Before you trash me for trashing Laurie King (a little) let me say this, King is a good writer and I like Mary Russell but I do not agree with some things King writes especially the awful way she treats Watson.



The next days were like a nice holiday. H didn't have any cases and he seemed fine with that. We took several long walks, talked, kissed and once he took me to meet Doc's wife. I had heard Doc telling H that his Mary wanted to meet me. She was a very nice woman and it was not hard to see that the Watsons made a wonderful couple. In a moment alone with her, she appologized for asking me if I knew anything about her husbands future. I did tell her what she needed to know which was not much.

Later thay day after having said goodbye to my new friend Mary Watson, me and H were once again in Baker Street.

"You've been very quiet. Is something wrong?" H interupted my thoughts as he filled his pipe.

"What? Oh no. I was just wondering if I shouldn't have kept my mouth shut."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Mary asked me if I knew about her husbands future."

I could see him looking up at me. "I see."

"So I told her that I only knew that her husband would not be killed in any of his cases with you. That is what she wanted to know. And if you are wondering you won't be killed either."

"I didn't ask." He started smoking his pipe.

"No and I don't know why I told you."

"Since you did. How do you know? Watson's stories I presume?" He didn't look at me this time

"You will retire at one point and both Doc and you will be well, alive and well. That didn't sound right but you know what I mean."

"I do." He puffed away at his pipe.

"Of course there are people who beleive that you at 60 years of age marry a 21 year old woman."

He nearly dropped his pipe as he turned to look at me with disbeleif in his eyes. "What did you say?"

"Oh it's nothing really. A woman named King has written some books about you after your retirement. She wrote that Sherlock Holmes meets this 15 year old girl who has a sharp mind as he does. He take her on as an apprentice and then when she turns 21 they both get married."

He frowned. "How utterly appaling."

"Oh you wouldn't do something like that?" I smiled innocently at him.

"Ofcourse not. Take a girl on as an apprentice....Hmmm........perhaps but marriage? I can not even beleive someone would come up with the idea." He paused and then countinued. "Should I marry I prefer it to be with you."

I didn't not see that one coming. "Don't go put ideas in my head now."

He looked at me and raising one eye brow. "Maybe I want to."

"Eh...well....you know.....My brother decided to read the first book by King because a girlfriend had confinced him of it. Even the treatment of Doc is ridiculous."

His head turned to look at me again. "How so?"

"Basicly the book says he is an idiot."

He scowled. "Treating me badly is one thing but my friends....."

"I know. I think, there was even a line that got my brother upset for days. Eh, something about you...sorry...the supposed you saying that Watson was only a pair of extra hands and you didn't have anything of a real partnership."

Now H looked mad. For a moment I thought he was going to bite my head off.

"I am glad that.......woman........is no where near or I would have given her a piece of my mind. What was she thinking? Nor true partnership? BAH! Ridicoulus indeed. "

"I'm sorry H. I shouldn't......"

He waved his hand at me. "No no. Do not concern yourself with it. Seems anyone can make money of my name aswell as Watson's."

"Yes money seems to drive a lot of people. No matter what century."

"Indeed."

I got up determined to make his bad mood go away. I had, after all, caused it. I went to stand behind him and put my hands on his shoulders and leaned in to kiss his cheek. As I did I felt him sigh and relax a bit. One of his hands found one of mine and her drew me around to have me sit in his lap. Suddenly I thought just hit me.

"What?" He looked at me.

"Speaking of stories...."

He frowned and seem to be getting in a bad mood once again.

"No no not those 'stories'. But from what I understand in the stories Doc wrote......"

H interupted me. "For someone who never read one of those stories you do have quite a knowledge about them."

"The curse of having a brother who's a Holmes fanatic." He laughed and I countinued. "After you came back from your 3 year absence it was told in a story that Mary died during that time but I'm here and she is aswell, alive. I just don't see how that is possible unless Doc lied about it."

He looked at me. "Well we did lie. You see when I came back and the following time after that I wasn't totally sure if all of Professor Moriarty's men had been captured. To protect her Watson wrote in a story she died in labour. It was a half truth for I was told by Watson that during my absence she had indeed been pregnant and lost the child in labour. Yes, I felt terrible for not being near my friend to comfort him in his time of need. I did my best to make it up to him."

