"Sherlock!" I said loudly over the helicopter. I felt someone grab my arm, and push me up. I turned around to the man helping me into the helicopter, shaking my head, trying to explain, but they didn't hear me. I was hoisted into the aircraft, and Sherlock and John stared at me, Sherlock smiling, while John was confused.

"Change your mind?" John wondered. I shook my head.

"No, no, I didn't. I had to tell you-"

"Buckle in." The man yelled, cutting me off, and buckling me in. The helicopter took off before I could explain that I really wasn't going.

"You had to tell us what?" John asked. I looked at the pilot and his co pilot, seeing the initials CAM on their headsets-Charles Augustus Magnussen. I couldn't tell them here.

I shook my head instead. John only nodded.

The helicopter ride, which was in reality not very long, felt like ages. We landed in front of Appledore, and a man met us as we climbed out of the helicopter.

"Sherlock Holmes?" He asked. Sherlock walked forward.

"Yes?" he asked. The man began to walk towards the enormous house.

"Follow me, please." He asked, and we walked behind him to the house. I felt someone pull me back.

"What did you want to tell us?" John asked quietly, so the man in front of us couldn't hear.

"Magnussen's files aren't in a library." I whispered. "He has his own Mind Palace. He remembers it all. He doesn't have any physical copies of anything."

"How do you know this?" John asked.

"At the hospital, after they took Sherlock back, Mary told me in the waiting room. I asked why she couldn't just steal the files back."

John opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as the man held the elevator door open for us.

"Thank you." I nodded to him, walking inside.

The doors opened, and we walked in, finding Magnussen sitting on a sofa, a drink in his hand.

"I would offer you a drink, but it's very rare and expensive." He greeted us.

Sherlock walked farther into the room, and sat down a few feet away from Magnussen. He put the laptop between them.

"Oh, it was you." Sherlock said, looking across the room. I followed his gaze, and saw footage of a fire, and Sherlock pulling my brother out from underneath it.

"Yes, of course." He answered.

I felt my blood begin to boil, and I glanced at John.

"Very hard to find a pressure point on you, Mr. Holmes." Sherlock hummed. "The drugs thing I never believed for a moment. The only other options were John, and his sister Elizabeth, and, believe it or not, I wouldn't dare put a pregnant woman in danger." he turned to me. "How is little Ophelia, hmm?" I didn't answer, and he turned back to the projection. "But look at how you care for John Watson." he commented as the footage replayed itself. "Your damsel in distress."

"You...put me in a fire...for leverage?" John asked, furious.

"Oh, I'd never let you burn, Doctor Watson. I had people standing by." He sat up, putting the glass on a table. "I'm not a murderer...unlike your wife."

He turned the footage off, and walked towards the wall. "Let me explain how leverage works, Doctor Watson. For those who understand these things, Mycroft Holmes is the most powerful man in the country. Well...apart from me." He added. "Mycroft's pressure point is his junkie detective brother, Sherlock." He walked back to the sofa. "And Sherlock's pressure point is his best friend, John Watson. John Watson's pressure point is his wife. I own John Watson's wife…." He looked around to Sherlock. "...I own Mycroft." he sat down again. "He's what I'm getting for Christmas." He held his hand out towards Sherlock, and Sherlock pushed the laptop towards him.

"It's an exchange, not a gift." Sherlock clarified. He rose from the sofa, as Magnussen raised a brow at him, picking the laptop up, as Sherlock spun around to face him.

"Forgive me, but," Magnussen held the laptop to his chest. "...I already seem to have it."

"It's password protected."

Magnussen ran his fingers over the back of the computer. I almost asked if they wanted to be alone.

"In return for the password, you will give me any material in your possession pertaining to the woman I know as Mary Watson." Sherlock demanded.

"Oh, she's bad, that one. So many dead people. You should see what I've seen."

"I don't need to see it." John replied.

"You might enjoy it, though." Magnussen told him. "I enjoy it."

"Then why don't you show us." Sherlock spoke up.

"Show you Appledore? The secret vaults, is that what you want?" he asked, putting the laptop on the sofa.

