Italics is Sherlock

Bold is John

Bold and italics is Mycroft

17th February, Tuesday

(12:12 am)One hour remaining.

(12:12 am) Mycroft!

(12:13 am) No need to be snippy Sherlock, we are all worried.

(12:14 am) I will keep you posted as soon as I receive information, brother mine.

Mycroft Holmes is calling you.

Sherlock. We -

Mikey, sorry I snapped at you. I don't know what's happening. I am very scared. I amreally sorry.

Love, don't worry. Do you remember the first time we came to London? We went to see the bridge. Remember that memory. Calm down. Let us meet there and discuss further.

Thank you, Mikey. I will start right now.

Your call with Mycroft Holmes has ended.

(12:28 am) Time is running out, darling. Come and get him ?

John Watson started sharing a video feed.

It is live from Sherlock's room, and shows all the creases on his head. Sherlock stares at his phone in shock.

(12:29 am) Oh, it is so fun to see you CARE!

The feed stops abruptly as Sherlock furiously dismantles the camera. Sherlock stares outside 221 B. He watches silently as his double get on a cab to the bridge.

He waits till the cab (and the two covert cabs following it) disappears out of sight. He leaps into action – his cab has arrived with Mycroft in it. Sherlock gets in.

"Mikey never fails" Mycroft smiled tensely. Sherlock shares a terse smile.

"I found a program tapping my messages. My Baker Street boys also noticed hired guns, so have you, I assume. I have been under surveillance ever since I got home."

"I knew about the guns. They weren't… more than the usual" Mycroft replied uneasily, as the car swerved quietly over a corner.

"That is the genius of it. I disengaged with John as soon as I realized. But it's already…" Sherlock trailed away, his vulnerability showing in his stoicism. He hates himself for being exposed.

"Too late" Mycroft finished softly for him. Mycroft pauses for a moment but then decides to say something else.

"His name is John – "

"Don't" snapped Sherlock with gritted teeth, "Don't tell me about him. I just need to know where he is."

"He's at the pool like you said. I have men surrounded over the entire building. Everything is on standby. There is.. there is a considerable risk of you dying today."

"How much?" Sherlock asked, his eyes closed, and his hands folded.

"43%"

Sherlock nodded slowly in acknowledgement.

"I would really prefer that you not die today, Sherlock"

"I do not intend to"

Sherlock arrived at the pool with five minutes to spare. The lighting is dim, and he is greeted by a silhouette in the distance, a voice booming over the empty pool.

"Welcome, Sherlock. I was worried about you. The bridge…", the tone sounded amused, "my men can be idiots sometimes. But I wouldn't really have you any other way." The voice chuckled.

"Who are you?" Sherlock asked carefully, slowly closing the distance between him and the silhouette.

"Your biggest fan". The voice drawled on.

As Sherlock got closer, the silhouette became clearer. A slightly shorter figure, a man in his twenties, hunched, the slight outlines of a walking stick... Sherlock's body clammed in horror.

"John… Moriarty?", he whispered in disbelief, and then in a louder voice, "JOHN MORIARTY!?". His mind was reeling from the stupid, stupid blunder he made. John had texted him first. John texted him first! How could he have been so careless? How did he trust a man he had never seen? Was he so easy? Was he even as smart as he thought he was? The common denominator in all the suspicious things happening to him – it was John. John Moriarty. Sherlock's heart was racing from the realization. John Moriarty. John Moriarty. Mycroft was right, always has been.

"Watson", a small voice broke Sherlock from his reverie, "My name is John Watson." John sounded confused.

Sherlock then spotted the two gunmen aiming at John from a distance. Moriarty appeared a little farther, grinning evilly. It is impossible to describe what Sherlock feels, but searing relief might be a good contender.

"Molly's boyfriend" Sherlock realizes too late. He recognizes Jim from the photos Molly sent him last week. If only he had paid attention to his friend! If only he listened. If only he was not wallowing in self-pity! He thanks the stars that Molly is safe.

Jim's grin gets wider. The lights turn on, illuminating Moriarty's figure. Moriarty walks past John, closing the distance between Sherlock and himself.

"It is so nice to finally meet you, Sherlock." and noticing that Sherlock's gaze was still on John's silhouette, "I would really hate to get blood on my suit. Westwood, you know."

The words accomplish the intended effect. Sherlock looks at Jim carefully, trying to assess the situation.

"Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" Jim asks, both men eyeing each other carefully.

Sherlock takes out the loaded gun he has been holding under his coat. He is immediately greeted with five red spots of laser on his chest.

"Consulting criminal, quite brilliant."

Jim nods, revelling in the appreciation.

"This has been really fun, Sherlock. I spent 13 million just for us to play. But daddy's had enough now! Consider this a... friendly warning" Moriarty hints, his eyes cold and sharp.

"What happens if I shoot you now?"

"Booooring!" Jim complains in a sing-song voice. "We all die. Pfft. Is this how we end this game, Sherlock?"

"I won't stop chasing you" Sherlock replies measuredly, his hand firmly holding the pistol.

"We don't stop playing, Sherlock. This is just the handshake before the chess game, the bow before the karate begins. No, no, no, no, no. I am not going to kill you. I am going to burn you. I am going to destroy everything that you hold dear. Killing is… too easy, Sherlock. I was going to kill you anyway" Jim shrugs, walking past Sherlock.

"Ciao, Sherlock Holmes"

The laser pointers disappear. John is unceremoniously thrown into the pool while Moriarty's men leave the building. Sherlock rushes to help John, straining to hear what was happening outside the pool. Mycroft's men should have nabbed Jim by now.

Instead, he is greeted with three men who help him heave John out of the pool. The men quickly shove John into a car headed to a hospital while Sherlock is shipped to Mycroft.

"We didn't get him" Mycroft confirmed Sherlock's fears. "We got all his men, the ones who were instructed to beat you both up are dead. Moriarty is serious, Sherlock. He wants to break you piece by piece. He wanted to demonstrate to you how easy it is for him to do that."

"How is John?"

"John will be well soon. Give him a week"

"I need to talk to John. To apologize."

"You cannot meet him. He is in a high-security hospital. Your going there will only endanger him" Mycroft answers slowly.

"I…" Sherlock wants to apologize. To admit he was wrong. To admit he needed Mycroft right now.

"I know" Mycroft stops him. Sherlock is thankful.

19th February, Thursday

(4:06 pm) Hi Sherlock, Mycroft gave me a new phone.

(4:07 pm) John…?

(4:07 pm) John Watson. The one and only.

(4:08 pm) John, you have no idea.

(4:08 pm) I was so worried about you.

(4:08 pm) I… I am just so

(4:08 pm) I don't know I just

(4:08 pm) The thing, this whole thing

(4:09 pm) Calm down.

(4:09 pm) Mycroft told me a few things.

(4:09 pm) I know why you had to fake the Anderson screenshot.

(4:10 pm) No, not that you idiot. I almost got you killed.

(4:10 pm) Oh right. Yeah.

(4:10 pm) Oh right!? Oh right!?

(4:11 pm) I'm fine, Sherlock. I got a new phone and everything. Major upgrade from Harry's phone.

(4:12 pm) His men beat you up!

(4:13 pm) Well, we caught them didn't we.

(4:13 pm) John Watson.

(4:13 pm) You astound me.

(4:14 pm) This is his nurse. John is supposed to be sleeping right now.

(4:14 pm) Well, "nurse", this is an invasion of his privacy.

(4:14 pm) Don't lecture me about privacy, Sherlock Holmes.

(4:14 pm) But I am glad you and John are talking again.

(4:15 pm) You little minx Molly. Me too.

To be continued...

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