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Ele22: They really wouldn't. And thank you. Yeah, I hope it will work out. I wrote this story and two more sequels before the third season came out and this is the repost. My mary was semi-different so my idea is to sort of blend the two together. Hopefully it will work.

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A huge thanks for all your feedback you guys! It really means a lot to me!

So, I rewrote this chapter 4000 times and I'm honestly still not that happy with it, so I apologize if it reads strangely. I really had a hard time with this chapter for some reason. So I hope you guys still enjoy it.

Sherlock lay in bed, staring at the ceiling listening closely in the silence of the flat. He was exhausted. He knew his brain needed to rest, but he couldn't sleep… not when Kylie still hadn't returned home.

He sighed loudly and looked over at the clock next to the bed

4:17 AM

Where in the hell was she? She should have been back hours ago! There was no way it too more than six hours to do preliminaries.

He rolled over and grabbed his phone off the nightstand, checking his texts, growling in frustration and flopping back down on the bed when he didn't see anything.

He had told her to contact him. Why hadn't she been in touch?

Glanced over at the other side of the bed, finding himself missing the warmth she brought to it. He had never found himself complaining about his bed. It was comfortable and he had slept on a hell of a lot worse those two years on the run. But despite all of that, he still hadn't slept all that well upon his return to England. Granted, he wasn't being beaten and tortured, but at the time, he had been focused on one thing; getting Kylie back to London.

Now, having her back, and knowing the feeling of having her next to him in the bed that he had been dreaming about in the Serbian forest, he felt a slight emptiness with out her beside him. Every night since he had shown up at her father's house they had gone to bed together, and getting into an empty bed with her no where to be found… it gave him a feeling that he didn't like, nor understand.

He huffed and stared at the ceiling once more.

He hated that this was eating at him. His mind wouldn't stop racing, and not in the beneficial way. All he could see when he shut his eyes was the shadowy figure known as Thomas grabbing Kylie from behind and pulling her away from him.

GOD WHERE WAS SHE?

CREAK

Sherlock froze and his eyes widened as he heard the creaking of the front door faintly opening from below.

He listened carefully as he heard the door slowly and quietly shut, as if someone was sneaking in.

He sat up intently, listening for the sounds of the intruder.

They weren't climbing the stairs… why weren't they climbing the stairs?

Kylie's flat…

…Thomas had broken into Kylie's flat when he had taken her the first time.

He was here… Thomas was here…

Sherlock quickly and quietly got out of bed, his feet hitting the floor as softly as an agile cat. He crossed the small hallway and the living room silently, avoiding the floorboards he knew creaked as he made his way silently to the desk to grab the gun that John kept there. Usually Kylie's was there as well, but he had made her take it with her.

He inserted the cartridge, as he wracked his ear listening for any trace of sound coming from below.

Nothing…

He crept down the stairs, peering around the corner as he got the bottom, the gun ready in his hands.

This was his chance, he was going to finally get Thomas… Kylie would be safe.

He reached the bottom of the stairs, turning to see a light exuding from Kylie's flat, the door remaining cracked.

He heard movement inside.

His heart pounded as he neared the door.

This was it… he had been waiting years for this moment.

He slowly approached the door as he saw a shadow pass from behind the door.

He was close…

Sherlock took a breath and composed himself before he pressed the door open, drawing his weapon, pointing it at the shocked person behind the door.

"Sherlock! What the hell?!" Kylie yelled in surprise as she jumped back, her keys in hand.

Sherlock looked at her for a moment, his mind racing.

"Kylie?" he asked in surprise, not realizing he was even going to say anything before it had come floating out of his mouth.

"Uh… yeah…?" Kylie nodded as she looked at her boyfriend, wondering what the hell had gotten into him.

He was looking around her flat, the gun still at his side as he pushed past her, searching the flat for someone or something.

"Sherlock, what in the hell are you doing?"

"Someone just came in here," he told her as he walked into her bedroom, looking around before he opened her closet, pointing the gun at her clothes.

"Uh, yeah, that someone was me," Kylie told him as she followed him into her bathroom, watching him rip back the curtain.

"What? No, just a moment ago, I heard someone come in here."

"Yeah, Sherlock. I just got back from the Yard. I thought you were asleep, so I came down here to change before I went back upstairs to sleep."

He whirled around, her words finally sinking in.

"You just got in?"

"Yes! I just got back from the Yard. I didn't want to steal your clothes again, so I came down here to get some."