"I want everything you've got on Mary." He repeated, intensely.

Magnussen only let out a breath of laughter, scratching his head. When he stopped chuckling, he patted the laptop.

"You know, I honestly expected something good."

"Oh, I think you'll find the contents of that laptop…"

"...include a GPS locator. "Magnussen interrupted him. "By now, your brother will have noticed the theft, and security services will be converging on the house. Having arrived, they'll find the top secret information in my hands, and have every justification to search my vaults. They will discover further information of this kind, and I'll be imprisoned. You will be exonerated, and restored to your smelly little apartment to solve crimes with Mr. and Mrs. Psychopath."

I glanced at John, who was gritting his teeth. I was doing the same.

"Mycroft has been looking for this opportunity for a long time. He'll be a very, very proud big brother." He emptied the glass in his hand, which he had picked up from the table while he was speaking.

"The fact that you know it will happen isn't going to stop it." Sherlock said.

"Then why am I smiling?" He put the glass on the table.

"Ask me." He smiled. No one spoke up, and he glanced between John and I. "Johnny hasn't caught on, but you have, Mrs. Holmes. How long have you known?" he wondered.

"Known what?" Sherlock asked, looking between Magnussen and me.

"That you, Sherlock Holmes, have made one enormous mistake which will destroy the lives of everyone he loves...and everything he holds dear."

He glanced back to me, and saw my surprise. He couldn't have known that I knew, unless…

"I heard you 'whispering' to your brother, and your face was a dead give away. I don't suppose you're a very good liar, then." He grinned.

"Elizabeth, what do you know?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but Magnussen beat me.

"You'll see soon enough. Now, come on. Let me show you the vaults."

He began to walk through a study, and we followed him through it, walking across to two wooden doors. He spun around to us.

"The entrance to my vaults. This is where I keep you all." he opened the door, but there was nothing inside. It was a plain white room with a black chair in the middle.

"Okay-so where are the vaults then?" John asked.

"As your sister told you," he gestured around the room. "They're all in here." he pointed to his temple "There are no vaults beneath this building. The Appledore vaults are my Mind Palace. That's what Mrs. Holmes knew." he smiled at Sherlock. I glanced over to find him staring at the room, his eyes wide, finally releasing the truth.

"You know about Mind Palaces, don't you Sherlock?" Magnussen asked, but Sherlock didn't reply. "How to store information so you never forget it-by picturing it. I just sit here, I close my eyes," he said, doing so."and down I go into my vaults. I can go anywhere inside my vaults. My memories, I'll look at the files on Mrs. Watson." He announced, raising both hands in front of him, and moved his fingers, as if he was flicking through pages, or folders. John cleared his throat beside me, and I turned to him, finding him trying to hide a smile. He caught me staring, and shook his head. "Sorry." He mouthed. I shook my head as well, looking back at Magnussen and despite the situation, let a smile creep onto my face as well as Magnussen hummed to himself, and picked a 'folder' from the 'drawer'.

"This is one of my favorites." he announced. "Oh, it's exciting." his hands moved as if he were opening the folder, and turning the pages inside. He chuckled quietly. "All those wet jobs for the CIA. Ooh! She's gone a bit freelance now. Bad girl." He chuckled more, and turned another page. "Ah, she is so wicked. I can really see why you like her."

He put the 'file' back in the 'drawer' and moved his hands like he closed it. He opened his eyes.

"You see?"

"So there are no documents. You don't actually have anything here." John asked.

"Oh, sometimes I send out for something, if I really need it. But mostly I just remember it all.

"I don't understand." John shook his head.

"You should have that on a T-shirt." Magnussen replied.

"You just remember it all?" He asked.

"It's all about knowledge." he looked at Sherlock. "Everything is. Knowing is owning."

"But if you just know it, then you don't have any proof." John argued.

"Proof? I don't need proof. I'm in business, you moron." I bit the inside of my cheek. Only I can call John a moron. "I don't have to prove it-I just have to print it. Speaking of news, you'll all be heavily featured tomorrow. Trying to sell state secrets to me." Magnussen buttoned his jacket. "Let's go outside. They'll be here shortly."

