You guys are the greatest ever! Seriously! A MASSIVE thanks to my incredible
reviewers!
A HUGE thanks to: Newtofanfic (oh no! and No, I haven't seen it at all. But glad to know that you are enjoying more Mycroft!), Slyork1991, Guest, ele22, LatinClover, Gwilwillith, bored411, silver-angelic-lilly, LoveIsAFairyTale, KendraShadow (no, I wont do that, but read on and see :D), DrWholock, and romancejunkie for their reviews!
Hope you guys enjoy! It's a long… and slightly scattered one!
Kylie shut her eyes, fighting the flashbacks that were occurring in her mind with Thomas's hand clenched tightly around her through, cutting off part of her airway.
Please, Dear God, not this again…
Kylie grasped at Thomas's arm, trying desperately to get him off of her, but he just held her tighter, laughing as he stared into her eyes, getting off on her fear.
Fight back Kylie.
Mustering all of her strength, she rocked her body up looping one leg around Thomas's neck wrapping her legs around him like a vice, before throwing all of her body weight into pulling him to the ground.
Catching him off guard, it worked. His hand came off of her throat, allowing her to breath fully as she tackled him. She threw as many punches as she could before she untangled herself from him and tried to dash for Sherlock, but before she could, the back of the pistol connected with her head, knocking her to the ground in a daze.
She blinked. The world was spinning. The pain was overwhelming. Blackness was creeping in and out of her vision as she tried to stay conscious.
"That, is going to cost you Kales," Thomas said from behind her, his footsteps trailing away from her, "Remember that its because you fought back that little Sherlie here had to die in front of you."
What? No…
Kylie looked up, trying to clear her vision, only to see Thomas standing over him with a knife, sliding it across Sherlock's wrists, making a deep cut and watching the blood begin to drain out.
NO!
Her adrenaline kicked into full gear, giving her a moment of clear vision and allowing her to muster all the strength that she had left to charge at Thomas, knocking him to the ground as he finished the cut. The knife and gun clattered to the floor, skidding away from them as Kylie attempted to pin him to the ground. Thomas was too strong though. She struggled with him for a few moments before he easily turned her over, pinning her beneath him, her hands locked above her head.
"Stop this Thomas," Kylie pleaded with him as he looked at he with the evilness in his eyes, "I'll do what ever you want. I won't fight back. Just please… PLEASE let Sherlock live. Let him and John walk out of here alive."
Thomas looked at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he pressed a hand onto her wounded, and useless forearm. Kylie bit her lip, holding in a cry of pain, knowing he would enjoy it far too much.
"Oh, how sweet. You care for him. You used to care for me Kales. You used to love me. You still do in there somewhere. Part of you will know that you always belong to me."
"I don't belong to anyone you son of a bitch."
"Then how come I am in your head every morning and every night?" Thomas whispered to her, a smile on his face, "Every single time you look in a mirror, I pop into your head."
Kylie froze at his words, a chill running throughout her body.
A smile expanded over Thomas's face, knowing that he was getting to her.
"I own you Kales. I. Own. You."
"Go to hell Thomas," Kylie gritted out, trying to keep her fear at bay.
"You are mine Kales. You used to give yourself to me over and over again, and when I took you, you ran."
"Because that wasn't my choice," Kylie told him as she struggled, the fear bubbling to the surface."
"But you liked it," he said as he ran a hand down her body, making Kylie sick as he did it, "You always did."
"You raped me!"
"You still liked it," Thomas grinned, "I always loved watching the light drain out of your eyes as I took you."
Kylie gagged, trying not to vomit right there at his words.
"You're a fucking monster," she whispered to him.
Thomas laughed.
"Everyone has a monster inside them. Even your precious little Sherlie."
"Not him," Kylie told Thomas, "He's twice the man you will ever be."
"You don't think he has a darkside?" Thomas asked her, "Trust me, love. That man is worse than me."
Kylie stared at her ex for a moment. She knew Thomas. She knew his facial expressions. He had that look on his face that he had only worn when he knew something she didn't.
What didn't she know?
What was Sherlock hiding from her?
Was he hiding something from her?
"I'm not looking so bad anymore, am I Kales?" Thomas asked as he loosened his grip slightly, stroking her cheek.
