very much relieved at the prospect. Though to be honest, I was too.

"Yes, it's solved, we know her motives, her reasons, we have proof, you can go and do what you do best, and lock her up," I grinned at him.

"Pleasure," he said dryly, pulling out his phone.

"Thank you," I said to Sky, who shrugged.

"I dain't say much, it was you who worked it ou'," she smiled briefly, then passed me a letter, "I go' 'anded this a few days ago, dunno wha' it is,"

I took it from her curiously, "who gave it you?"

She shrugged again, "some bloke, I dain't see 'is face,"

I looked down at the dirty piece of folded paper, then stuffed it in my pocket. I'd had enough of mystery to last me at least a day. Right now I just wanted to go back to John, and stay with him until he got better, and actually have time to appreciate that I had him with me.

"Ain't you gonna read it?" she asked suspiciously, watching me closely.

"I will later," I said quietly, and then nodded to her, "thanks again," I passed her a £50 note as I usually did when she gave me information. She grinned, and turned away. I watched her retreating back until it dissolved in the shadows.

Lestrade came over, and I fell into step beside him.

"I know that you still think the whole, solving cases, thing is a bad idea, but to be honest, I wouldn't have been able to solve it without you,"

"I know," I said pleasantly.

The place was briefly filled with golden light as Lestrade's car winked at us; he unlocked it.

"How's John?" he asked, climbing in and starting the engine. It hummed reassuringly.

"Better,"

"Good, that's good, do you mind if I come in and see him with you?"

"Why?" I asked, immediately on my guard.

His expression was one torn between amusement and exasperation, "He's my mate as well you know,"

I fell silent, staring out the window.

JW

When my hospital room door was beeped open once more, I could immediately see from the looks on their faces that they'd got it solved. This just made me all the more irritated that I hadn't been able to go along with them. Though I was surprised that Lestrade was here.

"Well?" I asked, sitting up slightly.

"solved, all clear and perfect," Sherlock grinned, "she wanted revenge for Moriarty's death, and tried to kill us all in the process, it was mainly for money, she framed Lestrade's sister, drugged me, and left all those clues all to try and get me interested, and she tried, and failed, to trap me,"

It was all said so fast my mind could hardly keep up. I blinked a couple of times to try and clear it.

"Wait, she was working for Moriarty?" I gasped, trying to sort out one of the few thinks my mind had managed to comprehend from the stream of words.

"Yes, she was, that's where she got all her money,"

"Oh," I managed.

Lestrade grinned at the look on my face.

"Yeah, I know, that's how I felt when I found out,"

"So- so this is all sorted? We've solved the case?"

"Yes," Sherlock nodded.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"That's great! Well done!" I praised weakly, making Sherlock beam.

"Thanks,"

I turned to Lestrade, "at least now you have proof that it wasn't your sister,"

" Yeah I know, and I can get her locked up,"

"And I need to talk to Mycroft," Sherlock said suddenly.

There were two things wrong with that sentence.

The fact that Sherlock was actually going to phone someone, which he rarely ever did. And that fact that it was Mycroft who he was phoning.

I stared at him.

"o-kay," I cast a bewildered glance in Lestrade's direction, who looked just as non-plussed as me.

He ignored both of our questioning looks, and went outside the room, leaving the door propped open slightly so as to stop himself getting locked out. However even then, the conversation was so muffled I couldn't make it out.

"So how are you doing?" Lestrade asked me, by means of making conversation.

"A lot better thanks," I said with a sigh, "I suppose I owe some of it to you, getting the ambulance to me so quickly you know?"

He shrugged, "it was the least I could do,"

I smiled. I was so relieved that the whole thing was over. I could look forward to going home, with Sherlock, and actually appreciate that he was back, and back for good.

And then the door opened, and my happiness immediately melted away.

Sherlock's face was as white as a sheet, what little colour he had in his cheeks completely gone. His phone was held slack in his hand. He looked stunned.

"Sherlock?" Lestrade asked, looking uneasy.

"Are you ok?" I asked, frankly alarmed that a phone call could cause so much change.

He shook his head.

"What is it? What's wrong? Is Mycroft ok?" I responded immediately.

"Mycroft's fine," he muttered weakly.

"Well what is it then?"

He was silent for what seemed like a lifetime. He seemed to be wondering if he should say whatever it was that was worrying him. Meanwhile, Lestrade and I sat with bated breath, tension rolling off us in waves.

And then he spoke. He looked up, stared right into my eyes.

"Sebastian Moran has escaped from prison,"

To be continued…

A/n: Ahhhhhhhhh, so when I said that you could stop at this story without too much trouble, I kinda lied a little. But you still can still leave it here if you want to! Omg I really hope the ending was alright! Omg I can't believe I've finished a story! Please tell me what you think! A review or two would be lovely.

The sequel will be called Flickering Light, and for everyone who is not following me I will update this author's note when I have put the first chapter up!

But for now its goodbye and an absolutely massive thank you and a BIG hug to all of you lovely people for sticking with me through Shadows I love you all! I think I've said that twice now! But I really do!

Thank you guys! Xxxxxxxxxx

Update: Flickering Light is now up! :D