He walked out of the room, leaving the three of us standing there, staring at the tiny room.

"Sherlock, do we have a plan?" John asked, quietly, but Sherlock didn't answer, looking towards the floor of the white room.

"Sherlock?" I asked. He still didn't move. John left, giving up, but I stayed.

"Are you alright?" I asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. He jumped, slightly, then closed his eyes, screwing them closed. He nodded, slightly, but I knew he was lying.

"Go ahead. I'll be fine. I'll be right behind." He told me. I nodded, and left like he asked me to.

"They're taking their sweet time." Magnussen said as I walked out onto the patio, the sky darkening.

"I still don't understand." John said.

"And there's the back of the T-shirt." Magnussen mumbled.

"You just know things. How does that work?"

Magnussen turned to him, but looked over my shoulder at Sherlock, who joined us on the patio, and stood beside me, inches away.

He looked back at John.

"I just love your little soldier face." He stated. "I'd like to punch it. Bring it over here a minute."

John looked at me, but I stared at Magnussen, surprised, and angry.

"Come on." Magnussen prompted. "For Mary, bring me your face."

John glanced at Sherlock, then walked closer to Magnussen, standing in front of him.

"Lean forward a bit and stick your face out." He demanded, and John did as he was told, leaning forward slightly, as Magnussen leaned down, face to face with my brother.

"Now, can I flick it?" he asked, though it really wasn't much of a question. He was, more than likely, going to do it anyway. The fact that he wanted to do it at all made me slightly sick and confused. John snorted, looking towards his feet and shaking his head. "Can I flick your face?" Magnussen asked again. John leaned forward again in answer, and Magnussen raised a hand, flicking a finger against his cheek. John tilted his head back, instinctively as Magnussen flicked his face again, chuckling as his finger made contact with his face.

"I just love doing this." Magnussen grinned.

He looked across to Sherlock, and I followed his gaze. Sherlock kept his eyes on the ground, a pain in his face that I hadn't seen often before this moment. I bit the inside of my cheek, as Magnussen chuckled again, looking back to my brother, and had his hand lifted again, ready to flick him.

"It works like this." Magnussen began. "I know who Mary hurt and killed." he flicked John. "I know where to find people who hate her." He flicked him again and again. "I know where they live; I know their phone numbers." Two more. "All in my Mind Palace, all of it." He reminded.

I looked back at Sherlock, who, instead of gazing at the floor, was glaring at Magnussen.

"I could phone them all right now and tear your whole life down- and I will. Unless you let me flick my face." Three more times.

I looked over to Sherlock, gaging his reaction. His lip was lifted from his teeth just slightly in anger.

"This is what I do to people. This is what I do to whole countries." Magnussen informed us, straightening up. I saw John's shoulders relax, and so did mine, thinking Magnussen was done. "Just because I know." He bent down again. "Can I do you eye now?" he asked, but again, it wasn't much of a question. If John did not comply, Magnussen would make their lives a living hell without remorse, no apology, and a smile. The thought made my heart race, my stomach sick, and my blood boil once again.

"See if you can keep it open, hmm." He flicked John's eyebrow, and John blinked out of reflex and surprise.

"Come on, for Mary, keep it open."

"Sherlock?" John called, as Magnussen held his finger back with his thumb, ready to strike again,

"Let him, I'm sorry." Sherlock answered, sounding hurt. "Just...let him."

"Come on, eye open." Magnussen repeated, and flicked his eyebrow again, and again, John blinking each time, unable to do as Magnussen asked.

"It's difficult, isn't it?" He asked, straightening up. "Janine managed it once." He looked towards Sherlock. "She makes the funniest noises.

I heard a helicopter as men rushed onto the patio, armed. The helicopter hovered several yards away from the house, a spotlight pointed on the patio, illuminating it.

"Sherlock Holmes, Elizabeth Holmes, and John Watson," Mycroft's voice blaired over a speaker. "Stand away from that man."