She saw a moment of opportunity, using this to her advantage, Kylie was able to flip Thomas over quickly, punching him as hard as she could with a left hook and leaping up to grab the gun that Thomas had dropped earlier. She had almost reached it when a hand grabbed her ankle, yanking her to the ground.
The air left her lungs due to the impact. She gasped for air, fighting to keep her eyes open, looking for the gun.
A foot away…
She began to crawl as fast as she could towards the gun as Thomas creeped into her vision beside her. He lunged at her, trying to pin her before she could reach the weapon. He punched her, making her see stars before she punched blindly, connecting with his nose, knocking him off of her. She quickly turned and grabbed the gun in her hands, feeling a sense of slight relief come over her.
Got it.
She rolled over onto her back seeing Thomas standing, closing in on her.
KILL HIM! END IT!
You used to love him. Killing him isn't going to make anything go away.
LOOK AT WHAT HE DID TO YOU! TO SHERLOCK! TO JOHN!
Don't…
Thoughts ran through her mind as he aimed the gun and pulled the trigger, hitting Thomas square in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground with the force of the close range shot.
Kylie just stared, in shock that she had even pulled the trigger. She hadn't felt herself do it, her body just reacted.
You didn't kill him… you didn't end it.
….still can.
Before Kylie could really process what had just happened, the door was kicked open with a loud bang. Lestrade and about 20 other officers raced into the warehouse with their guns pulled.
"SCOTLAND YARD!"
Kylie breathed a sigh of relief as Lestrade rushed over to where she was, standing over Thomas, his gun pointed at him.
"Give me one good reason you dick, and I'll empty my case into you for what you did," Lestrade growled at him as another officer rushed over to cuff Thomas.
Kylie was still in a daze, trying to decide if this was a dream or not.
"You okay?" Lestrade's voice asked.
She looked at him, lowering herself back to reality.
"What? Yeah," she responded distantly as her mind went blank.
Then, one thought popped into her head.
Sherlock.
She tossed the gun to the ground before rushing over to where Sherlock was.
"Kylie! What the hell?!"
"John! Find John! There's another guy in the building!" She yelled over her shoulder as she rushed over to Sherlock, finding a couple of officers already trying to help him.
Her stomach fell into a pit as she saw the gaunt looks on their faces.
No…
She touched his bruised and swollen face, hoping to feel warmth through his even paler than usual skin. Not quite sure at what she was feeling, she felt for a pulse.
Weak, but it was there…
Thank you God.
"Paramedics are on their way in Ky," she heard Lestrade say from behind her as the other officers stepped away, giving her some space.
Kylie wasn't listening though. She was too focused on trying to get Sherlock to open his eyes; those beautiful blue-green eyes.
She put her head through his arms, so that they were looped around her neck and stood up slowly, pulling his bound hands off of the meat hook and lowering his body to the ground.
She heard distant yelling as she pulled his head into her lap, pressing the already tied handkerchief that someone had placed around his wrists, even tighter into the wound.
Kylie felt herself beginning to panic.
He was bruised, beaten, he had blood dripping from a damp spot on his head, soaking his curls. He was paler than she had ever seen him; dangerously pale. His blood soaked shirt and the blood she was sitting in wasn't making her feel any better.
He had already lost too much…
The reality that she could lose him hit her like a freight train. She had been afraid before, but he was Sherlock Holmes; some where in the back of her mind, she knew he would be okay… It, however, did not appear to be that way now.
She felt tears running down her face as she ran a hand through his hair, seeing her hand turn red with his blood, but somehow, she kept doing it, feeling the need to keep his blood soaked locks out of his face.
"Be alright Sherlock," she whispered to him, "Please be alright. I need you. I need you more than you know."
He didn't respond. He lay there lifeless in her arms.
"Please, for me? Please be okay for me?" she pleaded with him.
She closed her eyes and cried, letting herself fall apart, until she felt a soft hand on her shoulder.
She opened her eyes, looking up to see Lestrade kneeling down next to her. His face was pale and solemn as he looked at them.
"The paramedics are here Kylie," he told her as she saw a couple of men with a gurney rushing into the building.
She just stayed where she was. She wasn't moving. There was no way she was going to leave him.
"Let them work," Lestrade told her gently as he tried to pull her away.