For the first time since his arrival, he looked at her. Her hair had been tied up, just like it always was when she was working. Bag under her eyes were dark, exhaustion covering her face once more, as she was wearing exercise shorts and her father's oversized sweatshirt that she favored sleeping in.

It really had just been her.

"Oh…" he muttered as he stared at her in confusion.

Kylie raised an eyebrow at him, "Yeah…"

"You came down here just to change?" he asked.

Kylie laughed slight, "Uh, yeah Sherlock. I keep my clothes down here."

He paused, looking at her for a moment, "Why don't you keep your clothes upstairs?"

Kylie's eyes widened slightly as she just gaped at him for a moment.

He stared at her in confusion.

What had he said?

She shut her eyes and shook her head, "I'm sorry, what did you ask?"

"Did you not hear me?"

"No, I did, I'm just trying to understand what you are asking me."

"How is keeping some clothes upstairs confusing?"

"Some," Kylie sighed in slight relief, laughing slightly.

Sherlock frowned even more, completely lost by the turn this conversation had taken.

She looked back up at him and smiled, "I think it may be best if I keep them down here."

"Why?"

"Where would I put my clothes?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"… a… drawer…"

"Sherlock, I've seen your dresser and your closet. You have your socks catalogued! Are you really going to clean out a drawer and part of your closet for me?"

Sherlock just stared at her, silently.

She smiled even more as she walked over to him, running a hand up his chest as she leaned in, kissing him chastely.

"Exactly," she told him, "Come on, let's go to bed."

Sherlock just stood there frozen in place as Kylie pushed past him, slipping out the door and up the stairs.

…Clean out a drawer?

"You coming?" her voice asked from around the corner of the door.

Sherlock felt his body turn back on as he looked towards the source of her voice.

"Yeah," he breathed as he quickly turned off the light, giving the empty flat one last look before shutting the door behind him.

&*( *(*# )(

Sherlock walked into his bedroom, setting the gun down on the nightstand as he found his girlfriend pulling off her sweatshirt, leaving just her camisole on as she got into bed.

He just watched her for a moment as she pulled out her hair tie, allowing her hair to fall down around her, the moonlight glinting off of it beautifully.

"You okay?" she asked as she caught him staring at her.

"Yeah," he told her as he pulled back the blanket and got into bed.

She smiled at him as she clambered in next to him, cuddling into his side as her hand found it's way under his t-shirt.

Sherlock shut his eyes as he felt that now instinctual comfort that he always felt with Kylie next to him. Her warmth finally heating the bed; the same feeling that had made him feel empty just minutes before.

"You find any leads while I was gone?" Kylie asked as her fingers softly traced the muscles of his stomach.

"No," Sherlock griped, "Mycroft can't find any trace of him. His name was essentially wiped out of the system except for the vague file that I had already found."

"And since we have no idea what he looks like, we have no way of tracing him," Kylie finished.

"Exactly," he muttered bitterly.

"So he just gets away with it?" Kylie asked quietly, "Thomas and Moriarty just get away with it?"

Sherlock didn't respond. He didn't want to admit defeat. They knew who did it, granted it was speculation, but it was well supported speculation. But the fact that their hands were tied at the current moment, didn't sit well with him, especially when the people responsible were also responsible for the worst moments of the woman in his arms life.

"We'll get them," Kylie told him firmly, "We will. One day, we will."

He sighed and let his hands brush through her soft hair.

They lay in silence for a few moments, just taking comfort in each other as they were lost in their own thoughts.

"I met the new coroner," Kylie said out of the blue, disturbing his thoughts, "She's wonderful actually. We talked for a while. That's what took me so long to do the prelims."

Sherlock frowned and looked down at her.

"You were having tea for six hours?" Sherlock scoffed, "Did you even do any work?"

"Yes!" Kylie said in offense as she looked up at him from her spot on his chest, "We drank some wine, and I made a new friend, okay?"

Sherlock just stared at her as if she had lost her mind completely, "There was a body and a case there, and you just were chatting and drinking wine?"

Kylie laughed slightly at him, "Yes. I did. I like her, and it was rather nice to make a new friend."

"But… there was a case! You don't need a new friend!"

"Yes, I do," Kylie told him as she propped herself up on his chest, staring him in the eye, "As much as I adore you, John, and Greg, I need a female friend I can talk to about stuff that doesn't interest you and when I need advice."

He gave her a look, looking slightly hurt by her words, making her smile softly at him.

"I highly doubt you want to hear about gyno visits, talk about how annoying periods are, and take yoga classes with me," she said as she ran her hands through his curls.

His expression changed instantly to one of slight disgust, making her laugh at him.