I patted his shoulder. "I'm sure you did. However, wouldn't Marys friends and family wonder about this? The public?"

"They don't have many friends but those friends were alerted to this as were her family. As for the public, well sooner or later they will find out she is alive but for now its safer this way. As it is safe to keep you out of the stories Watson writes."



I woke the next morning by the feeling of someone gently shaking me. I opened my eyes.

"Good Morning. I am afraid you need to go to your room before Mrs. Hudson sees you." H said to me.

I looked at him. "And you are fully dressed because...........?"

"Ah yes, I need to help my brother with a delicate matter. I should not be back until late tonigh. I'm sure you can find something to do?"

I yawned as I sat up in bed. "Sure."

He kissed my cheek and headed out the door. Soon after I went to my room and got dressed. I then went down to the kitchen to talk to Mrs. Hudson and to get a bite to eat. A little later she went out to make some errands and I was in the sitting room going over some of H's books. I had barely decided on one when I for some reason began to think I was not alone.

"Who's there?"

"Do not despair," a voice was heard from behind me. "I have no intention of hurting you."

I turned around and saw a tall, thin man with dirty clothes.

"I did not hear you enter."

"I am delighted to see you reckognized my presence before I had made it known. An improvement from your father who seems quite, I appologize, like a fool."

"My father?" The wheels turned in my head. I was never stupid but living with Sherlock Holmes sure had improved my mind a little. "Professor Moriarty?"

He smiled at me as he took off his fake beard and the big hat he was wearing. "Indeed I am." He walked over took my hand in his and kissed it. "It's a pleasure to meet you. It is refreshing to see that some of the Moriarty gene still lives."

"How.............?" This was all weird. Strange he did not scare me one bit.

"How did I survive? I managed to get a hold of a huge branch and climbed my way back to the top."

"You said my father?"

"Yes, I guess I must admit some genius in him. I take it you realize he was the one that brought you here."

"Eh yes, I suppose it has to do with revenge on H..holmes."

"So it has. I don't know why this perticular time and frankly, don't think even your father does. He was shocked to find me alive which he did recently but manage to convince me that he could be off help. I beleive he is about to join us."

At this time the door downstairs opened and I heard someone running up the stairs.

"Hello there dumpling." My father, who's name is Gene, greeted me as he came in. "Didn't I tell you eh?"

Moriarty frowned. Not more amused by him then I was.

"So why are you here?" I countinued. "You don't expect me to help because I will not."

"Hell yes you will." My father shouted. "Why do you think I brought you here?"

So that was it. "Because you were hoping I would become friends with Holmes and then help you with the revenge."

My father smiled but Moriarty just sighed. "She will not help us. It is obvious she has become more then just a friend to my enemy."

Now what? Suddenly my father knew excactly what he meant. He took one step closer to me and raised his hand to slap me. Then Moriarty's hand grabbed him and drew him back.

"One never, never lays a hand on family. Never." His cold eyes stared at my father. "Go." My father tried to protest. "GO!"

As I saw my fathers figure dissapearing I couldn't help but to feel some sort of respect for Moriarty. Not good and certainly not something I should feel. I saw Moriarty putting on his beard again and his hat. With so little make up it's amazing no one reckognized him. Then again he had his tricks just like H did I am sure. He straightend and gave me an envelope with H's name on it.

"I would like you to give this to him when he returns. I don't need an answer because I know he will accept. I am sure you will tell him of my visit?"

"Yes, he would want to know."

He looked at me for a minute. "I never imagined that anyone asscociated even related to me would become the object of my greatest enemy's affection. Then I am sure it took him by much supprise as it did me. It has been a privilage meeting you."

He started out the door but turned to me one last time. "I have no desire in hurting you but would advise you to not acompany Mr. Holmes where he must go. You have nothing to fear from me but I am afraid I can not say the same for your father."

"I appriciate those words." I didn't know what else to say really. It is weird that my own father would actually hurt me if given the chance but I knew him well enough to know Moriarty was right.

With one swift turn he was out of the room and soon I heard the front door being opened and closed aswell.