"Here we go, Mr. Holmes." Magnussen yelled over the sounds of the helicopters.

Sherlock stepped forwards, and I followed him, nervously, my legs wobbling beneath me.

"To clarify; Appledore vaults only exist in you mind, nowhere else, just there." Sherlock asked.

"They're not real. They never have been."

"Sherlock Holmes, Elizabeth Holmes, and John Watson. Step away!" Mycroft repeated.

"It's fine! They're harmless!" Magnussen yelled to the helicopters.

"Sherlock, what do we do?" John asked.

"Nothing." Magnussen answered for him. "There's nothing to be done! Oh, I'm not a villain. I have no evil plan. I'm a businessman, acquiring assets. You happen to be one of them! Sorry. No chance for you to be a hero this time, Mr. Holmes."

"Sherlock Holmes, Elizabeth Holmes, and John Watson…" Mycroft started again, but I tuned him out, whether it was voluntarily, or involuntarily, I don't know, but I know that his voice sounded as if we were underwater, but I heard Sherlock's voice bright and clear right beside of me.

"Oh, do your research." Sherlock said, moving, and reaching towards John, grabbing something from his coat.

"I'm not a hero. I'm a high-functioning sociopath. Merry Christmas!" He pulled his hand from John's coat. I looked around just in time to see Sherlock raise John's pistol and point it at Magnussen, pulling the trigger.

I stared in shock, jumping as the gun sounded, unable to speak. Sherlock threw the gun, and turned back towards the helicopter.

"Get away from me." Sherlock shouted. "Stay well back."

"Christ, Sherlock." John exclaimed, raising his own hands as Sherlock was, using one hand to pull me back with him. Away from Sherlock.

I heard Mycroft over the speaker, commanding the police not to shoot.

"Oh, Christ, Sherlock." John repeated. I remained silent, having no idea what to say, or do, or what was going to happen.

"Give my love to Mary, and to Ophelia." Sherlock requested over his shoulder. "Tell Mary she's safe now. Tell Ophelia I love her, everyday."

Mycroft continued to scream over the speaker as Sherlock turned around to face them all again, and lowered his head.


John, Mary, and I sat in silence in 221B. John and I, after being taken in, had given our statements, and were allowed to go home.

I held Ophelia close to my chest as she played with a stuffed duck Sherlock and I had gotten for her for Christmas. She giggled, and threw the toy to the arm of the chair, which caught it. As she reached to grab it, something else caught her eye-my mobile phone. A recent obsession of hers.

Her fingers brushed against it, and I saw the disaster waiting to happen, using the duck she just threw as an example, and I grabbed it before she has the chance.

"No, no, sweetie. Use your phone." I reached into the small toy box, and gave her the small plush mobile phone. She grinned, throwing it up to her ear, and looking at me. I smiled as she mumbled into the phone, before putting the end of it in her mouth. I held back a laugh, pressing a button on my mobile to check the time.

The light caught Ophelia's attention, and she leaned forward, slamming a finger down on my touch screen.

"What are you doing?" I asked as she pointed to the photo I used of my background of her and Sherlock, taken without him knowing. Ophelia, however, grinned at the camera.

"Da." She said. My eyes snapped to hers, and she tapped the screen again. "Dada."

"What did she just say?" John asked, coming from the kitchen, drinks for him and Mary in hand.

Ophelia repeated her new word, as if answering her Uncle's question, and pointed at the phone. He grinned, grabbing his phone, and pulling up the camera. I smiled, kissing her forehead, and hoping Mycroft would let Sherlock see the video.

Up next, the end of His Last Vow, and the Abominable Bride. I decided to do those together instead of adding the end to this chapter.

Thank you to Nott01 again, who Beta'd (is that right?) this chapter! A massive help!

Sorry this is so late. I've been helping with VBS at my church, and it takes more out of you than I thought. I've been absolutely exhausted these past week. And I just helped with the snacks. I didn't teach anything.

And when I wasn't at Bible School, I was at home, resting, and watching Downton Abbey. New addiction! I need season 4 NOW.

Anyway, hopefully the next chapter will be here a lot sooner! I'm excited about writing The Abominable Bride.

