Sherlock had been home for nearly a week, but he never mentioned anything about Irene or his time in Mycroft's make shift prison to Vivian. That left her feeling unimportant to him, like she just didn't matter because she had caught parts of conversations he had with John about it, but as soon as he sensed Vivian was close, he'd stop. She had been looking for a new job, but she just couldn't find anything that was paying near what she was making before and she found herself reconsidering Mycroft's offer.

It was a Tuesday afternoon when she came back to the flat to find Sherlock and Mycroft in a heated argument over what should be done with Irene. Mycroft wanted her exiled, wanting to send her to her death, but Sherlock wanted to keep her alive in a British prison. That sat wrong with Vivian, like he actually had feelings for Ms. Adler, but tried her best to act normal as she walked into the living.

"You two sound like children up here bickering back and forth, so knock it off. Mycroft, can I speak with you? Alone." Vivian watched as Mycroft stood up, making his way towards the hall.

"Of course, I was just leaving. Sherlock, the courts will decide her fate. Goodbye." Vivian followed Mycroft down and out onto the street, talking to him about finally coming to work for him. Mycroft simply nodded as he got into the car that was waiting for him, then he waited for her to slide into his car. She got into the car with him after she looked up at the window seeing Sherlock looking down at her.

Two hours later and Vivian walked back into their Baker St. flat, noting Sherlock was laying on the sofa. He had his hands pressed together, but Vivian knew he was doing anything but praying. He didn't open his eyes as he spoke to her, but his tone was even more cold than Mycroft's could be.

"Did you have a nice time with my dear brother?" Vivian walked over and sat in his chair, looking at him until he turned towards her. Sherlock finally turned to face her after several minutes and the look in her eyes was deadly.

"You're going to give me an attitude after all the shit I've put up with from you! You cost me my job, you drugged me and then you went off with that, that woman. How dare you even think you can begin to talk to me." Sherlock sat up swiftly, swinging his legs over, his feet hitting the floor.

"I've only tried to protect you, can't you see that? No of course not, I knew that sentiment you carry would make you blind to my reasons." She was irate now as she looked at him, standing up as she raised her voice.

"I would rather be blind and carry emotions than to be cold and exceptionally clever any day. You harass your brother, telling him he's so lonely, but don't you understand you will be too if you continue to lock all your emotions out. I don't why I let myself care for you, but I do Sherlock, and as God as my witness one day, in the not to distant future I won't let myself anymore because the pain will be too much to bear." Vivian took a deep breath, fighting back tears as she watched him, no change in his look. She stood up and walked out of the flat, not wanting to look at him at the moment, much less be in the same flat as him. She hailed a cab and headed over to see Molly, the one person who would understand her frustrations. She had sent Molly a text only to find out she was working at St. Bart's, so Vivian had the cab take her there.

Down in the morgue at St. Bart's Vivian and Molly talked for a long time, about nothing really until Molly had to ask.

"It's Sherlock isn't it? I know when he's upset you so don't try to say it's not." Vivian stopped her chin from quivering before she looked at Molly, her eyes full of despair.

"Yes, isn't it always?" Vivian looked around, knowing Mycroft could easily be listening but she didn't care anymore.

"What has he done now? He maybe clever but he is just a man, they do make stupid mistakes." Vivian gave Molly a small smile before it quickly faded.

"He won't talk to me anymore. One minute he wants to try to now he's worse than when I met him. He's cold and more rude than usual and he is just so far away. Whatever she did to him, I can't fix it, not all of it." Vivian sat there quietly for a long while then suddenly she jumped up, pacing around the room as her words came out rapidly and Molly thought once again she looked like Sherlock as she went on. "Oh, that's it. That is what she was trying to accomplish, she wanted him to feel but not for her, for me. She wanted him to have that sentiment so that he would worry about me, she would then threaten me and he would have to comply to keep me safe. Oh that bitch, she was trying to force him to show what he felt and he in turn shut down, stripping all those emotions away, no matter how little they were, and turned himself into that robot. He was protecting me, and John and Mycroft and you, all of us. That's what he meant, if he stays neutral then none of us are in harm's way. God, I have to go, I have to talk to him. Thanks Molly!" Vivian rushed out the door and Molly just sat there, not sure what had just happened.

"But I didn't do anything, did I?" Molly walked out into the hall, watching as Vivian sprinted towards the door. As Vivian got outside she hailed a cab and then she paid the driver extra to rush her back to Baker Street. Once she got back to their flat, she took the steps up two at a time until she saw him sitting at his microscope. She could see him glancing at her over the eye pieces. She made her way over to him, ignoring Mrs. Hudson who was going on about their domestic earlier, then once she was next to him she turned him to look at her. She then pressed her lips to his, her hands gripping his shirt as she pulled him closer. She finally pulled her lips away so that they could catch their breath, then she spoke to him.

"I'm sorry, I understand now why you say you were protecting me. I don't care if she threatens me, or who she has on her payroll, you just see if they can stop me."

"She has some very dangerous men working for her." Vivian looked at him, seeing the genuine concern in his eyes. She pulled him close, smile on her lips as she spoke to Mrs. Hudson over her shoulder.

"You may want to go back downstairs Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock and I have some things to talk about." Mrs. Hudson got that Vivian wanted some time alone with Sherlock so she went back downstairs as Vivian pulled Sherlock back into a heated kiss. He pulled away slowly, his large hand on her cheek as he looked at her.

"I don't know what I'll do if anything happens to you. Please just let me keep you safe." Vivian smiled up at him as she felt his other hand on the small of her back.

"You keep me safe, and I'll keep you human. Now tell me what we have to do to keep everyone else safe."