"You see what I mean?"

"Why do you need to talk about that stuff?"

"Because its what women do. We confide in each other and talk about almost everything." Kylie trailed off for a moment, "You'd like her. She's smart, knows her stuff."

"Who?"

Kylie gave him a look, "The new coroner, you know? The one we've been talking about?"

"Oh," he commented as he relaxed back down into the pillow, shutting his eyes once more.

Kylie chuckled at him, shaking her head for a moment as she relaxed back down into his chest.

"I think I'm going to set her up with John," she told him smiling, "I think she'd be good for him."

Sherlock opened his eyes once more and looked at her, frowning.

"What?" she asked.

"Why?"

Kylie looked at him once more, "Why am I thinking I'm going to set them up?"

"Yes."

"Because John is lonely. I mean the poor guy has been playing third wheel to us, and I know he wants to find someone. I just met her and I really think they would get along famously."

"John isn't a third wheel…"

"I know. I don't think of him that way, but that's the way I know he probably feels."

"How do you know that?"

"Experience."

"What..? How can you quantify…?"

"Sherlock, just go with it, okay?"

He stared at her for a moment before huffing and laying back down on the pillow, "Fine," he muttered.

Kylie laid back down, running her hand up his chest.

"Thank you," she told him quietly.

They lay in silence once more for a few minutes, both lazily tracing the musculature and curves of the other's body, finding comfort in the habitual touch.

"The case Lestrade gave you," Sherlock asked as his fingers traced her spine, "It look promising?"

Kylie sighed, not really knowing how to answer that question.

"We'll see. Its definitely serial, but all of the victims that they have found were killed over a long span of time and have had time to decompose. The trail has probably gone cold, not to mention none of us were really around to ensure that the correct evidence was collected. The guys who took over while we were all MIA were hacks. There's hardly any data or evidence collected."

"Figures," Sherlock muttered.

"Lestrade is getting me all of his case notes from the newest scene. He just got put on the case. So hopefully there will be something else we can find."

"We have a client in the morning."

"I know, I'm going to head to the Yard after. I'm assuming that if we do take the case, which I still believe to be a long shot, that you and John can handle the first part, as my actual paying job requires me."

"John and I get paid…"

"Yes, but that's how the two of you make your living. Our cases just cross and the Yard has to be my priority."

"If you want part of the money…"

"No, no, no," Kylie said quickly, understanding that she wasn't getting her point across, "I don't mean that… at all. This is your and John's gig. I just get to help out because I want to. I make more than enough to live off of from the Yard. I was just saying, that because of that, I have to do what they want me to do before I can help you guys."

"Oh," Sherlock said before they fell into silence for a moment.

"Its always better when you are there though," he commented quietly as his head dropped towards her, his lips brushing against her forehead.

Warmth and giddiness surged through her at his words.

"Its better when I'm with you," she told him in return as she looked up at him before pressing her lips to his in a soft and gentle kiss.

With her lips on his, Kylie felt elation…. It was just as she always had kissing him, but the feeling felt as if it were increasing exponentially. She didn't know if it was the discovery of the fact that she was in love with the man, or if it was just her giving into everything, but all that she did know, was that it was truly the most amazing thing that she had ever felt.

The kiss slowed to a stop, lingering for a few moments as neither were ready for it to end.

"You need to get some sleep," Sherlock told her quietly as he briefly kissed her once more before tucking her head under his chin and settling in for sleep, allowing exhaustion to win.

Kylie couldn't help but smile to herself as she relished the feeling of being held tightly and tenderly by this man.

She knew she had freaked out for a moment when she had heard him ask her to keep her clothes in his flat, but in her defense, she had believed him to be asking her to move in with him. She had never lived with anyone before, not even Thomas. She always had to have her place. It was a safety blanket she was thankful she hadn't given up when she was with Thomas.

But still.. he wanted you to keep things at his place… you are practically living with him.

But Im not… that's the point.

He still offered you a drawer.

Yeah, with out thinking it meant giving up a drawer and part of his well organized closet.

Still she didn't care. She felt safe. She loved this man, and right now, that was all that mattered.

(#( *) () _()#

"What are you doing?"

"Thinking."

"Yes, I gathered, but you haven't touched your breakfast and the client is going to be here any minute."

"So?"

"So, I made you breakfast nearly forty five minutes ago. And you have just been staring at the serial killer wall of death John and I have been trying to take down because the case is cold. Mycroft is on it and there's nothing we can do."

"The trail isn't cold…"

"No, but your damn breakfast is, Sherlock. Listen to your girlfriend and eat the food before one of us shoves it down your throat."