Reviews:

Red:This was so good! I'm glad you're doing 'The Abominable Bride'! I completely agree with you! Brilliant show, brilliant era! Brilliantly close to Doyle's stories as well!

I am excited to start 'The Abominable Bride! I'm still trying to sort some things out, and get it ready to write, but it's almost there!

From: Aubrey Cortez

Oh gosh. Now I'm worried and it's a cliffhanger. Wonderful.

Thank you! And I'm sorry about the cliffhanger. I hate them, and I meant for this chapter to be out earlier. Sorry I didn't post sooner! Made the cliffhanger a little worse.

Thank you again for the review!

From: Lovely whim

I have to say, I read all 52 chapters in two days. I'm addicted. You are a true author. I can barely wait for more. Love ya :)

All 52 in TWO DAYS! Wow! That's amazing! I am SO glad you're enjoying the story, and thank you so much for the wonderful compliment! Love ya too, dearie!

From: AJ Parker758

Goodness me! I come back from going off the fanfic grid for so long, and I find several chapters I need to catch up on. I just read the last four chapters in just two hours, and I'm so happy!

Just a few comments regarding the last few chapters. I held a hand over my heart and drew out, "Awwwww," when I read about Sherlock thinking of Elizabeth, Ophelia, and of course Redbeard in his mind palce to help calm him down when he was shot. So sweet! And Irene Adler made a surprise guest appearance! That was nice! I never got to say this before, but I love what you did regarding Irene's character in this story. Seriously, every Sherlock fic I've read with a Sherlock/OC pairing portrays Irene as some evil harpy who has it out for the OC. It's not a bad trope, but it's been done waaayyy too many times that it's become a cliché in itself. Plus, Irene is too honorable a character to act like that anyway (at least, the original version of her in the books). So this was a very nice change. And, in addition, the rift in Sherlock and Elizabeth's relationship at the time only seemed to make their love for each stronger in the end. Love, love, love it!

I love Mary, she's awesome. But I think I'd react the same way Elizabeth did. I'd understand why she did what she did, but there still remains that fact that she lied. So I'd be righteously pissed as well.

I can't wait until the end of His Last Vow, and what you have planned for the Abomidable Bride! Keep writing!

I had to add that into the Mind Palace scene, I just had to. It came to me as I was writing it, and so I stuck it in there. I'm glad you liked it!

Irene Adler, or so I'm told, actually made an appearance in the episode, or they planned for her to, anyway. The scene was deleted. The single rose in Sherlock's hospital room, though, was from her. I don't think Irene is evil. She's not an angel, by no means, but she's not, as you said, an 'evil harpy who has it out for the OC'. And I agree, she is a honorable character, too honorable to act that way. I think she would have been civil, same as Molly. I say it a lot, and I'll say it again, I hate the way some fanfictions portray Molly Hooper if they include an OC who is in a romantic relationship with Sherlock.

Thank you so much for the review! I hope you like this chapter as well!

From: GrantWard'sHipsterGlasses

Yet another great chapter! I actually found this episode really interesting as well. I have finished The Reichenbach Fall. I got so emotional, let me tell you. I actually have watched all of the episodes now, including The Abominable Bride, which was basically amazing. After I finished watching it, I had a period of like 4 days when I didn't want to do or watch anything else because I was still recovering!

I do try to review on every story that I read, unless I just found a reason to not really like it, in which case, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. I do mostly try to review though. I know that I would really appreciate any reviews on my story to see what people think.

Thank you! I thought this episode was interesting as well! A bit different from the others, in my opinion, but still great!

I loved the 'The Abominable Bride'. It exceeded my expectations, and made my laugh out loud several different times, which is rare. I've only really laughed out loud because of 'Sherlock', and 'Downton Abbey'.

I try to do the same, to review a lot, for the same reason. I know how happy reviews make me, and how much I really appreciate them, and how they make my day, so I try to leave a good review on the stories I read, unless, like you said, I can't really find anything nice to say.

Thank you for the review, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

~Eruaphadriel