"But…"
"Ma'am, let us work," one of the paramedics told her as Lestrade managed to peel her away from Sherlock, holding her in a hug as the paramedic began to work on Sherlock.
"Let them work," Lestrade told her.
She stopped fighting, watching the medics works.
"John? Did you find John?" she asked, not taking her eyes off of her boyfriend.
"He's safe," Lestrade reassured her, "He just woke up and the paramedics are practically holding a gun to his head preventing him from running in here."
Kylie felt a smile tug on her lips as she watched Sherlock be loaded onto the gurney.
"Ma'am?" a paramedic asked her, stripping his gloves off and eyeing her, "I need to treat you."
"I'm fine," Kylie said as she began to follow the gurney that was now being wheeled out, but Lestrade stepped in front of her, blocking her way.
"No Ky," he told her firmly, "Sherlock will be safe at the hospital and most likely be in surgery for a few hours."
"I'm fine Greg."
"You're face is swollen, you've been beaten up, shot, and are most likely in shock," Lestrade countered, "You aren't fine."
Kylie sighed and set her jaw, staring Lestrade down before she turned to the paramedic.
"Fine, treat me in the back to the ambulance, I'm not leaving his side," she told him stubbornly before she ran off after the gurney.
Lestrade looked at the medic apologetically before he just rolled his eyes at him and followed his 'patient' out into the ambulance.
Lestrade watched them all leave, before sighing and looking at the crime scene all around him. Kylie had been shot. Sherlock was in critical condition. John was nearly manic. Granted, they had the Broken-heart killer, and Thomas in custody, but he doubted this was all worth Sherlock being in critical condition over.
*&( *(# ))
Kylie stared at the hospital floor in worry, tuning out the beeping and talking of the crowded A&E waiting room. John sat next to her, twitching with obvious nerves. Kylie toyed with the edge of the bandage of her freshly wrapped arm. Her heart was beating out of her chest. Sherlock had been in surgery for a while now. Kylie wasn't sure how long, but upon their arrival at the hospital, her and John had been treated, bandaged, stitched, had a scan or two, and had now been sitting out in the waiting room for at least an hour now.
She felt as if he had an elephant sitting on her chest, preventing her from breathing. She was on the edge of her world, and a panic attack. She needed him to be okay. She couldn't bear to lose him.
The world around her seemed to be drowned out by the sound of her own thoughts and worries.
A hand covered hers, bringing her out of her trance. She looked up find John covering her hand with his.
"He'll pull through," he told her, looking at her with the same worry she felt, trying desperately to hide it.
Kylie sighed as she willed herself not to crumble. John was trying to comfort her (and himself) the best he could, but the longer Sherlock was in surgery, the longer each minute seemed to be dragged out. Each passing second felt like eternity as they waited to hear their friend's fate.
"He will," John told her slightly more confidently, "God knows he is far too stubborn to die twice."
Kylie laughed, giving his hand a squeeze as she shrugged slightly, "I guess you're right."
John smiled at her supportively as the two friends fell into a heavy silence once more.
"Is anyone here for a Mr. Sherlock Holmes?"
Kylie and John's eyes snapped over to the source of the voice, seeing a doctor in operating scrubs holding a file, surveying the room.
"Yes!" Kylie said leaping up and nearly sprinting over to him, fighting dizziness as she did.
"Have you two been checked out?" the doctor asked, looking at them warily.
John and Kylie looked at each other. Both of them had been stitched, bruised, and scanned. Kylie from her battle with Thomas, and John from being a bit roughed up by the large man. She had to admit, they both looked like hell, but right now, Sherlock's well-being was far more important.
"Yes, how is he?" John asked.
The doctor looked at them skeptically before looking down at the file.
"Are you two direct family?" he asked them, "I cannot release any information or let you see him if you are not a direct relative."
"I'm his wife and this is his brother," Kylie quickly lied, not really knowing why she said she was his wife.
The doctor looked at John skeptically, not seeing the resemblance.
"Their parents adopted both of them," she snapped, impatient she had been talking for at least a minute and she still didn't know the status of her consulting detective, "Can you just tell us how he is?"
The doctor stared at her for a moment, slightly taken aback as John tried not to laugh.
"Uh, yes… of course," he told her, trying to compose himself, "We'll he is out of surgery now and stable, but his injuries however, are very serious."