Sherlock rolled his eyes and slouched on the couch, glancing at the plate that Kylie had reheated about ten times now for him. The client was going to be here any moment and Kylie and John were busy trying to tear down the pictures that he had hung up everywhere.

"Eat," Kylie told him firmly as she passed him, bending down to kiss his forehead as she walked to the other wall, "You need to stop skipping meals."

Sherlock looked at her, watching her put the photos on the desk, admiring the way she padded across the room in bare feet, watching her hips sway ever so slightly. He picked up the fork and ate his eggs obediently.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"And there's our client," John said as he took the last picture down, tossing them on the desk towards Kylie as he disappeared down the steps to let the client in.

Kylie cleaned up the photos and took the "client chair" into the middle of the room, leaving it there as she collected Sherlock's half-eaten plate.

"You're finishing this later," she told him.

"Will you stop mothering me?"

"I'm your girlfriend, I'm allowed," she winked at him as John entered the flat, a pretty older woman in tow.

"Guys, this is Christine York," John said introducing the woman to them.

Kylie walked back in, shaking her hand.

She looked at the woman. She was older, in her mid-sixties. She was wealthy, there was no doubt about that by the way she was groomed and her designer blouse and slacks. Her nails were done perfectly, the only exception was a slight amount of paint she had in the cuticles of her nails.

Sherlock was rubbing off on her a little too much.

"Lovely to meet you," Kylie told her with a smile.

Sherlock was staring at her, an odd look on his face as the woman turned to him and held out her hand to shake, "Pleasure to meet you Mr. Holmes. I appreciate you meeting with me."

He stared at her a bit longer, until John coughed loudly, causing his flat mate to snap out of the trance he was in.

"Have we met before?" Sherlock asked her as he shook her hand.

The woman smiled at him, "No, I don't believe we have."

"You been on television lately? Around Parliament?" he asked, "Maybe a news paper?"

"Sherlock," Kylie said pointedly, giving him a strange look.

"I've seen you before, where have I seen you…"

"No where, I'm sure," John told him pointedly, giving him a look that was silently trying to tell him to stop.

"Are you involved in any terrorist groups or on any criminal watch lists?"

Kylie rolled her eyes and sighed, knowing this was going off the deep end into extreme quickly.

"Pardon?"

"Watch lists, terrorist groups?" Sherlock asked again, "Anything I would have seen?"

"Um.. no…"

"Why don't you sit down Ms. York," John suggested loudly, trying to save face.

The woman gave Sherlock one last strange look before she sat in the chair, specifically reserved for clients.

"Please, tell us why you are here," John asked politely before he sat in his own chair.

"Someone has been breaking into my home," the woman told them.

"And why do you believe that?" Kylie asked.

"Since a few weeks ago, I constantly feel as if I am being watched. I'll be at home, with the windows down, in bed and I feel as if there is someone in the room with me. Or I'll be painting and suddenly I know that someone else is there."

"Have you seen anything? Heard anyone?" John asked.

"No, I just… I just know. The police don't believe me…"

"I wonder why?" Sherlock said sarcastically as he kept staring at her oddly.

The woman just looked at him, offended by his words, and yet weirded out by the stare he was giving her.

"You said you believe someone to be breaking in though," Kylie asked, trying to get back on track, "Do you believe that they are just watching you?"

"No, they are looking for something," she told them, "I don't know what, but they are rifling through drawers, leaving furniture out of place, going through my studio work… all of it."

She saw the expression on John and Kylie's face, and that told her everything that she needed to know.

"Look, I am not as paranoid as I sound," she told them, "I am wealthy. I have money. I run in high circles, amongst those who run government agencies, and none of them believe me. I have no proof, I know that. But I am telling you, someone is breaking in."

"What do you think that they want?" Kylie asked.

"I know some things," she told her, "I am very good friends with highly powerful people, and things have slipped at dinner parties. I believe they are looking for my diary."

"You write government secrets in your diary?" John asked skeptically.

"Well, no. Its doodles and color schemes for my art. I'm an artist," she told them with a smile, "But I think someone believes that I do."

Kylie looked at the woman. She knew her and John were in agreement… this woman was suffering from something and there was no way that they were going to waste time on this case. She was so convinced though… Kylie almost felt sorry for her.

"One question," Sherlock asked, breaking the silence.

"Certainly," the woman said smiling, thankful that the famous consulting detective finally looked interested.

"Have you been in any pornos or movies?"

Not my greatest chapter, I know…

More to come soon though.

Review my darlings?