"How serious?" John asked instantly, the doctor in him coming out.
"He sustained a couple of skull fractures, a grade three concussion along with a brain hemorrhage. He also has a couple of broken ribs, a small amount of internal bleeding, and a substantial amount of blood loss."
Kylie grabbed John's arm in fear as the doctor went through the laundry list of injuries, each one sounding worse than the rest.
"We were able to insert a shunt and drain the blood, getting the hemorrhage and internal bleeding under control," the doctor continued, "All of his injuries should heal up without any substantial damage, but it is the skull fractures we are worried about. Though, there doesn't seem to be any permanent damage at this point, skull fractures are tricky, especially paired with a concussion as severe as the one Mr. Holmes has sustained. There may be memory loss, dizziness, irritability, personality changes, and maybe a sustained coma."
"Sustained?" Kylie asked.
The doctor nodded gravely, "In order to control the brain hemorrhage, we had to medically induce a coma in order to get the swelling down. Its hard to say when a person with these sort of injuries will come out of it."
"If you know that, then why did you induce a coma?" Kylie asked, her temper flaring as she attempted to hold it all together.
"They had to, Ky," John muttered to her, understanding the medical reasoning behind what the doctor had done. He then looked up at the other man, "Can we see him?"
The doctor nodded, giving Kylie one last wary look before leading them through a maze of hallways and past patient rooms. He lead them to the last room on the left, pausing outside the door as he motioned for them to enter. Kylie paused as John allowed her to enter the room first. Her breath caught in her throat the moment that she caught a glimpse of him.
Sherlock was lying completely still on the table; wires and tubes connected all over him as the steady and slow beeping of the EKG echoed through the room. The sound was eerie and far too slow for Kylie's liking. It was strange and frightening seeing him like this. He never even stayed this still in his sleep. The closest she had ever seen him to this still was when he assumed his thinking stance.
She felt John slowly nudge her into the room, snapping her out of her trance. She blinked a few times before she walked over the bed, gingerly brushing his curls out of his face.
He looked horrible. Besides the wires, tubes, and stillness; Sherlock was completely black and blue. Thomas had worked him over. His face was no longer swollen due to something the doctors had given him, but large cuts and bruises were left all over his face. A larger set of stiches and steri-strips were in his hairline covered by blood encrusted curls.
Kylie felt her heart break in her chest.
Sherlock: her Sherlock, in so much pain.
She gently held his lifeless hand, missing the way he toyed with her fingers while John looked over his chart.
"This isn't fair, John," she told him quietly as she ran her other hand through Sherlock's curls once more, silently trying to comfort him as she sat down in the chair beside the bed.
She felt John's eyes on her as he sat down in the chair across the bed.
"You think this is your fault, don't you?" he asked, reading her like a book.
She shook her head slightly as she fought tears, "It should be me in this bed John. Not him. Thomas only did all of this because of me."
John stared at his friend, trying his best not to gape. Sometimes he didn't understand her self-sacrificing nature and low-esteem. She was usually so confident, so self-assured, but when it came to Thomas, she seemed to think the lowest of herself.
"Kylie," he began slowly, choosing his words carefully, "What Thomas does, has absolutely nothing to do with you. He's a bloody psychopath; what he does isn't rational by definition. He wants to hurt you too and by just handing yourself over to him wouldn't do a single thing to stop him. He would still be like this Kylie."
He paused, watching her take in his words, still refusing to look him in the eye.
"I know I am making a leap when I say this, but I am pretty damn sure Sherlock would much rather be beaten again and laid up in this hospital bed than to have Thomas do what he has done to you one more time."
She smiled slightly shaking her head as tears dropped down to her hand.
"I don't know why he is with me," she admitted quietly, "He could do so much better than me. He doesn't deserve this hurt. Neither of you deserve to be dragged into this."
The room fell into silence for a moment.
"Kylie, that has to be the most absurd and stupid thing you have ever said out loud."
Kylie's head snapped up, staring at her friend in complete shock.
"What…?"
"Seriously," he told her, "We all have our baggage. I love you like a sister. And I know that Sherlock probably hasn't told you this out loud, but I'm positive he is in love with you. He would have died for you."
Kylie just stared at him in shock at his words, tears streaming down her face as she did.
"I know him, John. I don't expect him to be as vocal about his emotions or need to say things like that. I know he cares for me. I love him, I am in love with him, and the fact that he cares for me despite my mess of a past is enough for me."
John just stared at her for a moment, choosing to drop the prior issue and move onto another.
"Have you told him you love him?"
Kylie dropped her gaze immediately, toying with Sherlock's fingers once more.
"No," she muttered quietly, "I don't really know how to say it. That, and I know he would pull away from me the moment that I did."
John shut his eyes and smiled at her in disbelief.
Neither of his friends saw it… still…
Not the man who could see through everyone and everything in seconds, nor the only woman in the world who kept up with him; both physically and intellectually.
"Kylie, I will tell you, I have known Sherlock for five years now. Lestrade has known him twice that, and Mycroft has known Sherlock since the day he was born. Both of them agree with me whole-heartedly that he is head-over heels for you. I have never seen him care so much for someone."
"He cares for you."
"Not like he cares for you," John told her with a smile, "I doubt he's told you this out loud, but you are the only thing that helps calm his over active mind. You help him focus. You can actually see him physically relax when you touch him. Why do you think he refuses to sleep unless you are in his bed or touching him in someway shape or form? You are the only thing that allows him to sleep."
Kylie just stared at him, his words hitting her. She was shocked.
He couldn't be right, could he?
"For a man who despises human affection, human interaction and is a self-declared high functioning sociopath, that's pretty huge," John told her with a smile, "You proved him wrong in that respect."
Kylie didn't say anything. She couldn't. She just looked back down at Sherlock, running a hand through his curls once more.
Did he really love her?
John smiled at her as he leaned back in his chair.
"Hell, Ky. I think you are the only person who has ever been able to get Sherlock to sleep, let alone eat on a regular basis."
Kylie laughed slightly as John opened a magazine.
She knew she loved Sherlock, but for some reason, it was harder to admit those words out loud to him. Sure, Sherlock Holmes was the man who saw through everyone and anything, but something told her that he didn't really, truly, understand what love was.
Sherlock never talked about his childhood or his family, but the way he had reacted during the Rowe case and refused to talk about it gave her the idea that it wasn't a happy or joyful one.
Kylie toyed with his curls as she thought back to their last session with Dr. Witham. When Witham had brought up Sherlock's medical records and childhood, he had reacted with pure fear. She had never seen him frightened before until that moment. She had seen him take down criminals, gunmen, and her father with out any trace of fear, yet the idea that someone had read his medical records and wanted to talk about his childhood scared him to death?
He had been abused?
It was the only logical explanation of why he had such a hard time showing emotion and why he had trouble with human touch and interaction.
That doesn't matter Kylie. You shouldn't be deciphering or making guesses. He asked you to drop it and you promised you would… so drop it.
But you want to know…
Doesn't matter.
Kylie looked down at his hand, running her fingers over his thumb, praying that he would wake up soon.
She needed him. She needed to talk to him.
John was right. She needed to tell him how she felt, but she was frightened that he would run in the other direction if she told him. She knew he cared, but love? Love was a whole 'nother ball game.
Kylie looked at the man on the bed in front of her. He made her crazy; over the top, head over heels crazy. But at the end of the day, he was the only person she wanted to spend every minute with. He was brilliant, stubborn, quick-witted, strong, protective, and ignorantly sweet at times. He went from verbally lashing a person on the street, to being the most tender human being when he touched her or held her. He was fiercely protective of her, and drove her insane most of the time, but each and every time she got angry with him, he would turn around and do something so sweet that she had no choice not to forgive him.
Kylie had been in love only twice before in her life; once when she was 17 with her high school crush (which she was immensely confident in that calling it love was a leap) and once with Thomas. But Sherlock… neither had even come close to how fast and hard she had fallen for the dark-haired consulting detective. She had no clue why, but the man was absolutely fascinating to her. She couldn't get enough of him.
He needed to wake up.
She needed to tell him how she felt.
* ( *) (#$
"Kylie eat the damn sandwhich."
"I'm fine John. Don't you have work?"
"Called in sick. My best mate is in the hospital in a coma and my other best friend isn't eating or taking care of herself."
Kylie rolled her eyes at John's mothering nature.
It had been four days since Sherlock had been admitted to the hospital. Kylie had refused to leave his side, and had only been forced to leave once (when Lestrade literally carried her out) to shower and change, but Sherlock still hadn't woken up. The doctors had administered the drugs to 'wake him up' two days ago, but nothing had happened. They told them that he should be able to come out of the coma on his own, but they hadn't seen any change in his state. They kept saying things like 'not to give up hope' and 'keep praying' but Kylie and John both knew it was a matter of time before he woke up. They both knew he was too stubborn to die this way, but doubt still ate at the back of their minds.
"Seriously Kylie, I'm worried about you," John continued, snapping the last of Kylie's patience.
"I think its Sherlock you should be more worried about," she snapped back at him.
John just stared at her, biting his lip in order to not snap back, choosing not to say anything instead.
They fell into a silence that lasted a few hours. The only noise was a random sigh, turn of a page, or the beeping of the machinery connected to Sherlock. Kylie was feeling her eyes begin to droop as the beeping on the machines grew a bit faster.
"Kylie," John said suddenly, causing her to open her eyes, finding him staring at the EKG monitor.
"What?" she asked groggily.
"He's waking up," John said looking down at his friend in the bed.
Sure enough, Sherlock was beginning to stir.
Kylie felt her heart begin to race with relief at seeing the first movement she had in days.
"Sherlock?" she asked quietly as she grabbed his hand.
It took a moment, but he finally opened his eyes, blinking groggily a couple of times before looking at Kylie, John, and his surroundings with confusion.
"Hey," Kylie told him as tears ran down her face with relief.
Sherlock looked around once more, blinking more than a few times before looking at John.
"How are you feeling?" John asked his friend.
Sherlock gazed at him before shutting his eyes once more, remaining silent, in obvious pain.
Kylie looked up at John in slight worry.
"Sherlock you are in a hospital. You were injured pretty badly when Thomas had you," Kylie explained slowly.
Sherlock opened his eyes and looked at her in confusion.
"Who?"
Kylie stared at him completely stunned.
"Thomas, my ex-boyfriend. The one who is Moriarty's right hand man?"
Sherlock just stared at her as if she were a foreign object.
"Sherlock?" John asked him slowly, "What is the last thing you remember?"
"What slew none, yet slew twelve," he muttered, shutting his eyes.
It was Kylie and John's turn to look at him in complete confusion.
"I'm sorry?" John asked.
"What slew none, yet slew twelve?" Sherlock repeated, "The note the murder victim was holding, keep up John."
Kylie gaped as she looked up at John.
"The fairy tale murders," she told him quietly.
He thought it was three years ago, before Thomas had been reintroduced back into her life…
"Oh God," John muttered, looking back down at his friend.
"Must have knocked myself out with chloroform and hit my head," Sherlock deduced, feeling his head wounds, "Wouldn't be the first time…"
"Sherlock, you have a head injury. You don't know this, but you cant remember three years. The fairy tale murders happened three years ago," John tried to tell him as gently as he could.
Sherlock looked at him, "John are you drunk again? I don't forget things, I cant forget things. I only forget when I delete things, and I didn't delete this."
"Sherlock, he's not lying," Kylie told him gently, fear starting to kick in, "Its 2014."
Sherlock looked at her in shock for a moment before shutting his eyes.
The doctors and John had warned her that he may have some memory loss and that things would slowly start to come back over time if there wasn't any permanent damage. But she didn't expect him to totally lose three years.
Then a thought crossed her mind:
If he had lost the last three years, was that the only thing he had lost?
His brilliance?
His ability to deduce?
His feelings for her?
Okay, so I just have to say one thing, because I know that it is my pet peeve when things aren't medically correct in stories or TV shows.
In a coma due to injury, they wouldn't pull a patient out in only two days, and he wouldn't spring to life magically on his own in only just four days and stay awake. Coma patients (in my experience…not that they have been my patients…) wake up slowly, may stay conscious for only a few minutes and then fall in and out before they fully recover and gain consciousness. Granted, this is not always the case, but it is more typically the case. I just sped things up for plot reasons and not to bore you with a lot of sitting around and worrying like what mainly happens in hospitals.
So hopefully this makes sense. :D
Anyhow, review?
